Week 3 update!

Week three in Chinandega flew by as my work is really getting off the ground!  I’ve partnered with Microfinance Institution Fundacion Leon 2001.  I spent my day yesterday in the neighboring city of Leon judging local entrepreneurs as they presented their business plans in hope of scoring a micro loan.  Down the road, I will be following up with the loan recipients to make sure that they are keeping their finances together and running their small business successfully.  The idea of entrepreneurship is so different here with the lack of education and creative thinking.  I was so disappointed when a young lady presented her business plan to open a clothing store even though she would be finishing her law degree next year.  People just don’t know how to take their future and careers to the next level.  Society has grasped that the rare opportunity for a college degree is in fact a great thing, but they never seem to utilize it to its full potential.  Culture here also stands in the way.  I watched a young 20 something present her business plan to open a small convenient store while her 3-year-old ran around the room.  This is very common here, a young mother trying to save her future with a little one to look after and a father who was never in the picture. 

Occasionally a young person with a great idea will come forward and set an example, but its interesting here how people aren’t looking to be the hero or the free thinker.  People would rather do something safe and riskless to mesh in easily with the rest of society instead of challenging its boundaries.  It’s rather frustrating from my end.  I ask such questions as “how are you going to gain clients over you competition?” and the common answer would be to offer discounts, but they just don’t get that offering discounts doesn’t make their business any better than their competition who does the same thing.  I get really worked up because that’s my goal over the next 2 years is to try to get the youth and women that I work with to think outside the box.

A more relaxing topic is my Sunday by the beach.  I think I may have already mentioned that it’s only a 15 min bus ride to a beach scattered with ranchos that play music, serve cold beer and a whole fried fish platter.  It’s a perfect day after a long night of dancing at the local discotecas.  Sundays are the big day to go as all the locals are taking advantage of their one real day off.  A fun Nica fact is that bathing suits aren't worn.  Instead people hit the water fully dressed.  No joke, I'm talking women in skin tight jeans and collared shirts with a full face of make-up just run straight in to the ocean.  I cant imagine how uncomfortable all that wet clothing would be!  Anyways, I joined a few volunteers to eat, swim and relax this past Sunday.  Although I have Sundays off too, it seems that I constantly need to be on my best behavior as several of my students frequent the same beach with their families.  Peace Corps will preach how volunteers work 24/7 because people are always watching us and we need to set a good example for the U.S.  This is 100% true.  I realized just how true as I was walking along the beach in my bikini back to my friends with a plate of fish and a beer in my hand when a young man shouted “Hola Profe!” which is short for profesora or teacher in english.  Whoops!

On another exciting note, I found a new place to live!  I ran in to another American the other day here in Chinandega who has lived here for 8 years.  Her in-laws are Nicaraguan and have a very nice house, which is much more centrally located and in a much nicer neighborhood than where I am now.  The house has actual sofas(very rare here) and a full kitchen!  I’ve been cooking on a simple gas burner so imagine my excitement to see a microwave and oven!  I will have my own bed and bath and brace yourself because they have, a washing machine and dryer!  No more hand washing laundry, well for the most part.  I think the thing I’m most excited about is free Internet!  I’m really lucky to have found a welcoming family who is well off and is happy to have me live with them.  I’m looking forward to the change.

But I’m even more looking forward to Jamie’s visit this weekend!  She should be here in about 2 days!  I can’t wait to see her face!

I’ll leave you with a quote I thoroughly enjoyed from one of my tea bags because I think it accurately describes how I am viewing my work here in Nicaragua.

“Your life is based on the capacity of energy in you, not outside of you”- Yogi Tea Bag