so.... i can´t figure out how to make a capitol letter on this international keyboard, so pardon my poor grammar....
we picked up our friends, eric and emily, on sunday and are so happy to have them with us! always better to travel with friends. we made our way to san juan del sur on sunday evening to hang out at the gorgeous beach and check out their local library owned by a non profit in the usa to get a feel for what a successful library in nicaragua looks like. we learned a lot and will certainly be taking some of their methods to el transito.
on monday night we stayed at a beach, playa el coco, in a beautiful private room with access to the beach. we saw hundreds of crabs on the beach!
today we made our way to granada, nicaragua. we will be purchasing some of our first books for the library here, as well as seeing the sights!
more in depth details and photos to come tomorrow night, hopefully. i am just at an internet cafe, so i don´t want to take up too much time...
buenas tardes!
hk
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Hace Mucho Calor! And other phrases I have learned...
Hace' mucho calor. In English: It's very hot. And humid. I actually had a dream today during a quick nap that my hair and body was drenched in sweat. When I woke up, estaba verdad (it was true).
If you've read my Facebook status, you would know that I am getting to the point where I am translating much of my thoughts into Spanish. Just typing this blog entry, I am resisting the urge to type it in Spanish. Pero no es facil! (But it's not easy!) Some phrases that have become my default (when I either don't know what the heck someone is saying to me, or if I can't think of what I need to say in enough time...)
1. "Si'!" (yes!) This is probably not the best default phrase... what am I agreeing to, exactly?
2. "No se." (I don't know) This is a much safer option for default phrases. It let's the speaker know you have no idea what they just said.
3. "No intiendo" (I don't understand) See note above.
4. "Como se dice?" (How do you say this?) My default phrase when I don't know what to call something. Self explanatory.
5. "Hola!" (Hello)
See my face in the photo above? I most likely have no idea what she is saying to me. Thought I hid that fact better than this. Apparently not. Note to self: try not to look so clueless.
In Latin America, the concept of time is very different. For example, if I say I want to meet up with you at 8:30, that means nothing. I could show up at 10:00 and that would be totally acceptable. I could show up at 12:00 and that would still be okay. Such was the case with the mayor this morning. We arrived at 8:45, as planned, and the mayor showed up at 10:00. But that's just how it is around here!
After meeting up with the mayor, we went to a cafe in Nagarote, Nicaragua to eat some authentic quesillos. A quesillo is basically a tortilla with a rolled out disc of cheese, onions, and "crema" in the middle, wrapped up like a burrito, and served in a plastic bag. The "crema" is a very liquidy sour cream of sorts.... You have to eat it out of a bag because if you didn't, your lap would be covered in crema! You basically bite the quesillo through the bag, then scoot the bite up the bag with your teeth, and into your mouth--much like you would eat one of those cheap colorful popsicles that kids eat in the summer, you know, the ones wrapped in plastic??
Quesillo.
With our cacao.
Well, I am getting pestered by bugs, so I am going to retire for the night.
Buena noche! (Good night!)
HK
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
06.07 & 06.08
I have some journaling that I did last night, so I will share that with you, as well as my thoughts from today's events :)
06.07.11 5:45 p.m.
About to go to church located "up the hill". It seems that this is the way to describe where things are--it's either "up the hill" or "down the hill". Where is the store? Down the hill. Where does Dina live? Up the hill.
It's been a productive day. I met the women who make the ETCA purses. There are about 8 of them currently. I went over some new design ideas with them, as well as taught them complimentary colors. I helped them put fabric combinations together for their future bags. They are a talented bunch as far as craftsmenship, but I hope to teach them more about putting colors and patterns together.
Scott spent the day figuring out where the library will go. I think they have decided to put it on Julie's property. Scott is meeting with the Mayor, pastor, and a woman from another non-profit, NICA, to finalize these decisions so that we can start purchasing books.
We had our first venture to the beach today. The sand is black and ashen, like a pile of cigarette ashes in a gigantic ashtray; or like a vessel of ground pepper. The texture is very gritty. The waves are so loud, such that you must practically shout to be heard.
One thing I have noticed today is how little time is spent indoors. This is probably because it is so hot and humid. Everyone works outside. Everyone sits outside. Everyone eats outside.
06.08.11
Church was.... interesting last night. Let me just tell you first that church STARTED at 5:00 p.m. and ENDED at 1:00 a.m. NO, that is NOT a typo. Church was 8 hours long. Holy moly. I love my Jesus, but an 8 hour church service in a language that I don't know well...... no thanks. Did we stay the whole time? Heck. no. We arrived at 6:30 and left at 9:30. Yes, 3 hours was enough for us. Especially since we don't know the language very well.
Today, we met up with Julie for breakfast at 8:30. I spent the morning putting together some bag samples for the women and posting pictures for the blog. Scott spent a good part of the morning fixing the door to the bathroom at the Arts Center. It was necessary. You could go in just fine, close the door just fine, but flush and try to leave the bathroom..... not gonna happen. You have to bang on the door to have someone let you out, haha. But! Not anymore! McGyver fixed the door.
This afternoon, I went back to our beach house and baked muffins with one of the local women, Dina. She speaks no English and I speak little Spanish, so it was interesting. For example. How do you explain to a sweet Nicaraguan woman that I put the eggs in the back of the refrigerator, where it is really cold, and thus the eggs FROZE. Yes, when I cracked the first egg, what emerged.... or rather DIDN'T emerge, was a rock-solid clear mass with a golden eye. She just started laughing, and I had to laugh too. Our solution? Put it in the sun. Who knew you would have to DE-frost your eggs in Nicaragua? A first, I'm sure.
After baking, Dina, her son, Eddi, and I played "Go Fish". Went surprisingly well! Then I taught Eddi some English for about an hour or so. He was also helping me with my Spanish, of coarse. There was lots of pointing and gesturing and "Que?" and "What?" I'm surprised we got anywhere, ha ha.
Well, that is about it for today! Scott and I plan on sitting in our hammocks and reading for the rest of the night....
Hasta luego! (see you later)
HK
06.07.11 5:45 p.m.
About to go to church located "up the hill". It seems that this is the way to describe where things are--it's either "up the hill" or "down the hill". Where is the store? Down the hill. Where does Dina live? Up the hill.
It's been a productive day. I met the women who make the ETCA purses. There are about 8 of them currently. I went over some new design ideas with them, as well as taught them complimentary colors. I helped them put fabric combinations together for their future bags. They are a talented bunch as far as craftsmenship, but I hope to teach them more about putting colors and patterns together.
Scott spent the day figuring out where the library will go. I think they have decided to put it on Julie's property. Scott is meeting with the Mayor, pastor, and a woman from another non-profit, NICA, to finalize these decisions so that we can start purchasing books.
We had our first venture to the beach today. The sand is black and ashen, like a pile of cigarette ashes in a gigantic ashtray; or like a vessel of ground pepper. The texture is very gritty. The waves are so loud, such that you must practically shout to be heard.
One thing I have noticed today is how little time is spent indoors. This is probably because it is so hot and humid. Everyone works outside. Everyone sits outside. Everyone eats outside.
06.08.11
Church was.... interesting last night. Let me just tell you first that church STARTED at 5:00 p.m. and ENDED at 1:00 a.m. NO, that is NOT a typo. Church was 8 hours long. Holy moly. I love my Jesus, but an 8 hour church service in a language that I don't know well...... no thanks. Did we stay the whole time? Heck. no. We arrived at 6:30 and left at 9:30. Yes, 3 hours was enough for us. Especially since we don't know the language very well.
Today, we met up with Julie for breakfast at 8:30. I spent the morning putting together some bag samples for the women and posting pictures for the blog. Scott spent a good part of the morning fixing the door to the bathroom at the Arts Center. It was necessary. You could go in just fine, close the door just fine, but flush and try to leave the bathroom..... not gonna happen. You have to bang on the door to have someone let you out, haha. But! Not anymore! McGyver fixed the door.
This afternoon, I went back to our beach house and baked muffins with one of the local women, Dina. She speaks no English and I speak little Spanish, so it was interesting. For example. How do you explain to a sweet Nicaraguan woman that I put the eggs in the back of the refrigerator, where it is really cold, and thus the eggs FROZE. Yes, when I cracked the first egg, what emerged.... or rather DIDN'T emerge, was a rock-solid clear mass with a golden eye. She just started laughing, and I had to laugh too. Our solution? Put it in the sun. Who knew you would have to DE-frost your eggs in Nicaragua? A first, I'm sure.
After baking, Dina, her son, Eddi, and I played "Go Fish". Went surprisingly well! Then I taught Eddi some English for about an hour or so. He was also helping me with my Spanish, of coarse. There was lots of pointing and gesturing and "Que?" and "What?" I'm surprised we got anywhere, ha ha.
Well, that is about it for today! Scott and I plan on sitting in our hammocks and reading for the rest of the night....
Hasta luego! (see you later)
HK
Some pictures
Here are a few pictures! It takes FOREVER to load pictures with this internet, so I will only post a couple. Check in later for an update!
On the road to El Transito!
Working with the local women on Tuesday, 06.07.11
Scott coming out of the bathroom. The building behind him is the Arts Center. The kitchen and a storage room make up the inside, and the women make the bags on the porch seen to the right.
The local poultry. Don't worry, the pig is not dead. He is just taking a "siesta" (nap) on a family's porch. Pretty normal around here.
View from our front porch. The wall you see in the backround is our bathroom at the house.
The beach that we live on. You can see the fishing boats in the distance. Our house is the small white house with the slanted roof directly left of the boats.
Playing frisbee on the beach.
Toes covered in sand. The sand is black and coarse, like ashes nestled in the world's largest ash tray.
On the road to El Transito!
Working with the local women on Tuesday, 06.07.11
Scott coming out of the bathroom. The building behind him is the Arts Center. The kitchen and a storage room make up the inside, and the women make the bags on the porch seen to the right.
The local poultry. Don't worry, the pig is not dead. He is just taking a "siesta" (nap) on a family's porch. Pretty normal around here.
View from our front porch. The wall you see in the backround is our bathroom at the house.
The beach that we live on. You can see the fishing boats in the distance. Our house is the small white house with the slanted roof directly left of the boats.
Playing frisbee on the beach.
Toes covered in sand. The sand is black and coarse, like ashes nestled in the world's largest ash tray.I will be typing up a journal post later on today, hopefully. We can't find our journals, so we'll see...
Much love.
HK
Much love.
HK
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
We have arrived!
Friends and family,
We are here!! We spent our first night in Nicaragua last night and are already at work today.
I am just going to type my written journal entries for the blog, so as to save some time.
06.06.11, 9:00 p.m.
We have arrived! Scott and I , along with Emily and Eric will be living in El Transito, Nicaragua for the next 4 weeks! We are here to establish a library and to help our friend Julie @ the El Transito Centro de Arts, coming up with product designs and teaching the women new skills.
We are renting an amazing beach house for the month--only $250! El Transito is a fishing village on teh Pacific coast, about 1.5 hours from the capital cit of Managua. This house is SO nice. There are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, polished tile floors and an outdoor kitchen/patio area. I was shocked when we walked up to the house! There are hammocks and beds in every room and the coast is literallya bout 20 to 30 feet from our porch. The waves have become our music... as well as the frogs, ha! SO many frogs! The weather is about like it is in Houston--HOT AND HUMID. Thankfully we have a nice breeze because of our proximity to the coast. The whole house is surrounded by a white columnar concrete fence that stands about 4 feet high. Starting tomorrow night we will have someone sleeping on our front porch as a "caretaker".
Scott and I arrived in Managua at 11:30 a.m. with Julie. Eric and Emily will be arriving on Sunday. Upon our arrival, we took a taxi to pick up Julie's truck at her friend's house. This friend is from South Korea, like Julie, and own sa very nice health spa in Managua. Lukcy for us, because she insisted that we stay and get a complimentary 1 hour full body massage! YES PLEASE. Scott and I were led to a a "couple's" room and thus had our massage together. I now know why the massage tables have a hole for you to stick your face in--it's so they cannot laugh @ the ridiculous faces one makes while receiving a massage. I grimaced, I winced, I laughed through the whole thing. Partly out of minor discomfort, partly from embarrassment, and partly at the thought of a tiny Nicaraguan woman performing the same moves on my husband mere inches away...
After our massages, we had a nice lunch at a cafe, Ola Verde. We had chicken sandwiches and tomato soup, so pretty American fair, but drank mango juice--a Nicaraguan staple--YUM.
Lunch was followed by a trip to the supermarket, then a 1.5 hour BUMPY drive to El Transito. Pot holes are the norm. We would drive along and out of no where would be a mine-field of pot holes! Julie literally drove off the road to avoid them. Don't even get me started on driving in the city. Let's just say I had my eyes closed for most of it.
And now we sit on our porch rocking chairs. THe crickets, waves, and breeze are the only sounds. That, and the ocassional Spanish phrase spoken by my husband who is practicing his Spanish currently.
Much more to come.
HK
06.07.11 6:20 a.m.
Woke up to an INTENSE storm early this morning! The sound of the rain pelting the roof combined with the clashing waves made it seem as if our house would be swallowed by the storm.
The sun rises early here. I woke up at around 5:45 and the sun had already risen. 6:00 a.m. brought the sounds of children running and laughing on the beach. THe fisherman leave in the middle of the night to cast their nests and arrived just outside our patio with the mornings' catch. I haven't ventured outside yet, but I hear men and a scraping sounds. Will have to see what that is..
The crash and roll of the waves is so near, it's as if they will just rush right into our windows!
Breakfast with lie @ 7:30. Gallo pinto, another Central American staple. It's basically rice and beans. In the morning, though, they might add an egg and some cheese on the side... we'll see!
Photos to come very soon!
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