Sometimes I get to go on wonderful adventures during my time here in Nicaragua. Here are some pictures from a trip to Costa Rica I just took with my fellow Mission Intern, Sarah Fraizer. We went to Montezuma on the Nicoya Peninsula and then visited Scott & Linda McAnnally in San Ramon.
However, most days I have been working in the office just like many of you all do each and everyday. Here's what my average day looks like.
7:30 am I wake up & escape from my mosquito net which snuggly surounds my bed.
7:32 am I jump into my cold morning shower- I actually really enjoy cold showers now a days.
7:50am Eat breakfast- for a while I was really obsessed with making smoothies each morning, because fruit is so readily available and cheap.
8:15 am I leave the house unlocking and then locking behind me the the front door and two gates.
I walk about a mile to get to my bus route. (If I am running late, feeling lazy or taking my computer to the office I will grab a taxi.)
I've become accustomed to taxis honking in order to try to give me rides, picking up dust on some of the pathways, men making kissing sounds and yelling out "chela!" (white girl), and passing many other people during their commute to work & school.
8:45 am On Mondays we have morning devotionals but otherwise I greet the "vigilantes" that guard the entrance to AMC and head to my office.
8:50 am I always greet and catch up with my co-worker Dina & supervisor Dr. Francisco when I get to the office. It is always important to greet one another properly in Nicaragua before getting to work.
9:00 am I start checking emails on my computer and working on a new team budget or logistics.
10:00 am We can turn on the air conditioning in our office. The cost of electricity is horrible here.
12:00 pm I usually immediately stop what I am doing to enjoy a yummy lunch cooked by AMC's cooks. Sometimes I bring my own lunch if Doña Chelita and Doña Maria Eugenia are not cooking or walk down the hill to a nearby gas station to purchase a sandwich.
I spend lunch sitting in the nice eating patio and chatting with other co-workers at my table. Everyone relaxes and spends about an hour chatting and resting. No one sits in the eating area if they need to talk about work.
Not often, but sometimes I join some of the guys in the office to play a quick game of ping pong. I suck compared to everyone else.
1:00pm I head back to my office and continue working.
2:30 pm Stop for a moment to listen to a joke from Dr. Francisco or he tells me about something interesting that is happening in the news/ health care in Nicaragua.
3:00 pm Time for coffee. Sidenote- I never drank coffee until living here. Now, I love it.
4:00 pm For a while, I taught English classes to a small group of students twice a week at this time. It was fun to sit on the front porch with the white board and my students- sometimes different people would pass by to observe and try to use their English as well.
4:30pm During rainy season, it begins to rain around this time almost everyday. The skies do not give you me notice, either.
5:00 pm I wrap up class and grab my things to walk down to the bus stop.
5:15 pm The bus arrives, after some waiting, to the bus stop and I hop on with a few of my co-workers.
5:20 pm I get off the bus and wait with the masses to board a new bus.
5:30 pm I board bus 119 and squeeze towards the back door. When we arrive closer to the stop, I pretty much have to shove my way to the door in order to escape the bus on time.
5:40 pm During my walk home, I walk in front of one of Managua's shopping malls and say "adios" to several of the guards along the way who I have befriended.
At night, I sometimes go to a dance exercise class with my friend Jessena, I cook for myself or with my roommate, read or watch a show or two on my Netflix.
After a year of living here in Managua, I can say I feel really comfortable and at home. There are other days when I get to participate in birthdays, Nicaraguan holidays, interesting workshops, etc. but for the most part I have accompanied Nicaraguans and AMC through my work in the office.
Next week I depart for the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua and will live in a very rural project site. My new role will be to conduct interviews and document human impact stories. I'm sure I will also have average, everyday moments, yet they will probably be completely different than my time here in the city.
9:00 am I start checking emails on my computer and working on a new team budget or logistics.
10:00 am We can turn on the air conditioning in our office. The cost of electricity is horrible here.
12:00 pm I usually immediately stop what I am doing to enjoy a yummy lunch cooked by AMC's cooks. Sometimes I bring my own lunch if Doña Chelita and Doña Maria Eugenia are not cooking or walk down the hill to a nearby gas station to purchase a sandwich.
I spend lunch sitting in the nice eating patio and chatting with other co-workers at my table. Everyone relaxes and spends about an hour chatting and resting. No one sits in the eating area if they need to talk about work.
Not often, but sometimes I join some of the guys in the office to play a quick game of ping pong. I suck compared to everyone else.
1:00pm I head back to my office and continue working.
2:30 pm Stop for a moment to listen to a joke from Dr. Francisco or he tells me about something interesting that is happening in the news/ health care in Nicaragua.
3:00 pm Time for coffee. Sidenote- I never drank coffee until living here. Now, I love it.
 |
| I learned how to pick coffee on Josimar's farm with Sarah and Jossimar. |
4:00 pm For a while, I taught English classes to a small group of students twice a week at this time. It was fun to sit on the front porch with the white board and my students- sometimes different people would pass by to observe and try to use their English as well.
4:30pm During rainy season, it begins to rain around this time almost everyday. The skies do not give you me notice, either.
5:00 pm I wrap up class and grab my things to walk down to the bus stop.
5:15 pm The bus arrives, after some waiting, to the bus stop and I hop on with a few of my co-workers.
5:20 pm I get off the bus and wait with the masses to board a new bus.
5:30 pm I board bus 119 and squeeze towards the back door. When we arrive closer to the stop, I pretty much have to shove my way to the door in order to escape the bus on time.
5:40 pm During my walk home, I walk in front of one of Managua's shopping malls and say "adios" to several of the guards along the way who I have befriended.
At night, I sometimes go to a dance exercise class with my friend Jessena, I cook for myself or with my roommate, read or watch a show or two on my Netflix.
After a year of living here in Managua, I can say I feel really comfortable and at home. There are other days when I get to participate in birthdays, Nicaraguan holidays, interesting workshops, etc. but for the most part I have accompanied Nicaraguans and AMC through my work in the office.
Next week I depart for the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua and will live in a very rural project site. My new role will be to conduct interviews and document human impact stories. I'm sure I will also have average, everyday moments, yet they will probably be completely different than my time here in the city.
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