another week gone

Like most of the weeks here, this one too has flown right by faster than I can even recount. The end of this week brings our countdown to less than one month,the 30th anniversary of the revolution another reality check and of course three more goodbyes! Because the week has been so busy with new things happening here is a quick and choppy description of the week!

Last weekend I had a little taste of home between the many Tonas (local beer) and nachos I heard a very familiar sound, yet very unfamiliar for Esteli.. Can you guess?

¨She thinks my tractors sexy, it really turns her on.¨ Yah I know, country music playing in Esteli, Nicaragua.. it was crazy.. and I think very unappreciated by MANY of the customers. A little piece of home was very nice to have on that Friday night.. although some how i don´t believe it will ever happen again since I was about the ONLY person in the whole place happy with the change of music, but hey we can´t have everything.

After the delight I found in a little country music I also had another piece of home basically delivered to my doorstep. With the two familiar faces traveling all the way from Canada for a week visit was all it took for me to realize how much I really do miss home. 2 BB alumni, Brittany and Becca came to Esteli for a week allowing Becca to check in with all the friends she had made last year and introduce Brittany to the Nicaraguan culture. Just having them pop into my life here had me blubbering like a little baby with diaper rash- it was redic. God only knows how I will react when my own two feet touch Canadian soil, but I´m thinking it will be a good idea for the parents to back some Kleenex.. just in case. I´m hoping to remain my calm cool and collected self but seeing how that self never really got on the airplane with me, all is up in the air.

This week was FULL of festivities in Esteli, and really all over Nicaragua because it was the 30th anniversary of the revolution. We had short work weeks and long week ends to celebrate in true Nicaraguan style. It is really something special to be present in such a huge celebration in a different culture. Though I didn´t exactly understand everything I was very happy to be able to attend the celebrations, take pictures, buy shirts and go out with the locals after. Even though the language barrier proved understanding to be a bit difficult it is great just to be fully present with the people and watch their reactions, you can see how important this event is just through their faces regardless of the language. Esteli has a separate celebration than the rest of Nicaragua. The capital, Managua has a huge celebration today which I thought about doing but with the buses, taxis and masses of people I think I am content with the celebrations here on Thursday avoid the headaches Managua often gives me.

It´s hard to believe my work placement only has 2 full weeks left, and with this new project I am working on I really only have one week left of working with the children. This next week will be structured differently because I am doing home visits with my boss. These visits are to check in on the parents, the conditions of their homes, possible violence and the availability of food in the home. I can´t really say much to the parents but I can listen and use my eyes to evaluate it and my boss, Isabel does the interview. I think that this week will be a difficult one in regards to their living conditions because many struggle and live below the poverty line. It will be difficult but it is necessary for me to leave having an accurate depiction of the children and their lives in Nicaragua.

Friday I had another great opportunity to work with another group of students. Los Pipitos was closed from Thursday - Tuesday where as everyone else had to to work on Friday, so instead of just hanging out at my house and sleeping in to a ridicules hour I went to the University with Megan and Malinda ( 2 other BBers) and worked with them for the morning. They are helping a group of British students teach a three week English program to students in Esteli. This was a great opportunity because I was able to meet another group of people that I would have otherwise missed. They were all so friendly and eager to learn that it was a great morning. Mind you, I didn´t really do too much I was still able to help a few students and watch Megan and Malinda in action, and it was very much worth it, plus there is always the siesta after lunch.