Spanish classes, barking birds and earthquakes...

I apologize for the delay in blogging everyone! I have been getting a bunch of flack on facebook! I will try to stay on top of it, even if it is a brief fact or photo!

Well lets see... Last week started pretty rough for me. I successfully cried everyday at lunch haha. Luckily my family has had other volunteers and my host mom knows it is normal. I felt horrible trying to explain in my nervous broken spanish that i was happy to be here, that there were just a lot of changes at one time and i miss my family and bf. I also dont eat alot when my anxiety is sky high (which for anyone who knows me and how much i LOVE food you know that if i am not eating something has to be wrong!). So i nicely tried to explain that i loved the food but that because i am nervous i cant each much because it makes me feel sick. Luckily she understood and now i am back to my normal eating habits and she is happy to know that i eat!! I think lunch was a rough time in the day because I wake up exhausted but have no time to think its right to spanish class after a small breakfast. I have spanish class from 8-3 with lunch from 12-1. I think a mix of emotions from the morning mixed with an overwhelming class of only spanish just put me over the edge every day. My teachers do not speak any english so if i have a question i have to explain it in spanish and hope to understand the answer. Or better yet, hope they successfully understand my question! My spanish class is definitely getting better as far as the spanish goes. I am understanding more and able to communicate better too. I think alot of it has to do with nervousness. I am slowly becoming more and more comfortable here. Today is the first day i have not cried at all!! Wahoooo go me! I only cried yesterday because it was the first time i got to see Yoise on skype and i was really overwhelmed with emotion lol. But all is good! Now that i have consistent communication with the family and Yoise i feel much better! So thank you to all of you who snap me back to reality when i need it!!
So last week was interesting through it all! Everyday we do spanish grammar until lunch time, then after lunch it is applied spanish. This week we walked around the town here and made a map of all the important places that we need to know such as the health center where we will be working, the bus terminal, the library, the park, the police station and other government related places of importance. We met up with the other half of our group in our town and went to each place to introduce ourselves. We went to pulperias (little stores) and practiced asking for things and asking how much they are. We also went to the bus terminal and asked what the routes are and how much each trip is etc. It was cool to go out around the town and apply what we learn (what we already know... alot is review right now). It is challenging at times because i have gotten used to hearing my teacher speak and my family. People around the town talk faster and slur words so there are times when i just nod and smile, hopefully i'll understand it all one day lol. I feel a little more secure with my spanish everyday. My biggest problem is conjugating the verbs. It is much different than english. In english we mostly change who and when, in spanish none of that matters you change the verb to the appropriate timing. So there are a lot of tenses to remember. I know them but when i talk i confuse them. Thankfully my family understands my spanglish and they have been good about correcting me. Hopefully they dont get sick of it haha. My teacher says i have great pronunciation when i know what i am saying. Usually when we have time to sit and write something and then read it aloud i shock him because i sound good (not trying to toot my own horn here but i'm proud of myself). But when we are just talking in a consistent conversation i stutter, which stinks because that is what i truly get "graded" on. Oh well, its only been a week, i have 3 months to perfect it!

As for other topics, I have been asked to talk about living conditions and hygiene. Welllll my house has running water, it is never hot, but it is running. However in the afternoon the water is shut off, typically around 3 or 4pm. If that is the case i take a bucket shower... which is actually kind of nice considering the water is cold and by no means do i want to immerse myself in cold running water. There are basin's of water that are collected and stored, so when the water is off i fill a large bucket and bring it into the shower. I then take a smaller bowl and i bathe that way. It was interesting trying to wash my hair effectively and my body considering the soap starts to dry haha but I am perfecting the art of bucket showers. The other day we didnt have electricity for some reason until 3-4 pm, not sure if that is normal or if something was wrong.

My family has a "maid". She comes everyday but Sunday it seems to clean the patio, do laundry, do dishes and any odd ball jobs that need to be done. She arranges my room (which i keep clean anyway before anyone yells at me!) but she will take my clothes to wash, which kinda weirded me out the other day. But it is my responsibility to wash my undies. I successfully (or unsuccessfully however you want to view it) washed my undies the other day haha. They have a large double sink, one side is a large basin for water and the other is a stone washboard. I filled a bucket and soaked my undies and scrubbed away although i'm not sure how effective i was... but they are clean... i guess. lol

I have been going out with my family to visit their family for dinners and lunches and social events which is really cool. It is nice to meet other people and use my spanish more, although it makes me more nervous haha. My host mom took me to a concert the other night! I was kind of surprised, she kept telling me she was going to make me dance but i figured we were going to a family party. Instead my aunt and my cousin came to pick us up and off we went to the town of Diriamba for a concert. It was for a Nicaraguan band called La Cuneta. They were really interesting, they used cool instruments and its a mix of instrumental and alternative rock. Here is a picture of my host mom and I and a picture of My sister on the left, me and my cousin!

(now that these pictures are up i see how disgusting i look UGH! Shiny lol)

Also i wanted to include some random pictures to satisy the masses. There are some pictures of the inside of the house. It is built in a square with everything facing the middle. The house is very open, i enjoy it.

Okay, this is the view of the courtyard from near the front entrance of the house. There is a living room behind me. The kitchen is on the left, Straight ahead is the washing area and a bathroom to the right. The right hand side (which i do not have a picture of) is the row of bedrooms. The patio area is where most happens. Past my room on the right there is another living room, the TV room where we watch telenovelas and where they have their computer.

Here is the view of the kitchen. there is a dining room table to the left behind the wall but most meals are eaten at the picnic table on the right because it is so nice out.

This is the bird that i love ever so much, names Cati. (pronounced Kah-tee) She is the one that screams like someone is killing her and barks like the dog.

Well i hope this satisfies for now! I need to get some sleep! Please comment or send me messages on anything you are curious about or want to know i will be happy to write on it. Mom i will get you more pics of the cementary.. its on the edge of town so i have to make it a point to go over there...  i will!

Oh yea! Most of you know this from facebook but there was an earthquake here last week! It was a 5.1 at the center but that was a ways from me. It was interesting to say the least. Definitely a first time experience for me. Hope i dont have to experience too many others although i understand they may happen every few months but are minor. This one was bigger. Thanks for my welcome Nicaragua!!