Volunteer & Spanish Classes

This blog is focused on the more serious issues at hand. Well, I will make my best effort to remian serious... Tal vez (maybe). One of the main purposes for me coming out to Nicaragua, besides for Amanda, is for the volunteer work. Before I begin the detailed explanation of my volunteer work here, I would like to express some thoughts. First, being here I have learned so much, more history and way of thinking. My intellect is always tested and I am thinking more globally. The thing I admire about Amanda is her strong beliefs about pressing issues and her willingness to be straight forward. She challenges my thinking like she is challenged everyday. We had a deep (truthful) conversation on global outlook, undertones of people, and the ugly truth about America. She expressed her new way of thinking from the year she has been here and explained why she doesn't want to return to the states. I could write about my findings, but I think I would rather keep the deeper issues for a face to face occurance. However, I do challenge you to research the truth about the USA's influence in Nicaragua during the contra war (you know, the history that is left out of our history books). Going along with this new way of thinking, I have learned to look at volunteering differently.

Westerners have this belief that their culture is superior, so they enter a new/ unknown culture with the outlook that it needs "fixing" or a "solution". But that is far from the truth. These cultures have a eat of life that they don't want to change. They don't need to catch up with the rest of the world, nor always want to. So this idea that westerners are here to fix things; needs to change. We are merely helpers and have to learn from how people in other cultures operate. For example: how to paint a wall. What may be the "right way" at home could be completely different from the "right way" here. With that mindset I can achieve a better understanding of the culture and how I can contribute my help. 

My projects: 

My volunteer work doesn't consist of demanding physical labor. It consists of day to day repairs or activities where I can lend an extra hand. The first day I went to a baseball field with young boys and played baseball with them. Other days I would help out with the construction project by sanding wooden chairs and posts, painting walls made of a bamboo type of structure, and paint wood. Working beside the view of the volcano/ trees/ flowers is truly torture! My project leader is close to my age and I have grown a nice friendship with him as well as someone I can joke with. Friday I contributed help to build cement ramps in schools for disabled kids. It was awesome! I shoveled dirt into buckets and put in a pile, shoveled 2 buckets of rocks to add, added a bag of cement powder, water and mixed. It was a mini science experiment! I sawed 3 tubes to put down as the base, so water can travel under. Put boards on both sides held my concrete blocks to maintain the width, added chunks of blocks over the pipes, then poured the mixed concrete. Finally, it was smoothed down. It was fun! 

Spanish Classes:

I am learning a lot! Definitely worth 4 hours a day/ for 5 days. I have a 2 hour conversational class followed by a 2 hour grammar class. All spoken in all Spanish (mostly). Thank goodness for my high school Spanish. The 4 hours of Spanish classes a day do get overwhelming, but it gets easier as I improve. I am learning... Dun dun dun. I learn about Nicaraguan life during these classes, so it's like history as well. I teach them about our culture too. I have a different teacher for both classes. My grammar teacher stays with me for a month (good thing he is pretty to look at), and my conversational teacher is different every week. I am starting to speak with proper sentence structure (amazing the improvement in a week). Now I can stop embarrassing myself with my dance like gestures and one worded responses. I usually say "sí" a lot, and if I really understand then I will say "sí, sí" or if I am feeling studious I may even pull out the "comprendo" or "yo entiendo". Meh it varies. I receive homework to keep me on top of things; you know to help me with that 'learning' thing that people speak of. My favorite phrase is "mi tipo de gente". Translation: "my type of people". Everytime we drive by people playing soccer, I yell out "mi tipo de gente". Hey a girls gotta practice her favorite phrase. Basically the Mariposa School has a really good thing going here. 

If your wondering, this is what my days look like:

6:00 am - wake up (even on weekends)

8:00-11:30 am - volunteer work

12:00-1:00 pm - lunch/ relaxation

1:00-5:00 pm - Spanish classes (with a 20 min break)

5:00-7:00 - organized activity (bar, pizza, talk, etc) 

7:30 - dinner

Whatever time left is used for Amanda I to hang out before bed. LONG DAYS. 

Next blog: home stay with pics and recent weekend activities. ¡Hasta pronto!