Went to my site Saturday after swearing in! The ceremony was a lot of fun although sad at the same time. On one hand, we were there celebrating all of our accomplishments and the face that we are now going off to do what we had all signed up for, but on the other, we are passed along to our sites without the safety net that is the training staff and schedule. The “poco a poco” style has abruptly changed into a system with little oversight or set schedule. We only have ourselves to get out of the house, meet new people and find activities to keep us sane and engaged. The next 2 months are the school break, and it seems the PC wants to ensure a higher level of Spanish comprehension before classes begin in order to ensure quality education. However, this gap has been described to us as the worst part of service, as little set schedule and little “confianza” with the townspeople can lead to isolation.
A word about confianza: the people here highly value their social and familiar ties, sometimes to the point that Americans scratch their head at why some things take so long to accomplish. However, these relationships are the backbone to a society with little social safety net, and where the inhibitive cost of moving keeps many near their place of birth for their entire lives. Cultivation of trust, or “confianza” in others, and avoidance of conflict is the preferred method of living life. People can often times find circuitous ways to say what they really mean, like the time my host family told me they were going to dinner at a restaurant and I only found out that I was invited after I finished a shower while they waited for me to leave with them. To build confianza, you must play this game too. It is best to start relationships perhaps only casually mentioning what you will be doing instead for two years instead of asking for space in their backyard for a garden. Direct questions are sometimes deemed as awkward or downright rude. Time in the community talking with people is necessary to integrate.
The week seemed full of lectures of material we have either been taught many times and is only being reinforced, or of new information that we could not have a chance to process. Visiting the Embassy was interesting, seeing a little bit of the States in Central America. The structure itself is a remarkable illustration of power; the land had been owned for about 100 years by the US, and the top of a hill overlooking Managua used to be the Ambassador’s private residence. After the earthquake, the Embassy (downtown, I think) was destroyed, and a temporary structure was erected on the property of the Ambassador’s house. The temporary Embassy lasted some 35 years, until in the mid 2000’s, the new building was completed. Complete with Marine guards and bomb-resistant doors, the structure is impressive and a bit intimidating. We were given a final security briefing and an opportunity to talk to the temporary Ambassador (the new one has not been fully vetted and confirmed by congress). At lunch in the Embassy, we went into a tiny gift shop, which among other things has bottles of Tommy Knocker Ale direct from Idaho Springs, Colorado!
Right now I am in sitting in my family’s house on my computer while they are all at work or school. I live with a young couple with a 10 year old son and 8 year old daughter. They are a devout evangelical family and are interested in sharing their belief and asking about mine. The house itself was built by my host dad, Octavio, when he married Mirna, my mom. Then, as their family grew, he added a front area for TV and socializing, and a back room which has a small kitchen and a room for housing a gringo. It feels cozy and connected to their family and church friends, and there are almost always children coming and going from the house. Yesterday I felt a bit like a baby sitter as my mom left and told me she would be back after making cheese at her sister’s house. There were 6 little ones, and a high schooler playing out front until it started raining, and we had to bring all that energy into the house. I think this will be a nice place to live for 2 months, as I felt that my old family was nice, but were a little preoccupied with raising a 3 and 1 year old to devote their full energy to me. Also, there was no TV in a public spot at my old house, so there was never an opportunity to veg out while still hearing the language presented to you.
Today, I am meeting with my site-mate, a maternal health volunteer who has been here for 6 months. She is going to take me around to some NGO’s and show me around her world a little bit, and I agreed to carry a new gas tank for her stove up her 1 km hill out of town. A fair trade, if I do say so myself! I tried creating a rough schedule to fill the first week, and will hopefully have more going on after talking to the other NGO’s in the weeks to come. Other than that, I am looking forward to being here, and I am sure my schedule will look a lot different when the kids are out of school in a week.
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