My life..

I have officially swore in as a Peace Core Volunteer! I spent a glorious 4 days in Managua in a hotel with good food, internet, and a grocery store within walking distance that sold Lays sour cream and onion potato chips. Life was good. I have now moved to my site and after a week of living in Totogalpa I could tell you a boring story about how Ive been floundering around the town trying to get my bearings, but I wont. Because even I dont want to hear that story, and its my life. Instead Im going to tell you about some of the more colorful people and events Ive encountered in my short time here...

There are two resident "locos" who live in Totogalpa. I think they both know about the other and try to one-up their competition in craziness. One woman walks all around the town wearing a bath robe. She hangs out at the health center, roams the streets, and passes a decent amount of time in my backyard. Some of you may just think this is quirky. I have yet to mention that she also carries around an old, extremely rusty machete whereever she goes. The thing that gets me most is that no one in the town seems to have a problem with it! She walks around in her bright pink robe, brandishing her extremely large knife and everyone just laughs it off. I actually think she has more access in the town than the average person. Comes and goes as she pleases, no one fearing that one day shes going to snap and slaughter their dog. There is also a real life warewolf living in my site. This man wears no shoes, has hair so matted and disshelveled that i think you would need to shave it off to comb it, and wears cloths that are ripped and two short. He also goes really crazy some days and starts to hit himself and yell what im sure are obscenities that i dont understand at the sky. The first time I witnessed this I literally ran in the other direction and had to find another way home. I believe him to be a warewolf because everyone told me he only gets nuts when there is a full moon. I will observe him and the moon patterns more closely and write back with updates.

I attended a "cultural night" in the park a few days ago expecting to see some Nicaraguan dancers and hear some traditional music. What I encountered was FAR better. The cultural director of the town (yes, thats a job) acted as MC and may I say he took his job very seriously. He acted as DJ, announcer, game show host, and that guy who gets the crowd cheering at talk shows all at the same time. The show started off relatively calm except for this mans excellent announcing skills, but we were all in for a treat when the rapping and booty shaking began. Duos of teenagers gave rap proformances set to the backdrop of some of our favorites, such as Bootylitcous and Glamourous. Then came the dancing. I clearly remember the MC warning the crowd to "toma su medicina si su corazon no esta fuerte" or take your pills if you have a bad heart. 6 rather chubby girls with mini-skirts and belly-shirts took the stage and proceeded to shake it.. at completely different rhythms. The climax to the show happened when the skys randomly opened up and started pouring rain on these girls. Maybe someone was trying to tell them to keep their day job.

Totogalpa!

Friday I am going to become an official volunteer! We are going to be swearing-in in Managua and then it is off to our sites. So scary. I visited Totogalpa about a week ago and definately got a dose of reality about peace corps living. Latrines. The only running water is in some outdoor sink. 3-4 hours of electricity a day. excellent. I actually am really excited though. I met all the people I will be working with for the next two years and everyone seems really excited and enthusiastic about me being there. They do however all think I am qualified to give therapy. In Nicaragua when you major in something in the university you become whatever it is that you studied. For example, there is no medical school here. Doctors go to the university for 5 years and when they are finished they are licenced physicians. When I went on my site visit and told the people in the health center that i majored in biology and psychology they were very impressed and said I would be able to help them a lot in there office. At first I was flattered. Then i realized that they thought I was both a clinical psychologist and qualified to do lab work or was a nurse (which is what you become with a Biology degree here). Despite my best efforts to convince them that NO i am by no means qualified to give psychological advice, they do not believe me. I would not be surprised to return to Totogalpa on Sunday and have my own little consulting room. Another stereotype i am facing in my new home is that all Americans are amazing artists. Upon minutes of arriving at the health center I was asked to draw to scale a map of the municipality. I tried to explain to them that my drawing ability consisted of making stick figures but again to no avail. I then proceded to trace the map off a large one that they already had in the office only proving to them that I am indeed the excellent artist they expected. They have also tried to commission me to paint of mural of a nursing mother on the front wall. I need to find a way to politely decline so if anyone has any ideas.. Then again maybe if i just paint it, that will be the end of the artist debaucle when they realize that I am not in fact a muralist. Nicaraguans have lots of crazy notions about what ALL Americans are good at or like and when you try to explain that no, this is in fact not the case they just look at you with a stare that says "crazy gringo! she doesnt even know about her own people". In general all the people are very well meaning and Im really excited to get to work out there. My spanish hasnt quite reached the level i need so I will be getting a tutor in my site! woohoo! i need as much help as i can get haha. Ill write again soon when I get to site. Hopefully at that point I will have dispelled most of the rumors that are floating around about my nonexistant talents.