First time back in the States

For a brief time only, Michelle and Pete are returning to the team-blogging! Pete interviewed me about my thoughts on the food, (lack of) amenities and the weather (to name a few) while I was in Nicaragua. Now let’s see how shell-shocked he is by his return to the first-world.

Gringa: You’ve been back for nearly a week. Now that you’ve experienced it, what first-world thing do you realize you missed the most?

PC Hippie: Maybe weirdly enough, customer service.  Here in the United States, people have exact change and don’t whine about accepting credit cards!  Also, in a couple of the bars that we went to, there were ATMs!  Where I live in Nicaragua, I have to travel 30 minutes to the nearest ATM and 45 minutes if I want to use the bank.

MAK: What thing did you think you missed, but you now realize you can live without?:

Pedro: The cold.  I have been complaining about how hot Nicaragua is from day one.  I thought it’d be a refreshing change to escape the 90 degree heat of Nicaragua for the more “temperate” Midwest.  Chicago has been blessed with reasonably mild weather this winter (40’s) but I have been a whiney baby the WHOLE time.  It’s been dark, gloomy and cold; why do you people live here??  Come visit me!

Micaela: Faithful blog followers have been going out of their way to help you eat all the requested foods on your list. For example, last night we hung out with some of your Bradley friends, and when we showed up at their place for a drink before dinner, Jon Trent had 312, Sam Adams and bacon waiting for you. Amazing. What is the best meal you’ve had since you’ve been home?

PJS: So many to choose from!  Michelle and I went to St. Louis for a wedding and ate crab cakes, filet mignon, asparagus and cake.  Then Sunday night, my parents made me lobster tail and steak.  And last night we got deep dish pizza in Chicago (green peppers, black olives and BACON).  I feel as though I’ve eaten so much I’m ready to hibernate for the winter.

Novia: Being back, any deep observations from the third world? Aka can’t believe U.S. kids have iPads and you/your host siblings play with chicken bones?

Novio: Haha, no it’s great to be back.  Transitioning cultures hasn’t been a perfect switch for me though.  For example, while driving home from the airport I stopped at an AT&T store for a new SIM card.  After successfully getting a new American number she thanked me for coming.  I, without hesitation, responded with “Gracias, adios.  Va pues…  Oh, um, goodbye.”

Gf: Haha, it’s so true. You greeted every girl you saw at the wedding – even strangers – by kissing them on the cheek. I worry what you’ll be like in 2013…

PCV: Yup, and darn proud of it too.  Plus side, I’m probably the tannest I’ve ever been.

Michelle: One final thing. You’ve been joking a lot about staying in Central America after your Peace Corps service is up, killing time until you can go work the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Want to take this time to publically reassure your girlfriend, mother and any other concerned followers that you are totally joking, and planning to make your way north in 2013? :)

Pete: Uh oh, time to go! We’ll talk more later :P

Chicagoing home!

I’m returning stateside!  Yes you read correctly.  For two weeks only, you can spend quality time with your favorite Peace Corps Volunteer!  I’ll be in the states from Friday December 16^th until the 31^st.  So it’s that time of the year, if you want coffee ($5 a pound) or cigars (price unknown), let me know now!

As for your end of the deal, what Pedro wants…:

Portillo’s (Chicago style hotdog with all the fixings and a large Chocolate Cake Shake)

Gino’s East (or other acceptable substitution) deep dish pizza (sausage, onions, green peppers and black olives)

Beer (Sam Adams and Goose Island), Wine (any kind, too expensive here), Liquor that isn’t rum.

Fruits: apples, olives and grapes (super expensive here)

Veggies: lettuce that isn’t iceberg, cauliflower and asparagus (have NEVER seen them in Nicaragua)

TAP WATER!

Barbeque ribs and steak

2% Oberweis milk

Cheese: sharp cheddar, smoked gouda and manchego

Olive oil

Bacon, bacon BACON!

Waffles

Chili

Weinersnitchel with spaetzle and dumplings

Lasagna

Duck

Things I don’t want to see or run the risk of projectile vomiting:

Red beans

White rice

Corn tortillas

Canola oil

Bananas

Promotions

No the Peace Corps did not promote me yet (what’s taking them so long??).  Las promocciones are what the Nicaraguans use for graduation ceremonies.  I, being a professor now, was obligated to attend.  At 8am all of the students and their loved ones gathered in the church for a mass.  After mass, they paraded to the cancha (the roofed basketball court) for the ceremony.  Graduating was almost exactly the same: the director of the school gave a speech, followed by a speech from a student.  Then a lot of very repetitive music and the handing out of the diplomas.

My newly graduated students

Profes Alyssa y Pedro with are students

Tonight is the party at the fancy restaurant.  Look out Nicas, you’re about to get a lesson in dancing from Profe Pedro!

La Purisima

In the last post I mentioned La Griteria, Wednesday’s big party.  Quick background, this past week has been La Purisima.  It’s a week to celebrate Mary’s, the mother of Jesus, birthday.  All week there have been masses at peoples’ homes which consist of singing hymns to Mary and snacking (I struggled with the songs but love free food).  It culminates with La Griteria which can best be described as Nicaragua’s Halloween.  Only sans costumes and change the words.  So families go door to door singing the same songs they’ve been singing all week and, in return, receive goodies!  How it works is we, the beggars, shout “Who causes so much happiness?!”  Then the gracious hosts reply “The Virgin Mary!”  And then they hand out gifts.  And what were these gifts you may ask?  Whatever the heck they wanted.  The majority of the goodies were candies and crackers but we also snagged some interesting loot.  One girl got a bag of salt and another got laundry detergent.  My favorite was we all got these “customized” hats that were for some other event and they gave us the leftovers.  Pretty much the best part was the look on their faces when they opened the door and saw 10 gringos shouting at them about the Virgin Mary.  Oh the good times in Nica.

Back to site tomorrow and the states in a week!

In-Service Training

After finishing language taller, Kate, Kelli, Noelle and I made a quick stop at the interim ambassador’s house.  And by quick stop, I mean we ate chicken breasts with eggplant and took hot showers.  Saturday morning we moved the party to Leon.  We went to a baseball game and to watch Leon beat Chinendega.  With hot dogs and beer, it almost felt like home (except it’s still 90 degrees).  Sunday we lazied around watched football (the American kind) and played trivial pursuit.

In-service training started on Monday.  Nothing really interesting to report, just a whole bunch charlas.  Wednesday, however, is a holiday called the griteria (roughly translated, ‘the shouting’).  Should be interesting…!