Taste test

The coffee people that I’m working with have been asking me for weeks if I’d like to do a blind taste test with them.  As per all invitations that I receive I accepted but didn’t think it would actually ever occur.  And then Saturday morning I received a phone call if I could be available to taste test in 45 minutes.  Not aware of what I was getting myself into, here is their “laboratory”.

How professional!  There were 10 samples of Nicaraguan brand name coffees equipped with new spoons every taste, a rotating table and spit jugs.  First step was aroma and sniffing the coffee grounds and writing what we smelled (sweet, acidic, chocolate, earthy, bitter, flowery etc.).  Then we moved on to aroma which was scent of the coffee grounds in boiling water.  And we finished it off with tasting the coffees in the traditional manner of slurping loudly, swishing it in our mouths and spitting it out.  Afterwards we wrote down which were our favorites and I NAILED IT!  My first choice was the product that we are selling and my second pick was the next highest quality competitor.  BOOM.

Also my holiday party went well!  I forgot to take pictures but 8 PCVs from as far as an hour away came to celebrate the end of the year.  People brought chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, veggies with dip, banana bread, chorizo tacos and sponge cake.  Fun was had by all!

This is my last post until I come home for the holidays!  Can't wait to see you all soon.  And Beth from Grace Lutheran, get healthy soon!

Start to dig

There has been progress on the well!  Yesterday, Roger (the “master of work” as the Nicas say) and I went to the community to see how construction was going.

The hole-soon-to-be-well

Roger giving me his approval (I think?)

Roger measured and it appears to already been 3 meters deep so only another 2 to go!  I’m hoping they’ll strike water by the New Year and we can do the water test shortly after.  Then, if the water doesn’t have arsenic, we should receive the funds to buy the materials in February!  Roger did scare me when he said our budget will be tight.  Guess we’ll have to wait and see.  But if any of you find yourself with some extra cash in February, let me know!

Tomorrow I'm hosting a holiday party for the PCVs that live nearby.  I'm preparing cheese, salami, crackers, pizza bagels and chocolate cake with, of course, wine and rum.  Feel free to stop on by!

Coffee Survey Analysis

Hey all.  I finished tabulating the results and prepared a report for the coffee cooperative.  Overall, things went quite well.  Adelia (the woman in charge) understood the relationships from the results and what we could infer from them.  An interesting cultural tidbit, Nicaraguans are not direct communicators.  Stereotypically speaking, Nicas will tell you want you want to hear instead of saying “no”.  A fun example, when I was moving into my house I needed a taxi because it was late (after 6pm).  I called the taxi guy I know and he said he was already home but he’ll swing by in 30 minutes.  Forty-five minutes later I called him and he said that he was held up but could come in an hour.  What he was really doing was giving me crazy estimates that he hoped I’d say no and he wouldn’t have to come.  See?  Saying “no” without saying “no”.  The point is it makes completing unbiased surveys very difficult.  For the question “what brand of coffee do you normally purchase?”, 76% responded Café Palo (our brand).  Obviously that’s outrageously overestimated and people were just saying that to not hurt our feelings.  Therefore, we’re making some small changes and then taking the survey to Esteli!

Tomorrow I’m going to check on the progress of the well.  I’ll put up some pictures then!

The Microchip

As a PCV, we receive a lot of question about the United States.  Some are simple (“Is it pretty there?”), some are hard (“How do your elections work?”) and some are downright strange.  The best example is the numerous inquires I’ve received about the microchip.  What microchip is this you ask?  Frankly I have no clue either.  I read the top 10 stories in The New York Times every other day so I consider myself fairly in tune with the goings on in the USA.  Anyway this story has surfaced all across Latin and South American – that Barack Obama passed a law mandating that every US citizen will be imbedded with a microchip in April 2013.  Now correct me if I’m wrong, but there does not seem to be even a shred of factual information to this rumor.  From the stories I’ve read and seen, the “reporters” mention the “law” but provide zero sources or links to credible information.  Does this lack of hard evidence stop the Hispanic media from spreading the rumor?  Not even a little.  Some of the reports I’ve seen make Donald Trump look like a boy scout.  People have quoted the book of Revelations claiming that it’s the mark of the beast, President Obama literally is the devil and the end times are upon us.  Seems a little farfetched?  Of the 10 pages rendered from a Google Nicaragua search of el microchip, nine of them have to do with this false story.  In addition, I’ve had several teachers in my school asking me if I’m going to get the microchip.

Anyone with web design skills want to start VerdadoFalso.es with me?

Thanksgiving adventures II

My second thanksgiving in Nicaragua was just as pleasant as the first.  The ambassador’s house is nothing short of a temperature-controlled, multi-story mansion with a pool and dozen person staff.  My fellow 20 PCVs and I arrived there a little after 1pm and mingled with diplomats and other workers from other NGOs.  Dinner was promptly served at 3pm and included several turkeys, casseroles and pies with a never-ending flow of wine.  Getting back on the bus to return to the Peace Corps was near impossible due to not wanting to leave lush first-world comforts and I eating too much.

But board the bus I did and the next day I joined 17 other PCVs on a volcanic lagoon in Masaya.  We spent 2 incredible days lounging in inner tubes and sipping rum cocktails.  By the time Sunday rolled around we were ready to boycott the rest of our service and never leave paradise.

The view of La Laguna de Apoyo from our patio

But alas, back to work we go.  Tomorrow I’m meeting with the coffee people to go over the results of the survey!

Competencia Nacional

Yesterday was the national business plan competition put on by us Peace Corps Volunteers.  Again, my poor students didn’t qualify but I still got to attend and observe.  Twelve teams participated from all corners of Nicaragua.  The winning team ($550 plus business incubation assistance) was a mosquito trap.  It’s hard to describe (and of course I didn’t take a picture) but imagine a funnel where mosquitoes fly in but get stuck and can’t fly out.  It’s made out of recyclable material and uses chemicals to attract the mosquitoes.  Other products were coffee pudding, health syrup for anemia, a more eco friendly brick and a device to turn off the water when the storage barrel fills up at night.  Good competition and great knowing that it was my last one!

Off to rub elbows with diplomats, happy turkeyday everyone!  I’m sending out my xmas card tomorrow, let me know if you're interested!

El día de acción de gracias 2

My more dedicated followers remember that last thanksgiving I dined with the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy (aka the interim ambassador).  As great as that experience was with the free turkey, pie and wine, I lowered my expectations for this year’s thanksgivings.  That is until I received my invitation to dine with…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENMy9SWv6uw

Madame Ambassador Phyllis Powers!  The invitation tells me to dress casual and bring a bathing suit – my kind of thanksgiving.  There should be about 30 PCVs in attendance and a handful of diplomats.  Super excited, have a great thanksgiving everyone!