Ups and downs

Sometimes, things just don’t go as planned.  As a 25 year-old in the field, I just don’t wield as much power as I’d like.  Unfortunately, even getting permission from someone in authority (say the superintendant and principals) doesn’t guarantee the success of a project.  For example, the teacher workshop that I planned MONTHS ago and was supposed to happen today and did not.  After sending reminders and confirming with the professors 24 hours before the training, 5 teachers canceled on me.  Unfortunately, that's sometimes how your cards play out.  While it is incredibly disappointing, instead of having a several hour workshop I’m creating packets of materials for my teachers to ensure the sustainability of my project.

Anyway, I took advantage of my newly wide open schedule on Wednesday to hold a meeting for the PCVs in my department.  I’m the representative for the volunteers that live nearby and every couple of months I go to Managua to meet with our staff and receive updates.  Then I take the information back to the PCVs.  It went well.  We wrote a mission statement and discussed new developments.  We also took this time to celebrate the end of Kesiah and my service with yummy food such as pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, cheese and crackers, guacamole and banana ice cream.

Last night was our small business dinner.  All of us biz PCVs came to Managua and had dinner with our bosses.  IT WAS SO GOOD.  Our boss, Georgia, is from the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua and made food from that area.  Smoked ribs, ceviche, gallo pinto with coconut oil, fish, shrimp with some sangria and macua = heavenly.  They also gifted us coffee mugs with the following picture and a nice little “thank you”.

The last photo of all 21 Biz PCVs together circa July 2012

Tonight, we are giving a presentation to our staff about the work we’ve done the past 2 years.  It’s in the form of a video so I’ll link it in a later post.  Then it’s off to Mexican food night with our boss’s boss, can’t wait!