My First Days

As I am writing this, I am sitting in a chair in front of my windows on a mostly cloudy day in Managua, Nicaragua. (This doesn’t mean that I have internet access in my apartment, unfortunately.) I am also eating plantain chips and yucca chips, two snacks I would highly suggest if you ever get to Nicaragua. Everything has been great so far! I met another couple in Miami, so we got to know each other before even arriving in the country. Quite a few people from the NCA met us at the airport, and we then went to get some dinner at a local restaurant. I had Tostitos topped with various kinds of meat, shredded cheese, and shredded cabbage soaked in vinegar; it was wonderful! We also went back to the airport to wait for another teacher and then drove to our apartments, where I spent my first night as a future resident.

The apartment is great! I have been opening up the front windows and the back door, and there’s usually enough of a breeze to be very comfortable. (I will definitely be getting some fans, though.) The kitchen/dining/living area is all one small space, but very nice. It really was a good call to get the two bedrooms because now one of them will be mostly an office and work area, which we’ll both need. Everything is in good condition, and there’s a back area to wash clothes and line-dry them. I’m also thinking of trying to grow tomato plants in that area, but we’ll have to see if that happens. There are also two good-sized closets – now all I need are some hangers.

Everyone has been incredibly nice and helpful. They left us in our apartments with some food, drinks, and toilet paper (very thoughtful), and Tuesday morning I woke up early and went exploring the apartments. I thought I saw where the swimming pool was, so I found a path to it that was somewhat difficult to walk through because of the bushes, and there was a great house and these stone steps that lead to the pool. There was also a covered area with a pool table and foosball and exercise equipment. I was surprised by how nice everything was. One of the gentleman sitting on the porch of the house came up and asked if he could help me, and I introduced myself and said I had just moved in and was exploring the grounds, and he said no problem and I said nice to meet you. His name was Rafael, and he’s the owner and lives in the nice house that was right next to the pool. I couldn’t find the tennis court, though, and everyone had said that it was right next to the tennis courts.

So yeah, ummmm, I went to the wrong pool. (Who would have thought that there would be two pools?) There’s another one further down that’s actually the pool for the residents, so I was just meandering around the owner’s private property without a care in the world. Doesn’t that just sound like me?

I also got to see my classroom and the campus. My classroom is somewhat larger with FOUR fans!!! I’m definitely excited about that J It has three rows of raised science tables, similar to what you’d see in a regular high school classroom, and I have two storage closets. I haven’t found my teacher’s editions yet, and I don’t see the physics books that I was mailed, so I’m a little concerned about that, but I’m sure it will all work out. After that, I went back home to cook the spaghetti that had been left for us, which was a little more difficult than originally hoped for. First, I had to borrow a pot. Then, I couldn’t get my stove to work. (Like I know that I have to get my propane tank filled up… lol. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow.) I ended up using the new principal’s kitchen to cook spaghetti for myself and another couple, and we hung out with her husband for quite a while.

In the afternoon I went to a store called Stop and Go that has a lot of import products. I needed a few basic food and personal supplies, so I didn’t get too much there. We should be going to the grocery store this afternoon. I also went swimming in the pool for a little while and found a new-found respect for Nanny and her morning swims. Swimming is HARD work! Last night most of the new teachers came over to my apartment and we played Apples to Apples! It was great to just get acquainted with each other and hang out before we start orientation.

Today I had breakfast with my “host” family who is there to kind of help me out a little bit. This afternoon I’ll walk over to the campus and have lunch, find out some information, go grocery shopping, and have some time in my classroom. We’ll have all sorts of information given to us in the next few days, and we’ll go to markets, office supply stores, and I think we’re going to Granada on Friday, which will be great! Anyway, that’s about what’s going on. It’s been really great to be back in Nicaragua.

AN ADD ON:

This afternoon I got to see the construction on Jason's new office buildings for the Nehemiah Center! It was great, and we saw the sister school as well. During orientation the principal told us a lot of great info about the country and the vision of the school and it really just makes me a lot more passionate about being here!