El fin

As George Harrison would say, all things must pass, apparently including this Peace Corps adventure. As some of you may know, I have a hearing loss that prevents me from hearing well in places with lots of background noise. I told the Peace Corps all about this beforehand and they accepted me into the program. However, when the training started I realized that I could not understand anything that was being said in the classrooms of 45-60 students. With about 20% of the class paying attention and with kids that were supposed to be in class yelling in the courtyard, I wasn't able to distinguish the sounds that I wanted to hear in the classroom. I talked with those in charge of the training program and they said that it would be easy to accommodate my problem by sending me to a very small site where the classes would be smaller and the students more respectful. Then, two days after getting this reassurance, I was told that I had a “doctor's appointment” in Managua. When I got there, I was told that they were medically separating me from the Peace Corps because of my hearing problem. A few days later, I was on a plane back to Portland.

Goodbye to Jinotepe

Click above to see pictures

I think that the Peace Corps needs to completely change the way they use older volunteers. As much as we might not want to believe it, our bodies are just not the same as the 21-24 year olds that predominate the ranks of the Peace Corps. Most people 50 and older are eliminated during the rigorous year long medical screening process. For the few that survive that, medical separation seems a constant possibility. I think that if the Peace Corps really wants older volunteers (I found out about it in an AARP ad), they should establish a special training group of older volunteers in each country. Then, while caring for the special needs of those of us who are older, they could utilize the amazing amount of experience and expertize that we have. Instead of putting me into a class of 60 kids where I couldn't hear, why not let me develop curriculum with education officials, especially in primary education, the field I was in for 30 years? For retired doctors, they could work on solving tropical diseases with local doctors, not be sent to give talks on malaria or HIV, as they do with young people right out of college. Those with lots of business experience could help local business leaders to pull the country get out of the precarious economic situation it is in. In other words, we need a smarter Peace Corps, not a government agency that seems to think that they are going to produce cookie cutter volunteers, no matter what their age, experience, or medical history.

Now that my 27 month adventure has turned into a 4 week “vacation”, what is next? Well, I'm moving to a small town in Vermont that has a great liberal arts college. Maybe there, through volunteer work, I can make my own version of the Peace Corps, helping people through my experience, enjoying life, and staying healthy at the same time.

La finca de la familia de Dulce

Dulce and Carlos (my host family) invited me to accompany them and their two children, Marcel and Carlos, to the finca (farm) that has been in Dulce's family for generations. The adventure started out in a taxi that came right to the house. We climbed in with a jug of water, some bags of food, and the pet parrot who was found on the finca two months ago after he had fallen out of his nest. The cab driver is a friend who has driven them to the finca many times before and knows the entire route by heart. We went through the streets of Jinotepe and then on the Panamerican highway going south towards Costa Rica. Slowly the road turned into scattered villages and then lush farmland. Just before we reached Nandaime, we turned to the right onto a dirt road. As we passed one little house after another scattered in the woods, the road became narrower and narrower. Finally the road became so full of potholes and washed out parts that the driver had to slow to a crawl. It didn't bother him at all, though, since he had made this trip many times before. Finally we turned into the driveway of Dulce's mother's house.

La finca de la familia de Dulce

Click above to see pictures of the farm
We had definitely left the city. Horses, pigs, and about four or five dogs wandered around peacefully as well as a large number of ducks and chickens. This was the house that Dulce grew up in. Since the house only got electricity ten years ago, she had to study by candlelight or with a kerosene lamp. Now the house has electricity, running water every other day, and an antennae over the house so that they can have cell service. We wandered through the yard as Dulce pointed out the many different fruit trees in the yard. As she finished the tree tour, one of her brothers rode up on a horse and talked with us for a few minutes and then joined another relative as they brought the cattle near the house so that they could have some water (very important since it was getting very hot by this time). Dulce's father had a well built there many years ago that produces plenty of water for the animals. It was very deep with high sides to keep children out. They have about 15 milk cows, which they milk once a day at 4:00 AM. Dulce said that some of the cows produce milk for up to 15 years. On most American farms, a cow is lucky to produce milk for 3 years before it is sent to be slaughtered.

While all of this was going on, Dulce, her mother, and several female relative were busy preparing the lunch on an outside stove that was heated by firewood. Later Carlos and I were told that it was time to eat. We were served at the dining room table while the women ate together next to the outside stove. As we were eating we had to keep shooing away the flies and dogs who wanted to join us for the meal. After we finished, it was time to move into the living room. It was so hot by this time that Carlos and I slept in rocking chairs next to a fan as some children watched television and the women continued to chat outside by the fire.

It was an amazing cultural experience. Everything was so much more relaxed than the city and it was surprising how well all of the animals and children interacted so peacefully. My hope is that I will be assigned to a place like this when the different sites are given out at the end of next month. Internet service will probably be much harder to get, but the pace of life seems so calm and peaceful.

On Friday, September 4, all of the suitcases finally arrived from Haiti or wherever they had been shipped to. The truck was in the parking lot at 3:00 PM, but they wouldn't release the bags until an official from American Airlines arrived who could approve everything. Finally around 4:30, we were able to start loading all of our bags onto buses and minvans that would take all of us trainees to our new Nicaraguan families. As we left Managua, night started to fall (the sun starts to set around 5:30 every day all year long). Our families had been told to expect us around 4, so when we finally rolled in around 7:00 in the middle of a big thunderstorm, they were very glad to see us.

My town for the next three months is Jinotepe, a city of around 6000 people in the province of Carazo. My family couldn't have been nicer. Carlos and Dulce are the parents (around 34 years old) with a 5 year old and a 3 year old, both boys. I have never seen such well-behaved kids. The parents are so good with them. If one starts to cry or get upset they talk with him quietly or give him a hug. The food has also been extraordinary. Both parents are cooks by profession and they fix me wonderful vegetarian meals. Lots of the local fruits and vegetables, as well as the obligatory rice and beans, called Gallo Pinto. Every meal is accompanied by a delicious fruit drink that Dulce has made in the blender with local fruits that she has bought at the market. Once I had a blend of carrot and orange juice – very delicious!

It is unbelievably hot here, although we occasionally get some nice breezes. There is only cold water in the shower, but I don't miss the hot water at all. Every other day or so we get a big thunderstorm, which usually causes the water to go out and sometimes the electricity. In fact, the water is turned off practically every night. Carlos told me that the water company does that because they have to share the water with other communities - when our water goes out, another community's water comes on. He said it was like that with the electricity four years ago, but now the electric power is fairly stable (except after a big thunderstorm).

Nicaraguan Independence Day 2009 in Jinotepe

Click above to see lots of pictures of the parade.

This is a big weekend down here. Monday and Tuesday are independence days. Schools are closed for the entire week. Monday, September 14 is to celebrate the defeat of William Walker, a “filibuster”who came down here from America during the Gold Rush. He sided with the liberal faction in León and declared himself president. He was thrown out after two years or so. He came back a few years later and was killed. His death is what is celebrated the first day. The next day, September 15 celebrates independence from Spain in all of Central America. Yesterday, there was a big parade through the center of Jinotepe, with marching bands from all of the public and private schools. It was an event that everyone in the town turned out for. Since it took place in the middle of the day, the spectators and participants were really suffering from the heat. Peddlers were selling little plastic bags of water, candy, nuts, hats and balloons. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the hat salesman – he looked like he could have been out of the book, “Caps for Sale”. He had about 6 hats on his head with the rest in his hand as he moved through the crowd. A hat and water, as well as sunscreen, were the things people needed most yesterday.

Since schools are closed this week, we can't begin our practice teaching until next week. We are planning to meet with our co-teachers this week (even though they are on vacation). We are also going to plan our youth group meetings that should start up next week. We plan to do some English teaching activities with them as well as some discussions of things that concern them.

Lots of things going on constantly. Current volunteers have warned us that these three months of training are the hardest part. Their advice was to do as much as possible, especially practice teaching, because we will really appreciate it when we have our own sites. Tomorrow we each get our first interview with the Peace Corps person in charge of assigning us to different sites. It's hard to know at this point if a city or small little town would be the best, but I'm leaning towards a smaller place since the class sizes are usually smaller there. Here in Jinotepe class sizes can be 55 or so.

The whole adventure is like a roller coaster. Some days it seems like the most amazing thing in the world and other times it seems overwhelming and frustrating. I think it's that way for all of us trainees. I'll keep you informed as things progress during the next few weeks.

This was the second day of training in Nicaragua. There are so many things to learn! One of the very special things this morning was Peace Corps director Aaron Williams' visit with our group. He has been in office for 10 days and this is the second country that he has visited as director. It was interesting hearing him describe his own experience as a volunteer many years ago. He was the first person in his family to graduate from college and everyone told him that it was crazy and a complete waste of his time to serve in the Peace Corps. Only his mother supported him. Now he considers it one of the best experiences of his life.

Tonight he was on Channel 8 here in Nicaragua and was interviewed for 20 minutes in Spanish. He answered some very difficult questions very diplomatically. He talked about how all 170 Peace Corps volunteers are helping the people here and he mentioned those teaching English as a foreign language.




After the director's visit, we all took language placement exams, got our rabies shots, and talked with a doctor about our medical needs while we're here. Later we talked about how we will be teaching English, learned about safety, and got our supply of malaria pills that we have to take for the whole time we're here.

Tomorrow our luggage, which was diverted to Haiti, will hopefully arrive. All 38 trainees in our group have been wearing the same clothes since we left Washington at 1:30 AM on Wednesday morning. Tomorrow we will also be taken to our families' houses where we will be living for the next 3 months of training.

I am really impressed with the training group that I am with. Most are recent college graduates and very dedicated to what they are doing. What a great way for them to start their careers. There are two other people my age - all of us using this as a new way to start on a new path.

Staging in DC and Leaving for Nicaragua

With only two weeks to go, I'm working full time on getting all of my possessions down to the 80 pounds allowed on the flight to Nicaragua. It's amazing all of the things that I've discovered while going through boxes of papers long forgotten. It really does help you discover what is really important to you. I've scanned special papers so that I will have a record of them. Most things have gone to the shredder, the recycling bin, or the trash. It's almost time to call the Goodwill truck.

On Monday, August 31, I leave for Washington DC where all of us new Peace Corps trainees will receive a day of "staging" in which we will be given a quick summary of what we will be doing during our two years of service. At 1:30 AM on Wednesday, Sept 2, we check out of the hotel in DC, get on a bus for the Reagan airport and arrive in Managua around 11:45 AM. At that time I will begin 3 months of job and language training. Sometime in November I will hopefully be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer and be assigned a town in Nicaragua where I will be working for the following two years.

It's the beginning of a new life!

La Sinfonía Rara

The name for this blog comes from a poem called "Tarde en el Trópico" by the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío (1867-1916). His romantic poems are still memorized and recited by many people today in Nicaragua.



TARDE DEL TRÓPICO


Es la tarde gris y triste.
Viste el mar de terciopelo
y el cielo profundo viste
de duelo.

Del abismo se levanta
la queja amarga y sonora.
La onda, cuando el viento canta,
llora.

Los violines de la bruma
saludan al sol que muere.
Salmodia la blanca espuma:
¡Miserere!

La armonía el cielo inunda,
y la brisa va a llevar
la canción triste y profunda
del mar.

Del clarín del horizonte
brota sinfonía rara,
como si la voz del monte
vibrara.

Cual si fuese lo invisible...
Cual si fuese el rudo son
que diese al viento un terrible
león.

English translation

It's Nicaragua!

After spending nine months submitting a multitude of letters of recommendation, university transcripts, and medical forms, I finally received the invitation to serve in the Peace Corps starting this September. After a two day staging event in Miami at the end of August when I will be given the necessary inoculations, country information, and an introduction to my fellow volunteers, I will be off on a 27 month adventure to Nicaragua. I'm looking forward to year-round Florida summertime heat with no air conditioning. It just be just like when I was growing up in Tallahassee! After eleven weeks of training, I should be in a small village or town somewhere helping a local teacher with his English class as well as giving private English lessons in the community. In addition, I will probably be training other local teachers in innovative ways to teach English to high school students. Hopefully, I will be able to effectively use all of the skills I have been acquiring during the past 30 years in a completely new environment. Should be fun!