Christmas Time in Managua and My Class!

So, I have been in Managua for the past couple of weeks. I was planning on going to the community of Malacatoya this week but due to the celebration of the Mary, transportation would have been challenging, so I decided to push that back until next week. After two weeks here in this burly beast of a city, I am ready to go back to the campo for a couple of days next week!

Regardless, I have seen and done some interesting things with my time here when not at the office studying up on how solar, wind, and micro-hydro systems work, or keeping up with the news back in the states (that WikiLeaks scandal is rediculous!).

Last week I taught another class to the young journalists in the town of Teustepe, up north from Managua (everywhere I go is up north!). Here's a photo of some of girls working away, typing up the biographies of one another that I asked them to do as homework:

Some of the girls are more comfortable with using the machines than others. Since they only practice when we have class, generally, it is slow process but they are smart and willing to learn! This week's assignment is to make a photo-essay, to tell me something about their lives using pictures, not just one shot with a description, as they have done many times before. I look forward to seeing what they have to show!

Walking around Managua, and my neighborhood "MonteCristi," I am given a little taste of home with the very much out of place Christmas decorations:

I think Santa, his reindeer, and his friend Frosty the Snowman (not pictured here) would all melt or die of heat exhaustion if they were every really here! Just like in the states, however, it seems that each house is trying to out-decorate the other. If I felt it was safe to bring my camera everywhere, I would have more extravagant designs to show from outside Monte Cristi.

One other important thing to note on the holidays here in Nicaragua is the ongoing soundtrack of fireworks mixed in with Christmas music...Starting at about 6 a.m. some days I am woken by what sounds like bullets popping...like we're under siege, but then I realize it is just the neighborhood kids setting off fireworks and they don't seem to be tiring of it!

I did have a nice respite from the hustle and bustle last weekend when my fellow intern Kristiina and I headed to our house south of San Juan del Sur for a couple of days. It was so nice to put my feet in the sand, swim, and eat fresh seafood for the first time since I've been here. Our caretaker, Fredis, had the Christmas decorations up for us which made it feel like home. So, though I am missing everyone up there and the New York Christmas spirit, I've got an eccentric version of it down here!

Happy Holidays and take care until next time!