School Days - Pre-Carnival

This post is about relationships between students and teachers.

On the right the students ( Maria Luisa and Eva) are both wearing red and they are holding down and tickeling their teacher ( Pedro Caballero). Eva just happens to be from Philly and speaks great English that eases my headaches from time to time. I was suporting the whole thing by taking the picture. We were all trying to convince him to go to the carnival with us. sadly enough after all the tickling he still did not go. Oh well.

On the left is a picture of what I will consider the graduate students/ profesores ( all female ) and their significant others during the Carnival. I dont remember the mens names but from left to right the women are Xolchilt, Gabriela, and Noelia. All of whom are very nice and either offer me aspirin or tell me thay will understand if I talk in English.

Taxistas

Ok so so much has happened. I still have headaces that alternate off and on. Thank you so much everyone that has written it makes me feel close even when I am far away. Tee could you write me directly cause I have no idea what I did with your e-mail.

I am going to reorganize the blog somewhat each heading will try to tell a story something that I encountered that I either found funny, sad or interesting. I have yet to find an internet cafe that will let me add my pictures but I am working on it.

This one is about the taxi cabs and their drivers ( los taxistas) in the city.

Ok so I went to a local carnival the other day ( it will have its own story) and on the way home I went with 4 other girls in a cab. This driver immediately tells us to put on our seat belts. This is something very rare. Most drivers do not wear them and most passengers as well do not. Before we can even locate the belts we are off... at rocket speed. I mean we are doing 80- 100 km/hr through the streets of Managua. 3 points to make. 1) the streets are not in the best condition. 2) they are also very curvy. 3) They also are full of people in various modes of transport. On foot, mulitple people on the same bicicle ( I have seen 3) Motorcycle ( same number), on horse ( same number) horse drawn cart, and trucks ( you would be suprised at how many people could fit) and other taxis. The other thing is that it seemed like nothing on this cab worked well except the horn. And the driver blew it: As he went through green lights, and through red ones, as we passed people and at people stopped at green lights preventing him from passing, at cats, dogs, people and horses as well as other taxi drivers. All the while pumping his brakes on occasion ( in an attempt to slow down? ) and grinding gears the whole way. It was great!

First days -- Universidad de Ciencias Comerciales

First days -- UCC
Well I have arrived in Nicaragua. Safe and Sound. Nothing is broken, nothing was lost, not harassed in customs or anything. I am currently staying with a student from the university. Her name is Liana. We are going to rent rooms in a house that is 3 blocks from the university. I have to buy furniture... but the rent is $120 which covers everything. I also think there is going to be a household budget for shopping.

Everyone here is very nice and I am doing my best with my spanish. Everyone talks so fast!! I am forever telling people I will understand if they talk more slowly. Yesterday I had a serious headace. I trust that will go away once I begin thinking in Spanish. It is kind of frustrating though to know that the simplist things for me happen so slowly. I find myself in the middle of a consersation ( as far as understanding and translating what is happening) when in reality the conversation is over. I figure out that it is the end when everyone has disapeared.
oh well I know that all of these are just growing pains.

Thanks to everyone who has commented. I will keep you all posted and try to answer individual comments directly or in the blog.

Besos

Well,
It is almost time to go! I am excited and scared and hoping that I packed everything ( because there is no room for anything else).
Hopefully I have caught-up with everybody and said good-bye to everyone else. Oh I hope I have paid all my outstanding bills, and taxes??? humm... <> I hope I can go to sleep tonight. It is expensive moving to another country or just moving around in general. This is such a rambling kinda of stream of concious type of entry....
Until I land in Managua
Peace