of getting ready for the holidays, living without electricity, and a few random thoughts

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OMG I am so excited to get home! It's Wednesday morning. I am in Esteli, getting ready to buy last minute Christmas gifts, and then to go stay with my first host family and Dona Moncha for the night, get home tomorrow, Thursday.

Lenin and I pack and rearrange Thursday/Friday. He goes to work on Saturday, gets home Sunday morning, showers, eats, and we take off for Managua! Stay in Managua Sunday night and go to the airport at 5:30 am and arrive at the house in Missourah around 11pm!

EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Gah I am so excited to get home, to have a break from Peace Corps Nicaragua, to watch Lenin as he discovers everything, to see friends and spend time with the family, to go shopping, to go to freaking WalMart for crying out loud, to COOK and BAKE in a clean, lit up kitchen. To have hot water showers and a washer and dryer and running water. Oh god, it's gonna be good.

Our portion of Moropoto has been without electricity for the past three days. So I got outta dodge. Maybe by the time I get back tomorrow the electricity will be fixed? Let's hope so. I've got a whole pile of clothes for my cousin, Krishtel, to iron.

Yeah, I've gone a year without ironing. No big deal, to me. But I figured I'd offer it to my sister, Milagro. Pay her 2 cordobas (10 cents) per item. But she is lazy and wanted 10 cords (50 cents) per piece. No. But my cousin Kristel is an entrepreneur and has made a decent amount of money this month... and will continue to as long as I am here. Mila missed out.

I went and picked beans (arrancando) with my grandfather, Lenin, and a neighbor, Jakquell, whome I call Jake. I have a ton of photos, but without electricity they have not yet been put on my computer. I am mildly sunburned, my fingers hurt from stabbing them on thorns as I picked, and my hamstrings and lower back are so tight I walk like I just got off a horse.

Speaking of which, I have lived in this damn country for more than a year and I have yet to ride a horse. They're like, scared to let me. Well, to hell with that. I'll go visit my man's man uncle, brother of grandfather, and have him teach me. It is ridiculous that I have not yet ridden a donkey or a horse in a year in rural Nicaragua.

I got mad props from the boys and Abuelo yesterday, though, for picking beans with them all morning. 6am - 12:30 pm. At 8am they were like, you can leave and go back to the house if you want.... to hell with that! I stayed. I was wiped by the time they started beating the piles of dried bean pods with sticks (aporreando) to release the beans. Whole lotta work for two 100 pound sacks. But then again there's been a drought and bean production has been completely lost in some areas.

Photos to come. Or perhaps they won't come until I'M IN THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!

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Comments

[Mom]

I....
I tried to phone you this AM, before turning on the puter. NOW I know why I couldn't get you! I don't know what the message in Spanish is telling me, so I just left a message in hopes that you'd not just get a blank! We, too, are down to counting HOURS, almost!!!! Of course, your Dad wants to have the honor of picking you guys up at the airport!! Will be there with COATS in hand! Ha! Frustrating last minute teeny things......like, CARPET!!!!!! "IF" it arrives today or tomorrow, Sammy will have it laid before you get here. If not,......then just NOT. :( With all of these projects going at the same time and all trying to beat the deadline of your arrival, I'm just so afraid that you'll see UNFINISHED PROGRESS. I hope that you and Lenin aren't "TOO" disappointed. Can hardly wait!!!!!!!!!xo