A double shot nonfat latte sounds so good right now.

Nothing ridiculously new besides lots of work. The girls and I have been kept busy planning our meetings with our youth, and conducting these little soirée. In fact, we had our first meeting this past Friday! Everything seemed to go well. We had eight kids show up and enthusiastically draw community maps for us. I had been prepared for a group of kids that would be more or less silent. Instead we had a couple of girls who really dived into the participation (I am psyched). Now all we have to do is keep it up.

Along with youth group work I’ve been working like mad the past few days studying Malaria and Dengue. I am giving my first talk, charla, at the health center on Tuesday. Although a simple topic I am terrified of questions. My Spanish is coming along and I am relatively confident I will be able to get the idea across. But, understanding anyone who pipes up about Dengue? I could easy have no idea what they are asking. Here in Nicaragua everyone cuts off the ends of words, specifically the S’s. It can make it difficult when someone mumbles something to you. The ‘I don’t understand’ really works for my family, but it may not have the same result for patients . . . I’ll report back . . . maybe even with a little movie of my charla? Baha.

As for the rest of my life in Nicaragua it has been interesting. Food is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Vegetables are far and few between. For the families with a little more money fruit is pretty common. My family serves fruit two or three times a week. I have been feeling a little malnourished on simply rice, beans, and plantains. Although, I recently found out that you can write to the health center in PC Managua asking for vitamins. Fabulous.

The weather is not bad. It is warms and humid, but it is paradise compared to Managua. Managua is like walking into a sauna. Here in Jinotepe it’s more like walking into an indoor pool. Very manageable. I know I questioned it, but wearing skirts and sandals, like Ecco sandals, can really make all the difference. A little breeze now and then, ooo! That being said, I only work out early in the morning. If I don’t leave my house by 5:55 am to run . . . well it just won’t happen.

I’ve attached pictures of my house through out just to give you an idea of what the rest of my house looks like. You can see our little kitchen, fully stocked with an oven and fridge over on the right. The sink station is where I do my laundry, where Maria does the family laundry, where Maria washes dishes, where Rosalia brushes her teeth, and I think occasionally where Pedro showers. There is a picture of the courtyard. All of the rooms open up into it. You may even be able to see my laundry! Delightful. All in all, this house is quite functional and a comfortable place to live. Although, I can not help but think about the possibility of living on my own in a few of months. Cooking for myself will be amazing!

Love from Nica 52.