My Amazing Host Father

Not too much exciting has happened recently... well that isn't necessarily true... I am learning Spanish. But as far as big happenings go there are only two things worth noting.

One: My host father is amazing. This weekend he spent over two hours removing two tumors from a dog that had an 80% chance of survival during surgery. Most of the surgeries and aid that he gives to animals is out of the goodness of his heart and love for animals. (Most people can't afford his services.) The surgery he performed on this particular dog would have cost at least $5,000 in the States. He accepted only the equivalent of $25. He is my new hero. I want to help him in some way and so I am looking into starting a fund for Bergman Blass. If anyone wants to help or knows how I should go about this it would be greatly appreciated.

Two: I'm learning how to drive a motorcycle. (Don't worry mom... it's on the dirt on a farm with no other cars around!) 
P.S. I'm a fast learner.

The plan for the upcoming week is to work with Fabretti, an organization that places volunteers in local schools teacher English and other great things such as art. My interview is Friday for the position and I will get free housing if I'm accepted. Until a new fun thing to write about: I love you.

So I gave a few horses a shot, no big deal.

Hola ma famillia y amigos-
   Some really amazing things have happened since I last wrote. First, last Thursday Franklin took me on an adventure (not that work isn't usually an adventure) to Volcano Masaya. First we hiked/slid down a hill/mountain to get to the base of what would be the most difficult climb I've ever made. At one point I lost the cover to my camera on one particular intense "slide." Franklin didn't hesitate and busted up the mountain and ten minutes later returned with my tiny camera lid. (He's insane.) Once we were at the bottom I looked up the mountain and couldn't believe how high up we were and what a dangerous treck we had just made. But that was only the beginning. We made our way towards the Volcano which has no traction what-so-ever. It is a steep climb of pure rubble and dirt. I have no idea how high it is but it took us some time to get up. As we neared the top I thought it was going to be impossible to continue. Franklin assured me he had done it thirty times before and we pressed on. When we were 100 meters from the top I was sure we were at our limit, but he figured out a way of creating "stairs" for me to put my feet in and we made it to the top. Once we were at the top, I literally looked into a volcano. It was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had.  Volcanoes are phenomenal... I mean really phenomenal. Looking into a whole that goes to the center of the Earth got me in a place I will never forget. It was surreal. The only way to safely get down (in a timely manner) is to run. Franklin and I linked hands and ran down the volcano. -Don't worry everyone, I have pictures... same story.- The hike back up the mountain to where we began was so much easier because, oh wait, surprise! There is a trail! Guess it wouldn't have been a proper adventure if we had used the trail to get to the volcano in the first place.
The next day (Friday) I spent two hours planting beans in on the farm and then attempted to turn soil with a couple of massive oxen that wanted nothing to do with my while the men who I work with stared and laughed at my failure. Fun times.
This weekend was wonderful. Friday night we went out for Alex's (the intern) birthday, which was basically sitting at a bar having a few drinks and tasty snacks. My new favorite snack ever is a Nica favorite: fried cheese and plantains (yes a massive heart attack on a plate.) I decided to stay in San Juan (La Concha) this weekend to hang out with my family and experience a weekend here. After the bar I hung out with my host brother Jason. The next day La Mariposa had a day trip to Laguna de Pollo which is a sunken volcano that has turned into a gorgeous lagoon. The water is so fresh and clear; it's literally blue. The landscape is incredible because you are sitting in the middle of massive hills and another volcano. The girls who came with me are really great. Danny, one of my new pals I've made on this trip, Guillermina (Paulette's daughter) and I went out on the kayaks into the middle of the lagoon. Actually, it was just me and Guillermina on the kayaks, Danny swam next to us. We went out pretty far and I ended up switching with Danny and let her paddle back and I swam back. I haven't swam that much in a while and it reminded me of what a good work out swimming is. (New task: continue swimming as a work out.) The rest of the day consisted of us lounging around on hammocks, drinking rum, and enjoying delicious food. Pretty much a perfect day. When I got home I hung out with Jason and we got a couple of liter beers and just sat around talking. Most of our conversations are in Spanglish. He wants to learn English, I Spanish; so we help each other. He is an incredibly bright guy, just two years younger than me. He is studying to be an architect but helps his dad out with the animals. He is really talented at that as well and fills in for Bergman when Bergman is occupied. I enjoy hanging out with him a lot. Sunday was a special treat for me. It turns out that Bergman Jr. (the 23 year old son) plays on a baseball team for San Juan. There was a two game tournament on the field across the street from our house. I spent the day watching his games with Jason and a crowd of local Nicas. They won both games, which was exciting and I got a kick out of the locals reactions to a Gringa (westerner) or Chalita (white girl) watching the baseball game. I am told that is a rare sight in this part of the world. (I could have guessed that.) Then, I was further surprised by being invited to go see a traditional dance concert. Traditional Nicaraguan dance is really fun. The costumes are beautiful and very similar to Mexican dance costumes. There were different ages performing ranging from my age to three years old. The young ones were ridiculously cute. I am not sure if I mentioned before that along with Bergman (my host father) being the head of the language school and a vet, he is also a dancer who was the head of a traditional dance troupe. Jason was a dancer as well until he hurt his back. Bergman Jr. is a great dancer supposedly but doesn't perform. I'm holding out for him to bust a move when we go to Leon together.  I unfortunately didn't bring a camera to the show, which was stupid, but I'll try to get some pictures from the other girls that came of the little ones. It's worth tracking down.
Today... oh today... I ran around for two hours with Franklin trying to grab the horses so we could give them shots of anti-parasite medication. It wasn't easy, and I fell in a huge ditch at one point that was camouflaged by tall grass, but it was so much fun. Turns out Franklin is a cowboy and can lasso some serious horses. When we got the first horse he handed me the shot and signaled that it was my job to do it. Obviously I was horrified because 1. I have never administered a shot before and 2. it was a freaking horse. Well, needless to say, I now know how to tie up and give a horse a shot. After the first few I got used to stabbing the horses ass and neck with a tiny needle that would sometimes bend because their muscles were so tight. I wish I had this on film because you all would have got a laugh out of this.
As for the future: Danny has told me about a Yoga house in Guatemala that is only $100 a month to live in. The school in Xela, where she was before La Mariposa and where she will be returning, is close by and she said it is amazing. My plan is to get there for two weeks to a month before I leave for Chile. I'm going to fly from Guatemala to Chile Dec. 15 it looks like. I'll keep you posted when I know for sure.
If you are reading this, know that I love you.

Muey Consada (Please pardon all Spanish spelling errors)

Today is the first day I have felt truly tired and frustrated. I had no patience what-so-ever for speaking Spanish. Not because I didn't want to, but because I was so tired and it was so hard to try and figure it out. It's over now... no reason to complain.
A re-cap of this past weekend and other events from the previous week:
After two days of sweeping basura (trash) and lighting it on fuego (fire) we were notified Wednesday morning that one of the horses had passed away. Paulette wanted to go out and see the horse and say good bye and I offered to come along as support and to be there if Franklin needed help with anything. Seeing a dead horse is surreal. Seeing a dead anything in person can be surreal but I guess I'm used to seeing other dead animals. A dead horse... I mean it really looks dead. Not to be completely morbid or anything. I was shocked by how unaffected I was by the dead horse. I am starting to think that death doesn't really bother me. It was Paulette's reaction and the baby horse trying to get milk from its dead mother that was so devastating. Etonces (so), I think it is just pain and heartache that affects me. Death and pain is a huge reality here. Day to day tragedies that we couldn't even image in the U.S. For instance my host father Bergman had to operate on a puppy that had it's head (right by its eye) split open by an asshole with a machete. Another is a mother who lost her twelve year old boy to Dengue completely randomly. (Usually it isn't fatal the first time around and he didn't have any probable symptoms.) I see starving animals everywhere, beaten, hungry and confused. I remind myself of the Ghandi saying that you know how a country is doing based on how it treats its animals. Nicaragua... not doing so well. That isn't to say there aren't people doing well and people who have healthy children and treat their animals with love and respect. That is there; with evidence.
Other than that I am still in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. Nicaragua is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined it being. My rides to the farm are always a pleasure when we pass the rolling hills of La Concha.
Now for this past weekend! Friday afternoon I had my first go at the Microbus... an adventure for sure. These little vans will stuff upwards of fifteen people inside when there is maybe room enough for eight. I was lucky enough to be on one that sat to the full capacity but no more. (By the way, they speed... really fast.) I was so proud of myself because I was able to get more minutes for my phone, find the Microbus stop, ask where it was going and pay for it all in Spanish... all by myself. It was a moment. I got to Managua safely and Alana picked me up in a taxi from the Metrocentro, which is basically a huge upscale mall. That evening we went out for our friend's good bye party. Side note:  Miriam, the lady of the evening just left for Mexico. Her travels will also take her to Argentina, unfortunately not while I was planning on being there. She had been in Nicaragua a month working with a volunteer program that places in schools. She got to teach theater. (Yeah... it got me thinking.) I am considering getting a job with them after I'm done at La Mariposa. My plans are ever changing and totally up in the air. I'm going to wait for a sign.
Ok back to the weekend: The party was at a really good restaurant in Managua and I ate and drank delicious food and rum. Nicaragua is good for both of these things. The rest of the party went out dancing, but Alana has been sick so we went home. The next day we left for some beach. I have no idea what the name of it is but it was gorgeous. Mom you would have died. I took pictures and I will have them up at some point. Putting pictures up on this blog takes a long time so look for updates on my Facebook page. Rosario, a Nicaraguan friend, was the hostess and we went to her family's house. I was in a dream. Hammocks everywhere, a pool overlooking the ocean... pretty incredible. Saturday night I ordered lobster. It was by no means cheap... about the same that I would have payed in the States, but I felt it was necessary. I wont pay that much for food ever again (famous last words), but it was worth it that one time. I got back to my house late Sunday night and my host family is so kind for letting me do my own thing on the weekends. I am going to stay here this Friday night and hang out with the people who work at La Mariposa. I am going to try to get to Masaya this Saturday with a friend from the school.
I am really tired so I am not going to edit this so I hope this post makes sense. I love you all. Good night.

The First Week- A Summery (if possible.)

The last week has gone by so fast, yet I feel like I have been here for a month. I arrived at La Mariposa around 4:30 pm last Sunday with Alana and her friends (my new friends) Rosario, Miriam and David. Rosario had offered to drive, David was our tour guide, and Miriam wanted to come along because we all thought we were going to Masaya. As it would turn out, La Mariposa is not in Masaya. It is actually in a place called La Concha (to the locals, La Conception to the rest of the world if the world were to know about this tiny place.) I was a little let down when I found out I wouldn't be in Masaya because everyone who knew of Masaya said it would be the perfect place for me and that I would love it; but when we got to La Mariposa and I saw the school and the area that I would be living in for the next month, I was thrilled. La Mariposa is a wonderland for lack of any other word to do it justice. The first thing I noticed was the pack of dogs that ran to greet me. I will load pictures at some point but there are Condor, Sultan, Toto, Molly, Foxy, Jaz, and Molly. Then there are four white faced monkeys and a whole lot of birds including two toucans and a mass of chickens and roosters. The hotel itself, which I should note isn't really a hotel, is covered in tropical plants and flowers. There are trees and life of all kinds everywhere. It's incredible. I say that it isn't really a hotel because Paulette, the ex pat wonder woman who runs it, wants it to be known as a school. La Mariposa is not located in a touristy area, so there is really no point for people to stay there other than to learn Spanish. After speaking briefly with Paulette I was told to take my things to my new home where Bergman (pronounced Bear man :) ) and his family would greet me.
Waiting just outside the gate of his home was Bergman and his youngest Pedrito. We parked Rosario's car and got a bite to eat because all of us were starving. The place we ate doesn't deserve to be mentioned. After an incredibly long meal we walked back to Bergman's house where I said my good byes and settled in to my new home. I'll have to post pictures of the house at some point because it is rather hard to describe. For now I'll just say that I have my own room which is a nice size with a desk and a window. I have a pretty mosquito net as well which makes me feel like a princess with a canopy bed... which I've always wanted. I have five host siblings; there is Bergman Jr. (23), Jason (20), Tana- pronounced Tania- (19), Arielca (16), and Pedrito (5.) I love them all. They are all so different, but like their parents they are kind and welcoming.  I have felt so loved and cared for in their home. I feel so comfortable there as well as in the La Mariposa community. I could not have asked for a better situation. By the way, they also have two dogs, Mariposa and Kisar.  I am the luckiest girl in the whole world.
I live five minutes walking distance from school and every day, except for today, I bike with Franklin (my farm boss man) to the farm. Every day is an adventure in Nicaragua. The first day I worked I was handed a big stick that I then used for over two hours to "sweep" dead cut grass into piles around a field. Once we were done with that we lit it all on fire.  The next day we did the same, but I was prepared for it. Believe it or not I actually like doing it. It is a time where I can rest my head  and not have to think in Spanish. When I'm not sweeping dead grass, I'm talking to Franklin. Franklin is wonderful. He demands conversation and wont let me slack off; yet he is patient and kind. He helps me so much and is super encouraging. I gain a lot of confidence when I speak to him. Our conversations aren't dull either. Yesterday we spoke for two hours about my life and the farm, etc., in Spanish. My side of the conversation probably sounded like a two year old, but it happened.
There is so much more to tell but I am exhausted. I will be updating more often now that I will have my lap top so I will do my best to write more details. Until then, I love you all so much and I miss you every day.