Volunteer!!!

Hi All!

So I am officially a volunteer and have already gotten to my site and started settling in. This week is a stark contrast to last week. Last week was crazy busy, we were always busy, and always dressed up. It is common to have a fancy swearing in ceremony for the volunteers but what is not common is to have THE PRESS! Our swearing in ceremony had a big hype around it because Peace Corps is celebrating 50 years of service, so there was all this media coverage during the ceremony and they were doing interviews and filming. When we finished our swearing in ceremony we got to go to the Director of Peace Corps house here and eat lunch, afterwords we were invited to a press conference with the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega. Each of the 43 PCVs was interviewed by the President to learn about the states they are from, where they will serve, their previous experience, and their proposed project work. The three hour meeting was televised by numerous channels, radio stations, and in the press. My picture ended up being in the newspaper! Here is a link to it, I know it is only the back of me but it is still rather exciting (especially considering they had 3.5 hrs of footage to choose from)

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/nacionales/109277_ortega-recibe-a-miembros-del-cuerpo-de-paz-de-eu

My conversation with the President went something like this: He said my name and then made a referance to Alice and Wonderland, because in Spanish it is "Alicia in the land of wonder" anyway he told me I kind of looked like Alicia in the wonderland and everyone including myself laughed ( me mostly out of nerves) and then he asked me where I was from and where I would be working. They were pretty basic questions, which I had prepared for ahead of time, but I still have NEVER been so nervous in my life, I was shaking so hard and was so relieved when it was over! The whole thing was a whirl wind of excitement, and after the press release we had been going strong since about 7am, so we were running on Nica cake and coffee and I didn't really come down from it all until now that I am on site. Those days in Managua were really nice though,  we got to hang out all together for a couple days and use hot showers and swim in a pool. As much as I was enjoying it I felt all this gratitude for something I hadn’t even done yet! 

Now, I don’t really know how to describe what point I am at now, all I can say it is very confusing and even though I am really used to being uprooted this feels so much different because I have high expectations for the work I am going to do, as does my community, the Peace Corps and now with this media coverage it feels like the whole world! So I got to my site Sunday night, and Monday I went into town to buy a bed with my “host father”. I have a cute little house that is right next to another one and I feel safe for the most part but I am always careful to lock my doors at night and be inside by dark. I visited with some of the people I met last time, and went to a women’s baking group meeting. Today I came into town again to do some more errands and get to know some of the volunteers who will be living in the same department. Right now I am still just getting my feet on the ground, but I have somehow gotten signed up to give English classes starting next week as well as teaching how to knit and decorate cakes. Neither of which I feel competent enough to teach but “fake it until you make it!?” ...plus it is a way to get to know more people!

Next week we also have our regional 50^th Anniversary party which I will go to as well, so I do have some things that are happening and I am just trying to get organized, getting to know people, getting to know my way around, and trying to feel competent in the language!

I am planning on adding pictures when I get my camera, and let you guys know a bit more about the details, but this is just a fuzzy outline of what life has been like the last couple of weeks. Much love to all!

Alicia