Speaking of training, we are currently in week 8 of 11. WOO-HOO!!! On October 28 we find out the site where we will be living for the next two years. Everyone is on pins and needles and secretly hoping that they get their preferred site at all costs. Crying and cat fights are sure to erupt. I’ll be sure to take pictures. J On Thursday, Peace Corps will lead a language conference for Nica English teachers. For a reason I’m still not sure of, I signed up to present pronunciation methods. Liz and I will basically copy word for word a charla that another PCV presented to us. The most exciting part of the conference will definitely be the food, Tip-Top (the Nica version of KFC/Chick-fil-a). In week 9 we visit our site and meet our counterparts. YIKES! Week 10 is basically wrapping up and presenting our youth group project. In our last week, we will be staying in hotels in Managua with the entire PC Nica 51 group to attend meetings and swear in (Nov. 23). I’m way pumped about the hotels!
This past week I got to spend the night in Managua with another trainee, Clara from Argentina. After our doctor’s appointments (no worries), we went to the PC office to check out books from the library. I grabbed the Moon guide to Nicaragua- which was written by a Returned PC Volunteer who served in Nicaragua, The Zookeeper’s wife, and The Shack. Already excited with our finds, we then went to a swanky restaurant and got salad and empanadas. Just as we were about to leave, it started to pour down the rain. We made a bad situation good by ordering a bit of mango and coconut ice cream drizzled with chocolate. What a treat! To top the night off, I had my first hot shower in two months and watched Shrek on cable. Is that a good night or what? I’m gonna have to start making up illnesses to go to Managua more often. J
This week I also went to a few birthday parties. Mallerlys- the four year old in my house- had a chill birthday party with family and food (yuca with salad and soda) and the little kids dancing to a video. You wanna know why all Latinos know how to dance? Because they literally start when they are four shaking their butt and droppin it like it’s hot. This four year old has WAY more moves than I do… and she knows it… and laughs at me. Katie and Bekah will be happy to know that I do share my dancing skills with my family here. They laugh just as much as you two do.
Then I went to a neighbor’s party that included all her family and really good taquitos and cake. We entertained ourselves with a piñata. One at a time the adults were blind folded, given a long stick and then turned around to lose their sense of direction. Luckily we didn’t have an America’s Funniest Home Video moment. But the person did have to dance meringue between each hit. Best part of the night: they got the token gringa to do it too, accompanied by hoots and hollers by all the party goers. I’m pretty sure my face was beet red, but luckily I didn’t hit anyone or fall on my face. That is what I call a success.What did I learn from all these parties?, you might be saying. Well, I’m glad you asked: 1) Gifts are definitely not expected here. If you do give a gift, it will most likely not be opened in front of you unless it is a child. 2) If the family doesn’t have a lot of money, there will be no celebration. Many times there will not even be a small celebration with the family with no-cost presents. They simply do not celebrate. 3) Parties consist of the host family serving a meal with soda and cake. During this time, the music is blaring and people can barely talk. If they do talk, they are
actually screaming at their neighbor. Although there is music, this does not necessarily mean there is dancing. 4) Cake is served on napkins with no forks. The taste is pretty bland and the texture can be dry. I’ve never had seconds, except when we ordered one from a bakery with dulce de leche. It was fantastic! 
Hilarious, smiling Claire from West Virginia turned 23 this week. On Friday, about ten of us went out to the Green House,
aka the Gringo House, to have a few drinks. A few drinks turned into more than a few drinks and the next thing I know, we had to order a bit of food so we didn’t float out of the place. The cheeseburgers were served with cucumbers but we enjoyed them just the same. We ended up staggering home around 9:30. Don’t think badly of us early drinkers, we have a 10pm curfew… if you want to party, you have to make sacrifices! 
Sucking up our hangovers from the night before, we decided to go to the beach. Liz, Steve, Alex and I had fun swim in the surf, chat, and eat bananas with peanut butter and Ritz crackers. We paint faces with rock paint (we meaning that Steve made the paint and the girls made the designs). The designs started off as animals, but slowly just turned into Indian Warrior paint. I was surprised that no one had ever heard of rock painting… must be a river thing. Yay river rats!!
Well, I think this might wrap up the majority of my last two weeks or so. Oh yeah, I also joined Facebook and erased Myspace. I plan to eventually add all my pictures to Facebook so I have a good back up in case my computer gets stolen. If you’d like to see these photos, just add me as a friend. Have a great week!
