Benvenidos a Nicaragua

Hi everyone, As you all know now I made it safe to Nicaragua and do have a way to access the internet. So I am not as isolated as you might think. Now where to begin... I spent 2 days in DC for training. I saw a bunch of monuments when I had one free morning. Then as a group of 40 we flew to Nicaragua. (we had 41 at one point but its back to 40). In Nicaragua we had a retreat at the Hilton of Nicaragua (actuially a best western in managua) there we had more training and found out our placements in the pueblos. It was a nice hotel there was a pool. hot water, ac, 3 meals a day, housekeeping. On the 6th we left to our pueblos. THat was an overwhelming day, but I survived. I am now living with a host family in a small pueblo called San Juan De Oriente. It is near a volcano called Masaya. I´m also near a few other volcanoes. My new family consists of 18 people living in the house. I´m not kidding I have to do a family tree as part of my homework. I am number 19 now. The family is nice. They are trying to help me improve my spanish by talking to me and helping me with my homework. I even tried to read the news paper( the 6 year old cousin reads better then me it was a humbling expereince). Turns out I can read and write better then a thought. I can also speak a lot of spanish but not always properly. So that is my biggest job now to brake my bad habits. (its like learning no to use gonna during student teaching). I have my own room in the house. It is across from a shared bathroom. We get water every other day. Today was no water so I took my third bucket bath. I am getting better at it. It is actually nicer then when we have water because Don Lucia the mother of the house heats up the water and the water that comes from the pipes is on temperature. Going to the bathroom is a different story. If you pure a bucket of water into the toilet it will flush. Did you know that. Its true on days there is no water I have to do that. I have been eating a lot of local food. So far no sickness from it. But it will happen says Peace Corps. The family keeps serving me huge portions. I think they understand now that I cant eat that much at one time. But now they say I eat like the baby. I agree and laugh. I normally go to bed before the kids do anyways. The weather hear is warm. It gets really hot in the afternoons and the evenings are cooler. THe house is set up in many small homes ass connected, since there are 43 smaller families living there. Its all one family just the sons have there families there too. In the middle of the house is the dinning/living room. It has a tin roof but no walls...but we have a cable TV. I do have electicity all the time...so far. I will send pictures soon. My days are filled with language class and on wed and fri are technical training. After class I spend time with the family talking and try to correct my spanish. Nicagraugas Independence day is coming up on the 14th so there is a a lot of drumming going on in the community. It not really a problem since there is nosie all the time in the house and pueblo. I wake up at least 5 times a night from dogs, the radio, children crying, the tv, and the rosters. I sleep under a mosquito net. I really like it because the bugs cant get me(I saw a huge spider in the bathroom and yelped the sister cam to help me.) and its my little fortress to the different world I now live in. Other then that I am doing well. The thought to quit has crossed my mind. My live in the states was amazing and easy...but I didnt join the peace corps because it would be easy, I will learn and grow and some how make a difference here. It all takes time.