Sarah's Adventures in Nicaragua Part One

All day long my students were nagging me:
"When is your sister coming?"
"Why isn't she here yet?"
"Where exactly is her plane right now?"
"Why isn't she staying for two weeks?"
so on and so forth

They were just as excited as I was for the arrival of the one and only Sarah! She made it in, safe and sound, and our adventures began bright and early the next morning. Strangely enough, there were no major mishaps while Sarah was here. No flat tires, no injuries, no getting lost (well, just three times, but it wasn't life altering) no getting stuck in the mud. We made plans that actually happened! Read on if you are ready for Sarah's Adventures in Nicaragua.

1. Ziplining
After many of my own ziplining adventures and my more recent development of fear-of-heights, I decided to take the walking path while Sarah dangled between the trees.

The zipline is located on the side of a volcano. The lower part is a coffee plantation while the top part is a cloud rainforest. I was learning all about the coffee when I looked up and saw Sarah screaming her head off and hanging upside down like a monkey. Sarah was also wearing a Disney Princess helmet, which made the experience even more enjoyable for me.

After a good laugh on my part, I heard some more laughter - howler monkeys. I searched for them and found them in the tree that Sarah was just about to land in.

2. Caterina

These pictures are struggling to give justice to the beauty of the location. Caterina is a lookout point where you can see the Mombacho Volcano (where Sarah ziplined) and Laguna de Apoyo side by side. I am always amazed at how beautiful this country is.

3. The streets of Granada

Cathedrals are one of my favorite things to see in old cities. I've seen the ones in Granada many times, but I am always up for another visit. Granada is supposedly the first recorded European city in the Americas. Lots of Moorish architecture and old buildings were the backdrop as we explored the streets and looked out from bell towers.

Sarah really wanted to have a true market experience, so we set off for a market adventure. It started simple enough. Both sides of the road crammed with goods - sunglasses, shoes, cellphone cases. The cars, buses, bikes, and horses in the streets were still optimistic and thought they could get through. I suppose they did, just rather slowly. After we made a turn down a side road, things started to get more interesting. Lots of smells going on - meat and fruit and who knows what else. We started to get looks ("What's this gringo doing here?"). One more turn, and we were in the heart of the market. Huge bins of beans and rice. Meat hanging from the tops of stalls. Flies and bugs. Smells that shouldn't be mixing together. I am always tempted to take pictures, but I feel too weird doing it. It is such a normal part of life for so many people, and yet I feel so out of place. However, Sarah enjoyed the experience. After we made our way out of the market, Sarah declared she wanted a pinata, so back into the market we went. We later emerged, successful.

I think you will agree that it is a very cute mini rooster pinata. Sarah later gave it away to some little girl who happily swung it around and around as she walked down the road.

3. The Ocean

I remember clearly the first time I saw the ocean. I was fourteen years old and in Haiti. We swam around a cove and met a giant sea turtle. Immense, frightening, beautiful were my first thoughts on the ocean.

Sarah and the ocean met for the first time on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, at a beach called Gran Pacifica. It was a good day for the beach, filled with sunshine, warm water, and a double rainbow.

Stay tuned for Sarah's Adventures in Nicaragua Part Two.

Fall is ...

Leaves are as colorful as confetti falling to the ground. 

The cool breeze is a refreshing as lemonade and ice cream on a blistering hot day. 

When I touch fall leaves, they are as crunchy as potato chips. 

The leaves fall as quiet as a mouse. 

The snow is as soft as a puffy, over-sized quilt. 

Leaves fall like fluttering birds. 

Leaves drop like parachutes.

I'm as thankful as a turkey that survived Thanksgiving. 

The yellow leaves are as bright as the sun. 

On Thanksgiving, I'm as hungry as a bear. 

The air smells like a brand new perfume. 

On Thanksgiving the pumpkins are like orange basketballs. 

After we learned about similes and comparisons, my students did some fall time brainstorming and wrote some pretty unique writing pieces that had us all wishing we had some snuggly sweaters and hot chocolate.

In a totally unrelated note, I wanted to share this interesting Nica moment I had the other day.

Some friends and I pull up to a gas station to buy some ice. Three members of a mariachi band are serenading a man who is calmly standing in front of the entrance. People are pulling in and out of the gas station, walking to the convenience store to buy things, and no one is fazed (except for us gringos staring from the van).

Happy Thanksgiving Week! I am looking forward to our Thanksgiving program at school, some turkey, and MY SISTER COMING TOMORROW!

Crazy Day

We recently had a "Crazy Day" at school. I am pretty sure every day is crazy day in an elementary school, but this time the students' clothes and hair matched their actions. I had one student who came to school with his shirt tucked in, belt on, and pants on backwards. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I am not sure how this student managed to move around comfortably, but he rocked it the whole day.

We just finished our Fifty States unit in class. Throughout the unit, each student did research on one state, created a flip book of things learned, and made a triorama displaying one of that state's landmarks. Because most of my students are not from the US, this is quite the interesting project. Their final products turned out well, so of course now I would like to show them off to you. 

We also talked about US government during this unit, and discussed in length the Preamble to the Constitution. We drew pictures and acted out each phrase to help us understand it more.

My favorite part is Captain America providing for the common defense

Other thrilling news:

My baby sister is coming to visit me in a week and one day! Prepare yourselves in advance for an abundance of facebook posts and ridiculous blog stories. Sarah is quite the character and is known for wandering around and talking to strangers. I worry about losing Sarah in Walmart, so I think I might have to get a leash to hold on to her here. Sarah, if you are reading this, please DO NOT get lost in Nicaragua. Unless you plan on moving here and hanging out with me all the time. If that is the case, wander all you please. 

Ice Cubes

So this week I went to a grocery store that I don't normally go to. I went in search of one thing: ice cube trays.

It all started two weeks ago when - cue Hallelujah chorus - our old and incredibly small refrigerator got replaced by a much larger and newer one. The only issue was that the exchange happened while my roommates and I were at school. The school maintenance team was going to take care of it for us. The switch was supposed to happen in the morning, so all of our food came out of the old fridge and got placed on the counter. The new fridge didn't actually come until very late in the afternoon, which meant all the food was sitting out in 90+ weather all day. Then, after the new fridge was settled in and looking lovely with the food replaced inside, the power went out for the rest of the night. We threw away most of our food. In the process, we realized the ice cube trays had - poof ! - disappeared. Given my slight iced tea addiction, ice cube trays are a must in my apartment. Drama quickly ensued. 

The next day we went to the store to replace our spoiled food and to buy more ice cube trays. The store didn't have any trays, so we took an excursion across town to the bigger and better grocery store. 

You know how sometimes grocery stores have a little section where they sell sports t-shirts? Well, they had that at this grocery store, but a much bigger section. They also had pants and skirts. It felt odd. It wasn't like a Super Target where there is a clearly defined food section and then on the other side of the store a clothes section. It was just a grocery store that had a lot of clothes in it. Anyway, although I found it odd, I decided to browse, and found some jeans I really liked. About two seconds later I realized I could never get them because this was a grocery store, and grocery stores do not have dressing rooms. WRONG! Indeed, there was a dressing room. I stood in line next to the meat section to try on my jeans. After I got in the incredibly small stall, I discovered I could almost see over the very small door, and anyone trying to decide what type of hotdogs or ham to buy could surely see most of my legs. It suddenly turned into a very awkward experience. The jeans didn't even fit, so it was a wasted awkward moment. However, before leaving, we did buy four wonderful new ice cube trays. 

Lessons learned:

Do not lose ice cube trays

Do not try on clothes at the grocery store

My glorious ice tea that I am drinking as I type this. Notice the beautiful ice cubes. 

Some Nica Things

Volcanoes
There are many countries around the world that have volcanoes, and Central America is full of them, but I believe Nicaragua has the best selection. This country has nineteen active and dormant volcanoes that I enjoy seeing as I go to the movie theater on the other side of town or as I travel to other parts of the country.

Nicaragua is known as the land of lakes and volcanoes. 

Quesillos
If you need a delicious and unhealthy snack, quesillos are the way to go. They are made with cheese, vinegar, cream, and onions. Then it is wrapped in a corn tortilla and stuffed in a little bag.

You can eat the quesillo a couple of ways. The first way is to push the quesillo up out of the bag and eat it like a burrito. This will leave a whole lot of juice and cream in the bottom of the bag. You must bite a hole in the corner of the bag and drink it.  The other way is to tie the bag, bite a hole in the corner, and push the cheesy contents out right into your mouth. Either way is acceptable and possibly messy. Under no circumstances are you allowed to throw away the cream at the bottom of the bag.
Quesillos can be found at little stands on the side of the road or at smaller restaurant type places if you want to sit down and enjoy the cheesy deliciousness.

We obviously love the cheesy goodness.

4th Grade Fun

It's October and fall time, although that has little meaning in Nicaragua. It is still rainy season, still hot, and there are still no pumpkin spice lattes. That doesn't stop us from pretending, however. In writing class, we made pumpkins and wrote our mini autobiographies on them. This is a fun one involving the Chinese C.I.A. 

Under the flaps on the pumpkins are each student's name. They have to read the autobiography and guess which of their classmates wrote it. 

This week we just started our big 50 States Unit. Students are doing individual research on each state, and we are memorizing the location of each state and the name of its capital. 

This summer I visited Chimney Rock in Nebraska with my two sisters. At the museum they had a buffalo that I knew my class needed to have. Suzi bought it for me, and Mr. Buffalo made his grand appearance this week to help teach about the regions of the U.S. He instantly gained fame and made his way into some of our grammar practice assignments. 

The best part of 4th grade this week was celebrating Scaredy Squirrel's birthday. 

Normally Scaredy stays up on the shelf because he is too afraid to come down. There are a lot of germs in 4th grade, you know. However, the students convinced him to come down for his birthday party. After we washed our hands, we read his birthday book and whisper-sang Happy Birthday to him. Scaredy received many birthday cards and well wishes, even from my students I had last year. Scaredy is by far the most popular person in 4th grade. 

Gotta love 4th grade! 

Rainy Days

When my house turns into a giant fort made of sheets,

and it looks like we might be having a weirdly arranged estate sale,

and the clothes are on the line, but only on the half that is under the roof, 

I know it's rainy season.

Not that the large quantity of rain, loud thunderstorms, and mud puddles (er, rivers) don't give it away...

♪ rain, rain, go away ♪

Celebrating Nicaragua

Today is Independence Day in Nicaragua. Yesterday was our big celebration at school, and like every year, things can get a little interesting as we prepare to celebrate.

"Does everyone have their machete?" Not something I normally hear a teacher yell down the hallway, but it happened this week. Some dances require a machete, and you must be prepared.

"Please just come into the classroom. No one is wearing a shirt today." After those words came out of my mouth, I had to pause and laugh at the situation. My students were going to give a presentation on the pre-Columbian period of Nicaragua, and had to dress like native Nicaraguans. The girls were embarrassed by their little woven dresses and the boys would have rather been anywhere else than in front of their peers. One of my students was so embarrassed I had to drag him into the classroom. I personally thought my students looked pretty adorable. Later they rocked their presentation as they taught the audience about what Nicaragua was like hundreds of years ago

.

Independence Day is when I put aside my role as a teacher and become a hairdresser and costume fixer. After their presentation, my students needed to change into their dance outfits. I found myself doing hair, tying bandannas, buttoning shirts, fixing skirts, and looking for lost shoes. The finished product was quite impressive, and also a little hilarious.
"Miss Eberly, do I look like a biker dude about to get married?" one student asked. I gave him a quick look up and down and replied with a chuckle and a resounding yes.

"Is that a pig on the soccer field? Is that 7th grader wearing a wedding dress? Why do they have guns?" Those were just a couple of the questions my students asked as we watched the highschool presentations. This year's theme was focused on Nicaraguan theater, so things got pretty interesting.

This year was exciting for the whole school because we had our first performance in the Eagle Center, which is our new gym/stage/multi-purpose building. Before, PE happened on the soccer field and every performance required hundreds of people to squeeze into our very tiny lunch room. This year, we finally had room to breathe. When you are wearing a very large and poofy dress, this is a good thing.

Next, dancing. Normally I ask my students to my calm and sit still, but not on Independence Day. The more arm waving and feet shuffling, the better.

At the end of the day, to the extreme delight of the students, the teachers celebrated Nicaragua in style.

Si pequeña es la Patria, uno grande la sueña.
If the country is little, big is the dream. 
- Nicaraguan poet, Rubén Darío