Im so sorry that all of those that have been following my blog with any interest have been sitting around and waiting… and waiting…. and waiting.
I am less sorry about not updating photos, there is some money involved with pushing those kinds of bits and I am very cheap nowadays.
Lastly I am somewhat sorry for the state of my english presented to you here today. As my Mother or Sean can attest to you, it aint what it used to be. These paragraphs may read well, but it will have taken waaaay longer than it should have to write. The direct consequence of “complete immersion” is that while my spanish has improved, my english has raced downhill to meet it. I´m not worried, Im just trying to be cheeky so stop biting your fingernails Mom.
So here is the update that everyone has been waiting for.
I have a house.
After the stressful building process. After the unfortunate timing with the installation of the doors and my visitors having to sleep in my cramped room. After two volunteers coming to visit to help me move all of my stuff….
I have a house.
It´s a great feeling to finally be living solo. People have actually changed their behavior to me since I am not depending on a family. Ive cooked all of my meals so far (excluding my corn flakes ok?) and some of those have been some traditional Nicaraguan dishes (to the delight of palettes everywhere, you listening family?… you´re getting tongue again.)
Naturally, all of my shit is everywhere and being the rainy season everyone has tracked dirt in onto the floor. But in time all shall be clean and all shall be put into its own place!
Of course, we can´t have all of this euphoria without a catch. I have no power yet. I couldnt affort the line and I`m waiting `til this weekend to go to Chinandega to save some money as well as go to a meeting. It`s not too bad going around with candles, though. I just cant organize as easily so its taking longer than usual. For those who aren´t in the know, Nicaragua is rationing power. The demand is greater than the output for some crazy ass reason so power is intermittent anyways. La Pavana gets it from about 3PM to about 7AM. Good thing I have a gas stove.
As of this writing the new group of Environment Volunteers from Nica-45 should be meeting each other in D.C. going through the same steps of awkward anticipation that we felt almost exactly a year ago. If any of you are ready this, I`ll see you soon.
This should wrap up the English portion of this entry. I`ll be including passages in Spanish for Mrs. Hook`s class.
¡Muy buenas tardes clase! Espero que tuvieron una buena vacación. Como siempre estoy en Nicaragua aprendiendo español y cultura. Yo vine aquì hace un año y tengo quince meses mas. Disfruto mi servicio aquí, pero hay dificultades. Enfermedades son muy común y la integración con la cultura puede ser difícil. Me siento bien cuando estoy dando clase y los alumnos entienden la tema.
¿Ustedes tienen interesa a vivir en otra pais? ¿Donde vivirán?
Señora Hook era mi profesora y me llamaba Manolo. ¿Què es su nombre en español?
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Lucian,
I am so pleased to know that you are finally on your own. I’m not worried about the work getting done in your house; knowing that in the evenings you have nothing but time on your hands. Now, you can make it your own; making the space what you want it to be. I am also so pleased that you will be able to have visitors, other volunteers to keep you company and enjoy some down time. We look forward to your flickr update when time permits and you have completed the settling in process. The completion will give you something to work towards. Since I got a chance to see the digs I have a first hand visual memory. Well my dear son, you take care and enjoy the process.
All my love,
Momma
XXXXOOOO
Hola hijo,
The bridge to your adventure is now in sight, the middle path and soon to be intersection, leading to the way back. The same son, a wiser and more informed son. You have indured the challange, while giving to others, while expecting nothing back. We are all proud of your offering.
Now to respond to your entry. Your assimulation into the culture is to be commended, and I say “vinceramous.” Your patience has now rewarded you with your own Finca. Well, I’m most happy for you getting moved into your new casa, Enjoy, be happy always and remember to keep your powder dry.
Siempre,tu papa.
Luciano,
So good to hear from you. And you have a house! Let’s hope your electricity situation will improve as well. It’s hard to believe that you guys have already been PCVs for a year and now are the old hands showing the ropes to the new volunteers. After the hardships you have been through, from now on it should be a piece of tarta. Keep up the good work, and try to keep those updates coming.
All the best from the PZs.
hey lu,
congrats on your new digs… that is great… and power is so over rated anyway… who wants lights when you can walk around with a candle and only see two feet in front of you… but either way i am glad that you are happy and enjoying a little liberation from the litter… so glad to hear the update… i am sure that mom took a pic or two of the new place. i am going home this weekend for labor day and this is the first time that i have seen mom and dad since i was living in nyc. you have seen more of mom this summer than i. so now i finally get to hear about her trip to see you and she can catch me up. well keep the good work up. proud of ya as always and counting the days till i see you next!
muahhhhhhhhh
Hi Lucian! So glad to hear you have your own place! I’m a litte unsure about the electric problem though after just paying a ridiculous expensive electric bill, who really needs it, right?! Payton just celebrated his 3rd birthday- Pop Pop and grandmama got him a super cool four wheeler..it’s almost looks real..You should see him on the four wheeler, it’s like he’s been driving forever!! He’s a boy true and through! I have just started my new job as guidance counselor at Middletown High School…I love the hours but let me tell you…they are one disorganized group of people!! School starts in a few days and noone has their schedule yet! The school has FIVE principals and your mother could run circles around all of them!! I really do like it though…we’ll see how things go when the kids actually get there! Well good luck with your new digs–love ya lots!!
HOOOORAY candles! I miss you Lu! I’m officially a JMU student now…taking 12 credits this semester AND working full time. I tested into Spanish 231, so I’m going to have a bigger vocabulario cuando tu regreses a Virginia. I’m glad you’re cooking and breaking out into living on your own! Andrew sends his love, and so do I! I’m at work right now, and need to record some news. Cuidado mijo…Me lo contó un pajarito una huracán esta proximo a su pais. I love you!!!
What can i say that you don’t already know…
get back to me on that
hola.
i speak better italian than spanish so “hola” is all you’re getting. (“ciao!” is way cooler, by the way!
glad you finally have a house – im sure you’ll be pimpin it out Nica style real soon!
texas is awesome…it’s much closer than VA so i expect a visit sometime…unless u send me a piglet, in which case i might come visit you.
take care!
love always
nadz
Hey, better late than never! I love your command of Spanish — awesome, and I can even read it!!! And the English isn’t all thaaaaaat bad, either!
Sorry I haven’t kept up better with correspondence from my end — had some computer woes at home and for awhile couldn’t access your site — but all is well now. School is in full gear, the new kids on the block are all getting integrated into the ways of HHS, and your ma is doing her regularly spectacular job of juggling all the angles and keeping us afloat!
Can’t believe you have been overseas a whole year at this point — you are obviously doing well and I’m sure you are glad to be in your own digs and able to do things YOUR way, which is always so much nicer than having to do it the way somebody else expects!
Keep well, keep in touch, and prayers for all good things to you! Leigh-Ann
Ciao, Luciano, okay, I mean hola. Glad to hear you’re having an authentic experience with all the ups and downs that come with it (up, a house – down, no electric). Enjoy it while you can because before you know it you will be back in modern times wishing you could return to tranquility, with or without dirty floors. I remember my first day of pulling water from the well to take a shower, flush my toilet hole, and wash my clothes, and now I think back to lazy afternoons on the beach hammock in my Senegelese village thinking that it was all such a a fabulous and strange time that I can never really repeat in the same way.
As for me, I’m enjoying Italy as you might imagine. Eating well, as you also might imagine. Last weekend there was a festival in Orvieto where we had a tasting of all the courses, but you had to go to a different part of the town for each course to explore the town. Wine was flowing and it was a lot of fun. A couple of weekends ago we went to an onion festival in a town called Cannarra, famous for its onion production. Everything, I mean everything including the desserts were made with onions. By the time we drove home, well, let’s just say we did so with the windows down…
What else…? My last tour with the Americans went really really well! They are all talking about coming back next year for a true italian experience with Vito and I. I am planning a trip in Puglia for them. Check out my website sometime: http://www.atrueitalianexperience.com
Now I am teaching yoga and qigong both at my home studio and at a dance school here in Perugia. Life is good.
Okay, cousin, I expect a little more juice in your next update… Meet anyone new?
Smiles and baci,
Marena
Hola Lucian!
I called your mom at work for some information and a quick catchup on you and Jill so when she said you had a blog…well, here I am.
My daughter Heather was PC Nepal in the mid ’90’s and she still finds Nepalese useful. Somehow I don’t think you’ll have any doubts about being able to use your Spanish. I read several of your blog entries and enjoyed your balance of humor & information.
If you’re trying to piece together name and face (for me) I was married to Michael Durland for several years in the ’90s so I mostly knew you and your sister through the Girl Scout troop and his daughters, Jen & Mary.
Back in March 2001 I went to Costa Rica for a week’s vacation. It was quite something–from the earthquake fault in the NW, semi-active volcano and phenomenal countryside to the banananananana plantations and sandy beaches farther south and east. It was my first visit to our southern neighbors and I was so impressed. Your view is so much more in depth. I’ll keep reading your blog with interest. Thanks for doing PC–I’d been accepted to PC Upper Volta (Africa) but chose Red Cross and Vietnam instead since ARC’s offer let me finish college first. PC wanted me in April of my Sr. year. I don’t THINK so!
Thanks again for your service.
Holley Watts
Verona, VA