April, 1st 2018
Here we sit in La Conception practicing our Spanish skills, working with kids and a reserva, and walking through the town areas of our homestay families. The homestays have been a mix of feelings yet many memories to cherish….
April: “I LOVE IT!! It's hard to communicate but I make it easy by acting out what I'm trying to say and by dancing. Also the food is pretty good; I had an interesting dish with a ketchup sauce with pasta and every morning I have Gallo pinto, huevos, coffee, fruit ( like a lot), and bread. One of the things I won't forget is when my homestay dad said “ Buenas noches mi amor.” They never make me feel like I'm left out.”
Open air Spanish class classrooms!
Syd: “I love it!! I want to adopt my little brother even when he is a pain (chuckles). One of the funniest yet accepting moments I won't forget is when I told my homestay mom I went to church and got commune even though I wasn't baptized; she laughed so hard she started crying. 95% of the time the food is good and some of it is weird stuff, like I don't know what it is.”
Preparing for Semana Santa procession at Kate's family's house.
Tanasia: “The communication is hard. At first I was lonely since my bedroom wasn't connected to the house but later I had a moment with my mom. I was watching her sort out beans and she said something I didn't understand so I told her “si!” and then she dumped some beans on the table and we started to organize the beans together, taking out the bad ones and anything else in it.”
Semana Santa processions in honor of Holy Week.
Natali: “My homestay makes me feel loved and welcomed. I feel happy and that I'm learning a lot about their culture. There was the time in the homestays that one of our dogs had puppies. Also when my host sister and I were walking together and for the first time we had a conversation. They are also super welcoming when I come home. The food is mainly beans, rice, PLANTAINS in every meal. At first I didn't like plantains but now I love them! They also have the best coffee I've ever had and all my meals were cooked on a open fire. My family really inspires me and it is really eye opening experience.”
Trip to Volcán Masaya to look down into the crater of an active volcano.
Hillary: “My family makes me feel welcomed and cared for, I’m pleased with my homestay and always included in the family. I will take away the long hours of conversations with my mom and learning about each other and simply having each others presence. Plus she was always killing spiders right away for me. The food is heaven, absolute heaven. I always have a variety of delicious food. I hope that one day I can return and visit them.”
Laguna de Apoyo, a fun weekend trip for swimming and sunbathing!
Kiara: “I don't think my experience could have gone any better besides having a little bit of a language barrier. My family is so loving, caring and funny. They always laughed when I was dancing and soon started to get them to dance with me. The food was mainly rice and beans but there was always a surprise of different ways plantains were cooked and some type of meat or fish. The last few days were difficult because of some troubles for the family but that didn't change how much I loved them. Also my best friend ended being a dog named Mancha. I am most definitely coming back in the future to see them.”
Kate the bat and Suzannah the monkey!
Suzannah: “The first day of a homestay is uncomfortable and it takes some getting used to. Though it finished being comfy! My food was great and I had the best gallo pinto ever! One of my favorite moments was when Tanasia and Natali come over to interview my mom and sister. It was the first time I got to watch my mom and sister interact, which was hilarious, and it was fun to hear everyone talk and hear about their progressive views on Nicaraguan culture. Also another thing I won’t forget about is having tea time and watching the Spanish version of Judge Judy with my family. It was keeping us on the edge of our seats the last night!”
Spanish conversation class walk to a lookout point to see Volcán Masaya.
Kate: My first impressions of my home were: exciting, exhausting, lots of activity, loved my 3 dogs. My family was hilarious and the house was always full of life. The food was awesome in my house! There was gallo pinto every meal; I even craved it in between meals. I also had the best cooked pork ever; I was freaking out it was so good. On top of gallo pinto I always got plantains and the eggs specifically came from our chickens because my mom was weary of the hormones in the store bought ones. The funniest moment was the night before the procession, we made a purple streamer that hung across the road. From helping to search for the stapler and trying to hang them in the dark of night in a tree, I just really enjoyed that moment and being a part of the process.”