Three Plates of Gallo Pinto

Well, it’s been awhile since my last update. All last week I stayed in the home of a local woman, Doña Nieves, who is a really active in the local community. She actually has been hosting students from Xavier University and St. Louis University for many years. So when I got sick for the first time here in Nica, she knew just what to do. She has become my mamá Nicaragüense. I recently finished reading Greg Mortensen’s Three Cups of Tea. I highly recommend the book. The title comes from Haji Ali, village chief of Korphe in The Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan. The saying goes, “Here (in Pakistan and Afghanistan), we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything—even die.” This past week at Doña Nieves’ I was thinking I could right the same about Nicaraguan friendships and a plate of Gallo Pinto, Nicaragua’s traditional dish of rice and beans. After being at her home all week, after sharing meals of rice, beans, tortillas, handmade juices and other Nicaraguan foods, I felt I had really become part of her family.

This past weekend was the first time since arriving that the six of us, this year’s community, were finally all together. It’s a great feeling to be moved in and settled in our home. This week we have been listening to lots of Christmas music, trying to get over the fact that instead of a white Christmas we’re having a hot and sunny one, and instead of eggnog we’re drinking Flor de Caña (It could be worse ;). I am feeling excited about spending this first Christmas with my new JV community. Although, I can’t stop thinking about home, and the many traditions and people I’m missing. I think it’s natural at this time to be missing home. I am also thinking about the many people who cannot be with the ones they love and miss this Christmas. This Christmas my prayer is for the many that do not feel at home because of war, homelessness, poverty, illness, death, or for whatever reason.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to my broseph who just turned 19 yesterday. Happy Birthday Nick!

I hope you all enjoy this video of our house here in Managua!

To the Campo we Go

On Wednesday we headed to the campo for our first home stay experience in Nicaragua. Campo for lack of a better word means the countryside. We took what some refer to as chicken bus about 1.5 hours outside the city. Along the way it started to rain which all the Nicaraguans told us was very strange for this time of year. Once we arrived in the town of Masatepe we hired a small mototaxi to take us to Arenal where we met our hosts. The four new volunteers were split up between different towns in the area. We took a twenty minute pickup ride down a bumpy country road littered with trash and volcanic stones from the nearby Volcán Masaya. When I arrived at the house my hosts treated me to a great meal of beans, rice, fried cheese, and Coca-Cola. Even in the campo cold Coca-Cola is readily accessible. I recently learned that one of the second-years, about to leave, had 7 cavities filled recently, thanks to a heavily sugared Nicaraguan diet no doubt. Life in the campo is very laid back, or tranquilo. We spend most of our time hanging out, chatting, exchanging words in English and Spanish. On Thursday we went to visit my host father at his work. He works on a small plantation or farm owned by a local woman. We were graciously brought into her home and given lunch right there on the spot. She didn’t even know we were coming. It was yet another example of incredible Nicaraguan hospitality.

My host father showed me all around the farm which spanned an area that felt like miles of hillside covered with bananas, coconut, pineapple, coffee, beans, ayote, plantains, and many more things which I can’t remember the names of now. My relationship with my host father was very interesting because I couldn’t tell if he really liked me. We had a couple conversations while I was at his house and they all seemed to involve him being angry about something. I say seam because I never could understand everything he said. When I couldn’t understand something he simply repeated the same thing only much louder as if yelling would increase my comprehension. In fact, it just made me nervous. The most memorable conversation consisted of him telling me about how hard he worked just to put food on the table. Then he went on to ask if my parents worked, and if I was appreciative of what they have given me (Mom, Dad, I am.). He talked about how the rich didn’t have to work hard, but that he worked hard for the very little he had. I figured out eventually that he wasn’t talking about me, but was simply sharing a piece of his story and what he has struggled with. Although the conversations were painfully awkward I am very appreciative for the time I spent with my host family. It turned out that he actually likes me a lot. He told me I could come back whenever I wished and even offered me some money to get a drink for the ride home. I cordially declined him hard earned money, but his generosity was jarring. My time in the campo was a great respite from the grind and heat of the city, and I learned a lot about Nicaraguan culture and life outside the city.

Please enjoy some pictures and video from the past few days!

A real experience of culture shock was riding in this mototaxi listening to Apple Bottom Jeans. haha

Me and the owner of the plantation. No one hear seams to ever smile in photos. awkward...

Picking coffee! This one goes out to yall at the Main Cup in Milford Ohio.

The Second Years leave their mark on the wall of fame in our front room. Your spirits will live on in the house forever!

La Purísima

As I sit here, on Sunday, I’m thinking back on the past couple days. I feel like I’ve been here at least a week if not longer already. Yesterday was a hectic day. I’ve been on more public buses the past few days than I was on during my four months in El Salvador. We had a health talk about the do’s and don’ts. Mom, don’t freak out but we drink water out of the tap. It’s heavily chlorinated in the city and actually tastes pretty good. I had my first market experience yesterday as well. We had so much to by because we have ten people in the house right now. The current second years aren’t leaving until the 19^th, entonces it is pretty crowded. The market was wild. You can get anything you want there. It’s kind of like Wal-Mart minus the huge-international-corporate-exploitation thing. And believe me you can still get that in Nica. One of the two “western” supermarkets is owned by Wal-Mart. You can’t escape it even here. So far the food has been good. We had enchiladas, rice and beans, eggs, and chi cha. This chi cha is much different than the chi cha of Peru. It is bright pink and very grainy. It is made of corn and is naturally sweet because of the corn syrup. We still don’t know where the bright pinkness of the drink comes from….

The church community we visited last night, Rene Cisneros, is awesome. It felt just like what I have imagined in a Christian Base Community. The priest, an exceedingly humble and kind Jesuit, helped create a great atmosphere for community and prayer. The church itself is simple and very welcoming.

I can’t write about my first days and not talk about the Purisima. This is the celebration of the Novena, and a celebration all over Nicaragua of the Virgin Mary. It is marked by constant firework explosions all week, and lots of singing. We attended a Purisima celebration yesterday at El Recreo. After singing everyone in attendance gets a small gift. We got a cup, candy, a sweet lemon, sugar cane, and chi cha. Tonight is the Gritaría.

We are planning to walk around the neighborhood, singing Purisima songs about Mary. It is kind of like Halloween because we get treats for singing. At midnight tonight, the night before the feast of the Immaculate Conception, there will be a finale of firework explosions all over the city. It is sure to be exciting. To be honest all the fire works and hullabaloo have been mildly overwhelming having just arrived.

Well, that’s all for now. Peace and happy Purísima!

An Image of Sandino from atop of Managua.
View of the city and Lake Managua.

Yo, I made it.

Ok, so here I am only a day later sitting in a cyber cafe, down the street from my new house. I´m already moved to my new room. It´s quaint, but already starting to look like my own. I was stirred awake this morning by the sounds of dogs, roosters, and traffic. This all started around 5:30. Regardless of the commotion I got a good bit of rest. Today Joe drove around the city, telling stories, and we saw some of the sites. It´s all been pretty good. It´s as hot or hotter than I had expected. That´s all for now. Peace.

And I'm gone

Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow

Gonna rise up
Burning black holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold

Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
Suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold

Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole

-Eddie Vedder, Rise, from Into the Wild

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2008 was a strange day. I started the morning with friends from the store. We took a kayaking trip down the Little Miami river. It was the same ol stretch of river we always paddle except this time it was different. Not only was it the last time paddling for a long time but it was also cold and all the leaves had fallen. It was a totally new river.

Frost and ice lined the banks and the water bit at my cheeks as it splashed up into my face. My favorite part of plowing my little whitewater boat over the ice, breaking it apart, and watching the pieces float down the river. It was a great way to spend the morning. I felt so thankful for the beautiful river, the wildlife that inhabits it, and also for my longtime paddling companion, Kara.

We spent Thanksgiving evening with my grandparents. My grandma had been bedridden for months, not being able to even leave her bed. The past couple weeks we've all been waiting as she slowly passed. Early Friday morning, on the anniversary of her brothers death, my grandmother passed away. She went peacefully and I know she is at peace now. I unfortunately won't be able to make it to her funeral, but I will certainly be there in spirit. I would like to ask for prayers for my mom, grandpa, and the rest of our family as we mourn grandma's passing.

Nicaragua is not in South America, and yes Spanish is spoken there

So a lot of people have asked me, "so where is Nicaragua again?" There are a lot of misunderstandings about even what continent the country is on. So I thought I'd provide some resources for people to check out.

The CIA world fact book is a good initial overview resource for any country. Here is the link to Nicaragua's page: CIA Nicaragua
Wikipedia also offers a good overview of the country: More Nica info

Also I'd like to say thank you to my good friends Eddie and Chris for their shout out. They have a great blog and I'm going to love reading it in Nica. It will be a good way to stay connected while abroad. Check them out: Chris and Eddie

Looking ahead

Well, the countdown is in it's last days. In a little over a week I'll be making my way to Nicaragua. This fall has been a roller coaster of emotions. Coming back from Chicago, from my life at College, was a tough transition. I feel like only now am I getting accustomed to living at home in Cincinnati. I've established myself, made new friends, been working two great jobs, and have become quite comfortable. But now it's time to be flipped upside down again. I guess that is the way I can expect the next two years to be. To be honest, that's what I've come to expect from life. It is a constant cycle of building up and tearing down.

This past weekend I attended the annual protest and vigil at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, GA. It was a wonderful time to reconnect with old friends from all over the country to also to prepare myself mentally and spiritually from my journey ahead. For those who are unfamiliar with the school it was started during the Cold War to train soldiers from Latin America and the Western Hemisphere to combat the spread of Communism. During the eighties and nineties especially there were reports coming out of the atrocities and human rights violations performed by graduates of this school, a school that is run, administered, and payed for by the US government. Graduates of the school were responsible for the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, six Jesuit priests and their two community friends, 800 innocent men, women, and children of El Mozote, El Salvador, and countless others. Currently, many of the graduates are coming from Colombia and have been linked to brutal campaigns in the countries civil war between the government, guerrillas, death squads, and drug traffickers. Anyway, every year people meet outside the gates of Ft. Benning to call for the closing of the school. I believe with a new administration and congress the school with finally be closed. This is an incomplete analysis of the school. I encourage everyone to check it out for themselves. http://www.soaw.org/. There are people that disagree with me and others, who think the school is a crucial tool of national security. I welcome dialogue on the issue.
For me, more than anything, the weekend at the SOA is a time to commemorate the thousands of people who have died. It is a solemn time of remembrance. It is also a time for people from all over the country and the world to unite and share what they are doing to work for justice and peace.

Home for awhile

Well, much has passed since my last update.
I finished my road trip in Omaha. I flew to Cleveland for JVI orientation. And now I'm back in the Nati.
The last part of the road trip was great. Well, except for Las Vegas, which we found overwhelming and gratuitous. Zion and Bryce were stunningly beautiful, although rather crowded I was able to feel back to nature after spending time in San Francisco and LA. We took a long hike down to the Virgin River. The trail leads directly to the water and we continued right up into the canyon, wading and trudging along the riverbed.
JVI orientation was two weeks of intense training. We spent nearly everyday from morning till night in workshops, team building activities, and presentations on everything from spirituality to safety and security. Although it was occasionally overwhelming I am deeply appreciative of the work that went into the "Big-O" as it is called. I made some great friends in just two weeks and then I had to turn around and say good-bye as they flew off all over the world, or, like me, returned home to wait out the next couple months until departure.
This waiting phase has been strange. Harder than I imagined, but also refreshing. My schedule is loose, and the work I am doing is fun. I'm working at an outfitter, selling kayaks, canoes, backpacks, boots, and everything else in between. It's kind of like a really small, locally owned REI. With my new roof-rack I am able to take my little whitewater kayak to work with me. After work a coworker and I have been hitting the river and trying to perfect our Eskimo rolls. Other than that I've been running and biking a lot. The more active I stay the happier I am here. This past week I moved my brother into his freshman dorm at school. It was great to be back in Chi-town, and to see many of my friends and mentors. I'm hoping to make it back as many times as possible between now and leaving. We'll see. Thanks for reading and God bless.

Me in the Virgin River at Zion National Park

Bryce Canyon

More from Zion
Kickin it on the river after work. I love my job.

Kickin it in Nor Cal

So the past few days have gone by so quickly. After Portland we headed down to Crater Lake. The lake was crystal clear and beautiful. There was still much snow around the top of the mountain and there were mosquitoes everywhere. As soon as we stepped out of the car they enveloped us and tried to bite through our shirts. We hiked down to the water, and camped at Diamond Lake about 30 minutes away from Crater Lake. From there we headed south in California to the Redwoods. We ended up staying in Humboldt State Park which is where Ave. of the Giants is. We went hiking there and then headed down Hwy 1. We made it as far as Bodega Bay Dunes where we camped. We thought from the desciption in Lonely Planet that we'd be close to the ocean. We were disappointed to find out it was a grueling 40 minute walk over tedious sand dunes to get us to the water. We didn't go. That night was also terrible because our camp was infiltrated by countless skunks that scared the crap out of us all night. The last thing we wanted was to be sprayed and smell terrible for the next few weeks. After a sleepless night at Bodega Bay we escaped unscathed and headed in to Sonoma county for some wine tasting. Finally we headed from there down into San Francisco. San Fran is amazing. The weather is splendid and the town is really cool. We caught up with some Casa friends last night. And today I walked all over exploring the city.

Portland...land of eccentrity and brewpubs

Happy 4th! The past couple days have been spent here in Portland, OR. We camped for a night in Olympic National Park which was amazing. We got a backcountry permit and hiked in to camp on a beautiful sandbar right next to a rushing river. We saw no bears but did see a couple deer and bear tracks. Anyway, Portland is a weird place. We are staying in a cool hotel with a bar below us that has live music everynight. Since being here yesterday we've: seen breakdancers, crossdressers, driven through a parade route with loads of onlookers, hiked to waterfalls, visited Hood River, seen kite boarders doing some sick tricks, and we're soon headed off to the Blues Festival and a fireworks display after hitting up the Amnesia brewery. Things are going really well. We haven't heard too much about the fires in Cali, so if you have any suggestions on where to avoid, please let us know.

And now for some photos!

This photo is of our campsite in Olympic National Park. 5ft. to the right you'd find some nice whitewhater.Enormous Snail by the Columbia Rv.Me and Colin by in the Columbia River GorgeSunset at Deception Pass State Park, Puget Sound, Washington

Greetings from Seattle

Well, my travels have begun. I am writing from Seattle, Washington. It's been surprisingly beautiful, sunny, and warm. I started my trip with a little camping excursion on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. The camping was splendid, and the vistas were breathtaking. I hope to add pictures soon. Since Saturday we have been staying at the Staples' home. They have been so welcoming--Pacific Northwest hospitality at its best. Yesterday we spent a good chunk of the day on Lake Washington boating around, taking in the sun. We have also been enjoying the local brews and nightlife here. There are many microbreweries and different beers unavailable in the Midwest. Things are going great. No complaints. Life on the road is pretty fantastic.

On the Road

So tomorrow I embark on my summer journey. I will be heading to Chi-city to visit the old stomping grounds and then off to Washington. I hope to keep everyone updated with my exciting travels. This past month has been a great time reconnecting with friends and family in Cincinnati. Thanks to everyone who helped throw an awesome graduation party. There are upwards of 100 people at our house.

From Where I Am

Dear Friends and Family,

In this first post I would like to just give a short update about where I am currently, and what I have been up to the past month. Firstly, earlier this month I graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a dual-degree in International Studies and Political Science, with minors in Latin American Studies, Spanish, and Pastoral Leadership. It sounds like quite the haul, but it was surprisingly easy to do, and flowed naturally with classes that interested me and more than anything energized me. Two days after graduated I hopped on a plane for Guatemala, where I spent 10 days with other Loyolans in San Lucas Toliman, Antigua, and Guatemala City. I learned so much about Guatemalan indigenous culture and had some great insights about international development. I spoke with Fr. Greg, a native Minnesotan who has been pastoring a parish in San Lucas for over 40 years! We spoke about the efficacy of microfinance and whether he thought it would work. To my surprise he was very much against the notion, especially where he was. He has found that typical indigenous economic transactions are barter based and that most people have no notions of loans or even the value of currency, which makes financing small loans difficult. However, we also met with Catholic Relief Services in Guatemala City and they have had a 90% return on their microfinancing program. The jury is still out, but from what I can gather I think it really depends and the population. If the group has been significantly Westernized, perhaps they will utilize the loans in the way they are intended. And if not, perhaps, other development models will be necessary.
Right now I am trying to enjoy the summertime Chi while I have it. The cold of spring is still grasping tightly, refusing to acquiesce to the warmth of summer. I will soon be heading back to Cincinnati.