Culture Shock

Hey Ya’ll –

Yes, that’s right, I said ya’ll. I think it’s appropriate and all since I am in Houston writing this blog (Rowan’s dorm room to be exact). I got back yesterday from my 6 month adventure in Nicaragua. It has definitely been an adventure, and I have learned a lot, changed a lot, and grown up a lot, oh and had an absolute blast.

But, I have hit “culture shock” really really hard. I was crying last night just thinking about life back in the States and all the memories I left behind in Nicaragua. Life is very different there – it is less materialistic, a lot simpler, you can walk or talk public transportation everywhere, there’s more time for family and friends, everything is so cheap, and the food markets are amazing!

First a funny story that started the tears here in Houston – the Houston Airport. I bought some Nicaraguan Rum for Rowan in the airport in Managua and was bringing it back. I had this guy that I met on the plane carry it through immigration for me, but he gave it back to me before customs and I hadn’t declared it. I was scared that they would take it away before I was 21. So, I had that in my bag, a couple of mangoes that I couldn’t bear to throw away that I hadn’t eaten on the plane, cashew nuts to roast, and raw cacao nuts in my bag. So, I get my bag and I’m walking towards customs and just as I am getting to the line, the K9 dog comes out!!! I’m terrified when I pass it because I think it might smell my mangoes. Turns out I didn’t get in trouble for my mangoes, but the dog sniffed my bags and apparently found a narcotic odor on my hiking backpack!! I was detained and everything in my bag was gone through and tested. The were pulling off country cow shit from my bag and testing it with their bare hands…I’m like – you really don’t want to be touching that (but, I can’t say that, of course because then they would be suspicious so I was kind of giggling to myself) I was freaking out. They asked if I had any prescription drugs, pills, marijuana…I was like, I’m an athlete, I’ve never even touched a cigarette. I even told them that I had been on the beach the past weekend and some people were smoking pot, but I have never touched it IN MY LIFE.

Well, I got away and they never did say anything about the alcohol or all the other stuff I was freaking out about. I think that I probably got the scent on my bag from all the hostels that I stayed at where there are people that use drugs.

And now for what I’ve actually been doing in Nicaragua:

My last weekend there, I spent on the beach just outside of Leon. It was amazing. I went with some other volunteers that were working for the same organization as I was. Lots of sun, salt, and delicious fish!! For dinner one night, I found this hut on the beach that this family lived in and cooked in, and they cooked us up a huge plate of 4 freshly caught red snapper, salad, plantains, rice, and tortillas. Oh and did I mention this cost us $3.50!!! It was the best meal ever and then we went for a midnight dip afterwards.

 Sunset at the beach in Leon with the other volunteers and friends we met

Hitchhiking to Esteli with truck driver

Besides vacation, I heard about these really rural communities in the region where I am based at the Solar Center. The local government installed solar panels instead of extending the electrical grid because the houses were so remote, so the solar panels came out much cheaper. So, I took off to find them with another volunteer that I met working at the Solar Center who has a lot of experience working with solar systems. We took light bulbs, distilled water, extra wire, tools, cleaning equipment for batteries, and took off walking.

The first day, we walked about 1.5 hours to get to the community – Samaschunda. That was the closest one – we walk around 2.5 hours one day straight up hill to get to this one house at the top of the mountain! We asked the families questions about their usage of the electricity, how the system is working, what life is like now with light, etc. The most important thing we did, in my opinion, was hand out a brochure for the Solar Center that we created that had contact information for when they have problems with their system. They were left with no information about where to find replacement parts (batteries and light bulbs), how much they cost, where they could buy distilled water to put in to the battery, and how to properly maintain the battery.

We ate beans and tortillas and mangoes and slept in hammocks in exchanged for light bulbs and distilled water. One family even offered us their two sons to serve as our guides – Jefferson, a 6 year old and his brother, Wiston, 10. We laughed together, they showed us the way, and we taught them about solar panels. Oh – and they always made sure we had a stash of mangoes in our bags. Mangoes were falling off the trees and 40 bananas cost you $1!

 The 6 year old carrying the tool bag

 Our Two Guides and the family where we ate about half of our meals and slept in hammocks

Trading distilled water for coffee and crackers - this whole family lived in a 2 room house!

What an adventure! And, it opened my eyes to what is necessary to really make rural solar electrification in Nicaragua sustainable so these people have light for more than a couple of years.

The 2 guides and the other volunteer that came with me. His name was John and his dad runs a PV installation system back in Rhode Island, so he was super handy to have around!!

I did some other stuff with the Solar Center, but I’ll save that for another post. This has turned out to be really really long.

After my 2 day visit in Houston (yesterday and today), I am heading to Davidson to pack up my house there and go through my stuff and get rid of almost everything. I realized in Nicarauga that I have so much junk that I just don’t need and there are so many people who would actually wear those t-shirts that are just sitting in my closet. My host dad, for example, has a Powderpuff Pink T-shirt that he wears at least once a week!! Then I head to Pinehurst with my parents until July 5^th when I start summer school at UNC-Charlotte for Physics 2, but I will be living in Davidson with a family that I nanny for. And then that’s July and some of August and then Senior Year!!! Yikes. But, I will post again very soon to let you know how the culture shock is going.

Keep on posting! Also, I will be in Pinehurst, NC at my house from July 25^th-July 5^th and any one of you is invited to come and take a dip in the lake, play some  golf/darts/pool/ping pong and BBQ. So if you’re around give me a holler. If not, I hope to meet up with all of you at some point this summer.

Hasta pronto!

p.s. The last time I cried before I cried yesterday on the flight home and in Houston was at Kelsey’s wedding J