So what are you doing with your time there? That is a question asked by many of you. After two weeks, we feel like we can give you a rundown of what a typical weekday might look like. Keep in mind that our primary goal right now is to gain Spanish skills. After we have gained the skills that we need (hopeful phrase), our day to day lives will look quite different.
**Disclaimer – we don’t want to discourage any friends or family from visiting us. The shower situation will change once we have our own place and the other “inconveniences” will add to the beauty of your stay.
2:00am- Finally fall asleep after the dogs stop barking and fighting.
2:30am – Wake up to the rooster who is crowing, try to fall back asleep.
4:30am – Wake up to the loud truck that is honking out on the street. The truck is here to pick up people who work at the local market.
6:00am – Wake up because we are sweating so badly.
7:30am – Actual wake up. Generally Kevin is already up reading, doing devotionals or studying Spanish, but Cassie is a good sleeper. We head out on a run around our neighborhood - - this is an interesting experience, maybe more in another post?
8:15am – First bucket shower of the day. Get ready.
8:30am – Breakfast with host mother. This generally involves gallo pinto, although we have also had corn flakes and leche___ (spoiled cow’s milk…not our favorite).
9:00am – Head to Spanish school on Bus 119 (busses in Nicaragua also warrant a future blog posting). Walk a large part of the way due to traffic issues.
10:00am-12:00pm – Spanish School. We are both learning a lot!
12:00pm – Walk and get back on the bus. We are always hopeful to find a seat, however we usually end up standing for the majority of the ride. When we are able to sit, we try to start working on our Spanish homework.
1:00pm – Lunch at the MCC Office. Yolanda cooks some great food! We enjoy conversations in both Spanish and English.
2:00pm – Catch up on e-mails and begin our Spanish homework at the office.
3:00-5:00pm – Spanish tutors. This generally involves reviewing our homework, practicing with flash cards or going out into the community and using our growing Spanish skills.
5:00pm – Head on home, this may involve a stop at the supermarket. We always debate on stopping at the ice-cream shop for a fifty cent cone. We have had one so far! Get back on the bus. Note – at the end of the day there are a lot of sweaty people sharing a small space.
6:00pm – Chat with our house mom and her family. This is great for utilizing our Spanish.
7:00pm – Dinner with our house mom and any family members who are visiting.
8:00-10:00pm – Spanish homework and studying. Hanging out with our house mom and extended family members.
10:00pm – Second bucket shower of the day. As many of you know, we aren’t the biggest “showerers,” but the heat makes it necessary. Reading together, devotionals or watching a pirated movie on the old computer.
11:00pm – Sleeping soundly…or not?!?
Esteban Felix/Associated Press
