Classroom Antics, Close Elections, Cracked Ribs and Castration Clinics

We are back into the school routine and things are going well. School seems a bit more serious and organized than last year. At first we thought this was because it was the beginning of the school year but later found out that it was actually part of an effort to improve the education system nationwide. We are happy that the ministry of education is being more proactive; as Aileen stated in our last post, many schools need to improve the quality of their curriculum. I also hope they will put some effort into changing certain practices. Teachers expect the students to be on-time and prepared but it is hard to motivate the children when the adults often fail to model timeliness or preparation. Some of my more cynical Nicaraguan acquaintances believe that this is by design. They claim children are being taught to be humble toward authority by being forced to wait until the adults decide they are ready. I am sure that American students are also being acculturated in a similar manner but it is perhaps more difficult for us to see from the inside.

In any event, school is now in full swing as are all of the after school activities. Hannah goes to an afterschool program run by a Spanish nonprofit organization. Emma has drawing classes and guitar lessons that keep her very busy. The girls also have a much more homework this year and spend about an hour a day working on that.. All of this activity keeps everyone pretty busy but there is still plenty of time to play and just hang out. The girls have some new friends this year and are able to build deeper connections due to their much improved Spanish. Emma’s new friend Alejandra has become our third child and I end up feeding her lunch almost every day. Hannah’s closest friends from preschool went to a different first grade class.  She still hangs out with her old posse during recess and is gradually making new friends. In addition, two girls who are about Emma and Hannah’s age moved nearby. Montse (6) and Fatima (10) live with their grandmother as their Mom works in another city. Their backyard is one over from ours and the girls are constantly talking through our fence and planning their next playdate.

As the girls become more comfortable socially they become more integrated into the community. Emma is now President of her class after a hotly contested election.  We are really proud of her ability and willingness to participate in the civic life of her school. She is now busy planning a town clean-up day during the first day of spring.  Hannah has become something of a local celebrity. Everywhere we go people are calling to her and waving. She often responds by doing cartwheel or splits for her admirers. I sometimes spy on them at school and it just warms my heart to watch them doing so wonderfully.

In other news, we took a trip to a beach/fishing village called Jiquillio in the far northwest part of Nicaragua. It was a beautiful part of the country and we stayed in a hostel called Rancho Esperanza that is a model for responsible tourism. Unfortunately, I could not focus on my obsession with surfing because a few weeks back I cracked a rib while playing with our 65lb "puppy".   However, I had to get on a surfboard once during the trip and by doing so I set my recovery back a few weeks; I did get a few good rides so it was worth it! 

We found lots to do in Jiquililo and went horseback riding, swimming, hiking and hammock testing. The girls also ook up boogie boarding and seem to have overcome their fear of big waves. One day we drove to a beautiful estuary where a river emptied into the ocean. It was an amazing spot where the contest between the river and ocean played itself out in front of a deserted beach with a towering volcano in the background. The two bodies of water created some amazing currents and sand bars that kept us occupies all day.  In addition to the natural beauty, Jiquillio is a nice little town that has not (yet) been overrun by tourists. The people we met (travelers and locals) were all really wonderful. We gave an Australian couple a ride all the way back to Matagalpa where they planned to study Spanish.  Aileen and I had a very peaceful drive as Emma and Hannah “entertained” our new friends in the back seat of the truck with a four hour marathon of songs, jokes, stories and games.

It is time for the castration part of the post. No, Aileen has not finally come to her senses – we decided to be responsible pet owners and get our puppy Cuate “fixed.” Most Nicaraguans we told were appalled at our cruelty. They had no problems having female dogs neutered but felt it was not fair to do this to a male dog, especially since he has yet to have puppies. I will just let that speak for itself. Anyhow, our vet (who is not licensed to perform surgery) recommended that we go to a free clinic in Matagalpa being organized by a Nicaraguan nonprofit organization called Fundacion Amarte We are really appreciative of their efforts to improve the lives of animals in Nicaragua. However, we probably should have gone to the local pet hospital to have this done. We thought we had an appointment at 9am and found out that this was not the case. We ended up waiting until 2pm before they got to poor Cuate, who had not eaten or drank anything since the night before. However, everything went really well and Cuate is already his old self (minus some body part). The staff, volunteers and the vets from Fundacion Amarte should be commended for their efforts and the incredible kindness they showed the animals. 


Operating/Lunch Room Under the Bleachers

Recovery Room