The Picture Goal

Well, I just finished my 3 day COS (close of service) medical appointment to make sure I'm not going back to the States with any weird medical conditions, and I've passed with flying colors!  I don't leave just yet, but we have to do this within a few weeks of leaving. The last few days have been filled with dentist, doctor, and medical lab appointments, as well as a final interview with the Peace Corps Nicaragua director.  Now I'm stuck here for another few hours waiting for my exit interview with the Environment Program director.  So instead of finishing watching the 6th season of Modern Family, I figured I'd write in here again :) 
I've made it my goal these last few weeks in country to start taking pictures with community members I've grown close to over the last two years.  I had planned on taking them all before heading to Managua this week to be able to print them out to give as gifts, but I kind of dropped the ball on that.  It's also hard to take a bunch of pictures with different people when stopping by to take one usually involves spending at least 45 minutes sitting and talking before even taking the picture.  So, here are some of the pictures I've taken so far, with more to come!

Doña Myra owns the main pulpería in my village, which is like a corner store.  I built her an oven (my first oven of 18) on my 23rd birthday, and have since been getting gifted free bread and cake when she bakes!  She is a good friend of my host family, my neighbor, and is a really nice woman!

Elaine and Omar own one of the towns other pulperías, and were painting their house when I stopped by.  Omar is the guide at the ecolodge near my site, and I have enjoyed working with him on his English as well as learning a lot about the names of birds and plants in both English and Spanish. 

Doña Isabel lives about a seven or eight minute walk down the road from me, and has taught me so much about so many things over the past 2 years.  She grows pretty much every tropical fruit you could think of, and grows most of her own food. Before going to the States last year she let me pick a basket of coffee in her backyard and then taught me the entire process of processing the coffee.  The then brought the finished product home to give as Christmas gifts.  Through her I have milked a cow, learned how to make cuajada (a cheese many Nicaraguan's eat daily), picked avocados and other fruit, learned about so many different plants and flowers, etc.  I also go to her house to try out new recipes for things.  If I want to do something, she is usually down to let me try it.  She regularly gives me a cup of home grown and home roasted coffee, and gifts me fresh fruit from her property when I leave.  When I don't want to learn how to do something, I have enjoyed just laying in the hammock and talking or sitting on the couch and watch telenovelas.  

Doña Carmen is the most adamant user of the Peace Corps ovens I've made, and regularly gifts me bread or hornado de maíz (corn based baked goods).  I have spent many hours hanging out with her and her family pretending to bake and talking.  She speaks really fast, so spending time with her also really helped improve my Spanish!  She also insisted on standing on the step in this picture because I'm so much taller than pretty much everyone in my village.   

Profe Angelica is a teacher in one of the schools I work at.  She lives on the main road up the mountain at the entrance of the pine tree reserve.  It's a beautiful hike up to her house, so I usually find myself stopping at her house to talk as a stop over point on walks or runs.  I have spent so much time sitting and chatting with her on her porch!  I always knew if I ever needed any town gossip or advice, I could just stop by her house or ask her at school.  She has four kids, but Randy is the only one who made it into the picture.  He turned 11 the day this picture was taken.  Her husband Armando is also really nice to talk to, but he has been out of town working a lot lately.