My Last Day Volunteering

This Friday was my final day as a volunteer in León, ending what has been two enjoyable months of work. I felt ready to be done, especially since my motivation has been lagging and the Semana Santa break has arrived. At the same time, I´m happy that I´ve built some meaningful relationships with my students and helped out in a small way. It´s surprising to me: I came here to teach but ended up learning more from my students, just observing how they faced their difficult lives with courage.

My attention has now turned to my upcoming travels--three months of moving about Central America and trying to understand this place in a different fashion. It is certainly bittersweet to leave, since the people I´ve met are really special.

At Proyecto Rocas:

They threw me a little party to thank me for the two months I spent working there. It felt nice to be recognized. One cool thing was that the kids performed their dances and songs for me. Since they practice those in the evening and I only work at the project in the morning, this gave me a good chance to finally see what they´d been up to. It was very impressive to watch, and great to see them enjoying themselves. Then we served up cake and coke for the kids, and everyone from the project was there to enjoy it. The kids always get a bit festive (wild?) at these parties, and we took several pictures of my face covered in cake. I rode back into town as a dozen kids ran and waved behind me.

At Las Tias:

I had a great last week with the kids, singing songs and playing games. The good news is that my friend Nick is going to take over my class, so the kids will have some continuity in their English studies. Nick and his girlfriend Jessica are here volunteering for a month, and they´re UNC grads from the Triangle, so it´s been fun to get to know them.

At the Casa de Cultura:

My adult students and I threw ourselves a nice party on Friday afternoon, complete with refreshments, snacks, local delicacies, and cookies. It was fun to just sit there and chat and listen to music. I tried to give them a few tips about how they could continue to study without me. We´ve covered most of the grammar, so it´s just a matter of expanding the vocabulary and getting practice. American movies and TV shows offer an opportunity to hear the language spoken. It was great to develop friendships with my students and learn about their lives. One lady sang me her favorite song that we translated into English together. We also joked about everything that happened in the course. I really enjoyed how teaching the class allowed me to make friends.

As I rode home Friday afternoon, my path was obstructed by a large procession. This marked the beginning of Samana Santa, the holy week. The crowd hovered around a float that had one large figure of Christ. It was as if he was floating above the people. The band played a mournful tune, and the music hung in the air above us. The sun, setting in the West, bathed the people and procession crowding the street in light.

My time in Nicaragua is roughly half over, or roughly half begun. I´m done volunteering and am looking forward to my travels.