This is week has been filled with sun and sand. Everyone is learning to surf on the Pacific
coast of Nicaragua. A few days ago we broke up into four groups along the
beach, each group with an instructor.
Then one by one each student tried their hand at surfing. Many of the girls stood up on their second
try! Last week on the island of Ometepe,
TTS visited a permaculture farm during the campus visit. The students learned
about the importance of worms to farming and that banana trees are actually
grass! Also on Ometepe, the group excitedly took pictures of howler monkeys
hanging from trees while the sun set over Lake Nicaragua. Coming up next,
everyone is looking forward to exploring the canopies of the Central American
rainforest and Panama.
The
Giggles Never End
By:
Leila, Sophomore, New York
Their laughter and interested faces
was how the girls from Casa Hogar greeted us. We headed towards the basketball
court to play games. One girl had a week old kitten that’s scrawny legs roamed
around the circle we made, searching for milk. A worker found the rugged kitten
on the side of the road. The first game we played was pato, pato, ganzo (duck,
duck, goose). Giggles, skids of shoes and screams filled the court. The
slapping of hands and the singing of quack a dillioso quack, quack, quack
filled every ones ears, it took a few tries to get it started. The girls from
Casa Hogar showed us hand games in Spanish and we played basketball. One girl
always had the ball and would occasionally pass it to her teammates, animosity
ruled the court. Most of the girls, ages six to eighteen are at Casa Hogar
because they come from abusive homes. Even with an unwanted past these girls
never looked sad. As we kept playing we could see their past come out, but
their impressive shots distracted everyone. Laughter never left my ears as we
walked back to our school.
Games
at the Hogar
By:
Hannah, Junior, Maine
Casa
Juventud is located in Managua, Nicaragua. This place is a supporter of many
programs that help the youth of the area. One in particular, Casa Hogar, is for
girls from (around) ages 9 to 18 who might not have access to education and who
have unstable lives at home. Casa Hogar provides a new place for girls who are
not safe at home or who have been abandoned by their families. Currently there
are 40 girls that are supported by this program. TTS went and got a tour of
their facility and afterwards got to play games with the girls who were having
recess. They were timid at first, staying in their comfort zones, gathered in
the corners of the basketball court. Conversations started to spring up between
the girls and TTS students. Eventually the question was asked if they wanted to
play a game. “Queres jugar un juego?” “!Si!” One girl in particular responded
excitedly and the afternoon of games began with basketball. Only a few girls
joined in, but as time went by they joined into groups with TTS students.
Everyone was involved in a game, learning new ones or teaching old ones. An
interesting combination of soccer, basketball and volleyball kept some entertained
for quite a while. Hand games sent the circles of students off into bubbling
and then exploding fits of laughter. The awkward conversations and nervous body
language disappeared and were replaced with a level of comfort one wouldn’t
think was possible to achieve in just a few hours. Lunch time had passed and
TTS still did not want to leave, but with smiles and final goodbyes the two
groups of schoolgirls parted to continue on with their days in high spirits.
A
Beautiful Sight to See
By:
Hannah, Junior, Maine
People
from all over flood into Leon for Semana Santa, or, Holy Week. The Cathedral
square receives a steady rush of crowds during this time. The tiny jingle of
the bells on the ice cream carts is always present. As the day goes by shops
open and people enter the square with their food carts and souvenirs, hoping to
entice passers-by. Figures can be seen on top of the Cathedral, ready to ring
the bells. Their sound drowns out the countless conversations, the people
advertising what they have to sell, and the jingling of the ice-cream bells
that had sounded so loud before, but now seems quiet in comparison. One cannot help but gaze up at
the Cathedral during the ringing of its bells. The roof is a pristine white
that gives way to paint that has been cracked and colored grey and black with
time. The evidence of its age adds to its stunning beauty and presence.
The
fall of night allows the full moon to illuminate the Cathedral. A band starts
to play and horns fill the square with their rich sounds. The band is following
a procession slowly making its way around the Cathedral. The music fills the
space and reaches beyond, entering the ears and mind of anyone in proximity.
The music tells a story both sad and beautiful. People cloaked in red lead the
procession along with people from the crowd. A figure on a platform rises above
everyone, he is surrounded by four poles, each one hosting a bright flame. The
figure holds his hands clasped in prayer as do many of the people in the
procession. One who is experiencing this for the first time can be consumed
with curious emotions. The sight and sounds of the procession can easily move
someone to tears. What a beautiful sight to see, the events of Semana Santa in
Leon.
Volcanic
Rush
By:
Sharleen, Junior, California
“Who’s ready to hike a volcano for school?!” Sarah’s voice
rang in my head. The scorching heat and heavy winds surround me. I receive a
neon green backpack with a jumpsuit and a wooden board. Volcanic rocks move
under me and ash blows into my face. The turbulent wind sways me and my hat
almost flies off. Each step into the black volcano results in a small
landslide, so I lower myself on the ground to stay balanced. Suddenly a bee
flies around me and I hear a buzz in my ear. As it flies away into the world I
see the chain of volcanos and a shadow of a cloud slowly moving across the sky
like a dandelion seed floating in the air. The size of the cloud above me and
the volcano underneath me makes me feel small. Time slows down and I feel
present. I am on the edge of my board on a volcano! I suddenly remember how
important it is to be in nature and have adventures. Having a routine is
mortal. Living should be about surprises and unknowing journeys. At the end of
the day the volcanic rush also
reminded me of how I live and share the Earth with some of
the smallest creatures as well as some of the largest natural creations who
were existing way before any human being was.
A
Day as a Smurf
By:
Leila, Sophomore, New York
Bags of sawdust, children helping
their parents, and chatter on how to start the alfombras filled the
street. Every few feet there was a
rectangular box filled with sawdust.
Daddy’s and mommy’s little helpers were getting the bags of colored
sawdust together. Five young boys were
discussing where to start and what Jesus’s hair color should be. They decided on blue. Swarms of people snapping pictures enclosed a
circle around the boys’ work of art. The
boys’ hands changed from blue to green from adding yellow sawdust. The oldest boy held the picture they wanted
to recreate. More and more locals from
the community joined their friends and family.
Some locals on the sidewalk were standing next to coolers, selling soda
in plastic bags. A school group at the
end of the street designed their alfombras themselves. I asked if we could help, and that was the
beginning of our smurf hands. My hand
dug into the plastic bag filled with soggy blue sawdust. I squeezed the sawdust as if it was a
sponge. Then I patted it down on top of
the base layer. As I walked back to the
beginning of the street, new colors were added to the alfombras.
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