F.A.Q.'s

I am now back in Nicaragua and felt this would be a good time to answer some Frequently Asked Questions. Feel free to ask more, my life is an open book.
Who are you?
Joy Christina Eklund. The fourth and last child of John Gregory and Jackie Laverne Eklund, born March 16th, 1984.
Where do you live?
I am a Concord native who spent my last few years living in Davis but now rest my head in Managua.
Um...Where is Managua?
Managua is the capital of Nicaragua. Nicaragua is in Central America right below Honduras and north of Costa Rica. There is a population a little under 1,400,000. We speak Spanish.
Oh, so do you speak Spanish?
Do I? Yes. Can I? Sometimes.
What is the political state of the country?
I never claim to know much about politics but according to Jeremy and Cristina's doctor the country is now being run by a rapist and a witch.
Who do you live with?
I live with three amazing girls. Two of them are from the States and the third is from Canada. We live in a typical American apartment complex complete with a maid and guards walking around with machine guns.
Can you drink the tap water?
Yes. It tastes not so good but neither does Davis's.
What do you do in Nicaragua to restore self confidence?
I walk down the street. At any time there are plenty of Nicaraguans to profess their love for me. What more could a girl want?
Why was this posted on Thursday, instead of earlier this week?
I had a scheduled lunch with Matthew (the director of my school) today and figured that would give me some details about what I'm doing.
So what details do you now have?
Well lunch was postponed until tomorrow so the specifics are still a little up in the air. What I do know is classes start Monday. Last semester I taught 1-3 grade English at a private primary school. This year the school is expanding to include some secondary grades but I don't know how that will affect me. Although it is private, in Nicaragua that does not have the same connotations. My students pay approximately $6 a month. Yes the cost of living is low here, but that does not mean that my school is nice. We recently started a before school free feeding program because so many students were complaining of stomach and head aches and our director realized it was because they don't have breakfast. The majority of my students come from broken homes and all from an extremely low socio-economic class. The school has limited curriculum and no library and the most disgusting bathroom I have ever seen. Regardless, it is a happy place, and I like working there.
This food a little spicy, do you still want it?
No
When are you coming back?
I am committed to be here for the entire Nicaraguan school year which is from February to November 2007. I am scheduled to come home for a month at the end of June.
At Papa John's do they serve chips or bread sticks for appetizers?
I have no clue, every time they serve something different.
What do you miss most about the States?
People, hot showers, independence. In no particular order.
What do you like most about Nicaragua?
Having a maid, the slow pace of life, never being cold.
What do you eat?
Not Mexican food.
How much does a Costco-sized box of Cheerios cost?
$18. To put that into perspective there is a family that I go to church with, two parents a first grader and a two month-old, they pay $15/month for rent. They don't by Cheerios.
Why are you in Nicaragua?
When deciding whether or not to return to Nicaragua I really had to examine my motives. I could have decided to stay because I really thought I was going to change the lives of everyone I meet, or maybe so I could continue to write these e-mails, or to avoid trying to make a decision about my future in the states. But I had to come to the realization that those weren't good enough. So then I was presented with the task of figuring out what a valid reason would be. I still don't know specifically what that "valid reason" is but I felt a complete peace from God that I should stay. So I did.
What is your favorite..?
Seriously I hate that question, I think because I don't like making decisions and picking a favorite could be a very big decision, and I don't think I'm ready for that type of commitment.
What type of day should I have?
A great one, of course.