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Happiness...

Happiness...
Originally uploaded by KathyAAdams~ Back in Nicaragua

My dog Nieve just arrived a few weeks ago with me. She is a BIG hit in town. She literally has stopped traffic more than once. She can make a macho men turn into softy. She makes most women shout in delight and exclaim, Que Liiiindo!. The best thing of all is she makes so many kids smile. She is known already around town on a first name basis. You can hear people saying, 'here comes Nieve' with glee and excitement as we walk down the street. .

In this photo, our program participant Alexander, who ADORES dogs, is soaking up Nieve's love.

As I mentioned in my last post, Ana_Lee_Smith is here in town. She just did a nice posting on Alexander. And we are featuring him this week on our website as well. www.EmpowermentInternational.org

Taking a Dip

Taking a Dip
Originally uploaded by - KathyAAdams ~ USA for awhile-

It's definitely  good to see my girl Nieve and spend time with her.  It's been 2 months now since losing our Buddy.  It seems the grieving has just begun for me.  After Buddy passed, I moved to Nicaragua just 2 days later.     When I am in Nicaragua it's easy to forget he died  since he has never shared that part of my life.    When I am in Colorado though I remember him every place I go.  Thus miss him a lot.  Now Nieve and I are learning how to be a 'pack' of two which  probably very  strange for her as she always has had at least one other dog with her and often up to three in our Costa Rican days.      She needs other dogs but I am just not ready to get her one.  It would be for her not for me.

So grieving on this level is a new process for me.  I think I sometimes feel strange  or guilty to grieve a dog, particularly when there is  so much need in the world and lives are so fragile.   Each day in Nicaragua I am faced with so many needs it seems terrible to grieve a dog in the midst of that.  Yet, the truth is I am.  Besides,  Buddy was not just a dog.  He was a huge love of my life.    True reciprocal unconditional love existed and he was about the brightest dog I have every met.   An ex boyfriend said once,  " while some people have  sexual identity issues,  Buddy has species identity issues".   It was true, he never though he was a dog. 

A Colorado Afternoon

A Colorado Afternoon
Originally uploaded by - KathyAAdams ~ USA for awhile-

I am back in Colorado right now as we prepare for our annual fundraiser, the Fiesta de Esperanza. This is where I went for a walk with Nieve recently.   She and I are relearning how to live without Buddy. 

Nicaragua's Recycling System part II

Nicaragua's Recycling System part II
Originally uploaded by - KathyAAdams ~ USA for awhile-

While most people that attend the La Hipica Celebrations are there for pure pleasure, there are many who come, sometimes from miles away to make a living. Many sell their wares (this gave me a chance to see what all of Nicaragua has to offer for crafts!). Others collect trash, mainly cans and bottles. This boy is one of them. Sadly, later this day I put a soda bottle down on the curb and stepped away...I wanted to see how long it would stay there. Well can you guess how long? Less than 10 seconds. :-( It's great for the trash situation but makes me sad to see kids making a living picking up trash. I always try to separate my trash on trash day and if I drink from a can or bottle in the city I put it next to the trash bin so people can find the item(s) easier.

And a few more images from this scene:

Friends in Granada

 
Intrigued

A new friend came to the barrio with me one Saturday and was intrigued by the kids fascination for cameras. We both handed over our cameras, mine ( my rebel) and his little Kodak and we watched the kids shoot away. Neither of the two photographers seen below were scheduled to be in our class since our cameras were limited. But.... my friend MC was smitten with the kids and their interested and asked if he could purchase two cameras for class that was to start in just two days. Thanks to MC we were able to put Rosa and Ricki in class and it's a good thing! They both have talent! Please check out our new flickr site site to see the kids work! You will be impressed I suspect. :-)

P.S. MC purchased better cameras for the kids then he himself had. A generous guy! Thanks MC!

La Espera ~ The Wait

La Espera ~ The Wait
Originally uploaded by ~ KathyAAdams ~ Nicaragua at last

Divinas o poplares was the question as 200 groups of mostly girls lined the town square of Leon, Nicaragua to get their shot at gaining a place in the national contest. While these princesses were truly divine, some of the children were sadly dressed as sensually as possible and were made up to look like miniature women. Off in the distance were a few very poor girls in their prettiest (yet obviously ragged and old) dresses with sad looks on their faces. I photographed one, hoping she may feel just as 'important' as the little girls who were in the contest. She did not smile for me though. The same song played for each group, relentlessly throughout the day long event it repeated itself, as each dance group gave it their best. Who were the finalists? I am not sure. I left before the song became 'old'.

From barrio to Museum

From barrio to Museum
Originally uploaded by ~ KathyAAdams ~ Nicaragua at last

The second part of our our first day of class brought us to the museum at Iglesia San Francisco. Sadly enough, until today only one of the 14 students has entered this local and spectacular museum, while only 3 cordobas to enter (about US20 cents), this has not been in the reach of these children. This made for an extra special day. photography and a cultural experience! Empowerment International

Shooting Granada

Shooting Granada
Originally uploaded by ~ KathyAAdams ~ Nicaragua at last

Today was our first day of our photography class which we are holding during mid year school vacation. Not for the faint hearted, or kids that bore easily, our class is 5 days for 5 intense hours of learning each day. We have been blessed by guest teacher Myron from Colorado who has taught science and been photographing since he was 9 years old. We also had a lot of extra help. Tamara , a flickr friend, my current housemate, and volunteer extrordinaire was our translator, she volunteers for 2 other projects in Granada as well! We also had volunteers Patrick and Melissa (newbies at flickr who have been with us for 6 weeks now in Granada) helping along with 5 of our past students who acted as assistants to the new kids. I will do my very best during this intense and very exciting time to post progress and will be sharing with you all our Empowerment International flickr account soon which will house the bulk of the kids portfolios. Empowerment International

Just plain happy......

Just plain happy......
Originally uploaded by ~ KathyAAdams ~ Nicaragua at last

One of the benefits is getting to love such darlings as Esperanza. She is a girl I have known since she was a wee baby. Now she is in our program and in first grade. Esperanza means hope and this is the name of the barrio she lives in as well.I am sooooooooo happy to be here again, at last, and for the long haul! www.EmpowermentInternational.org
Photo by Alex!

Happy to be here, rain and all

Happy to be here, rain and all
Originally uploaded by ~ KathyAAdams ~ Nicaragua at last

I am not big on being in front of the camera....but here is a rare one I will post of me in the barrio waiting for the rain to pass (actually hoping it would pass as sometimes it floods instead!). These times give us even more moments to spend with families sharing their shelter from the rain. This is a photo of me taken by up and coming student Alexander whom you saw in an earlier photo. This day I give him a camera to play with as we were in the barrio. His esteem was sky high in that short hour. Empowerment International