End of March...but not the madness

hey, looky here team. Tree (3) posts in one month. That´s got to make up for the 6 week interlude before.....eh (that was for you Jake, you crazy Canadian). What to say, what not to say......let´s just get started and see what happens.

It´s been a pretty crazy month for Asofenix (I think that´ll be the introduction of every end of month post I write.....makes things easier, just cut and paste). We´ve been building wind turbines, destroying wind turbines (I completely blame the wind), installing water pipes, capacitAting, building biogas digestores...new design, really exciting, and welcoming two spring break groups. Oh and starting two microhydro projects.

For me I think this was one of my favorite months in Nicaragua. Each month I feel more integral and useful to Asofenix and this month I really felt like a lot of things wouldn´t have gotten done without me here (addicting by the way). Now I just have to get Jaime to believe that so he´ll start paying me and I can stay longer.....totally serious (sorry mom, sorry maggie).

I´ve already mentioned alot (a lot?) of the things we´ve done this month, from the microhydro to our new biogas design to the sonzapote so I guess I´ll skip the overview and go to a quick update. The dam, intake and settling chamber have been constructed in El Roblar and so now we need ot proceed with the installations of the penstock. Also, Gustavo and I are continually improving the electrical grid design, right now trying to find the best balance between cost and tension loss (voltage drop) in the system. It´s fun for me to have him around becuase he has a lot more electrical engineering knowledge than I do and I get to learn alot. La Laguna is set to start next week.

Sonzapote is still taking time. One of the community members left for Costa Rica suddenly to make some money so we were delt a setback but Jueves we´re going back up to bring the water taps and collect the money from the community.....fingers crossed.

The two spring break groups just left to return to the states. I honestly rather enjoyed the groups this time around. For me they seemed more focused and goal oriented, but I also think a main reason was that we were much more prepared. The last trip was very work intensive on our part, talking to families about food and meals, preparing projects but this time around alot of that ground work (i.e. infrastructure) had already been laid, making our jobs a LOT easier. We didn´t have to spend nearly as much time in the campo preparing things ourselves, but could trust the community with more responsibility (good for both us and them). I guess like almost everything it´s a process that needs to be followed and I´m happy it´s working. I also think a huge thing for me is to see that the other groups from before are still staying in contact with Asofenix and helping by raising money, buying supplies/tools, writing grants and developing projects, volunteering, ect. For me that continued interaction and involvment is what it takes to be successful in what we do and it shows me that these groups are more than just glorified vacations. Look at me, growing up all nice and mature!

I also think it helped that I could get away....segway into personal life....as in to my own house. While I´m not there enough to really have it feel like home (I still don´t have food in the fridge) I can´t tell you how nice it is to get away. My roomates are awesome as well and it´s nice to feel part of a community (you had it right along Padre....miss you man). To hang out, play soccer, go to concerts, talk, ect. Life here is a lot different than back home, but the fundamentals don´t really seem to change that much.

So now what, well as hard as it is to beleive I think april will be just as busy as March. I have to go finish the biogas digestors started by the Northwestern group last week as well as reinstall my little wind turbine and record some data before this conference at the end of May (during which I have to give an 1 hour presentation in spanish to a group of university students and professors regarding our wind turbine.....gulp). I´ve actually been giving quite a few presentaciones en spanish lately, I find them less nerve racking that english ones to be completely honest....weird I know. Finally Tom´s coming in the 14th. It´ll be good to see family (and get a chance to get away).

Well, Jaime just showed up so I guess I should get back to work.

Take care, talk soon.

Dave