Steve Aoki Concert

Spin Productions hosted a live concert featuring Steve Aoki for the first time in Managua. The concert took place Tuesday, August 14 at 7 p.m. at Galerias Santo Domingo. Tickets costs ranged from $30 general admission to $50 VIP. Many people even purchased tickets at the event from scalpers who were generally selling the tickets for about $5-15 more dollars. 

I went to the concert with 6 other international students and we arrived around 9:45 p.m., even though the advertised time of entry was 7 p.m. Upon entry, there was a small electronic stage in an almost lobby-type area that also included about 8 porta-potties, a fast food truck, a Redbull stand and a bar. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a Redbull only cost C 60. 

We then walked to the main stage area which had two VIP sections, one on the left and one on the right. These sections were raised up to a level which gave the spectators there a great view of the main stage.  We were in time to see a couple opener dj´s who did a great job of pumping up the crowd. At this time, we were in the middle and towards the back of the crowd, where convenient walking merchants drifted through the crowd to find customers who wanted to purchase cans of beer for C 25-30.

Right before Steve Aoki came on, we made a dart for the front of the crowd, and this is when things started to get crazy. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, but it was all worth it! After Aoki came on, everyone started screaming and pushing which caused the security staff and firemen to start pulling people out of the crowd. My favorite part of this unbearably hot and sticky situation was when the firemen sprayed the crowd with a hose of water; everyone around me was soaking wet, but it felt great, and with the electronic music playing  in the background it seemed like an enchanted rebirth!

Aoki is a seasoned entertainer and the best part of his show, is his energy and craziness that revs the crowd up even more. He is notorious for jumping out into the crowd, and I am sad to report that he did not try it in Managua. However, he did choose people in the crowd to hoist up on stage and throw out into the crowd on a blow-up boat and then later a full-sized air mattress. The crowd absolutely loved this!

For me, the most surprising moment of the show is when Aoki revealed a large Dim Mak sheet cake and then proceeded to throw the cake directly at one of the crowd members. It was hilarious, but I was grateful the cake wasn´t throw at me!

We exited the event grounds at 1:50am after Aoki had been on stage for about an hour and a half. I would do it all over again with no doubts, but next time I would make sure to have water on me because throughout the show I was extremely thirsty from all the heat and dancing. 

Overall I give Aoki`s concert a 4.8/5 rating. He was a great show and I hope he comes back to Managua soon!

- Kine Camara

Photo Credits: MR560

Ratafin

Problems with rats? Ratafin is the solution!

Ratafin started as an empirical idea that we later transformed into a real project for our Entrepreneurial Class.

Ratafin, is a natural and non-toxic poison for rats. It works faster than other venoms and does not leave unwanted traces such as blood.  The non-toxic poison, when consumed by rats, creates a solid mass inside the rats’ digestive system. As a result, the internal organs stop working properly and the rat dies.

It was discovered and created due to the growing problem of rats found in warehouses. The results of it were so extraordinary that the employee of the warehouses started using it at their homes. Based on the results and its attractiveness for the Nicaraguan population, we believed it could be an excellent product to introduce into the Nicaraguan market, but most of all, a great business idea.

The process of making and developing the business plan was not easy. While developing the business plan, we had to take into account many variables that led us to survey our market, research about poisons, find our providers, distributors, and of course, calculate some financial features. It took us around three months to finish the process!

The last month was the hardest. We had to comply with final projects, exams, and finish the Business Plan on time. We could not let stress take over us. Luckily, as the group was conformed by three people, we could easily work in team, understand each other, and fairly divide the work among us. 

After all, we can say that the whole experience was worth it. We won second place for innovation at the XVII Muestra Empresarial UAM 2012.

-Reyna Boza and Elizabeth Samayoa

CUSE Wins Another First Place Trophy

 

Making their way from the bottom to the top, our very own CUSE team was the first place winner in UAM’s first internal basketball tournament during May and June 2012. The team, named "Los Ramiros," was composed by Ramiro Lopez, Ramon Cuevas, Roman Santamaria, Gustavo Salinas, Issa Hurtado and Gustavo Pastora. After losing the first four games, the team decided it was time to make a change; they focused and trained every chance they had. The team had a rough start, but most importantly they knew they had to keep going. There was no giving up. The results? The CUSE office has a shiny new trophy, proudly sitting in one of their shelves.  The entire CUSE faculty is very proud of the effort these guys put into each and every game. We hope CUSE faculty continues on their winning strike and takes every trophy that comes their way. 

"Fue un torneo complicado. Perdimos los primeros 4 partidos. Practicamente estabamos eliminados y nadie daba nada por nosotros. Pero el equipo supo levantarse. Entrenamos, dimos lo mejor en los partidos siguientes y con la ayuda de nuestra barra pudimos ganar el torneo. Ademas, vamos a tratar de representar a la facultad en otros torneos como el de futbol y volibol. Vamos a tratar de hacer un buen papel, dejando a la facultad en alto y trataremos de traer esos trofeos a casa" - Ramiro Lopez

On another note, one of our CUSE students Gustavo Salinas participated in the Softball tournament along with other UAM students. The team called "Tuasers" was composed of Engel Garcia Mendoza, Luis Norori, Bosco Miranda, Juan Roman, Jeremias Ayala, Cesar Villanueva, Alvaro Arana, and Kevin Castro. Congratulations for winning third place!

- Adriana Diaz and Cristiana Herrera  

First Weekend in Nicaragua!

For my first weekend in Nicaragua, I discovered two absolutely amazing places: the mall and a beach town. I know they are not on equal playing fields – however they were each exciting discoveries in their own way.

I found a little piece of home (The Northwest, US) at the nearest mall, Galerias Santo Domingo. Casa del Café is a great café with all your coffee favorites and sandwiches, salads and desserts. I ordered an iced Americano with soy milk on the side, and it was great! They also have free wifi available, so I am scoping it out as a good homework and studying spot.

On Saturday morning, myself and another female international student went to San Juan del Sur. Our mode of transportation was a “chicken bus” which was mildly scary since it was our first time off on our own. However it ended up being safe and pretty easy (though really hot and sweaty – be prepared!). We got on the bus at Huembes market and got off in Rivas where we could have taken another bus (less expensive option) though we opted for a taxi. In total, it took us about 2½ hours total and cost us about $11.50 each (which is actually on the more expensive side; the other international students who went the day before each paid about $5).

San Juan del Sur is a sweet and mildly tourist beach town on the southwest corner of Nicaragua near the Costa Rican border on the Pacific coast. The town was very easy to navigate and I felt extremely safe walking around. Here are some pictures of the local area:

We stayed at a hostel called “Sueños del Mar” which was a great experience. When we arrived, we were greeted by the owner, Orlando, who was extremely friendly and welcoming to us. We stayed in a dorm style room, which included 8 beds, though the night we stayed the only people in our room were in our party. The hostel had other rooms with 4 and 2 beds (I believe), a kitchen where guests could cook meals and store leftovers in a fridge, 5 showers (the outdoor showers were awesome!), and 3 bathrooms. There was also a great lounge with a sheltered dining area and open patio type space with 4 hammocks up (so comfy, I fell asleep in like 2 minutes). There were also key and lock cubbies that you could leave your valuables in (this made me feel much more secure).  I’m shy to admit that this was the first hostel I had ever stayed at, but it was a highly positive first experience and I would recommend it to anyone!

- Kine Camara

Orientation at UAM

This past Thursday I had an orientation at La Universidad Americana with the other international students studying there this coming semester. On the first day, all of the international students met the key program coordinators that have been working with us to secure our housing, course schedules and overall experience studying abroad. So far, I have been impressed with the availability and kindness that all the UAM staff have shown us – it’s really been great knowing I have all the support I need to succeed and to be safe in a new environment!

Along with an orientation to the school, we were given a brief tour of Managua. Though most of the tour was done in the van due to the hot weather, we were able to get out at a few places for closer looks. The first notable spot was La Plaza de la Revolución which includes the following three buildings: La Casa de los Pueblos, La Catedral Antigua de Managua and El Palacio Nacional.

The tour was tons of fun and ended at El Lago de Managua.

Fun fact: People in Managua often use “Al lago” in place of the direction North (because the lake is north of Managua).

 

- Kine Camara

Festival of Santo Domingo

Yesterday, August 1st, was the beginning of the festival for Santo Domingo, which I don’t known much about but you can read more about here. What I do know is that the festival celebrates the Saint Dominic, and is mixed with participants who are religious and believe in the tradition as well as observers (like me!). We went in the morning when they were having the procession from La Sierritas church to El Santo Domingo church (both in Managua). It was a great opportunity to do some people watching! Here are some pictures:

After the procession of Santo Domingo, I went home for a quick lunch and then left for the afternoon festivities – The Horse Parade. This was lots of fun! People camped out on the side of the street, similar to US parades, watching the floats pass by, full of loud speakers booming Latin music,  live bands sitting on the backs of pick-up trucks, and dancers too! The most impressive part was the 2800 horses that participated! Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures from this event, but you can imagine what 2800 cowboys on horses running around in the street would look like! At times, it seemed like the cowboys were making their horses “dance” to the traditional music…it was pretty awesome.

-Kine Camara

I Should Have Brought My Heels

Tonight I went out on the town and boy does Nicaragua have a booming nightlife! I have to say, I was shocked by the music, fancy (and cheap) clubs, and endless amounts of alcohol for free or cheap! When packing for Nicaragua, I left behind flashy jewelry, high heels, and the majority of my “club”wear; however, after seeing the scene tonight, I see that it is certainly appropriate, and common to dress up just like I do back home. Luckily, I didn’t come to Nicaragua for clubbing, so I am not really at a loss. It’s just interesting because it was the complete opposite of what I had been advised and from what I read in travel books and articles. This experience relates to social class and “young culture” – that younger people and of middle to high class will be the ones out at these clubs rather than the majority of the population. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, behind Haiti, but so far, I have been exposed to the middle class environment which does not feel too different from back home. Many of the families I have encountered have cars, all of the international students I have met have wifi in their homes, and every Nicaraguan I have met has a cell phone (which if they are young, they are glued to just like in the US). Also – as I mentioned earlier, they have all the reality TV shows that we enjoy, maybe secretly, in the US like Jersey Shore, The Kardashians, and Say Yes to the Dress. The TV in my house has several channels that are completely in English. Either way, I am more shocked about the similarities rather than the differences in the culture here, which is shocking. Below is a picture of some Nicaraguans we have met as well as a couple of the international students in my program.

 - Kine Camara

Day 1 and 2 in Nicaragua

Yesterday I arrived in Managua around 1pm to a familiar overcast sky and sprinkling of rain – though a not-so-familiar heat and humidity. Here is a picture from the airplane:

I was sooo tired that after arriving at the house I fell down to a deep sleep. I woke up to my first Nicaraguan meal – black beans, sweet plantains, and eggs!

I am enjoying my home very much so far. There is a beautiful front living room area/front porch that is awesome because you can relax in the heat and feel the breeze!

 I have my own room which is equipped with a fan, which I certainly need! My host mom is an amazingly sweet woman who has welcomed me with open arms to her home. We have already spent a lot of time chatting and getting to know each other! I also have a sister that is my age and a little brother who is my host mom’s grandson. And last but not least, I finally have the dog I always wanted..Barbie!

Last night I met a few of the other international students who came from different areas of the US – Arizona, Connecticut, and Massachusetts so far! They were all super friendly, but I can already see that it will be hard to practice Spanish around them! The temptation to speak English is too great!

Fun fact: I thought I would be away from reality TV, but when I woke up this morning Jersey Shore was on!

Here is my afternoon snack: coffee with “una torta” which is like a light pound cake.

 - Kine Camara