Hola from Ojojona! Last Sunday, the 22nd the business project moved to Ojojona to do Field Based Training for 7 weeks. Ojojona is a cute little mining town that was founded in 1584 and looks exactly like what you think Latin America should look like. There is a central plaza where people of all ages sit and talk for hours in the shadows of the surrounding churches. All along the streets are little tiendas where people sell everything from leather goods to painted pottery to mangos. The two most obviously Honduran details of this town are that a thin layer of dust covers everything and no one is in a hurry to get anywhere. Yes it is Perfect. It’s a good thing that the town is so cute too because getting here was definitely interesting. First of all everyone had to bring their luggage to their training bus stops themselves so thank god for Theresa’s host dad who used his large farming pickup truck to haul us and our luggage to the bus stop or it is very possible that I would still be trying to walk the 15 min trail with my 200 + lbs of luggage. Then, due to what we believe to be some budget cuts, Peace Corps had the Business and Wat/ San projects travel south together on the same chicken bus with ALL our luggage. Now, this means that 33 people with at least 3 bags each all have to ride on a yellow school bus for 2 hours. For those of you who saw my luggage, imagine that 33 time over plus needing space for us to sit down. Needless to say luggage was stacked everywhere and people were forced to sit in the aisle and on top of bus seats/ luggage. However, being the flexible group we are, we got out a laptop and my speakers to play some music and make the best of it.
Unfortunately, the whole Business project is not allowed to live in the same town so half of the people were dropped off first in a small town called Santa Ana, about 15 mins outside of Ojojona. Once we arrived in Ojojona we were dropped off with all our luggage close to the central plaza with some directions to our new homes. After asking a few passersby, Jp, Jose, and I made our way up a hill to our new homes. I would be lying to say that I wasn’t already excited about my new family after reading my little information sheet but as soon as I met them I was so happy! I live my host parents Dona Ana and Don Luis and their children Ronal (28), Alejandra (26), and David (21) as well as Alejandra’s two boys Luis David (8) and Issac (7). Dona Ana is a teacher at the local high school and Don Luis works at the airport in Teguz. All their kids are studying at Universities in Teguz: Ronal is studying law and working at the Human Rights Office, Alejandra is studying to be a teacher, and David is working in the Customs dept of an importer/exporter in Teguz as well as studying to be a teacher. Although I truly loved my last host family, I can’t express how beneficial for my Spanish as well as just enjoyable it is to talk to educated adults here outside of the classroom. Not only do I already feel so at home but I also feel like I am learning so many new things about Honduras from them every day! The stories are just great and make me realize how easy it is to have a slower paced culture that is so relationship oriented because story telling/ talking is an art form and popular pastime here. Its also nice to have so many more people around, especially the boys with the ages they are because it reminds me of being home. I play with the little boys whenever possible, this includes schooling them in soccer haha (no really I won twice now) or playing card games. So now they are calling me “Tia” (Aunt) and making sure to split their chips or pop evenly 3 ways for all of us which is just too adorable and makes me feel like a mini Ms. Gates! The parents also introduce me as their daughter so that makes me feel good too! The only thing that is going to take some getting used to it the fact that we have a muchacha (a maid) named Carolina so I am not quite sure how to act and what I should or shouldn´t be helping with. Carolina is pretty quiet but she has 3 adorable kids that I also spend alot of time with which is nice.
As far as training is concerned, it is getting more intense but I am really enjoying it. Its really nice to start having more time to work on exclusively business related topics as a group. So far I have given a lecture with 3 other group members to the town water board as well as visited the farm of Don Berto (87 yrs) to hear about the town’s history and learn about the traditional farming methods here. I am also in a new Spanish class where I am the only girl but I like my teacher’s, Victor´s, teaching style much better so 4 hours a day isn’t quite so bad now. It has also been nice to get to know the other business volunteers better. Ojojona is really small and tranquilo so its been easy to plan afterclass activities where we can hang out together. However, the people who live in Santa Ana are at a disadvantage because they have to be driven to and from their town so its much harder to include them in things which is affecting the whole group. Hopefully we will be able to work out something soon so we can all do some fun things together. Tonight for instance is my host brother, Ronal’s, birthday and all the volunteers as well as a ton of family are invited so it should be fun! I guess last year´s was a blast so we shall see! Also the volunteer who is serving in Ojojona invited us to a barbeque tomorrow! So it should be a great weekend! Hasta la proxima!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Volunteer Visit in Yuscaran
(written 3/19/09)
I just got back from my volunteer visit and had the best time! On Sunday, the 15th I left Santa Rita and the comfort of my host family to spend a few days with a current volunteer to learn about how life really is for volunteers here in Honduras. Luckily I was able to go with Erika, another business volunteer, which made the whole thing a lot more fun. First I took a bus, the yellow buses like those used for Public Schools, from Santa Rita to Teguz with Jose, Harrison and Erika to meet the guys’ volunteer at the Mall. After a glorious value meal from McDonalds..mmm…. Erika and I took another bus to Yuscaran. It was a pretty short ride, only about 2 hours, but random men taking our photos with their cell phones and crowded buses made the trip much more interesting.
However, as soon as the bus climbed the last hill and rolled into town I knew I was in for a nice trip. Yuscaran is a small pueblo with a population of only about 4,00. It was originally built as a mining town so it still carries the same colonial feel in its central plaza and white washed buildings. When Erika and I got there our volunteer, Ana, still hadn’t returned from her trip yet so we went to the only hotel in town to sit outside and drink some lemonade. About an hour later Ana arrived with another volunteer named Nathan who is serving in a nearby city named Danli and we all went to her house for dinner. Both Ana and Nathan are H13 Municipal Development volunteers which means they have only been in site for 6 months. Luckily the Municipal Development Project is a cousin project to the Business project and they both have some interesting projects underway already. The rest of the night was spent eating Ana’s amazing chicken soup, talking, and getting down to the business of trying the local Guaro.
The next morning Erika and I got to “sleep in” till 7am!! Then we spent our morning relaxing around the house while Ana and Nathan finished up their 6 month reports which have to be sent to Washington to keep track of project process. It was so nice to sit around and read magazines for the first time since we’ve been here. Ana’s house is also super nice. She has two bathrooms and 3 rooms plus a kitchen and two patios all to herself! Her back patio is great because she has a beautiful view of all the mountains surrounding Yuscaran including a view of those in Guatemala as well as a Guaro factory close by so the intoxicating smell stays in your nostrils all day! In the afternoon we went out for taquitos at a local comedor and then walked around to meet her local counterparts. We were able to go to the Yuscaran National Reserve where Ana takes photos to help promote the park and also the Reckin Library where she does children’s programs. We met both the women that she works with and they were really nice which definitely gives me hope about my future counterparts.
Afterward Ana asked if we wanted to go for a walk, which I quickly agreed to. Little did I know that this would turn into an extreme hike / death march up a mountain. It all started out innocent enough because she wanted to show us what is rumored to be an amazing view of Yuscaran and she even invited the kids that live next store to come with us. Now let me just state two things up front 1) Yuscaran is a colonial town in the mountains so its hilly and the roads consist of what seems to be disorganized cobblestone, so just walking around the town in the sun is not a leasurely stroll and 2) Ana is in excellent shape. Now as soon as we start out it became apparent to Ana and the kids, our leaders, that it was already pretty late and we would need to keep up a good pace if we want to get there and back before nightfall. At this point we were still on somewhat of a road so I was not thinking anything of it. However, this all took a turn for the worse when Ana left the road and started hopping down a hill to walk on stones down a stream. As I scrambled after her, the young kids started making comments about how Ana likes to run this trail so she will probably leave us in her dust. What followed was a two hour hike up and down stones and hills while I unsuccessfully tried to keep Ana in my view and not kill myself in the process. So of the more exciting moments included crossing a makeshift drawbridge made of wood and rusting fence wire which the kids were shaking on purpose so obviously I cut myself… good thing I had that mandatory tetanus shot!, as well as catching myself fall off of about a million step rock inclines. In the end, I had to stop 15 mins short of our final destination because I just didn’t have it in me to go any higher, especially when I didn’t even have my camera to catch the moment anyway. However, I did make it ¾ of the way and got a great view out of it anyway. Either way Erika absolved me of my lack of outdoor skills by explaining that it wasn’t my fault because I am from Ohio! (Them both being from out west) hah. Going back was also uphill and exhausting but at least I had the end in mind. We spent the rest of the night eating and just relaxing which I felt was much deserved!
Tuesday morning (St. Patty’s Day!!!) we were up bright and early to catch the 7am bus to Danli. The ride over was also really crowded but surprisingly cheap. We ended up getting there around 9am and spent the morning walking around Danli, eating baleadas and helping both our volunteers prepare for their community presentation that afternoon. After some amazing lasagna in an authentic Italian restaurant we all went to a woman named Jeanie’s house. She is currently a missionary here but was a PCV in Columbia back in the day so she is really sympathetic to the volunteer lifestyle and has become good friends with Ana and Nathan. She was really nice and really relaxed about the whole religion thing with us which was great. After some homemade chocolate chip cookies, Jeanie made sure to let us know that missionary work pays much better then volunteer work hah, we all hopped in her car and drove 30 minutes outside of Danli to a village called San Lorenzo. Jeanie and a local priest had heard about how poverty stricken this community was on television and took it upon themselves to start developing projects to help improve the people’s lives there. The village is located far off the main road and I would have never even known it was there if it wasn’t for this trip. Even buses only drive halfway there so the community members have very few travel options to help them find jobs outside their village. As soon as we road into town the poverty was very apparent. The village consists of 180 people who live in huts constructed of found materials and earth and who all live without latrines or regular access to clean water. Most of the people have small farms and cattle to survive off of but since this is the dry season the crops, cattle, and people are forced to share the same limited water supply and nearly all the community members have major health issues. In truth it was my first experience with poverty of this level in my life. However, I was also immediately struck by the passion these community members have. As soon as we arrived everyone was already waiting for us in the one room school house, keep in mind that being prompt is not something Hondurans typically concern themselves with, ready to take notes and participate in the meeting. First the priest spoke about the health community projects that they wanted to do like build pilas to store potable water, construct latrines, and improve roofs. Then the community members were able to give their input and vote on which projects should be started first and how they were going to manage the funds and labor. Afterwards Ana and Nathan gave their presentation of the idea of contrasting a community center and playground for the children. It was very interesting because we all took for granted the fact that nearly no one in the community had ever been able to use a community center or playground so they had no real idea about what they wanted. Although it was only the very beginning stages f the project so issues such as budget haven´t been discussed yet, I was very impressed with both Ana and Nathan´s presentation. It really focused on community input and sustainability which are two of the key issues we have been discussing in training. The entire meeting lasted about hours but was by far the most exciting experience since I´ve been here. The community was so welcoming and genuinely enthusiastic so you could really feel everyone´s true desire to come together and work on improving the community. It was the kind of meeting that I think everyone pictured when they decided to join the Peace Corps so it was very motivating to be able to be there and be a part of it. Although I know deep down that this type of meeting was an exception to what I will probably experience the majority of the time, I am still so excited to get to my site and to start to work on projects like this.
After the meeting we spent some time measuring the schoolhouse to get an idea for the community center and talking to the people. Then we all piled in the car and headed back to Danli. After saying our goodbyes to Jeanie we all went back to Nathan´s to order some pizza and drink some beers which felt surprisingly American after the traditional Peace Corps day we had. A little later we went out to a restaurant called Le Café in honor of St Patty´s day. Yes, we were 4 of maybe 8 people there and the only gringos for certain but it was the thought that counted.
We turned in pretty early and we up and on the bus by 8am the next morning to head back to Zarabanda to meet up with the training staff o talk about our trip. Although Erika and I had a great time and felt really lucky to be able to see 3 different size sites, some of the other trainees weren´t as lucky and ended up visiting some volunteers who don´t have too many projects going on. This just reinforces the fact that this experience is absolutely what you make of it so its important to stay motivated. Overall, I had a great time and feel so much better about the idea of moving around the country alone. Now I am just even more excited to get to my community and get to work!
Vaya Pues, Well I hope everyone had a fun St. Patty´s Day! Miss you all! Hasta la proxima!
I just got back from my volunteer visit and had the best time! On Sunday, the 15th I left Santa Rita and the comfort of my host family to spend a few days with a current volunteer to learn about how life really is for volunteers here in Honduras. Luckily I was able to go with Erika, another business volunteer, which made the whole thing a lot more fun. First I took a bus, the yellow buses like those used for Public Schools, from Santa Rita to Teguz with Jose, Harrison and Erika to meet the guys’ volunteer at the Mall. After a glorious value meal from McDonalds..mmm…. Erika and I took another bus to Yuscaran. It was a pretty short ride, only about 2 hours, but random men taking our photos with their cell phones and crowded buses made the trip much more interesting.
However, as soon as the bus climbed the last hill and rolled into town I knew I was in for a nice trip. Yuscaran is a small pueblo with a population of only about 4,00. It was originally built as a mining town so it still carries the same colonial feel in its central plaza and white washed buildings. When Erika and I got there our volunteer, Ana, still hadn’t returned from her trip yet so we went to the only hotel in town to sit outside and drink some lemonade. About an hour later Ana arrived with another volunteer named Nathan who is serving in a nearby city named Danli and we all went to her house for dinner. Both Ana and Nathan are H13 Municipal Development volunteers which means they have only been in site for 6 months. Luckily the Municipal Development Project is a cousin project to the Business project and they both have some interesting projects underway already. The rest of the night was spent eating Ana’s amazing chicken soup, talking, and getting down to the business of trying the local Guaro.
The next morning Erika and I got to “sleep in” till 7am!! Then we spent our morning relaxing around the house while Ana and Nathan finished up their 6 month reports which have to be sent to Washington to keep track of project process. It was so nice to sit around and read magazines for the first time since we’ve been here. Ana’s house is also super nice. She has two bathrooms and 3 rooms plus a kitchen and two patios all to herself! Her back patio is great because she has a beautiful view of all the mountains surrounding Yuscaran including a view of those in Guatemala as well as a Guaro factory close by so the intoxicating smell stays in your nostrils all day! In the afternoon we went out for taquitos at a local comedor and then walked around to meet her local counterparts. We were able to go to the Yuscaran National Reserve where Ana takes photos to help promote the park and also the Reckin Library where she does children’s programs. We met both the women that she works with and they were really nice which definitely gives me hope about my future counterparts.
Afterward Ana asked if we wanted to go for a walk, which I quickly agreed to. Little did I know that this would turn into an extreme hike / death march up a mountain. It all started out innocent enough because she wanted to show us what is rumored to be an amazing view of Yuscaran and she even invited the kids that live next store to come with us. Now let me just state two things up front 1) Yuscaran is a colonial town in the mountains so its hilly and the roads consist of what seems to be disorganized cobblestone, so just walking around the town in the sun is not a leasurely stroll and 2) Ana is in excellent shape. Now as soon as we start out it became apparent to Ana and the kids, our leaders, that it was already pretty late and we would need to keep up a good pace if we want to get there and back before nightfall. At this point we were still on somewhat of a road so I was not thinking anything of it. However, this all took a turn for the worse when Ana left the road and started hopping down a hill to walk on stones down a stream. As I scrambled after her, the young kids started making comments about how Ana likes to run this trail so she will probably leave us in her dust. What followed was a two hour hike up and down stones and hills while I unsuccessfully tried to keep Ana in my view and not kill myself in the process. So of the more exciting moments included crossing a makeshift drawbridge made of wood and rusting fence wire which the kids were shaking on purpose so obviously I cut myself… good thing I had that mandatory tetanus shot!, as well as catching myself fall off of about a million step rock inclines. In the end, I had to stop 15 mins short of our final destination because I just didn’t have it in me to go any higher, especially when I didn’t even have my camera to catch the moment anyway. However, I did make it ¾ of the way and got a great view out of it anyway. Either way Erika absolved me of my lack of outdoor skills by explaining that it wasn’t my fault because I am from Ohio! (Them both being from out west) hah. Going back was also uphill and exhausting but at least I had the end in mind. We spent the rest of the night eating and just relaxing which I felt was much deserved!
Tuesday morning (St. Patty’s Day!!!) we were up bright and early to catch the 7am bus to Danli. The ride over was also really crowded but surprisingly cheap. We ended up getting there around 9am and spent the morning walking around Danli, eating baleadas and helping both our volunteers prepare for their community presentation that afternoon. After some amazing lasagna in an authentic Italian restaurant we all went to a woman named Jeanie’s house. She is currently a missionary here but was a PCV in Columbia back in the day so she is really sympathetic to the volunteer lifestyle and has become good friends with Ana and Nathan. She was really nice and really relaxed about the whole religion thing with us which was great. After some homemade chocolate chip cookies, Jeanie made sure to let us know that missionary work pays much better then volunteer work hah, we all hopped in her car and drove 30 minutes outside of Danli to a village called San Lorenzo. Jeanie and a local priest had heard about how poverty stricken this community was on television and took it upon themselves to start developing projects to help improve the people’s lives there. The village is located far off the main road and I would have never even known it was there if it wasn’t for this trip. Even buses only drive halfway there so the community members have very few travel options to help them find jobs outside their village. As soon as we road into town the poverty was very apparent. The village consists of 180 people who live in huts constructed of found materials and earth and who all live without latrines or regular access to clean water. Most of the people have small farms and cattle to survive off of but since this is the dry season the crops, cattle, and people are forced to share the same limited water supply and nearly all the community members have major health issues. In truth it was my first experience with poverty of this level in my life. However, I was also immediately struck by the passion these community members have. As soon as we arrived everyone was already waiting for us in the one room school house, keep in mind that being prompt is not something Hondurans typically concern themselves with, ready to take notes and participate in the meeting. First the priest spoke about the health community projects that they wanted to do like build pilas to store potable water, construct latrines, and improve roofs. Then the community members were able to give their input and vote on which projects should be started first and how they were going to manage the funds and labor. Afterwards Ana and Nathan gave their presentation of the idea of contrasting a community center and playground for the children. It was very interesting because we all took for granted the fact that nearly no one in the community had ever been able to use a community center or playground so they had no real idea about what they wanted. Although it was only the very beginning stages f the project so issues such as budget haven´t been discussed yet, I was very impressed with both Ana and Nathan´s presentation. It really focused on community input and sustainability which are two of the key issues we have been discussing in training. The entire meeting lasted about hours but was by far the most exciting experience since I´ve been here. The community was so welcoming and genuinely enthusiastic so you could really feel everyone´s true desire to come together and work on improving the community. It was the kind of meeting that I think everyone pictured when they decided to join the Peace Corps so it was very motivating to be able to be there and be a part of it. Although I know deep down that this type of meeting was an exception to what I will probably experience the majority of the time, I am still so excited to get to my site and to start to work on projects like this.
After the meeting we spent some time measuring the schoolhouse to get an idea for the community center and talking to the people. Then we all piled in the car and headed back to Danli. After saying our goodbyes to Jeanie we all went back to Nathan´s to order some pizza and drink some beers which felt surprisingly American after the traditional Peace Corps day we had. A little later we went out to a restaurant called Le Café in honor of St Patty´s day. Yes, we were 4 of maybe 8 people there and the only gringos for certain but it was the thought that counted.
We turned in pretty early and we up and on the bus by 8am the next morning to head back to Zarabanda to meet up with the training staff o talk about our trip. Although Erika and I had a great time and felt really lucky to be able to see 3 different size sites, some of the other trainees weren´t as lucky and ended up visiting some volunteers who don´t have too many projects going on. This just reinforces the fact that this experience is absolutely what you make of it so its important to stay motivated. Overall, I had a great time and feel so much better about the idea of moving around the country alone. Now I am just even more excited to get to my community and get to work!
Vaya Pues, Well I hope everyone had a fun St. Patty´s Day! Miss you all! Hasta la proxima!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Primer Cumpleaños en Honduras!
(Written March 14th)
Buenas! Well yesterday was my first birthday in Honduras and it was so wonderful! The day started as any other, bright and early at 5am to take my bucket bath and walk to catch the bus at 6:30am. But right away everyone went out of their way to make my day special! The other volunteers bought me presents like cup cakes and candy and a charge card for my cell phone as well as made me cards!! Then later at lunch they brought out a cake all lit with candles that had my name on it and sang to me! I was really not expecting anything because another volunteer named Katie had her 23rd b-day on the 12th and we had an ice cream cake for her so I really thought there would be no way we would have cake two days in a row but I am glad we did! For the rest of the day all the Peace Corps directors and trainers kept hugging me and wishing me Feliz Cumpleaños! THEN… my little community threw me a surprise party!!! I was so shocked that I almost cried! Apparently they had been planning it all week and I had no idea! They tricked me by telling me that we were all getting together to practice Spanish so I just went along with the plan and followed Matt first to his house and then to Theresa’s. Although there were a million clues, like my missing little sister, Maune hanging out in our neighborhood, no dinner, two volunteers “studying” at theresa’s, and Sonia’s dark house but, I was clueless as usual! When I walked into the house, the whole place was dark and everyone yelled surprise and started snapping pictures of my shocked expression. The entire room was decorated with balloons and streamers and a huge sign (they even made sure that they were my favorite colors!) It was so cute! Plus we had tons of yummy food like pizza, chips and guac and salsa, spiked punch, and a cake compliments of Gloria, Sonia, and the volunteers! As it turns out, two cakes in one day make me a very happy girl! I really felt so loved! It was so wonderful to celebrate with new friends and to feel like I am making a place for myself here. And although I missed celebrating with everyone at home, all the phone calls, cards hidden in my bags and messages made me feel so loved and a lot less homesick! So heres to many more amazing birthday’s in Honduras!
Hopefully some of my photos have made it one here for you to enjoy!!
Buenas! Well yesterday was my first birthday in Honduras and it was so wonderful! The day started as any other, bright and early at 5am to take my bucket bath and walk to catch the bus at 6:30am. But right away everyone went out of their way to make my day special! The other volunteers bought me presents like cup cakes and candy and a charge card for my cell phone as well as made me cards!! Then later at lunch they brought out a cake all lit with candles that had my name on it and sang to me! I was really not expecting anything because another volunteer named Katie had her 23rd b-day on the 12th and we had an ice cream cake for her so I really thought there would be no way we would have cake two days in a row but I am glad we did! For the rest of the day all the Peace Corps directors and trainers kept hugging me and wishing me Feliz Cumpleaños! THEN… my little community threw me a surprise party!!! I was so shocked that I almost cried! Apparently they had been planning it all week and I had no idea! They tricked me by telling me that we were all getting together to practice Spanish so I just went along with the plan and followed Matt first to his house and then to Theresa’s. Although there were a million clues, like my missing little sister, Maune hanging out in our neighborhood, no dinner, two volunteers “studying” at theresa’s, and Sonia’s dark house but, I was clueless as usual! When I walked into the house, the whole place was dark and everyone yelled surprise and started snapping pictures of my shocked expression. The entire room was decorated with balloons and streamers and a huge sign (they even made sure that they were my favorite colors!) It was so cute! Plus we had tons of yummy food like pizza, chips and guac and salsa, spiked punch, and a cake compliments of Gloria, Sonia, and the volunteers! As it turns out, two cakes in one day make me a very happy girl! I really felt so loved! It was so wonderful to celebrate with new friends and to feel like I am making a place for myself here. And although I missed celebrating with everyone at home, all the phone calls, cards hidden in my bags and messages made me feel so loved and a lot less homesick! So heres to many more amazing birthday’s in Honduras!
Hopefully some of my photos have made it one here for you to enjoy!!
Breaking Hearts and Speed Limits
(written 3/10/09) Happy B-day Gumpy!!
Well two weeks down and it feels like a lifetime has passed me by in only a few moments! Time passes so differently here because they days are long but filled with a million new experiences. This past weekend was so much fun! On Saturday we had our half day of class which was a cultural day. The entire morning was spent moving between 8 stations to hear a presentation about each of the major indigenous groups of Honduras and then try their traditional food! The food was amazing and there was even little children dressed up in traditional clothes and presentations on how to dance La Punta, the national hip shaking dance. Everyone had a great time and since I am such a nerd for those kinds of cultural activities I had a blast! Afterwards the cellphone man came and I bought a phone! It is free for me if you want to call, though definitely not free for you, so if you want to buy a phone card and call me just email me or ask my mom for the number! Later on when I got back from class and a quick trip to Valle to do some homework, I met my host dad, Isidrio, for the first time! He is like a breath of fresh air! Unlike Gloria, who is super nice but very shy, he talks a lot and knows so much! I liked him immediately and spent hours talking to him. Turns out he has a degree in biology and spent 6 months doing his practicum in the U.S. on bees. He also lived with the Moskitia Indians, which I learned about earlier that day, for a little over a year and worked in their hospital in 1990! Now he works in San Pedro Sula for a clothing importer and apparently he is in charge of the majority of the paperwork and general processing to bring the clothes in from China and resell them to other countries. You can really tell how much Gloria and Reyna miss him too. Later at 7pm Gloria, Reyna, and I went to a block party! It was in a neighbor’s front yard and you could definitely hear the party before you could see it! The whole yard was decorated with streamers and lights and children were running everywhere. Once everyone arrived one of the host mothers gave a really nice speech welcoming all of us to Honduras and saying how happy they are that we are here. It was so nice! Then played musical chairs, yes I did knock a small boy to the ground in order to win, and then we ate some delicious chicken, rice, and tortillas and Brent played the guitar. Afterwards we got down to the serious business of dancing! One of the host mothers moved all the furniture out of away in her living room to transform it into a dance floor and blasted the meringue and reggeton for hours. Everyone was dancing, the kids, host moms, and all the volunteers! I really forgot how much fun it can be when people don’t take themselves too seriously! We all danced with the little kids and my little Reynita was a dance machine! I even got some of the old boys to dance with me, Jose who is about 12 and Samuel, Matt’s host brother, who is 14 but lied to me and told me he was 15. However, this may have been a mistake because after that the boys would b-line it for Theresa and I to make sure they took turns dancing with both of us for every dance! Samuel even made it a point to let me know he currently is single even though he is usually too shy to look my in the eyes hah. It was so cute though because he was clearly dressed up in his pink and white stripped polo. Matt and I also spent a good amount of the time displaying our sweet dance moves such as the fisherman, shooting the guns, and various hand dances. Apparently we went to the same middle school dances. Overall the party was so much fun and a really great way to let loose with our host families! It is important to note though that since the party Samuel (14) has been lingering outside my house waiting for me to say hi to him and playing various English songs loudly such as evanescence on his cell which I am told is an attempt to impress me haha. I guess Matt and his host mom have been making fun of him relentlessly, poor boy. How was he to know I am such a heart breaker (just kidding).
On Sunday I woke up at 7am to clean before our trip to Teguz (the capital). Now I know everyone is shocked to hear ME say clean, but its true. On Sundays I wash my clothes by hand on a concrete type of washboard and hang them on the line to dry as well as sweep and mop my room. I was finished by 9:30am and them took a quick bucket bath before we were off! Our official mission was to go to the grocery store since Gloria only goes once a month when her husband is home to go with her, but I was especially excited because the whole family as well as my neighbors Sonia and Theresa, my fellow business volunteer were going with us for Theresa’s and my first trip to Teguz. Now I had known we were going but it had not occurred to me what type of transportation we would be taking. To my surprise we were taking Isidrio’s work van which is basically a white plumber’s or carpenter’s van with nothing in the back apart from some tools. So lucky Theresa and I, because we got to ride in the back sitting on a really thin mattress the whole way! It was so funny because there were 3of us in the back and it felt like we were in a movie and we were gonna roll up to someplace and all pile out like we were about to rob the place haha. Unfortunately, the road to Teguz has a lot of twists and turns which made the whole trip feel like we were riding a roller coaster! Plus everyone here drives super fast so we were barreling around corners and totally disregarding speed limits which made the whole experience feel so much more like a movie. Once we got to Teguz, about 30 mins later, we went to two supermercados which are grocery stores that are very similar to Sam´s club in the U.S. to buy a months worth of groceries. It was nice because Isidrio kept asking what I like to eat and then buying it for me! Afterwards, we went to Pizza Hut which was amazing! I was able to enjoy stuffed crust ham and pinbnable pizza with some awesome jamaica (fruit punch). Once we finished we all piled back into the van for the outrageous ride back to Santa Rita! All in all it was a great visit, especially since I didn´t get robbed which apparently happens to everyone at least once while they are serving in Honduras.
Once we got back I spent the rest of the afternoon talking with Isidrio before he had to head back to San Pedro Sula the next day :( I am really going to miss him and all of his stories! In fact he gave me the cutest speech before bed, at 8:00pm haha, about how happy he is that I am living there and how he hopes I will love Honduras and visit often. It just goes to show how important having a dad in the house can be to making it feel like a home!
Overall this weekend was great and now I am looking forward to my birthday and my volunteer visit!! Hasta Luego amigos!!
Well two weeks down and it feels like a lifetime has passed me by in only a few moments! Time passes so differently here because they days are long but filled with a million new experiences. This past weekend was so much fun! On Saturday we had our half day of class which was a cultural day. The entire morning was spent moving between 8 stations to hear a presentation about each of the major indigenous groups of Honduras and then try their traditional food! The food was amazing and there was even little children dressed up in traditional clothes and presentations on how to dance La Punta, the national hip shaking dance. Everyone had a great time and since I am such a nerd for those kinds of cultural activities I had a blast! Afterwards the cellphone man came and I bought a phone! It is free for me if you want to call, though definitely not free for you, so if you want to buy a phone card and call me just email me or ask my mom for the number! Later on when I got back from class and a quick trip to Valle to do some homework, I met my host dad, Isidrio, for the first time! He is like a breath of fresh air! Unlike Gloria, who is super nice but very shy, he talks a lot and knows so much! I liked him immediately and spent hours talking to him. Turns out he has a degree in biology and spent 6 months doing his practicum in the U.S. on bees. He also lived with the Moskitia Indians, which I learned about earlier that day, for a little over a year and worked in their hospital in 1990! Now he works in San Pedro Sula for a clothing importer and apparently he is in charge of the majority of the paperwork and general processing to bring the clothes in from China and resell them to other countries. You can really tell how much Gloria and Reyna miss him too. Later at 7pm Gloria, Reyna, and I went to a block party! It was in a neighbor’s front yard and you could definitely hear the party before you could see it! The whole yard was decorated with streamers and lights and children were running everywhere. Once everyone arrived one of the host mothers gave a really nice speech welcoming all of us to Honduras and saying how happy they are that we are here. It was so nice! Then played musical chairs, yes I did knock a small boy to the ground in order to win, and then we ate some delicious chicken, rice, and tortillas and Brent played the guitar. Afterwards we got down to the serious business of dancing! One of the host mothers moved all the furniture out of away in her living room to transform it into a dance floor and blasted the meringue and reggeton for hours. Everyone was dancing, the kids, host moms, and all the volunteers! I really forgot how much fun it can be when people don’t take themselves too seriously! We all danced with the little kids and my little Reynita was a dance machine! I even got some of the old boys to dance with me, Jose who is about 12 and Samuel, Matt’s host brother, who is 14 but lied to me and told me he was 15. However, this may have been a mistake because after that the boys would b-line it for Theresa and I to make sure they took turns dancing with both of us for every dance! Samuel even made it a point to let me know he currently is single even though he is usually too shy to look my in the eyes hah. It was so cute though because he was clearly dressed up in his pink and white stripped polo. Matt and I also spent a good amount of the time displaying our sweet dance moves such as the fisherman, shooting the guns, and various hand dances. Apparently we went to the same middle school dances. Overall the party was so much fun and a really great way to let loose with our host families! It is important to note though that since the party Samuel (14) has been lingering outside my house waiting for me to say hi to him and playing various English songs loudly such as evanescence on his cell which I am told is an attempt to impress me haha. I guess Matt and his host mom have been making fun of him relentlessly, poor boy. How was he to know I am such a heart breaker (just kidding).
On Sunday I woke up at 7am to clean before our trip to Teguz (the capital). Now I know everyone is shocked to hear ME say clean, but its true. On Sundays I wash my clothes by hand on a concrete type of washboard and hang them on the line to dry as well as sweep and mop my room. I was finished by 9:30am and them took a quick bucket bath before we were off! Our official mission was to go to the grocery store since Gloria only goes once a month when her husband is home to go with her, but I was especially excited because the whole family as well as my neighbors Sonia and Theresa, my fellow business volunteer were going with us for Theresa’s and my first trip to Teguz. Now I had known we were going but it had not occurred to me what type of transportation we would be taking. To my surprise we were taking Isidrio’s work van which is basically a white plumber’s or carpenter’s van with nothing in the back apart from some tools. So lucky Theresa and I, because we got to ride in the back sitting on a really thin mattress the whole way! It was so funny because there were 3of us in the back and it felt like we were in a movie and we were gonna roll up to someplace and all pile out like we were about to rob the place haha. Unfortunately, the road to Teguz has a lot of twists and turns which made the whole trip feel like we were riding a roller coaster! Plus everyone here drives super fast so we were barreling around corners and totally disregarding speed limits which made the whole experience feel so much more like a movie. Once we got to Teguz, about 30 mins later, we went to two supermercados which are grocery stores that are very similar to Sam´s club in the U.S. to buy a months worth of groceries. It was nice because Isidrio kept asking what I like to eat and then buying it for me! Afterwards, we went to Pizza Hut which was amazing! I was able to enjoy stuffed crust ham and pinbnable pizza with some awesome jamaica (fruit punch). Once we finished we all piled back into the van for the outrageous ride back to Santa Rita! All in all it was a great visit, especially since I didn´t get robbed which apparently happens to everyone at least once while they are serving in Honduras.
Once we got back I spent the rest of the afternoon talking with Isidrio before he had to head back to San Pedro Sula the next day :( I am really going to miss him and all of his stories! In fact he gave me the cutest speech before bed, at 8:00pm haha, about how happy he is that I am living there and how he hopes I will love Honduras and visit often. It just goes to show how important having a dad in the house can be to making it feel like a home!
Overall this weekend was great and now I am looking forward to my birthday and my volunteer visit!! Hasta Luego amigos!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Hola de Honduras!
Hola a todos! I am alive and well in Honduras! As many of you know I left for training early Tuesday morning and arrived in DC at 10:00am. Right after I collected my mountain of luggage I spotted another girl with a similar backpack and knew she must be on her way to Peace Corps staging also. As luck would have it she was on her way to staging in the same hotel with the group of trainees that were going to Ecuador so we were able to share a shuttle and later when we arrived at the hotel and left our luggage in the bell hop’s room we were able to walk to a whole foods store with a café and have a nice lunch together. It was so nice to have someone to pass the time with until check-in and discuss what lies ahead.
Staging itself began at 1:30 with registration which lasted until 3:00pm when we began our introduction to Peace Corps and to each other. We did some activities to get to know one another, talked about Peace Corps expectations and how we were going to arrive at post in Honduras. Staging lasted until 7pm so afterwards a group of us went out to a nice sushi dinner for one last splurge. Since checkout time was at 2:30am, none of us stayed out late so we would have at least some energy for the following day. However, I think I got a whole 3 hours of sleep before I was up and on my way to Honduras! I will say right now that I was immediately regretting how successfully I was able to pack EVERYTHING into my bags because they were so heavy! To make matters worse none of my luggage has wheels because I was only thinking of the Honduran terrain and not the airports so I had to physically carry all of my luggage myself which would prove more and more difficult as the day went on. We flew out of DC at about 6:40am to Miami and then onto Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras) where we arrived at noon local time (1pm eastern). The airport was really hectic with everyone trying to get all of their luggage and get through customs but we all made it out fine. The Peace Corps representatives were really organized and met us at the airport exit with tags for our luggage to be delivered to our host family’s house as well as snacks. A bus then arrived and took us to our training center located about a half an hour outside Teguz when we met the Peace Corps staff and our host family was waiting to pick us up. I am living with a host mom named Gloria and her 4 yr old daughter Reyna Maria. They live in what I believe to be an average Honduran home that has two bedrooms, an indoor bathe, and one large central area for the kitchen, dining area and living room. They have electricity but as I found out the first morning, when it rains the electricity goes out so we use candles and flashlights. The water for all the household activities arrives on Thursdays and Sundays so on these days we can use the sink and flush the toilets. But, when the water runs out, usually within 24 hours, you must get water from a large bucket, similar to a rain barrel, to flush the toilet and wash with. The water we drink is purified water that the family buys in large containers like those found in offices in the U.S. I have my own room, which is the daughter’s, with a lock and key as the Peace Corps requires and screens on my windows.
My first night both my host mom and sister were very quiet and didn’t speak much at all which I was really nervous about. However, since then they have opened up much more and now Reyna Maria is running to hug me when I come home from training and sitting in my lap so I am feeling much better. As for my host father, he works in another region of the country which I am told is very far away so he is only able to visit the family one time per month.
Training is really good so far. I have training Monday through Friday from 7:30 until 4:30 with lunch, packed by our host families, at the training center from 11:30 to 12:30. We also have a half day of training on Saturdays from 8:30 to noon. A Peace Corps bus picks me up at about 6:45 during the week and I live about 15 mins from the bus stop so I wake up a little after 5am to make sure I don’t miss the bus. There are 9 other volunteers that live around me, with one in the house next to mine so we are all able to walk together which is really nice. There are also some really great views along the way! Overall the training directors seem really well prepared and very nice which helps make the whole adjusting process much easier.
So far things are great. I need to practice my grammar because things are coming back slower than I would like but I am trying hard not to beat myself up about it. I have already done some pretty traditional Honduran things like take a bucket bath by candle light, wash my clothes by hand using a pila and play soccer with the local boys and other volunteers (I know what you’re thinking but this really is Katie writing haha)
Anyways, I have so much more to say but I just wanted to touch base and let everyone know I am here and doing well. I hope to get some pictures up soon! Hasta la proxima!
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