Monday, May 31, 2010

Happy Memorial Day! Just like the USA, no one worked today in Honduras either, but wait, it wasn’t really a holiday here….Kinda getting annoyed at all the non-working that’s been going on here lately. Well I will preface my little rant by saying that we have had a TON of rain in the last week. A tropical storm was blowing in tons of rain on the Pacific Coast, so the southern departments were really getting a lot of rain, but then the rivers near the capital have flooded. There is massive flooding in Tegucigalpa and other parts of the country. My department was mainly just hit with rain, non-stop since I got back to my site, so almost a week of it. It just sucked because I couldn’t really wash clothes, and I had almost everything dirty from my long trip. And everything just closes down here when it rains, including the schools which are my main source of work right now. And whats frustrating is that decisions about whether to have class or not are made so late. A lot of colegio kids walked to school today to find that it had been cancelled. I had called my counterpart Iris last night and she wasn’t sure about class even at 8pm. That’s ridiculous. They make announcements on TV about cancelling class but no one really pays attention. That is obviously annoying but I do see the side that the federal government is completely oblivious to the situations in small towns like mine.

So I didn’t go to La Hacienda Thursday because there was supposedly a nurse coming to talk about pregnancy prevencion, but she didn’t come, so I missed that opportunity. Friday they had planned a soccer game at the school so they weren’t planning on having class, and then the rain prevented most schools from having class. Supposedly in La Hacienda the road was blocked to the school because a car got stuck in the mud. Today there was no school because of rain, but there was no rain today. So there was class in the primary school in town, but in the aldeas it was cancelled. And the teacher I work with (-ish) in La Hacienda didn’t even know until late this afternoon that there is meeting tomorrow with all the teachers from the district, so guess what, no class! And since next week is a week-long break, these kids will miss another week of school. I think I will ask the girls on Wednesday (if there is class, cross my fingers) if they would come even if class is out, so then I can hold my classes in the community building. Its not like these girls will be going on vacation and they are always so excited when I come. According to teachers, kids aren’t coming to class right now because they are planting corn, but I’ve had almost perfect attendance, so I think that means they like me J

BUT Hallelujah, the rain cleared today! We woke up with sunshine, I immediately put on my running clothes and went the field. Unfortunately it was incredibly muddy and I could barely run, and I’m out of shape, but it felt good nonetheless. Of course my seemingly private running sessions are always invaded by people who just stand along the field and stare, but nothing could get me down this morning. As colegio was not in session today, I went later and hung out with some of the teachers who had chosen to come. Had lunch at my new sitemate’s host family’s house, but he wasn’t there, haha. I had invited myself over, but then something came up and he didn’t get back for lunch, so it was just me and his host mom, but that’s fine, the food was yummy. She asked me if I wanted to rest after I ate, and of course I did, so I slept on a random bed in her house for over an hour, haha. I really like that custom here, that whenever I eat, the family always asks if I want to lie down a while. (How will I ever function in the USA without my post-lunch nap??)

So Saturday was my birthday! I had made sure to remind everyone in my town several times, so almost everyone remembered. I got several calls from friends in the states which was so so nice, especially since I can’t call out right now from the phone I use to call the USA. Also had birthday cards from my parents to open. Thanks in advance for friends who mailed cards, should get them soon! That morning I got up late because I had hung out with some friends the night before (our new activity is to hang out in the bball court at night and listen to music and drink together). Yolanda, my host mom, asked if I was making a cake, and I said no (I mean it kinda takes away some of the appeal if you make it yourself), but later I saw she and Carmen making one, which was difficult for them because reading instructions takes it out of them, seriously. I thought maybe she had made lunch for me, but no, she asked me what I was making, and I said nothing, and went to the local cafeteria. That was a bit depressing but I tried not to let it get to me. Visited people’s houses and then went over to Iris’ that night. She had invited me to a birthday dinner and it ended up being really special. Zach, my new sitemate, came too,and I really like him! Super nice guy. Iris had made enchiladas (corn tortillas with a ground beef and potato mixture on top, with cabbage, tomato, and salsa) and crackers with pineapple jelly, and then Mariela, her oldest daughter, had made a beautiful cake! It was American-quality too, delicious. She also had me a piñata, which I’d never had before, Dora themed of course. She had bought me a Honduras shirt that’s really nice, and I gave her my presents from the USA. And then that night…

So we’ve been having town dances lately to raise money for the upcoming fair and other activities and I really like it! I went Wednesday with a friend and danced a lot. I have made a rule to only dance with people I know because there are way too many creepers and I always regret it when I stray from this rule. Saturday there was a dance too, but put on by different people, and as many teachers and other professionals here leave on the weekends, it just had a different feel. Some of my friends were there too, though, so we danced and I had a good time but Wednesday was more fun. There were way more bolos, which are really drunk people, and they were just obnoxious, not leaving me alone, and I was kinda annoyed that no one would help me. I pushed several away from me and my girl friend, even people I am normally friends with were just so drunk. There was really no one in charge. Our police have left Camasca to help with issues in other parts of the country, so that’s great. Afterwards we went to the bball court and hung out, and then I went to sleep. All in all, a different, but enjoyable birthday. Supposedly next Saturday we are going to La Esperanza to celebrate my birthday. Dorina, a neighbor I really like, gave me a nice coffee cup, and another friend gave me a mirror. And Nere, the owner of the local cafeteria, told me to come by when I could, which I think means a free meal!

Church was cancelled yesterday because of all the rain, which I understand because it can be dangerous to leave the house, but still frustrating. Can’t even tell you what I did yesterday. Today I went running in the morning, and then later in the colegio I had a great impromptu meeting with Iris. While recently in Tegus she talked to someone in the Ministry of Education who wants to offer a  3 day training to 30 people in our town to help us with our trash project! Cool, right? So we wrote a note to the guy who had offered it and brainstormed topics and such for the seminar. Just hope they plan the date for a time when I can do it. No school again tomorrow so I think I’ll go running and then to Cocepradii and use internet, plan for Yo Merezco…eventually.

PS-Did I mention how today I was walking to the colegio and walked by the funeral place in town….and there was a body on a table… and people eating tamales around it?

PPS-According to Virginia, a neighbor where I used to live before I moved out, I get burned so often because I dress so scandalously. I had a tank top on and jean capris. My usual apparel is a polo shirt and capris or jeans with chacos. This is from the same woman who I once saw in front of her house in just a bra and a skirt because a button on her top had broken and she had just taken it off. I’ve also tried to explain that my skin tone is rosy and that it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m burnt if my face is flushed, but that’s just not true, according to all my neighbors.