Back in Honduras...it's been a bumpy start back!

Over a month since my last post.

My trip back home was great.  I love the fact I was excited to see my family and very excited to return to Honduras too.  My trip started with a nice surprise...my friends picked me up at the airport with a welcome home gift.  I spent that first weekend getting spoiled by mom with her home cooked meals...mmm!  I ended up making the family baleadas...let's just say they weren't as excited as I was.  LOL My sister, mom, and I ended up at the salon one morning.  It felt great getting pampered.  My brother, sister, best friend, and I ended out dancing one night....first time the siblings had been out together in years.  In fact, it had been over three years since the whole family had been home together.

After dropping my brother off at the airport, the rest of my family and I drove down to LA for the next weekend.  I tried balancing between hanging out with my family and visiting friends.  I  had way too many delicious meals with great company.  One of my favorite moments was our visit to the LA Griffith Observatory and my Saturday brunch at the Cheesecake Factory.

After my trip, (and after way too many hours of travel), I arrived in Valle de Angeles for PCYD Reconnect.  The workshops were tough to get through the first few days.  We had seen a lot of the same material during training.  We later understood those days were focused on our counterparts.  I loved watching my counterpart come alive in discussions.  She is definitely going places.  The YD group had a lot of catching up moments.  Over all, I think most of us were feeling pumped after Reconnect.

I met up with el Profe each day for planning.  Transportation is always a headache to/from my site and my worksite so our days came to an end early.  We worked out a lot of details in our planning but we were left hanging in so many other details.  The school to this day has not held one teacher meeting.  The Secretary of Education released the school calendar last week (2 weeks into the school year).  Our campus admin handed out schedules this past Thursday (mind you they have to be re-done as most of them have major errors).  To top it off, we had two school student take overs in the last two weeks and will have no classes this coming Monday due to the teacher marches.  Yes, just another school year in Honduras.

I did my best to stay positive this past week, but I will admit it was especially hard.  I was feeling down and very unmotivated (which only made me feel worse) with all the work issues.  I almost forget to mention the Safety/Security meeting this past week.  Although I appreciated the staff's efforts to support us, it is never easy to digest the information we receive on volunteer incidents.  I keep reminding myself as we were told in that meeting...we are here because it is tough work.

With that said, I want to end on a positive note.....I am very excited to announce that one of the girls from the hogar...the one with the greatest learning needs, she doesn't know how to read or write....was saying she likes to write after hours of working with her.  Yay! I've decided to focus on her learning needs as my little Saturday morning project.  Day 1: build confianza and generate an interest for learning....CHECK!

My childhood "mentee"...one of the newest PCV trainees (Guyana, 2011-2013)...congrats!

Lesson plans are ready and my bags are packed! I'm ready.

My week of lesson planning and preparing for work was a huge success.  I'm planned through the midterm and found a ton of resources.  I still need to make the rotulos (posters) and models but I'm going to wait for when I am given the materials in early February.

I met with my counterpart and we presented a new action plan for our collaboration.  I'm very happy with his proposal.  He would like to see me get involved with the "senior" project to help promote workshops/events focused on leadership and community involvement.  Perfecto!

We also met with the school director to present him with this new plan.  Plus, we needed to ask for his help finding a physical education professor interested in attending a baseball training in the States.  Turns out the P.E. teacher was not interested.  Lucky for us, the director had served as the P.E. teacher for over 20 years.  He'll be attending the workshop where he'll learn the technical side of baseball in hopes of starting our own school teach to compete in the Annual National Peace Corps Baseball Tournament.  FUN!  

We also met with the representative from the school district.  We finalized the class details.  I will be teaching two groups of 30-40 upper elementary teachers in Comayagua.  She plans on getting us a really nice classroom...air conditioning and LCD projector/screen! 

I helped out with the tutor dinner at the CDI on Saturday.  Yanira and the kids cooked up a feast.  It turns out the pastor invited church members in hopes of generating their interest to become more involved with the CDI.  Yanira presented a PowerPoint presentation while the group and I served dinner.  We were really fancy!  LOL  They had appetizers at the table, soup to start, pasta salad/veggies/chicken for dinner, coffee & cupcakes for desert.  We all had a lot of fun...plus had a lot of great leftovers.  I jumped in several times during the presentation to emphasize some points.  The CDI is in huge need of adult volunteers to help supervise and manage some of the extra-curricular activities.  I'm considering inviting the students from the Normal to volunteer on Saturdays.  I have a huge list of students that are interested in learning about ways to volunteer and serve the community. =) 

I visited my host mom earlier this week.  We had coffee together...one of my favorites at her house.  Yanira also stopped by for breakfast.  I always have a great time at their house when I visit.  Plus I know that they love to have me over.  I'm going to make a bigger effort to visit them more regularly.  So far, I'm thinking Sunday afternoon for lunch.  I think it would be fun to take turns cooking.  My host mom loved the idea.  I'll have to work in a free sugar free deserts for don Porfis (my host dad).  

As I said earlier, I'm packed and ready for my visit to the States.  I leave this Friday and return Monday the 24th in time for our training workshop and Reconnect with the Youth Development group.  We'll all be back in our first site...Valle de Angeles.  It's so beautiful out there....so many reasons to look forward to this trip.  I am very excited to catch up with the H17-YD familia.  

Sorry no pictures for now...I'll add them soon, promise!

For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. John F. Kennedy

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!  I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season! 

I wish I could share all the pics.  I would go over my internet limit so you’re going to have to read about it.  :D

  

The reparto de regales (gift giving) at the proyecto was a success.  We got positive feedback on how much more organized it was (how could I resist).  And, if you know me, you’ll know that I am already thinking of how to improve for next year as I would have worked out a few kinks.  I had a lot of fun helping out...check us out below.

I’ll be honest….I was a little sad waking up on Christmas eve.  It took a phone call to snap me back into reality….as I was told, if I plan to continue a life abroad I will need to be comfortable with spending Christmas (& other holidays) in different ways. 

I spent Christmas eve with my host family and counterpart’s family.  Three of the girls from the casa hogar joined us.  I made an apple, pear, cranberry crisp for the dinner (mmm!).  BTW, I had a Salvadorian dinner (my host family is half Salvadorian) for my Christmas in Honduras….a huge Chicken sub. =) Like I said, it’s best if I get used to spending my holidays in a different way. 

Christmas day I was in Lamani, a friend’s site nearby, for their toreada.  The tiny picturesque town can been transformed with the magnitudes of traffic, people, and french fries stands…LOL.  As it turns out there are actually two bull fighting stadiums, a smaller one that belongs to the municipality (all funds go to the local government) and a “monumental” one that belongs to the association of ranchers (all funds go to their projects?).  As I sat watching the show, I was stuck in some kind of déjà vu because I was feeling as though I was in Mexico with my familia, a feeling I was longing for the previous day. 

I ended up in Teguz for a PC doctors visit on Monday.  I took advantage of the trip to enjoy brunch at Denny’s (opened a few months back).  They didn’t have French toast that I was craving but the waiter made up for it by bringing out a ton of free breakfast favorites with my Grand Slam meal.  Of course, how could I leave the capital without topping it off with a visit to the Multi Plaza mall….and yup, one of my favorites…sushi! 

I returned to site in time for the cultural meeting.  The ladies had made huge advances on the New Year’s eve celebration.  We were all getting really excited about it.  I had an early New Year’s eve dinner with my sitemate Andrea….yummy pasta with salad…plus a double tomato bruschetta I made and torrejas from our tia China. 

The park was looking amazing when I showed up.  My coworker’s daughter and I were in charge of the VIP lounge greeting the artists.  The ladies from the committee were waiting their grand entrance dressed up in costume representing the traditional Comayaguense dress.  The show was a huge success and televised internationally.  I was told I appear smiling at the camera while dancing.  

The actual campanadas at midnight was a beautiful experience….ringing church bells, flying fireworks, blaring music, screaming people, and the confetti bazooka! 

A surprise visit stayed the night Sunday.  A group of volunteers (10 people total) was on their way back to site from New Year’s in the north coast.  I wish I had a picture of the sleeping arrangements! LOL  We can work wonders in my little studio so long as everyone is considerate and organized with their stuff. 

Bueno, this week has started off strong.  I’ll be sitting at the laptop lesson planning in preparation for my upcoming visit to the States.  It’s hard to believe that my trip is just around the corner.  SO EXCITED!

Ok, really, have I outdone myself again...

....only so you would be more excited for my next post....did it work? LOL

I helped represent the girls in the US Embassy's Artisan Fair.  It was a great event.  Way more vendors than we were expecting.... I'm really glad that volunteers put on an event like this.  It was a huge motivator for the girls to know their work would be showcased at the US Embassy....more so when I told them the US Ambassador stopped by the booth and loved the pieces.  (No pic becauase no cameras were allowed.)  

The next morning we were off to San Pedro Sula (SPS) in search for ~350 gifts.  Yeah, the proyecto purchases every participant a Christmas gift...(The proyecto, Center for Integral Development is under an umbrella organization, Compassion, a Christian child sponsorship ministry.)  The proyecto has worked out a deal with a clothing vendor, Don Elias y Dona Margarita, a Palestinian-Honduran couple.





Don Elias taught me some Arabic dancing.  I was told he stopped playing this type of music in the store after his daughter passed.  I was honored.  They invited us over to their house....a beautiful mansion with an amazing back yard including an alter to the virgencita.  They are definitely a special couple and I hope to be visiting them soon.  

We were back at the proyecto in time for the preparations of the wedding on Saturday.  During one of our breaks, the girls asked if I knew how to dance....of course I responded that I would love to teach them.  Lots of fun!  Some of them had little to any rhythm and I was reminded that most of these girls have had a rough childhood.  They very rarely have time to be a silly kid where maybe they would be playing music and dancing for fun.  I will definitely be making for time for dance "lessons".  

I was really curious what a boda evangelica would be like.  The bride was the proyecto's cosmetology taller instructor.  The wedding was a church effort...most everything was donated.  The proyecto was helping with the decorations.  Yanira is very creative and the salon looked rally nice.  The original wedding bouquet wasn't going to be ready on time so I go to make the bride's bouquet.  Some of the girls helped out...what do you think, can we make it as florists? 

I ended up out at the feria that Saturday night. The event was a bit different than I expected.  For one, feria here means two major event areas...one sponsored by the Camara de Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) and the other by los Ganadores (Ranchers)....plus, you have some traditional events at the park...like the opening/closing night, the queen coronation, and a few other sponsored concerts....and finally, you have a ton of block parties in various neighborhoods all trying to prove their music/firecrackers are the loudest.

We took the girls out Sunday night...giant baleadas at La Princesita & dancing at the central park.  They got to try out their new dance moves...lol.  They loved the Christmas tree and took a million pics.  I love seeing them happy & just be kids.  So many times we forget that some children simply don't have a "traditional" childhood.

Please keep in mind those less fortunate in this holiday season....I wish everyone a great Christmas!  

Feliz navidad!

back online....

Ok, this is offically the longest I've gone without posting.  I'm a bit scared of how long this post will be.  j/k ...I'll keep it short.

The horse show in Teguz was not the greatest of events....but we did aprovechar to do a little sight seeing...check out Iglesia La Merced...beautiful!

The ENCA is officially on vacation.  Graduation was this past Friday...the ceremony was a real outdoor gala.  The decorations were out of control...and it makes me a bit upset because I know that most of the budget came from the students' pockets...which I feel was totally unnecessary.  I'm starting to understand why kids that have dropped out of school here mention money as the number one reason.  Public school is expensive!  The ceremony had all of the city's politicians, news media crews, and a ton of family/friends.  We actually had two graduation ceremonies, each with about 300 students.

My proposal for my TEAM English classes was approved! Yay! A local NGO will be funding two courses, one in my site and another in a nearby community.  I was suppose to have a second induction meeting for this new community but it was canceled last minute.  I am definitely getting excited about this project for next year but know that I will need a lot of energy to keep up with everything.  

I ended up sending five scholarship applications for the USAID SEED program.  I am very excited about two of the applicants.  One of the girls has a challenging life.  She is pretty much on her own.  Her mom  lives in Belize because of work, she never met her dad, her extended family can only provide for the basics.  She sells artwork to have some cash and help her nine year old brother with school essentials.  In hopes of having more competitive applicants in the future I offered the first year students the opportunity to form a volunteer group.  They need to create some extra-curricular activities to gain leadership skills and extend their community work.  

Yo Merezco has its ups and downs.  I had low attendance one session but have had much better participation overall.  The girls from the hogar definitely need some guidance.  Two of then were caught in some risky behavior.  They had a new addition join the group....a nine year girl pulled out of her home because she was suffering sexual abuse by several neighbors.  The mom recently passed away so the authorities took action.  She is still adjusting to the new environment and demands a lot of attention.

I joined a committee dedicating to reviving the community's culture.  The have been inactive till recently when they were asked to organize the New Year's eve activities.  From what they were told, the nation's president wants to join the community for the ringing of the bells at midnight New Year's eve. I'm not sure what my role will be but I'm learning a lot about my community.  

I spent Thanksgiving in a La Paz.  The local volunteers organized a lunch for an orphanage.  There were about 20 volunteers helping cook/prepare a huge Thanksgiving feast....three turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes/gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, jello, fruit, salad, corn bread, cake......the works!  The ~20 kids and guests loved it!  

The kids ~20 kids are supervised by one lady, the nun at the table. 

Being veggie has been on/off since in Honduras...this was definitely an off moment.

I hosted a dinner for the Youth Development volunteers at my apt T-day weekend.  It was such a pleasant experience having the YD familia over...everyone was super considerate.  Gracias!  We made finger foods and had yummy cornbread/mashed potatoes/corn chowder.  We spent the next day sight seeing, shopping, and went out dancing....LOTS of fun!  Most everyone left Sunday but the rest of us made some amazing pad thai and a Vietnamese salad....mmmm!

Comayagua is officially celebrating the town's fair.  They lit the Christmas tree at the central park this past Fri.,had the queen coronation contest last night and the festivities will continue thru Dec. 19th.  

Desfile de caballos walking through town while we were having lunch at the central park...I couldn't resist!

The girls were teaching me how to dance punta. =)  LOL

I am so thankful for my beautiful site assignment, great friends, and hard working counterparts!!!

Busy last week of classes at ENCA

Happy Friday!  It’s raining it’s pouring ….the day was beautiful….clear sky & sunny (but not hot)…when all of a sudden it starts pouring.  It was actually really pretty for a while since it was raining and still very sunny. 

I had a great week and will have an even more exciting next week.  We had a super busy week at work .  The third year students had their big day of presentations of their proposals.  I helped the group working on English curriculum.  They had mentioned the preparations for the classroom but I never imagined to what extent they actually decorated.  Most groups had rented furniture, tablecloths, & curtains.  Plus they got us a gourmet lunch with wine.  It was outrageous.  Other groups brought in sofa sets and huge flower arrangements.  People are HUGE on presentation here. 

The profe and I continue to team teach.  It is very energizing the way we get to feed off of each others ideas.  It was the students last week of classes so vacation is around the corner.  They have exams next week….which, if you remember, means they only go for a half day..they will have two exams each day.   Unfortunately many of them will not pass…despite having a passing score of 60%..yes, you read correctly, students only need a 60% to pass….and you wouldn’t believe how many students fail.  Errk

On a very positive note, I helped prepare several students for a USAID SEED scholarship.  High achieving student from a low income household have a chance to be selected to earn their associates degree from Georgetown.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for all of them.  Most of the students come from households that earn below the local minimum average and live in tiny communities….I would love to see that one of them get an opportunity like this….what a life changing experience. 

I held my session of Yo Merezco.  The girls impressed me with their abilities to express themselves.  Their education level is not on grade but they were very comfortable explaining their definitions.  I keep feeling odd when we bring up topics up like teen pregnancy since two of the girls are teen moms but the keep acting like nothings different so I do my best to get past it. 

My preparations for TEAM classes next year continued.  I wrote a proposal to seek support from the local NGOs focused on education.  The staff members from the local school district are leading this project.  They are very interested in the program’s success so I am expecting a great outcome. 

Bueno, I’m off to pack my bags…I’ll be in Teguz tomorrow to pick up mail and check out a horse fair.  We’ll be doing some sightseeing in the big city!!  

I'm all settled in to my new place.  I really enjoy my time at the apt because I get to disconnect a bit from everything...my favorite disconnects include cooking dinner to the sounds of salsa music....watching a episodes of seinfeld......knitting or sewing to Brazilian sounds.  However, most of my evenings go by super fast....I get home around 4pm...go running at 5...make dinner and take a shower....I'm usually crashing out by 9....the exceptions are Thurs & Sun.

Victoria, another H17 youth development PCV, visited last Saturday from San Jose, La Paz...just hours away from the El Salvador border.  She brought her host sister and cousin to watch a movie as a gift for graduating from colegio (9th grade).  It was the girls first time at the movies.  We watched Legend of the Guardians.  You would be surprised on how different our movie experience was compared to the States.  For one, a huge crowd of teenagers sat in the back and was talking during most of the movie...several people answered their cellphones....people kept walking in and out.  Sea como sea (it is as it is)....the girls didn't notice and enjoyed the movie.  My taxi friend ended up hooking us up with free entrance to a discoteca.  We ended up going out dancing...another first for the girls...we only stayed a few hours but again we totally made the girls' night.  =)

At La Princesita...of course...mmm!

I was super busy last week...hence the lack of postings.  I held the presentation on the TEAM (English teaching & methodology) course to current teachers/NGO directors/school principals.  Everything turned out really great!!  The room was packed, everyone expressed a lot of interest, and we heard a ton of positive remarks.  Yay!  My late nights paid off....the best part about my hard work is that I was able to share the PPP & docs with other volunteers to hopefully help them get their plans going in the right direction.  

Full house, great facilities, plus we had tasty appetizers!

Getting the participants out of their chair =)

The Yo Merezco workshop this week was also a success.  The girls came through with their participation.  My favorite part about this week's session was seeing some of the quiet ones shine while they presented themselves to the group.  (Yes, your eyes do not fail you...that's a teen mom in the background...we actually have two teen moms participating.)  A co-worker from La Normal has been helping update/fix the computers.  He's also interested in helping with the computer course....the kids are going to love him...he's a great male role-model.  

I helped el Profe with his evening English class at the Instituto Hondureno Cultural Interamericano and met the owner of the Chinese restaurant Man Ying...the best in town.  She treated us to dinner.  It's crazy how things work out....so of course we went over this past Thurs when Anna visited.  She chatted with us a while and treated us to lunch....yum!  We're adopting her as our "tia".