This morning started off as usual until Alex (one of the group leaders) announced that we'd be witnessing our lunch for tomorrow being made.
And by "being made" she meant watching tomorrow's chicken being slaughtered. It was to show us the importance of sustainability and knowing where our food comes from.
It all began when a young boy asked, "Why do Americans waste so much food? The chicken died to be eaten, not wasted". Powerful words from a young boy. However, I opted out. I'm not big on watching animals being slaughtered, and I rarely meet a plate of food I can't lick clean. But I was told the chicken didn't make a sound, and moved around for a bit after it was decapitated...oh my.
Culture Shock of the Day:
Hondurans waste nothing. Especially with food. It's considered rude to leave food behind on your plate. If you can't finish what you get, you either:
1) don't serve yourself so much
2) see if anybody else wants your leftovers
I noticed a Happy Birthday sign up for Shin and I asked him when his birthday was. He replied, "Oh, my birthday is actually in September. That's from last year. They just saved it and left it there for this year. That's Hondurans for you!"
Today was our last day at the worksite and I'm proud to present the 3 classroom walls that have now been added to the middle school in La Democracia. 4 days worth of cement mixing, block stacking, plastering, and digging. All of that work and this is what we have to show for it.
(Insert picture)
It may not be much, but it's something, and the workers and SHH worked super hard to begin the foundation for the new classrooms!
After we got back from the worksite, we had some free time. There was soccer with the villagers, making dinner with the kids at the children's home, or just walking around and socializing with the locals until dinner was ready. I bought a few things from some of the girls that live in the village and walked around with some volunteers. It was nice to really take in the sights and people for my last day in Villa Soleada. I have one more day left in Villa, but we will be at the beach all day tomorrow and then my flight leaves at 7:30am on Saturday.
Home sickness hit today, so I talked with my mom for a bit. It's nice to hear her voice, and I know she's looking forward to having me come home on Saturday. I'll be bummed to leave Honduras, but I miss my home, my mom, my friends, and my kids at work.
After our delicious taco dinner we had more free time and optional salsa lessons from one of the volunteers. I also got to bond a little longer with John Carlos and he even added me on Facebook! The volunteers had a reflection circle on the past week and it was emotional to hear everybody's ups and down from this week. I feel like the people I've met here, I've known for so long! I will certainly miss these crazy ladies (and Josè!)
Tomorrow is the beach during the day and the club at night! I'm pumped to experience some personal time with the volunteers and finally get to do some souvenir shopping!
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Day 5: Livin' Life Like A Honduran
Today I woke up bright and early to the smell of French toast and eggs and watermelon for breakfast! If there's one things Students Helping Honduras does amazingly for its volunteers, it's feeding us!
Before we got to the worksite, our bus made a stop at the supermarket for currency exchange and to restock supplies we may have run out of. But you haven't seen "gringas" until you've seen us girls running around the Honduran supermarket filled with awe and excitement at the sweets, fresh fruit, and colorful packaging.
Culture Shock of the Day:
Everything is SO CHEAP here. I bought two big bags of lollipops (for my kids back home), some toffee for my mom (surprise mom!), shampoo, conditioner, and Honduran beer, and my total was $8.
It was really exciting, and I was able to get change for my American money in limpiras (Honduran money).
The work site was pretty productive today. The heat was super intense and we had to take frequent breaks. We had a fun time being silly today!
For lunch we had this amazing Honduran pasta, and we all shared our stories of how we came to join Students Helping Honduras. It was awesome getting to hear my new friends' stories, and learn more about them!
After work the fun began! There were organized cage soccer matches for the kids of Villa Soleada and us to play in! The girls played first and it got intense! The Hondurans were quick and strategic. They played aggressively, but with a good attitude. I played goalie and made a ton of saves, but also let 4 goals in. After that I stepped out and played the field for awhile. Getting to play soccer in HONDURAS with the locals and with this gorgeous view is an experience I'll never forget!
(Insert picture)
After the boys played, we hopped on the bus and went back to the village for dinner. We had rice and veggies with chicken, and everybody bonded really nicely. I love getting to know these lovely ladies (and Jose and Shin). Everybody comes from different places, and different backgrounds and were all brought together by this organization. It's crazy!
Shin told us his stories about founding Students helping Honduras tonight. From scrubbing toilets for donations, to the Walk-a-thon he did with his sister that raised $82,000 there was never a dull moment. He had every reason to give up and 100 more to keep going. He faced gang raids, crazy Hondurans, corrupt orphanages and politicians, and Shin still uprooted his life (at age 20), and decided not to go to med school, but instead begin this organization. An organization that has provided countless homes for Honduran families, a boys and girls home for children without families, and a bilingual school. It's the most amazing journey I've ever heard about. a true inspiration.
After today, a shower has never felt so good! I can't wait for our last day of work tomorrow! Buenas nochas!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Day 4: Halfway There
Today we finally got to work on the middle school in La Democracia. I became a master at mixing cement and plastering walls. It was a lot of hard labor and the sun was intense. I learned some new words in Spanish and we got a fair amount done.
One of the girls fell off the support beam today and a cylinder block fell on her head. It was really scary and she showed signs of a major concussion. She went to the hospital and by lunch time, a bunch of helmets were brought in for us working on the top of the building and underneath the beams. There's not much that can be done for her here, but she definitely has to take it easy for the rest of the week.
Everybody took a break to hydrate and relax, however I made a beeline for the children playing soccer. I passed around and even got sucked into playing keep away with some of the younger boys. Even though I couldn't speak Spanish to them, I finally had a way to connect with the kids...soccer!
Lunch was AMAZING. We had burritos with fresh ingredients. Honduras food puts Chipotle to shame.
After lunch a man named Marco told us his story of how he overcame drugs and alcohol and gangs and how he found SHH. He led a difficult life, but is now a happy and blessed man with 3 beautiful sons and a lovely wife. It was incredibly inspirational.
"You don't need a gun or knife to kill a loved one. Sometimes it's just your actions, and that's what I was doing to my mother" --Marco
The work we got done today felt greater than the work we did yesterday. I felt very productive and in the zone. The kids came out for recess from the part of the school that's already completed and it was a continuous reminder through out the day of who all this hard work really was for. It wasn't for us, to make ourselves feel like we were some charitable good-doers; it was for the children.
Culture Shock of the Day:
The children are incredibly affectionate. I'm used to working in an environment where holding a child or touching kids or letting them sit on you is typically discouraged (not the preschool, but definitely the elementary and middle schools). Here the children will climb into your arms, kiss your cheek, hold your hand, and hug you without even knowing your name. Stranger danger isn't a known concept here. American children are more shy and withdrawn for sure.
When we arrived back to the Villa Soleada, my roommate Alana and I went venturing off and met a couple of village kids. They were so helpful and let me practice my Spanish on them. The children typically resolve their issues physically and I found my inner teacher coming out. I broke up various cat fights and was telling the children I didn't like the fighting. It's shocking to see 9 year old girls kicking and slapping and pulling each other's hair.
To wrap up the night we watched A movie called "Sin Nombre". It was about a gang member who murdered the leader of his MS-13 gang (after the leader killed his gf while trying to violate her) and was attempting to violate another young girl who was running north to the border con her padre y tīo. He was on the run with this girl and the film realistically follows them and you see an accurate depiction of what it's like for illegal immigrants trying to make a run for it to the US. To be so unhappy with their lives in their countries and want better for themselves and their family that they'd risk everything, including their lives to get to the USA for just a small shot at making a fresh start. When have I ever felt so unhappy that I would want to leave my country? Never. We make jokes like "Oh if so and so is president, I'm moving to Canada!" But the reality is that as US citizens our lives are blessed and wonderful, and people would risk it all to be able to live where we live. To feel safe at night, to get an education, and to be happy. It had more of an impact than I ever expected it to.
Tomorrow we head back to the middle school to continue what we've started. I'm sure I'll be super sore mañana! ¡Adios!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Day 3: The Work Begins
(Uploading pictures sucks, so pictures won't be able to be uploaded until the day after I make a blog post. That's Honduran Internet for ya!)
So my morning started off a disaster. I don't know if it was something I ate, but I got pretty sick. One of my trip leaders recommended that I stay in the hostel today and rest, so I begrudgingly agreed. I spent the time practicing some of my Spanish, and I only threw up once.
Luckily around 11, the woman who takes lunch to the worksite offered to drive me and another trip leader Amy (coolest girl ever) to the worksite if I was feeling better around noon. Well, I bounced back pretty quickly and Amy and I caught a ride with her and a couple other people.
Something I love about Honduras is how the people are like never ending taxi drivers for one another. You see a woman with groceries and her house is on the way to your destination? You pick her up and drop her off, no questions asked.
The most exciting part of arriving late was that Amy and I got to ride in the bed of the truck that drove us. I stood the entire time and took in EVERYTHING. We went speeding through El Progreso and I thought I would die a good 5 times, but it was so much fun! There is no better way to ride in a foreign country than the way the locals do it! It was a totally different experience in comparison to the volunteer bus I usually ride. I felt so connected, and like I was one of the locals. I'm pretty sure I was grinning like an idiot the entire ride.
Culture Shock Moment of the Day:
Armed guards stand in front of most stores, and while they're typically friendly, they carry pretty huge guns with em.
We finally arrived and brought the food out to the work site. Everybody cheered out my name and were incredibly welcoming to Amy and me. I felt like Katniss Everdeen riding in on my fire chariot when we rolled in with me standing on the back of the truck!
For lunch we had kabobs and tortillas and fresh pineapple. I only ate a bit because my stomach was recovering, but it was a very good lunch.
We got stuck in a heavy rain storm that delayed us getting back to work, but we spent a good 3 hours working on the school we were building. I did a lot of shoveling, spreading cement and throwing mud with the kids. I even played with a perroita (puppy) that the kids brought out to show us.
I witnessed a lot of hard work today from Students Helping Honduras and the community members that helped. We all made an excellent team! It wasn't all work either; people were socializing, laughing, and flirting (Honduran boys are shameless). I was pretty focused on working since I had missed the morning, and the language barrier still proves difficult for me, but I spoke a little more to the children and it went well! Here is a boy named Darwin that I met, and his puppy that was unnamed. I suggested Socks and he just laughed at me.
On a side note, the Hondurans love Skrillex and Eminem. Who knew?
On the way home we visited a young girl's grave site. Her name was Abigail and she died of cancer last May. She lived in the girls' home in the orphanage run by SHH. She was 8. I never knew her, but I do know my kids who are 8, and they're barely at the start of their lives. Entering 2nd grade, making friends, learning about life...it's too damn young. Hondurans leave so many flowers for their deceased loved ones. Each grave is a mini floral shop. It's beautiful in a dark sort of way.
On a happier note, dinner was muy bien and hopefully I won't wake up at 5am with my face in the toilet. For dessert we got "Honduran donuts" which for the record are way better than American donuts.
In the evening we had a bonfire with the kids and I met a 14 year old boy named John Carlos who allowed me to practice my broken Spanish on him. He was playful and encouraging and practiced his English on me. It was really comforting having somebody so patient that didn't snicker at me every time I mispronounced a word.
But over all today was a solid day, and I'm sure tomorrow my roommates and I can joke about how the only Honduran native in the group was the only one to get sick!
So my morning started off a disaster. I don't know if it was something I ate, but I got pretty sick. One of my trip leaders recommended that I stay in the hostel today and rest, so I begrudgingly agreed. I spent the time practicing some of my Spanish, and I only threw up once.
Luckily around 11, the woman who takes lunch to the worksite offered to drive me and another trip leader Amy (coolest girl ever) to the worksite if I was feeling better around noon. Well, I bounced back pretty quickly and Amy and I caught a ride with her and a couple other people.
Something I love about Honduras is how the people are like never ending taxi drivers for one another. You see a woman with groceries and her house is on the way to your destination? You pick her up and drop her off, no questions asked.
The most exciting part of arriving late was that Amy and I got to ride in the bed of the truck that drove us. I stood the entire time and took in EVERYTHING. We went speeding through El Progreso and I thought I would die a good 5 times, but it was so much fun! There is no better way to ride in a foreign country than the way the locals do it! It was a totally different experience in comparison to the volunteer bus I usually ride. I felt so connected, and like I was one of the locals. I'm pretty sure I was grinning like an idiot the entire ride.
Culture Shock Moment of the Day:
Armed guards stand in front of most stores, and while they're typically friendly, they carry pretty huge guns with em.
We finally arrived and brought the food out to the work site. Everybody cheered out my name and were incredibly welcoming to Amy and me. I felt like Katniss Everdeen riding in on my fire chariot when we rolled in with me standing on the back of the truck!
For lunch we had kabobs and tortillas and fresh pineapple. I only ate a bit because my stomach was recovering, but it was a very good lunch.
We got stuck in a heavy rain storm that delayed us getting back to work, but we spent a good 3 hours working on the school we were building. I did a lot of shoveling, spreading cement and throwing mud with the kids. I even played with a perroita (puppy) that the kids brought out to show us.
I witnessed a lot of hard work today from Students Helping Honduras and the community members that helped. We all made an excellent team! It wasn't all work either; people were socializing, laughing, and flirting (Honduran boys are shameless). I was pretty focused on working since I had missed the morning, and the language barrier still proves difficult for me, but I spoke a little more to the children and it went well! Here is a boy named Darwin that I met, and his puppy that was unnamed. I suggested Socks and he just laughed at me.
On a side note, the Hondurans love Skrillex and Eminem. Who knew?
On the way home we visited a young girl's grave site. Her name was Abigail and she died of cancer last May. She lived in the girls' home in the orphanage run by SHH. She was 8. I never knew her, but I do know my kids who are 8, and they're barely at the start of their lives. Entering 2nd grade, making friends, learning about life...it's too damn young. Hondurans leave so many flowers for their deceased loved ones. Each grave is a mini floral shop. It's beautiful in a dark sort of way.
On a happier note, dinner was muy bien and hopefully I won't wake up at 5am with my face in the toilet. For dessert we got "Honduran donuts" which for the record are way better than American donuts.
In the evening we had a bonfire with the kids and I met a 14 year old boy named John Carlos who allowed me to practice my broken Spanish on him. He was playful and encouraging and practiced his English on me. It was really comforting having somebody so patient that didn't snicker at me every time I mispronounced a word.
But over all today was a solid day, and I'm sure tomorrow my roommates and I can joke about how the only Honduran native in the group was the only one to get sick!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
First Day Fun
So pictures aren't posting so well unfortunately, and I can only post so many in a day. I'll have to update that when I get home. Until then y'all will have to use your imaginations!
Today for lunch we got to make baleadas (Honduran burritos) and pastelitos de piña (pineapple pastries) with a local Honduran family. I became quite the expert at tortilla making!
I'm continuously being targeted to buy crafts from the village women and children. Clearly I have SUCKER written across my forehead. However, I don't mind so much. Already I see improvements in my Spanish. I'm still too shy to speak, but I can understand when I'm spoken to fairly well.
There was a bunch of rain today, but it didn't deter the volunteers from going out and getting muddy and playing soccer with the kids. The language barrier is making it difficult to socialize with the kids, though I did bond with an adolescent girl today who liked my nail polish and let me give her a manicure.
Dinner was delicious, and all these new foods are so much fun to try! We had a ton of down time today which was nice and awful at the same time. Today went by really slowly because we weren't working, so the days should pick up! It was nice to have time to explore a bit, and chit chat with the locals. Luckily, tomorrow should be busier and filled with more activities!
Until tomorrow, buenas nochas!
Today for lunch we got to make baleadas (Honduran burritos) and pastelitos de piña (pineapple pastries) with a local Honduran family. I became quite the expert at tortilla making!
I'm continuously being targeted to buy crafts from the village women and children. Clearly I have SUCKER written across my forehead. However, I don't mind so much. Already I see improvements in my Spanish. I'm still too shy to speak, but I can understand when I'm spoken to fairly well.
There was a bunch of rain today, but it didn't deter the volunteers from going out and getting muddy and playing soccer with the kids. The language barrier is making it difficult to socialize with the kids, though I did bond with an adolescent girl today who liked my nail polish and let me give her a manicure.
Dinner was delicious, and all these new foods are so much fun to try! We had a ton of down time today which was nice and awful at the same time. Today went by really slowly because we weren't working, so the days should pick up! It was nice to have time to explore a bit, and chit chat with the locals. Luckily, tomorrow should be busier and filled with more activities!
Until tomorrow, buenas nochas!
Day 2: Greetings from El Progreso
Buenos Dias from Honduras!
Last night I got in late and got settled at a satellite housing place for volunteers who arrived too late to go directly to the Volunteer Hostel. The woman who made up a bed for me and 2 other girls was sweet and encouraged me to speak Spanish, even though I was super shy about it.
My only complaint so far, no AC. But there are numerous fans, so it's absolutely bearable. I had some trouble sleeping, mostly from excitement, but I managed to squeeze in a few good hours of sleep!
And then of course I got to wake up to this spectacular view. The picture doesn't do it justice.
For breakfast the woman who took care of us last night bought us the world's most delicious pineapple. I told her how much I loved it and she pulled over at the nearest truck and bought me some. It was muy bien!
My hostel is nice, and I'm rooming with about 5 other lovely ladies, including the 2 sweet girls from last night. My trip is all girls with the exception of one guy, but he's older and keeps to himself more. Everybody is so friendly, I really had nothing to worry about!
I also got to meet Shin, the guy who founded Students Helping Honduras. He's extremely nice, and the work he's done here is just...amazing. He's brilliant!
Today we toured the different villages that we are going to be volunteering in. I fell in love with the village of La Democracia where we will be building a middle school for the children, whose school was devastated by a flood from 1998. 16 years is too long for any child to wait to receive an education. I can't wait to get started.
Something I love about Honduras is how free roaming the animals are. I'm always within feet of a random dog or horse or a group of chickens clucking madly.
Will post again tonight! Time to mingle with the villagers!
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Day 1: I'm Comin' Home
It's been awhile since I've posted anything on this blog; I'm a very busy woman. Okay, so not that busy. In all honesty I forgot I had a blog until I decided I wanted some way to write about my travel experiences that I could share with family and friends. But nonetheless here I am, and here goes nothing!
A couple months ago I decided I wanted to travel back to the country I was adopted from 23 years ago. Through support from family and friends, I was able to raise enough funds to fly down with an organization called Students Helping Honduras. Through this organization, I will be helping to build a school, and work with the children of La Progreso through gang prevention and tutoring English. I haven't been back to Honduras since I was adopted, and this trip is very meaningful to me. Today actually marks my 23rd Gotcha Day, otherwise known as the celebratory day an adopted child comes home.
So now I'm currently sitting at the bar in The Houston Airport sipping a Sam Adams and marveling at how indeed, everything is bigger in Texas, and there is no way I'm finishing my steak burger. I have 2 and a half more hours until my flight to Honduras and I can barely contain my excitement! I'm also praying that there are no children on this flight, seeing as my flight from DC was terrorized by a toddler with pigtails and incredibly powerful lungs. For now I can just sit back, drink, and watch the poor Canadian man sitting next to me awkwardly trying to cease conversation with the bartender, whose voice reminds me of Minnie Mouse...how unfortunate.
Until next time...See y'all in Honduras! Adios!
A couple months ago I decided I wanted to travel back to the country I was adopted from 23 years ago. Through support from family and friends, I was able to raise enough funds to fly down with an organization called Students Helping Honduras. Through this organization, I will be helping to build a school, and work with the children of La Progreso through gang prevention and tutoring English. I haven't been back to Honduras since I was adopted, and this trip is very meaningful to me. Today actually marks my 23rd Gotcha Day, otherwise known as the celebratory day an adopted child comes home.
So now I'm currently sitting at the bar in The Houston Airport sipping a Sam Adams and marveling at how indeed, everything is bigger in Texas, and there is no way I'm finishing my steak burger. I have 2 and a half more hours until my flight to Honduras and I can barely contain my excitement! I'm also praying that there are no children on this flight, seeing as my flight from DC was terrorized by a toddler with pigtails and incredibly powerful lungs. For now I can just sit back, drink, and watch the poor Canadian man sitting next to me awkwardly trying to cease conversation with the bartender, whose voice reminds me of Minnie Mouse...how unfortunate.
Until next time...See y'all in Honduras! Adios!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)