Monday May 17th 2010 9:15pm
At the advice of my mother, I am updating my blog.
I figured I might as well call this entry "Wrap" for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, it is because it will be a very brief summary of what I've been doing for the past two weeks. Second and secondmost, I've been watching a lot of online Red's games, and they call the postgame summary "the Wrap."
Two weekends ago, I was fortunate enough to visit Betza's family in the country again. This time, I knew what I was getting in to, and was able to be present for a beautiful wedding. Her sister (one of nine sisters) was getting married, and I was invited.
Little did I know the roles I would play throughout the course of the wedding day.
Because I couldn't ride in the bus, due to motion sickness, I borrowed the Batalla vehicle from the office and drove three of Betza's sisters and one niece three hours to Piedra Gorda (Fat Rock). The drive is half on paved roads, half not, which makes for an interesting journey.
When I got to the house, I was immediately sent out again with a few of the brothers in law to run some errands. Being the only one with a vehicle, it made sense. We drove all over town, and into the next town picking up people, gifts, and various marital odds and wedding ends.
Upon my return to the house, it was revealed to me that no one knew how to tie a tie. My duty then became to tie every male (including the groom's) tie until everyone was dressed.
Finally we were ready for the wedding. We walked over across the soccer field to the church, the groom walked down the aisle, and we sang a few songs. And the bride wasn't there. And we sang a few more songs. And the bride wasn't there. And we sang for an hour and a half and the bride wasn't there.
Don't worry like I did. This is customary.
I was called out of the church, and was asked if I could drive the bride across the dusty soccer field up to the church. I was more than happy to do so, and ran back to the house, got the bride, and drove over.
The exchanging of vows, rings, and a brief homily took all of ten minutes.
Then we sang for another hour and a half. When we started to leave, many commented on how quickly the service passed, and how short the wedding was. There wasn't really a reception, but people grabbed food on their way out.
I listened to the sounds of farm animals all night as I tried to sleep. The next morning was mother's day, and we all had a ten minute long prayer where we thanked the Lord for our mothers. There were special prayers for my mother who was "suffering" so far away from her children on the special day. I had no idea that mothers day was such a big deal here!
Since then, we have still been without internet and phones in the office. I have been working a couple of days up at our retreat center at Monte Carmelo helping out with an inventory up there. It has been nice to have something to do.
We would like to go every day so that we could get the inventory done, but people don't have enough money to do so. No one in the office has been paid in two months, and there is no sign of when they will recieve their next pay check.
Right now the plan is for me to finish out this week, and then take next week off to relax, vacation a little bit, and prepare for my journey home. I will try to keep everyone posted.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Semi Weekly Update
Tuesday May 4th 2010 4:00pm
Since last Saturday, I found out that I was accepted to Union Theological Seminary for fall of 2010. It was another piece of my life that has fallen into place and it was certainly reassuring to know that I have a plan for this fall.
The rest of the week did not go so well. Monday one of our guards at the office passed away. He was found in our bathroom shot in the head. The original police reports said that it was a suicide, but a subswequent report said that it could not have been suicide, which heavily implicated one of our other guards in a possible murder.
I went in last Tuesday, wehre I faced a melancholic scene of sad faces, and the weight of what had just happened. I asked Marisela how it was that police reports could change with such speed and ease, and she just rubbed her thumb against her fingers, giving the the sign for "money money money."
I knew Juan fairly well. It was not uncommon for us to talk briefly in the mornings when I came in, especially on Saturdays when I had more spare time at the seminary.
We didn't work for the rest of the week because Noemi told us that we didn't have any internet. Also for the rest of the week, it rained, it poured, it stormed, and I was stuck indoors from Wednesday through Sunday.
On Saturday, I awoke to the sound of gunshots on the street and helicopters whirring above my aparment. There was a parade/protest happening outside in the rain, and the gunshots were purely out of excitement. They sure did make me jump right out of bed.
Sunday, there was enough of a break in the rain that I went up to Plaza and was able to watch Iron Man 2. To my knowledge, the movie isn't even out in the US yet, which surprised me because we are normally quite behind the movie timelines here in Honduras.
Monday I was told we were going back to the office, but late on on Sunday night, I got a phone call saying that the office was still closed. In the week that I spent out of the office, I was able to finish two books.
Today was the first time I went to the office since last TUesday, and sure enough we still did not have working internet. Our phones were cut too. Apparently, we are a bit behind in some of our payments.
Speaking of payments, I just paid my last month's rent here, and am looking forward to my return flight on May 28th!
Since last Saturday, I found out that I was accepted to Union Theological Seminary for fall of 2010. It was another piece of my life that has fallen into place and it was certainly reassuring to know that I have a plan for this fall.
The rest of the week did not go so well. Monday one of our guards at the office passed away. He was found in our bathroom shot in the head. The original police reports said that it was a suicide, but a subswequent report said that it could not have been suicide, which heavily implicated one of our other guards in a possible murder.
I went in last Tuesday, wehre I faced a melancholic scene of sad faces, and the weight of what had just happened. I asked Marisela how it was that police reports could change with such speed and ease, and she just rubbed her thumb against her fingers, giving the the sign for "money money money."
I knew Juan fairly well. It was not uncommon for us to talk briefly in the mornings when I came in, especially on Saturdays when I had more spare time at the seminary.
We didn't work for the rest of the week because Noemi told us that we didn't have any internet. Also for the rest of the week, it rained, it poured, it stormed, and I was stuck indoors from Wednesday through Sunday.
On Saturday, I awoke to the sound of gunshots on the street and helicopters whirring above my aparment. There was a parade/protest happening outside in the rain, and the gunshots were purely out of excitement. They sure did make me jump right out of bed.
Sunday, there was enough of a break in the rain that I went up to Plaza and was able to watch Iron Man 2. To my knowledge, the movie isn't even out in the US yet, which surprised me because we are normally quite behind the movie timelines here in Honduras.
Monday I was told we were going back to the office, but late on on Sunday night, I got a phone call saying that the office was still closed. In the week that I spent out of the office, I was able to finish two books.
Today was the first time I went to the office since last TUesday, and sure enough we still did not have working internet. Our phones were cut too. Apparently, we are a bit behind in some of our payments.
Speaking of payments, I just paid my last month's rent here, and am looking forward to my return flight on May 28th!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Morning Commute
Saturday April 24th 2010 9:45 am
I know that I have gotten out of the habit of writing daily, but this is largely indicative of my fallen out of the habit of doing anywhing worth writing about. To sum up the past week, I have spent my time reading, sending a few emails, and not being entirely productive. There were no translations for me to do at work the past week. Not one.
Perhaps the only thing worth note this past week has been the weather. Most people that I know back in Ohio often complain over how rapidly the weather changes and is completely unpredictable. Trust me when I say that we should prefer this system of weather. Up until my return visit at the end of March, it had not rained a drop in Tegucigalpa since January. For three months, it was hot and very dry. For the past two weeks, it has rained every day and stormed almost every night. The ever changing weather patterns of the midwest are far superior to three months of drought followed by a month of rain.
I had been hoping that something would occur that would be significant enough for me to write about, and unfortunately this morning, something did.
After getting ready to come to the office, I flagged down a taxi and made my way to the office. The price was good, but I was wary of the driver taking an alternate route. I figured maybe he knew some traffic pattern from the morning and was trying to avoid the back-up. When we stopped for gas, I decided that his lack of fuel must have been the reason for his unorthodox route to Colonia La Era.
He had no money yet that morning, so I paid him my fee, and he used all of the money to pay for the gas. We continued down unfamiliar streets, but I knew that we were generally progressing towards the office.
Backroads turned into dirt roads, and soon I was lost. I knew where I was in relation to the office, but I had no longer knew how to get to any major roads. Without warning, the driver pulled off to the side of the dirt road and told me that he wouldn't go any further.
"You have to, I already paid you!"
"I can't, no taxis drive in this neighborhood."
"I know, its because you took a terrible way to get to La Era. You drove here, I already paid you, you HAVE to take me!" (I don't often shout out of anger, but this guy made me pretty furious)
"Just give me more money, and I'll take you!"
"I'm not giving you any more money! We already agreed on a price, now drive!"
He turned off his engine, folded his arms, and said he wouldn't drive any further, and that I had to get out of the car.
"I'm not walking in this neighborhood! At least drive me back to another road so I can get another taxi!"
"I'm not driving you any further until you pay me more!" He leaned over to open my door and started pushing me.
"I'm not giving you ANY MORE MONEY!"
With that, he turned towards the window and started to reach for something. I didn't stick around to see what it was. I jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut and began to walk in the direction I thought the office was.
I had been taught that when unarmed in a dangerous neighborhood, probably the best defense was to make yourself look big and angry. I didn't have to act. I was pretty livid. For a culture known to have close personal boundaries, I was pleasantly surprised with the distance people kept from me, though I'm sure the look on my face told anyone who saw it to "stay away."
Luckily after a couple of twists and turns, I got onto a paved road, and followed it until I knew where I was. The crazy taxi driver was right, there were no other taxis in the area. To me this proved less that he was right, and more that this was not be best neighborhood to be walking around in. I estimated that I probably walked about a mile and a half to get to the office.
I finally arrived around 9:40, hot and sweaty from the long walk and from my frustration.
What was normally a 20 minute commute had turned into an hour long debacle, but I was finally at the office, and I finally had something to write about.
I know that I have gotten out of the habit of writing daily, but this is largely indicative of my fallen out of the habit of doing anywhing worth writing about. To sum up the past week, I have spent my time reading, sending a few emails, and not being entirely productive. There were no translations for me to do at work the past week. Not one.
Perhaps the only thing worth note this past week has been the weather. Most people that I know back in Ohio often complain over how rapidly the weather changes and is completely unpredictable. Trust me when I say that we should prefer this system of weather. Up until my return visit at the end of March, it had not rained a drop in Tegucigalpa since January. For three months, it was hot and very dry. For the past two weeks, it has rained every day and stormed almost every night. The ever changing weather patterns of the midwest are far superior to three months of drought followed by a month of rain.
I had been hoping that something would occur that would be significant enough for me to write about, and unfortunately this morning, something did.
After getting ready to come to the office, I flagged down a taxi and made my way to the office. The price was good, but I was wary of the driver taking an alternate route. I figured maybe he knew some traffic pattern from the morning and was trying to avoid the back-up. When we stopped for gas, I decided that his lack of fuel must have been the reason for his unorthodox route to Colonia La Era.
He had no money yet that morning, so I paid him my fee, and he used all of the money to pay for the gas. We continued down unfamiliar streets, but I knew that we were generally progressing towards the office.
Backroads turned into dirt roads, and soon I was lost. I knew where I was in relation to the office, but I had no longer knew how to get to any major roads. Without warning, the driver pulled off to the side of the dirt road and told me that he wouldn't go any further.
"You have to, I already paid you!"
"I can't, no taxis drive in this neighborhood."
"I know, its because you took a terrible way to get to La Era. You drove here, I already paid you, you HAVE to take me!" (I don't often shout out of anger, but this guy made me pretty furious)
"Just give me more money, and I'll take you!"
"I'm not giving you any more money! We already agreed on a price, now drive!"
He turned off his engine, folded his arms, and said he wouldn't drive any further, and that I had to get out of the car.
"I'm not walking in this neighborhood! At least drive me back to another road so I can get another taxi!"
"I'm not driving you any further until you pay me more!" He leaned over to open my door and started pushing me.
"I'm not giving you ANY MORE MONEY!"
With that, he turned towards the window and started to reach for something. I didn't stick around to see what it was. I jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut and began to walk in the direction I thought the office was.
I had been taught that when unarmed in a dangerous neighborhood, probably the best defense was to make yourself look big and angry. I didn't have to act. I was pretty livid. For a culture known to have close personal boundaries, I was pleasantly surprised with the distance people kept from me, though I'm sure the look on my face told anyone who saw it to "stay away."
Luckily after a couple of twists and turns, I got onto a paved road, and followed it until I knew where I was. The crazy taxi driver was right, there were no other taxis in the area. To me this proved less that he was right, and more that this was not be best neighborhood to be walking around in. I estimated that I probably walked about a mile and a half to get to the office.
I finally arrived around 9:40, hot and sweaty from the long walk and from my frustration.
What was normally a 20 minute commute had turned into an hour long debacle, but I was finally at the office, and I finally had something to write about.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
100th Post
Saturday April 17th 2010 9:30am
I almost labeled this entry "Some Scares" but with it being my 100th post, I figured that I might as well acknowledge the milestone.
Wednesday
As I sat typing out an entry to my blog, our office heard a shot. It was close, but not as close as the ones that killed the woman right outside of our office. Some people decided to go investigate, but I decided to stay put at my desk this time. A few minutes later, they came back without any news. There were no crowds or anything on the street, and apparently the shot had either been a misfire, or someone playing around.
I still felt a little shaky that afternoon, and was happy to go home right at 4:00. That evening, I made a frozen pizza and played RISK with Ellen and Brian. We had planned it so that we would all eat pizza and play together. Again, it really sounded like a cool idea, but when I type it out like this, it feels very nerdy.
Later that evening I read some of "The Whiskey Rebels" a historical fiction book about post-Revolutionary Americans. My parents had loaned me the book, and I can see why they like it. I also watched a couple of episodes of Modern Family, which helped to relax me and help me enjoy my evening.
As I tried to lay down to sleep, a storm rolled in and the rain thundered above my head. I drifted off, but was awake again around 2:00am when a huge thunderclap shook the whole building. The rainy season is upon us.
Thursday
With less than nothing to do in the office, I have been using my time at a computer all day to write little short stories, Saturday Night Live-esque sketches, and some random free-writes. It takes up some time at the office. I did a translation for Marisela Thursday afternoon, and felt good about having something to do.
I had noticed that Noemi hadn't been around the office much and asked Marisela if there was a reason for her absense. Apparently I was the only one left out of the loop, but on Monday Noemi and her husband had been robbed. Her husband had pulled into their garage after work and several masked men dragged him inside, tied him to a chair, then robbed the house. They have taken the week off to change locks, talk with police, and settle down a bit. When the locksmiths came, they told Noemi that they had been really busy and as of that afternoon had already visited 10 different houses to change their locks just that day.
That evening, there was no Thursday night television, so I read some more and played EXILE. As I was playing, I saw a lightning flash, and the rain immediately began dumping on the city. I even got used to the sound of the rain on the roof, and was able to sleep fine.
Friday
I have been taking taxis to get to work since Freddy doesn't work with the CCD anymore. It is an expensive habit, and I realize how much I had taken for granted the free rides from Freddy. Friday morning I had a very talkative taxi driver named Franco. When I told him about how I worked at a Christian organization for Development he proceeded to tell me about most all of his personal beliefs and how they were formed. There was a lot of traffic that morning, which allowed for him to manage to squeeze in most of his faith story in the ride to the office.
At first I was slightly annoyed by his incessant talking, not by the subject matter. I paused later and thought about how much more freely people discuss religion here. I believe that it stems from a comfort that 97% of the time, most of the people here are speaking with another Catholic, and 99.9% of the time they are at least speaking with another Christian, who more often than not goes to church every Sunday.
I definitely respected Franco's readiness to discuss his religious beliefs, and thought I could certainly learn something from him.
The work day it self was unproductive, as Marisela, Alfreddy, and Nancy were gone for the whole day which left me with nothing to do.
After work, I bought some groceries from Plaza and headed back to my apartment. I talked with the landlady (Lady) for a while about how I was going to have to leave at the end of May. She seemed disappointed with my imminent departure.
I made some spaghetti for dinner, and watched the online version of the Reds game. I couldn't get audio, but I got second by second updates. I don't really want to talk about the game though...it was not the best ending.
I almost labeled this entry "Some Scares" but with it being my 100th post, I figured that I might as well acknowledge the milestone.
Wednesday
As I sat typing out an entry to my blog, our office heard a shot. It was close, but not as close as the ones that killed the woman right outside of our office. Some people decided to go investigate, but I decided to stay put at my desk this time. A few minutes later, they came back without any news. There were no crowds or anything on the street, and apparently the shot had either been a misfire, or someone playing around.
I still felt a little shaky that afternoon, and was happy to go home right at 4:00. That evening, I made a frozen pizza and played RISK with Ellen and Brian. We had planned it so that we would all eat pizza and play together. Again, it really sounded like a cool idea, but when I type it out like this, it feels very nerdy.
Later that evening I read some of "The Whiskey Rebels" a historical fiction book about post-Revolutionary Americans. My parents had loaned me the book, and I can see why they like it. I also watched a couple of episodes of Modern Family, which helped to relax me and help me enjoy my evening.
As I tried to lay down to sleep, a storm rolled in and the rain thundered above my head. I drifted off, but was awake again around 2:00am when a huge thunderclap shook the whole building. The rainy season is upon us.
Thursday
With less than nothing to do in the office, I have been using my time at a computer all day to write little short stories, Saturday Night Live-esque sketches, and some random free-writes. It takes up some time at the office. I did a translation for Marisela Thursday afternoon, and felt good about having something to do.
I had noticed that Noemi hadn't been around the office much and asked Marisela if there was a reason for her absense. Apparently I was the only one left out of the loop, but on Monday Noemi and her husband had been robbed. Her husband had pulled into their garage after work and several masked men dragged him inside, tied him to a chair, then robbed the house. They have taken the week off to change locks, talk with police, and settle down a bit. When the locksmiths came, they told Noemi that they had been really busy and as of that afternoon had already visited 10 different houses to change their locks just that day.
That evening, there was no Thursday night television, so I read some more and played EXILE. As I was playing, I saw a lightning flash, and the rain immediately began dumping on the city. I even got used to the sound of the rain on the roof, and was able to sleep fine.
Friday
I have been taking taxis to get to work since Freddy doesn't work with the CCD anymore. It is an expensive habit, and I realize how much I had taken for granted the free rides from Freddy. Friday morning I had a very talkative taxi driver named Franco. When I told him about how I worked at a Christian organization for Development he proceeded to tell me about most all of his personal beliefs and how they were formed. There was a lot of traffic that morning, which allowed for him to manage to squeeze in most of his faith story in the ride to the office.
At first I was slightly annoyed by his incessant talking, not by the subject matter. I paused later and thought about how much more freely people discuss religion here. I believe that it stems from a comfort that 97% of the time, most of the people here are speaking with another Catholic, and 99.9% of the time they are at least speaking with another Christian, who more often than not goes to church every Sunday.
I definitely respected Franco's readiness to discuss his religious beliefs, and thought I could certainly learn something from him.
The work day it self was unproductive, as Marisela, Alfreddy, and Nancy were gone for the whole day which left me with nothing to do.
After work, I bought some groceries from Plaza and headed back to my apartment. I talked with the landlady (Lady) for a while about how I was going to have to leave at the end of May. She seemed disappointed with my imminent departure.
I made some spaghetti for dinner, and watched the online version of the Reds game. I couldn't get audio, but I got second by second updates. I don't really want to talk about the game though...it was not the best ending.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Time Filling
Wednesday April 14th 2010 10:00am
I have been very counsious about not having written for the last few days. I did this on purpose. Knowing that I don't have much work to do at the office, I tried to save up some of the weekend events to write about, but yesterday I had to go home from the office early, and didn't get a chance to write everything down. What? Why did I go home early? Did something happen? Stay tuned...you'll see.
Sunday
Hortencia, Betza's sister had called me Sunday morning to invite me over to their house (in the city this time) for a birthday party for their niece who was turning one. I was excited to get out of the house, and around 1:30, I drove over in the green truck that the office had lent me.
I had just gotten on the main road to take me to Betza's apartment, when all of the cars ahead of me started slowing down. As I crept closer, I could see people in the street. About 100 or so young men between 16 and 20 or so were in the street banging on cars. I saw some cars give money to the boys and then drive off. Some cars were being pounded on and shaken. I rolled my window up as I got closer, got a little bit of money out just in case, and prepped for the worst.
When they started coming towards my car, they had dispersed somewhat, and I was able to drive through them and on down the road away from the crowd.
I got to Betza's around 2:00, and was welcomed in to see most of the family that I had met when I accidentally went to the country back in November. Edgardo was there too, and I spent a while talking with him and with the pastor from their church.
A little while later, the festivities started including a pinata for the one year old, a lot of songs, and a lot of prayers from the pastor and various members of the family. After the pinata finally broke, each one of Betza's siblings took a turn introducing me to their female co workers. It was like some sort of weird dating show. I felt very awkward as I was shuffled around from room to room, and just when I felt comfortable enough to actually engage in a conversation with someone, another sibling would usher me off to meeet their co workers.
I left around 5:00 after some picture taking, and many thanks to my hosts for the invitation, the food, and the incredibly forceful meetings of their friends.
The hot dogs for dinner that I made were exquisite, and later that night, Brian and Ellen were online, and we ended up playing our game of RISK for a while. It was fun to be able to connect with them that way.
I had thought about writing about this earlier, and was bouncing around different title ideas in my head. I almost went with "A Grand Day Out." Then I was pretty sure I was going to call it, "A Close Shave." For whatever reason, all I could come up with were Wallace and Gromit titles.
Monday
I slept in late. Really late. I slept until about noon, which for me is very very late in the day. I got up and ate some breakfast, and then played EXILE for a while in the afternoon. I am zooming through these puzzles, not to my surprise.
The sun was out, and I decided to go for a walk up to Plaza. I got a couple of snacks and some Pepsi before heading back to my apartment, where I sat out on the balcony and read for a couple of hours while enjoying my snacks.
When I finished reading it was getting dark, so I headed back inside and watched some television for a while as I made dinner. I played some more RISK and EXILE and read a little bit more before going to bed. It was a very relaxing day.
Tuesday
I returned to the office and got straight to work doing nothing. I asked if anyone needed help with anything, and was offered to help with a translation of half a page. It took me all of ten minutes. I spent some time emailing some people, and figuring out some plans for this summer and for next fall.
My allergies started to bother me, and when I rubbed my eyes, I accidentally rubbed my contact out of position. When I tried to correct it, I think I may have torn it. It was really irritating me all throughout lunch. I couldn't really see out of that eye, and I didn't have my glasses with me, so I didn't want to take out my contacts. I finally did, but my eye was still really irritating me. I wanted to get some drops for it, and Marisela recommended that I just go back to my apartment for the day.
She also recommended that I drive back, but when I stated my reservations about that plan, she changed her idea to have Edgardo drive me back to my apartment. I got back in around 3:00, took some eyedrops, and laid down for a while.
When I got up, I went down to Plaza to buy some stuff to make dinner with, got lazy and bought a frozen pizza. The sky was dark with heavy rain clouds which unleashed as soon as I got back to my apartment. The rain beat mercilessly on the metal roof and noisily kept me agitated throughout the evening.
I read for a while, watched some television, and checked some email as I waited for the rain to stop. When it abated for a little, I tried to sleep, but it soon came roaring back. I kept alternating between reading and watching TV until my eyes could no longer stay open, and I finally fell asleep.
I have been very counsious about not having written for the last few days. I did this on purpose. Knowing that I don't have much work to do at the office, I tried to save up some of the weekend events to write about, but yesterday I had to go home from the office early, and didn't get a chance to write everything down. What? Why did I go home early? Did something happen? Stay tuned...you'll see.
Sunday
Hortencia, Betza's sister had called me Sunday morning to invite me over to their house (in the city this time) for a birthday party for their niece who was turning one. I was excited to get out of the house, and around 1:30, I drove over in the green truck that the office had lent me.
I had just gotten on the main road to take me to Betza's apartment, when all of the cars ahead of me started slowing down. As I crept closer, I could see people in the street. About 100 or so young men between 16 and 20 or so were in the street banging on cars. I saw some cars give money to the boys and then drive off. Some cars were being pounded on and shaken. I rolled my window up as I got closer, got a little bit of money out just in case, and prepped for the worst.
When they started coming towards my car, they had dispersed somewhat, and I was able to drive through them and on down the road away from the crowd.
I got to Betza's around 2:00, and was welcomed in to see most of the family that I had met when I accidentally went to the country back in November. Edgardo was there too, and I spent a while talking with him and with the pastor from their church.
A little while later, the festivities started including a pinata for the one year old, a lot of songs, and a lot of prayers from the pastor and various members of the family. After the pinata finally broke, each one of Betza's siblings took a turn introducing me to their female co workers. It was like some sort of weird dating show. I felt very awkward as I was shuffled around from room to room, and just when I felt comfortable enough to actually engage in a conversation with someone, another sibling would usher me off to meeet their co workers.
I left around 5:00 after some picture taking, and many thanks to my hosts for the invitation, the food, and the incredibly forceful meetings of their friends.
The hot dogs for dinner that I made were exquisite, and later that night, Brian and Ellen were online, and we ended up playing our game of RISK for a while. It was fun to be able to connect with them that way.
I had thought about writing about this earlier, and was bouncing around different title ideas in my head. I almost went with "A Grand Day Out." Then I was pretty sure I was going to call it, "A Close Shave." For whatever reason, all I could come up with were Wallace and Gromit titles.
Monday
I slept in late. Really late. I slept until about noon, which for me is very very late in the day. I got up and ate some breakfast, and then played EXILE for a while in the afternoon. I am zooming through these puzzles, not to my surprise.
The sun was out, and I decided to go for a walk up to Plaza. I got a couple of snacks and some Pepsi before heading back to my apartment, where I sat out on the balcony and read for a couple of hours while enjoying my snacks.
When I finished reading it was getting dark, so I headed back inside and watched some television for a while as I made dinner. I played some more RISK and EXILE and read a little bit more before going to bed. It was a very relaxing day.
Tuesday
I returned to the office and got straight to work doing nothing. I asked if anyone needed help with anything, and was offered to help with a translation of half a page. It took me all of ten minutes. I spent some time emailing some people, and figuring out some plans for this summer and for next fall.
My allergies started to bother me, and when I rubbed my eyes, I accidentally rubbed my contact out of position. When I tried to correct it, I think I may have torn it. It was really irritating me all throughout lunch. I couldn't really see out of that eye, and I didn't have my glasses with me, so I didn't want to take out my contacts. I finally did, but my eye was still really irritating me. I wanted to get some drops for it, and Marisela recommended that I just go back to my apartment for the day.
She also recommended that I drive back, but when I stated my reservations about that plan, she changed her idea to have Edgardo drive me back to my apartment. I got back in around 3:00, took some eyedrops, and laid down for a while.
When I got up, I went down to Plaza to buy some stuff to make dinner with, got lazy and bought a frozen pizza. The sky was dark with heavy rain clouds which unleashed as soon as I got back to my apartment. The rain beat mercilessly on the metal roof and noisily kept me agitated throughout the evening.
I read for a while, watched some television, and checked some email as I waited for the rain to stop. When it abated for a little, I tried to sleep, but it soon came roaring back. I kept alternating between reading and watching TV until my eyes could no longer stay open, and I finally fell asleep.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tremors
Sunday April 11th 2010 11:49am
Thursday
After helping the family pack up, I loaded their baggage into our van, loaded up the family, then headed to pick up Marisela on our way to the airport. We spent the whole morning walking the family through the airport, getting them ready for their flight.
At one point, I had to help Mr. Joel with the translations on an ATM. I was surprised when I got there to find that the ATM was in English, and I was even more surprised that Joel still needed help.
Afterwards, we headed to the office, where I worked on a couple of translations for the rest of the day. The Thursday night TV was nothing new, but still good to see.
Friday
Friday, Marisela called me letting me know that she wasn't going in, because she felt ill. With her not going into the office, I decided not to go in either. I worked on a couple of translations, and then went for a walk in the afternoon.
I played some more EXILE, and then thought for a while about how "checked out" I am here. I didn't like that. I mean, without much work to do, I feel like the office has already checked me out, and I think I immediately got on board with that idea. I don't like how quickly I jumped on to being "checked out." I realized that I still have another month and a half here, and I need to do as much as I can in that time.
Friday evening, I went to Plaza and saw Shutter Island. I thought it was pretty good, but a little bit predictable. I liked it though it did make me laugh when the audience members would gasp at what was happening on screen.
Saturday
I woke up to feel the building moving, and immediately jumped out of bed into a doorway. It swayed for a couple of seconds, then swayed again. I assumed it was just the wind and that I was being crazy thinking about all of the earthquakes recently.
When I got to the school later, however, a couple of other people were talking about it too. Apparently there was some sort of a mini-quake in the city. Literally no damage was done, not even to the poorly constructed houses around the outside of the city, but it was still a bit of a weird occurance.
I talked with Luis Felipe for a while about how I had to leave at the end of May, and he was the first person who I was really able to have a good full conversation with about it. I am regretting not spending more time with him now, and I hope that I can remedy that over the next couple of months.
After coming home from the seminary, I slept for a while, and played a little bit more EXILE before dinner. Around 6:00, I entered into an online RISK game with my friends and former co-workers from camp, Brian and Ellen. It seemed really cool to me at the time to connect with them and play RISK, but as I type out how excited I was for an online RISK game, I feel rather nerdy.
It was a lot of fun though, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to win big time.
Thursday
After helping the family pack up, I loaded their baggage into our van, loaded up the family, then headed to pick up Marisela on our way to the airport. We spent the whole morning walking the family through the airport, getting them ready for their flight.
At one point, I had to help Mr. Joel with the translations on an ATM. I was surprised when I got there to find that the ATM was in English, and I was even more surprised that Joel still needed help.
Afterwards, we headed to the office, where I worked on a couple of translations for the rest of the day. The Thursday night TV was nothing new, but still good to see.
Friday
Friday, Marisela called me letting me know that she wasn't going in, because she felt ill. With her not going into the office, I decided not to go in either. I worked on a couple of translations, and then went for a walk in the afternoon.
I played some more EXILE, and then thought for a while about how "checked out" I am here. I didn't like that. I mean, without much work to do, I feel like the office has already checked me out, and I think I immediately got on board with that idea. I don't like how quickly I jumped on to being "checked out." I realized that I still have another month and a half here, and I need to do as much as I can in that time.
Friday evening, I went to Plaza and saw Shutter Island. I thought it was pretty good, but a little bit predictable. I liked it though it did make me laugh when the audience members would gasp at what was happening on screen.
Saturday
I woke up to feel the building moving, and immediately jumped out of bed into a doorway. It swayed for a couple of seconds, then swayed again. I assumed it was just the wind and that I was being crazy thinking about all of the earthquakes recently.
When I got to the school later, however, a couple of other people were talking about it too. Apparently there was some sort of a mini-quake in the city. Literally no damage was done, not even to the poorly constructed houses around the outside of the city, but it was still a bit of a weird occurance.
I talked with Luis Felipe for a while about how I had to leave at the end of May, and he was the first person who I was really able to have a good full conversation with about it. I am regretting not spending more time with him now, and I hope that I can remedy that over the next couple of months.
After coming home from the seminary, I slept for a while, and played a little bit more EXILE before dinner. Around 6:00, I entered into an online RISK game with my friends and former co-workers from camp, Brian and Ellen. It seemed really cool to me at the time to connect with them and play RISK, but as I type out how excited I was for an online RISK game, I feel rather nerdy.
It was a lot of fun though, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to win big time.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Commitments
Thursday April 8th 2010 3:00pm
So as we were preparing for departure yesterday, Marisela informed me that she had promised the family that we had previously picked up from the airport that she would join them for dinner and a tour of the Bascilica Suyapa. This was fine by me, until she continued to tell me that she was depending on me to drive them and accompany them.
My evening was then completely devoted to driving the family and Marisela around town. The Bascilica Suyapa was closed, but that just left more time to drive across town to a very particular restaurant that Marisela had in mind. We didn't get back to the apartment until close to 9:00, and when we dropped them off, I was also informed that I was going to drive them all to the airport the following day. I had no idea that my schedule was so full!
I spent the rest of the night speeding through the puzzles of EXILE. My mind was sharp, and nothing got by me...until I had to change disks, and the game stopped working and I couldn't get it started up again. I felt good with my progress though, and along the lines of "The fox and the grapes" story that my dad used to tell us, I decided that I hadn't wanted to play anymore anyway. It was time for bed afterall.
So as we were preparing for departure yesterday, Marisela informed me that she had promised the family that we had previously picked up from the airport that she would join them for dinner and a tour of the Bascilica Suyapa. This was fine by me, until she continued to tell me that she was depending on me to drive them and accompany them.
My evening was then completely devoted to driving the family and Marisela around town. The Bascilica Suyapa was closed, but that just left more time to drive across town to a very particular restaurant that Marisela had in mind. We didn't get back to the apartment until close to 9:00, and when we dropped them off, I was also informed that I was going to drive them all to the airport the following day. I had no idea that my schedule was so full!
I spent the rest of the night speeding through the puzzles of EXILE. My mind was sharp, and nothing got by me...until I had to change disks, and the game stopped working and I couldn't get it started up again. I felt good with my progress though, and along the lines of "The fox and the grapes" story that my dad used to tell us, I decided that I hadn't wanted to play anymore anyway. It was time for bed afterall.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lame Duck
Wednesday April 7th 2010 2:50pm
I have tried to keep this blog exclusively for my time in Honduras, which is why I haven't updated recently. This, however is no excuse for the past couple of days. I also try not to write much about my time in the states, but I feel that some information is imperative to know.
For the first couple of days that I was back, I was in Indianapolis for a psychiatrist appointment, and some meetings with Global Ministries. Through those meetings, it was mutually decided that Honduras is not the safest place not only for me, but for any missionary to be at the time. I was asked if I felt comfortable finishing out my first year here, and then returning to the states in August. I told them that I had a friend's wedding in July, and they recommended that I come back for that, and stay to itinerate, where I would talk with churches, universities, or other places that wanted to hear about the Global Ministries Internship experience. They then remembered that there was a Missionary Re-Entry training seminar in June, and asked if I could be home for that. In a matter of seconds, I went from finishing the year, to coming home in two months.
And so, I will fly back to the US on May 31st, and end my time in Honduras. The tentative plan is for me to itinerate throughout the summer, and then go to Union Theological Seminary this fall.
I really feel like the lame duck president, who only has a couple of months left in office before leaving.
Monday
I flew back into Honduras around lunch time, and pretty much ate, slept, ate, and slept for the rest of the day. I tried for a while to get the computer game EXILE to work. It didn't, so I watched the NCAA championship game instead. It was good. I like close games.
Tuesday
My first day back in the office, I was hardly in the office. I caught a ride with Marisela, which meant we got in around 10:00am. At noon, we left to pick up a family at the airport. Apparently they had come to Honduras on a mission trip about a year ago, and so we met up with them for lunch, and got them all arranged at a hotel. By the time we got back to the office, it was time to head back to the apartment.
I worked on EXILE a little bit more last night, and was able to play for a little bit. To me, it is a really fun computer game where you have to do a lot of logic puzzles in order to advance through a story line. That kind of nerdiness is right up my alley.
Wednesday
Today I picked up Marisela in the red truck that I had driven home on Tuesday, and we headed to a hotel where the whole office was attending a forum on climate change. It was a four hour long forum, with way too many complicated words in Spanish. It was hard for me to pay much attention.
On the way back, the whole office rode back in our 12 passenger van and Elmer drove the red truck back to the office. I took the opportunity to tell my co workers that I would only be staying for two months. It was a weird conversation, with everyone not really expecting what I had to say, I don't think they knew how to react. One by one, however, people have been approaching me letting me know that they are sad to hear that I will be leaving.
Even though we've only been back to the office for a couple of hours, it looks pretty clear that I won't have much work to do here for the last couple of months. They don't want me planning for groups I can't assist with. They don't want me to begin teaching or working for the seminary and leaving half way through. They don't want me to fill out grants or forms that aren't going to be filed within the next two months. This pretty much just leaves the odd translation every once in a while. It should be an interesting closing to the whole experience.
I have tried to keep this blog exclusively for my time in Honduras, which is why I haven't updated recently. This, however is no excuse for the past couple of days. I also try not to write much about my time in the states, but I feel that some information is imperative to know.
For the first couple of days that I was back, I was in Indianapolis for a psychiatrist appointment, and some meetings with Global Ministries. Through those meetings, it was mutually decided that Honduras is not the safest place not only for me, but for any missionary to be at the time. I was asked if I felt comfortable finishing out my first year here, and then returning to the states in August. I told them that I had a friend's wedding in July, and they recommended that I come back for that, and stay to itinerate, where I would talk with churches, universities, or other places that wanted to hear about the Global Ministries Internship experience. They then remembered that there was a Missionary Re-Entry training seminar in June, and asked if I could be home for that. In a matter of seconds, I went from finishing the year, to coming home in two months.
And so, I will fly back to the US on May 31st, and end my time in Honduras. The tentative plan is for me to itinerate throughout the summer, and then go to Union Theological Seminary this fall.
I really feel like the lame duck president, who only has a couple of months left in office before leaving.
Monday
I flew back into Honduras around lunch time, and pretty much ate, slept, ate, and slept for the rest of the day. I tried for a while to get the computer game EXILE to work. It didn't, so I watched the NCAA championship game instead. It was good. I like close games.
Tuesday
My first day back in the office, I was hardly in the office. I caught a ride with Marisela, which meant we got in around 10:00am. At noon, we left to pick up a family at the airport. Apparently they had come to Honduras on a mission trip about a year ago, and so we met up with them for lunch, and got them all arranged at a hotel. By the time we got back to the office, it was time to head back to the apartment.
I worked on EXILE a little bit more last night, and was able to play for a little bit. To me, it is a really fun computer game where you have to do a lot of logic puzzles in order to advance through a story line. That kind of nerdiness is right up my alley.
Wednesday
Today I picked up Marisela in the red truck that I had driven home on Tuesday, and we headed to a hotel where the whole office was attending a forum on climate change. It was a four hour long forum, with way too many complicated words in Spanish. It was hard for me to pay much attention.
On the way back, the whole office rode back in our 12 passenger van and Elmer drove the red truck back to the office. I took the opportunity to tell my co workers that I would only be staying for two months. It was a weird conversation, with everyone not really expecting what I had to say, I don't think they knew how to react. One by one, however, people have been approaching me letting me know that they are sad to hear that I will be leaving.
Even though we've only been back to the office for a couple of hours, it looks pretty clear that I won't have much work to do here for the last couple of months. They don't want me planning for groups I can't assist with. They don't want me to begin teaching or working for the seminary and leaving half way through. They don't want me to fill out grants or forms that aren't going to be filed within the next two months. This pretty much just leaves the odd translation every once in a while. It should be an interesting closing to the whole experience.
Monday, March 15, 2010
My First Medical Brigade
Monday March 15th 2010 2:20pm
Saturday
After Elmer, Marisela, and Fausto picked me up, we made our way to Monte Carmelo to meet Rueben who was going to drive a school bus to SPS to help pick up supplies that the medical brigade would need.
When we got to Monte Carmelo, the hood of the bus was up, and Rueben was hard at work trying to get the engine to start. It was out of gas. I had never witnessed syphoning of gasoline before, but watching Rueben spit the gas out as it poured from the hose into his mouth almost made me sick. I gave him some gum.
After a little while, we were on the road to SPS, and I was excited to lay back and take a nice long nap. Half an hour into the drive, Marisela turned around and nudged me awake. Elmer was tired and didn't feel like driving, so I had to drive the rest of the way there. We pulled over to switch drivers, and I tried not to be too grumpy. It was pretty earlier in the morning, and we had no coffee!
Roughly five hours later, we rolled into the SPS airport, and waited for the medical brigade to arrive. The 11 members were coming in on three different flights all landing within an hour and a half of one another. The timing worked out excellently, as one group after another appeared through the customs gates, and there was hardly any waiting time at all.
The group consisted of one director, three doctors, two dentists, two dental assistants, two nurses, and one pharmacist. One of the dentists was from New Castle, England and one of the nurses was from Alberta, Canada. The rest of the group hailed from all over the US ranging from Arizona all the way to Connecticut. Most everyone had been on a Medico (the name of the organization) trip before, and a few had even been on a couple of trips together.
We ate lunch at the airport, and we sat around getting to know one another better. I sat towards the end of the table and got to talk with the pharmacist, Linh, and the dentist from the states, Dick. Dick reminded me of Ed Asner, and was very easy to talk to, full of jokes, and had been going on at least one trip per year to Central America since 1990. Linh had flown in with Dick, and told me about her world travels, her previous trip with Medico, and how she had only just decided to come three days before.
After lunch, we headed over to a warehouse and loaded up nearly a school bus full of medical supplies. Elmer kindly offered to drive back to Tegucigalpa, and the group split up seating arrangements between the van and the bus. I got to sit in the back of the van, and get to know most of the rest of the group. Everyone was very excited, experienced, and very open to how much an experience like the one that they were about to have was going to change them, even if they had already made dozens of similar trips.
By the time we got back to Monte Carmelo, I was really excited about this group, and kind of sad that I wouldn't be able to spend the whole week working with them. We ate dinner and discussed plans for the next day before heading to bed. Everyone was asleep and snoring before their heads even hit the pillow.
Sunday
Breakfast was served promptly at 7:00am, and everyone was surprisingly punctual. I had gotten very used to Honduran time, and forgot that we were working with medical staff from the US. The food was good, and when we finished, half of the group loaded up onto the bus, while the other half braved the van. I considered it braving the van because Elmer had gone home the night before, which left me behind the wheel.
In an hour we were at Monte Horeb in Talanga, safe, sound, and ready to unload baggage so we could continue on to El Porvenir to start our work. With the luggage off of the bus, we all fit, and were soon on our way to El Porvenir.
I guess I didn't really know what to expect, but what happened out there was not what I had expected. When we pulled into the medical center to start setting up, there was already a line out of the door of sick people. When I say that there were sick people, I mean that the majority of these people had visible ailments that were often disturbing to see. There were children with hideous rashes, mothers with blackened teeth, fathers with fungal diseases and spots all over their bodies. I don't think that I was very prepared for what I saw there, but quickly got used to the situation.
Children ran up to help us unload the bus, and soon we were setting up shelves and medications in the area designated as the pharmacy. The dentists set up their chairs, stools and work stations, while the doctors met with their translators and got accustomed to their work stations. I was assigned to work with one of the nurses and the pharmacist in the pharmacy, translating dosages and instructions to those who needed medicine.
We finished setting everything up just in time for lunch, and after a quick meal of spaghetti, everyone quickly got to work. Without any prescriptions to fill until the doctors had finished with their patients, I was left with some time to visit with Linh and the nurse for a while and practiced words like "dropper full", "scabies", "tube", and "hemorrhoid cream." I was ready.
Although there was never a long line at the pharmacy, there was a continual flow, and we were on our feet counting pills, filling prescriptions, and handing out medication to patients for about six hours or so. When I say that "we" did those things, I mean that I translated and sometimes got bags ready, while the real trained professionals did the real work. As I worked with them, they started to show me where things were, how to count pills, the way to fill orders, and general ways to help out.
Of the three groups that I have worked with to date, this easily had the most instant gratifcation. I was able to hand out medicine to people who needed it, and could see the faces of mothers light up when their kids got anti-bacterial, or anti-parasite medication. They even smiled and were grateful when all we could give their children for a diagnosis of "club foot" was vitamins.
Every once in a while, I had to run over to the dentist station to do some translations there, and every time was mortified just walking in the room. Dick had me translate to a 29 year old woman that he was going to have to pull 26 of her teeth, but that he couldn't do them all in one day, and that he would do half today and half tomorrow. Bill, the dentist from England, had me explain that the abscess they found on the one tooth pulled was about the size of a pea, and that they were going to have to examine the other teeth to make sure that they were okay to leave in.
In the pharmacy, things ran very smoothly, and both Linh and the nurse absolutely loved when anyone came in needing vaginal cream and needing me to translate for them. One time, Linh mistakenly read a doctor's scribbled handwriting and filled a prescription for a urinary tract infection. Not knowing how to say this correctly, I explained to the woman that the medicine was for the "infection of urination" and her wide eyes and confused face told me something wasn't right. Upon double checking with the doctor, we found out that the woman had been diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. The situation was only slightly embarassing.
We worked until it was too dark to see the medicines, and then packed up to go. We had to wait for Bill who was in the middle of removing four teeth from a ten year old girl. It was Bill's first trip to do dentist work in a developing country, and when we got back on the bus, he told me about how much his work, especially with the last girl really effected him. He said it was kind of hard to describe, but I understood what he meant.
Back in Talanga, we got together to eat, and everyone shared about their day. It was really interesting hearing about the doctor's experiences, compared to those of the translators, and those of the dentists. Apparently it is held that the dentists are really the ones who do the most good, as they difinitively remove infections, and disease from hundreds of people every trip. The doctors discussed some of their more eccentric cases, and we got to share about our UTI/upper respiratory infection mix up.
After dinner, it was time for me to get back to Tegucigalpa, and I reluctantly bid adieu to an incredibly charismatic group of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and assistants. I really wish I could have spent more time with them.
I got back to Tegucigalpa around 11:00, and headed straight to bed.
Monday
Today I've been getting everything ready for my trip back to the States tomorrow. Packing, emptying my fridge, organizing the apartment, sending emails, and finishing up some translations for the office have taken up most of my day. There are still a few things to do before I leave tomorrow, and I'll probably spend most of the rest of the day checking and double checking to make sure I don't leave anything behind, which I usually do anyway.
Although I'm disappointed that I couldn't spend more time with the medical group, I am really looking forward to being back in Cincinnati tomorrow night.
Saturday
After Elmer, Marisela, and Fausto picked me up, we made our way to Monte Carmelo to meet Rueben who was going to drive a school bus to SPS to help pick up supplies that the medical brigade would need.
When we got to Monte Carmelo, the hood of the bus was up, and Rueben was hard at work trying to get the engine to start. It was out of gas. I had never witnessed syphoning of gasoline before, but watching Rueben spit the gas out as it poured from the hose into his mouth almost made me sick. I gave him some gum.
After a little while, we were on the road to SPS, and I was excited to lay back and take a nice long nap. Half an hour into the drive, Marisela turned around and nudged me awake. Elmer was tired and didn't feel like driving, so I had to drive the rest of the way there. We pulled over to switch drivers, and I tried not to be too grumpy. It was pretty earlier in the morning, and we had no coffee!
Roughly five hours later, we rolled into the SPS airport, and waited for the medical brigade to arrive. The 11 members were coming in on three different flights all landing within an hour and a half of one another. The timing worked out excellently, as one group after another appeared through the customs gates, and there was hardly any waiting time at all.
The group consisted of one director, three doctors, two dentists, two dental assistants, two nurses, and one pharmacist. One of the dentists was from New Castle, England and one of the nurses was from Alberta, Canada. The rest of the group hailed from all over the US ranging from Arizona all the way to Connecticut. Most everyone had been on a Medico (the name of the organization) trip before, and a few had even been on a couple of trips together.
We ate lunch at the airport, and we sat around getting to know one another better. I sat towards the end of the table and got to talk with the pharmacist, Linh, and the dentist from the states, Dick. Dick reminded me of Ed Asner, and was very easy to talk to, full of jokes, and had been going on at least one trip per year to Central America since 1990. Linh had flown in with Dick, and told me about her world travels, her previous trip with Medico, and how she had only just decided to come three days before.
After lunch, we headed over to a warehouse and loaded up nearly a school bus full of medical supplies. Elmer kindly offered to drive back to Tegucigalpa, and the group split up seating arrangements between the van and the bus. I got to sit in the back of the van, and get to know most of the rest of the group. Everyone was very excited, experienced, and very open to how much an experience like the one that they were about to have was going to change them, even if they had already made dozens of similar trips.
By the time we got back to Monte Carmelo, I was really excited about this group, and kind of sad that I wouldn't be able to spend the whole week working with them. We ate dinner and discussed plans for the next day before heading to bed. Everyone was asleep and snoring before their heads even hit the pillow.
Sunday
Breakfast was served promptly at 7:00am, and everyone was surprisingly punctual. I had gotten very used to Honduran time, and forgot that we were working with medical staff from the US. The food was good, and when we finished, half of the group loaded up onto the bus, while the other half braved the van. I considered it braving the van because Elmer had gone home the night before, which left me behind the wheel.
In an hour we were at Monte Horeb in Talanga, safe, sound, and ready to unload baggage so we could continue on to El Porvenir to start our work. With the luggage off of the bus, we all fit, and were soon on our way to El Porvenir.
I guess I didn't really know what to expect, but what happened out there was not what I had expected. When we pulled into the medical center to start setting up, there was already a line out of the door of sick people. When I say that there were sick people, I mean that the majority of these people had visible ailments that were often disturbing to see. There were children with hideous rashes, mothers with blackened teeth, fathers with fungal diseases and spots all over their bodies. I don't think that I was very prepared for what I saw there, but quickly got used to the situation.
Children ran up to help us unload the bus, and soon we were setting up shelves and medications in the area designated as the pharmacy. The dentists set up their chairs, stools and work stations, while the doctors met with their translators and got accustomed to their work stations. I was assigned to work with one of the nurses and the pharmacist in the pharmacy, translating dosages and instructions to those who needed medicine.
We finished setting everything up just in time for lunch, and after a quick meal of spaghetti, everyone quickly got to work. Without any prescriptions to fill until the doctors had finished with their patients, I was left with some time to visit with Linh and the nurse for a while and practiced words like "dropper full", "scabies", "tube", and "hemorrhoid cream." I was ready.
Although there was never a long line at the pharmacy, there was a continual flow, and we were on our feet counting pills, filling prescriptions, and handing out medication to patients for about six hours or so. When I say that "we" did those things, I mean that I translated and sometimes got bags ready, while the real trained professionals did the real work. As I worked with them, they started to show me where things were, how to count pills, the way to fill orders, and general ways to help out.
Of the three groups that I have worked with to date, this easily had the most instant gratifcation. I was able to hand out medicine to people who needed it, and could see the faces of mothers light up when their kids got anti-bacterial, or anti-parasite medication. They even smiled and were grateful when all we could give their children for a diagnosis of "club foot" was vitamins.
Every once in a while, I had to run over to the dentist station to do some translations there, and every time was mortified just walking in the room. Dick had me translate to a 29 year old woman that he was going to have to pull 26 of her teeth, but that he couldn't do them all in one day, and that he would do half today and half tomorrow. Bill, the dentist from England, had me explain that the abscess they found on the one tooth pulled was about the size of a pea, and that they were going to have to examine the other teeth to make sure that they were okay to leave in.
In the pharmacy, things ran very smoothly, and both Linh and the nurse absolutely loved when anyone came in needing vaginal cream and needing me to translate for them. One time, Linh mistakenly read a doctor's scribbled handwriting and filled a prescription for a urinary tract infection. Not knowing how to say this correctly, I explained to the woman that the medicine was for the "infection of urination" and her wide eyes and confused face told me something wasn't right. Upon double checking with the doctor, we found out that the woman had been diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. The situation was only slightly embarassing.
We worked until it was too dark to see the medicines, and then packed up to go. We had to wait for Bill who was in the middle of removing four teeth from a ten year old girl. It was Bill's first trip to do dentist work in a developing country, and when we got back on the bus, he told me about how much his work, especially with the last girl really effected him. He said it was kind of hard to describe, but I understood what he meant.
Back in Talanga, we got together to eat, and everyone shared about their day. It was really interesting hearing about the doctor's experiences, compared to those of the translators, and those of the dentists. Apparently it is held that the dentists are really the ones who do the most good, as they difinitively remove infections, and disease from hundreds of people every trip. The doctors discussed some of their more eccentric cases, and we got to share about our UTI/upper respiratory infection mix up.
After dinner, it was time for me to get back to Tegucigalpa, and I reluctantly bid adieu to an incredibly charismatic group of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and assistants. I really wish I could have spent more time with them.
I got back to Tegucigalpa around 11:00, and headed straight to bed.
Monday
Today I've been getting everything ready for my trip back to the States tomorrow. Packing, emptying my fridge, organizing the apartment, sending emails, and finishing up some translations for the office have taken up most of my day. There are still a few things to do before I leave tomorrow, and I'll probably spend most of the rest of the day checking and double checking to make sure I don't leave anything behind, which I usually do anyway.
Although I'm disappointed that I couldn't spend more time with the medical group, I am really looking forward to being back in Cincinnati tomorrow night.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Early Morning
Saturday March 13th 2010 4:45am
It is still very dark out, and I am waiting for a call from Marisela letting me know that Rueben is downstairs ready to pick me up. We are heading to San Pedro Sula to pick up a group from the airport. Fortunately, I won't be behind the wheel during this six hour journey, so I should hopefully get a little bit of shuteye on the road.
Yesterday, Marisela and I took a cab to work together, where we were once again without internet services. This meant another full day of translating for me, which is considerably more difficult without online translator help for the odd word here and there.
In the afternoon, we had been planning on taking a trip to Valle de Angeles to purchase some souvenir trinkets for a group back in the states that wanted to auction off some things from Honduras. The funds ended up not coming in, so we didn't make the trip. I was disappointed because I had been hoping to use the trip as a way to not purchase some gifts for not my siblings upcoming birthdays.
Instead, I asked Marisela if there were any places in the city that had a wide selection where I might find nothing to buy for anyone but my brother and sister. She rattled off a few places, and after work, Rueben picked me up, and we didn't head out not for some shopping.
We wove our way through the city's snaked streets to Comayagua, which is the part of the city on the other side of the river. A store in Comayagua means both cheap prices, and low safety. I decided to focus on the cheap prices, and wasn't delighted not to not find nothing for my siblings.
The sky was rapidly changing colors on our way back, and I was happy to get home for some dinner. After dinner, I decided to head up to Plaza for a little bit to get out of the apartment. I walked around for a little while before coming back to the apartment, packing, and going to bed early to store up on some sleep before waking up around 4:15 this fine Saturday morning.
It is still very dark out, and I am waiting for a call from Marisela letting me know that Rueben is downstairs ready to pick me up. We are heading to San Pedro Sula to pick up a group from the airport. Fortunately, I won't be behind the wheel during this six hour journey, so I should hopefully get a little bit of shuteye on the road.
Yesterday, Marisela and I took a cab to work together, where we were once again without internet services. This meant another full day of translating for me, which is considerably more difficult without online translator help for the odd word here and there.
In the afternoon, we had been planning on taking a trip to Valle de Angeles to purchase some souvenir trinkets for a group back in the states that wanted to auction off some things from Honduras. The funds ended up not coming in, so we didn't make the trip. I was disappointed because I had been hoping to use the trip as a way to not purchase some gifts for not my siblings upcoming birthdays.
Instead, I asked Marisela if there were any places in the city that had a wide selection where I might find nothing to buy for anyone but my brother and sister. She rattled off a few places, and after work, Rueben picked me up, and we didn't head out not for some shopping.
We wove our way through the city's snaked streets to Comayagua, which is the part of the city on the other side of the river. A store in Comayagua means both cheap prices, and low safety. I decided to focus on the cheap prices, and wasn't delighted not to not find nothing for my siblings.
The sky was rapidly changing colors on our way back, and I was happy to get home for some dinner. After dinner, I decided to head up to Plaza for a little bit to get out of the apartment. I walked around for a little while before coming back to the apartment, packing, and going to bed early to store up on some sleep before waking up around 4:15 this fine Saturday morning.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Return of Gustavo
Thursday March 11th 2010 5:15pm
Gustavo was the taxi driver, whose services I frequently used during my first month here, before learning how to get drive and get around on my own. Without Freddy to drive me to the office, I have been needing to take a taxi to the office. When I hailed a cab this morning, my driver was none other than my old friend Gustavo, who was just as perverted and bald as ever.
I'm not even going to bring up what he was talking about on the way to the office.
I got to the office, and was quickly ushered into a meeting. The meeting was about the need for an electronic calendar of events so that we can all keep track of one another and what we are doing. I suggested a large physical calendar that could be hung up in a central area, and each program could write their own events on the calendar in a different color. This idea was met with guffaws and questioning of my computer literacy. It wasn't that I'm incapable of making a digital calendar, I just felt like we were making things more difficult than we needed to by producing seven different calendars to be combined into one that would be sent around the office every month. Oh well.
After that, I was also informed at the end of the meeting that I would need to translate everyone's calendar reports so that we would have a copy in English. Why do we need a copy in English? Just in case someone who only speaks English wants to know what is on our calendar.
Before I even got to translating the seven different annual calendars, though, Alfreddy said that he needed me to translate two budget proposals that he was going to send out at the end of the day. Why he couldn't ask me before, I can only guess. My guess that he didn't finish it until the day before was confirmed when he told me, "I'm sorry I didn't get this to you earlier, I just finished it yesterday."
Heidy came over to my desk at one point, and dropped off a package for me. I was incredibly surprised becaue I never get packages, because the mail system here is ridiculous. My mom had sent me a Valentine's Day package with some chocolates, some sweethearts, some gum, and a card. It was sent on February 2nd. I got it on March 11th. Everything was delicious.
Two eleven page (single spaced, size 9 font) translations later, the day was finally at an end, and I was beat. Marisela didn't make it to the office today, so we all left at 4:00 on the dot. I got home by 4:15. It was a Honduras Miracle!
Gustavo was the taxi driver, whose services I frequently used during my first month here, before learning how to get drive and get around on my own. Without Freddy to drive me to the office, I have been needing to take a taxi to the office. When I hailed a cab this morning, my driver was none other than my old friend Gustavo, who was just as perverted and bald as ever.
I'm not even going to bring up what he was talking about on the way to the office.
I got to the office, and was quickly ushered into a meeting. The meeting was about the need for an electronic calendar of events so that we can all keep track of one another and what we are doing. I suggested a large physical calendar that could be hung up in a central area, and each program could write their own events on the calendar in a different color. This idea was met with guffaws and questioning of my computer literacy. It wasn't that I'm incapable of making a digital calendar, I just felt like we were making things more difficult than we needed to by producing seven different calendars to be combined into one that would be sent around the office every month. Oh well.
After that, I was also informed at the end of the meeting that I would need to translate everyone's calendar reports so that we would have a copy in English. Why do we need a copy in English? Just in case someone who only speaks English wants to know what is on our calendar.
Before I even got to translating the seven different annual calendars, though, Alfreddy said that he needed me to translate two budget proposals that he was going to send out at the end of the day. Why he couldn't ask me before, I can only guess. My guess that he didn't finish it until the day before was confirmed when he told me, "I'm sorry I didn't get this to you earlier, I just finished it yesterday."
Heidy came over to my desk at one point, and dropped off a package for me. I was incredibly surprised becaue I never get packages, because the mail system here is ridiculous. My mom had sent me a Valentine's Day package with some chocolates, some sweethearts, some gum, and a card. It was sent on February 2nd. I got it on March 11th. Everything was delicious.
Two eleven page (single spaced, size 9 font) translations later, the day was finally at an end, and I was beat. Marisela didn't make it to the office today, so we all left at 4:00 on the dot. I got home by 4:15. It was a Honduras Miracle!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Flight Changes and Cheesy Biscuits
Wednesday March 10th 2010 5:15pm
I recieved a text message from Freddy around 8:30 last night asking if we could go out to Applebee's to catch up. I had no plans for the evening, and thought it was a good sign that he wanted to go somewhere and talk, even if it was Applebee's. I had previously called Marisela and she said that we could share a cab to work, since Freddy wasn't taking me anymore, and that she would call in the morning when they were ready.
On our way to Applebee's, Freddy asked, and I told him about how things had gone at the office and he caught me up on how he had been informed of the bad news on Monday. It was a very weird and awkward conversation. I had seen Up in the Air just a few days earlier, and in some tiny way felt like I understood some of the movie a little bit better. I was even tempted to say some of the lines from the movie. Don't worry, I didn't.
At the restaurant, Dario, Sedok, and a few other guys were already sitting at a table. I didn't know that they were going to be there also, and it came as a surprise to me to find them there. It came as a bigger surprise to me when Freddy asked me not to say anything to them because they didn't know.
That was probably one of the oddest social interactions of my life. And I went to Bethany College.
This morning, I woke up around 6:30, got ready, and waited for Marisela's phone call.
By 10:00, I was pretty sure that it was more than normal Marisela tardiness. I called and was informed that she had just gotten to the office, and had forgotten about me. I asked her, if it was okay for me to take the day to work from home. She said that it was, and I thought it was probably for the best.
I spent the rest of the morning working on emails, and preparing for the upcoming group. One email that I got was from Global Ministries with the subject line: Change in Flight Plans. Well that was frustrating. I had assumed, that I would probably have to reschedule for a later date, but was pleasantly surprised when India, Felix's assistant, let me know that due to high travel costs, it would be more cost-efficient for me to fly into Cincinnati a day earlier, and leave a day later. She wanted to know if it would be okay with me before she booked the flights. Heck yes that's okay with me!
In the afternoon, I was finished up everything that I had planned, and walked to the bumper boats mall, where I found a Bisquik 15 minute recipe for three cheese biscuits, like the kind from Red Lobster. I'm not sure if you know this about me, but those biscuits are pretty much why I go to Red Lobster. I am looking forward to making them and then gorging myself on them tonight. Let's hope this goes better than the strawberry pie fiasco.
I recieved a text message from Freddy around 8:30 last night asking if we could go out to Applebee's to catch up. I had no plans for the evening, and thought it was a good sign that he wanted to go somewhere and talk, even if it was Applebee's. I had previously called Marisela and she said that we could share a cab to work, since Freddy wasn't taking me anymore, and that she would call in the morning when they were ready.
On our way to Applebee's, Freddy asked, and I told him about how things had gone at the office and he caught me up on how he had been informed of the bad news on Monday. It was a very weird and awkward conversation. I had seen Up in the Air just a few days earlier, and in some tiny way felt like I understood some of the movie a little bit better. I was even tempted to say some of the lines from the movie. Don't worry, I didn't.
At the restaurant, Dario, Sedok, and a few other guys were already sitting at a table. I didn't know that they were going to be there also, and it came as a surprise to me to find them there. It came as a bigger surprise to me when Freddy asked me not to say anything to them because they didn't know.
That was probably one of the oddest social interactions of my life. And I went to Bethany College.
This morning, I woke up around 6:30, got ready, and waited for Marisela's phone call.
By 10:00, I was pretty sure that it was more than normal Marisela tardiness. I called and was informed that she had just gotten to the office, and had forgotten about me. I asked her, if it was okay for me to take the day to work from home. She said that it was, and I thought it was probably for the best.
I spent the rest of the morning working on emails, and preparing for the upcoming group. One email that I got was from Global Ministries with the subject line: Change in Flight Plans. Well that was frustrating. I had assumed, that I would probably have to reschedule for a later date, but was pleasantly surprised when India, Felix's assistant, let me know that due to high travel costs, it would be more cost-efficient for me to fly into Cincinnati a day earlier, and leave a day later. She wanted to know if it would be okay with me before she booked the flights. Heck yes that's okay with me!
In the afternoon, I was finished up everything that I had planned, and walked to the bumper boats mall, where I found a Bisquik 15 minute recipe for three cheese biscuits, like the kind from Red Lobster. I'm not sure if you know this about me, but those biscuits are pretty much why I go to Red Lobster. I am looking forward to making them and then gorging myself on them tonight. Let's hope this goes better than the strawberry pie fiasco.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Changing of the Guard
Tuesday March 9th 2010 5:30pm
Last night, Freddy sent me a text letting me know that he was not going into the office today, and that I would have to take a cab. So, this morning when I woke up, I called Marisela and was able to get a ride with her and split the cab fare.
We got to the office around 8:30, and were immediately hustled into the conference room for a meeting. Everyone from the office was there, and Noami announced that Freddy was no longer the director of the CCD. I was shocked. She said a bunch of mumbo jumbo about Freddy having stronger talents for other things, and that his services were best met elsewhere, but really danced around telling us why Freddy was no longer the Director. She also announced to us that we would be doing a weekly devotional, where we catch up with one another, and develop stronger office bonds.
I sat down at my desk after the meeting and tried to process the fact that Freddy was no longer my supervisor. I think that while I knew that I worked for the CCD, it always felt to me as though I worked for Freddy and Marisela. People had warned me when I came in that there was a high turnover rate, and that job security wasn't very strong at the CCD, but even when Patty left, I felt like most of the people at the office were very secure in their positions.
The whole office went out to lunch, and took two hours to do so. Traffic was horrendous, but the delicious and inexpensive food that we had made up for it.
When we got back to the office, it was time for devotionals, and Edgardo led us in a brief session that took us right up until the end of the day. It was 4:00 and everyone was ready to go...except for Marisela. While Marisela has taught me a great deal of patience, I lost most of it waiting for her today.
As we all loaded into the car to head back, she jumped out and ran inside because she needed to send "one quick email that she forgot about." Five minutes later, I headed in after her, to see if there was anything I could to do help. She hadn't started on the email and was busy answering other emails. I asked her if all of these emails needed to be sent immediately, or if she could just finish the one, so that everyone who was waiting wouldn't have to keep waiting.
One by one, people filed out of the car and into the office over the next thirty minutes as we waited for Marisela. At 4:45, she said, "Ok, just one more, and I need your help to translate it into English." I implored her to reconsider sending this last email, and asked why it couldn't wait until the next day. She explained very plainly that, "It just can't."
When she asked me for one word that meant, "when the occasion arises," I tried to describe the word "opportunistically" she actually said to me, "Hurry up, everyone is waiting." To which my reply was, "You want me to hurry up?!"
By 5:00, we were finally all back in the car, when Marisela remembered that she needed to go to the bathroom. I just walked in the door, so these frustrations are fresh.
I tried to text and call Freddy throughout the day, but he never answered. I am assuming that he might just want some space for a few days, but I am eager to talk with him and see how he is doing.
Last night, Freddy sent me a text letting me know that he was not going into the office today, and that I would have to take a cab. So, this morning when I woke up, I called Marisela and was able to get a ride with her and split the cab fare.
We got to the office around 8:30, and were immediately hustled into the conference room for a meeting. Everyone from the office was there, and Noami announced that Freddy was no longer the director of the CCD. I was shocked. She said a bunch of mumbo jumbo about Freddy having stronger talents for other things, and that his services were best met elsewhere, but really danced around telling us why Freddy was no longer the Director. She also announced to us that we would be doing a weekly devotional, where we catch up with one another, and develop stronger office bonds.
I sat down at my desk after the meeting and tried to process the fact that Freddy was no longer my supervisor. I think that while I knew that I worked for the CCD, it always felt to me as though I worked for Freddy and Marisela. People had warned me when I came in that there was a high turnover rate, and that job security wasn't very strong at the CCD, but even when Patty left, I felt like most of the people at the office were very secure in their positions.
The whole office went out to lunch, and took two hours to do so. Traffic was horrendous, but the delicious and inexpensive food that we had made up for it.
When we got back to the office, it was time for devotionals, and Edgardo led us in a brief session that took us right up until the end of the day. It was 4:00 and everyone was ready to go...except for Marisela. While Marisela has taught me a great deal of patience, I lost most of it waiting for her today.
As we all loaded into the car to head back, she jumped out and ran inside because she needed to send "one quick email that she forgot about." Five minutes later, I headed in after her, to see if there was anything I could to do help. She hadn't started on the email and was busy answering other emails. I asked her if all of these emails needed to be sent immediately, or if she could just finish the one, so that everyone who was waiting wouldn't have to keep waiting.
One by one, people filed out of the car and into the office over the next thirty minutes as we waited for Marisela. At 4:45, she said, "Ok, just one more, and I need your help to translate it into English." I implored her to reconsider sending this last email, and asked why it couldn't wait until the next day. She explained very plainly that, "It just can't."
When she asked me for one word that meant, "when the occasion arises," I tried to describe the word "opportunistically" she actually said to me, "Hurry up, everyone is waiting." To which my reply was, "You want me to hurry up?!"
By 5:00, we were finally all back in the car, when Marisela remembered that she needed to go to the bathroom. I just walked in the door, so these frustrations are fresh.
I tried to text and call Freddy throughout the day, but he never answered. I am assuming that he might just want some space for a few days, but I am eager to talk with him and see how he is doing.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Oscar Weekend
Monday March 8th 2010 7:45pm
Saturday
In order to prepare myself for my journey back home, I decided it was a good idea to have some Skyline Chili this weekend, so on Saturday afternoon, I headed up to the grocery store at Plaza and purchased all of the ingredients needed to make the delicious Cincinnati style chili.
The simmering pot of chili filled my apartment with aromas that reminded me of home, and I was happy to eat some of my attempt at Skyline. My cooking was, of course, not even close to the original, but still considerably better than my last batch. It felt good to eat chili again. I also had some ice cream as I popped in a disc of Pushing Daisies and watched a few episodes before falling asleep.
Sunday
With worship on my mind, I perused the interweb for the Tylersville Road Christian Church website on Sunday morning. When I found it, much to my delight, there were songs, sciptures, and sermons online for me to listen to. I know that I still miss out on the element of fellowship in a church service, but the connection that I felt to my church family brought me warmth on a Sunday morning in Tegucigalpa.
In the afternoon, I took a walk to the bumper boat mall and bought some pop, some chips, and a few other snack food items for indulgence during the Oscars.
I tried reading on my balcony for a while, but it quickly became too hot to comfortably sit outside, and I ended up moving inside, where thanks to my new computer, I was able to play some tunes while reading.
That evening, I made some spaghetti for Skyline leftovers, and enjoyed some delicious dinner and subsequent snacks while watching the Oscars. I thoroughly enjoyed Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and thought Tina Fey's presentation was really good too. I hadn't seen enough of the movies that were nominated to really give my opinion, but I am now very intruiged by The Hurt Locker. I also, have never seen The Blindside, because it wasn't in theaters when I was home, and never made the jump to Honduras. I really liked Up in the Air, but without seeing most of the other movies that it was up against, I don't feel informed enough to give my opinion.
Monday
This morning, I was able to sleep in for a while before heading up to the roof to do a few exercises. In the afternoon, I headed up to Plaza, and then just kind of walked down the street a ways until I got bored with walking, and headed back to my apartment. It was nice to just kind of walk around and explore for a while.
I spent most of the afternoon reading, and have really enjoyed Catch-22. Its good that I am going home soon, because I've almost finished with all of the books that I had brought back with me from Christmas break.
This evening, I made some dinner and watched some TV for a while, before remembering that I hadn't written in a while, and also remembering that I was trying to not watch so much TV.
We have a group coming in this Saturday, and I'll be with them up until I fly back into the States. It is infinitely easier not to watch TV when there are groups here. It will be my first medical brigade, so I'll probably spend some time this week trying to brush up on my medical Spanish...of which I know none. When I work as a translator for these doctors, I can't exactly paraphrase, sum up, or guess, which are three of my favorite translating techniques. Wish me luck.
Saturday
In order to prepare myself for my journey back home, I decided it was a good idea to have some Skyline Chili this weekend, so on Saturday afternoon, I headed up to the grocery store at Plaza and purchased all of the ingredients needed to make the delicious Cincinnati style chili.
The simmering pot of chili filled my apartment with aromas that reminded me of home, and I was happy to eat some of my attempt at Skyline. My cooking was, of course, not even close to the original, but still considerably better than my last batch. It felt good to eat chili again. I also had some ice cream as I popped in a disc of Pushing Daisies and watched a few episodes before falling asleep.
Sunday
With worship on my mind, I perused the interweb for the Tylersville Road Christian Church website on Sunday morning. When I found it, much to my delight, there were songs, sciptures, and sermons online for me to listen to. I know that I still miss out on the element of fellowship in a church service, but the connection that I felt to my church family brought me warmth on a Sunday morning in Tegucigalpa.
In the afternoon, I took a walk to the bumper boat mall and bought some pop, some chips, and a few other snack food items for indulgence during the Oscars.
I tried reading on my balcony for a while, but it quickly became too hot to comfortably sit outside, and I ended up moving inside, where thanks to my new computer, I was able to play some tunes while reading.
That evening, I made some spaghetti for Skyline leftovers, and enjoyed some delicious dinner and subsequent snacks while watching the Oscars. I thoroughly enjoyed Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and thought Tina Fey's presentation was really good too. I hadn't seen enough of the movies that were nominated to really give my opinion, but I am now very intruiged by The Hurt Locker. I also, have never seen The Blindside, because it wasn't in theaters when I was home, and never made the jump to Honduras. I really liked Up in the Air, but without seeing most of the other movies that it was up against, I don't feel informed enough to give my opinion.
Monday
This morning, I was able to sleep in for a while before heading up to the roof to do a few exercises. In the afternoon, I headed up to Plaza, and then just kind of walked down the street a ways until I got bored with walking, and headed back to my apartment. It was nice to just kind of walk around and explore for a while.
I spent most of the afternoon reading, and have really enjoyed Catch-22. Its good that I am going home soon, because I've almost finished with all of the books that I had brought back with me from Christmas break.
This evening, I made some dinner and watched some TV for a while, before remembering that I hadn't written in a while, and also remembering that I was trying to not watch so much TV.
We have a group coming in this Saturday, and I'll be with them up until I fly back into the States. It is infinitely easier not to watch TV when there are groups here. It will be my first medical brigade, so I'll probably spend some time this week trying to brush up on my medical Spanish...of which I know none. When I work as a translator for these doctors, I can't exactly paraphrase, sum up, or guess, which are three of my favorite translating techniques. Wish me luck.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Spring Break?
Saturday March 6th 2010 3:45pm
After thoroughly enjoying Thursday night TV, I slept well and headed to work on Friday morning. When I got to the office, there was an email from Global Ministries in my inbox, and we have finally decided on some dates for me to be able to come to Indianapolis for a psychological evaluation, which will help Felix and I determine the next step in working with and through the PTSD diagnosis.
I will be flying into Indianapolis on the 17th, and have evaluations and meetings until the 19th. I talked with Freddy and Marisela at the CCD, and they both said that I should take the following week off, so I will fortunately be able to spend the week of the 19th through the 28th in Cincinnati! I am very happy to have an unexpected Spring Break this year.
Yesterday throughout the work day, I finalized my plans for the flight home, and didn't have much else to do. So, I took the opportunity to work a little bit on Daniel and Maggie's wedding plans. After watching the Office, where Jim and Pam have a baby, I kindly requested to Daniel and Maggie in an email to them that they perhaps name their first born Alan, just like Jeremy and Julie (kind of) did.
After work, I stopped by Plaza, and to my surprise Alice in Wonderland was playing, so I ate some dinner and then headed over to the theater. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect, but like most Tim Burton movies, it was creative and incredibly odd. It wasn't in 3D, but I could see how that might add to the experience.
Saturday
This morning, I woke up and got ready to meet Luis Felipe. We met up in Plaza and hailed a cab to the office. I'm pretty sure that our driver was literally 12 years old. I'm not even kidding. This child drove us to the office, and when we got out, Luis Felipe joked with me saying that our driver probably had to ask his mother's permission to go out today, and probably had to ask her to go with him to see most movies.
Being the new "guidance counselor," I wasn't really sure what to expect regarding what my job was going to be this morning. Nobody ended up coming to talk to me, and I spent the morning talking with Ana and Heidy, before driving to a local chicken restaurant to pick up lunch for everyone.
The chicken was really good, and after lunch I hailed a cab to head back to my apartment. On the complete opposite spectrum from my morning driver, I'm pretty sure that Father Time drove me back to my apartment. His long white beard hung down from his face and his thick glasses provided him with a second windshield just in case of accidents. He maybe could have played Dumbledore if he were kind instead of gruff.
There was a nap waiting for me when I got back to my apartment, and I just woke up and remembered how I haven't written for a day and a half, so I figured I should probably get on that.
After thoroughly enjoying Thursday night TV, I slept well and headed to work on Friday morning. When I got to the office, there was an email from Global Ministries in my inbox, and we have finally decided on some dates for me to be able to come to Indianapolis for a psychological evaluation, which will help Felix and I determine the next step in working with and through the PTSD diagnosis.
I will be flying into Indianapolis on the 17th, and have evaluations and meetings until the 19th. I talked with Freddy and Marisela at the CCD, and they both said that I should take the following week off, so I will fortunately be able to spend the week of the 19th through the 28th in Cincinnati! I am very happy to have an unexpected Spring Break this year.
Yesterday throughout the work day, I finalized my plans for the flight home, and didn't have much else to do. So, I took the opportunity to work a little bit on Daniel and Maggie's wedding plans. After watching the Office, where Jim and Pam have a baby, I kindly requested to Daniel and Maggie in an email to them that they perhaps name their first born Alan, just like Jeremy and Julie (kind of) did.
After work, I stopped by Plaza, and to my surprise Alice in Wonderland was playing, so I ate some dinner and then headed over to the theater. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect, but like most Tim Burton movies, it was creative and incredibly odd. It wasn't in 3D, but I could see how that might add to the experience.
Saturday
This morning, I woke up and got ready to meet Luis Felipe. We met up in Plaza and hailed a cab to the office. I'm pretty sure that our driver was literally 12 years old. I'm not even kidding. This child drove us to the office, and when we got out, Luis Felipe joked with me saying that our driver probably had to ask his mother's permission to go out today, and probably had to ask her to go with him to see most movies.
Being the new "guidance counselor," I wasn't really sure what to expect regarding what my job was going to be this morning. Nobody ended up coming to talk to me, and I spent the morning talking with Ana and Heidy, before driving to a local chicken restaurant to pick up lunch for everyone.
The chicken was really good, and after lunch I hailed a cab to head back to my apartment. On the complete opposite spectrum from my morning driver, I'm pretty sure that Father Time drove me back to my apartment. His long white beard hung down from his face and his thick glasses provided him with a second windshield just in case of accidents. He maybe could have played Dumbledore if he were kind instead of gruff.
There was a nap waiting for me when I got back to my apartment, and I just woke up and remembered how I haven't written for a day and a half, so I figured I should probably get on that.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Working from the Apartment
Thursday March 4th 2010 5:30pm
So I woke up today, determined to start weening myself off of the almighty television. Freddy called me as I was getting ready for work, and informed me that the internet was still out at the office, and it would be best if I worked from home.
That made me want to turn on the TV and relax for a little bit in the morning.
Fortunately, I found the motivation to do some exercises up on the roof, and work on some emails in the morning. In the afternoon, I ran out of work to do and became even more tempted to watch the tube, and avoided it by whipping out my old Hebrew textbook from college and brushing up on my alef bet (alphabet). I was disappointed in how much I had forgotten, but pleased with how quickly I picked it back up.
After lunch and practicing my pronunciations, I took a walk past the bumper boats mall to a distant mall that I cannot even see from my apartment. Yes, there are a lot of malls around here. It was about a half hour walk to get there, but my explorations kept me busy for most of the afternoon.
Of course, all of this plotting to avoid the television will come crashing down tonight when I will undoubtedly enjoy Thursday night television. I mean, Jim and Pam are going to have a baby, how am I supposed to miss out on that? Maybe tomorrow I'll have better luck with initiating screen time.
So I woke up today, determined to start weening myself off of the almighty television. Freddy called me as I was getting ready for work, and informed me that the internet was still out at the office, and it would be best if I worked from home.
That made me want to turn on the TV and relax for a little bit in the morning.
Fortunately, I found the motivation to do some exercises up on the roof, and work on some emails in the morning. In the afternoon, I ran out of work to do and became even more tempted to watch the tube, and avoided it by whipping out my old Hebrew textbook from college and brushing up on my alef bet (alphabet). I was disappointed in how much I had forgotten, but pleased with how quickly I picked it back up.
After lunch and practicing my pronunciations, I took a walk past the bumper boats mall to a distant mall that I cannot even see from my apartment. Yes, there are a lot of malls around here. It was about a half hour walk to get there, but my explorations kept me busy for most of the afternoon.
Of course, all of this plotting to avoid the television will come crashing down tonight when I will undoubtedly enjoy Thursday night television. I mean, Jim and Pam are going to have a baby, how am I supposed to miss out on that? Maybe tomorrow I'll have better luck with initiating screen time.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
An Internet-Less Day
Wednesday March 3rd 2010 8:30pm
Driving to work this morning gave me a nice time cushion to allow for me to grab a quick work out in the morning. It was a nice way to start the day, and I missed the first fifteen minutes of work at the office.
When I did get to the office, I was informed that our internet was down because we didn't have the funds to make our monthly payment. I spent the morning translating documents, which is always tedious. Around lunch time, Freddy asked me if I wanted to go out to lunch with him and Dario before dropping me off at my apartment so that I could work using the internet.
We tried to go to a Chile's, but there was a Friendly World Cup match between Honduras and Turkey, which packed the restaurant. We ended up eating at some random buffalo wings place that I had never heard of before. It was cheap, and filling, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I got back to my apartment around 2:00, only to find that our power and internet were out. With the free afternoon, I took a walk to the Mall Cascades and enjoyed the fresh city air that accompanies a walk along a major road in a country where emission regulations are not exactly a priority.
The internet was still out when I got back, but the power was back on. I took the opportunity to make some waffles. I had planned on freezing them and eating them for breakfast throughout the rest of the week, but I ended up eating most of them as I made them. After the strawberry pie fiasco, I was pleased to know that at least I could make something simple.
With a tip of the hat to my cousin Jeremy and my cousin-in-law Julie, I watched the show Modern Family tonight, and laughed out loud several times. Thanks to Jeremy and Julie for the recommendation.
I checked the internet again, and luckily for me, it was back on. As I checked through emails and tried to get some work done, I wondered how different business was just a few years ago. Our office literally shut down without it, and my day was noticeably different without it. I know that people talk about what life was like before TV, video games, or internet, but I would like to try and live that life a little bit more. Not that TV or the internet can't be helpful, but I feel like personally they are consuming too much of my time.
Growing up, we used to have "Screen Time" where my siblings and I were all allowed only an hour and a half of staring at a screen each day. If I had "Screen Time" now, I would need to make some serious changes. Maybe I should start working on re-implementing some "Screen Time" rules in my life.
Driving to work this morning gave me a nice time cushion to allow for me to grab a quick work out in the morning. It was a nice way to start the day, and I missed the first fifteen minutes of work at the office.
When I did get to the office, I was informed that our internet was down because we didn't have the funds to make our monthly payment. I spent the morning translating documents, which is always tedious. Around lunch time, Freddy asked me if I wanted to go out to lunch with him and Dario before dropping me off at my apartment so that I could work using the internet.
We tried to go to a Chile's, but there was a Friendly World Cup match between Honduras and Turkey, which packed the restaurant. We ended up eating at some random buffalo wings place that I had never heard of before. It was cheap, and filling, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I got back to my apartment around 2:00, only to find that our power and internet were out. With the free afternoon, I took a walk to the Mall Cascades and enjoyed the fresh city air that accompanies a walk along a major road in a country where emission regulations are not exactly a priority.
The internet was still out when I got back, but the power was back on. I took the opportunity to make some waffles. I had planned on freezing them and eating them for breakfast throughout the rest of the week, but I ended up eating most of them as I made them. After the strawberry pie fiasco, I was pleased to know that at least I could make something simple.
With a tip of the hat to my cousin Jeremy and my cousin-in-law Julie, I watched the show Modern Family tonight, and laughed out loud several times. Thanks to Jeremy and Julie for the recommendation.
I checked the internet again, and luckily for me, it was back on. As I checked through emails and tried to get some work done, I wondered how different business was just a few years ago. Our office literally shut down without it, and my day was noticeably different without it. I know that people talk about what life was like before TV, video games, or internet, but I would like to try and live that life a little bit more. Not that TV or the internet can't be helpful, but I feel like personally they are consuming too much of my time.
Growing up, we used to have "Screen Time" where my siblings and I were all allowed only an hour and a half of staring at a screen each day. If I had "Screen Time" now, I would need to make some serious changes. Maybe I should start working on re-implementing some "Screen Time" rules in my life.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Alan Goes to the Mayor
Tuesday February 2nd 2010 8:30pm
Last night, Marisela called me to let me know that we would be going to Talanga to meet with Oscar, and travel to some remote community where we are planning to take a Medical Brigade in a couple of weeks. She told me that Nancy would be driving, and we were aiming to leave around 7:00 so that we could get back at a decent hour. I asked here where she wanted to pick me up, or if she just wanted to pick me up at my apartment, and she told me that she thought it might be easiest if I waited on the "side of that road across from the buildings, with the trees next to it. You know, across from Teleton." I tried to explain that I had no idea what Teleton even was let alone where it was, or even if it was possible for me to walk there, but Marisela was sure that I didn't know what I was talking about, and knew right where to wait.
Not surprisingly, this morning, I got a call around 8:00 letting me know that I should head out to our meeting spot. Also not surprisingly, I was at the wrong "side of that road across from the buildings, with the trees next to it." When I caught up to the car, Marisela was evidently a little perturbed with me for not understanding her instructions and pointed to a brick wall across the street and said, "That is Teleton, now do you remember?"
"That brick wall? That is Teleton? No, I don't remember, I'm sorry."
"Ugh! Teleton is on the other side of that wall."
"You mean, where I have never driven past it, and can't possibly see it?"
"Yes, finally we are on the same page!"
Nancy drove us to Talanga, and I was happy to check in on the projects that the group from Memphis had worked on a couple of weeks ago. It was nice to see that the storage building for the chicken coup was almost done.
From Talanga, Oscar drove us an hour away to a village called El Porvenir, which literally means "The For To Come." It was a small village with dirt roads, and more traffic due to herding livestock than due to cars or bicycles.
We poked around the village trying to figure out sleeping arrangements, eating arrangements, and where the doctors could set up shop at within the village. We met with the medical staff at the local clinic, which consisted of a few rooms staffed by one doctor, one dentist, and two nurses. Through a questionairre, we found out that most of the people in El Porvenir have no access to clean water, due in part to what is becoming a drought here in Honduras. We also found out that the outlying communities and municipalities have even less water and more problems due to the drought.
The nearest hospital is two hours away in Tegucigalpa, and if there is an emergency after 4pm, the nearest doctor is also two hours away in Tegucigalpa. Most women give birth in their homes without medication, and the infant mortality rate is roughly 2.8%, which is pretty high. There is a lack of proper education regarding public health. Perhaps most importantly, the medical brigade that will be coming is going to be the first opportunity for medical attention that the thousands of people in the outlying communities in about five years.
When we had finished talking with the staff at the clinic, we headed straight to the mayor's office to try and work out some logistics with him. I'm not sure, but I don't believe I've ever met a mayor before. I felt very important. Then I felt awkwardly important when the mayor insisted that I sit directly across from him during our meeting, and directed every answer towards me as if I had been asking all of the questions, or were perhaps in charge of the coming medical brigade.
I explained to him at the beginning of the meeting that I was an intern who was very much still in the learning stages, and he let me know that his door, and the doors to his village were always open to me. He then took note of the other people in the room, and assured them that his door was open to them too, if they wanted.
When Nancy asked if he was going to try and use this brigade as political leverage in an upcoming election, the mayor assured me that he was not running for office again, and would not need any political leverage in any upcoming elections.
When Oscar asked if we could try and get a group rate at a local hotel, the mayor gave me his word that he would be able to talk the owners into a reasonable rate for such a blessed group coming to help out the people.
When Marisela asked if he had any additional information that might be helpful to us or to the brigade, he shook my hand and thanked me for coming to his office, and told me that he would email me any updates he might have as they came to him.
It was a weird day.
We took the long way back to Talanga, in order to drive through some of the poorer outlying communities to get a better idea of the people who would be benefitting from the medical brigade. I was glad we took the long way. From Talanga, we drove to Nancy's house in Tegucigalpa, and then I dropped Marisela off and parked the car outside of my apartment, which means that I will have the liberty of driving to work tomorrow. The radio station will be all mine.
Last night, Marisela called me to let me know that we would be going to Talanga to meet with Oscar, and travel to some remote community where we are planning to take a Medical Brigade in a couple of weeks. She told me that Nancy would be driving, and we were aiming to leave around 7:00 so that we could get back at a decent hour. I asked here where she wanted to pick me up, or if she just wanted to pick me up at my apartment, and she told me that she thought it might be easiest if I waited on the "side of that road across from the buildings, with the trees next to it. You know, across from Teleton." I tried to explain that I had no idea what Teleton even was let alone where it was, or even if it was possible for me to walk there, but Marisela was sure that I didn't know what I was talking about, and knew right where to wait.
Not surprisingly, this morning, I got a call around 8:00 letting me know that I should head out to our meeting spot. Also not surprisingly, I was at the wrong "side of that road across from the buildings, with the trees next to it." When I caught up to the car, Marisela was evidently a little perturbed with me for not understanding her instructions and pointed to a brick wall across the street and said, "That is Teleton, now do you remember?"
"That brick wall? That is Teleton? No, I don't remember, I'm sorry."
"Ugh! Teleton is on the other side of that wall."
"You mean, where I have never driven past it, and can't possibly see it?"
"Yes, finally we are on the same page!"
Nancy drove us to Talanga, and I was happy to check in on the projects that the group from Memphis had worked on a couple of weeks ago. It was nice to see that the storage building for the chicken coup was almost done.
From Talanga, Oscar drove us an hour away to a village called El Porvenir, which literally means "The For To Come." It was a small village with dirt roads, and more traffic due to herding livestock than due to cars or bicycles.
We poked around the village trying to figure out sleeping arrangements, eating arrangements, and where the doctors could set up shop at within the village. We met with the medical staff at the local clinic, which consisted of a few rooms staffed by one doctor, one dentist, and two nurses. Through a questionairre, we found out that most of the people in El Porvenir have no access to clean water, due in part to what is becoming a drought here in Honduras. We also found out that the outlying communities and municipalities have even less water and more problems due to the drought.
The nearest hospital is two hours away in Tegucigalpa, and if there is an emergency after 4pm, the nearest doctor is also two hours away in Tegucigalpa. Most women give birth in their homes without medication, and the infant mortality rate is roughly 2.8%, which is pretty high. There is a lack of proper education regarding public health. Perhaps most importantly, the medical brigade that will be coming is going to be the first opportunity for medical attention that the thousands of people in the outlying communities in about five years.
When we had finished talking with the staff at the clinic, we headed straight to the mayor's office to try and work out some logistics with him. I'm not sure, but I don't believe I've ever met a mayor before. I felt very important. Then I felt awkwardly important when the mayor insisted that I sit directly across from him during our meeting, and directed every answer towards me as if I had been asking all of the questions, or were perhaps in charge of the coming medical brigade.
I explained to him at the beginning of the meeting that I was an intern who was very much still in the learning stages, and he let me know that his door, and the doors to his village were always open to me. He then took note of the other people in the room, and assured them that his door was open to them too, if they wanted.
When Nancy asked if he was going to try and use this brigade as political leverage in an upcoming election, the mayor assured me that he was not running for office again, and would not need any political leverage in any upcoming elections.
When Oscar asked if we could try and get a group rate at a local hotel, the mayor gave me his word that he would be able to talk the owners into a reasonable rate for such a blessed group coming to help out the people.
When Marisela asked if he had any additional information that might be helpful to us or to the brigade, he shook my hand and thanked me for coming to his office, and told me that he would email me any updates he might have as they came to him.
It was a weird day.
We took the long way back to Talanga, in order to drive through some of the poorer outlying communities to get a better idea of the people who would be benefitting from the medical brigade. I was glad we took the long way. From Talanga, we drove to Nancy's house in Tegucigalpa, and then I dropped Marisela off and parked the car outside of my apartment, which means that I will have the liberty of driving to work tomorrow. The radio station will be all mine.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Casimir Pulaski Day
Monday March 1st 2010
Happy Casimir Pulaski Day to all! Casimir Pulaski Day is a state holiday in Illinois and also in Wisconsin to commemorate the Polish born American Revolutionary Hero Casimir Pulaski. Truthfully the only reason why I know that is because of a song by Sufjan Stevens called Casimir Pulaski Day. Sorry if this opening paragraph is sort of random.
My Casimir Pulaski Day was spent relaxing in my apartment, and trying to transfer some files and documents from my old computer to my new one. It was a long day because the old computer randomly would shut off after ten minutes or so of being on, which was really why I needed a new one in the first place. After a little bit of struggle, I was able to save most of the files that I needed, and should not need to revisit the old and busted laptop that served me in such a mediocre way throughout college.
I also tried to enjoy the fruits of my labors from last night, when I attempted to bake a strawberry pie. I'm aware that this may also be random, but after watching a few episodes of Pushing Dasies I had been wanting to bake a pie, and couldn't find any ingredients in the local stores or markets to satisfy my desire to make any sort of normal pie. Strawberries, however, are currently abundant, and so I tried my hand at making a strawberry pie last night. It needed to chill overnight, and I was excited to try it this morning.
It was terrible. Absolutely awful. Really pure garbage. Most of the time, I can pinpoint something I've done wrong and write down a note on how to fix the problem for the next time I try and prepare that food. This time, my note read: Don't bake this again.
I'll still eat it, I mean far be it from me to just throw away a perfectly edible strawberry pie. Those strawberries weren't cheap.
I was also able to squeeze in some reading out on the balcony for a while in the afternoon before coming inside to prepare dinner, which I am in the middle of right now. I love a good breakfast for dinner.
Happy Casimir Pulaski Day to all! Casimir Pulaski Day is a state holiday in Illinois and also in Wisconsin to commemorate the Polish born American Revolutionary Hero Casimir Pulaski. Truthfully the only reason why I know that is because of a song by Sufjan Stevens called Casimir Pulaski Day. Sorry if this opening paragraph is sort of random.
My Casimir Pulaski Day was spent relaxing in my apartment, and trying to transfer some files and documents from my old computer to my new one. It was a long day because the old computer randomly would shut off after ten minutes or so of being on, which was really why I needed a new one in the first place. After a little bit of struggle, I was able to save most of the files that I needed, and should not need to revisit the old and busted laptop that served me in such a mediocre way throughout college.
I also tried to enjoy the fruits of my labors from last night, when I attempted to bake a strawberry pie. I'm aware that this may also be random, but after watching a few episodes of Pushing Dasies I had been wanting to bake a pie, and couldn't find any ingredients in the local stores or markets to satisfy my desire to make any sort of normal pie. Strawberries, however, are currently abundant, and so I tried my hand at making a strawberry pie last night. It needed to chill overnight, and I was excited to try it this morning.
It was terrible. Absolutely awful. Really pure garbage. Most of the time, I can pinpoint something I've done wrong and write down a note on how to fix the problem for the next time I try and prepare that food. This time, my note read: Don't bake this again.
I'll still eat it, I mean far be it from me to just throw away a perfectly edible strawberry pie. Those strawberries weren't cheap.
I was also able to squeeze in some reading out on the balcony for a while in the afternoon before coming inside to prepare dinner, which I am in the middle of right now. I love a good breakfast for dinner.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A Sigh of Relief
Sunday February 28th 2010 6:00pm
Saturday morning, I woke up and checked my email before heading to Plaza to meet Luis Felipe and head to the school to get back to our normal Saturday morning routine. When I checked my email, the news popped up about the earthquake in Chile.
The epicenter of the 8.8 quake was about 100 miles away from the region where I worked and visited about a year ago. I have lots of friends in Talca, and Curico, each about 100 miles away from Concepcion, the city that was the hardest hit. I was frozen when I read the news, and frustrated that I didn't have enough time to do more than send off a few quick messages and emails to my friends there checking in on them.
Once at the office/school, I headed to the computers to check for more news on the earthquake, but the internet was down, and I was unable to get any updates. Due to a surplus of teachers, I ended up not having a time slot to teach, and headed back to my apartment around lunchtime.
I was glued to the TV and the internet waiting to hear news and updates from my friends. One of those friends was my "gemelo" or my "twin" Freddy. I met him last year, and he and I became fast friends. I was supposed to go and visit before coming to Honduras, but due to a passport situation, I wasn't able to. Probably my closest friend in Curico is Erin Larsen, a former missionary who I went to Advance Conference with and who is living with her boyfriend for a few years in his hometown.
By 6:00pm, I hadn't heard anything from either of them, and decided to try and make some dinner and watch some Pushing Daisies to take my mind off of the situation. After a couple of episodes, I checked back, and found out from a Global Ministries update that our missionary partner Elena, and the staff at the Shalom Center (where I had been) were up in the Andes Mountains at the camp. They were largely unaffected by the earthquake, but needed to check in with friends and family to hear make sure that their loved ones were safe.
I tried to read as I waited for more news, but found my mind wandering off of the words on the page. I tried to fall asleep, but my mind kept me tossing and turning with thoughts of my friends.
Sunday
This morning, I woke up and turned on the news. As I watched the CNN en Espanol updates on Chile, I headed to my computer, where I saw a message on Erin's facebook page letting us know that she was okay. A few hours later, I saw that Monica, Freddy's fiance posted that she and her family and friends were okay too.
I exhaled.
I took some time to do some morning devotions, and decided to go for a walk after lunch. I normally head up towards Plaza when I walk anywhere, but this time I decided to wander in the opposite direction. I headed down the street in the direction towards a different mall, and wasn't really sure if I could actually walk to the mall, but decided that it would be my goal.
20 minutes later, I arrived at Mall Cascadas (Fountain Mall) and entered a vastly different realm than that of Plaza Miraflores. Mall Cascadas was air conditioned, and was some sort of a kid haven. There was a carousel, a train that ran around the second level, bumper BOATS on the first level, and arcade games at every corner.
What I noticed more than these things though, was that the smells reminded me very much of malls back in the United States. That may sound kind of weird, but scent is the sense most closely tied to memory, so I think it just popped into my head as a way of remembering home.
I walked back after a while, and took a much needed nap after a restless night of sleep last night. In the afternoon, I caught up with some emails and read for a while. I'm about to make some dinner over a stove that I have realize I take for granted. When people you love get hit by an earthquake, it kind of puts some of your life into perspective. I've got it pretty good here.
Saturday morning, I woke up and checked my email before heading to Plaza to meet Luis Felipe and head to the school to get back to our normal Saturday morning routine. When I checked my email, the news popped up about the earthquake in Chile.
The epicenter of the 8.8 quake was about 100 miles away from the region where I worked and visited about a year ago. I have lots of friends in Talca, and Curico, each about 100 miles away from Concepcion, the city that was the hardest hit. I was frozen when I read the news, and frustrated that I didn't have enough time to do more than send off a few quick messages and emails to my friends there checking in on them.
Once at the office/school, I headed to the computers to check for more news on the earthquake, but the internet was down, and I was unable to get any updates. Due to a surplus of teachers, I ended up not having a time slot to teach, and headed back to my apartment around lunchtime.
I was glued to the TV and the internet waiting to hear news and updates from my friends. One of those friends was my "gemelo" or my "twin" Freddy. I met him last year, and he and I became fast friends. I was supposed to go and visit before coming to Honduras, but due to a passport situation, I wasn't able to. Probably my closest friend in Curico is Erin Larsen, a former missionary who I went to Advance Conference with and who is living with her boyfriend for a few years in his hometown.
By 6:00pm, I hadn't heard anything from either of them, and decided to try and make some dinner and watch some Pushing Daisies to take my mind off of the situation. After a couple of episodes, I checked back, and found out from a Global Ministries update that our missionary partner Elena, and the staff at the Shalom Center (where I had been) were up in the Andes Mountains at the camp. They were largely unaffected by the earthquake, but needed to check in with friends and family to hear make sure that their loved ones were safe.
I tried to read as I waited for more news, but found my mind wandering off of the words on the page. I tried to fall asleep, but my mind kept me tossing and turning with thoughts of my friends.
Sunday
This morning, I woke up and turned on the news. As I watched the CNN en Espanol updates on Chile, I headed to my computer, where I saw a message on Erin's facebook page letting us know that she was okay. A few hours later, I saw that Monica, Freddy's fiance posted that she and her family and friends were okay too.
I exhaled.
I took some time to do some morning devotions, and decided to go for a walk after lunch. I normally head up towards Plaza when I walk anywhere, but this time I decided to wander in the opposite direction. I headed down the street in the direction towards a different mall, and wasn't really sure if I could actually walk to the mall, but decided that it would be my goal.
20 minutes later, I arrived at Mall Cascadas (Fountain Mall) and entered a vastly different realm than that of Plaza Miraflores. Mall Cascadas was air conditioned, and was some sort of a kid haven. There was a carousel, a train that ran around the second level, bumper BOATS on the first level, and arcade games at every corner.
What I noticed more than these things though, was that the smells reminded me very much of malls back in the United States. That may sound kind of weird, but scent is the sense most closely tied to memory, so I think it just popped into my head as a way of remembering home.
I walked back after a while, and took a much needed nap after a restless night of sleep last night. In the afternoon, I caught up with some emails and read for a while. I'm about to make some dinner over a stove that I have realize I take for granted. When people you love get hit by an earthquake, it kind of puts some of your life into perspective. I've got it pretty good here.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Office Politics
Friday February 26th 2010
Forgetting that the Olympics were on last night, I was sorely disappointed with my lack of an opportunity to relax and enjoy some Thursday night television. I did, however, find some time to head up to the roof to work out for a little bit, which felt good because I hadn't done that in a while.
I've realized that I really don't actually enjoy working out, I just enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that I recieve when I finish with exercising. I liken it to eating vegetables. They certainly aren't the tastiest dish that I prepare, but a very necessary one, and I feel very much like an adult when I prepare a separate vegetable dish for myself. I also think about how it must make my vegan friend Ellen happy when I do that too.
Because I had driven La Batalla yesterday, I got to drive into work this morning. As ridiculous as the morning commute is here in Tegucigalpa, I really enjoy the freedom of having a car. I was able to take my time getting ready, and enjoyed a nice full bowl of Post cereals before leisurely strolling to the car and making my way to the office.
Accidents are still very confusing to me here, and I saw another two on the way to work this morning. One I just saw in my rearview mirror, but the other was when I driver trying to turn left onto a busy road just pulled straight into a car that was stopped at a traffic stop. He just drove right into the second car's driver's side door. They both got out, yelled at one another exchanging blame, and then got back in their cars and drove away. Baffling.
When I got to the office, I had already recieved an email from a co worker letting me know how upset they were about something that another co worker had said about them. They wanted to know if I could talk with them later. A short time after listening to my companion vent, I was asked to look at an email that someone else sent a different member of our office. I spent this whole morning analyzing and helping my friends try and deal with the inner office politics of the CCD. Some of the issues were considerably more serious than others, but several people had concerns today.
I had to keep reminding the advice seekers that not only is this really my first office experience, but that my job requires me to stay out of involving myself with inner office disputes, concerns, or issues. I was heavily warned before I came here that my position as a white male might be seen as leverage that people in the office would use to try and tip the scales in their favor. When I first got here, I didn't really see any of my coworkers capable of using me in that way, but the more and more that I am here, the deeper I can see into the fog surrounding this office.
Again, with this being my first office experience, I'm not sure how much of this is typical, or how much of it is unique to the CCD and our situation here. Either way, I don't like it. I sometimes don't know how Michael Scott puts up with it all.
Forgetting that the Olympics were on last night, I was sorely disappointed with my lack of an opportunity to relax and enjoy some Thursday night television. I did, however, find some time to head up to the roof to work out for a little bit, which felt good because I hadn't done that in a while.
I've realized that I really don't actually enjoy working out, I just enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that I recieve when I finish with exercising. I liken it to eating vegetables. They certainly aren't the tastiest dish that I prepare, but a very necessary one, and I feel very much like an adult when I prepare a separate vegetable dish for myself. I also think about how it must make my vegan friend Ellen happy when I do that too.
Because I had driven La Batalla yesterday, I got to drive into work this morning. As ridiculous as the morning commute is here in Tegucigalpa, I really enjoy the freedom of having a car. I was able to take my time getting ready, and enjoyed a nice full bowl of Post cereals before leisurely strolling to the car and making my way to the office.
Accidents are still very confusing to me here, and I saw another two on the way to work this morning. One I just saw in my rearview mirror, but the other was when I driver trying to turn left onto a busy road just pulled straight into a car that was stopped at a traffic stop. He just drove right into the second car's driver's side door. They both got out, yelled at one another exchanging blame, and then got back in their cars and drove away. Baffling.
When I got to the office, I had already recieved an email from a co worker letting me know how upset they were about something that another co worker had said about them. They wanted to know if I could talk with them later. A short time after listening to my companion vent, I was asked to look at an email that someone else sent a different member of our office. I spent this whole morning analyzing and helping my friends try and deal with the inner office politics of the CCD. Some of the issues were considerably more serious than others, but several people had concerns today.
I had to keep reminding the advice seekers that not only is this really my first office experience, but that my job requires me to stay out of involving myself with inner office disputes, concerns, or issues. I was heavily warned before I came here that my position as a white male might be seen as leverage that people in the office would use to try and tip the scales in their favor. When I first got here, I didn't really see any of my coworkers capable of using me in that way, but the more and more that I am here, the deeper I can see into the fog surrounding this office.
Again, with this being my first office experience, I'm not sure how much of this is typical, or how much of it is unique to the CCD and our situation here. Either way, I don't like it. I sometimes don't know how Michael Scott puts up with it all.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Day of Driving
Thursday February 25th 2010 4:30pm
After we drove back from the self esteem seminar yesterday, I was informed that I was going to be driving the 15 passenger van back to the office the next morning.
This morning I woke up ready for the challenge. As I got into the car, and onto the road, I realized that the streets are where Hondurans make up for the way that they live the rest of their lives.
While most of the Honduran day is spent waiting around, slowly getting things done, and generally not being in a rush to do much of anything, this is apparently remedied somehow by speeding recklessly through invisible lane lines, and swerving around curves to be the closest to the intersection lacking the stoplight.
The hills, twists a
nd turns that have resulted from poor city planning only add to the incredible experience that is driving in Tegucigalpa. Here is a map of Tegucigalpa compared to a map of San Pedro Sula.
I made it to the office without a heart attack, and after a few hours of work, was asked to drive La Batalla to a store to drop off some electronic equipment. After lunch, I spent my afternoon driving around the city with Marisela. I wouldn't have had to drive all over the city if directions were properly given, but who's keeping track of those sort of things?
Fortunately, I was able to make it back to my apartment a little bit early and enjoy some reading out on my balcony with some nice sunlight. I do miss the changing seasons, but I am nice and tan these days.
After we drove back from the self esteem seminar yesterday, I was informed that I was going to be driving the 15 passenger van back to the office the next morning.
This morning I woke up ready for the challenge. As I got into the car, and onto the road, I realized that the streets are where Hondurans make up for the way that they live the rest of their lives.
While most of the Honduran day is spent waiting around, slowly getting things done, and generally not being in a rush to do much of anything, this is apparently remedied somehow by speeding recklessly through invisible lane lines, and swerving around curves to be the closest to the intersection lacking the stoplight.
The hills, twists a
nd turns that have resulted from poor city planning only add to the incredible experience that is driving in Tegucigalpa. Here is a map of Tegucigalpa compared to a map of San Pedro Sula.
I made it to the office without a heart attack, and after a few hours of work, was asked to drive La Batalla to a store to drop off some electronic equipment. After lunch, I spent my afternoon driving around the city with Marisela. I wouldn't have had to drive all over the city if directions were properly given, but who's keeping track of those sort of things?
Fortunately, I was able to make it back to my apartment a little bit early and enjoy some reading out on my balcony with some nice sunlight. I do miss the changing seasons, but I am nice and tan these days.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Self Esteem Seminar
Wednesday February 24th 2010 5:45pm
Not much happened yesterday after returning home from work. I read a little, called a couple of people, and watched some TV before calling it an early night and heading to bed around 10. Around 11, I awoke to a POW POW and the sound of explosives whizzing by over the roof. I could see out of my window that the small explosions were the results of firecrackers and small fireworks.
I slipped on my slippers, put on a decent shirt, and marched up to the roof, where I made a speech that made me sound largely like a stereotypical "old" person from some movie.
"Now you kids stop lighting off your firecrackers off of this roof, you hear? Where are your parents? Do they know you are up here playing around with fire? Some of us are trying to sleep you know, because we have to get up and go to work in the morning! Go on now! Scram! Skedaddle!"
I knew neither the words for "scram" nor "skedaddle" in Spanish, but the general "shooing" motion that I made with my arms got the message across as I said both in English.
This morning, I got up early to meet everyone in Plaza at 7:00am so that we could ride together to Monte Carmelo and be there by 8:00 for a Self Esteem Seminar. Naturally, we were all assembled and left Plaza by 8:00, and got to Monte Carmelo by 9:00.
The day was long and filled with team building exercises that had little to nothing to do with self esteem. I think I heard more discussion today on good parenting than I did about self-awareness, self-confidence, or anything relating to the general subject of self esteem.
We did do one exercise that I enjoyed where we wrote a letter to future selves. The instructor told us that these would be completely personal, and that we would not have to share them at the end of our 15 minutes of writing. 15 minutes later, we were asked to share our letters, and I recieved an uproar of "boos" from my co workers when I refused to share mine. It was personal! And I was told that I didn't have to share!
Upon reflection, I guess that it was nice to be out of the office for a change, but it was a very odd self esteem seminar that was without much talk on self esteem. I left slightly confused-which resulted in possibly lower self esteem than when I went to the seminar. Don't worry, I just got to type up about the incident where I told off those dern kids on the roof. My self esteem is right back where it needs to be.
Not much happened yesterday after returning home from work. I read a little, called a couple of people, and watched some TV before calling it an early night and heading to bed around 10. Around 11, I awoke to a POW POW and the sound of explosives whizzing by over the roof. I could see out of my window that the small explosions were the results of firecrackers and small fireworks.
I slipped on my slippers, put on a decent shirt, and marched up to the roof, where I made a speech that made me sound largely like a stereotypical "old" person from some movie.
"Now you kids stop lighting off your firecrackers off of this roof, you hear? Where are your parents? Do they know you are up here playing around with fire? Some of us are trying to sleep you know, because we have to get up and go to work in the morning! Go on now! Scram! Skedaddle!"
I knew neither the words for "scram" nor "skedaddle" in Spanish, but the general "shooing" motion that I made with my arms got the message across as I said both in English.
This morning, I got up early to meet everyone in Plaza at 7:00am so that we could ride together to Monte Carmelo and be there by 8:00 for a Self Esteem Seminar. Naturally, we were all assembled and left Plaza by 8:00, and got to Monte Carmelo by 9:00.
The day was long and filled with team building exercises that had little to nothing to do with self esteem. I think I heard more discussion today on good parenting than I did about self-awareness, self-confidence, or anything relating to the general subject of self esteem.
We did do one exercise that I enjoyed where we wrote a letter to future selves. The instructor told us that these would be completely personal, and that we would not have to share them at the end of our 15 minutes of writing. 15 minutes later, we were asked to share our letters, and I recieved an uproar of "boos" from my co workers when I refused to share mine. It was personal! And I was told that I didn't have to share!
Upon reflection, I guess that it was nice to be out of the office for a change, but it was a very odd self esteem seminar that was without much talk on self esteem. I left slightly confused-which resulted in possibly lower self esteem than when I went to the seminar. Don't worry, I just got to type up about the incident where I told off those dern kids on the roof. My self esteem is right back where it needs to be.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Back in the Office
Tuesday February 23rd 2010
Grocery shopping yesterday was a lot of fun. I had forgotten that I hadn't shaved in the whole week that I was with the group, and had forgotten that I was too lazy to shave once I had gotten back to my appartment. For those of you who are unaware, my facial hair grows only in certain patches and bunches around my face and neck area. It doesn't look good. Not even close.
The only reason why I noticed yesterday was because of how hot it was. It was in the mid to upper 80's here, and lots of patchy ugly looking beard-hair combined with a sweaty white male in this city is quite the sight to see. I felt bad for the other people in the store who were clearly trying not to look at me. Mothers averted their children's eyes and scolded them for staring. I couldn't help laughing at myself when I saw myself in the reflection of a glass door.
At least the shopping was productive, and I was able to eat a nice hearty meal of some pasta chicken recipe from a cookbook that Uncle Russ had gotten me for Christmas. Don't worry, I shaved long before I made the meal.
Today, I headed to work with Freddy and caught him up on the work that the group had accomplished out in Talanga. He invited me on a spring break trip with him and some of his friends to La Ceiba. The whole city here shuts down for all of Holy Week, and most of the residents take off for the beaches in the north. I let him know that as long as I wasn't going to be back in the US fooling around with GM stuff that I would love to go.
Betza and Edgardo have Monday's off in the office, and Marisela always comes in late, so for the first two hours or so, Alfreddy and I had the office to ourselves. Alfreddy had a meeting, and left, which gave me the liberty to play whatever kind of music that I wanted. I took full advantage of that liberty, and played all sorts of crazy music from the States that no one here has ever even heard of. Marisela got in around 11:30, and I turned my music down. Around noon, however, she started sobbing uncontrollably and just left to go back home. I tried to call her a little while later, but she didn't answer. Sometimes she cries when groups cancel. I hope that everything is okay with her.
The rest of the afternoon, I've spent working on the CCD website, and downloading Microsoft Office to this computer. Its nice to finally be able to read the documents that people are sending me.
Grocery shopping yesterday was a lot of fun. I had forgotten that I hadn't shaved in the whole week that I was with the group, and had forgotten that I was too lazy to shave once I had gotten back to my appartment. For those of you who are unaware, my facial hair grows only in certain patches and bunches around my face and neck area. It doesn't look good. Not even close.
The only reason why I noticed yesterday was because of how hot it was. It was in the mid to upper 80's here, and lots of patchy ugly looking beard-hair combined with a sweaty white male in this city is quite the sight to see. I felt bad for the other people in the store who were clearly trying not to look at me. Mothers averted their children's eyes and scolded them for staring. I couldn't help laughing at myself when I saw myself in the reflection of a glass door.
At least the shopping was productive, and I was able to eat a nice hearty meal of some pasta chicken recipe from a cookbook that Uncle Russ had gotten me for Christmas. Don't worry, I shaved long before I made the meal.
Today, I headed to work with Freddy and caught him up on the work that the group had accomplished out in Talanga. He invited me on a spring break trip with him and some of his friends to La Ceiba. The whole city here shuts down for all of Holy Week, and most of the residents take off for the beaches in the north. I let him know that as long as I wasn't going to be back in the US fooling around with GM stuff that I would love to go.
Betza and Edgardo have Monday's off in the office, and Marisela always comes in late, so for the first two hours or so, Alfreddy and I had the office to ourselves. Alfreddy had a meeting, and left, which gave me the liberty to play whatever kind of music that I wanted. I took full advantage of that liberty, and played all sorts of crazy music from the States that no one here has ever even heard of. Marisela got in around 11:30, and I turned my music down. Around noon, however, she started sobbing uncontrollably and just left to go back home. I tried to call her a little while later, but she didn't answer. Sometimes she cries when groups cancel. I hope that everything is okay with her.
The rest of the afternoon, I've spent working on the CCD website, and downloading Microsoft Office to this computer. Its nice to finally be able to read the documents that people are sending me.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Group From Memphis
Sunday February 22nd 2010 3:15pm
Last week began with some ridiculously poor planning, and ended up with one of the "group I'll never forget."
Saturday 13th
The group was flying into San Pedro Sula (SPS) which is roughly 6 hours away from Tegucigalpa, depending entirely on the traffic, and how long one gets stuck at the part of the cross country highway that is only one way. With the flight scheduled to arrive at 11:30, we planned to leave Tegucigalpa at 5am, and head straight from there, hoping that our early departure would save us from most of the traffic, and having to wait for very long at the one way part of the highway. I had repeatedly asked Marisela to make sure Rueben, our driver, and Elmer, who was going to drive a truck up to SPS and take all the luggage, but everyone's overnight bags back to Tegucigalpa. She assured me that everything was ready for the week.
I was down on the street waiting until 5:15 before I called Rueben, who was supposed to pick me up. Apparently, there had been a miscommunication between him and Elmer as to where they were meeting, and Rueben was going to pick up Marisela and then come pick me up. At 5:45, I called again to find out that Marisela wasn't ready yet. By 6:15, I was picked up, and perturbed, though I was sure the lack of sleep didn't help.
We stopped to get gas outside of the city, and I couldn't help but wonder why we didn't run in and grab a quick breakfast. When I asked, Marisela and Rueben kind of chuckled at the idea. "Its because we don't enjoy those kind of breakfasts. We'll stop later and have a sit down breakfast." I really wanted to slightly raise my voice and say, "Excuse me? We are already an hour late, and IF we make good time, then we might make it to the airport by the time they get through customs!" Instead, I remembered the Event-Oriented and not Time-Oriented schedule that Honduras runs on. I went ahead and got some breakfast snacks at the gas station, got back in the car, and slept most of the way to SPS.
The breakfast place where we stopped to eat was actually pretty quick, and I suppose we didn't lose very much time off of the road.
This was my first time at the SPS airport, and I found it very similar to the one in Tegucigalpa. It was very small, easy to get into and out of, and the parking lot was right next to the terminal. We arrived right on time for the flight to land, and waited for our group to arrive at 11:30am. And we waited. And waited. Marisela went up to a security guard after all of the passengers had left and it was close to 1:00pm. We were informed that there was still one group that hadn't quite gotten through yet due to some passport issues.
Half an hour later, the group of seven from the Memphis area emerged from the security area of the airport. There should have been eight. One of them, a former pastor from the church who had visited Honduras several times before hadn't renewed his passport, and it was set to expire in 30 days. How he got all the way to Honduras before someone caught that, I do not know. When security had finished with him and the group, armed guards marched him right onto a plane heading for New York City. I never met Tom.
There was another guy flying in from Miami, so Marisela checked his flight schedule while we were at the airport, and found that one of his flights had been delayed and wouldn't get in until 6pm. So, we took the group out to eat, and drove around part of the city for a little bit trying to kill time. We stopped in a mall, and I got to meet some of the group. There were four adults, all of whom had been to Honduras around six or seven times, and three teenagers. Colton was 13 and came only because his friend Joseph made him. Joseph was 14, and I'll be talking more about him later. Abby was 15, and it was her dad who couldn't come through into the country. She was pretty upset about it, and understandably so. In a very weird way, she reminded me of my favorite sister, Susan. She was tall, had a big dimple on one cheek, and had very similar mannerisms to Susan's.
We got back to the airport around 5:30ish, to find Robert, our last group member already waiting outside. Robert was Abby's uncle, and Tommy's brother and was sad to hear that he wouldn't be spending the week with his brother. Abby asked him how long he had been waiting outside, and it had only been about two and a half hours. Thats right. Two and a half hours. Marisela had checked with the wrong airline. Robert's plane got in right on time at 2:30pm. I felt so badly for him.
From the airport, we drove on to Copan Ruins, which was the diversion activity that the group had picked. The ruines are left over from the Mayan culture, and are about two hours west of SPS, and only about three km away from the Guatemalan border. On our way, Joseph made a lot of remarks, such as, "I hope I see someone get shot," or, "I wonder how many drug addicts there are here." One of the adults, Matt, who is Joseph's grandfather, explained to me about some of Joseph's rough upbringing. Throughout the week Joseph would make lude, homophobic, sexist, and rascist remarks, but Matt did a very good job of correct him, and the adults all let us know about how much better Joseph has been and the progress that he has made since moving in with Matt about a year and a half prior to the trip.
Our hotel looked very inviting to a group of people who had been up since the early hours of the morning, but food was apparently even more inviting than a bed to some of the group. So we headed out into the night in search for an open restaurant. After eating, we made it back to the hotel around midnight, and all passed out.
Sunday 14th
With breakfast at 8am, we were up early, and done eating by 9. We took until 10:00 to walk around the village of Copan, buying odd trinkets and souvenirs, before we headed over to the ruines themselves. This was my first trip to the ruines, and I loved them. The history, and the symbolism in alot of the architecture was incredible to me. I understand that it may not fascinate most people, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even got to use some of my Biblical Archaeology class to answer the questions from our tour guide. Acropolis means "high city". Most buildings have some sort of association with death if they face the west (sunset) and with life if they face the east (sunrise). Maybe this college thing will come in handy.
The rest of the day was spent riding back to Tegucigalpa. We left around 1:00, and got to Monte Carmelo around 9:00. From there, I had to drive Marisela into the city because she hadn't packed for the whole week.
Monday 15th
I woke up in my apartment at 6:00, and drove to pick up Marisela (who surprisingly was not ready yet) before heading up to Mounte Carmelo for breakfast with the group.
After breakfast, we loaded up all of the luggage, and drove off to Talanga. The group drove with Rueben in the 15 passenger van, and I drove the luggage in La Batalla. Robert offered to ride over with me, and we had a good talk on our way over there. He didn't really know any of the people in the group, apart from his neice, before the trip, and we were able to relate throughout the week. Also throughout the week, Matt, and a few of the other adults kept assuring me that they would be the "most unforgettable group." To me, that is like someone saying, "I'm a funny person." If you truly are funny, there should be no need to say it.
When we got to Talanga, it took us all of the morning to get organized. After lunch, we headed out to begin the work. Paula and Deb, the two adult women from the group, worked with Marisela on painting some of the buildings. The rest of us headed out to where a chicken coup was being built. Matt, Greg (the other adult), and the kids used La Batalla to shuttle roughly 500 cement blocks to the work site. I stayed with Robert and served as a translator as we worked with Leno, the mason, and Fausto our security guard who apparently has a background in construction. The four of us set the foundation for the storage facility for the chicken coup.
My main job was cement mixing. Cement mixing in Honduras is done on the ground with shovels, dirt, rocks, an 80 lb bag of cement mixture, and an eyeballed amount of water. Its great.
We called it a day around 4:00, and I the kids from the group start a game of soccer with the kids from the technical schools, which had just let out. The kids got to see first hand how good Honduran youth were at soccer. That being said, they were all very impressed with how well Abby played (usually because girls don't get the chance to play that often, and she was able to hold her own against the boys). This of course was very upsetting to Joseph and Colton who lashed out with their own less than glamorous remarks, but they were quickly curtailed by Matt.
Dinner was delicious, and everyone showered and soon went to bed after that.
Tuesday 16th - Thursday 18th
The rest of the week was pretty much our version of Groundhog's Day. We got up, ate, went to work, ate, worked some more, played soccer, ate, showered, went to bed. Most of the week, I spent mixing mortar for laying the blocks. The building was 10 blocks by 10 blocks by 10 blocks. By the end of Thursday, we had finished most all of it, but were called in early to help celebrate Colton's birthday. The cooks had made him pizza and cake. Afterward, we all went out and enjoyed the thrills of a pinata.
Every night, a cerveza (beer) run was made, and the gentlemen spent their early evening polishing off 24 beers. Sometimes people played cards, or checkers, but the Hondurans never played with them. Robert usually took some initiative to find something to get into that was authentically Honduran, and was found one night in the kitchen, learning how to make pupusas with the cook. He didn't speak Spanish, she didn't speak English. It was really wonderful to see.
Friday 19th
After eating breakfast, the kids and the women went off to a local school to give away school supplies, while the guys stayed behind to put the finishing touches on the walls. By noon, everyone had finished what they had set out to do, and we got together to eat lunch. We spent the early afternoon packing, and then heading on to Valle de Angeles.
Robert and Abby rode with me in La Batalla, and we had a good time talking and enjoying the beauty of God's creation in Honduras.
As we pulled down the last little hill into a parking lot, the brakes gave way on La Batalla. Luckily we weren't going that fast, and I was able to steer us away from other cars before grabbing the emergency break to pull us to a stop.
Rueben took a look at the car and said that the engine had overheated from hauling all the luggage up and down the mountains in such an old car for over an hour. He explained that it had probably started boiling the brake fluid, which is then no longer brake fluid. I was pretty shaken up, but Abby and Robert didn't know anything about what had happened. To them, we parked slighly askew, and now Rueben and I were speaking very quickly and looking under the hood.
The group went ahead with Fausto and Marisela to begin their souvenire shopping. Rueben and I hung back and worked on the car. I went to the local gas station, got more brake fluid, and came back to find Rueben tinkering with the pedal, and some other stuff inside the engine that I could never hope to understand.
After some more work, and a few test runs, I became comfortable with driving it again, and set out on foot to join up with the group to help with their souvenir shopping.
We spent the whole afternoon bouncing back and forth between shops that are essentially identical before heading back to cars. I told the group about the brakes and our repair job, and they felt confident that we would be okay to drive back to Monte Carmelo.
Robert rode with me again, and we were able to drive through Tegucigalpa up to Monte Carmelo without problems. We beat the other car there by a few minutes, and helped to get dinner ready while we waited. By the time the other car arrived, everyone was hungry, and we headed straight to the dining hall.
We ate together, reflected on the week, and shared some of our favorite experiences. Immediately after dinner, I headed to bed, knowing that with early flights, we would have to be up around 5:30 to get ready and pack up the cars.
Saturday 20th
Everyone was awake early, packed and ready to go by 7:00. We headed off to the airport, and saw Robert off. With his earlier flight out of the way and the rest of the group already checked in, we decided to head over the the Bascillica Suyapa to squeeze in one last tourist activity before the group left.
They were back at the airport and through security by 11:30, and I was back in my apartment around the same time. I slept for the rest of the day.
By the end of the week it was obvious how much everyone had grown and changed. Especially Joseph. I'm not sure that they will be the most unforgettable group, but it will be a while before I ever experience another group quite like the group from Memphis.
Sunday 21st
Mostly, I spent yesterday resting and relaxing. I read, watched some TV, and played an Edgar Allen Poe computer game that my parents had gotten me for Christmas. It wasn't exactly what I had thought it would be, and I had beaten the whole thing in two hours. I also took some time to cook up a nice pizza for dinner. I caught some wierd show on Showtime called Spartacus. It was all in Spanish, but it was kind of entertaining.
Our next group is scheduled for the end of March, but I still haven't heard back from Global Ministries as to if and when I'll be heading back to Indianapolis for some evaluations, so I'm not sure I'll be here for the group. I hope that I will be. Groups are too few and far between.
Last week began with some ridiculously poor planning, and ended up with one of the "group I'll never forget."
Saturday 13th
The group was flying into San Pedro Sula (SPS) which is roughly 6 hours away from Tegucigalpa, depending entirely on the traffic, and how long one gets stuck at the part of the cross country highway that is only one way. With the flight scheduled to arrive at 11:30, we planned to leave Tegucigalpa at 5am, and head straight from there, hoping that our early departure would save us from most of the traffic, and having to wait for very long at the one way part of the highway. I had repeatedly asked Marisela to make sure Rueben, our driver, and Elmer, who was going to drive a truck up to SPS and take all the luggage, but everyone's overnight bags back to Tegucigalpa. She assured me that everything was ready for the week.
I was down on the street waiting until 5:15 before I called Rueben, who was supposed to pick me up. Apparently, there had been a miscommunication between him and Elmer as to where they were meeting, and Rueben was going to pick up Marisela and then come pick me up. At 5:45, I called again to find out that Marisela wasn't ready yet. By 6:15, I was picked up, and perturbed, though I was sure the lack of sleep didn't help.
We stopped to get gas outside of the city, and I couldn't help but wonder why we didn't run in and grab a quick breakfast. When I asked, Marisela and Rueben kind of chuckled at the idea. "Its because we don't enjoy those kind of breakfasts. We'll stop later and have a sit down breakfast." I really wanted to slightly raise my voice and say, "Excuse me? We are already an hour late, and IF we make good time, then we might make it to the airport by the time they get through customs!" Instead, I remembered the Event-Oriented and not Time-Oriented schedule that Honduras runs on. I went ahead and got some breakfast snacks at the gas station, got back in the car, and slept most of the way to SPS.
The breakfast place where we stopped to eat was actually pretty quick, and I suppose we didn't lose very much time off of the road.
This was my first time at the SPS airport, and I found it very similar to the one in Tegucigalpa. It was very small, easy to get into and out of, and the parking lot was right next to the terminal. We arrived right on time for the flight to land, and waited for our group to arrive at 11:30am. And we waited. And waited. Marisela went up to a security guard after all of the passengers had left and it was close to 1:00pm. We were informed that there was still one group that hadn't quite gotten through yet due to some passport issues.
Half an hour later, the group of seven from the Memphis area emerged from the security area of the airport. There should have been eight. One of them, a former pastor from the church who had visited Honduras several times before hadn't renewed his passport, and it was set to expire in 30 days. How he got all the way to Honduras before someone caught that, I do not know. When security had finished with him and the group, armed guards marched him right onto a plane heading for New York City. I never met Tom.
There was another guy flying in from Miami, so Marisela checked his flight schedule while we were at the airport, and found that one of his flights had been delayed and wouldn't get in until 6pm. So, we took the group out to eat, and drove around part of the city for a little bit trying to kill time. We stopped in a mall, and I got to meet some of the group. There were four adults, all of whom had been to Honduras around six or seven times, and three teenagers. Colton was 13 and came only because his friend Joseph made him. Joseph was 14, and I'll be talking more about him later. Abby was 15, and it was her dad who couldn't come through into the country. She was pretty upset about it, and understandably so. In a very weird way, she reminded me of my favorite sister, Susan. She was tall, had a big dimple on one cheek, and had very similar mannerisms to Susan's.
We got back to the airport around 5:30ish, to find Robert, our last group member already waiting outside. Robert was Abby's uncle, and Tommy's brother and was sad to hear that he wouldn't be spending the week with his brother. Abby asked him how long he had been waiting outside, and it had only been about two and a half hours. Thats right. Two and a half hours. Marisela had checked with the wrong airline. Robert's plane got in right on time at 2:30pm. I felt so badly for him.
From the airport, we drove on to Copan Ruins, which was the diversion activity that the group had picked. The ruines are left over from the Mayan culture, and are about two hours west of SPS, and only about three km away from the Guatemalan border. On our way, Joseph made a lot of remarks, such as, "I hope I see someone get shot," or, "I wonder how many drug addicts there are here." One of the adults, Matt, who is Joseph's grandfather, explained to me about some of Joseph's rough upbringing. Throughout the week Joseph would make lude, homophobic, sexist, and rascist remarks, but Matt did a very good job of correct him, and the adults all let us know about how much better Joseph has been and the progress that he has made since moving in with Matt about a year and a half prior to the trip.
Our hotel looked very inviting to a group of people who had been up since the early hours of the morning, but food was apparently even more inviting than a bed to some of the group. So we headed out into the night in search for an open restaurant. After eating, we made it back to the hotel around midnight, and all passed out.
Sunday 14th
With breakfast at 8am, we were up early, and done eating by 9. We took until 10:00 to walk around the village of Copan, buying odd trinkets and souvenirs, before we headed over to the ruines themselves. This was my first trip to the ruines, and I loved them. The history, and the symbolism in alot of the architecture was incredible to me. I understand that it may not fascinate most people, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even got to use some of my Biblical Archaeology class to answer the questions from our tour guide. Acropolis means "high city". Most buildings have some sort of association with death if they face the west (sunset) and with life if they face the east (sunrise). Maybe this college thing will come in handy.
The rest of the day was spent riding back to Tegucigalpa. We left around 1:00, and got to Monte Carmelo around 9:00. From there, I had to drive Marisela into the city because she hadn't packed for the whole week.
Monday 15th
I woke up in my apartment at 6:00, and drove to pick up Marisela (who surprisingly was not ready yet) before heading up to Mounte Carmelo for breakfast with the group.
After breakfast, we loaded up all of the luggage, and drove off to Talanga. The group drove with Rueben in the 15 passenger van, and I drove the luggage in La Batalla. Robert offered to ride over with me, and we had a good talk on our way over there. He didn't really know any of the people in the group, apart from his neice, before the trip, and we were able to relate throughout the week. Also throughout the week, Matt, and a few of the other adults kept assuring me that they would be the "most unforgettable group." To me, that is like someone saying, "I'm a funny person." If you truly are funny, there should be no need to say it.
When we got to Talanga, it took us all of the morning to get organized. After lunch, we headed out to begin the work. Paula and Deb, the two adult women from the group, worked with Marisela on painting some of the buildings. The rest of us headed out to where a chicken coup was being built. Matt, Greg (the other adult), and the kids used La Batalla to shuttle roughly 500 cement blocks to the work site. I stayed with Robert and served as a translator as we worked with Leno, the mason, and Fausto our security guard who apparently has a background in construction. The four of us set the foundation for the storage facility for the chicken coup.
My main job was cement mixing. Cement mixing in Honduras is done on the ground with shovels, dirt, rocks, an 80 lb bag of cement mixture, and an eyeballed amount of water. Its great.
We called it a day around 4:00, and I the kids from the group start a game of soccer with the kids from the technical schools, which had just let out. The kids got to see first hand how good Honduran youth were at soccer. That being said, they were all very impressed with how well Abby played (usually because girls don't get the chance to play that often, and she was able to hold her own against the boys). This of course was very upsetting to Joseph and Colton who lashed out with their own less than glamorous remarks, but they were quickly curtailed by Matt.
Dinner was delicious, and everyone showered and soon went to bed after that.
Tuesday 16th - Thursday 18th
The rest of the week was pretty much our version of Groundhog's Day. We got up, ate, went to work, ate, worked some more, played soccer, ate, showered, went to bed. Most of the week, I spent mixing mortar for laying the blocks. The building was 10 blocks by 10 blocks by 10 blocks. By the end of Thursday, we had finished most all of it, but were called in early to help celebrate Colton's birthday. The cooks had made him pizza and cake. Afterward, we all went out and enjoyed the thrills of a pinata.
Every night, a cerveza (beer) run was made, and the gentlemen spent their early evening polishing off 24 beers. Sometimes people played cards, or checkers, but the Hondurans never played with them. Robert usually took some initiative to find something to get into that was authentically Honduran, and was found one night in the kitchen, learning how to make pupusas with the cook. He didn't speak Spanish, she didn't speak English. It was really wonderful to see.
Friday 19th
After eating breakfast, the kids and the women went off to a local school to give away school supplies, while the guys stayed behind to put the finishing touches on the walls. By noon, everyone had finished what they had set out to do, and we got together to eat lunch. We spent the early afternoon packing, and then heading on to Valle de Angeles.
Robert and Abby rode with me in La Batalla, and we had a good time talking and enjoying the beauty of God's creation in Honduras.
As we pulled down the last little hill into a parking lot, the brakes gave way on La Batalla. Luckily we weren't going that fast, and I was able to steer us away from other cars before grabbing the emergency break to pull us to a stop.
Rueben took a look at the car and said that the engine had overheated from hauling all the luggage up and down the mountains in such an old car for over an hour. He explained that it had probably started boiling the brake fluid, which is then no longer brake fluid. I was pretty shaken up, but Abby and Robert didn't know anything about what had happened. To them, we parked slighly askew, and now Rueben and I were speaking very quickly and looking under the hood.
The group went ahead with Fausto and Marisela to begin their souvenire shopping. Rueben and I hung back and worked on the car. I went to the local gas station, got more brake fluid, and came back to find Rueben tinkering with the pedal, and some other stuff inside the engine that I could never hope to understand.
After some more work, and a few test runs, I became comfortable with driving it again, and set out on foot to join up with the group to help with their souvenir shopping.
We spent the whole afternoon bouncing back and forth between shops that are essentially identical before heading back to cars. I told the group about the brakes and our repair job, and they felt confident that we would be okay to drive back to Monte Carmelo.
Robert rode with me again, and we were able to drive through Tegucigalpa up to Monte Carmelo without problems. We beat the other car there by a few minutes, and helped to get dinner ready while we waited. By the time the other car arrived, everyone was hungry, and we headed straight to the dining hall.
We ate together, reflected on the week, and shared some of our favorite experiences. Immediately after dinner, I headed to bed, knowing that with early flights, we would have to be up around 5:30 to get ready and pack up the cars.
Saturday 20th
Everyone was awake early, packed and ready to go by 7:00. We headed off to the airport, and saw Robert off. With his earlier flight out of the way and the rest of the group already checked in, we decided to head over the the Bascillica Suyapa to squeeze in one last tourist activity before the group left.
They were back at the airport and through security by 11:30, and I was back in my apartment around the same time. I slept for the rest of the day.
By the end of the week it was obvious how much everyone had grown and changed. Especially Joseph. I'm not sure that they will be the most unforgettable group, but it will be a while before I ever experience another group quite like the group from Memphis.
Sunday 21st
Mostly, I spent yesterday resting and relaxing. I read, watched some TV, and played an Edgar Allen Poe computer game that my parents had gotten me for Christmas. It wasn't exactly what I had thought it would be, and I had beaten the whole thing in two hours. I also took some time to cook up a nice pizza for dinner. I caught some wierd show on Showtime called Spartacus. It was all in Spanish, but it was kind of entertaining.
Our next group is scheduled for the end of March, but I still haven't heard back from Global Ministries as to if and when I'll be heading back to Indianapolis for some evaluations, so I'm not sure I'll be here for the group. I hope that I will be. Groups are too few and far between.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Second Group
Saturday February 13th 2010 5:15am
So we are about to leave for San Pedro Sula to pick up the second group I'm working with from the airport there. From there, we are driving another four hours to the Copan Ruins and spending the night there. The next morning, we are touring the ruines after breakfast and then driving back to Monte Carmelo for the rest of the day. For the rest of the week, until Saturday we are working in Talanga at Monte Horeb with various maintenance and construction projects. On Saturday morning, we drive to the airport in Tegucigalpa to drop the group off. I'm not really sure when I'll have internet access again, so it might be a while before I make another entry.
So we are about to leave for San Pedro Sula to pick up the second group I'm working with from the airport there. From there, we are driving another four hours to the Copan Ruins and spending the night there. The next morning, we are touring the ruines after breakfast and then driving back to Monte Carmelo for the rest of the day. For the rest of the week, until Saturday we are working in Talanga at Monte Horeb with various maintenance and construction projects. On Saturday morning, we drive to the airport in Tegucigalpa to drop the group off. I'm not really sure when I'll have internet access again, so it might be a while before I make another entry.
Friday, February 12, 2010
San Marino
Friday February 12th 2010 10:15am
When I picked up Marisela to head to the office to meet Rueben, I was incredibly surprised to see her daughter Marirosa coming with us. I figured if the place that we were going was too dangerous for only Marisela and I to go without someone else, it would be too dangerous for a five year old girl also. Apparently not.
We got to the office, and Rueben was already there waiting for us. It was already 2:00, and we decided to stay and chat in the office for a couple of hours before heading out, which made me feel very uncomfortable. The later we stayed in the office, the closer it got to turning dark, and though 4:00 seems awfully early to be worried about the dark, I was very aware of who I was traveling with, and knew that nothing that we would be doing was going to be a quick simple journey.
The neighborhood is called San Marino and it is not very far away from the office. We were there by 4:30, and our shadows were already stretched out across the street. Although at the time, the area seemed really calm, I was very tense and was constantly looking around over my shoulder, and keeping one eye on Marirosa as she danced around the sidewalk. We bought the furniture and loaded it up without an incidents, but as we got back into the car, we heard some gunshots, and quickly buckled up and told Rueben to step on it.
As we neared the exit to the neighborhood, we saw a crowd of people. A crowd is never a good thing here. The people were parted just enough for me to catch a glimpse of a blue tarp with a person-shaped bulge protruding from the middle of it. The crowd gathered closer around the red ring around the edge of the tarp, and the blue and red disappeared from my sight. Luckily, Marirosa was in the back seat, and couldn't see anything.
We sped out onto the main road, and drove quickly to Marisela's apartment to drop off her couch. When we had finished, Rueben dropped me off at my apartment. I took some time to reflect on the day and say a few prayers before making some dinner and enjoying my cathardic Thursday night television. I laughed out loud during Parks and Recreation, the Office, and 30 Rock. I needed some good laughs.
When I picked up Marisela to head to the office to meet Rueben, I was incredibly surprised to see her daughter Marirosa coming with us. I figured if the place that we were going was too dangerous for only Marisela and I to go without someone else, it would be too dangerous for a five year old girl also. Apparently not.
We got to the office, and Rueben was already there waiting for us. It was already 2:00, and we decided to stay and chat in the office for a couple of hours before heading out, which made me feel very uncomfortable. The later we stayed in the office, the closer it got to turning dark, and though 4:00 seems awfully early to be worried about the dark, I was very aware of who I was traveling with, and knew that nothing that we would be doing was going to be a quick simple journey.
The neighborhood is called San Marino and it is not very far away from the office. We were there by 4:30, and our shadows were already stretched out across the street. Although at the time, the area seemed really calm, I was very tense and was constantly looking around over my shoulder, and keeping one eye on Marirosa as she danced around the sidewalk. We bought the furniture and loaded it up without an incidents, but as we got back into the car, we heard some gunshots, and quickly buckled up and told Rueben to step on it.
As we neared the exit to the neighborhood, we saw a crowd of people. A crowd is never a good thing here. The people were parted just enough for me to catch a glimpse of a blue tarp with a person-shaped bulge protruding from the middle of it. The crowd gathered closer around the red ring around the edge of the tarp, and the blue and red disappeared from my sight. Luckily, Marirosa was in the back seat, and couldn't see anything.
We sped out onto the main road, and drove quickly to Marisela's apartment to drop off her couch. When we had finished, Rueben dropped me off at my apartment. I took some time to reflect on the day and say a few prayers before making some dinner and enjoying my cathardic Thursday night television. I laughed out loud during Parks and Recreation, the Office, and 30 Rock. I needed some good laughs.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Half Day
Thursday February 11th 2010 12:45pm
When Freddy dropped me off yesterday, he left the green truck at my apartment, and let me know that I could take a half day, but that I would need to drive the car to the office sometime today. For the rest of yesterday, I ate a little bit for dinner, and fell fast asleep. I was exhausted after the day in Talanga, and was excited to get some rest.
I slept in until around 10:00, and lounged around for most of the morning. I took some time to clean my shoes, and wash my clothes that were coated in mud. Around 11:30, Marisela called and asked if I could help her do a favor. I asked what it was, and she asked if I could help her pick up some furniture that she had ordered. Since the place is on the way to the office, and I have the green truck, I agreed.
She then continued to explain that the place was in a part of town where I shouldn't go alone, so the new plan is for me to pick her up, drive us both to the office, wait for Rueben, have the three of us drive to the furniture store, drop off the furniture and Marisela off at her house, drive back to the office with Rueben, and then finish up working at the office, where neither Freddy nor Marisela will be, which will leave me with probably a lack of work to do. Yes, I know that was a run on sentence, it was supposed to be read without pausing for breath.
Wish me luck on the adventure that will undoubtedly be picking up furniture.
When Freddy dropped me off yesterday, he left the green truck at my apartment, and let me know that I could take a half day, but that I would need to drive the car to the office sometime today. For the rest of yesterday, I ate a little bit for dinner, and fell fast asleep. I was exhausted after the day in Talanga, and was excited to get some rest.
I slept in until around 10:00, and lounged around for most of the morning. I took some time to clean my shoes, and wash my clothes that were coated in mud. Around 11:30, Marisela called and asked if I could help her do a favor. I asked what it was, and she asked if I could help her pick up some furniture that she had ordered. Since the place is on the way to the office, and I have the green truck, I agreed.
She then continued to explain that the place was in a part of town where I shouldn't go alone, so the new plan is for me to pick her up, drive us both to the office, wait for Rueben, have the three of us drive to the furniture store, drop off the furniture and Marisela off at her house, drive back to the office with Rueben, and then finish up working at the office, where neither Freddy nor Marisela will be, which will leave me with probably a lack of work to do. Yes, I know that was a run on sentence, it was supposed to be read without pausing for breath.
Wish me luck on the adventure that will undoubtedly be picking up furniture.
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