Yes, I'm tired of writing about curfews, and you're probably just as tired of reading about them. We're still under curfew, but for the past few days it's been 10p-5a, which really doesn't mean much to me. I'm not likely to be out after 10p or need to go anywhere before 5a. Besides, there's more than that going on.
We still don't know how things are going to shake out here, and we continue to pray. All the news outlets seem to have their opinions, and, frankly, it's a bit wearying to keep reading about what *might* happen if something else happens, which is predicated upon something entirely different. Know what I mean?
My friend, Jenny, has had her brother and two other friends from her church in AZ visiting. They've been here in Comayagua for almost two weeks. They are all an awesome bunch, but they're leaving tomorrow. So, I'm going to meet them all at La Casita for dinner in a bit. La Casita has always been one of my favorite restaurants here and it's apparently one of theirs, as well. It also doesn't hurt that the food is cheap!
Now, about that gecko poop...
For several mornings in a row, I would come out into the kitchen and find what I first thought was a single mouse turd on the counter. And, each morning I'd clean it up, wondering why there was only one turd. I didn't see any other signs of mice, and normally, mice leave much more than just one turd. OK, call me strange, but one morning I looked at the turd. I mean, really looked. It didn't really look like a mouse turd, either. It was pointed at one end. And white. The pointed end of the turd, or, the tip of the turd, if you prefer, was white, kind of like it was graying or a little ashy.
Hmmmm... So, what did I do? Google, of course. Yes, I did a Google search for "gecko poop". I had a suspicion, but needed to check it out. Although I didn't find any pictures, I did find enough descriptions to realize that, yes, I had gecko poop on my counter. The morning I came to this realization, I asked Sandi about it. Before I could even finish telling her what I thought it was, she laughed and said, "That's gecko poop."
It's amazing what you can find on Google, huh?
Interstingly, since the day that Zelaya sneaked back into the country, I haven't had any gecko poop on my counter. Coincidental or not?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
On Again, Off Again, On Again...
Yup, our curfew is back on again. Around noon or so, we heard the announcement that our curfew was back on, effective 6pm tonight through 6am tomorrow. Oh well, I guess after a week of this, I'm getting somewhat used to it. Somewhat. Last night, our department was one of the few that WASN'T under a curfew. All the departments that have land borders with other countries were put under a curfew, as were areas with large seaports. During all of this, though, the Bay Islands (Roatan, Bahia, Trujillo, etc.) have been exempt from the curfew.
Right now, I'm sitting in Sandi's house. Currie and Samuel are up in San Pedro Sula, staying with the ladies that have been here for a week. Once Currie heard that the curfew was back on, he didn't want to leave them alone overnight to get to the airport tomorrow. So, they're all in a nice, safe, secure hotel suite 5 minutes from the airport.
Tonight, attendance at the Center was very low. No doubt it was because of the curfew and people not wanting to be out after 6pm. We opened, but only for a few hours. Right before closing, we got pretty silly... Rolyn starting "singing" karaoke, and several of us played air instruments. I'm actually pretty good as an air guitarist, and I think I totally rock as an air drummer!! There was some dancing, singing and just general silliness. It was a nice way to end the evening.
OK, I promise that eventually I'll tell you about the gecko poop, but, honestly, it seems a bit anticlimactic now.
Right now, I'm sitting in Sandi's house. Currie and Samuel are up in San Pedro Sula, staying with the ladies that have been here for a week. Once Currie heard that the curfew was back on, he didn't want to leave them alone overnight to get to the airport tomorrow. So, they're all in a nice, safe, secure hotel suite 5 minutes from the airport.
Tonight, attendance at the Center was very low. No doubt it was because of the curfew and people not wanting to be out after 6pm. We opened, but only for a few hours. Right before closing, we got pretty silly... Rolyn starting "singing" karaoke, and several of us played air instruments. I'm actually pretty good as an air guitarist, and I think I totally rock as an air drummer!! There was some dancing, singing and just general silliness. It was a nice way to end the evening.
OK, I promise that eventually I'll tell you about the gecko poop, but, honestly, it seems a bit anticlimactic now.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Toque de queda...
Toque de queda... that's Spanish for 'curfew'. After the damage caused last night in Tegucigalpa by the Zelayistas, the government decided to lift the curfew during the day, and start it up again at 4pm today. At first we thought it was a partial lifting, so that people could get groceries, medicine and gas, but as we were out and about today, pretty much every business was open, except for schools.
We have two ladies visiting here from North Carolina, and let's just say that their visit has been less than ideal. They arrived on Saturday afternoon, to be greeted by -- no one. Currie and Sandi were stuck in traffic, causing them to arrive at the airport almost 3 hours after the ladies arrived. Then, it took another 6 hours to get them back here to Enlaces.
On Sunday morning, we were getting ready for church and found out that the power would be out all day. They weren't necessarily prepared for that, either.
Then, on Monday, Zelaya sneaks back into the country and because of that, we've been under this curfew. So, when we heard the announcement, we jumped on the opportunity to at least go to the grocery store. Wow! It was packed. Jam packed! I saw one of my students and met her mother and also saw another missionary and her two daughters there. I guess it was the place to see and be seen today. While we were driving there, we noticed that people actually seemed peaceful. There wasn't a sense of panic to get groceries and the shelves were very nicely stocked. I picked up a few things, including a bag of rice to throw in the freezer, but overall, my kitchen is pretty stocked with food. That's North American thinking because most Hondurans shop on a daily basis and rarely have much more than just what they need to get the next meal or two on the table.
We got back to Enlaces, had some lunch and went back out. We drove down to the Parque Central and cathedral. The cathedral was open, so we took the ladies in. Then, we were able to go up the clock tower and let them see the inner workings of the world's oldest working clock. The view from the top of the bell tower is incredible!
We stopped for ice cream and went into a few souvenir shops. That was pretty cool because the owner of one of the shops recognized me from being here before. When we went back to the truck, we drove through the mercado because Currie was looking for an inner tube for Samuel's bike. Mission accomplished. At some point, Sandi started driving. Then, she drove us out in the country to where she used to live when she first moved here. We also stopped at the gym so that Tammy, who owns a very successful gym in the US, could see it.
Before heading back to Enlaces, we ended up going to Del Corral again. We were going to buy a bunch of pineapples since Foxy likes them so much and it seems to be one of the few things she will eat here. Well, by now it was 3:40pm and the curfew was supposed to start back up at 4pm. If I thought the grocery store was packed before lunch, I hadn't seen anything. This time it was so packed you could barely move. By the time I got into the store, Sandi, Tammy and Foxy were no where to be found, so I just stayed put at the front of the store, knowing that they'd have to come by me to leave. Within a minute of us entering, the store started keeping more people from coming in so that they could close somewhat near 4pm, so I guess our timing was perfect. It was after 4pm when we left, but we made it back to Enlaces just fine.
At this point, I haven't heard what the deal is for tomorrow, with respect to the curfew. I also don't know if we'll have school.
We have two ladies visiting here from North Carolina, and let's just say that their visit has been less than ideal. They arrived on Saturday afternoon, to be greeted by -- no one. Currie and Sandi were stuck in traffic, causing them to arrive at the airport almost 3 hours after the ladies arrived. Then, it took another 6 hours to get them back here to Enlaces.
On Sunday morning, we were getting ready for church and found out that the power would be out all day. They weren't necessarily prepared for that, either.
Then, on Monday, Zelaya sneaks back into the country and because of that, we've been under this curfew. So, when we heard the announcement, we jumped on the opportunity to at least go to the grocery store. Wow! It was packed. Jam packed! I saw one of my students and met her mother and also saw another missionary and her two daughters there. I guess it was the place to see and be seen today. While we were driving there, we noticed that people actually seemed peaceful. There wasn't a sense of panic to get groceries and the shelves were very nicely stocked. I picked up a few things, including a bag of rice to throw in the freezer, but overall, my kitchen is pretty stocked with food. That's North American thinking because most Hondurans shop on a daily basis and rarely have much more than just what they need to get the next meal or two on the table.
We got back to Enlaces, had some lunch and went back out. We drove down to the Parque Central and cathedral. The cathedral was open, so we took the ladies in. Then, we were able to go up the clock tower and let them see the inner workings of the world's oldest working clock. The view from the top of the bell tower is incredible!
We stopped for ice cream and went into a few souvenir shops. That was pretty cool because the owner of one of the shops recognized me from being here before. When we went back to the truck, we drove through the mercado because Currie was looking for an inner tube for Samuel's bike. Mission accomplished. At some point, Sandi started driving. Then, she drove us out in the country to where she used to live when she first moved here. We also stopped at the gym so that Tammy, who owns a very successful gym in the US, could see it.
Before heading back to Enlaces, we ended up going to Del Corral again. We were going to buy a bunch of pineapples since Foxy likes them so much and it seems to be one of the few things she will eat here. Well, by now it was 3:40pm and the curfew was supposed to start back up at 4pm. If I thought the grocery store was packed before lunch, I hadn't seen anything. This time it was so packed you could barely move. By the time I got into the store, Sandi, Tammy and Foxy were no where to be found, so I just stayed put at the front of the store, knowing that they'd have to come by me to leave. Within a minute of us entering, the store started keeping more people from coming in so that they could close somewhat near 4pm, so I guess our timing was perfect. It was after 4pm when we left, but we made it back to Enlaces just fine.
At this point, I haven't heard what the deal is for tomorrow, with respect to the curfew. I also don't know if we'll have school.
Partial Lifting of the Curfew...
Just a few minutes ago I found out that there has been a partial lifting of the curfew. We can go to the store for food, medicine or gas. Although, the part about the gas makes little sense since we still shouldn't be driving around freely.
Well, the news made it out pretty quickly. I'm hearing A LOT of traffic coming and going down the side street outside my living room. A LOT!! We're going to head out to the store ourselves. I think we're going to try to stock up on some staples. I'll probably buy some rice and toss it in the freezer. I already have plenty of beans and I have a decent supply of chicken in the freezer, as well. Diet Coke. I probably need to get some Diet Coke. Although, would you believe that I only drink it once a week or less? Really. I drink so much water and té de jamaica (hibiscus tea) that I don't even miss it. This morning, though, I was craving Diet Coke instead of my normal coffee, so I opened one of the two bottles I have stashed in the fridge. I'm enjoying it now.
We've been spending a lot of time praying for the nation and for a peaceful resolution to the current political troubles. There has been a little bit of violence, but it's all in Tegucigalpa, the capital. Most of it seems to center around those who were blatantly defying the curfew.
Hmmm, something's happened... I was listening (not intently, mind you) to Khaddafi addressing the UN. Suddenly I heard nothing. I just checked the TV and many stations are scrambled. All of the Honduran stations are broadcasting the same thing: some kind of "travel to Honduras" promotion. I'm gonna go ahead and post this now, in case we lose internet. It happens.
Well, the news made it out pretty quickly. I'm hearing A LOT of traffic coming and going down the side street outside my living room. A LOT!! We're going to head out to the store ourselves. I think we're going to try to stock up on some staples. I'll probably buy some rice and toss it in the freezer. I already have plenty of beans and I have a decent supply of chicken in the freezer, as well. Diet Coke. I probably need to get some Diet Coke. Although, would you believe that I only drink it once a week or less? Really. I drink so much water and té de jamaica (hibiscus tea) that I don't even miss it. This morning, though, I was craving Diet Coke instead of my normal coffee, so I opened one of the two bottles I have stashed in the fridge. I'm enjoying it now.
We've been spending a lot of time praying for the nation and for a peaceful resolution to the current political troubles. There has been a little bit of violence, but it's all in Tegucigalpa, the capital. Most of it seems to center around those who were blatantly defying the curfew.
Hmmm, something's happened... I was listening (not intently, mind you) to Khaddafi addressing the UN. Suddenly I heard nothing. I just checked the TV and many stations are scrambled. All of the Honduran stations are broadcasting the same thing: some kind of "travel to Honduras" promotion. I'm gonna go ahead and post this now, in case we lose internet. It happens.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Curfews and Carrateras...
Yesterday, Manuel Zelaya, the former president of Honduras, who was rightfully ousted from power in June, snuck back into the country and holed himself up in the Brazilian Embassy. His bold move caught the current president off-guard and also led to thousands of pro-Zelaya supporters flooding the streets of Tegucigalpa, converging upon the Brazilian Embassy. Roberto Micheletti, the current constitutional president initally called for a curfew from 4pm yesterday until 7am this morning, but later extended the ending time until 6pm this evening.
Here in Comayagua, we were watching the news on TV as much as we could. Things here were calm all day yesterday and from 4pm on, things got quieter and quieter as people went home in obedience to the curfew. About 6pm last night, I walked up to the front gate to look at the highway. It was pretty much empty. There were a few cars and trucks still passing, but at 6pm, it should be non-stop traffic in both directions. The Esso across the street was completely dark, with only a few security guards standing around outside it. They had also put up some yellow police tape to keep any people still driving from pulling in to the lot.
Last night before I went to bed, I noticed how quiet everything was. No cars. No neighbors sitting outside my living room window talking and laughing. Even the dogs were strangely silent. The overall quietness was almost eery, but also somewhat soothing.
This morning, things here in Comayagua are still abnormally quiet, although, the roosters have been busy for more than a few hours now. Sitting at my dining room table, I can hear the sounds of nearby children playing in the street. I can also hear the very occasional car go by my window -- it's a side street. A few minutes ago, I walked to the front gate and took a few pictures of a mostly carless carratera (highway). Although, a taxi was passing, saw me with my camera and yelled out for me to take his picture as he mugged for the camera. The Esso is still closed and dark, but I did see a few of the street children over there talking to the guards.
Everything is very calm here in Comayagua and we're all safe.
We're hearing reports of a few skirmishes in Tegucigalpa early this morning, centering around pro-Zelaya supporters and the Brazilian Embassy. Keep in mind that pro-Zelaya supporters are actually a huge minority here, but a very vocal one. Also, many of those demonstrating are being paid to do so. In her blog, La Gringa has posts and links from more news sources, which tell so much more of what's going on here. http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/
Without me going into a huge discourse of the happenings here, please realize that the ousting of Mel Zelaya was done within the power and authority of the Honduran Constitution. At NO TIME during this has the military been in control of the nation. Regardless of what you may hear from US news sources, it WAS NOT a military coup.
If you're interested in more information, just get in touch with me via email or Facebook. The biggest thing we need right now is PRAYER!!! Prayer that Zelaya would do the right thing and renounce his claim to the presidency. Prayer that the elections would continue in November as scheduled. Prayer that GOD will reign and rain HIS peace and power over this nation.
I guess the gecko poop will still have to wait.
Here in Comayagua, we were watching the news on TV as much as we could. Things here were calm all day yesterday and from 4pm on, things got quieter and quieter as people went home in obedience to the curfew. About 6pm last night, I walked up to the front gate to look at the highway. It was pretty much empty. There were a few cars and trucks still passing, but at 6pm, it should be non-stop traffic in both directions. The Esso across the street was completely dark, with only a few security guards standing around outside it. They had also put up some yellow police tape to keep any people still driving from pulling in to the lot.
Last night before I went to bed, I noticed how quiet everything was. No cars. No neighbors sitting outside my living room window talking and laughing. Even the dogs were strangely silent. The overall quietness was almost eery, but also somewhat soothing.
This morning, things here in Comayagua are still abnormally quiet, although, the roosters have been busy for more than a few hours now. Sitting at my dining room table, I can hear the sounds of nearby children playing in the street. I can also hear the very occasional car go by my window -- it's a side street. A few minutes ago, I walked to the front gate and took a few pictures of a mostly carless carratera (highway). Although, a taxi was passing, saw me with my camera and yelled out for me to take his picture as he mugged for the camera. The Esso is still closed and dark, but I did see a few of the street children over there talking to the guards.
Everything is very calm here in Comayagua and we're all safe.
We're hearing reports of a few skirmishes in Tegucigalpa early this morning, centering around pro-Zelaya supporters and the Brazilian Embassy. Keep in mind that pro-Zelaya supporters are actually a huge minority here, but a very vocal one. Also, many of those demonstrating are being paid to do so. In her blog, La Gringa has posts and links from more news sources, which tell so much more of what's going on here. http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/
Without me going into a huge discourse of the happenings here, please realize that the ousting of Mel Zelaya was done within the power and authority of the Honduran Constitution. At NO TIME during this has the military been in control of the nation. Regardless of what you may hear from US news sources, it WAS NOT a military coup.
If you're interested in more information, just get in touch with me via email or Facebook. The biggest thing we need right now is PRAYER!!! Prayer that Zelaya would do the right thing and renounce his claim to the presidency. Prayer that the elections would continue in November as scheduled. Prayer that GOD will reign and rain HIS peace and power over this nation.
I guess the gecko poop will still have to wait.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
No Power Today...
Well, I just found out that we're going to lose power today. All day. Yup, the power will be out from 8am-4pm, and what am I doing? Quickly updating my blog, of course.
Yesterday, Currie and Sandi went to the airport to pick up two people who are spending a week here. The normally 2 1/2 hour trip, one way, to the airport took them FIVE AND A HALF HOURS!!! The return trip was just as bad, maybe worse. They were gone yesterday for over 12 hours, just to pick someone up. The main problem is all the construction going on out on the highway. There is one area where 2/3 of the road has been blasted away and you can tell that they are going to put those huge concrete water-containment-thingies under the road. Well, it seems that an oil tanker fell into the huge hole created, and that brought everything crashing down. Literally.
OK, I've only got about 20 more minutes of power today, so I'd best make sure that I get a few things done around here to prepare. And I was so looking forward to telling you about gecko poop. I guess that will have to wait for another day. How's that for a teaser?
Yesterday, Currie and Sandi went to the airport to pick up two people who are spending a week here. The normally 2 1/2 hour trip, one way, to the airport took them FIVE AND A HALF HOURS!!! The return trip was just as bad, maybe worse. They were gone yesterday for over 12 hours, just to pick someone up. The main problem is all the construction going on out on the highway. There is one area where 2/3 of the road has been blasted away and you can tell that they are going to put those huge concrete water-containment-thingies under the road. Well, it seems that an oil tanker fell into the huge hole created, and that brought everything crashing down. Literally.
OK, I've only got about 20 more minutes of power today, so I'd best make sure that I get a few things done around here to prepare. And I was so looking forward to telling you about gecko poop. I guess that will have to wait for another day. How's that for a teaser?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Miles Away From Ordinary...
Four awesome days in Tela. Currie, Sandi, Samuel and I left at 5am Monday morning and made the 4-hour drive to Tela with little difficulty. It would have been a shorter drive, but the bridge to El Progresso is still out from the earthquake in May, so you have to go all the way up to San Pedro Sula. But we made it and got a great deal on a room at Hotel Cesar Mariscos. Our room was on the third floor, overlooking the pool and jacuzzi on the second floor. We could sit on our little balcony watching both the pool and the beach. The pool was pretty cool in its own rite: you could hang on the edge, overlooking the sidewalk below. Yeah, I spent hours in the pool, just hanging on the edge, people watching and beach watching.
We also spent a lot of time at the beach. It was warm and the waves were pretty low key. One day we went for a 'banana boat ride'. The banana boat is a long tube, that has a small outrigger on each side for a little extra stability and a place to put your feet, and handles enough for eight people. Originally, Sandi & I thought we would be the only 2 on the boat, then two more young guys joined in, followed by Currie & Samuel, and finally two more blue jean-clad Honduran girls wanted in. We went from pretty empty to completely full in a matter of minutes.
The first thing you do is put on a life vest, the kind that you use for water skiing. The guys working make sure it fits very snugly and is the right size. They put the banana boat in the water and all 8 of us found our places on it. Then, the boat that pulls you heads out. The tow rope is pretty long, so it takes a while for the banana boat to react to the direction of the motor boat. Basically, it's like innertubing -- for a crowd. You have to hold on for dear life. After the first couple of minutes and BIG bounces, Samuel fell off. He popped up in the water just laughing and laughing. He was back on the banana pretty quickly. Then our guide started driving the boat pretty fast, making several twists and turns. All of a sudden, we were in the water -- all 8 of us. It happened so fast, I didn't even see it coming. Well, I must have been laughing when we flipped, because I came to the surface with a mouth full of seawater. Not good. Despite how much I kept coughing out, I think I must have drank about a pint -- or at least it felt that way. Nasty! Anyway, we all got on the main boat and then people started getting back on the banana from the boat. By this time, I decided that I was done. Drinking seawater had already started to turn my stomach. I probably should have gotten back on the banana. From that point on, our guide didn't do any more abrupt twists and turns. Oh well, even being in the boat for the last few minutes was enjoyable. The cost for this adventure: 50 Lps per person, or about $2.50 USD.
Orginally, we were going to come back to Comayagua on Wednesday, after staying at the beach for two nights. But, we decided to stay for an extra day and the hotel extended their pricing deal to us: 1295 Lps ($68.53 USD), which also included a nice breakfast of juice, coffee, fruit, toast and eggs. The juice options were fresh pineapple and fresh watermelon. ¡Qué rico!
It seemed that we just basically went back and forth from the beach to the pool, occasionally taking breaks for a meal. What a wonderful way to pass the days.
On Wednesday morning, after breakfast, I asked at the front desk about renting a hammock. Well, they just took a hammock down from one of the balconies and put it up on the beach between two palm trees. Ah, my "office" for the day! It was so peaceful there. I watched the water, the boats coming and going, a few people playing in the water. Then I would inspect my eyelids for a while. I listened to the sounds of the surf crashing on the beach, the wind making the palm fronds "clap their hands", the voices of the Garifuna hawking their wares and even the occasional, mostly harmless, drunk asking me for some of my pan de coco (coconut bread) or water. I steadfastly denied the requests of the two drunks, knowing that giving them anything would only make me a magnet for more people to come begging.
I took a break from my morning of intense hammock relaxtion for lunch on the beach with Currie, Sandi and Samuel. We enjoyed some fresh limonada and munched on some of the several varieties of pan de coco we had purchased and even some elote (roasted corn on the cob) I bought from a young boy. And, then, after about an hour of sitting, eating and talking, it was back to the "office" for me. Currie, Sandi and Samuel decided to move their attention from the beach to the pool. Yes, it was a rough life, but, really, someone had to do it!
By about 2:30, I decided to leave the "office" and go up to the pool and be sociable. I mean, for the past 5 1/2 hours, I had been living something right out of a Corona commercial, albeit sin Corona (without the Corona). Yes... Miles away from ordinary. That describes it perfectly.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Día del Niño, and Extra Protein...
Día del Niño (Day of the Child) was officially on Thursday, but we celebrated it pretty much all week long! On Monday, our 6th -- 8th graders loaded up piñatas, pasteles, bolsitas, y refrescos (piñatas, cupcakes, goodie bags, & drinks) and headed to Ajuterique, about a 45 minute drive, to celebrate with the children there. We have a feeding program there, and the kids who attend school also get lunch, which, in that incredibly poor village, is a great incentive to get the kids in school. School is held in the church, which still has a dirt floor and no door, but now has a roof. It was a lot of fun to celebrate with kids who have so little, to see them so genuinely thankful for the things that we brought. I think it was also good for our school kids to see and hopefully help them appreciate what they have.
On Thursday, we celebrated with some of the team at Enlaces. Our celebration consisted of a piñata, cena, bolsitas, y regalos (piñata, dinner, goodie bags & gifts). All of the boys got huge water guns which were, and still are, a huge hit. The boys have been playing with them every day since.
After dinner and cleanup, we continued to fill 1000 bags with candy and popcorn for Friday's celebration here at the Center. We were making pretty good progress when we lost power. Darn! It's pretty tough to pop corn with no power. Then the power came back on and we made more popcorn. Oops, there goes the power again. Now, it's back. Nope, false alarm; it's out again. You get the idea. After the power went out the first time, Sandi and I both went and got some candles and flashlights from our houses. At least we'd be prepared. We actually finished filling bags by candle light. Is that dedication, or what?
Friday, during the day, the school celebrated. All of the classes had piñatas. I was invited by Ena to celebrate with her 2nd grade class. We walked across the street to Pizza Hut. The kids loved playing in their playroom. Lunch was pizza and either Pepsi or horchata. I really wanted the horchata, but was given a Pepsi. Back in the classroom, we had pastel de tres leches (three milks cake). Yum! School was over for everyone by noon. And, now, we have a week off from school.
The celebration at the Center didn't start until 4pm, but by 2:30pm we had people lined up outside in the hot sun! And the line just kept growing. We estimate the final crowd at over 1000 people. It was pretty darn huge. I found it amazing that parents would stand in line for so long just so that their children would get a bag of popcorn and a small cup of pop. And, of course, we had piñatas! We had lots of other games and giveaways during the evening, including more piñatas, toys, shoes and even a few prepaid cell phones. By the time we went home a little after 9pm, everyone was totally wiped. But, it had been a good evening!!
Yesterday I decided to do dinner on the cheap: Beans, rice and chicken. I started my beans about 2pm, hoping that would be enough time for me to eat around 6pm. It wasn't, but I wasn't off by a lot; I was able to eat at 7pm. When I got out my container of rice to measure and start cooking, I noticed something moving on the wall of the container. Hmmm, a little worm. Ugh! I think the beans and chicken will be plenty of protein, thank you. I scooped out the worm and tossed him in the trash. Then, I looked for more but didn't see any. I figured that if there were any more worms that I missed in my rice, the steam and cooking would kill and sanitize them. It looks like I should probably eat my rice faster or switch brands. Today, Sandi told me that she often keeps her rice in the freezer to prevent that problem since it's hard to know how long the rice was sitting in the warehouse before being shipped to the grocery store. So much for FIFO -- First In, First Out.
On Thursday, we celebrated with some of the team at Enlaces. Our celebration consisted of a piñata, cena, bolsitas, y regalos (piñata, dinner, goodie bags & gifts). All of the boys got huge water guns which were, and still are, a huge hit. The boys have been playing with them every day since.
After dinner and cleanup, we continued to fill 1000 bags with candy and popcorn for Friday's celebration here at the Center. We were making pretty good progress when we lost power. Darn! It's pretty tough to pop corn with no power. Then the power came back on and we made more popcorn. Oops, there goes the power again. Now, it's back. Nope, false alarm; it's out again. You get the idea. After the power went out the first time, Sandi and I both went and got some candles and flashlights from our houses. At least we'd be prepared. We actually finished filling bags by candle light. Is that dedication, or what?
Friday, during the day, the school celebrated. All of the classes had piñatas. I was invited by Ena to celebrate with her 2nd grade class. We walked across the street to Pizza Hut. The kids loved playing in their playroom. Lunch was pizza and either Pepsi or horchata. I really wanted the horchata, but was given a Pepsi. Back in the classroom, we had pastel de tres leches (three milks cake). Yum! School was over for everyone by noon. And, now, we have a week off from school.
The celebration at the Center didn't start until 4pm, but by 2:30pm we had people lined up outside in the hot sun! And the line just kept growing. We estimate the final crowd at over 1000 people. It was pretty darn huge. I found it amazing that parents would stand in line for so long just so that their children would get a bag of popcorn and a small cup of pop. And, of course, we had piñatas! We had lots of other games and giveaways during the evening, including more piñatas, toys, shoes and even a few prepaid cell phones. By the time we went home a little after 9pm, everyone was totally wiped. But, it had been a good evening!!
Yesterday I decided to do dinner on the cheap: Beans, rice and chicken. I started my beans about 2pm, hoping that would be enough time for me to eat around 6pm. It wasn't, but I wasn't off by a lot; I was able to eat at 7pm. When I got out my container of rice to measure and start cooking, I noticed something moving on the wall of the container. Hmmm, a little worm. Ugh! I think the beans and chicken will be plenty of protein, thank you. I scooped out the worm and tossed him in the trash. Then, I looked for more but didn't see any. I figured that if there were any more worms that I missed in my rice, the steam and cooking would kill and sanitize them. It looks like I should probably eat my rice faster or switch brands. Today, Sandi told me that she often keeps her rice in the freezer to prevent that problem since it's hard to know how long the rice was sitting in the warehouse before being shipped to the grocery store. So much for FIFO -- First In, First Out.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork...
On Tuesday, Sandi and I left Enlaces before 8am, headed toward Tegucigalpa. Our goals for the day were pretty simple: renew Sandi's carnet, turn in paperwork for my carnet, and shop at HiperPaiz for things for Día del Niño. And, of course, a trip to PriceSmart.
We made it to the outskirts of Tegucigalpa quite quickly. Even the road construction was easy to navigate. But then we reached a traffic jam. You know the kind: we could have walked faster than the progress we made for the next mile or so. Once through the traffic jam, we stopped at Immigrations, which is in a new and better location. Amazingly, we were in and out of there in 15 minutes. That's pretty much unheard of, but we weren't complaining.
Next stop was IOM. Don't ask me what it stands for because neither one of us could figure it out. We know that they work with the United Nations and one of their services is to help people working with Honduran schools get residency carnets. We had all the paperwork we thought we needed -- and more. However, keeping in line with all things Honduran, we were told that the letters we brought weren't correct. Ugh! Sandi asked if it would be possible for us to call Enlaces, have them retyped and faxed to IOM, and she would sign and stamp them there in the office. Yes, that's fine. I mean, no, that's not good enough.
Ultimately, we called Hermes, had him rewrite the letters and email them to my gmail account. Then, Sandi and I went to an internet café, downloaded and printed. In an effort to keep this short, I've skipped lots of details, like our server being down at Enlaces, so no internet. Or, the first internet café we went to not having ink for the printer. But, you probably get the idea.
Back at IOM, they told us that the paperwork we now had was good. So, now we wait. Eventually we'll get a call telling us that I can come in and go to Immigrations and pay my money ($640USD), have my picture taken, get my provisional carnet, then wait until we have to go back again. But, at least we're making progess in all of this.
It was after 2pm by the time we arrived at HiperPaiz. HiperPaiz is actually WalMart. Yup. Really. Google it. I was hungry. So, we went to the food counter in the back of the store. "Plato típico, por favor." Nope. "Sandwich de pollo, por favor." Nope. They didn't have most of the items on the menu. So, disgusted, I told Sandi, "Let's just shop and I'll get something to eat later."
Well, it was about 6pm when we pulled in to a Chinese restaurant on the highway back toward Comayagua. We had a nice meal there and even found out they have rooms. So, after dinner, we were shown one of the rooms. Clean, bright, no air conditioning, but nice. And, the price is right: 800Lps, which is about $40USD. They have a pool and other things for the kids, so it might end up being a place to take the team for a retreat.
Back in Comayagua, we had the truck unloaded by 8:15pm. Yes, it had been a long day, but we got a lot accomplished. Our trip to PriceSmart? That was one of the details I left out. We went there in between the two different internet cafés.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I got to see my first tarantula. He was walking outside the room we were being shown at the Chinese restaurant. Pretty cool, in a totally creepy kind of way!
We made it to the outskirts of Tegucigalpa quite quickly. Even the road construction was easy to navigate. But then we reached a traffic jam. You know the kind: we could have walked faster than the progress we made for the next mile or so. Once through the traffic jam, we stopped at Immigrations, which is in a new and better location. Amazingly, we were in and out of there in 15 minutes. That's pretty much unheard of, but we weren't complaining.
Next stop was IOM. Don't ask me what it stands for because neither one of us could figure it out. We know that they work with the United Nations and one of their services is to help people working with Honduran schools get residency carnets. We had all the paperwork we thought we needed -- and more. However, keeping in line with all things Honduran, we were told that the letters we brought weren't correct. Ugh! Sandi asked if it would be possible for us to call Enlaces, have them retyped and faxed to IOM, and she would sign and stamp them there in the office. Yes, that's fine. I mean, no, that's not good enough.
Ultimately, we called Hermes, had him rewrite the letters and email them to my gmail account. Then, Sandi and I went to an internet café, downloaded and printed. In an effort to keep this short, I've skipped lots of details, like our server being down at Enlaces, so no internet. Or, the first internet café we went to not having ink for the printer. But, you probably get the idea.
Back at IOM, they told us that the paperwork we now had was good. So, now we wait. Eventually we'll get a call telling us that I can come in and go to Immigrations and pay my money ($640USD), have my picture taken, get my provisional carnet, then wait until we have to go back again. But, at least we're making progess in all of this.
It was after 2pm by the time we arrived at HiperPaiz. HiperPaiz is actually WalMart. Yup. Really. Google it. I was hungry. So, we went to the food counter in the back of the store. "Plato típico, por favor." Nope. "Sandwich de pollo, por favor." Nope. They didn't have most of the items on the menu. So, disgusted, I told Sandi, "Let's just shop and I'll get something to eat later."
Well, it was about 6pm when we pulled in to a Chinese restaurant on the highway back toward Comayagua. We had a nice meal there and even found out they have rooms. So, after dinner, we were shown one of the rooms. Clean, bright, no air conditioning, but nice. And, the price is right: 800Lps, which is about $40USD. They have a pool and other things for the kids, so it might end up being a place to take the team for a retreat.
Back in Comayagua, we had the truck unloaded by 8:15pm. Yes, it had been a long day, but we got a lot accomplished. Our trip to PriceSmart? That was one of the details I left out. We went there in between the two different internet cafés.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I got to see my first tarantula. He was walking outside the room we were being shown at the Chinese restaurant. Pretty cool, in a totally creepy kind of way!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Power/No Power... Internet/No Internet...
I actually wrote this yesterday afternoon, during a storm, and had planned to post it last night, but our internet has been down pretty much since then. It was back up for about 30 minutes this afternoon, then down again... Typical.
==========================
It’s raining outside. I mean, really raining. Dogs, cats, and maybe a few iguanas. So I thought this would be a perfect time to write for a while. The internet is down right now, so I’ll upload this later. And… there goes the power. I figured that might happen so I just spent a few minutes chopping vegetables so that I can make some rice later. Once again, I’m thankful that I cook with propane; even when the power is out, I can still cook. Yesterday’s power outage was four hours long, but that was a planned one and we got a little bit of notice for it.
This morning, Currie, Sandi, Samuel, and I went to church over at the military base. It was my first time there since being back in Honduras. Because the Americans stationed there rotate through on 6 or 12 month tours, there was only one familiar face: Carlos, the Honduran guitar player. Even all the civilians were new. Oh well, now it’s a chance to develop new relationships. After church we went to the dining facility with a couple who work at Hogar de Niños Nazaret, the Nazarene Children’s Home, which is actually a Catholic home. (Huh?) Sandi & Currie know them. The chaplain and another soldier joined us, as well. Joshua leaves for the States and his next assignment on Tuesday and the chaplain leaves at the end of this month. This is something I’ll need to get used to.
Yesterday, Sandi and I went to go get some prepaid cell phones for the Center. They’ll be given out on Friday, during our día del niño celebration (day of the child). We also went to Sahara, the closest thing Comayagua has to a dollar store. I was looking for a super cheap dish drain to use until my stuff gets here. I ended up buying one for a little over $2 at Del Corral, the grocery store.
Well, the rain has pretty much ended, but the power is still out. I’m listening to dogs bark, roosters crow and thunder rumble in the distance – it’s actually quite a pleasant sound.
==========================
It’s raining outside. I mean, really raining. Dogs, cats, and maybe a few iguanas. So I thought this would be a perfect time to write for a while. The internet is down right now, so I’ll upload this later. And… there goes the power. I figured that might happen so I just spent a few minutes chopping vegetables so that I can make some rice later. Once again, I’m thankful that I cook with propane; even when the power is out, I can still cook. Yesterday’s power outage was four hours long, but that was a planned one and we got a little bit of notice for it.
This morning, Currie, Sandi, Samuel, and I went to church over at the military base. It was my first time there since being back in Honduras. Because the Americans stationed there rotate through on 6 or 12 month tours, there was only one familiar face: Carlos, the Honduran guitar player. Even all the civilians were new. Oh well, now it’s a chance to develop new relationships. After church we went to the dining facility with a couple who work at Hogar de Niños Nazaret, the Nazarene Children’s Home, which is actually a Catholic home. (Huh?) Sandi & Currie know them. The chaplain and another soldier joined us, as well. Joshua leaves for the States and his next assignment on Tuesday and the chaplain leaves at the end of this month. This is something I’ll need to get used to.
Yesterday, Sandi and I went to go get some prepaid cell phones for the Center. They’ll be given out on Friday, during our día del niño celebration (day of the child). We also went to Sahara, the closest thing Comayagua has to a dollar store. I was looking for a super cheap dish drain to use until my stuff gets here. I ended up buying one for a little over $2 at Del Corral, the grocery store.
Well, the rain has pretty much ended, but the power is still out. I’m listening to dogs bark, roosters crow and thunder rumble in the distance – it’s actually quite a pleasant sound.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Now I've Seen Everything... Literally!!!
Sandi, Samuel and I left for San Pedro Sula yesterday morning, around 10:30. We were just pulling out of the gate in back when Sandi got a call that our Digicel rep had showed up. He was supposed to be here at 8am, so I guess he was right on time for a Honduran. He was here so that I could sign up for cell phone service. Well, I think we have that all taken care of and my phone should arrive tomorrow afternoon. We'll see if it actually does.
So, anyway, then we were back on the road, headed for SPS. We stopped in Siquatepeque to buy some coffee. Not just any ol' coffee, but Luis' coffee. It's fantastic. I bought 3 lbs., so I'll be set for a while. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll bring some back when I visit the States!!
We arrived in SPS, checked into Villa Nuria, an Apart Hotel -- pretty much an efficiency hotel with 2 bedrooms, kitchen/dining area, fridge, pots, pans, plates, etc.. We spent some time swimming in their beautiful pool, then back to the room for showers and a trip to PriceSmart. I told you before: most trips to the big cities include a trip to PriceSmart. Then it was back to our place for dinner. Samuel went to bed and while Sandi and I were sitting there talking, Currie called and said that he was stuck overnight in Ft. Lauderdale because Spirit had cancelled his night flight in to SPS because of the curfew. THERE IS NO CURFEW!!! At least not anymore. Now, Currie would be arriving at 12 noon on Wednesday. Oh well, life in Honduras... So, Sandi made some popcorn and we turned on the TV and watched Terminator 2.
This morning was breakfast, pool and then airport. We got there and then found out that the Spirit flight wasn't coming in until 1:30pm. Yup, typical. Well, Currie arrived and was quickly through immigrations and even faster through customs since he only had his carryon and his laptop. (As an aside, I have no idea how Currie was in the States for a month with only a carryon's worth of stuff!! Ladies, you know that we couldn't do that.)
Now, here's the part you've been waiting for. The thing that threw me for a loop. As we were leaving SPS, we all, except for Samuel, thankfully, got an eyeful. We were stopped at a light, several cars back, when we saw someone cross the street. Well, we didn't actually see them until they were on our side, walking away from us. But, this person was buck naked. No clothes. Nothing. Not in a hurry, just walking, cars and people everywhere. As we got closer, we all realized it wasn't a guy as we first suspected, but a woman. Yup. A woman. She was walking as if she hadn't a care in the world. I mentioned that I had NEVER seen that in Honduras (or anywhere else, for that matter) before. Sandi and Currie then told me that there are at least two guys here in Comayagua who walk around like that. I'm hoping I don't run into them!
Looks like there's never a dull moment.
So, anyway, then we were back on the road, headed for SPS. We stopped in Siquatepeque to buy some coffee. Not just any ol' coffee, but Luis' coffee. It's fantastic. I bought 3 lbs., so I'll be set for a while. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll bring some back when I visit the States!!
We arrived in SPS, checked into Villa Nuria, an Apart Hotel -- pretty much an efficiency hotel with 2 bedrooms, kitchen/dining area, fridge, pots, pans, plates, etc.. We spent some time swimming in their beautiful pool, then back to the room for showers and a trip to PriceSmart. I told you before: most trips to the big cities include a trip to PriceSmart. Then it was back to our place for dinner. Samuel went to bed and while Sandi and I were sitting there talking, Currie called and said that he was stuck overnight in Ft. Lauderdale because Spirit had cancelled his night flight in to SPS because of the curfew. THERE IS NO CURFEW!!! At least not anymore. Now, Currie would be arriving at 12 noon on Wednesday. Oh well, life in Honduras... So, Sandi made some popcorn and we turned on the TV and watched Terminator 2.
This morning was breakfast, pool and then airport. We got there and then found out that the Spirit flight wasn't coming in until 1:30pm. Yup, typical. Well, Currie arrived and was quickly through immigrations and even faster through customs since he only had his carryon and his laptop. (As an aside, I have no idea how Currie was in the States for a month with only a carryon's worth of stuff!! Ladies, you know that we couldn't do that.)
Now, here's the part you've been waiting for. The thing that threw me for a loop. As we were leaving SPS, we all, except for Samuel, thankfully, got an eyeful. We were stopped at a light, several cars back, when we saw someone cross the street. Well, we didn't actually see them until they were on our side, walking away from us. But, this person was buck naked. No clothes. Nothing. Not in a hurry, just walking, cars and people everywhere. As we got closer, we all realized it wasn't a guy as we first suspected, but a woman. Yup. A woman. She was walking as if she hadn't a care in the world. I mentioned that I had NEVER seen that in Honduras (or anywhere else, for that matter) before. Sandi and Currie then told me that there are at least two guys here in Comayagua who walk around like that. I'm hoping I don't run into them!
Looks like there's never a dull moment.
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