If you read my 'borrowed' post and watched the video about dealing with the government, you may get a kick out of this.
Back in January 2010, I bought a motorcycle to use as my primary means of transportation. Like most stores advertise, a helmet, registration and license plate are included gratis, free. So, along with all of my paperwork, receipts, manual, etc., I received a paper that was my 'provisional permission to circulate without plates.' That temporary permit was good for two months.
The only problem was, at the end of those two months, my license plate (or anyone else's) were not ready. The standing story was that the government was not releasing new plates because it was still in transition of the new presidency. OK, I guess that's somewhat understandable. Somewhat.
Unfortunately, that has meant that every two months I have had to go to Tegucigalpa, back to the store where I bought the motorcycle, to get my temporary permit extended. There's no cost, but it's a HUGE hassle to go to Tegus, to Comayaguela (really bad 'burb' of Tegus), to get my renewal. Last time I was there, just two months ago, I asked them if there was anywhere in Comayagua that could issue my temporary permit. I was told 'no' it had to be at the store where you bought your vehicle.
Then I asked if they could please issue my permit for more than two months at a time, because it was very obvious that the government was not in any hurry to release license plates and I'm sure that they, as a store, had much more important things to do than deal with the inefficiencies of the government ~ a tactic used to deflect blame from the store and its employees and put it squarely on the shoulders of the government in an "I sympathize with you and what you have to deal with" attempt. (Whew! That was one long, rambling, run-on sentence.) But, no, they couldn't do that, either.
OK, gonna pull out the big guns here... Well, I wondered, is there any way that they can SEND me my permit by courier every two months so that we don't have to take an entire day to come from Comayagua all the way to Comayaguela? Imagine my surprise when the woman in charge said, "Yes, we can do that!" I was overjoyed. The woman told me to just call about 5 days in advance and she would take care of things. I did some quick mental calculating and realized that I would be in the States when my permit would expire in August.
So I decided to go for broke. "In August, I will be in the United States when my permit expires. Can Trify call in August and will you be able to send the permit to him?" Trify was right there with me. Once again, I heard, "Yes, we can do that!" Twice in one day. I was definitely on a roll.
Fast forward to Tuesday of last week and it was time for me to put my new found 'freedom' to work. I called Didemo, the store, and spoke with Damaris, the woman who was helping me. I identified myself as Susan, from Comayagua. Immediately, Damaris said, "And you have the red Honda V-men." Yes, that was me. Well, Damaris told me that she had already started to work on my next permit, but the person who signs them was out of the office and wouldn't be in until the next day. (Uh oh, sound familiar?) She told me that she would make sure that he signed my permit right away and she would have it sent to me at Enlaces by courier. I thanked her for her time and attention and then reminded her that in August Trify would call since I would be out of the country. Damaris said that would not be a problem.
After my phone call, I went to the school office and talked to Dayanara, our incredible secretary, who is SO MUCH more than a secretary. I let her know that a courier would be coming with my permit and that my guess was that it would arrive on Thursday. Sure enough, it did. The cost of the courier service was 45 Lempiras ($2.38 USD), but that was a pleasure to pay and not have to head to Tegus.
My miracle? That someone in a position of authority did exactly what they said they would do, WHEN they said they would do it! But wait, it gets better. Remember when I was told that they could not issue the permit for more than two months at a time? I received another miracle: My temporary permit was issued for FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS!!! It doesn't expire until 31 November. Thank You, Jesus!
And another miracle? My phone call to Damaris took place all in Spanish, although I did have to ask her to speak a bit slower.
These may seem like small miracles, but to me, they're huge!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Back in the Saddle Again...
Ah, in the last 9 days I've been on my bicycle 7 times. Feels great!
On Saturday, I put in a little more than 20 miles. I rode to Ajuterique, then on to Lejamaní and even a bit past there before turning around to head back. It really was a wonderful ride. I passed quite a few fields being worked by farm hands. Row after row, all being worked by hand.
Today I rode a few laps on the boulevard and then went up toward El Volcan. When I was just a bit out of town, I was coming up toward a young boy walking his bike. As I passed him, he mounted the bike and rode along with me for a while. His name is David. David is 9 years old and is in third grade. I asked him if he speaks any English. He told me "no", but that he wants to learn. Then I asked him why he wants to learn English. David said that it's important to learn English. So, again, I asked him why. He told me that his mother told him he needs to learn English and computers so that he can get a good job. I told David that his mother is very intelligent. He said, "I know." So, I'm sure that somewhere in his future, David is going to learn English and computers so that he can get a good job.
David and I rode together for a little while until I needed a break. I told David that I was going to stop, rest and then head back down the mountain toward Comayagua. We said our good-byes and then David continued riding for a bit. I pulled off to the side of the road, under the only shade that was around. David rode on about 20 yards or so and then dismounted his bike. He started walking it again. I guess he was tired, too.
Best wishes, David! It was nice to meet you today.
On Saturday, I put in a little more than 20 miles. I rode to Ajuterique, then on to Lejamaní and even a bit past there before turning around to head back. It really was a wonderful ride. I passed quite a few fields being worked by farm hands. Row after row, all being worked by hand.
Today I rode a few laps on the boulevard and then went up toward El Volcan. When I was just a bit out of town, I was coming up toward a young boy walking his bike. As I passed him, he mounted the bike and rode along with me for a while. His name is David. David is 9 years old and is in third grade. I asked him if he speaks any English. He told me "no", but that he wants to learn. Then I asked him why he wants to learn English. David said that it's important to learn English. So, again, I asked him why. He told me that his mother told him he needs to learn English and computers so that he can get a good job. I told David that his mother is very intelligent. He said, "I know." So, I'm sure that somewhere in his future, David is going to learn English and computers so that he can get a good job.
David and I rode together for a little while until I needed a break. I told David that I was going to stop, rest and then head back down the mountain toward Comayagua. We said our good-byes and then David continued riding for a bit. I pulled off to the side of the road, under the only shade that was around. David rode on about 20 yards or so and then dismounted his bike. He started walking it again. I guess he was tired, too.
Best wishes, David! It was nice to meet you today.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Dealing with the Honduran Government...
HUGE disclaimer: I am "borrowing" this post, word for word, from La Gringa's Blogicito. She said it all so perfectly that there's no need to add anything else!
(Video in Spanish with English subtitles)
"This video will give you a taste of what it is like to deal with the Honduran government. Hee-larious! I'm not sure what country this is from, but while this has a happy ending (oops, I shouldn't have given it away), these guys were wusses compared to Honduras.
In the end, no matter how many hoops you've jumped through, no matter how well prepared you are, no matter how much time you've allotted to your tramite, they always have the trump card (the system is down, come back mañana; we are out of paper, come back mañana; the only person in the entire world who is authorized to sign your document is a) in San Pedro (substitute any city you are not currently in), b) out to lunch, or c) on vacation, come back next week.
I have to say that I've experienced that look of disappointment and even annoyance when I've arrived at the window with all my paperwork in order. Even worse, don't dare to bring something to read while you are waiting — it's highly frowned upon.
Just expect it and get used to it. You have no control over it."
Again, I "borrowed" this post from La Gringa. Every word of it. ~Susan
Friday, June 10, 2011
Las Cuevas de Taulabe...
Last Monday I went to Las Cuevas de Taulabe (the caves of Taulabe) with my friends Brenda and Sara. I hadn't been there in about 16 years. Things have really changed since then. I mean, the last time I was there, the caves were nothing more than a whole in the wall. Literally. They were still famous. But they were just a cave. You could just walk in. If you paid the guy at the mouth of the cave a few Lempiras, he would turn on the 3 or 4 light bulbs that were strung up and went back about 50 feet or so. After that, you were on your own. You and your flashlight.
Now, there's a gate to let you in off the highway. Then, you have to pay. Thankfully, I have residency status and only needed to pay 30 Lempiras ($1.58 USD). The cost for extranjeros (foreigners) is $4. And that's the way they have it posted on the sign. All the prices are in Lempiras except for 'foreigners', that's in US dollars. Interesting. What if someone from Europe is visiting?
Anyway, after paying your entrance fee, a guide tries to convince you that you need a guide and they can give you the history of the caves. No, thanks. Not this time. Then you walk up some steps (which were not there 16 years ago), and see this:
The stairs leading down and the wrought iron gate at the mouth of the cave didn't exist 16 years ago, either.
The changes that have been made are definitely for the better. There is a walkway and colored lights that go quite a ways back. It was great. Especially this view:
Interestingly, it wasn't cool inside the caves, like I thought it would be. In fact, it was hot and humid. Stiflingly so. But I did manage to get a photo of me:
I wasn't paying close attention, but my guess is that the walkway and lights go back about 500 yards or so.
Spending some time at the caves was definitely a lot of fun. It's something I'll do again.
By the way, the caves of Taulabe are about 2, maybe 3, miles away from the property where I stayed on my first two trips here to Honduras. We even got some gas at the Texaco that is across from the property. The Texaco didn't exist 16 years ago, either.
Now, there's a gate to let you in off the highway. Then, you have to pay. Thankfully, I have residency status and only needed to pay 30 Lempiras ($1.58 USD). The cost for extranjeros (foreigners) is $4. And that's the way they have it posted on the sign. All the prices are in Lempiras except for 'foreigners', that's in US dollars. Interesting. What if someone from Europe is visiting?
Anyway, after paying your entrance fee, a guide tries to convince you that you need a guide and they can give you the history of the caves. No, thanks. Not this time. Then you walk up some steps (which were not there 16 years ago), and see this:
The stairs leading down and the wrought iron gate at the mouth of the cave didn't exist 16 years ago, either.
The changes that have been made are definitely for the better. There is a walkway and colored lights that go quite a ways back. It was great. Especially this view:
Interestingly, it wasn't cool inside the caves, like I thought it would be. In fact, it was hot and humid. Stiflingly so. But I did manage to get a photo of me:
I wasn't paying close attention, but my guess is that the walkway and lights go back about 500 yards or so.
Spending some time at the caves was definitely a lot of fun. It's something I'll do again.
By the way, the caves of Taulabe are about 2, maybe 3, miles away from the property where I stayed on my first two trips here to Honduras. We even got some gas at the Texaco that is across from the property. The Texaco didn't exist 16 years ago, either.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
A Disturbing Image...
I saw some photos posted on Facebook last Sunday which really disturbed me. Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe not. I'll tell you about it and let you decide. Feel free to comment:
Last Saturday, former president Mel Zelaya returned to Honduras after more than a year away. Early in the morning, I was at our front gate, awaiting the arrival of students who had detention. While waiting, I saw a few buses, pickup trucks and cars pass, all sporting the red and white flag that signifies support of Mel. I knew that there was going to be some kind of rally (whether official or not, I wasn't sure) in Tegucigalpa and figured that those vehicle and their inhabitants were probably heading to the capital city.
The news later in the evening showed some of the crowds, the elation and the celebration over Mel's return. From what I saw, things were basically peaceful.
On Sunday afternoon, I was on Facebook. One of my friends here had posted a bunch of photos from the rally the day before. As I looked through the photos, I saw two which made me stop in my tracks. Those two photos were of someone else I know and consider to be a friend, standing triumphantly and proudly, hands on hips, on top of an American flag that was on the ground, in the gutter, in a puddle of water.
How do I react? I thought this person was a friend, but now, I don't know. Do these photos mean that s/he hates America? What about Americans? What about Americans that are here laboring in Honduras? So, by extension, does s/he hate me? What about the other North Americans s/he knows? How does that kind of action line up with the Word of God? Was s/he simply swept up in a mob mentality moment?
I sat there for a while at the computer, unable to shake the images from my mind. Shortly afterward, Sara and I left for lunch at La Princesita. We were joined by Pedro, a teacher here. I had already been discussing the photos with Sara and then asked Pedro for his opinion. He seemed to understand my feelings of discomfort toward this individual. He also agreed that you don't disrespect the flag of any nation.
I think my strong reaction comes because of the respect I give to the flag. The American flag or that of any nation. I may disagree with the leader of a nation. I may disagree with some of the people of a particular nation. But, I would never disrespect the flag of any nation.
By the time we got back from La Princesita, those two images had been removed from that particular photo album. Why? Did the person who posted them realize how wrong they were? Unfortunately, for me, the damage has already been done.
Now, I'm faced with how I will react the next time I see the person in the photos. An adult, basically the same age as I am. But s/he was trampling on the flag of the United States of America.
It's an image that seems to be burned indelibly into my mind.
A disturbing image...
Last Saturday, former president Mel Zelaya returned to Honduras after more than a year away. Early in the morning, I was at our front gate, awaiting the arrival of students who had detention. While waiting, I saw a few buses, pickup trucks and cars pass, all sporting the red and white flag that signifies support of Mel. I knew that there was going to be some kind of rally (whether official or not, I wasn't sure) in Tegucigalpa and figured that those vehicle and their inhabitants were probably heading to the capital city.
The news later in the evening showed some of the crowds, the elation and the celebration over Mel's return. From what I saw, things were basically peaceful.
On Sunday afternoon, I was on Facebook. One of my friends here had posted a bunch of photos from the rally the day before. As I looked through the photos, I saw two which made me stop in my tracks. Those two photos were of someone else I know and consider to be a friend, standing triumphantly and proudly, hands on hips, on top of an American flag that was on the ground, in the gutter, in a puddle of water.
How do I react? I thought this person was a friend, but now, I don't know. Do these photos mean that s/he hates America? What about Americans? What about Americans that are here laboring in Honduras? So, by extension, does s/he hate me? What about the other North Americans s/he knows? How does that kind of action line up with the Word of God? Was s/he simply swept up in a mob mentality moment?
I sat there for a while at the computer, unable to shake the images from my mind. Shortly afterward, Sara and I left for lunch at La Princesita. We were joined by Pedro, a teacher here. I had already been discussing the photos with Sara and then asked Pedro for his opinion. He seemed to understand my feelings of discomfort toward this individual. He also agreed that you don't disrespect the flag of any nation.
I think my strong reaction comes because of the respect I give to the flag. The American flag or that of any nation. I may disagree with the leader of a nation. I may disagree with some of the people of a particular nation. But, I would never disrespect the flag of any nation.
By the time we got back from La Princesita, those two images had been removed from that particular photo album. Why? Did the person who posted them realize how wrong they were? Unfortunately, for me, the damage has already been done.
Now, I'm faced with how I will react the next time I see the person in the photos. An adult, basically the same age as I am. But s/he was trampling on the flag of the United States of America.
It's an image that seems to be burned indelibly into my mind.
A disturbing image...
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Seriously? No Coca Light?
This morning we checked out of our hotel rooms in La Ceiba and went for some breakfast before today's competition. Wendy's was this morning's choice. (KFC for lunch, Pizza Hut for dinner and now, Wendy's for breakfast? Ick!)
At the counter I asked for the combo with a bacon, egg & cheese biscuit and a Coca Light sin hielo (without ice). The following conversation ensued with the girl at the counter, who I will call 'Wendy':
Wendy: No hay Coca Light. (There is no Coca Light)
Me: ¿No hay Coca Light? (There's NO Coca Light??)
Wendy: Sí. No hay. (That's right, there is none.)
Me: ¿No hay Coca Light? (There's no Coca Light? -- asked as I leaned forward to look at the Coke dispenser, and seeing that Coca Light was the second choice from the right.)
Wendy: Sí. No hay Coca Light. Tenemos café, jugo de naranja y té frio. (Yes, there's no Coca Light. We have coffee, orange juice and iced tea.)
Me: OK. ¿No hay Coca Light o no está disponible? (OK. There IS no Coca Light or it's not available?)
Wendy: No vendemos Coca Light en la mañana. Sólo café, té or jugo. (We don't sell Coca Light in the morning, only coffee, tea or OJ.)
Me: ¿En serio? Pues, no quiero nada. (You're kidding? Then, I don't want anything.)
That was the basic gist of my conversation with 'Wendy'. While we were waiting for our food, or rather, the others were waiting for their food, Alejandro told me that Hondurans don't drink Coke or Coca Light at breakfast. I reminded him that there were many place in Comayagua where I could have a Coca Light with breakfast. He agreed.
Why all the fuss over the choice of a breakfast beverage? Well, since I drink Luis' coffee, I'm pretty much spoiled. All the juices here add extra sugar. LOTS of sugar. And the iced tea is also sugared. I just didn't want to start my day with that much sugar.
Hmmm, in retrospect, maybe I should have. It might have sweetened my disposition. :-)
The end to this breakfast drama? After getting the students set up for the competition, I walked downstairs and had a baleada, a pastelito and a Pepsi Light. (No Coke. Pepsi.)
All is good with the world!
At the counter I asked for the combo with a bacon, egg & cheese biscuit and a Coca Light sin hielo (without ice). The following conversation ensued with the girl at the counter, who I will call 'Wendy':
Wendy: No hay Coca Light. (There is no Coca Light)
Me: ¿No hay Coca Light? (There's NO Coca Light??)
Wendy: Sí. No hay. (That's right, there is none.)
Me: ¿No hay Coca Light? (There's no Coca Light? -- asked as I leaned forward to look at the Coke dispenser, and seeing that Coca Light was the second choice from the right.)
Wendy: Sí. No hay Coca Light. Tenemos café, jugo de naranja y té frio. (Yes, there's no Coca Light. We have coffee, orange juice and iced tea.)
Me: OK. ¿No hay Coca Light o no está disponible? (OK. There IS no Coca Light or it's not available?)
Wendy: No vendemos Coca Light en la mañana. Sólo café, té or jugo. (We don't sell Coca Light in the morning, only coffee, tea or OJ.)
Me: ¿En serio? Pues, no quiero nada. (You're kidding? Then, I don't want anything.)
That was the basic gist of my conversation with 'Wendy'. While we were waiting for our food, or rather, the others were waiting for their food, Alejandro told me that Hondurans don't drink Coke or Coca Light at breakfast. I reminded him that there were many place in Comayagua where I could have a Coca Light with breakfast. He agreed.
Why all the fuss over the choice of a breakfast beverage? Well, since I drink Luis' coffee, I'm pretty much spoiled. All the juices here add extra sugar. LOTS of sugar. And the iced tea is also sugared. I just didn't want to start my day with that much sugar.
Hmmm, in retrospect, maybe I should have. It might have sweetened my disposition. :-)
The end to this breakfast drama? After getting the students set up for the competition, I walked downstairs and had a baleada, a pastelito and a Pepsi Light. (No Coke. Pepsi.)
All is good with the world!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
On the Road to La Ceiba...
So, I was asked to be the female sponsor for a group of our students going to La Ceiba for a computer/technology competition. I said, "yes."
We left this morning. We were supposed to leave Enlaces at 7:00 a.m., but Mr. Allan (the computer teacher) told me it would probably be closer to 8:00 a.m. We left at 10:00 a.m. Although, that's not out of the ordinary. We had to wait for the rental car to arrive, then do a few more last minute things. Then we were ready to start our 5 1/2 - 6 hour drive.
Can you imagine my surprise when we made it to Naturaleza, at the lake, in right at one hour? Normally, it takes about 1 1/2 hours to get that far. Hmmm... This trip might go a bit faster than I thought. And it certainly did. We made it from Comayagua to La Ceiba in 4 hours, 15 minutes.
Don't ask how fast we were going. Don't ask how many times we passed on blind curves. I would have reminded Mr. Allan that we were on a school trip, with students, but since he was driving the lead car, it seemed that the best thing for me to do was to put the pedal to the metal and keep up.
Along the way I was struck by just how normal it seemed to drive on the roads here. It felt like I had been doing it all my life. Passing banana plantations, pineapple fields and sugar cane and dodging people, cars, motos, dogs, horses, cows, bulls, pigs, goats, etc. ~~ it all seems so normal now. I never grow tired of the view, but it really does seem like it's been part of my life forever. To me, that's a good thing.
Well, the kids are all up on the third floor at the pool, with Mr. Allan, so I'd best end here for now.
We left this morning. We were supposed to leave Enlaces at 7:00 a.m., but Mr. Allan (the computer teacher) told me it would probably be closer to 8:00 a.m. We left at 10:00 a.m. Although, that's not out of the ordinary. We had to wait for the rental car to arrive, then do a few more last minute things. Then we were ready to start our 5 1/2 - 6 hour drive.
Can you imagine my surprise when we made it to Naturaleza, at the lake, in right at one hour? Normally, it takes about 1 1/2 hours to get that far. Hmmm... This trip might go a bit faster than I thought. And it certainly did. We made it from Comayagua to La Ceiba in 4 hours, 15 minutes.
Don't ask how fast we were going. Don't ask how many times we passed on blind curves. I would have reminded Mr. Allan that we were on a school trip, with students, but since he was driving the lead car, it seemed that the best thing for me to do was to put the pedal to the metal and keep up.
Along the way I was struck by just how normal it seemed to drive on the roads here. It felt like I had been doing it all my life. Passing banana plantations, pineapple fields and sugar cane and dodging people, cars, motos, dogs, horses, cows, bulls, pigs, goats, etc. ~~ it all seems so normal now. I never grow tired of the view, but it really does seem like it's been part of my life forever. To me, that's a good thing.
Well, the kids are all up on the third floor at the pool, with Mr. Allan, so I'd best end here for now.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
You Spoke in English Why?...
Yesterday I went for a nice long motorcycle ride. First I went out toward El Volcan, but the pavement on that road ends about 4km out of town. I just like to ride up there, whether it's on my motorcycle or bicycle.
Then, I headed toward La Libertad. The day was a bit overcast and the road was a bit emptier than normal because of the holiday weekend. I could ride slower and not have to worry about being in people's way.
On my way out of town, I had seen that Pupusas al Boulevar was open, so I was already thinking that could possibly be my lunch stop. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I was sure that WOULD be my lunch stop.
When I walked in, I saw a few people waiting for their orders. I went to the front and placed an order for 3 pupusas, then walked over to the cooler to grab a bottle of refresco. I sat down at what has become 'my table' to wait for my meal. Now, I'm really not overly sentimental about seats in a restaurant. It's more that I like to be able to see my motorcycle and just keep an eye on it.
A few minutes later, two young guys pulled up on a motorcycle, parked next to me and walked inside. They, too, placed an order and then grabbed a table. Apparently, they also wanted to keep an eye on their moto, because they sat down at the table next to me, right next to the door. Unfazed by any of this, I sat there and continued to wait for my meal.
My pupusas arrived and a short time later the guys next to me received their food, as well. The guys had been chatting between themselves, but I wasn't paying any attention at all to their conversation, which was, of course, in Spanish. A few minutes later, though, my ears perked up. A lot. These two young men were now talking in English. Perfect English. I still wasn't actually listening to their conversation, but the fact that they were speaking so well made me take notice.
So I did what anyone would do (I think). I turned to them and said, "Your English is excellent. Where did you learn?" The guy nearest to me actually jumped a little when I said that. As it turns out, they started speaking in English because they didn't want their conversation to be overheard. They thought that I was a native Spanish speaker. I hadn't said a word to them up until this point. I don't know what it was about me that made them think I didn't speak English, but, to me, it really was a compliment.
Oh, and by the way, even though I wasn't listening to their conversation itself, they weren't saying anything bad.
=========
Here are a few photos taken when Glenda, Marla and I went up the bell tower at the cathedral. Our guide was showing us how they ring the bells to call people to Mass.
Looks like fun, doesn't it?
Then, I headed toward La Libertad. The day was a bit overcast and the road was a bit emptier than normal because of the holiday weekend. I could ride slower and not have to worry about being in people's way.
On my way out of town, I had seen that Pupusas al Boulevar was open, so I was already thinking that could possibly be my lunch stop. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I was sure that WOULD be my lunch stop.
When I walked in, I saw a few people waiting for their orders. I went to the front and placed an order for 3 pupusas, then walked over to the cooler to grab a bottle of refresco. I sat down at what has become 'my table' to wait for my meal. Now, I'm really not overly sentimental about seats in a restaurant. It's more that I like to be able to see my motorcycle and just keep an eye on it.
A few minutes later, two young guys pulled up on a motorcycle, parked next to me and walked inside. They, too, placed an order and then grabbed a table. Apparently, they also wanted to keep an eye on their moto, because they sat down at the table next to me, right next to the door. Unfazed by any of this, I sat there and continued to wait for my meal.
My pupusas arrived and a short time later the guys next to me received their food, as well. The guys had been chatting between themselves, but I wasn't paying any attention at all to their conversation, which was, of course, in Spanish. A few minutes later, though, my ears perked up. A lot. These two young men were now talking in English. Perfect English. I still wasn't actually listening to their conversation, but the fact that they were speaking so well made me take notice.
So I did what anyone would do (I think). I turned to them and said, "Your English is excellent. Where did you learn?" The guy nearest to me actually jumped a little when I said that. As it turns out, they started speaking in English because they didn't want their conversation to be overheard. They thought that I was a native Spanish speaker. I hadn't said a word to them up until this point. I don't know what it was about me that made them think I didn't speak English, but, to me, it really was a compliment.
Oh, and by the way, even though I wasn't listening to their conversation itself, they weren't saying anything bad.
=========
Here are a few photos taken when Glenda, Marla and I went up the bell tower at the cathedral. Our guide was showing us how they ring the bells to call people to Mass.
Looks like fun, doesn't it?
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Ups and Downs of Living in a Third World Country…
I’m writing this on Thursday evening, but I’m writing it in Word. I don’t know when I’ll be able to upload it. Our internet is down and I don’t know when it will be back up. Lately, it seems that the internet has been down more than it’s been up. I usually end up rebooting our firewall 4-8 times a day. Such is living in a Third World country.
Later tonight, people should start working on Las Alfombras, the sawdust carpets that are renowned all over Central America. Starting at about 11:00pm, there is a big procession of Saints from all the Catholic churches, then the fire department hoses down the streets and after that, work can begin. Only, it’s raining right now. Pretty hard. So, I don’t know if the alfombras will actually happen this year. I don’t know if they do any kind of ‘rain delay’.
I just went out to the front gate to let in Jenny, Josue, Paul and Lindsay. As I was walking up front, I saw several people in the school hallway. “¿Quien es?” “Who are you?” I asked one of the guys. He proceeded to tell me that he was here to bring the guard his food. And then I reminded the guard that he was not to allow anyone inside the gate, especially not three people. I tried to call Trify, but he’s out of cell phone range, near the El Salvador border. Even though the call didn’t go through, I faked the call, making sure that the guard heard me. In Spanish. Trify will need to be in touch with the company supervisor to make sure that the new guards know just exactly what is and is not expected of them. Such is living in a Third World country.
======
OK, so now it’s Friday afternoon and the alfombras DID happen. Yay! Jenny, Josue, Lindsay, Paul and I all went down to Parque Central at 5:30am. We got to see most of the work still in progress. That was pretty neat. Plus, there are not nearly as many people as later in the morning. We stayed until about 10:30, leaving after the reenactment of the Fourth Station of the Cross. I took over 200 pics!
Here are a couple of pictures. I’ll post more. I promise!!
The first alfombra we came across was about a block or so behind Enlaces. This is one that won't be seen by many people because it's too far off the beaten path. But, the neighborhood sure enjoyed it.
This alfombra is on the main path of the procession and was completely trampled underfoot less than 5 hours after I took this photo.
Yeah, that's me.
Oh, yeah. Obviously, the internet is up right now! I'm doing a Happy Dance! (12 noon, Friday)
Or not. It looks like it went back down again. (12:15pm, Friday)
Such is living in a Third World country...
Later tonight, people should start working on Las Alfombras, the sawdust carpets that are renowned all over Central America. Starting at about 11:00pm, there is a big procession of Saints from all the Catholic churches, then the fire department hoses down the streets and after that, work can begin. Only, it’s raining right now. Pretty hard. So, I don’t know if the alfombras will actually happen this year. I don’t know if they do any kind of ‘rain delay’.
I just went out to the front gate to let in Jenny, Josue, Paul and Lindsay. As I was walking up front, I saw several people in the school hallway. “¿Quien es?” “Who are you?” I asked one of the guys. He proceeded to tell me that he was here to bring the guard his food. And then I reminded the guard that he was not to allow anyone inside the gate, especially not three people. I tried to call Trify, but he’s out of cell phone range, near the El Salvador border. Even though the call didn’t go through, I faked the call, making sure that the guard heard me. In Spanish. Trify will need to be in touch with the company supervisor to make sure that the new guards know just exactly what is and is not expected of them. Such is living in a Third World country.
======
OK, so now it’s Friday afternoon and the alfombras DID happen. Yay! Jenny, Josue, Lindsay, Paul and I all went down to Parque Central at 5:30am. We got to see most of the work still in progress. That was pretty neat. Plus, there are not nearly as many people as later in the morning. We stayed until about 10:30, leaving after the reenactment of the Fourth Station of the Cross. I took over 200 pics!
Here are a couple of pictures. I’ll post more. I promise!!
Oh, yeah. Obviously, the internet is up right now! I'm doing a Happy Dance! (12 noon, Friday)
Or not. It looks like it went back down again. (12:15pm, Friday)
Such is living in a Third World country...
Monday, April 4, 2011
My, How Time Flies... ~or~ Sometimes It's Tough to Post...
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know it's been over a month since my last post. I actually tried to post yesterday. Three times. During my first two attempts, we lost internet. During my third attempt, we lost power (and internet, of course). After that, I just gave up!
So, today I thought I'd post just a few of the many, many (MANY!) photos from my week with Marla and Glenda. Hopefully, I'll get to post some more tomorrow.
This week, a missions team from my home church (Mustard Seed Church, Lawrence, KS) is here with us. It's already been a great visit. More on that later, but here, for your viewing pleasure, are a few photos...
After checking in to our hotel in Copán, we went to the roof to enjoy the view
Me, Marla and Glenda at dinner.
Me and Glenda with one of the dancing jaguars of the ruins.
Marla and me among the ruins.
Leaving Copán, we were delayed a bit. This happens. A lot!
I'll get more posted, but want to get this out onto the interwebs before we have more trouble!!
So, today I thought I'd post just a few of the many, many (MANY!) photos from my week with Marla and Glenda. Hopefully, I'll get to post some more tomorrow.
This week, a missions team from my home church (Mustard Seed Church, Lawrence, KS) is here with us. It's already been a great visit. More on that later, but here, for your viewing pleasure, are a few photos...
I'll get more posted, but want to get this out onto the interwebs before we have more trouble!!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Just a Place Holder...
The medical and carpentry team left yesterday morning. All 22 of them! And what a great team they were. They were supposed to arrive last Sunday, but a major screw up with the airline was to put them on the plane on Sunday evening instead of morning. By Sunday evening, though, Michigan was getting slammed with snow, so the airports all closed. And stayed closed on Monday, too. Finally, they were able to fly out on Tuesday morning.
So, we did what we could: rearrange the days for the medical brigades in the villages. The cool thing is that only one village had to be postponed until March. We were able to divide the team one day to allow us to serve two villages in one day. All in all, the team saw more than 1300 people in 3 days, among 4 villages. That's a lot of scabies and lice! And other things like high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcerated wounds, congestive heart failure, etc.
It wasn't just the medical team that rocked. The carpenters did an incredible job of building lots of much needed storage shelves/containers for the school and whole ministry. Then, when they finished that, they made lots of school desks for us. Yes, the Hondurans here were mighty impressed with all that they accomplished ~~ in just THREE days!
I'll be posting some photos here and on Facebook, but just wanted to take a few minutes to write and let you know that I haven't forgotten you.
Our internet has also been a bit flaky since Friday. We had several hours where we had mini shortages of electricity, only 3 or 4 seconds long, but just long enough to do damage. Ugh! If it's not one thing, it's something else. Right now, I've got a band-aid internet solution in place, but we won't be able to use that for the school tomorrow.
So, we did what we could: rearrange the days for the medical brigades in the villages. The cool thing is that only one village had to be postponed until March. We were able to divide the team one day to allow us to serve two villages in one day. All in all, the team saw more than 1300 people in 3 days, among 4 villages. That's a lot of scabies and lice! And other things like high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcerated wounds, congestive heart failure, etc.
It wasn't just the medical team that rocked. The carpenters did an incredible job of building lots of much needed storage shelves/containers for the school and whole ministry. Then, when they finished that, they made lots of school desks for us. Yes, the Hondurans here were mighty impressed with all that they accomplished ~~ in just THREE days!
I'll be posting some photos here and on Facebook, but just wanted to take a few minutes to write and let you know that I haven't forgotten you.
Our internet has also been a bit flaky since Friday. We had several hours where we had mini shortages of electricity, only 3 or 4 seconds long, but just long enough to do damage. Ugh! If it's not one thing, it's something else. Right now, I've got a band-aid internet solution in place, but we won't be able to use that for the school tomorrow.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Shakin' Out the Bugs...
I'll bet that most of you have never had to shake the bugs out of your popcorn or beans. Here, it's just part of the territory.
After I got back in January, I went to the little store in the mercado that sells the big bags of popcorn. It's where we buy the 100 pound bags that we use in the Center. Normally, I just buy some of the popcorn out of a new bag when the ministry gets one. However, the Center was still closed and they wouldn't be buying any for a while, so I bought 5 lbs. of popcorn. I got home and got out my colander to shake out the bugs. I knew that there would be some of the little weevils in the popcorn that also show up in the beans. I call 'em "bean bugs", but they are a weevil of some type.
It didn't take long to shake out the popcorn and get it put in the cupboard in a couple of Tupperware containers. But it doesn't stop there. About two weeks ago, before popping some corn, I figured it was time to shake out the bugs again because more of the weevils would have hatched. I was right. I spent a few minutes shaking out the bugs before popping more corn. And tonight I did the same thing.
But tonight, I expanded the search and destroy mission. I had half a bag of store bought red beans in the cupboard and figured that they should probably be shaken out, too. I was right. Although store bought bags of beans don't typically have as many weevils as those we buy up near the lake, I knew that there would still be some larvae in the beans when they were picked, sorted and bagged.
Store bought beans are typically cleaner, with very few pebbles in them, but the flavor of the beans we buy at the side of the road up near Lago de Yojoa is far superior. The downside, of course, is that the Lake beans have way more bean bugs and need to be shaken out and sorted much more diligently than their store bought counterparts. For me, the trade off is worth it.
All that shaking and sorting tonight got me thinking... I'm sure that the Honduran women are not quite as meticulous when it comes to sorting their beans. I know they work to get rid of the pebbles and dirt clods, but I'm sure that lots and lots of weevils make it into the pot. Extra protein? I guess I shouldn't think about it too much!!
On a whim, I just googled 'bean weevils'. Lots of info there. Go ahead, give it a try.
After I got back in January, I went to the little store in the mercado that sells the big bags of popcorn. It's where we buy the 100 pound bags that we use in the Center. Normally, I just buy some of the popcorn out of a new bag when the ministry gets one. However, the Center was still closed and they wouldn't be buying any for a while, so I bought 5 lbs. of popcorn. I got home and got out my colander to shake out the bugs. I knew that there would be some of the little weevils in the popcorn that also show up in the beans. I call 'em "bean bugs", but they are a weevil of some type.
It didn't take long to shake out the popcorn and get it put in the cupboard in a couple of Tupperware containers. But it doesn't stop there. About two weeks ago, before popping some corn, I figured it was time to shake out the bugs again because more of the weevils would have hatched. I was right. I spent a few minutes shaking out the bugs before popping more corn. And tonight I did the same thing.
But tonight, I expanded the search and destroy mission. I had half a bag of store bought red beans in the cupboard and figured that they should probably be shaken out, too. I was right. Although store bought bags of beans don't typically have as many weevils as those we buy up near the lake, I knew that there would still be some larvae in the beans when they were picked, sorted and bagged.
Store bought beans are typically cleaner, with very few pebbles in them, but the flavor of the beans we buy at the side of the road up near Lago de Yojoa is far superior. The downside, of course, is that the Lake beans have way more bean bugs and need to be shaken out and sorted much more diligently than their store bought counterparts. For me, the trade off is worth it.
All that shaking and sorting tonight got me thinking... I'm sure that the Honduran women are not quite as meticulous when it comes to sorting their beans. I know they work to get rid of the pebbles and dirt clods, but I'm sure that lots and lots of weevils make it into the pot. Extra protein? I guess I shouldn't think about it too much!!
On a whim, I just googled 'bean weevils'. Lots of info there. Go ahead, give it a try.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Broken Server, Broken Internet, Broken Toe...
Wow! What a week it's been. Let me tell you a little about it:
Last Monday morning we had a power failure. Now, normally that's no big deal. In fact, we have a lot of power failures around here. Sometimes they only last 20 or 30 minutes and sometimes they last for hours and hours. Last Monday's was one of the shorter ones, only about 20 or 30 minutes. The power came back on and all was well. At least I thought it was.
After power is restored, we normally have to reboot the computer server in order to get people back online. Well, it had been more than a few hours since the power was back, but I noticed that we still didn't have internet. I figured that people in the school office had been too busy dealing with school registration to reboot the server. So, I went over to take care of it.
I rebooted the server and waited until everything should have come back up. No dice. Then I went into our wiring closet and rebooted the firewall computer in case that was the culprit. Still no dice. Reboot the server again. Nope. Nada. OK, occasionally when the power comes back, things don't reset at the cable company and I was willing to believe that maybe that's what we were dealing with. I just decided to call it a night and look at things the next morning.
Tuesday morning, things were no better. Still no internet and still no server access. No server access means that people can't access vital documents. That's definitely not a good thing during registration time.
I attached a monitor to the server and logged what was happening. Darn! We're stuck in a boot loop. I wrote down the details so that I could relay them to Greg in the States and we could figure out what was happening. Then, I tried attaching my laptop directly to the cable modem to see if the internet was back up and running. Not yet. OK, so that leaves us with a broken server and a broken internet
Greg and I spent some time talking about the server, discussing plans to retrieve data and then reconfigured the firewall so that it would hand out IP addresses once the cable company had the internet back up. By now it was around 9:30pm.
Leaving the school, I was walking at a quick pace along the dark walkway in front of some of our classes. All of a sudden *W*H*A*M*!!! It was no longer dark. In fact, it was quite bright and I could see lots and lots of stars ~~ and I didn't even need to look into the night sky. I had kicked a large brick that is used to prop up some wire cubbies where our young kids put their lunches and sweaters. Ouch! And, I mean OUCH!!! Within three more steps, I knew that I had broken my toe. It was an all too familiar sensation.
By the time I reached Sandi's front door, I just stood in the doorway. She saw the look on my face and asked, "What's the matter?" I told her I had just broken a toe. I made it over to a chair and tried to catch my breath. Then, I asked Sandi for some ibuprofen right away. I needed to try to get some pain and swelling relief right away.
But I still had work to do. After a few minutes, we called the cable company and Brenda explained what was and wasn't happening with our internet. Finally, Brenda handed me the phone so that I could explain more to the customer service guy. My first words to him were that I didn't speak Spanish very well and would he please speak slowly. Well, you can imagine my surprise when, in wonderful English, he asked me, "Are you the computer technician who has already looked at the system?" When I answered, "Yes, I am" in English, Sandi immediately turned toward the phone, a bit surprised.
I had a great experience with customer service from the cable company. I mean, really great!! And I kept encouraging the guy to continue using his English. We left things that a technician would be dispatched the next morning to come out and check our modem and connections upstream.
After hobbling home with Sandi and Brenda's help, I buddy-taped my broken pinky toe to the next one. Yes, I'm fairly practiced in the art of buddy taping toes. I've broken various toes more times than I can remember. 5? 6? 114? I even took a Darvocet N-100 hoping that it would help me sleep through the night. Not even close. Ugh!
So, early Wednesday morning I was up and over at the bodega looking for a baston (cane) with Antonio's help. We found one fairly quickly and then I just waited for Trify and Erica to arrive. We were heading to Tegucigalpa to pick up school books and other assorted things. I also added some computer parts to the shopping list and hoped we'd be able to find what I needed.
Miraculously, we got everything we needed and even had lunch before heading back to Comayagua in time for me to teach my afternoon English class. We pulled in at about 3:40pm and a few people asked if we were going to cancel class. I told them "Of course not. Class starts at 4:00 and I have 20 minutes to get my things and come back." I think they were a bit surprised by that, especially since I was dealing with the broken toe, as well.
So there you have it: broken server, broken internet, broken toe. Although the server is still down, I've been able to retrieve data and put it on the local machines of each person who needs it. The internet is back up and running. Although it will be a 6-8 week process, my toe is healing and I'm no longer using the cane.
As you can see, there's never a dull moment when you're a missionary...
Last Monday morning we had a power failure. Now, normally that's no big deal. In fact, we have a lot of power failures around here. Sometimes they only last 20 or 30 minutes and sometimes they last for hours and hours. Last Monday's was one of the shorter ones, only about 20 or 30 minutes. The power came back on and all was well. At least I thought it was.
After power is restored, we normally have to reboot the computer server in order to get people back online. Well, it had been more than a few hours since the power was back, but I noticed that we still didn't have internet. I figured that people in the school office had been too busy dealing with school registration to reboot the server. So, I went over to take care of it.
I rebooted the server and waited until everything should have come back up. No dice. Then I went into our wiring closet and rebooted the firewall computer in case that was the culprit. Still no dice. Reboot the server again. Nope. Nada. OK, occasionally when the power comes back, things don't reset at the cable company and I was willing to believe that maybe that's what we were dealing with. I just decided to call it a night and look at things the next morning.
Tuesday morning, things were no better. Still no internet and still no server access. No server access means that people can't access vital documents. That's definitely not a good thing during registration time.
I attached a monitor to the server and logged what was happening. Darn! We're stuck in a boot loop. I wrote down the details so that I could relay them to Greg in the States and we could figure out what was happening. Then, I tried attaching my laptop directly to the cable modem to see if the internet was back up and running. Not yet. OK, so that leaves us with a broken server and a broken internet
Greg and I spent some time talking about the server, discussing plans to retrieve data and then reconfigured the firewall so that it would hand out IP addresses once the cable company had the internet back up. By now it was around 9:30pm.
Leaving the school, I was walking at a quick pace along the dark walkway in front of some of our classes. All of a sudden *W*H*A*M*!!! It was no longer dark. In fact, it was quite bright and I could see lots and lots of stars ~~ and I didn't even need to look into the night sky. I had kicked a large brick that is used to prop up some wire cubbies where our young kids put their lunches and sweaters. Ouch! And, I mean OUCH!!! Within three more steps, I knew that I had broken my toe. It was an all too familiar sensation.
By the time I reached Sandi's front door, I just stood in the doorway. She saw the look on my face and asked, "What's the matter?" I told her I had just broken a toe. I made it over to a chair and tried to catch my breath. Then, I asked Sandi for some ibuprofen right away. I needed to try to get some pain and swelling relief right away.
But I still had work to do. After a few minutes, we called the cable company and Brenda explained what was and wasn't happening with our internet. Finally, Brenda handed me the phone so that I could explain more to the customer service guy. My first words to him were that I didn't speak Spanish very well and would he please speak slowly. Well, you can imagine my surprise when, in wonderful English, he asked me, "Are you the computer technician who has already looked at the system?" When I answered, "Yes, I am" in English, Sandi immediately turned toward the phone, a bit surprised.
I had a great experience with customer service from the cable company. I mean, really great!! And I kept encouraging the guy to continue using his English. We left things that a technician would be dispatched the next morning to come out and check our modem and connections upstream.
After hobbling home with Sandi and Brenda's help, I buddy-taped my broken pinky toe to the next one. Yes, I'm fairly practiced in the art of buddy taping toes. I've broken various toes more times than I can remember. 5? 6? 114? I even took a Darvocet N-100 hoping that it would help me sleep through the night. Not even close. Ugh!
So, early Wednesday morning I was up and over at the bodega looking for a baston (cane) with Antonio's help. We found one fairly quickly and then I just waited for Trify and Erica to arrive. We were heading to Tegucigalpa to pick up school books and other assorted things. I also added some computer parts to the shopping list and hoped we'd be able to find what I needed.
Miraculously, we got everything we needed and even had lunch before heading back to Comayagua in time for me to teach my afternoon English class. We pulled in at about 3:40pm and a few people asked if we were going to cancel class. I told them "Of course not. Class starts at 4:00 and I have 20 minutes to get my things and come back." I think they were a bit surprised by that, especially since I was dealing with the broken toe, as well.
So there you have it: broken server, broken internet, broken toe. Although the server is still down, I've been able to retrieve data and put it on the local machines of each person who needs it. The internet is back up and running. Although it will be a 6-8 week process, my toe is healing and I'm no longer using the cane.
As you can see, there's never a dull moment when you're a missionary...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
On the Road to La Libertad...
Today I decided to go for a nice leisurely motorcycle ride out toward La Libertad. I've wanted to get some photos, but have never had my camera with me while out that way. Today, all that changed. I grabbed my point-n-shoot digital camera and put it in a backpack. I tucked away a few Lempiras in case I decided to stop for a Coke or something. Then I was on my way.
Here's a photo I took not too far outside of Comayagua...
Just a few kilometers further down the road, there is a cemetery that sits under a power tower...
This is a scene along the way...
Here is a scene looking down on one of the market roads in La Libertad (notice the bird's nest of wires on the power pole)...
And finally, a shanty town that has sprung up on the side of a mountain...
Yes, people are really living in those homes.
Being out in the warm sunshine was wonderful. I often use bike time, whether bicycle or motorcycle, as prayer time. For me, it's very easy to focus on God when I'm out in His creation.
Once back in Comayagua, I stopped at a little comedor that makes wonderful pupusas and had lunch. After that, I leisurely wound my way back through the city and finally home again. I had been out for several hours, putting almost 100 kilometers on my moto. I also got quite a bit of sun on my arms. Reminder to self: Next time, wear sunscreen.
I took a lot more photos than I've posted here. I'll be uploading them to Facebook in just a few minutes. Feel free to peruse.
Here's a photo I took not too far outside of Comayagua...
Just a few kilometers further down the road, there is a cemetery that sits under a power tower...
This is a scene along the way...
Here is a scene looking down on one of the market roads in La Libertad (notice the bird's nest of wires on the power pole)...
And finally, a shanty town that has sprung up on the side of a mountain...
Yes, people are really living in those homes.
Being out in the warm sunshine was wonderful. I often use bike time, whether bicycle or motorcycle, as prayer time. For me, it's very easy to focus on God when I'm out in His creation.
Once back in Comayagua, I stopped at a little comedor that makes wonderful pupusas and had lunch. After that, I leisurely wound my way back through the city and finally home again. I had been out for several hours, putting almost 100 kilometers on my moto. I also got quite a bit of sun on my arms. Reminder to self: Next time, wear sunscreen.
I took a lot more photos than I've posted here. I'll be uploading them to Facebook in just a few minutes. Feel free to peruse.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Chickens are Back...
I went to the super today to pick up a few things and, lo and behold, the chickens are back. Finally! Whole frozen chickens were finally available in the grocery store. I only bought one since I was on my motorcycle and had a few other things to get. But that bird is now resting in my fridge, thawing his frozen self. I took the Ronco™ Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ (another shameless plug, but what the heck) back to Sandi's house last night, so I think this chicken will end up roasted in the oven along with some carrots, potatoes, onions, pataste, etc. It might make for a nice Sunday dinner.
Oh, my theory about higher prices seems to be correct. The chickens were about 3 Lempiras per pound (15¢) more expensive than before the holidays. The prices of rice and beans have steadily crept up, too. In fact, LOTS of prices are increasing quickly. Cat food is up 20 Lps a bag. That's just over a one dollar increase.
After I got back from the super, I left my moto up front, outside the gate, telling the guard that I would be right back after I put my groceries away. He told me that the moto seat would get hot very quickly and I told him that I really would be right back. He was probably thinking that I was planning to 'be back soon' Honduran style. That could be anywhere from 30 or 40 minutes to a couple of hours. No, I was back in less than five and the seat wasn't too bad.
From there I had decided to go have some pupusas for lunch. It's been way too long since I had some. Well, actually, I took Adán out for pupusas right before I headed to the States, so I guess it hasn't really been that long. I went to the pupusa place on the boulevard, the same place I went with Adán. In fact, I sat at the same table. I wasn't being sentimental, just practical. From there I had a clear view of my motorcycle on the street. Before my lunch arrived, a man and his young son walked in and ordered. I ended up talking with them for a few minutes. The little boy, Antony, was three years old. It always feels good to get out and stretch my 'Spanish wings'.
After lunch, it was off to the ferretería (the hardware store). I was on the search for some garden pots and soil. I'm starting an herb garden. Nothing major. While in the States I bought seeds for sweet basil, Italian parsley, rosemary, oregano, and chives. Add to that some basile de Genoa, from seeds given to me by my friend, Cathy, when I was in NJ for my reunion. She told me that the seeds were four generations old, passed on in her family. Very cool. I'm going to keep both varieties of basil separate so that they don't cross pollinate.
I bought the pots and saw that the ferretería has a large bag of potting soil. I'll get back there with a car or truck before I need to transplant my herbs. I'm starting them inside, using peat pellets that I also bought while stateside.
Actually, already tonight, I've planted both varieties of basil and decided to update my blog before finishing up with the rest of the seeds.
Well, I guess now that my blog is updated and you know that whole chickens are once again available in the store, I should probably get back to planting.
Oh, my theory about higher prices seems to be correct. The chickens were about 3 Lempiras per pound (15¢) more expensive than before the holidays. The prices of rice and beans have steadily crept up, too. In fact, LOTS of prices are increasing quickly. Cat food is up 20 Lps a bag. That's just over a one dollar increase.
After I got back from the super, I left my moto up front, outside the gate, telling the guard that I would be right back after I put my groceries away. He told me that the moto seat would get hot very quickly and I told him that I really would be right back. He was probably thinking that I was planning to 'be back soon' Honduran style. That could be anywhere from 30 or 40 minutes to a couple of hours. No, I was back in less than five and the seat wasn't too bad.
From there I had decided to go have some pupusas for lunch. It's been way too long since I had some. Well, actually, I took Adán out for pupusas right before I headed to the States, so I guess it hasn't really been that long. I went to the pupusa place on the boulevard, the same place I went with Adán. In fact, I sat at the same table. I wasn't being sentimental, just practical. From there I had a clear view of my motorcycle on the street. Before my lunch arrived, a man and his young son walked in and ordered. I ended up talking with them for a few minutes. The little boy, Antony, was three years old. It always feels good to get out and stretch my 'Spanish wings'.
After lunch, it was off to the ferretería (the hardware store). I was on the search for some garden pots and soil. I'm starting an herb garden. Nothing major. While in the States I bought seeds for sweet basil, Italian parsley, rosemary, oregano, and chives. Add to that some basile de Genoa, from seeds given to me by my friend, Cathy, when I was in NJ for my reunion. She told me that the seeds were four generations old, passed on in her family. Very cool. I'm going to keep both varieties of basil separate so that they don't cross pollinate.
I bought the pots and saw that the ferretería has a large bag of potting soil. I'll get back there with a car or truck before I need to transplant my herbs. I'm starting them inside, using peat pellets that I also bought while stateside.
Actually, already tonight, I've planted both varieties of basil and decided to update my blog before finishing up with the rest of the seeds.
Well, I guess now that my blog is updated and you know that whole chickens are once again available in the store, I should probably get back to planting.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Where's the Chicken?...
OK, this is kind of strange. No, make that very strange. Whole chickens have disappeared from the grocery stores here in Comayagua. After I returned last week, I went to the grocery store fully intending to buy a few whole chickens to roast in the Ronco™ Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ. Shameless plug, I know. But, hey, it's my blog.
Anyway, there were NO whole chickens at Del Corral, my 'usual' grocery store. Nada. Zip. None. They also only had just a little bit of frozen chicken parts. Very strange.
So I thought, "Well, maybe there's been a run on chickens. Some big party or something." I knew that wasn't the case but didn't dwell on it too much. I just went over to the meat counter and got a few thighs and legs to throw in the crock pot.
A few days later I was back at the grocery. Same thing. No whole chickens and very few packages of parts. Hmmm, now this really is a bit odd. Then I started thinking that maybe all the birds dropping out of the sky has had an effect on chickens here. Maybe.
Of course, it could also be some sort of organized way to constrain the supply and thus drive up prices when the chickens suddenly reappear. Time will tell.
I'll bet that when you go to the grocery store in the States none of you ever wonder if there will actually be any chickens to buy. Just another thing to let me know that I'm "not in Kansas any more."
Anyway, there were NO whole chickens at Del Corral, my 'usual' grocery store. Nada. Zip. None. They also only had just a little bit of frozen chicken parts. Very strange.
So I thought, "Well, maybe there's been a run on chickens. Some big party or something." I knew that wasn't the case but didn't dwell on it too much. I just went over to the meat counter and got a few thighs and legs to throw in the crock pot.
A few days later I was back at the grocery. Same thing. No whole chickens and very few packages of parts. Hmmm, now this really is a bit odd. Then I started thinking that maybe all the birds dropping out of the sky has had an effect on chickens here. Maybe.
Of course, it could also be some sort of organized way to constrain the supply and thus drive up prices when the chickens suddenly reappear. Time will tell.
I'll bet that when you go to the grocery store in the States none of you ever wonder if there will actually be any chickens to buy. Just another thing to let me know that I'm "not in Kansas any more."
Friday, January 14, 2011
Definitely Home...
Well, let's see, I've been back home for less than 4 full days and already have been super busy.
Trify and Erica picked me up at the airport and it was so good to see them. It was also so good to be back in the warmth. Yeah, the heat in San Pedro might have been a bit extreme, but it sure felt good to me. The last few days here in Comayagua have been much cooler.
On our way back to Comayagua, we stopped at the row of fruit stands that are a fairly regular stop for us. Trify wanted a coconut, and Erica & I also thought it was a good idea. The coconuts weren't as cold as we would have liked, but they were quite tasty anyway. We all quickly finished the coconut water and the girl at the stand hacked our coconuts open so that we could eat the coconut meat.
Back at Enlaces, I quickly unpacked one suitcase. The other still sits on my bedroom floor, with one or two items being emptied from it each day. I think I really need to pick up the pace on the unpacking.
Since getting back, my days have been filled with fighting viruses on our computers and also adding memory to them. I have all but two computers upgraded with memory. The virus battle continues, but it's coming along. One computer seems to be giving me particular fits, though. Ugh! Maybe I'd have more success tilting at windmills?
I'm really hoping to get down to the post office today. It's been a while. Heck, I haven't even gotten my motorcycle out of the bodega yet. I had planned to take it out this week and just ride around in the area, but sometimes our plans have to be laid aside.
So far this morning, I've been spending time on the internet looking for car parts. No, not for me, Silly. I have no car here. I'm looking for car parts for Hermes and Rolando. I'm pretty sure we've got the right one for Rolando, but the ones that Hermes needs are proving to be a bit more difficult. He has pictures of them, and their Spanish names, but I still can't find them. It's proving to be a bit frustrating because I'm normally pretty good at ferreting things out on the interwebs.
My English classes for the adults will start on Monday. I'm going to teach three different classes and will be teaching Monday thru Friday. So far, everyone seems quite excited for the classes to start. Let's see if they're still excited when they have homework or a test.
Trify and Erica picked me up at the airport and it was so good to see them. It was also so good to be back in the warmth. Yeah, the heat in San Pedro might have been a bit extreme, but it sure felt good to me. The last few days here in Comayagua have been much cooler.
On our way back to Comayagua, we stopped at the row of fruit stands that are a fairly regular stop for us. Trify wanted a coconut, and Erica & I also thought it was a good idea. The coconuts weren't as cold as we would have liked, but they were quite tasty anyway. We all quickly finished the coconut water and the girl at the stand hacked our coconuts open so that we could eat the coconut meat.
Back at Enlaces, I quickly unpacked one suitcase. The other still sits on my bedroom floor, with one or two items being emptied from it each day. I think I really need to pick up the pace on the unpacking.
Since getting back, my days have been filled with fighting viruses on our computers and also adding memory to them. I have all but two computers upgraded with memory. The virus battle continues, but it's coming along. One computer seems to be giving me particular fits, though. Ugh! Maybe I'd have more success tilting at windmills?
I'm really hoping to get down to the post office today. It's been a while. Heck, I haven't even gotten my motorcycle out of the bodega yet. I had planned to take it out this week and just ride around in the area, but sometimes our plans have to be laid aside.
So far this morning, I've been spending time on the internet looking for car parts. No, not for me, Silly. I have no car here. I'm looking for car parts for Hermes and Rolando. I'm pretty sure we've got the right one for Rolando, but the ones that Hermes needs are proving to be a bit more difficult. He has pictures of them, and their Spanish names, but I still can't find them. It's proving to be a bit frustrating because I'm normally pretty good at ferreting things out on the interwebs.
My English classes for the adults will start on Monday. I'm going to teach three different classes and will be teaching Monday thru Friday. So far, everyone seems quite excited for the classes to start. Let's see if they're still excited when they have homework or a test.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Oh! What a Night...
As Christmas gets closer, there are more and more parties and ferias taking place in the various barrios. Our neighborhood is no exception! Last night there was a party of some kind, pretty much all night long. No, I'm not kidding. All night long.
I went to bed at about 11:00pm and even though I had my iPod playing through an external speaker, I could still hear the party. In fact, it was often punctuated by the sounds of loud firecrackers -- like M-80s or something. They even had a live band. Eventually, I fell asleep while listening to Top Chef on my iPod.
A few hours later, at 2:30am, I woke up to what I first thought were gunshots. Nope. More large, loud firecrackers. Then I realized that the band was still playing, so I listened for a while. To me, it sounded like a blend of mariachi, ranchero, and high school marching band. Boom! Boom! More firecrackers, actually, these were fireworks and I could see the flash through my window. Eventually I fell back to sleep.
Up again at 4:30am. Yup, the band was still playing. Loudly! In fact, it almost sounded like it was outside my house. I was just too tired to get out of bed and check it out. I listened to the music for a while more. Hey, that trumpet player's not too bad! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! More fireworks. And still more. Yes, these Hondurans really know how to party!
My alarm went off at 5:30am and I initially thought that the party had finally ended. Wrong! It had just moved a bit. As I got up and went into my bathroom, where the windows are open, I could hear the band and the fireworks/firecrackers. By 6:00am, though, it seemed that the party was over. I mean, people have to sleep sometime, right?
So, I'm sitting here at my table now, listening to another party. This one is using a stereo system not a live band, and they're not playing mariachi or ranchero music. For that, I'm thankful! I'm also thankful that I'll have my iPod at the ready again tonight to drown out the sounds if the party is still going on when I decide to go to bed. I'm taking bets...
>>>I was just getting ready to hit the "post" button when the ranchero music started up. LOUDLY!! It will probably be a long night. Again.
I went to bed at about 11:00pm and even though I had my iPod playing through an external speaker, I could still hear the party. In fact, it was often punctuated by the sounds of loud firecrackers -- like M-80s or something. They even had a live band. Eventually, I fell asleep while listening to Top Chef on my iPod.
A few hours later, at 2:30am, I woke up to what I first thought were gunshots. Nope. More large, loud firecrackers. Then I realized that the band was still playing, so I listened for a while. To me, it sounded like a blend of mariachi, ranchero, and high school marching band. Boom! Boom! More firecrackers, actually, these were fireworks and I could see the flash through my window. Eventually I fell back to sleep.
Up again at 4:30am. Yup, the band was still playing. Loudly! In fact, it almost sounded like it was outside my house. I was just too tired to get out of bed and check it out. I listened to the music for a while more. Hey, that trumpet player's not too bad! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! More fireworks. And still more. Yes, these Hondurans really know how to party!
My alarm went off at 5:30am and I initially thought that the party had finally ended. Wrong! It had just moved a bit. As I got up and went into my bathroom, where the windows are open, I could hear the band and the fireworks/firecrackers. By 6:00am, though, it seemed that the party was over. I mean, people have to sleep sometime, right?
So, I'm sitting here at my table now, listening to another party. This one is using a stereo system not a live band, and they're not playing mariachi or ranchero music. For that, I'm thankful! I'm also thankful that I'll have my iPod at the ready again tonight to drown out the sounds if the party is still going on when I decide to go to bed. I'm taking bets...
>>>I was just getting ready to hit the "post" button when the ranchero music started up. LOUDLY!! It will probably be a long night. Again.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Finally...
...I'm legal.
Well, I've always been here legally, but I've spent the last year and a half working on getting my residency status. Of course, the organization we've been working with was very quick to take my money to start the process ($600USD). And then, the wait. And wait. And wait.
Lots of phone calls to Tegucigalpa to check on the process and I usually heard one of two different answers: "With all the things that happened with the government, no one is moving forward processing residencies." Or "Yes, we should have your carné in 30 days." So I was left waiting some more. And paying some more.
Each time I had to renew my visa I had to pay for that. Most renewals also included a trip to Tegucigalpa, which meant more money spent for gas, food, etc. I guess I could look at it as contributing to the economy. But the frustration of the waiting was a bit wearying. One time I even had to send my passport to Tegus for the renewal and it was shipped back to me by the FedEx equivalent. Now, THAT was an unsettling three days.
Last month, Sandi got a phone call from Ana Rut at the OIM telling her that we were finally moving forward and I'd have my carné soon. Then, Ana Rut called again and said I needed to meet her at Migraciones to finish up the process. So I did that two days later. I took another photo, was finger printed and paid MORE money. Then I received my provisional carné, which is supposedly as valid as the final one. But there's just something about a folded up piece of paper that doesn't seem quite as real.
According to the lady at Migraciones, I was supposed to come back in 30 days to pick up my actual carné. That's just what I did this week. On Thursday, I left a voice message for Trify asking him if we were going to Tegus on Friday or Monday. He called me back a few minutes later to tell me that he was heading to Tegus right then. So, I quickly got ready and left with him.
As you may have picked up on by now, nothing is ever easy here. Nothing. The reason that Trify was going to Tegus was to drop off a file with someone at the residence of the US Ambassador to Honduras. Finding that neighborhood took quite a while. But we finally made it there. Then we had to turn around and head to the other side of town to go to Migraciones.
Once at Migraciones, I got in line and waited for my turn. The woman took one look at my paper and said my carné wasn't ready. I was insistent. I told her that I had been waiting and was told I could return in 30 days for it. She told me that it wasn't yet 30 days, to which I answered that on Monday it would be 30 days and I was only 4 days early. Somehow that must have made sense to her since she took my paper and headed off to the back room. After a while she came back and told me that my carné was ready but the person who gives them out was not there and I'd have to come back the next day. Seriously? OK, if that's what it takes.
By this time the woman was actually trying to be a bit helpful so she told me that if I made a copy of my provisional carné she would make sure that it was ready for me early Friday morning. I made the copy!
So, Friday morning Trify, Erica, Haniel and I set out for Tegus. The day's objectives were Migraciones, the Congreso (to bring more papers for Adán), and then a little shopping. Before we even made it to Tegucigalpa, Hermes called and said that the brakes on the red truck had gone out. Finding the place that was going to fix them proved a bit more difficult than it should have been, especially since the business had changed names. More driving around. More asking for directions. More being misdirected.
Finally, we found the place. The funny thing is, we had been right across the street from that place just the day before when we ate at Coco Baleadas. If only we had known that the name had changed, we would have driven right there. After dropping off the truck, we had to go to the bank to transfer funds to get it fixed. Tick, tick, tick... It was well after 1:00pm and we had yet to do any of the things on our list.
At that point I thought the best thing to do would be to 'divide and conquer'. And that's what we did. I took a taxi over to Migraciones while the others dealt with the bank. After negotiating the taxi price down to 70 Lempiras, from the 90 that the driver initially wanted, the trip to Migraciones was quick.
Speaking of quick, I was, incredibly, in and out of Migraciones in less than 5 minutes. No kidding!! When I got there, I was the fourth person in line, behind one woman at the counter and two Mormon missionaries -- with a stack of passports to do renewals for. I was thinking that I would have a long wait. Nope. The woman from the day before saw me and waved me over to another window. She handed me a piece of paper and told me to go get a copy of it. As soon as I was back at her window, she handed me the original, stepped into the back room for a moment and returned with my carné. She had me sign the book, showing that I had received it, and then said, "Felicidades." Congratulations!
So, finally, after a year and a half, almost $1000USD paid, many trips and even more phone calls, I have my residency carné. Finally.
Next up? Getting my driver's license, which should be easy now that I'm a resident. Oh, and I'm still waiting for the license plate for my moto. In January, I will have been waiting for a year.
Well, I've always been here legally, but I've spent the last year and a half working on getting my residency status. Of course, the organization we've been working with was very quick to take my money to start the process ($600USD). And then, the wait. And wait. And wait.
Lots of phone calls to Tegucigalpa to check on the process and I usually heard one of two different answers: "With all the things that happened with the government, no one is moving forward processing residencies." Or "Yes, we should have your carné in 30 days." So I was left waiting some more. And paying some more.
Each time I had to renew my visa I had to pay for that. Most renewals also included a trip to Tegucigalpa, which meant more money spent for gas, food, etc. I guess I could look at it as contributing to the economy. But the frustration of the waiting was a bit wearying. One time I even had to send my passport to Tegus for the renewal and it was shipped back to me by the FedEx equivalent. Now, THAT was an unsettling three days.
Last month, Sandi got a phone call from Ana Rut at the OIM telling her that we were finally moving forward and I'd have my carné soon. Then, Ana Rut called again and said I needed to meet her at Migraciones to finish up the process. So I did that two days later. I took another photo, was finger printed and paid MORE money. Then I received my provisional carné, which is supposedly as valid as the final one. But there's just something about a folded up piece of paper that doesn't seem quite as real.
According to the lady at Migraciones, I was supposed to come back in 30 days to pick up my actual carné. That's just what I did this week. On Thursday, I left a voice message for Trify asking him if we were going to Tegus on Friday or Monday. He called me back a few minutes later to tell me that he was heading to Tegus right then. So, I quickly got ready and left with him.
As you may have picked up on by now, nothing is ever easy here. Nothing. The reason that Trify was going to Tegus was to drop off a file with someone at the residence of the US Ambassador to Honduras. Finding that neighborhood took quite a while. But we finally made it there. Then we had to turn around and head to the other side of town to go to Migraciones.
Once at Migraciones, I got in line and waited for my turn. The woman took one look at my paper and said my carné wasn't ready. I was insistent. I told her that I had been waiting and was told I could return in 30 days for it. She told me that it wasn't yet 30 days, to which I answered that on Monday it would be 30 days and I was only 4 days early. Somehow that must have made sense to her since she took my paper and headed off to the back room. After a while she came back and told me that my carné was ready but the person who gives them out was not there and I'd have to come back the next day. Seriously? OK, if that's what it takes.
By this time the woman was actually trying to be a bit helpful so she told me that if I made a copy of my provisional carné she would make sure that it was ready for me early Friday morning. I made the copy!
So, Friday morning Trify, Erica, Haniel and I set out for Tegus. The day's objectives were Migraciones, the Congreso (to bring more papers for Adán), and then a little shopping. Before we even made it to Tegucigalpa, Hermes called and said that the brakes on the red truck had gone out. Finding the place that was going to fix them proved a bit more difficult than it should have been, especially since the business had changed names. More driving around. More asking for directions. More being misdirected.
Finally, we found the place. The funny thing is, we had been right across the street from that place just the day before when we ate at Coco Baleadas. If only we had known that the name had changed, we would have driven right there. After dropping off the truck, we had to go to the bank to transfer funds to get it fixed. Tick, tick, tick... It was well after 1:00pm and we had yet to do any of the things on our list.
At that point I thought the best thing to do would be to 'divide and conquer'. And that's what we did. I took a taxi over to Migraciones while the others dealt with the bank. After negotiating the taxi price down to 70 Lempiras, from the 90 that the driver initially wanted, the trip to Migraciones was quick.
Speaking of quick, I was, incredibly, in and out of Migraciones in less than 5 minutes. No kidding!! When I got there, I was the fourth person in line, behind one woman at the counter and two Mormon missionaries -- with a stack of passports to do renewals for. I was thinking that I would have a long wait. Nope. The woman from the day before saw me and waved me over to another window. She handed me a piece of paper and told me to go get a copy of it. As soon as I was back at her window, she handed me the original, stepped into the back room for a moment and returned with my carné. She had me sign the book, showing that I had received it, and then said, "Felicidades." Congratulations!
So, finally, after a year and a half, almost $1000USD paid, many trips and even more phone calls, I have my residency carné. Finally.
Next up? Getting my driver's license, which should be easy now that I'm a resident. Oh, and I'm still waiting for the license plate for my moto. In January, I will have been waiting for a year.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Like Old Times...
I'm sitting here in the school, waiting on one of about a million Windows updates to install on a computer I just reformatted and reinstalled. Ah, just like being at Sprint again.
So I thought I would use some of my wait time to write, as it's been too long!
Yesterday I went for a bike ride. Sort of. I've known for a while that I've been riding on borrowed time and it seems that yesterday it was time to pay up. What do I mean? Well, my bike here (the GT that I brought from the States) is 11 years old. No problem there. I mean, I've kept it well-maintained. Mostly. Unfortunately, the tires on it are also 11 years old. I knew I would need to replace them soon and have been planning to get new tires when I'm in the States in December.
Anyway, back to the bike ride... Yesterday was gorgeous and I decided to ride up El Volcan, at least to where the pavement ends. I even put my camera in my jersey pocket, planning to take a few pics. Well, I did one lap on the boulevard and on my second lap turned up toward El Volcan. So far, so good, right? I was about 3/4 mile on that road, just next to the cemetery, when I noticed that my back tire felt squishy. I got off the bike and looked, and gave the tire a bit of a squeeze. Yup, going flat. I did a cursory inspection to see if I could find the offending shard of glass that might be the culprit, but didn't spend too much time on it.
Spare tube? Nope.
Patch kit? Nope.
Tire irons? Nope.
Pump. Yeah, I had that but it does no good without the rest.
I quickly decided to turn around and try to coast as far home as possible. I would give a few cranks on the pedals, then stand and put as much weight as possible on the front, hoping to nurse the rear tire for all it was worth. Apparently it wasn't worth much! I made it back to the boulevard before realizing that I needed to get off the bike or risk ruining my rim. Then I ended up walking the rest of the way home. In my cleats. And helmet. Finally, it dawned on me that while it may not seem that strange to see someone walking their bike while wearing a helmet in the US, here, it was totally, completely dorky! So, I took the helmet off.
By the time I got back home, I had registered 5 miles on the computer. 3 1/2 riding and 1 1/2 walking. After my shower, I set about fixing the bike. The rear tire was shot. Thankfully, I had also shipped my original tires for that bike down, so I was able to change out both the tire and tube.
At least I got a decent workout.
So I thought I would use some of my wait time to write, as it's been too long!
Yesterday I went for a bike ride. Sort of. I've known for a while that I've been riding on borrowed time and it seems that yesterday it was time to pay up. What do I mean? Well, my bike here (the GT that I brought from the States) is 11 years old. No problem there. I mean, I've kept it well-maintained. Mostly. Unfortunately, the tires on it are also 11 years old. I knew I would need to replace them soon and have been planning to get new tires when I'm in the States in December.
Anyway, back to the bike ride... Yesterday was gorgeous and I decided to ride up El Volcan, at least to where the pavement ends. I even put my camera in my jersey pocket, planning to take a few pics. Well, I did one lap on the boulevard and on my second lap turned up toward El Volcan. So far, so good, right? I was about 3/4 mile on that road, just next to the cemetery, when I noticed that my back tire felt squishy. I got off the bike and looked, and gave the tire a bit of a squeeze. Yup, going flat. I did a cursory inspection to see if I could find the offending shard of glass that might be the culprit, but didn't spend too much time on it.
Spare tube? Nope.
Patch kit? Nope.
Tire irons? Nope.
Pump. Yeah, I had that but it does no good without the rest.
I quickly decided to turn around and try to coast as far home as possible. I would give a few cranks on the pedals, then stand and put as much weight as possible on the front, hoping to nurse the rear tire for all it was worth. Apparently it wasn't worth much! I made it back to the boulevard before realizing that I needed to get off the bike or risk ruining my rim. Then I ended up walking the rest of the way home. In my cleats. And helmet. Finally, it dawned on me that while it may not seem that strange to see someone walking their bike while wearing a helmet in the US, here, it was totally, completely dorky! So, I took the helmet off.
By the time I got back home, I had registered 5 miles on the computer. 3 1/2 riding and 1 1/2 walking. After my shower, I set about fixing the bike. The rear tire was shot. Thankfully, I had also shipped my original tires for that bike down, so I was able to change out both the tire and tube.
At least I got a decent workout.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Not to be Taken for Granted...
This post was written last night, but as you'll read, I'm just now able to post it...
I just got done sending out my newsletter and updating my Facebook status about it when we had a huge brownout. That happens a lot around here. Thankfully, I have surge suppressors and voltage regulators for most of my electronics. And, thankfully it happened AFTER hitting the ‘send’ button on my email, because a brownout also means a loss of internet. That also means that I won’t actually be making this blog post until sometime tomorrow (Tuesday).
Last Friday I got to help my friend Stephanie move into a new apartment. Her house has been broken into and robbed twice in the past six months. The last time was just a few weeks ago. Her cleaning lady happened to walk in while the robbery was in progress, so she probably kept the thieves from making off with more than they already had. But that was enough for Stephanie; it was time to move.
After I got back from Stephanie’s new house, I started looking at the things that I have here, and grew even more grateful. There are so many things that I have, which make for an easier life, that so many others don’t have. I don’t ever want to take those things for granted.
For instance, I have a washing machine. Stephanie does her laundry by hand, in a pila. That’s really tough work. While seeing Stephanie’s water dispenser, I once again became very thankful that we have our own well and I can drink the water out of any faucet anywhere on our property and not have to worry about getting sick. I’m also thankful that we have a guard 24/7. While that doesn’t guarantee that we will not be broken into, it is a bit of a deterrent.
As I look around me right now, there are lots of things that I don’t have, which I once had in the States. Yet, as I look around me right now, there are lots of things which I do have, which many Hondurans do not have. It causes me to continue to thank God for His many, many blessings in my life. It also causes me to think that it’s time to go clean out another closet or shelf!
I just got done sending out my newsletter and updating my Facebook status about it when we had a huge brownout. That happens a lot around here. Thankfully, I have surge suppressors and voltage regulators for most of my electronics. And, thankfully it happened AFTER hitting the ‘send’ button on my email, because a brownout also means a loss of internet. That also means that I won’t actually be making this blog post until sometime tomorrow (Tuesday).
Last Friday I got to help my friend Stephanie move into a new apartment. Her house has been broken into and robbed twice in the past six months. The last time was just a few weeks ago. Her cleaning lady happened to walk in while the robbery was in progress, so she probably kept the thieves from making off with more than they already had. But that was enough for Stephanie; it was time to move.
After I got back from Stephanie’s new house, I started looking at the things that I have here, and grew even more grateful. There are so many things that I have, which make for an easier life, that so many others don’t have. I don’t ever want to take those things for granted.
For instance, I have a washing machine. Stephanie does her laundry by hand, in a pila. That’s really tough work. While seeing Stephanie’s water dispenser, I once again became very thankful that we have our own well and I can drink the water out of any faucet anywhere on our property and not have to worry about getting sick. I’m also thankful that we have a guard 24/7. While that doesn’t guarantee that we will not be broken into, it is a bit of a deterrent.
As I look around me right now, there are lots of things that I don’t have, which I once had in the States. Yet, as I look around me right now, there are lots of things which I do have, which many Hondurans do not have. It causes me to continue to thank God for His many, many blessings in my life. It also causes me to think that it’s time to go clean out another closet or shelf!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
In the News...
While I was out on the bike yesterday, I started thinking about something I had seen on the news on Sunday. I was flipping through the channels and stopped on one of the Honduran stations. Up until about a month ago, it had been a Guatemalan channel. The news was on so I tried to see if I could understand what was being said. I could.
They were talking about two ladies (they looked like very early 20s) who had been assassinated in Tegucigalpa. Yes, assassinated. One was shot in the face, and the other in the chest. The part of the report that is hard to get used to is the footage that goes along. Video news here does not spare on gore or dead bodies. So, all of the viewing world got to see these two young women lying on the ground. Dead. After a few minutes of watching the report, the next shot of one of the ladies (the one shot in the face) had her body mostly, and mercifully, covered by a sheet. The report kept droning on and on, that the cause was unknown, etc., and after a few minutes, I changed the station. I didn't need to hear, or see, any more.
While riding, I was thinking about that news report, which then got me thinking about another news report. When I was in NJ, I got to share at Chapel service at the school where my friend, Angela, teaches. After the service, Angela told me that I might get to be on the Korean news. I asked, "You mean a regional station that broadcasts in Korean?" "No," she said, "on the news in the nation of Korea."
Ang's school has about 25 or so students from Korea who board at the school. It just happened that on the day I was there, a news team was there doing a story on those students. It was pretty cool to think that maybe, just maybe, some folks in Korea heard a little bit about the ministry here in Honduras. What about it, Cucc? Did you get to see the final footage?
So, I kept riding for a while, deep in thought and my own inner monologue. Then it hit me: My inner monologue was happening in Spanish. Really!! Wow! That is definitely a step in the right direction of language acquisition. Of course, when I realized it, I didn't know the Spanish word for monologue. I took a guess at it, and was mostly correct, although I misplaced the accent. For the curious, the correct word is monólogo. Which means an inner monologue is un monólogo interno.
This morning I needed to go to the bank to make a payment which will get me one step closer to that elusive residency carnet. I had a long (very long) wait in line. I struck up a conversation with the woman in front of me. She was quite friendly and I think we both welcomed the diversion from an otherwise incredibly boring, and did I mention long, wait. 45 minutes. I was amazed that I was able to do so well with my Spanish. We talked a little about my frustration with it, and she told me to just keep doing what I was doing -- talking with others -- and it would come along.
Maybe I am beginning to make real strides in learning Spanish.
They were talking about two ladies (they looked like very early 20s) who had been assassinated in Tegucigalpa. Yes, assassinated. One was shot in the face, and the other in the chest. The part of the report that is hard to get used to is the footage that goes along. Video news here does not spare on gore or dead bodies. So, all of the viewing world got to see these two young women lying on the ground. Dead. After a few minutes of watching the report, the next shot of one of the ladies (the one shot in the face) had her body mostly, and mercifully, covered by a sheet. The report kept droning on and on, that the cause was unknown, etc., and after a few minutes, I changed the station. I didn't need to hear, or see, any more.
While riding, I was thinking about that news report, which then got me thinking about another news report. When I was in NJ, I got to share at Chapel service at the school where my friend, Angela, teaches. After the service, Angela told me that I might get to be on the Korean news. I asked, "You mean a regional station that broadcasts in Korean?" "No," she said, "on the news in the nation of Korea."
Ang's school has about 25 or so students from Korea who board at the school. It just happened that on the day I was there, a news team was there doing a story on those students. It was pretty cool to think that maybe, just maybe, some folks in Korea heard a little bit about the ministry here in Honduras. What about it, Cucc? Did you get to see the final footage?
So, I kept riding for a while, deep in thought and my own inner monologue. Then it hit me: My inner monologue was happening in Spanish. Really!! Wow! That is definitely a step in the right direction of language acquisition. Of course, when I realized it, I didn't know the Spanish word for monologue. I took a guess at it, and was mostly correct, although I misplaced the accent. For the curious, the correct word is monólogo. Which means an inner monologue is un monólogo interno.
This morning I needed to go to the bank to make a payment which will get me one step closer to that elusive residency carnet. I had a long (very long) wait in line. I struck up a conversation with the woman in front of me. She was quite friendly and I think we both welcomed the diversion from an otherwise incredibly boring, and did I mention long, wait. 45 minutes. I was amazed that I was able to do so well with my Spanish. We talked a little about my frustration with it, and she told me to just keep doing what I was doing -- talking with others -- and it would come along.
Maybe I am beginning to make real strides in learning Spanish.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Reunion Trip...
OK, let me just say it: My trip to the States for my high school reunion was incredible! Every part of it! Pretty much from the moment the plane touched down in Newark, until I was back in Honduras, I was busy. In addition to all the festivities of the reunion itself (the party on Friday and all the football related activities on Saturday), there were breakfasts, lunches and dinners with friends, trips to NYC, Montauk Point and the Jersey Shore, and, yes, shopping!
The picture above was taken during the ferry ride into the City. My friend Maureen and I went in one day 'to play'. And play, we did. We visited Chelsea Market, Ground Zero, and Times Square. We had Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity's and I even got to play on the big piano at FAO Schwarz. A great day, indeed.
For me, it was just so good to connect/reconnect with friends from high school. Even though I was in NJ for almost two weeks, the time flew by and there were still so many people that I didn't get to spend much more than a passing 'hello' with. That seems to be a common thought among many of my classmates, so it looks like we're not even going to wait 5 years to have another reunion, but are already planning to have some kind of a shared 50th Birthday Bash in 2012. Ouch! 50?
Another great part of my trip is that it could also be called the NJ Diner Tour, ala Guy Fieri and Triple D. I went to the Tick Tock, Nutley, Versailles, and Lyndhurst Diners during my visit. Even though Nancy and I were at the Lyndhurst Diner for breakfast on a Sunday, I asked about and was brought some of their wonderful homemade pickles. Hmmmm, pickles and eggs. A new taste sensation?
Yes, of course I also got to enjoy so many of the foods that you can only get in the NY/NJ area: Taylor Ham (5 times, but who's counting?), pizza, bagels, Italian bread, and Rippers. In fact, I hit Rut's Hut for a Ripper before I had even made it to Nutley and the wonderful hospitality of Lisa & Mike. I'm thankful for my GPS.
At the risk of closing this post philosophically, one of the things that made the reunion such a success is that it wasn't about cliques, or being cool, or whatever. It was about people. And I was so genuinely grateful to see so many people. All the years just seemed to melt away. Everyone else seemed to feel the same way, too.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Back on the Bike...
...And this time, with a helmet.
Yes, you read that correctly. I wore a helmet on my bike ride this morning. What, you ask, could have prompted such an action? Well, basically it comes down to this: About a week or so before my trip North, I was out on the bike and rode part way up El Volcan. When I turned around to head back to town, I was soon freewheeling at 37.5mph. That's pretty fast on a bike. I just had one of those "D'oh" moments and decided I should wear a helmet here, too, despite how strange it looks.
I mean, in the States, I won't ride a bike without a helmet, but here I have resisted wearing one since I want to try to blend in a little. But let's face it, I'm never going to fully blend in here. I'm a gringa. On a bike. For exercise. In the words of Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny"... "Oh yeah, you blend." Not.
The upside of wearing the helmet is that I rode today relatively uninterrupted. I still had to avoid becoming a hood ornament for cars, taxis, and even a motorcycle. But I only got one "Hey, Baby" and not a single marriage proposal. Wait! Is that an upside?
As much as I missed the feeling of the wind in my hair, I know that I'm much safer wearing the helmet while riding. I guess I'll continue to do it when I go out for exercise. Now, if I'm just headed to the store for something quick, all bets are off.
Yes, you read that correctly. I wore a helmet on my bike ride this morning. What, you ask, could have prompted such an action? Well, basically it comes down to this: About a week or so before my trip North, I was out on the bike and rode part way up El Volcan. When I turned around to head back to town, I was soon freewheeling at 37.5mph. That's pretty fast on a bike. I just had one of those "D'oh" moments and decided I should wear a helmet here, too, despite how strange it looks.
I mean, in the States, I won't ride a bike without a helmet, but here I have resisted wearing one since I want to try to blend in a little. But let's face it, I'm never going to fully blend in here. I'm a gringa. On a bike. For exercise. In the words of Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny"... "Oh yeah, you blend." Not.
The upside of wearing the helmet is that I rode today relatively uninterrupted. I still had to avoid becoming a hood ornament for cars, taxis, and even a motorcycle. But I only got one "Hey, Baby" and not a single marriage proposal. Wait! Is that an upside?
As much as I missed the feeling of the wind in my hair, I know that I'm much safer wearing the helmet while riding. I guess I'll continue to do it when I go out for exercise. Now, if I'm just headed to the store for something quick, all bets are off.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
There's a Wind a Blowin'...
The past few days here have been fairly breezy and quite a bit cooler than it should be this time of year. And by cooler, I mean that it was in the low 70s. Many people were commenting that it was December weather.
In fact, it's been so windy that on Sunday I got out a kite and Samuel, Jonathan and I went to the vacant lot next door to try to fly it. We were only marginally successful. My kite was lacking a tail, and then some of the material that holds the crossbars started to tear. Even in the short time we were out there, we had fun. I'm going to see what kites I can find while I'm in the States.
Another thing that happens when it gets cool like this is that the coats, hats and scarves come out. On Sunday night, Sandi, Brenda and I went to the grocery store. As we were leaving, I saw a little niño completely bundled up: thick, heavy flannel jacket, ski cap and scarf.
Then on Monday morning, many of the teachers and staff showed up similarly dressed. It's all a matter of perspective, of what we're used to. While I haven't put on a sweater yet, I am wearing long pants today. But I'm still in flip flops. I've turned off most of the ceiling fans in my house today. Last night I was still sleeping with only a sheet, my ceiling fan and the floor fan. Tonight I will probably turn the floor fan off.
And speaking of tropical depressions (we were talking about them, right?), Tropical Depression Sixteen (such a sexy name) has formed and is heading toward Cuba and later, Florida. Yes, just in time for my trip tomorrow, TD16 may hit Miami as my plane is trying to land. Of course, that also means that IF I land in Miami, my plane for Newark may not be able to leave. Hmmm, I seem to remember this movie. I think I lived it in August 2006 when I was coming here to Honduras for 5 1/2 months. The Miami airport was shut down and I had to spend an unexpected night (and pay unbudgeted dollars) in a nearby hotel. I'm hoping that TD16 is not a remake of that film.
Well, hopefully, my next post will happen while I'm in NJ...
In fact, it's been so windy that on Sunday I got out a kite and Samuel, Jonathan and I went to the vacant lot next door to try to fly it. We were only marginally successful. My kite was lacking a tail, and then some of the material that holds the crossbars started to tear. Even in the short time we were out there, we had fun. I'm going to see what kites I can find while I'm in the States.
Another thing that happens when it gets cool like this is that the coats, hats and scarves come out. On Sunday night, Sandi, Brenda and I went to the grocery store. As we were leaving, I saw a little niño completely bundled up: thick, heavy flannel jacket, ski cap and scarf.
Then on Monday morning, many of the teachers and staff showed up similarly dressed. It's all a matter of perspective, of what we're used to. While I haven't put on a sweater yet, I am wearing long pants today. But I'm still in flip flops. I've turned off most of the ceiling fans in my house today. Last night I was still sleeping with only a sheet, my ceiling fan and the floor fan. Tonight I will probably turn the floor fan off.
And speaking of tropical depressions (we were talking about them, right?), Tropical Depression Sixteen (such a sexy name) has formed and is heading toward Cuba and later, Florida. Yes, just in time for my trip tomorrow, TD16 may hit Miami as my plane is trying to land. Of course, that also means that IF I land in Miami, my plane for Newark may not be able to leave. Hmmm, I seem to remember this movie. I think I lived it in August 2006 when I was coming here to Honduras for 5 1/2 months. The Miami airport was shut down and I had to spend an unexpected night (and pay unbudgeted dollars) in a nearby hotel. I'm hoping that TD16 is not a remake of that film.
Well, hopefully, my next post will happen while I'm in NJ...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Bits From the Bike...
In the past week, I've been out on my bike 5 times. In fact, I was hoping to get out there again this morning, but when I woke up, it was raining. Yes, I know. There have been many times I've ridden in the rain. But those were usually when I had no option: Want to get to the day's overnight camp? Ride your bike. Today, I had a choice and I chose not to ride.
However, let me try to regale you with some of my encounters and observations from the past week:
There's a kiddie carnival set up in a vacant lot right now. One morning there was a huge, and I mean HUGE, vulture sitting at the very top of the ferris wheel. Menacingly. Did I mention that it was huge? But it was gone on my next lap around the boulevard. Oh, well. Maybe it wasn't that big after all.
A gringa on a bike, riding loops on the boulevard, for exercise is still an oddity. People will stare. I usually meet their stares with a wave or a "Buenos días."
After this week, I think I know which are the best street vendors from which to eat. The ones with the most taxis stopped and the most taxistas eating. Of course, best does not always translate to safest.
I lost count of how many times this week I almost became a hood ornament for a taxi. I am giving serious consideration to getting a bell for the bike. And a helmet for my head. Glenda, did you just read that?
Friday morning must be Ladies' Day at the gym. I saw dozens of ladies coming and going, out running and speed walking. No other day has had as many ladies out there.
There is at least one other person in Comayagua who uses clipless pedals. I saw HER on Friday as she was leaving the gym. She was on her bike, clipping in as I passed, so I slowed down and waited for her to catch up. Then I told her that she is the only other person, besides me, that I've seen using clipless pedals. Unfortunately, I don't know the Spanish word for 'clipless' so I Spanglicized it to 'cleepless'.
If there are two people riding on one bike, the person on the seat pedals and the one on the top tube steers. Always. Unless there are small children involved.
So there you have it, my experiences on the bike this past week. I have no idea what the coming week will bring, in terms of new cycling adventures, but I'm planning to find out.
However, let me try to regale you with some of my encounters and observations from the past week:
There's a kiddie carnival set up in a vacant lot right now. One morning there was a huge, and I mean HUGE, vulture sitting at the very top of the ferris wheel. Menacingly. Did I mention that it was huge? But it was gone on my next lap around the boulevard. Oh, well. Maybe it wasn't that big after all.
A gringa on a bike, riding loops on the boulevard, for exercise is still an oddity. People will stare. I usually meet their stares with a wave or a "Buenos días."
After this week, I think I know which are the best street vendors from which to eat. The ones with the most taxis stopped and the most taxistas eating. Of course, best does not always translate to safest.
I lost count of how many times this week I almost became a hood ornament for a taxi. I am giving serious consideration to getting a bell for the bike. And a helmet for my head. Glenda, did you just read that?
Friday morning must be Ladies' Day at the gym. I saw dozens of ladies coming and going, out running and speed walking. No other day has had as many ladies out there.
There is at least one other person in Comayagua who uses clipless pedals. I saw HER on Friday as she was leaving the gym. She was on her bike, clipping in as I passed, so I slowed down and waited for her to catch up. Then I told her that she is the only other person, besides me, that I've seen using clipless pedals. Unfortunately, I don't know the Spanish word for 'clipless' so I Spanglicized it to 'cleepless'.
If there are two people riding on one bike, the person on the seat pedals and the one on the top tube steers. Always. Unless there are small children involved.
So there you have it, my experiences on the bike this past week. I have no idea what the coming week will bring, in terms of new cycling adventures, but I'm planning to find out.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Brevity of Life...
Our days are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone -- as though we had never been here. ~~ Psalm 103:15-16
Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy.
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind. ~~ Kansas
10 years old and his life has been snuffed out. I'm sure that when he woke up yesterday morning he had no idea it would be his last. Yet, it was. Gone before lunch.
The little guy died about 25 yards from our front gate, hit by a truck. Thankfully, his death was fairly instant. He used to come to the Center some years ago, as one of our "street kids" -- the poorest of the poor. He didn't attend school because his father wanted him to work to help support the family.
When I saw him yesterday, less than 10 minutes after it happened, there was already a crowd of 40 or 50 people gathered around him, staring. Gawking. Traffic on the Central American highway had come to a crawl in both directions. Both his mother and his father had already arrived and the mother was alternating between sobbing and wailing uncontrollably, and blaming the father with words of "This is all your fault. YOU made him work."
I stood there feeling helpless. I wanted to go up and just hug the mother, but a female police officer was already doing that. Then the mom would break away and pummel the father, and go back to the arms of the police officer. I could pray, and I did. I asked God to comfort the parents. I asked Him to somehow turn this into something good, for His Name's sake.
It's a scene that's all too common here, but for me, this was the first time I've witnessed it literally on our doorstep.
Sandi had, mercifully, run to our warehouse and grabbed a sheet to cover his small body. She told me that if she hadn't done this, he would have been lying there in the street, uncovered, for hours until the forensic police arrived and said the body could be removed.
When the father bent down to remove the sheet and look at him once again, the crowds pressed in closer for another glimpse. The mood grew very tense, as the mother did not want this to happen. I actually took a few steps back, sensing that it would only take the wrong thing to be said and then things could actually get violent. As the crowd drew back, satisfied in once more seeing this little guy lying there dead, being part of what's going on, having more to discuss with others later in the day, I saw his tiny arm and hand laying on the ground. It almost looked as if he were sleeping, but I knew differently. The blood all around him was bright red, and already thick from the hot sun.
With a few others, I turned around to go back through our gate. And I prayed.
Most of last night I thought about the brevity of life. How short it is. I wondered about this little guy and if He knew the Lord. I thought about how important it is to make the most out of every day because none of us know if it will be our last.
And I prayed: Lord, let my life count. Not for me, but for You and Your Kingdom.
But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children's children.
Praise the Lord, everything He has created, everything in all His kingdom... Let all that I am praise the Lord. ~~ Psalm 103:17, 22
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Running Around in Tegucigalpa...
Sandi and I left Comayagua around 7:30am to head into Tegucigalpa. We had several places to go to and knew that with all the construction on the highway and with the main bridge into town being down (literally), we'd have to be quick at each place in order to get everything done.
You guessed it: we didn't get everything done.
Our first stop was Migraciones, where I was seeking a 30-day renewal of my visa and Sandi needed to renew her carnet. We both got our initial paperwork started, then got in line for the bank so that we could pay our respective fees. Interestingly, my fee for a 30-day visa renewal was the same as Sandi's one-year renewal of her carnet. Well, we stood in the bank line for almost an hour. Right before we had arrived at Migraciones, so had 5 or so Mormon missionaries, to get some of their paperwork done. Unfortunately, they got in the bank line about 4 people in front of us. Once at the window, the main Mormon missionary pulled out a stack of at least 20 - 25 passports and papers to pay for. You have got to be kidding me!!
After standing in line for way longer than either of us wanted to, Sandi and I were both finally able to pay our fees and get back in our respective lines. At my window for the visa renewal, things were going quite well, much faster than usual. The woman at the window made all the appropriate stamps in my passport and told me to take a seat and she'd have the boss sign my passport.
Sandi wasn't quite as fortunate. She was told that she'd need more paperwork from her bank. "But this is the same thing I've been bringing for years." "Yes, I know. But the laws have changed and now you need to bring different papers."
A few minutes later I was called back up to the window. "The boss just left for lunch and can't sign your passport yet. You may wait or come back later this afternoon." "When will the boss be back?" "Around 1:00pm." It was 11:15. We decided to leave and try to run more errands in the interim.
We made it in and out of PriceSmart in record time. I got my permanent membership card and Sandi picked up just a few things for the school. The only thing that I bought was a slice of pizza and a Diet Coke. It wasn't quite as good as the pizza at Costco. Plus, Glenda wasn't there to enjoy a slice with. :-)
Back at Migraciones, I got my signed passport and we were back on the road. Hopefully, that was the last time I will need to renew my visa. We have been assured that the government is going to start approving residency carnets within the month. Since I'll be in the States at the end of September, I'll get a fresh 90-day visa when I return. THAT should be plenty long enough for me to get my carnet.
From Migraciones we made our way over to the School of Tomorrow offices to pick up some PACEs for the school. There were only 4 boxes of them and we thought we'd be in and out pretty quickly. Nope. Our wait for the materials to be brought to us seemed very long. Very. Then, when it was time to start checking all the materials against the order list, the woman helping us was slower than slow. Sandi and I kind of took over that process as tactfully as we could. We wrapped the boxes of books into a tarp in the probably case of rain, and tried to get out of Teguc as quickly as possible.
We wanted to avoid the workers' demonstration that was happening. It could have been teachers, doctors, nurses, we're not sure, but we didn't want to get caught up in the middle of it. We were successful in that.
Since the main bridge into town collapsed about a month ago, the 'usual' detour takes you in a very long and round about way into town. Sandi knew of another way in and tried it out two weeks ago when picking up some people at the airport. That's the way we went. It made things much faster. Next time I go into Tegucigalpa, I want to take my camera and get some pictures. There are some scenes of the beauty of the mountains contrasted with the poverty of some of the barrios on that particular route that are etched into my mind.
We never did make it to Imapro to get medals and trophies that are needed. Sandi has to go back to Migraciones again ~ with different bank papers ~ to renew her carnet. But we made it back to Comayagua without incident.
You guessed it: we didn't get everything done.
Our first stop was Migraciones, where I was seeking a 30-day renewal of my visa and Sandi needed to renew her carnet. We both got our initial paperwork started, then got in line for the bank so that we could pay our respective fees. Interestingly, my fee for a 30-day visa renewal was the same as Sandi's one-year renewal of her carnet. Well, we stood in the bank line for almost an hour. Right before we had arrived at Migraciones, so had 5 or so Mormon missionaries, to get some of their paperwork done. Unfortunately, they got in the bank line about 4 people in front of us. Once at the window, the main Mormon missionary pulled out a stack of at least 20 - 25 passports and papers to pay for. You have got to be kidding me!!
After standing in line for way longer than either of us wanted to, Sandi and I were both finally able to pay our fees and get back in our respective lines. At my window for the visa renewal, things were going quite well, much faster than usual. The woman at the window made all the appropriate stamps in my passport and told me to take a seat and she'd have the boss sign my passport.
Sandi wasn't quite as fortunate. She was told that she'd need more paperwork from her bank. "But this is the same thing I've been bringing for years." "Yes, I know. But the laws have changed and now you need to bring different papers."
A few minutes later I was called back up to the window. "The boss just left for lunch and can't sign your passport yet. You may wait or come back later this afternoon." "When will the boss be back?" "Around 1:00pm." It was 11:15. We decided to leave and try to run more errands in the interim.
We made it in and out of PriceSmart in record time. I got my permanent membership card and Sandi picked up just a few things for the school. The only thing that I bought was a slice of pizza and a Diet Coke. It wasn't quite as good as the pizza at Costco. Plus, Glenda wasn't there to enjoy a slice with. :-)
Back at Migraciones, I got my signed passport and we were back on the road. Hopefully, that was the last time I will need to renew my visa. We have been assured that the government is going to start approving residency carnets within the month. Since I'll be in the States at the end of September, I'll get a fresh 90-day visa when I return. THAT should be plenty long enough for me to get my carnet.
From Migraciones we made our way over to the School of Tomorrow offices to pick up some PACEs for the school. There were only 4 boxes of them and we thought we'd be in and out pretty quickly. Nope. Our wait for the materials to be brought to us seemed very long. Very. Then, when it was time to start checking all the materials against the order list, the woman helping us was slower than slow. Sandi and I kind of took over that process as tactfully as we could. We wrapped the boxes of books into a tarp in the probably case of rain, and tried to get out of Teguc as quickly as possible.
We wanted to avoid the workers' demonstration that was happening. It could have been teachers, doctors, nurses, we're not sure, but we didn't want to get caught up in the middle of it. We were successful in that.
Since the main bridge into town collapsed about a month ago, the 'usual' detour takes you in a very long and round about way into town. Sandi knew of another way in and tried it out two weeks ago when picking up some people at the airport. That's the way we went. It made things much faster. Next time I go into Tegucigalpa, I want to take my camera and get some pictures. There are some scenes of the beauty of the mountains contrasted with the poverty of some of the barrios on that particular route that are etched into my mind.
We never did make it to Imapro to get medals and trophies that are needed. Sandi has to go back to Migraciones again ~ with different bank papers ~ to renew her carnet. But we made it back to Comayagua without incident.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The View from the Bike...
Finally, I made it out for another bike ride. Once again, it’s been too long since I’ve been out on my bike. The boulevard is much less crowded on Sunday afternoons than it is on weekday mornings around 7:00. In fact, for quite a while today, there were more taxis than anything else out there.
That doesn’t mean that there was nothing to see, or no obstacles to avoid. It even seemed like some of the taxis were passing me a bit closer than normal. I’m sure it has something to do with the sight of a gringa on a bike, who is obviously out there for exercise and enjoyment, not just to get from one place to another. I’m also sure that the riding shorts, sleeveless jersey and mirror attached to my sunglasses make me just a bit more conspicuous. Target practice, perhaps?
At any rate, it certainly felt good to be riding. I did five laps on the boulevard and took a short side trip up toward El Volcan. I only got about one mile out on that road before turning around and heading back, though. I’m sure the young bull that was right in front of me, mooing, thought that he made me turn around. I think I sensed a little self-impressed twinkle in his eye as I turned. But, no, the real reason I decided to head back for home was because of the storm coming down the mountain. The thunder had a bit of a detrimental effect on my desire to keep riding. So, turn around I did, letting the bull think that it was all because of him.
Once back on the boulevard I finished my current lap and wondered if I could make it one more lap before the rain hit. Well, I decided that the temperature was dropping a bit too quickly and the clouds were getting darker and more ominous by the minute, so safety should probably rule the day. I made it back to the house just a few minutes before the rain started. Looks like I made the right decision. 13 miles. Not too bad, but not terribly good, either.
While out there today, I did see something new. I was headed up the boulevard and coming down on the other side was a man on a horse. That part is nothing new. But the man had a rope in his hand and was leading a small donkey with a young boy on it. OK, that’s not new, either. The new part is the young colt that was running along with them. Kind of. The colt had no halter or lead and was running in the median. And in the road. Then back to the median. It really did look like it was enjoying itself. But it made me nervous to wonder if it was going to bolt out into the road just as a car was passing. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, as evidenced by no colt in the road on my return trip.
That doesn’t mean that there was nothing to see, or no obstacles to avoid. It even seemed like some of the taxis were passing me a bit closer than normal. I’m sure it has something to do with the sight of a gringa on a bike, who is obviously out there for exercise and enjoyment, not just to get from one place to another. I’m also sure that the riding shorts, sleeveless jersey and mirror attached to my sunglasses make me just a bit more conspicuous. Target practice, perhaps?
At any rate, it certainly felt good to be riding. I did five laps on the boulevard and took a short side trip up toward El Volcan. I only got about one mile out on that road before turning around and heading back, though. I’m sure the young bull that was right in front of me, mooing, thought that he made me turn around. I think I sensed a little self-impressed twinkle in his eye as I turned. But, no, the real reason I decided to head back for home was because of the storm coming down the mountain. The thunder had a bit of a detrimental effect on my desire to keep riding. So, turn around I did, letting the bull think that it was all because of him.
Once back on the boulevard I finished my current lap and wondered if I could make it one more lap before the rain hit. Well, I decided that the temperature was dropping a bit too quickly and the clouds were getting darker and more ominous by the minute, so safety should probably rule the day. I made it back to the house just a few minutes before the rain started. Looks like I made the right decision. 13 miles. Not too bad, but not terribly good, either.
While out there today, I did see something new. I was headed up the boulevard and coming down on the other side was a man on a horse. That part is nothing new. But the man had a rope in his hand and was leading a small donkey with a young boy on it. OK, that’s not new, either. The new part is the young colt that was running along with them. Kind of. The colt had no halter or lead and was running in the median. And in the road. Then back to the median. It really did look like it was enjoying itself. But it made me nervous to wonder if it was going to bolt out into the road just as a car was passing. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, as evidenced by no colt in the road on my return trip.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Home Again...
On Thursday morning, we loaded up the bus with the team of 12 from Michigan, plus 9 of us (6 adults, 3 kids) from the team here. The goal was simple: get the team from Michigan to the airport and through security, then get ourselves to Villa Nuria for a few days to relax, debrief, pray, play and prepare to move forward. Mission accomplished on all fronts!
After we got settled into our rooms, Sandi and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things we needed. In addition to having two bedrooms, the rooms at Villa Nuria include a little kitchenette, so we were cooking there in order to not spend money eating out. We went to La Antorcha supermarket and let me tell you, that place is a haven for sensory overload. I mean, not only did they have 3 or 4 different brands of canned garbanzo beans (think: hummus), but they had three different sizes of cans, including #10 (the food service size). We didn't buy any garbanzo beans, but that's not the point. We could have.
Back at Villa Nuria, I was going to take a little nap, but got involved in the last half of a movie on TV. Then, I set up a small network for Trify, Erica and me to share the single internet connection. There's no wireless there yet. I also brought an extra switch and some cables so that we could set up a network in Sandi, Currie and Hermes' room. Yes, we all brought our laptops. There's always work to do: emails to catch up, calendars to coordinate, etc.
On Friday, we all spent time at the pool at some point in the day. Then, after a late lunch/early dinner, the 6 adults prayed together and talked about some things for the coming weeks.
Saturday morning included a leisurely breakfast, included in the room price, a little more time at the pool for those who were interested, and then packing up the bus again for the trip back to Comayagua.
As we were leaving San Pedro Sula, we saw the effects of recent rains. The rainy season has started early and flooding is already happening in several areas.
What you can't really see in this photo is that people are swimming back over to the houses to try to retrieve anything they can. A block away, we saw a bunch of men sitting around like nothing was happening. After all, this is just life in Honduras and flooding happens. I guess after a while, the people are unfazed by it. Maybe 'unfazed' is not the right word. Perhaps 'resigned' would be more accurate.
When we got to Lago de Yojoa, we stopped for a meal. Most of us decided on fish since we were at the lake. Here's a pic of last night's dinner, partially consumed before I thought to take a picture.
After we got settled into our rooms, Sandi and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things we needed. In addition to having two bedrooms, the rooms at Villa Nuria include a little kitchenette, so we were cooking there in order to not spend money eating out. We went to La Antorcha supermarket and let me tell you, that place is a haven for sensory overload. I mean, not only did they have 3 or 4 different brands of canned garbanzo beans (think: hummus), but they had three different sizes of cans, including #10 (the food service size). We didn't buy any garbanzo beans, but that's not the point. We could have.
Back at Villa Nuria, I was going to take a little nap, but got involved in the last half of a movie on TV. Then, I set up a small network for Trify, Erica and me to share the single internet connection. There's no wireless there yet. I also brought an extra switch and some cables so that we could set up a network in Sandi, Currie and Hermes' room. Yes, we all brought our laptops. There's always work to do: emails to catch up, calendars to coordinate, etc.
On Friday, we all spent time at the pool at some point in the day. Then, after a late lunch/early dinner, the 6 adults prayed together and talked about some things for the coming weeks.
Saturday morning included a leisurely breakfast, included in the room price, a little more time at the pool for those who were interested, and then packing up the bus again for the trip back to Comayagua.
As we were leaving San Pedro Sula, we saw the effects of recent rains. The rainy season has started early and flooding is already happening in several areas.
What you can't really see in this photo is that people are swimming back over to the houses to try to retrieve anything they can. A block away, we saw a bunch of men sitting around like nothing was happening. After all, this is just life in Honduras and flooding happens. I guess after a while, the people are unfazed by it. Maybe 'unfazed' is not the right word. Perhaps 'resigned' would be more accurate.
When we got to Lago de Yojoa, we stopped for a meal. Most of us decided on fish since we were at the lake. Here's a pic of last night's dinner, partially consumed before I thought to take a picture.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
No Power Failures...
It's hard to believe that it's been over a week since we've had a power failure. ¡Increíble! And, although I'm not superstitious, I'm sure that the fact that I've just put it out there means we will have a power failure. Soon. At least if we do, the team visiting us from Michigan will get a little bit more of the "missions experience".
We have a group of 12 people from the Detroit, MI area with us right now. They've been here for about a week and a half and have a few more days to go. They've been giving special classes in the school (martial arts and crocheting), leading the Chapel services at school, helping with work projects around the property, and have visited the local hospital and an orphanage.
Today they are in Ajuterique, building a new kitchen for the school there. Money was very generously donated by some new friends of the ministry, to build a new outdoor kitchen, where the lunch for the school kids is cooked. The objective of the Michigan team is to build the kitchen. Today. With guidance from several of our guys, Trify is confident that at the end of the day, the kitchen should be finished, or almost finished.
Here are a few pics of what the kitchen looks like now...
What I apparently did not get pictures of is the roof over the kitchen. It's made of wooden posts, courtesy of nearby trees, and plastic -- some of it tarps and some of it trash bags. Much of it full of holes.
Hopefully the team will bring back a few "after" pics so I can post those, as well. Otherwise, I'll be able to get some in September when we are out there for Día del Niño (Day of the Child). It would be cool to be out there today and be able to say, "Move that bus", or something like it.
We have a group of 12 people from the Detroit, MI area with us right now. They've been here for about a week and a half and have a few more days to go. They've been giving special classes in the school (martial arts and crocheting), leading the Chapel services at school, helping with work projects around the property, and have visited the local hospital and an orphanage.
Today they are in Ajuterique, building a new kitchen for the school there. Money was very generously donated by some new friends of the ministry, to build a new outdoor kitchen, where the lunch for the school kids is cooked. The objective of the Michigan team is to build the kitchen. Today. With guidance from several of our guys, Trify is confident that at the end of the day, the kitchen should be finished, or almost finished.
Here are a few pics of what the kitchen looks like now...
What I apparently did not get pictures of is the roof over the kitchen. It's made of wooden posts, courtesy of nearby trees, and plastic -- some of it tarps and some of it trash bags. Much of it full of holes.
Hopefully the team will bring back a few "after" pics so I can post those, as well. Otherwise, I'll be able to get some in September when we are out there for Día del Niño (Day of the Child). It would be cool to be out there today and be able to say, "Move that bus", or something like it.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Here's to New Beginnings...
Well, it has been entirely too long since I've posted. Rather than beg your forgiveness and give promises to never let so long of a lapse happen again, I'll just write. It's what I love to do!
Over the last few months, since my last post, I would often see things and think, "That would make a great blog post." Then I would be riddled with guilt that it's been so long since I've written, that I wouldn't even know where to start. So, I'll just write. There. I've said it twice now in two paragraphs.
About three weeks ago, I started teaching an adult English class to members of our team here. Now, lest you think that I'm teaching bad words to adults, let me clarify: I am teaching a beginning English class to adult members of our team. The response was so overwhelming that I divided the class into two groups of 6 each. These are members of our staff who speak no English. Sure, they may know a few words here and there, but that's about it. Wow! They are doing fantastic! Each one of them is so motivated to learn English. They know it's a skill that can help them advance in life. And they're very concerned about proper pronunciation.
A side benefit to teaching the English class seems to be that my Spanish is improving. I have to do a bit of explaining in Spanish, so I'm constantly looking up words and checking for proper usage of verbs. I also have a classroom full of folks who are as eager to help me with my Spanish as they are eager to learn English. To quote Dances with Wolves, "Good trade."
This first round of classes is only being offered to our staff. There are even a few people that were not able to sign up now and will take the class at a future time. We also see the opportunity to expand the circle to whom it is offered: spouses of team members, parents of school children, and, eventually, to those in the community. The desire to learn English runs deep here. Many people know it's a way to improve their lot in life, to get better jobs, and thus, to help break the cycle of poverty. More than just teaching them English, we're excited to be able to teach people more about God and His love for each of us. Teaching English just happens to be one vehicle we can use.
Well, I'd best end this post here. We have a group of 12 people coming from Michigan for a missions trip. They'll be here for almost two weeks. We still have a lot of little things to do around here to get ready for their arrival in a few hours.
Until next time...
Over the last few months, since my last post, I would often see things and think, "That would make a great blog post." Then I would be riddled with guilt that it's been so long since I've written, that I wouldn't even know where to start. So, I'll just write. There. I've said it twice now in two paragraphs.
About three weeks ago, I started teaching an adult English class to members of our team here. Now, lest you think that I'm teaching bad words to adults, let me clarify: I am teaching a beginning English class to adult members of our team. The response was so overwhelming that I divided the class into two groups of 6 each. These are members of our staff who speak no English. Sure, they may know a few words here and there, but that's about it. Wow! They are doing fantastic! Each one of them is so motivated to learn English. They know it's a skill that can help them advance in life. And they're very concerned about proper pronunciation.
A side benefit to teaching the English class seems to be that my Spanish is improving. I have to do a bit of explaining in Spanish, so I'm constantly looking up words and checking for proper usage of verbs. I also have a classroom full of folks who are as eager to help me with my Spanish as they are eager to learn English. To quote Dances with Wolves, "Good trade."
This first round of classes is only being offered to our staff. There are even a few people that were not able to sign up now and will take the class at a future time. We also see the opportunity to expand the circle to whom it is offered: spouses of team members, parents of school children, and, eventually, to those in the community. The desire to learn English runs deep here. Many people know it's a way to improve their lot in life, to get better jobs, and thus, to help break the cycle of poverty. More than just teaching them English, we're excited to be able to teach people more about God and His love for each of us. Teaching English just happens to be one vehicle we can use.
Well, I'd best end this post here. We have a group of 12 people coming from Michigan for a missions trip. They'll be here for almost two weeks. We still have a lot of little things to do around here to get ready for their arrival in a few hours.
Until next time...
Sunday, May 2, 2010
I'm Back...
Yes, I'm back in the United States. I arrived in Kansas City late on Wednesday. I think it was well after midnight: before I went to bed, and yet I woke up at 6:20am the next morning. That would have been 5:20am Honduran time, which is pretty much when I get up, so my internal clock was still working.
Later on Thursday morning, I drove back to Lawrence for a 'restoration'. If you have to ask, you don't know and I'm not about to tell you. The interesting thing is that as I was driving from Lawrence to Olathe, in my own car, it felt totally normal. I was prepared for all kinds of reverse culture shock or sensory overload situations, but so far I've had none. In fact, while I was driving, it was almost as if my car was on auto pilot. I mean, the car has made that trip literally thousands of times in my daily commute between Lawrence and Kansas City. Even driving around in Lawrence has not felt strange. Sure, there are new businesses and other businesses that have gone belly up, but I haven't felt out of place. I'm thankful for that.
It has been absolutely fantastic to see so many friends so far. Reconnecting is fun! Last night, several friends hosted a welcome home party for me. I had a wonderful time. Such a diverse group of people showed up and it truly made me feel welcome!
Tomorrow, Monday, I'm having lunch with two friends from college. Jon was, literally, the very first friend I made in Lawrence when we both moved into Hashinger Hall about a million years ago. And, I met Susan the same day. So, the three of us will have lunch and probably laugh hysterically until we're asked to either keep it down or leave the restaurant.
Later on Thursday morning, I drove back to Lawrence for a 'restoration'. If you have to ask, you don't know and I'm not about to tell you. The interesting thing is that as I was driving from Lawrence to Olathe, in my own car, it felt totally normal. I was prepared for all kinds of reverse culture shock or sensory overload situations, but so far I've had none. In fact, while I was driving, it was almost as if my car was on auto pilot. I mean, the car has made that trip literally thousands of times in my daily commute between Lawrence and Kansas City. Even driving around in Lawrence has not felt strange. Sure, there are new businesses and other businesses that have gone belly up, but I haven't felt out of place. I'm thankful for that.
It has been absolutely fantastic to see so many friends so far. Reconnecting is fun! Last night, several friends hosted a welcome home party for me. I had a wonderful time. Such a diverse group of people showed up and it truly made me feel welcome!
Tomorrow, Monday, I'm having lunch with two friends from college. Jon was, literally, the very first friend I made in Lawrence when we both moved into Hashinger Hall about a million years ago. And, I met Susan the same day. So, the three of us will have lunch and probably laugh hysterically until we're asked to either keep it down or leave the restaurant.
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