Host Family Cuties :-)

I just love his soft cheeks and pudgy little belly- ha!

Gaby, and Lizzy want for Georgia, Lilac, Abel, and Leyton to come play with their sombreros!!

Alejandro chillin in his hammock...

OOOOO- EVENTFUL DAY AT SAN JERONIMO!

This was the last day of summer camp.  The summer camp staff is returning home this weekend, so we can move into our permanent housing.  Although we have been in training at the school and not directly involved with the summer camp program, we have still been able to experience some of the camp excitement:

-Our final small group Spanish class!  Glenda brought us some great nachos and Pepsi.  We discovered our secret pals- haha!  We also played some good ole mountain music for Glenda... "Big Rock Candy Mountain..."  Sean played guitar.  Greg played his water bottle.  Colleen and I sang.  Trying to upload video, but doesn't seem to be working.  It was hilarious, great fun :-)

-I walk into the main office to a child screaming- "MY FOOT HUUUURTS!"  I look down to find a stream of blood dripping from the bottom of his shoe.  The office lady is trying to pull his shoe off to find a dripping red sponge of a sock.  The counselor is holding the boy's handing trying to calm him down, while I run to get one of our trainers.  I come back to find a pool of blood on the floor, the office lady trying to stop the blood with toilet paper, no gloves.  I assumed my position in the doorway, with a rather queazy stomach, shewing away curious children.  The boy had stepped on a nice big rusty nail.  His father came to get him.  We have no clinic, no nurse, and a very lacking regard for safety.  

-Montuka Sound System (band) came to play for the students with perfect summer camp attendance.  Singing, dancing, the kids loved it and we did, too!  VERY EXCITING- The drummer said he can get me a banjo, as long as I promise to play for the kids in his music program!!!!!!!  Keep your fingers crossed :-)  3 of our volunteers play the guitar and one of our Honduran friends plays drums.  We're gonna have some fuuuun!!

-We were in the middle of training.  I had just presented to the staff on the counselor's role (school-wide Pre-K through 9th for me), resources, emergency procedures, handling uncomfy situations, and positive communication strategies.  My teammates, then presented on the resource role (upper grades 6-9 for me)... WHEN A HUGE STORM CAME OUT OF NOWHERE and flat out ended the presentation altogether!  Arrrrrg, wish you could see these videos!  We were getting soaked through the windows in the classroom, river running through the grass below, trees blowing, posters flying, rain turning to hail, and nothing for us to do, but stand on the balcony and watch!  We couldn't hear anything else with all this coming down on the tin roof- haahhahhah!  COOOOOOOL :-)))  Needless to say, it was a muddy walk home.

More photos from my host house...

For my medical family and just one representation of how privileged we are.  There are millions of reminders each day.  My host Dad is wheel chair bound.  How different his daily life would be in the states...

My shower...  The bathroom has no door, or curtain, either.  No hot water.  Lower faucet is the only one that functions.  It is about thigh high.  We bathe with buckets.  Trying to understand why I still duck the first bucket, as I know the cold is coming from my own hand!  The second bucket is tolerable after the heat from the day.  You're good from there...  Remember- shower shoes are a must and toilet paper goes in the trash can!

Clothes lines... hammocks... daily eating and gathering take place out front on this deck.  The first set of smiling faces always greet me here, after the walk home from work and internet!

Washer- yes, by hand.

Random highlights of the day:

-Tiny ducklings running across the dining room during breakfast!

-Caught in another pack of cows on the way to the school this morning.  Just join them!  Determined to show you a picture of this occurrence soooooon!

-Christian, one of my host brothers, and I are swapping music.  He is making me Honduran CDs and I am making him CDs of who knows what!  Pretty excited!  They are expecting a banjo concert in January!

Some highlights...

-My roommate, Bianca, comes into our room.  I am minding my own business.  She takes one look at the wall and says, "Do you see that?!"  (Bugs)  "Oh my GOD!  There are a MILLION of them!"  (Close to!)  "WHAT IS T H A T?!"  (Gigantic moth... we THINK!)  I was laughing so hard, I couldn't breathe by the end of her monologue!  We live with dogs, roaches, geckos, ants, moths, and God himself only knows what else!  Oh, and this morning, we got caught in the middle of a pack of cows.  I can't be sure how exactly these things happen.  Looked like we'd be waiting this one out.  Nothing else to do, but reach over and pet their sweet little heads :-)

-Our afternoon training is now in Spanish, since the Honduran teachers have now joined us!  After 4 hours of continuous professional training in Spanish, heat, lunch, bugs, and paint fumes... WE ARE DONE!  I had my first dream in Spanish the other night, wake up thinking in Spanish words occasionally!  I can't speak either language correctly now!  I figure this mass confusion is the beginning of something GOOD!!

-When I came out of my house today, ready to start up the rocky hill to the main road, I looked up and saw: a wild horse, stray dog, and a rooster- COOOOOL!  There is a little family of sheep that wander outside the school gate in the afternoons- BAHHHHHH!!!  The baby is sooooo CUTE :-)

-We traveled 3 hours by bus this weekend and dove in the ocean for the first time this year!

-The walls in the host house do not go all the way up to the ceiling.  ...SOOOO, when someone is sick, EVERYONE KNOWS!!  I can hear a man talking in his sleep every so often.  I can't tell what he is saying in slurred Spanish, nor can I tell who it is!  Cracks me up every time, though!

Host Family Meals

Host Mom's made-from-scratch tortillas!  Most meals contain rice, beans, cheese, avocado, and meat.  I am the only person in the world who does not like fried plantains, it seems.  However, fried bananas- OHHHHH YEAH! 

My Honduran Host Family :-)

Meet my Honduran Host Family!  The girl to the left is 16 and has a 94 year old pen pal/sponsor from the states.  She enjoys it, but it is also a big investment for the family, as the sponsorship helps with clothes and school supplies.  We had fun taking turns reading and translating her first letter.  She wrote back things like, "You are so beautiful!"... questions about family and religion, information about Honduras.  The girls are very sweet and a big help around the house.  They say it is very difficult to learn English in their schools because their Honduran teachers are not strong with the English language themselves.  It is considered a great privilege to have the opportunity to learn from a "gringo."

The woman in the middle is the Mom of 8 of these children, the ring leader.  She wakes up with the roosters at about 4:30 a.m. to start making food for everyone.  She goes to sleep around 11 at night.  (This is one of her daughters beside her.)  She has a baleada stand out front of the house.  She is known for the best!  These are tortillas containing pickled veggies, bean spread, cheese and meat (eggs, chicken, etc.).  They are delicious!  Both of these women make my meals most of the time!

Host Father...  He is very sickly, but a lot of fun.  The electricity went out during a huge storm the other night.  It was literally raining on my bed.  There was a little flowing river on the sidewalk on the side of the house.  We were at the dinner table.  They lit a candle and handed me a bag of juice.  I was trying to open the corner with my fingers.  They told me to stop and motioned for me to bring it to my mouth and showed me their teeth.  I ripped off the corner and spilled it down the front of me.  They laughed and made jokes about their "primitive" way of eating!

The famous baleada stand...

Babies are very much a full family member.  The children greet and speak with Alejandro each time they see him.  They take turns carrying him around like a rag doll.  He loves every second of it!

The family thinks it is funny when I try and figure out who is actually a member and who just ends up in the home each day.  I have seen about 20 regulars and can't tell who is who even after a week!  The Dad has 10 children, 8 with the mom.  I hear all, but 9 of them still live at home because they aren't married, but there are rings on some fingers and children everywhere, which leaves me thoroughly confused.  This is Dorin's family, one of our Honduran teachers.  However, she is never home????  Ha!  Sometimes the only way to cool off is to sprawl out on the tile floor...

The town center of Cofradia.

Fruit stands, tiny stores (pulperias), Pepsi on every corner! Barking dogs, calling roosters, one vendor ALWAYS on speaker. People begging, selling, children smiling, men hollering, women greeting. We are obviously the new group of "gringos" in town. We have discovered liquados- I chose pineapple and chocolate milk drink with tons of sugar among other surprises! Look up "baleadas". DELICIOUS! I bought a 6 pack of juice boxes and a bottle of juice the other day for $1.50. Today, I bought a 4 pack of toilet paper and about 10 bags of purified water for $1.00. I took a taxi to school for $.50. They do not actually accept USD anywhere, even in San Pedro, just Limpira. Bring VISA ATM card, or USD to exchange with your passport, if you are planning to visit. Mastercard will do nothing for you.

More travel tips- YES! Bring IMMODIUM ;-))) No using faucet water (not even for brushing teeth) and don't expect a hot shower. You will get AC if you stay at our extra apartment for $10-$15 a night! I will be coming to visit you! It is SUPPPPER HOT. The only way to stop sweating is to take a cold shower and lay down for the night. Don't move and close your eyes. The streets are very steep and rocky, so I would not suggest sandals. Although, some are tougher than I. Do not bother bringing pants, or a long sleeve shirt. You can get toothpaste and most things here. Bring water bottle to refill over and over and over again!

Mountain homes.

Children on the mountainside.

Kids carrying soccer balls, roosters, and kittens... LOVE to have their pictures taken! These are some of the most impoverished families we found along our hike straight up the side of the mountain. Scorching hot, we ran out of purified water and food along the way. Grew too tired to squint any longer. Sunscreen and bug spray are a must. This 5 hour "hike" was one of the most difficult journeys I have ever made. It came with no warning this past Saturday.