Round 2

Here we go again, me trying to make sense of this new life. I’m sitting here under my giant green mosquito net writing this, hoping that tomorrow during our training at the official PC office (which only happens about once a week so we can get shot up with immunizations) that I can get on the wifi network long enough to post this.

We are rapping up week 2 of training. Basically how it works is we have 4 hours of language class then a lunch break where we go home to eat with our families the go back for around another 4 hours of technical training. Come home eat dinner with the host family, and do homework, lately I have been playing a version of scrabble with my host families granddaughter after dinner. Who by the way is my link to what my host mother actually thinks, aka grandma thinks you must eat at a lot restaurants because you hardly eat any of her food and your fat. Ojo to any of you who don’t work with small children, if you say something in front of them they will not hold anything back and will mostly likely tell the person you’re talking smack about. I heard from my teacher today that usually girl volunteers gain weight and male volunteers lose weight (so unfair), I’m not so excited about gaining weight from food I am not really enjoying.

But enough about comida, let’s get to some fun and interesting things. Last weekend some of us went zip lining to celebrate a fellow trainee’s birthday which was fun.  Yeah you heard right I was zip lining through the Honduran rainforest (cost $30). I got to wash all my laundry by hand last weekend too, ufff. My host mother cracked up after she saw my face when I finished. Damn I had no idea HOW blessed I have been to have access to a washing machine all of my life. Seriously the next time you throw a load in think of me be bitten by mosquitoes scrubbing out clothes in a giant cement basin, breaking a sweat with chickens running around me, Peace Corps Honduras baby!   

I am soooooo pumped because we are going to go to see Harry Potter on Saturday. Ahhhhhhh, bitter sweet, I can’t believe this is the end L This is huge, a special treat. We are a much smaller group than normal, 15 strong. Most groups are about 50, but do to budget cuts reduced group size, feel free to contact your fave politician about this and ask them to bump up the PC budget. Because we are smaller than normal, we have gotten to do some special stuff like go to the museum of national identity which was really interesting, and hopefully see Harry!

I got to observe in some schools which was really interesting and met with some local youth. More on all those details soon, and more interesting stuff like new bug discoveries, pics and Honduran legends.

Send me some love!

Em

First official post

So I feel like there is a lot of pressure to make this a really kick ass entry so you all will feel obligated to actually read what I have to say and that I am not writing to a ginormous void of nothingness. Just to establish something up front, many of you already know and for those of you who don’t I’m not the world’s most prolific writer so hang on because it is going to be a bumpy ride, just like the ones on the roads in Honduras. Can you say potholes with a capital P.

So today marks the day that I have been in Honduras for 1 week, but time here is really weird when I think about some things it seems like I have been here forever ( like all of the tortillas and beans I have eaten) and on the other hand that I just got here and getting used to things ( like the use of the verb andar and its versatile uses).  

So language training, I started in the top class with 2 native speakers, and then after the exam the bumped me down a level which was a choque grande, yeah I know I am a bit rusty but dios mio. I had a mini crisis, like what my life is a lie I don’t actually know Spanish ahhhh… I have calmed down about it more now since I heard about the top class homework and know that I need to have better control of ser y estar and tense and aspect, and those damn articles that don’t make sense el problema why not la. Language is a really crazy thing, phrases and vocab that are my go to’s from Spain and Argentina don’t really fly here. Seriously every Spanish speaking country must have their own word for a straw you know the one you drink out of because bombilla and popote don’t fly here.

My host family is sweet. I live with Dona Isabel and Don Julio, who are in their 70s. Dona Isabel has done it all (midwife, postal worker, restaurateur) and now is an ama de casa, and Don Julio has a carpentry business and is the vice mayor. All of their kids are grown with their own children, one of the granddaughters who is going into first grade comes and hangs out a lot. My room has its own bathroom which is a huge luxury here, with running water, even though it is sooooooo cold and the water pressure is non-existent I am pretty lucky. There is just a lot to adjust to like the huge cucaracha in my dresser or a wolf spider on my wall, and the smells uffff. The best thing about my house is the views, there is a balcony on the 2^nd floor and the view of the surrounding mountains is beautiful. Here are some pictures of my room and the view. I am posting pictures of my house/room and the beautiful view. You know my host family is good when I walked out of my room and Dona Isabel was wearing a STL cardinals sweatshirt (even if she did think it was a chicken).

Shout out to all my amazing friends who sent me on my way with lots of love: Mo, Chels, Reb and Cat I LOVE the photo book you made me, Emily thanks for the goodies, Thanks to everyone for the encouraging words via email, I will get back to you all pronto. I have a cell # now through TIGO if you need to give me a call, email me and I can give it to you. I can access my email through my kindle 3G most days.

Miss you all.

Un abrazo bien fuerte!

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PPS no time to proof so sorry for an errors

1 Day left ahhhhhhh!

So as promised I am going to attempt to record my thoughts about peace corps service for my own sanity and posterity. PLEASE follow me so I can feel connected to my previous life (Yes that means you). More to come soon as soon as I actually feel packed and semi-ready.