Survival: My first two weeks in Honduras

So I landed here in Honduras on Wednesday June 21st and have survived my first two weeks in Central America. My training group of 51 “aspirantes” (aspiring PC volunteers) are stationed in a “pueblo” (town) called Santa Lucia, about 30 minutes outside of the capital city, Tegucigalpa. I live with Maria Colindres and her daugher, Alejandrina, 30, and son, Edwuar, 25, in the barrio (neighborhood) of Segovia at the outskirts of town. The first night I arrived was full of uncertainty and amazement – I remember wondering what in the world I was going to say to these people with my novice level Spanish. My sister Alejandrina (“Ale”) picked me up from the training center that first evening and we walked most of the way home in silence, full of nerves, trying to figure out what to say to one another. When I finally understood something she said, she exclaimed “cheque!” which means “cool” in Honduran Spanish – one of the many hondurrismos I am getting accustomed to hearing. Since then we have become fast friends! That night I had my first meal with my family and started getting to know my mother and brother as well. It’s been a great experience living with them thus far! We go on walks with the parrot (perico) named Tato and in the evenings all my favorite little girls in the neighborhood come over to watch, La Madrastra, a tela-novela (soap-opera). I must say I’ve gotten quite into it. Even when I can’t quite understand what is going on, the music says it all.
It’s about a 20-minute walk each morning to the training center where I have 4 hours of Spanish class and 4 hours of technical training in municipal development. Interspersed through the weeks are health and safety classes and vaccines (4 down, 9 to go). On a typical day I am up by 6:00 with the roosters and am off to school around 7:00. We finish at about 4:30 and then it’s off to the campo to play soccer with the locals. (Current score: Santa Lucia: 2, Gringos: 0) Life revolves around the sport and so the evenings are also full with talk of the world cup. I am usually in bed by 9:00, though I think I broke a record my first night going to bed around 7:30. It was a long day to say the least.
My hike to school each morning is great and I am getting a good workout with all the hills. And the air quality definitely beats LA! In the evenings the walk home is often very wet. We are just starting the rainy season and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much water. I’ve also never talked so much about weather ever before in my life. During the day its really beautiful – I’m starting to think the real reason I joined the Peace Corps was to get a good tan! Just kidding J
My weekends so far have been spent washing laundry, exploring the town, and making friends with locals and other volunteers. Life is simple here, but not without its challenges. Washing clothes is very hard work - I spent almost 3 hours this morning at “la pila” and am praying the rain stays away until my clothes dry in the sun. In the mornings I also often help Maria make corn tortillas. She makes 300 each day on her wood-burning oven to sell to pulperias (local convenience stores) and to neighbors passing by. The most I have made in any one sitting is 30, which I am quite proud of, though I did notice my mistakes end up on our table at lunchtime. This afternoon I will go study with some other volunteers and have an ice cream or choco-banana at my favorite café – some things never change!
All in all, life is good. I’m happy to be here. I love that the kids next door call me Tia (Aunt) Stephanie and that I have quickly become part of a family that really cares for me. There will be challenges and mosquito bites in my future, but I am glad that I made the decision to be here. I have no idea what lies ahead, but in the next few notes, I will tell more of the work I am starting here. I think this quote from a card my sister gave me the night before I left says much about what I anticipate my experience to be like.
“If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together” (An aboriginal activists group in Queensland, 1970s)
Hope all is well with each of you! Would love to get updates and hear how life continues in the United States – I feel so out of touch…Hasta Luego, Stephanie