belated birthday cake...

Clementina's daughter-in-law had never made a cake, so we had baking lessons in my kitchen. the kids (Juan and Alessandra) did most of the work, I just watched...haha! Alessandra is very proud of her first birthday cake!

Ready to go...

My friend Jerome and I are counting down the days. We have our final date set here in Honduras and are preparing plans for our trip through Central and South America after we finish the Peace Corps. Here, Jerome and I at the beach in Trujillo - the original settlement of the Garifuna on the Caribbean Coast. I wish I found this place sooner, its a quiet treasure that with its limited access has been well maintained.

I am in love with Wall-E ...

But not his pet cockroach. After watching the new Disney Pixar film, I was so pleasantly reminded of my own "pet" cockroach I have in the bathroom. I've tried to get rid of him, but they really are relentless little creatures...

Visiting my host family in Sant Lucia...

I spent last night with my host family in Santa Lucia...Maria Colindres and her kids Alejandrina (31) and Edwuar (27). It was great to see them again after a few months without visiting. Even after two years they are still a big part of my time here in Honduras, since they were the first ones who put up with me when I could barely speak spanish. We always have a good laugh about those first few days back in June 2006 when I was the new arrival. Its always nice to go back "home" to spend time talking and sit and have coffee with Maria in her kitchen - I reminded of my permanent place in their home when the grandkids come running up to me with arms open wide and yelling "Tia Stephanie" - Maynor (5) is growing so fast and is sooo smart (we practiced spelling in his spanish workbook), and the "new" baby Samit is already 15 months, walking, and making some gurgling noises which could pass for spanish in the campo. Here he is with his "Mami Abuela" Maria.

Mi Abuelita Clementina Celebrates Her 78th Birthday!!!

Clementina with her son Juan, his wife Valeria, and grandkids Juan de Dios (8), Alessandra (6),

and the 2 month old little Clementina, named after her grammy! We celebrated Clementina's birthday at her favorite restaurant, La Casita, in Comayagua...which happens to be one of my favorite restaurants as well! Her grandkids, however, preferred a kids meal across the street at Wendy's - so while we enjoyed nice bbq chicken lunch, they munched away on french friends and played with their new kids meal toys. They reminded me of myself as a kid...it was a treat to go to McDonald's and I think I might still have my collection of classic kids meals toys somewhere in my closet back home.

COS (Close of Service) Survey

In Peace Corps, we close out our service with a number of official documents, that will stay on our government records forever. This, however, is not one of them. In the final informal newsletter in Honduras, each terminating volunteer does a recap of their service. I will advise you that over the course of two years living in a developing country, we all become accustomed to talking about things that we would not normally talk about in the United States. And there are things we do to get by in life down here that would not be acceptable back home. Read with caution and please do not be offended if some things come as a surprise to you...But most of all, enjoy, because you will all learn some funny things about me in the following post that you might not be expecting...LOL, Stephanie

Name: Stephanie Ann Leedom

Site: La Paz, La Paz (where the streets are paved of gold)

Sector: Municipal Development

Nicknames: Ana, Anita, La Perdida (The Missing Girl), Estefany Maria, Ana Estefany

Biggest Accomplishments: Seeing my park under construction, finding financial support for Clementina’s Comedor Infantil, connecting my friend’s deaf/mute son with a school where he could learn sign language, building houses with Habitat, learning to scuba dive, speak Spanish, dance, identify trees, and catch a good jalon.

Biggest Disappointment: The realization that my closest Honduran friend was stealing from me.

Defining Peace Corps Moments: Seeing Cruz cry at the sight of his new habitat house, consoling a family as they watched their son die in the hospital in Comayagua, and reminding a woman who told me she wanted to die that she had a reason to live!

Things you will miss most: How people with the least are willing to give you the most.

Things you will miss least: Guaro and mac-n-cheese Sundays, Dogville, washing clothes by hand, the bus ride from La Paz to Comayagua, “Si Dios Quiere”, cohetes, street dogs, bolos, poverty, loneliness, inability to express myself…

Biggest Irony: My entire life exists within 4 square blocks…I can go to work, the gym, the park, the supermarket, have a beer, eat dinner, stop and talk to Mariano, visit friends, use the internet, rent a video, get my shoes repaired, and buy a bike or a milkshake or dog food all within a 5 minute walk. Now that’s an impressive ecological footprint!

Worst Illness: Ha…which one? July 4^th in Hospital Viera? Halloween with vomit and diarrhea but no running water or toilet paper? Christmas Eve asthma attack? Or 10 days near death with Dengue?

Biggest Freak-out: One year anniversary in country. I think it’s the most I’ve ever cried…My friend Erin consoled me

Favorite Hondureñismo: Que le vaya muy bien!

Greatest lie I ever told: to a cab driver in Tegucigalpa…that I had to get to the bus station quickly because my husband, the bus driver (ha!), was there waiting for me.

Favorite Honduran Inquiry: (not in any particular order) why I don’t have kids, why I’m not married, why I don’t have a boyfriend, and of course…will I take them to the states with me!

Best Honduran Gesture: Definitely the lip-point, and I do think that I’ve gotten quite good at it!

Favorite Artists during my service: Julieta Venegas, Franco De Vita, Los Toros Band, El Torito, Frank Reyes, Juan Luis Guerra, Enrique Iglesias, and Ian Everhart’s versión of Livin’ on a Prayer

Song I would be content never to hear again: “Hoy es Noche de Sexo,” “Baby, Te Quiero,” “Red Red Wine”

Favorite books during service: Mating by Norman Rush, El Zahir by Paolo Coelho and The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

Best jalon: Four hours standing up in the back of a camion with Mike Landis (H7) from Camasca to La Esperanza – It’s the most beautiful part of Honduras – and there’s possibly nothing better than the wind in your hair and the sunset on the mountains while riding in the back of a truck!

Worst jalon: While driving, a guy showed me the massive scars that he received on his stomach and legs from a motorcycle accident even after I told him I didn’t want to see them. Did he not hear me?

Best bus ride: Hedman Alas. First class. La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula. For Free.

Worst bus ride: When Mia threw up on the lady sitting next to me.

Favorite foods: sopa de caracol, baleadas, carne asada, pollo frito y tajadas, licuados, fresh mangos and avocado

Worst thing I ate/smelled: Nance (horrible honduran fruit)…my host mom had it bottled up to make into wine for Christmas, but the pressure built up and one day we came home to the smell of nance filling the house - it had exploded and covered the walls, floors, ceilings…

Stupidest thing I did in the past 2 years: I “accidentally” climbed over the wall at the church in La Paz to take in the night scenery and then was escorted out by the cops! This is when it pays off to be the blonde girl in town!

You know you’ve been in Hn too long when: you aren’t sure you want to leave

I never thought I would: use a one lempira note as toilet paper. When in need, one must be resourceful.

When I grow up I want to be: a gecko, so I can hang from the ceiling, eat mosquitoes all day, and escape through a crack when I need to get away. Or Julieta Venegas, because she is so damn cool!

Favorite (Least) piropo: “Baby, I’ll love you forever!” It’s as simple and as complicated as that!

Favorite Ropa Americana t-shirt: “Cancel my Subscription; I don’t need your Issues”

Favorite animal story: It’s not my favorite, but it’s true. My friend hands were mutilated by his pet raccoon.

Best habit acquired: compassion, patience, and esperanza (hope)

Worst habit acquired: Umm, now I show up late, too!

Things you missed most from the US: my family, thai food, sushi, trader joes, chocolate, wine, cold milk, intellectual conversation, a comfy bed, a hot shower, and being sure there weren’t cockroaches in my toliet or shower.

Things you missed least from the US: consumption, greed, entitlement, traffic, and 10 hour work days

Things you wish you’d known when you signed up: That there would be great disappointments, that I would get my heart broken, and in the end, I still wouldn’t be ready to say goodbye to it all.

Additional comments: Peace and Love to the Delegation - Erin, Jerome, And Raul: It wouldn’t have been as fun or interesting without you guys!!! Adrienne: You’re an exceptional person…thanks for being so real and offering your eye shadow to a girl in need! Good luck in the DR. Liz: I wish you and Fito all the happiness in your life together! And Pat: Thanks for putting up with me (and Mia) as roommates. We made it!!!

A word from Mia...

Hola! My name is Mia, and I am undeniably Honduras’ most charming bilingual mutt! I look a lot like a Lab, but I’m a mix - my mom is a Chow and my dad a Cocker Spaniel. Most of my siblings ended up in aldeas, but I’m a city girl, livin’ the big life here with Stephanie in La Paz. I think the people here actually like me more than her, at least when we go out for walks, people all yell for me! My mom had originally picked out my sister to adopt, but when she came to take her home, she had already been given away to another owner, so I convinced her to take me! Ha, I had her fooled! At a year and a half and 25 lbs, I’m full grown and full of energy! Just ask my mom. I charm her with my sad eyes and wagging tail, but I sure can cause trouble. Like that time I ate her underwear when they fell off the line or when I dug all the dirt out of the pot of her house plant. She wasn’t too happy with me.

Even though I love my mom because she gives me her leftover fried chicken and tajadas from Hibuera’s, I really like boys. Patrick and Tio Nicholas are my favorites – they sure are a lot of fun, though I don’t think they always feel the same about me. I know I’m still a bit young to think about guys, but sometimes Tio Nicholas lets me hump his leg, and I think secretly he likes it ...

My favorite times are when mom takes me out for a walk. We go to the park and she lets me run around or we visit Mariano and he gives me carne asada. Most the time I feel stranded in the house, so I find other things to keep me occupied…like chewing palm branches or tearing apart the hammock. When I am behaving myself, which isn’t often, she gives me these rico filet mignon flavored dog treats and life is good! My grand-parents send the dog treats. They’re pretty cool people. Though we’ve only met once, they \send me care packages…I think they like me more than Stephanie but don’t tell her that…hee hee!
Well, I must be going. I’ve got so much to do these days getting ready to go home to the states. I have so much paperwork to do - they sure do make it difficult to get a visa, but mom said I shouldn’t try to go mojado, that crossing the Rio Grande is just too dangerous for a little girl like me. I just want a better life for me and my family. See you in the USA…Hasta Luego!