Week 4

Written on August 10, 2013

Well it has been another interesting week down here in Honduras. I have finally been able to make it out of Santa Lucia for some R and R.  Although I do have to say I feel like I do a lot of R and R in Santa Lucia because there isn’t anything else better to do but I am excited for a hot shower, a night out on the town, and a trip to the grocery store. 

I think this week more than all of the others, I have definitely become aware that patience is a virtue.  My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Wagner, was not joking when she repeatedly told my classmates and me this time and time again. Monday was a good day.  I went to a nearby school for a class of Yo Puedo (the girls’ leadership program that exists here). Tuesday, I hung out at the clinic.  Wednesday I was supposed to go to a school in Las Marias, but missed the car and Thursday I was supposed to go to a school in San Juan for another class of Yo Puedo but it was cancelled. 

Friday and Saturday in La Esperanza were so fantastic.  I felt a bit guilty about kind of holing up in my hotel room and using crazy amounts of internet to download some TV that I have been missing out on (Woah to The Bachelorette season finale! I kind of feel ridiculous saying that I partook in watching this season but boy was it good.) as well as getting some much needed video chats on Facetime.  It certainly was incredible to catch up with friends and family and reassuring to know that they are still so supportive of me being here.  While I have had some really difficult days, it’s at least comforting to know that those from home trust me and have helped me to refocus and channel some of my frustration.

It’s hard not to be able to tell everyone that I’m having the time of my life here.  I wouldn’t call my experience fun by any stretch of the means but I think it is necessary for me at this stage in my life.  Even in the month that I’ve been here, I think I’ve learned a lot about myself- what I need to be happy and successful, what I need in a work environment, what makes me tick.  I realize that at the end of the day whether I accomplish something really fantastic here or nothing at all, it will have been a positive learning experience.  Sometimes as hard as it is for me to admit, some of the things I have learned most from are the times were I really struggled.  

A day that was fantastic and horrible was this last Wednesday.  Because my visit to Las Marias didn’t work out, I spent the morning watching a bunch of ultrasounds.  From about eight until noon, I observed pregnant women (probably about 10) come in at various stages of their pregnancies. Seeing the future baby up on the computer screen was unreal.  I couldn't make heads or tails of some of it but seeing the heart beat and the faces of the moms when the doctors told them the sex of the babies was unforgetable.  I actually almost cried.  Yes, I know I'm a ham! 

Yet it was hard to see that of the ten, three or four of them were fifteen years old and probably seven or eight of the ten were below age twenty.  I thought about what I had been like at fifteen that afternoon. How stupid and nieve I was.  I couldn’t imagine have a seven-year-old child right now nor how different my life would be and how much growing and learning I still have to do before I think I can bring another human into this world.  It made me sad to realize that the girls who were there were more or less losing the potential of education, at least in the formal setting.  And it made me sad that every one but two came in alone. 

I wondered how long it is going to be before people in Honduras stand up to say that we need to do something about this-  that kids are becoming mothers and wives.  Or that they need to do something about the rich people skimming off the hard-earned dollars of its citizens. Or something about the ten year-old-girl in Tegucigalpa that was raped by two classmates this week, who subsequently commited suicide. Or that the hospital in La Esperanza that asked doctors from our clinic to bring gloves for a surgery because they didn’t have any. Or the fact that kids are only required to go to sixth grade here and many don't even make it until then. Or that San Pedro Sula is the city in the world with the highest murder rate in the world because the country refuses to curtain the deadly drug trade that runs through the country.  I mean I could continue for days with things that enrage me but I won’t.  It’s certainly not healthy to dwell on the negative. 

I guess at times it could even be a little inspiring. Wednesday certainly helped to reaffirm why I'm here.  I am in Honduras trying to reverse the trend of teen pregnancy but I am only one person.  Some days it feels like I’m swimming up the stream a little bit.  Attempting to create a cultural shift is not something someone does overnight, nor is it something that happens in a year.  In one of conversations calling home, a good friend reminded me of how little of a shift there was of peoples’ ideas about sexual assault on our campus in the FOUR years that I was at Lehigh and that I couldn’t and shouldn’t expect to have made a difference in just a month here. She was without a doubt right but it still doesn’t mean that I can’t be frustrated by the complacency that I have seen this far in this country.  That also doesn’t mean I can give up hope just yet either. 

It is hard to realize that anything worth pursing takes time, especially growing up in a cultural of instant gratification (like overnight shipping and midnight movie releases).  I have read reports that say that it took organizations years to come up with curriculum for a specific program. Yet it still doesn’t change my idea that I should have something to show for my month here.  Though as someone told me, I could be here for a year and not feel like I’ve accomplished anything.  I think she was completely on point. 

So I’m sure you have sensed a theme with the end of my blogs and I have not failed to come up with some words of wisdom. This upcoming week, try to exercise some patience on something you have been working on. Take the time to reflect about your project and get a new perspective.   You never know what other people might have to offer.  It might be some great advice or just the little kudos that you needed to hear.

And of course, have a great week!

Becca

Week One

Written on July 21, 2013

Well here it is… My first week in Honduras. I am going to try to churn out a new blog each Sunday/Monday.  Try is the operative word, though. That does not necessarily mean that I will be able to post it every week on Sunday/ Monday because the internet in Santa Lucia does not work very well.  Anyway….

Without a doubt, the theme this week was learning.  Moving to a new place certainly requires one to be open-minded to learning. So I wanted to share with you all some of the things I learned this week (brace yourself… there are many and this is only just a good selection). Enjoy!

1. Remain calm. Things will work out! My first task upon arriving in Tegucigalpa was to find the brigade coordinator. Easier said than done.  I had no real instructions just a name and an assurance that he would be there. I suppose I was rightfully nervous about this because after going through customs and immigration (o joy!), I walked into a sea of people who all looked like they could be the guy I was looking for.  And there was no one with a sign, like I had been promised.  After wandering around for nearly ten minutes and having a small heart attack, I attempted to call my contact in Honduras but of course, my phone had no service like I had been promised by the Verizon guy that it would. After about ten more excruciating minutes of me imagining numerous different scenarios about what I would have to do if I couldn’t find him, Ever approached me and we were soon on our way to Santa Lucia.

2. When you can eat fruit or veggies, jump at the opportunity. When we stopped on the first night to have dinner, many people got fruit with dinner. I didn’t. Bad choice! While it has only been a week, I am already craving raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, asparagus.  My favorite meal this week was the soup because it had the most veggies.  It was just the other day that I dreamed about key lime yogurt with granola and blueberries (this is no joke!).  Despite the fact that I was out late last night, I dragged myself out of bed this morning early so I could go to Magdalena (the town over) for the mercado (market) to buy fruits and veggies.  I have already consumed an apple, a banana, and some green beans today. While I do love me some black beans and tortillas (although I have already broken into my supply of peanut butter, Nutella, and honey for my tortillas), I really do miss the abundance of fruits and veggies. 

3. Mountains are beautiful to look at but traveling through them sucks! Basically travelling in Honduras sucks in general. “Roads” are not always existent, especially in the mountains where there are many little hills.  Often times while driving, it is very likely to drive up a hill two or three times before actually being able to scale over it.  While I do not know how to drive stick shift, there is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t drive even if I did.  The roads are made of dirt and rocks. They are not often smooth and sometimes are not drivable when it is the rainy season (aka now). And it’s even worse when riding in the back of a pick up truck while trying to hold on to something or anything that you can find. 

4. Anything expectation that I had had must be thrown out of the window. This past Wednesday, we went to a health fair in San Sebastian. When I heard the words health fair, I could imagine a bunch of organizations gathering in a large auditorium giving out samples or offering advice. There would be a nice printed schedule and it would be very organized.  Well the health fair I attended this week was held at a school, the “auditorium” was just a gathering of people outside of the classrooms.  There were health screenings inside of classrooms. There were kids running all over the place.  There was no schedule.  Yet it didn’t seem to bother many people.  They were receiving free health care.  Despite the fact that it was not what I expected it to be, because what I expected wasn’t realistic or even possible, it wasn’t even close to the idea of my altered expectation.  Basically I am reduced to asking a lot of questions here because if I don’t, I am often extremely surprised with how things operate. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but it does take some getting used to. 

5.  Americans really do live a fast-paced life.  I did expect to come to Honduras expecting to live a much slower life but it is REALLY slow here. No one really does things quickly here and everyone is almost always late.  While I do appreciate the vacation speed by which things occur at times, I think I am going to need to get out of Santa Lucia pretty regularly.

6. Nearly anything can be a form of entertainment if it deviates from the norm.  I am not kidding that one of the most memorable moments this week was the nearly the entirety of doctors that live here at the clinic trying to kill a rat (as there is an infestation but thankfully not in my room). Everyone was running around screaming as we chased the rat from one hiding place to another trying to kill it. Another fun moment was when we told ghost stories after the power came back on Thursday night (see next post about electricity).  I sat with all the Honduran doctors, who are all just a little older than I am and all girls, and heard about all of the local legends of witches and ghosts.  Entertainment here consists of TV and a lot of it.  I have started asking questions about what people like to do in their free time and some have even answered cleaning (probably because they don’t have much else to do), which boggles my mind.  While I flew through a book in the first three days here, I have not seen a single person read much of anything. Another American (of which there are only two others) told me that people pretty much stare out of the windows on three-hour bus rides.  It is refreshing when there are things out of the norm. I’m really looking forward to the next birthday as I have heard that people really make a big deal out of them. 

7. When the electricity is working; charge, charge, charge.  Because our electricity is through a generator, it is slightly unreliable.  Only twice this week the power has gone out for a short amount of time but I have heard that it was out for three days at one point in recent months.  Enough said!

8. My Spanish is both better and worse than I expected. I have to say that I think this is the hardest thing to adjust for me.  Over this past week there have been times where I have felt fantastic- making conversation and laughing over jokes and times where I know I looked like I was staring off into space.  Working on my Spanish has been both fun- learning all the Hondurenismos like cheque (okay), paila (back of the pickup truck), and pinta (cool)- but also extremely frustrating- like when someone tries to ask me a question four times and I still don’t understand.  I have to say that I am excited to see how much I can learn but realize that it isn’t always going to be easy. 

9. No matter how much we complain in the United States, our government, our lives are worlds better than many around the world. My life is relatively cushy here in comparison to many who live in Honduras.  I have clean, filtered water; a toilet and shower to use; even air conditioning.  I know that I am guilty of complaining myself, but honestly, we have a government that makes sure that we have roads that are function (sometimes probably spending millions on new roads that we don’t even need), we have clean water to drink, we have an ABUNDANCE of choices about food, we have constant electricity, we have fast internet, we have a lot of opportunities for learning and growth (documentaries, college, museums…). We have so much that we don’t even realize.  Only one 1% of people in Honduras go to college. Could you imagine if only the 1% of the population went to college in America?  And I’m sure that it comes as no surprise to many of you that I am saying some of these things.  We all know that people around the world live very different (and much more difficult) lives than we do but I challenge you to be conscious of all the things that you have in your life that you are thankful for.  Many people in Honduras would kill for the opportunity to go (much less live) in the United States. So this week, appreciate that you are lucky to have been born in a country that at least has some stuff figured out and try to grumble just a little less.

Have an awesome week! Miss you all a lot (already).

Becca

Week Three

Written on August 4, 2013

Three weeks it has been- one shy of a month.  This week went by the quickest of all them so far. I really can’t believe that August is upon me already.  I often look at my calendar thinking about how fast the time is going to go.  I’m convinced it will be Christmas before I know it. 

If I had to choose a theme or phrase for this week, it would be estoy accostumbrado.  In Spanish, that means, “I’m getting used to this. And while I’m not sure that I could ever get completely adjust, I think I’m surely on my way.

I have started to make exercise a near daily experience- mostly because I don’t like to shower unless I have gotten myself sweaty but also because it is a good way to get myself out in the community.  It’s difficult when you live and work in the same building to get sucked into staying here and never leaving.  I also walk/ run with a few of the Honduran doctors so it is also a great way to spend some time practicing conversing and getting to know them better. 

I’m starting to get the hang of the buses here.  I went on a mini excursion this week to Camasca and Concepcion for two days.  The thing about living on the frontera is that places are often spaced apart and difficult to get to.  The bus is the only real option for getting from one place to another in a timely fashion.  They aren’t so bad, except when they are really busy and I have to stand. I’m about three inches too tall to stand and have to crane my neck to fit.  I also have horrible balance and kind of bop around, bumping into people, when we hit a pothole or go up a hill.  I can only imagine how I look to all of the Hondurans I ride the bus with. 

I have thought that I was indeed getting used to the food.  That was until Sunday morning rolled around and I became very sick.  Thankfully it passed after several hours, but I had to resort to knowledge gained in India.  When sick, always use the BRAT diet- banana, rice, apple, and toast. I’m hoping that I won’t have to recall this for quite some time.

I put up a bunch of pictures this week of friends and family that I had brought down with me.  Even though you all can’t be here with me, I can at least be surrounded by you in spirit and that’s at least a bit comforting. 

In other news, the two other Americans returned from their trip to Guatemala this week.  It was certainly a relief to have them back, especially since it seems nearly all of the Honduran doctors are out of town for something or another. We had another special guest this week as well- our executive director was in town for a majority of the week. 

Emily was such a fantastic woman. I spent the entire week being surprised by her.  I have to say that her passion was clearly evident every single day and it was inspiring to see her greeting old friends or making new ones wherever she went.  She was one of those people that you instantly felt connected to.  Her fantastic cheerleading skills did not go unnoticed by Kate and me. I only wish she could be around more. I’m already looking forward her next visit in February. 

Saturday was one of the first days I actually felt genuinely happy.  It is not as if I have felt sad all of the others.  I have had a lot of emotions since I arrived three weeks ago.  I’m not sure what the catalyst was, but I felt fantastic.  It might have been:

1. The return of the electricity after of three days of very sporadic service, which was made even better on Sunday to have my air conditioning when I was really sick. 

2. The simplicity of the day.  A lot of people are gone so the day was quiet. I spent the beginning of the day reading curriculum from one of the other educational programs.  The power was out so instead of sitting in the office, I sat on the couch in the living space attempting to read in Spanish and learning many new words in the process. 

3. The beautiful hike. This was my second hike to San Pablo. The hills here put Lehigh to shame, but it was much easier the second time. It took about an hour and a half and Kate, Scott, and I (the other Americans) left around 4:30, after I got incessantly hit on by a bolo (drunk) in the plaza.  I’m pretty sure my blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin precedes me nearly everywhere I go. 

4. THE RED WINE. Anyone of you that knows me well enough will know that having a glass of wine after three weeks was an exciting moment for me. Kate and Scott had bought a bottle of red wine at the liquor store in La Esperanza a week ago. I have to say, that it was most certainly a highlight this week. 

5. Had a couple of tea while finishing a book. It seems so simple but it was relaxing after dinner to just sit and read for two hours in my room with a cup of tea and some soft music.

6. The upcoming trips I have started planning. After finishing my book, I took some time reading up on Nicaragua.  I’m most likely going to travel to Granada, Nicaragua in September and hopefully the beaches in El Salvador in October.  And best of all, this upcoming weekend, I’m headed to La Esperanza for some R and R- fast internet, a grocery store, and a hot shower.  Nothing could really better. 

And of course, I must leave you with some parting words.  Emily, our executive director, had said something to me this week that really stuck with me.  She said “be an anthropologist”. Because my language skills aren’t necessarily up to par, I do a lot of watching and listening. I’ll admit sometimes I have a hard time listening without wanting to add something about myself or interjecting a story that I share in common.  Sometimes I don’t know how to say what I would like to so I just don’t.  But I also think that this has been a positive thing for me. I have done a lot more listening and learning than I think have done in a while.  So my weekly advice (consejo) to you all, is take some time this week to just listen or observe something new. Whether it may be learning more about a coworker, listening to NPR, or changing your weekly route to work to see a new part of town. Mix things up a little bit.  My mom always says that variety is the spice of life and I sure have to agree with her (but I’m pretty sure she wasn’t the first one to say that so somebody else thought it was a good idea too!)

Have a great week, everyone!

Becca

Week Two

Written on July 28, 2013

Well it’s been two weeks. Guess that means I’ve got 50 more to go ;)

Just kidding.  If you had asked me on Tuesday how many I wanted there to be left, I might have said two.  Yet I’m not feeling that sentiment anymore.  I don’t know what it was that got me so down but I really did struggle this week.  I got all upset and wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into.  Then Wednesday rolled around and I got a renewed sense of excitement, passion, and energy.

If I could choose one thing that is the most different from life at home, it would most certainly be the pace of things here.  When talking about how productive a day was, I typically tend to refer to the day as not productive, Honduran productive, or American productive.  Meaning that my American definition of productive is definitely different from the definition of productive that Hondurans use.  Below I made a list of some of the things I accomplished this week.  While my list may not seem substantial, it was indeed a good week.

1. Spoke a lot of Spanish. There were no other Americans this week so I was on my own with the language component. And as nervous as I was, it was really okay. I would have to say that speaking in another language has certainly gotten easier but it’s still a work in progress.  One thing that is nice is that I live with a lot of young Honduran doctors who are all very smart and want to learn English.  Many of them can usually interpret what I’m trying to say if I can’t remember or haven’t learned a word in Spanish. 

2. Ate some pretty decent food.  I have to say that I thought I was going to be eating beans, rice, and tortillas every day.  While it is true that beans and tortillas are staples in nearly every meal, there is a good bit of variety.  We even had “cheeseburgers” on Wednesday.  Though they were a little charred (I don’t think Hondurans really like their meat anything but well-done, which is probably better for my digestive tract’s sake!), they still reminded me of home and I appreciated that.  We even had as I call it, “wrapper cheese” aka the American Kraft singles.  Although I do have to say that I don’t think it was Kraft singles because the cheese kind of flaked apart but it sure was a nice change from the salty queso that we get on the plato typico. 

3.  Talked to some people in Santa Lucia. Locating and setting up a meeting with people in the community is difficult.  The concept of time is not as structured as at home. When you set a meeting, there’s only 70-80% chance it will actually happen and getting a hold of someone or going to their house to talk with them is easier said than done.  Twice, I had someone say to me, O well we can chat next week, as if next week was a set time and place. Yet despite the lack of ease, I managed to speak with two teachers in the community about the idea for a club for teens.  One of the men, already had a club going in Las Miras and the other was the head of the comité (ie: the town hall committee sort of thing) who spoke about the importance of microenterprise and the lack of it in the community.

4. Cleaned out the library. This was no small feat. The clinic here has a beautiful library… that never gets used.  There are a multitude of books in English and Spanish as well as a huge closet full of craft supplies.  I took one day this week to clean out the entire craft closet. It was of course the hottest day this week and the only day when the power was out (so the fans didn’t work)! 

5.  Went on a few several mile walks/runs. This is something that I started doing this week that I really enjoyed.  To get some exercise, I have been going out on walks with some of the Honduran doctors before dinner every day.  It is a great time of day because it’s not too hot and the sun isn’t that strong. It’s also a nice time to work on my Spanish and as well as to  get to know the doctors better.  We walk for about an hour and then shower right before dinner. Exercising before showering is not only delightful, but almost necessary because there is no hot water here. The cold water is bearable if I can get myself all sweaty before hand.  Yet even after showering, I don’t feel that clean because I must immediately reapply bug spray or feel the wrath of the sanculos (mosquitoes).     

The most important thing I learned this week was- have something to look forward to.  I know that sounds silly but I think it really helps.  When Tuesday was really tough, I just kept thinking about my upcoming trip to La Esperanza.  I remembered that another American volunteer is coming down in just a few weeks and that it is just 15 weeks until my birthday/ trek home for Lehigh Lafayette Week! (Yep, see you all there!)

So everyone- that’s it for this week.  I hope that you enjoyed it and got a little glimpse of my life down here.  As I said last week, I’m missing you all terribly and hope that life is going along splendidly for you all.  To those of you who I have spoken with, thanks for the encouragement and support.  It does mean a lot to me to know that I have so many of you that believe in me! My piece of advice for this week- say thanks to someone that really gives you strength in times of need or has done so recently.  I know it’s been really helpful for me to have that reassurance from many of you. Thanks for every little bit!

Have an awesome week :)

Becca