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