I can’t even begin to figure out how to summarize the past 19 months… I left my home, my people, my culture and my language to give two years to strangers in a developing country. Giving up security, amenities and comforts is not easy. Making it through 3 months of 12 hour training days is trying. Living with several different host families can be frustrating. Arriving in a small town with just a suitcase (or 2) and little to no resources is overwhelming. Yet despite all of the challenges and personal struggles that all Peace Corps volunteers face, I still found myself bawling in the arms of my project boss at the airport when we finally had to part ways.

Typically, people spend the final few months of their service saying their goodbyes and wrapping things up in their communities. We got 22 days’ notice about the departure from our sites, and once I got back from my Christmas vacation (nearly half the volunteers in Honduras went home for the holidays) I had 5 days to say goodbye (possibly forever) to the town that became my home and the friends that became my family. My community heard about Peace Corps’ evacuation in the news, and saw my picture in the paper, but they still were all dying for me to tell them if it was true or not. Sadly, I told them it was, and thus began a whirlwind of lunch and dinner invitations, speeches about their gratitude for my service, vultures coming to see what possessions of mine they could claim, lots of hugs, and lots of tears.

The past year and a half has opened my eyes tremendously, and though it came with its string of mishaps, I wouldn’t trade a second of it. The Honduran Peace Corps staff is amazing, in particular my project team, Sandra (Youth Development director) and Ronaldo (Youth Development training specialist). Because of their passion and dedication to our project’s mission, my fellow youth volunteers and I were able to take our sites by storm and have their unconditional support through it all.

As a way to re-cap a little bit of what I went through since June 2010, here is a list:

1 parasite (giardia lambia)

1 incarceration

1 witness of a human corpse in the street

1 bacteria infection

1 bus stall (stuck in the mud for an hour)

2 cases of lice (I am shocked it was only 2)

2 Christmas caroling events, in Spanish of course.

2 birthday piñatas

2 successful grants written, accepted and received to fund projects

2 t-shirt making parties with other youth volunteers (we are a special breed for sure)

3 whistles

3 cell phones (things break much more easily in developing countries)

3 original Spanish children’s songs

3 times we were put on “standfast” which means we could not leave our sites (2 for political unrest/protests and 1 for the few weeks before our evacuation)

3 nation-wide teacher strikes

3 Spanish language interviews with Peace Corps

4 “super-star” moments (giving the president a Valentine, meeting the Olsen Twins, having my picture selected for the Peace Corps homepage, and being the picture in the Honduran newspapers article about Peace Corps’ evacuation)

4 birthday cakes (only 2 birthday’s… but Hondurans love cake!)

4 In-service trainings with Youth Development

4 overnight visits to fellow volunteers (I rarely left my site on account of always having a lot of work to do! I was saving a lot of visits for the last few months of service figuring I would have finished up a lot of projects… I guess this is why you really should live in the moment).

5 shirts torn from hand-washing them on the pila

6 weeks on medical evacuation in Washington DC

6 times pooping in a cup (for medical purposes, not a weird Peace Corps hobby)

7 sing-a-long songs that my teacher’s learned in English

7 stand-in moms

13 teachers who learned dynamic and participative methodology from me

20 (approx.) nail painting parties with kids who had never seen nail polish prior to my arrival

26 teacher observations where I went and sat in on their English classes to give

feedback

30 bucket baths (just one of my host families did not have running water- I lucked out!)

38 5th and 6th graders who hopefully feel more confident about themselves and will remember what they’ve learned about healthy relationships

40 lessons about brushing teeth

50 best friends under 6 years old

120 cards/letters/packages received from family and friends (a fairly accurate estimate as I could cover the entire back of my door with all the cards I had gotten)

300 (approx.) elementary school students who participated in a spelling bee and got excited about studying the list of words- they would literally run up to me in the streets and spell words they had been practicing

600 (approx.) high school students with more information on contraceptives and resources to help avoid teen pregnancy

13,500 hugs from the most impoverished kids in my town (assuming each day in site I received about 30, which might actually be an under-statement!)

27,000 cat-calls/gross gestures from men (an approximation, assuming each day in Honduras involved about 5 encounters)

Thank you to everyone who helped me through this experience- everyone from home who reluctantly let me pack my bags and move to the most violent country in the world, everyone in Peace Corps for their unfailing support, all 158 volunteers in Honduras for being part of something so special, my dear little town of Gracias and all it's people for welcoming me with open arms.... Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

As I sit here eating a sandwich and a cold glass of orchata that my landlady Imelda made for me, I am beginning to realize that this is it. In less than 48 hours I will be leaving my little town of Gracias, and then in 5 days I will be on a plan back to Boston. Like I said in my earlier post, I have many mixed feelings about leaving 7 months earlier than anticipated.

*I am relieved that I no longer have to live in such a dangerous country.

*I am sad to leave many good friends and coworkers who have treated me like family.

*I am heartbroken to leave the kids I’ve been working with, never being able to know if they’ll make it or not.

*I am grateful to have had a year and a half of amazing, life-changing experiences.

*I am overwhelmed with thoughts of returning to the developed world.

*And lastly, perhaps most importantly, I am satisfied with what I have made out of my Peace Corps experience- I accomplished what I came for, and even though I had more projects planned for the remainder of my service, I am still leaving with the notion that I have helped people, and that’s what this was all about.

I want to extend a hearty thank you to the Wayland Girl Scouts and their leader Angela for the clothing donation, and to Angi for the shoe donation. Both have been given out to the kids at the center where I work, and rest assured that they went to children who desperately needed them. Thank you for such a simple gesture; it goes a long way for hthese kids.

Another big thank you to Darien Book Aid, an NGO in Rhode Island that donates 25lbs of new/gently used books to Peace Corps volunteers around the world. I requested children's books for the IHNFA and books/resources on drug prevention, sexual education and culture for the Youth Center. The donation came in while I was on med-evac, and I finally got a chance to give them to my organizations!

This has definitely been a bitter-sweet week saying goodbye to my Honduran home. It is sad to leave earlier than expected, but if I were leaving in August it would be sad just the same. I keep focusing on all I have accomplished rather than what I had planned and did not get to see through. Putting everything into perspective has helped me understand that regardless of the specific number of months I've served, I have still seen wonderful changes in the people and children with whom I've worked. They have helped me as much, if not more, than I have helped them, and I will forever hold a special place en mi corazoncito for Honduras.

On December 20th, 2011 the Peace Corps Honduras family was informed that due to severe security concerns, Peace Corps will evacuate all volunteers in mid-January. All volunteers who did not leave Honduras for the holidays were put on “standfast” meaning they cannot leave their sites. All volunteers already in the states for the holidays have been given the option of not coming back. On January 11th, we are all to travel to Tegucigalpa to attend a conference starting on January 12th. From there, we will all be sent home.

Awesome Christmas present, right?

I am equally devastated and relieved by this news. I have been uncomfortable with the security situation in Honduras since day one. I nearly peed my pants during our first safety and security training session with Juan Carlos (and during all sessions thereafter). But we were provided with excellent training to help us minimize our risks, and we have been consistently provided with staff support in regards to our personal safety. Nonetheless, we found out shortly after our plane landed on June 23rd, 2010 that we were sent to probably one of the most dangerous Peace Corps posts.

The situation in Honduras seemed much more manageable when we arrived, and I think volunteers would agree that especially this last year, more specifically the last 6 months, things have just skyrocketed out of control. I have always felt safe “enough” in my site, but not traveling. My trip from site to the capital, where the Peace Corps office is located can take about 8 hours, 8 hours of fear. In the beginning of my service I thought I was just paranoid, that yes, Honduras is dangerous, but no I was not constantly at risk. However, I have noticed a lot more concerns from fellow volunteers in the past months, especially when one of our own had a very serious incident about a month ago. I realized I was not the only one who was having a hard time with security. The part of me who has slept with one eye open for the past 18 months is relieved.

The part of me that has taught kids how to brush their teeth, how to use their imaginations, how to read, that has taught young girls how NOT to get pregnant and how to believe in themselves, and that has trained a motivated group of teachers how to teach English and how to incorporate more dynamic methodology practices in their own classrooms is devastated. Work-wise, I have had so much success in my site. My placement was perfect for me, and I have found my place in my little corner of Western Honduras. Ending this experience 8 months early is heartbreaking for me. I had projects planned for the remainder of my service and was so excited to see more progress from my teachers, my young girls, and my little kiddos. It is not fair to them to leave so many things unfinished, but I just have to hope that what I’ve done thus far has been as worthwhile for them as it has been for me.

Just to give you an idea of how Honduras compares to other dangerous countries, this graphic shows homicide rates per capita. (Source, The United Nations- Washington Post article).

Here are a few quotes from an article by the Washington Post to sum up the current situation in Honduras:

“The largest number of homicides occurred here around San Pedro Sula, a once-booming manufacturing center that is fast becoming the Ciudad Juarez of Central America.”

“It starts on the isolated beaches and jungle airstrips of Honduras’s Mosquitia region, where 95 percent of the suspected drug flights from South America to Central America land”

“At nearly every business here, from Burger King to the smallest mini-market, armed men with 12-gauge shotguns stand guard. Those who can afford it barricade their families behind razor wire, 10-foot walls and electrified fencing.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a good or a bad person here, or if you’re someone with a future,” said Irwin Santos, whose brother Deybis — a university student — was killed in 2008 in San Pedro Sula. “In the end, you become just another statistic.”

It is a real shame that things seem to be getting worse. The Honduran people have become my family over the last year and a half, and I am dreading having to tell them that I need to leave sooner than expected and won’t be coming back. This is their reality, no one is going to evacuate them.

I received this news the day after I got home for my Christmas vacation, and after much thought, I have decided to return to Honduras, go back to my site for about 5 days, pack up and say my goodbyes. I will then go to the conference where I will say goodbye to staff and volunteers who have supported me so much during the last year and a half.

Well, I am back in site after my 6 week medical evacuation in DC! But only for about a week and a half before my trip home for Christmas (weird timing, I know). I was given a warm welcome back to Honduras at the Peace Corps office then I set out on my 7/8 hour journey “home.” Since being back in Gracias, I have received three phone calls from people I spoke with in Washington, and from my Country Director, just checking in and making sure I made it back safely- how thoughtful! I am really happy about the way Peace Corps handled my med-evac, and appreciate all their support so much. Thanks, Peace Corps! You rock!

One thing that really moved me while I was traveling back to my site was I on one of my buses, and there must have been about ten women from a church group traveling together. In the middle of a trip they break out into song, and sing about God for about an hour. I told them as they got off how lovely it was to hear them sing…. In a country where you are at risk the majority of the time, it’s no wonder religion is so entrenched into daily life- it’s something to believe in, and it’s what keeps a lot of people going. I have always thought of myself as religious (not quoting the bible religious, but praying to God religious) but I fail in comparison! Every bus, moto-taxi, store, house, etc. is lined with images of Saints, Jesus, Mary… you pray at school, and at every public event whenever someone speaks, they thank God. At first I was overwhelmed by the lack of separation of church and state, but after being here a year and a half, I finally understand it.

Anyways… since I am back for just a brief period of time, what better way to spend it than doing fun Christmas activities with my little nuggets! Songs…glitter…glue… living the dream down here! I created a Spanish version of Dominic the Donkey, they LOVE it! The he-haw’s are getting better every day!

The volunteer community is anxiously awaiting important information about upcoming changes to increase volunteer safety and security in Honduras. There was an unfortunate incident last week, and it’s put us all a bit on edge. Our Country Director is at a meeting this week about this very topic, and we should be getting an update within the next few days. This is not the safest country in the world, in fact, it is one of the most dangerous… highest homicide rate in the world, but it is also the second poorest next to Haiti in the western hemisphere… They want Peace Corps here and we want to be here, but we need to be safe in order to do our jobs, so we will see what’s to come!

Thanksgiving takes on a whole new meaning after living in a developing country. This experience has taught me so much about life, people, priorities and myself… my perspective is greater, my understanding is real and my ideals are grounded.

I came into this experience like many other Peace Corps hopefuls, wanting to “change the world” and “make a difference.” I cannot change the world- but I can make small changes in people. The differences I make will not alone drive a country into sustainable development, that would be absurd if it were that easy. But in the small town, in the small country in the small part of the developing world where I have been placed, I can touch lives. And I have. Well, I think I have. I hope I have.

For my birthday, one of my counterparts knit me a pink and yellow scarf so I’d be ready for the “cold” season. It took me a while to realize though, that the yarn she used was the same yarn I brought back to her after my trip home in August. I had a big thing of yarn and she went nuts over it, saying they don’t sell it where we live, and she asked if I could get her some when I was at home. This woman has looked after me as if I were her daughter so I had no problem bring her back 4 big things of colorful yarn I picked up at the Salvation Army. When I realized that she had made the scarf out of the yarn I gave her, I first thought that maybe she felt she “owed” me, but that’s not it. She wanted to give me something nice because she loves me, and didn’t want me to be too chilly when the “cold-fronts” arrived. She probably didn’t think twice about the fact that she was giving me back the gift I had given her. But the gesture was so sweet. She had taken something from a developed country, added her own touches to it, and made it real. In an annoying, I-can’t-believe-I-am-turning-my-birthday –scarf-into-a-metaphor-about- life kind of way, that scarf sums up my entire Peace Corps experience. I came in with my own ideals and views on life, Honduras slapped me in the face and said “Girl! You can’t change the world! But you sure can try!”

Fun fact: she drowned the scarf in some crazy strong Grandma perfume so it’d “smell nice” for me…. My room smelled like a fancy Grandmother for weeks.

So anyways, back to giving thanks…. Although I am always so grateful for my family and my friends and the outpour of support people gave me when they thought I was going to live in a “poop hut” with my own goat (that’s what you all imagined, right? When I said I was joining the Peace Corps?- it’s ok, I did too)…. Right now I want to express my gratitude for the last year and a half (and hopefully the next 9 months as well!)…. Honduras is not for everyone. It is not safe. It has awful roads. Minimal infrastructure. Political corruption. Drug trafficking. Gangs. Machismo. Bland food. BUT, it also has wonderful selfless people who might not always be on time for work or show up to your meetings, but at the end of the day, they accept you as family. Honduras is real, and it is willing to teach you a thing or two about life if you let it.

Now I need to go board a plane…. I am still on med-evac which means my parents bought me a ticket home for the weekend so I wouldn’t be alone on Thanksgiving! I’ve got two and a half weeks left in DC, and then should be able to get back to Honduras (just in time to board ANOTHER plane for my already-planned Christmas vacation).

Gobble gobble, everyone! :)

I would like to share some very clever, funny-because-they're-true, political jokes showing the extremes of both sides. You'll laugh at the one about the other party, and then probably laugh harder about the one that represents your party. These are a few of my favorites. And though it seems these kinds of jokes would fuel bipartisan politics, I think the fact that you can laugh at the ridiculous truthfulness from both sides brings both sides closer together.

You know you’re a Republican if…you wouldn’t mind if the Commonwealth of Massachusetts seceded from the Union..

You know you’re a Democrat if…you wish the Republic of Texas never became a state

You know you’re a Republican if…you prove your racial sensitivity by saying Gracias to your gardener.

You know you’re a Democrat if…you’re strongly committed to racial equality even if you don’t personally know a single person of a different race.

You know you’re a Republican if…you write to your congressmen in defense of the interest income tax deduction for vacation homes.

You know you’re a Democrat if…you write to your congressmen and suggest a $1 tax return check off for endangered jellyfish.

You know you’re a Republican if…you liked high school. You studied hard enough to get into the college you wanted to attend. You had a girlfriend with nice hair.

You know you’re a Democrat if…you couldn’t wait to get out of high school. You either were a feminist or dated one. You studied your brains off. You joined the debate team, or the school paper, or better yet, both. You wore black.

You know you’re a Republican if…you got a “B” on your Western Civilization midterm paper. You also got a date with the girl who sits next to you. College is even better than high school!

You know you’re a Democrat if…you got a “B” on your Western Civilization midterm paper. You plan to spend the weekend revising it and on Monday will beg the professor to let you resubmit it. You’ll need to break your date with that doofus who sits next to you. What were you thinking?

You know you’re a Republican if…you have a home aquarium. The big fish kills the little fish. So you get another big fish. They fight constantly. “Animals are like that” you think.

You know you’re a Democrat if…you have a home aquarium. The big fish kills the little fish. You hold a funeral for the little fish. You are at a loss for what to do. You give away the big fish. You put the empty aquarium in the attic. “Whew, no more fighting,” you think.

You know you’re a Republican if…you’ve never seen a government social services program that you thought was worth increasing your taxes for

You know you’re a Democrat if…you’ve never seen a social program that you weren’t willing to pay other taxpayer’s money on

You know you’re a Republican if…you thought your college professors were flamingly liberal.

You know you’re a Democrat if…you are a college professor.

You know you’re a Republican if…you want to stem the tide of illegal immigrants getting into the U.S…. but then again somebody’s got to mow your lawn….

You know you’re a Democrat if…you sort of sympathize with undocumented workers (“illegal immigrants” sounds so, well, harsh) but the unions want the borders closed and… oh, shoot…you’re just so confused!

You know you’re a Republican if…you think every Democrat is a closet Communist.

You know you’re a Democrat if…you think every Republican is closeted.

What is Med-Evac? Peace Corps loves it’s abbreviations… this one is much more obvious though, not like APCD, COS, VRF, PCMO…..a Medical Evacuation is when a volunteer is sent out of his or her host country for medical care that cannot be provided at post. Sometimes the evacuation is to another country within the volunteer’s region, and sometimes it is to Peace Corps headquarters in Washington DC, depending completely on the issue at hand. A med-evac can last up to 45 days; at that point if the issue cannot be resolved or stabilized the volunteer goes through a med-sep (medical separation) from Peace Corps (an honorable discharge due to a medical condition that prevents the volunteer from being able to successfully complete his or her service).

Why am I on med-evac? The decision was made between the PCMO’s (Peace Corps Medical Officers) in Honduras and OMS (Office of Medical Services) in Washington. I have developed a condition that they want to monitor and stabilize, and make sure I am healthy enough to go back to Honduras. My chances are good for getting approved to go back to country, but I will probably be here for the majority of the 45-day span.

What does med-evac in Washington DC entail? I am put up at an apartment-style hotel in one of six rooms that Peace Corps leases out for med-evac’d volunteers. I am given a stipend for food (along with a complementary continental breakfast provided at the hotel). I have daily/semi-daily appointments with medical staff at the Peace Corps office. I can meet other evacuated volunteers serving around the world. My time without appointments is my own free time (yesterday I found the White House!). Once I am more settled and less flustered, I will hopefully start working on my manual.

How do I feel about the process thus far? I am impressed. Peace Corps really has made a commitment to its volunteers and I have be treated with nothing but the utmost respect from staff here in Washington. They even sent someone to the airport to bring me to the hotel because my flight came in late and they didn’t want me to have to worry about getting a taxi (even though staff in Honduras had already given me a sufficient amount of dollars to cover the cab fare). The people I am working with are wonderful- empathetic, concerned, and determined to fix the situation. Just walking by the office, seeing large photographs of volunteers serving with quotes from JFK, I am proud to be part of such a passionate organization.

When I first arrived at the office, someone working in the reception room (a former volunteer in Guatemala) said he wanted to guess where I was coming from based solely on my presentation. He guessed Ghana, Africa- he said I looked “too clean” to be coming from Latin America. Hahahaaha. I told him I had already taken 2 (awesome) showers in the 10 hours since my arrival. He understood, and we shared a moment of solidarity based on our service in neighboring countries.

The teachers at my kinder once again threw a birthday celebration in my honor, just as they did last year, complete with a pinata, cake and lots of hugs.

Last year I turned 23 just a few weeks after getting to site. Though I hadn't quite found my spot in Gracias yet, I was well on my way to making new friends:

Last week, I turned 24 after having been here for over a year:

You can't see all of the changes that have taken place over this past year in these pictures, but they're there.... Also, please take note that this year, the kids are waving at the camera (wonder who they picked that up from.....)

In everything I read pre-Peace Corps, it all said the same about weight: Girls tend to gain it, guys tend to lose it. After being in Peace Corps for over a year, I can confirm to this statement. From talking with frustrated female volunteers, and seeing a few male volunteers waste away…. It’s true! But WHY? Honestly, it probably has more to do with the person than the sex, but it is awfully intriguing to see the truth in that statement, and wonder if it has more to due with the trend of pre-Peace Corps lifestyles among men and women or if it is an actual difference in the physical reaction to Peace Corps countries/new foods/different climates, etc.

Why have I gained weight? I blame this mostly on how a different lifestyle coincides with a different exercise routine. I don’t think it has to do with food anymore. It certainly did during the first three months when my host families were feeding me lard-saturated grease balls three times a day (they use copious amounts of oil and lard in almost all dishes here). But I have been living on my own for almost a year…. I rarely have snacks. I eat less than I did living in states due to more complicated preparation processes and sometimes the heat affects my appetite. When I do eat, I eat mainly vegetables! Veggies mixed with scrambled eggs, veggies inside a tortilla, raw veggies, veggies mixed with pasta or rice if I’m feeling ambitious! I don’t think the way I eat here would cause me to gain weight, if anything you’d think it would do the opposite.

Before coming to Honduras, I went to the gym 4-6 days a week, not for that long, maybe an hour, and I certainly didn’t stray much from the basic elliptical or treadmill (or sometimes those fun rowing machines!). But I’ve realized that those machines burn more calories than walking or jogging outside. I exercise in site, but it’s complicated. If I go walking, it has to be before it gets dark. Sometimes my schedule allows for that, and sometimes it requires me to wake up super-dooper-early and go before work (which usually results in snoozing through my alarm). In rainy season it is even more difficult to plan and stick to a routine because the sky could open up at any minute. Rainy season is half of the year. Also, exercising outside at times makes me more stressed out when it use to help me relax, due mainly to excessive and rude male attention. My mom has sent me a few workout DVDs, and I do them in my room sometimes to hide from the cat-calls, but it’s just not cutting it. Depending on the week, I usually do some sort of exercise minimal 3 times a week, maximum 5 which sounds normal, but I think compared to my life before Honduras, it’s not enough to keep the weight off.

I come from a larger family, we’ve got it in our genes. You have to work really hard to maintain a healthy weight. That’s easy to do when you’ve got the resources, but just eating well isn’t enough. I’m not complaining (though it’s frustrating). I wanted to share this well-circulated statement of how women tend to put on weight during service while men tend to lose weight, and share my personal experience in regards to weight changes. I've accepted the fact that I can do everything in my power given the circumstances, but this just might have to get put on the back-burner until I become a member at a gym after my service. I know there are far more important things in life, and it’s not like I’ve gained one hundred pounds. I just thought it was an interesting topic!

Getting back into the grove in Gracias… First I want to share the mural we painted at the Youth Center just a few days before my trip home. I had seen this quote, “Demuestre su educacion y ponga la basura en su lugar” which translates more or less to “Show your education and put the trash in it’s place.” For a while now I’ve wanted to get that up on the wall outside the YC and we finally did it- I was slightly nervous about how it would turn out, because as far as painting, it was a free-for-all. We all decided that we would draw things related to nature and someone using a trashcan. In the end it came out pretty well! Kids came and went through the morning to help us but a core of about 8 held strong and the mural’s been turning quite a few heads! Next step, get a new/large trashcan donated to put outside the center.

My TEAM teachers graduated the first level of the course this week and the ceremony was lovely. They wanted to have it at a restaurant so we did. I was the m.c., I congratulated everyone, showed a video I had made of our class (first part in class with me and the second part is all of them teaching English), gave a special award to one teacher who had perfect attendance and to three who earned final grades of 100% or above, and of course, diplomas (Hondurans go nuts over diplomas!). The teachers all decided to wear fuchsia, which looked great, especially when they gave their concert! They practiced so hard and successfully sang to everyone the ABC’s, Days of the Week, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and a song about colors. I was so proud of them!!

The best moment of the entire night was when two of them were up at the podium saying a few words at the end. One of them said that they’ve all learned so much, but really, the people who have benefited most from the class are the kids. She said how much the kids love English and respond so well to the dynamic methodology. THAT is every youth development volunteer’s dream to hear when they are doing the TEAM project…

I’ve also been busy with my other English class at the youth center, with pre-school at IHNFA (they had 2 days of strikes and are still waiting to be paid), brushing teeth, and with the Jovenes Revolucionarias (the girls group my site mate and I started). The girls have been coming with me to IHNFA and doing story hour- it’s great! And we are about to have a bake sale so we can raise money to paint a world map at their school. This group is so great for developing leadership qualities. We have 5 girls who have been with us since the beginning, and we are trying to involve more before we start the Yo Merezco program with them. In the meantime I will start Yo Merezco next week with the girls from the church group I work with.

Needless to say, work is going pretty well. I am almost always busy with something, even if it’s not a project I am doing, just being involved with activities we have at the Youth Center and helping out where I can. Peace Corps Honduras however, is facing some changes. With budget cuts, the new group of volunteers who just swore in yesterday is only 15, and all from the Youth Development project. The other two projects I came in with last year were both cut. They are re-programming the other three, and the Youth project it staying as is (which means it’s always changing too, but as a project, it’s staying). I also no longer have my special Emergency-Zone phone… they cut that phone plan and now coordinators must use their personal phones (with a small amount of money deposited in our accounts in advance). The new volunteers now have to stay with their host families for the entire 2 years, a challenge I wish them all luck with. I had a mix of host families, but I still think it would be incredibly difficult having stayed with even the BEST host family for 2 years. But safety comes first! Volunteers are also no longer allowed to have “large, overnight, alcohol-friendly” non-PC related gatherings due to an increase risk in security when a lot of foreigners are together. This new policy was welcomed with mixed reviews from volunteers. Personally, I understand. It’s a shame the annual Halloween party was cancelled, and now goodbye and welcome parties must be approved, but we knew that when we accepted our invitations, we were accepting the challenge of being a volunteer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Anyways……… I had a parasite last week, but it seems to have died by now....Not a fun experience for sure, but it was bound to happen. I'm surprised it took 15 months! Speaking of months, they seem to be flying, even though sometimes the days drag on forever. I can’t believe it was a month ago when I came back from the states, and it’s almost October. I will turn 24 next week, we have our mid-service medical evaluations a week or two after that… Thanksgiving will be here soon and then CHRISTMAS!!!

*Before reading please take note of the disclaimer I have on my blog, stating that these are my thoughts, and mine alone, and do not represent the views of the Peace Coprs of the United States government*

Since I arrived in Honduras last year, I haven’t seen an improvement in the political situation, other than the fact that there hasn’t been a nation-wide teacher strike for 6 months. People either support the party in power, or are still furious about the coup where the previous president from the other party was thrown out of the country.

I work at IHNFA, which is run by the government, serving families in extreme poverty all over the country. The entire staff hasn’t been paid for almost two months. The nanny I work with says that the government hopes that everyone will just quit if they’re not paid so then they can be replaced by people from the other political party. This might just be gossip, of course, but to be honest, I wouldn’t be shocked if that were the case. It’s not fair, but that’s life here. The nanny is also worried that under this government they’ll shut down the organization as a whole. That thought breaks my heart- if these kids, not just the kids at my center, but all over the country, didn’t have this place to go, they literally might not eat. For a lot of them, too, it’s an escape from a scary home life. All centers I am sure operate differently, so I can only speak for mine, which is not perfect, but considering the alternative, vale la pena. Our kids are fed, bathed, de-liced, given clothes/shoes when we have them, hugged, and now participate in classes, games, story hour, and brush their teeth! Some of these kids can’t afford to lose what IHNFA gives them. I hope the government realizes that.

On another political note….

I’ve also met so many recent high school graduates who are teachers (there is a “special” high school you can go to and graduate as a teacher) that can’t get jobs, partly because there aren’t any, and partly because they are from the wrong political party. I was talking to two young people, both graduated two years ago and haven’t had any luck. They both said the same thing, that their families are known for representing the other party, so when someone sees their family name, that’s it, they don’t even look at their resumes.

One of the biggest obstacles for the development of a country is corruption in the government. So long as people abuse power and think only for their own party rather than the people as a whole, there isn’t much that can be done.

Greetings friends! I am finally here to post an update about my trip home a few weeks ago! I was home for two weeks in mid-August for my sister’s wedding- It was a lovely trip, a beautiful wedding, and a perfect way to re-charge my batteries for the next year. When I got back to Honduras, I jumped right back into work so I haven’t had much time to gather my thoughts since then!

Anyways… I arrived in my beloved Boston late in the afternoon and was greeted by Mom, G, and Dad with a “Merry Christmas Lisa!” sign he made. In my family, whenever something good happens, we say it’s like Christmas. I got home to find the Christmas tree up in the living room. A perfect start to a whirlwind trip home!

My landlady sent tortillas home with me so everyone could try them…. They were… uh…. A hit! Eh…..

Gina’s wedding was beautiful! Everything went smoothly, I got through my maid of honor speech, there was a tribute Chicken Dance in Uncle Fishy’s memory, and everyone had an awesome time.

I was able to see my best friends, karaoke with my family, go to a Red Sox game, go to the beach, get interviewed with my cousin for our local paper, eat eat eat, chat with my 96 year old Nana who hung in there so I could see her again (we thought when I left for Peace Corps that that would be the last time, but she’s still with us!), interview for a graduate program….. I couldn’t have asked for a better two weeks! Thank you to everyone who made an effort to see me!

Before my trip home I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel coming back to Honduras for another year…. I thought maybe it would be hard and that I’d feel like a year was going to be an eternity…. It’s been a hard year for me to be away, with a sudden family loss, missing out on planning my sister’s wedding with her, and a Grandmother on borrowed time. Bad timing to be out-of-country for two years. But being home made me realize that I am exactly where I need to be right now. Life happens and you can’t stop it. You can’t plan your life around other people’s schedules because then you’d never accomplish anything. My service is half over, and I trust that this second half will go much faster than the first. I am happy with my work, and it will be invaluable experience for the next phase of my life.

Since I got back I’ve been busy finishing up projects and starting new ones…. It looks like I’m booked right through Christmas! My teachers are about to graduate and then we will continue with the second level of the class. In a few weeks I am starting a Yo Merezco class with the girls from the church group, and my site-mate and I will start the same class with our girls group soon too…. And then of course, my IHNFA kids!

Here is the link to the article about my cousin Michelle doing her Girl Scout project for Honduran children! She's been collecting art supplies to send down!

http://www.wickedlocal.com/natick/features/x678155841/Lisa-Lavezzo-s-Peace-Corps-work-inspires-her-young-cousin#axzz1XKRqeDuf

Hello! It’s been a busy few weeks filled with a forth of July party at the lake, observing my teachers, planning new projects, hanging out with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and celebrating Dia de Lempira (Honduras’s big national identity festival). And before I know it (17 days!!) I will be heading home for a visit that will be filled with family, ice cream, weddings, beach, Red Sox, grad school interview, etc. And then back to Gracias to power through the second half of my service!

Observing my TEAM teachers: As part of the class, I am suppose to observe each teacher twice through the duration of the course during their weekly English class at their school Some of my teachers work right here in Gracias, and some work in small, rural communities outside of the “city.” I’ve been doing the first round of observations and I am so proud of all of my teachers! Even the ones who struggle in the class are doing a great job teaching their own students! They keep it basic of course, but they’re using more dynamic methodology and singing the songs we sing in our class. And living in a “bigger” community, it’s fun for me to go out to these smaller places where the kids literally stare uncomfortably because they’ve never seen a foreigner. Well, fun and sometimes really awkward. The schools in Gracias have separate classes for each grade because there are a lot of students, but in these other places, the schools will have 2 classrooms, one for 1st, 3rd and 5th grade, and the other for 2nd, 4th and 6th grade. If the kids want to continue after 6th grade they need to travel daily or move to the closest place with a high school (for a lot of these communities, that place is Gracias).

I just started a second English class with a group of youth- I really wasn’t sure about the idea since it’s really not sustainable unless they apply themselves and study every day to learn. But they were asking, and I feel a sense of loyalty to the Youth Center, as it has been a great counterpart. What I decided to do, to please them and make it easier on myself, is essentially replicate the course I have with teachers with the youth since I am already preparing all the materials. And to add a piece to make the course a little bit more meaningful I am mandating that the youth teach to any group of people (friends, family, kids, my kids at IHNFA, their church group) three times- then at least they are being productive members of their community.

Our school spelling bee will take place this week! I set it up with the 4th, 5th and 6th graders from the elementary school. Thursday, each class will do their own rounds, and the winners will compete on August 4th in a school-wide bee. A few volunteers are working on getting funds to hold a national spelling bee in October, where all of the winners from each community who’ve participated will get to travel and compete against each other. Hopefully we’ll get funds! If it falls through, I am going to see if I can do it with a few more schools in surrounding towns and they can have a local spelling bee together. It’s a really good way to promote study habits, and get kids to realize the importance of spelling things correctly. And some of them are PUMPED! Since I visited all their classes last month, so many kids have ran up to me in the street telling me they’ve been studying the words, and then continue to give me some examples.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen! For real! Let me start from the beginning. One of my teachers works at a school in a small community called Consolaca, about 15 minutes outside of Gracias. I was there observing her, and she told me about this big shoe donation that was coming that weekend. She was explaining the organization that was coming, and I put together that it was TOMS shoes (for each pair you buy they donate a pair to a child in need). She invited me to come to the event, and I said sure! I know of TOMS shoes and thought it would be really cool to see them in action! Unbeknownst to me, MK and Ashley recently started collaborating with the company (designing patterns for the shoes I think), and happened to come along for this donation! They didn’t invite any press, and I was the only person at the event who knew who they were. They were nice, down to earth, and seemed to genuinely appreciate the dances and songs that the kids preformed for them. I really wanted to get my picture with them but I was so nervous that I told them that my 7 year old friend Suani wanted us to take a picture with them. They were so nice, they said “Of course!”- I mean, who would say no to a little Honduran girl? Still when I think about it now I freak out a little…. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in the middle of No-wheres-ville, Honduras?! What are the chances!?

Dia de Lempira, July 20th, every year- It’s the celebration and honoring of Lempira’s death (the national hero, an Indian leader who fought the Spanish during colonization). And Gracias is where it all happened, so it’s quite the event! People spend the entire month of July preparing for reenactments, parades, concerts, and India Bonita contests (the girl who has the “best” traditional outfit- they resemble child beauty contests and make me slightly uncomfortable). People come from all over the country to Gracias to take part in the festivities, I have never seen so many people here! I got to march with my kids from the kinder at IHNFA! Some dressed as Indians, others as the Spanish- it was adorable. Normally the parents work hours and hours to make their child’s costume perfect so I was expecting the kids from the most impoverished families to come without a costume, but thankfully the kinder has extras. The celebration overall was great- it was nice to see Honduras take so much pride in their indigenous identity after so many years of being ashamed. There were still a few bizarre things, like seeing cotton candy stands and cheap "circus" prizes for sale (I am pretty sure they didn't sell cotton candy when the Spanish invaded Honduras), the child beauty pageants (they remind me of those shows at home!), and chicha, a fermeted pineapple drink that is the traditional drink of all festivals in Honduras.

With the preparations for Dia de Lempira, a lot of my work has been slow, with few people showing up to classes or meetings. A lot of the girls in our group, Las Jovenes Revolucionaries (The Revolutionary Youth) haven’t been able to come because they’ve had parade rehearsals. But now that it’s over, I think things will go back to normal. And next year, I will not plan much for July.

After my trip I should be starting another Yo Merezco (abstinence/self-esteem) class with a group of girls from a church group I’ve been working with. I just did two trainings on Job Orientation and Preparation for the Workplace with the older kids, and the religious education director seemed excited for Yo Merezco. I’ll bring the manual by to go through it with her, and we’ll decide logistics. The complication is they only meet on Saturday mornings, but we can make it work, it just might take longer to finish, but that’s certainly not an issue, I’ve got another 12 months!

In all the research I did on Peace Corps before/during the application process, every source said that volunteers had a lot of down time, and though you could still be a productive volunteer, people seem to pick up new hobbies (that don’t require electricity) and read a lot of books. Since getting to site last September, I have read ONE book (in it's entirety) for pleasure, and the only hobbies I’ve pursued have been learning how to exercise inside (to avoid cat calls) and how to talk back to crude comments in Spanish (not aggressively, just sassy!). A lot of days, I don’t get back to my apartment until 6 or 7 at night, and I am so exhausted mentally and physically (mentally from speaking a different language all day, physically from the heat) that I just… zone out…. or continue to prepare materials for the following day. I usually don’t feel like reading or cooking or knitting or anything else because my brain is neither functioning in English nor in Spanish… If I don’t have anything left to do work-wise, I may (but usually opt to not) attempt to “cook” something, plop down in my hammock and get lost in a Friends DVD.

I am pleasantly surprised at how much work I actually have! I mean… I knew I would be working, but in a lot of countries where Peace Corps goes, things are more laid back, and everything takes eight times as long to accomplish.... Honduras included! A lot of it, I'm sure, comes from self-motivation and an inner need to be productive, but I also have to credit my *awesome* project team for matching me so well to my site... I was horrified at first because I wanted to go to a smaller site but the organizations I was assigned to are perfect for me. It's not always easy, but I've learned that not EVERY project is going to be sustainable, and that's ok. I will do what I can while I'm here, to the best of my ability, and hope for the best. I have also finally grown into my town! It’s still “big” but after a year, I’ve made my mark, thrown a few sparkles around, and now I can’t go anywhere without seeing friendly, familiar faces.

And, I know it’s a few days early, but I will be away that day, so… HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!! My nails are red and blue (and have been for over a week), I did a festive/patriotic project with my kiddies today, taught them about my country and compared our flags, and will be celebrating in true American fashion with some fellow volunteers this weekend.

Live Like a PCV Challenge!!! Some of you may have gotten an email about this, but I wanted to share this link on my blog too- it’s a challenge, to live like a Peace Corps Volunteer for a week! If you’re up for it, check out the website, and click “Honduras” to see the country-specific rules! It’s spot on, with what you have to give up….!

Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th! :)

Love, Lisa

Congratulations, H17! (*What does H-17 mean? Honduras 17, the name of our training group).We've made it one entire year in Honduras.

We all met on June 22nd of last year in Houston, Texas for staging- I remember wondering who would become my friends, who would make it through training, who is going to cause the most drama.... One year later, and these strangers have become my Peace Corps family. So many thanks to all of you for your unconditional support and understanding.

All 57 of us made it through training, and in the past 9/10 months in site, we've lost a some volunteers for various reasons (mostly medical), but we're still going strong! It will be interesting to see how the numbers go as our one year "in site" mark approaches.

On June 23rd, 2010, we left our hotel in Texas and the developed world around 4 or 5am, and started the journey "down south." Landing in the capital city was absolutely horrifying, as the airport is completely surrounded by mountains (only pilots with special training can land in Teguz).

And that was the start of the most bizarre, rewarding, challenging experience of a lifetime. Congratulations everyone, for making it this far! And good luck to ALL volunteers, not just in Honduras- I hope everyone is able to safely complete their service and feel like they've accomplished something (no matter how big or small).

It has been a really positive week- one of those where you know you’re in the right place, doing the right thing and you actually feel like maybe you’re making a difference. Peace Corps service has its ups and downs, and they say usually optimism and pessimism come in waves. This past week I have been really hopeful about some of my projects, and have felt like I was/am a productive volunteer. Can I get a “yay!” from back home?

My TEAM class (English teaching with teachers) is going really well… those who come are so motivated, and so ready to start teaching to their own classes (they start this coming week). There is an average of 12 who have continued coming, but there is a base of about 8 of them that I can see are truly dedicated, and genuinely excited to learn, and impart what they’re learning on to their students. Who knew before Peace Corps that I would love teaching English, never mind love working with adults! I have a comment box for each class and was reiterating to them that I really appreciate feedback so I can improve the class and one said to me “The best teacher couldn’t teach better than you.” How sweet, though incorrect, but can you believe the confidence she had in me to say that? Anyways, here are a few that made me smile:

“Muchas gracias por todo… Me gusta la manera en que imparte la clase…y la alegria y creatvidad en que lo hace…See you later Miss! Thank You!” (thank you very much for everything.. I like how you give the class… the joy and creativity in how you do it…)

“Lisa, Gracias por su paciencia, eres bondadosa amable y comprensiva.. gracias por tu ensenanza, eres una persona muy especial. Gracias por compartir su saber con nosotros.” (Lisa, thank you for your patience, you are kind, friendly and understanding, thank you for your teaching, you are a very special person. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.)

“Le felicito por su material muy bonito.. Su dinamismo esta excelente.. Me encantan sus clases… Thank you!” (I congratulate you for your beautiful materials… your energy is excellent.. I love your classes)

“Excelente la clase de Ingles, muy motivada… Le felicito! Dios la bendiga!” (Excellent English class, very motivating.. congratulations! God bless you!)

Last week was “receso academico” (academic recess) so there were no classes. When the public schools don’t have classes, for strikes or vacations, that means that the IHNFA kids are there all day (when normally they’d be in their kinder for about 3 hours in the morning). My counterpart, the “nanny”, and I co-taught pre-school together all week- IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! When I say “co-teach” I mean she was there for disciplinary reasons, and assisted me when it was time for the activities… and did the morning prayer to God of course! It was a wonderful week, especially since the numbers were low (we had 10-12/day, when we usually have 20-50)…. We could actually have a class without ripping our hair out.

My site mate, a health volunteer, and I finally started our girls group that we’ve been trying to get off the ground for quite a bit now. 11 girls showed up to our first meeting, and they were sweet as pie… So excited for all the ideas we talked about! The end goal of the group is to do Yo Merezco (the abstinence class), but we are starting with a mix of confidence building/self-esteem fostering activities and community service…. along with fun stuff like games, cooking classes, crafts, the world map project, etc. They seem like great girls, smart too! I have high hopes! When I mentioned the traveling library Peace Corps loaned me and reading stories to the kids at IHNFA some of them got so excited they squealed! Anyways, next week we will vote on a group name... one girl has already proposed "Mujeres en Accion" ("Women in Action") which I LOVE.

Next week I am starting 3 more colgate classes with the teachers who work at the pre-school at IHNFA… and they are going to try and round up the parents so I can have a little chat with them about proper teeth brushing. In a few weeks I am going to more or less start teaching the same TEAM class, but with a group of adolescents at the Youth Center. I am already preparing all of the materials so it will be easy to replicated the classes, and I am including a community service aspect, where instead of teaching once a week with their classes (since they are youth), they will have to do a few “practicas” at IHNFA…. If you didn’t notice, I am trying to get people excited about serving their community! Oh! I also have a training planned for next weekend with a church youth group on job orientation and skills for the workplace. And I am trying to round up the 4th, 5th and 6th grade teachers from one of the schools so we can do a spelling bee! Volunteers around the country and doing local spelling bee’s and the idea is that in a few months they will hold a “national” spelling bee in which each community will send the winner as a representative…. The volunteers are soliciting funds right now so hopefully they will be successful and there will be a national spelling bee in Honduras, a country that desperately needs a reminder of the professionalism and importance of writing well! If the national bee doesn’t work out, if the teachers at this one school want to, I will organize the same process at other schools and we can have our own “Gracias” spelling bee with a representative from each school.

Last weekend, one of my dearest friends from training came to visit! She made the 16 hour journey from her side of the country to mine, and we had a delightful time mosey’ing around Gracias, going to the hot springs, celebrating almost one year in Honduras with our own party complete with sombreros, and just relaxing and watching some FRIENDS dvds. It was the ideal break that I needed from my everyday life. Now it’s time for me to figure out when I will return the favor and make the juggernaut of a trip to her site (juggernaut was my favorite vocab word from high school and I haven’t used it in SO long!)

So needless to say, I’m keeping busy…. I feel pretty good about my service thus far, despite a lot of other challenges (the current safety situation, the HEAT, piropos, emotional stresses, missing my sister’s wedding shower and wedding planning, missing my baby cousin being a baby, etc…). ….I can’t believe I have almost been here a year! Crazy! It’s been quite the ride, and i'm not ready for it to be over, but I am SO ready for my trip home in August (7 weeks!)! Wooo!!!!

How a day can turn around.....

Earlier this afternoon, I was walking from one job to another, and nearly got run over by a gross man in a pick up truck. I assume he got so close to me so he could catch a better look, not that I was dressed particularly well nor was I having a good hair day (I’ve stopped trying- good hair days in a tropical climate just don’t exist!). Anyways, crude male attention is NOT something I am use to getting at home, though I am sure it happens, maybe in cities, or to women with minimal clothing, or what have you. And here it’s something that happens several times a day, every day, no matter where I am, what I am wearing, if I’ve showered or not…. But somehow I have not grown accustomed to it (and I don’t think I should, it’s unnecessary and immature). Anyways, needless to say, after my “near death” experience, I was not in a good mood.

But then, at the end of the day, I was leaving the house where I tutor a little boy, and I see my ‘host grandmother’ (one of my counterpart’s mothers) strolling down the street with her friend. She greets me with a big smile, calls me her “amorcita preciosa” (note men, it is ONLY cute when old ladies say it!), and we stroll together, with our arms around each other’s shoulders, all the way to my street.

Such a simple little gesture… but it was all I needed to snap me out of bitterville, and remember again WHY I am here. I am not here to change a culture of cat-calls and disrespect towards women; I am here to give just a little bit of hope for a better future to those who genuinely want to believe in something more.

This picture is of her and I dancing at her granddaughter's birthday party. Sorry to disappoint but I don't have any photos of piropos in action.

Things have been busy out here in Gracias! I can’t believe May has come and gone… before I know it, it will be August and I will be boarding a plane in San Pedro on my way to BOSTON!!!! Yay!!!!

What have I been up to? Good question! We finished up Yo Merezco/Yo Tambien Merezco this past week with the 5th and 6th graders at one of the bilingual schools. It’s such a great program, I can’t wait to start it with another group, but I might hold off a little bit so I don’t over-do it. To re-cap, incase you are a new reader- it is an abstinence based sex-ed/self-esteem class for pre-adolescents, that is separated into a girl’s manual and a boy’s manual. I think what struck me the most about facilitating this class was when we got to the menstruation chapter with the girls- they were SO beyond thrilled to ask all the “is it normal when…” questions because they’ve never had the opportunity to talk about things like that before.

My TEAM (Teaching English and Methodology) class started with a group of 19 teachers….. the Peace Corps has partnered with the Secretary of Education of Honduras to create this course (so far 3 levels have been elaborated) so improve basic English education and methodology in the primary schools. The teachers who enroll in the course are suppose to teach English at least once a week, implementing the new methodology they learn. Why should they been teaching English, you ask? Is it that important? Aren’t there more important things they should be focusing on? Well… yes, of course, in a country where the vast majority misspell common words (llegar—yegar; quiero—kiero; merezco—meresco… I could go on and on) it seems wasteful to put so much energy into teaching an entirely different language. BUT, teachers are mandated by the government to teach English, and they don’t receive any training or education in the subject. Essentially they are teaching poor English via rote memorization, and the students aren’t learning. The Secretary of Education approached Peace Corps Youth Development program a few years ago asking for help, and that’s how TEAM started! I agree that it shouldn’t be a priority given other more urgent needs that communities face in Honduras, BUT given the circumstances, I am happy to do it. I loved the English class I gave when I first got here, to the youth center volunteers, and have been itching to get TEAM started. And so far, my students (the teachers) LOVE it! The methodology is dynamic and participative, two things they are not use to. I was wrapping up class on Friday and had a song planned to teach them, but it was almost the end of the class so I doubted anyone would want to stick around to sing it, but I asked them, and they all stayed, and we sang this color song about 10 times!

We are still brushing teeth, reading stories and learning how to read at IHNFA. As of late, I have been doing a lot of number identification games with them…. You have to do something when 5 and 6 year olds can’t distinguish number 1 from number 4. This coming week I will finally be giving toothbrushes to the three kinder teachers nextdoor. IHNFA supposedly serves 50 kids but on any given day, by the afternoon when I do my colgate class, there are between 10 and 20. All of the kids have their preschool classes at this kinder that is right there, along with 50 other kids who are not enrolled at IHNFA. I will set up each of the three teachers with toothbrushes so they can do the colgate program in the morning, and the kids that also go to IHNFA with brush twice a day.

Earlier this month we had our last Youth Development in-service training in a program called Joven a Joven (youth to youth) which is a course for high school kids about job orientation, figuring out skills and aptitudes, how to prepare for an interview, writing a resume and a cover page, etc. It’s a really detailed, well put-together program but the prep work is intensive. The counterpart that came with me is doing an internship right now with World Vision and she wants to start soon, so we can complete the entire course during the time of her internship…. Hopefully we will start planning this coming week... OH! And during the workshop we made a music video to a song that fellow volunteer Melissa wrote about using condoms and preventing AIDS! Once it is done being edited I will be sure to share it. AND on the last day of the workshop, the hotel gave us a CAKE (photographed here). How sweet!

I also recently set up another blog to use as part of the World Wise School program, which is a peace corps program that sets up volunteers with classrooms in the states. I'll be writing to my sister's special ed class! The year is almost over but she runs a summer program too, so it will carry over. I'm sharing the link to that blog on this blog, but not the other way around :) We haven't officially started but G said this week she'd introduce them to it.

http://www.wws-lisa-pchonduras.blogspot.com/

An update on safety and security in Honduras….. 6 volunteers are being evacuated from their sites and moved to new ones due to a rapid increase in random/intense violence in a certain area of the country. Volunteers living in and right around this certain city will officially have new homes by this Friday. YIKES! I wish them all the best, I can’t imagine what it would be like to move to a new site and integrate into a new community so far into your service. Please keep these volunteers in your thoughts. (Pictured to the left is me with Juan Carlos our safety and security officer).

Also, ex-president Mel Zelaya, who was ousted in the coup in 2009 and has been hiding out in the DR, came back into Honduras this weekend.... I was expecting to hear horror stories about what happened in the streets of Tegucigalpa, but so far everything's tranquilo. He has a LOT of supporters, but also what seems to be an equal number of "enemies" (for lack of a better word).

Random story of the week: I was walking down the street and I hear someone shout something in English… I keep walking, assuming it was someone being rude, saying gross things to me in broken English (I am not being bitter, it is literally just part of a typical day). But then I realize the English is not broken so I turn around. It was a group of young men outside one of the Evangelical churches, on a missionary trip from the states. They come down once/twice a year and always partner with the same congregation. They were so nice, and they all gathered around me and prayed for my safety and well-being (and then they gave me a bible in Spanish). It was so kind of them, I nearly cried.

Annnnd of course, more goats :)

Thats all for now,

lots of hugs from Honduras,

love, lisa

The Boston Globe recently published an article about the Peace Corps, questioning it’s validity and suggesting reforms and modifications to the organization as a whole. Before I start voicing my own opinions about the claims made, I want to reiterate the disclaimer on the right of my blog…. These, in NO WAY reflect the views of the United States Peace Corps nor the government nor Honduras, just ME! Cheque.

I am also voicing my opinions as a reflection of my experience thus far from just one of the 77 current Peace Corps posts worldwide. They are, in essence, biased.

The article, in case you're interested:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/05/15/the_peace_corps_what_is_it_for/?page=full

#1.”The Peace Corps — an agency with a budget that reached $400 million in 2010 and which sends nearly 9,000 volunteers into risky environments every year — may no longer have a real purpose.” …………… The budget might seem like a lot, but the same amount of money goes towards the Peace Corps annually than to the army’s marching band. Ademas, in its 50 year history, less money has gone towards the Peace Corps than the US military receives in one fiscal year. Risky environments, that’s a valid point.

#2. “Today, more than one-third of volunteers quit before their two-year terms expire, according to internal agency documents obtained by the authors of the memo.”…… Please take this statistic with a grain of salt… “quit” can mean so many different things in regards to early termination of your service. One of your parents gets diagnosed with cancer, you are part of a bus assault or other nasty security incident, a close friend is sexually assaulted and it hits too close to home, no one in your community will work with you despite all your efforts….. so many things can happen…. I don’t like to use the word “quit” in Peace Corps….

#3. “Why should the American taxpayer in a time of horrendous budget cuts pay for these college grads to have a two-year vacation in a foreign land?” asked Paula Hirschoff, a two-time Peace Corps volunteer who along with her husband, Chuck Ludlam, authored the critical memo. “Why? It doesn’t make sense.”….. HOLD UP. I am sorry that this persons experience resembled a two year vacation but let me tell you straight from the field, nothing about this job is even remotely related to a two year vacation! I am sure that for some volunteers, living conditions are favorable and work minimal, but that is the vast minority. And about the budget cuts, refer to my comments in point #1. And, budget cuts are greatly affecting Peace Corps as well as it is affecting other organizations. We can certainly feel it in Honduras, as we just went from 6 projects down to 4.

#4. “But the problem, as a chorus of critics has been pointing out, is that the agency has never been structured to do development effectively.” …… this could go either way. It’s an ongoing struggle, but in my post at least, there is an extremely strong emphasis on sustainability- whether it’s working or not is another question.

#5. “They also wonder whether the Peace Corps should abandon what they call a “go it alone” policy, and start collaborating with other big aid organizations. Combining volunteers’ knowledge of individual communities with the resources and institutional memory of these larger organizations could be, they suggest, a recipe for building a more valuable Peace Corps.” …. YES! Not for every volunteer but at least for some… what powerful resources!

#6. “That lofty sense of virtue devoid of real mission strikes a lot of people as pretty fuzzy for an organization that is arguing for an even bigger budget and an increase in volunteer numbers.” ……. I wouldn’t go as far as to say “devoid of real mission.” There are clear goals for the organization as a whole, but it IS a diverse experience. That doesn’t have to make it “fuzzy.” And about the budget, again, refer to #1. In comparison to what our government spends on other things each year, even if the very least Peace Corps does is strengthen foreign relations (which is as important now as it was in 1961), I believe it’s money well spent.

#7. “What critics including Strauss want to see, before any expansion, is for the Peace Corps to tackle its structural problems.”……. I think reforming the structure of the organization as a whole is necessary, and agree that increasing the number of volunteers isn’t the best idea. Fewer volunteers and more individualized training is probably the smartest way to go.

#8. “They wonder if all this talk of reform and change overlooks what is most central about the agency, that it allows Americans to interact with the world. This simple notion, they say, is what has made for the resilience of the Peace Corps over the decades.”….. The Peace Corps has lasted 50 years, and has only grown stronger in recent years. Something’s working. I believe reforms are necessary, but I also love the diversity within the Peace Corps community. I’d hate to see it change drastically, but I think reducing the over all number of volunteers and focusing in on more specific projects might improve sustainability and work more towards international development. At the same time…. Would those changes take away from uniqueness of the organization as a whole? I don’t know.

Closing Remarks: Like any program as extensive as this one, modifying and reorganizing the structure every so often is necessary. With that being said, part of what makes this organization so unique is its diversity. I’d love to see structural changes within reason, but I’d hate for the initial idea of Peace Corps, helping/supporting through true understanding, to be lost. When you put the PC’s budget into perspective, it’s nothing, and it’s getting cut as we speak, so I just might scream if I hear/read one more complaint about the money being spent on this alleged fuzzy organization. Worry not, fiscally conservative tax payers, I assure you, you are not paying for anyone’s 2 year vacation filled with cockroaches, bucket baths, cat-calls, unpaved roads, minimal resources, and the like. You are helping to support motivated, be it idealistic, professionals (not all “recent college grads”) integrate into foreign cultures, making them better able to aid host country nationals in developing themselves. You are helping strengthen the ties between our country and other countries. You are giving people hope. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s life, and it is true of all things. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

I finally put some of my favorite pictures together to make a video! These are the kids I work with at IHNFA…. Sorry it’s super cheesy, but, what are you gonna do! Also, I think it can only be viewed in the US (sorry everyone in Honduras!)... there was some technical glitch that I think came about from a questionable audio source... I haven't quite gotten to the bottom of it yet!

To elaborate a bit more on IHNFA (Instituto Hondureno de la Ninez y la Familia), it is a government “funded” organization catering to families living in extreme poverty, and families with working mothers. Kids between the ages of 1 and 7 come and get three meals a day. There aren’t too many centers, but they are sprinkled around the country, mostly in the bigger cities. The idea, in essence, is brilliant, right? Well… it’s not quite as simple, as the “funding” for IHNFA (at least the one I work at) is minimal, barely enough to maintain the building. At my IHNFA, since my arrival, I have been trying to involve the staff in programs that hopefully they will continue after I complete my service. We’ve done/are currently doing Colgate (dental hygiene class), story hour, Yo Se Leer (early literacy tutoring), classroom management techniques, arts/crafts, and various other less formal recreational/educational activities.

It’s been a really hard placement, and I find myself constantly re-explaining my role and reminding the staff that we need to work together to make things sustainable. But, I also feel that I’ve made great strides in this since September. And in the end, even if my co-workers don’t end up following through the way I’d like them to, that’s the beauty of the Youth Development project: We work directly with the kids too! So… regardless of project sustainability, if one child remembers one thing I’ve taught them, and applies it to his/her future, I’ve had success as a volunteer.

Another perk of getting to work WITH them directly is that I have been able to see them all progress in the 9 months that I've been here, as far as being able to hold a pencil correctly, knowing what to do with a crayon, asking questions about a story we are reading rather than looking like a deer in headlights, discovering sparkles! I am so proud of them!

I love all of the IHNFA kids dearly… the majority of the kids come from houses with no/minimal walls, sleep on the floor, or (better? worse?) in the same bed as their mother and 3-4 siblings, aren’t kept clean, and are more or less neglected at home. This leads to either overly aggressive or extremely timid behaviors, although I have seen a lot of progress in the kids that come regularly, at least the timid ones.,,. Though this is the majority, there are kids who come because their mothers go to work. It’s wonderful to see these moms come to pick up their children after work and take them home…. The other side is heartbreaking, seeing the kids leaving by themselves after the last meal is served, to walk alone to wherever it is that they live. Everyday, one 5 year old boy walks to and from IHNFA, holding his one year old brother’s hand (at the end of the day he sometimes carries his little brother because he's half-asleep)…. He and his brother aren’t enrolled because their mom works…. They are enrolled because they live in poverty… So where is mom? dad?

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a big to do all over the country- no one works, no one goes to school, basically Honduras shuts down and people go to the beach, go visit their families, or stay in town and go to church. By the end of the week, public transportation even shuts down! I went and spent the week in the city of Comayagua with 14 other of the 17 youthies from my training group. I was there all week. One group rotated out while another group rotated in before the busses stopped running. It was a lovely week, and included a trip to a gorgeous waterfall, a day lounging at a pool, an interesting trip to a Honduran “waterpark”, the biggest baleada in the Central America, a night of dancing, and some pretty crazy religious processions throughout the city.

Comayagua is known for its impressive display of “alfombras” (“rugs” made out of sawdust) that people make all through the night before Good Friday. Then, the religious procession walks right over them, essentially destroying any remaining evidence of the hard work people put into creating such awesome works of art. It was quite the event!

My friend and I also got our hair braided at a Garifuna salon! I got beads in all of my braids! That was quite the event too, as my friend is part African-American, she fit in pretty well, but yours truly was the whitest person in that room, but I think the ladies doing hair enjoyed our company very much- they let me pick out all the beads to put in my hair! Having a head full of braids was fun…. But I finally took them out so I could wash my hair after a close call lice incident at work. The day after I took them out I was walking down the street and a woman I’ve never seen comes out of her house and says “Y las trensitas???” (And the little braids????)…. I guess I really do stand out of people I don’t know keep themselves up to date on my latest hairstyles. Even “big” towns here are smaller than you can imagine.

Needless to say, it was a perfect week, and I am so grateful for all the wonderful friendships I've made among the volunteer community- they are my support system in country, and I couldn't have asked for more awesome companer@s.

Next week I’ve got an E-Zone coordinators meeting! What is E-Zone? Emergency Zone. Whenever there is an emergency (weather related, strike/protest/civil unrest related, safety related) all volunteers are separated into different “E-Zone’s” depending on their geographic location. My site mate who finished her service a few months ago was the E-Zone coordinator out in my area, and I am taking over for her! I will be the first one to get important safety and security information, and will be responsible for relaying the information to volunteers nearby. Wooo!

As far as work in Gracias goes, we are halfway through our Yo Merezco/Yo Tambien Merezco classes and will be looking into finding other groups to work with and implement the same program. We’ve been painting the recreation area at IHNFA all week, where we are also continuing with Colgate and Story Hour. The kids are still fascinated by the whole “brushing your teeth” phenomenon.

I am giving the English class for teachers another try; I had an introduction/sign up session planned in March, but no one showed up because it was the same day they went on their 5 week strike. We’ll see who shows up this Tuesday! I also know the counterpart that came with me to the math/business workshop is eager to start something, but we’ll see if I can find time.

It might not seem like I have a lot on my plate, but when you add in preparation time, working with Honduran counterparts (everything seems to take twice as long), still trying to focus at least a little bit on community integration (I go hang out with a little boy and his grandmother 3-4 afternoons a week to help him with his homework), trying to coordinate my exercise schedule around the cat-call schedule, AND the fact that I am in a country where you really should return home before dark for your own safety… well… It’s a lot! But I’m glad to keep busy. It puts missing life back in the states (where miraculously there is always running water, and for the most part giant gross bugs stay where they belong OUTSIDE) on the back burner, and forces you to focus on the here and now.

I’m only here for 2 years (only?!) I’d hate to finish my service feeling like I’ve wasted my time. Sometimes projects won’t work out or won’t be sustainable, but giving them a shot goes a long way, even if all you do is remind host country nationals that not all US citizens are power-hungry capitalists who love war and hate immigrants (just some of the many stereotypes we’ve been given). That’s 33.3% of this job.

I’ve been in Honduras just over 10 months now. Sometimes it feels like I just got here, and I still am taken aback by the cat calls, shocked by the state that people’s teeth are in, and constantly tripping on the same streets I walk down everyday. Other times I feel like I’ve been here forever, that the kids I work with are like my own, of course there’s no water to shower with, and that its normal to carry a whistle with me whenever I travel.

I can’t wait to see how the next 16 months go…. But to sum up the past ten months, I will say that now I truly understand the Peace Corps slogan (“The toughest job you’ll ever love.”)

Hope those who celebrate had a nice Easter, and to three of my dearest friends, Sarah, Stef and Jen, I hope you had amazing 23rd birthdays!

I love and miss you all MUCHISIMO!

Un Abrazo Fuerte,

Lisa

The strike ended!!!! But then it started back up, but ended again… And now it’s Semana Santa (Holy Week), which means we won’t know for another week whether or not classes have started back up, or if they will continue to be on hiatus until the government and the teachers can reach some sort of agreement.

Though it certainly has it’s challenges, these are the times when I am thankful to have a bigger site, as I was able to start both Yo Merezco and Yo Tambien Merezco with one of the private schools. These are the two programs that I went to trainings for with members from my community (courses for 10-12 year olds about abstinence, self-esteem, making good decisions, and other topics of similar nature). Both of the counterparts that came to the trainings with me have (so far) followed through with the implementation. I am coordinating the program, both the girls class and the boys class, supervising my counterparts, and also co-facilitating the girls class with my female counterpart. We have combined the fifth and sixth graders from the school to make one class with 18 girls (Yo Merezco) and one class with 10 boys (Yo Tambien Merezco). It’s much more difficult to work with private schools than public schools because they are more stingy with the amount of class time they want to give up (naturally), so we also condensed/combined some topics and are doing the program in half the sessions that the class normally takes. I also had to send home quite a detailed letter to all the parents explaining what exactly we would be talking about…the school has a religious affiliation, so we anticipated some concerns about the nature of the course (abstinence, reproduction, puberty, etc), but so far no complaints!

Colgate continues, although I have some doubts that when I’m not there, no one on staff is held accountable for making sure the kids brush (oddly enough, there is no Spanish translation for the word accountable). I understand that its chaotic to get a group of rowdy preschoolers together to brush their teeth every day (BELIEVE ME I KNOW!), but that’s what you have to do to form the habit. I know my counterparts there had explained to me how they do it when I’m not there, they stay inside and give each kid their brush and wait for them to come back and return them, which is great! Yeah, not ideal supervision, but it’s something, and if it works for them, I am happy. When I’m there I like to do it in a big circle and sing and dance. It’s ok if they don’t want to sing and dance (I usually make a bigger deal out of it because when I brush with them in coincides with a lesson)…I’m not offended. I just hope that these past two weeks, as I have been out of site at a training and with medical appointments, that the poor little toothbrushes weren’t forgotten. OH! and the last class before I left for the training, we had a special guest interrupt us... A SCREAMING GOAT! Only in Honduras...

The training we had was our 3rd of 5 Youth Development In-Service Trainings, for Business Fundamentals and Improving Math Methodology. Needless to say, I was not thrilled with the topic…. BUT my counterpart was super excited about everything, and I think he is ready to start planning the program in Gracias after Semana Santa. The program is for 5-7th graders, and talks about saving money and how to form your own business (as simple as selling popsicles). The math methodology was separate from the business program, and we learned lots of different ways to MAKE MATH FUN! That part was actually really useful for me- hopefully I will be able to make use of it in site, but if not, definitely back in the states.

We had the training at this gorgeous university campus called Zamorano- it’s a hands on agricultural college with lots of land, friendly people and an Espresso Americano. I always love getting to spend all week with the other youthies… it’s a nice reminder than we’re not in this alone. As integrated as one can be in their Peace Corps community, there is something to be said about empathy, and how far it goes. Your community members can sympathize with the challenges that come along with leaving your home/family/friends/culture/language for two years, but it’s other volunteers who truly understand. I also had an unexpected extended stay in Teguz for some medical appointments (which ended up taking the entire week)… since I live so far away, I am hardly ever in the office, so I was finally able to learn my way around. And while I was there, as horrifying as that city is, I definitely felt taken care of by the PC staff (the doctors, admn, my project team, etc). They were all so wonderful and genuinely cared- this is my first post-graduation full time work experience, so I don’t know if most jobs are like that, but it’s nice to know that other people have your back.

A quick side note about littering… I was on the bus on my way back, sitting by the window, clutching some garbage I had collected in one hand, and a book in the other, when two different people, one sitting next to me and the other in front of me, said “permiso” (excuse me), and reached across me to throw their trash out the window of the bus. This poor country is covered with chip bags, empty coke bottles, wrappers, etc. Of course, it’s hard to cultivate the mentality of putting your trash in the trash can when most of the time there are no trash cans, but still, something can be done. I almost wanted to say to these people, if they treat their country like a dump, it will ALWAYS be a dump. But then it all comes back to lack of education, which isn’t an excuse but certainly offers an explanation. Visiting Danli I saw “Demuestra su educacion, ponga la basura en su lugar” (Show your education, put the trash in it’s place) written on walls…. I am going to see if maybe we can make some sort of mural at the Youth Center with that same phrase.

That is all for now.... take care, love Lisa.

So, the teacher’s strike continues. This is week three, and the school year just started about five weeks ago. Why are the striking? Some say it’s because the government is taking their retirement money. Some say it’s because they haven’t been paid since last year. Some say it’s because there is talk of privatizing public education. But most say that they honestly don’t know. Teachers, who have more or less abandoned their classes two weeks into the school year, after last year when their students lost 2 full months of classes, are unable to give you a legitimate reason for the indefinite strike. That is not to say that they don’t have the right to be upset… though I don’t understand the ins and outs of Honduran politics, I can empathize with them in the sense that they are not being treated justly by the government. Do I, however, think that is a justification for a nation wide teacher’s strike that began before the teacher’s unions even tried negotiating with the government? Absolutely not. It’s a messy situation, but robbing the future of this country of their right to an education is probably the worst way to solve things… talk about hindering development! (photo to the left is a school without students- looks abandoned!)

A lot of Youth volunteers find themselves at a loss during the strikes, as many of us are assigned to the schools. No school no work. I am not assigned to a single school, and as grateful as I am for that, I am still hard pressed to stay busy. During strikes, kids sometimes seem to disappear, and forget about trying to train teachers because they don’t want to hear it. There were 27 teachers signed up to take a course about teaching English and methodology with me, and not one showed up to the introduction meeting last week. Thankfully my IHNFA kids still come, since that’s their only opportunity to eat decent meals! My counterpart that went with me to the Yo Merezco training (self-esteem/abstinence program for girls) came back super excited to start the program, which was wonderful! We’ve been waiting to see how the strike pans out, as we had a proposal all set for the public schools, but since it’s looking like it could be a while, we are going to try and start it with one of the private bilingual schools in town.

Yesterday I went on the radio to talk to an audience of about 5,000 about respect, and how in such a beautiful community with such hospitable people, it is a shame to see such a lack of it, especially towards women, when you walk down the street. I pleaded with parents to talk to their children about how they should treat everyone with dignity and respect, because unfortunately the examples that they see on the streets are giving the opposite message. And I asked mototaxi drivers to be more careful and responsible, because when they turn around while driving to cat-call girls, they could very easily hit a child, or a dog, or drive off the road- it’s dangerous! I was nervous about offending people so I made equal commentary about how great the people I know here are, and I thanked them for taking care of me and treating me like part of their family, and that working with their kids has been the best job I have ever had, then I asked them to work together with me to try and break this vicious cycle, maybe not in Honduras as a whole, but at least within our community. I also didn’t say my name, nor did I say I was affiliated with Peace Corps, nor any other details that could give me away- they just knew I was a North American volunteer. There are plenty of foreigners that pass through my town that I am not worried, and afterwards, the guy in charge of the radio thanked me so much and he said I delivered my message perfectly, it was something people needed to hear, and no one should be offended. Then he said I could come back any time! If these strikes continue, I might take him up on his offer and give some parenting charlas via the radio.

My colgate program is off and running! I have never seen kids so excited about brushing their teeth! In the States, it’s a chore for most kids, but here, for most of them it’s the first time they’ve ever had a toothbrush, and we make it fun, so they LOVE IT! While they brush, I sing, and they shake their hips to the beat, and it’s the most adorable thing I have ever seen. PLEASE everyone at home, switch to colgate for your dental hygiene products! They donate so many brushes and toothpaste every year to kids in developing countries, it is such a fabulous program! I have always been an avid aquafresh endorser (tri-colored toothpaste, how could you NOT endorse that?), but now I feel inclined to switch too.

That is about it for now… hopefully the teachers reach an agreement of some sort with the government soon…. this is RIDICULOUS. In the meantime, I continue teaching good dental health habits, doing story hour and reading/writing activities, pressuring the local government to give me money so I can start Yo Merezco in the private schools, and contemplating what to do with my new found power at the radio station. Also, I just booked my flight home for August!!! I will land in Red Sox Nation August 9th in time to fulfill my maid of honor duties as my big sister gets married!!

March 1st, 2011, marked 50 years of the existence of the United States Peace Corps. I was in the middle of a training, so I haven't been able to post a commemorative blog entry until now.

The Peace Corps is celebrating 50 years of service this month, and Honduras was one of the first PC countries, so we will be celebrating 50 years of Peace Corps in Honduras in a few months.

Here are bits and pieces from a recent article:

Peace Corps: A Program for the 21st Century

"If the president proposed a program today that was cost-effective, inspired public service, trained Americans for 21st century jobs, strengthened our interests abroad, countered anti-American propaganda and had bipartisan support, we would consider it miraculous. Yet, we already have a program that does all those things. Today is the 50th anniversary of the executive order signed by President John F. Kennedy that established the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, much of the discussion about the program recently seems to be stuck in a time warp. Supporters and detractors alike talk about the Peace Corps as if it were a 1960s-era program -- a disservice because it's actually more modern than many realize.

When the Peace Corps started, many thought government could do just about anything: send a man to the moon, win the Cold War, and end poverty. The Peace Corps was born of that optimism. Although poverty remains far too pervasive, having sent a man to the moon and won the Cold War, we know that some of those ideas weren't entirely fanciful.

Today, we live in a far more cautious time, which blurs the fact that the Peace Corps makes every bit as much sense now as it did in 1961. To start, it's a remarkably cost-effective program. In its entire 50-year history, we have spent less money on the Peace Corps than one percent of the defense budget for just this year, approximately $7 billion in 2011. Given that, the Peace Corps is less than a rounding error in the U.S. budget. Yet, it supports 8,600 volunteers in 76 countries and directly affects at least one million lives each year.

......

The Peace Corps helps Americans know the world as it is and as it is becoming. In today's interconnected world we need to know how the world really works, especially in developing countries where there are myriad emerging business opportunities. Basically, the Peace Corps is a 21st century job-training program. It provides the kind of training in language, adaptability, working in foreign cultures that simply can't be taught in business school because to truly understand the world you have to live as others do, seeing the world as they do.

.........

There are very few programs today that can bring both parties together, yet the Peace Corps is popular with both Republicans and Democrats and enjoys bipartisan support in Congress. It's also been touted by Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

It is almost inconceivable to think of a program that could do all of this on such a small budget. So today, on its golden anniversary, let's take a moment to commemorate the Peace Corps as a modern-day initiative and recognize its successes over the last five decades. President Kennedy created a valuable program that was amazing in 1961, and is still remarkable 50 years later."

Kevin F. F. Quigley (Thailand 76-79) is president of the National Peace Corps Association

Here is a link to a video from youtube of President Kennedy proposing the Peace Corps, almost exactly 50 years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOQ85OEZhWg

Some not so pleasant things have happened to some volunteers in Honduras as of late (there are always safety incidents, but there were some serious incidents in the past few months) so our Safety and Security team decided to make a visit to each region and invite PCVs to come talk about what’s been happening, reiterate strategies on how to keep yourself safe, what kind of services are available if we need them, and just reach out and remind us that we have their support and that our safety during service is a priority. Our awesome Safety and Security director (photographed to the left with me at our Swearing In Ceremony) came out west to meet the 15 or so volunteers out here, with the new Country Director (each country has a US citizen that’s more or less “in charge” of the Peace Corps program in that country) and we had a really good talk- sure, nothing we heard was new, it was pounded into our heads during training how to minimize our risk, but it’s nice to feel supported, and have an opportunity to express safety concerns with people who are facing the same challenges daily.

I still haven’t seen the ABC 20/20 Special (thanks Dad and Gina for recording it- please save it until August!) but after reading some feedback about it, it seems that there was a bias against Peace Corps Safety and Security, and perhaps that was the case for the incidents highlighted in the special, but I just want to emphasize to everyone back home that each country has their own staff, and yes, there is the overarching umbrella of Peace Corps Washington, but you cannot generalize anything in Peace Corps because every country is SO different. I am so so so proud to say that I have absolute confidence in the security measures taken by the Peace Corps staff in Honduras, and I feel like I have a whole family here that has my back.

The truth is, as “gringos” (slang term for people from the states) we will ALWAYS stand out, and therefore always be more of a target for extra attention, be it positive or negative. That is a risk we are made aware of during training, and even before that during the application process, and it’s a risk we know we are taking by continuing our service in country. But… the same things that happen in host countries happen all over the world…. And you have to keep living your life otherwise what will you accomplish living in fear all the time? Yes, maybe safety/security incidents are more highly concentrated given Honduras is the size of, what, Massachusetts? Maybe a little bigger… but underneath all that is a place with wonderful people (though sometimes its hard to find the motivated ones!) who WANT to better themselves, their lives, and their children’s lives. Should the kids I work with be denied the opportunity to learn how/why they should brush their teeth? Of course not… If the overall safety of volunteers in a host country is compromised due to intentional targeting of US citizens or foreigners will we still continue to put ourselves at risk? Of course not… if we can’t be safe, we can’t do our jobs. What we can do right now is take all of the preventative measures we’ve been taught, hope for the best, be honest with PC staff about any concerns we have, and utilize the people who are here to help us (staff, other volunteers, community members, counterparts, trustworthy host country friends).

On a more positive note, school’s back in session! Which means kids are easier to find! Which means I will be busy again very soon! And next week we (Youth Development) have our second in service training for a self-esteem/abstinence based sex ed program called Yo Merezco (for pre-teen/early adolescent girls)… a happily welcomed reunion with some of my best friends! Not to mention I really want to implement this program so it will be a useful training.

These pictures are of valentine necklaces we made last week!

I hope I wasn’t too much of a Debbie Downer with the security talk- the point of the post was to reassure everyone that Peace Corps takes volunteer safety extremely seriously, and that I feel 100% support from in-country staff, and that our Safety/Security director is awesome. And in case anyone saw the 20/20 special last month and has been concerned since. But! I am doing well in my community, and have a super safe housing situation. And i take my whistle with me when i am traveling far!

Love and miss you all, I hope the snow melts away and the sun comes out!

Things have still been somewhat slow due to “summer vacation” but as of yesterday there were some exciting things happening in the West of Honduras! We got a visit from the President, Pepe Lobo, the President of Congress Juan Orlando (who is originally from Gracias, my site), the ambassador of the United States Hugo Llorens, and the head honcho of US-AID in Honduras. They met in La Campa, a little town outside of Gracias, to sign a 5 year, 82 million dollar plan to start agriculture/renewable energy projects in the Occidente, which includes my department of Lempira, and also the departments of Ocotopeque and Copan. This is the poorest area in the country, and Lempira is supposedly the poorest department, so they are going to try and help boost production and commercial trade and things of that sort.

The night before the big event, the other volunteers in Gracias/outside Gracias met with the ambassador and the US-AID folks for dinner and the most fancy hotel in town, and that’s when they invited us to come along to meet the president the next day! I made special Valentines to give to the president and the ambassador- I think they really liked them! The president gave me a second hug for it (the first being when I asked if we could take a picture together) and he put it safely inside one of his folders so he wouldn’t lose it. And the ambassador laughed and got glitter all over himself. Ah, the smiles that simple glitter can bring to peoples lives.

As far as Honduran politics go... i'm still confused... people here either aren't interested, or are extremely passionate for one political party... the problem is finding out the facts... someone will say they don't this person because s/he's done a lot of harm to Hondurans... but asking for details and specific instances is like going around in circles. Pepe Lobo became president after the former president, Mel Zelaya was taken out of the country in his pajamas last year... People are either still upset about what happened to Mel, or grateful to have Pepe. As a Peace Corps volunteer i am suppose to stay neutral and not take a political stand either way, but there is no harm in finding out why people feel the way they feel, though that's proven harder than you'd think.

The whole series of events was a nice reminder about why I joined Peace Corps… not to meet important people in my host country, but to build ties with community members and let the skills that I have help them in whatever way they can, be it big or small. US-AID wants to collaborate with peace corps volunteers in the future, because although they have the money to fund projects, we have the community ties to motivate the people to get involved. After dinner, the ambassador told us how proud he was to see such dedicated volunteers representing the United States, and that we reflect the best of our country… maybe it’s true, maybe it’s an exaggeration, but hearing him say that to us certainly recharged my batteries, and made me more than ready for summer vacation to end so I can get back to work (I HAVE been working this whole time, just not on specific projects, as apparently a lack of school means a lack of youth… something I will try harder to combat next year).

After being in site for 5 months, I feel like I’ve graduated phase two of peace corps service, phase one being training, and phase two being integrating into your community. I’ve gotten to know my organizations and have a good idea of what their needs are. I’ve already done some projects, but these ones that I’ll start in the coming months will mean more now that I know who I’m working with. And I have enough confidence now that if I see that something isn’t working, I can try to change the focus or implementation of it without thinking that I’m giving up on the original plan. Sometimes in Peace Corps, it’s better not to have such a rigid plan…

It’s wonderful having a hammock. Just sayin’.

Annnd my parents are on a Caribbean cruise right now (which unfortunately does not stop in Honduras)… I wish them a fabulous vacation…

Last week I went to visit Erica in her pueblito of 300 people, up on a mountain in Comayagua! It was fun to see the difference between rural peace corps life and urban peace corps life…. both have their positives and negatives of course. Everyone in her community knows her, she walks around and gets invited in for a snack, and she has breathtaking views. Certainly not everyone in MY community knows me, I walk around and usually see familiar faces but don’t exactly go from house to house, but I have a lot of resources available, and my views are still pretty nice! It was really good to see her, though, and to get a taste of life out in the campo.

And now, I’m just getting back from Reconnect! Which is kind of like a right of passage for new volunteers I feel…. We’ve accomplished the first 5 months of service, and our “freshman” status is starting to wear off… of course we will still be the babies until the next training class comes….. but they come at the end of the month!

What is Reconnect? When PCVs from the same project get together for a weeklong workshop that includes partial training with Honduran counterparts, then the rest of the week is spent with the Youth Development team, including volunteers from the group that came in the year before us. The first part of the week focused on reading strategies for primary schools, including how to read stories (sounds basic to us but necessary for our work partners), fun activities to promote literacy, and overall how to get kids excited about reading. Then we went into dental hygiene, which we all already did in training, but it was more for our counterparts. After they left, we switched gears and spent the rest of the time sharing ideas and talking about projects. We met the new Country Director (each country has one, a US citizen that is, more or less, in charge of the Peace Corps program for that country)… I got really good vibes from her! She talked to us like co-workers, and really sent the message that we were all working for the same team. And we also met the other “senior” youthies, which was nice, they had a lot of wisdom to bestow upon us newbies.

I walked away from this workshop with a mobile library in a box that included 75 books, 2 puppets, and some games, 130 toothbruses and toothpastes, 24 english manuals, and a cute pink construction paper pig puppet I made!

It was absolutely wonderful to see the other YD volunteers though… we are such a diverse group, but they are my family here, and I couldn’t imagine getting through service without them. I am so lucky to have met such FABULOUS people, who are there for me even if I carry the whistle Juan Carlos gave us around my neck, and who will humor me by wearing “COMO ESTAN MUY BIEN” necklaces that I made for them out of paper.

And now I am working with my counterparts to come up with a plan for the next few months…there is a lot to do, and I have a lot of ideas…. Hopefully we can ponernos de acuerdo!

I also bought a hammock! And my landlord helped me put it up, and it’s a much more pleasurable experience to write a blog entry from a hammock than it is from a bench or a bed!

Sending all my love to snowy new england, miss you all!

love, lisa

There comes a time

When we head a certain call

When the world must come together as one

There are people dying

And it's time to lend a hand to life

The greatest gift of all

We can't go on

Pretending day by day

That someone, somewhere will soon make a change

We are all a part of

God's great big family

And the truth, you know love is all we need

Send them your heart

So they'll know that someone cares

And their lives will be stronger and free

As God has shown us by turning stone to bread

So we all must lend a helping hand

2010 certainly brought a lot of wonderful things to my life, though it took it’s emotional toll as well. Good things: I got into the Peace Corps, went to Disney World with Courtney, graduated college, became a Peace Corps volunteer, moved to Central America, met a lot of awesome people, came to appreciate everything the United States has to offer, improved my Spanish, and surprised my family for Christmas! Not so good things: lost my beloved puppy Bailey, spent way too much time at the dentist, had to say goodbye to my family and friends for 2 years, suddenly lost my uncle (one of my favorite people in the world) way before his time was up….

All in all, it was a year of change, growth, and new experiences. I’m anxious to see what Honduras has to throw at me in 2011… bring it on!

How was my first Honduran Christmas, you ask? Well… it was spent in the US! Though I had planned to spend it here, about a week before Christmas, my Auntie Rita emailed me and asked if I would be able to come home for Chrismtas… given everything that had recently happened she thought it would be a good way to lift everyone’s spirits as we all try to make it through without a very integral member of our family… she offered to buy my tickets and suggested we keep it a surprise! I got the ok from Peace Corps and landed in Boston late on the 23rd, where I utilized our outstandingly clean and safe public transportation system to go out of the city and meet my aunt and cousin. We decided rather than surprising everyone so late, we’d wait until the morning… and that we did… we waited until 5am before we headed over to my parents house (who were convinced my aunt showed up so early to give them a puppy for Christmas!)… we forcefully woke them up with jingling bells and Christmas carols, then we decided on how to surprise my sister who recently moved into her own house. We all drive out to where my sister lives, megaphone and all, and I start singing Dominic the Donkey outside her bedroom window… after 20 minutes she finally comes to the door! For a reenactment of her eyes popping out of her head, watch the video I posted on facebook!

It was a wonderful holiday… so much fun surprising the rest of my family! They laughed, cried, screamed, poked me to make sure I was real….. I extended my originally short (3 day) trip by a few days thanks to the giant snow storm we got, and was able to stay through New Years. Ohhh the snow…. How magical!!!! I’ve always loved snow. I’m so glad I got to be snowed in for a day. I got to see my sister's new house, meet my new beautiful snugly baby cousin Anna (congrats again, Pat, Lynne and Michelle!), eat, drink and be merry! Aaaannnnd the night before my early flight back my sister barges in my room and turns on my light at 12:30am (my alarm was set for 4 so I could get to the airport on time… I thought she decided she wanted to drive me in and that I had overslept or something) TO SHOW ME HER ENGAGEMENT RING!!!! Yay Gina!!!! And Mike!!!! A perfect way to end a perfect trip home.

So… being back in the states after living in a developing country for 6 months…. Overwhelming to say the least! But I realized all I’ve taken advantage of over the years… public transportation, public restrooms, public services in general, customer service, not guarding your house with a giant wall/gate/bars/etc, dogs inside houses, safe drivers (that’s a big statement to make since I’m from Mass where we are called massholes mostly for our horrid driving… but its nothing like being in a mototaxi here in Honduras, believe me), good roads, hot water with excellent pressure, fresh clothes from the dryer…. I could go on, but I won’t bore you listing all of the things you see and do everyday… when I walked into a grocery store for the first time my sister had to move me along because she was embarrassed as people were staring at my pure awe…

But! I am glad to be back in Honduras, ready to get back to work, start new projects, and hopefully leave my mark on this little town :)

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, and I wish you all luck in the New Year!

All my love,

Lisa

Yes, that’s right… ITS COLD IN HONDURAS! (not all the time though, as shown by this photo, taken mere weeks ago) But what does it mean to be cold here? It means is actually isn’t that cold, maybe 50/60 degrees… but…. Nothing is insulated, houses and buildings are usually missing part of the roof or maybe lack a wall, and this girl didn’t come prepared with proper cooler weather clothing! Don’t take my experience to mean that its “cold” all over the country… actually… it’s not… most parts of Honduras are hot all the time… a lot of my friends from training are still sweating buckets every day… but out west where I am, we experience a more “fresco” climate… which is much more pleasant and bearable that hot all the time with no escape (just like there is no insulation, there is also no air conditioning).

I went to a Ropa Americana store last week to get a few scarves and another sweatshirt… the sweatshirt is great, I’m pretty sure it was part of a two piece set that perhaps someone’s grandmother wore to go power walking in… its velvety, and I thought it was pink, which is why I chose it, but in some lights it looks more red… Oh, and thanks to some wonderful people back home (mom and Courtney) I’ve received some warm pajamas. Thanks! I do also think that my blood has thinned out since being here... a girl who grew up in the frigid winters of New England shivers along with her Honduran neighbors saying "que frio!" when it's 60 degrees? Excuse me?

This have been going well, a bit more tranquilo since its “summer break.” I’m still working on building the support group for pregnant adolescents, trucking through Yo Se Leer, which is going slower than anticipated because you can’t teach sounds to kids if they can’t identify the letters, but that’s ok, I’ve got time and they need the basics. Funny how the usage of the phrase “the basics” gets put into perspective when you’re working in a place like this… not just syllables and vowels… but literally, one letter at a time. My English class ends this week- I can’t believe how much I have enjoyed teaching adults English… I have to admit I wasn’t thrilled about the idea in the beginning, but I had a blast! And it was great practice for when I give the course to teachers in a few months. I was also approached 3 times last week for "psychological" advice... because i'm a psychologist, right? Well,I told all three of these people that per PC rules, I can't give medical advice, because I'm here as a Youth Development Volunteer, not as a psychologist, however I would certainly talk to them "informally." It went well, I was so happy these people trusted me enough to confide in me.... ayy i thought maybe this experience would help me narrow down what I want to do with my life, but it seems to be giving me more ideas instead....

World AIDS day was December 1st, there was a parade (I marched with the Youth Center) and presentation at the park. HIV/AIDS awareness is all over the place, which is good, because out of all of Central America, I believe I read the Honduras has the highest rate….. basically you have to preach protecting yourself, and fidelity. However with the teen pregnancy rates, it’s clear that not everyone is practicing safe sex.

Working with my counterpart from the youth center has been wonderful... i am the third volunteer she's worked with, so she understands Peace Corps goals, and is a well-educated, super responsible, motivated person... the Youth Center hasn't had a YD volunteer for a few years too, which is nice because although they reference past volunteers, it was a while ago so i am not continuously being compared to former volunteers (i know a lot of PCVs have trouble with this, especially when they are sent to replace a former volunteer). It is, however, becoming more evident to me the misconception of what international aid should be when I am working at IHNFA. They have not had a long term volunteer, ever. It's a challenge to explain WHY i need to be working WITH personnel at the organization rather than working so someone else doesn't have to. Its normal here for international aid groups to come in, give money or donations, and leave. While that's wonderful if you have the means and you want to give, it doesn't help the long term development of the organization, nor the overall functioning of the country. Its not sustainable. I need to be training and collaborating with Hondurans so that when I leave, hopefully some aspect of their organization will have been improved and will continue to improve in my absence. THATS why Peace Corps service is 2 years.

Que mas! My hotel is all decked out for the holidays, I really appreciate everyone’s contributions from home! My landlady gets a kick out of the things you all send me. I think her favorite was my sequenced Santa Claus sweater that just arrived…. But when I showed it to her, she asked if it was ME!

There was a nice concert at an abandoned church this past weekend…. It was an orchestra and choir from one of the Universities and they did some of my favorite classics, silent night (noche de paz), little drummer boy (nino del tambor), and glooo- ooo ooo ooo, oo oo oooo o ooo, ooo oo o o oooooria. This picture is me and my friend from Argentina (whose here for 2 years working as well) at the concert, with candles for silent night... notice the scarf... and thats my new used sweatshirt! Looks red, right?

And this week the bilingual school is going to have some sort of Christmas show in the park! I’m psyched for that!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season…. Is it snowy?? I don’t suppose I’ll see a white Christmas this year… maybe next year…. Just remember, THE BEST WAY TO SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER IS SINGING LOUD FOR ALL TO HEAR! (I over-quote that, I know, but it speaks the truth!) Speaking of singing…. My site mates, and the other volunteers I’ve asked, have NEVER heard Dominic the Donkey…. ?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Tell me if I am wrong to think it is a fairly popular Christmas song….???

Happy Thanksgiving!!! So… my first big holiday celebrated away from home as come and gone… it was… different. Actually, it was lovely- I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend it if it had to be spent in Honduras. My site mate’s hosted a lovely gathering, with just a few other volunteers from my training class who live near by, and a whole bunch of volunteers that I met for the first time (and a few random Americans who happened to be passing through). There were two turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green bean casserole, a few pies, a cake… all the trimmings! Well, almost all the trimmings…. No NHS football game, eggnog, mulled cider, scrambling to feed Nana before her blood sugar freaks out, chewing like grampy, or pictionary. But, I made “Indian” feather headbands and pilgrim hats for all who chose to wear them, we ate lots of food, we played my trivia game (complete with 4 categories- Thanksgiving, Honduras, Peace Corps and Christmas), and I met lots of awesome people (it’ll be a miracle if I can remember all of their names). OH, and I guess it’s pretty cool that my town is called Gracias (thank you), and that is where we celebrated Dia de Accion de Gracias (Thanksgiving). It was an appropriate location, for sure.

Last week I hosted my first visitors! Monica and Anna (from my Youth Development group) and Anna’s friend who was visiting from the states came and stayed with me for a few nights. It was so much fun to shout COMO ESTAN and get a proper response! We went to the hot springs, and went hiking up Mt. Celaque, the highest peak in Honduras. Yes, we made it to the tippity top….. no… just kidding… we made it to… rest area numero dos… but it was still fun! We took Freckles, my site mate’s puppy and he had a great time! Their visit gave me a chance to figure out the best places to go out to eat in Gracias (I haven’t eaten out much since I’ve been here)- We found a charming little place that also sells hand crafted pottery made right here, and met a super nice lady that makes homemade bread.

Yo Se Leer is off to a good start! I hope the older kids stay through the school vacation- they just had their graduation, though I imagine if they’ve been coming the past two weeks since school ended, they’ll continue to come until the end of vacation. Speaking of graduation… I was invited as a special guest to attend the graduation of the preparatoria class at the kinder located next to IHNFA. These are the kids I did my pre-basica English class with. What a show, it was! Presentation is everything in this culture, from decorations, to graduation caps and robes, fancy invitations and diplomas…. WOW! And, unbeknownst to me, I was invited to sit at the “mesa principal” (principal table, up on the stage, with all the important people). They called my name at the start of the ceremony, and up I went! I got to shake the parents hands and everything!

I’m also starting a support group at the youth center for young girls who are already pregnant. We’ve been doing our prevention campaign, but the reality is that girls are already pregnant, and they have to deal with it. They need support, as mental health resources are far and few between in this country. The doctor we were working with at the Adolescent Clinic called me last week and asked me if I could come to their next pregnant women’s meeting because there was such a rise in teenage attendance. I went, and invited anyone interested to come to the youth center next week for the first meeting of the support group. About 12 young girls (ages 14-20) signed up… we’ll see who shows up this week!

I went hiking the other day to find some other hot springs, and both my phone and my camera died. Completely died. It was sad. I found a cheap phone for 350 lempiras, which is maybe 15 or 20 US dollars…. Lost a bunch of numbers that weren’t saved to my SIM card, but my number is the same! As for my camera…. At least it wasn’t stolen, so I didn’t lose all the pictures on my memory card. My site made lent me her old one to use until I can replace mine, which is WONDERFUL! I am so grateful for that, as I am kind of obsessed with photographing EVERYTHING.

Jorge, our landlord, took my site mate Emina and I to his brother in law’s coffee farm… it’s about an hour away, in the department of Intibuca, out in a little aldea. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a freshly killed chicken hanging upside down from a tree branch. We also got to pick coffee! And I got bit a lot by some little black flies that left me little blood spots all over my legs. Any photos you see from that day should be credited to the artistic work of my site mate Emina.

Oh, happy CHRISTMAS SEASON 2010!!! My Honduran nook is all decorated and ready to go- bulbs hanging from the ceiling fan, garland on the door, lights in and out of the room…. I was making some construction paper/glitter glue decorations and shared the wonder of glitter glue with my landlady Imelda, and the trabajadora Bety (a young girl that lives/cleans here… they call her the “muchacha” but I find that a bit derogatory.. Hondurans either say trabajadora or muchacha as the job title)…. They had never used it before! Cheers to Peace Corps goal number two- to foster a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people’s served!

That’s about it for life in Honduras! It’s weird to be in a tropical climate this time of year… no fallen leaves, no early morning frost, no making donuts out of your breath! It makes it hard to remember that it’s almost December… the changing seasons really keep you on track about what time of the year it is, but now I have to rely on my gut instinct that it IS in fact an appropriate time for Christmas carols and candy canes.

Love, Lisa

Hola! I write this blog entry from my new home, a little nook in the corner of Gracias! I finally made it through five months of host families, and now I can sleep late on the weekends, mosey around and make coffee in my pajamas, and not be embarrassed about it. Little by little, I’m making my room into my home, adorning it with pictures, Christmas decorations, and awesome artificial fall leaves (thanks Mrs. Wooten!!).

Last week marked 2 months in site as an official Volunteer! They both flew by! My counterpart was saying how it feels like just yesterday we were in Teguz for the swearing in ceremony. People tend to say that life as a volunteer has its ups and downs, and sometimes time goes by like *that* but other times it crawls... I think keeping busy helps with making the time go by. Only on the weekends do I usually have hours at a time to do nothing, at which point I welcome the free time (with open arms!).

Things have been busy…. We’ve reached almost 600 high school kids with our campaign against teen pregnancy. With final exams coming up, I think we’re done with the schools until February, but we might expand to Church groups over the school vacation (the school year here starts in Feb, ends in Nov, and Dec/Jan is “summer vacation”). After the last section I did, almost have the group, about twenty 15, 16, 17 and 18 year olds swarmed me for hugs… HUGS! FROM HIGHSCHOOLERS!!! I was SO happy, I know little kids hug all the time, but to earn a hug from a teenager is quite an honor.

A local youth group at a church here in Gracias solicited my help… they sent a letter to the youth center requesting the support of the “psychologist” from the Peace Corps (I've let that one go... so they all think I'm a psychologist, it could be worse). I went last weekend to talk to the older kids about setting goals and making decisions about their future. It was a lot of fun, and at the end one of the girls stood up to formally thank me on behalf of her classmates, and told me that a lot of people come talk to them, but this time, she thinks they will actually apply what I taught them to help themselves in their futures. It was a great bunch of kids, and they meet every Saturday at this church- some are from here in Gracias and others are from outlying aldeas (rural communities). Next weekend I am going back to talk about basically the same topic, just with a younger group.

I’ve been getting all my materials ready to start Yo Se Leer next week! Thinking about how these 6 year olds can’t write their name, or even identify the letter A, puts the lapse in the education system here into perspective. These kids go to school, they just don’t learn because they are not properly taught. I am not saying I know how to teach- far from it! But I do know that memorization and regurgitation won’t get them very far. This isn’t to stereotype all Honduran teachers, I am SURE there are some wonderful teachers, who teach with their hearts. But the reality here is that teenagers can graduate from high school at 17 and be certified to teach when they haven’t themselves had adequate preparation. I love the program I’m about to start because it’s all about early intervention. Even if I only reach a handful of kids, if they are successful in the program, they will go on in school with (hopefully) less difficulties (at least in reading), less frustration, and a higher chance of staying in school longer. The longer they stay in school, the better shot they have at a better future, and the less likely they are to hang out in the streets all day, get involved with gangs and drugs and the like.

My project director is coming next week for my first site visit! Every project has a director in country, and we get periodic visits to see how things are going. I get along well with mine so I’m not too worried, but I’m a bit nervous because it’s like my first Peace Corps test! Eek! It should be fine though, being the first visit, they just want to see that I’m integrating well, and have some sort of plan for the coming months. Please note the book featured in this photo- Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day! My mom sent me some children's books in Spanish! Thanks Mom! This one was one of my favorites growing up... I made the kids at IHNFA shout terrible, horrible, no good, and very bad each time those parts came up (in Spanish, of course). They loved it to pieces.

Oh!!! I want to thank everyone from home for all their support (again)… yesterday I got three packages, filled with awesome supplies that I can use in all my projects! Thank you to everyone whose thought of me, either with a package, letter, card, email, or even a simple facebook check-in- I really appreciate it! And yes, this is a goat, hanging outside the youth center... just... chillin'. No leash. I've seen him around the neighborhood though, I suppose he must live nearby!

That is all for now... miss and love you all! OH! And if you've sent me a card at any point, please know that it has been taped up to the back of my door! :)

I can’t believe it’s already November! I’ve almost been in Gracias for two months (so close to move out day!!). Things are still going really well, a part from the recent family tragedy. This past week was definitely the hardest so far, in the 5 months I’ve been in Honduras. But, life has to go on, I know my uncle would want me to keep doing what I’m doing here. I just got back from a 3-day workshop where I got to see some of my friends from training, and meet other volunteers- it was definitely good timing, and I had such a wonderful time!

Since my last real update…. Emina, the health volunteer in my site, and I, took Gracias by storm for Global Handwashing day! We did ten charlas in two different schools (to second and third graders), the clinic, and IHNFA. It was complete with a glittery dinamica (literally, we put glitter on our hands and shook every ones hands, and showed them how germs spread), intense handwashing information, a demonstration, and a song! We also got a group of kids to come with us to the local radio station and had them sing the song over the radio! Then Emina and I talked about the importance of washing your hands and how it prevents diarrhea and all that jazz.

I met the Presidente del Congreso Nacional (President of the National Congress) at the Youth Center last week. He gave us a huge donation of several computers and desks. I still don’t know a whole lot about him, but he is pretty important in Honduran political life. He’s from Gracias too, which is why he so kindly made the donation. Camera crews were there, and the filmed a question/answer session with him and some youth who attended the ceremony. It was so nice to hear the kids speaking out about the problems in their town and how they want to take some sort of action. There are definitely some motivated youth in this country, it’s just a matter of giving them an opportunity to act.

We launched our campaign about preventing teen pregnancy! We’ve covered almost all of the classes at one of the high schools, and are hoping to get the rest of the other high school classes before final exams start (oh yeah, the school year here goes from Feb-Nov). I did my first one with one of the doctors from the clinic whose helping us out, then I graduated to doing them on my own! I’ve worked so much with little kids the past few years that I’ve forgotten how much fun older kids can be. It feels really good telling them that a girl can get pregnant her first time having sex, and having them be shocked but so relieved that someone told them. In this picture, that group is shouting out their response to a pressure frase... so one group yells out something like "everyone does it!" and then the other group responds with something like "Well i'm not everyone, i'm me... etc"... its one of my favorite dinamicas! they get so into it.

Everything’s going well with my English class… they seem to be learning… and want to sing We Are the World (in English)! Apparently there’s a Spanish version, and it’s their favorite song (mine too!).

And with the little munchkins at IHNFA.... I found out none of the 5,6 or 7 year olds can write their letters, never mind their names.. so I’ve been working with a small group of the older kids, having them trace, copy, and write their own letters and names. I just talked to the director and I am going to start Yo Se Leer, Youth Development’s literacy tutoring program… probably within the coming weeks.

The training I went to was for a program called Yo Tambien Merezco, a self-esteem, abstinence, masculinity program for boys between 11-15 years old (Yo Merezco was started for the girls, and this is the boy’s equivalent). We spent 3 days in Santa Rosa de Copan, about an hour from my site, staying at a nice hotel, getting free food, and participating in a really good workshop! It was run by 3 health volunteers (I hope sometime I get to run a workshop! Maybe one on dinamicas, or how to make up songs), and I got to meet several current PCVs along with reuniting with some of my own training group. Like I said, it was really good timing to see Stacie and yell COMO ESTAN!, stay busy learning about something I love, to have access to Café Americano, and to buy some Christmas decorations! As part of the training, we did a practica in a school- here is the picture of the group of boys I worked with, along with Jessica another volunteer, and three Honduran community members (each PCV was required to bring a community partner... Peace Corps rule... for sustainability reasons).

Moving day is coming up! This time next week I should be nestled in my little nook… my host family is taking me tomorrow to buy a mini-refre and a microwave. You can probably tell how excited I am to move out, but I want to reiterate that it’s nothing to do with my host family, they have been so wonderful- they give me privacy/space, but also talk to me and try to help me out. I’ll miss them, but I need my OWN space, even though it’s just going to be a little room, it will be my room.

That’s all for now… please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers… they are going through a really rough time…. and enjoy the crispiness that is November in New England!

When tragedy strikes at home and you can't be there is when Peace Corps service is hard. I am sending all my prayers to my family, and hope that they know that I would be there if I could.

...As God calls us one by one, the chain will link again...

It's hard to believe that I've been a Peace Corps volunteer for one month, and have been in Honduras for nearly four! Everything is going well... work has picked up quite a bit, and I would dare to say that I am actually busy! I am officially an English teacher, as my class began last week (I have a desk, a manual, and a box for questions/suggestions that I decorated with tissue paper!).

With one month down, I'd like to take a minute to share some of the positive and negative parts of my experience thus far!

Things I love…

Gracias. What a beautiful, quaint little town. Yeah, it has it’s flaws, like some not so nice neighborhoods, crazy moto-taxi drivers that can’t drive, and 2 hour lines at the bank, but it makes up for it with it’s mountains, hot springs, decent internet connection, almost-iced coffee, semi-consistent diet coke availability at the local grocery store, and friendly faces. I really was bummed when I found out I was going to a bigger site, but of all bigger sites I could have been sent to, I am so glad it was here.

People. Every time I walk down the street, I get a slew of “Adios!”’s, “Que le vaya bien!”’s (literally translates to, that you go well…) and smiles from complete strangers. When I know the person, they like to stop me and kiss me on the cheek. In a bigger town I expected the people to be more reserved and less friendly, which I trust that they are in comparison to the little villages of a few hundred people. But I am still pleasantly surprised.

Mis niñ@s. The kids I have been working with are absolutely wonderful. They are so full of life and have so much energy! Its hard, working with kids from such rough backgrounds, but for the hugs alone, it’s worth it. It takes me 10 minutes to walk through IHNFA when I get there everyday because everyone runs up to hug me, tell me about their day, show me what they can do on the tire, and basically block the rout to get to where the nanny is. And when I leave, I hear “ADIOS LISA!!!!” echoed all the way down the street. I haven’t been doing as much direct work with the older kids at the youth center, so it’s been slower getting to know them, but they seem just as wonderful as the little ones.

My Work. Ok, it’s only been a month, and I still am not exactly sure what I will be focusing on for the next two years, but as a whole, I love the Youth Development initiative. I love that I was assigned to two completely different organizations- little kids and big kids/adults! Of course my comfort zone is with the little ones, but I am so excited to work more with other kids… I think it will be really good for me. I started an English class last week for youth/adult volunteers at the youth center, and this week we are starting to campaign against teen-pregnancy at two of the high schools in Gracias. In the near future they want me to do some leadership/self-esteem workshops with the youth as well. With the little kids right now, I go regularly and do recreational/educational activities with them (along with an English class once a week with the kinder class). In a few months we will start the Dental Health program and some workshops for their parents (which they desperately need…).

Peace Corps Network. Although we spread out all over Honduras, it’s so nice to know that there is a group of people doing the same thing, facing the same challenges and adapting to the same culture. I miss everyone from my training class, but in a few months we will be able to travel and see each other. Yay! It’s also nice having site mates- especially in a big site. It’s nice running into them in the street, watching tv shows/movies in English, and being able to complain about frustrations that only North Americans would face in Honduras. We also have the option of teaming up for projects… (I don’t think there is anything I can add to the business or water/sanitation projects, but Emina is a Health volunteer… health + youth is a good combination!) And with Thanksgiving and Christmas (!!!) just around the corner, it will be completely necessary to turn to these people- otherwise I’d be doing Christmas crafts and singing carols by myself! (Which I do anyways, but I’d like to have the option of sharing the festivities).

Challenges…

Food. Despite having access to my host family’s kitchen, I really don’t feel comfortable cooking in it. It’s hard when they’re home trying to cook at the same time I’m hungry. There’s not a whole lot of space, and there’s no getting rid of the bugs, so I’m going to hold tight on cooking until I get my own place. I do, however, have some space to store food, so I’m surviving… just… not with the most well balanced diet. What do I eat? Well, the ‘mini-supers’ (little ‘grocery’ stores) sell cereal! In smaller towns/villages, you can pretty much only find cornflakes (the name brand, and several Central American varieties) … but in Graicas, they have a pretty decent variety of cereals imported from the States. Sadly, they are a bit more expensive, and given my Peace Corps budget, in true Honduran fashion, I buy cornflakes, the national cereal. I’ve also gone overboard with sandwiches. I managed to find wheat bread here, and some semi-decent cheese… throw that with the cucumbers I get from the fruit stand and there’s my lunch! And thanks to my wonderful family from home, I’ve been able to have peanut butter and jelly, or, my favorite, peanut butter and nutella! Once a week I usually buy a pineapple, and when I pass by the fruit stands I try to pick up a banana or avocado. There are some places nearby that sell balleadas (a typical Honduran appetizer, that is a flour tortilla with refried beans, cheese and mantequilla inside)… something that in the States, I never would have chosen, but they’re not bad! Especially when you’re hungry. They also sell little tacos, which are delicious, and there is another place that sells pupusas, which I don’t know quite where to begin explaining what those are… basically a thick tortilla with cheese inside? And I think you can order them with meat inside as well. Buuuttt as you can see…. We are lacking in veggies and protein…. Once I have my own kitchen I’ll be able to buy, wash, neatly cut up and store more vegetables. Until then… I accept every dinner invitation offered to me!

Apartment Searching. What a headache! I am sure it will all work out, but at this point I’m getting mostly “Well, this person should be leaving soon, come back in a few weeks”’s or, “Come back a week before you’re ready, and I’ll show you what I’ve got”’s. That’s how they do it here… but I like to plan ahead… needless to say it’s slightly frustrating. But everyone I work with has been super helpful, they are all talking to people they know to see if they can find me something within my budget. I have one more month where I have to stay with my host family, but I don’t have to leave right away either. If I don’t find something within this month, I won’t be homeless. Just restless.

“This is Lisa, the psychologist.” Ok, we all know I am not a psychologist… so why does everyone here seem to think so? Because “Soy licenciada en psicología” (I have my bachelor’s in psychology) translates to being a psychologist by Honduran standards. Though I don’t know for sure, I assume the way you become a psychologist here is just a matter of a few years at the University… they don’t understand that a degree in psychology from the States is just that, a degree, and to be a psychologist requires grad school. In the beginning I tried explaining that, but still, people refer to me as the psychologist from the Peace Corps. It’s not really a big deal, but I feel like they are giving me credit I don’t deserve, and I am worried about what they will ask of me in the future! After every introduction, they always respond with a concerned head nod and say “Oh good, our kids here have a lot of problems.” Ay. The confusion about my profession only happens when my counterpart introduces me (which she always does, though I’ve told her I’d like to introduce myself, I think I have enough Spanish for it…) and I can’t jump in quick enough to take over the introduction. I tell people I just graduated from college, I studied Spanish and Psychology, and have worked extensively in two different preschools. It’s hard answering the question “What do you do?” when actually I haven’t done anything! Peace Corps is my first professional, post-graduate step!

What I miss from home….

Family and friends, of course. Hot showers. Mostly bug-free homes. Real grocery stores- being able to mosey down the spacious aisles without being bombarded with people who work there (“Que desea? Que quiere?- Leave me be, I’m browsing!). Driving. My wardrobe. My bed with oodles of blankets and pillows and easy access to the bathroom without the mosquito net obstacle in the way. Customer service. Iced coffee. The option to take a bubble bath. My black tips (if the ends of my hair were black here, I don't think they'd let me work with their youth).

I am sure that within the coming months, all three of these lists (loves, challenges, and things I miss) will continue to grow... Hopefully with more challenges, I'll find ways of dealing with them. And with each aspect of home that I miss, hopefully I will find one new thing to love about Honduras :)

Oh! I also updated my wish list (over to the right). No pressure, just something to think about ::flashes hundred watt smile:: Thanks for the puppy, Sarah!

I hope everyone is well... send me updates on your lives (email/facebook)... Enjoy the turning leaves... Oh! Go apple picking for me! And brew some cider... Hasta la proxima!

Love, Lisa

Well…I turned 23 in Honduras! After not thinking I would have much of a celebration this year, with only being in site for 2 weeks and not knowing anyone, it turned out to be quite the day! Hondurans love birthdays. I think it’s because they love cake (and any excuse to take a break from work). They found out it was my birthday at IHNFA, so this morning I was told to come in early for a meeting with my counterpart… there was no meeting. They wanted me to come in early, and had me do my English class with the older kids first thing (I was going to do it around 10), and then we had a party! Complete with a piñata (it wouldn’t have been a Honduran party without a piñata) and cake! The kids went nuts- it was adorable. Later in the afternoon, my counterpart at the youth center bought me a cake too.And then, my site mate Kalin made baked mac’n’cheese (my favorite meal from home) for dinner! And cupcakes. And when they sang happy birthday, Bert (other site mate) played his banjo. And later on, I got an uber snuggle from their dog Freckles (pecas). It was a good day! And thank you for all of the emails and facebook birthday wishes, I really appreciate knowing that even though I’m far away, no one’s forgotten me yet!

Oh, and after singing the happy birthday song in Spanish a few times, and going to a few birthday celebrations, I’d like to share with you what they sing at the end of the song, instead of ‘how old are you now, how old are you now…’….

Ya queremos pastel, ya queremos pastel (now we want cake)

Aunque sea un pedacito (even though its a small piece)

Ya queremos pastel (now we want cake)

Y coca-cola también (and coke-a-cola too)

Los viejitos, café (the old people, coffee!)

They like to joke about how i am a viejita because I love coffee so much, but then i remind them that EVERYONE in their country drinks copious amounts of coffee. All the time.

I can’t believe another year has gone by… I remember last year at this time I was just filling out my Peace Corps application! Essays, fingerprints, background checks…. I was just starting the whole process (that, mind you, dragged on until the middle of May). Next year at this time, I will be (hopefully) finishing up one year in site, and then two years from now I should be back in the states, frantically looking for a job. It’s crazy to think ahead like that! I won’t get ahead of myself just yet… we will take it one day, one project at a time.

Work finally seems to be falling into place (sort of). At least, at this point I feel like I have something to do. At IHNFA, all the kids know me and run to greet me when I arrive. They scream my name if they’re outside when I walk by the building. I don’t run into a lot of them just walking around Gracias because most of them come from neighborhoods on the outskirts of the town, but when I do, I feel like a celebrity. And the nanny told me yesterday that she has really seen a significant improvement in some of the kids since I started. The ones that wouldn’t talk nor smile before are full of life when I come. Whether that’s true or not, I’m not sure, but at the very least, it means I’m starting to gain confianza (trust) in the people I work with, which is an essential part of our jobs as volunteers.

My two big projects involving IHNFA (Colgate and TEAM) won’t start until the school year starts fresh (February), so for the time being, I have been working with the nanny doing recreational games during the afternoons. A lot of following directions, gross motor skills, working together kinds of things (sounds simple, but they need reinforcement with all of that). Oh, and when I say “nanny” I don’t mean to be disrespectful, she is more than a nanny, in fact if it weren’t for her (and me) the kids would do absolutely nothing all afternoon but wander around outside unsupervised, but her title is la niñera, which translates to nanny in English.

I am also doing simple English classes with the oldest of the preschool classes once a week. Peace Corps really emphasizes sustainability, and that is how TEAM (teaching English and methodology) was created, to teach teachers how to teach English. Me giving classes directly to the kids is not sustainable, but I agreed for two reasons: to build confidence with the teachers/get to know the kids, AND to show them what its like to teach English. They all want to be a part of the TEAM class but they’re so nervous about it! Having them observe me teaching English I hope will relax them and show them that they too can do it. After each class I sit with them all and give them a mini-lesson of what I just did with the kids (shockingly when I finish it’s time for a recess for all three classes so the teachers are available). I told them I could only do the class for the rest of this school year because after that it will be their turn to do it.

With the youth center, we are working on a campaign about preventing teen (and pre-teen) pregnancy… it’s something they had planned for earlier this year but with the month long strike, it hasn’t happened yet. I’m kind of just along for the ride, seeing how they are going about planning and organizing. I think the end result will be us (casa de la juventud) teaming up with the nursing school, world vision (an NGO), and the local clinic to give charlas (a Spanish word I have yet to find a direct translation for.. like… informative lectures? Speeches?) to high school aged students. I love the idea, and have some good materials to share (101 ways to make love without having sex), I just hope all the talking about planning turns into actually planning at some point in the near future! Oh! And I got my own desk! I wonder how long it will take before it’s all scuffed up with marker stains….

Next week I am scheduled to start giving an English class there as well. My counterpart wanted to get a class together for the people most involved at the center, so they can support others in learning English. A lot of English, I know… I didn’t realize everyone wanted to learn it! I am going to give this class over 2-3 months, until sometime in December. This will give me good practice, too, for when I start the class with the teachers. Although I’m using a different manual, I’ve never taught English before, so I could use a test run!

Cuando se va la luz…. When the light goes out…. People go about their business as normal… the other day, the light went out for the entire day (it was announced beforehand, they were working on something.. I never heard the announcement but people knew it was going to be out all day)… If there were a day like that in the states, I guarantee that schools would be closed, businesses would shut down, and people would run to the grocery store in a panic the night before. But here, everything was open and operating like any other day. I’m beginning to understand that the dependency on power is definitely constructed by society- in a country where many places still don’t have electricity, and those parts that do lose it 3-4 times a week, everyone is accustomed to living without it.

So…. Other than turning 23, eating my weight in cake, and starting to feel like I am actually working, things are pretty tranquilo (chill) here in Gracias. I’m still apartment searching (one more month of host family life). My family’s great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s time. Thanks for the birthday package Mom, Dad, Gina and the Ghost of Bailey!!! Note the cute new sweater!

No one has sent me any pictures of the leaves turning colors. Por favor! If you send them via snail mail, I will put them on my wall (when I move into my own place) and give you credit!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Love, Lisa

*85% of men who appear over 40 years old wear sombreros/cowboy hats- it’s actually quite charming. They make me smile.

*I feel safe! (So far..) My site mates said they haven’t had any incidents here, and overall there it’s a pretty tranquilo place. People walk around with purses, openly use their cell phones, and there is a café in the middle of the park (with free wifi) that has wide-open windows around it where people nonchalantly use their laptops. Of course I won’t flash my electronics nor freely use my cell phone in public, but its nice to see that no one is gripping onto their backpack for dear life hoping it’s not snatched by the next passing ladron.

*The park. It’s adorable, and in the aforementioned café you can get probably the closest thing to iced coffee you’ll find unless you go to the Dunkins in Teguz- it’s a sort of frozen coffee slush. My heart danced when I bought one the other day. And you can sit on a bench without your heart pounding wondering whether or not that bolo is going to come over and do something weird to you (::cough:: Talanga::cough::). From what I’ve seen, the amount of sketch in Gracias in minimal. For this, I am graciosa.

*Piropos (cat calls and the like) exist here, as they do all over Honduras (or Central America), but I haven’t received any overly aggressive ones yet, and they seem to come from a few select areas in town (mainly by the bus terminal). And, it’s never the sombrero men giving them. Usually men working outside with no shirts, or the ones trying to put you on a bus to San Pedro (to which I always refrain from telling them that never, on my own terms, will I let you put me on a bus headed towards the second most dangerous city in the WORLD).

*Discrepancies. This is a much more developed area (well, not even area, just town I guess) of the country, and with that are more businesses, more people working in offices, and overall a more educated community. At the same time, there is still a strong campesino presence, with people walking with their horses and machetes to and from the campo to work, and women balancing baskets of tortillas, fruit, yucca, and who knows what else on their heads (this impresses me every time). You see more kids going back and forth to school than kids selling things in the street to make some money for their parents, but those kids still exist. A lot of the kids I will be working with at INFAH don't have shoes to wear, but my host siblings go to a private bilingual school.

*We are surrounded by beautiful, majestic mountains- the highest peak in Honduras, Mt. Celaque, overlooks the pueblo. I seem to be the only one taken aback by them when walking down the street, as for everyone else, they are just a part of the backdrop like they always have been. I will probably grow accustomed to them after 2 years, but for now, I’ll let them take my breath just a little bit. Oh, and slightly related to the mountains, the weather here is favorable- hondurenos say its fresco, but it’s really not, when the suns shining, it gets hot, but it’s a bearable hot, not an OMG I’M MELTING hot. For a New England gal, I lucked out climate-wise. My prayers are with my H17 northerners who were sent down south…

*Integration will be substantially harder here, given the size of the town. I am doing my best, saying hello to everyone, following my counterpart so she can introduce me to people, but it will take time. Poco a poco, I am meeting people involved with the Youth Center, but keeping track of their names is another story (I’m already bad with names in English, but in Spanish, I am absolutely AWFUL). Buuuut, it’s comforting to know I have site mates who will be here a while, and they’ve been really welcoming. There’s also a group of teachers from the states teaching at the bilingual school here, so I am hoping to meet some of them as well.

*Work will be tough in the beginning, especially given it’s towards the end of the school year (which affects Youth Development volunteers quite a bit). There are a few things I’d like to do that would be better off starting when the school year starts (English course for teachers, Colgate dental health program, and Yo Merezco, the selfesteem/sex ed class), not to mention I wont have the manuals for any of them until Sandra (YD project director) comes to do the first site check up in 3 months. BUT my counterpart (from the youth center) said after this week of getting to know the organization/people, we can start planning and brainstorming. Vamos a ver. As far as my other counterpart from the INFAH (instituto hondureno de la ninez y familia) center goes, we are in for an interesting experience. She never showed up for our first meeting, but I finally met with her the other day, and I think I am going to have to strongly emphasize that my role as a PCV isn’t to watch the kids in the afternoon when the teachers take off, but rather collaborate with the staff and implement projects with the overarching goal of sustainability. For now I know I am going there tomorrow to make name tags for next week when I get to know the kids. They don’t have much as far as materials go, but there’s a stack of white poster board… so the name tags are going to be snowmen.

I am also beginning my house/apartment hunt! I've never done this before (picking which college dorm I live in doesn't count), so wish me luck!

OH and I have my address, just let me know if you send something so I think to go to the post office and check. I'll post it on the side of my blog, and I sent an email out to some of you, but here it is:

Lisa Lavezzo

Voluntaria del Cuerpo de Paz

Gracias, Lempira

Honduras

America Central

Yup, that's right, no numbers or street names. Welcome to Honduras!

Miss and love you all, take lots of pictures as the leaves start to turn (and send them to me!).

Well... the days of training are long gone... Friday, at about 3:45pm my time, I became an official Peace Corps Volunteer... After spending the day with our counterparts at the training center, we went to the US embassy in Teguz, had a lovely ceremony, and were sworn in as PCVs. From the 57 trainees in our H17 group, all 57 were sworn in! I am so proud of everyone!

It was an emotional day for sure... I am so grateful for all of the love and support from the PC training staff, and everyone in my training group. Ronaldo, our project training specialist (aka training director for youth development) is absolutely fantastic, and it is because of his energy and leadership that I made it this far. Our language facilitators, Jose Luis, Ana Maria, Angelica, and Jota Erre... super-equipo right there. And Youth Development as a whole, thank you so much for everything... even though I am pretty far away from most of you, I came out of training with a whole new support network and I am so glad I met every one of you. COMO ESTAN??????After the ceremony, we went to a restaurant to celebrate/say our goodbyes... Almost everyone was able to come, even Ashely whose appendix exploded the other day and was in the hospital! We got our Youth Development shirts (thanks to all Anna's hard work!!).

It was so nice to get to say hasta luego (not adios) to everyone... it was really hard since we've had each other to lean on for the past three months (and i am more than 8 hours away from some of my favorite people, 12 hours from two of them!), but rest assured, once the next 3 months are up and we're allowed to leave our sites, we will be reunited. It makes me feel better that there are several trainings that will start in January, so as much of a pain as it will be to get myself to Teguz once a month for 5 or 6 months, it's a chance to see some of my favorites and check in!

Yesterday began at 4am when I put the rest of my stuff together, got the bus to Teguz, and met my counterpart and her son (who had come along too) to begin our adventure getting all my stuff (and me) to Gracias, Lempira via public transportation. It was a long day, but we made it here by the afternoon! My counterpart (the one from the Youth Center) was wonderful- she took me on a tour when we got here, and to meet my other counterpart from the infant center, and then she let me stay at her house because my host family wasn't home yet. She made me dinner, and talked to me all day.

I finally made it to my host family's house, which is right down the street from my counterpart's house, and in the same neighborhood as both the youth center and the infant center. They seem nice and tranquilo... my room is set apart in the backyard, and has its own bathroom... there are two dogs, Oso and Blackie, and three kids. I have a 13 year old sister, 15 year old brother, and 23 year old brother whose in Washington DC until December.

I have four site mates! I met three of the four today- they were super nice and welcomed me with open arms, and showed me around a bit. Gracias is a quaint little colonial town (well, big for Honduran standards) with a central park, a mix of cobble stone and dirt roads, with a few mini-super markets, plenty of pulperias, some restaurants, hotels, churches, a castle, and they hot springs are set out of the center a bit, so i haven't seen them yet. Tomorrow I am going to work! Well... I am going to meet my new colleges at both organizations, get an idea of what it is that they do and what they want my support for, and get acquainted with everything. This week will be getting to know everybody and everything, and next week I think we will look ahead and figure out some short term goals for the first three months.

This is all so crazy... I can't believe i'm here! In my site! Where I am a Peace Corps Volunteer... whoa when did that happen??

WOW what an exciting update this will be!!!!!! But first note that tomorrow is the last day of field based training, we will head out Saturday morning to the capital to get our residency cards and then return to our original host families. I am beyond excited to see Lordes and the fam again! One week of wrap up training and friday afternoon we become Peace Corps Volunteers. The next day, we ship out to site!

BUT FIRST. We had the chance to teach everyone else in training about something we're really good at, or something we like a lot. Naturally, I chose MANUALIDADES DE NAVIDAD! o, Christmas Crafts! I was very excited to celebrate a little bit of the festivities so soon. I made reindeer, penguins, candy canes, stockings, a Christmas tree, an ornament and a hand print wreath! To give you an idea of the other things people shared, I learned a bit of self defense, how to make soy milk, cloud story telling, and the differences between the Catholic and Evangelical churches.

I finished up my story hour with a book about a little elephant that gets lost, and is adopted by a pig couple, and he thinks he is a pig too because they are round like him. Then we colored elephant heads! One of the teachers at the kinder is absolutely lovely, and was so sad I had to leave. She was so sad that she wanted to keep the elephant head model that I had made to remember me by. I was touched to leave it with her.

PARADE! OUR PARADE IN EL ROSARIO! It was our last day of our self directed projects, and we went out with a BAM in El Rosario. The parade included masks, instruments, songs, chants, dance, and snacks! The kids hugged us about 20 times before we left (the teachers did too). They were such a wonderful group to work with!

And finally....... SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!!! Wednesday was the big day! We had an intense powerpoint presentation...... For each site, first we saw a quote from that persons aspiration statement that he/she wrote after accepting their invitation to serve in Honduras. At that point, we couldn't really guess because everyone had pretty much forgotten what they had written. Then what popped up was the site that person was going to. And THAT point, we had a good idea, as we had narrowed down most people to one or two possible sites. And THEN their picture popped up!

I will be spending the next 2 years in Gracias, the capital of the department of Lempira. I was worried about a bigger site, but I am beyond excited. With a pen, i've already added an S to my ankle tattoo to say, Una poca de Gracias (instead of just, una poca de gracia). Its supposedly a quaint little colonial town about an hour from the Mayan ruins in Copan. They say its beautiful, and has hot springs! The climate is more fresco than the rest of the country.. which is PERFECT! Growing up in New England hasn't quite prepared me for a subtropical country. And fresco in no way means frio. I read somewhere that average temps are in the 60s.

I will have a few site mates as well. And I am thrilled about my counterparts... I am assigned to work with an infant center (children under 6) and a youth center. It looks like i've got my work cut out for me, and I am not sure where to begin, but I can't wait! The organizations have asked for things such as parent workshops, recreational activities, collaborating in structured activities for the kids, teaching english to teachers, sex ed/leadership workshops with the older kids in the youth center, reading activities, etc.

Regarding safety and security, ever since I found out I was going to a bigger site (which by the way, in the heart of Gracias there are only about 8,000- the 32,000 constitutes the outlaying aldeas as well) I have been tweaking out a bit. I even made an offer to Juan Carlos, PC-Honduras's safety and security guru, to be my roomate for the next two years in my site. BUT. Gracias a Dios, I read in the site booklet they gave us that there are limited security issues in my area... of course they exist, but it's a fairly safe place. And my host dad said that you never hear of anything bad happening in the department of Lempira on the news. YAY!!!!

I can't believe training is ending so soon... it really went by fast! And I have to say, the H17 Youth Development group is fabulous. It's weird to think we will all be separating next week, but now I have 18 people I can go visit when I need to breathe!

Miss you all, take care!

love, lisa

Hola!!!!!!!

I can't believe this is our last week of FBT here in Talanga.... holy moly did that go by fast.

Last Friday we had a fieldtrip to a place with a pool, to go over everything we've covered these past few weeks, and to just... hang out. I bought a coconut from a man who chopped it up with his machete!

This week we made compost piles and little garden... ohhhh manual labor, how you've found me again... Oh! But a man from a tv station walked by and filmed up, and supposedly we made it on the Honduran news! Literally it was a man with a camcorder, meandering around the streets of Talanga, looking for something interesting.

We are wrapping up our self directed projects, next Thursday is the big parade in El Rosario! We are showcasing their masks, instruments, banner, singing abilities and potential dance abilities. Last week Margarita and I were in charge of making FUEGO SHAKERS!!!!

I have 2 more story hours next week- this past week i read a book about a boy who gets made into a pizza, and then we all decorated paper pieces of pizza! They had to draw their face in the middle, then they could decorate it however they wanted.... i made a model with my face, and about 3 kids gave themselves red hair, freckles and glasses... one of them actually drew an exact replica of my face.

Site announcements are Wednesday! We had our last interview this past week, and from that i gathered that I am being sent to a BIG site. AHHH!!! It will be ok... I mean... I had hoped for a small site, but there is a reason for everything. It's more about the work than the site, anyways. And it sounds like I will be doing some pretty awesome stuff. I am assigned two counterparts, one at a youth center (which I guess requires a lot of energy, as they told me even though i would have preferred a small site, i was the only one with enough energy to handle this youth center), and the other is at an infant center with little little ones. The second is paid for by the government, and is for extremely poor families. On Wednesday I should get more details! But given what we know already, and some internet research, I am ALMOST positive i know where i am going... but in case there are any Peace Corps rules about disclosing information, I won't say...

We had a lovely gathering last night at Alicia's house, everyone came! We celebrated Stacie's upcoming birthday. It was so much funnnn... I am going to miss everyone so much! It's weird to think that in just two weeks we will be dispersed all over Honduras.

Ohhhh we were taking some group pictures, and someone decided we should do one of them Honduran style... which means you don't smile and just stare... I dont remember whose camera it was taken on but I will try to snag it off of facebook to share with you all!

Thanks for following! I will leave you with a picture of my Spanish class.... And stay tuned to find out where I will spend the next two years of my life! ABRAZOS!!!!

love, lisa

This is a test... can you see the picture? Let me know! I feel that my last blog entry was naked, as it lacked photos, but the photos seemed to be causing the previous problems.

I can’t believe its August… more than halfway through August at that… I wore my bathing suit for the first time this summer yesterday when we went to visit the MuniD site (we picnic’d at a pool). I keep forgetting its summer since it’s not summer here… The school year goes from February through November… And we’re not near a beach!

We have three more weeks of training in Talanga and one week in Zarabanda before we all, hopefully, get sworn in as volunteers. LOCO!

What’s been going on… lets see….

Our El Rosario group gave mini health classes (health was a topic that the parents wanted us to cover) so we split it up between the 4 of us into washing hands, exercise, healthy food and brushing your teeth. I did brushing your teeth…. And made up a song to teach them!! It goes to the tune of Far-e-sha-ka (pardon the spelling):

Cepille los, Cepille los (brush your, brush your)

Dientes… Dientes (teeth, teeth)

Yo hago cada dia (I do it everyday)

Despues de la comida (After the food0

Sonrisa, Sonrisa (Smile, smile)

I POSTED A VIDEO ON FACEBOOK IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT IN ACTION!

We also made an AWESOME BANNER to carry in our parade! The big day is September 2nd. Whooooo! Thanks to Margarita's mom, for the daises! I'm having blog problems so i will hopefully post pictures later!!

Last week we did Dental Hygiene training, and then went and gave a class on it in a school (we threw in my song!). Peace Corps does a program with Colgate, and Colgate donates toothbrushes and toothpaste to kids if we work with teachers to carry through with the program. We talk about basic hygiene, cavities, healthy food and preventative measures… the kicker is getting the teacher to hold up her end of the deal and get the kids to brush their teeth at school (they get one toothbrush for home and one for school). Dental hygiene is a huge problem here... dentists are hard to find, and when you find one, they are too expensive to visit... a lot of kids have black spots on their teeth, which can only be removed by dental tools, and are caused by food/bacteria that was never removed. I feel quite strongly about the Colgate program given my recent dental fiasco... baaaahah..... if only someone came to talk to me about flossing during those 8 years I abstained from the dentist.....

We’ve also gotten training on TEAM, Teaching English and Methodology, which is a program to teach teachers how to teach English. They say that pretty much every YD volunteer ends up having a TEAM class. This week we have a two day training on HIV/AIDS.

This week marks the second week of the latest teacher strike… This is one of the challenges of youth development volunteers, as much of our work is scheduled around schools. It’s just the public schools that go on strike. There are also some private ones (which, as you’d imagine, they cost a lot of money that most people don’t have), and there is another kind of school that doesn’t get funding from the government to pay the teachers (though they get resources, like text books/materials) so every parent pays a little bit to pay the teacher, and since the government is not paying those teachers, they don’t go on strike (we did our dental hygiene class in one of those schools).

Despite the strike, the kinder I'm doing my individual project in has remained opened... some teachers (very few) have chosen to continue classes, just out of good conscience and devotion to their students (as they are the ones suffering the most)... it's a sticky situation because the teachers that continue to give classes during strikes are usually targeted by their colleagues. Buttttt I've had my story hour the past two weeks! We read a book about a puppy who didn't want to eat his dinner and got sick off of caramelos and made puppy masks (adorable, sadly I forgot my camera that day). And then today we worked with numbers and we made number necklaces! One of the teachers was so impressed, and the kids were so excited (yes, about NUMBERS!) that they got to take home their necklaces. Fun activities are lacking like whoaaaaa.

Oh! A kinder. That's like... a mix between preschool and kindergarten... its kindergarten aged kids, but there isn't much of a preschool system, and the kinder day is shorter, AND it is usually separate from the schools...

We had another interview this past week with the YD director and the Training Director, where we talk about our strengths and interests, and concerns about where we will be placed…. I got them to admit (kind of) that they know where they are sending me, butttt I’ve got to wait until September 1st to find out what Honduran community needs Lisa the most…. a community desperate for arts and crafts???

Friday was cultural day…. We all had to make a typical Honduran dish with our families to bring, and then each Spanish class gave a presentation on an aspect of our culture in the United States. One class did Thanksgiving, one did Football, one did Hollywood, one did the four seasons, and my class did the melting pot. There was quite the array of food… my host mom and I made Catrachas, which are deep friend tortillas topped with refried beans and cheese (a heart attack waiting to happen)… the word Catracha is actually another term for Honduran, and the connotation has a lot of national pride in it, so these little friend tortilla things are one of the national foods of Honduras.

OH! So. One of the aspirantes (trainees) met a man who wanted help in his english class.... so a few of us signed up to help last weekend... a few went in the morning, and Margarita and I went in the afternoon... The teacher thought we would stay until the school closed, and come back all weekend (8-5)! We went thinking we were going to meet with the class and talk about something that they wanted to learn but we went in and were assumed to be teaching the class... so, we gave an impromptu intro to English course.... I explained that we had other commitments and could not come back all weekend, but would return for an hour... I'm not sure why this happened... The teacher just... wanted us to teach his class... but this is probably going to happen an awful lot when we get into site... The problem is that it's not sustainable if we just pop in and take over.... But since we are just here for 3 more weeks, we'll just... teach some numbers and colors. It was such a weird situation.... hahahah we had said we had to leave at 4, and hour after we got there, and it was about 5 of 4 when we were asking the students (three 17 year old boys) the kinds of things they wanted to learn next time, and the teacher stops me and says we still have 5 more minutes of teaching left to do... WHOA! Tranquilo, budddy, tranquilo.

Annnnd.... Anything else? We've been having our dance classes.... i gotta say... i am not too graceful on my feet... Thats all i really have to say about that.

Thanks for reading, sorry about the technical difficulties, i really don't know what's wrong! Miss and love you all, take care!

I can’t believe its August… more than halfway through August at that… I wore my bathing suit for the first time this summer yesterday when we went to visit the MuniD site (we picnic’d at a pool). I keep forgetting its summer since it’s not summer here… The school year goes from February through November… And we’re not near a beach! We have three more weeks of training in Talanga and one week in Zarabanda before we all, hopefully, get sworn in as volunteers. LOCO! What’s been going on… lets see….

Our El Rosario group gave mini health classes (health was a topic that the parents wanted us to cover) so we split it up between the 4 of us into washing hands, exercise, healthy food and brushing your teeth. I did brushing your teeth…. And made up a song to teach them!! It goes to the tune of Far-e-sha-ka (pardon the spelling): Cepille los, Cepille los (brush your, brush your) Dientes… Dientes (teeth, teeth) Yo hago cada dia (I do it everyday) Despues de la comida (After the food0 Sonrisa, Sonrisa (Smile, smile) I POSTED A VIDEO ON FACEBOOK IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT IN ACTION!

We also made an AWESOME BANNER to carry in our parade! The big day is September 2nd. Whooooo! Thanks to Margarita's mom, for the daises!

Last week we did Dental Hygiene training, and then went and gave a class on it in a school (we threw in my song!). Peace Corps does a program with Colgate, and Colgate donates toothbrushes and toothpaste to kids if we work with teachers to carry through with the program. We talk about basic hygiene, cavities, healthy food and preventative measures… the kicker is getting the teacher to hold up her end of the deal and get the kids to brush their teeth at school (they get one toothbrush for home and one for school). Dental hygiene is a huge problem here... dentists are hard to find, and when you find one, they are too expensive to visit... a lot of kids have black spots on their teeth, which can only be removed by dental tools, and are caused by food/bacteria that was never removed. I feel quite strongly about the Colgate program given my recent dental fiasco... baaaahah..... if only someone came to talk to me about flossing during those 8 years I abstained from the dentist.....

We’ve also gotten training on TEAM, Teaching English and Methodology, which is a program to teach teachers how to teach English. They say that pretty much every YD volunteer ends up having a TEAM class. This week we have a two day training on HIV/AIDS.

This week marks the second week of the latest teacher strike… This is one of the challenges of youth development volunteers, as much of our work is scheduled around schools. It’s just the public schools that go on strike. There are also some private ones (which, as you’d imagine, they cost a lot of money that most people don’t have), and there is another kind of school that doesn’t get funding from the government to pay the teachers (though they get resources, like text books/materials) so every parent pays a little bit to pay the teacher, and since the government is not paying those teachers, they don’t go on strike (we did our dental hygiene class in one of those schools).

Despite the strike, the kinder I'm doing my individual project in has remained opened... some teachers (very few) have chosen to continue classes, just out of good conscience and devotion to their students (as they are the ones suffering the most)... it's a sticky situation because the teachers that continue to give classes during strikes are usually targeted by their colleagues. Buttttt I've had my story hour the past two weeks! We read a book about a puppy who didn't want to eat his dinner and got sick off of caramelos and made puppy masks (adorable, sadly I forgot my camera that day). And then today we worked with numbers and we made number necklaces! One of the teachers was so impressed, and the kids were so excited (yes, about NUMBERS!) that they got to take home their necklaces. Fun activities are lacking like whoaaaaa.

Oh! A kinder. That's like... a mix between preschool and kindergarten... its kindergarten aged kids, but there isn't much of a preschool system, and the kinder day is shorter, AND it is usually separate from the schools...

We had another interview this past week with the YD director and the Training Director, where we talk about our strengths and interests, and concerns about where we will be placed…. I got them to admit (kind of) that they know where they are sending me, butttt I’ve got to wait until September 1st to find out what Honduran community needs Lisa the most…. a community desperate for arts and crafts???

Friday was cultural day…. We all had to make a typical Honduran dish with our families to bring, and then each Spanish class gave a presentation on an aspect of our culture in the United States. One class did Thanksgiving, one did Football, one did Hollywood, one did the four seasons, and my class did the melting pot. There was quite the array of food… my host mom and I made Catrachas, which are deep friend tortillas topped with refried beans and cheese (a heart attack waiting to happen)… the word Catracha is actually another term for Honduran, and the connotation has a lot of national pride in it, so these little friend tortilla things are one of the national foods of Honduras.

OH! So. One of the aspirantes (trainees) met a man who wanted help in his english class.... so a few of us signed up to help last weekend... a few went in the morning, and Margarita and I went in the afternoon... The teacher thought we would stay until the school closed, and come back all weekend (8-5)! We went thinking we were going to meet with the class and talk about something that they wanted to learn but we went in and were assumed to be teaching the class... so, we gave an impromptu intro to English course.... I explained that we had other commitments and could not come back all weekend, but would return for an hour... I'm not sure why this happened... The teacher just... wanted us to teach his class... but this is probably going to happen an awful lot when we get into site... The problem is that it's not sustainable if we just pop in and take over.... But since we are just here for 3 more weeks, we'll just... teach some numbers and colors. It was such a weird situation.... hahahah we had said we had to leave at 4, and hour after we got there, and it was about 5 of 4 when we were asking the students (three 17 year old boys) the kinds of things they wanted to learn next time, and the teacher stops me and says we still have 5 more minutes of teaching left to do... WHOA! Tranquilo, budddy, tranquilo.

Annnnd.... Anything else?We've been having our dance classes.... i gotta say... i am not too graceful on my feet... Thats all i really have to say about that.

I will leave you with a picture of our awesome El Rosario group!

Thanks for reading, sorry about the technical difficulties, i really don't know what's wrong! Miss and love you all, take care!

I have received several notifications from several people that my blog was encountering problems (thank you for your concern, and continued support!). This is a test entry. Can you see me? Can you see my prior blog posts? I posted one over a week ago with some awesome pictures, including some fabulous masks we made in El Rosario. I will upload it again in case it was lost.

Let me know if you can see my previous entries! I've got more to say but want to make sure everything is showing up first.

The thing is, everyone in Honduras can see the updates no problem... which makes it hard to determine what's wrong.

Love you all,

Lisa

WOW in one month I will know my site. I can’t believe how fast training is starting to go by, it’s flying now that we’ve gotten our projects started!

For our self-directed projects, Team El Rosario is taking over that little aldea! We are having so much fun, our kiddies are fantastic! Asombroso, if you will! It’s the school that has 2 classes, and both teachers are phenomenal, they are so excited to have us. The first day we went, we talked with the kids to see what they wanted to do with us, then we played some games outside. Over the next 5 weeks we will be doing projects that will lead up to a parade we’re going to have through the town. We went yesterday to make masks and it was a hit for sure. At first the kids seemed to not know exactly what to do with themselves, but after a bit they got into it. One girl had glitter all over her body (no, it wasn’t me) and I’d like to be her friend. We will go back and make instruments, teach them a song in English, and some sort of dance.

I started my individual mini-proyecto and the kinder- its basically going to be a story hour and activity with 2 classes (separately). I am still going to find a way to incorporate puppets, but the age group is a little too young to teach a theme to other kids (I think). This week my story is about how every child is special and we are all individual. I made a big world, and had them color little people to put around the world, showing that “Aunque somos diferents, podemos vivir en paz.” (Even though we are different, we can live in peace). I’m changing the other class’s project just to spice things up a bit (same story/theme)- They will decorate little stars to glue onto a big sky that says “Con todas las estrellas diferentes, encendemos el cielo.” (With all the different stars, we light up the sky). The school in El Rosario is in a rural little community, without many resources. They did not have their own pencils, crayons, or any sort of art supplies. In contrast, the kinder I am doing my other project is here in Talanga, a more urban setting with more access to resources, and each student has her/his own little container of crayons. It’s unbelievable to see the difference between the schools here. In the states, access to resources depends on the school district, but I think most schools have a least a box of crayons to share.

Anyways, though it’s slightly overwhelming, as we are busy with other parts of training and sometimes there doesn’t seem like there is enough time to plan, it is definitely worth the practice. Also, it had been almost three months since the last time I was in a preschool and it felt so nice to be back with my people!

This past weekend we trekked up a hill to find a cave…. We found bats inside! Very cool. Sadly I didn’t bring my camera, as I’d heard some horror stories and decided I wasn’t ready for anyone to rob me of it just yet… thankfully we didn’t come across any ladrones or creepers.

My host mom is Catholic, and my host dad is Evangelical- This is a crazy scenario here in Honduras, because you are either super super super Catholic or super super super Evangelical, and the two groups do NOT intermingle. It’s kind of like society’s reaction to interracial marriages 50 years ago, a “taboo” but people know it shouldn’t be so they just ignore it and talk behind your back about it. Anyways, both my host mom and host dad are extremely involved in their congregations separately, and the kids bounce back and forth to both churches. I think it’s cool. They’ve both kept an important part of themselves, do their own thing, and now the kids are exposed to both. I’ve been to the Catholic service both Sundays, and it is exactly like Catholic mass in the states, just in Spanish. This weekend I went to my host dad’s Evangelical church (out in an aldea) which involved much more singing and shouting, AND in the middle of the service, the pastor noticed me, made me come up to the altar, gave me the microphone, and had me explain to everyone why I was there, where I was from, and what my deal was.. T hankfully I know Spanish and could do that- I would have peed myself if I didn’t. As it turns out last November, that pastor was visiting Boston- his comments were that it was enormous, and cold.

My host mom thought my 2-year-old host sister thought my name was Hola. Every time she sees me, and then every 3 minutes after that she says “Hola!” But we’ve cleared it up. She knows I’m Lisa (e-sha).

Last week was Ronaldo’s birthday (Youth Development Training Director) so we celebrated by making him two pinatas and cake! One piñata was a big peace sign (go figure), and the other was his head! Actually, it was one of the language facilitator’s birthdays as well so one side was Ronaldo’s face and the other side was Jose Louis’s face. Unfortunately, Jose Louis could not celebrate that day because he had malaria and went home. Thankfully he’s back now, and all better, but he did not get to enjoy his birthday piñata.

HUELGAS. Those are strikes. The teachers have them all the time. I haven’t even been here two months and there have already been three. Public schools close for a day, two days, or several days…. There is so much corruption in the government, and a lot of times the teachers go on strike when they don’t get paid. A valid reason, but as it is the education system is rocky…. So not only do kids get out of school at noon (if not earlier), but rarely do they have a full, 5 day school week. And when they’re not at school, there are little to no extracurricular activities, clubs or organizations (Enter, Youth Development project).

Que mas! Things have been busy… OH we are starting dance classes this week! After we expressed interest, Ronaldo found a teacher who’s willing to meet with us two nights a week to teach us Honduran dance… Wooo! And, one of the language facilitators hosted a movie night at her house.... Juno in Spanish, with English subtitles.... let me tell you, the jokes do not translate quite the same (Example, "Your eggo is preggo = Esta embarazada).

Dad! I would like to bring one thing to your attention. Last week we were playing basketball at the park, and another trainee Stacie said I was CARRYING our team! Imagine that! (For anyone who doesn’t alread y know, I played basketball for about 4 years before I ever scored a basket.).

TOILET PAPER ROLLS! SAVE THEM! If you live near my parents, drop them off (I’ve asked them to leave a box in our breeze way). In the fall, once I’m settled at my site, my mom is going to send them down (and will hopefully be able to send them here and there over the next 2 years). They make for PERFECT craft projects! Fire crackers, microphones, maracas, kaleidoscopes, reindeer (thank you, Bright Beginnings)…. Thanks!

On that note, I will end this entry. Everything’s going swimmingly here in Talanga…. The Youth Development group is lovely, and equipo El Ro sario a force to be reckoned with. It’s hot, and rainy sometimes. It’s not uncommon to be stuck behind two giant bulls pulling wood in the middle of the road. Everyone sells things from their homes. And juice is sold in bags.

Miss and love you all, abrazos para todos! Oh one more thing, as I am typing this up in a word document on my laptop, I am watching Peter Pan in Spanish. Love, Lisa

Hola de Talanga! Last week we got to our Field Based Training sites, settled in with our new host families, and have been super busy with training ever since. Talanga is a pretty big site- there is a park in the center, lots of churches, Ropa Americana stores (where the old clothes you donate end up!), ‘restaurants’, little stores, a few internet places, and lots of schools/kinders (which is probably why Youth Development ended up here). There are cars and busses going down the streets, but just as often you see bulls pulling wagons, people on horses, and random pigs and roosters. As far as Honduran standards/Peace Corps standards, I would say this would be a medium-big sized site for volunteers… however none of us will be placed here… but its good to get an idea of the different community sizes.

So far so good with my host family. My mom is a first grade teacher at a local school, my dad has an agriculture business, my 13 year old host sister Meredel, and my 11 year old host brother Alejandro go to a private school in Teguz, and my 2 year old host sister Norella has finally warmed up to me. There is a woman who comes and watches the 2 year old during the day… I hang out with her when I come back for lunch during the day…. My family has some family in the states too! My host mom’s mom and several of her brothers live in New York, and I think my host dad has family in North Carolina. New York makes sense as a place for people to immigrate to, but I find it funny that SO MANY Hondurans have family in North Carolina…. Seriously, its either Miami, NY, or NC…NC just seems so random.

My host family is also very close with a family down the street (I don’t believe they are related, but my host mom is the God mother of the kids). So as a result I have 3 more host siblings, Anthony (9), Aandy (8) and Clarissa (12). They ALWAYS greet me with big hugs and kisses. My actual host siblings are cool too, they’re just more laid back in the sense that when I come home they great me with words instead of plowing me down with hugs. In this culture, the hug thing is pretty typical, so I was taken aback at first with my host siblings, but I’ve realized they still like me. They’re just more mellow.

We have two perros, Capitan and Preciosa, but they live in the garage L they aren’t welcomed inside the house. I had the same conversation with this host family as I did with my host family in Zarabana about how different a dog’s life is in the States verses here. My host mom said they only have the dogs to “protect the house” and bark if anyone trespasses. I try to sneak them some lovin’ every so often…

IT IS HOT HERE. And we found out the other day that most of the YD sites that we will be assigned to are either equally hot, or hotter. I am going to melt. This is what I get for growing up in New England ahaha. I will miss the seasons so much… especially the fall.

I have two upcoming projects to do over the next 6 weeks. The first one is an individual project (all by myself!) that I have to do as part of my Spanish class. I am going to try and contact a school in a rural aldea (campo), and talk to the teacher so see if I can do some sort of story hour/ puppet making project. My idea is to have a small group of kids, chose a theme with the teacher (health, respect, friendship, etc..), read stories about it, make puppets, and create a skit to present to the rest of the school (it will take place over about 5 weeks). The second project is in groups, as part of our Tech training. My group is assigned to a rural school in a community called El Rosario (where there are 2 teachers for the entire school, 6 grades). This coming week we are going to do a ‘needs assessment’ investigation, and with the teachers, we will figure out what kind of activities they want us to do.

The other, 2 other girls from my Spanish class had independent work time to figure out what we are doing for our projects, and in that time, we went to a kinder (kindergartens are separate from the other schools) to introduce ourselves, and one class was dancing so we jumped in and danced with them for 20 minutes.

There is definitely more of a community feel in this town than in the last one I was in. The other volunteers and I have been inviting our host families to the park to play soccer… the kids LOVE it….

We gave a presentation to the community last week where we presented all the different aspects of the Youth Development Project. We split up each topic (recreation, culture, leadership, healthy lifestyle, working with parents, working with organizations, and working with teachers ) and each presented something. I actually didn’t present a topic, but with Margarita and Stacie, we ran the DINAMICA! What’s a dinamica? It is a vital part of youth development… basically at the beginning of any talk or activity or project you do, you should do a dinamica…. It can be an ice breaker, or silly game, just to get people energized. It was a success… we asked preference questions, making people chose one or the other and go to the side of the room corresponding to their preference (dogs or cats, refried beans or regular beans, private school or public school…) We mixed it up with fun Qs and Qs related to working with youth… it might not sound that exciting but it is… and it was in Spanish… AND as part of it we had people make nametags as they came in! Not just regular nametags, but you had to pick your fav color, write your name (obvi), then your role in YD (desarrollo juvenil, teacher, parent, student), and then an adjective that describes you. They were a hit.

There is another group of Americans in Talanga right now… it’s a church missionary program, called Las Passionistas I believe. There are 5 of them that all live together in a house, and work with the churches here on various projects. I guess they’ve been coming here for a while…. A group comes to do one year of service, August to August. I met one of them today… walking down the street it is an automatic invitation to stop and talk to other Americans…She was super nice, and said two members of the group had just left a bit early so there are 3 of them staying until August.

I can’t believe I have been here one month already…. It’s gone by both fast and slow… the days are long, but the weeks fly. Life is so different, in good ways and bad. While the education system is a mess, people have such strong relationships with family and friends. There aren’t a lot of resources available, but as a result people are more resourceful. A few things do not have positive counterparts- Women are seen as promiscuous/easy/drunks if they drink, and its culturally acceptable for men to cat call and say creepy things to women. Though both of my host moms have had jobs and are strong women, the traditional family roles and the machismo of the culture make it so hard for women to make their own lives for themselves.

I miss liberal Massachusetts, not fighting for my right to opinions because of my sex, strong work ethics and ambition to better oneself, nutella and peanutbutter, and iced coffee. (I cant believe iced coffee doesn’t exist here, just as it didn’t in Spain! In Teguz there is a dunkins somewhere, so maybe one day I will get to go and find it… I just don’t get it.. its SO HOT here…. But allllll they drink is HOT coffee, its good don’t get me wrong, I am in no way complaining about Honduran coffee… I just can’t believe the concept of iced coffee is seemingly only a north American thing).

Thanks for sticking with me if you read all that, and even if you just skimmed I appreciate your interest J Sorry it was a bit lengthy. But I want to take advantage of being close to internet access to update you while I can… who knows where I will be shipped to in September! I hope everyone is doing well, and that you are keeping track of good movies that are coming out.

***THANK YOU AUNTIE RITA FOR YOUR LOVELY PACKAGES!!!! the peanut butter is wonderful, and the craft stuff will be perfect for when i get to my site! thanks! i really appreciate it :)

**** our favorite chant: "COMO ESTAN??" "MUY BIEN" (

Hola! Today is our last day of the first part of training. We move tomorrow, to a new town, a couple hours away, for field based training. Youth Development (me!) goes to one town, Municipal Development to another, and Protected Areas Management to another. We will be split up in our groups for 7 weeks, doing more hands on training, then we come back here, and hopefully, if we've met all the qualifications, we get sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers.

We got a sheet of paper with information about our new host families. My host mom supposedly is a teacher, i finally will have my first host dad (time to see what the machismo is all about), i have a 13 year old host sister, an 11 year old host brother, and a 2 year old host sister. We supposedly also have to dogs, Capitan and Preciosa. Wish me luck! My family here has been so wonderful... so i am hoping the next one is just as welcoming. (according to the sheet, i will have a real SHOWER!!)

Last week we went on volunteer visits. I went down south to a city called Choluteca, its the biggest site that YD volunteers get sent to, and the girl i visited is leaving in september and will be replaced. I wasnt crazy about how big her site was, but her counterparts were wonderful, and she does some pretty cool stuff. I sat in on her sex ed class with a group of 6th grade girls (i cant wait to do that!), and we did some dental health stuff with preschools. She also teaches teachers how to teach english to their classes. We met other volunteers who live outside of Choluteca for lunch (they were also hosting trainees).... guess where we went.... PIZZA HUT. but no. it was like a 5 star restaurant. there was a host who greeted us at the door, they sold alcohol, served you at your table, and it was the kind of place you dress up to go to! it was bizarre. i didnt tell the Hondurans that Pizza Hut in the states isn't so fancy...

Overall, it was a really good opportunity to get to see what life as a volunteer is like.. of course, everyone has a different experience... you can't really compare...but it answered a lot of my questions.

We have our next interviews with out project managers in a few weeks... they MIGHT ask us if we have a preference for site size or location, but the reality is we will be placed where our skills best fit the community's needs... although at this point, i think i would rather give up some amenities for a smaller site, where everyone will get to know me and help me shoo away any creepers or bolos (drunks).

Last weekend i went to Santa Lucia, a cute little town, with my host cousins. They were excellent tour guides... it was so cute, it reminded me of spain. There was a little library there, and my cousins told me it was the closet one to them ( they said there arent many libraries here), and you cant take out books (as they dont have a lot of them). So you have to go there and stay to read.

Here is one of my roomates, my little Gecko friend.

The first time we met, i freaked out and got my host mom. She laughed at me. I guess he eats the mosquitoes, so i let him stay.

I miss and love you all, thanks for following! I will let you know how the new family is, wish me luck :)

love, lisa

4 de julio 2010

To celebrate the 4th of July in Honduras, I washed my clothes in the pila for the first time! It was quite a process, but I think I was successful… we will see how much soap residue is left on my polo shirts once they are all dry…. (UPDATE: FOR THE MOST PART, IT WAS A SUCCESS! but please, when you are using your washing machines, think of my tired arms that spent an hour scrubbing my shirts on a pila).I also took a fun paseo with some of my host aunts and their sister in laws and nieces and nephews… its hard to keep track of who everyone is, and how they are part of the family, but the bottom line is that they are all family. I am beginning to feel like I am as well… I can’t believe I will have to leave them in just 2 weeks! We played an intense game of soccer (with a small, plastic ball, like a wiffle ball but bigger- you use whatever you have here) last night, mujeres verses hombres, of course the women won! Not much thanks to me hahaha but my little chicas here are pretty good!

I am also beginning to understand the lapse in the education system here. As I mentioned before, part of the Youth Development work will be collaborating with host teachers to help find a way to better teach math… I have been helping one of my host cousins with her division homework almost every night… we will make some progress, but then she will go to school, come home, sit down to do her math homework, and be more confused than ever.

My new favorite desert, the chocobanano. Its exactly what it sounds like, a banana dipped in chocolate, frozen and on a stick! Its amazing, absolutely amazing. I am going to start that trend in the States when I come back!

Also, in this picture here is a pair of flower hair clips! One of my trainee, Margaret, has a crafty little host sister, and she makes and sells hair clips! She’s only 12 and has a business, so I bought a pair of pink flowers for 15 lempira!

Its quite common for people to sell things from their house as well… we have neighbors that sell little ice creams, others who sell tortillas, and others who sell distinctly-cooked corn on the cobs! They make a simple sign on paper, saying what they sell and for how much, and you just knock on their door!

Oh, some sad news, Rosita the parrot passed away a few days ago, may she rest in peace.

8 de julio 2010

so my stomach is starting to wonder where i am, finally. it took about 3 weeeks. everythings fine, i talked to the medical officers and everything. not a parasite. hopefully it will pass.

on sunday we leave for our ´volunteer visits´ where we go spend 3 days visiting another volunteer! im slightly skeptical about traveling (we have been getting some intense safety and security sessions), butttt im super excited to shadow a youth development volunteer. stay tuned for an update on that!

we are suppose to come back wendesday, and then wrap up the last week here in Zarabanda before we leave on sunday for Field Based Training for the next 7 weeks.

some project ideas we´ve been talking about for youth development are:

-Yo Merezco, a sex ed program (most host country teachers know it has to be taught but dont want to do it, hence why many volunteers end up implementing this program.. the PC has a manual and everything)

-A colgate dental hygene program

-story hour

-tutoring

-a world map mural project

There is a lot of flexibility within this sector. and we will be getting to site right as the school year is ending, so instead of teacher trainings, we will probably be starting off trying to launch our own projects within the community.

oh, if you think of any light weight, easy and not too expensive to send craft materials... that be awesome! not just yet though! i wont get to my site until september. and a few other things i may add to that wishlist... febreaze, and old navy flip flops for the bucket shower. i may be able to find suitable alternatives so dont buy anything just yet (this last paragraph is mostly for you mom! ;) ...)

Saludos mis amores- todo esta bien en Honduras!

I’ve been spending my days at training, which consists of about 4 hours of Spanish, cultural and peace corps related topics (safety and security, health, regulations and policies…), and the technical component (for me, is Youth Development, but also within our training class we have Municipal Development and Protected Areas Management). We had language interviews last week, and based on that we were placed in small classes; I am “advanced-medium” (in the highest class) which shocked me, and is a bit intimidating but it will actually work out to my advantage because our class, instead of spending the time like a normal class, is going to do “mini projects” during Field Based Training. That means, basically, that we do a community project (like we will be doing as volunteers) which will be such good practice. Also. i have quite a bit of outside homework for right now (current event stuff, investigations, etc).

What is “field based training”? Well, after our three weeks in Zarabanda are over, we move to a different community, with a different host family, for 7 weeks. All the Youth Development Volunteers will be in one places, while MD in another, and PAM in another. We will be spending part of that time having language classes (preparing our projects), and the other part doing hands on work in the community related to our field. I am psyched! As I get more details about different areas of YD I will let you know… all I know right now is that there is a high need for volunteers in the education system- about 2 years ago Honduras changed its curriculum, and teachers have had a hard time adapting.

I have become a celebrity amongst the kids in my family here… They love to follow me, play games with me, and basically watch my every move. It’s a lot. But I feel important! Hahaha. Its amazing to me how creative these kids are. They have next to nothing, in regards to material possessions, but they find things to do all day long. We spent HOURS one night playing silly little games like Simon Dice (simon says) and guessing words (one would think of a word, tell everyone except one person, and we all try to describe the word to the person who does know so he/she can guess… perfect for me to practice Spanish!).

This weekend I painted various toe nails (not just the kids, a few of the women wanted it too!!), learned how to make tortillas, discovered that we not only have roosters and chickens and dogs here, but pigs and a PARROT! Sadly, Rosita the parrot is very old and no longer talks. In fact she hardly moves. My host mom is into herbal medicine, so one of the little girls and I helped her bag up some herbs (tea?) that she sells (its suppose to alleviate gas).

Fact for today: only 21% of the honduran population completes 12th grade.

I went to church tonight with my host grandma and one of the little girls, and i got a shout out from the pastor! ¨ah! tenemos una cara nueva! como se llama! bienvenida! que dios te bendiga para siempre!¨" hahaha it was fun!

we havent had running water for 2 days.

oh and about the pictures, i dont really know how to give them individul lables... but if you have questions, ask! if you click on them they get bigger i think.

I love and miss you all, hope all is well!