Hello Everyone!

Today is my first official day back in the U.S. after having to leave Honduras so abruptly for security reasons. We had our 3-day Close of Service Conference in Tegucigalpa which was a lot of information about transitioning back into the U.S. culture (consumerism, independence, solitary living, speaking English, etc.) We also talked a lot about why we're leaving Honduras and some of the statistics of the crime rate which were quite convincing. One that I remember was how in our area, in 2010, there were a recorded 82 murders for a population of 100,000 people. In the U.S. our murder rate for 100,000 people is around 6....so that is quite different! Yes...so, there was some quite telling data.

The conference overall was good...we had time to visit with other volunteer friends, turn in all the important paperwork, programs, reports, medical exams, pooping in cups, etc. and we had fun times with our groups. We (as Youth Development Volunteers) had a t-shirt decorating night and then all of us volunteers had a dance party/open-mic night the last night at the Maya Hotel. We got to dance BACHATA!! I love bachata so much!!

The time leaving my community the week before the conference was rough. I got back from the Christmas holidays to have a week in site before the conference in Teguz. During this week I was literally visiting all the families in my town, giving things away, explaining the situation, finishing projects, and trying to enjoy myself as much as possible. I spent lots of time with friends, we (Yanori, Regina, some others and I) went on a picnic and had a little hiking adventure where we got lost like 3 times looking for this lady's house in the mountains...lol. I will never forget that. Cristino and I visited this lady who was sick and brought her some food and good plactica. Isabel and I talked and cried.

Then, the last night that I was there in San Jose, we had a going away party where Maridi, Mabel, Regina, Yanori, Cristino, Isabel, Prof. Erica and her daughter, Marta, and I got together and danced, ate some chop souy, they all said some words about me (Isabel couldn't talk for crying) and then danced some more! We danced to Cristino's LMFAO cd where he danced vulgarly until the little girl came in the room and then he was too embarassed...lol. I have a video. LOL. Then, we danced bachata (I danced with Regina), some other booty music with Regina and Yanori (lol) and then ranchera when, por fin, Cristino danced with me and then later Mabel danced with me to a really sad song about leaving but staying connected. It was all very sad and we cried. Isabel cried the whole time. But, then, we all went home and I packed. Then, there was the light of day the next day. This last day I mainly spent at the house, watched some tv, hung out with the people in my house, and that was it. Sara and Cristino drove me to the main rode where I then had my last hugs and "call me's" and I left on the busito with the other volunteers to Teguz for the conference.

We ate Mexican food in La Paz and then got the hotel when I found out that, out of the 143 volunteers, I was the only fortunate one to get a room to myself with a king size bed and a corner room with windows all around...it was SOO beautiful.

So, I wake up the next day at the hotel and it's all very surreal. Where are all the familiar faces that I've seen for the last 19 months of my life? Is it true that I am leaving...it already feels like I'm so far away yet I'm still in Honduras...just not in San Jose. It was VERY sad those first few days in the conference. I cried myself to sleep a couple of nights and was bombarded with feelings of hopelessness and loss and despair and what am I doing? Can I stay in Honduras? But why and what would I do? What about my student loans? What about my family and the future I want to have? BUT, what about the family that I'm leaving behind in Honduras? How can I visit these people just once a year? Is that enough...how is this going to work? The weight of all these feelings and decisions was really heavy on my heart. I can't believe how close I've gotten to many people in my town. Will this feeling of closeness always be there...or will it fade away which would be really sad? How do I keep these connections strong? What do I do with my life, God?

Some good news after all this craziness of emotions...I am already planning a visit to Honduras around May/June/July this year (2012), Isabel is going to work on getting her Visa to come visit and maybe we can meet up in the states, and Cristino is working on his Visa right now to come see me the end of this year. SO, I know some how this will all work out and in the mean time, we are calling each other, messaging, and talking on Facebook. It's just SO crazy to have someone in your life so much and then have them so far away. But, I believe God knows what he's doing and He will work everything out according to His master plan that is greater than ours could ever be.

So, as of now, I am searching/applying for jobs (prayerfully a government job)and finishing up my Grad school application also. Also, for general goals, I want to clean this house, lose some weight (goal:15 lbs.), get into a good church, connect with some friends, and stay connected with those in Honduras.

Love you all!

Victoria :)

The Peace Corps Office in Teguz.

Sara Victoria, the baby (Victoria) and I. There where 3 of us ladies with the name Victoria in the house! lol.

Jorge Emilio and I...the son of the lady that I lived with (Sara)

Aida and I in front of the store in front of the house.

Cristino and I in front of our respective rooms.

Paula and I in the kitchen.

The going away party...the food portion.

My room in the Maya Hotel in Teguz with the view.

In the Atlanta airport with all my luggage...and look I just bought that scarf in Teguz...isn't it pretty? It also functions as a shawl. :)

Hello Everyone!

So, I'm at home in GA!! Got here December 19th and return to Honduras Jan. 6th!! This Christmas was GREAT...we went to a Christmas Eve Service at 12 Stone Church here nearby the house. We sung Christmas songs, talked about the Lord, all that He's done for us, sang some more, had some glow stick action, and prayed out. :)

Also, of course, we did some shopping... I have my first pair of skinny jeans. lol. They are SO much better with boots than regular jeans. Also, I have many new earrings, TONS of chocolates (the good stuff!), books, a purse, 2 watches, etc. I feel quite blessed. Also, I got a manicure and pedicure as well as eyebrow wax...I feel very womanly, as I should. lol :)

THEN, tomorrow, the real fun starts...I'm about to possibly climb Stone Mountain, go bowling, go skating, or ice skating, and to the movies!! Those are the best gifts...doing fun things with fun people and laughing hysterically as I always need to!!

It has definitely been interesting coming back home to GA...I missed Honduras really bad those first couple of days, but now I think I'm ok. Still pretty anxious to get back to Honduras, but I am enjoying myself at home. Everything is pretty different here, though... everything is cleaner, there's no trash on the streets, people are more trusting (possibly because we actually have a police force that does there job), everything is SOOO techy (everyone is on their iPhone or has their Wii or whatever), and everyone speaks English (sometimes I forget this and speak Spanish...but no one's complained yet...lol).

But, anyways, all is well. I'm glad to be home...eating A LOT, but playing that XBox Kinect game too (the dance one and the other games, so hopefully I won't be gaining too much weight with all these sweets and chocolates. :)

Hope everyone has/had an awesome Christmas and see you in the NEW YEAR!! Many changes to come I feel!

Love,

Victoria :)

Hello Everyone!

Por fin, Tiffany (Yuna) and I went on vacation...we met in Copan Ruinas at the frontera between Honduras and Guatemala. We spent 1 day in Copan looking at the old Mayan ruins...she did cartwheels and I went in a tunnel. We got caught in the rain one time and sang our little hearts out!! We talked the WHOLE time...it was so much fun. It was incredible that we never ran out of things to say. I suppose it was 2 years since we`d seen each other...long over due I say! We also enjoyed ice cream, cooked in the hostel (La Manzana Verde) which was SO pretty and clean.

Then, we went to my site in San José, La Paz. The bus ride was AWESOME...we laughed and talked the whole time. Once in San José, the first thing we did was try the baleadas (flour tortillas with beans, cheese, mantiquilla, and eggs) with some of the best coffee in San Josè!! She feel in love with both and we ended up ordering another coffee...lol. We`re officially addicts. Then, we went home, cooked pies with apples and another with coconut and talked all night... The next day, we visited people in San Josè, walked around a little, she tried dulce de leche, more coffee, pan de casa (fresh hand-made bread), and we just hung around.

Then, we left again, but this time for TELA!! We had no idea where we would stay so the first thing we did was ask around for a cheap place...we stayed one night in a hotel about 4 blocks from the beach...then we went (as usual) to eat...this time we ate fish at a hotel right on the beach!! The fish was quite big and we also had tajaditas (fried green plantains...you must try them...will cook them when I get home!) with a salad and rice. It was quite delicious and we sat down and talked for a long time with the guy that was working there because we were his only clients...lol. During this talk, Tiffany asks Jairo how much a room would cost and that is how it begins...we get a discount and the next day we are officially in the new hotel (Hotel Emmanuel) that is right on the beach. We wend up walking on the bach at night and talking/singing. Then, we end up kayaking during which I fall off the first time as Tiffany is laughing and not being helpful. Then, once we finally get on the kayak, it`s easy sailing. :) But, Tiffany ends up feeling bad, so we go back in...talk with Jairo...lol...then go back out to sail when Tiffany loses her bottle and sandals and I fall out of the kayak once again to regain our things...once out at sea...we flip over from a big wave. LAUGHING the whole time!! It was definitely the highlight of the whole trip digo yo. LOL... Then that night, we treat ourselves to a pretty expensive dinner of fish and shrimp with coconut bread, salad, more tajaditas, and virgin margaritas.

The next morning, our trip ends, we say our goodbyes and plan for our next trip in January...this time in Guatemala. :)

HI tried to put photos, but couldn`t...will try later,

Victoria

This time has been CRAZY!!! I have finished so many large projects-COLGATE, Yo Merezco and Yo Tambien Merezco, and TEAM 3. It feels good to be ending!

COLGATE finally ended after 6 months of teaching a whole elementary school of 100 kids each week about dental hygiene. It was so lovely to end that project even though it wasn’t an overwhelming amount of work because I got help from the other 5 teachers. And now, that it is over, I have formed really close friendships with many of the kids and the teachers. I still get invited to attend many of the school activities. Also, next year, I think they want me to come back and do something else, so I will see about having a reading program there since Peace Corps has given us a large box with over 100 books to use in our communities.

Yo Merezco and Yo Tambien Merezco is about abstinence, self-esteem, making good choices, preventing HIV/AIDS, learning the responsibilities of having children and being married, etc. This project we did with a high school class of 28 students for their fieldwork. There were 10 groups that went out into 9 different villages or communities throughout my town and taught the 2 programs to either a group of girls or boys. OMG…I got a lot of exercise during these 3 months going to each of these groups to supervise them in all the villages, give them suggestions on how to improve the classes, etc. In the end, around 193 children participated!

TEAM 3 is an English Class that we teach to teachers who then use what they learn to go into the classroom and teach their students. So, I have been teaching them techniques to improve their class, grammar rules, vocabulary, etc. for 6 months.

So, this information is brought to you just because I thought you might be interested or at the least curious to know of my work here in Honduras…not just my travels and cultural insights. Lol.

AND NOW??…I am ready to TRAVEL!!! I can’t wait to see Tiffany, and Wiatta as we travel in 2 weeks! YAY for a vacation! :)

Victoria

These are the rosquillas in coffee in a normal cup of coffee. This is SO delicious!

These are some of the bread varieties that are offered in the stores.

This is a coffee plant with a ripe coffee bean (the red one).

Coffee in a tin

Living in my town, a coffee town that grows tons of coffee, I have come to respect the art of growing, collecting, processing, and of course drinking the oh so common, but luxurious beverage that is coffee.

Just so you know how awesome our coffee is…and so you can be jealous that I get tons of this coffee…in a worldwide competition, our coffee (in the region) was voted number 1 or 3 or something crazy like that. Meaning? OUR COFFEE IS GOOD.

You may be wondering…I thought Victoria didn’t drink coffee…well, when I first arrived to my town, they couldn’t believe it either and so began the slow assimilation that was basically mandatory to live in my town. Even the babies…yes, the babies drink coffee!!! There is a little baby in my house who just turned 1 years old and has been drinking coffee for awhile already…not sure this is good for the little guy, but it’s the reality. This is to give you the context that coffee is definitely the beverage of choice.

Everywhere you will go, you will be offered coffee. It is served for breakfast, sometimes after breakfast but before lunch, at 3-4p.m., and at dinner. This is a LOT of coffee. Right, now, I try to drink only 1-2 cups a day. The one good thing I will say about this is that the cups really are cups…they aren’t huge mugs or anything like that…they are like tea cups.

Also, on the way to my town and throughout my town, you will see coffee plants! People have them in separated farms and even in their back yard. Right now, they’ve actually started picking the coffee as the coffee season is upon us!

So, how is coffee processed? (In my words)

1. Grow it in little small bags.

2. Move the plant once it’s bigger to a field so it can grow to full maturity in around a year.

3. Pick the red coffee fruit/bean. Take off outer shell.

4. Dry the red coffee fruit/bean.

5. Grind this dried fruit/bean to make the coffee grinds that then make the beverage.

Other fast facts about coffee:

COST -L3 for a cup of coffee ($.15)

-L45 per pound of ground coffee (~$2.50)

What do we have with our coffee-normally fresh bread, a tortilla, or rosquillas (corn meal and cheese donut shaped cookie) that are delicious when you put them inside the cup of coffee and the inflate and it’s glorious!

Hope this was fun and informative to read! :)

Victoria

HELlo, HEllo, Hello,

Things have been interesting as always here in San José. I am once again the only American here in San José…however, supposedly I should be getting a volunteer visit in about a week so that a volunteer can sort of shadow me in my daily activities to see what it means to be a volunteer.

Speaking of volunteers, there is new news in the Peace Corps world…as of now, the volunteers in Honduras have to live with a host family the whole 2 years (they can´t live alone) because of the increased crime against volunteers who live alone. Furthermore, because of the economic situation in the states, PC volunteers can no longer extend for an extra year. That news surely made my mother happy. Lol. At one time I had actually considered extending, but I don´t think I really have a reason to now anyways and I no longer have the opportunity…everything always works out accordingly to God´s plan digo yo.

My activities are going well in my site…busy, but not really. One thing I have managed to do is DELEGATE and work with my community, which is supposedly more sustainable…I shall pray about this. There are very few activities and programs that I actually do by myself. This is good because while working with the Honduran counterparts, we are both learning from each other and gaining skills (me-patience and understanding).

I´m still living with my first host family…but the other house that I will officially move in to now has a toilet, so things are at least progressing. The lady told me that I should be able to move in 2 weeks or so once she gets the doors put in for the bathroom, shower, and my bedroom. (I believe necessities…right now there are just curtains or nothing covering these very private areas).

Speaking of toilets…the toilet in my house right now does not always flush very well…so sometimes I encounter nasty little treats because people forget or do not know (which one I´m not sure) how to correctly dispose of their wastes. I will share with you this important information in the case that you find yourself using a latrine one day (a toilet that does not flush):

1. Do your business.

2. After wiping…please fold your tissue conservatively and throw it in the trash so that other people using the bathroom do not have to see your waste.

3. Pick up the pailita (little bucket or bowl).

4. Fill it with water from the pila (large stone holding of water…also where you wash your hands and your clothes).

5. ¨Throw¨ the water (it is an art I have discovered) into the toilet at the angle in which the water goes down the hole…don´t dump the water straight down, but at a sort of angle. You will learn the technique with practice.

6. IMPORTANT…afterwards, you must wait to hear the slurpy type noise that will follow signifying that the toilet has indeed flushed. If you do not hear this noise…you must repeat steps 3-6 until this noise ensues.

7. Please, please, please, wash your hands…use the pailita once again to get the water out of the pila and use the bar of soap strategically placed at the pila…lather and YA!!

Right, so now you know…maybe one day you will be able to experience using a latrine (if you come visit me you could…)! But, no, normally the toilet works quite normally. I just wanted to share this information with you.

Well…on to more excited things…the countdown officially began as I now have 4 ½ months before returning to the states for Christmas and New Year!!! Yay!!

I can´t wait to see you all and the time is going by so fast. Anyways, I hope everyone is having a good time, not working too hard!

P.S.-I think it´s interesting that right now I´m reading two books with similar titles ¨The Sacred Heart¨ and ¨The Sacred Romance¨. Also, Kelsey and Tope (maybe Shetoria)…I just read a great Christian Romance novel called ¨Bookends¨ by Elizabeth Clark Higgins (I think that was her name)…It was SOO good!

Love ,

Victoria

Hi All!!

Pues, yo se que estan esparando las fotos...entonces aqui estan...miranlas y disfrutan!!

This is my

COLGATE program with one of the teachers givig the charla...the kids are cute.

This is my birthday...the three little girls all made me things out of flowers and wrote my letters. lol.

This is also my birthday...when I went to my friends house in another town and we made the srawberry cheescake!! It was SOO good...I def. had a theme of red for my birthday with the clothes, the cheescake and then my friend got my a strawberry pinata...lol!

Playing at the soccer field in Camalote...with the Amigos de Americas. This guy is one of them...Roberto or Robert.

Excursion...beautiful view!! Yes, I spend most of my time walking up mountains going on excursions with the youth...I can not complain about life. lol

The Amigos de Americas...another help organization, but with high schools and me!

Las Marias...these ladies are awesome! They make the best bread or pan in town...I am always searching them out as my sweet tooth is ridiculous.

Making bread...the quick and easy way in the horno. It takes like 5 or 10 min. in this thing because it is incredibly hot and efficient.

Some of the girls in the youth group...on the excursion to Camalote otra vez y siempre.

This little guy is so cute brushing his teeth...he is really enjoying himself! Good for him...keeping those teeth clean!

Hope you enjoyed,

Victoria

Hello!!

So, things have been going well in the community...getting busy. Right now, I'm working on COLGATE (dental hygiene) as always, the two English classes, helping the library get a reading corner, starting with a reading club in the elementary school, and finally starting the HIV/AIDS/abstinence program with the high-school kids.

I still haven't moved into my new house...but, still considering it and getting excited!! I'm excited to start cooking really. Speaking of cooking, I'm officially involved with a healthy eating/sharing recipes/vegetarian club...it's through the Peace Corps. I'm not vegetarian, but I do love my veggies. Speaking of veggies, I'm in Teguz right now and I have the BEST lunch ever. I have a salad with oil dressing and a broccoli, cream cheese, walnut sandwhich on a toasted french baguette with a banana and passion fruit smoothie!! How great does that sound. I love coming to Teguz to eat good food!

Also, I've observed some other cultural things that I'm sure you all will appreciate. Since the 3 Amigos de Americas have been here (other American volunteers that are high-schoolers) they've really opened my eyes to things that I guess I've been taking for granted and just gotten used to. BUT, here goes:

1. The men love to lift up their shirts and rub their bellies.

2. They don't have lawnmowers...they use machetes. They use machetes here a lot actually. It was scary at first, but now it's quite normal for a man to be carrying a huge knife. lol.

Things I've learned:

1. learned how to make my own earrings courtsey of my PC friend, Anna who has a little factory in her house (exaggeration). lol.

2. Some men can be trusted and should be because they're nice to talk with and cute. :)

So for right now, just working...have plans to possibly see monkeys soon, go to Guatemala in November and Nicagaragua also and of course home for CHRISTMAS!! YAY!!! ALSO, still waiting for mother to confirm her trip here to Honduras next year. :)

Hope everyone is doing well...recovering from surgeries...losing weight...exercising...eating good American food, etc. Will post more pictures and videos soon. I just brought my memory disk, but these computers don't have a port for the disc. Anyways, next time!

LOVE YOU ALL,

Victoria

Well, I guess, it should more appropriately say in my life instead of a volunteer´s life…because this really does depend what country you go to, where you go in the country (city or country) ,who you´re working with (how many organizations you´re working with) and what project you´re working on.

For me, I´m in Honduras (more developed than some places, but still less developed than the U.S.), in a small town/village with 5,000 people in all and only 2,000 that actually live in the area I´m at because my town has like 12 outlying communities or other villages. Therefore, it´s pretty small, but not the smallest it could be. Also, I´m working with 3 counterparts-the high school with around 300 students in all the 6 grades they have! Also, I´m working with a youth group and a Culture and Tourism Group.

With those 3 groups, I´m actually quite busy….so my day goes something like this:

6:30ª.m.-wake up after hitting snooze at the 6:15ª.m. alarm/baby crying/rustling in the family household / possible music playing loudly.

7a.m.-Get myself together, have a bible study (still working on this).

8ª.m.-Take shower, eat breakfast (tortilla, beans, cheese, avacado, maybe eggs-normal, also I might have oatmeal, pancakes (rare), or cereal (that I supply myself because I LOVE it!)

From here on is where it gets a little crazy…different every day! But, usually, I have 2 things in the morning and 1 or 2 things in the afternoon that could include meetings with groups to plan activities, English clubs and class with teachers, projects (HIV/AIDS, Dental Hygiene, etc.), visiting families, using the computer, etc.

ALSO, I find it very interesting that almost every lunch here at my host familie´s house includes rice, a Little meat, veggie and fruit juice. Very interesting…I´m def. noticing this pattern.

5p.m.-usually I go home around this time and eat dinner, read, do some planning for the next day, maybe watch some t.v. in the “living room area” (I say this is in quotations to not decieve you into thinking this is something luxurious as it is also used as the dining room and we don´t have couches…which is sometimes a Little sad for me) is not occuppied by other viewers.

9:30p.m.-10:30p.m.-Go to SLEEP (of course I sleep past this time, this is just the hour usually when I fall asleep)

Pictures to come and look at my facebook...there are so many new photos on there!

Love,

Victoria

Hello!

Semana Santa is a big week here in Honduras...and in many other places too, but it's a celebrated a little differently here.

So first, for those who are wondering...Semana Santa means Holy Week and it's the week of Easter. As you know, Honduras is a pretty Catholic country and Comayagua in particular is a very religious city in Honduras as well as big and beautiful. Therefore, about 10 or more of us (Peace Corps Volunteers) went to Comayagua to see the festivities, swim, enjoy each other's company, etc.

The weeks festivities:

Monday, April 18- traveling 2 &1/2 hours to Comayagua by bus. Arrived to see Monica and friends and went to the pool where it was beautiful, peaceful, basically on us there and quite hot. I got a nice tan and we had an awesome sandwich with good cheese and ham and mangoes (yes, I have eaten mangoes quite a bit here despite my supposed allergy-side note-I was told by a friend that possibly not eating the skin would be better). After leaving the pool, we walked around and went to Wendy's to eat where I had a GREAT salad with blue cheese, cranberries, chicken and fries (on the side) OMG I was SO excited to eat American food! :) After that, we went to the big central park and saw a procession in the large catholic church...

Tuesday-This day, we went to the lake/waterfall. It was very beautiful and large! The waterfall was about 2 hours away in different buses with beautiful views especially since you have to walk sometimes to get to the different buses-it was like walking through a random Honduran ghost town almost! We went to the park where we saw a lizard, lots of vegetation, and got a little soaked by the waterfall on the lookout deck. Some friends went behind the waterfall and jumped off! So, we watched them, hung out, played in the water, and left to hitchhike randomly with some nice gentlemen. Afterwards, we went to the Princesita which has HUGE baliadas-flour tortillas with beans, cheese and other things inside. It was a little struggle, but we managed to scarf the thing down...

Wednesday-We went shopping for clothes at the used american clothing shops and I found a great flowy skirt por FIN!! Then, we ate at Dunkin's Donuts and then we went to a Chinese restaurant where we had GREAT sweet and sour chicken and fish with boiled rice FOR FREE (friends know the owner who is a Chinese lady that's been in Honduras for 38 years)!!!

Thursday-Some friends got there hair braided at a local Garifuna's salon-I just got a french braid by a PCV friend. lol. After, we went to a waterpark with dinosaur statues...there were TONS of Hondurans and we were the ONLY Americans. Later, there was a pretty cool concert with dancing and music. They had cute little competitions with the children and others for singing and dancing. Also, in the back of the park, we got to pick some fresh mangoes off the trees. We figured out the technique finally on how to get the fruit off the trees. Also, I realized today (after seeing others with them) that I want a sarong, they are quite useful. Then, we rested....ate and went to a bar/club which was quite sophisticated (lol) and hung out on the couches and watched tv and talked with another volunteer and her father who was visiting from the states. It was interesting seeing and hearing how he was viewing the culture...can't wait for Mom to come!! Later, we waiting for the procession which blesses the streets before they make the rugs and took pics and hung out more to dance a little and see the start of the rug-making. Went to sleep around 2:30a.m. All in all a GREAT night.

Friday- Woke up early to go see the rugs and watch the procession in the streets that tramples the rugs and goes through the 12 "stations" of the Christ story with him being betrayed by Judas up to His resurrection. Ate at a GREAT restaurant with air condition...had a sandwich with awesome sauce and a greek salad. Then, later, we went to dance and enjoy the environment by the pool.

Saturday-Went shopping for foods and went HOME!!!

Hello!

These past weeks have been interesting since there have been strikes for the last three weeks here in Honduras at the schools…so there hasn’t been any classes for almost a month (starting when I was in the states). So, many projects that I was going to do are difficult to get started with the teachers doing there own thing (fighting for there rights, etc.). Right when I got into site (literally the first day, my town was having its feria…it’s festival to celebrate its saint) I was enthralled in activities…possibly a good thing to forget about the sadness of being away from home once again. I’ve included some random pictures of the past weeks-mostly of the excursion (more info. farther down). I tried to load the video...but, virtually impossible~ :)

BUT, we are doing some things in my site such as COLGATE, a dental and personal hygiene program with an elementary school and a kindergarten in a nearby community. It’s nice to get out and do something, even if just for only one time a week. We talk about how to brush your teeth and why it’s important…and LOTS of fun activities! Also, we’re working more with the youth group to go out and do excursions to document the nearby places that are touristy and we go and play games and bring lunch and they bathe in the river (I don’t because I’m suspicious of the dirty rivers especially with children…I know they’re peeing in the river). But, we just had our first one this past Saturday and I think it went very well…it was SOOO tiring, but it was good exercise and bonding time with the kids and it got them out of the house since there hasn’t been school in so long!!

That’s pretty much all I’m doing right now…and working so hard to get more projects off the ground and applying for grants and things for the projects because we have so many things we can do so I want to use my time wisely! But, right now, I’m in Tegucigalpa…about to go to training and then for Holy Week (the week of Easter) I believe I will be going to Comayagua to participate in the festivities! AND, Monica told me that we (PCV’s) will actually get to help with making some of the street rugs out of sand…I’m REALLY excited!!

YAY! That’s all for now…talk with you all soon,

LOVE, Victoria

Well, well, well...it's been about a week and a half that I've been visiting in the states, and............... I LOVE IT!!! lol.

Yes, well, maybe that wasn't a surprise, but anyways, I have gained a new appreciation for the United States and GA in particular. I love my state. Also, I love my family and friends-they showed me so much love while I was home, I cried one time even. lol. I think I went out to eat with friends and family almost every day I was home. Also, speaking to my Christian friends and family was really encouraging

as they helped me to realize that my experience in the PC might be hard, but I'm there for a reason and I'm doing good. It was very nice to see how so many people are supporting me outside the PC and inside the PC! It's quite amazing...I feel very blessed with all the support and love I have.

So, coming back home for the first time after 8 months was definitely interesting. I asked many Peace Corps friends how they did it, how it felt, etc. to prime myself before leaving and coming back. BUT, I must admit, I was not really overwhelmed. I did not have a panic attack...even though, I definitely understand how that is possible. But, no, everything seemed pretty normal except a few things:

>There was ALWAYS toilet paper in the bathrooms...I felt so spoiled. In Honduras, if you don't bring your own toilet paper, well, you won't have any.

>DIVERSITY!! I got to see so many different people...Asians, African Americans, whites, etc. I was SO excited!! :)

>I got to ride in my OWN CAR! You don't understand...usually if I do get to ride in a car in Honduras, I'm not on the inside. I ride in the back-it's quite sad.

>The bathroom is inside the house and close by...I did not have to walk through the house, down the stairs, and outside to get to the bathroom! It was so nice.

> I get to choose the temperature of my water everywhere I am...in the faucet, in the shower, etc. In Honduras, everything is one degree...pretty cold. lol.

One thing I did miss however, was my friends that I've made in Honduras and speaking Spanish. I actually enjoy speaking Spanish now. But, I will get plenty of that when I go back in like 5 days.

So, for now, I'm enjoying home cooked meals..I actually did eat collard greens and cornbread (Alicia)! lol. I also have had Godiva chocolates, Dip 'N Dots, sausage balls, biscuits with honey, spinach and bacon quiche, amazing sushi, etc.

Also, I went back to Emory University and saw the new updates and a couple of old friends. And, I got to meet new people and new places. ALSO, I did not plan this...but, I actually came back to celebrate 2 holidays (Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day). Although Mardi Gras is a heathen holiday, it was fun creating mini floats. Anyways, I'm so excited about coming home and soaking up the U.S. and will go back to Honduras ready to work again and wait to come back for Christmas...this whole journey is going by SO fast, but I'm enjoying it and I know the Lord is using this time to teach me more about the world and myself.

Thank you all for everything!

Victoria :)

It's been a while since I posted, so I thought I would say a few words. All is well in my site...and it's officially like 2 weeks before I'm home! I'm pretty excited. Also, I'm still enjoying my chocolates that I got from home for Valentine's Day and I did end up sharing them. It's crazy how I'm a much more thoughtful and sharing person having experienced Honduras.

Furthermore, I'm trying to get stricter about my diet (less fried foods, coffee, more water, etc.) and exercising. I just picked up a book about Piltes from the Peace Corps Office. So, we shall continue praying about that.

Also, I wanted to make a small note about an issue here in Honduras that is SO common and so prevalent pretty much everywhere you go and that is IMMIGRATION. It might NOT suprise you the number of times someone has asked me to help them to get to the states or if I can take them back with me as if they're some cargo that I can easily add to my luggage. Well, I nicely decline and tell them that the process is a bit more complicated and you need paperwork, etc. But, it's just amazing to me that so many people want to go to the states. And, also, it's amazing how many people here (mainly men) just came from the states...possibly were forced back. I personally have a couple of stories about immigration. My host mom during trainig told me that she decided one day that she was going to go to the states because they didn't have a house and times were really hard. She told me of her journey in buses through Mexico and then through the Arizona desert and then to her destination. She told me how it was a very difficult time through the desert for weeks and her feet were blistered and she found shad under trees to sleep. It sounded so sad, especially coming from someone that I knew...it wasn't just a story I had heard on the news or someone, it was from my host mom.

Also, I have a 9 year old girl in my host family's house who's parents are both in the states and have been for 5 years!! It's so sad watching her try to cling to her uncle as a daughter clings to her father...she even calls him father sometimes. But, the states was a more appealing option to her parents and so they left her alone with family members. But, her life is incomplete and every day I know she encounters moments where she misses her parents and realizes that she's a little alone.

With all of this pain that immigration causes, it makes me think that it's not worth it...BUT, how can it be stopped? Yes, you can enforce laws to stop the flow of human bodies into the states, but the underlying cause is necessity of jobs in these countries, resources, education, and hope. It's difficult. Sometimes, I believe that Honduras can be a better place if people would stay in the country and work for the good in the country instead of just leaving, bringing money back, and making there life better financially (but worsening family life). But, is there one solution? How long will it take to see improvement? Will it be lasting change?

It's a very complicated issue and I would like to know what you guys think...

Hope to hear from you soon!

Victoria

Well, well, well...January is almost over and I can't believe it! Next week (the whole week), I will be going to my first training to learn how to implement the COLGATE program and a reading and writing program in my community. It should def. be interesting and I have a teacher coming with me who teaches at a rural school with one classroom! So, it should be nice for her.

Anyways, some things I would like for you to know:

Things I thought I'd never do:

1. Mountain climb for like an hour or more...when we say in the states that mountain climbing is a hobby, here it is a reality for some people as the communities are SO far away and always up in the mountaines somewhere...I'm so upset that we have to walk so much all the way up hill, but it is good exercise.

2. Drink coffee...honestly, the coffee is good. I can drink it black or with creamer. Supposedly it's really great coffee according to my friend here who was also a coffee drinker in the states.

3. Use a LATRINE!! So, in the states, using the bathroom for me was always an ordeal. I had to clean the seat and then I had to lay down the paper on the seat. AND, if there happened to be the slightest crack in the door I would hang up my purse or a jacket to cover it up. HERE...o no...I've used a latrine, which is a toilet without a flusher. So, this means you must throw water in the toilet for it to flush. Sometimes, they're not that clean...quite questionable actually. Furthermore, I have officially (yesterda) used an outside latrine without a door. I just prayed that noone was watching, cause I def. used the bathroom. Also, I want you to know it was difficult because the latrine had three walls and a top...and the top was so low I couldn't stand up, so it was REAL awkward trying to get my pants back up. But, anyways, I made it through and used hand santizer afterwards. :)

4. I picked coffee!! It's actually really easy...but, I personally would not recommend it for long periods of time and the mosquitos or insects might get to you.

5. I eat deviled eggs. I realize this is not a huge deal, but I didn't like them in the States and know I'm quite fond of them. This is also true for oranges, beets, and some other things that I can't remember.

More culture insights:

a. (cause I already used numbers) Many families here have maids that help out in the house. I DID NOT expect to find that. I guess it's because they have large families sometimes and people need employment?

b. Sometimes when younger people meet with older family members, the older family member touches there head and says God bless you. I think it's quite neat.

c.No PRIVACY..so, everytime I walk past this one little child, he's always asking me where I'm going and where I came from...he's a little child...I do not feel like I need to explain my life to him. Furthermore, one time I was usig the ATM and I had a Honduran friend with me and you know what? She was looking all in my business while I was checking my account info. I KNOW!!

d. Sharing is a big deal here. I guess it's because some people have more than others financial wise. So, everyone shares. I am not used to sharing to the extent that I'm expected, however and this has caused some awkward situations. For instance, it's NOT appropriate to eat in front of others at any time without offering them some. Furthermore, if you buy something and have other people with you, you have to buy for them as well. Even if they have money...it's really crazy! It's not like in the States...everyone for themselves...Oh no.

>Blessings from God:

The Lord has been so good to me lately I feel like I should send a shout out to Him...lol!!

My cell phone feel on the floor of the bus coming to Teguz today...BUT, a nice gentleman picked it up and gave it back to me (NOT COMMON, especially here).

Everyday I get to wake up with new joy, strength, and hope!

Everything always works out...it really just does.

That's all for now and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of this first month of 2011!

See ya'll soon,

Victoria :)

Hello Family and Friends!

The holiday season is officially over, but I hope that the feelings of happiness and joy continue throughout the year!! Here in Honduras, there was quite a bit going on. There are many traditions here that are very similiar, if not the same, as the U.S. However, there were many traditions that are different from our Holiday Season traditions. Furthermore, of course, I introduced my family to some of our traditions. So, this Christmas was definitely a Honduran-American Christmas and New Year´s!! lol. We did all kinds of things from decorating with lights, Christmas Trees and reindeer, making decorations with the children, the CD with 100 songs, a lot in English…it was very nostalgic with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, White Christmas, Jingle Bells, Silver Bells, Frosty the Snowman, etc., watching holiday movies, drinking hot chocolate, eating peppermint sticks, and more! It was quite beautiful despite the lack of christmas lights in every house as is normal in the U.S. However, The Little girls and I watched The Polar Express and some holiday movies of Winnie the Pooh, Nora the Explorer and Mickey Mouse. It was quite interesting. Also, they got to try hot chocolate and peppermint sticks (the BEST) for the first time thanks to my mom.

However, there was of course an interchanging of culture, so I learned quite a bit also about some of their traditions during Chrsitmas. During the month of December, they charole in the church every week. They used to go around the town and visit people´s houses, but people stopped responding so they ended that. That was a little sad, because I wanted to charole and visit people´s houses, but anyways. Also, the Catholic Church makes a nativity scene in the front of the church (my host dad made it). I have a picture below. By the way, you can´t see it, but I found a dinosaur in the nativity scene! Lol. It must have been a Little kid or a joke, I´m not sure, but I´m pretty sure their were no dinosaurs in the manger. But, it was beautiful.

So, on Dec. 23, we made tamales and I got to help! It´s quite a process with the preparing the corn,the stuffings, the leaves of the banana tree,etc. I actually also helped cute down the banana trees that I later ¨cooked¨or dried on the stovetop to wrap the tamales in.

On Dec. 24, we played Amigos Secretos which is Secret Santa for us in the states. It was quite fun...I ended up giving a little girl a skirt and shirt and I got a sweater...no pics of the sweater, but oh well. It was a fun time with the fam.

On Dec. 25, I went to the bull ridings in Lamani, Comoyagua with a counterpart and the family. It was very interesting and fun!! One time, there was a drunk guy from the crown that got into the pin...lol!

On De. 31, we celebrated the New Year with food (stuffed chicken) and a doll that I helped make with my host dad. The doll represents the old year because it´s made with old clothing and you burn it at 12a.m. to represent leaving all the old things behind and moving into a NEW YEAR!!

I hope everyone´s year was great and that all the end of the year celebrations were awesome as well!! I will post more pictures later.

Happy 2011,

Victoria

I hope the title didn´t make you think that I was going to talk a lot about Christmas, because I will save that until the next blog. HOWEVER, their have been a lot of cool things that have happened lately.

Thanksgiving Day-

We went to the orphange and cooked and ate and hung out with the children. I made sweet potatoe souflee and biscuits. It was SO much food! The kids were quite full at the end and I believe everyone was satisfied with the day. :)

Their´s only one nun working there and theres´s like 20 kids or something. So, I´m sure she enjoyed the help even if it was just for one day.

Also, since school ended, there were a ton of graduations and I personally attended 3. I missed some, but there were too many to go to! Anyways, I have some photos of the graduations for you guys. It was really interesting the way they do graduations because the God Father and God Mother are responsible for bringing a gift and escorting the student to get their diploma. I thought this was interesting because the parents don´t escort their own children.

Furthermore, the past weekend, the family and I went to Los Esposos, a village nearby with family. It was SO beautiful...LOTS of walking, but it was great weather and we had a lot of fun. We walked around almost the whole village...to see the one school building with 2 classrooms, the one convenience store and the one half-built church. lol. It was quite small...but very peaceful. We also ended up seeing a river baptism, which was pretty cool. They sang, had a word from the Bible, and then baptised the youth (I think there were 6 in all).

All in all, it has been going good...during these times of vacations I´m just teaching one English Class and helping start a newspaper. Also, since my town is very big in cafe, I´m going to help harvest cafe and stuff like that. But, there are SO many more exciting things coming up as it gets closer to Christmas. I can´t wait to pots my next blog about Christmas! It´s going to be beautiful!!

Talk to you soon and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Victoria

Thank the Lord for Peace Corps computers! I'm in Tegucigalpa now in the PC Office and the computers here are SO much better than in many of the internet cafes!! So, therefore, I was able to send you guys some photos...hope you enjoy!

This is the turkey we have in the backyard...he's always mad! He's always making noises and showing his feathers...I'm not sure if that's normal, but it is for him. By the way, I'm pretty sure we're going to eat him for Christmas-I'm SO excited! I feel a little bad for him though, cause everytime I look at him I think about how delicious he's going to be...oh well. :)

This is a street in my town...just to give you a better idea of what it looks like!

This is one of the on-going projects taht I'm helping with in the school to raise awareness about the environment. These signs are creative ways that the Lord showed me (I say it is the Lord, because I'm not really that creative, so it had to have been Him) to make signs about trash. You would be amazed how people just throw trash around on the ground when there's a trash can right near by!!

This is the beautiful view of my room in my host family's house...doesn't it look majestic! lol. I enjoy opening the door and relaxing, putting my feet up on the stole, looking at the view from my door, feeling the breeze, and reading a good book (when I have time).

This is a picture of Merari and I in Santa Maria...a town nearby my site. This is one of our many excursions over there (including the one with the dead cow). It was cold, which is why I'm wearing a jacket and you will also notice that my foot is sprained in this photo from playing with the little children.

This is a picture during the swearing in ceremony in the U.S. Embassy in Honduras...

The earrings I'm wearing are from the lady in my community who picked me up and took my to my site for the first day! They're hand-made!

This is the library in the high school that I work in a lot...after we get through working on it...it's going to look different! We finally organized all the books by catalog number *with the help of some students and now we're working on basic organization. :)

Write soon and hope every enjoys Thanksgiving!

Love,

Victoria

Hello!

It´s been exactly 2 months in my site today! I can´t believe it! AND, everyday I continue to learn new things and experience new things. It´s very interesting how initally I had a vision of how my service would be-I would walk around and people would greet me with happy faces and invite me into their homes and we would talk and enjoy a little snack together. I don´t know, something like that. BUT, it´s definitely not so much like that at all. I haven´t gotten invited to many homes and definitely not by strangers, which could actually be a good thing! lol. Also, Honduras is definitely much more American and developed than I expected. For example, I just visited a house this past week that had a computer and a huge scanner-copier-printer in the living room! I was amazed! AND, most the people here know how to use the computer and the people in the cities have Blackberry´s and IPOD´s and stuff...it´s definitely not what I expected. But, in the smaller towns and villages, you´ll still find some people who don´t have direct access to these things, but normally someplace nearby does. For example, although I don´t need anymore access to computers in my town, there are 2 large cities nearby and 1 semi-large city that I can visit if I want extra-fast internet! But, despite these surprises, I´m just trying to find a way to make myself useful during these 2 years.

For instance, I have found, from an informant, that most all of the youth here do drugs and the parents don´t know about it or don´t care. SO, I´ll definitely start talking about that to the youth and I hope to start meeting with parents to discuss how to better the situation (know where your kids are and care more about them). I pray for support from God on this...cause I´m just 22 years old informing these old people on how to raise their children. LOL!

Furthermore, I would like to share some random, but I think important things with you-

Cultural differences:

*A female can´t be called a woman until she is married. I got laughed at for calling a 26 year old a woman. Clearly, to me, she is a woman, NOT a girl. But, here she´s still a girl until she is married.

*When it´s your birthday, you will have eggs thrown at you.

*There is always prayer before each meeting.

Funny Stories:

*So, one day I was walking down this dirt and pebble mixture path to the high school and it´s surrounded on one side with lots of trees (it seems like a forest) and on the other side with backyards and houses with cows and dogs. All of a sudden on the forest side, I hear a bird noise that sounds unique and interesting. So, naturally, I think to myself that I´m going to see (for the first time here in Honduras) an exotic bird. So, I curiously look up into the tree from where the sound is coming....and what do I see? ...a CHICKEN! I was quite dissapointed and confused. WHY is a chicken in the tree?

*One day I was walking and it was an especially hot day. As my arms swayed, I noticed that I was shiny and glowing! I thought to myself, ¨Self, you look awfully nice...looking healthy!¨ Then, after awhile, I realized it was my insect repellant...

*I officially introduced my family to roasted marshmallows (besitos-little kisses, I like the name in Spanish) about a month ago and since then we´ve had roasted marshmallows like at least 5-7 times! It´s a lot of fun, but after awhile it´s like WOW more marshmallows…but, for a week now we haven´t had any, so that´s been a nice break.

Well, hope you enjoy the information that I´ve found and the photos!

Talk to you later,

Victoria

This is the Principal of the High School in my town-Prof. Vinda. I work with her to plan things with the High School.

This is my host dad-they´re own a trip.

These are three of the girls who live in the house-the girl with the checked hat Merari, the girl in the middle Jasinta and the one drinking, Elda.

This is one of the girls-Elda' in my house dancing with the two younger girls-Jarissa and Jarisel.

This is a street in my town.

This is the Biblioteca that was built a long time ago by another PC volunteer.

This is the view in the backyard from my pila where I wash my clothes and my hands. lol

This is a view of the backside of the house. My room is on the top right.

On the left is the bathroom, it´s actually really clean and nice. On the right is the shower.

This is our kitchen with our fogon. We also have a stove and fridge, though.

This is the store that´s attached to the house. It´s small, but very handy with spices, eggs, meats, flour, chips, cookies, sodas, etc.

This is tour living room. We don´t have sofas, but the chairs are pretty comfortable and that´s where we watch the telenovelas or honduran soap operas. lol.

This is us in the restaurant. Our last day together. H17 Youth Development Girls.

This is a picture with a member of my community who picked me up to take me to San Jose for my first day and the Ambassador of the U.S. Embassy in Honduras.

This is the U.S. Embassy in Honduras. It´s pretty nice.

Ok, more fotos to come, but I need to leave the cafe before I spend too much money and it gets too hot here in La Paz, La Paz. I just left a get-together with all the volunteers in the department of La Paz. There were like 15 or more of us. It was fun. We ate guacamole, salsa, hummus, chips, cookies, pineapple, oranges, pizza, hung out and talked FOREVER!! I actually got to talk a good bit about my life as a Christian-they were So interested. It´s amazing how God comes up all the time. So, I thank the Lord for that ministering opp. because I know it changed their views about some things. AND, it was nice to talk in English for a whole DAY!! I´m excited and I´m also exicted to get back to my site where it´s cool. It´s too hot here.

Anyways, hope all is well and enjoy the photos.

Love,

Victoria

Much is going on here in San Jose and in life in general. On Sat. of the last week, while playing with the children in my house, I stepped on a large rock while jumping and so I sprained my foot and it hurt so bad! So, the next morning, my family got an old man in the village to come over and massage my foot. This occurred for two days! It was quite interesting and it worked to my surprise. I am now with a LOT less pain and I´m walking again just fine.

Travel

Also, I´ve been traveling a lot and I´ve seen much! Lol. One night (around 8p.m.) my host family and I went to a nearby village to get meat from a dead cow. The poor cow fell and so they killed it and all the nearby neighbors and villages came to partake in the cow meat. Lol. Also, during this trip, I got to ride in the back of the truck. It´s not a normal truck because it has large poles constructed in the back for people to hold on to. It was actually fun to ride back there and the view was beautiful!  Then, also, I traveled with the girl from the Mayor´s Office to two towns sort of nearby. They were really beautiful although we had to walk in mud and a bit of rain for like 3 hours. In the very end, we were walking down a huge mountain to get to the street below to catch a bus back to San Jose, and I know I almost slipped like 10 times. It was SO difficult because we were walking straight down and it was rocky and muddy cause it had just rained. I thought I was going to lose my life a couple of times. But, I prayed the whole way and made it safely to the bottom. It was very stressful, but also beautiful. We saw three waterfalls and the scenery was very peaceful amidst the stressful walk.

Work

Also, as far as work is concerned, they are definitely keeping me busy, which is good! In the high school, I´m helping with a mural to prevent trash in the high school and to raise awareness about environmental health. It´s going pretty well. Also, I´m going to start a computer class because (to my amazement) many of the students here do not know how to use a computer! I never thought I would need to teach people how to use a computer, but it seems that´s one thing they need. Also, another teacher really wants me to help her crafts class, so I will be teaching them how to knit and whatnot. Also, if anyone has any other ideas of crafts, please let me know!!! I never thought I´d be doing these things, but to this community they´re important. Also, the Tourism Group has a BIG plan to put on an event by the end of this year with crafts, performances, etc. so I will be helping with that as well. There is much to do and I´m excited to be able to help! Furthermore, if anyone has ideas about groups that can help with funds, please let me know!!

News from San Jose:

It´s cold here! It´s like 60 degrees. But, it´s beautiful!

No more storms, but it rains every day.

Random Information:

The food is good, I just had like a potatoe salad type thing with grilled chicken and a salad.

We officially have a huge turkey, which is for Christmas dinner...lol.

I´m going to Marcala, the bigger city, to find a church.

I will probably be living with my family for the 2 years because they have a pretty nice setup downstairs. It´s like an apt. with it´s own bath-shower-bathroom and a small kitchen )I think) and they´re going to put in an electronic shower for me so I can have warm water cause the water here is crazy cold...like more than normal.

Hope all is well...

Talk with you soon,

Victoria

I hope all is well...I haven´t posted in a while! But, it´s because it´s been crazy here trying to find a good computer and you´ll have to wait on photos because I can´t get this computer to load my pictures. But, anyways, I´m officially in San Jose, my site for 2 years. It is indeed pretty and sort of small )so I don´t get lost), but it´s sort of big too.

Life Here

So far, we´ve had two celebrations in the town: The Honduras Independence Day on Sep. 15 and the Day of the Hight School, which was fun. We danced and ate and hung out. Also, on that day, they sent up fireworks or firecrackers at 6am in the morning, so that was fun to wake up to! :=o Also, I´ve visited a little of the outlying communities ,and it´s a very peaceful place. Also, sometimes very cold and now with the Hurricane season, it rains A LOT!!! Like it rained all night last night, literally. But, it was peaceful and it cools things down. However, that doesn´t help during showers. The water here is extra cold than the water in my other two homes. My family says it´s because the water coms straight from the mountain, we live in a mountain and so it´s cold, but fresh water! I drink straight from the faucet and nothing has happened! Praise the Lord! But, anyways, I´ve started to boil my water for my showers and take bucket baths. A warm luxurious bucket bath is better any day than a shower with cold water. lol.

Work

So far, I´ve given 4 charlas, or talks, in my site and they´ve all been about safe sex, values, rights of children, etc. It has been interesting. But, many people and young children have attended!! So it´s been a success I think so far. Also, I must mention that I don´t give the charlas alone, I have a Honduran counterpart that helps me.

Family

The family here that I live with is really nice. They have a lot of patience with my, especially now when I´m eating more selectively and less because I want to lose wait! They had me eating like 10 tortillas a day and everything fried! So, I´m cuting down to 3 tortillas a day, because I do like them-they´re fresh made with fresh corn!! OMG, they are good. But, yeah, and I´m drinking less coffee, eating less cookies ,and more fruits!! That´s my plan as well as walking more...I don´t think I´ll run, though! But, anyways, the food is good!!! I love plantains, rice with milk, the tamales, the juice, everything!! My family makes juice of nancee, lemon, and orange...it´s SOO good! Also, I have 9 other people in the house with me and their are 6 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms!! lol. But, one of the bathrooms is inside the apt. of the teacher who lives downstairs. So really there are 9 people using one bathroom. But, it doésn´t seem to be a problem. There are 2 younger girls of around 5 and 10 years of age, 3 teenage girls or 14 to 15 years, 2 teachers who rent the rooms downstairs, and the mom and dad- the owners of the house. But, it´´s nice to have so many people in the house because I never get bored and their´s always someone to talk to. So, all is well with the fam.

New things with Me

I drink coffee, now! I never knew this day would come, but I actually like it! AND, the coffee here is extra fresh because they grow it in the backyard. So, I don´t know it I´ll coffee in the U.S. the same, we´ll see. Also, I got a haircut, finally. You´ll see it when I get the pics up. The mosquitos are biting my like crazy!! My host cousin painted my nails for me...yeah that´s prety much it for now.

Let me know how everything´s going in the U.S.!!

Love you all,

Victoria!

This past week was the last week in Talanga. We wrapped up training, had a celebration in our school, which was very nice! We cut up fruit and had salsa and bean dip and cookies and cokes as well as a pinata, of course! It was very nice...the children really enjoyed it and the got to present their songs that they learned in English (Old McDonald and BINGO) with their masks of the different animals and their tambourines that we made out of plastic plates and beans! AND, we displayed their artwork. SO, I think it was a great ending and a great success. It was very emotional leaving because it's very possible that it will be my last time seeing them. But, even though we were only with their school for 7 weeks (2 days a week), we could already see the change in some of the children. For example, one of the little girls was very shy in the beginning, she wouldn't even participate, she would just stand outside the classroom. But, by the end, she was the one making the most noise...meowing randomly during the performance. It was so great to see her break out of her shell! Many children here have that problem becuase they don't get much experience presenting in front of people like we do in the states. They normally just copy what their teacher writes on the board. AND, they don't get to attend school much anyways because of teacher strikes, etc. SO, it was good that we were able to come in and help facilitate a different type of learning.

So, anways, we're all back to our original site near Teguz, now and it's SO weird being back, but it's good because that means we're even closer to getting into our sites!! We leave this Saturday for our sites and we meet our counterparts (the people we'll work with in our communities for 2 years) on Friday and then we will go the American Embassy and get sworn-in as volunteers in the Peace Corps!!! How crazy is that!!!?? It's all very exciting...I can't wait to be in my site. But, I must wait and live this week out.

Hope all is well in the States...keep me updated on the news, cause we don't get much American news here. However, I did here about Hurricane Earl...did it really do anything bad?

Also, enjoy the photos:

My bedroom with my Mosquito Net...cause I'm not trying to get Malaria or Dengue!

My family in Talanga...Host Dad (Don Rogelio), Me, Host Mom (Dona Antonia), y Host Brother (Barron)

Host family with host sister (Gabby)

The School with all the children...the girl in the yellow dress in the front row was the really shy one.

One of the girls who helped us a lot during our time in the school...preciosa!

Keep me updated!

Love,

Victoria

This weekend has been very interesting.. We got hints about our site and we worked hard in the gardnen. However, I don't really have any pictures, but when I get into my site in 2 weeks I'm going to take a LOT of pictures to send you because I heard my site is really beautiful. SO, I'm really excited.

Information about my Site-I'll be working with 3 counterparts: A high school, the Municipal Department (Youth Dept.), and a new Tourism Center. The high school wants my to help with art (they want a mural), which is really amazing and at the same time a really big deal because a mural is a huge project where people draw on a large wall...so, I def. need someone with more art skills than I. They also want a basketball team . LOL. Furthermore, they want tutoring in Math and Physics-I really like Math (especially Algebra, so that's great) and they want a choir (SO excited because what they mean by a choir could possibly mean starting out with working on rythmn, which is really cool) and they want me to help with the band (which of course I'm excited about- they only thing is they don't really have trumpets in the band cause they're so expensive). BUT, I can ask for funding for some trumpets from the Municipality Office that I'll be working with.

Then, there's the Municipality Office, which has money right now and they want to start some Youth Groups in the town, which is great! Furthermore, the Tourism Center just started like 2 months ago because the town is SO pretty :) and they want tourists so they've asked me to come in and help them figure out what the town needs. Even though it's not related to youth, they put me there because I have experience in planning/organizing things and I like organizing things! So, I'm really excited. I´M SO EXCITED--2 more weeks before I get to my site. :)

So, about the farming this week...CRAZY! We literally worked hard like farmers making compost and planting all kinds of things-trees, vegetables, fruits, etc. We got so dirty...I took two showers and I got a blister cause we were using machetes, hoes, shovels, etc. and they weren't in the best condition so some of the handles that were wood were rough on the hands. But, it was very informative. We ended up planting avacado, tomatoes, squash, radish, oranges, yuca, etc.

Also, this week is the last week with the school that we´ve been working with in the town nearby. We´re going to have a party to celebrate. We´re inviting all the parents of the students and we´re going to make food and display the art we´ve been working on with the kids the past few weeks and the kids are going to sing Old McDonald and BINGO in English with tambourines that we made together and they´re going to wear their masks that we made together of the animals in the Old McDonald song... I should take a picture!

So, that´s all for now! I hope is well at home-Keep me updated!

Victoria

So, this past week, we taught young children in an orpahange (family home) about dental hygiene and then we also taught high-schoolers about sexual education (we did the banana condom thing).

Anyways, so the orphange was called Bobby´s because the owner is named Bobby and he´s actually from the U.S. (AL). He has such a think country accent, it´s really funny to hear him speak Spanish! :) But, yeah, he´s been in Honduras for 10 years and he goes back to the states every once in a while to bring supplies back in a big school bus...he drives all the way to like Chicago and it takes days. It´s incredible! And, he calls his place a family home so that the children can say they came from a family instead of an orphanage when other little kids ask them. He has such a big heart and the children are precious. I held one of the little babies named Miguel and he was so sweet. Bobby told us about their stories and how some of them were like found in a trash can or one girl (9 years) was on the street selling food or something to support her two younger siblings. It was really sad. BUT, then we talked to them about dental hygiene and played educational games with them and gave them each two toothbrushes and toothpaste. It was great!

Also, the highschool...OMG. It was def. interesting showing high schoolers how to use condoms and talking to them about HIV and AIDS. But, all was well. We played games where some of them had to be white cells and diseases, etc. AND, of course we had the banana and the condom where we each (there were 4 of us in the group) had to show them how to use the condom correctly. It was new info. for me too. LOL.

Also, all is going well with my stomach and I haven´t had any diseases! I feel blessed cause we´ve had some Dengue and Malaria going around and of course your common diarrhea. BUT, praise the Lord that all is well with my health. Just trying to eat less sweets and less in general. :)

Also, I went to my first Honduran Birthday party last night and I got to dance and we had tamales...no cake, though. I was a little dissapointed. But, it´s prob. for the best. But, the lady was turning 75 and she´s in good shape!

Furthermore some news from Honduras:

Teachers still on strike...possibly it will last for a month.

Teguz (the Capital) is flooded...like people´s houses are destroyed and a main street washed away. AND it´s still raining a lot here.

But, all is still functioning some way or other. :)

2 more weeks here and then back to my original site for a week near Teguz and then on to my site that I´ll be in for 2 years!!

Love,

Victoria

This is the kitchen in my house now during FBT.

This is the pila where we wash the clothes and some people use it to wash dishes as well. Those are my jeans...

This is my host mom...my dad randomly took this photo...I´m going to get more official pics of my families later.

This is the living room...the house is actually a nice size.

This is me at the pila hard at work for two hours each Saturday washing my clothes. I don´t mind though cause I just put on my MP3 player and sing. :)

This is the cross at the top of the hill that we climbed to get to the cave!

This is me on the hill after we left the cave! :) A beautiful view.

This is the group that traveled to the cave! That´s not all of us...there are 57 of us in all and 19 in Youth Development (my project). There are three projects in all!

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Love,

Victoria

I´m in an Internet Cafe, so forgive the errors cause the keyboard doesn´t work great. LOL.

School--

So, these days are CRAZY busy because we´re working in schools giving talks and teaching classes. We have groups (there are four in all in my group) and we go to a school nearby that has two classrooms, 40 students, one bathroom (with no toilet paper or water), and one teacher! It´s amazing. But, speaking of schools...the Education Situation here in crazy. Right now, for about a week the teachers in all of Honduras have been on strike which means that the students haven´t had class in a week. This occurs often and it really sad for the students. But, it´s because the government doesn´t want to pay the teachers and they want to privatize the school system and make the families pay cause right now the government pays a lot of the schooling and they´re out of money! It´s really horrible. AND, the children only go to school for like 4 hours a day anyways when the do go to school, so the Education System def. needs to change. But, that´s one reason why we´re here because we don´t get paid anyways so we´ll always show up. lol.

This past week was filled with fun things as usual--

We learned some Honduras folk dances...mostly footwork.

The caves were awesome! Bats, views, random animals on the side of the hill, etc.

We all got together one time afterschool and watched Juno in Spanish and had lots of chips and cookies (as always). Speaking of chips, they have AWESOME fried plaintain chips here...they´re def. my fav... :) And, of course I LOVE the chocolate bananas and the homemade icecicle pops made of fruit juice and chunks of fruit (apples, bananas, watermelon). OMG and they´re all SO cheap. Only like 2-3 lempiras (1 lepmira is 20 US dollars). So, I´m very excited about that situation of course. :)

ALSO, we got to teach students some English, which went really well and then after we gave them some balloons in the shape of dogs that one of the Staff made. SO funny.

INSECTS--

So, I would also like to take some time to discuss the insects here. During movie night (a different one-we watched ¨What Women Want¨in English) all of a sudden one of the girls got up really fast and said there was a huge bug on the floor...now, usually I´m not scared of bugs...but this was no normal bug. I was bigger than a cockroach and it had longer legs that were raised in the front. IT WAS SO GROSS! So, naturally I climed on the chair... then, when I got home one day and was about to do some homework and I was minding my own business, all of sudden something quickly scurries away and I see that it was a cockroach. I SCREAM (cause it´s in my room)!! And then, I like freeze cause I can see it and I don´t know what to do. Then, it runs away and I´m upset cause I didn´t kill it. It´s still in my room. :(

Funny Story---

So, washing my panties here is interesting with a larger family that has two sons (one is 17 and the onther is 22). SO, naturally, I don´t hang my panties outside cause that´s awkard....I put them in my room. But, I haave to wash them. Why is it that everytime I´m washing my panties my younger bro comes over to the pila to get some water!!! SO awkward. I need him to find a better time...like when I´´m washing my shirts. Anways, also one time I was in the bathroom and I saw some panties that looked like mine on the floor of the bathroom and I was SO embarassed so I quickly picked them up and took them to my room. WELL, when I went to wash them I realized they actually weren´t mine!! I think they were my host mom´s. SO, I put them back in the bathroom.LOL

So, yeah...it has been interesing. AND, there is much more to tell...but till next time. :)

Love,

Victoria

This week has been SO busy!! We had a birthday party for two or the staff members and we made a pinata and some dessert...cake and apple crumble type stuff.

ALSO, yesterday was our first day to go into a school and work with the children on our own...it was very interesting. First, we had to take transportation because it's about 15 minutes away (I'm in a grop with three other people). Well, the transportation was crazy! The buses go incredibly fast, play really loud music (mostly in English), and are really crowded. There's no more personal space...lol. Yeah, so the people here really like English music, particularly rap and pop. AND, they sing to it...it's really funny. :) So, anways, once we got to the school we split the kids up and played games with them and made a calendar with some of them about when we'll be coming to the school, etc. It went pretty well, there were some mistakes (one kid got a bloody nose playing red rover, etc.), but overall it was good times. We played a treasure hunt game with the kids where they had to go find stuff, some of which was trash and then at the end we told them that they had just recycled as well as played a game! So, it's like hitting two birds with one stone...fun and recycling/cleaning up! :)

ALSO, today my family got PIZZA cause they went to Teguz (the big city)...it's been like 5 weeks since I've had pizza...OMG, I was SO excited! lol. I ate 4 pieces in like 2 minutes. lol. :) I was so excited to see American food.

Also, in case you're wondering what a typical day is like for me, here goes:

I wake up at 5:30a.m., take a cold bucket bath.

*I'm sure I look very funny as I gasp at how cold it is! lol.

Then, I read a little and listen to some music, then I eat breakfast...I really want more pancakes...anyways, then I go to school at 7:30p.m. (I walk with other peoples) and we have language class in the morning for 4 hours, break for lunch, and 4 more hours of technical training (train us for working with youth and train us on particular programs)

*For example, one day we learned how to teach sports to children and we're always leaning games to play with them as icebreakers.

And sometimes after class I have language tutorials for an hour and then sometimes we play soccer after school or do other things. SO, I usually get home around 6p.m. or 7p.m. and have dinner, hang out with the family (watch t.v.-the favorite pastime) and then go to bed...I might try to study a little before. BUT, that's pretty much training each day for the next 6 weeks of my life before I'm put into my site where it will be MUCH different because I might possibly be the only volunteer/American there. LOL. Pray for me that I would have an amazing site and a great host family there with hot water...gracias! :)

So...this weekend! SO excited...I'm going to church tomorrow! I've been looking for a church nearby cause I don't want to walk alone for too long...it can get crazy, you know. AND, some of us are going to go explore some caves nearby our town! I'm SOOOO excited. I get to use my headlamp for the first legitimate time. (I've only used it for a helping me to find my bed at night so far). LOL!

ALL IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!

Love,

Victoria

Ok...so I don't have a computer so I haven't been able to blog. BUT, so great. Praise the Lord because my friend next door has a computer and internet. :)

Anways, I also feel as though I should say more about the Honduran culture.

The culture...

So, people here always say "cheke", which means cool. Also, it's normal for men to stay in the house with their family when they're old (like 29 years old). I was really surprised!

The men piropo here, which means that men are always saying things when women pass by...sometimes a little nasty, but luckily I don't know what they're saying. But, one day it might hurt my feelings.)

The food...

The bannanas here are SO cheap. 2 lempiras...That's like $.10. I LOVE bannanas.

Also, here I eat...beans, rice, tortillas, pico de gallo, cereal with HOT milk, guacomole, etc. I LOVE the food here!

At first, the hot milk was interesting, but I actually like it. There are some things that I don't like...one of the fruits here is not so tasty. BUT, I love fruits. Also, they eat a lot of sweet bread and there is always a pulperia on the corner, which is like a family owned store. It's a cheap way for people to get money. There's at least one on every corner! And, most of the time, their house is attached. LOL.

The house...

My house doesn't have running water most times. BUT, we have plenty of water that they store in big containers near the toilet, in the shower and near all the sinks. It's really interesting taking a bucket bath every day. But, we have two or three televisions. AND, my family is really clean. They clean (my host brother who's 17 actually..which is also intereing in a machismo culture that a man cleans) every week by sweeping, mopping, and dusting. The house is also pretty spacious with a huge back yard...pics to come.

The toilet...

You CANNOT put the toilet paper in the toilet. Also, sometimes you have to throw water in the toilet pretty hard to flush the toilet. It's pretty fun. LOL.

My project (Youth Development)...

What we do...Yo Merezco (Preventing Teen Pregnancy), drug prevention, teaching English to adults, Colgate (teaching children to brush their teeth), tutoring Math, Spelling, Reading, etc.

More next time because this is really long.

Love you,

Victoria

Hello!

This past week has been crazy! I went on my volunteer visit in Victoria, Yoro. It was HOT! But, the town was cute and the volunteer was nice and she taught us how to make tortillas and other Honduran dishes.

So, yeah...now, today I'm leaving for a different site, where I'll be for 7 weeks before I return here. I feel like all I do is move these days. It's definitely interesting! LOL.

Anyways, all is well. Last week, I actually saw a movie at the theatres. I forgot the name of it (it was something with that really white guy from Twilight). Anways, it was pretty cool...there were four of us Americans in the theatre and then we had Chruches Chicken to eat. LOL. I felt like I was back in the U.S. But, then reality hit once again.

So far, I feel like all we've really talked about is the culture of Honduras. But, these next 7 weeks will be more about the youth, which is the area that I'm working with. SO, we shall see. :) AND, language...OMG, I really need to get better on my langauge. Also, I miss church. :( I need more of the Lord...but, I try to read the Bible and I'm SO glad I put sermons on my MP3 player...very helpful!!

Also, below are some pictures for your enjoyment..especially because I might not have access to a computer like this in a while.

This is the crazy driveway that I have to climb each day...well, not any more for 7 weeks.

This is Santa Lucia...a nearby city.

This is our training center in Honduras.

PC Training Center again.

The Honduran flag...of course.

Talk with you soon,

Victoria

I can't believe the it's Wednesday already! Lots has happened. On Monday, I bought two loafs of bread. They are fresh and I'm SO excited to get them! I recieve them tomorrow! I ordered cheese bread and apple bread. :)

Also, by the way, there are these pretty incredible cookie/crackers here called Marias. I'm not sure if they also have them in the states, but you should check them out if you see them! Here they're only $0.50! So, anyways...the food here is GREAT! I get eggs, beans, rice, meat, tortillas, and cheese most nights. Last night, however, I got a soup. It was pretty good. I'm not much of a soup person, though. AND then last Sunday, we went to a great restaurant in Teguz called Pollo Tropical where we had Yuca fries! OMG, you should try these, they're really good. I also had platanos and platanos verde fried. It was all very good. And, they gave us like a half a chicken! It was SO much to eat. But, along with this eating, I walk around and up hills a lot so I should still be pretty healthy. AND, I eat many fruits here...anways...I love food too much.

Furthermore (because I want to use a different word than also), today we learned about teaching styles, classroom management, how to keep the class interested, we learned about the importance of reflection after teaching something, etc. I will talk more about this next week because I feel like I'm hogging the computer. BUT, in 1&1/2 weeks or so, I leave for FBT where I might not have a computer as easily accessible. So, I'm trying to use the computer while I have it. :)

Also, today we went to the market in groups of around 9. The market was in Tegucigalpa and it was pretty nice. It was a little dirty and smelled bad in the meat section, but I mean, it was ok. I didn't take any pictures because they advised us not to bring ANYTHING except ourselves and money hidden in various pockets. We couldn't have our bookbags, necklaces, fancy looking glasses, and we couldn't wear fancy looking clothes that would draw attention to us because it's a little dangerous in the major city.

Also, I have pictures from various places that I've been meaning to put up. I have more, but it takes so long to put them up, that I will wait because I don't want to tie up the computer any longer.

This is food from the Bay Islands...cocoa bread and garlic/cinnamon bread. This is from last Sat. during our "Day of Cultures".

This is the presenter of the Bay Islands (the islands off of Honduras).

This is a picture of an internet cafe in a nearby city. I don't need it know becuase I have a computer in my home, but anyways, I wanted to take a picture.

This is a picture of the soccer game between the U.S. and Ghana, I think. This is when we went to the restaurant to watch the game in a nearby city.

This is one of the Training Manager of PC Honduras, Luis Estrada. He was a "Peche" that day. LOL. He's really nice.

Enjoy!

Love,

Victoria

Since the last time we spoke, I have traveled a lot! Today, we went to three cities in one day. By we I mean my mom (Dona Nora), dad (Don Erasmo), my mom's sister (Dona Luz), her husband (Don Ramiro), and another volunteer that is with my mom's sister (Kristin). First, we went to Tegucigalpa to get cellphones. It's very complicated, like in the U.S. There are three major cell phone companies here-Tigo, Claro and Digicel. I got Claro because it's cheaper and it has pretty good service. Tigo is very expensive and it's more expensive to call to the U.S. So, Claro is good. After that, we went to Valle de Angeles to eat. The food was SO good! We had like an apple pie thing (half moon shapes fried tortilla) with potatoes and meat inside and cheese and cabbage on top. That's very common here...cheese and cabbage on many things! After that, we went to Santa Lucia, which is beautiful! It has a little lake in the city and cobble stone streets. There, we had coffee, tea, and pan dulce (sweet bread). We have coffee, tea and sweet bread SO much! Everytime you go to someone's house and during the day in my house, we just have bread and coffee and tea and talk. It's a good time to brush up on the Spanish! However, I think I like the bread demasiado (too much) and I drink so many sweet things here. We always have juice, sodas (rarely), tea, and coffee. Of course, I don't drink coffee, but I drink tea a lot here. It's good, but it's not so good for my teeth or my sugar intake especially since I drank only water in the U.S. But, I will try to limit my amounts and I brush and floss well. :)

Also, today we have a "Day of Cultures" in the PC (Peace Corps) where we learned about different cultures in Honduras (Mayans, Lincas, Mestizos, Peche, Garifunas, Bay Islanders, etc.). We went around to different "stations" and learned about the culture, tried the food, and sometimes did the culural dances. It was fun!

Also, I must mention that two days ago when I went to Santa Lucia I had the best "ice cream" (they have a different name for it) ever! It was coconut ice cream with coconut chunks inside and it was only 6 lempiras, which is pretty good! :) Anyways, I should stop eating so many sweets.

So, about my project. I'm in Youth Development and it's very important in Honduras because there are SO many youth (1/2 the population) and Honduras doesn't do much with them. There aren't many places for them to play so they end up playing in the streets...which is of course dangerous. AND, there are many gangs and street children, so they def. need our support. That's all the information I have for now...more to come.

P.S. I do have a cell phone number, but I won't put it on the internet because of crazies. However, I will solicit it upon request via e-mail or Facebook message. Also, please dial 011504 and then the number to call internationally from the U.S. :)

Talk with you soon (Hasta Luego),

Victoria

Hello,

So, I'm learning much Spanish...and I found today that I'm at the Novice High level,which is three from the bottom! :) So, I will get tutoring after school for an extra hour because I'm novice. BUT, my language level is only two/three levels away from were I have to be at the end of the three months and at this rate, I'm sure I'll be there, because I learn SO MUCH every day. Also, my family is very encouraging and I watch movies/shows in Spanish every night before doing my homework and then going to bed. :)

So, yeah, all is well. Today I had yet another interview about why I wanted to come to the Peace Corps, etc. We also learned techniques to deal with the harrassment, which is not avoidable. AND, we learned what is a good house to have when I leave my host families' home. So, I'm learning many technical as well as language skills.

I will take more pictures in the future... LOL.

I'm really excited about my project, which is Youth Development because the PC focuses on the new way of thinking which is geared more towards the youth's capacities, not their lacks. So, instead of focusing on what they can't do, we focus and improve on what they can. I told them I like to sing and I was in a choir...and they said thay many communities have been asking for a choir and none of the volunteers so far have had the desire or "skill" to create one. So, it's possible that I will lead a choir! LOL. It will be interesting and fun for sure. Also, there is def. a demand for trumpets here, so that could come up in the future too.

Anyways, I'm going to watch the Discovery Channel.

Have a good night all,

Victoria

So, it's Saturday and we still had to come in to the Peace Corps training center! LOL.

But, we were only there for 2 hours and it was very fun! We played team work games like fitting us in a small square on the floor...we had one guy hanging from the rafters because there were 15 of us and it was very difficult to get us all in the square. Then, we had to create bridges out of wood boards to get across an "acid river"/the grass. LOL. It was a lot of fun and I met new people, if that's possible!

Then, after a bunch of us went to Valle de Angeles (a nearby city) to eat and watch the soccer game between the U.S. and Ghana...people here LOVE soccer. The restuarnt was very nice. There were 7 of us that went and one girl is fluent in Spanish (Monica) so it was nice to have her around to help us with transportation, etc. But, it was def. very safe. At one point, there were like 15 of us in the internet cafe. LOL. The Hondurans saw many Americans today. But, yeah, no one travels alone, especially after our safety and security session that discussed how Honduras has a very high crime rate. But, anyways, I'm not caring a lot of money with me at one time even though I surprisingly have a lot of money because some was left over from the States.

Anyways, the soccer game...we LOST!! We were all so sad. It was the first time I watched a soccer game, so I had no idea what was really going on, but I knew where our goal was and the fact that we could never seem to get the ball over there!! Es muy triste (sad). I'm learning much Spanish, even though it's difficult. But, others are struggling right along with me.

Tomorrow, I go to church from 8a.m.-11:30a.m. (forever) with my family in Tegucigalpa.

All in all, today was a great day and now I'm back home for the night. I def. had my exercise. AND, I bought some Lay's chips for snacks because our training days during the week are crazy long!!

We have a Church's Chicken in Teguz (Tegucigalpa)...the major city in Honduras. LOL.

This is ofcourse my bathroom.

My bedroom..it's nice, right?!

More Teguz on the way to the training center the first day.

Teguz...

More Teguz...

The view in the backyard.

My dog.

A view of the side of the house.

This is the view from my window...the house outside is for my grandfather who is 93 years old! He still works hard in the garden though. LOL

This is the shower and the showerhead...

That's all the photos for now...I hope you enjoy! :)

Love,

Victoria

Yeah, so....this was an error and I don't know how to erase it. LOL

So...today is Thursday, my second day in Honduras. Honduras is a great place so far. I've seen Tegucigapla, the major city in Honduras and yesterday I went with my host family (Dona Nora y Don Freso) to church in the city on my very first night! Church was good even though I had NO idea what they were talking about...but it was an evangelical church and my host mom and dad are leaders in the church. It seems legit, but if it's not it's ok because I'm here only 3 weeks and then I leave for another host family for 6 weeks and then I come back here for 1 week in Zarabanda (the town I'm in currenly).

OMG...I wanted to say that SO many times. Mi espanol is not that great right now and I'm around Spanish EVERYWHERE! The street signs, the television, the ads, my family, my instructors, the church...OMG! It has def. been harder than I expected.

HOWEVER, my living situation is awesome! I'm very lucky (bueno suerto) because I have good water from the jug so it's purified. The food is good...some people complain about there food because it's not as good or nutritional, but they feed me well. For lunch today I had a ham and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard (too many condiments, but it was still pretty good). AND, I had an apple. Some people don't get many fruits or vegetables, but my family has there own garden with MANY fruits...mangos, watermelons, oranges. ALL in the backyard. It's very cool. Also, I don't have to take bucket baths, it's the same as a shower back home except colder. LOL. But, after two minutes, I was ok. ALSO, my bed is pretty comfortable, I don't have many mosquitos. They have screens on the windows and they're very neat and clean people. :) ALSO, I have internet WITH Skype! I have the ultimate set-up here. I'm not roughing it at all! Thank you Jesus! :)

The house is also very big...my family is well off. They have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big living room and a big kitchen. There site is also very pretty with a huge yard, up on the mountain. I also have a little dog and a little cat.

Speaking of that mountain...I have to walk to the training site every morning (7a.m.) and every afternoon (5p.m.), which is about 30 minutes away. The climb to the house is the worse part of the trip and the other hills along the way. I'm def. getting my exercise. At 7p.m. I meet with another volunteer named Kristin and we walk together and we usually find two other volunteers along the way. I'm NEVER alone. When we walk back home in the afternoon, there are around 8 of us.

The training center is beautiful. I'll have to get you some pictures. The Spanish is difficulty, but there are a good many of us who don't really know Spanish, so I don't feel alone and this one girl ("D") has already told me I could talk to here if I needed to vent about being frustrated with my Spanish...she's really nice. I think she's from CO. Anyways, I've found a good many people who are nice and we joke around and I just try to talk with everyone. :)

All is well for now...even though I have all this $ in American currency that I can't use, but oh well. Tomorrow we'll get a visit from a cell phone company so perhaps I'll call you soon! LOL

Also, my host mother said "Hola" a mi mama (to my mother)...I showed her your picture mother.

So, these pictures take awhile to upload...es muy sad. I'll have to do that later.

Talk with you later!

Love you,

Victoria

So...the flight was nice from ATL to Houston, TX. I rode beside a child and her mother so I had room to move around! I watched Fresh Prince of Belaire on the plane.. LOL.

But, staging has been great and tiring! I've met a lot of good peoples and we're already hooking up to walk together in groups. :)

Also, I got monies!! The PC gave us $120 for reimbursement, food, etc.

I'm excited...I'll let you know more soon (but, not really cause I might not have internet access at Zarabanda where training is for the first 11 weeks.

Love,

Victoria

So,

I got a rabbit (or my mother and I did seeing as she will take care of it once I leave)...he's cute. Mother named him Buddy and he's black and tan.

Furthermore, I've almost finished everything I need to fill out for the Peace Corps!! They have SO many forms...AND I made my flight arrangemetns to Houston, TX on June 22 at 8:47a.m.! :) I'll get there early, but I guess I'll get a nap cause it's going to be a long day and we have to wake up at 3a.m. the next day to leave for Honduras. But, thankfully, Honduras is actually only 3 hours away on plane and the time difference is only 2 hours behind GA time.

But, anyways, I'm excited and I'm now buying the items I need for Honduras and I got a job at Zaxby's to help with all the expenses! Everything has worked out nicely and the Lord continues to come through! It's also amazing that I got in the Peace Corps so soon after college ended so I don't have to worry about getting insurance, loan deferments ending, etc. Praise the Lord again! He's always faithful. :)

That is all (and I'm actually enjoying this blog thing) lol,

Victoria

Hello!

Well, this is the beginning of my experience with the Peace Corps! Right now, I'm just trying to get everything turned in so I can truly leave on June 22, 2010. However, I might leave 3 days earlier for staging in Miami, FL!?

I'm also trying to get things together that I'll need while I'm over there. I need some good support for my feet, you know,...those are important. :)

Anyways, I'm very excited about my journey and service in Honduras. When I first found out last Friday, May 14, I was really excited...I almost cried. Then, I got nervous and anxious and now, after I've prayed for peace, I feel more at ease.

During the anxious period I was thinking about how huge this is...but, that's what the Lord calls us to...things that are larger and bigger than ourselves. :)

Love,

Victoria