A few reflections after ONE MONTH in site!

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

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

Things I love…

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

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

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

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

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

Challenges…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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