I've spent the last 8 weeks living in a volunteer house in Tela, Honduras and volunteering at the SOS Children's Village there.
These past 8 weeks have been intense in every definition of the word. I've had daily trials with my living situation and it's been a challenge to remain tranquila day after day...a challenge that some days I have not won. I have had to share my living space with 4 roommates and that hasn't always been easy. At the village i've had to meet 133 new people and to learn their names (i'm still learning...). I've had to find a way to communicate with 133 eager children in a language that I have not yet mastered. There have been so many components to this experience that have tested the composition of my character. Many of these trials will remain personal yet some of them I would like to share.
Unfortunately I don't have a computer with me and I have not had the time to sit and compose anything that adequately expresses just how important this experience has been. But I will. I promise. Once I get home and have some time to reflect on the experience I will let you all in on the magic of the SOS Village. I have a feeling I will be connected to this place, these people, for quite some time. And with that, I have a feeling you'll all be hearing about them in the future.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Cuturally appropriate snot rockets
People in Honduras don't use tissues generally. Instead, they shoot snot rockets. And it's socially appropriate. Imagine my disgust.
Not only that but they look at you like you have 45 heads when you take out a tissue...or a bandaid for that matter.
Hmm...
Not only that but they look at you like you have 45 heads when you take out a tissue...or a bandaid for that matter.
Hmm...
My New Roommate
This is going to be a fun little game...
Open Google.
Type in "Plaster Bag Worms"
Leave the room to get a barf bag.
Return with supplies and continue surfing the internet...
Those darling little guys are my new roommates! We sweep about 100 off the walls of the house every day.
Open Google.
Type in "Plaster Bag Worms"
Leave the room to get a barf bag.
Return with supplies and continue surfing the internet...
Those darling little guys are my new roommates! We sweep about 100 off the walls of the house every day.
My Lord is a Gangster
Every morning around 7am, if its not the drills and hammering dragging me out of my slumber, its the neighbor parrot squaking at an alarming volume. His two favorite words, "Dina" (the landladys name) and Nico (the dogs name). The one word it should learn how to yell, "Gangster." Why? Because i'm starting to wonder if my landlord is one.
A little bit about my living situation....
The house we are living in is about 5 minutes down a dirt road from the SOS village where we work 4 days a week, 6 hours a day. The landlord is in construction and actually lived in the states working for 10 years or so. He has a huge corner lot where he's build his own house, and in the last three years this 2 story volunteer house. When I walked in I was surprised at how big and new it all one. Everything is new. Its an open construction and thinly furnished but a LOT nicer than some of the rat holes i've been sleeping in since i started this trip in September. I was pumped for this whole experience and this awesome house and english speaking landlords! woo!...However, after having been here for four weeks now, i've learned quite a bit...and I think you'll all want to hear this.
One of the first questions i was asked by my landlord upon arriving here was "Do you smoke." After barely getting the answer out I got a lesson on the quality of weed here in Honduras. Shortly thereafter I learned why he'd know. The whole 2nd floor of this place is under construction and there is one room in the back of the house with access to the porch that is always locked. This is to secure his stash of marijuana plants that his wife hauls out into the sun in the morning, and into the bedroom at night.
Now he is in the process of doing this house and one of his promises was to give our one roommate a room all to herself. Shes paid more to have an upstairs room for the duration of her stay. She's now been here 4 weeks and still doesnt have the room. Why? Because the landlords priority is in finishing the club he's building in the center because if he doesn't get it done for Semana Santa, "he'll be killed". This may explain why he carries his gun, affectionately dubbed "Juana" in his waistband most of the time. Im guessing he knows how to use it given he has three bullet scars on his body and says "We run Tela." Who "we" is, we have yet to figure out. Now one of my favorite features of this club he is building (and responsible for running for the first 3 months..probably until the gangster boss gets out of jail) are the outside showers that will be used as showers for tourists coming off the beach..but also for wet t-shirt contests..and for the strippers to wash off after a hard nights work. "But the shower heads will be lower than standard so they dont get their hair wet. We dont want them lookin like drowned rats." Add an F word, or 6 to that sentence and it'll sound just like my landlord. (Yes, i know i swear like a trucker but he takes the prize by far!) And its also pretty interesting hearing him answer the question:
Me: "What are you going to do with all the extra bedrooms upstairs?"
Landlord: Well I was going to rent them out to college kids down the road but i've had some people wanting me to use them to "store the girls there when theyre not working".
To make this all the more hilarious, the man has 7 dogs on his property and his wife is a former beauty pageant contestant. I smell gangster!
(A brief explanation for the title...My roommate Theresa sent an email home explaining our situation and accidentally wrote "My Lord is a Gangster" rather than "my LANDlord is a gangster...and almost sent it to her brother in law who is quite religious and would have been seriously offended.)
A little bit about my living situation....
The house we are living in is about 5 minutes down a dirt road from the SOS village where we work 4 days a week, 6 hours a day. The landlord is in construction and actually lived in the states working for 10 years or so. He has a huge corner lot where he's build his own house, and in the last three years this 2 story volunteer house. When I walked in I was surprised at how big and new it all one. Everything is new. Its an open construction and thinly furnished but a LOT nicer than some of the rat holes i've been sleeping in since i started this trip in September. I was pumped for this whole experience and this awesome house and english speaking landlords! woo!...However, after having been here for four weeks now, i've learned quite a bit...and I think you'll all want to hear this.
One of the first questions i was asked by my landlord upon arriving here was "Do you smoke." After barely getting the answer out I got a lesson on the quality of weed here in Honduras. Shortly thereafter I learned why he'd know. The whole 2nd floor of this place is under construction and there is one room in the back of the house with access to the porch that is always locked. This is to secure his stash of marijuana plants that his wife hauls out into the sun in the morning, and into the bedroom at night.
Now he is in the process of doing this house and one of his promises was to give our one roommate a room all to herself. Shes paid more to have an upstairs room for the duration of her stay. She's now been here 4 weeks and still doesnt have the room. Why? Because the landlords priority is in finishing the club he's building in the center because if he doesn't get it done for Semana Santa, "he'll be killed". This may explain why he carries his gun, affectionately dubbed "Juana" in his waistband most of the time. Im guessing he knows how to use it given he has three bullet scars on his body and says "We run Tela." Who "we" is, we have yet to figure out. Now one of my favorite features of this club he is building (and responsible for running for the first 3 months..probably until the gangster boss gets out of jail) are the outside showers that will be used as showers for tourists coming off the beach..but also for wet t-shirt contests..and for the strippers to wash off after a hard nights work. "But the shower heads will be lower than standard so they dont get their hair wet. We dont want them lookin like drowned rats." Add an F word, or 6 to that sentence and it'll sound just like my landlord. (Yes, i know i swear like a trucker but he takes the prize by far!) And its also pretty interesting hearing him answer the question:
Me: "What are you going to do with all the extra bedrooms upstairs?"
Landlord: Well I was going to rent them out to college kids down the road but i've had some people wanting me to use them to "store the girls there when theyre not working".
To make this all the more hilarious, the man has 7 dogs on his property and his wife is a former beauty pageant contestant. I smell gangster!
(A brief explanation for the title...My roommate Theresa sent an email home explaining our situation and accidentally wrote "My Lord is a Gangster" rather than "my LANDlord is a gangster...and almost sent it to her brother in law who is quite religious and would have been seriously offended.)
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