There is a department in Honduras called Gracias a Dios. I have always wondered why it was called that. Are there so many great things there that the people who named it just had to thank God for the place? It is actually the least inhabited part of Honduras, but I hear that it is really beautiful, and a great place to go for a hike.
Anyway, my original blog had nothing to do with this place, I was just reminded of it when I named my blog. Really, this is about things I have experienced during my stay here and have laughed at, marveled at, or simply felt God’s grace surrounding me.
1. The shoe shiner, who was given his lunch, a messy tortilla with tons of toppings, in the middle of shining the shoes of my counterpart, most likely his only customer in a while. He didn’t even miss a beat while munching on the tortilla in one hand, while continuing to shine the shoes with the other. He ate it in 15 seconds tops, and continued to do an excellent job shining the shoes after he finished. My counterpart didn’t seem surprised or upset at all that he was dripping food all around her shoes, but miraculously did not get anything on them.
2. The little girl who sat next to me on the bus yesterday, who I did not know at all. But halfway through the bus ride, she laid her sleepy head on my shoulder and quickly fell fast asleep. By the end of the bus ride, she was laying comfortably in my arms, sound asleep. It amazed me that she, and her mother who was standing up in the back, had both entrusted me, a complete stranger, to protect her during the ride.
3. The recent trip I made to the tip of the mountain that I live on. It was quite a hike up to the top, and a little dangerous. But the view from the top, where I could see El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua all in one view, was absolutely spectacular!
4. The stars here…I have never seen so many in my life!
5. The older Catholic man that I sat next to on the bus the other day. He kept congratulating me for the work that I was doing here, as well telling me ¨God bless you!¨
6. The ride I got from the town priest into the city, in order to get to a Thanksgiving feast put on by other volunteers in the area. It was on the back of a banged up pick-up, and I shared the ride with about 20 other people who had all gone to mass that day, and were hoping for a ride home. Some of them had told me to get in the front, but I kindly declined, not wanting any special attention because I was a gringa. I rode the entire way terrified out of my mind, but also extremely thankful for the ride God had blessed me, and the opportunity to see other volunteers for the first time in 2 months!
7. The man on the bus the other day, who was singing rancho music to himself quite loudly, but no one seemed to notice or care.
8. The note I got on a test turned into me by one of my students, that made me laugh to myself. It said ¨hay loov iu,¨ which, phonetically in Spanish sounds a lot like I love you (it took me a while to figure that out). It gave me a good laugh. Especially since he bombed his English test (not very funny), but somehow had learned how to say I love you in English (quite funny).
9. A recent theological discussion I had with a man who knew his stuff, and definately challenged me. The first one I have had since I got here, and definately the first I have ever had in Spanish!
10. Singing ¨Gangster Paradise¨ with the other volunteers in my area at a Kareoke bar in a nearby town. I don't think anyone in the bar was very amused, because all the other songs being sung were old spanish love songs. But we certainly had a good time!
Gracias a Dios, por estar conmigo siempre
martes, 27 de noviembre de 2007
Organic…..what a magical word
Organic foods are something that have always intrigued me. Each trip I made to the supermarket, or to the local farmer’s market, I would try to find some type of organic product to buy. One, because I knew it was healthier and better for me, but also because I always wanted to support the local farmers and even larger companies that cultivated organic produce.
I realized recently that consuming organic foods is a habit that I share with many people all over the world, in fact. It is becoming more and more popular to buy organic instead of conventional products. Meijer, the primary supermarket in Michigan, recently came out with their own organic products, which I began finding more and more of on the shelves of people’s homes that I visited. The prices were always quite a bit more for organic products, but that never seemed to bother the health-conscious, environmental-conscious consumer.
It is quite a different story in developing countries, however. The cooperative I work with just recently put on an organic fruit fair this last Saturday. It something we had been working on for months, and especially in the last couple of weeks leading up to it. The event was held in order to kick off what would hopefully be the beginning of an organic fruit market held every Saturday in the same place. The event was also an attempt to draw more people to buy organic products, and educate the general population on what is organic (something that hardly anyone in Honduras is educated on, except mostly the producers of organic products themselves).
In many aspects it was a great success. The fruit was all presented neatly and beautifully in small bags, which were then placed in baskets and spread out on tables that had been covered with tablecloths. A big change from the fruits that are sold in other markets, that are usually sold out of huge, dirty baskets placed on the ground where dust, trash and who knows what else can get into them. This is something that drew in a lot of people, and caused almost everyone who passed to buy something, although the price was a little steeper than most other fruits. Also, many larger companies and government organizations came that were invited, which gave a good name to the cooperative, and helped them prove to these big shots that they were capable and willing to work to get ahead and make a difference.
In other aspects, however, I was slightly disappointed with what seems to me to be almost a hopeless situation. We had spent the entire previous week putting out announcements in the radio, television and making fliers to stick in the papers. They all invited the general public of the city to the organic fruit fair, even telling them a little what organic fruit is. However, I can almost without a doubt say that absolutely nobody who read or heard any of our promotions were intrigued enough to come that day. Of all the buyers we had that day, I never once heard someone say ¨I heard the announcement on the radio, and couldn’t wait to come!¨ Why? Because most of the people here don’t seem to care in the least what is organic, or whether it is good for the environment, or even their health. They only care about what is cheaper. This is something that could take years and years to get into the heads of consumers, that consuming organic products is better for you and the world in general. However, it is also something that I think the general public in the United States has only recently caught on to. Therefore, I think we’re doing pretty darn well, considering.
I realized recently that consuming organic foods is a habit that I share with many people all over the world, in fact. It is becoming more and more popular to buy organic instead of conventional products. Meijer, the primary supermarket in Michigan, recently came out with their own organic products, which I began finding more and more of on the shelves of people’s homes that I visited. The prices were always quite a bit more for organic products, but that never seemed to bother the health-conscious, environmental-conscious consumer.
It is quite a different story in developing countries, however. The cooperative I work with just recently put on an organic fruit fair this last Saturday. It something we had been working on for months, and especially in the last couple of weeks leading up to it. The event was held in order to kick off what would hopefully be the beginning of an organic fruit market held every Saturday in the same place. The event was also an attempt to draw more people to buy organic products, and educate the general population on what is organic (something that hardly anyone in Honduras is educated on, except mostly the producers of organic products themselves).
In many aspects it was a great success. The fruit was all presented neatly and beautifully in small bags, which were then placed in baskets and spread out on tables that had been covered with tablecloths. A big change from the fruits that are sold in other markets, that are usually sold out of huge, dirty baskets placed on the ground where dust, trash and who knows what else can get into them. This is something that drew in a lot of people, and caused almost everyone who passed to buy something, although the price was a little steeper than most other fruits. Also, many larger companies and government organizations came that were invited, which gave a good name to the cooperative, and helped them prove to these big shots that they were capable and willing to work to get ahead and make a difference.
In other aspects, however, I was slightly disappointed with what seems to me to be almost a hopeless situation. We had spent the entire previous week putting out announcements in the radio, television and making fliers to stick in the papers. They all invited the general public of the city to the organic fruit fair, even telling them a little what organic fruit is. However, I can almost without a doubt say that absolutely nobody who read or heard any of our promotions were intrigued enough to come that day. Of all the buyers we had that day, I never once heard someone say ¨I heard the announcement on the radio, and couldn’t wait to come!¨ Why? Because most of the people here don’t seem to care in the least what is organic, or whether it is good for the environment, or even their health. They only care about what is cheaper. This is something that could take years and years to get into the heads of consumers, that consuming organic products is better for you and the world in general. However, it is also something that I think the general public in the United States has only recently caught on to. Therefore, I think we’re doing pretty darn well, considering.
viernes, 9 de noviembre de 2007
Unwanted attention
This was the subject of many workshops during training. I always giggled to myself a little at how much energy they were putting forth just to prepare us for this unwanted attention. ¨How difficult can it be do deal with?¨ I kept thinking to myself. The answer came as sort of a shock to me within the first week I arrived to my town……very, very difficult. Almost so overwhelming sometimes, I just want to scream obscenities at the people around me. At first, it was just little kids who would just sit and stare at me without shame until I’d either shout ¨hola¨ at them, which would usually do the job of scaring them away, or run off in the other direction until they were out of site. Then, I began to notice the penetrating stares of all the young men in the town, who are apparently fascinated by my ¨pale¨ skin and ¨green¨ eyes (yes, my eyes have officially changed color). This includes some of the boys that I taught as well, which made it awkward and humorous at the same time. Awkward because they would shamelessly stare at me while I was teaching class, and sometimes even comment, and humorous because I still can’t believe how attractive I am to them. Also, once and a while I would meet random people in the street who would ask if I could take them with me back to the states, or ask about my jacket (which only cost $1 at a garage sale, but they would never believe that in a million years). Each of these things in and of themselves is not so bad. But having to deal with everything all at once, every single day can certainly get straining.
Therefore, I have come up with my own mechanisms to combat this unwanted attention, and think I have done a pretty good job thus far. The kids are the easiest to deal with. I remember one instance when I was out in the middle of the street, making a phone call to my sister (my phone only gets signal in the middle of the street, so that, unfortunately, is where I have most of my deep conversations with family back home). While I was calling, a group of kids passed me, and as is my normal custom, I smiled and said hello, and quickly turned the other way, hoping to catch a better signal. As I turned my head again to see how far the kids had gotten, I saw that they had sat down on the side of the street about 3 yards away, and were just staring at me. I realized quickly that they had wanted to hear me speak English. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a hold of Sarah, because if I had, I would have given one of them the phone and had them talk to her. Instead, after I got off the phone, I walked over to them and asked them their names, and what they were doing there. Of course, none of them wanted to answer me, because they were too ashamed to say they were listening to me. But I finally got them to talk, and also asked them if they wanted to learn a little English. So I sat there in the middle of the street, and gave these 4 or 5 kids a little English lesson. I am pretty sure they all forgot everything I taught them, but I do remember their faces, and say hi to them every time I pass them. I also speak the phrases I taught to them, but they never answer back. Perhaps some day…..
I haven’t met many people in the streets who ask to go with me to the states, but to the ones I do meet, and know that the only way they could go is illegally, I tell them that they don’t want to go. In reality, I try to help them understand a little that although they don’t have much here, their lives would be so much more complicated and devastating if they went to the states. I also try to help them to realize that the beautiful nature they live in is something that so many people can only dream of living in. I usually tell them that in the states, there aren’t any trees, and it’s really ugly and there’s lots of pollution (because although there are obviously pretty parts of the states, they most likely would be going to the city). And I always, always tell them that I love living here. Which is really the truth, and usually surprises them.
As for the men, I still haven’t figured out how to deal with them. I mostly ignore them, which has worked for me more or less. When I pass them in the street, I never fail to say hi, but usually in a strong, loud voice that infers that I have no intention of talking to them any further. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work, as the smart asses like to say things back to me sometimes. But this tactic has more or less kept me out of trouble. I even did a pretty good job when I went to the town dance. I did just as I was told, and danced with as many men as possible so as not to show that I favored any certain man (because if I did, he would quickly become my ¨boyfriend,¨ or worse, the man I am ¨sleeping with¨). It was fun, after I got used to all the stares coming from all sides of the dance floor (I felt almost how a famous actress would feel in a bar in Tulsa…). So continues my life in a small town. I have told some people that I should enjoy it while it lasts, because I’m sure when I go back to the states, and don’t get stared at everywhere I go, a part of me will miss all this attention!
Therefore, I have come up with my own mechanisms to combat this unwanted attention, and think I have done a pretty good job thus far. The kids are the easiest to deal with. I remember one instance when I was out in the middle of the street, making a phone call to my sister (my phone only gets signal in the middle of the street, so that, unfortunately, is where I have most of my deep conversations with family back home). While I was calling, a group of kids passed me, and as is my normal custom, I smiled and said hello, and quickly turned the other way, hoping to catch a better signal. As I turned my head again to see how far the kids had gotten, I saw that they had sat down on the side of the street about 3 yards away, and were just staring at me. I realized quickly that they had wanted to hear me speak English. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a hold of Sarah, because if I had, I would have given one of them the phone and had them talk to her. Instead, after I got off the phone, I walked over to them and asked them their names, and what they were doing there. Of course, none of them wanted to answer me, because they were too ashamed to say they were listening to me. But I finally got them to talk, and also asked them if they wanted to learn a little English. So I sat there in the middle of the street, and gave these 4 or 5 kids a little English lesson. I am pretty sure they all forgot everything I taught them, but I do remember their faces, and say hi to them every time I pass them. I also speak the phrases I taught to them, but they never answer back. Perhaps some day…..
I haven’t met many people in the streets who ask to go with me to the states, but to the ones I do meet, and know that the only way they could go is illegally, I tell them that they don’t want to go. In reality, I try to help them understand a little that although they don’t have much here, their lives would be so much more complicated and devastating if they went to the states. I also try to help them to realize that the beautiful nature they live in is something that so many people can only dream of living in. I usually tell them that in the states, there aren’t any trees, and it’s really ugly and there’s lots of pollution (because although there are obviously pretty parts of the states, they most likely would be going to the city). And I always, always tell them that I love living here. Which is really the truth, and usually surprises them.
As for the men, I still haven’t figured out how to deal with them. I mostly ignore them, which has worked for me more or less. When I pass them in the street, I never fail to say hi, but usually in a strong, loud voice that infers that I have no intention of talking to them any further. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work, as the smart asses like to say things back to me sometimes. But this tactic has more or less kept me out of trouble. I even did a pretty good job when I went to the town dance. I did just as I was told, and danced with as many men as possible so as not to show that I favored any certain man (because if I did, he would quickly become my ¨boyfriend,¨ or worse, the man I am ¨sleeping with¨). It was fun, after I got used to all the stares coming from all sides of the dance floor (I felt almost how a famous actress would feel in a bar in Tulsa…). So continues my life in a small town. I have told some people that I should enjoy it while it lasts, because I’m sure when I go back to the states, and don’t get stared at everywhere I go, a part of me will miss all this attention!
English classes
I have been teaching English to 9th graders here. Because it is so hard to get middle schools up and functioning (although this is one of the projects I’m working on, to get one in my town) out in the small towns in the mountains, the Honduran government started a program a few years back called ¨Maestro en Casa,¨ meaning in-home teacher. Ideally, the students go to class for 4 hours every Saturday, and during the week, listen to the radio for the rest of their classes. However, that is not how it usually works, especially because every teacher has a different pace, and is almost never in sync with what they are teaching on the radio. Each month is also split up by subject, so one month they will be taught math the entire time. The next month science, the next English and so on. The thing that makes this program function so easily is that the teachers are all volunteers, because they only come on Saturdays. Therefore, the government doesn’t really have to pay much for the program, and the teachers don’t have to come every day (usually teachers live in the city and walk into town every day to teach), which are usually the problems that arise with putting a school in such small towns.
So right when I got into my town, I had to finish up teaching the ninth graders, who had previously been taught by the volunteer before me. He had asked to extend a month so he could finish up teaching the class, but was rejected (no comment will be made on this subject…). So, luckily I was ready and willing to jump in and take his place for the month of October. Also, lucky for me, the subject of the month was English. How easy! Or so I thought.
After reading over the text for the first time, I quickly realized that I did not know any of the verb forms or rules of English. I only speak the language, I don’t study it! It was actually quite a bit harder than I had thought, and it took me a couple times teaching it before I really caught on. To think, if it took me that long, one who speaks the language fluently, I can’t imagine how hard it was for my students!
I also originally wanted to start teaching the class primarily in English, so they could at least begin to listen and understand the language better. But for the first class, I just got flustered and completely forgot to speak mostly English, and went for Spanish (odd, since one would think being nervous I would choose my native language). I also had originally hoped that the class would participate more, but the minute I called on someone to answer a question, they froze and refused to say a word. They were terrified to speak the language. At first I was a little frustrated by this fact, but then I quickly remembered the days of my high school Spanish class. My favorite Spanish teacher ever had also asked us at the beginning to speak Spanish in front of the whole class, and I remember being terrified. I resorted to staying silent for most of the class. Although she had good intentions, it simply didn’t work for many of us. Remembering that, I decided to give up my dreams of making them fluent in a month, and stuck to lecturing them in my broken Spanish and asking them to repeat the verbs all together (at least I got some participation in there).
I was excited by how well they were doing on their quizzes, and thought they were actually learning something….until the time came for the test. About a third failed, and of those who didn’t perhaps only 3 or 4 got A’s. I was devastated. I had wanted to at least help them to understand the language a little better, or get them excited about learning it. And they had learned some things. But I think mainly when it came time to put all the verb forms that we had learned together, they just got confused. I realized also that some just didn’t care. And those who did care, only cared about passing because that’s all you really need in the public schools here. Grades don’t really matter.
I wish I could say I made a difference in these kids lives, and made some of them excited to learn English, and helped them to realize how much knowing another language can help you get ahead. But sadly, I believe I did none of that. Obviously this is not a story of failure. It’s reality, that’s all. And definitely a learning experience. I really enjoyed teaching, and hope to teach English to all the grades next year. Hopefully, I’ll do better than I did this time.
So right when I got into my town, I had to finish up teaching the ninth graders, who had previously been taught by the volunteer before me. He had asked to extend a month so he could finish up teaching the class, but was rejected (no comment will be made on this subject…). So, luckily I was ready and willing to jump in and take his place for the month of October. Also, lucky for me, the subject of the month was English. How easy! Or so I thought.
After reading over the text for the first time, I quickly realized that I did not know any of the verb forms or rules of English. I only speak the language, I don’t study it! It was actually quite a bit harder than I had thought, and it took me a couple times teaching it before I really caught on. To think, if it took me that long, one who speaks the language fluently, I can’t imagine how hard it was for my students!
I also originally wanted to start teaching the class primarily in English, so they could at least begin to listen and understand the language better. But for the first class, I just got flustered and completely forgot to speak mostly English, and went for Spanish (odd, since one would think being nervous I would choose my native language). I also had originally hoped that the class would participate more, but the minute I called on someone to answer a question, they froze and refused to say a word. They were terrified to speak the language. At first I was a little frustrated by this fact, but then I quickly remembered the days of my high school Spanish class. My favorite Spanish teacher ever had also asked us at the beginning to speak Spanish in front of the whole class, and I remember being terrified. I resorted to staying silent for most of the class. Although she had good intentions, it simply didn’t work for many of us. Remembering that, I decided to give up my dreams of making them fluent in a month, and stuck to lecturing them in my broken Spanish and asking them to repeat the verbs all together (at least I got some participation in there).
I was excited by how well they were doing on their quizzes, and thought they were actually learning something….until the time came for the test. About a third failed, and of those who didn’t perhaps only 3 or 4 got A’s. I was devastated. I had wanted to at least help them to understand the language a little better, or get them excited about learning it. And they had learned some things. But I think mainly when it came time to put all the verb forms that we had learned together, they just got confused. I realized also that some just didn’t care. And those who did care, only cared about passing because that’s all you really need in the public schools here. Grades don’t really matter.
I wish I could say I made a difference in these kids lives, and made some of them excited to learn English, and helped them to realize how much knowing another language can help you get ahead. But sadly, I believe I did none of that. Obviously this is not a story of failure. It’s reality, that’s all. And definitely a learning experience. I really enjoyed teaching, and hope to teach English to all the grades next year. Hopefully, I’ll do better than I did this time.
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)