Last few days before trip

5/12

Happy Birthday, Nana!

This morning in class we finished the activity we started yesterday and then reviewed – I wrote sentences and questions that were missing words and had the kids come up to the board to fill them in. Juan and Vilma asked if there is a limit to the number of people in the adult class, as their mom and brother want to attend, and I said they are welcome to come, so hopefully they will. Some of the kids made me drawings before class – check out the photos. Vilma wanted her photo taken, and I had my camera with me today, so I took one, and then of course more kids wanted theirs taken, so check out those photos too :)
The doctor that Lola and I went to yesterday called me this morning to check to see how she was doing, which I thought was very nice. Luckily she is doing much better today!
After class, I went to Skype with Eve (volunteer coordinator) about what went on at the meeting last night, and to clarify the roles of various directors here. I am feeling much better after talking with her and am hopeful that things will be better when I return from Guatemala :) When I get back we’ll also be trying to increase the number of students in PEP, and do what we can to keep them with us!
The power went out not long after, so the internet at Nic’s got cut off. Eddie and I chatted with Nic, and he talked to us for quite a long time!
I caught the bus to Ceiba around noon, and on the way there, a woman and boy dressed as clowns got on and did a little performance and then the boy walked up and down the aisle collecting donations. I took a taxi to the mall, and the taxi driver had me teach him some phrases in English – he caught on really quickly! He already knew “what is your name?” and wanted to know “Where are you from?” “Where are you going?” and “Are you going to travel?” so I taught him how to say them and then wrote them down for him in English and Spanish. Nice guy!
I went to Tigo, and after a LONG time, they told me that they had fixed it because they gave me a new chip. I originally was thinking I would just ask for a refund since it continues to not work, but since they said the chip was damaged and they gave me a new one, I figured it would work – I even watched them use it in their computer. But when I got home, it didn’t work! I also tried it when I went to Nic’s, to see if it was a problem with the reception at the house or something. There is great reception there, and it still didn’t work! Unfortunately the internet at Nic’s has been down since this morning, so I’ll have to wait til I get to Copán and use an internet café there.
When I was at the mall, I also stopped to get some glue for PEP and coffee from Espresso Americano – so good! I can’t wait to have the coffee in Copán, as they have some of the best coffee in the country there!
The taxi driver I had from the mall to the bus terminal asked if I was going to Tela, and I said that no, I live and teach in Porvenir, and he asked if I’m married. I said, no, and he was like, what?! So I explained how most people in the US don’t get married til a later age – funny how so many people here think it’s strange that I’m not married, but I can understand why, as people here get married and have families at a much younger age. He told me how all the pretty girls get married and he wants to marry a pretty girl one day.
While waiting for the bus to Porvenir to leave, the usual stream of people (including small kids on their own) selling things came through the bus. There was also a woman who passed out pieces of paper saying she’s deaf and mute, and asking for donations, and as usual, a man collecting money for his church. One of the women that came on selling things was wearing a shirt that said “Everyone loves a Theta girl” – funny seeing it on a 50-something year old woman! One of the men was wearing a Relay for Life shirt and it reminded me of Pauliwog!
When I got home, after trying the Tigo stick, I helped Lola take the rug out of our room (it’s filthy and we don’t have a vacuum), but it was too heavy to hang on the clothesline. Lola has been busy cleaning today, which was very nice of her! I packed for Copán/Guatemala, showered, and then went to Nic’s to send some emails – which is when I found out that it’d been down all day, so will hope to be able to use an internet café tomorrow.
I went to go add more money to my phone since I was told that it will work in Guatemala but that I have to buy the credit here – I don’t have much trust in Tigo, now, though, so I am really crossing my fingers that it works just in case I need to make a call! When I was walking back, I got a bunch of tiny ants on my feet that started biting – it’s amazing how tiny they are and how much the bites hurt! And how long after you get them off that it continues to hurt! I got a bunch of bites this morning when doing my laundry before class, as there are a ton by the pila. I killed a bunch of them with Raid, but Lola said she found a couple of nests and killed them later this morning, so that is good!
Today when we got to the adult class, a new man named Marcos was there and asked if he could join (of course) – he left and came back a little later dressed in a button down shirt and nicer pants, and at first I didn't realize it was the same guy! Today during class, we did a lot of review and then went over questions using the members of the family and friends that we learned yesterday, and then at the end, numbers 1-30. I think we had 14 people today. Liseth asked where I am from and where Martyn is from since we have different accents and sometimes he has me say words that are pronounced differently in the US and Scotland. I told her where we’re from and that if they say the words either way, people will know what they mean – and Juan added that it’s like Spanish – different countries have different accents but they can all understand each other. At the end of class, we played a game where we all got in a circle and counted 1-30, and then all stood up and went around counting 1-30 and whoever didn’t say their number fast enough or said the number wrong had to sit down – last person standing was the winner. At the end of class, a couple of people asked when exactly I am leaving, and how long Martyn will be here, and whether there would be classes after that. I said that since new volunteers are always arriving, I really hope that it can continue, because the students are great and are learning a lot, and that whenever I talk with the director, I tell her that we need to continue this class.

5/11
Well, today was quite a tumultuous day! I was ready to leave due to the way the HondurasChildren directors have been speaking to me, but after talking with Anne, in charge of the PEP program, I am feeling better, as she has said that I in fact am under her and not them, and I am going to stick to that! It would be so unfortunate to have to leave, as I love my classes and the people I live with!
My Tigo stick is still not working, but I wasn’t able to go into Ceiba today due to having to Skype/send emails/figure out what’s going on with everything here and what to do about it. I went to the doctor with Lola, and then went by to ask him about spots that have been showing up on my arms and now legs – I was worried that it was scabies, but he said he doesn’t think it is – probably just another kind of bite, and to keep an eye on it.
Class went ok today – the kids seem to have a shorter attention span this week, but overall they are still doing great. We spent today reviewing and doing an exercise where the kids copy down two questions and the answers in English and Spanish in marker, and then cut it up into pieces with only one word per piece, scramble it up, and then have to construct the questions and sentences and glue them onto a bigger sheet.
The adult class was great, too. Earlier in the day, Charlie and Amalia told me that I had to be at a mandatory meeting at 7pm, and that even though we have people coming from La Unión (45 minutes away) on a dirt road in the dark on motorcycles, we’d just have to leave them a note that we couldn’t be there. I expressed how disrespectful I find that to be, and luckily Anne called me just before the meeting to say, No, I definitely would be in class, so I went to the meeting to let them know that I would not be staying, and then went to class. Today we reviewed what we’ve gone over the past two weeks, and then learned various members of the family, and friends/colleagues/neighbors. I am really happy with the way that class is going – I could tell that they’d been practicing! We had 12 people today, all that have been before – the people that came have all been coming consistently, which I take as a good sign! René, one of the students, asked how long I’ll be here, and I said til July, and he said, good, so we’ll have class til then – I’m glad that students are thinking long-term about the class, and hopefully it can continue even after Martyn and I leave.

5/10
Went to class this morning and continued the material from yesterday, and added “My favorite___is___”. Eddie, the new PEP volunteer, came to class to meet the kids and observe. After class, we all went to the field to play monkey in the middle. Vilma made me a little book in which she drew a couple of pictures of us, and wrote for me to have a good trip, remember them, and to write about what I do while I am away – there are a few blank pages for me to write in while I am away next week, so we will read it together when I get back.
My Tigo internet is not working, again….so frustrated with Tigo!!! Have called them to ask about the problem, but they just tell me to try again later.
A couple of students from Duke arrived today – they will be working separately from us, doing health/hygiene education at the public schools here, but will be living with us for a few weeks while they’re here. More will be arriving soon, too.
This evening when Heide was brushing her teeth, she disturbed an ant nest that was apparently in the faucet, and a bunch of ants came out – she started spraying it with Raid, and they just kept coming and coming! So gross! But finally we killed them all and got the sink cleaned up.
I won’t get into it all here, as it is too long to type, but I am getting really frustrated with the lack of organization within this “organization,” and the disrespectful way in which we are treated.


PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100407369984188.2817956.10735354&l=809358fadb