Yes, I'll admit it now. I've been working very hard. Really sacrificing myself for the good of others while lying on a beach in the beautiful bay islands of Honduras. I think any praise or acknowledgement that has been given to me should be rescinded, because if I was really working I wouldn't have been where I've been the past two weekends. I can't believe it's been that long since I've written. So to begin...
Last Friday three of the volunteers and I decided to go to Tela. Tela is a little coastal city about an hour from Ceiba known for it's beautiful beaches. We left early on Saturday morning to grab the bus over and off we went. The four of us make quite a sight going anywhere. There are two girls from Germany, one from England and then me. Three of us are blond and we are all very tall by Honduran standards. We got there in good time and went to find a hotel. We had booked one a few days before but after talking about it, we decided it was too expensive. Luckily we are all on a pretty tight budget. The taxi recommended a few places and then took us to one. It was nothing fancy but clean enough. Then it was off to the beach. Unfortunately our first day it was cloudy and rainy. We could see the beach stretching in both directions but the drizzle kept us under the palapa of the restaurant. We just talked and laughed and it was good. At one point it was quite funny because there was a group of guys from Mexico a few tables over on vacation as well. They sent over one of the boys who was selling coconut bread to ask us to come over and sit with them. We politely declined and then laughed it away. We went out for awhile in the night to take in the town a bit and then headed back to the hotel to sleep. When we woke in the morning I went over to check my cash stash and discovered an unpleasant surprise. 500 limperas (about $25) were missing from my wallet. I had left it in the room when I went out the night before and when I said something, Zoe found out she was missing $10. I thought that it was really strange that both of us were only missing some of our money, so I figured it must have been someone from the hotel that took it and was trying to make it so we wouldn't notice it was gone. Then I looked around the room to see how they got in, and one of the windows was completely broken and could easily be slid open without any trouble. Oooh I was mad, but also super happy at the same time that not everything was gone because it could have easily been so much worse. My credit card, camera, etc. When we went to leave, I told the lady at the front that someone took our money and she went right over to the woman who was watching the hotel the night before and asked her about it. The woman was super defensive, and asked why anyone would only take some of the money and it was obvious that it was her. We couldn't do anything more though so we packed up and left. When we looked at the guide book later it said that it was a good hotel for the price but that there were rumors things disappeared from guests rooms. Well, rumors are true. Don't stay at Hotel Bertha.
Sunday morning though was beautiful. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and Anna, Zoe and I were set to go on a tour of Punta Sal. We took a boat across the bay of Tela to a point about 45 minutes out. The tour led us across a small hiking trail where we saw tarantula's, enormous spiders and monkeys! It was really neat. Then, we got to relax on the beach for the rest of the day, taking in the sand and the sun and the water. We made a few friends from Tegucigalpa. One was 13 and the other was 11 and reminded me so much of my little sister it was slightly eerie. Lunch was a traditional Garrifuna lunch of fried fish and the rest of the day was simply nice. Once we got back to Tela, we picked up Miriam, who had stayed behind, from the beach and caught a bus back to Ceiba.
The week went really well I think. The kinder kids did well and I'm just getting into the swing of teaching. Having a schedule to follow every day makes everything a thousand time easier, because there are only a few hours of space each day that I actually have to fill with a plan. The kids are so cute too. The two little trouble makers, Daniel and Samir, are getting closer to me every day. I want to be mad at them but I can't because they are really the smartest kids in the class. It's a cute kind of trouble making also. Erg. I can really tell a difference in the kids when I bring snack versus when I don't. On Wednesday I had the snack set out and completely forgot to grab it in the morning. So frustrating. Carolina, one of the moms who helps me, said that her little kidnergartener went home and told her that I had forgotten it for the day. When I leave I'm going to have to figure out some way to keep it going, because kids don't learn on empty stomachs. On the friday before our weekend in Tela, we had gym class and took the kids down to the river. It was fun and we ran around, but Glenda found something pretty bad on the back of one of the little girls. Leiry, who is the cutest thing with bobbing curls and always a huge smile on her face, had four darkly imprinted belt buckle marks in her back that were just beginning to bruise. You could see the square in her back with the line for the clip. I have no idea what she did or who did it or why, but there is no reason- ever- to hit a kid like that. I realize that hitting is the way to keep the kids in line for most of the people who live up in the jungle, but there is a fine line and that was leaps past it. Even the other moms said that something had to be done, and Leiry just smiled up at us as we looked over her back. She must be used to pain. The following Tuesday she hit her head hard against the table and then got right back up like it didn't faze her. Two minutes later I look over at her forehead and a lump the like a thimble had emerged from that exact spot. Any other kid would have burst out in tears for ages. Anyways, David and all of the teachers got together to write a note to the parents saying that treatment like that needs to stop, and if they notice anything else further action will be taken. What I don't know, but hopefully it's enough just to let them know that we are keeping track. So besides that, kinder is good. Every day I get pretty tired but it's only half the day. The rest of the day I'll either go to the hogar, or go shopping or once and awhile head to the beach, but I think from now on I'll mostly go to the hogar. I love the kids too much.
And finally there was this weekend, which made the list for one of the best couple days of my life. I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday with people I love in a surreal, beautiful place, taking in the sun, the beach, the marine life; opening coconuts, eating, playing and laughing. Eight of the Hogar kids, me, Denia, 3 of the volunteers, Cristy, Meily, David, and some relatives and friends- 20 in total- went to Southwest Cay for the weekend. It is a cay off of Utila that David shares with two other families. Basically a private island that we had to ourselves for the weekend. 20 of us on paradise. It isn't big, but it's just big enough that there is plenty to run around on and especially swim. All the time I was in the water. Snorkeling off the reef that runs all the way around the island, watching colorful fish dart in and out of the coral in the crystal blue water, and seeing the sunlight dapple through the waves onto the sandy bottom below. Taking pictures, some good and some bad, underwater and out. Kayaking and taking turns ferrying the kids around on the kayak. Playing on the pier and throwing kids in, and in turn being pushed in by them. Sad to say they won more often than not. Watching as Rosa, Mercedes, and Denia attempted to go on a fishing trip and then came back with nothing. It's a good thing we weren't relying on their trip for a meal. Laying on the beach, falling asleep if I felt like it. Peeling and breaking coconut after coconut. I got so good at it after awhile although my hands are now stained a purple-ish color for whatever reason. It was all so good, so good. At night we lit an enormous bonfire on one end of the island, and raced hermit crabs to see who's was the fastest. Mine won 3 times in a row hah. We played limbo in the dark, and then all went out to lay on the dock and look at the thousands of stars that glinted so brightly overhead, and feel the wind blow at our faces and our hair. I felt so full of life. It was an adventure to walk out to the bathroom that was only a hole right over the water, especially at night when you hoped you wouldn't step on a hermit crab. But my favorite part of all were the 9 amazing kids that were with with me. Adjusting Santos's snorkel, throwing Angelo in the water, and then being pushed in by Daniel. Being dragged around by Cherlin and told to open coconut after coconut. Laying on the pier with Rosa, Denia, Mercedes and Sara at night and laughing until our stomachs hurt. Doing all the work kayaking as Daniel and Paty put their heads in the water to take a look at the fish. Putting Santos to bed and having him tell me a story about little red riding hood. Taking pictures with Rosa. All of those moments that stay with you. Those are the one's that last the longest.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
And it was good
Kinder went beautifully this week. I couldn't have been happier with what we have. It's so exciting when you get a schedule that works and makes the kids listen and they are learning. So rewarding! Hopefully it keeps up. On Monday I launched the official kinder schedule for 14 kindergarten kids in a 6' x 9' classroom. We begin each day by assigning jobs to 4 of the kids. The jobs include line leader, snack helper, trash collector and weather calendar. The kids who have the jobs raise their hand and get some acknowledgment. Then we move onto the weather calendar, when the person in charge draws what the weather is like and puts it on the correct day, to keep track. Following that we have the daily news, where we go around and ask each kid to share something and record it in a binder. This helps them begin to tell a story, and remember things from the day before. We then sing a song together, wash our hands, and the snack person helps pass out breakfast that I provide for the kids. Following that we clean up and start our morning activity. This week we've worked on tearing paper, crumpling up and gluing it, cutting, colors and shapes. The kids are actually pretty good at focusing and staying on task. To keep them in line, I made a card chart like the one in the states. I used my own elementary school experience, when we had to change our card if we got in trouble. All of them stayed green until today, when Daniel changed to yellow and had a time out for climbing on the railing when I said no. The punishment seemed to make an impact on him so that was good.
After activity, we take them up for their milk break, when they get warm fortified milk, and then march them up to the sink to brush their teeth. Then back down the tire steps for an outdoor game which is always the most difficult with minimum space. After that we have story time, and then rest time where they lay their heads down for 10 minutes and are still. It actually works! I never would have thought it possible but it does! It helps that play time is right after rest time, so we can threaten to shorten it if they don't try to close their eyes. And of course, play time at the end where they get access to several toys and play together. It's really quite lovely and runs well and all in all exciting :) Eddy has started to take over a bit with Kinder. We've worked it out so that I plan the lessons, and then he teaches most of them. So really, I kind of get the not as fun part and most the work... but I don't mind and he does do really well with the kids so I'm happy. One day, I even left class for a bit to check out the other classrooms. Zoe, the volunteer from England, had told me that it had been kind of difficult to keep everyone in reign, and boy was she right. Second grade was all out of their seats and not paying attention. The teacher was on the other side of the classroom with 1st grade so I kind of went up front and began barking orders and trying to get them listening. Waldy, who I adore, was in the class but she is the worst listener. I think she was kind of surprised when I got on her case. I was laughing the next day when she was telling me that I'm not allowed in her class anymore ha.
Other news... we have a bus!! It's so exciting. All for HHK. That way, the kids get to school on time, we don't squeeze thirty people into the van, and the kids from the jungle school don't have to walk quite as far. It's a nice bus too. On another note, Gerson is talking to me again! After a month of not acknowledging my existence, he is finally my friend again. I still have no idea what I did, but I'm happy his mood is over. The group from Kentucky left today. It's so strange having the house again almost to ourselves. It is me, Zoe from England, Ana from Germany, and Miriam who arrived today who is also from Germany. A good group. I'm sure I gained weight from the last two weeks. We had our meals cooked for us Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner- Kentucky style. Soooo good, but so bad at the same time. Ah well. I almost forgot!!! We got a puppy! She is adorable and her name is Fresita. I showed up to the Hogar on Sunday (which I also didn't mention which was the Valentines party and the Hogar looked gorgeous) and she was there. Someone had brought her their the day before. She is only about 4 weeks old and tiny and I decided that she could not stay there for a few weeks. So I took her back to our house so that she can get a little more durable and bigger, train her a bit and get her ready for life in a house with 22 kids. Soooo cute. She is good :)
After activity, we take them up for their milk break, when they get warm fortified milk, and then march them up to the sink to brush their teeth. Then back down the tire steps for an outdoor game which is always the most difficult with minimum space. After that we have story time, and then rest time where they lay their heads down for 10 minutes and are still. It actually works! I never would have thought it possible but it does! It helps that play time is right after rest time, so we can threaten to shorten it if they don't try to close their eyes. And of course, play time at the end where they get access to several toys and play together. It's really quite lovely and runs well and all in all exciting :) Eddy has started to take over a bit with Kinder. We've worked it out so that I plan the lessons, and then he teaches most of them. So really, I kind of get the not as fun part and most the work... but I don't mind and he does do really well with the kids so I'm happy. One day, I even left class for a bit to check out the other classrooms. Zoe, the volunteer from England, had told me that it had been kind of difficult to keep everyone in reign, and boy was she right. Second grade was all out of their seats and not paying attention. The teacher was on the other side of the classroom with 1st grade so I kind of went up front and began barking orders and trying to get them listening. Waldy, who I adore, was in the class but she is the worst listener. I think she was kind of surprised when I got on her case. I was laughing the next day when she was telling me that I'm not allowed in her class anymore ha.
Other news... we have a bus!! It's so exciting. All for HHK. That way, the kids get to school on time, we don't squeeze thirty people into the van, and the kids from the jungle school don't have to walk quite as far. It's a nice bus too. On another note, Gerson is talking to me again! After a month of not acknowledging my existence, he is finally my friend again. I still have no idea what I did, but I'm happy his mood is over. The group from Kentucky left today. It's so strange having the house again almost to ourselves. It is me, Zoe from England, Ana from Germany, and Miriam who arrived today who is also from Germany. A good group. I'm sure I gained weight from the last two weeks. We had our meals cooked for us Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner- Kentucky style. Soooo good, but so bad at the same time. Ah well. I almost forgot!!! We got a puppy! She is adorable and her name is Fresita. I showed up to the Hogar on Sunday (which I also didn't mention which was the Valentines party and the Hogar looked gorgeous) and she was there. Someone had brought her their the day before. She is only about 4 weeks old and tiny and I decided that she could not stay there for a few weeks. So I took her back to our house so that she can get a little more durable and bigger, train her a bit and get her ready for life in a house with 22 kids. Soooo cute. She is good :)
Friday, February 11, 2011
It starts again
My alarm went off at 5:10 this morning for the third day in a row. I do not approve. In other words, school has officially begun. We have kicked off the new school year for better or for worse. I'm sitting here trying to think back to the beginning of the week and am having difficulty, the past three days have been all consuming. Monday and Tuesday I spent both days organizing at the Jungle School for classes, which began on Monday. A few of the women from the group went with me and we cleaned and moved stuff around and I was informed that I would be teaching Kinder again! Well, awesome. I didn't mind too much but it is soooo tiring. More on that later. I didn't see how the school would be ready in time, but somehow everyone managed. One of the women helped enter a school roster onto my computer because there is no access to a computer at the school. Lucy and I went shopping on Tuesday afternoon for some teacher supplies, and then again with Maestra Kenya on Wednesday. They seriously have so little, and the group donated some money for supplies so we went out to help. I don't know what they would have done without it. Everything at that school is just to 'make do'. I was looking through ideas for teaching Kinder, and I'm looking at the resources that school in the US have and it's so incredibly different! A big classroom with toys and different areas, a place to make a snack. Outdoor play space. I have none of that. And it's the same for the older classes. Really, the kinder is more like Pre School because the kids are learning basic manners and listening more than actual reading and math.
The first day went all right. We got started late and kids kept trickling in for two hours. It seemed like many were unsure that classes actually started that day. The teachers were kind of scrambling, settling into new rooms and sorting kids out. The group also set up a little 'vacation bible school' for the different grades which took up time. Kinder went pretty well. I have 11 kids in total (13 now because two joined). We began by introducing ourselves and then we did a little art project with handprints. I taught them "duck duck goose" though it turned into "duck duck tiger" when I realized I didn't know the Spanish work for goose. The poor kids will be forever confused. I attempted to sing a song but they were not excited about that prospect. We drew and colored, and I bribed them into being good by promising play time at the end. I've decided that bribery is my best tool for control. I'm no good at punishing and they don't really care if I do anyway, but if I wave a pack of play dough in front of them, I get complete attention. It's amazing. I'm teaching them to walk in a line, and it's really quite cute watching them walk up and down the steps after me.
The second day we got locked out of the classroom. I have my keys to Maestra Kenya and she forgot them, so we had class outside. Luckily there were a few supplies from shopping so we went over body parts, class rules, attempted to sing 'head shoulders knees and toes' and did a few other things. The biggest challenge is just controlling them. At one point, I had to stop them and tell them the rules. I think they are testing me to see if I'll follow through with my threats of time out. Well, I did and one of the little girls had to sit out for half the time of playing with play dough. Most of the kids are really sweet. Daniel, Carlitos and Samir are the little trouble makers but cute nonetheless. Little Ingrid cries about every day but quiets down when I pick her up. There are two twins that for the life of me, I couldn't understand what their name was and asked them about twenty times. Finally we had to check the registry and it turned out to be Leiry and Lleilin, so no wonder I hadn't a clue. We've also had a few incidents that have been tough for me. On Thursday towards the end of class, all of the sudden Keyla just grabs her stomach and starts bawling and spitting up. She gasps out that it hurts and just kept crying. Lucy was there and I asked her to take her to the kitchen. She was starving from hunger. She hadn't had anything to eat probably since lunch the day before, and finally she couldn't take it. This little five year old, crying from hunger. They put a plate of food in front of her and she stuffed half a tortilla in her mouth. And today was even worse. Again, it was towards the end of class. We were outside because the kids had all just got a special stuffed animal and I look over and Yesli is sitting down holding her bear, crying and leaning over trying to puke. I take the bear, lean her forward and she pukes on the cement all over. I call for a mother who comes and walks her around. She sits down and five minutes later its the same thing. It was bad. They took her to the kitchen and she puked some more, but you could tell the only thing in her stomach was the milk from snack time. They told me she puked up blood and some of the worms that live in her stomach. They started her on worm medication and gave her something to eat. I think sometimes I have to shut something off in my mind, or else I would let things like that bring me down too much. I can't dwell on them or it's too much. I can't deal with something like that every day, when little five year old girls are crying and puking from hunger and worms. I think I'm going to bring breakfast every day for my class. They need to eat, then they can learn.
Other than that, I think I'm doing okay. They listen to me relatively well. I don't think I'll ever be a kinder teacher, because it is exhausting, but it's kind of fun. I've been researching and reading and getting ideas. It's funny how much I am using from when I was in elementary school. I took a nap today at the hogar, and woke up with the kids around me. Oh, I forgot to talk about Rosa. Well on Sunday she got into a tiff with Reina and told her she'd hit her if she kept doing what she was doing, which of course she did, and so she hit her. Well, that doesn't fly by me so I spoke up and told her that you can't do that, and she needs to apologize. Rosa is more or less the matriarch of the kids when Danelia isn't around and she keeps them in line, so she didn't like being told what to do. She got defensive and so to prove her point or something, she slapped Reina again. Thank god Reina didn't hit back, but I went and told David and she got in trouble. I hated doing it too because Rosa and I are really close. The next day she was, predictably, angry with me. But what could I do? I did what I though was right. I'm sure in her mind,and because of her background, what she did was totally justified. Two days later she really did amaze me. I knew she was mature, which is one of the reasons we get along so well, but to go up to someone on your own accord and apologize and admit you were wrong takes more maturity than most 18 year olds I know. Needless to say I was so proud of her and we are fine now, but it made a really big impression on me. Well, I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard. I better quit while I'm awake. Goodnight all :)
The first day went all right. We got started late and kids kept trickling in for two hours. It seemed like many were unsure that classes actually started that day. The teachers were kind of scrambling, settling into new rooms and sorting kids out. The group also set up a little 'vacation bible school' for the different grades which took up time. Kinder went pretty well. I have 11 kids in total (13 now because two joined). We began by introducing ourselves and then we did a little art project with handprints. I taught them "duck duck goose" though it turned into "duck duck tiger" when I realized I didn't know the Spanish work for goose. The poor kids will be forever confused. I attempted to sing a song but they were not excited about that prospect. We drew and colored, and I bribed them into being good by promising play time at the end. I've decided that bribery is my best tool for control. I'm no good at punishing and they don't really care if I do anyway, but if I wave a pack of play dough in front of them, I get complete attention. It's amazing. I'm teaching them to walk in a line, and it's really quite cute watching them walk up and down the steps after me.
The second day we got locked out of the classroom. I have my keys to Maestra Kenya and she forgot them, so we had class outside. Luckily there were a few supplies from shopping so we went over body parts, class rules, attempted to sing 'head shoulders knees and toes' and did a few other things. The biggest challenge is just controlling them. At one point, I had to stop them and tell them the rules. I think they are testing me to see if I'll follow through with my threats of time out. Well, I did and one of the little girls had to sit out for half the time of playing with play dough. Most of the kids are really sweet. Daniel, Carlitos and Samir are the little trouble makers but cute nonetheless. Little Ingrid cries about every day but quiets down when I pick her up. There are two twins that for the life of me, I couldn't understand what their name was and asked them about twenty times. Finally we had to check the registry and it turned out to be Leiry and Lleilin, so no wonder I hadn't a clue. We've also had a few incidents that have been tough for me. On Thursday towards the end of class, all of the sudden Keyla just grabs her stomach and starts bawling and spitting up. She gasps out that it hurts and just kept crying. Lucy was there and I asked her to take her to the kitchen. She was starving from hunger. She hadn't had anything to eat probably since lunch the day before, and finally she couldn't take it. This little five year old, crying from hunger. They put a plate of food in front of her and she stuffed half a tortilla in her mouth. And today was even worse. Again, it was towards the end of class. We were outside because the kids had all just got a special stuffed animal and I look over and Yesli is sitting down holding her bear, crying and leaning over trying to puke. I take the bear, lean her forward and she pukes on the cement all over. I call for a mother who comes and walks her around. She sits down and five minutes later its the same thing. It was bad. They took her to the kitchen and she puked some more, but you could tell the only thing in her stomach was the milk from snack time. They told me she puked up blood and some of the worms that live in her stomach. They started her on worm medication and gave her something to eat. I think sometimes I have to shut something off in my mind, or else I would let things like that bring me down too much. I can't dwell on them or it's too much. I can't deal with something like that every day, when little five year old girls are crying and puking from hunger and worms. I think I'm going to bring breakfast every day for my class. They need to eat, then they can learn.
Other than that, I think I'm doing okay. They listen to me relatively well. I don't think I'll ever be a kinder teacher, because it is exhausting, but it's kind of fun. I've been researching and reading and getting ideas. It's funny how much I am using from when I was in elementary school. I took a nap today at the hogar, and woke up with the kids around me. Oh, I forgot to talk about Rosa. Well on Sunday she got into a tiff with Reina and told her she'd hit her if she kept doing what she was doing, which of course she did, and so she hit her. Well, that doesn't fly by me so I spoke up and told her that you can't do that, and she needs to apologize. Rosa is more or less the matriarch of the kids when Danelia isn't around and she keeps them in line, so she didn't like being told what to do. She got defensive and so to prove her point or something, she slapped Reina again. Thank god Reina didn't hit back, but I went and told David and she got in trouble. I hated doing it too because Rosa and I are really close. The next day she was, predictably, angry with me. But what could I do? I did what I though was right. I'm sure in her mind,and because of her background, what she did was totally justified. Two days later she really did amaze me. I knew she was mature, which is one of the reasons we get along so well, but to go up to someone on your own accord and apologize and admit you were wrong takes more maturity than most 18 year olds I know. Needless to say I was so proud of her and we are fine now, but it made a really big impression on me. Well, I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard. I better quit while I'm awake. Goodnight all :)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Typical Gringa
I spent the night with the Castro's last night! The Castro's include Luz Mila, Eloisa, Kevin, Nayeli, Mae and Fermin and then of course their parents. They live an hour and a half hike away from the road, so after helping out at the school on Friday, I headed up to their house with Lorena (their mom) and Kevin. Kevin rode a donkey all the way up, and I hiked up the mountain on foot. I saw a monkey! Briefly, but it was there. So exciting. We got up to their house around 2 in the afternoon, and Eloisa, Kevin and Nayeli took me over to the stream by their house. They have their own private nature playground. The closest house is about an hours walk away. The stream is a series of waterfalls with little pools to swim in, with the forest on both sides. We caught bugs and walked from waterfall to waterfall, letting the water run over us. At one point we were walking along a little track, and in gringa style I completely slipped down the side into the bushes, a good 7 feet down. It was pretty awesome, and then they had to pull me back up. Luckily I didnt' get hurt and I was just cracking up but it was ridiculous. We swam a little more and then went back to the house and went to bring the cows into the gate. We walked to the highest point and I could see a panorama of the beach, La Ceiba, the mountains and all around. It's amazing. We rolled down the hill a bit and then watched a dog dig a hole. We went to investigate and we looked in and it was some sort of animal. Eventually we figured out that it was an aborted baby calf that they had buried there :( But that is life. The horse they had was sooo skinny poor thing. He also had some open wounds and I felt so bad but you can't do all that much. I think that the Castro's treat their animals quite a bit better than most of the families I've seen. I appreciate that. They are a great set of people. Lorena is so kind and helpful, and all of the kids are playful and polite and intelligent. They have a tough lot in life though. Even as I basked in how absolutely beautiful it was, I knew that to them the beauty only means hardship. Living so far away means that work is nearly impossible to come by. During school Lorena gets up at 3 to make breakfast and the kids get up so they have time to walk down to school so the bus doesn't leave. Mae is now in the high school so he doesn’t get back until 3 and has to make the hour and a half hike back up, and then somehow use his hour left of light to do all his homework. He got home and got right to work on Friday, and when it started to get back I lent him my flashlight so he could work a little longer. He works on the weekends or when he has the opportunity to make a little money for the family. Fermin is only 2, so the family all has to pitch in to watch out for him.
That night I brought out my deck of cards and played Go Fish and a few other games. Nayeli loved B.S. I had them play Go Fish in English and it was so funny for me to sit there and have them all speaking in English, in a tiny little dirt hut on the top of a mountain in the middle of Honduras, using the light of a flashlight. It was awesome. I peaked outside a bit later and saw the fireflies flitting on the hillside. The three middle kids and I decided to make a trip outside to see La Ceiba at night, and oh how beautiful it is. The stars were out as well. I brought my camera and we spent about an hour taking pictures in the dark and rolling around and making silly faces. It was so funny and the pictures are pretty classic/ fea. This morning I slept in till about 8 and they fed me a good breakfast. We just relaxed in the house, and then went outside to search for mango's. We all climbed a tree and sang songs in the tree, while Fermin looked up at us from the bottom. We left for down the mountain at about 10 30 and made it down much faster than we made it up. Of course, at the very very end of the walk, I decided to run and race Eloisa down the hill and twisted my ankle pretty badly. I think I heard something make a snapping sound but it doesn't hurt that bad, it's mostly just stiff and swollen. I felt pretty awesome and gringa- ish. I can still walk, but they were all worried about me. I had made plans with the kids to go swimming in the river and saw no reason to change them, since I could still walk. About 15 kids joined us and we headed down the mountain to swim in my favorite spot in the river. I got to see the kids who've started the highschool. I miss them! I never get to see them anymore. We played 'king of the rock', trying to see who could stay on the rock the longest, and just swam around. I was pretty careful, but was fine relaxing and watching the sun sparkle off the river, and soak in a little sun myself. On the way back up to the road, the kids asked me if I needed help and of course I refused. Then, as I was crossing a little river, I stepped on a loose rock and totally fell into the water in front of at least 10 of them. I laughed and they laughed harder, and then they dragged me up the mountain because that definitely wasn't good for my ankle. I made it back safe and now am writing in our now full house. A group of 20 arrived tonight from Kentucky, so it should be an interesting few days.
That night I brought out my deck of cards and played Go Fish and a few other games. Nayeli loved B.S. I had them play Go Fish in English and it was so funny for me to sit there and have them all speaking in English, in a tiny little dirt hut on the top of a mountain in the middle of Honduras, using the light of a flashlight. It was awesome. I peaked outside a bit later and saw the fireflies flitting on the hillside. The three middle kids and I decided to make a trip outside to see La Ceiba at night, and oh how beautiful it is. The stars were out as well. I brought my camera and we spent about an hour taking pictures in the dark and rolling around and making silly faces. It was so funny and the pictures are pretty classic/ fea. This morning I slept in till about 8 and they fed me a good breakfast. We just relaxed in the house, and then went outside to search for mango's. We all climbed a tree and sang songs in the tree, while Fermin looked up at us from the bottom. We left for down the mountain at about 10 30 and made it down much faster than we made it up. Of course, at the very very end of the walk, I decided to run and race Eloisa down the hill and twisted my ankle pretty badly. I think I heard something make a snapping sound but it doesn't hurt that bad, it's mostly just stiff and swollen. I felt pretty awesome and gringa- ish. I can still walk, but they were all worried about me. I had made plans with the kids to go swimming in the river and saw no reason to change them, since I could still walk. About 15 kids joined us and we headed down the mountain to swim in my favorite spot in the river. I got to see the kids who've started the highschool. I miss them! I never get to see them anymore. We played 'king of the rock', trying to see who could stay on the rock the longest, and just swam around. I was pretty careful, but was fine relaxing and watching the sun sparkle off the river, and soak in a little sun myself. On the way back up to the road, the kids asked me if I needed help and of course I refused. Then, as I was crossing a little river, I stepped on a loose rock and totally fell into the water in front of at least 10 of them. I laughed and they laughed harder, and then they dragged me up the mountain because that definitely wasn't good for my ankle. I made it back safe and now am writing in our now full house. A group of 20 arrived tonight from Kentucky, so it should be an interesting few days.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
New Friends
The work group from Michigan whom were here left today. Towards the end both Zoe and I got especially close to them. They were so nice, and put little cards on our pillows before they left. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we had English classes that went relatively well. We've been going over what people are wearing, what the kids like or dislike and how to order in a restaurant. Some parts are better than others but it works. Donna, one of the women from Michigan, brought one of those giant parachutes that kids love and we played with that. On Tuesday Donna, Zoe and I went up to Geny's and brought the parachute and played with all the little ones. We brought up lunch, made sandwiches, went up to the top where there is a gorgeous view and then headed down to put our feet in the river waiting for Cristy to pick us up. It was really nice. Right after that, we went back to the Hogar, did an art project, grabbed some dinner and then spent the night moving from one house to another. It was a very busy day.
Yesterday after classes was the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hogar de Amor. They are officially starting on the building that will become home to these kids; the first block was laid at the ceremony. We had a piñata, fresco, and then played a game of futbol on the gravel in our flip flops. It was girls vs boys, and unfortunately we lost but what can you do. David dropped us off at the new house, we showered with our cold showers (no hot water in this house :( ) and then went to the movies with the kids. It's been pretty bad lately. Only nine kids were able to go out of 22, because all of the others were being punished for some offense or other.
Today was much the same story, and the stakes were higher. The circus was in town so David was planning on taking a trip. Unfortunately, the same group of people as the night before were only able to go, plus maybe one or two more. I was kind of feeling up and down the entire day because of a few things that had happened. I've just been thinking so much about raising kids, and what is or isn't the right way to punish them/ reward them. Where is the middle line? It's so difficult, especially with the entire group of 22. There are different family dynamics, different back grounds etc. I guess I wanted so much for all of the kids to have the chance to go, but they really didn't, because they didn't know that they were going to the circus until that day. So they were already punished with no chance to redeem themselves, but I mean, what can you do? You have to keep order some how. We took the few kids who weren't punished to the river in the afternoon. That was really nice. The water was so refreshing and I had fun floating down with the current. We picked some of the jungle school kids up on the way to go with us.
The circus started at 7 so we had some time to go home for a short bit before. I personally did not particularly enjoy it. I kind of suspected what I might be getting myself into and I was correct. The poor animals. That was the main problem. The poor things. What must there lives be like? You just know that once they've outgrown there usefulness they are simply cast aside. The were 5 lions kept in line with a huge whip. I wonder how many times they've been hit with it. They were not happy looking either, and looked like they would prefer to eat the trainer. The elephants had the saddest look in their eye, as people lined up to take a picture on their back. It was as if all the life and will had gone out of them. There were kids working the circus also. They were in a trampoline act, and I just wondered how they were being treated. There was also an act with a woman who basically had on a bedazzled thong and was doing a contortionist act, but it seemed more as if she was bending in every possible way so that she could show her bedazzled crotch off to the world. I mean, it definitely highlighted the best part of human nature. But it was an experience. If anything, I was happy that the kids for the most part picked up on the sadness of the animals. Down here, it's definitely not the states.
Yesterday after classes was the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hogar de Amor. They are officially starting on the building that will become home to these kids; the first block was laid at the ceremony. We had a piñata, fresco, and then played a game of futbol on the gravel in our flip flops. It was girls vs boys, and unfortunately we lost but what can you do. David dropped us off at the new house, we showered with our cold showers (no hot water in this house :( ) and then went to the movies with the kids. It's been pretty bad lately. Only nine kids were able to go out of 22, because all of the others were being punished for some offense or other.
Today was much the same story, and the stakes were higher. The circus was in town so David was planning on taking a trip. Unfortunately, the same group of people as the night before were only able to go, plus maybe one or two more. I was kind of feeling up and down the entire day because of a few things that had happened. I've just been thinking so much about raising kids, and what is or isn't the right way to punish them/ reward them. Where is the middle line? It's so difficult, especially with the entire group of 22. There are different family dynamics, different back grounds etc. I guess I wanted so much for all of the kids to have the chance to go, but they really didn't, because they didn't know that they were going to the circus until that day. So they were already punished with no chance to redeem themselves, but I mean, what can you do? You have to keep order some how. We took the few kids who weren't punished to the river in the afternoon. That was really nice. The water was so refreshing and I had fun floating down with the current. We picked some of the jungle school kids up on the way to go with us.
The circus started at 7 so we had some time to go home for a short bit before. I personally did not particularly enjoy it. I kind of suspected what I might be getting myself into and I was correct. The poor animals. That was the main problem. The poor things. What must there lives be like? You just know that once they've outgrown there usefulness they are simply cast aside. The were 5 lions kept in line with a huge whip. I wonder how many times they've been hit with it. They were not happy looking either, and looked like they would prefer to eat the trainer. The elephants had the saddest look in their eye, as people lined up to take a picture on their back. It was as if all the life and will had gone out of them. There were kids working the circus also. They were in a trampoline act, and I just wondered how they were being treated. There was also an act with a woman who basically had on a bedazzled thong and was doing a contortionist act, but it seemed more as if she was bending in every possible way so that she could show her bedazzled crotch off to the world. I mean, it definitely highlighted the best part of human nature. But it was an experience. If anything, I was happy that the kids for the most part picked up on the sadness of the animals. Down here, it's definitely not the states.
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