Today, Thursday was pretty normal. I had class at 8:30. For the last part of class we had some moms come in and talk about families here in Honduras. They also told stories of past students they had stay with them. Katie, Hope and I wanted to go to another mall, but it was raining off and on, so we did not want to deal with that, so like usual we just went to the mall across the street. We returned home a little earlier today, which gave me time to take a good nap. I had dinner and then talked with mi mama for like an hour. We talked about holidays. She also told me about her family. She has a sister who lives in L.A. who she hasn’t seen for 20 years. She doesn’t know where she is now. She also has a brother her in Tegus, but she does not see him either. It was really enjoyable for me to hear more about her. Tomorrow we are going out to the country. Life out there is very different than here in the city. It should be very interesting.
Today, Friday we went to el campo, the country. And when I say the country I mean the top of a mountain. It was an hour and a half bus trip up the mountain. For most of the way, the road was really more like a path. It was very bumpy and small. Once there we were given a tour of the farm land. Most of the farm land is very hilly, which makes it very difficult to cultivate. The way of life in the country is very different than those who live in the city. Most Hondurans do live in the country. There is no electricity, running water, or easy transportation in the country. I honestly do not understand how people can live like this, and yet it’s very common here. It’s so different than what I know. Tomorrow we are going to a national park, la tigra. It’s a mountain about an hour away. We will be there both Saturday and Sunday. It should be very fun.
Friday, August 29, 2008
El Campo
This is one field we walked through with carrots, celery, and cabbage. There are a ton of hills. The other picture is half house and half little store where we bought sodas.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Classroom I Visited
This is the classroom that i visited today. It was so crazy. I do not think that the little boy there wanted his picture taken.
Normal Day
Today, Wednesday I thought class started at 9:00, but I was wrong. It really started at 8:30. Mi friend, Katie came to my house at 8:00 to walk with me. I had just finished getting ready, but I had not eaten breakfast. I told mi mama that I did not have time to eat today. Being very concerned she made me drink my glass of juice very quickly and then packed the fruit up in a bag for me. We arrived for class right on time. Class today was about the recent condition of the country. After class we went to a school next to the college. There was both a primary and secondary school. Me and another girl observed in a third grade classroom. It was crazy. There were 37 students there with one teacher. She had to yell the whole time so that the students could hear her over the talking and yelling of the other students. The children there loved us because we were gringas. When I told them that I was from the US they asked me if I had ever been to Disney World. After that we went to the mall again to use the internet and phone, and then to shop. I found a really cute dress for really cheap. All the stores at the mall have a security guard at the door with a gun. It’s a little intimidating. At most stores we have to check our backpacks, because there not allowed in the stores. Afterwards, me and my friend Hope wanted to find a different place to go besides the mall, because that’s the only place we really go. We walked for a while but saw nothing but little shops and houses, so we returned to the university. Katie and I figured out which bus we needed to use. The walk is then a lot shorter. Because I missed breakfast this morning mi mama wanted me to eat an early dinner. I had beef that was very rough. They usually give me a lot of food and most of the time I do not know what to do when I become full. Today mi papa told me that if they give me too much food, I should put aside some of the food right away and then only eat the part I want. That way they can easily save the rest. I have a lot of homework tonight, so I should probably start.
Statue of Christ
This is a statue in the park where we went on Sunday. It is placed very high on the montain, and looks down on the city. It was very cool.Politcal Event
Today, Monday was our first day of classes. We have a two week summer class. Every other day we have a class to learn about the culture of Honduras. On the other days we have a crash course in the specifics of Honduran Spanish. Today’s class was about the history of Honduras. We learned about 2000 years of a country’s history in three hours. I can tell my Spanish is getting better, because the entire lecture was in Spanish, and I actually understood it all. We then had a three hour lunch break. We ate at the university because it’s much cheaper than the mall. I can have a meal for less than two dollars. Afterwards we went to the mall to use the phone and internet. We shopped for a while and then returned to the university. Today there was a big political event. Honduras is signing an agreement with Venezuela to get cheap oil. Honduras only has to pay upfront 60% of the price. They then have 3o years to pay the rest. In the meanwhile, Honduras can use the money to help the country’s problems. The only problem is that the Honduran president is not known for using the country’s money well. Today the Honduran president, Bolivian president, and Venezuela’s president Chavez spoke. Before going we had to leave all our things in the Calvin office, take off all jewelry, and split in the groups of six. It is no secret that Chaves is very anti-Bush, and very anti-Americans. We were warned that because we were Gringos we needed to be extra careful. The professors told us not to be offended by the comments people may say. By the time we got back to the University, Katie, the girl I walk with, and myself were very tired. We decided to try to take a bus, however the bus we were told to take did not really take us where we wanted. We still had to walk a bit, but it was defiantly faster than walking the entire way. I made is home just before it started to rain.
Today, Tuesday I had my first language class. We learned about a new conjugation they use quite often here in Honduras, but none of us had learned before. Then we were given cell phone from the school. As long as we do not lose the phone, we do not need to pay for the phone. It is free to call other people on the plan, other students and the professors. It does cost to call anyone not on the plan though. To call the United States I bought a new Sim Card, I think that that is what it’s called, and a calling card. It’s a lot more expensive to call the United States with my phone than just using the phone at the mall, but it’s a lot more convenient. Today was the first day that I had to walk home alone. It is safe but not my favorite thing. Because we are clearly a gringas, we receive a lot of attention. Men will say “hello ladies” or make a clicking noise, and people driving by honk. I was able to take a nap this afternoon. By the end of the day I am usually quite tried.
Today, Tuesday I had my first language class. We learned about a new conjugation they use quite often here in Honduras, but none of us had learned before. Then we were given cell phone from the school. As long as we do not lose the phone, we do not need to pay for the phone. It is free to call other people on the plan, other students and the professors. It does cost to call anyone not on the plan though. To call the United States I bought a new Sim Card, I think that that is what it’s called, and a calling card. It’s a lot more expensive to call the United States with my phone than just using the phone at the mall, but it’s a lot more convenient. Today was the first day that I had to walk home alone. It is safe but not my favorite thing. Because we are clearly a gringas, we receive a lot of attention. Men will say “hello ladies” or make a clicking noise, and people driving by honk. I was able to take a nap this afternoon. By the end of the day I am usually quite tried.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The First Weekend Here
It has been a busy couple of days. On Friday we spent the morning at the university for more orientation. After, some girls and I went to the mall. There is a place there where we can use the internet and call the US for cheap. It’s only 1 lempira for 1 minute, which is like 5 cents a minute. The internet is 45 centavos which is like 2 cents a minute. After we went shopping and I bought some new sandals. When I returned to me house I had dinner. I then just went to my room because my family does not do much in the evenings, and because I do not have any homework yet I just watch tv. There are tons of channels here in English, with Spanish subtitles. I have been getting a lot of sleep because I go to bed so early.
On Saturday the group went to el centro, which I think is the downtown of Teguc. We walked a ton looking at the different building there. There are a lot of little vendors where you can buy things like shoes and purses for real cheap; I want to return in the future. When we returned a group of us went to the movie theater at the mall next to the university. We watched Se Busce, which I think is Wanted in the US. It was only 3 dollars to see. It was really entertaining because the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles. I guess all their movies are like that. I was a little worried because the girl who lives by me, who I usually walk home with left early. Luckily, there were two guys who live only like a mile from my house offered to walk me home. When I returned home mi papa showed me a store real close to the house where I could use the internet and telephone. And yet again I went to bed early.
Sunday I got up and went to church with mis padres. The drive was very interesting. At first I did not know where we were going, because we were seriously off roading. This little car was driving up and down dirt hills and through fields. Little did I know, that was the way to the church that was literally in the middle of nowhere. It was more or less one large room with a roof and open doors and windows. At the church I was able to meet the pastor. He introduced me to the organizer of the youth program. He wanted me to help with the youth program. I said I would love to. He told me he wants to learn better English too, which is fun for me. After church mi papa went with the rest of the group and their families to the zoo, which is very different than a zoo in the US. Afterwards we walked to a public park where there is a huge statue of Christ. This is all on the top of a small mountain. The bus ride up and down was interesting. The view was unbelievable. Mi papa asked me if I wanted him to take a picture of me with my camera. Once I showed him how to use my camera, every place we went he wanted to use my camera. I think he really liked it. It was a good time because mi papa and I were able to really talk. He kept asking if I liked the place. When we returned home, mi hermano, his wife and their son were here. I was able to give everyone their gifts, which they all really liked. It was very fun to talk with mi hermano because he was very interested in my life. I showed him pictures of my family and he thought my dad looked like my brother. He also thought that Randy and John were the same person, which I thought was interesting. Also, my family finally figured out how to say my name by looking at it spelled out.
On Saturday the group went to el centro, which I think is the downtown of Teguc. We walked a ton looking at the different building there. There are a lot of little vendors where you can buy things like shoes and purses for real cheap; I want to return in the future. When we returned a group of us went to the movie theater at the mall next to the university. We watched Se Busce, which I think is Wanted in the US. It was only 3 dollars to see. It was really entertaining because the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles. I guess all their movies are like that. I was a little worried because the girl who lives by me, who I usually walk home with left early. Luckily, there were two guys who live only like a mile from my house offered to walk me home. When I returned home mi papa showed me a store real close to the house where I could use the internet and telephone. And yet again I went to bed early.
Sunday I got up and went to church with mis padres. The drive was very interesting. At first I did not know where we were going, because we were seriously off roading. This little car was driving up and down dirt hills and through fields. Little did I know, that was the way to the church that was literally in the middle of nowhere. It was more or less one large room with a roof and open doors and windows. At the church I was able to meet the pastor. He introduced me to the organizer of the youth program. He wanted me to help with the youth program. I said I would love to. He told me he wants to learn better English too, which is fun for me. After church mi papa went with the rest of the group and their families to the zoo, which is very different than a zoo in the US. Afterwards we walked to a public park where there is a huge statue of Christ. This is all on the top of a small mountain. The bus ride up and down was interesting. The view was unbelievable. Mi papa asked me if I wanted him to take a picture of me with my camera. Once I showed him how to use my camera, every place we went he wanted to use my camera. I think he really liked it. It was a good time because mi papa and I were able to really talk. He kept asking if I liked the place. When we returned home, mi hermano, his wife and their son were here. I was able to give everyone their gifts, which they all really liked. It was very fun to talk with mi hermano because he was very interested in my life. I showed him pictures of my family and he thought my dad looked like my brother. He also thought that Randy and John were the same person, which I thought was interesting. Also, my family finally figured out how to say my name by looking at it spelled out.
Friday, August 22, 2008
My Bedroom
It takes a really long time to post pictures so i will not be able to do too many. This is my room, which is pretty nice compared to other peoples.I am finally here
August 21
So the adventure has begun. I have now been here for more than twenty-four hours. The trip here was quite exciting. I was at the airport in Grand Rapids at 4:00 AM. I was worried about my luggage weighing too much, but I was okay by half a pound. There was one girl with our group who showed up at the airport and was not able to go because of problems with her passport. There is a rule that the expiration date of your passport must be more than six months away from the time of leaving, even though we are planning on being here for only four months. She was sent to Chicago to get an emergency passport, and was able to fly into Honduras today. The flight from Chicago to Houston was fine. We got on our second flight, which was to take us to Honduras, and there were numerous problems. First there was bad weather, which delayed us for about 2 hours on the plane. During the entire 2 hours the girl in front of me, who was with our group, was throwing up. The flight crew said she could not fly with being so sick, and we had to go back to the terminal. An ambulance came and took her away. Everyone was really concerned because she was now being left in Houston alone and sick. Once she was taken off the plane, the captain came on the speaker and said that the good news was that the plane had been refueled and was ready to go, but the bad news was that the flight crew had passes their allowed time of flying, and could not fly us to Honduras. Because the airport in Tegucigalpa is so difficult to land at, there are only certain pilots that were able to go. We had to get off the plane, which we had already been sitting on for 3 hours. They gave us food coupons to get food at the airport. One hour later we were able to finally leave. The flight was non eventful. Customs was not a problem for any of us. Once in Honduras, we were taken to a bus and went to the university. We were supposed to have orientation, but because we were 5 hours late, they just fed us and then gave us to our families. Mi papa y mi mama were there to meet me. We came back to the house. The house is nice. It’s hard to say how it ranks on the Honduras scale, because I do not know what other houses look like in the inside. I have my own room. There is a bed, a make-shift closet, TV., radio, and a table for a desk. There is a bathroom right next to my room. Once we were to the house they gave me time to unpack my luggage and put all my things away as I like. Afterwards I showed my family pictures of my family. They have a very hard time saying American names. Catie seemed to be difficult to say, but not as hard as my name. They have given me a nickname, and I am not sure where it came from. It sounds like Juney. I think they might be trying to say Julie, but add an “N” for whatever reason. Later in the evening I watched a soccer game with my two sisters. It was between Honduras and Mexico, which I guess is a big deal. My oldest sister has been very helpful, because she knows English. When I did not understand something she would speak English. I was told I was able to call my parents at 9:00, so I struggled to stay awake until then. Afterwards I went to bed. I slept pretty well just because I was so tired. There was continuous noise all night, between my family and people on the streets.
Today I woke up at 7:00 to take a quick shower. Breakfast was ready for me at 7:30. There was so much food. I was given a large bowl of cereal, and huge bowl of water melon, and a banana. I am just used to a small bowl of cereal in the morning. At 8:00 I met another girl who lives in the same subdivision and walked with her and her mama to the university. It takes about 25 or 30 minutes to get there. In the morning we had orientation. I learned that all my flip flops I brought are not considered appropriate foot wear for some of my classes. Luckily, there is a mall across the street from the university with a Payless. For lunch we went to the mall. We were able to walk around and go to a store where you can call the United States for cheap. I was able to call home. For lunch I had a sub, soda, and chip from Sub Way for less than five dollars. After lunch we walked 45 minutes to spend only 10 minutes looking at the hospital where we would go if we had any problems. We then walked 45 minutes back to the university. When we got back to the university we were given our allowance money from Calvin for lunch and internet. We then walked back to our houses. I spent a good hour talking with my family about rules. They used numerous examples to help me understand. They seem very reasonable. I was so tired that I needed to take a nap before dinner. The way dinner works here is I just tell my mama when I am hungry and she serves me my food. I eat alone. I watched tv with my sister for a while and then went to bed.
So the adventure has begun. I have now been here for more than twenty-four hours. The trip here was quite exciting. I was at the airport in Grand Rapids at 4:00 AM. I was worried about my luggage weighing too much, but I was okay by half a pound. There was one girl with our group who showed up at the airport and was not able to go because of problems with her passport. There is a rule that the expiration date of your passport must be more than six months away from the time of leaving, even though we are planning on being here for only four months. She was sent to Chicago to get an emergency passport, and was able to fly into Honduras today. The flight from Chicago to Houston was fine. We got on our second flight, which was to take us to Honduras, and there were numerous problems. First there was bad weather, which delayed us for about 2 hours on the plane. During the entire 2 hours the girl in front of me, who was with our group, was throwing up. The flight crew said she could not fly with being so sick, and we had to go back to the terminal. An ambulance came and took her away. Everyone was really concerned because she was now being left in Houston alone and sick. Once she was taken off the plane, the captain came on the speaker and said that the good news was that the plane had been refueled and was ready to go, but the bad news was that the flight crew had passes their allowed time of flying, and could not fly us to Honduras. Because the airport in Tegucigalpa is so difficult to land at, there are only certain pilots that were able to go. We had to get off the plane, which we had already been sitting on for 3 hours. They gave us food coupons to get food at the airport. One hour later we were able to finally leave. The flight was non eventful. Customs was not a problem for any of us. Once in Honduras, we were taken to a bus and went to the university. We were supposed to have orientation, but because we were 5 hours late, they just fed us and then gave us to our families. Mi papa y mi mama were there to meet me. We came back to the house. The house is nice. It’s hard to say how it ranks on the Honduras scale, because I do not know what other houses look like in the inside. I have my own room. There is a bed, a make-shift closet, TV., radio, and a table for a desk. There is a bathroom right next to my room. Once we were to the house they gave me time to unpack my luggage and put all my things away as I like. Afterwards I showed my family pictures of my family. They have a very hard time saying American names. Catie seemed to be difficult to say, but not as hard as my name. They have given me a nickname, and I am not sure where it came from. It sounds like Juney. I think they might be trying to say Julie, but add an “N” for whatever reason. Later in the evening I watched a soccer game with my two sisters. It was between Honduras and Mexico, which I guess is a big deal. My oldest sister has been very helpful, because she knows English. When I did not understand something she would speak English. I was told I was able to call my parents at 9:00, so I struggled to stay awake until then. Afterwards I went to bed. I slept pretty well just because I was so tired. There was continuous noise all night, between my family and people on the streets.
Today I woke up at 7:00 to take a quick shower. Breakfast was ready for me at 7:30. There was so much food. I was given a large bowl of cereal, and huge bowl of water melon, and a banana. I am just used to a small bowl of cereal in the morning. At 8:00 I met another girl who lives in the same subdivision and walked with her and her mama to the university. It takes about 25 or 30 minutes to get there. In the morning we had orientation. I learned that all my flip flops I brought are not considered appropriate foot wear for some of my classes. Luckily, there is a mall across the street from the university with a Payless. For lunch we went to the mall. We were able to walk around and go to a store where you can call the United States for cheap. I was able to call home. For lunch I had a sub, soda, and chip from Sub Way for less than five dollars. After lunch we walked 45 minutes to spend only 10 minutes looking at the hospital where we would go if we had any problems. We then walked 45 minutes back to the university. When we got back to the university we were given our allowance money from Calvin for lunch and internet. We then walked back to our houses. I spent a good hour talking with my family about rules. They used numerous examples to help me understand. They seem very reasonable. I was so tired that I needed to take a nap before dinner. The way dinner works here is I just tell my mama when I am hungry and she serves me my food. I eat alone. I watched tv with my sister for a while and then went to bed.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Ready to go
It is the night before i leave to drive to Grand Rapids. Everything is barely packed in these suitcases. I am allowed two 50 lb. suitcases. These suitcases are exactly 50 lbs. As well as my carry on and computer case. Hopefully there will be no problems with them. I leave at 5:30 AM from the Grand Rapids airport, which means i need to be there at 4:00 AM. I hope to find internet soon after arriving to write again.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
My Honduran Family
On my preference sheet that I filled out a few months ago, I said that i would like a Christian family with children. That is what i got, but i never imagined that he would be a pastor, and the kids would be in their thirties and twenties.FAMILIA LOPEZ -DOLORES Y DONALDO
El es un pastor y trabaja en la Iglesia Evangélica Centroamérica Cristianos en Marcha y ella se queda en casa es ama de casa. Tiene un hijo y dos hijas. Donaldo, que ya esta casado; Dilma, tiene 33 años y trabaja como maestra en escuela bilingüe; Dayriela, tiene 27 años y ella estudia Administración de empresas y ambas viven con ellos. El lugar donde va a vivir se llama Residencial Plaza y otra estudiante vive en el mismo vecindario.
I am not completely sure who is in the picture, but I assume that the couple on the right will be my parents. The man in the front is their oldest son and I think that the woman with the baby is his wife and daughter. The woman in the middle may be one of their daughters. The information they sent me about themselves is above.
Quick Translation:
He is a pastor of an Evangelical church. She stays at home. They have one son and two daughters. Their son is married. Their daughter Dilma is 33 years old and is a teacher at a bilingual school. Their daughter Dayriela is 27 years old, and she is studying Business Administration. Both girls are still living at home, because they are not married yet. That is normal for the Honduran culture. There is another student who lives in the same subdivision as me.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The Creation of the Blog
I have created this blog as my way to communicate with everyone. I am excited to share my pictures and stories of my Honduran Adventure with you. As I will be very busy while there, I am not sure how often I will be able to post, but hopefully frequently enough.
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