Greetings again from Honduras. Since being back to the states, time seems to be shortening here in the Peace Corps. I just got an email today from our administration informing us about our Close of Service conference. Yes, paperwork is already being started to plan my exit out of Peace Corps. Time continues to fly.
I also posted another quick video to show you guys some other cool work I started to do for the local organization I work with here in Santa Rosa de Copán. Check out the video below.
Well, what also happened last month is Thanksgiving. It was another holiday in Central America. I spent it with some great friends and new friends. I traveled out to my friend Kyle’s site in Ocotepeque. The day started off with the Turkey Bowl. Yes, we played a little two hand touch in the cow pasture. I hadn’t played a Turkey Bowl in years, but I am glad the tradition started again, even if outside the US. I ended up pulling my groin on the first play of the game. More on that later.
The power was off for a while that day but eventually came back…then went off again…then came back for good. We went to another volunteer’s house in town where we ate a great feast with 12 other volunteers. We gave thanks and proceeded with more holiday shenanigans…nothing short of how it would be at a family holiday back home. We lit fireworks, slid down banisters, and had good chats. It was nice to spend this holiday in foreign country, though, if not just for the experience. When will I ever get to again? You can listen to “La Vida Hondureña” to learn what other volunteers think about holidays in the Peace Corps. Click here to listen.
So, yeah, I pulled my groin which turned into a funny but also not so great Peace Corps story. It goes like this. The first play of the Turkey bowl on that Thanksgiving Thursday I pull my groin. Its not too bad so I continue to play the rest of the game (bad idea #1). That day and the next I feel pretty tight down there but can get around fine.
That Saturday I am limping around but friends and I decide to go out in my town. We walk all around town and eventually settle somewhere where we do a little dancing (bad idea #2). It feels like its not getting worse but its definitely not getting better.
I decide to not call my doctors because they’ll just tell me to rest anyway (bad idea #3). That Monday I wake up in the middle of the night in extreme pain and do so the next two nights. That Wednesday I give a marketing workshop to some women’s groups (check out the video below). Thursday I finally call my doctor and go to the local hospital here in Santa Rosa.
The doc tells me I tore some muscle fibers in my leg/groin area and need to rest a lot…surprise. He points out the bruising that has occurred…I hadn’t noticed yet. He also gives me some meds. He then asks me if I just want a shot it the butt of anti-inflammatory. I ask him why. He said it would enter the body faster. I say yes (bad idea #5).
As soon as his nurse injects me with whatever it was, my butt and leg muscles feel like they are cramping and I clench the hospital bed with all my strength. This lasts for 30 minutes. Since the injection was in my left buttoc (said with a Forrest Gump accent) I now had two legs out of commission. The doctor says “oh wow, this never happens.” The nurse says “this happens sometimes. Just not that bad.” They both stare at me while I wait for the pain to go away. It does eventually. Now I am resting it. As of the time of this blog, my groin is at about 25%.
Lessons learned…1. American holidays in Honduras are a pretty cool experience 2. Stretch before working out 3. Never take a shot in the butt again.
…until next time
Showing posts with label Santa Rosa de Copan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa Rosa de Copan. Show all posts
Monday, December 6, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Russian Dance and the Boogaloo...
Greetings again from Honduras.
Living in the moment, in the now, is the way to do it. It’s really what brought me here to Honduras and Peace Corps and how I work best. Plans are necessary sometimes. I used to be all about them, but just going where life takes you seems to produce better results here. Its how Hondurans do it sometimes and it seems the stress fades. I know life in the states can’t all be flyin by the seat of your pants, but here it can.
The other dayI happened to run into my German friend and some old “colleagues” from the organization I use to work with. We hit some lunch and they told me there was a despedida, or going away party as we say, for a Spanish aid worker that was here for a couple months.
I had plans to go to an English class I am sitting in on until 8. After that, I headed to the get together. I hadn’t planned on this but I went there anyway. What I thought would be a chill little kick back, turned into a karaoke singing, dancing party. There were mostly Hondurans but also Germans, a Bolivian, a Peruvian, a Dutch fella, and me, the American.
When Hondurans do little fiestitas like this, they like to get the dancing starting early. Sometimes its traditional stuff like salsa or bachata, and sometimes its good old hits as we know them.
We had a couple drinks, ate some dinner, and the music hit. Before long the dance circle formed and people were jumping in showcasing there best moves. “Pa Pa Americano” played about 20 times. Don’t know this song yet? Check out the video.
At this point I figured it was time to teach them some good old dance circle traditions. First I brought them the “Russian Dancer.” This is the one where you squat and then jump up with right hand and right leg out, alternating the other next jump. I will give props to the great Chuck Stancil for still making this one of the greatest ever. Well then maybe it may be the “German Dance.” Who knows?
After some time, and a couple Honduran introduced moves, I brought them the “boogaloo.” This one is very hard to explain. Its not the popping boogaloo though. Its kinda like Pewee Herman meets the twist…kinda. You get low, let your hands down, and just slowly shake it out. The Hondurans loved this one and couldn’t stop laughing. It was classic.
We danced a little bachata. Bachata is kinda a one-two partner step dance; 2 to the right and 2 to the left. Sometimes there are some more complex spins involved. They tried to teach these spins to me but even me and my crazy legs could never get it.
Later we smacked a piñata around. The night was getting late for a Wednesday, but then the karaoke came out. I sang some Spanish songs I know and they laughed at my pronunciation of some words. A specific few couldn’t wait to jump on me for it. They attempted to sing some English songs in which every word was butchered. I let it slide.
I was laughing and having a great time all night. It was hilarious. All these people, from all different places, were laughing and just having a good old time. Earlier that day I didn’t think I’d be introducing the “Russian Dance” and the “Boogaloo” later. I’m surprised it took me so long in service to bust these moves out for the Hondurans.
Come to think of it maybe this wasn’t necessarily “living in the now”, but just taking advantage of a good old time. Either way works.
…Until next time
Living in the moment, in the now, is the way to do it. It’s really what brought me here to Honduras and Peace Corps and how I work best. Plans are necessary sometimes. I used to be all about them, but just going where life takes you seems to produce better results here. Its how Hondurans do it sometimes and it seems the stress fades. I know life in the states can’t all be flyin by the seat of your pants, but here it can.
The other dayI happened to run into my German friend and some old “colleagues” from the organization I use to work with. We hit some lunch and they told me there was a despedida, or going away party as we say, for a Spanish aid worker that was here for a couple months.
I had plans to go to an English class I am sitting in on until 8. After that, I headed to the get together. I hadn’t planned on this but I went there anyway. What I thought would be a chill little kick back, turned into a karaoke singing, dancing party. There were mostly Hondurans but also Germans, a Bolivian, a Peruvian, a Dutch fella, and me, the American.
When Hondurans do little fiestitas like this, they like to get the dancing starting early. Sometimes its traditional stuff like salsa or bachata, and sometimes its good old hits as we know them.
We had a couple drinks, ate some dinner, and the music hit. Before long the dance circle formed and people were jumping in showcasing there best moves. “Pa Pa Americano” played about 20 times. Don’t know this song yet? Check out the video.
At this point I figured it was time to teach them some good old dance circle traditions. First I brought them the “Russian Dancer.” This is the one where you squat and then jump up with right hand and right leg out, alternating the other next jump. I will give props to the great Chuck Stancil for still making this one of the greatest ever. Well then maybe it may be the “German Dance.” Who knows?
After some time, and a couple Honduran introduced moves, I brought them the “boogaloo.” This one is very hard to explain. Its not the popping boogaloo though. Its kinda like Pewee Herman meets the twist…kinda. You get low, let your hands down, and just slowly shake it out. The Hondurans loved this one and couldn’t stop laughing. It was classic.
We danced a little bachata. Bachata is kinda a one-two partner step dance; 2 to the right and 2 to the left. Sometimes there are some more complex spins involved. They tried to teach these spins to me but even me and my crazy legs could never get it.
Later we smacked a piñata around. The night was getting late for a Wednesday, but then the karaoke came out. I sang some Spanish songs I know and they laughed at my pronunciation of some words. A specific few couldn’t wait to jump on me for it. They attempted to sing some English songs in which every word was butchered. I let it slide.
I was laughing and having a great time all night. It was hilarious. All these people, from all different places, were laughing and just having a good old time. Earlier that day I didn’t think I’d be introducing the “Russian Dance” and the “Boogaloo” later. I’m surprised it took me so long in service to bust these moves out for the Hondurans.
Come to think of it maybe this wasn’t necessarily “living in the now”, but just taking advantage of a good old time. Either way works.
…Until next time
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