Greetings again from Honduras. Its late on a Monday night and I’m feeling goofy, pondering my 2 months left, and eating Oreo cookies and milk…but I can’t get this taste out of my mouth.
Let me tell you about Honduran Milk made by Sula. Its great for shakes, its pretty good with cereal, but straight out of the bag (yeah its made in a bag) it tastes like chalk. I can’t figure out why. Things always taste different here, but this one sticks out to me tonight.
So what’s been happening.? Here we go…
Last month during my group’s Close of Service Conference, I was reminded that my days here are numbered. However, some of my most fun and meaningful memories are taking place.
At the COS conference, as we call it, the Honduras 14 training group(meaning those of us in country who arrived in Feb of ’09) reunited to talk about our service and prepare for the next part of our lives. It was truly an awesome time. There we caught up with friends, prepared ourselves for the job search to come, and discussed the importance of development in the world.
It was also a bit sad. It was the last time I would see many of the volunteers from our group, and a reminder that the end of this is near. But more importantly, the feeling of appreciation and respect at the conference was obvious. Many of us had not seen each other in a while, but we were all reminded how much our work and experience means to us, and how close we are because we shared this rare experience with each other.
Taking a complete 180, I just want to share with you about a certain spot booming in my town of Santa Rosa. The place is called the Canti Madre. It’s a cantina, or bar, but not like we know them. A cantina in Honduras would be like a dive bar, but when I say dive bar, I mean think of the worst dive bar you know, now multiply that by about 5 and you’ve got a cantina.
La Madre was really Cantina-y when I first arrived here. But its becoming somewhat of a popular spot. Its getting nicer, but again, in relative terms. At this Canti Madre they sell the famous “Limonadas,” and now even have a “Maracoulla” (Passion Fruit). These drinks consist of 1 part of the natural juice (lemonade or passion fruit), 1 part guaro (local alcohol that could be related to a mix of rubbing alcohol and tequila), and 2 parts sugar. These things will put you out no joke. I have two and I am feeling good. I went there once in my first year and a half of service. I’ve been there 3 times in the last month. Cool little place.
If you ever come to Honduras, make your way to Santa Rosa and visit “La Madre.” You won’t be disappointed.
So to be honest, with only 2 months left thinking about the end is inevitable, and it chokes me up a bit thinking about it. I actually try not to think about it sometimes.
Living with other gringos in Honduras awesome. To have such an understanding with other Americans about working here is awesome. It’s an understanding we will have of each other that no other outside of Peace Corps Honduras will ever really have. It’s a pretty cool thing. If only everyone all around the planet of different cultures, countries, and governments could just get more of an understanding of each other, I think the world would be a better place.
The other day I worked a medical brigade with some awesome fellow volunteers along with an American group who came in from Texas. Yes, I saw some boobs again, a kid get parasites pulled out of his head, and many kids with lice. It was great. Although, I am so worried I am going to get Lice I’ve been washing with Lice shampoo. But I digress…
So we were talking to one guy from the visiting group who was asking the typical questions about living here. He was real interested and its cool to share the experiences. We told him about the good times, the bad, and the in between. Then he said, “that sounds awesome. You guys are probably gonna look back on this as the best time of your life.”
You know what? He’s probably right.
2 months left. What times!
…until next time
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A little Hondy Hospital for the Holiday Season...
Greetings again from Honduras. Again it’s been a while since my last post. The end of the year was quite a time and things are picking up pretty good work wise here for my last months of service.
This is usually the part where I tell you how cool my Christmas and New Years was. Unfortunately I can’t say so. A couple days before Christmas I came down with a high fever and swollen tonsils. Next came a breakout of sores in my mouth and tongue (yeah yeah, insert your joke here, I’ve heard them all). This was not fun at all and I wish this sickness on nobody. I went to the doctor who said I have a bacterial infection in my throat, the second in a month, along with a mouth virus. He gave me some antibiotics and said I should be good in 3 days.
Along comes Christmas and the throat is worse and I am miserable. I go to the doctor the next day and the specialist tells me I have to stay in the Hospital for at least 3 days. They had to keep me there because the infection was so strong they had to inject heavy anti-biotics straight into my system; pills wouldn’t do the job.
On top of that they were giving me anit-inflamatory/pain medicine. The ironic part about this is that every 6 hours when they injected me, it hurt, and I mean it hurt bad. It just didn’t make sense to me. I was being injected with a pain medication that caused me pain.
Well, after 3 days, I wasn’t fully healed but the doctor said I could go home. New Years came and I had to cancel a trip to the bay islands. Instead I sat in my apartment, watching movies, and when midnight struck, my neighbor invited me over for a quick moment, where I toasted in the new year with Martinelli’s sparkling cider. A mellow NYE to say the least.
A week later I was 100%. It was not the greatest of holiday experiences, but what would this Peace Corps experience be without a good old serious illness with a couple nights in a Honduras hospital. I kinda look back on it and laugh thinking, how did I turn up in a hospital in the middle of Central America for the holiday season of 2010?
A couple days later our close group of friends met up in the capitol for the unfortunate departure of our great friends Mo and Rachel. It was very difficult as it was the first time I said goodbye to close Peace Corps friends in Honduras. We have shared so many great moments together and we helped each other through the good and the bad. I don’t look forward to the rest of the goodbyes that will come in the upcoming months. Miss you Mo and Rach.
Tomorrow I leave for the capital for out Close of Service conference. Peace Corps sets this up to prepare for our transition back to life in the states. Its crazy to think this is all happening now. In 3 short months I will be finished with my time in Peace Corps Honduras. The emotion is hard to explain but amongst all the reflecting, it’s a pretty good feeling just to think about all the times…peaceful.
In these closing 3 months I will be focusing on making a Peace Corps Honduras business video, developing a website for the organization I work with here in town, getting a proposal together for a water system, and trying to raise funds for an elementary scholarship program that is going well with the agro producer groups here. I also still help out at the girl’s orphanage and with day-to-day advising at the office. Amongst all that I will get out and about around Honduras, traveling and visiting friends.
What a ride I have been on here. 3 months left but still many good times to be had. Time to soak it all up.
…until next time
This is usually the part where I tell you how cool my Christmas and New Years was. Unfortunately I can’t say so. A couple days before Christmas I came down with a high fever and swollen tonsils. Next came a breakout of sores in my mouth and tongue (yeah yeah, insert your joke here, I’ve heard them all). This was not fun at all and I wish this sickness on nobody. I went to the doctor who said I have a bacterial infection in my throat, the second in a month, along with a mouth virus. He gave me some antibiotics and said I should be good in 3 days.
Along comes Christmas and the throat is worse and I am miserable. I go to the doctor the next day and the specialist tells me I have to stay in the Hospital for at least 3 days. They had to keep me there because the infection was so strong they had to inject heavy anti-biotics straight into my system; pills wouldn’t do the job.
On top of that they were giving me anit-inflamatory/pain medicine. The ironic part about this is that every 6 hours when they injected me, it hurt, and I mean it hurt bad. It just didn’t make sense to me. I was being injected with a pain medication that caused me pain.
Well, after 3 days, I wasn’t fully healed but the doctor said I could go home. New Years came and I had to cancel a trip to the bay islands. Instead I sat in my apartment, watching movies, and when midnight struck, my neighbor invited me over for a quick moment, where I toasted in the new year with Martinelli’s sparkling cider. A mellow NYE to say the least.
A week later I was 100%. It was not the greatest of holiday experiences, but what would this Peace Corps experience be without a good old serious illness with a couple nights in a Honduras hospital. I kinda look back on it and laugh thinking, how did I turn up in a hospital in the middle of Central America for the holiday season of 2010?
A couple days later our close group of friends met up in the capitol for the unfortunate departure of our great friends Mo and Rachel. It was very difficult as it was the first time I said goodbye to close Peace Corps friends in Honduras. We have shared so many great moments together and we helped each other through the good and the bad. I don’t look forward to the rest of the goodbyes that will come in the upcoming months. Miss you Mo and Rach.
Tomorrow I leave for the capital for out Close of Service conference. Peace Corps sets this up to prepare for our transition back to life in the states. Its crazy to think this is all happening now. In 3 short months I will be finished with my time in Peace Corps Honduras. The emotion is hard to explain but amongst all the reflecting, it’s a pretty good feeling just to think about all the times…peaceful.
In these closing 3 months I will be focusing on making a Peace Corps Honduras business video, developing a website for the organization I work with here in town, getting a proposal together for a water system, and trying to raise funds for an elementary scholarship program that is going well with the agro producer groups here. I also still help out at the girl’s orphanage and with day-to-day advising at the office. Amongst all that I will get out and about around Honduras, traveling and visiting friends.
What a ride I have been on here. 3 months left but still many good times to be had. Time to soak it all up.
…until next time
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