My first day of my first year teaching has come and gone...
I survived!!!
It was the longest and hardest day I've ever had teaching. In the states I would go in 45 minutes to an hour early to prepare for that day's activities, then I would stay 2 or 3 hours after school preparing for the next day. In Honduras we ride the school bus with our students and walk into the classroom with them, so there's no time to prepare before the day begins. Then after school, the students start leaving at 2:30, and we have to be on a teacher's bus by 3:30. That gives me about 30 minutes to get things done for the next day, NOT a lot of time!
I get on the bus at 6a.m. and I arrive back home around 4p.m., which makes for a long day. When I arrived at school this morning I had a little line of dead frogs by my door, proceeded by parents coming in and out of my classroom asking all kinds of questions in Spanish (which I of course couldn't understand). When I went to do a final count on desks I realized I still only had 19 desks and 26 kids about to walk through my door. I finally found Wendy and I just wanted to run up and hug her (I ended up doing this before my day was over). It's great to have someone who can help and translate for me!
After we had a brief meeting with the whole school outside we had the students line up and go to the classrooms. I have some of the CUTEST kids ever! I have a little boy in my class named Jose who has the best disposition. He was just as happy as can be this morning. He was telling me all kinds of things and just smiling the whole time. I felt bad that I couldn't understand a word of it, but hopefully my Spanish will improve quickly. After the first twenty minutes the cuteness of the kids started to wear off and my classroom became a complete MAD house! The school is so loud, one volunteer has already almost lost her voice from talking so loud. The kids didn't understand a word I was saying to them and it took every ounce of patience I had to keep going. At one point (as my kids are screaming and I can't regain control) I look outside my door to see other students passing in the hallway and I see all of my fellow volunteers struggling just like me. I saw Anne, who teaches Kinder (preschool in the U.S.) passing by my room with her 26 kids all holding hands to walk to snack. They were just weaving in and out of people, talking, and looking scared of everything. At the end of their line was Anne's assistant Fanny holding a screaming girl in her arms and dragging another screaming little boy behind her. At that point I just had to laugh! The school was in complete disarray today--hopefully that won't be the case tomorrow.
Honestly the day is a blur at this point. Anything that could go wrong did and I just kept telling myself "One day at a time, just make it to 2:30 and everything will be ok!!!" We had a lot of down time today because I didn't plan enough activities and some things that were suppose to happen in the morning ended up getting canceled. I learned from today and I will have tons of different activities planned for tomorrow!
We do something at school on Monday mornings called "Acto Civico". The whole school assembles outside to listen to one of the Spanish teachers and then one of the English teachers give a brief presentation on different values. It was canceled for this morning because there was too much going on, so we're now doing it tomorrow morning. Guess who's first up to bat for the English teachers....that's right - yours truly! AHHH! I have no idea what I'm doing so I'm just going to wing it the best I can. I'm giving a talk on citizenship!
I was talking with most of the other volunteers on our ride home from school today and I said "I know that if I can make it through this year and have a successful classroom I can make it in ANY classroom." I truly believe it! With that said, I'm up for the challenge...
Bring on tomorrow!
Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is you! –Christian D. Larson
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Un dia a la vez
I met some of my students parents yesterday and OH BOY!!! They were all very friendly and understanding that I don't speak much Spanish, but they expect SO much from me. I had a few parents ask if I could make them a CD to listen to at home that had the English alphabet, songs we'll sing in class, numbers, and any other key phrases we'll be saying throughout the year. Then they want me to create a blog (which I had planned on doing) and put the class spelling and vocab words up. The catch is, they want me to make videos of myself saying all of the vocab and spelling words. Oh my goodness, that's a lot of extra work a week! On top of that parents have asked that I don't give any vocab tests on Friday's because the students don't have long enough to study if I don't present the list until Monday. They told me four days just isn't enough time. Then they asked that I never give two tests in one day. Another parent asked me if his child would be able to read in English by the time he left the first grade. I told him that was the goal, but I couldn't promise his child would be able to read. Right now I don't even have English books yet. I have two groups of 26 children coming into my class on Monday morning and I only have 17 desks. I told myself before I came that I am going to be the BEST teacher I can be. I am going to try to do what the parents ask of me within reason. I'm going to do it with a smile and take this year as a learning experience. I am in a completely different culture and things are not done the same way here as they are in the states, and I need to remember that. It's definitely going to be an interesting year!!
On a funny note -- Rosita, my counterpart teacher who I've never heard speak a word of English said "You are sexy" to me yesterday, AHAHAHA! I was cracking up! Then she went on to say "I can speak a little bit of English, but I just don't practice enough." She is a firecracker and she's going to be very fun to work with this year!
We have to submit plans to Peggy every Monday of what we will be doing for the week. In the next two weeks she wants an overview of where we expect to be by the end of the year. Today will be spent reviewing state standards for first grade (since there are no Honduran standards), finding creative lessons, researching ways to best teach ESL students, writing a letter of introduction about myself, creating a blog for my parents, and submitting plans to Peggy! It's BEAUTIFUL outside today (not too hot, yet) and I'm happy I can just lounge around my house and get things done :).
I did my first load of laundry today. I got up around 7, filled up three buckets of water and got to work. I had the intent of washing my sheets, little blanket, pillow cases, towel, and all of my clothes. After I got to the towel (around 8) my arms hurt so bad I couldn't do anymore. I forgot how much work hand washing your clothes is. I'll have to wash the rest tomorrow and get these arm muscles built up!
Tonight we are going to the "park" (I'll try to post pictures soon) in the middle of town to eat baleadas and celebrate Dan's birthday. Baleadas are a Honduran "snack" but we've had them for dinner a few times now. It's a tortilla with refried beans, onion, scrambled egg, cheese, avocado, and mantequilla (Honduran's call it butter, but it's more of a sour cream...people put it on almost everything). Some have all of these ingredients, some have more, and some are served with just the refried beans, onion, and cheese. I was having some stomach issues my first four days here, so I actually haven't tried a baleada with all of the ingredients. I've only had the egg and cheese. I'm excited to try one tonight--I'll keep you posted on how my stomach holds up!
"One day at a time-this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering" -Ida Scott Taylor
I finally took some pictures of my house, so without further ado ...
1. Our Bathroom
2. My bedroom - there are no sheets on my bed because I am washing them :)
3. Living room
4. The front of our house
5. The gate outside out house
6. Our neighbors down the hill, these are the party people
7. Backyard
8. Street we live on
9. View from my front gate
10. Our Kitchen
On a funny note -- Rosita, my counterpart teacher who I've never heard speak a word of English said "You are sexy" to me yesterday, AHAHAHA! I was cracking up! Then she went on to say "I can speak a little bit of English, but I just don't practice enough." She is a firecracker and she's going to be very fun to work with this year!
We have to submit plans to Peggy every Monday of what we will be doing for the week. In the next two weeks she wants an overview of where we expect to be by the end of the year. Today will be spent reviewing state standards for first grade (since there are no Honduran standards), finding creative lessons, researching ways to best teach ESL students, writing a letter of introduction about myself, creating a blog for my parents, and submitting plans to Peggy! It's BEAUTIFUL outside today (not too hot, yet) and I'm happy I can just lounge around my house and get things done :).
I did my first load of laundry today. I got up around 7, filled up three buckets of water and got to work. I had the intent of washing my sheets, little blanket, pillow cases, towel, and all of my clothes. After I got to the towel (around 8) my arms hurt so bad I couldn't do anymore. I forgot how much work hand washing your clothes is. I'll have to wash the rest tomorrow and get these arm muscles built up!
Tonight we are going to the "park" (I'll try to post pictures soon) in the middle of town to eat baleadas and celebrate Dan's birthday. Baleadas are a Honduran "snack" but we've had them for dinner a few times now. It's a tortilla with refried beans, onion, scrambled egg, cheese, avocado, and mantequilla (Honduran's call it butter, but it's more of a sour cream...people put it on almost everything). Some have all of these ingredients, some have more, and some are served with just the refried beans, onion, and cheese. I was having some stomach issues my first four days here, so I actually haven't tried a baleada with all of the ingredients. I've only had the egg and cheese. I'm excited to try one tonight--I'll keep you posted on how my stomach holds up!
"One day at a time-this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering" -Ida Scott Taylor
I finally took some pictures of my house, so without further ado ...
1. Our Bathroom
2. My bedroom - there are no sheets on my bed because I am washing them :)
3. Living room
4. The front of our house
5. The gate outside out house
6. Our neighbors down the hill, these are the party people
7. Backyard
8. Street we live on
9. View from my front gate
10. Our Kitchen
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Escucha Me, ALTO
I will use the names of the people I volunteer with a lot in these blog posts. Hopefully I will have some pictures soon so you can connect a name with a face. For now here is a list of people:
Dan - return volunteer, California
Mary - return volunteer, California
Carrie - new volunteer, Texas
Michelle - new volunteer, Kansas City, MO side...My roommate (went to Notre Dame for college, so she knows Indiana)
Meagan - return volunteer, New York
Mary - return volunteer, California
Jackie - return volunteer, Chicago...My roommate
Angela - new volunteer, California
Andrew - new volunteer, New Jersey
Lacey - new volunteer, Wisconsin
Maki - return volunteer, Massachusetts (Principal of the middle school)
Anne - new volunteer, California
Peggy - return volunteer, Rhode Island (Principal of the elementary school and the volunteer coordinator. She has a very full plate, but she's AWESOME at what she does!)
Jeff - new volunteer, Idaho
Ginny - returning volunteer, North Carolina
The last two nights Andrew has made us dinner and it was fabulous! The boy can cook! Last night we had some pasta with a vegetable and meat sauce. Tonight we have toasted bread with melted cheese on top...then Andrew made this side salad of green pepper, tomatoes, onion, and cucumber with a little EVOO drizzled on top. He hiked through town to find some stores that carried all of this stuff. I'm pumped he'll be my neighbor for ten months, at least I know I'll be well fed :)! Andrew lived in England for seven years, because both of his parents are from there, so he has this great british accent...I love it! He pronounces things in a very funny way most of the time and we all laugh. He loves to laugh and kid around so it's always a good time when we get a group together!
Three of the volunteers: Lacey, Jackie, and Andrew had to change a few things when they got to honduras. Apparently Hondurans think men with long hair and women or men with tattoos/piercings are in gangs. Well Andrew "had" long hair (he just got a buzz cut today). Lacey has multiple earings and her nose pierced and Jackie has a visible tattoo on her arm. Lacey took out most of her earings and got a bar for her nose. Jackie has to put a band-aid over her tattoo. Well the other day Andrew was walking through town and he was trying to say excuse me, but instead of saying permiso he said escucha me, which means listen to me! He later said alto to a man in the market, which means stop. Since people would already think he was in a gang, we've been laughing hysterically about it. It's just so funny to think of this gringo with his long hair passing by people saying "Listen to me! Stop!"
In other news, I have two machetes sitting on my little coffee table right now. I asked another volunteer why they were there and I was told I would have to use them to cut the grass to keep the tarantulas away, YIKES! Oh, and we saw our first mouse in our kitchen today :/. Now we have to go and buy some rat poising so we can kill it. I wish we could just trap it and set it free, but it would just keep coming back.
I got to spend my first full day with Wendy, my classroom aid. She is so sweet and I am over-joyed to have her helping me in my classroom. I don't know how I would handle 54 kids otherwise!
Oh, I had my first solo Spanish conversation in the street today. I had to use my Spanish to English dictionary to look up every word I was saying. I told a little girl that I had pequeno Lempira's "small money", but I was trying to tell her that I didn't have very much money. I'll learn :)
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square hole. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." – Apple (Thanks Heath :) )
Dan - return volunteer, California
Mary - return volunteer, California
Carrie - new volunteer, Texas
Michelle - new volunteer, Kansas City, MO side...My roommate (went to Notre Dame for college, so she knows Indiana)
Meagan - return volunteer, New York
Mary - return volunteer, California
Jackie - return volunteer, Chicago...My roommate
Angela - new volunteer, California
Andrew - new volunteer, New Jersey
Lacey - new volunteer, Wisconsin
Maki - return volunteer, Massachusetts (Principal of the middle school)
Anne - new volunteer, California
Peggy - return volunteer, Rhode Island (Principal of the elementary school and the volunteer coordinator. She has a very full plate, but she's AWESOME at what she does!)
Jeff - new volunteer, Idaho
Ginny - returning volunteer, North Carolina
The last two nights Andrew has made us dinner and it was fabulous! The boy can cook! Last night we had some pasta with a vegetable and meat sauce. Tonight we have toasted bread with melted cheese on top...then Andrew made this side salad of green pepper, tomatoes, onion, and cucumber with a little EVOO drizzled on top. He hiked through town to find some stores that carried all of this stuff. I'm pumped he'll be my neighbor for ten months, at least I know I'll be well fed :)! Andrew lived in England for seven years, because both of his parents are from there, so he has this great british accent...I love it! He pronounces things in a very funny way most of the time and we all laugh. He loves to laugh and kid around so it's always a good time when we get a group together!
Three of the volunteers: Lacey, Jackie, and Andrew had to change a few things when they got to honduras. Apparently Hondurans think men with long hair and women or men with tattoos/piercings are in gangs. Well Andrew "had" long hair (he just got a buzz cut today). Lacey has multiple earings and her nose pierced and Jackie has a visible tattoo on her arm. Lacey took out most of her earings and got a bar for her nose. Jackie has to put a band-aid over her tattoo. Well the other day Andrew was walking through town and he was trying to say excuse me, but instead of saying permiso he said escucha me, which means listen to me! He later said alto to a man in the market, which means stop. Since people would already think he was in a gang, we've been laughing hysterically about it. It's just so funny to think of this gringo with his long hair passing by people saying "Listen to me! Stop!"
In other news, I have two machetes sitting on my little coffee table right now. I asked another volunteer why they were there and I was told I would have to use them to cut the grass to keep the tarantulas away, YIKES! Oh, and we saw our first mouse in our kitchen today :/. Now we have to go and buy some rat poising so we can kill it. I wish we could just trap it and set it free, but it would just keep coming back.
I got to spend my first full day with Wendy, my classroom aid. She is so sweet and I am over-joyed to have her helping me in my classroom. I don't know how I would handle 54 kids otherwise!
Oh, I had my first solo Spanish conversation in the street today. I had to use my Spanish to English dictionary to look up every word I was saying. I told a little girl that I had pequeno Lempira's "small money", but I was trying to tell her that I didn't have very much money. I'll learn :)
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square hole. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." – Apple (Thanks Heath :) )
Monday, August 23, 2010
New E-mail
I forgot to include this in my last post, but my MSN account will not work here so I had to get a new e-mail address.
Please e-mail me at: bridgetkng2@gmail.com
Thanks :)
Please e-mail me at: bridgetkng2@gmail.com
Thanks :)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Un nuevo día ha llegado
Things are getting better everyday!
All of the volunteers here are incredible people! Everyone has been so supportive and understanding. I really feel taken care of by the organization in general. These past four days Olancho Aid has paid for our lunches, dinners, and given all of us cell phones to use while we're in the country. Talk about service!
This morning I went to mass in Jutiquile and it was WONDERFUL! The people here are so full of the Holy Spirit and really know how to participate in a mass. There was a lot of joyful singing and clapping, so it was right up my alley. Oh, and at the sign of peace everyone says "la paz" and you touch the other person's arm and kiss them on their left cheek. You don't give peace to just the people in your area either, the parishioners walk all around the church to greet one another. I really enjoyed seeing that! I also loved the town of Jutiquile. It's an agricultural town and Padre Ricardo (who heads Olancho Aid) says mass there every Sunday. After mass was over we were invited to have soda and cookies at one of the parishioners homes. Apparently I am going to have to buy some soda to keep in my house incase I have any guests. It's polite to offer someone a glass of soda to drink when they are in your home and not water. It's hard for me to be as friendly as I normally am without being able to communicate with people. So I just say "Muchas Gracias" all the time and smile really big :).
A few days ago Carrie asked a group of us who had the e-mail address "AnneGabels". I told her it was mine and started to tell her about how it was my favorite movie, but I didn't have to because she's seen it and loves it! Then Anne, another volunteer, said "Those are the only movies I brought with me, they're my comfort movies." What are the odds? I definitely have some kindred spirits here! We're going to have an Anne of Green Gables movie night sometime soon...I'm pumped!
My days have been so busy and Peggy just told us today that this week will continue to be busy. I have teacher orientation and meetings all week. I'm going to meet all of my students parents on Friday and then the kids all start school on Monday, the 30th. I'm excited to start getting my classroom set up and to meet the families of the students I will be serving. Hopefully I will have Wendy as a full time aid so she will be able to translate for me.
Since I have been so busy it's been hard to take everything in, but here are some interesting things I have learned so far:
-A woman named Annie was the school principal for Santa Clara (my school) for three years, she had a masters in bilingual education and did a great job here. She came to Olancho four years ago as a volunteer and ended up meeting her future husband (a Honduran). She fell in love and got married here and that's how she became the principal of Santa Clara. This past spring she and her husband had a baby and they want this child and future children to go to a school in the states. Therefore she resigned last school year and now Peggy, who was suppose to teach Kindergarten this year will be Olancho's new principal. Craziness! Peggy is only 22 or 23 but she is so mature for her age and I think she is going to do an incredible job this year. I can't imagine having that responsibility but she seems very calm about things. As a returning volunteer was telling me all about this situation she also told me that Annie had her baby at the hospital here in town! Now when I say hospital it's not like the hospitals we have at home. It's more of an advanced clinic. If I were to get really sick here the closest hospital is over 2 hours away. So, I couldn't believe this woman had a child here, but the craziest part is how much it cost her to deliver the baby, and you will NEVER guess...so I'll just tell you--$5.00 people! No joke! Isn't that nuts? I can't imagine paying that little to have a baby. I wish it was that cheap in the good ol' U S of A.
-After a catholic woman has a baby she stays in her house for the first forty days. It's considered to be unsanitary to leave. After the forty days is over she comes to mass with the baby and he/she is introduced to the congregation. I was able to see this take place at mass this morning. Padre Ricardo was so rough with the baby though! He held her up in the air and then almost tossed her back to her dad. All of the returning volunteers said they still can't watch him do it because it makes them so nervous.
-Adios means hello and goodbye here, just like aloha does in Hawaii. If I am walking down the street and I want to greet someone but not stop and talk I would say "adios" to them, but it would been hello. I also say "adios" when someone leaves...muy interesante!
I thought I had more cool things to share but that's all I can think of for now.
Adios :)
"Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it" - Anne of Green Gables
All of the volunteers here are incredible people! Everyone has been so supportive and understanding. I really feel taken care of by the organization in general. These past four days Olancho Aid has paid for our lunches, dinners, and given all of us cell phones to use while we're in the country. Talk about service!
This morning I went to mass in Jutiquile and it was WONDERFUL! The people here are so full of the Holy Spirit and really know how to participate in a mass. There was a lot of joyful singing and clapping, so it was right up my alley. Oh, and at the sign of peace everyone says "la paz" and you touch the other person's arm and kiss them on their left cheek. You don't give peace to just the people in your area either, the parishioners walk all around the church to greet one another. I really enjoyed seeing that! I also loved the town of Jutiquile. It's an agricultural town and Padre Ricardo (who heads Olancho Aid) says mass there every Sunday. After mass was over we were invited to have soda and cookies at one of the parishioners homes. Apparently I am going to have to buy some soda to keep in my house incase I have any guests. It's polite to offer someone a glass of soda to drink when they are in your home and not water. It's hard for me to be as friendly as I normally am without being able to communicate with people. So I just say "Muchas Gracias" all the time and smile really big :).
A few days ago Carrie asked a group of us who had the e-mail address "AnneGabels". I told her it was mine and started to tell her about how it was my favorite movie, but I didn't have to because she's seen it and loves it! Then Anne, another volunteer, said "Those are the only movies I brought with me, they're my comfort movies." What are the odds? I definitely have some kindred spirits here! We're going to have an Anne of Green Gables movie night sometime soon...I'm pumped!
My days have been so busy and Peggy just told us today that this week will continue to be busy. I have teacher orientation and meetings all week. I'm going to meet all of my students parents on Friday and then the kids all start school on Monday, the 30th. I'm excited to start getting my classroom set up and to meet the families of the students I will be serving. Hopefully I will have Wendy as a full time aid so she will be able to translate for me.
Since I have been so busy it's been hard to take everything in, but here are some interesting things I have learned so far:
-A woman named Annie was the school principal for Santa Clara (my school) for three years, she had a masters in bilingual education and did a great job here. She came to Olancho four years ago as a volunteer and ended up meeting her future husband (a Honduran). She fell in love and got married here and that's how she became the principal of Santa Clara. This past spring she and her husband had a baby and they want this child and future children to go to a school in the states. Therefore she resigned last school year and now Peggy, who was suppose to teach Kindergarten this year will be Olancho's new principal. Craziness! Peggy is only 22 or 23 but she is so mature for her age and I think she is going to do an incredible job this year. I can't imagine having that responsibility but she seems very calm about things. As a returning volunteer was telling me all about this situation she also told me that Annie had her baby at the hospital here in town! Now when I say hospital it's not like the hospitals we have at home. It's more of an advanced clinic. If I were to get really sick here the closest hospital is over 2 hours away. So, I couldn't believe this woman had a child here, but the craziest part is how much it cost her to deliver the baby, and you will NEVER guess...so I'll just tell you--$5.00 people! No joke! Isn't that nuts? I can't imagine paying that little to have a baby. I wish it was that cheap in the good ol' U S of A.
-After a catholic woman has a baby she stays in her house for the first forty days. It's considered to be unsanitary to leave. After the forty days is over she comes to mass with the baby and he/she is introduced to the congregation. I was able to see this take place at mass this morning. Padre Ricardo was so rough with the baby though! He held her up in the air and then almost tossed her back to her dad. All of the returning volunteers said they still can't watch him do it because it makes them so nervous.
-Adios means hello and goodbye here, just like aloha does in Hawaii. If I am walking down the street and I want to greet someone but not stop and talk I would say "adios" to them, but it would been hello. I also say "adios" when someone leaves...muy interesante!
I thought I had more cool things to share but that's all I can think of for now.
Adios :)
"Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it" - Anne of Green Gables
Friday, August 20, 2010
Bienvenido
I made it!!!
WOW! It's been quit the journey so far. When I arrived yesterday (which feels like a week ago) in Tegus I found out the public school teachers had gone on strike. When the teachers strike they like to block some of the roads so it took almost three times as long as it normally does to get into Juticalpa. Once we arrived we all had dinner together as a group at the special needs school. All of the other volunteers in my group are wonderful people! We are across the map too...we have volunteers from California, Wisconsin, Kansas City, Idaho, Connecticut, North Carolina, and the list goes on. I'm excited to get know all of them more over these next ten months...
I cannot believe I will be living here for the next ten months! The transition so far has been extremely hard on me. When I arrived yesterday I came home to a house with no electricity. After waiting in the dark for awhile an electrician finally came over and fixed it. We turned on our lights to a cockroach crawling across the floor :/. I knew there would be bugs, but this thing was huge! Then I found out that we don't actually have running water. The water runs from 4p.m.-5p.m. everyday so if I'm not home at that time then I can't take an actual shower. We have to take our water from a "pila" on our back porch and take bucket showers. We also hand wash our clothes in the pila and do our dishes in it. Currently mine has mosquitos laying eggs in it so I can't really do anything with the water until we clean it out in the next few days. Last night all I wanted to do was come home and take a shower but I couldn't because they forgot to leave towels for us. I also discovered that no one here really speaks English, which I wasn't expecting. None of the teachers at Santa Clara (my school) speak any English, so it is going to be VERY difficult to communicate. I also have to have monthly parent/teacher conferences with parents who don't speak ANY English.
AND oh my goodness is it hot here! I wore 100 today and already got a little bit burnt. I'm going to have to re-apply every hour or so. Our houses aren't air conditioned and there is no air flow so it's extremely hot at night. Last night I couldn't fall asleep until about 11 and right as I was about to dose off I heard multiple roosters start screaming their heads off. I thought it wouldn't last long, but they were still going at 4:30 this morning when I finally just stayed up. I also live on a very noisy street where people scream and play really loud music until late in the night.
Sorry for all of the negatives! I really didn't want to write a blog until I had a lot of great things to say, but this is my reality! I got to talk to my mom for about 7 minutes this morning and she told me to take it one day at a time. I know that's what I need to do and I just hope that each day will get a little better. My roommates names are Jackie and Michelle. We were just talking about how overwhelmed we are. I apologize for not returning e-mails right away or calling, but right now this is the best I can do. If I think about home too much I'm scared I'll break down.
The returning volunteers from last year said it takes a full two months to feel comfortable and four months to really have things down. So I'll basically be used to this way of living once I come home for Christmas. Hopefully that will make my next sixth months easier.
PLEASE don't be worried about me. I'm very safe and healthy, just a little sad at the moment. (I actually had to take a pause from writing this to kill a flying cockroach in my room...I guess I better get used to it!). Say LOTS of prayers for me, I definitely need them. It's a HUGE comfort to know so many people are praying for me and thinking about me. It truly means the world!
"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."
WOW! It's been quit the journey so far. When I arrived yesterday (which feels like a week ago) in Tegus I found out the public school teachers had gone on strike. When the teachers strike they like to block some of the roads so it took almost three times as long as it normally does to get into Juticalpa. Once we arrived we all had dinner together as a group at the special needs school. All of the other volunteers in my group are wonderful people! We are across the map too...we have volunteers from California, Wisconsin, Kansas City, Idaho, Connecticut, North Carolina, and the list goes on. I'm excited to get know all of them more over these next ten months...
I cannot believe I will be living here for the next ten months! The transition so far has been extremely hard on me. When I arrived yesterday I came home to a house with no electricity. After waiting in the dark for awhile an electrician finally came over and fixed it. We turned on our lights to a cockroach crawling across the floor :/. I knew there would be bugs, but this thing was huge! Then I found out that we don't actually have running water. The water runs from 4p.m.-5p.m. everyday so if I'm not home at that time then I can't take an actual shower. We have to take our water from a "pila" on our back porch and take bucket showers. We also hand wash our clothes in the pila and do our dishes in it. Currently mine has mosquitos laying eggs in it so I can't really do anything with the water until we clean it out in the next few days. Last night all I wanted to do was come home and take a shower but I couldn't because they forgot to leave towels for us. I also discovered that no one here really speaks English, which I wasn't expecting. None of the teachers at Santa Clara (my school) speak any English, so it is going to be VERY difficult to communicate. I also have to have monthly parent/teacher conferences with parents who don't speak ANY English.
AND oh my goodness is it hot here! I wore 100 today and already got a little bit burnt. I'm going to have to re-apply every hour or so. Our houses aren't air conditioned and there is no air flow so it's extremely hot at night. Last night I couldn't fall asleep until about 11 and right as I was about to dose off I heard multiple roosters start screaming their heads off. I thought it wouldn't last long, but they were still going at 4:30 this morning when I finally just stayed up. I also live on a very noisy street where people scream and play really loud music until late in the night.
Sorry for all of the negatives! I really didn't want to write a blog until I had a lot of great things to say, but this is my reality! I got to talk to my mom for about 7 minutes this morning and she told me to take it one day at a time. I know that's what I need to do and I just hope that each day will get a little better. My roommates names are Jackie and Michelle. We were just talking about how overwhelmed we are. I apologize for not returning e-mails right away or calling, but right now this is the best I can do. If I think about home too much I'm scared I'll break down.
The returning volunteers from last year said it takes a full two months to feel comfortable and four months to really have things down. So I'll basically be used to this way of living once I come home for Christmas. Hopefully that will make my next sixth months easier.
PLEASE don't be worried about me. I'm very safe and healthy, just a little sad at the moment. (I actually had to take a pause from writing this to kill a flying cockroach in my room...I guess I better get used to it!). Say LOTS of prayers for me, I definitely need them. It's a HUGE comfort to know so many people are praying for me and thinking about me. It truly means the world!
"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Muy Agradecido
This time tomorrow I will be sleeping in my new home in Honduras (I can't believe it)...
I am eternally grateful for everyone who has helped me prepare for this journey! Especially my Mom and Robbie--I honestly could never say thank you enough!!!
I have had so many people give me positive words of encouragement, prayers, support, money, teaching supplies and the list goes on. There honestly are not words to express how thankful I am for all of you. I truly could not go on a trip like this without all of the help I have received--so if you ever need a favor you know who to call :).
I LOVE every single one of you with all of my heart and I hope God just pours his blessings upon you!
Pray for me as I'll be praying for all of you!
After many tearful goodbyes I'm as ready as I'll ever be to embark on this new adventure!!!!
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow" - Melody Beattie
I am eternally grateful for everyone who has helped me prepare for this journey! Especially my Mom and Robbie--I honestly could never say thank you enough!!!
I have had so many people give me positive words of encouragement, prayers, support, money, teaching supplies and the list goes on. There honestly are not words to express how thankful I am for all of you. I truly could not go on a trip like this without all of the help I have received--so if you ever need a favor you know who to call :).
I LOVE every single one of you with all of my heart and I hope God just pours his blessings upon you!
Pray for me as I'll be praying for all of you!
After many tearful goodbyes I'm as ready as I'll ever be to embark on this new adventure!!!!
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow" - Melody Beattie
Contact Information
E-mail address: AnneGabels@msn.com
Skype Name: Livetolaugh84
Olancho's Website:
www.olanchoaid.org
Blog started for the volunteers of Olancho:
http://olanchoaid.wordpress.com/
My Address with instructions:
1. Rapido Cargo
2154 N.W. 23rd Court
Miami Florida,33142
attention: Padre Ricardo - Juticalpa
2. Write my name beneath Padre Ricardo's ... for instance
attention Padre Ricardo
for Mary and John Smith
3. If you use UPS, FED X,USPO they will ask you to list contents. I would suggest writing " educational material and - or religious goods"
4. You should mail the package to the office in Miami and then phone them at 305-631-0686 to determine the cost (by weight) and method of payment.
***I have mailed four packages to myself and I just used the flat rate boxes every time. I have no idea how much it costs to get packages from Miami to Honduras. I'll let you know once I get ahold of Rapido Cargo.
"May your life be like a roll of toilet paper... long and useful"
Skype Name: Livetolaugh84
Olancho's Website:
www.olanchoaid.org
Blog started for the volunteers of Olancho:
http://olanchoaid.wordpress.com/
My Address with instructions:
1. Rapido Cargo
2154 N.W. 23rd Court
Miami Florida,33142
attention: Padre Ricardo - Juticalpa
2. Write my name beneath Padre Ricardo's ... for instance
attention Padre Ricardo
for Mary and John Smith
3. If you use UPS, FED X,USPO they will ask you to list contents. I would suggest writing " educational material and - or religious goods"
4. You should mail the package to the office in Miami and then phone them at 305-631-0686 to determine the cost (by weight) and method of payment.
***I have mailed four packages to myself and I just used the flat rate boxes every time. I have no idea how much it costs to get packages from Miami to Honduras. I'll let you know once I get ahold of Rapido Cargo.
"May your life be like a roll of toilet paper... long and useful"
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