More pictures

Top to bottom: 1. Little girls dancing at the World AIDS Day Event
2. The march at the beginning of World AIDS Day
3. Daughters of the motorcycle boys and myself at the Teleton (fundraiser for rehabilitation in Honduras)
4. The beginning of my new garden
5. Working in El Pate, reading nutrition info to campesina women
6. Bananas on MY plant in MY backyard!!!
7. My house!
8. My street
9. Thanksgiving at my Mommas house

World AIDS Day

December 5, 2008...one of the best days in Honduras...maybe in my life.

I had a trip to Tegus scheduled to take care of some medical stuff and to see Joel, which of course I was excited about. I was then informed that the HIV Committee had move the date of the celebration of World AIDS Day to December 5th, which was when I was due to be in Tegus. After some fake internal debate, I of course made the decision to postpone my trip and stay in town to assist with the event.

Something I have realized about this town and maybe this country is that nothing is really planned in advance. One of my goals has been to work the Committee to plan things a little more in advance and that way we won't be running around like crazy people on the day of the event. Well that clearly was not going to happen with this event. Naturally I found myself frustrated in the week leading up to Friday. However in the morning, I woke up and said to myself "You are -not- going to be stressed out today. Everything is going to be fine." And let me tell you...talk about working like a charm!! Despite the fact that it was raining on and off, the computer wouldn't print my questions, we didn't have any transportation and about a million other problems...the event went well. We had about 75 people show up for the march from the park to the event location. We had some words of welcome and some beautiful presentations from various youth groups...some had dances, others had poetry and others had dramas...all with the theme of VIH/AIDS. Then we hosted some games and sold baleadas to the sound of music provided by a local company.

I was walking around taking pictures when I paused to take in the view. The rain had stopped and the sun was peaking out from the clouds. I was surrounded by young people playing educational games, my group of peers from the Committee and the beautiful green lush mountains outside of El Negrito and the thick fog climbing off the top. I found myself with tears in my eyes...knowing that I was exactly where I was supposed to be and doing exactly what I was meant to do. So few do these moments pass in life...I felt overwhelmed with joy and happiness...attempting to soak in the moment and remember how amazing I felt in that moment.

As the afternoon was winding down and we were cleaning up the location, we began discussing having an end of the year holiday dinner the following week. The date is set for Wednesday...supposdly around 17 people will be feasting in my house. I am definitely looking forward to it.

That night I found myself at a fiesta in the Club with my good friend Leandro. A lot of my other friends were there and I got to spend the night dancing which of course was the perfect end to a practically perfect day.

To end this entry...I am actually going to refer to Britney Spears. I was watching her MTV interview (please, no jokes) and she was talking about being in the dance studio and that some people think that when you are going through something difficult that you need to go to therapy and talk through it. But she thinks that sometimes you need to just dance out the emotion and that is what helps you get through it best. That no amount of words or therapy could make one feel as good as dancing.

I never thought I would say this but I agree with Britney...110%

Gobble Gobble!

Well I am officially back from the States. I had a -wonderful- Thanksgiving that went by -way- too fast. I will post pics soon. It feels good to be back here...despite work being sloooooooooow right now. Boo on December!

11.19.08 Turkey Day!!

This week has been going by soooooooooooooooo slow. I know its because I am going to California on Saturday and I am sooooooooooo excited to see my family and have Thanksgiving. So yeah…if anyone wants to talk to me while I am in the States, let me know and I will give you the number you can reach me at.

Tick-tock…tick-tock…hurry up clock!!!

11.17.08 Whew...long time

I am sitting in my office in WorldVision with my counterpart Doris and we are listening to Bryan Adams…and it makes me giggle.

The Exposida (education HIV fair) was a huge success…despite me running around like a chicken with my head cut off most of the time…everyone told me it was the best Exposida they’ve ever been to. Yay!

Last week I had the pleasure of working with Rosa, a WorldVision employee from another branch, on a nutrition workshop for a group of women from El Pate, which is a barrio about 10 minutes outside El Negrito. There are no lights in the community and many of the children are malnourished which was the precise reason we went to give the workshop there. I think I had gotten so used to being recognized here in town that I forget that many people have never seen a gringo before. Needless to say I ended up in the community church with a group of 10 women staring at me as well as a large group of children outside who were straining to get a look at me. It was a definite reality check. The workshop went well…I got to present the portion on breastfeeding (aren’t you proud Mom??) and hopefully we made some kind of positive impact on the women. The best part however was how we arrived back in El Negrito.

Someone from WorldVision was supposed to come pick us up but their phone was off. So I told Rosa that we should just start walking and we would find a jalon (Honduran slang for a ride.) Low and behold, 5 minutes later we found a truck that was heading into town. We ended up waiting on their front porch for awhile and chatting with the grandma of the house, who was a total sweetheart. Eventually, another truck passed by so I flagged it down and asked the driver where he was headed and if we could catch a ride with him. He said that he was picking up a pig on his way into town but if we could fit into the cab, he would take us. Low and behold, he stopped his truck a few houses down and Rosa and I got to enjoy the noise of a huge black pig squeeling as the driver and 2 young men shoved him into the bed of the truck. At this point I completely lost it to a fit of giggles which of course I had to explain to Rosa and then we both were lost in laughter.

Later on in the trip the truck that was originally going to take us got stuck in the creek that has to be crossed to get into El Negrito and the truck we were in ended up towing it into town. Needless to say I could not stop laughing again.


Only in Honduras…

9.23.08 The beach and more…

Emelina kicked my butt this morning…well figuratively at least. I went running with her and oh man am I feeling it…but along with the soreness comes that runner’s high so I have no complaints.

After traveling for 10 days, it was so glorious to sleep in my own bed and be back in mi pueblo. Little did I know, only a few days later, I would be on a bus again, this time with members of the HIV Committees from El Negrito and Morazan, on our way to La Ceiba. Granted, one cannot complain about an all expenses trip to the beach, but really…I was perfectly content sweating my butt off at home sweet home. Nevertheless, I sucked it up and had a wonderful time. We spent 2 days talking about behavior change and planning the Exposida, not to mention soaking up the sun. We stayed at Palma Real, this super lujo resort that was –right- on the water, all included buffet and drinks, 5 swimming pools…it was amazing. I also had an epiphany while I was there…I was getting frustrated because we were talking about the general strengths and weaknesses of the Committee and I felt like I wasn’t being listened to so I sort of sat back and listened to everyone else when all of the sudden I realized that is what I need to do. I am not here to take over the drivers seat and lead everything for the next 2 years. I am here as a support to this committee and this town in general…to help them figure out how they can do these things on their own because in 2 years, I won’t be here anymore and they are going to have to do things without me. So from now on, I am trying to take a more backseat approach to things. And to just chill out…cuz I sort of freak out sometimes and Peace Corps is definitely not the place to be all stressed and weird. Haha. Plus, as Luis Estrada (the training director) said at swearing in… ‘’Don’t make heroes out of yourself, make heroes out of the people in your community’’

Exactly…

9.23.08 As promised for my mother...

Top to bottom:
1. The Obstretics Emergencies Workshop, look at my adorable midwife in the green skirt.
2. Yes, I made -all- those tortillas, by hand. And yes, I rock
3. Tom, Emelina, and myself at a gringo get-together in Yorito
4. My kitchen!
5. Women cooking at the nutrition class in Las Brisas
6. Myself before one of the fiestas during the feria, in July
7. A float during the parade for Independence Day
8. Stealing eggs from a chicken
9. My dining room!