Day 225 March 20
I slept until 7 and left at 7:30. I got to Franqui and Norma’s. They made me coffee and pancakes. It was delicious and hit the spot.
We got a cab up to school, where we spent about 5 hours melting in the sun, measuring out a map of Honduras to trace and mark on the futbol field. 1cm on our map meant 3 meters on the field. We traced it with powder after an initial outlining of rocks and dirt piles. A few of the parents worked on the indigenous styled house. Each grade is in charge of a different indigenous territory, so we marked where each hut is supposed to go.
I was amused that the mug given to me by Isaac’s mom to make up for the one he broke was broken by Nilvio’s father. The clown with dangly feet is still in tact, so I saved it to mount some time.
When it was all done we walked up to the bird park. I thought we were going in, but we were going so Franqui could decide if he wanted to take up touring on the weekends. The pay isn’t worth it though, so we went back down, checked on the progress, and went back home.
I met Megan at Villamil to show her pictures and give her the play by play of Belize. As I record everything anyway, I am the perfect person to give her a play by play. I already have a list written out.
After she bade me farewell, I got to skype with a whole lot of folks including almost a dozen camp folks. It was great. I miss them dearly and was glad to catch them at the St. Patty’s party.
I got home to get ready for a hike, but as this is Honduras, was waiting a while. I officially decided to stop reading both the books I was reading during my Belize vacation. I had thought about it while I was there, but I always hate to give up on a book. One is just so poorly written that the foreshadowing keeps slapping me in the face. And the characters are so flat I don’t even care about this dramatic secret that is going to be revealed that I can already figure out. I’d only continue reading it as a form of torture. The other is about the Trail of Tears and I feel like it should be good. It has all the research and story to have the potential of such a good and compelling story. However, when a story is so black and white as this and the bad guys are just evil and the good guys have no flaws, I struggle. I think if the author had stuk to one point of view it would be viable. Sure, she sees the soldiers as evil because of what they are putting her through…but no, we get to see through everyone’s eyes at different times and the soldiers aren’t just indifferent, they are heartless monsters. If you want to write a compelling story, it needs to have more life than this and what is so sad to me is that there is so much life in the history to be used…but it’s not. I picked up The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho, which has intrigued me before. Better luck this time!
Cid came over and we hiked up to Hacienda San Lucas. Apparently in the evenings you have to be on the list or they won’t let you through. Cid had called ahead, so we enjoyed the grounds and headed back as the sun was setting. On the way back we swung by the feria to see if it was still open. It looks sketchy.
We hung out in my house for a while and the power went out for half an hour. Shortly after it came back on, Abby, Allan, Michael, and Eileen came to the house. They were headed to the Feria, so we joined them.
Call me crazy, as I have heard several times, “Oh yeah the fair is safe, someone gets shot about every year.” Wait, what?
However, I have decided that it’s always local disputes, usually involving drugs, I won’t be there in the late hours, and I’ll be in a group. We went. We rode on two rides, the ferris wheel, which is the second one I’ve ever been on (the last one got $50 stolen from me in Texas.) It was fast and really really close to the electrical and phone wires. If you think carnival rides are sketchy in the states, try Honduras. However, I wasn’t really afraid and it was a blast. We also went on the whirly one that seems to strengthen gravity. I did an abdomen workout. It was funny, and difficult.
I saw several students and the haciadoras from school, which was fun. There was a sad, terrified wailing child outside one of the booths trying to get in. We tried to help him find his parents, but he slapped Abby. He was maybe two or three. It was very sad but he was inconsolable and no one knew him. I think he ran off while we tried to figure out what to do.
We went back to town for street food and the boys concert. This was their first paid gig and it didn’t go very well. Pedro is sweet, but he can’t really sing. People were mocking them. Allan and Michael have always seen the band for what it was, but I think it was a wake up call for Pedro. There were mimes from Tegus, though. They did a show while the band played and they drew a crowd. It was very interesting.
After a while I left and Cid and I talked for a while until I decided I really did need to sleep.
Day 226 March 21
I ate breakfast at Picame, as I still haven’t been shopping since I got back from Belize. I updated my log, showered, and went to Villamil at 12. I met up with Bob on skype, as planned, since we hadn’t had time yesterday with all my catching up with camp folks.
This time, Lucy Adams and Kim were there which was wonderful and they weren’t there when I got to talk to people yesterday. We caught up and chatted before Bob and I had our interview. He says my Spanish is much better than the last time we interviewed, even. I can’t wait to read his report on my Spanish.
After, I called the one and only Steven Shirley to wish him a happy birthday. It was a quick call, but it was good to catch up. I then got to talk to mom and dad for a little while, which was also good.
I got home and had a nice chat with Sierra before I left to meet up with folks for English worship. We’re all thrilled to have Francisco back in Copan for the next 5 months. I’ll be gone for almost 2 of those months though, which is sad. We listened to a good sermon, ordered food, and had a good discussion. I was writing in my “Figure out God, the universe, and everything” notebook during the sermon and was pleased to see the conversation go directly to what I’d been writing about. Still no answers, but a lot more questions.
While we were there, Megan discovered that her sub for Anne wouldn’t be able to make it and she mentioned to me that Cid hadn’t responded to her text. I was able to inform her that I’d already learned the lesson that his phone isn’t very functional and she just had to call. The screen doesn’t work at all.
When I got home Eileen and Michael came over for showers. We chatted for a while before I headed to bed.
Day 227 March 22
I didn’t sleep well, but I got ready just fine. I walked to school with Cid and showed him the ropes in the primary arena, including letting him borrow my elephant mug for coffee.
I set up for the day and had a slow morning, though the kids were good. After recess things went downhill. The afternoon became very long and after lunch I caved into a game of I Spy, justifying it with the vocabulary of descriptions. It had amended rules to work for my purposes more, using a lot of our new geometry vocab, but still…that was the best I could do this afternoon.
After school I cleaned up and headed to town to tutor at 3. It was a good session and after we just talked about our breaks. I asked Isaac a lot of questions and he answered them all as shortly as possible, but he definitely understood everything I asked, which is a great sign.
I went home before getting ready for our “cooking class” at Dona Nora’s house. I met Alex and Chris in the park to get a cabbie. There were two fighting over us and one claimed the other didn’t know the way. We ended up going with him anyway and I was amused to discover that he really didn’t know the way and the other had to tell him.
We showed up late, apparently, but jumped right in helping where we could and doing what we were told. When it all went in the oven we enjoyed drinks while looking over the view of Copan. It was gorgeous. I had forgotten how nice the Welchez house is. When we got to eating, it was all amazing. I had the best Mora juice I’ve had so far and the ginger/chicken/lemon grass soup was to die for. The enchiladas and carrot cake were also. Abby and I discovered that we both have huge egos in our ability to put away food. I can feel a throw down coming.
When it was all over, much later than I anticipated, Nora drove us home. Chris, Alex, and I rode in the back and let the other girls ride in the cab. It was a bit cold, but alright.
I got home, exhausted and collapsed into bed while Chris used my shower. He understood that I wouldn’t be up when he was done and to just turn off the light and close the door. However, Cid had left some things at my house and called after I’d gotten into bed. This ended up working out well for Abby, shortly after Cid arrived she came, phoneless and keyless because Allan and Cid had been waiting for us in Picame for the last couple of hours and when they left Allan left the keys in our hiding spot…which only works when Picame is open and you can get through the first set of doors.
Day 228 March 23
I set my alarm for 20 minutes later to make up for my late night. I was still very sleepy and drank lots of extra coffee to make up for it. Coffee will only take you so far.
The day was long and rough. Megan was about 20 minutes late for reading groups because something came up in the office, so I thought she wasn’t coming. We had moved onto an emergency Plan B for that time period. We she showed up we made a new amended plan for reading groups. However, my kids and I were having issued with respect.
Miss Helen took my class somewhere else, so I worked in my room for those 40 minutes instead of going to the hot teacher’s room.
I ended the day by teaching them the slap game and listening to music. Maybe part of their impatience is rooted in the very difficult vocabulary in both math and science right now. I don’t know, but I want to come up with a good plan for when we come abck from break.
I started walking home and was offered a ride from Lloyd, one of the owners of the bird park. We had a nice chat and it was nice to finally re-meet him (I met him once with all the other teachers, but he didn’t remember my name and I didn’t remember his. Since I’ll be here another year, I want to know, and be in the memory of, as many people as possible.
I dropped off my computer and went to tutoring. While I was there I got a text from Carolina and shortly after, saw her walk by. We chatted for a few minutes and then she left. The mormon boys came by and I took pictures of them with the family. I couldn’t figure out what exactly was happening. I got the impression they were leaving, which made me sad because these guys will actually talk to me. I later learned that one of them was leaving but the other is still my neighbor.
I had class with Luis, which was a little awkaward at first, but smoothed out as it went on. When I got home, I iced my toe before going to game night at Blair’s house. I saw Luis on the way up, so we walked together. We played dominos, and Megan and I played on a team since there weren’t enough spaces for everyone and we both wanted to leave early.
We were 4th of 8, which was frustrating, because we would have gone out the next turn if it had just gotten to us and then 2 others just had fewer points than us. Rats. Next time!
I got home and went to sleep.
Day 229 March 24
I woke up late and I left late. Really late. Around 6:15-late. I started to walk but I saw a Mayatan kid sitting on a corner above my house. I walked up to him and asked when the bus would come. He said soon. He obviously didn’t want to talk, but I asked him about his grade, favorite teacher, name. He seems rather disgruntled with existence, but then, he is in 7th grade.
He wasn’t just the first bus stop, but it was his job to help the driver start up the bus, which involves manipulated some wired while starting the ignition. It is a two man job. We drove all around town picking kids up. I saw where a few more of my students live, and learned where Kathy and her family live. I also saw how close two of my students live to Casa de Café.
I could have been to school around 6:30 had I walked, but by taking the bus, I arrived at 6:50. Technically 5 minutes late and only 10 minutes before the start. I scrambled to get ready, but kept my cool, and started the day.
We had a much better day. The kids were good and the only trouble was with the library. Diana told me in the morning that there might be a meeting she had to go to at the time my class was in session, but the woman left San Pedro late and so she wasn’t sure. I said I’d send a kid to find out and figure it out from there. My kids told me she was in a meeting and 10 minutes later she came to tell me that she was not. 15 minutes before the end of the class two kids came back to tell me library had to end because the woman had come. Oye! We worked it out and the kids were good throughout the whole ordeal.
I cleaned up and prepped for the next day before heading home. When I turned to my street, a river of water was flowing down it. I heard a rumor that it was for Semana Santa, but later heard it was because it was too dusty. It’s true that the roads get so dusty they are slippery. I’ve slipped and I’ve seen cars struggle up the hills in the same way they do during the rainy season. The water was piped in from the river and just washed the major hills in town.
I went to class with Luis and he asked if we could hang out later, so we decided we would tomorrow. I walked home and saw Hsuan in the comedor across the street and we talked for a while.
I went home and cooked, cleaned, and showered. Abby and Allan and I talked for a while, mostly about a confrontation at school between Abby and her co-teacher. Long time tensions had burst during the day, so hopefully they can understand where they stand better now and have a more professional relationship. We were also waiting for Cid, who’d be subbing for Abby tomorrow when she went to pick up her parents.
He was stuck at work until Howard came, and so he ended up being late, but we got it all figured out. Once it was all done, I collapsed into bed.
Day 230 March 25
Cid and I walked up to school together and I got him set up in his classroom. Abby had shown me where everything he would need was and so I gavehim the tutorial of Miss Abby’s room.
My kids and I had a great day. We worked on our letters and almost half the class finished. Our Thursday afternoon went swimmingly and after lunch they just worked on their champa.
When the day was over, I treated it like a Friday and left around 2. I got home and finished my homework before my early class, at 3.
When I left class, I discovered that I had left my keys at home before going to class. I’ve been doing that a lot recently, and so I sheepishly called Chris, who was working at Villamil. I went to meet him and we got to chat for a long time. It was nice. I don’t spend as much time with Chris as I used to and I should.
When I left Chris, I found Anne and Tammi chatting in the street and we talked for a while. Again, it was about yesterday’s conflict. Anne is feeling better about the situation, so hopefully Abby will also.
By the time I got home, Abby was there with her parents. I got to meet them and they seem lovely, though they had a hellatious day of travel and mayhem. Their luggage is elsewhere. I love meeting people’s parents. It’s fascinating to see the qualities that stick and the ones that don’t. It’s never exactly what you expect.
I left to meet Luis for baleadas at Katia’s mom’s place. They were delicious and we had a long talk. I saw both Katia and my student Edgar. For a little while Katia tried to subtly listen in on our conversation. Cid called while I was there, but I stayed with Luis for a while. He walked me home and then I took a quit rinse off shower. I headed into town and saw Sierra and Josue, who had just returned from several weeks in Guatemala. He had found me a jade elephant pendent and made a necklace for me. I love it.
I met Cid and Denny at Barcito. I’ve heard many things about Denny, who is basically the internet in Copan. It was nice to finally meet him myself and form my own opinions, and frankly I can see everything that folks had to say about him. He is very intelligent, but I strongly disagree with some of his fundamental ideas. He is herein Copan to help the people, but has become a self proclaimed racist. He seemed to like me a lot, and is certainly fond of Cid. He had a lot to say to me, and we talked a lot about literature. When we left to go to ViaVia he informed me that he wasn’t done talking to me yet.
When we got to ViaVia I met a couple of the archeologists from the ruins who are good friends of Cid’s. One is a Russian who is fluent in at least 3 languages that I heard while sitting at the table. They were a lot of fun to talk to, but I was exhausted and left around 11 to go to bed.
Day 231 March 26
I wanted to wake up at normal time to get in and get my grading done before Folklore day, but this did not happen. I got to school a little less than an hour before the event and didn’t even get any work done. Some of the students were already there in their indio clothes, getting their pictures taken in front of the champas (houses or huts.)
The program was a lot of fun. Some of the younger grades did dancing or singing, which was impressively well put together. The second graders rocked their song. After, there was the competition for India Bonita, in which there was one girl decked out in a people’s clothing from each class. My Nahomy was in a really cool dress with patterns of beans. 3B’s representative, Lindsey, got one of the runner ups, and her dress was just made of different beans. It was fascinating.
When the program was over, each of the champas prepared traditional foods and drinks (or coke) and people could go around and try it. I wasn’t very hungry so I just had some sopa de caracol (conch soup). It was delicious.
I spent a good bit of time talking with Luis’ student, who’s name alludes me now, some in Spanish and some in English. He works with computers in Canada and is here to learn Spanish and get to know the culture. Luis brought him up for folklore day for the cultural experience. Abby’s parents are also in town and this will be their one experience at the school. I tried to convince them that this is what school is like everyday.
Around 11, I disappeared into my room and started cleaning it up. People had begun to disperse, and I had a lot of work ahead of me. At 12, I came out and brought in all my class’s supplies to keep in my room for spring break.
I ended up staying at school until about 5. I was certainly not working the whole time, but I did get my grades done and e-mailed them to Marisol. I made a to-do list for break, updated my pictures on facebook, and got into a semantics/intellectual debate on chat, which was actually a little refreshing. Maybe not, but I feel like after more than 3 years of being slower, my wit is returning to me. What, three years ago, would have taken me three days to come up with a comeback, if ever, now takes me seconds. I feel like I can hold my own in a debate again instead of just feeling uncomfortable because I can feel that I would have a point to counter theirs…if I could just find it.
With subjects I don’t know, I try to gracefully back down. The only time that gets embarrassing, is the concussion was in the middle of my college career, right as I got into all my heavy lit classes. I remember some things, but many details, authors, stories, histories that I can remember were fascinating to me are no longer in my mind. I can hold my own in a conversation about literature unless it’s with someone who really knows their literary history, and because of my degree, I am expected to be able to know it too. That might be a new goal for the summer. If I feel like my brain is no longer a colander, maybe I can go back and look at what notes I still have from college and try to bring back some of what is lost.
I walked home before dark, bought mangos, and read in bed. I cleaned up the apartment some and did a large bit of my laundry before calling Cid. He was headed to Barcito and so I met him there. Josue came for a moment and I showed him I was wearing the elephant he found for me in Guatemala. He bought it with me in mind and could easily sell it for 25-35$, but he gave it to me for about 8$, if I wanted it. I paid him and after a while Cid and I moved to ViaVia to see Sierra and Josue. We sat outside talking for a while. There was a wedding reception in the back of the restaurant. When Sierra and Josue packed up, we went into Tun Club and I watched Cid, Venessa, Theo, and Theo’s friend Bill play pool.
As it had been a long day, I was tired before 12 and headed home for my Friday night, pre-vacation sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment