Greg flew back to Hawai'i early on Monday morning. His help to my educational planning was incomparable and I have absolutely no idea where I'd be without him right now. Tela was indeed awesome, we drank coconut milk, Greg braided his hair, we got stung by jellyfish, we saw monkeys in the jungle, we saw the place where Captain Morgan used to hide his pirate ship, we snorkeled, we ate awesome food, we stayed in some cabañas in San Juan, a sweet garífuna community... It was perfect in every way. The stomach bug passed through Shin and Cosmo (Shin was actually hospitalized overnight on Saturday and couldn't make it to Tela). By now everyone's tummy is back to normal.
This week I continued hustling as an educational program director, mediated some workplace issues, had a breakthrough with the class for the colegialas, slept very little...
And now I find myself here in Copan, a Southern city near some breathtaking Mesoamerican ruins. We are here for the Project Honduras conference (look it up, cool stuff). We are hustling and networking with all kinds of eccentric and excellent people who working from all different angles to try to help Honduras. More on this later.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
the great gatsby
Background . . . I had interviewed all the high school girls when I first arrived here to see what their dreams are, what their long-term goals are, so that we can take the steps to get them from here to there. When I asked them what they´d like to personally accomplish, they mentioned different careers or universities they´d like to see in their future, but the majority of them also expressed that they´ve never danced, choreographed, acted, sung, etc. on stage. So Pati and I have been trying to get together a sort of variety show for them where they can showcase their talents and get a chance to shine on like the crazy diamonds they are.
Yesterday we got a lot of stuff done at the office but we were kind of hitting a wall trying to find a space for the talent show. No one was returning our calls. Here comes a Honduras moment.
This artist-pharmacist-socialite named Mahchi comes into the office and starts talking to OYE and I say hi, like you do. He comes over and, in so many words, asks me why a gringo kid would speak Spanish like an Argentine and he tells me about an American friend of his wants help with her Spanish so that she can pass an exam to become a certified legal interpreter.
He invites me to his house, which is actually on the same street as ours but is sorrounded by a giant leafy yellow wall, to meet her that evening at a soirée. I briefly wonder if I should wear shoes that don´t have holes in them, but then I show up last night. Turns out his American friend is an actress in residence at La Fragua (pretty much the best performance space in the region) and she can introduce me to the director. Also, she has acted alongside John Malkovich on stage. Mahchi comes from the Mahchi family, a Palestinean family that Also in attendance at the party are an Argentine businessman from Buenos Aires who has lived here for the past five years, the son of the former first lady of Honduras, the personal assistant to the guy who may be the next president of Honduras, oh, and me and Ana. It was like being transported to another planet. You know, you read development text books that talk about the economic elite, but to be sitting with them is another thing, old sport.
Point is, I got the Fragua for the show. Don´t worry, I still like fiestas de alta suciedad more than fiestas de alta sociedad.
Yesterday we got a lot of stuff done at the office but we were kind of hitting a wall trying to find a space for the talent show. No one was returning our calls. Here comes a Honduras moment.
This artist-pharmacist-socialite named Mahchi comes into the office and starts talking to OYE and I say hi, like you do. He comes over and, in so many words, asks me why a gringo kid would speak Spanish like an Argentine and he tells me about an American friend of his wants help with her Spanish so that she can pass an exam to become a certified legal interpreter.
He invites me to his house, which is actually on the same street as ours but is sorrounded by a giant leafy yellow wall, to meet her that evening at a soirée. I briefly wonder if I should wear shoes that don´t have holes in them, but then I show up last night. Turns out his American friend is an actress in residence at La Fragua (pretty much the best performance space in the region) and she can introduce me to the director. Also, she has acted alongside John Malkovich on stage. Mahchi comes from the Mahchi family, a Palestinean family that Also in attendance at the party are an Argentine businessman from Buenos Aires who has lived here for the past five years, the son of the former first lady of Honduras, the personal assistant to the guy who may be the next president of Honduras, oh, and me and Ana. It was like being transported to another planet. You know, you read development text books that talk about the economic elite, but to be sitting with them is another thing, old sport.
Point is, I got the Fragua for the show. Don´t worry, I still like fiestas de alta suciedad more than fiestas de alta sociedad.
Friday, October 5, 2007
¿a dónde se fue la semana?
My whereabouts for the past week...
Greg flew in Saturday morning (having left for the airport straight from his school in Hawaii and spent 16 hours flying) and we took him right onto the road. We took a long bus ride out to Santa Bárbara to do a concurso with the kids from Copprome and the boys from Amigos de Jesús, the hogar where the boys go when they get old enough. There were piñatas and little kids dancing. Then we came back to Progreso and had an awesome despedida for Nema, an awesome guy from OYE. Sunday was uncharacteristically rainy so we hung around in the house and Greg caught up on rest.
Monday I took Grego to COPPROME and he vamped up my lesson plans with some Teach For America methodological muscle (asterisk).
On Monday night the projectile vomiting and diarrhea started and then I spent all of Tuesday drinking Gatorade and tossing and turning in bed. Greg and Mary covered for my classes on Tuesday but then Greg and Shin got sick with variations on the same symptoms by mid-day.
Wednesday I still felt sick but I rallied and went to the public clínica. At the clinic the doctor said that I had a stomach bug and gave me intestinal antibiotics. In his office, like a guidance counselor or something, there were these little postcard dealies with beautiful orchids on them with the caption below, in Spanish, reading Orchids are parasites! Cheque.
I returned to teaching at Copprome on Wednesday afternoon and yesterday. When I first got back the kids said ¨Carlos, you look green, are you okay?¨ ¨Carlos, you shouldn´t eat street food, drink juice, etc.¨ I think I´m going to adopt kosher eating practices here - Shin and Greg and I talked about it and we suspect some undercooked pork chuletas.
This morning was the first morning I woke up feeling well since Monday, so YAY!
Today I´m going to arrange some staff meeting stuff, put together some finalized policies and schedules and such, and nail down some of the programación with Pati. Tomorrow, we´re taking Greg (who up until now we have been working like a dog) to the Caribbean coastal town of Tela, where all the food is made with coconut and the water is like clear bath water. Purportedly, for 30 dollars we can go to Punta Sal and see monkeys in the jungle. I think for me that could be a good buy.
Hasta,
Chele
Greg flew in Saturday morning (having left for the airport straight from his school in Hawaii and spent 16 hours flying) and we took him right onto the road. We took a long bus ride out to Santa Bárbara to do a concurso with the kids from Copprome and the boys from Amigos de Jesús, the hogar where the boys go when they get old enough. There were piñatas and little kids dancing. Then we came back to Progreso and had an awesome despedida for Nema, an awesome guy from OYE. Sunday was uncharacteristically rainy so we hung around in the house and Greg caught up on rest.
Monday I took Grego to COPPROME and he vamped up my lesson plans with some Teach For America methodological muscle (asterisk).
On Monday night the projectile vomiting and diarrhea started and then I spent all of Tuesday drinking Gatorade and tossing and turning in bed. Greg and Mary covered for my classes on Tuesday but then Greg and Shin got sick with variations on the same symptoms by mid-day.
Wednesday I still felt sick but I rallied and went to the public clínica. At the clinic the doctor said that I had a stomach bug and gave me intestinal antibiotics. In his office, like a guidance counselor or something, there were these little postcard dealies with beautiful orchids on them with the caption below, in Spanish, reading Orchids are parasites! Cheque.
I returned to teaching at Copprome on Wednesday afternoon and yesterday. When I first got back the kids said ¨Carlos, you look green, are you okay?¨ ¨Carlos, you shouldn´t eat street food, drink juice, etc.¨ I think I´m going to adopt kosher eating practices here - Shin and Greg and I talked about it and we suspect some undercooked pork chuletas.
This morning was the first morning I woke up feeling well since Monday, so YAY!
Today I´m going to arrange some staff meeting stuff, put together some finalized policies and schedules and such, and nail down some of the programación with Pati. Tomorrow, we´re taking Greg (who up until now we have been working like a dog) to the Caribbean coastal town of Tela, where all the food is made with coconut and the water is like clear bath water. Purportedly, for 30 dollars we can go to Punta Sal and see monkeys in the jungle. I think for me that could be a good buy.
Hasta,
Chele
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