12 Days of Christmas

December 25, 2010

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (HONDURAS STYLE)

On the first day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

A visit to Tegucigalpa.

I landed in Teguz today for shoulder pain. The doctor told me I needed 10 days of therapy, which meant that it would last until December 27. Merry Christmas to me; the PCMO doctor asked me if I was going to be bored in Teguz for 10 days. We will see.

On the second day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

10 visits to the physical therapists.

Each morning I awake at 7 am and head to the hospital by 8 am. I have decided to start wearing makeup and dressing better b/c there are good looking men in the capital. Let’s not beat around the bush, it has been a while since a man with all his teeth gave me the time of day (by this I mean no hissing, kissing noises, calling me “Hey Gringa Baby!” and more. Also, passing through the PC office are lots of cute volunteers I haven’t met before. This is my chance to get to know them. Let’s be real honest, I left the USA a long time ago, it’s time to get moving on this objective.

On the third day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

Shopping trips from hell.



One of the nicest Ropa Americana stores ever

 I never liked shopping really in the USA. I’ve always been one of those people who knows exactly what I want, what size I wear, and what store it comes from…I go there and I get it. If I find it and really like it, I buy it in five different colors. So, shopping in Honduras frustrates the hell out of me. What we have here is something they call Ropa Americana, or what I call “The largest selection of Goodwill and Garage Sales combined.” Pick any corner in Tegucigalpa (or other large, major city in Honduras) or any major house in a small pueblo and you’ll find someone selling Ropa Americana. The majority of time these clothes are old clothes that you (and I) have at one point taken to the Goodwill in the States and given away. They have now been shipped down here for the bargain-basement price of anywhere from L20-L60 ($1-$3). Sometimes large chain companies like Victoria’s Secret, Express, Guess and others throw stuff in. The problem is that these Ropa Americana stores never have anything in order. It’s like a Ross or TJ Maxx, but on ADD and without the Ritalin. Corners piled high, full of crap I would never wear outside of this country, but I now find myself trying to bargain down from L60 to L40, when really, what does $1 mean in the long run? But, here L20 can buy me two meals in Orocuina. Or, maybe another shirt. So, after visiting 10+ Ropa Americana stores and surfing through boxes of old shirts, sweaters stretched out, tank tops hung up to “look nice” for the buyer, I leave with nothing b/c I am so frustrated and remember why I hated the bargain bins in the USA.

On the fourth day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

The Mall

It is now one week before Christmas and I am at the mall for like the 5th time this month. After not going to the mall for six months, why do I keep finding myself here? Because, it is warm and comforting and a little place of home (I think). I walk around, since I have decided to buy normal clothes from the shops here, which are shops like in the USA (Guess, Forever 21, United Colors of Benneton), but soon I remember that I don’t make the money I used to and that if I want to buy a $50 shirt now, I have to work seven days. I will keep wearing the clothes I brought with me from the USA until they fall apart; that way in two years I don’t have any baggage to take back with me.


On the fifth day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

FRIENDS to hang out with!

Yeah for reasons needed to visit the med office in Teguz! Yesterday and today I received visits from friends I don’t get to see that often, but today we got to hang out! To make things fun, I decided to SKYPE with my parents back in the STATES, and introduced them to my PCV friend Patrick, who was in town for a med visit. I would now like to write an open letter to my parents: Every man you see in the background of my computer is not my boyfriend. Although, Patrick did think it was funny when you gave him the third degree about what he is planning on doing with his life. Some PCV’s ARE actually just my friend. He also found it quite funny that you thought I was “more tan and had lost weight” in the five minutes we had been on the phone. Do not expect anymore SKYPE’s with Patrick, as I think you scared him to death.



Wheel of Death as I call it




Me, Very Scared

 Also in town were Melissa and Joe (and Joe’s dad). Joe’s dad was super awesome and took us out to a great restaurant for dinner, followed up by wine and dessert at another. There was a mariachi band involved somewhere who serenaded Melissa and I over delicious shrimp and beers, a rare treat for PCV’s. The wine restaurant was spectacular and for one night I remembered what my life used to be like, before I committed to Kennedy’s promise and “living under hardship.” Sorry, JFK, but everyone needs a night off. The next morning we headed up to the market where we enjoyed baleadas, gringa tacos and liquados. Later, Melissa’s friend Rafael came to meet us and we headed into the Centro (where I have now been everyday as well) before we made our way over to Chili’s to enjoy American food at its finest. Next to Chili’s was a brand new mall in Teguz (which I have now added up and Teguz has more malls than San Diego and Raleigh combined) and on top of it was a Ferris wheel. Some of you may not know this, but I have a fear of Ferris wheels. Ever since I was little and my Grandpa Calvin took me up one, I have not liked them. They scare the crap out of me. But. Somehow Rafael and Melissa tricked me into going up this thing, sponsored by Tigo which I’m pretty sure means it will fall apart in a year if it’s anything like their phones and cellular plans. The little carts spun around, too, just like Disney’s tea cups, so by the time I opened my eyes to freak out, I caught just enough glimpse of Teguz to last me for the next two years. To round the night off, we headed to a Manifesto concert to benefit HIV-AIDS, but when it still hadn’t started 2.5 hours after the proposed time, we found ourselves leaving….but not before my flip flop broke and I spent the rest of the night hobbling around on one shoe. From restaurant to restaurant and eventually and a salsa dance club, where I danced barefoot with someone who I think is part of the Honduras soccer team. Whoever said life is dull in the PC never hung out with me!




Gringa tacos at the mercado

On the sixth day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

A cold.

Thanks, Teguz. I am now stuffy and congested and whenever I lie down for physical therapy I have to breath through my mouth. The PCMO gave me a nose spray that stings like crazy and makes me sneeze. The cold medicine puts me to sleep immediately. I hope to be better soon.

On the seventh day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

A breakthrough in my projects (and life).

I have been working like crazy since I have been here, given the fact that I don’t have much else to do with my time and there’s no one from Orocuina knocking on my door to “visit” with me at all hours of the day. I was able to get ahold of a previous recycling project in Spanish and read through it, giving me some great ideas. I contacted some other PCV’s about other recycling projects (like designing a manual for all of Honduras), so hopefully those will come through. The stove project may have found a new donor in the form of Trees, Water, and People out of Fort Collins, CO (but they work with ADHSA here in Honduras). They helped a PCV build stoves in 2007 and were really receptive to my email a few days ago; I think Orocuina/Choluteca/the South of Honduras and TWP can do great things together. Plus, the founder of TWP is a RPCV from the 1980’s. To learn more about their stoves and what I am doing in Orocuina, click here http://www.treeswaterpeople.org/



View of Teguz from the Ferris wheel

 Also, this week I came to a breakthrough about what I want to do after PC. I have really enjoyed my time in Teguz, getting to know the city and the people. I would love to continue working in Honduras for the Peace Corps, UN, or another NGO. I definitely want to continue in Latin America working in International Aid; I like it here and once you learn the city and the language it is a great place. (Of course, I eventually want to open a wine bar, too, and run for office, but the list continues to grow!) Will I ever really know what I want to be when I grow up? I don’t think so.

On the eight day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

Museum visits.



Not the communications museum, but still Teguz

After a friend told me I should visit the communications museum, I decided to go check it out. I had already visited the Museum of National History, so why not keep going? Once at the communications museum, which is housed in the Hondutel building downtown, I was given a personal tour and learned all about the cool stuff that helped Honduras become the non-leader in communications that it is today. (I’m just being realistic, we all know how unreliable the Internet is here). But, he showed me the first electric lines, first computers used in Honduras, first cell towers, and even their old Morse Code tools. Learning Morse Code in English is hard, learning it in Spanish…impossible.




How to use Morse Code in Spanish (I'm still learning "real" code)

On the ninth day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

More friends!

It’s awesome to be able to see so many people right around Christmastime, so when Kendra and Caitlin both showed up today I was really excited. After we all finished our med appointments and I completed my work and errands (I found a new therapeutic pillow for my shoulder), we set off for a good meal in town. We decided to try a Chinese place, that actually looks like a car dealership, but was full of atmosphere and Christmas music. We didn’t really look at the menu, just pointed to a picture and told the server that was what we wanted (I don’t know the last time I had Chinese food, but I do know that when I go back to the States I am eating nothing but sushi and Thai pineapple raisin dishes for a month). So, anyway, after we get our dish it is yummylicious and we even have chopsticks! Wow! Teguz basically has any type of food you could want in America, all the chains are here Burger King, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s are on every corner, and there is a lot of Chinese food. But, in Orocuina none of these things exist. However, there’s a Wendy’s in Choluteca and forgive me founder Dave, but I never want to eat at Wendy’s again when I return to America.

After gobbling down Chinese, the three of us head back to the Cuban dance bar I found the other night where we get to watch a show of dancers for two hours! They never stopped and were so awesome, with their kicks and twirls and it was like I was watching “Dancing With the Stars” but without Bristol Palin and Pamela Anderson. They were UNBELIEVABLE! After selling Caitling off to one of the dancers, she proved to him that gringas can dance too and we left in a very happy mood.

On the tenth day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

A visit to my first host family, Rosa and Gustavo:



Me and Rosa

I love them, so much. They are my family here in Honduras and I wish I had the opportunity to live with them longer for four weeks. Since I didn’t, I take every opportunity to come visit them. It was nice to be able to come spend Christmas Eve-Eve with them! I brought Domino’s Pizza, Rosa’s favorite, a bunch of photos from our time together and two Peace Corps shirts for them to love and cherish always (ha ha), or at least wear for their next volunteer who is coming in February. After going to the Domino’s closest to the bus station, I ordered two gigante pizzas, then walked to the bus stop, about 1.5 K away, where I waited for a busito to pick me up. I don’t normally pay for the busito, since it costs L10 more, but I wanted the pizza to be hot. Then, once I landed at Los Planes, I walked all the way up the hill with the pizza before arriving at the house where the three of us macked-down on Domino’s and Pepsi of course. We enjoyed the day talking, drinking Rumpopo (a gift from them to me-K Wow!) and then spent two hours looking over photos from my site and other PC activities since I had been at their house. It is crazy that they have lived in this country for 70 years and never been to the Southern part of the country! When their grandkids were looking at the photos they asked if they were pics of the USA and I explained that they were pics of the Southern part of Honduras! It was a great day and I am so happy I got to see them and visit. Lots of hugs, kisses and smiles were spent today and I am so grateful that anytime I am feeling bad I can go visit them.

Domino's for Rosa and they gave me homemade Rumpopo (not Absolut), Yummy!





Obviously Rosa was not ready for this photo, but she loved the shirts!

 On the eleventh day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

CHRISTMAS EVE!



Me and Sandra




Chop Suey-YUM!

 Christmas Eve in Honduras is the big special celebration day here in Honduras. I was very lucky to be invited to my friend Sandra’s house in Tegucigalpa and celebrate with her and her family. After arriving, I began to help them prepare the Christmas Eve dinner. Most Hondurans celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve (the majority of Hondurans also prepare and eat something called Nacatamales; however, we didn’t eat this. I asked Sandra why and she said she and her sisters just never learned). I find this interesting, along with the saying that “everyone in Honduras makes tortillas.” I lived with three host families and none of them made their own tortillas and now I am celebrating Christmas without the traditional Nacatamales….maybe times are changing in Honduras? So, anyway, after we prepare our dinner of Chop Suey, we also make tutti-frutti (a fruit salad) and chicken sandwiches for later in the ngiht. After enjoying our chop suey with Coca-Cola, Sandra and I head down to the pulperia where we get beer for the night and then go back to the house. Then, the music is cranked up and we dance the night away. We dance for six hours! The whole family dances to reggae music until I can’t dance anymore and at 10:30 PM I am falling asleep (maybe it’s all the cold medicine, who knows). Sandra lends me some PJ’s, which are the smallest clothes I have ever seen in my life, and only make me feel super bad about my lack of finding a gym in the last six months. At midnight I am woken up to the sound of millions of fireworks going off all across town and Sandra’s sister running in the room to hug me and say “Felicidades!” I peek outside and see the sky lit up with tens-of-different of colors and rocket fireworks going off next door. It is like gunshots; it is crazy! They go off for 30 minutes straight and the family parties until 2:30 AM. Feliz Navidad indeed, which in fact means Happy Christmas.


Dancing Christmas Eve away-Yes, I know I am wearing brown boots with a black outfit




The supermercado on Christmas Eve

On the twelfth day of Christmas Honduras gave to me:

A day all to myself.

So, this is Christmas. After waking up I watched Winnie the Pooh “A Very Pooh New Year” or something like it, since it was the only Christmas show on TV before heading to the mall, where I found EVERY STORE open and ready for business! It was crazy and very different from what I am used to. After purchasing a mocha, I called my family, where I found my sister still asleep (some traditions live on), then I went to see “Gullivers Travels” since I am lucky enough to be in a city on Christmas and watch it in 3-D! K Wow! I think the biggest difference is switching up the days; here in Honduras everyone goes to the mall and supermarket on the 24th since they save their shopping for the last minute, they refer to Christmas as “viente cinco Diciembre” instead of just saying “Christmas,” and then Christmas is just another day of the year. Taxis run, restaurants are open, the mall functions as usual. When you ask people what is their favorite time of year they say “Semana Santa” which is Holy Week, at Easter. I can’t wait for that!