My New Year’s celebration went as follows:
1. Host family invites me to a late dinner at their house to begin at 9pm.
2. Arrive at 7ish to a houseful of children, old people and a few of us in between—dinner preparations are just beginning to be considered.
3. Host father invites me to a drink outside with friends = passing the bottle of Jim Bean then Jose Cuervo then vodka in a circle around the pickup truck telling crude stories. Do not worry, I partook hardly any. (Host father had started at 2pm)
4. Go inside after a few short minutes to escape the cold breeze and the escalating debauchery. Get a general lecture about how not enough people save their money in San Luis Planes from host grandmother—an appropriate conversation for any PCV… always on duty (actually, go granny… I begged her to give a talk at my coop!).
5. Firecrackers are going off like crazy. A few bottle rockets, a few volcanoes, a few sparklers, a few poppers, but mostly just the loud ones that go BANG.
6. Dinner is served on time at around 11:15. Three types of meat and lots of beans. Welcoming in the new year with farts all around.
7. Piñata smashing committed by those of us between the ages of 17 and 30, the real children of the group, as it turned out.
8. Midnight: burning of an effigy representing the old year (naturally, loaded with firecrackers), down on the plaza; explosions everywhere; host dad and cohorts firing pistol into air; hugs and kisses (when not jumping from the bangs); and did I mention the firecrackers?
9. Music so loud you could taste it: ranchero, techno and Lady Gaga.
10. Dancing. Yes, I danced to it all. And they had never seen such moves. Of course I would never ever even think about dancing with my 17 year old host sister. Never.
2. Arrive at 7ish to a houseful of children, old people and a few of us in between—dinner preparations are just beginning to be considered.
3. Host father invites me to a drink outside with friends = passing the bottle of Jim Bean then Jose Cuervo then vodka in a circle around the pickup truck telling crude stories. Do not worry, I partook hardly any. (Host father had started at 2pm)
4. Go inside after a few short minutes to escape the cold breeze and the escalating debauchery. Get a general lecture about how not enough people save their money in San Luis Planes from host grandmother—an appropriate conversation for any PCV… always on duty (actually, go granny… I begged her to give a talk at my coop!).
5. Firecrackers are going off like crazy. A few bottle rockets, a few volcanoes, a few sparklers, a few poppers, but mostly just the loud ones that go BANG.
6. Dinner is served on time at around 11:15. Three types of meat and lots of beans. Welcoming in the new year with farts all around.
7. Piñata smashing committed by those of us between the ages of 17 and 30, the real children of the group, as it turned out.
8. Midnight: burning of an effigy representing the old year (naturally, loaded with firecrackers), down on the plaza; explosions everywhere; host dad and cohorts firing pistol into air; hugs and kisses (when not jumping from the bangs); and did I mention the firecrackers?
9. Music so loud you could taste it: ranchero, techno and Lady Gaga.
10. Dancing. Yes, I danced to it all. And they had never seen such moves. Of course I would never ever even think about dancing with my 17 year old host sister. Never.
Anyway, it was a fun night and I’m very glad that I decided to stay in my community for the big day. I am also grateful I’ve got such a great host family. My host dad, by the way, showed back up at their house sometime around noon the next day with something of a headache I’m sure.
To be good and cheesy, I hope that everyone has a healthy and productive 2011.
Finally, below are a handful of my choices for top bug sightings in Honduras in the year 2010:
Finally, below are a handful of my choices for top bug sightings in Honduras in the year 2010:
1. Stick Bug
2. Earring cocoons
3. 
Pincer bug
Pincer bug
4. One of the many non-descript spiders 
in my house
5. Brown butterfly on door
Alex how's the mountain? How's the harvest? COCASJOL is neck deep in it right now man. Viene el corte right?. Anyway tripped over your blog, thought I'd drop a line. Sounds like you had a good new year, felicidades. Keep up the word...
ReplyDeleteps I read the other blog you had too... movie reviews... NERD!! ahahaahh
just kidding. see you later. viva los cheles!