Community Integration

Hola. I knew that people back home have been anxiously checking my blog day and night for the past several weeks to see when some word would come from me, to see if that kid is still alive down there in that country. Was it Nicaragua? So yes, Im now finally writing a new post to say that I am still alive and still in Honduras.

1. Community Integration
2. No longer the new guy
3. "Reconnect" workshop: in which I learned how that pure coffee is not soluable in cold water
4. Life in a house in the campo, on my own

1. Community Integration. I dont think that I have a whole lot to mention for whats been going on for the past month or so. Community integration, the five dollar term that has become a cliche in the PC, means that slowly but surely, Im getting to know more and more people more closely. And so that in and of itself has been a task that Ive been working on. People in my site now know that Im not a) a Spaniard b) named Kevin (the last PCV in site back in the early 2000s) c) a tourist or d) a greedy gringo capitalist there to spy on them for the CIA while at the same time ruining their culture with McDonalds and Starbucks. So thats a small success for me.

2. No longer the new guy. Also, the newest training group, H17, was just sworn in yesterday and are off to their new sites today. That means that Im no longer a freshman in the country. Im getting old now. Respect.

3. Reconnect. We just had "Reconnect," a Business project workshop for five days. I got to meet the rest of the business volunteers from the previous training group, H14, and we shared our projects and planned to work together, building sinergies and sharing best practices, more buzz words from the life of a bz volunteer. The meeting sort of felt like training all over again (sessions on commercialization of coffee and renewable energy... good stuff indeed, though quite a change in pace for me now), but it was worthwhile, I felt. We are clearly the best of the 6 projects in PC Honduras, just so you know.

4. Living in a house in the "campo." I am still fighting ants. They are all over the place all the time and most of them bite. There are also spiders and cockroaches and dirty walls that, slowly but surely, Im washing by hand and by broom. Yes, washing the walls by broom. I do enjoy living on my own and having my own place, but it is a little bit of work. My neighborhood kids are always fascinated by what the local gringo is up to and often spend time on my front porch asking questions and learning English phrases. My host mother and I have also planted 3 garden beds in my back yard. Soon I will be eating nothing but radishes, carrots and cilantro.

Things are chugging along down here. Siempre con la lucha.

First Months in Site

I feel like it is time for an update, but dont really have anything huge to report.
1. I moved into my own house in the end. In my backyard I have: an orange tree, several coffee plants (obviously), an avacado bush, sugarcane, banana trees, and a cinnamon tree. Ill be busy for the next few months doing small repairs and upgrades on the house. Itll be good for me.
2. One of our PC directors came and visited me last week. He said that things seem to be in order. Thats good news.
3. Two cousins surprised me and sort of showed up at my doorstep. We visited for a while and went on a short trip around Honduras. It was a nice break from my work, but I think it sort of messed up my perspective on life in Honduras. Going back to my site after being in semi-vacation mode will be strange.

Otherwise, Im staying healthy and happy and still am living the life.

ESPAÑA WINS!

Hi from Santa Bárbara.

1. Spain:World Champions.
2. The Honduran Diet.
3. Death of a Laptop.
4. Independent Housing.
5. Business Trip.

1. Spain: World Champions. I think that one of the signs of my gradual adapting to Honduran culture is my new appreciation for futbol. Ive watched close to every World Cup game with my host family on their High Def flatscreen. Thats right, they have an expensive TV. After Honduras and USA, I was rooting for Spain, so I was very happy to see them winning. It was an exhausting game with seemingly unbreakable defenses on both sides, especially the Netherlands. Right now is San Fermines in Pamplona, so I cant begin to imagine the celebration going on there.

2. The Honduran Diet. I have lost 20 pounds in the five months Ive been in Honduras. A fellow volunteer told me it was probably because Im drinking less beer here. Heh. In truth, it is most likely that Im eating very healthy and getting a lot of exercise. I also am not drinking as much beer.

3. Death of a laptop. My laptop is officially on the fritz. It caught a Honduran virus and gives me a lovely black screen every time I try booting it. No music or movies for me now; I guess it is the real deal Peace Corps from now on, if I cant fix it.

4. Independent Housing. (Considering I get official approval,) I will be moving into my own house in the coming days. Ive lived the mandatory two months with my host family and found a nice house, good location, friendly landlord, and that meets all the requirements. It will be pretty bare for a while, but that is ok. Itll be kinda like living in the dorms all over. Good news is that rent is 660 lempiras a month, which comes out to be about $32.

5. Business Trip. Went to El Paraiso, a city on the Nicaraguan border, with my coop to fill out paperwork and receive the necessary info about funding from Canada. If we are approved, we will be getting a little more than US$300,000 for environmental improvements for everything to do with coffee in our area (from farm upgrades to a new electrical system in our plant). It was a nice trip too; we got to visit the same border where Mel Zelaya, deposed president, infamously tried to cross into Honduras during the coup. I touched the same sign he did. One of these days I will be able to upload all the pictures I want to.