A wild week...

Our first full weekend in Santa Lucia…got up late on Saturday, ate some breakfast and Dona Marta (my Hondureña madre) taught me how to wash my clothes by hand. Excelente! The rest of the day was very relaxed as my legs are not used to the hills or the soccer games that I have been dragging them through…they needed rest. That night all of the mothers who are hosting PC aspirantes (remember, we’re not volunteers until we swear in May 3^rd) hosted a party for us, which was very nice. Much food and afterward much dancing. As it turns out my mother was the only one who had any desire to dance, so we were tearing up the floor for a bit. The other aspirantes laughed and the local women thought it was a bit scandalous, I guess, that my mother was dancing with a gringo…but what can you do. It should also be pointed out that my “mother” here is also a mother of five boys of her own and several grandchildren.

Sunday was a trip to church and then going to the local campo to watch a soccer game—Santa Lucia vs. Tegucigalpa. Our little town won, 3-0, so that was very cool if not surprising. After attending a game a group of us got together to watch more games on TV, both here in Honduras and some La Liga action from Espana. Dinner with the family that night was excellent and then afterward Dona Marta, her son and grandson and I watched the Oscars. Of course I didn’t stay up to watch it all, but I was pleased to see The Departed take some big awards. Somewhat odd that I am here in Honduras and I’m writing about the Oscars? Just be happy I am not writing in Spanish, people, because with as much as I need to practice, the thought did cross my mind. As far as world events are concerned, I am definitely clueless at the moment…ignorance is bliss, no?

It is much later in the week now and I am updating on the same entry. To continue with a recent subject, I have noted that American pop culture has found me here in Santa Lucia (the youngest in the house was watching Malcolm in the Middle two nights ago) which is unfortunate. But as our instructors keep telling us, this town is nearly resort-status so these luxuries will not be with us for our entire stay. In other news, went with a small group of fellow aspirantes to the capital, Tegucigalpa, on Wednesday. As aspirantes we are forbidden to go on our own (this was a Spanish class project) and the city has nearly reached the that-which-must-not-be-named level what with the dangers we gringos face if we go unescorted. Beware the buses! Beware two people on motorcycles! On and on it goes. But I have to give it to the PC, they sent some of us in anyway and it was a good experience. Did not see a whole lot as we were only there for a few hours, but it’s always cool to see the capital of a foreign country.

At one of the markets there I did buy my very own pair of tacos, or soccer shoes, because I have been tearing up the local fields here. Ok, so I don’t want to look the part of a soccer player because as soon as I get the ball and am expected to do anything with it all hopes are dashed, but I had been handing a beating to my hiking shoes so I needed to make the change. By the way, the brand with three stripes? Adidas? No, they’re Flamigos…just in case you wondered.

The hills are still kicking the crap out of me. How is it that at nearly two weeks here every…single…hill feels like the first one I have ever climbed. This town may kill my love of running because as it stands now, I want to cry every time I step outside to run because I am anticipating the pain to follow. At some point soon I will figure out pictures on this thing and then you can see for yourselves. At the end of next week I am gone for two days (all of us are) to go visit a current volunteer in the field and get a taste of what its like. Tomorrow I am going to a wedding with my host mother. No, there will be no dancing tomorrow. More soon.

Joe

PS-It is of note that I have indeed figured out pictures on this thing. See an earlier entry for a lovely one of my family in NM before I left. This also means you will be seeing the wonderful views and painful hills that are Santa Lucia soon and very soon.

PPS-It is also of note that the brief ´mispelling´that I had at the beginning of the previous entry was done because of my attempts to make this gringo-friendly. Honduran friends translates into amigos hondureños, hence the e instead of the a at the end of the word. It is because I suffer to make this easier reading for my friends that I am mocked and ridiculed.