15 de Septiembre -- Honduras´Indepenence Day
This morning crowds lined the streets in anticipation, braving the oppressive sunshine to see, and definitely to hear, each of La Ceiba´s schools march. As a teacher I myself marched with the students. We arrived at the meeting place half-past 6 this morning and didn´t begin marching until about 8.
I wish I could say the onlookers cheered as we passed by, or at least that my students´faces were glowing with joy, but in all honesty I felt like one of the only excited people at the parade.
"Happy Independence Day," I said to Andres, one of my 10th graders.
"No one´s independent," he replied cynically.
And that was it. No excitement. No joy. No celebration. Just marching. And sweating. And throwing empty water bags and water bottles on the ground.
The march ended at Vida Stadium, the home of La Ceiba´s soccer team. The bleachers were aout a third full when we entered the stadium for our victory lap. No one cheered. No one seemed to give a crap.
Wish I had pictures to share with you. Overall, Independence Day Honduras style was lacking in enthusiasm and therefore, as a foreigner, hard to take pleasure in.
Next: three days off. I was going to go to Copan to see the ruins, but now I´m hopping on a ferry to go to Roatan Island.
Monday, September 15, 2008
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2 comments:
Hi Emily, I've noted the same thing at parades, even at the big carnaval parade. I suppose it could be a cultural difference, but it just seems to me that no one enjoys the parades in La Ceiba! I look around and see that not even the children are smiling. It makes me kind of sad.
Here in Tegucigalpa, the city was quiet for the day of independence. At least in my colonia, there was an uneasy quiet. Thank God the coup rumors were, after all, just a a rumor.
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