Day: 70

Things are looking up here in La Ceiba since I started feeling better. It's been raining non-stop for as long as I can remember (which means about 1 week). Whenever it rains really hard the government issues a "no-school" day. This is great news for everyone who gets to stay home, but we (teachers at Brassavola Bilingual School) have to leave the comforts of our homes and brave torrents of rain and gusty winds in order to be what our bosses deem "productive."

Today I was at school by 6:55 a.m. There were no students so I decided to leave before anyone noticed me. I made it 2/3 of the way home when I was spotted my Senora Castro, my small, quintessential teacher boss. She honked, stopped her car and discussed with me, in Spanish, (while I was still in the rain) why I needed to go back to school. She threatened that the "Treasury" might come to the school and see that I wasn't there and take away my pay. (psh. Yeah right.)

So I had to go back to school. But I made another escape attempt and this one was more successful!

The rains here are beautiful. While having a break from school is a relief, there are many serious problems caused by the rain. Already at least 33 people have died and thousands are homeless. Hard rains aren't new to Honduras. I guess I'm wondering if this many people die every year? How is it that a country in such a rainy climate is so poorly set up to withstand such weather?

"IT"

It took two months for IT to hit me. IT being the cost of an adventure... and not the monetary cost, but rather the cost of experiences and familiarity. Nothing brings these costs to mind like photo albums on facebook.

What I miss the most right this minute:
My mom
Friends
Fall -- cold weather, sweaters, pumpkins, scarves, leaves changing colors, hot coffee on a cold day
Wal Mart/Target
My car
Coffee shops with comfy couches and mood music

DENGUE: Why, why, why?

So, for the past six days I've pretty much been confined to my apartment, popping benedryls every 8 hours and drinking lots of water and V8Fusion. I think I have dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever.

Here's the crappy little creature who gave it to me:

Listen to these symptoms of dengue:

Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name "breakbone fever." Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children.

I've never felt this sick before in my life. And apparently there's no medicine for it... I'm just supposed to "let it run its course." If the illness can only last up to 10 days then I should be over it by Thursday. Perfect timing for finals. I HATE BEING SICK.

i heart journalism.

“I knew I didn't want to be a doctor or a lawyer or go into business. I wanted to be a writer and bring down the bastions of power that caused common people so much suffering. That's what I thought in 11th grade. I guess I never grew up. I still feel that way." ~Robert Friedman, investigative journalist

For the first time in my life I really feel like I have the opportunity to pursue stories that I'm passionate about. I have the power, skills and resources to cover stories that matter; stories that can make a difference in the lives of people who have no voice of their own. Because of this I am content being in Honduras; possibly even more content here and now than I've ever been before.

"There are lots of stories, so resist covering them all. Find one or two and go deep and write well."

debate NIGHT!!!

legalize drugs?

This morning began more leisurely than usual. Classes were canceled due to heavy rains last night. After a quick, pointless trip to the school I returned to my apartment where I enjoyed several cups of Honduran coffee and a fresh baked pastry.

By about the second cup of coffee I had finished checking e-mail, facebook, yahoo, and myspace and had moved on to the news.

"Honduran president calls for legalizing drug use" was the headline that caught my eye.

"Honduran President Manuel Zelaya says drug consumption should be legalized to stop violence related to trafficking," writes the Associated Press. "Zelaya says that 'instead of pursuing drug traffickers, societies should invest resources in educating drug addicts and curbing their demand.' He proposes establishing mechanisms for legalizing drug use." (full article)

"What the hell?"

This is the only response I can come up with even after reading the article several times. Can someone please tell me how LEGALIZING DRUGS will stop violence?? It doesn't make sense. However, what does make sense is why Mel Zelaya would want drugs to be legal: everyone says he is funded by drug lords.

How is Honduras ever going to prosper with such crappy leadership? It makes me mad to think how much this leader is willing to risk for his own selfish ambition. Does he care at all for his country?

Aggnes Repplier, the American essayist, couldn't be more accurate when she wrote, "Democracy forever teases us with the contrast between its ideals and its realities, between its heroic possibilities and its sorry achievements."

But I'm tired of it. I'm tired of seeing how one person's selfishness can ruin an entire country. It's not just Zelaya and Honduras, it's Ugand's Museveni, Zimbabwe's Mugabe, Mexico's Calderon ... etc.

Will bad governance never end?

Thomas Jefferson said, "The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government."

Sounds simple, so why do so many leaders have difficulty putting this into practice?

Franklin D. Roosevelt suggests this: "The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government."

I don't pretend to have the answers to the world's age-old problem of bad governance, but the last part of Roosevelt's statement further convinces me of the value of education and good journalism. Hondurans may not have any control over the government now, but with education and journalists holding powers accountable that can change.

The day we stop believing things can change is the day we surrender hope.

published!

My first international article is online! :) Click HERE to read it!

teaching

My weekly class schedule

I think I have 34 hours of class in a week. That's more than any other teacher at the school. Tuesdays and Fridays are the absolute worst. I have only one free hour each of those days. Notice also that we only have 20 minutes for lunch! Some of my sociology students are working on surveys right now to see if the school's population is generally dissatisfied with such a short lunch. We're hoping to use their findings to convince the directors to make lunch longer!!! Keep your fingers crossed, the directors have a reputation for not listening to anyone.

Tomorrow we start our units on poetry and Shakespeare!

p.s. i just smashed a bug and now it's carcass is staining my wall. yuck.

un día en las carreras

Motocross: La Ceiba
October 4-5, 2008

LA CEIBA--HONDURAS: It was a two-day event that brought the whole family together. Local heroes, some of Honduras' most daring athletes, challenged the laws of nature with skill and flair. Racers lined up with clean uniforms and bikes, anxious to see how they would handle the muddy track. By the end of the first lap goggles were abandoned and riders were barely distinguishable.
Despite mud and flooding, riders took turns tight, jumps long and speeds high. Mothers held their breaths, watching as sons, husbands, nephews and brothers risk their lives for the thrill that is motocross.

A rider soars through the finish line with just a few more laps to go. In Honduras a rider may be the best in the country and not win anything more than bragging rights and his bike. Unlike the states, athletes here actually compete for the fun of it. They want to win, of course, but they're driven by the competition, not money.

In the U.S. a spectator would never be able to watch a Motocross event from so close. Yay for Honduras! I may not be able to go outside my apartment past dark, but I can stand 10 feet from huge pieces of machinery sailing through the sky. By the end of the day my legs, arms, neck and clothes were covered in mud kicked up by the bikes. It was so bad on Saturday that a racer, Angelo (who ended up winning first place in the pro division), offered me his washcloth to clean up a little.

One of my students, Juan, competed and won first place. He's the best in his category for all of Honduras and pretty much the bomb!

meet my neighbors

I love my neighbors.

Whether they are teaching me Spanish, selling me jewelry, carrying my groceries or inviting me over to play chess they each help to make the Suites del Toronjal (my apartment complex) feel more like home.

Grandma and Rafael

From outside my door, this is a view of two of my Nicaraguan neighbors. Grandma sits in this rocking chair every day and lives with her daughter. Her daughter is my primary Spanish teacher and jewelry provider. I've already bought two necklaces from her and she's promised to give me a free one if I can get my students to buy from her. To the right of Grandma is Rafael, her grandson. Rafael lives a few apartments down with his parents and younger brother, Mario. Mario likes music and stepping on my feet. Sometimes he feels brave enough to come inside my apartment, but usually only when I have skittles.

Rafa-a-sketch

Rafael is seven. He is supposed to be learning English, but he doesn't like doing his homework. I help him practice English; he helps me practice Spanish. Sometimes we use this etch-a-sketch. He makes really funny faces when I mess up. Sometimes it makes me feel stupid, but overall he's a good teacher.

I also live next to a college student from Roatan, a painter from Texas, and a local doctor. I'll try to get photos of them, but they're less excited about being photographed for a blog than Rafael and Grandma (who, in all honesty, didn't even know she was being photographed).

That's all for now. Just two more days of school this week then a three day weekend! The weekend should be pretty full: I've got a masquerade Saturday night and I'm watching some friends compete in a motocross event Saturday and Sunday.

paz y amor. :)