san diego for the holidays

There's no place like home for the holidays. Thanks to a generous family friend I get to spend Christmas and New Years in San Diego.

My two days in San Diego have been awesome. Not only have I gotten to spend lots of time with my family, but I've also gotten to drive, take long, HOT showers, peruse books in a bookstore, speak in English ... all the things that I don't do in Honduras.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to be home for the holidays, especially since it may be one of the last times that I do stay for this long. However I can't help but think of my classes and the stories I want to pursue. I'm going to love being home, but I'm also looking forward to going back to my other home: La Ceiba.

Three Cups of Tea

I just finished the book "Three Cups of Tea" but Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is amazing. I recommend that everyone read it.

"Three Cups of Tea" tells the story of one man who is making a significant difference in the world through education in Afghanistan and Pakistan. One of the several things that I really like about this story is how hard Mortenson works to keep his word to the people he meets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many people have dreams of making the world a better place but don't actually want to make the sacrifices necessary to do so. Mortenson, time and time again, makes those sacrifices and it is truly making a difference.

Pakistan and Afghanistan aren't exactly America's favorite places. This book is a necessary read for all Americans, especially ones of faith. Mortenson emphasizes that rather than bomb these nations in the name of national security, America must try another way.

He says, "I've learned that terror doesn't happen because some group of people somewhere like Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us. It happens because children aren't being offered a bright enough future that they have a reason to choose life over death."

The schools that Mortenson builds provide secular, non-extremist education to both boys and girls. The alternative to Mortenson's schools in many of these villages is either no school or a madrassas, which is an extremist, Islamic school.

This Christmas, if you know someone who loves to read, I highly recommend purchasing "Three Cups of Tea" as a gift. Proceeds from books purchased at www.threecupsoftea.com go toward a girls' education scholarship fund in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

I'm not sure if the war in the middle east is close or far from most Americans' minds. It was a hot topic during presidential debates, but I sense that it doesn't affect us on a day-to-day basis. This book reminds us that even today, the war is impacting many lives in an often devastating way. Regardless of your views on America's involvement in the Middle East, this book will enlarge your perspective and make your opinion better informed.

"In times of war, you often hear leaders --Christian, Jewish, Muslim-- saying, 'God is on our side.' But that isn't true. In war, God is on the side of the refugees, widows and orphans." (Three Cups of Tea, pg. 239)



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perks to living in a developing country

So, I realized that many of my blog posts are about negative experiences or observations here in Honduras. However, that simply doesn't sum up my whole experience. Yes, teaching is really hard, stressful and unrewarding, but I do have fun here and I do get to pamper myself for much less than it would cost in the States. For instance, last Saturday I got a one-hour, full body massage by the beach for less than $10 and today I got a great pedicure for the same price. Going to the movies costs about $3 and I can get a frozen coffee drink with caramel for about $1.50. Yay!

winding down

I just finished watching Anderson Cooper's "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines." As expected it was inspiring. One again my desire to do journalism here in Honduras is renewed.

I'm doing research for a potentially big story right now, but I wont be able to pursue it fully until next year. I've decided that I need to rework my approach to doing journalism here. I need to focus on getting sources, meeting with locals, and talking to government and organization leaders instead of jumping straight into story ideas. I can't come up with stories all on my own. That's not the point of journalism. I need to reflect the concerns and opinions of the people here, not my own. My lack of Spanish is especially frustrating as I try to do this, but I'm slowly improving. I'll enroll in language school when I return from home in January.

Speaking of coming back to Honduras, I'm waiting for the school to reimburse me for my flight. If they don't pay by Thursday (my last day at school before going home), then I wont be returning to teach in January. (I'll still come back to Honduras, but not to teach.) But I doubt that they wont pay me. I hope they pay me. I'm already looking forward (at least a little) to coming back in 2009.

There's no class tomorrow because it's been raining all day. Businesses are shut down now because the government issued a red alert. For me this isn't very serious because my apartment is away from the river. However, these rains mean certain death and destruction for many more rural parts of La Ceiba. It's hard to be blissfully excited about no school when that is also part of this equation.

Culture in the mall!

I was at the mall this afternoon for an interview when I encountered one of the first cultural experiences that I've had here in La Ceiba. My interview took place at the coffee shop downstairs and I could hear drums from just a few feet away. As it turns out, Digicel (a new cellular company in Honduras) was having a promotion and had paid a group from Sambo Creek to perform Punta for a few hours in the Mall.

Enjoy this video of a non-typical Saturday afternoon in La Ceiba's mall:

Thanksgiving in Copan: old rocks, new friends, and entertaining fire

Me, in front of Mayan ruins wearing a necklace made by my friend Carolina (see last picture).

This face was carved around 700 AD (i think...although it was so hot and my tour guide was talking so much it's hard to remember exactly).
Beautiful Mayan ruins. They used to play an athletic game here... the captain of the losing team was sacrificed to the gods.
An old, old rock-face in front of the home of the old Mayan kings.

Three boys hanging out in a side street close to my hostel, Iguana Azul.

This woman is sorting beans, but you got to love the cow foot in the background.

A market on the weekend in Copan. I bought a bag of strawberries and oranges.

One of my new friends from Nicaragua performing in El Parque Central of Copan accompanied by the drumming of my new friends from Guatemala.

My friend Carolina and her family. They travel from city to city making and selling jewelry. Every day I was in Copan I'd stop by and visit Carolina for an hour or so; she helped me with my Spanish, I helped her with her English.