World AIDS Day

So.... world AIDS day in Santa Rosa came and went unnoticed by most people. It was pretty much a bust on our half. I had made this whole big plan, including a parade, activities in the park and a play/candle ceremonyin the evening. But when it came down to it we weren't able to do anything!
The day prior to world AIDS day was the primary elections here in Honduras and because of this the government decided that the 1st would be a public office holiday. My counterparts used this to explain to me that we couldn't do anything in the park because there would be a poor circulation of people (i find that hard to believe cuz if they aren't at work where else are they going to be-- hanging out in the park like every other weekend). Well, in addition to this, there was also a public ordinance that it was prohibited to have any sort of public demonstrations before 3pm. So the parade and and gran bulla we had planned was a no-go. In addition to all this, the head people in teguc of my counterpart organization (organization dedicated to HIV work) decided to have their national conference the day following, Dec. 2nd, making it that much harder for us to do anything considering we have to travel 7 hrs to get to the conference(meaning leaving at 4am on the 2nd to get to teguc in time).
So seeing as we had to travel early in the morning to make the conference and the fact that it was a holdiay and the park activities were a no go due to the ordinance... they decided to cancel the event all in all. I was pretty disappointed because I really was looking forward to using this activity to show the counterparts the good work I can do, but I realize that I can't make anyone do something they don't want to do and if I am the only one who is really trying that it isn't going to work.
We were suppose to have a make-up world AIDS day tomorrow, but that also has fallen through.
I still really want to do something and so do the teenagers that work in the office with me, so we might try to plan something super fun and educative on our own. It is just hard for me to believe that the largest city in the west did not commemorate the day at all and I feel like we need to do something and do it ya!
At least I was able to stop by the festivities in Quimistan.. exposida in the park and a movie! Good work Katie! I am proud of your AIDs day activities and happy I could be a part of them.
eh...Life is difficult and frustrating. It is just one of those days! It really is "the toughest job you'll ever love"

The whole turkey day album

Here is the link to my thanksgiving day pictures. Finally finished up the left overs today!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2282996&l=36def&id=12301925

Thanksgiving- PC style

My yummy plate of food-- yes I ate it all... no help from my cousin Emily this year!

The family

The bird and suffing after cooking in the toaster oven for 4 hours

Key products I was able to find in Santa Rosa and San Pedro

The star of the show cooking in the toaster oven!

All in all thanksgiving was a great success. I was so happy to have most of my friends over and to spend the holiday with good company and good food. I am so very thankful for each and everyone of them and all the opportunities I have had to get to know all different kinds of people, from the states, from Honduras and from ther countries too! It was great that we could all come together to give our thanks and enjoy some delicious food! Good god.. i still feel full from all the good eats!

My savior these days!

At the waterfall!

The Waterfall

The whole gang taking a lunch break

Walking to the waterfall... right after this pic was taken my sandal got swept away in the river! Thank god Fernando was able to catch it!

View from the Cabins at the Girls Camp.

Welcome sign in Garifuna

The girls and Leala listening to the session.

HIV tot in San Jose with the local HS students.

Pretty picture I took at the cemetary in San Jose. All the graves were decorated for day of the dead.

I have recently feel in love with my space heater. I just got back from a trip to the coast helping various volunteers with their projects.

I first went to San Jose where Matt had his HIV tot. It ended up being pretty difficult and the kids at the HS were a little hard to handle because it was a night school and they were all riled up. All in all it after some yelling and constant asking them to listen the newly trained students got through their practica successfully and now hopefully understand how difficult it is to be in front of a group of students talking about HIV and sex.

From there I left pretty early in the morning for Tornabe where Jennifer and Amanda were having their abstinence girls camp. It was super fun and interesting to meet all the girls from various Garifuna communities (Tornabe and Sambo Creek). I gave a charla on friendship and taught them all how to make friendship bracelets. It was lots of fun and I can't wait to have a similiar type of activity here in Santa Rosa. And it was on the beach so that was a plus.

After the camp, I made my way to Sonaguera to see Mary's site and work on the monitoring and evaluation section of the new PLWHA tot. It was definitly a little toasty out that way especially since there was no ocean breeze to cool you off at night!

After M&E work, I made my way over to Santa Fe...a Garifuna community by Trujillo for my buddy Fernando's bday! It was super fun... we hiked to a waterfall to go swimming. AMAZING! I can't believe we actually live here sometimes.

After all that time in the sun and sweating my butt off... I finally came back home on Sunday-- just in time for the COLD FRONT! Apparently it was nice and wamer while I was gone... but now it is absolutly FREEZING-- hence my new found love of the space heater! I kept waking up lastnight shivering with my little nariz as cold as an ice cube! I need some more blankets. Brrrrr!

Yes... it is 6 feet tall mom

So mom doesn't believe me that my tree is 6 feet tall... so I need

to put a picture up that puts it all in perspective.

O' Christmas Tree O'Christmas Tree

Sooo.. I found a xmas tree at the super market. I am so excited about it and yes, I have alrady put it up... I think it adds something to the apartment.

yumminess

Yep... made those from scratch! Sooo delicious! I have become quite the baker here...i attribute it to boredom mostly.

Electric Water

So seeing as it is freezing here I am extra thankful that I have access to hot water..... via the electric shower....well it is more of a love hate relationship. I love that I can wake up in the morning and hop in the shower and soak in the warmness.. however I hate the constant threat of that morning being the end of life as I know it due to being eletrocuted. I actually don't think I am in any real eminent danger of electrocution, but ya never know... the electrical current isn't exactly the most regular thing here (for this we use regulators). But I don't think I should complain because I know many volunteers here who don't have hot water and have to bucket bath with boiled water. I'll take my electroducha over that any day!

When the rain falls

So it all started a coupld weeks ago when the tropical depression hit honduras. We had about 1 week of straight rain. It was miserable, everything soaking wet, mold starting to grow and clothes that wouldn't dry! The Peace Corps began sending us advisory messages about using caution when traveling due to flooding and land slides. This continued for the week. It is very sad because due to the intense rain we have had many smaller aldeas have been destroyed by land slides...in fact one PC volunteer was telling me about how an aldea of her town fell into the river... the entire aldea gone... all those homes and people's entire lives gone! Other places have turned into refugees camps, housing those who have lost everything they owned from the flooding.

These rainstorms have helped usher in the cold... due to the fact that I am in the mountains it has been quite chilly.. actually freezing. It all started with the rain and now i hear it is going to continue like this until December! Most morning it is hard to get out of bed and I spend my evenings bundled in sweaters and blankets. Thank GOD I brought back my scarf and mittens! I need some more swaet pants.. well actually I don't have a single pair-- only yoga pants and cotton PJs(not so warm) I also wish I have some close-toed shoes. I have tennis shoes but they are light and the mud here is crazy! so I resort to wearing my chacos or my wellies. I am going to have to invest in some better foot wear. I never would have imagined my life in Honduras like this.

PS- during this time most Hondurans go around dressed as if they are going on a trip to the frozen tundra... heavy winter coat, gloves, hat, scarf, sweater... and this is indoors seeing as we do not have heating.

More links

This link is to just some random pictures from having people in town, bdays, and going out.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2271714&l=c95fc&id=12301925

There is the link to Noche de Fumadores fotos... it was a celebration during the feria celebrating the Tobacco industry here in Santa Rosa. Note: Mother-I do not smoke... but I felt for the event the need to partake in the cigar smoking... i know very bad... but when in rome.... do as the romans do!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2270652&l=7c6b3&id=12301925

Training pics... oh the memories of FBT
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2253431&l=b6ce9&id=12301925

Host Family pic from Yarumela
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2253409&l=e9fdd&id=12301925

Ok I think that is it for now.. I will keep you updated as far as my facebook photo postings go

Posting Pictures

So I have been posting a lot of pictures of various things on Facebook. Here is a link to one of the albums.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2271714&l=c95fc&id=12301925

Just some pictures of the feria and things that have been happening in the park!

My Bday

So I never wrote to y'all about my bday. Thanks to my wonderful friends, my bday was excellent. We had our project workshop/reconnect on that day so I actually got to be will all of my friends. I was really worried that I was going to be alone and that it was going to be sad. But actually I was with the entire Health team and all my fav's minus my vecino Fernando! I made a big deal that my bday was on reconnect and I know everyone was sick of hearing when my bday was by the end of it....but I got to thinking why that was. And I think that it is mainly because I knew that I was going to be sad on that day because I wouldn't be with the people from home and my family. I was sad not to see gma, get hugs from mom, dad, ang and bob. Sad not to get spoiled by Olivia and see her family (although we did celebrate when I was at home....exactly 1 month prior to my bday) But all in all, I had an excellent birthday surrounded by all the new friends I have made in this wonderful journey so far.

I think I am very blessed with having such great friends who go through the trouble to make me cards and cupcakes. Who have stressful days running around to every ATM in the greater San Pedro Sula area because the stinkin Gallo mas Gallo doesn't take credit card....just so they can buy a toaster oven to make me a dozen chocolate cupcakes (Thanks Katie!) with gummy bears on top (Thanks Linda!)

More pics

Brr it is cold here..... been raining for 5 days now

Pretty roses I bought at the market

and finally the fridge!

Yummy Apple pie I made in my giant toaster oven!

The largest toaster oven I could find... goal is to fit a bird into this bad boy.

The mushroom that was growing out of my wall....I thought it was a plastic bag... but no fungi

Ode to Tigo internet

Oh Tigo internet How I love thee
So much that I stay up until a quarter to 3 ... AM

Ok, so that is a slight exaggeration... it was more like 2am. I am afraid that I am addicted to my new internet. It came the other day and it is soooo fast. So now I am connected all the day long. I love it cuz I get to talk to my family, hear my dog bark while we are confusing the hell out of him and find all sorts of information about what is happening in the world. I fear I am going to have to let it go little by little.... but for now I am going to live it up while it is the weekend and put everything else aside to surf the web at speeds... as the logo on the box says " Faster than you want". I think that is a funny slogan... it is so fast you don't even want it!

Here I leave you off... to spend the rest of my saturday night playing on the computer

Katie and Kristina walk to Teguc

A few weeks ago, Katie and I were supposed to help train the new group of Muni D volunteers in HIV so that when they go to their sites, they are able to give an HIV charla if called upon to do so.
Katie and I had a plan to meet up in SPS and travel the rest of the way to Teguc together. I got on the morning bus, got into to SPS, saved Katie a seat and we were soon on our way; Only 5 more hours until we arrived in Teguc. Everything was going fine… we even had a surprise visit by our favorite Bus vender—the tattooed man who used to be in a gang but has now found his faith in God, changed his ways and now deserves money from innocent travelers—he is great…. You know it is a good bus trip when tattoo man gets on! He gives you a nice little show at the end of his rant, by lifting his shirt up and showing everyone all his gang tats—very impressive. FYI… here in Honduras tattoos=gang… or at least that is what PC tells us and I guess it used to be as such a few years ago.
Tattoo man got off the bus and we continued on our way, stopping just outside of Teguc caught in traffic. Katie and I begin to wonder what is going on when we notice an hour has gone by and we still haven’t moved. We were about 20 minutes outside of the city. We began calling all the PC staff members to find out what has happened….. Apparently there had been a giant accident involving 2 semi trucks which was blocking both lanes.
Katie and I were faced with 2 choices…. Sit on the bus and wait it out, which could take god knows how long here in Honduras or foot it across the accident and hitchhike to the nearest gas station where the PC vehicle would pick us up. Of course, looking for our adventure we chose option #2.
We decided to get off the bus. We walked for about 10 mins through all the buses and cars which were all backed up due to said accident, we got in the back of a pick up so we could get up closer to the accident by driving on the shoulder. We went as far as we could in the truck, but soon enough we found the shoulder backed up with all the cars that had the same idea as us. We got out of the truck bed, footed it another 20 minutes down the highway. Finally arriving at the accident, where the 2 semi trucks had crashed into one another. At one point in time the cab of one of the trucks had been engulfed in flames and all that was left was the metal frame. Can only hope the driver escaped before this happen. We crossed the accident, walked for another 10 minutes, bought some yummies which some ladies were selling on the side of the road, explored the cemetery that we passed and waited to hitchhike to the gas station.
First car went by… full. As I wandered around by the cemetery, Katie waved the second one down….from a distance it looked like a pickup but up close we realized it was the scariest rape van you could ever imagine…. White van, no windows, 2 men in the front. They pulled up to see if we wanted a lift, and the side door slides open to reveal yet another big burly man in the back…. We looked at eachother, both terrified and politely declined. Finally we found a pickup with a nice little family inside, got in the back, arrived at the gas station where we waited with our other friend Andrea who was also stuck in the mess until the PC vehicle came to get us.
Just another day in the life of a Peace Corps volunteer…..

The day there was no Tigo

One day a few months ago, a couple weeks after coming to site, my dear friend Katie was going to come visit. We were going to explore Santa Rosa and possibly head to Gracias Lempira to visit our other friend Anna. That very same morning I had a date to learn how to make bagels from scratch (yes… it is possible to make them). Katie calls me about 8 am, in true Katie cheery fashion informing me she had gotten on the bus and would be here in 2 short hours. In the mean time I went to the restaurant, made my bagels, ate breakfast and noticed the time…. Katie had yet to call telling me she had arrived. Strange I thought seeing as it had been about 2hours and 20 mins. I tried calling her, but the call didn’t go through… maybe there was a spot on the road where there was no signal. I went home, showered…and still no Katie. I call again, call failed. Again… call failed. I soon come to realize that my fear has come true and the world in Honduras had come to a halting stop..... THERE WAS NO TIGO SIGNAL! For those who don’t live in Honduras, Tigo is the cell phone company that all peace corps volunteers use. It is our life-line, how we communicate, how the PC lets us know if the country is going to blow up or get hit by a hurricane. We were instantly flashed back to a time where PC communicated via courier pigeon and donkeys. The entire cell phone network country-wide had been turned off and poor Katie was in transit to Santa Rosa with no idea where I lived. I tried calling her a good 15 more times, I went out on a search of Santa Rosa on 2 separate occasions looking for my dear friend…making sure to check the places I thought would lure little Katie in, grocery stores and shoe store… still nothing!
Dear Katie was lost and I could only assume she was in Santa Rosa seeing as I knew she had left her site. In a last ditch effort I checked my email, thinking that maybe she found an internet café and thought to email me… still no word from Katie but our friend in Gracias had emailed me (seeing as calling was out of the picture). She was wondering where we were, if we were coming to Gracias still and seeing as neither of us knew where she lived, provided me with directions to her house… a thing I neglected to provide Katie with.
As the morning turned to the afternoon and the afternoon turned to evening… I quickly realized that Katie was never going to be found and I just prayed that she was ok.
Next day… we were back up and running with the cell phones and I found out that she did in fact arrive in Santa Rosa on time, but realized as she arrived there was no signal… she didn’t know where to go, had no money cuz the ATM was broken and decided to get lunch and turn back around to go back to Qumistan…. Santa Rosa would have to wait until another weekend.
How did life go one without cell phones!?!

Thank God for friends!

So I know I haven't written in a while, and I promise I will update lots soon. I have been having a computer crisis with the power cord frying up and then wireless card breaking... so now i am back up and running.
I just want to say how thankful I am for having great friends. I have been having a kinda rough time here in site with counterparts and such... and it all just came to a head this week. Tears were flowing, threats of leaving my office were running through my head... but low and behold right when i was down, I got a suprise visit from a couple of my closest friends here, Katie and Anna. They helped me get my mind off the problems and start looking forward instead of in the past. I don't know what I would do without them. THANK YOU thank you thank you.

No se que haria si no tuviera buenas amigas como uds....

-Kristina

The long awaited apartment pics!

HELLO EVERYONE! So I am back in the states for a brief amount of time. Came home for Karen's wedding (one of my best friends from OU)!! I am so friggin excited!

Well here are the pictures of my apartment in Honduras and various fun things!

Pic#1- A little collage I made.. little bit of this and a little bit of that with my health team!

Pic#2- Bedroom

Pic#3- Living Room

Pic#4- Kitchen

Pic#5- Patio with Pila to wash on and all my hand washed clothing!

Care package and love of reese´s

SO today my day started off with a wnderful surprise!! I went to the post office to check my box and i had a care package from Tulane!! It was filled with all sorts of goodies, cheez-its, ritz PB crackers, chips, tea, JAMBALAYA MIX, and a GIANT bag of candy. So I can honestly say i have been sitting here in the office eating for the past 25mins... i am a little embarrassed when i look in the trash bin and see all my wrappers sitting in there.. but really i don´t care cuz it was sooooo worth it! I would also like to report that I just ate my 1st reese´s PB cup in 5 months. I love reese´s ... it doesn´t even matter that i had to eat it off of the paper as it was a gooey mess. I think it added to the enjoyment. I think Reese´s is the perfect candy and i am sitting here in the FORO office with a big smile on my face. God! i am happy... i forgot all i was missing!

Apartment pics!

Well... i was trying to upload photos again.. but once again not gonna happen. Imagine a nice peach colored tiled wonder-- that is my apartment.
Pues... i know that the whole place is tiled and could very well be 1 giant bathroom or be converted into a suana quite easily-- but it makes it really easy to clean!

I am excited about my next big purchase-- the fridge! I need to wait until I come home to get $ from my account because I am an idiot and left my US debit card at home... but don't worry I am coming home soon (August 6th)-- yea Ang I will be home for 12 days- For Karen's wedding!!!! super excited!
Once I get a fridge I can stop storing things in my microwave! It is funny how i don't even think twice about putting my milk overnight in the microwave until I can get it in the fridge the next day.. or store jam/ leftovers in there too.. until I can get into my host family's house to use the fridge.

pictures

sorry i haven't posted pictures... the internet connection here at work is demasiado slow and it won't let me post them. I will try to bring the computer to my other work and post from there sometime soon!

NGO's and money

So things here have been going pretty slow these past few weeks and I really haven't had much work for myself... hence the start of the trash project.
So.....I got to talking to one of my counterparts about money and honduran culture. I didn't realize that they spend $8000 lemps on a single support group meeting... that is about $430 dollars and is absolutly ridiculous to me. For one thing, they pay these peoples transport from their community to santa rosa, give them a snack, give them lunch, give them $ for dinner and then pay for their over night stay if it is necessary and to top it off give them $ for breakfast. Talk about over-kill....all those unneccessary expenses! I couldn't believe it. And now we are going to run out of money come november and there is no funding for the next year. My counterpart is all worried about the group and what will happen, but to me it is just an example of how un-sustainable this group really is.
For me and most of everyone else in development work the goal is sustainable development. To work and function so that if one day your organization was not there or there was a lack of funds that the whole world didn't come crashing down. I am currently working with another volunteer- Leah- from San Juan to write for some PEPFAR funds for the next 6 months of meetings so maybe we can have more meetings..... however i don't know what is going to happen because since the NGO started the habit of paying all this the people are all used to it and when we can no longer pay for it all I fear they aren't going to come to the meeting. The PC certainly isn't going to pay for all of that seeing as it is so unsustainable and I have personal issues with paying all that so I am not including it in the grant.
I think this is also a good thing for the group though... because it will show that those who are truly interested in the group will come to the meetings for their own personal good and not what they are getting out of it. We for people to come to SRC from all over.. san pedro, san marcos.. places really far away. Sure some are coming for the meeting and to get meds... but i also fear that some are just coming because it is a free trip to Santa Rosa and food (hell why not!) But hopefully we can get through this hiccup and be a stronger group because of it.
This custom of paying for everything is completely out of hand! Every meeting you go to has a snack and lunch provided and people only go cuz they are getting fed and they won't show up if you aren't providing food. It drives me crazy at how much $ is wasted on silly little things like that when the $ could be spent in such a better way. I think the people here really just need a lesson on better management of funds... not just the people I am working with but everyone!
I have no idea how to approach this topic with my work partners.... the wasting of $ and the fact that we don't need to be spending so much money on the events we do. Dios mio... hopefully I can talk to some volunteers and get suggestions because if this keeps up we are not going to have $ for anything. I wonder if their funders have any idea how all this $ is being spent... because if they did I am sure they wouldn't fund them nearly as much as they do.

APARTMENT!!!

So I am very excited to post about my new apartment. I am actually staying at my host family's house because they rent apartment and it just so happened that one has opened up in perfect timing. My mom lowered the rent so that I would stay too so that helps. It has it's own little patio and pila, a giant kitchen, big living room and my bedroom. Off the bedroom is the bathroom with the electroduche so I have hot water. It is really safe too there is like 4 doors anyone would have to get through if they wanted to steal me or my stuff ... and my family has a vicious dog that barks really loud so he scares off the people. I swear he is going to eat me by the end of these 2 years. Another perk with this place is that there is CABLE! but that also means i need to buy myself a TV-- right now I am borrowing one from my host family. Maybe I can get one for xmas??



This weekend I think I am going to go buy a fridge and gas burners. I kinda want a big mini fridge... not the ity bitty dorm sized ones. I like to cook and I need some space in my fridge to put stuff. I found one I like for about 5,000 lemps.. and since George Bush gave us all $300 to spend.. I think I might just splurge. It is for 2 yrs, why not!

BASURA

So I am kinda excited... I am going to start working with one of my site mates Shannon on this garbage project "Cero Basura". We just talked about it lastnight over a couple beers... but it should be great. We are going to make the contacts and charla paper this week and hopefully start with the charla´s by the end of the month. There is a play that goes along with this program so we are hoping to work with the group of actors at the Casa Cultura and perform it for the local schools and at the Feria in August. It is going to be alot of work.... but I think it can be done!

Sickness

So I have been sick since Thursday!! sooooo not fun! I thought getting sick at home was bad... it is nothing compared to here. I awoke in the night with horrible stomach pain thursday morning and from there on it was no good news. Went to the doctor thursday afternoon... he was kinda an ass and wouldn´t speak to me. I think he didn´t think that I spoke spanish. So after some time he decides that I have gastritis and I need 2 shots... not just any shots.. 2 shots to the VEIN! so here I am terrified of needles getting a line put in and 2 injections that make me feel all weird. Didn´t work because I still was sick that night. I think I had a virus cuz it cleared up in about 3 days. I had to go back to the clinic to give the magical sample... however there is no privacy here. They gave me a dixie cup told me to go to the potty and then carry it across the waiting room to the lab as if i was announcing to the world " Hey everyone the gringa is sick" poop in hand.... to say the least I got some stage fright and couldn´t perform, but at least I feel better today and I can finally start eating again! the up side of getting sick is... it is a great crash diet.. no food for about 3 days makes you lose a few pounds i am sure!

Was able to get up this morning and go walking with Audrey (my honduran friend) and eat a bowl of cereal. feeling good---just a little sore from the body trama i have been in.

have my first real charla friday with my support group. It is on nutrition and i just found out that both my counterparts are going to be gone in tegus... so i am on my own with the helper Ruth--i am excited because I was afraid that they would interrupt me... i think they have doubts in me but I just need to show them that they can confide in me and that I am serious about my job! Also, there is a PC meeting wednesday in SRC so I get to see everyne here in the hotel and eat some goot food on the PC.
-Kristina

Change of Address

Hey everyone.. change of address.... If you would ever feel the urge to send dear little Kristina something (peanut butter-JIF x crunchy, foot pumice scrubber, hair clips- the silver kind flipping kind, febreeze or even just a letter with a picture of you in it!) I have a new address:

Kristina Cesa-PCV

Voluntaria de Cuerpo de Paz

Apartado Postal 1800

Santa Rosa de Copan

Honduras

America Central

I am having an excellent day-- minus the headache. I have taking up running/walking around the track at 7 am with my friends and by take up I mean I have gone once- this morning! But I am excited because there is this group of women who always go and I am going to try to start talking to them and then see if they want to be part of a womens group I can start here.. a women's exercise group/nutricion group. I think it sounds fun and an excuse to cook and chisme!

No one is in the office because the counterparts are off at a taller that they didn't tell me about so I have it all to myself! I was able to plug the computer into the internet and use my own laptop! I went and had some pizza and chocolate cake with some other volunteers AND tomorrow I am taking a mini- day trip to Copan Ruinas to see my loves Fernando and Linda... life is good!

Pics-- Me on swearing in day and then the whole health group.

Mothers Day

So Mother's Day here is like a national holiday... everything shuts down, kids get off of school on monday, every where you look people are selling big giant signs that say "Felicidades Madres" I had no idea it was this big of a deal here. I bought my host mom 2 roses from the guy on the corner and wished her a good day-- i feel that is sufficient. All the hoopla made me miss my mom at home though. I was nice to talk to her and hear that she was having a good day.

Finally a Volunteer

WOOOHOOO!! you are now reading the blog of an official volunteer. Friday we had our ceremonia at the embassy. IT was nice and it was really fun getting all dressed up--forgot what it was like to blow-dry my hair! oh the little things we miss.
I don´t think I ever blogged about my site. I am in Santa Rosa de Copan. It is really big and pretty. The climate if perfect... think spring all year long. GOogle it because it is a tourist place, so i am sure there is a ton of info on it.

i am here in my site now. it was rough to leave everyone. Right when I started feeling really close to everyone we are all seperated. I cried of course.. i am sure that doesn´t surprise anyone. When i got here i had a mini-panic attack because it is just so real now... this is it! no more training wheels...baby bird has been pushed out of the nest and now it is sink or swim time!! God it is kinda scary, but i know it will all be ok.

have had a headache today and yesterday*---i think the fumes in my room are doing it. the fam recently painted and it is a small room so it hasn´t had a chance to air out. need to go to my monthly job meeting now--ttyl

Correo- Mail

I LOVE GETTING PACKAGES!!!!
Absolutly makes my day. I got my first package from my mommy and it was great. It took a month to get here but it was well worth it (Vale la pena). I LOVE YOU MOM. thanks! Hope i get more mail too. Also got a post card from Kathy in Italy... that was fun too. And I am being sent election mail because I applied for an absentee ballot-- i will vote for anyone who campaigns all the way here in Honduras!

Also went swimming in a nice pool in Comayagua with Linda and the other Melons ( people living here in Yarumela with me). It was heaven-- didn't feel like I was in honduras or was in the peace corps.

I love you all so much.. wish me well.. i am getting nervous about sites.

PS-- Hondurans love to thanks god-- ALOT. it gets kinda over the top but i love it. when ever they start a story or make plans they say things like " 1st i have to thank god or god willing" and then they continue on blessing people and thanking god 5 more times before they actaully begin answering the question or telling their story. They have alot of faith and are very religious... at least that is how the mid-wives are.

Almost done with FBT

I can´t believe that in about 2 weeks that FBT will be over and I will know my site. They will be announcing the sites on the 21st so keep your eyes peeled for the info. I am excited and nervous because this determines where I will be going for the next 2 yrs. I have really been enjoying training so far... it has been really informative.
Yesterday we had a session where we talked to sex workers. It was very interesting to hear what they had to say about their jobs and what they thought of the americans here on the army base in comayagua. Many of them have some kids fathered by americans because the guys refused to wear condoms or took it off in the middle of having sex. I had never talked to any commercial sex workers before.. they are very blunt and funny. They definitly aren´t embarassed to tell their stories and I am glad we had this experience to hear it straight from their mouths.

I´ll keep yáll posted as to any new info I have as far as sites go.
-Kristina

Semana Santa

Where to begin… sorry I haven’t been more of an avid blogger. It has been brought to my attention via other asprirantes that I should try to step it up because I am leaving my friends and family back home hanging. I am going to try to be better… we will see- I make no promises.

OK- so I feel like so much has happened. I last wrote you before Semana Santa. Well… it was very fun. Semana Santa is the whole week long Easter celebration here in Honduras. It is based off the Catholic Church and consists of a week of church processionals, mass and people dressed up as Jesus doing the Stations of the Cross. On the Friday before Easter Sunday a lot of the major cities make these giant “alfombras” or rugs made of colored saw dust. They design them and make them all night Thursday going into Friday morning. It is very impressive. The rugs consist of many things… mainly the Stations of the Cross but also verses from the bible and pictures of Jesus and the family. They basically tell the whole story. It is so cool to see these people work so hard to make these extravagant works of art. We actually got to help a little because my Tulane friends Mary and Kendra were helping to make one! After they are all made then the procession comes and walks all over them and ruins them. The procession stops at each Station, reads the part in the bible and sings. Then the band plays the hymn and they continue on. Very neat!

It has been very hot here… so it was nice to go swimming in the river. I was a little weirded out by it at first. But, it seemed pretty clean and I was hot so Oh well!
Last week we have a cold front and by cold front I mean it was like 75-80 not the usual 95-100. Yea.. La Paz it hot.

I kinda got a cold thing going on. Sore throats are never fun, but I am on meds and getting better. My mom here won’t give me anything cold because they believe that when you are sick you shouldn’t eat anything cold because it will harm you. Very different from what I am used to because when I have a sore throat all I want is a popsicle! I have convinced her that it is ok and I will be just fine if I don’t have a steaming bowl of hot soup for lunch on a nice hot summer day when I feel crappy! They like to eat soup for lunch—I love soup, when it is cold- not when it is 100 degrees outside. We have made some compromises here…. instead of eating it for lunch, I just eat my soup for dinner when it is cooler outside (which is really weird for them because they also think that it also will hurt me).

I love learning all the different cultural things here… just learning about all the different beliefs they have is interesting. Alot of the main differences are the beliefs when it comes to illness...things you can and cannot eat. Very interesting. I try to come into it all with an open mind because these are their beliefs and I want to respect them. I am sure that there will be TONS more learning experiences to come.

Above pictures are:

#1-rug made of saw dust

#2-teaching the fam to color eggs at cultural day

#3-kids acting out the 3rd station of the cross

#4-little Jesus

Bienvenidos a FBT!

Hey everyone!! I am here in La Paz for FBT! My family is REALLY nice and I like it here a lot. My town is smaller and all the people are really nice. It is VERY hot and sunny. I am actually recovering from a burn I got this weekend. Hopefully it turns to a nice tan soon so I look less gringa-like.

I am excited to go swimming in the river for Semana Santa… I feel like everyone in my family is inviting me to go with them places so that should be fun. I don’t think I am going to get to go to Comayagua to see the alfombras but I will hopefully get to see some pictures. Apparently they make these giant rugs out of colored saw dust in the streets for the Friday before easter and then when the procession comes they ruin them all. Hopefully I get to go sometime in the 2 yrs I am here.

One thing that I noticed here in La Paz is that there is an over abundance of little ants. Those suckers seek out any and ever ounce of sweetness and attack. They are all over the place! I bought a jar of peanut butter and hadn’t even opened it yet and the nest thing I know they are all over it. I understand why families here don’t really stock up on food. It is more of a buy food on a daily basis or for the next few days. I am used to going to the grocery once every couple weeks and just having lots of food in the house. I think that is going to have to change.

I am starting to think of places I would like to work… we have technical interviews in addition to language interviews this week so I will have to talk to the bosses and see what they have in mind.

I am going to try to post some pics of my new house and fam.. so hopefully the internet connection isn’t too slow!

PS- new favorite fruit is MANGO! So good and so messy. Me encanta the mango!

Bienvenidos a HONDURAS!

Hola a todos!

So I am here, as you figured by now I am sure! I am loving it so far. The weather is nice here in the training site. We are on the side of a mountain and it is kinda chilly here, especially at night. The days are nice when the sun is out. I actually got pretty sun burnt last Sunday when I didn’t realize how sunny it was.
My health group is pretty cool … I think we have a lot of different people that bring all sorts of experiences with them.

My family here in Santa Lucia is great too. I have a 17yr old sister Elisa and a 25 yr old Sister Melissa. Melissa is married and has a 7 month baby named Genesis. Mom is in the house all day long watching the baby while Melissa works. My brother is also married and has 2 kids, Michol and Nayeli. They are always hanging around the house. It took me along time to figure out who everyone was but I finally figured it all out after many questions.

I was placed into the intermediate level in Spanish which is great because that is what we need to be at to pass and be sworn in! Class is long and tiresome. It gives me a headache because I am thinking so hard all day long. But it is getting better and I am learning a lot.

Haven’t been sick so far! But I am always anticipating the worst. We eat a lot of beans and tortillas. Tortillas with every meal you could imagine, soup, rice, eggs, meat, everything!

I will try to post some pictures of my room and things on here but the internet is kind a slow sometimes.

Adios!
Kristina

1st pic - sunset in Santa Lucia

2nd pic- my room