Here is my promised Thanksgiving blog! Strangely enough, we celebrated Thanksgiving twice and neither celebrations were actually on Thanksgiving day. Wednesday all the missionaries were taken to eat at the military base, who were celebrating a day early to give the military personnel the day off on Thursday. It was nice to have some "Thanksgivingish" food such as corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and turkey (for those meat-lovers) and to finally see the base (since you have to have a pass to get in). I tried egg nog for the first time, which was so thick I couldn't finish the whole glass but was surprisingly better than I had expected. We threw a Thanksgiving party at school before we left, so all the kids thought Thanksgiving was on Wednesday. On Thursday when I wished them Happy Thanksgiving, they all replied, "Miss, Thanksgiving was yesterday!". Our second Thanksgiving occurred yesterday afternoon in one of the missionary houses. Once again, we had fabulous food, and we made so much, we finished it off as left-overs tonight!
We couldn't celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday because there was some sort of talent show at the school that evening which we were required to perform for. It was really neat to see all the different students from almost every class perform, especially two of my seventh grade students! The two songs we sang went well, considering we didn't really practice extremely hard for them. We got a little nervous when we arrived at the school and saw everyone dressed in suits and fancy dresses. It turned out to be a fun evening.
It is hard to believe that it's only two weeks until Christmas vacation, which also means that I've reached the half-way point in my SM experience (crazy!). In two weeks I will be boarding a plane to come home (my older brother's getting married December 28th), which is incomprehensible. If I don't write again before break, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Hopefully I can see some of you soon!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tying Up the Loose Ends
These past two weeks have been crazy, because it has been the end of the partial (or quarter, in my terminology), which means that grades need to be submitted. This has left me scrambling to test and re-test my kids (we believe in second chances here), collect back work, attempt to conquer excell, etc. I think I've finally taken care of everything (although I never know, because just today I was called back into the office to fix some of my grades. Apparently I can't add. Maybe it's a good thing I'm teaching first grade, so I can learn basic addition again!). Grades are handed out to the parents next Friday, which is a big deal, because we don't have school that day. Instead I think we're going to meet with parents all day.
Besides trying to get things under control at school, we've had a few weekend adventures. Two Sundays ago, 10 of the missionaries jumped on a bus with one of the kindergarten teachers and drove to the beach. Pulling out at 6:30 A.M., we arrived on the stormy coast four hours later. The plan was to go swimming, but we were chased away by the wind and the thick clouds threatening to rain. But just seeing the water was beautiful! We visited an old castle and then drove to San Pedro to walk around the mall. As I stepped into the mall, I felt as if I'd stepped through a portal into the States. It was huge (and clean)! Everyone was really excited about eating a "real" burger in the food court (I'm not as lucky as a vegetarian, but I enjoyed a nice burrito all the same). We finally arrived back into Comayagua at around 8:30 P.M., making for a very full and satisfying day.
Last weekend the school took the missionaries on a day trip to The Valley of the Angels, which is a cute little town up in the mountains about Tegusigalpa, the capital. There we were able to tour an Adventist hospital, buy real whole wheat bread, and go Christmas shopping in all the touristy shops. It's always a nice change to get out of Comayagua and see other parts of Honduras. We ended with lunch at a rather nice restaurant where I had a delicious plate of rice, beans, and mixed vegetables! It was very nice of the school to take us on a trip, and we all enjoyed it immensely! It was also interesting to drive through the capital for the first time. For almost as far as the eye could see houses seemed stacked up on top of each other covering the hills. The city is enormous!
That's all the news I have for now. I'll be sending a Thanksgiving update soon. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgivings!
Besides trying to get things under control at school, we've had a few weekend adventures. Two Sundays ago, 10 of the missionaries jumped on a bus with one of the kindergarten teachers and drove to the beach. Pulling out at 6:30 A.M., we arrived on the stormy coast four hours later. The plan was to go swimming, but we were chased away by the wind and the thick clouds threatening to rain. But just seeing the water was beautiful! We visited an old castle and then drove to San Pedro to walk around the mall. As I stepped into the mall, I felt as if I'd stepped through a portal into the States. It was huge (and clean)! Everyone was really excited about eating a "real" burger in the food court (I'm not as lucky as a vegetarian, but I enjoyed a nice burrito all the same). We finally arrived back into Comayagua at around 8:30 P.M., making for a very full and satisfying day.
Last weekend the school took the missionaries on a day trip to The Valley of the Angels, which is a cute little town up in the mountains about Tegusigalpa, the capital. There we were able to tour an Adventist hospital, buy real whole wheat bread, and go Christmas shopping in all the touristy shops. It's always a nice change to get out of Comayagua and see other parts of Honduras. We ended with lunch at a rather nice restaurant where I had a delicious plate of rice, beans, and mixed vegetables! It was very nice of the school to take us on a trip, and we all enjoyed it immensely! It was also interesting to drive through the capital for the first time. For almost as far as the eye could see houses seemed stacked up on top of each other covering the hills. The city is enormous!
That's all the news I have for now. I'll be sending a Thanksgiving update soon. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgivings!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thank You, Thank You!
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all who have made efforts to contact me in whatever way that may be. Thank you for the e-mails, comments, notes, etc.! I really do appreciate them! I received my first package from Walla Walla on Monday, and the best surprise were all the notes! So thank you, thank you!
Partial tests are going well. It´s refreshing to only have three periods in the morning and then have the rest of the day off. I did some Christmas shopping on Monday, which was fun to brouse around the souvenir shops. However, testing first graders has been a little more difficult than I expected, especially since English is not their first language. I spend the whole time circling around the room answering the same questions (it doesn´t matter how many times I say something in front of the whole class) as little voices echo, ¨Teacher, like this?¨. Testing is also kind of scary, because I learn if I´ve been teaching them anything or not. At least there´s hope, because a new partial begins next week!
Partial tests are going well. It´s refreshing to only have three periods in the morning and then have the rest of the day off. I did some Christmas shopping on Monday, which was fun to brouse around the souvenir shops. However, testing first graders has been a little more difficult than I expected, especially since English is not their first language. I spend the whole time circling around the room answering the same questions (it doesn´t matter how many times I say something in front of the whole class) as little voices echo, ¨Teacher, like this?¨. Testing is also kind of scary, because I learn if I´ve been teaching them anything or not. At least there´s hope, because a new partial begins next week!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fall was in the Air
Even though we don´t have the signs of Fall such as crisp cold air or leaves changing colors and falling off the trees, we did get our spell of cool weather last week. Every day was overcast and somewhat chilly (chilly in the sense that I got to wear a long-sleeved shirt) which felt heavenly!
Last Thursday night there was a dance competition at the school, which looked fantastic! I didn´t even recognize the place when we first walked in. Outside around the concrete, which served as the dance floor, were huts decorated with bamboo and branches selling food. One hut even had a live chicken tied to a box as a decoration. Almost every grade participated, and select students from each grade did a dance together. It was so cute to see the younger grades dressed up in their outfits (matching pants and shirts with hats for the boys, and colorful full dresses for the girls)!
In celebration of Fall, we, the missionaries, had our own ¨barn party¨in one of our houses. We each dressed up and brought food, played games, and talked. I was very impressed in the creativity presented in our outfits. The best-dressed award went to Heidi, who was a very cute Christmas tree. Other characters present were: marathon runners, a Honduran soccer player, musical gypsies (myself and Bethani), a Honduran superhero (cockroaches, bring it on!), a jester, and a goddess. It made for a festive evening!
This week the sun has broken back out, and it doesn´t quite feel like Fall anymore, even though I know that Thanksgiving is only three weeks away (how crazy!). Our first partial (which is like a quarter) ends next week, which will be exciting to start again fresh. I have high hopes in being more organized with grades, etc. for the next partial. Even though we are already two months into teaching, I am far from perfecting my teaching tecniques! I hope everyone at home is enjoying the cold weather and Fall festivities!
Last Thursday night there was a dance competition at the school, which looked fantastic! I didn´t even recognize the place when we first walked in. Outside around the concrete, which served as the dance floor, were huts decorated with bamboo and branches selling food. One hut even had a live chicken tied to a box as a decoration. Almost every grade participated, and select students from each grade did a dance together. It was so cute to see the younger grades dressed up in their outfits (matching pants and shirts with hats for the boys, and colorful full dresses for the girls)!
In celebration of Fall, we, the missionaries, had our own ¨barn party¨in one of our houses. We each dressed up and brought food, played games, and talked. I was very impressed in the creativity presented in our outfits. The best-dressed award went to Heidi, who was a very cute Christmas tree. Other characters present were: marathon runners, a Honduran soccer player, musical gypsies (myself and Bethani), a Honduran superhero (cockroaches, bring it on!), a jester, and a goddess. It made for a festive evening!
This week the sun has broken back out, and it doesn´t quite feel like Fall anymore, even though I know that Thanksgiving is only three weeks away (how crazy!). Our first partial (which is like a quarter) ends next week, which will be exciting to start again fresh. I have high hopes in being more organized with grades, etc. for the next partial. Even though we are already two months into teaching, I am far from perfecting my teaching tecniques! I hope everyone at home is enjoying the cold weather and Fall festivities!
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Cockroach Massacre of Fall 2008
Yesterday morning at approximately 10:45, 62 cockroaches met their death. Most were poisoned with the spray Raid while others were crushed by a dustpan. The turmoil lasted about ten minutes as large and small attempted to scurry to safety but to no avail. The oppressors were too powerful and quick and left none alive. The carcasses were quickly gathered together and unceremoniously dumped into the front yard.
We took on the task to clean out our bottom cupboards in our kitchen, because it gets musty down there since our sink has a leak. We also wanted to take inventory of our tupperware and kill the cockroaches we knew lived down there. As Bethani and I were washing the tupperware, I commented that we should look in the cupboard directly under the sink, because I had the suspicion that the cockroaches were hiding someplace else (we had only killed five from the other cupboards). We had never really opened that cupboard before, because it's so nasty from the leaky sink. As Bethani opened the doors, her eyes grew wide as she began to count, "Three, five, seven..!". We had found a cockroach den. To make an already long story shorter, I graciously stood back and let the other three have their fun killing and crushing cockroaches (I'm not really the destructive type unless I have to be. Creepy crawly things aren't really my forte either). Yes, I'm a slightly ashamed I did not help in the heat of the battle, but the kitchen was crowded as it was.
That hadn't been the first time that morning I had faced something creepy either. At 5:00 A.M. I thought I felt something crawling on my back towards my neck. I half sat up to see something run down my back and off the end of my bed. If it was a gecko, it was the largest gecko I've seen since I've been here!
Those have been my adventures to report for the weekend.
We took on the task to clean out our bottom cupboards in our kitchen, because it gets musty down there since our sink has a leak. We also wanted to take inventory of our tupperware and kill the cockroaches we knew lived down there. As Bethani and I were washing the tupperware, I commented that we should look in the cupboard directly under the sink, because I had the suspicion that the cockroaches were hiding someplace else (we had only killed five from the other cupboards). We had never really opened that cupboard before, because it's so nasty from the leaky sink. As Bethani opened the doors, her eyes grew wide as she began to count, "Three, five, seven..!". We had found a cockroach den. To make an already long story shorter, I graciously stood back and let the other three have their fun killing and crushing cockroaches (I'm not really the destructive type unless I have to be. Creepy crawly things aren't really my forte either). Yes, I'm a slightly ashamed I did not help in the heat of the battle, but the kitchen was crowded as it was.
That hadn't been the first time that morning I had faced something creepy either. At 5:00 A.M. I thought I felt something crawling on my back towards my neck. I half sat up to see something run down my back and off the end of my bed. If it was a gecko, it was the largest gecko I've seen since I've been here!
Those have been my adventures to report for the weekend.
Friday, October 10, 2008
School Makeover
Another week of school has come and gone. This week had a slightly different twist, because the school was evaluated by some people from the Adventist Conference. The evaluation was mostly yesterday, but they stopped in today as well. The school was in a flurry of activity, trying to prepare for the evaluation, which we (the missionaries) found hilarious. The library was moved to a separate room upstairs, exit signs were painted, the gates were painted, the classrooms were stifled with newly made posters, etc. It was almost like the school got a 24-hour makeover!
The funniest moment of the day was when one of my first graders got her head stuck in the door. First, let me explain that the doors have bars on the top half of them, so it's an open window. I don't know what she was looking at, but she couldn't move when I told her to sit down. I couldn't laugh at the time, because she was crying. I mean, I would be traumatized as well if I couldn't move my head! An office worker and a couple teachers were nearby, so they helped her "unstick" herself.
This weekend will be relaxing, because we don't have school on Monday. Tomorrow we will experience our first potluck at church. I hope they have some vegetarian options, because I have quickly discovered that they are few and far between in this country. Happy Friday!
The funniest moment of the day was when one of my first graders got her head stuck in the door. First, let me explain that the doors have bars on the top half of them, so it's an open window. I don't know what she was looking at, but she couldn't move when I told her to sit down. I couldn't laugh at the time, because she was crying. I mean, I would be traumatized as well if I couldn't move my head! An office worker and a couple teachers were nearby, so they helped her "unstick" herself.
This weekend will be relaxing, because we don't have school on Monday. Tomorrow we will experience our first potluck at church. I hope they have some vegetarian options, because I have quickly discovered that they are few and far between in this country. Happy Friday!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Lake Yojoa
Last Friday we didn´t have school, so Thursday afternoon seven of us hopped on a bus headed for the lake! After making two more bus connections and walking down a dark dirt road, we arrived at our destination with the help of a couple locals (since it was dark and we couldn´t see the signs). We stayed at the D and D Brewery, which is run by an American who has been living down here in Honduras for the past 8 or 10 years. When he heard that we were Adventists, he laughed that we would pick his brewery to stay at.
It is a nice place with good food! There are two covered dining areas with lights strung around the beams, a pool, and cute little cabins nestled in the ¨garden¨of jungle plants (I don´t know what else to call it). Once again, it was nice to get out of the city. Friday we spent the entire day hanging out at the cabin, because it rained on and off. We met an interesting fellow at breakfast who gives bird tours. He´s from England and just recently moved down to Honduras, where he believes he will settle. He certainly looks the ¨bird watching type¨ to settle down in the marsh of Honduras with crazy long white hair, a bushy beard to match, and enormous binoculars draped around his small neck. His stories were interesting, though, because he´s been quite the traveler! We also met three other groups of Americans who came in Friday. One was a group of students taking Spanish classes, another was a backpacking couple, and the last was a group of teachers like us. It was kind of refreshing being surrounded by so many Americans living in Honduras!
Saturday the other girls went to row around the lake while I sat for another relaxing day at the cabin. Something I had eaten the night before hadn´t quite agreed with me, so I spared my queasy stomach from a day of sunburning and rigorous rowing (the girls all came back fried!). We left Saturday afternoon and arrived back in Comayagua around 5:30.
That concludes my adventures from this weekend. We plan to have more in the future!
It is a nice place with good food! There are two covered dining areas with lights strung around the beams, a pool, and cute little cabins nestled in the ¨garden¨of jungle plants (I don´t know what else to call it). Once again, it was nice to get out of the city. Friday we spent the entire day hanging out at the cabin, because it rained on and off. We met an interesting fellow at breakfast who gives bird tours. He´s from England and just recently moved down to Honduras, where he believes he will settle. He certainly looks the ¨bird watching type¨ to settle down in the marsh of Honduras with crazy long white hair, a bushy beard to match, and enormous binoculars draped around his small neck. His stories were interesting, though, because he´s been quite the traveler! We also met three other groups of Americans who came in Friday. One was a group of students taking Spanish classes, another was a backpacking couple, and the last was a group of teachers like us. It was kind of refreshing being surrounded by so many Americans living in Honduras!
Saturday the other girls went to row around the lake while I sat for another relaxing day at the cabin. Something I had eaten the night before hadn´t quite agreed with me, so I spared my queasy stomach from a day of sunburning and rigorous rowing (the girls all came back fried!). We left Saturday afternoon and arrived back in Comayagua around 5:30.
That concludes my adventures from this weekend. We plan to have more in the future!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
