Status Update

Ritmo de Cambio (Rhythm of Change): Slow...

I looked at the calendar today. Thursday is month 2 in site. Almost month 5 in Honduras.
Only 22 left.

I'm in the process of looking for a house. Hoping to make the move in August, but right now the only houses available are tiny little cement-block shacks. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 living room/kitchen, outdoor pila, possibly a yard. Bedroom size is 2.8m x 2.8m. There is a slim possibility that another house is opening up, it's going to be somewhat of a political exercise to get it, so all prayers are welcome. My friends' house I was planning on moving into isn't going to be available for rent probably until next year sometime.

Work with the Cooperative has slowed down drastically. Slower pace, fewer meetings. We're trying to set up an overall accounting system. Our Excel workbook of credit accounts is up and running. They decided giving loans isn't as fun when people don't pay you back, so now the only thing on credit is fertilizer and old accounts. Considering that food prices have gone up, specifically corn and beans, the Cooperative is interested now in buying food stores to sell to the associates as another way to earn money and provide a service to the associates. At first, I thought it might be corn and beans to plant, but I have confirmed that it is for consumption. I'm still not sure how I feel about this or how it's going to work. The Cooperative has been focused on buying and exporting coffee, now we'll add to the resume importing and selling food stores.

Peace Corps inside update: Honduras is getting rid of the business project after I'm done. They will be combining it with another program into something called "Food Security," which will start February 2012. I guess now this makes sense given the current circumstances in Subirana.

I'm working with the Elementary school primarily helping with computer classes. Though Subirana is a tiny rural site, they have about 15 computers at the elementary school and another 12 at the high school. I've narrowed the work down to the 'advanced' classes - 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. The computer lab is only about 2 years old, so most of the kids are still very new to computers. We're not writing algorithms to compute an Excel database yet, but we're learning the basics. Actually, I had to go back and review the function of the mouse and check that everyone's left and other left were in order so we could click together. We're on track mostly now and I'm splitting the classes with the teacher. First half: theory, second half: practice.

For all of my resisting to help teach English, I actually jumped in with the 9th grade class to read some material with my lovely nondescript American accent. I force them to practice reading out loud. I've discovered most of them can read and write well enough, but they have the hardest time speaking or pronouncing any of it. Most of the people, in fact, will tell me they would love to learn English, but they are all too afraid or shy to even say one word. I told most of the students if they wanted to practice English with me, then they could talk to me, but I'm not really one for teaching it.

Work at the high school is pretty slow. I try to show up a few times a week, but most of what I do is chat with the teachers while they're not in class. I guess you could say I'm building relationships, but it feels more like wasting time. Nonetheless, I keep showing up to discuss plans or ideas of projects to start - we'll call it 'being available.' I did happen to be available when they invited me on their field trip to Omoa on the North Coast! I'll let you know how that goes when I get back (hopefully with nice pictures).

One of the guys in town invited me (read: tricked me) to help out with a kids' soccer team. There's about 25 kids in two teams between the ages of 10 and 14. I show up a few times and I'm now the official "trainer". I just add that to my stack of titles (along with people calling me "Profe"). This job entails leading exercises and kicking their butts for an hour or so a few times a week. It's a really good excuse to do some exercise and get to know the kids. (I find it's easier to run laps and do jumping jacks when 25 kids are copying you!). And I'm working in a secret project of cleaning up the soccer field by hand, you know, to teach them discipline and team work!


Bonus material:
I finally had enough internet to upload this video from our garden day of training.