Taking Inventory

Maybe it’s because I haven’t left my site this month. Or maybe it’s just that time; I’ve been here almost 5 months now and the newness is wearing off. I still have a daily plan of where to go at least. But I ask I’m starting to ask myself each morning what I expect to accomplish. And to be quite honest, it’s not very much. However, referring back to my Peace Corps application that kept telling me to have no expectations, I’m right on course.

So what am I doing?

I’m still showing up to the elementary school with the intention to teach a computer class or two. I think it’s been a month since that actually happened. They’re studying for an exam one week, taking it the next, have some kind of Independence holiday, then the air conditioning isn’t working, and there’s no way we’re gonna put 35 fresh-from-recess kids in a closed room with 15 running computers in the middle of Honduras. So there’s that.

I still go to the cooperative three times a week, sit around and use the internet, meet new people, sit in random meetings about fertilizer, etc. Some of the socios ask me my name again and ask what exactly I do here. That question was easy to answer when I first got here, because being new is a good excuse for not doing anything. But now, I talk about what we hope to accomplish in the future. I’m stuck in this in between phase. I’m not at the beginning, but I haven’t quite started. Poco a poco. Little by little, we’re implementing accounting procedures and making plans. We’ll see how things turn out when the cosecha (harvest) comes next month. The biggest dynamic I’m noticing is that I’ve more or less integrated myself into the community and the cooperative, but I still feel like an outsider when it comes to sensitive issues like money management and internal affairs. Part of that is simple office dynamics; there are only 3 employees, the técnico (consultant), and myself. There’s not really a need, most of the time, to hold office meetings, because information is just communicated directly (which, if this were the States, I would be a huge proponent of this), but I’m definitely out of the loop on a lot of the goings-on, which makes helping the cooperative challenging.

Some good news: my time hanging around the high school is starting to pay off. Starting tomorrow morning I’m going to start giving weekly charlas (lessons) on business plans. The 3^rd year students, as part of their final project, are required to complete a business plan. The agri-business students will be writing a business plan for a gallinero (chicken farm), which they will submit to the municipality for project funding. They have most of the structure already complete on the high school’s property, so the funding will go towards fencing off the structure and buying the actual chickens to start.

The other project I’m going to start at the high school is a recycling project/business. The 3^rd year students, aside from having to do business plans, are also required to do a social project – two actually, environmental and health. I think if we incorporate an educational health component into the recycling program, we can combine these two which makes the students just a little more excited to do this project. Also, they have a yearly project to better the school. This year, the students funded and constructed some bathrooms on the school property. Next year, the students will be constructing a 5^th classroom. (Note: The school year here is a calendar year. They start in February and go through November). The problem they have each year is raising the funds for the materials. If only there was a way they could create a business that could continually fund their projects…

Oh wait! Self, you know all those plastic Coca Cola bottles all over the street?

Yeah.

What if we could like sell those for cash or something?

Hey, that’s a brilliant idea!

I know.

And Hondurans sure won’t ever stop drinking Coke, so we’ll always have business.

*Applause*

OK, so maybe a bit dramatic. But there’s a lot of potential in this project and I’ve seen it work before, like when I went to Olancho to visit Erika. She’s gone now and they’re still making money. So we’re starting early with the 2^nd year students to build momentum into next year. We’ll hopefully be doing a lot of investigation this year, so that we can start implementing right away next year.

“The highest highs and the lowest lows.” That’s what they told me Peace Corps would be like. I would put this time in the ‘low’ category, but there is hope.

Hope. At least there’s that.

Can't I Just Be Single?

September 15 was Honduran Independence Day. The whole week was filled with activities, though the main activity was a 3-day beauty competition and then the celebratory dance to finish it all. Day 1 was the competition between the girls from 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. It feels a little creepy to be in a room full of people cheering for a 14-year-old girl dressed like Jessica Simpson in Dukes of Hazard. Then it went to a different level when people started booing... These girls already have a fragile self-esteem and to walk onto a runway and have people booing (because they're not in your grade) or worse, complete silence, is just... outrageous. That's not even to mention when the boys ask me which one I like more. (In Spanish, they have two words for like: cae bien which means they're amiable and gusta which means you like like them. They used the like like one).

Most of the time I think it's the culture that does this. The culture is obsessed with appearances, especially those of women. And the reality for most of the young girls, I would say, is that if you don't have a boyfriend/husband or kids, you really don't have any value. So many of the girls spend lots of time and money looking good so they can get one or the other (I'm not even sure if both is ideal here). The other interesting point is the girls don't even compete with each other. It's very normal to have multiple girlfriends, or a main one and several mistresses. Several married men even have other families.

The week culminated in a fiesta, or dance party, which I went to and surprised a lot of people. I even danced, which surprised more people. It's hard to get a dance when there's twice as many guys as girls and they're all pretty aggressive about asking the girls. They have a hard time saying no sometimes to the three or more insistent men who may or may not be intoxicated. I left early, though, when the beer consumption started to get out of hand (for them, not me) and made it back to my house just after midnight when I heard some gunshots. I was glad I was already home, turned off the lights and called it a night. (Fortunately no one was actually shot).

Here's a discussion from the party with some 9th grade boys:

Boy: Adam, which girl are you dating here?

Me: None.

Boy: Oh, because you have already have a wife in the States, right?

Me: No, I don't have a wife in the States.

Boy: But you can still date a Catracha, even if you have a girlfriend there.

Me: I don't have a girlfriend either.

Boy: But you already have kids, right?

Me: (What?!) Ehh... no. I definitely do not already have kids.

...

Boy: Adam, which girl did you like the most at the competition?

Me: Look, I don't like girls. I prefer women.

Boy: But they're already 15 or 16 years old.

Me: (Wow...) They need more than 20. (General rule I keep around for such occasions, and when I add in the 'no kids' part, that weeds out most of the population).

A couple days later I was invited to a quinceañera (a girl's 15th birthday party, similar to a sweet 16). Maybe you've seen some on TV, but these parties can get big. For my small town, this had to be one of the biggest parties they've seen. I mean, this birthday party outdid some of the weddings I've been to. The birthday girl arrived in a helicopter with her dad and was proceeded by 15 couples, like you'd see at a wedding with bridesmaid-type-dresses and everything. The family had killed a cow, a pig, and a lamb, plus a mountain of chickens to feed the 300+ guests that attended. Their food production got a little behind, though, and when one of the girls serving apologized about the tardiness of the food to our table, I volunteered to help out in the kitchen. That was a lot of fun, however chaotic it was. I have some experience working on an assembly line, and this was about as far from that as you could get. Plates were everywhere, there were anywhere between 3 to 5 starting points, and the meet came in waves off the barbecue. But a fun time was had, nonetheless.

And then of course, there was a girl. Two or three actually. People keep wanting to set me up with their nieces or cousins or whoever they are, and I'm supposed to meet them and hit it off instantaneously so we're dating by the time I'm finished eating. I really don't know what the people expect me to do. But they ask me what I think about them and if I want their number about 5 minutes after having met the girl! Slow down, people! I may be 24 and single with no kids, but that doesn't make me desperate to acquire a Honduran harem. And then they think maybe I have a problem with Catrachas (Honduran women), and I just like Gringas (American women) and I attempt to explain that it doesn't make a difference to me, but I don't want to feel obligated to date the only other over-20, single, childless lady in town just because she's the only option around. I try to explain that in the States, at least for me, we take things just a little bit slower. However, the unfortunate bit is that when I don't pull out a ring in the first 15 minutes, she feels like she doesn't have any value because apparently I'm the main determining factor in self-esteem (which should actually be called 'other-esteem'). Can't I just be single and be OK with that? Or better yet: Can't I just be single and you be OK with that? I feel fine about myself whether I'm in a relationship or not. I'm in no rush to complicate things and double my phone bill (although I could use the Spanish practice).

On Sunday I was chatting with some of the guys doing construction around my house. They always wanna know 'what the girls are saying', so I started explaining this situation to them. I asked what most of the people or the culture thinks about a single guy who's 30, for example, and doesn't have kids. Can you guess the machismo response? That guy must be a 'butterfly' (term used for homosexuals) then. Hmmm... figures.

Happy Independence Day!

Plato Típico + Rennovations

"What kind of food do you eat in America?," is one of the most challenging questions I've had. I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but what would you say is the 'plato típico', or typical plate, in the U.S.? Well, we eat Chinese, Japanses, Greek, Mediterranean, Italian, Mexican, Thai, French, German, Indian, Korean, and your general Middle-Eastern food. Now imagine hearing this answer as a 12-year-old that's eaten beans virtually every day of his or her life. I usually mention American food to include hot dogs, hamburgers, and my favorite, PB&J. This is part of Peace Corps' 2nd goal:
"To promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the peoples served."

So now that I have my own place, I'm making all of that amazing, delicious, American food I've craved for so long... like peanut butter and jelly! (Although it would probably be more American on white bread). I would also like to thank corporate giants Costco/Sam's Club (called PriceSmart) and Walmart (called Walmart) for helping me accomplish PC's 2nd goal: They have expanded operations to Honduras and have made it possible for me to share the joys of American culture: Planter's Crunchy Peanut Butter and Knott's Berry Farms Strawberry Preserves (and don't forget Capitalism).


Coffee Mountain Getaway is still getting up and running, but it should be fully operational soon. Currently trying to find a giant barrel to hold my water, since I only get running water in the evening when no one else is using it. It's just one of those things you find yourself adapting to, but I will admit the last 4 months or so of having running water all the time has spoiled me. In other good news, I'm batting 9/9 in the 'roach battle, so I'm on my way to getting the health certifications.

Still no guest mattress, but I'm open for FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) to help in that purchase. Extra pillow (new) is available.

The kitchen staff is experimenting with new dishes, but the future looks bright. Last night, they came out with this tasty-looking Scramble with sauteed potatoes and onions, little drizzled with fancy ketchup. All dishes are made on our state-of-the-art dual-burner cook-top and miniature conventional oven. With yesterday's discovery of a local quesillo (i.e. basically mozzarella) supplier, we should be coming out with a separate pizza menu.

The pantry is gaining size and we should be producing a wider variety of dishes soon, of course everything is seasonal (except Cornflakes, which are never out of season).

Waste Management is looking into some more environmentally-friendly waste elimination processes. They have considered dumping it into the open housing foundation under construction next door, although this process will probably be reserved for more hazardous waste such as Styrofoam and incandescent light bulbs. (Seriously, what would you do with your garbage if there was no magical garbage man?).

Waste Management might be getting a lucky break soon. Work has started with the high school to implement a recycling program in Subirana, so we might have a shot at neutralizing the massive carbon footprint that comes from burning your garbage.

So book those plane tickets (or jump on a bus), because coffee season is upon us and we'll be offering great specials on coffee finca tours where you can pick your own coffee (for free!).


-Management

Coffee Mountain Getaway

The moment you've all been waiting for...

At least the moment I've been waiting for...

MY NEW HOUSE!

It's a fixer-upper, but it has a lot of character (i.e. crayon on the walls). I'm finally in my new place. First time in my life to be living alone and once I get the mosquitoes out, I will be walking around naked! And you're all welcome to visit! (Don't worry, I won't be walking around naked if I have visitors).

2 bedrooms, 1.5 (?) bathroom, huge kitchen and bar area, living room, and porch. And it's still really close to where I do all my work. The fence isn't the best, but that's not gonna stop me from getting a dog asap. I've got two offers: German shepherd/street dog currently weening and/or a Rottweiler puppy in 5-6 months. And the best part about this house: Rent is only $90/month.

As you can see, for example, the window screens could use a little re-installation. Nothing a screw driver and elbow grease can't handle. And I've already knocked the cockroach count down by 3 big ones while I'm smoking out the mosquitoes. I've also already talked to the landlord about letting me paint inside and taking it out of the rent, which sounds like a win.

So why is this so awesome?! I'll give you a reason for each room:

• Bedroom 1: I can do whatever I want!
• Bedroom 2: You can come visit me!
• Kitchen: I can cook whatever food I want and eat whenever I want!
• Bathroom: We're the last group in all of Peace Corps/Central America to have the option to live on our own. All groups in the future (sorry, new PC recruits) will have to stay with the host family for the duration of their service (but you guys can visit me, too). No walking around naked for you guys.
• Living room: You can come visit and we can use it (with clothes on)!
• Patio: I can get a dog!

If all goes well, I will be living in this house longer than any other place of residence since I graduated HS. Crazy to think about, and who knows, maybe I'll keep up the pattern and change houses at the end of one year. But for now, it's such a relief to unpack my things in my own house after several weeks of up-and-down house hunting. God is good!

P.S. I live 1 block from the bus stop, so come on over!