What's your name again?

You know when you run into someone you recognize, but you can't recall where or how exactly you know them? You're making small talk with them about the weather or how unexpected it is to see them, but what you're really thinking is, "Where do I know this person from and what is their name?" Now imagine this happening with 75% of the people you talk to.

Welcome to my life.

It's not that I'm completely horrible with names. Though, I admit I'm not the greatest either. I've realized I'm a visual learner and if I see the person's name written out I have a better chance of remembering it. At least, that was in English. Names have always been important; they are how we define ourselves. And I would say they're even more important in the Latino culture. Let me explain. Usually when you ask someone for their name, you're expecting to hear one name, or two if it's more formal.


The name's Bond. James Bond.


Because so much of the identity in Honduran culture is tied to the family, last names are very important. Both of them. It says where your mother comes from and where your father comes from. And most of the time, the first son is named after the father and the first daughter, after the mother. That would be their second name, though followed by something more original (grandma's name maybe?).

Hola, mi nombre es Juan Ramón Castillo Martinez.


It's a little bit of auditory overload the first several times, until you start to expect it. Then you just try to pick out the second name to call them by, or Señor (lastname). However, here's the trick. Most of the time they don't use any of these names! Many people have either a nickname or a shortened version of their name. For example, Ramón is Moncho. This is a common shortened version of Ramón (even though it's not any shorter). Yeah, I don't get it either. Or, the other trick is maybe they just call him Chino, or Gordito, or Negrito depending on how he compares to the rest of the litter. Furthermore, depending on how well you know the person or how you know them, you might call them by a different name than someone else.

So as you might imagine, it's very difficult to keep track of everyone's names. Throw in the fact everyone is new, with Spanish names, and they don't like to pronounce them clearly. I have a hard enough time keeping up with all of my own names. I've been keeping a mental log of what people have called me so far:
Don, Loco, Profe, Amigo, Maestro, Hermano, Licensiado, Tío, Técnico, Papito, Entrenador, Amor, Gringo, Guapo, Chele, Voluntario, Ditemore, Compite, Adán...



I am getting better. I've learned a few tricks, like asking people I know for the names of that person over there. Or if I'm with other volunteers, I'll make them meet people I already know so I can remember their name. Of course, it doesn't seem to be that offensive to ask to be reminded of someone's name. It is slightly embarrassing that all of the kids in the town know my name. But hey! How hard can it be to remember one gringo's name? I'm working with several grades at the elementary school, then at the high school, then at the cooperative where we have tons of visitors, plus other random places (you'd be surprised how the random places add up).

Italy meets Honduras... in the kitchen.
I think it's fair to say that Americans eat a lot of Italian food. At least, it's our version of Italian food. Well this past week I cooked up a few of my own versions of some Italian favorites.

Pizza
Always a favorite. I happened to find a huge bag of sliced pepperoni on my trip to the grocery store, along with real mozzarella (although quesillo is a cheese very similar to mozzarella and widely available). I, of course, made the dough and the sauce completely from scratch. And if you're wondering, yes, I ate the entire thing in one sitting. Paired with your choice of homemade horchata, the ever-abundant Coca-Cola, or a local cerveza.

*Pizza crust tip: Bake the dough most of the way in a pan by itself. Then add your toppings and finish baking straight on the rack. This will get your crust cooked all the way through without incinerating your cheese. That is, if you like thick crust like I do.





Risotto

In the background is dessert: m&m cookies!

Special shout out to my friend and culinary expert, Bree Vasquez for showing me how to make this stuff. It's pretty simple, but takes time. This is the Honduran version, which includes lots of shortcuts and any Italian would slap me for calling it 'Risotto'. Classic risotto calls for Arborio rice - a fat short-grain rice, saffron and parmesan cheese. I used 'Honduran' rice, bagged powdered saffron (I'm sure it was imitation), and the leftover mozzarella from my pizza (at least it was an Italian cheese). Though parmesan is a harder cheese, so next attempt will be with queso seco, and we'll be calling it 'Risotto Catracho'.

I've started checking out some cooking podcasts, instructional videos, and recipes by Stella Culinary about all things cooking, from how to hold a knife correctly to making delicious white bread (yes, I already made it. Pictures to come next post). Anyway, if you're a wannabe cooking nerd like me, I recommend it. Plus, the podcasts are always awesome because I can learn about cooking while waiting 2 hours to deposit a check in the bank.


Whiskey's Corner
Here's a little clip of Whiskey in action. Still no dice on the chasing chickens video. I need to get that while he's still young, so it's cute and innocent instead of me having to pay someone for a dead chicken.

Adam & Whiskey