Algunas fotitos!

So, I'm still getting used to this whole Blogger formatting and it's nearly impossible for me to go back and insert text between each pic, so you're just gonna have to scroll and read as you look at each pic.  Sorry!

1)  This was from the first culture day we had at the main training site.  Our teachers set up 8 stations representing the 7 indigenous populations of Honduras and included the Mayans.  It was really interesting, they had obviously put a lot of work into it and we got great food and drinks at each one!

2)  L-R:  Claire, myself, Lauren.  This was one day we walked into a park from our old community.  Us 3 girls were pretty tight in that community.  We were all also "related" through our host families (cousins).  We rode these horses for 20L, which is about $1.  Sadly, the 3 of us each represent a different project, so now we're all apart.  :(  No more primas!

3)  L-R:  Claire, Lauren, my 1st host mom Merlin, myself

4)  Myself and my new little host sister, AnaEli, 8 when we were out at the beach last Saturday

5)  Some of my fellow business project members as we were playing an exciting game of Tic-Tac-Toe to reinforce some of the information we'd just been taught.  (I'm not in the picture.)

6)  Those little red pods are coffee.  Our teachers host mom has the plants in her backyard and one day we made coffee that had been picked about 2 days earlier.  She had already removed all the shells and roasted it, but we got some amazing fresh stuff and got to see the whole process from plant to cup.  It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

7)  One Honduran woman got really into the game of Dodgeball.  It was GREAT!

8)  Some of my fellow BZ people and a few Hondurans teaching/learning the Electric Slide.

OK guys, now that's really it for tonight!  Gotta get to sleep before my hike tomorrow.  Just wanted to get you guys a good fix, since this may be it for awhile!  

Hasta la proxima vez...

Dia de la Cultura and Spring Break

OK part 2:

I broke it up just to give you a little reading break.  I realize that last one was a doozy, but you're still not entirely up to date and I know everyone wants to know my every move, so I will oblige.

First, I believe today has been 1 month since I bought my modem and therefore my 1 month of free unlimited usage is also up.  Expect, connectivity on my end to be even less. 

We are now in Semana Santa (Holy Week) here in mostly Catholic Honduras.  Most of the country has been shut down this whole week, but we just got today, Thursday and Friday off.  Today instead of morning Spanish classes we presented an American Culture day to our host families.  There was a teaching of the Electric Slide (to Lady Gaga), the teaching of dodgeball, cheesy American pick-up lines translated into Spanish, songs sung and more.  Guess what I did?  Yah, I sang in front of all those people.  A) I'm not a performer.  B)  I don't sing in public.  C)  I don't sing well.  D)  I sucked it up and sang with the two guys in my group who both played the guitar and sang as well, which sufficiently drowned me out...I have video proof! :)  We sang this song called Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show.  Look it up, pretty sweet song!  I will try to share this video with everyone once I get a decent connection speed and can upload a 3 min. video.  After all the presentations we had some great food.  The afternoon consisted of a US vs. Honduras soccer match.  However, the Honduran team was a legit team from a league with uniforms and the works.  The US team was hodge podge, with a few Hondurans thrown in for numbers.  I didn't play.  I still hate soccer.  I'm glad to report that the final score was only 4-2, obviously the Honduran team won.  Huge shout out to Carrie though.  There were 3 girls who played, it's a pretty big deal for women to play soccer with men, and Carrie was the only American man or woman to score a goal.  Way to get it for the girls Carrie!  (The other US goal was scored by a Honduran playing on the team.)

And by Spring Break I mean we have the rest of the week off so we get some free time to do what we went/soak up the culture here during Semana Santa.  Tomorrow I'm joining some of my counterparts to take a hike to a lake and we can swim, play some US football.  Should be fun!  We will be led by one guy's host family who knows the way, not like we're just settin' out on some trail because we heard there was a lake.  There's some more cultural stuff over the weekend for Holy Week, which should be cool.  I've seen how Spain does it, so now to see how it is here.  I'm actually pretty excited!

Anyway, I appreciate you all reading.  I realize some of this is a little boring, but I think these are the kind of things you want to hear about.  If you want to know anything else or have suggestions please comment.  I'm doing this writing for you...believe me this IS NOT how I journal!  Don't fret though, I have started two lists which I will eventually publish when they grow a little more.  They are:  "Things only heard in Honduras" and "You know you're acclimating to life in Honduras when..." Trust me, they'll be good!

Stay tuned for one more post where I'm gonna share some pix with you guys!

Today's blog brought to you by the number 1

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's been a little longer than normal with this post.  Life down here has been a little busier than "normal" (although, there's no normal down here yet...that much I've learned!)

So, let me get you up to speed a little bit about where I'm at now, since some people still seem to have it twisted.  We are now in Field Based Training (FBT) in Ojojona, pretty near the capital again, just a different direction this time.  I'm here with the other 17 Business (BZ) aspirantes (trainees) and we are now into the intense meat of the whole pre-service training (PST).  (There is SO much jargon here in the PC [Peace Corps], more than the medical field...yes, I'm sure of that.)  The other trainees from Health and Water/Sanitation are in two different towns as well, getting more specific training on their projects.  This town is an old colonial town and very cute.  It's got quite a bit of history and one historical site is the home where Francisco Morazan once lived, the man for which this department (Honduras has 18 departments, as the US has 50 states) is named for.  In the AM training sessions we have 4 hours of Spanish classes from 7:30 to 11:30.  These classes are held in the homes of the host families that our teachers are living with.  (Yes, our teachers have host families too.)  We get an hour and a half for lunch.  (It's not that glamorous.  It's a 20 min walk from where I live to where I have Spanish classes.  It's a decent walk though and some good exercise.) Our afternoon session, from 1-5 is more project specific and we have learned about many things already.  Some of these things include the Honduras Junior Achievement, Educatodos, PACA tools, business incubation and the use of  technology in projects.  (If anyone really wants to know more about those things ask, otherwise I won't bore you.) 

I'm living with a new host family.  A single mom, 21 year old host brother and his 26 year old wife and 2 little girls ages 8 and 3.  They're great and I can't complain about anything.  Besides the fact that my house is on nearly the highest point in this town and walking up at least 2 times a day is killer, but it has got to be some amazing exercise, so it's a good thing really.

Anyway, enough of the boring overview.  On to find out why this blog is brought to you by the number 1.  Oh, so many reasons!

1)  This is my first post from Ojojona!

1)  We celebrated our 1 month anniversary here in Honduras last Wednesday the 24.  OK, we didn't actually celebrate per se, but it was the 1 month mark nonetheless. 

1)  I collaborated with others to give my first charla (basically a short presentation/lecture).  My group went to the local colegio (high school) and gave a presentation on Community Mapping (part of that PACA tool thing I mentioned).  As a group we did well.  No matter that there was 5 of us and about 16 high school kids, it was still a little intimidating.  I haven't done any presentations since being in college and peers are easier than kids.  I was my typical self and quite reserved as usual in a group setting.  I need to get more outgoing later on, but it will be easier when I don't have other group members as a crutch. 

1)  My Spanish class and I went to my first wake (both ever and in Honduras).  We started the morning with the teacher asking us if we knew what certain vocab words meant.  We come to find out they mean wake and other related terms and then he pretty much says, "OK, we're going to a wake now for this baby that wasn't carried to full-term.  You guys can talk to the people and ask questions and there will be coffee and refreshments."  Remember, classes start at 7:30, so it was about 7:45 and we just learned we were going to a surprise wake.  Interesting way to start the day.  This was definitely a choque cultural (culture shock) moment.  Here's a group of 6 gringos going to a strangers house for a wake of a 4 month old fetus essentially, and we're told to ask questions of the mourners.  There was the world's tiniest coffin and many people coming and going.  Apparently, in Honduran culture most the small towns all know each other so it's completely normal to stop by someone's home when they're having the wake to pay your respects, even if you'd never met the person before.  And yah, the wakes are held in home, there's no funeral parlors here.  It is also the responsibility of the mourning family to provide refreshments for all these people stopping by the home and also be completely hospitable.  Definitely different from the US, where we reserve mourning for close family and friends and it is completely acceptable to be a hermit for awhile, while other people bring you over food, casseroles and other dishes.  While we were sitting there sipping our Sprite and odd little sandwiches (of who knows what) one aunt comes up to me...of 6 gringos...shoves a camera in my face with pictures of the fetus/baby on it saying how it looks just like it's sleeping.  Gee, thanks lady!  It had been closed casket, but I was surprised to see people come in, open it up and take a peek.  I had been avoiding trying to see it and good 'ol tia just brought it right on home.  Needless to say one guy in our class explained to our teacher  later that it had been a very awkward situation for us and it pretty much goes against most US norms for death.  He hadn't known.  It's amazing what ridiculous things some of the PC staff still believe about Americans after having worked with the PC for so many years.  (As in, there's no poor/homeless people in the US whatsoever, everyone age 22+ in the US is a college grad and more which I can't think of right now.)

1)  First beach trip!!!  Last Saturday I went with my host family on a bus trip to the Pacific Ocean side and spent a day at the beach.  It was good overall, but I've gotta say I loathe the bus travel here in this country.  Buses are old school buses from the US that don't meet emissions standards, safety standards or who knows what other standards.  The Honduran rule of thumb is, "The more passengers, the more money."  If there isn't 3 people crammed into a seat made for 2, the bus is not full.  This does not bode well with my large American bubble of personal space, nor the fact that I don't like skin to skin contact with someone I don't know that well when it's about a million degrees and you're playing sardines in the bus.  Furthermore, as we were about half an hour away from getting back the bus driver decides to pull over for a pit stop in which everyone piles off the bus to buy junk food and soda after we've already been going for 3 hours without stopping.  I guess it's just my OCD, but if you've gone that far without stopping just man up and make it the rest of the way!  Geez.  So enough venting about bus travel.  The beach was a good chance to see some nature, I love the beach...always have.  The current and undertow were STRONG, so it was mostly just trying to stand your ground and not get sucked away with every wave vs. being able to swim, but it felt good to be in the sea again.  Reminded me of Spain! :)  And gold star for this uber fair, blonde gringa.  I didn't get sunburned!

Anyway, that's all for the 1's I've got.  Look for part 2 NOW!

Volunteer Visit

OK guys!

So this post is a long time coming and I have a sick feeling it's going to take me forever to post this.  (It makes me sick to think of it because it's nearly midnight and these usually take me an hour to write and I am EXHAUSTED!)

So, last Sunday I did my first traveling around this country, alone.  Yah, alone.  I didn't wanna tell to much about it ahead of time because I knew it would be ok, but I know how some of you guys back home are! ;)  I mean c'mon, I've driven all of CA alone and traveled around Europe and to the US alone, what could Central America possibly throw at me that I couldn't handle?!  Exactly, NOTHING!

From my small pueblo, I took a mototaxi out to the main highway.  At that point I caught a bus down into the Capital.  From that bus I took a taxi to the mercado where the buses depart to other major cities.  And then it was on that bus that I rode for nearly 5 hours to a town called Sulaco.  The first part of the trip leaving the capital was on decent paved roads.  After that it was a dirt road into the town.  I had a window seat and it was uber hot.  Needless to say I arrived caked in dirt/dust and it was an interesting situation, to say the least.  Now I know!

Upon arrival in Sulaco I had to walk from where the bus dropped me off to where I was to meet the volunteer.  Needless to say, I was the only other gringa in this town (and they don't see many).  As I walked into town and near the central park, where I was meeting the other gringa, I had so many people staring at me it was definitely awkward!  All I could do was smile and laugh.  Could you imagine such a thing happening in the US?! 

I spent two days with the other gringa, shadowing her in her daily activities.  Monday we went in search of Internet as she had to do a report form that the PC requires every 6 months.  I got to experience some Honduran supermarkets and do some shopping.  Plus, banking here is insane!  Every time I pass a bank the line is ridiculous and I've yet to figure it out.  I went with the other gringa when she had to do some banking and we probably waited in line for about 10 minutes (in the mid morning).  [9-5 work here is very rare.] 

The following day I went with her as she taught English to 4th, 5th and 6th graders.  The first class was full of misbehaved kids, but there was about 40 of them, it's to be expected.  The classes after that were better behaved because they were smaller and the teachers were present.  In one class I received what the volunteer called my first "love note" even though it was from a little girl.  It was more an admiration note.  I will translate it for you: "Emily, thanks for coming to visit us.  I hope you like this place.  Emily, know that you are very pretty.  I hope that everything goes well for you in your travels.  See ya soon.  I hope to see you again."  This note made my day!  After seeing some things that left me unsure of certain aspects, this note made it all clear for me.  If I can reach just one little girl in a few minutes, imagine what will happen after 2 years.  This little girl touched me with such a simple act, it all became clear to me and I will always think of her when things get rough during my time here.

I believe I was sent to visit this volunteer because she has done work with some womens groups, which I had told my Business project directors, that I was potentially interested in.  Well, I certainly appreciate the opportunity to see what was going on because I'm not so sure that I'm still interested.  Motivation can be a factor and I'm not exactly a motivational speaker.  Not to mention I learned more about how everything works with help from the government, etc, etc.  Mind you, I only saw a one day glimpse of this, but needless to say I think I may prefer something more structured along the lines of working with a larger NGO come time to get down to my own work.

Visiting the volunteer was great though for different aspects of the PC life.  I saw that she was safe living on her own in a Honduran community.  She had many friends in her town and many people knew her name and greeted her as we walked around.  One afternoon we had free, we were able to visit the river and swim.  A very fun time!  Believe me, well deserved because it was probably nearly 100 degrees there.

Wednesday I returned back to the capital via a jalón (a free ride - more or less) from a friend of the volunteer.  He was nice enough to drop me off exactly where the buses leave for my current neighborhood, rather than drop me off on the edge of the city and make me take a taxi.  I got back to my cute little pueblo and we've continued on with the week since then!

Today was the last day of our normal routine in the training center.  It was also the b-day of two people in our group.  We had one last hurrah at a local restaurant, where about 30 of us showed up.  (Where were the other 24?!)  It was fun to go out with a bang, yet sad to say goodbye to the people we've been getting to know and been close with for 3 weeks now.  Come Sunday we leave to our Field Based Training (FBT) where we are split into three groups according to our projects, ie Business, Health and Water/Sanitation.  It's going to be great getting down to business (no pun intended!) yet, I will certainly miss some of the people I've gotten to know from the other two projects.  Oh well, these first 3 weeks have flown and I know the 7 of FBT will be the same.  I'm looking forward to it!

One last note!  I got my first package from home today!!!  I was waiting to make sure it arrived and that I had given the correct address before making it public.  So, I would really appreciate anything you guys may want to send my way:  non-perishable junk food, American mags, gum, anything creative you can think of...  (for now I have no specific needs/wants).  Better to use flat rate boxes from the post office!!!  Anyway, the address is as follows:

Emily Whitfield
Voluntaria de Cuerpo de Paz
Cuerpo de Paz
Colonia Palmira
PO BOX 3158
Tegucigalpa, Honduras 11102 

As far as I know that's just for packages!  If you want to send me some good 'ol fashion snail mail (which I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) I will try to get that address too.

Well everyone, by now you know the drill!!  Thanks for reading and following.  (Try to follow if you haven't already!) 

Hasta la proxima vez...

First post from mi casita

Hey crew!

Just a quick post to let you guys keep tabs on me (for those of you not doubling up on Facebook)!

I finally got a phone and wireless modem today.  It was supposed to happen last Wednesday, when the IT guy from the main PC office was allegedly bringing in a representative from the cell company to sell us phones at our training center.  Dude could have sold about 30 phones, but backed out 3 days.  We finally got ourselves into town and bought it today.  The lady who owns the store hustled us, by charging us 50 lempiras more than what she quoted us yesterday when she was out of stock. (I guess no one plans on 50+ gringos coming into town and clearing you out, so she's been getting rocked by us.)  I asked her how it changed so much in 24 hours and all she could manage was, my price went up.  Yah, right.  Oh well, the exchange rate we got there in the store was 18 lemps to $1, so whatev.  That 50 lemp difference is about $3.  Hard to get mad over $3 when I'm gettin' a cell phone and a wireless modem.

Furthermore, we went into Valle de Angeles today for a small business visit as I'd mentioned earlier.  It was sweet.  Myself and 3 others met with the owner of the local Internet cafe.  (The one from where I'd been connecting prior to today.)  It was very interesting and I learned a lot!

Sunday I'm heading out of town to visit a currently serving volunteer.  She is also in Business and working with some women's groups, which I had noted may be an interest of mine during my initial interview.  Will be back "home" on Wednesday.

This Saturday is "American Cultural" day at 'school' so we're supposed to represent our school or fave sports team.  My friend from Oakland and myself will be reppin' Nor Cal hard with the A's and Raiders!!!  Hope to get some pix goin' for you guys soon.  We will see how this whole wireless Internet thing works out for me.

As always, thanks for reading, following and keeping in touch.  It really means a lot to me!

Hasta la proxima vez...

In honor of my nephew for his b-day!

So, I´m trying to be quick...I´ve already been on the Internet for an hour.

Anyway, like the title says, a shout out to my lil man, Cade, back home who is turning 4 tomorrow!  I love you, Cade!!

And also just got a few pix I wanna share with you guys...

(Oh PS - no cell yet.  Gettin´ one monday I think.  It was ´chisme´that we would get them last wednesday)

I´ve gotten into horses since I´ve been here.  See my brand is EM.  No, not really.  Just some of the stray horses that roam around.  Yes, there are strays!  Just an awesome coincidence that this one showed up outside my house and I took a picture! :)

That´s my dog, Rayo, on the way back from the rio last Saturday.  It was a pretty intense hike.  Well worth it!

The view from the bus ride every day.  It´s pretty fantastic! 

OK guys, thanks for following along! 

Hasta la proxima vez...

Ridin´ High

(Hey guys, I wrote this post for you on March 1st!)

We’ve only been here in Hondu for five days yet we’ve heard repeatedly that there will be highs and lows. For the most part we’ve been getting what I keep calling ‘debriefings’. None of the classes are really into the ‘meat ‘of what we’ll be learning, but more like outlines. We’ve made lots of lists: our expectations of our teachers, what we expect to do here, how to better incorporate with our host families, traits that make a successful PCV, etc. For being on our own for two years we sure are getting a TON of group work in now.




Anyway, I mentioned the highs and lows because today was a HIGH for sure. For the first time we broke into groups according to our projects and discussed a little more what we’ll be doing. Now I have a better answer to the question that was posed to me so much before I left. It’s pretty much as I thought: business here encompasses EVERYTHING. They put lists on the wall with different subjects and two columns: Can Teach or Want to Learn. The things ranged from small business planning to accounting; animal husbandry to customer service. On the list that said Fundraising/Grant Writing only myself and one other girl put our names on the “Can Teach” side. (Michelle, if you’re reading this…get ready to help me out! :) I also put Can Teach on marketing, sports n games and customer service. I put Want to Learn on just about everything: small business planning, agribusiness, web design and so much more…I can’t even remember. Oh yah, outdoors was a list. Like, camping, hiking, etc. Put my name on Want to Learn, even though I’ve done all that, I don’t know that I could teach per se. Anyway, it was amazing seeing in writing all the possibilities. They also explained to us what the next 3 months will look like. Besides learning a little bit about everything we get to take various “field trips”. In a couple weeks we’re going into Valle de Angeles to see how some of the small businesses operate there. Then we go to FBT in a different city altogether from where we’re training now. At some point during FBT we get to take a trip to camp on the beach and visit an island to learn a little about tourism and how it’s sustainable here. Then in the last week before we’re tested we do like a practicum or whatever and make a mock business and see how it goes. On May 10 we will find out our sites for the next two years. It’s so well planned out! Our two business (BZ) instructors told us there are 28 sites wanting volunteers in BZ but only 19 of us. However, that’s in our favor as aspirantes (Trainees) because we will better fit a site vs. 19 spots for 19 volunteers. Over the next 3 months our BZ instructors will get to know us better, our strengths, what we expect out of service, what type of work we would prefer to do, etc. Our first individual interviews with them is tomorrow. I’m SO STOKED! Or as my friend put it, I’m so juiced! LOL, we’re all on a HUGE high right now.



And on the “home” front, my host family is the most amazing (aside from my real family at home, of course)! My host mom has my bucket of water warmed for my “shower” in the mornings, breakfast ready when I get out and lunch as I head off to “school” (These things are all pretty sweet. I dunno if they’re meant to last or if I’m supposed to take over those tasks eventually...) Today when I got home, I was offered coffee, which I’m trying to decline more often, and sat down to watch a little ‘novela’ with the girls. When my “mom” got in from work she asked me to join her on a walk and we went to her mother’s house (which is like 5 houses down the street, around the corner). In typical Honduran style some other friends were over. One woman gave us all a banana that she had just bought at the market. I knew I had made it past the awkward “gringa en la casa” phase when my host mom was telling everyone she would cry when I left at the end of 3 months. Then we went to the little cafeteria and my ‘mom’ bought me a ‘churro’ (here in Honduras that means snack, not the Mexican dessert we’re used to). We walked home and I got to make my own dinner, as we discussed what few foods I actually know how to cook that would be feasible without an oven. (I came up with French toast, omelets and pasta. LOL, I know I got MAD cooking skills, don’t hate!) After dinner I played some “Tiene que pescar” (Go Fish), War and UNO with the younger daughter and un primo that was visiting from down the street. Then as I was in here sitting down to write this my ‘mom’ brought me in a cup of piping hot cinnamon tea and asked why I wasn’t cold with the windows wide open. The weather here is about late June in Modesto right now. Pretty hot, with perfect cool evenings. So, I tell her I’m perfect as I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt and she says she’s cold. LOL, I’m scared to see what the summer is really like here!



Well crew, I want all you guys to know that I’m really happy right now. I’m on this high and I’m gonna ride it as long as I can. I know it’s gonna get hard one of these days, many of these days. Keep me in your prayers and I’ll keep you posted! :)



Hasta la proxima vez…