Wednesday 31 May 2017

Trips Here, Trips There, Trips Everywhere

Even though I've written four blogs already this month, there's still a lot I haven't told you about! Hard to believe but we've been busy, busy, busy! Out of the past six weekends, we have spent five of them outside of Candelaria so I'm going to a little round up of our trips.


Trip 1 - Utila
This was back in April, the weekend after my dad and sister had returned home. It was a pretty spontaneous idea - we were told we had no school on Thursday because of a funeral and exams started on Friday so no English classes. We decided to take advantage, despite having just come back from a holiday. Our original plan was to go and visit Jesse and Lucy in Tomala but they were in the same situation as us and wanted to get away.

So instead we decided to go back to one of our favourite places in Honduras - the glorious island of Utila! It took us a whole day of travel to get to La Ceiba where we caught the ferry the next morning. Unfortunately we had neither the time or the money (but mostly not the money) to dive while on the island but we spent a heavenly two days swimming, reading and relaxing and two nights partying like you only can on Utila.

Nice to see you again too Utila

There was also an ulterior motive to the trip - way back in November my dad sent four packages to Utila that were supposed to arrive in plenty of time for our ten days there over Christmas and New Year. They unfortunately did not arrive for then and were MIA until March when I got an email saying they had arrived in Utila. I picked them up this time around and got to revive the Christmas spirit by sharing a box of christmas crackers around! There was also a couple of books, lots of chocolate and sweets, some jammies, balloons, glow sticks and my personal favourite, plastic glasses adorned with tropical fruit!

Nothing's better than Christmas in April, right?

On the way back to Candelaria we made several stops, one in San Juan Pueblo to visit Eve, Alice and Peter's project, another in Tela for a free night of accommodation and in Gracias, because we could.


Trip 2 - Lago de Yojoa 
 The following weekend we were off again! Monday 1st May was Day of the worker in Honduras which meant a day off, so of course we had to make use of it. We had the Friday off too because of student elections so stopped in on Beth and Ellie in Siguetapeque, furthering our mission to see everybody's projects before we go home. Their school is insane! Not only is it bilingual but the classrooms look like they could have been taken straight out of the UK. After school ended we walked around Sigua for a while, trying some delicious ice cream and amazing chorizo before heading back to their cute little house.

Siguaaaaaa

It only took us a couple of hours to get from Sigua to the lake the next morning. We were joined by Lucy and Jesse from Tomala, Grace and Hannah from Yamaranguila, and Norome and Eva from San Francisco de Valle. We spent Saturday chilling around our hostel, the tranquil D&D Brewery and walking down to the river that leads to the lake.

Sunday was a much busier day! We started by riding out to Pulhapanzak Falls, where you can take a tour around the back of the waterfall. In reality it's more like a trip underneath the falls! At some points it was hard to stay upright and I came away with more than a few bruises. On the way back to the hostel we stopped at a kayak shop and rented some to paddle out onto the actual lake, having so far only seen it from the road. It was a good half hour journey to get there but the aching arms were well worth it.

The only way to travel!
Very intimidating
This took a loooooong time to get right!


Trip 3 - Tomalá
After a weekend in Candelaria we finally got around to visiting Tomalá, technically our closest neighbouring project. Despite it being a quick four hour journey away, it actually takes two days to get there. To get to Tomalá you have to first go to Mapulaca, the border town with El Salvador about an hour away from here, and then stay the night so you're ready for the 3am bus to Tomalá. Fortunately for us we managed to bag a lift with someone Lety knows who was heading there anyway.

We actually bumped into Jesse and Lucy on the road outside of Tomalá, so we hopped out and walked back up to the famous Las Piñonas, basically a big rock with a great view. On our way back into town we got to have a tour of the high school and met the director, the director of the primary school and their host Mertza. We had dinner that evening at a restaurant called Bamboo and got stuck there for an hour in torrential rain! Eventually we had to just make a run for it through the rivers that had replaced the roads!

Finally made it!
The view from Las Peñonas
On Saturday we had a tour around the primary school, visited their newly refurbished town park, their mind blowing kids play park, and a viewpoint that overlooks Tomalá. Tomalá is an even smaller town than Candelaria, nestled high into the mountains, making it a much fresher temperature. Norome and Eva got the bus down from their project and we spent the night with them and a few of Jesse and Lucy's friends.


That's pretty much it. Not kidding.

We had breakfast on Sunday with Miriam, Lety's sister, and then got the bus to San Marcos so we could spend an hour visiting their project in San Francisco. They have a great school and we also got to meet the family that they hope to move in with soon. Our journey back to Candelaria was long but we once again managed to keep it to one day by catching a lift with someone heading that way from Mapulaca.


Norome clearly has an admirer!


Trip 4 - Gracias
Another big meet up like one we had in November - almost everyone came apart from the three boys. We had a very relaxed time, not doing much through the day and then visited a mojito bar in the evening. It was the first time in Gracias for Kitty and Liv and only the second time for a few others so I think they really enjoyed the chance to come back to such a beautiful place. It was also the last time we will have this many of us in one place as those volunteers who have yet to travel leave in a few weeks. Possibly the most exciting part of the weekend for me was the three cockroaches I had to kill when spending Friday night in a different hotel from usual!



Trip 5 - La Unión
And finally, last week end we embarked on a silly amount of travelling to spend roughly 16 hours in Siobhan's project. To get to La Unión, we first spent Friday night in Yamaranguila with Grace and Hannah and then got the bus to Gracias with them the next day. From Gracias it's a three hour bus ride to La Unión but it is breathtaking. It feels like you're nestled in mountains.


In our short time there we managed to fit in a lot. Our first stop was Cafe Zazzo to try the famous ice cream but it was closed so we headed up to visit Siobhan's friend, Miss Turcios. We had some coffee there during which time the rain started which spoiled our plan to walk up to Kiosco, a big wooden treehouse with brilliant views over the town.

Instead we headed down to Aviva, a restaurant set up by an American called Heather who worked in the Vida Abundante school a few years ago but didn't take to teaching. And I'm glad she didn't because the pastelitos, chocolate licuado and coffee that I had there were all delicious! Once again we had to make a break for it through torrential rain but this time we managed to do it in a moto taxi!

The whole crew, plus teacher Sarah in the front and Heather next to me


In other news, as well as celebrating Mother's Day and the UNICEF Day for Change, the other day was Día del Arból (Day of the Tree). The whole school went on a school trip (trip, get how it fits in?!?) up to mini-Victors grandad's house and do some presentations and then got to enjoy some paddling pools! It was a lovely place and I think everybody enjoyed the day. 




This is how we travel in Honduras!

Monday 29 May 2017

Introducing: La Escuela Jose Cecilio del Valle

Almost ten months in and just as I'm about to say goodbye, I thought it was time for you all to get to know my school and my students! I imagine everyone says this but the kids really are the best part of the year, they make all the hard days worth it (even when they're the reason why it's a hard day in the first place) and never fail to put a smile on my face.


Kinder (Prepa) 


Prepa is the year of Kinder before they start primary school. Sometimes they can be tough. There are some very strong spirits in this class and often come in very restless and as I see them first thing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays I have the challenge of settling them. I use games, channeling their energy into running from flashcard to flashcard, we sing songs all day long and occasioanlly we just sit on the floor and practice our numbers. I have sung If You're Happy and You Know It so many times this year that I ever want to hear it again. We also Wind the Bobbin up a lot and put our right arm in, our right arm out, our right arm in and shake it all about.


First grade - Profe Norma



These little guys used to be Amy's prepa class in Kinder but are now all grown up and have joined us in the big school. While their attention span isn't brilliant (but then whose was at age 5?), we have some very bright kids in this class, very keen and quick to pick things up. They are big fans of drawing and singing, with their favourite songs being our months of the year macarena and the days of the week song set to the tune of Chris Evan's Breakfast show!


Second grade - Profe Aminta


We have seen a lot of changes in this class over the past year. Those that were cheeky monkeys last year and struggled to focus are now very attentive students. They participate more, their writing has improved and so has their ability to retain what we teach them. They are a very kindhearted bunch too, always ready to ambush us at the door when we arrive to smother us in hugs and our walls and their jotters are full of drawings and notes saying thank you to us and that they love us.  A lot of the little girls take a great deal of pride in their jotter work, drawing lovely borders, using their best handwriting and making sure everything is perfect.


Third grade - Profe Marina


Once again, we have seen some big changes in this class. When we arrived in August they were a young and wildly immature second grade class that we had to fight to control and even had me on the brink of tears once. Now they are a stellar example of how we wish all our classes would be! They listen, follow instructions, are climbing over each other to participate but will settle down when we need them to. Not that they don't have their bad days, when chatting is rife and concentration is hard to find. I have a lot of love for this class, partly because of how far we've seen them come but also because of their continued hard work and effort. Their favourite game is a mix of chinese whispers and splat the board where they pass a word down their line and then have to touch the right flashcard on the board.


Fourth grade - Profe Rosaura


This a very lively class - they can be very loud and energetic which makes them a lot of fun to be around but difficult to reign in. They like to play games but at times their energy overflows the space that we have available in the classroom. Progress is slow going but whenever we revisit a topic, I usually have a smile on my face because they are good at remembering. They are at an interesting age in their education - a kind of make it or break it point. If they're interested in English now, I believe it's an interest they will carry with them. All I can do is try and light the spark and I'm doing my best!


Fifth grade - Profe Doris


The opposite has happened with this class than has happened with many other classes. As we've spent more time together, the noise levels have slowly increased as have some of the cheeky comments but it's all well natured. I feel very comfortable with this class, they are all great kids and I get on well with all of them. As with most classes there are some students who have a natural knack for English and others that struggle but the common denominator in this class is the hard work. The absolute favourite in this class is without a doubt X y O (a.k.a. noughts and crosses) with hangman a close second.


Sixth grade - Profe Lucia


How do I describe sixth grade? A brilliant class, brilliant behaviour, brilliant work. I have never had any problems with this class and that is not an exaggeration. They are bright and eager, always do their best and are truly a joy to teach. What's helpful too is that their teaches appreciates the value of learning English for them and is a big help to me in class and very encouraging to them. They have a new favourite game that I introduced them to recently, Heads Down, Thumbs Up.


And now for the grand tour!

This is our Kinder, it is approximately a 45 second walk from our house. We work here every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8-8.45am. There are two classes - Pre-K which is the younger class that Amy teaches this year, full of 3 and 4 year olds, and Prepatorio who will be next year's first grade.

 The grand entrance to La Escuela Urbana Mixta de Jose Cecilio de Valle! 


The school buildings are spread over three levels - this is the top level that houses the director's office, 1st-3rd grade, both 5th grade classes and my 6th grade as well as the bathrooms down at the end.


The middle level of the school has the salon (basically the assembly hall), a spare classroom, the library and my 4th grade class. At breaktime they have a someone selling crips and sweets through the bars of the salon.


 
The salon during a school meeting


Next to the middle level is this construction. I think it used to be a kind of lunchroom but isn't really used it anymore. We've seen it used once to make tamales at the start of the year.


The lower level has Amy's 4th and 6th grade classes.


A football pitch next to the classrooms - mostly used by 6th grade boys


On the other side of the lower classrooms is this little play area. The seesaw and monkey bars are new but the swing set is deadly! I'm surprised that no one has ever gone flying off and into the river!


These tables line the playground on the top level of school and is where the kids get their provided snacks at breaktime.


And this is an example of a classroom, specifically my 6th grade. All the classrooms have tin roofs which can make them extremely hot at times but they also have fans which helps. We use the whiteboards to teach but don't use any technology.

And there you have it, a little insight to my everyday life in Candelaria. The kids here are so special to me, even when they're driving me crazy! Leaving in two months will be heart wrenching but I know I'll be back one day.

Thursday 18 May 2017

UNICEF Day for Change

Some of you may remember that as part of my fundraising I celebrated the UNICEF Day for Change by with working with my old school, Newton Primary, and Belle, a returned Honduras volunteer. As part of a Global Citizenship award that volunteers can receive as part of a year abroad with Project Trust, you have to celebrate an international day and I've known from the start that I wanted to take the UNICEF Day for Change with me all the way to Honduras.

And last week, that's exactly what I did! With only 45 minutes with each class at a time, I decided to take a whole week. Each class had two lessons - one looked at differences between Scotland and Honduras and another that concentrated on ways we can look after the world - with the overall focus being on the concept and ideals of Global Citizenship.

Teaching first grade about the Scottish flag

With 1st-3rd grade we used an inflatable globe to figure out where Scotland is and just how far away it is from Honduras. Next we learnt about all of Scotland's emblems, like the flag, national animal, bird, flower and tree. We were able to use our knowledge of colours in English to help us describe the flag but the kids were shocked when none of the animals they know in English were right and even more shocked when I told them that the national animal of Scotland is a unicorn! I bet there's a few people reading this that didn't know that either!

First grade working hard

Juan colouring his Honduran flag

Each 1st and 2nd grader then got two little bits of paper each, one for the Scottish flag and one for the Honduran flag so we could make some bunting out of our flags! With 3rd grade, we did something a little different. I had brought with me some packs of cut outs of little girls and little boys. With a little modification, the girls were ready to be drawn into the traditional Honduran dresses and the boys were ready to wear some kilts. It was great to see the care and creativity that went into the design of the dresses and especially the kilts. There were no cries of outrage from the boys in the class about the fact that they had to draw boys in skirts either - in fact they were all clamoring to get one!

Very proud
Jamie from 1st grade

Karen from 2nd grade

Third grade with their amazing drawings

With 4th-6th grade we ramped it up a bit. As well as looking at the flag and emblems, we talked about school and hobbies and homes and even threw in a bit of ceilidh dancing! 

Gay Gordon-ing it out
For their second lesson we looked at the problems that our planet faces. Together we came up with superheroes that could combat these issues and we had some great ideas! My favourite was hypnosis that could make everyone friends so there were no more wars but we also had laser eyes to destroy any rubbish and the power to breathe in dirty air and breathe out clean air to deal with air pollution. But unfortunately these superheroes don't exist so instead we had a think about all the ways we can save the planet instead.


SUPERHEROES!!!

Sharing this day with the kids was so much fun - it gave me a chance to talk about home to every single class, break into even more of a sweat than usual while ceilidh dancing and pretend to be a superhero (at least for 45 minutes!). We covered some very important topics that the students showed some brilliant consciousness of. They are aware that they have to be part of the worldwide effort to save this planet and I hope they will take that with them into their futures and try and share what they know to be true.

Friday 12 May 2017

Seize the Day(s)

It often feels like a week doesn't go by without there being some kind of celebration in Honduras. With Hondurans being a mostly Christian, many of these are religious holidays, though there are also a large number recognising social issues.

While they can sometimes be extremely frustrating, especially in September when it feels like you never get to see your classes, but it's also a great insight into the country I'm living in. I have compiled below a list of the many celebrations and holidays that have been observed in our time here and that we will experience before we leave.


Día de la Bandera (Day of the Flag) - 1st September
This is when things all kicked off for us after arriving in Honduras. Independence Day is in September so the month is laden with celebrations leading up to the big day. I honestly don't remember too much happening on this day apart from a parade to the central park and singing the national anthem. 



Día del Niño (Day of the Child) - 10th September
This was a really fun day! It actually started the day before for us, with a visit to the school from some clowns to entertain the kids. More clowns for the main event (Honduras is not the place to come if you've got a phobia) and then a big lunch in their grades with games, dancing and a piñata!



Día de Independencia (Independence Flag) - 15th September 
The big one! The build up to this was huge, marching practices, drumming rehearsals, poster making, everything! All the primary schools and high schools from the municipalidad of Candelaria paraded through the town, with us proudly waving the Scottish and British flags (they couldn't find an English one) and marching with Escuela Urbana Mixta de Jose Cecilio de Valle. The rest of the day inlcuded performances from various war bands, traditional dancing, singing and speeches. 



Día de los Maestros (Day of the Teacher) - 17th September
I enjoyed this one and felt very deserving after just over a month of being on the job. We joined all the other teachers living in Candelaria at a dinner hosted by the mayor where there was a performance from and El Salvadorian singer, party favours and cake! There were also a few party games like a mini pageant and a balloon relay race (we played, we lost).



Día de la Biblia (Day of the Bible) - Last Sunday in September
We were invited to these celebrations by some of our friends from the Evangelical church. The night before the main celebration which was, of course, a parade and speeches, we went to a church service. The one service we had been to previously was hard work as we didn't understand much but this one was more enjoyable, both because of our improved Spanish and the amazing family band that was performing.



Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) - 2nd November
A day known for it's celebrations full of sugar skulls and dancing in nearby Mexico is a much tamer affair in Honduras. Amy and I headed down to Erandique, a town about two hours away from Candelaria where Jaime, our host dad, is from. This day is all about family, above all else. It's a day to spend with them, a day to remember them, a day to honour them. In Erandique we went to the cemetery where Jaime's parents and some of his siblings are buried where we cleaned the graves and left some flowers.



Navidad (Christmas) - 25th December
With Honduras being a religious, Christian country, Christmas is kind of a big deal. Some traditions vary from home and some are the same. Instead of a turkey on the dinner table you will find tamales, corn parcels filled with rice, vegetables and sometimes chicken or beef though you will still see Christmas trees filled with ornaments and lights strung everywhere. Most celebrations happen on the 24th, though the official holiday is on the 25th. Many people will attend church on Christmas Eve and spend the rest of the night with their families, leading up to the insane fireworks that take place at midnight.

Nuevo Año (New Year) - 31st December
New Year is celebrated in Honduras much like in Britain, with parties on New Year's Eve, lots of food, time spent with family but also with some interesting traditions. As the clock strikes 12am, you must eat 12 grapes, one on each stroke of the hour, to make sure you have a sweet year. If you're looking for luck, love or success, wear your best pink, red or yellow underwear, respectively.

Día del Padre (Father's Day) - 19th March
Not as big a deal as Mother's Day (see below) but there were cards made, presents given, hugs passed out.

Día del Amor y la Amistad (Day of Love and Friendship) - 14th February
Honduras' version of Valetine's Day celebrates platonic relationships as much as romantic ones was marked with a show at the high school that had singing, dancing and a hilarious drag fashion show! 



Día del Agua (World Water Day) - 22nd March
Unfortunately I recovering from being ill so we didn't take part in the (you guessed it) parade but we did watch a few speeches from the shade, which included one from a representative of Water First, an American organisation that supports our water treatment plant, Cocepradil, who organised the parade. 



Día de la Garifuna (Garifuna Day) - 12th April
This is the day the Garifuna people arrived on Roatan from St. Vincent. The biggest and best celebrations are in Punta Gorda on the island of Roatan and we were lucky enough to be able to attend. A large group of volunteers and their families were on holiday on Roatan that week anyway and PT have a project there too. There was a lot of Punta music and dancing and we got to hear the story of how an American man discovered he was Garifunan.



Semana Santa (Easter)
Semana Santa is the week leading up to Easter weekend which is when the whole country of Honduras goes simultaneously crazy and silent. Want a last minute booking in one of Honduras' tourist spots, like Roatan or Copan, for this weekend? Think again. At the same time though, don't try and go anywhere on Good Friday. You won't find a bus or ferry going anywhere, trust me, I tried. Celebration wise, painted wooden carvings of religious images walk through the town and in some places the streets are carpeted with dyed sawdust designs and illustrations, the most famous being in Comayagua.

Día de la Tierra (Earth Day) - 22nd April
We were out of Candelaria this weekend but we heard there was a photo competition and a screening of The Lorax in the park and when we got back there were signs all around Candelaria encouraging us to take better care of the planet.

Día del Trabajador (Labour Day) - 1st May
Coinciding with the May Bank holiday, this is basically just a day off. No big celebrations, nothing fancy, just a day of rest for the many hardworking people around the country.

Día de la Madre (Mother's Day) - Second Sunday in May
And that's today! Or at least the celebrations at the primary school were today. Each class presented something from poems, singing, traditional dancing, dramas and my favourite, a faux boy band performance! 




Día del Arbol (Day of the Tree) - 30th May
This is primarily an educative holiday, to educate schoolchildren on the importance of looking after the forest. There are special tributes to Honduras' national tree, the Mexican yellow pine. I've heard there are plans for a school trip to somewhere near Gualcinse for the day with the primary school. 



Día de Lempira (Day of Lempira) - 20th July
The Lempira referred to here is not the currency but the Lencan hero who fought against the Spanish in the 1530's. Hondurans, and especially those in the Lempira department, where I live, are extremely proud of Lempira ans this day is very important to them.

Ferías (Fairs)
At various points during the year, different in every town, there is a fair, almost like a bigger, more vibrant and bustling version of our weekly Sunday market. There are the usual food, clothes and homeware stores, there are carnival-like games and if you're (un)lucky the rickety, diesel-smelling Ferris wheel.