Oh the allure of the copy machine. While all of you can easily walk into any of your neighborhood photo copy joints, Kinkos, Dollar Bill, Office Depot and make copies by the thousands if you want to, I, my friends, have no such luxury.
In Honduras, the copy machine is akin to a rocket ship or a highly complicated brain surgery. Only the experts are allowed to touch, use, and make copies. By the way they treat the copy machine, especially at my school, you'd think that Miss Secretaria Berta had to go to special photocopy school and obtain a government certified license before being allowed to make copies.
I really don't understand. Like, I just. don't. understand. For one thing, if I want something copied for that day, there is a fat chance I am going to get it. The other morning I asked Miss Julie if I could have 16 copies made for that afternoon. We're talking a minimum of 3 hours later. Now, I understand that I probably shouldn't ask people do make copies the day I want to use them. (God forbid I come up with something I want to hand out the next day in class.) Julie was like, "today?" and I said, "yeah" and she said, simply, "oooh..no, I don't think so." Ohhh my...16 copies? 3 hours? Oye gosh...I know I'm asking a lot. Considering it probably takes a total of 1 minute to make this happen. But, I just said, "okay, I'll just use the handout tomorrow" and went on my merry way. And by merry way, I mean walked into the teacher's lounge and complained to Abby.
The other thing is though that some days, Miss Berta isn't here. For example, she was out for a week when her mother was sick. You would think, just think, maybe just a glimmer of thinking, that perhaps, someone else would take our tests that needed to be photocopied and um...photocopy them? Well, when I went to get my test copies that week, as in I had a test that day that students had studied for, there were no copies to be had. Right. Cause that makes perfect sense. I asked Julie what was up and she was like, "Well Miss Berta isn't here...soooo...." Soooo...what? I don't give my test? You can make the copies? Is Miss Berta the only one who knows how to use the copy machine? Come to find out, yes, as a matter of fact she is. Now, I don't know where this idea that the copy machine is a total enigma came from, but it is certainly there, with everyone at that school. So then I asked Julie, "Can I maybe try and make copies?" She looked at me with such surprise and shock, "You...you...you think you can do it?" Hmm...well, in short, "Yes." It was as if I told her I could solve a rubix cube in 2 minutes flat.
Honduras, I tell ya. It's a hoot.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
One Thing I WILL Miss
Tears, legitimate tears are streaming down my face. I'm not sad, or overly happy, just have some major pain due to the stingy of my eyes. My nose is running and I have to take a time out from my cooking to go to the bathroom to get a tissue...or five. Yes, I am cooking. No I did not burn myself or anything, I am simply cooking with the freshest vegetables I will probably ever have in my life. The stars in tonight's dish are onions, plain 'ol regular white onions that I've cooked with lots of times in the U.S.. I swear that cutting onions has never hurt me so much. I'm not kidding when I say I look like I've just been at a funeral. One slice of that knife and my tear ducts start going loco. But in those tears of stingy eye pain are a few tears of happiness because I am about to eat yet another amazing meal of farm fresh veggies.
The kicker being, their price. The market usually charges less than 100 lempira for a whole bundle full of vegetables. We're talking your green and red peppers, onions, potatoes, carrots, oranges, limes, cucumber; whatever the recipe calls for. I usually buy 3 avacados at the local market for I think 18 lempira? Can that be right? Meaning, one avacado is 6 lempira aka about 25 cents. Have I ever mentioned how much I love avacados. Guacemole is one of those foods that I will eat no matter if I am filled up to maximum capacity. There are few other foods that have this hold over me: pie (apple, pumpkin, banana cream), warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies, mashed potatoes, tollhouse cookie ice cream sandwich (preferably at an A's baseball game) and guacemole.
Now, growing up in California I have definitely seen some fresh fruit in my day. But even in California it can be difficult to find the perfect avacado, ripe and ready to go upon purchase. Often they are too hard, too soft, or too expensive. And Michigan and New York? Forget about your guacemole. Probably the reason the Mexican food is subpar there as well.
But I digress...
Bottom line: Central America=good produce. Every day our taxi takes us by the market...really close to our house actually. Admist the hunks of meat being carried around in a wheel barrow and farmers setting up shop, you see a rainbow of tropical fruit and vegetables coming in from the country by the truck loads.
It's definitely something that will be missed upon my return. I think I'll have to stay in California for a little while at least, just to ween myself off of the fresh produce. And now, if you excuse me, I'm off to eat mi cena deliciosa. Buen Provecho!
The kicker being, their price. The market usually charges less than 100 lempira for a whole bundle full of vegetables. We're talking your green and red peppers, onions, potatoes, carrots, oranges, limes, cucumber; whatever the recipe calls for. I usually buy 3 avacados at the local market for I think 18 lempira? Can that be right? Meaning, one avacado is 6 lempira aka about 25 cents. Have I ever mentioned how much I love avacados. Guacemole is one of those foods that I will eat no matter if I am filled up to maximum capacity. There are few other foods that have this hold over me: pie (apple, pumpkin, banana cream), warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies, mashed potatoes, tollhouse cookie ice cream sandwich (preferably at an A's baseball game) and guacemole.
Now, growing up in California I have definitely seen some fresh fruit in my day. But even in California it can be difficult to find the perfect avacado, ripe and ready to go upon purchase. Often they are too hard, too soft, or too expensive. And Michigan and New York? Forget about your guacemole. Probably the reason the Mexican food is subpar there as well.
But I digress...
Bottom line: Central America=good produce. Every day our taxi takes us by the market...really close to our house actually. Admist the hunks of meat being carried around in a wheel barrow and farmers setting up shop, you see a rainbow of tropical fruit and vegetables coming in from the country by the truck loads.
It's definitely something that will be missed upon my return. I think I'll have to stay in California for a little while at least, just to ween myself off of the fresh produce. And now, if you excuse me, I'm off to eat mi cena deliciosa. Buen Provecho!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Guest Appearance : The Sex
Abby gave a sex talk to 7th grade last week. Naturally, it provided an amusing Abby in Honduras blog post. She's my celebrity guest this post. Read, laugh, enjoy, and pay special attention to the grammar of the anonymous questions...that's my favorite part.
The Sex
Nothing like the topic of sex to motivate me to write on my blog again. So, I decided that 7th grade needed to have a little sex education. Honduras is still a very closed society when it comes to sex. Most people still feel that you lose your virginity if you put in a tampon! Obviously, the kids have never had someone speak openly, directly, and without embarrassment to them about sex. Their 13 year old ears perked up, like puppies hearing food poured in a bowl, as soon as they heard that forbidden word: SEX. The class that can't sit still, the class that never shuts up, the class that never listens, sat down, shut up, and listened. It was truly amazing.
I started by giving them a 40 minute lecture on condoms, STDs, pregnancy, you know, the usual. I told them to go home and write, anonymously, any more questions they had about sex, and I would answer them the next day in class.
The next day, I didn't have class with them until the end of school. During morning assembly, during both recesses, and as soon as I walked into class that afternoon I had swarms of 7th graders making sure I was going to give the charla (talk) that day about sex. I went around the classroom and collected all their questions. Seriously, how can I describe their eager faces? Eyes excited, but faces nervous. A little embarrassed, yet anxiously awaiting the answer to their most forbidden of questions. Afraid to be interested, but unable to hide their interest. And, as they told me later, amazed at the directness with which I would speak about this taboo subject, (thank you Santa Cruz and Juliana Molina for this ability).
Let me assure you that I answered all questions to the best of my ability and at an appropriate level for 13 year olds. Their questions were particularly hilarious because their English isn't very good, so the way they asked the questions were funny. Here, for your enjoyment, are some of the questions I received (I'll put my own translation of the question in brackets if I think you won't understand what they meant. I've left all spelling mistakes intact):
It was really cool to see how comfortable they were with me. At the beginning of the talk, the vice principal sat in the classroom, and the kids wouldn't ask me anything after I answered some of the questions. They don't trust the vice principal at all. As soon as the vice principal left I was bombarded with more questions they had thought of. Having anonymous letters was a good way to start the discussion, to get past their embarrassment, but in the end, we didn't need anything to be anonymous. It was obvious that they felt my classroom was a safe place for them to ask anything they wanted. Especially given the cultural climate here and the idea ingrained in them that you shouldn't talk about sex, I was really happy that they were able to open up so much and asked so many more questions than were originally on their anonymous sheets. I have completely failed in classroom control, but I have been able to create a safe environment for them, which to me is more important than them behaving during class.
Hopefully these kids will have safe, happy sex when they're ready. And I hope they remember that women enjoy sex. They didn't seem to know that this was possible...
The Sex
Nothing like the topic of sex to motivate me to write on my blog again. So, I decided that 7th grade needed to have a little sex education. Honduras is still a very closed society when it comes to sex. Most people still feel that you lose your virginity if you put in a tampon! Obviously, the kids have never had someone speak openly, directly, and without embarrassment to them about sex. Their 13 year old ears perked up, like puppies hearing food poured in a bowl, as soon as they heard that forbidden word: SEX. The class that can't sit still, the class that never shuts up, the class that never listens, sat down, shut up, and listened. It was truly amazing.
I started by giving them a 40 minute lecture on condoms, STDs, pregnancy, you know, the usual. I told them to go home and write, anonymously, any more questions they had about sex, and I would answer them the next day in class.
The next day, I didn't have class with them until the end of school. During morning assembly, during both recesses, and as soon as I walked into class that afternoon I had swarms of 7th graders making sure I was going to give the charla (talk) that day about sex. I went around the classroom and collected all their questions. Seriously, how can I describe their eager faces? Eyes excited, but faces nervous. A little embarrassed, yet anxiously awaiting the answer to their most forbidden of questions. Afraid to be interested, but unable to hide their interest. And, as they told me later, amazed at the directness with which I would speak about this taboo subject, (thank you Santa Cruz and Juliana Molina for this ability).
Let me assure you that I answered all questions to the best of my ability and at an appropriate level for 13 year olds. Their questions were particularly hilarious because their English isn't very good, so the way they asked the questions were funny. Here, for your enjoyment, are some of the questions I received (I'll put my own translation of the question in brackets if I think you won't understand what they meant. I've left all spelling mistakes intact):
- When someone masturbate, they have lost they virginity?
- How women feels when do sex?
- Do you are virgen (if we can know) [my translation: Are you a virgin?; my answer: thats a personal question so I'm not going to answer that]
- Can a penis or a comdom explode?
- What is masturbe?
- How the sex start?
- How does a person put a condom in itself (man)? [how does a man put a condom on himself?]
- How can you have twins?
- What happen when a woman is pregnant and she have the sex?
- Does the women likes the men does the sex with she? [Do women like it when men have sex with them.]
- What happen, feels when a women is exited? [What happens and how does it feel when a woman is sexually excited?]
- Why the women faint when have sex? [I seriously have no idea what this kid meant by that]
It was really cool to see how comfortable they were with me. At the beginning of the talk, the vice principal sat in the classroom, and the kids wouldn't ask me anything after I answered some of the questions. They don't trust the vice principal at all. As soon as the vice principal left I was bombarded with more questions they had thought of. Having anonymous letters was a good way to start the discussion, to get past their embarrassment, but in the end, we didn't need anything to be anonymous. It was obvious that they felt my classroom was a safe place for them to ask anything they wanted. Especially given the cultural climate here and the idea ingrained in them that you shouldn't talk about sex, I was really happy that they were able to open up so much and asked so many more questions than were originally on their anonymous sheets. I have completely failed in classroom control, but I have been able to create a safe environment for them, which to me is more important than them behaving during class.
Hopefully these kids will have safe, happy sex when they're ready. And I hope they remember that women enjoy sex. They didn't seem to know that this was possible...
Saturday, March 7, 2009
It's Been a While
Well, I was determined to not be one of those bloggers who never updates their blog, but alas I fear I have become one.
Part of the reason for this is probably because living in Honduras hasn't been much of a novelty lately and while I know my every day is probably pretty different from your hum drum lives (kidding!), it's just become life and I've sort of settled into it.
Settled in, but perhaps not with total happiness or confidence; another reason that I probably haven't written in a while. I've been going through a bit of a "I miss home a lot" phase and a "not feeling like myself" period, with a "I suck at Spanish" attitude. Fortunately for you, I won't talk about that much because today is a good day and I'm feeling good about being here in the big H. Just know, that as cool as this experience has been, it hasn't been all peachy. Then again, what is?
Here's a general recap of what I've been doing:
teaching
teaching
sleeping
eating
teaching
teaching
teaching
teaching
sleeping
eating
teaching
Yet another reason why I haven't written...not too interesting. Though, I know I have some funny tales from teacherdom, so I'll try and wrestle up a few.
First of all, a few weeks ago, I gave all my students a "teacher evaluation" so I could kind of see how I was doing, get some good suggestions, understand what I could do better. This was totally foreign to them and they said no teacher had ever done this. Their evaluations were so sweet and it was such a good pick me up. Cause, guess what? I'm a good teacher! They all said such nice things and really made me confident that I was actually doing an okay job. The administration hardly gives us any feedback at all and I am a person who needs positive reinforcement, I have discovered. So, I decided to put it into my own hands. Woohoo!
I still love 10th grade so much. They are just wonderful and make me smile every day. We just finished reading the book, Night, in literature class. They loved it! I mean, it's so sad, but I was so glad to see them all reading and really enjoying a book. Incidentally, there was a presentation about the Holocaust today in town put on by some Jehova Witnesses. We all met for lunch and then went to the presentation. It was so cool to see these kids completely take what they have read and learned and see it reinforced in this museum like setting. Not to mention that this was happening at the same time we were reading the book. Perfect!
11th grade has become my new least favorite class. I am so close to the point of giving up with them. I'm not going to, but they really make my job difficult and I don't know what I can do. I try so hard to do interesting activities and make class varied but they are just so over everything. They only do stuff because they know they have a grade at the end of the quarter. Everything is like pulling teeth. I let them have it a few days ago and really gave them a good ol fashioned teacher lecture. Their respect level is minimal and everytime I go into that class I know its going to be a battle between their laziness and constant side conversations. Last week, they even made me cry. I was just so frustrated with them and I was trying to teach and at one point I looked out at the class and they were all involved in their own little conversations and I was just like "You guys. This is impossible! I don't know what I'm supposed to do or how I can teach you. Well, whatever, you guys can just figure out the rest on your own." I just walked over to my desk, sat down, and started reading my book. Of course AFTER that they were all like "be quiet be quiet!" and trying to be all respectful and I said "It's not going to do you any good now, just talk all you want, go ahead," in a very snotty yet hurt tone. As I pretended to be really interested in my book for the remaining 15 mintues of class I tried my hardest not to cry. Tears were creeping up but I pushed them back. Finally the bell rang and I booked it out of there. I walked into my wonderful 10th grade classroom and told the kids to listen up for a second. Then I started a "thank you for being respectful, sweet, and it's a joy to teach you" speech. I probably uttered 5 words when the tears started coming. I tried not to cry but I told them what had happened and naturally, because they are wonderful, were so comforting. I suppose I'm officially a teacher now that I have cried. I know I can't take it too personally, I just wish they'd understand that this is not an easy job and treat me with a little bit more respect. Right now we're reading Catcher in the Rye, a book that I know they'd love if they just put a little bit of effort into it. But seeing as it took about 2 weeks for everyone to buy the book (and some still don't even have it) su esfuerzo no existe. Voy a seguir probando pero no será fácil.
Noveno grado es un nuevo favorito de mio. Lately, they have just been so funny. I honestly laugh constantly in that class. Their new thing is to tease me about dating Chris, the former HEM school teacher from England who is MY FRIEND and my friend only. However, they are convinced, or at least like to pretend they are convinced that I like him. It's one of those things that makes no sense and I have no idea where they got the idea from, but every time they mention it I can't help but laugh, smile, and turn red. I swear nothing is going on, but I know I look guilty as hell. They are a funny bunch...just goofy. They used to be one of my least favorites but I don't know, something changed and now we are having a lot of fun together. Marvin and Carlitos are the pair that just crack me up every class. Imagine just the most dangerous of duos as far as distracting their teacher from actually teaching. Carlitos just has a quick-witted, yet stupid sense of humor that makes you laugh and roll your eyes at the same time. Marvin is just always making odd noises in the back of the classroom...don't ask. They could go on vaudeville those two. Last Thursday, Carlitos was telling me his plight of all his school projects and papers he has to accomplish by the next day. He was giving me all his pros and cons and telling me that it was basically impossible for him to get it all done. "I think I'm...I might say a bad word here, sorry if I do, but I'm... screwed!! I'm just screwed! ...sorry was that a bad word, Miss? Yes?" Me: "Well, sort of but, I think it is what you are, a very appropriate usage. You are screwed Carlitos!" "I know! I'm Screwed!! What would you do, Miss, what would you do??" Hehe, it was funny. The girls in that class are just really sweet and super gigglely about anything. Can get a little over the top, but most of the time, I just laugh along.
The 5th graders are growing up I'm afraid. They are getting a little more interested in the opposite sex than they are of spelling words. They've definitely been acting out a little bit and been a little harder to control. However, they still have their good and sweet moments. Melo, one of my favorites keeps translating these Spanish jokes into English for me and it's so funny because first he'll ask me a couple of key words and then tell me the joke.
Melo : "Miss, what do you call a child with no parents?"
Me: "an orphan?"
Melo : "yeah, yeah and what do you call a person that eats humans?"
Me: "umm...like a canibal?"
Melo : "yeah yeah. okay...so Pepito is learning about canibals in class and his teacher asks him Pepito, what is a canibal? And Pepito says, "I don't know." and then the teacher says, "Well, what would you be if you ate your parents?" and Pepito says, "An orphan."
And then he just smiles at me with his adorable smile and his eyes that cross sometimes (hehe) like, "get it?!" haha. Too adorable.
All in all, school is definitely the high light of my days. As much work as it can be, it inevitably always puts a smile on my face. So, I got that goin for me...which is nice. ;)
Part of the reason for this is probably because living in Honduras hasn't been much of a novelty lately and while I know my every day is probably pretty different from your hum drum lives (kidding!), it's just become life and I've sort of settled into it.
Settled in, but perhaps not with total happiness or confidence; another reason that I probably haven't written in a while. I've been going through a bit of a "I miss home a lot" phase and a "not feeling like myself" period, with a "I suck at Spanish" attitude. Fortunately for you, I won't talk about that much because today is a good day and I'm feeling good about being here in the big H. Just know, that as cool as this experience has been, it hasn't been all peachy. Then again, what is?
Here's a general recap of what I've been doing:
teaching
teaching
sleeping
eating
teaching
teaching
teaching
teaching
sleeping
eating
teaching
Yet another reason why I haven't written...not too interesting. Though, I know I have some funny tales from teacherdom, so I'll try and wrestle up a few.
First of all, a few weeks ago, I gave all my students a "teacher evaluation" so I could kind of see how I was doing, get some good suggestions, understand what I could do better. This was totally foreign to them and they said no teacher had ever done this. Their evaluations were so sweet and it was such a good pick me up. Cause, guess what? I'm a good teacher! They all said such nice things and really made me confident that I was actually doing an okay job. The administration hardly gives us any feedback at all and I am a person who needs positive reinforcement, I have discovered. So, I decided to put it into my own hands. Woohoo!
I still love 10th grade so much. They are just wonderful and make me smile every day. We just finished reading the book, Night, in literature class. They loved it! I mean, it's so sad, but I was so glad to see them all reading and really enjoying a book. Incidentally, there was a presentation about the Holocaust today in town put on by some Jehova Witnesses. We all met for lunch and then went to the presentation. It was so cool to see these kids completely take what they have read and learned and see it reinforced in this museum like setting. Not to mention that this was happening at the same time we were reading the book. Perfect!
11th grade has become my new least favorite class. I am so close to the point of giving up with them. I'm not going to, but they really make my job difficult and I don't know what I can do. I try so hard to do interesting activities and make class varied but they are just so over everything. They only do stuff because they know they have a grade at the end of the quarter. Everything is like pulling teeth. I let them have it a few days ago and really gave them a good ol fashioned teacher lecture. Their respect level is minimal and everytime I go into that class I know its going to be a battle between their laziness and constant side conversations. Last week, they even made me cry. I was just so frustrated with them and I was trying to teach and at one point I looked out at the class and they were all involved in their own little conversations and I was just like "You guys. This is impossible! I don't know what I'm supposed to do or how I can teach you. Well, whatever, you guys can just figure out the rest on your own." I just walked over to my desk, sat down, and started reading my book. Of course AFTER that they were all like "be quiet be quiet!" and trying to be all respectful and I said "It's not going to do you any good now, just talk all you want, go ahead," in a very snotty yet hurt tone. As I pretended to be really interested in my book for the remaining 15 mintues of class I tried my hardest not to cry. Tears were creeping up but I pushed them back. Finally the bell rang and I booked it out of there. I walked into my wonderful 10th grade classroom and told the kids to listen up for a second. Then I started a "thank you for being respectful, sweet, and it's a joy to teach you" speech. I probably uttered 5 words when the tears started coming. I tried not to cry but I told them what had happened and naturally, because they are wonderful, were so comforting. I suppose I'm officially a teacher now that I have cried. I know I can't take it too personally, I just wish they'd understand that this is not an easy job and treat me with a little bit more respect. Right now we're reading Catcher in the Rye, a book that I know they'd love if they just put a little bit of effort into it. But seeing as it took about 2 weeks for everyone to buy the book (and some still don't even have it) su esfuerzo no existe. Voy a seguir probando pero no será fácil.
Noveno grado es un nuevo favorito de mio. Lately, they have just been so funny. I honestly laugh constantly in that class. Their new thing is to tease me about dating Chris, the former HEM school teacher from England who is MY FRIEND and my friend only. However, they are convinced, or at least like to pretend they are convinced that I like him. It's one of those things that makes no sense and I have no idea where they got the idea from, but every time they mention it I can't help but laugh, smile, and turn red. I swear nothing is going on, but I know I look guilty as hell. They are a funny bunch...just goofy. They used to be one of my least favorites but I don't know, something changed and now we are having a lot of fun together. Marvin and Carlitos are the pair that just crack me up every class. Imagine just the most dangerous of duos as far as distracting their teacher from actually teaching. Carlitos just has a quick-witted, yet stupid sense of humor that makes you laugh and roll your eyes at the same time. Marvin is just always making odd noises in the back of the classroom...don't ask. They could go on vaudeville those two. Last Thursday, Carlitos was telling me his plight of all his school projects and papers he has to accomplish by the next day. He was giving me all his pros and cons and telling me that it was basically impossible for him to get it all done. "I think I'm...I might say a bad word here, sorry if I do, but I'm... screwed!! I'm just screwed! ...sorry was that a bad word, Miss? Yes?" Me: "Well, sort of but, I think it is what you are, a very appropriate usage. You are screwed Carlitos!" "I know! I'm Screwed!! What would you do, Miss, what would you do??" Hehe, it was funny. The girls in that class are just really sweet and super gigglely about anything. Can get a little over the top, but most of the time, I just laugh along.
The 5th graders are growing up I'm afraid. They are getting a little more interested in the opposite sex than they are of spelling words. They've definitely been acting out a little bit and been a little harder to control. However, they still have their good and sweet moments. Melo, one of my favorites keeps translating these Spanish jokes into English for me and it's so funny because first he'll ask me a couple of key words and then tell me the joke.
Melo : "Miss, what do you call a child with no parents?"
Me: "an orphan?"
Melo : "yeah, yeah and what do you call a person that eats humans?"
Me: "umm...like a canibal?"
Melo : "yeah yeah. okay...so Pepito is learning about canibals in class and his teacher asks him Pepito, what is a canibal? And Pepito says, "I don't know." and then the teacher says, "Well, what would you be if you ate your parents?" and Pepito says, "An orphan."
And then he just smiles at me with his adorable smile and his eyes that cross sometimes (hehe) like, "get it?!" haha. Too adorable.
All in all, school is definitely the high light of my days. As much work as it can be, it inevitably always puts a smile on my face. So, I got that goin for me...which is nice. ;)
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