May 25, 2008

I recently received an email from a good friend. The email reads, “Dan, blog updates throughout the first six months of your experience arrived regularly. I haven’t heard from you in four months! In speculation I’ve developed a list of reasons to explain your lack of correspondence. First, you’ve abandoned your post in search of buried treasure left by Spanish conquerors. Second, you’ve taken an extended vacation to improve your surfing skills on the Caribbean (Hurricane waves have got to be amazing, right?) Third, boredom with Honduran politics pushed you to South America. You’re in Venezuela trying to escape Hugo Chavez’s hired thugs – run Dan, run!! Fourth, you’ve illegally crossed the border into the United States just to try it. After arriving, you got hooked on the coffee in a Dupont Circle café. The nonstop election results are keeping you glued to the television (When did CNN purchase those new touch-screen gadgets anyway?). Fifth, you no longer speak English. Sixth, you’ve forgotten that your updates provide a temporary release from a routine workday in the United States… Dan, I’m surrounded by people complaining about their Excel spreadsheets. Write so that I have a decent reason to ignore them!”

After reading my friend’s email I realized an explanation is necessary. How could I abandon my loyal bloggers for such a long period of time? The truth is less interesting than my buddy’s imagination. I’ve yet to unearth Spanish gold (still looking); it’s impossible to surf on the Honduran coast (so I’ve heard); local politics is ripe with corruption and scandal; the coffee sold in Dupont Circle cafes grows in nearby mountains; and I’ve yet to abandon the English language. So, what has prevented me from writing over the last few months? First, my comfort level with the Spanish language has increased significantly since arriving to Honduras. Being able to speak Spanish more comfortably has allowed me to build professional relationships with community members. These relationships have led to an increase in available work. Second, I’m less dependent upon using email now than I was six months ago. Unlike a usual workday in the United States, there’s no need to constantly monitor my Inbox while working in Honduras. Most organizations in Gracias don’t use the Internet. Not even the Department of Education for the State of Lempira has embraced the technology. Also, it’s not uncommon for the electricity to be out from early morning to late afternoon, thus adding another barrier to Internet usage… All excuses aside, please accept my apology. I’ll do better job of communicating throughout the next few months.

Recent Projects

In February I approached local public schools with a new project. After presenting myself to teachers I proposed that, over time, I introduce new teaching techniques for them to use within their classrooms. A few teachers expressed interest in the project. As a result, I currently work on a rotating schedule with different teachers to help improve the quality of teaching within public schools. One enjoyable aspect about working in different classrooms is the number of people I’ve met within the community. Compared to many Peace Corps sites, Gracias is a big town (about 15,000 people). Volunteers can experience difficulty integrating into the community as a result of size and population. Fortunately, working within public schools helps eliminate some of the barriers surrounding community integration.

In addition to the many public schools in Gracias, there are two private bilingual schools that sit on the opposite ends of town. The teachers are recruited from the United States and England to teach ESL classes for an entire school year. Faculty from one school, the Villa Verde Bilingual School and Ecological Center, has requested help in organizing language proficiency standards for each grade level. A new set of teachers is scheduled to arrive in August. From now until then I’ll gather materials to help establish language standards for the school. Then, after meeting with new teachers, I’ll most likely assist the faculty in assessing whether or not the language standards are being met. I anticipate this project to move slowly (and last throughout the duration of my Peace Corps service)… Follow the provided link if you’d like to visit the school’s website. http://www.villaverdeschool.com/

Noise: Viewed Differently in Honduras

A celebration is taking place in the central park of Gracias today. The streets are lined with pine needles and decorative displays. Fireworks continuously shoot into the air. After each explosion the echo bounces back and forth until each rooster crows. Screaming roosters awaken the sleeping dogs until barking drowns out the sound of typing on my keyboard. It’s now impossible to continue writing. I can barely hear my own thoughts over the neighbor’s telenovela; the ranchera music is blaring from outside my window; fireworks are exploding; dogs are barking; the neighborhood boy is firing a toy machine gun; and the roosters continue to crow...

All the best,
Dan