Saturday, August 29, 2009

August 27










Part I: The First Blow

It hit me. Wednesday August 19, 2009, 6:00pm, I realize for the first time that I am in fact, leaving. I spent the last several weeks answering various forms of the “how does it feel to be leaving” question the same way. “It doesn’t really feel like I am leaving… it hasn’t hit me yet.” Well folks, I’m going…
As my teachers started to arrive later than normal, I initially thought they were nervous for their final exam. But these are my level 2 teachers, I have worked with them for 2 years now, they haven’t arrived this late since TEAM 1! As they trickled in, each bearing something extra, I saw they were prepared for a fiesta. All year I wanted to bring them yellow jello. They notoriously have difficulty saying the color “yellow” and it comes out “jello”. On many occasions I have explained grinning that “jello” is food while “yellow” is the color, therefore, I wanted to bring them yellow jello. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find yellow so I settled for green. They still got a kick out of it. (By the way, most of them now say “yellow” correctly.) My small contribution was added to the snacks and cake they brought.
As they finished their exams we had our despidida (goodbye) in a corner of the municipal library where I held classes and some of the PC trainees worked around us setting up for a movie-night fundraiser scheduled after our class. I felt slightly awkward as people bustled around the library and the teachers presented me with gifts and said too many nice things about me. The despidida was kept short but they wouldn’t let me escape without each of their praise and thanks. “I love you,” one teacher told me as she hugged me goodbye for the evening. The thought they put into sending me off and their words were more than just the typical, “you are leaving so we should say something nice about you.” They talked about the things they took from my classes. It made me feel as though I did something meaningful and at least a few people were positively affected by my time here. I often felt as though I was growing personally through my service but wondered how much the community was taking from it. At least this small group of teachers has more confidence in themselves and their ability to teach English, I have seen them using more active teaching methods and their students seem to be retaining what they are teaching! If nothing else, I will never forget these 10 teachers who stuck with me and struggled through my first extended teaching experience. They even came back a second year! They probably taught me more than I them but either way, it appears a positive experience for all involved.


Part II: Friends in the Shower

You saw the cockroach (if you have forgotten, scan back a few months).
In addition Big Mama Cucaracha, I have seen mice and slugs in my shower on various occasions. Although in my opinion less disgusting, this morning (August 27) takes the cake in size and also wins with surprise factor, TWICE!
Today is Friday, water day. I had to leave to observe one of my TEAM teachers in her classroom and the water hadn’t started running yet. I opened the faucet and went to close the shower curtain to prevent the entire bathroom from becoming entirely drenched. The curtain stuck a bit before closing and I heard a thunk as something hit the shower floor. I was slightly taken aback when I saw a GIANT lizard in the bottom of my shower. It was actually a small iguana, my neighbors later confirmed. I think he was chilling out on the curtain rod while I got ready to leave (I generally bathe in the heat of the day or wash the dust/mud off in the evening.) Since I needed to leave, and he obviously got in somehow, I snapped a picture and left him to fend for himself and hopefully escape. I almost forgot about the entire incident. I returned a few hours later to running water and no electricity. Since the bathroom was dark, I reached toward the barrel to check that it was full and I could turn off the water. My hand did not hit water or the edge of the plastic barrel but the roughish skin of a reptile. I yelped with surprise and started laughing, disappointed no one was here to witness the spectacle. I brought my flashlight into the bathroom and there was my friend the iguana on the edge of the barrel closest to the faucet, tail hanging in this weekend’s bath water. I have to admit, I was startled. Still laughing, I couldn’t bring myself to reach in and turn off the water. I went looking for my 13 neighbor, he won’t be afraid of a lizard! He was not home but his 15 year old sister, mom (my tortilla lady) and the 2 year old were there to save me from the lizard and have a good laugh at me. They took the lizard outside where I took a few photos, a kid passing by took over and it escaped into my neighbors’ yard before they had a chance to kill it. Apparently this type of iguana bites and they were set on eliminating it and preventing it from pestering other neighbors. At least I gave them a good laugh and one more “Crazy Gringa” story to remember me.

I just hope I don’t find any more unpleasant friends in my bathroom in the next 3 weeks.

PS: my mental state is questionable. I have at least 4 days worth of things to plan in the next two weeks and one available day. My last week in site is useless when it comes to work. Tuesday is Honduran Independence day and Thursday is Teachers’ day. That means no school all week and the following Monday I head to Tegus for my remaining days. How did the last month of service become the most stressful and busiest time of my entire 2 years? You may or may not hear from me again before I hit the road with Alice and Rachel. Buen viaje a mi?!

Photos: TEAM 1 and 2 teachers, my amigo iguana, me looking 5 yrs old opening my gift, Talanga’s giant Ceiba tree and mural