1st Quarter Report!

Kindergarten Teachers!

     So I realize that I am getting the blog started rather late this year....my apologies!

Despedida! Happy to Celebrate...Sad to say Goodbye!

     I returned to school and started working on August 1st. We had a week to prepare our classrooms before the students would arrive. Since the beginning, it has been crazy! I have quite the challenging class this year, especially with a couple boys who are constantly determined to try my patience. The month of September is really neat to experience with the Kindergarten because it is the month they celebrate independence. Watching the students learn their national anthem, national symbols, and memorize their heroes is a great thing to see!

Another kind of despedida...

     In addition to teaching Kindergarten, I am directing the High School Honor Choir along with the middle school band teacher, Mr. Jerezano. I think this will be a challenging task for the both of us, as he speaks little English and I speak little Spanish. Thankfully, I have improved enough to understand Spanish and he understands English, so we will make it work. I have begun planning the Holiday Benefit Dinner, that the choir hosts to raise funds...this event will give me grey hairs before the end!
      Began by saying goodbye to lots of wonderful people who were leaving on their next assignments through the embassy or NGOs. Justin, Abigail, Ballah, Daniel, and Mario all off to another country.

     Despite lots of working, I have had a few weekends to get away. I spent a great night in Zamorano with Sarah T., fellow teacher; Manuel, her husband; and Nico, their son. Zamorano is the agricultural valley closest to Tegucigalpa and a much needed respite from the city noise.  Another weekend, I went rock climbing in Parque La Tigra with Jerry and was finally able to rappel the waterfall! A couple friends and I attended the Salsa Congresso to watch the competitions and get to dance afterwards, which was pretty cool. And the start of the year would not be complete without another trip north to Lago de Yojoa. This time with some friends who had not yet experienced either the lake or the waterfall, Julie, Chelsea, Walker, Jon, and Malcom. They were also very patient with my driving...even though I ran over a median...and got talked to by the police for stopping on a "pedestrian walk"...but we survived!

Survived the waterfall again!

   
 Ms. Cuty is as wonderful as ever! She spent the summer between Tegus and Florida, where her 2 oldest children live. Her daughter gave her and her husband tickets to a week in Spain, which was a highlight I think!
     Highlights from Home: Lara got ENGAGED! Steffi got ENGAGED! Dallas turned 21! Nathan turned 18! Mom and the boys went to SCOTLAND! Dad fixed a lot of fence from the FLOODING.

To California?

Performing at Santa Monica

   The past week has been an adventure of a different type. Ms. Kendra, the music teacher, and I took the High School Honor Choir to Las Angeles for a musical/cultural exchange.
   We flew from Tegucigalpa to San Salvador then on to LAX. We arrived at 1am where there was a shuttle that met us to take us to the Marriot Hotel. We sent everyone to bed for a few hours before getting back up and dressed for the day. Our first visit was to Santa Monica High School. This school was a great experience for the students to see sight reading, advanced choral techniques, and different methods of teaching. It was amazing to watch the Santa Monica students perform! After lunch, we went to the Santa Monica Pier though it was cold!! We walked the 3rd Street Promenade in the evening.

Chapman University Choir

   Friday morning, we held an exchange with Stanford Middle School. The exchanges were arranged because these teacher had been colleagues of Ms. Kendra's during her years at University. The students here loved having Hondurans visit, and begged the girls to show them how to dance. Next, we drove to Chapman University in Orange, CA to watch a rehearsal of their University Choir. We spent the afternoon at Huntington Beach and it was still freeing! For the evening, we were able to return to Chapman University to experience the concert. It was wonderful to listen to their performance!

Longbeach 

   For a day of freedom, the students chose Knott's Berry Farm. We survived the rides. The afternoon was wiled away at the board walk along Longbeach.
    Sunday, we flew back to Tegus. None the worse for wear and having left a lasting impression of music in the minds of our high school students.

  P.S. This was my first time back in the States for nine months! Being in a foreign city, I kept trying to talk to the service people in Spanish....oops!

Santa Monica

Santa Monica Pier

Longbeach Boardwalk

Cuevas de Talgua (Olancho)

    Another weekend packed with adventure! It has been a crazy busy month for these things!

    This weekend I headed out with a group of 11 people that work at the embassy (/government) on an exploration of the caves in Olancho. As our guide, Jerry arranged the accommodations and equipment. Saturday, we drove the three hours out past Catacamas to the lodge where we would stay. That day we hiked up to a dry volcanic cave to do a little exploring. There is a river close by that we took a dip in afterwards. Sunday was the main event! An amazing cave, we took most of the day inside. We waded through moving water, crawled through mud, swam through the deep parts, and climbed up a small waterfall. It was intense! It was a blast with a great group of people!

All Photos Courtesy of Noel Lopez!

Return to Lago

Lago De Yojoa

      This past weekend a group of us teachers drove out for a short weekend at Lago de Yojoa. This is only the second time since I have been, but it already feels familiar. We drove up to Lago after school on Friday determined to have a relaxing weekend.
      Saturday I wanted to explore PANACAM (National Park). No one else was available to join me so I hiked this path alone. I am so glad that I did, the paths are well marked and maintained. It was peaceful and lovely! In the afternoon I walked Los Naranjos, an archaeological park that has not yet been excavated. I ate dinner with the teachers, but everyone was here to do their own thing. Reading, eating chocolate cake, and relaxing were the plans for the evening.

Los Naranjos

     After a short walk Sunday morning, it was back to work!

Rio Congrejal

      This weekend we had Friday off, so that means it was time for another adventure!
      Friday morning we flew out of Tegucigalpa headed to La Ceiba. From there, it was another 30 minute ride into the forest. We stayed at Omega Tours, an outfit run by a German couple. The afternoon was spent winding our way through the path of beautiful Pico Bonito National Park. We swam in little pools, hiked up to El Bejuco cascades, and walked across Rio Cangrejal on a suspension bridge.
      Saturday morning I had a delicious cup of coffee and typical breakfast as we prepared for a day on the river. We had two amazing guides from New Zealand and one Honduran who took us swimming, climbing over/jumping off of boulders, and rafting! Even though the river is very low during this part of the dry season, I still wouldn't want to be swept away down the rapids. The second half of the day was through class III rapids, they weren't super scary but a good first experience. It also gave me time to look around at the beautiful scenery. We did, however, manage to flip the raft on one little rock... It was such a lovely time! I went back in the evening to scramble around on the boulders and take pictures of the river at sunset.
      Today I woke up early to climb up behind the lodge for some sunrise pictures of Pico Bonito. After two cups of coffee, I relaxed in a hammock and went for one last dip in the river before our flight back into the city.

School Update

Still nothing much to write about....so I'll post some cute pictures of my kids instead.

Reading to Pre-K

Reading to Pre-K

Reading with Parents!

Celebrating Ms. Cuty's Birthday!

Ms. Cuty turns 50!

Playdough Model

Finishing February

View of Tegus from La Cumbre

      Not much to write about the past couple of weeks. Just keeping up, trying to survive until the end of their 3rd Quarter. Ms. Pereira, my principal, broke her wrist and has been out for several weeks recovering. We had fun this week celebrating Dr. Seuss in preparation for his birthday which is today.
      Salsa is still going well. We ordered "real" salsa shoes and will be super excited when they arrive! Still playing lots of ultimate frisbee, though some key players are shipping out this week. I went to a game night at the Union Church, an English church that I have been attending. Most of its members are teachers from the Christian schools in Tegus. They are not allowed to drink or dance....sad day...
      Yesterday, Stacey, Keiko, and I went to Casa Campo (a really nice gym) to lift weights, chill by the pool, and play a little soccer with a few embassy people. Then we went to dinner at La Cumbre, a fancy restaurant that overlooks the city, for a teacher's birthday.

Kinder A self-portrait from their art class

Playa El Cuco, El Salvador

      We have just returned from a wonderful trip to El Salvador! It was such a blast! I went with Bryce, Joe, Bobby, and Melissa. We left after school on Friday and made it to the Salvadorean boarder by dark. There was a lot of paperwork because the car we were in has license plates from the States, though we finally made it across. We weren't exactly sure where we were going, so we ended up asking a guy from the gas station to show us the way to our hotel. It was a nice hotel with an amazing view! However, it was late when we arrived so after a quick look around, we all went to bed.
      On Saturday, we slept in then had breakfast together before heading down to the beach. We walked over to check out the tiny town of El Cuco and swam in the very sandy water. I decided to stay behind when they went into town for lunch, to enjoy the sun and my book. There were also several hammocks that lent themselves to relaxing in this amazing atmosphere.
      Sunday, we woke up early to attempt "surfing". Well...let's just say I need some lessons...but it was fun anyways! The waves were a bit rough, so it took breakfast and a nap before I wanted to go swimming again. Heading down to the beach and back up the hotel is always a workout in itself, as there are 188 steep steps between them! In the afternoon, we played board games and took lots of pictures of the beautiful landscape. Of course, by this time I was trying to stay in the shade because I am so sunburned.
      We woke up slowly today, had our coffee, and began the trek back home. I thought the boarder was much easier in the daylight, though I am still not sure what all the buildings are for. Back to work tomorrow...

Yuscaran

Keiko & I

    Last week went by super fast...well, as fast as these things go. On Saturday, Keiko, Kelsey, and I drove out to Yuscaran. It was a lovely landscape to drive through when I could take my eyes off the crater-filled roads. When we arrived, the city was very pretty and laid-back. The people were really kind and helpful as we walked around looking at the buildings and places to take pictures. There is even a group trying to maintain a museum in Casa Fortin (which I feel in a big deal for a country that would rather not preserve/maintain history). The city is mostly recognized for its gold mining past and "aguadiente" alcohol production.

Yuscaran

    Sunday was the Super Bowl. After I got home from frisbee, I made some baked potatoes and headed over to the "castle" apartments where the teachers were having a get together. Though I didn't watch much of the game, it was great to catch up with some of the teachers I hadn't seen since Christmas.
    I would also like to mention once again that the banks are SO DIFFICULT here! I had to go three different times, and deal with the website being down for weeks just to PAY the electricity bill...

Flavie and I not watching the Super Bowl

Amapala

   Yesterday, I went on a crazy one-day adventure to Amapala. The day before, I helped Rainier (the embassy neighbour) pack the inflatable boat and load the motor so we would be ready to leave early the next morning. We left Saturday morning with Rainier, Frances, Ballah (another embassy/army guy), Keiko, and I in Rainier's car (or more like a tank). Even though it is highway all the way, the driving is made difficult by the poor conditions of the road and filled with 18-wheelers.
   We stopped to eat breakfast at a place that also has a well kept, if random, zoo. We made it to the dock at Coyolito, where we proceeded to set up the inflatable boat...I kept at bay my doubts about the boat actually making it to the island. However, Rainier repeatedly assured me that we "would not die, probably..." The dock was crowded with young men trying to 'help'  but it took all five of us to keep an eye on all the stuff. Eventually, we all got in and headed out across the channel to Amapala. As the motor sputtered  in protest, we did maintain forward progression and made it to shore.
   Ballah, Keiko, and I got out to see some of the island by tuk-tuk. We ended up at Playa Grande where I cooled off in the sea while Ballah and Keiko chilled in the shade. It is very hot on the Pacific Coast! The water is not clear and the sand in not fine, but still it was the ocean on a beautiful day! Rainier and Frances made to around to the beach after looking at another island that belongs to Honduras, as most of the other belong to El Salvador. Then he took Keiko and I around the entire island of Amapala. Because of the wind and tide going out, the water was really choppy...though it was fun to hit and surf the waves in his little boat! And we survived...another plus!
   When we got back, I threw the frisbee around with Frances and some little boys who wanted to learn. We had some plates of food on the beach before heading back (in two trips) to Coyolito. Overall a great day trip with lovely people! Such a clear, beautiful, and hot day!