I suppose we've technically almost been here for three weeks, but really we have only been teaching for two.
In the States, not a whole lot happened in two weeks unless you were planning something or in the midst of a transition. At least for us, it was same ol' day after day. I can't say that I minded it, but we needed some adventure and now here we are in western Honduras.
It turns out that Green Valley School is a real place in an actual town called San Marcos de Ocotepeque in the Ocotepeque department of Honduras. We arrived here on a Monday afternoon after traveling by bus (nice but unairconditioned bus) with Marco for nearly four and a half hours from San Pedro Sula. We were whisked away after getting off the bus by Ms. Olga's driver (and let me tell you, we didn't catch her name until the first week of school, and we're still are unsure that it's correct), taken to our two bedroom apartment to drop off our things and then to meet Olga herself. She invited us in for coffee and cake, talked and asked us questions. We had literally been in Honduras for 20 hours and weren't accustom to hearing or speaking Spanish at this point, but we managed with the help of bilingual Marco.
The first week, we worked at the school from about 8am to about 2:30pm getting familiar with our book, working our schedules, and planning our classes. Alex chose to do math and English for 7th (6 students), 8th (11 students), and 9th grade (5 students). I chose health and science for the same grades. I also was assigned to help with phonics and reading for 3rd, 4th and 6th grade. We planned as best as we knew how for our classes and then waited for Monday.
The second week, we actually had students, books, and a schedule. We met everyone on Monday, a half day, and then started teaching on Tuesday. Everyone kept telling us to make sure we were strict with the kids and make rules right away. We decided coming to class prepared, turning homework in on time, and not speaking Spanish in the classroom was most important. Unfortunately, these are the things that they struggle with the most and it is a constant battle.
The third week was the same, but now we know our students names, how they are, what to expect out of them, and their habits. It turns out that 7th and 8th graders aren't the best of students. Lets just say, there is room for improvement and they ought to take some advice from the 9th graders.
I've given them several lectures on how they have the privilege and opportunity to come to school when many Honduran students can't because their teachers are on strike. I have mentioned that their parents pay a lot of money for them to attend this school, the school is paying Alex and I to be here which is not cheap, and if that if they don't take advantage of this education, they're wasting all that money and our time. I told them another time that I didn't come here for fun; "In America, I had a hot shower everyday. I knew how to cook food. I spoke the language. Not here. Here, I wake up early to take a cold shower. I don't know how to shop or cook. And I don't speak Spanish." Some listened well, and others snickered. These kids, I tell ya....
Some highlights for us have been going to the weekend market in town (they sell all sorts of fresh produce), meeting some Peace Corps Volunteers from San Marcos, San Francisco, and Sensenti (the next towns over), and doing our laundry in a washing machine and not by hand.
Everyone here has been really nice to us, and has done a lot to make sure we are comfortable and have things (kitchen utensils, stove, a towel, a bed, water). The first two weeks were difficult because things are very different here than in America. The roads are dirt, and after it rains nearly every night it's mud. Things aren't packaged like it was at home, so I don't always know what I'm buying or how much it is. The electricity works most of the time, the water on the other hand does not. We're slowly figuring everything out and easing into the lifestyle, making things more comfortable. Though, I look forward to the day when we have a hot shower and an actual mattress to sleep on.
Cashews! The brown part contains the nut (really the "fruit") that we usually eat, though it's difficult to get out and apparently it smells really bad when you put it in the fire (the only way to obtain the nut). The green part is the "swollen stalk"; they make juice from it here. It smells like bell peppers, and though I don't think it tastes like it, Alex begs to differ.
