Christmas greeting

I flew home for a few days to see my sister graduate from New Mexico State University. It took me as much time to travel there and back, as time I had to spend with my family, but it was worth it nonetheless.

Here is a pic with my sister and my mom in her professor regalia:


Congratulations Holly and Andy!

I went by myself. Some family members were concerned about me travelling to and from the San Pedro Sula airport solita, but there are many single lady volunteers who do that stuff every day, so of course I survived it.

A volunteer I knew (who has finished up her service and gone home) once told me after a quick trip to the States, she should have never gone back home so close to the end of her service. Although I don’t exactly feel the same, now I understand. I’ve been a bit grumpy since I’ve gotten back. Maybe it’s the lingering resentment from the butt slapping (see below – which by the way, has led me to ALWAYS carry something heavy in my hand while walking around in case I need to peg somebody with it). It could be a form of senioritis – “learned a lot, had fun, time to move on.” Could also be that, with only 3months left here after Christmas that we are starting to see how SO many things we worked hard for are still the same……

Anyway, getting out and changing scenery is usually a good thing so for Christmas we will be in Guatemala. Hopefully, the change up will be enough to charge up our batteries and work these last 3 months with some gusto. On the 30th my mom will be here through the first week of January (yay!) so that will also be fun.

Here’s a parting video for this entry, a “Christmas greeting.” I took it last night right before Javi and I opened Christmas gifts to each other. (Note the beautiful wrapping of the gifts under the “tree” and the “Christmas music.”)

I’ll post some Guatemala pictures later on.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Serenity Now!!!!!!!

This is one of those stories that is still making me BOILING mad, but also makes me laugh so I thought I’d share it out here on cyber space.

So I’m walking home a few days ago, of course minding my own business and just doing my thing. I come around the corner to a street where there is no one else around except for a young kid (boy) about 15 or 16 years old who is walking towards me. As we get closer to each other, I notice that he is acting a bit strange, but there are lots of strange folks here and I am a blond headed tall gringa so that sometimes throws people off, so I didn’t take much notice of it.

As he passes me, I feel a light slap on my rear end. That’s right, that little shit slapped my ass. Fury rose up in me. Almost 2 years of constant sexual harassment (usually only verbal) on Honduran streets, and my complete resentment and dislike of it, came to a boiling point. I flipped around immediately. He looked at me and started run. Without thinking, I started to run after him!!! Now, get this, I had been carrying my sun umbrella, so I start chasing this kid, with an open umbrella yelling obscenities in English (Spanish had completely escaped me in my moment of fury!). I have to laugh now thinking what that must have looked like. Now, the umbrella was causing understandably a lot of wind resistance, so I wasn’t going to be able to catch up to the kid, also considering he was half my age and a faster runner than I am. (It never occurred to me to drop the umbrella the whole time!)

When I realized I was never going to catch him, I took the water bottle I had been carrying in my hand and hucked it at him. Somehow (and I am the worst shot ever), it got him in the back! Of course, an almost empty plastic bottle did nothing, but I sure hope it scared him. I’m sure it did, because the look on his face when I first started chasing him was of complete surprise!!!

Crazy, huh?! The fury and my reaction was a complete surprise to myself….I seriously just flipped out. I get SO tired of the treatment women get here, so tired of the machismo, that when this little kid went and took that extra step by physically touching me, I just lost it!!!! It’s just one of those times that makes me REALLY look forward to being back home.