http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Honduras , Comayagua , The Compound , Gringo Ghetto House 2 en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:23:32 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:23:32 UTC Well yet again it's been months... and the past week has seemed like the majority of all the time I'm asking for a life saver if anyone happens to have one I prefer neon yellow size large functioning straps and buckles please. No really though I need advice. I know i'm not exactly deserving of advice due to my inexplicable invisibility on this poor neglected blog. But knowing that I'm d http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-286009.html Well it's been months since contact with some of you and believe it or not the months have been flying by. It seems like it was just fall when I was anticipating the arrival of my mom and brothers who were here visiting in November. Or December when I was impatiently counting down the weeks until winter vacation but the months have passed and spring is here and I have lots to tell. The rainy http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-248093.html Well I know its been a while but I have been quite busy between the first week of school and my first trip away from Comayagua. Wow the first week of school was a whirl wind of attempts at organization repeating I asked you to stop talking fifty gazillion times and calling the kids by the wrong name. Unfortunately I have one set of identical twins and three girls that all look very simila http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-196616.html I suppose I didn't realize that in picking up my life and moving to Honduras to teach would be more exhausting than one's typical move. Every night I find myself falling asleep without any shove from a good book or the presence of late night phone calls this has been a sign for me that I'm obviously exerting more energy both mentally and physically then I have in a good while. Constantly attem http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-188817.html Well I leave in a half hour for the airport. I can't believe it's that time already. Friday night was awesome. Walter's friend Douglas came over to Walt's apartment we shared some drinks then went to Morgan's bar. I saw Kenny and a bunch of Walter's other friends. Kenny told me he was sad to be losing me. He said that he was sad he didn't have a wonderful woman in his life. I told him he'd find http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-181525.html Tonight was my despedida with my students. Despedida literally translates in English as Goodbye but it's the word they use for their farewell parties. I invited my students over to my house. About half of them came which was fun. We played hide and seek danced in the living room ate baked goods ordered pizza and watched the video I made them. It was fun. Received a few gifts as well. http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-180665.html Well my pics are all up. Check them out. Weird being back in Honduras. The house feels empty. Nadia and I are the only ones in the compound. It's a little scary... a little lonely. Also feels comforting seeing the sites I'm used to. Almost cried in the taxi yesterday... just felt good to be back to what I am used to. I can only imagine how going home to Canada will feel. Saw Walt lastnight. He's http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-179701.html I realize I still have to update and write about Days 11 and 12. I started to lastnight but felt REALLY ill so I stopped. I had already checked into a hostel but decided to leave and find a place with a private room and bath as I felt ill and thought it'd be better for resting. Good thing I did too. I spent my entire evening on the toilet or throwing up into a bucket. I finally went to a Pharmacy http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-178944.html GoodbyesnbspCentral America Caribbean raquonbspHonduras raquonbspComayagua raquonbspThe Compound raquonbspGringo Ghetto House 2 By swillettJune 25th 2007Sarah Willett The last couple weeks have been full of goodbyes. Every day gets harder and harder seeing more and more people leaving. Last Thursday was our last night together as a compound minus Leah who has already head back http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-173002.html It's taken me awhile to get around to writing this. This took place 2 weeks ago. We only had half days of school no school Friday a class trip on Monday and a party on Thursday... Quite a busy week. Monday My class and Chris's class had a class trip to Pizza Hut or Peepza Hot as the students call it to learn how pizza is made. It cost the students nothing but the price of the bus to go. W http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-167102.html This weekend was spent in Comayagua. Pretty much the same old thing but with a couple fun twists. Friday Friday night I went to Walter's new apartment to hang out for a bit. He's putting in cable and fixing up final things and then he can move his stuff over to his new room. Right now he's in his mother's house. Soon he will have his own entrance and room. Exciting for him. Exciting for me. http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-164995.html For NetternbspCentral America Caribbean raquonbspHonduras raquonbspComayagua raquonbspThe Compound raquonbspGringo Ghetto House 2 By swillettMay 19th 2007Sarah Willett Netter I have decided to post you some beautiful pics of the mango tree in my backyard. We have an overabundance of mangos. 091sidebar the plural of mango can be spelt mangos OR mangoes... both are correct http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-160069.html It hasn't been the best of weeks for me. For some reason things are just really starting to annoy me. I'm getting really tired of living the same day OVER and OVER again. I work with the same people that I go home to at the end of the day. These are the same people that we spend our evenings and weekends with. We go to the same bars the same restaurants etc. It just gets to be fairly tedious. http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-160065.html Happy Mother's Day Thought I would share some recent happenings... Donray's Birthday Friday May 4th For Donray's birthday a bunch of us went out for dinner at a new seafood restaurant. It was delicious Donray gets swelling in his mouth and throat when he eats seafood. Sometimes gets an upset stomach too but he loves it so much that he eats it every year for his birthday. Silly boy. He end http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-158045.html Today was a really good day for our class. First were the Birthday Cards for Shane. A little while ago my mom sent me an email about a posting she had seen at the gym about a boy who was undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia and his only wish for his 8th birthday was to receive 35 million birthday cards and break the world record. I thought it was a cute idea but didn't give it much more thou http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-155170.html Heres the updateCesar has decided to take an extended weekend without any of us knowing. There are rumours that his mother is very sick. I had my class write What I have learned in Grade 3 so far and got some interesting responses. New approach to class taken from Meg who took it from Donray. Every class is worth 8 marks for participation. Every student starts with 8 points. If they do no http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-153903.html Yesterday was a shitty day. The computer teacher asked me to cover his class since he needed to go to Tegus for something which meant yet another period with my class. I was so pissed off so tired and on the verge of screaming that I just sat in my desk marking. The kids kept asking me what books they needed. I told them whatever they wanted. Two free periods. 80 minutes of nothing. What kind http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-153000.html Today I am at my witt's end. So frustrated for so many reasons.Giving easy tests that are copied straight from the textbook and is stuff you've been working on for weeks DOES NOT mean that students will pass. In fact 50 of them will fail. This is normal.The principal of the school should change his name to Waldo. He can never be found when needed although we are expected to tell him where we http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-152580.html April UpdatenbspCentral America Caribbean raquonbspHonduras raquonbspComayagua raquonbspThe Compound raquonbspGringo Ghetto House 2 By swillettApril 30th 2007Sarah WillettNot a lot of exciting happenings... but happenings nonetheless. http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-152334.html I got back to Comayagua late Wednesday night. Thursday I did laundry did some marking and then head out to Pizza Hut with Donray Alisa and Jill. Pizza Hut just opened in town. Let me tell ya this place is Niiiiiiiice Way better than the pizza hut I worked at. It was so big had a HUGE play area and just really new looking... go figure. They had a nice salad bar too so Jill ordered it and t http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-147564.html All the other random stuff that happened in March Alisa's Friend Michelle Visits Alisa had a friend visit from the States. Her name is Michelle. She was a blast to have around for the week. We showed her how things are done here in Comayagua. She came to volunteer at the school with us too. She seemed to have a pretty good time as well. Nice girl. Kari's Birthday Kari turned the big 30 here i http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-147125.html Things have been good at the centre where we volunteer. We haven't quite been getting the 90 students that signed up for the classes in the beginning but the kids that have been coming seem to be enjoying it. These kids are really lovable. Each week we rotate the groups between the 3 of us teachers. This way we all get to teach every group. The kids just love us. They are always running up to http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-145464.html Been taking me FOREVER to update everything. Things have been busy. Here is an update of March in terms of teaching my grade 3s at the school... So upon my return to school after a visit with my parents I decided that I would show up early that morning to mark the HUGE stack that would be on my desk. Small problem... there was no huge pile. There was nothing. I was so angry. The students arrive http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-145300.html Saturday March 3 2007 We woke up Saturday morning at a fairly decent hour had yet another wonderful breakfast and then packed up our stuff took some pictures on the hammock and head off to catch the bus back to Comayagua. Catching the bus at the main road was easy They saw us coming down to the road and even pulled over and waited for us without us even flagging them down We did have to http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-141843.html Tuesday February 27 2007I went to school at the regular time and my family came during recess. My students were all SO excited to have my family in the class. Their behaviour was probably the best I have ever seen it. We started with a show and tell period with my family. They sat in chairs at the front and the kids were all around them in a circle. My parents brought newspaper clipping of snow http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-136795.html Monday February 26 2007I spent a good 5.5 hours at the school the day before my family was scheduled to arrive. I wanted to be sure I had all my booklets ready and organized for my students for the days I would be away plus had a lot of marking to do as well as halfpartial reports that were due before I left. Monday arrived and I head to school. I saw Mauricio admin of school and asked who http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-136790.html I realize I have to update about my parents and sister visiting me in Honduras. This will probably not be done until the weekend. I have tons of marking to do since I've been back and just a lot of catching up with everything. It's been kind of a shitty past couple days. My students were bad while I was away and I've lost a lot of hope there. I've missed weeks of Spanish lessons due to many reason http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-136077.html School Things are much better. Monday at lunch Cesar the director organized a meeting with all of the teachers that teach 3B. We talked about behaviour and if things were consistently bad through ALL of the class. The Spanish teachers were complaining about the same students that I have problems with. It was nice to know that I have the support of the other teachers too. Mercedes teaches my k http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-132331.html PreFriday I am struggling with my students. I just don't know what else to do. I've tried everything that I know to do. That may be the most frustrating part. How does someone with so much experience with children have a class of 19 nine and ten year olds that she can't handle Every day I feel more and more discouraged. My students are failing tests that should be so simple. They are being viol http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-130215.html Day of Love and Friendship aka Hallmark Day aka Valentine's Day. Lovely holiday. Have never really liked this day despite the big sap that I am. I must say though that being a teacher has it's perks on this day. Check out the stash of loot I received Unnecessary really. They take this day very seriously down here except I like it much better. It's not just a Hallmark occasion for couples. They http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/blog-129579.html