Waiting for the rain


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Published: April 30th 2009
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Finally rainy season is returning. I was beginning to think I would literally melt the next time I stepped outside. The weather here isn't kind to a Western New Yorker, I think I might have mentioned that a few times already... but, it is finally starting to cool off a bit. Well... it is getting less hot, we still have a long way to go until it can "cool off." I consider myself to be a cold weather snob and I have very high standards when it comes to a wind chill. I never thought it was true, but there are times when the gusts of wind can make you feel hotter. The first time I felt a hot gust of wind, on an already spicy day, I thought it was the output of an AC unit. I always knew about the wind making you feel colder, but this new "hot wind" thing is still strange to me.

But like I said, the rain is coming soon and that means less dust, less heat, and most importantly more water! Comayagua works itself into a nice scheduled rain that starts around 9:00 every night and ends around 3:00 every morning. It is really great to fall asleep to... if you don't have a sheet metal roof... which 80% of Hondurans have... I'm one of them. I still enjoy the rain, even if it does sound like a band of snare drums playing in my kitchen. Rain is the closest form of precipitation I will get to snow... so I'll take it.

Sometimes, on the way to or from school, I can see huge storms up in the mountains. It is a pretty special thing to sit and watch. It might just make you believe in God. Honduras has a lot of special things like that. Yes, there is a ton of garbage in the streets, stray dogs eating the garbage and dog poop stuffed with more garbage... but behind all that junk you will find a really breathtaking view. I would recommend visiting Honduras to anyone staying in Guatemala or Nicaragua, for the same reason you should visit Buffalo if you're ever in Toronto. You will find great people and some beautiful landscape.

There is a lot to be said in favor of Honduras. It has a wide variety of places to see. You can check out Mayan ruins, go to a jungle, relax at the beach or hit up a tourist trap and give them all your money. It hasn't turned out to be a bad place to live either. I live in a pretty safe neighborhood with available food and minutes for my phone. Other than the constant stares from the local population I feel right at home. If they had hockey and lacrosse I would be happy as a clam.

I guess it's for the best that Hondurans don't play hockey. My students love to razz me at every chance they get, so the fact that they don't follow the Stanley cup playoffs (or lack there of in my case) works out in my favor. I'm not constantly occupied with my hockey shaped hole throughout these spring months. There is no NHL on TV so there is no reminder that the Sabres didn't make it... And for that reason I can keep a real positive attitude. Plus, I only have five more weeks of classes until I am free...

The promise of a summer vacation keeps me going through the stressful days. I feel a bit like Peter Jenkins (A Walk Across America) knowing that the Gulf of Mexico was waiting for him. I have a motivation, a light at the end of the tunnel. The students are getting restless too. Especially the seniors, but that is to be expected. Discipline has gone right out the window, and since I'm not allowed to keep kids after school I need to get creative.

This week I had about half of my 11th grade class copy The Declaration of Independence because they were all burping and swinging each other in class. Yeah, they were swinging each other. It's simple... one kid grabs the legs and the other grabs the arms and you just... swing somebody. They started writing The Declaration on Monday and a few just finished today. After they were done they spoke with me and said, "We need to have a serious change in the discipline here, because we don't want to do that again." This was then followed by, "You need to do something different. Can't you just put us in a corner (pointing to the corner of the room covered in graffiti) or maybe move us to the front?" I love it when they get sincere with me. It always happens when the weather changes. My students have a change in spirit, like a new purpose for their day. So now that the rainy season is upon us, I am hoping we will all have a cleansing of the soul... or just a slight temperature drop. Any small change towards cooler temperature is welcome.

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30th April 2009

Two more months!
Two more months and I'll be sampling the Honduran rainy season myself! (I'm sure I'll get my fair share of stares as well with my gringo red hair!) Tio
30th April 2009

God knows!
Clint, I guess I see now that I wouldn't have had the patience to babysit students. Mercifully, He sent me to Switzerland to learn something I hope I am able to teach in a third world context somewhere. But you've been an inspiration. Check out my TravelBlog at "HatCat" under bloggers, if this link doesn't work: http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/HatCat/ ~eric.
1st May 2009

stanley cup II
You must admit. I've been quite kind to you lately! OH!! Do you students use the scrabble game? Have you taught them how to play? I hope Karina kicks your butt playing - of course if you are playing with her Spanish words DO count!
1st May 2009

No hurricanes
Patti, there is no way I will accept your "other" post on this blog. It will never see the light of day... and Scrabble has gone over pretty well. Karina likes it alright, but she wins every time because she changes the rules!

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