start of school!

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So the last blog was when Marianne came to Honduras in January I´m pretty sure. So since then I went to Colombia for Liam and Maria´s wedding, which I´m fairly certain the entire world thought was amazing! It was pretty fun to not have to pass through the International Arrival line at the Honduran airport when I came back. Being a Peace Corps volunteer, I have Honduran residency for two years, so I got to look on as all the gringo missionary groups or whatever else there was had to wait in unbelievably long lines and struggle with Spanish as they were entering the country.

Also since being back, I´ve turned 23! This is now the second birthday I´ve celebrated in Central America, I turned 21 in El Salvador. Although turning 21 was infinitely more fun, although it nearly destroyed my old computer, turning 23 wasn´t too bad either. There apparently is a Honduran tradition, or maybe it´s just a San Lucas tradition, to smash eggs over the head of the person who´s celebrating a birthday. Not sure whether or not this was actually, I kept a low profile just in case. Not to break all fowl connections though, there was a chicken killed in my honor.

So school has also started again here in Honduras. Teachers don´t teach the same grade every year, so I think the day before school started...maybe even the day of, who knows, the decided who was going to teach what grade. So some projects I´m now starting with is an English course for teachers. It´s about teaching english, but also working on teaching methodology. Honduran education is based upon coping down word for word exactly what the teacher writes on the word and nothing else. So the manual we use involves using visual aids and classroom activities to promote learning. There are a bunch of project workshops coming up, like teaching business fundamentals to sixth graders and working with a Healthy Living / Good Decision Making program for girls.

There´s also a contract Peace Corps Honduras has with Major League Baseball, so a large portion of our program is sponsored by the Los Angeles Angels. Specifically, however, my baseball equipment was donated, completely randomly, but the Department of Social Services from Boston! It is a little strange to see baseball helmets with a sticker that says PROPERTY OF DSS SUFFOLK COUNTRY on the back of them, but it´s another hometown connection to count!

That´s about all for now. Hope things are going great with everybody back home!

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Comments

[anonymous]

good stuff joe. glad to hear you're doing good things and not just being a "cuerpo de paseo" like many others. i might have to travel back to honduras in may or early june, if i do i will def stop where you are to hang for a day or two.

[Marcia Gorgone]

birthday
Feliz cumpleanos!! Glad you had a chance to go to Columbia and go to the wedding and see the fam!! I called your Mom and I am sure I will get the complete family update on the trip...We got your call Sunday on the answering machine after we returned home from Cape... SO SORRY we missed your call Jose...Glad you got the birthday card and we miss you mucho!!! Janet is in Paris at Fashion Week with her friend who works for Chanel as her guest!! We are all fine and all the Gorgones think of and pray for you and want to BCing you in July when you return home. Vaya con Dios! Love, Mrs. G.