Back to school

Buenos (as they say here, instead of Buenos Días),

After our week off school last week, I was actually rather happy to be back. That's not to say in any way that I didn't enjoy our week off, I loved it, but I really enjoy being at school, teaching and just being here with the students.

Kindergarten is still going well, it's not my favourite class but I definitely enjoy it! The kids there are so sweet and every morning they sing a song to welcome us which is very nice! One day last week, for the first time, the class counted up to 15 in English, a very proud moment for me! The kids there seem to be making some progress, and for me that's enough to be happy with what I'm doing.

Classes have once again been disrupted this week. Tomorrow we have another event similar to the Independence Day March, but lots of school are going and it's a competition, so the kids have been practicing a lot for that. I do enjoy watching them practice, the band is so good!

A couple more kids have asked about French lessons. One girl from 9th grade asked me 'to give French class so I can molest the other kids.' They use the word 'molest' instead of 'annoy' all the time because the Spanish for 'annoy' is 'molestar'. This always makes me laugh and the kids don't understand why!

I went up to 'fisica' a couple of times this week, that's the equivalent of PE. The guys who play football are seriously amazing and I didn't play this week, I had flip flops on so couldn't...

Adult English classes are still going well, all of our students are definitely improving! My favourite class is the one in Jonesville, the people who live in a huge house. On Wednesday they made us a bagel, which was actually unbelievable - ham, salami, salad and more!

On Thursday, we headed to church for a meeting. Bearing in mind that it was all in Spanish, when the lady asked me to explain something to everyone I was a bit shocked, so I stood up and a load of students were there too so I couldn't stop laughing! Bit awkward but I got it alright I think. 

We watched '12 years a Slave' with the kids this week. It's a great film, but what I found quite sad was the fact that probably only one or two kids actually understood the significance of it, especially because the Garifuna population descends from slaves. They're a bit too excitable to watch a film like that though, they just like the fight scenes!

Yesterday, we headed off with all the teachers to a buffet style restaurant for lunch. Great food and for some reason Robbie and I didn't have to pay! Then we got a lift to a resort called Fantasy Island (where we go with the dancers sometimes) to give an English class to some people who work there (they asked for the lesson in Spanish..). After making the most of their free wifi and skyping Mum and Dad, Robbie and I met some French people who were travelling the world! A great opportunity to practice my ever-faltering level of French. It was a good day of foreign languages - giving an English lesson in Spanish then talking French! Then the dancers came, we watched the show and headed home with them. I always really enjoy their show, and the girls love having their pictures taken! We went out in the evening for a few drinks and met a few more people.

Today, we've just been relaxing. Of course, as is becoming normal, we headed to church this morning which was great! The songs today were really good and I'm now recognising even more people!

Just one more thing, some things here really do make me laugh and the people don't mean to be funny. Right, people often use 'one' instead of 'an' or 'a'. For example, the other day someone said to me 'Teacher, can you do me one favour?' This really does make me laugh every time it happens.

As I've already said, using the word 'molest' instead of 'annoy' always cracks me up as well.

And even the fact that people miss out words, like 'There were plenty people there'. I really don't know why but I'm always laughing here, it must be a good thing though!

By the way, tomorrow it's 8 weeks to the day that I left the UK!

And there are lots more photos up on Facebook of the Independence Day March, so take a look!

Up nice and early tomorrow to go to watch the march/competition thing, lucky me! And by early I mean about 6.00...

Hasta luego,

Sam xx

Memories of England and Contrasts since I got here

7 weeks ago to the very day I was sat on the edge of a cricket pitch near Birmingham watching Luke play for Dorset, for the last match of his tour. I remember it like it was yesterday. 8 runs, 2 stumpings, 1 catch and 1 run out for Luke, and a comprehensive victory for Dorset was one of my last memories from England. And also Luke stamping on my foot, in cricket spikes, when saying goodbye for a year!

A stumping for Luke!

I have lots of good memories (and not so good ones...Reddich) from those three days; the Indian takeaway, the cashew nuts (Andrew...) and the amazing pie I had in the pub on my last night in England, as well as drinking cider! And a lovely card from my family which I have in my room and see everyday! 

I remember not sleeping at all that night, freaking out about leaving everyone and everything behind for a whole year, Jack getting annoyed at me for being on my iPad all night and then getting up bright and early at 4 am to head to Heathrow. This is all still so clear in my memory it's so weird. We got to Heathrow and sat for ages wondering where everyone else was, then I met Robbie and some other Hondurans, Mum spilt her cup of tea on me and off I went, no tears, no nothing.

The other night, I spent some time looking through photos on my laptop of the past few years in England - holidays, days at the beach, trips to the zoo and more. It was so nice to see these things and bring back great memories, and funnily enough it didn't make me miss home!

That's where that part of this blog ends, now I'm going to talk about what has become so normal to me here, that used to be so weird. 

On arrival here, all I could think about was the heat! How was I ever going to survive in this heat? Now, although it is still very hot, I now feel comfortable in this climate, and feeling cold is definitely going to be strange back in England.

The food. At the start, while I loved the food (and still do) all I wanted was a nice burger or a pizza! Now, when we have dinner, all I want is a nice baleada or some machuca, or even rice and beans! Again, this food has become so normal to me that eating Western food now seems a bit odd! Another note on the food, when we tell Mary Lou (our cook) how amazing her food is, she just says 'Yes Teacher,' implying that she knows how good her food is! Everyone here is straight to the point in what they say!

The relaxed attitude. Before I came here, I would say I was slightly OCD about things like timings and when to do things. Like in the UK if a bus was late I would get rather annoyed. But here, my attitude has changed a lot. Now, if a bus is late, it's just like 'oh well, we're in the Caribbean so it doesn't really matter,' and I like that!

The way people are so direct when they speak. If someone has something to say, they will say it straight to your face. If they think your hair is ugly, they will tell you. If they don't like someone, they will tell them! In some ways, this is a good thing because people are more open and say what they think, and I'd like to think that I'd pick up slightly on this, though not too much!

Dancing! Everyone here loves to dance, but the dancing when I arrived here in Punta Gorda seemed far too mature for the kids who where doing it! Let's just say, the dancing here is more suited to slightly older people who have had a bit too much to drink. Now though, this seems so normal and dancing when I go to university next year will be very different, maybe Bath Uni will be introduced to Punta dancing!

Doesn't do the dancing any justice but...

And what do I miss, you may ask?

Well, to be quite truthful, very little. Of course from time to time I miss my family and friends (yes Mum, but only sometimes...), and sitting on a sofa to watch TV. Oh yeah, and I also miss school quite a lot! It sounds weird I know, but the routine of sitting with my mates in the common room, having such a laugh in pretty much every lesson, and of course my teachers, who I'm keeping in contact with! But to be quite frank, I really don't miss anything that much (sorry Mum and Dad!)

I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing, but I'd say it's good because I haven't felt homesick or wanted to go home at all so far! Punta Gorda is my home now; I think it will be tougher leaving here than it was leaving England! Because I've become so embroiled in life here in Honduras, I feel like I don't have time to miss home, even if I did miss it! Talking to Mum and Dad, Jack and Luke, and friends on Facebook (Robbie (in French) - thanks for helping me keep this going; and Dhiren, for making me laugh every so often!) really has helped me a lot. It makes me feel that everyone is just around the corner, when really they're on the other side of the world! Phoning my family and hearing there voices has really helped as well, being able to hear the people I was closest to makes me realise that they're always there when I want a chat, so thanks guys!

And what don't I miss? What am I happy to be away from?

Well actually there are a couple of things...

RAIN! We have hardly seen rain here! It's so nice not to be worried about having to take a coat wherever we go (just wear flip flops and beach clothes instead!)

People judging you. At home, I felt from time to time that I was being judged by people. Here, though, while people say what they think, they aren't judgmental towards me. For example, I walked down the street with 2 plaits in my hair, and everyone just smiled and we joked about it. In England, if a guy did that, he would be pointed at, stared at etc. That's another reason why I love it here so much, everyone is so kind and so relaxed!

And on a final note, one of the best things that I've noticed here is that each kid at school has such a strong personality! You know, in England at school there was that group of kids who were a bit strange and didn't really have a personality at all, they just sort of sat back and floated along? Well here, no one is like that at all. Everyone has such a strong character, and going back to England to find people without that is sure going to be strange for me. I love this side to the kids, they're all so different yet so amazing at the same time, it really is different from England, but for me, most certainly in a good way.

I know I shouldn't have favourites but....
She's one of my favourites from the morning kids, there'd be too many to list from the afternoon lot!

Good luck to everyone going off to Uni this weekend and over the next couple of weeks, this time next year it'll be me!

I think it's time for me to stop rambling on, maybe I'll go and take a swim in the Caribbean sea (don't get too jealous now...)

Un abrazo a todos,

Sam xx

Independence Day and Palmetto Bay

Hola!

The day that the whole of Honduras had been waiting for finally arrived on Monday - Independence Day! Everyone at school, all the pupils and staff, had been preparing for this day more or less since we arrived here in Punta Gorda, so it was something not to be missed.

We woke up nice and early and headed down to one end of town for the start of the traditional Independence Day March, which started nice and early at about 7.30 am. Now, we'd never seen the kids in their proper uniforms (they practice in school clothes), so I was pretty amazed at how smart those kids looked! There were people aged from 5 to 17 in the March, all doing different things with different groups. There were dancers, cheerleaders, a marching band, people with signs, people dressed as 'princesses' and right at the front there were a special group of students who'd been chosen to carry the flags of Central America. These were pretty much the best students at school, and one of my favourites, Edson, got to carry the Honduras flag - he looked pretty chuffed with himself!

The flag carriers at the march

So the March went on, taking three hours to complete what normally is a ten minute walk, and Robbie and I walked with the kids, taking photos and videos and handing out water. We chatted to kids as we went, I felt like I was actually in the March at points! The weather was, however, so hot! When the kids here in Roatán say that it's hot, it really is hot! They struggled a bit, but the dancers kept dancing and the band kept playing all morning. We arrived at 'Barrio Ingles' (the other end of town) and the kids ran for shade and Robbie and I set off to come back home, after more pictures. We chatted to Profa Olga (who's sort of in charge at the moment) and she told us we have the week off school! Lucky us! So we headed back here to the house to cool off, and decide what to do for a week without the kids!

Dancers in the march

Don't they look cute?

Back at the house, we knew that Alice and Kate - two other Project Trust volunteers from the mainland - were on Roatán. They'd found an amazing all inclusive deal at a resort, but we thought we wouldn't be able to see them. Well, with the week of school, we jumped in a bus and a taxi down to Palmetto Bay and met them, and a load of their American friends, for the afternoon. There are lots of 'teachers' who come from abroad at their project, so it was great to meet a group of similar-minded people, and become good friends with them, after just one day!

In the afternoon, we swam in the sea and had a massive catch-up about life here so far, as well as getting to know our new American amigos. Then we went for dinner, they had an all inclusive offer, but Robbie and I had to pay. We had an amazing meal of chicken, veg and mashed potato, and we worked out we only paid just over $20 for the whole night - including some nice drinks too! We stayed in the restaurant for a bit before heading back to their house on the resort for the night! It was an amazing place, I don't know how they got it so cheap! We had a bit more to drink before heading to bed, it was a great night!

Tuesday morning, we got up and headed for breakfast before going down to the beach to swim and have some fun. Robbie and I had to leave quite early to get back here for lunch at 12, so we made the most of our time at the beach with our mates, before heading off. It was so nice to see Kate and Alice, it was the first time they'd met up with other volunteers, and just be able to talk to good friends again about life. We headed off in a taxi back here to Punta Gorda - Kate, Alice and some of the Americans really wanted to visit but they didn't have time. Yet, they say they're going to come back to Roatán at some point, so when they do I think we'll be going with them wherever they go, and we'll definitely bring the here to Punta Gorda!

So, a great couple of days, and tomorrow we're off to the beach with a load of teachers from our municipality to celebrate 'dia del maestro' or teachers day

Adios,

Sam

Feliz Día del Niño!

Buenos Días!

So, today was 'El Día del Niño' here in Honduras, and as I know by now these people don't need any excuse to have a party or miss school!

This morning, with the younger kids, Robbie and I played party games - like musical chairs, egg and spoons races (with the spoon in my mouth?) and sack races. The kids all watched as all the teachers played these games. It was great fun and just made me realise how much I miss my childhood! In fact, spending time with the kids here in general has made me want to be a kid again. Some advice to any little ones reading this - make the most of your childhood, when you're older you WILL want to be a kid again!

Happy Children's Day!

Then, we headed with third grade to eat and drink! Third grade are definitely my favourite morning class, they're so lovely and always want me to play with them! So we had rice and chicken, as well as an amazing potato and egg salad. Of course, we drank loads of 'fresco' (basically fizzy drinks!) and ate some amazing cake - wow I have missed cake since I got here!

Happy Children's Day!

The kids here are always so cheery!

We then headed down to Mary Lou's for lunch, already absolutely stuffed from the food this morning. Fair to say I didn't eat much, even though the fish was amazing!

Then this afternoon we headed down to the sea here in Punta Gorda with the older kids from school. We just chilled for a bit to start with, then got some more free food - amazing barbecued chicken and baleadas and of course more fresco! Then I decided to take a dip in the sea with some of the kids, which they seemed to enjoy - splashing and soaking me! 

Later on in the day, we went back in to the sea, and whilst we were there there was a massive rain storm. About 50 kids and teachers, in the sea off a Caribbean island, in a massive rainstorm - what more could you ask for? It was so much fun, and something that I can safely say would never happen in England! Some of the older boys kept running out of the sea to grab people to throw in (including some teachers!), it was a great laugh! Also I had kids on my shoulders 'fighting' other kids on other people's shoulder and then just falling off and in to the sea. 

So overall it was a great day, but I do wonder why England doesn't celebrate days like they do here in Honduras, they definitely should do!

We're off to Tela this weekend to meet up with some other volunteers, very excited to see them again!

Adios!


Sam