Not in the Mood

                Saludos from Yorito.  How often do you avoid tasks just because you aren’t in the mood?  Is it a temporary status or does it dominate your life?  Is is during times when you don’t feel in top health?  Perhaps it is because nothing is pressuring you to complete a project.  Or maybe so many other things are happening that some tasks are put aside or avoided.

                Thinking about this and my avoidance of writing I realized that much had happened in just a month.  A month ago today I flew to California, walked out of the airport and froze.  Had a great time with my son and daughter and many friends.  Went to a play, a birthday BBQ, a baby shower and to several restaurants.  Completed my federal and state taxes and also applied for social security (my USA age is older than my Peace Corps age) as well as taking care of other matters at home.  Really enjoyed visiting my daughter’s school with its enthusiastic staff and my son’s city council meeting where he was acting mayor.  Shopping was stressful as I am not used to so many choices in all the stores, but I did feel comfortable in Home Depot.  Would have been tempted to stay in California, but I had commitments here in Honduras – and besides I was having trouble remembering where to put the toilet paper.

                Flew to Honduras on TACA and strongly recommend them.  Baggage allowance is TWO fifty pound suitcases plus a 22 pound carry-on and a personal item (purse to many, backpack to me).  The plane left SFO two hours late so most passengers, including me, missed connecting flights in El Salvador.  “No worry,” they told me when I said it would be too late in SPS to get a bus home.  “We will get you there.”  I let them know that I am four hours from the city on dusty roads in the mountains.  “We will get you there,” they insisted and they did.  TACA paid a taxi to take me and my two fifty pound suitcases right to my front door in Yorito as it was getting dark that evening.  Miracle!!

                I came back with a cough and runny nose which then turned into an ear infection.  Went to the local clinic and was given amoxicillin based on my description of problem without even an examination.  That’s fine, I got what I needed and was able to observe the clinic during a couple hours of waiting.  Being low on energy as I recovered still didn’t stop English classes, two library meetings, a major grant presentation, and two materials workshops all in the first ten days I was back and schools were on semester break. 

                Then came the arrival of the AHMEN medical brigade team from Alabama, many of whom I met last year when their visit coincided with my arrival in Yorito.  It was fun translating for the Christian team as they gave medical assistance and vision care.  In addition, they provided shoes for students previously identified as the neediest in local schools and for some of the more rural communities.  They also brought crayons, pencils, and boxes full of supplies for the local and mountain schools.

                It is also time for teacher observations, as they instruct in English.  The second round of observations has begun and nine have been completed with only 37 to go.  Oh my!!  Last week I transferred responsibility of one of my projects to two schools and to a rural coordinator. Together we made more jigsaw puzzles and divided all you have sent so that all lending will now occur through them at their own schools. Puppets and bilingual books will go next.  Step by step all that I do must be transferred to Hondurans or there will be no sustainability.  Sounds easy, but this is one of the most difficult aspects of Peace Corps Service.

                Have also found time to meet a new health volunteer only an hour away in Yoro, to have an English-only game night of Monopoly-Go Fish-Checkers- Scrabble Slam with Honduras and four university students who are volunteering here for two months, to go hiking to a small dam, to get sick (probably from the sun while hiking), to read the fantastic bilingual stories written by my English students, to meet with my girls’ group twice, and to tutor my independent study group three times.  Perhaps I wasn’t in the mood to write because everything is moving as normal and there was nothing exciting to report.  Therefore I ramble.  Three observations this morning and English class this afternoon.

 Life in Yorito is at its regular slow pace, so now I am in the mood for an avocado and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread while reading a book and watching a World Cup soccer game.  Hope you are in the mood for whatever life brings you.