Yeah well, I am a little behind, so shoot me.
Well, this year I stuck around to experience the holidays Honduras style. Now, because I wasn't really looking forward to the holidays, they just kind of snuck up on me. Then, I was a little bummed at first (Mom, keep reading it gets better). Honduras Christmas is nothing like Maine Christmas.
I went to my in-town host family on Christmas Eve. During the day I was kind of bummed, but then I just took a minute to look around. Kids were playing in the streets, there were small fireworks going off, it was Honduras at Christmas. Fireworks are pretty (and pretty annoying all night long), and a big part of Honduran Christmas. Families were gathering and celebrating the holiday which is the most important thing. I went to my host family, and there were only 4 of us there because her kids/grandkids went to go see in-laws this year for Christmas. We were sittig around, eating, listening to punta. Punta is not exactly Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas," but I enjoy it, and it is very Honduran.
The next day a missionary that lives in the next town over invited me to her house. She invited the Peace Corps volunteers that were in the area and not going home (2 of us) to her house and had another guy who came to help the water drilling team that the church group runs. The four of us sat around talking, went to go visit a community where I have done a bunch of work, and had Christmas dinner together.
Then came my birthday. Now, I love my birthday because it's the day where everything is about me. Well, now that Megg is old enough to not throw a GIANT fit on other people's birtdays, it is all about me. I was kind of tired, so just spent the day being lazy. I was going to go visit people, but I needed to do laundry first, and just couldn't get the energy to do it. That night, I met up with M and a friend of hers in the park and we went to dinner together and later shared a bottle of wine. So, I did end up spending birthday time with friends.
Finally, New Years Eve. The biggest part of new years here is to "Quemar el viejo," or Burn the old. Now, this does not mean lighting Granny on fire, but burning effigies to represent the old year. In times of political or personal crisis, you can make something to look like a specific person, but really it's an excuse to light something on fire. We all love fire, whether you admit it or not. And there are still fireworks. These are not the same caliber that you see in New York at Christmas, or even Augusta on the 4th of July. However, everyone gets together, has a good time, and wishes for a prosperous new year, which is the point of it all.
So, I now have a Honduras holiday season under my belt. It is now 2011, and this year I will be returning to the states. I have 4.5 months left, but I can already feel the desire to be done and start the next phase of my life. However, that does involve job searching, so I'll enjoy the next few months, getting everything I can out of my Honduran experience, before going into that unpleasant experience.
Jill
Family I stayed with in the mountains.
I just call this "unwise." It's what you do when you want to write, but don't have a table. I was really worried I would accidently set their bed alight.
Overlooking part of the community during the study.
A dog that lives at my neighbors' place had puppies on Christmas eve, here one is on christmas morning.
Another neighbor and pup.
Town's Christmas tree in the park.
My host Mom, the current Japanese volunteer living with her and Me on Christmas Eve.