Todo es posible

Apologies for the delay in blogging.  After 1.5 months in Honduras and 1.5 months back in the US, I've now been in Honduras for another 2 months and still getting settled.  But all in all, I'm really loving life down here.

Hondurans joke that "todo es posible" in Honduras- everything is possible.  Which, being a 3rd world country, refers not to any innovative advancements but more to the mindset that anything goes.  There's a disregard for rules and a resourcefulness that comes out of necessity.  Let me give a few examples:

- Driving Contravia: going the wrong way. For example, going in reverse down an on-ramp.  Or going onto the freeway from an exit ramp.  Or driving on the side of the highway the wrong way because the u-turn is just inconvenient.  Any way it happens, it keeps the drive to work interesting.

- Dancing Salsa: While I've yet to go to a ballet class with my friend, I'm now 2 months through Level 1 of salsa at a local Cuban restaurant/dance floor.  This has become the highlight of my week. The class starts off by practicing old steps and learning new ones.  Then we pair up and practice some more.  Each time they yell out "cambia de pareja" the guy moves to the next girl to keep practicing so you get to dance with everyone in the class.  However, there are half as many guys as girls, so I end up dancing by myself half the time.  Which inevitably ends in me facing the wrong way after a turn, cause I can't quite keep track of my invisible partner.

- Identical twins: Ok, so it's possible to meet twins in the US as well.  BUT do they have the same name?  That's right, I have now met Marcos 1 and Marcos 2, which was exactly how they introduced themselves. Obviously I immediately broke into laughter, internally quoting Dr. Seuss Thing 1 and Thing 2.  Thankfully both twins are tall and love dancing salsa, so it's made for a fun Wednesday night of dancing after class.

- VIN tells all: Given that I've been driving the company car for a few months now, it's time to get my own car here.  Which has become quite the month-long saga; I've learned quite a bit.  Basically there are 2 options: 1) buy a used car from a car dealership or 2) buy from an autolote or random newspaper ad.  These seem fairly straightforward until you realize that used cars at car dealerships are expensive because the dealership brings them in new from the US, pays high import taxes and only buys back used cars that were brought in by car dealerships because.... the rest of the cars in the country are pretty much all totaled cars from the US that import with lower value and then get fixed up and resold.  So 90% of cars in this country are automatically lemons, typically without airbags.  So to find a cheap but safe option, you have to play a game I've developed.  First, you find a car online or in the newspaper or at a used car lot.  Then take a photo of the VIN, return home and google images... Did the airbags go off? [YES]  Was it really hit in the rear like the salesman said? [NO, it was hit in the front and the side] Was it just a light wreck? [NO the car rolled over and the roof collapsed]. Basically a disheartening game that always ends inevitably back at square one.

Oh Honduras, you never cease to keep things interesting!

Ballet en Honduras

So I once heard that Cuba (which has great ballet) has free performances because of socialism, or whatever.  This seemed absolutely fantastic, and is just one of the many silly reasons Cuba remains top of my travel destination list (old cars, no advertising, rum, cuban food, spanish with a fun accent and the chance to do something technically illegal).  However, I attempted to see a free ballet in Honduras and quickly realized why free is actually an epic fail.  Ironically, I blame the Americans & the free press.

The Dance Theatre of Harlem came to Tegucigalpa for a free performance.  Last night there was a special showing for the US Embassy, which I couldn't attend because the tickets were non-transferable.  So I left work early to go with a few friends tonight.  After an hour of some of the worst traffic I've ever seen, we arrived only to find out that it was "sold out."  The woman on the street getting tips for helping people park in tight spots said that the Americans hadn't shown up for the performance yesterday and they all showed up today and now nobody could get in.  Additionally, the local newspaper publicized that the performance was "gratis"... you can imagine the chaos, even for a art form that only old women and little girls enjoy.

Given that we couldn't see this once in a lifetime international performance, we opted for Chilis.  But I got a salad, which I haven't eaten since I got here because fresh lettuce is hard to come by.  So alls well that ends well.

The most surprising thing in all this is the fact that ballet found me in Honduras.  I'd been passing by a dance studio aptly called "Dance with Me" (in English!) on the way home from work for a few weeks now; I'd been meaning to stop by to figure out what type of dance and with whom exactly.  Instead, a few Hondurans from church thought to invite me to this ballet performance.  And when I got in the car, the other girl starts talking about how she goes to ballet pointe classes twice a week.  When I mentioned I used to dance ballet, she couldn't stop repeating "k cool!"- needless to say I felt the same.  Turns out we're quite the kindred spirits, even if her favorite movie is The Godfather.

So now I have a girl friend who wants me to go to ballet classes 2x a week with her and get back into pointe.  And I flash back to that split decision when I chose not to pack my dance bag, because after all, who dances ballet in Honduras?  Guess we know my packing priority on my next trip back.  Can't wait until customs inspects that one ;)

Afterwards, I proceeded to have a comical conversation with my amigo explaining ballet in Spanish as he drove me home.  I should clarify that this poor guy has never seen a ballet before, but for some reason kept asking questions.  So between my broken vocabulary (I described a tutu as a plate and composer as "the one who writes the music"), he got quite an earful.  Still no idea how to translate Nutcracker or say Balanchine with the right accent.

All in all, I'm incredibly jazzed.  Both by the fact that I've found a friend who dances ballet and the mere fact that I've found some friends.  That's quite a feat when you have the vocabulary and independence of a small child.

Lots of laughs

There are a ton of things I could tell you about my new life in Honduras, but it's a bit difficult to know where to start.  So I thought what better way to share my life than to share my laughter.  

• With not knowing how to get anywhere quite yet, I've now gone to the grocery store 4x in one week (its a block away).  Which is a strange statistic for a girl who doesn't cook much.  It has also led to the following:
• I bought what I thought was conditioner and shampoo.  After using both for a couple days, I realized that both were conditioner- as my hair was quite greasy.  I laughed even harder about the fact that both bottles had labels in English.
• I bought a spatula for all my cooking endeavors, which broke off the handle after 2 days of use.  I now flip things over with just the square metal piece... just one example of my modified version of domesticity 
• I am getting very good at washing pots & pans because I have no microwave (yet) and no dishwasher.  This also means that I sometimes prefer cold leftovers
• It's also been interesting to see all the things I can find here.  Generally you expect more limited options abroad, but my grocery store carries Annie's Organic Mac n Cheese, Ghiradelli chocolates, French's onions and 4 different brands of capers (not joking).
• Additionally, you're able to find a plethora of American fast food chain restaurants here, including Popeyes, McDonalds, Little Caesars, Baskin Robbins... even Dunkin Donuts is in Honduras despite not yet making it out to the West Coast.  I have also learned that I can refer to Denny's as a landmark, as there is only one in the city.
• Which brings me to another funny lesson: directions here consist of landmarks, which you have to memorize to know how to get anywhere.  So my drive to work feels more like a treasure hunt than a route.  To make things easier, my copilota and I have started naming streets based on landmarks.  There's Calle Cristina based on the Cristina hairstylist sign on the corner and Calle Peligro (Danger) based on the large traffic sign in the road.  However, I have to be careful because if the landmark moves (as usually happens with traffic signs) or if I have to ask anyone other than my copilota for directions, I will  be lost.
• The most memorable landmark is the Chinese restaurant near the factory.  Little did you know, Chinese food is the most popular non-traditional Honduran food and there are Chinese restaurants everywhere.  This particular restaurant is suspected for money laundering, as it has swimming pools, bumper cars, fishing ponds and hotel rooms.  These rooms may be part of a brothel.  I know all of this because we ate here on Friday for a coworkers birthday, which led to quite a bit of revealing conversation.  I also learned that Chinese food in Honduras comes with a plate of bread (like straight out of the bag, pre-sliced white bread)... no real explanation why but it's apparently true of all Chinese restaurants. My coworkers found it hilarious that I thought that was strange!
• For a driving update, I now know 2 routes to the factory, 2 grocery stores, 2 gas stations, 1 mall and 1 church.  Everything else is a bit hazy, but that's progress.  Earlier this week my coworker borrowed the car to help fix one thing and ended up rolling down the window that then wouldn't roll up.  So I drove it 40 mins to the factory with my copilota the next morning, quite breezy.  We took the route with less stops and I stayed in the center lane so that only opposite traffic could see the gringa driving.  It's fixed now, except that you push down on the button for up and pull up the button for down.  Remind me to buy a car with manual windows once I stop using the company car!
• Driving here is always entertaining because you never know what you're going to see.  A motorcycle going the wrong way up the highway entrance, a taxi crossing over the elevated 10 ft dirt median to cross the highway, a man juggling machetes to entertain cars stopped at the light (in hopes of earning a bit of money)... and I've only been here 2 weeks!
• It's currently the "coldest" time of the year (50 degrees at worst) so you'll see people wearing thick coats and hats, which cracks me up.  This was especially funny when asking my copilota about the truck of police guys wearing full face masks - creepiest thing I've seen yet.  Apparently, these masks are used to protect their identity on drug-raids... but may also be worn this time of year when the police are cold. ;)
• My copilota once remarked that she traveled to the US and asked where all the police were... as she didn't see any in plain view.  The difference here is that the police stay put, rather than paroling the roads.  Plus there was a new law saying that police need to work in teams of 8 to avoid corruption.   But this also means that you will never be stopped by the police for speeding, because they're all stationary.  My coworkers also said the police have to pay for their own gas, so even if they start pursuing someone, they give up pretty quickly.
• I actually feel quite safe driving, as its the only time nobody can tell I'm a gringa.  The tinted windows prevent anyone from seeing in.  However, I won't be driving at night, not because its necessarily unsafe, but more because I feel like I'm wearing my sunglasses at night.  Cue song...
• Speaking of songs, I've found that my empty tiled house has one benefit... you know how amazing you sound singing in the shower?  My whole house is like that.
• Last comment: While I'm not quite fluent in Spanish (it's painful to tell stories or jokes), I am entirely fluent in Spanish sounds.  What do I mean?  I find that my Ah! or Wow! exclamations are very easily replaced with Oi! or Ay!  It happens so naturally that I find myself exclaiming loudly "in Spanish" and then chuckling at how ridiculous I am.

That's all for now folks.  I'll see what I come up with this next week, including some pics.

Honduras: deep waters

Reading a guide book about Honduras before moving down here a week ago, I learned that "Honduras" was named for the "deep level" or "deep waters" of the eastern port (should have figured that out!).  That's stuck with me as I've tried to get settled this week.  A mix of images come to mind: jumping in with two feet, or being in over your head, or a tree beside a stream sustained by deep water (psalm 1).  There's been this strange feeling of peace and comfort, despite being almost entirely out of my comfort zone.  Partly this is due to the fact that my coworkers at Tegu have gone above and beyond to take care of me.  Partly this is due to the fact that I've lived abroad before and gone through the transition, so I can rationalize through a fair number of the concerns that my brain concocts.  But I can't help but also feel there's something incredibly right about all this...

In the meantime, I'm working very hard to be patient with myself and this new life.  Because otherwise its a bit sad.  I live in a 3 bedroom house by myself.  I have 2 bathrooms, a maids quarters with another bathroom, an office, a living room, entryway, dining room, kitchen... all to myself.  And the only furniture at the moment: 2 beds, one couch, 2 plastic chairs- thoughtful loans from my boss and his wife.  If ever I was going to have a rager, now would be the time to do it.  Thankfully, I'm moving into the house next door at the end of the month, which is supposed to be a bit smaller (& more updated!). Then the nesting will begin!

It's always a bit strange to move to a new place because you're so limited.  The most independent thing I've done is drive to the grocery store, which is one block from my house (thankfully!).  Still an accomplishment for week 1! The rest of the time, I have no idea where I am and often have no idea how to say exactly what I want to say (despite 10 years of Spanish classes).  It's incredibly humbling, overwhelming and strangely freeing to rely on others.  I'm also growing stronger in knowing when to ask for help, something that will surely take a lifetime for me.

Thankfully, my coworker and friend Mariale has been keeping me company this past week. It's been a tremendous blessing: we get up, get ready, make breakfast together, each sit in our little plastic chair to eat, wash dishes together... then drive to the factory.  At the end of the day, Mariale drops me at home on the way to her 2-hr English class.  Then I make us dinner or she picks something up.  And she usually stops by her grandmas house to pick up food for both of us for lunch the next day.  It's a bit like having a babysitter and a bit like having an instant best friend; either way it's exactly what I needed.  

Next week I start driving the company's automatic Hyundai to the factory, with Mariale as my copilot.  Baby steps...