Reflections

I have been here over a month now. My perspectives have changed, Confradía has become more of a home to me, and I have had plenty of time to reflect about my experience so far. School is about to start on Monday, and before things get real crazy I thought it would be a good idea to clue you in on some thoughts I have about this experience and about Honduras in general. Much of my conclusion (which will surely change drastically over the next few months) come from a comparison to my previous Latin American travels and is important to take into account.

1. Hondurans are not warm people. This was the biggest shock to me from the get go and still bothers me to some degree. Sure, there are the few families who are connected with the school who have welcomed us with open arms and invited us into their homes, but they are few and far between. On the street we are stared at to the point where I begin to question if I am actually in the right place. Everyone refers to each other as "usted," the formal 2nd person, and there is a large void of community apart from that of the church; and even then there are too many churches to form a substantial community.  It is strange when compared to Argentina where everyone wanted to talk to you and practice their English, if not at least inquire a little bit about your reasons for being here. In Honduras I do not feel the same hospitality and warmth that is so prominent in Latin families.

2. Poverty is eye opening and also strange. I know I have talked about the relative cheapness of everything here but I truly feel that it underscores the concept that we in the States have of poverty. People here live off very, very little. The area in which I live is the most affluent part of town, and it does not extend very far. The majority of the residents of Cofradía do not have regular access to electricity or running water and live in overcrowded homes. Their means of earning a wage is often selling homemade tortillas or typical Honduran food for little profit, barely enough to feed their own families. Because poverty is the prevailing norm, it affects the "upper" classes as well. The super market lacks many of the luxuries you can find in the bigger cities and even the rich eat the same foods as the poor. They all come from poverty and allow it to pervade their society in every aspect. But even amidst it all, there are few who travel without cell phones or TV. I can't help but think, "why is your children are running around barefoot while you sit there and talk on the phone?" It is hard not to judge this occurrence, but what would you do?

3. CAFTA is not the saving grace of Central America. If you walked into the mall, the only way you would know you are not in the US is that everyone is speaking Spanish. Prices are written in Dollars, the brands are American, and the businesses are foreign owned. American brands are everywhere here and it is part of what cripples their economy. Pepsi and Coke are ubiquitous, Frito-Lay controls the snack foods industry, and the amount of used american clothing for sale is astounding. Yes they provide their own services, but everything that these people are using comes from the United States.  Other than fruit, and it's derivatives, Hondurans have no industry to call their own. How can you increase your national wealth if you are constantly working for other countries. The profits from these companies leave the country instead of being reinvested in their own economy. They want to trade with us primarily because we want their fruits and veggies, a lot of them, too. The other thing this constant entrance of American brands does is create desire to want to be in the US, leading me to #4.

4. Emigration. There is a student in my class who barely knows his father. Johny is by far the nicest boy I have met so far. He lives with his grandmother, mother, aunt, younger brother, and his cousin in a small, green house on the way to school. His father first tried to go to the United states 6 years ago but was deported from the Mexican border of the Rio Grande. Johny's father made numerous attempts to enter the states and as far as Johny knows, his latest attempt was successful. Johny cannot afford new shoes for school and I have not yet met his mother, she is always working. Honduran families, almost half of them, depend on family remittances from the US. This money is often what puts food on the table, a roof over their heads, and clothes on their back. Adult children are responsible for of caring for their aging parents and their children with such a small wage. Poverty is difficult to escape, especially without access to education or skilled labor training. For many, the United states offers better wages, better lifestyle, and a better future for their families, but all at the expense of a father or mother's presence in the life of their child. Johny carries around American coins in his pocket because that is most of what he knows about his father. Johny would not be a student at SJBS if he did not receive the necessary remittances from his father in the US. Johny is not unique.

Yes, there are two sides to this story and I see both of them. A treacherous journey to the United States is often was saves these families from starvation, and who can blame someone for doing a job few others are willing to do to send over half of their monthly salary home to their children.

5. Life is simple when there is not much to do. I have definitely been on an emotional journey since arriving here, but boredom was never a stop. It can be frustrating when the lights go out and there is no internet; even more frustrating when the water is shut off. I can get hot as hell without any escape, but it never gets boring. In the absence of TV, internet, driving, concerts, sporting events, good food, and familiar company, I always find a way entertain myself here. I have already read 4 book since arriving here and began a 5th last night. There are always lesson plans to be written, travels to plan (found round trip flight to Cuba today for $250), or endings to be written to the prompt, "You know you're in Honduras when..." (Best response so far: ...you see a woman breast feeding on the back of a moving motorcycle.)  I am not bored and enjoy the simple things that Cofradía has to offer. Getting up early on a weekend just to catch the market before it closes, for example.

That's all I can think on right now. My brain hurts a little. I want Mellow Mushroom.