Hey everyone! Well, this past weekend marked 2 months for me here in Honduras...wow, the time has flown by. Well, some days it feels as though time couldn't move slower...but overall, I can't believe how fast everything seems to be moving.
I feel like I've been here long enough now to have a decent-sized list of all the random idiosyncrasies, rarities, hilarities, and the-like with regards to this place. I also feel like I've learned and re-learned some interesting things...here goes...
1. Cockroaches, lice, and water and electricity outages are simply parts of life. Deal with these peculiarities, and they will soon become your friends.:) Mornings with no water no longer really faze me, and loss of electricity has led to many adventures...haha. One night I even was finally able to just glance up at the stars and truly enjoy them while I waited for light...God will use whatever He wants to make us STOP sometimes.
2. Never, ever, EVER take hot showers for granted. Pretty please. They are the most glorious thing God has created...almost.:)
3. If I never again in my life eat beans, I don't feel as though I will be missing out on anything. At all.
4. Saying good-night to kids is one of my most favorite things in the whole wide world. Especially saying the Numbers 6 blessing to them...both in english and spanish:)
5. It really is quite fun to improvise when you don't have all of the proper kitchen utensils...it has become one of my most recent hobbies, actually (that, and jaloning:).
6. The generosity here never ceases to amaze me. Wow. I mean, little kids will even give you their CANDY. I am in heaven.:)
7. Only in Honduras will you see several kids under the age of 8 using machetes...all at once. And they've got way more skills than I do!
8. Sometimes I forget that dishwashers, disposals, and air conditioners really do exist. Weird.
9. You will never find a list of safety rules on any sort of playground equipment here. There really are no safety rules or precautions...anywhere. And yet, I think the kids here get hurt just as much as the kids in the US do...so interesting...yet more nerve-racking for me, at times.:)
10. The phrase, "EN SERIO?!" is definitely my favorite spanish phrase...as well as the Honduran lingo that I am slowly learning here...
11. Fried plantains have changed my life!
12. The rainy days here (well, that's almost every day right now:) are way better. Seriously. I can't explain it. LOOOOVE it.
13. The most exciting thing about taking trips to Tegucigalpa (well, aside from the bus ride) is the FOOD. En serio. Oh man, that's all I crave when I know I'm going to the city. Crepes never tasted SO good.:)
14. Who woulda thought that exchanging money in the street with random hoodlums could really be so legit and easy??? haha! Seriously!
15. The kids' favorite things to say here are, "Regaleme!" (give me!) and "Enseneme!" (show me!) I think I hear these phrases like 67 times a day.
16. You guys thought I was a sugar fiend in the US...wow, it's gotten worse here! I can never get enough sugar! We all eat so much here, it's crazy...must be all the changes...
17. Only here on El Rancho can adults get away with calling kids, "Usted," "Tu, and "Vos" in the same sentence! It's madness, I tell you.
18. Wanna win a kids' heart here? Just keep bakin' pasteles (cakes:). That's all they really want...ha.
19. Leave your shoes outside on your porch overnight, and they'll be gone the next day. Seriously. I miss my NewBs. Tengan cuidado!
20. I've really come to LOVE the slow pace here, and the fact that I have to walk everywhere...even miles...to get somewhere. I really don't miss my car! It's so freeing. And I get my workout in every day, right?:)
21. The Honduran people really work SO hard...I get exhausted just thinking about it...they are my heroes!! If only I had that kind of work ethic...whew.
22. The 'in' music here (aside from Reggaeton...blah!) includes all of the goodies from the 80s and 90s...Whitney, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson...etc. It's tremendously amazing and hilarious at the same time!
23. This country truly is BEAUTIFUL, and I'm in love! Ahhhh...if only I didn't have to wear bug repellent everywhere I went!:)
24. The "Padre Nuestro" (Our Father) prayer is beautiful...especially when the kids say it. Oh, anytime they pray is SO great...absolutely love it.
25. Public nose picking is definitely more kosher here...haha...I see it way more often than I do in the States...ha!
26. I love love some of the names here (hey, they all get 4 names instead of 3, no fair!). Two of my favorites: Dulce Milagro (Sweet Miracle!), and any of the names that include, "de Jesus"...Luis de Jesus, Benjamin de Jesus, etc...so interesting!
27. The men here are even more confusing than the ones in the US. HAHA. That's my closure.
Hope you enjoyed though, y'all! I'm sure there will be even more to share soon. So stay tuned!
Love you all!
Please keep praying for me...I need all I can get...
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6 comments:
Jenna,
Your writing style is marvelous. I sometimes write in "bullets" because the ideas to share are coming so fast. There just is no time to say everything.
God be Praised with you, the ministry He has set before you, your faithfulness to His calling, the sacrifice you make which might seem insignificant but mean so much to others, and God be Praised for you grateful heart and attitude
You remind all of us to be faithful and to put on the garment of humility.
~ Sharon
This is my favorite post that you've done so far. Such a good glimpse into life in Honduras. Thanks for taking time out to update all of us!
Love, love, love,
Wifey
your are so funny I love it!!!
and its funny because some of the things on your list remind me of my step dad. he's from Guatemala. saying vos, usted and tu in the same sentence, nose picking in public like its normal etc. to funny!
I am so happy you are having fun with the kids. they don't sound too different from US kids with saying "regalame" a million times.
and its great that you are finding joy in the hard things, that they are not hard things anymore, just apart of life.
te quiero, EN SERIO!
raquel b
Jenna-
I think you may have a job working for David Letterman when you get back (top 10 lists). Great stuff!!
Miss you!
Erin M (your Ex.....boss that is :) )
#11 is the bomb!
#27 be extra careful. Actually, just be super ultra sure that a guy is a Christian - and then wait for like a year before paying any attention. By super ultra sure I mean that he should have been a christian and involved in church leadership WAAAAAYYYYY before Miss Jenna came in the picture (waaaaayyyyyyy!!). Trust me, I know - Honduras is next door to El Salvador ;) Any question?? You can always talk to me or your mexican buddy Joel M. Besides acting like a big brother, the list warms my heart and reminds me of things from my childhood!
Hey Jenna,
I know you posted this a long time ago but I just now looked at it. I know, I am a bad sister. But the things you mentioned remind me a little bit of the islands. I had fried plantains for the first time in St. Thomas and heard Reggaeton all day everyday! There were lots of power outages and I came to love the slower pace of life. I'm jealous of the simple life you are living right now. Love you and miss you, thanks for the humor ;-) Take care sister bear
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