Spanish Word for the Month: Por Favor~Please [Pronounced: Pour-Fa-Vore(rhymes with pore)]

A FATHER’S PERSPECTIVE:

We arrived in Tegucigalpa on Friday afternoon, February 21, 2003. The trip went well with one slight delay. We were approximately 130 air miles into our flight, traveling towards Honduras, when informed that we needed to return to Houston due to a brake light that remained lit. Since the airport in Tegucigalpa has one of the shortest runways in the world, breaks are a vital requirement. We were disappointed to be arriving late, but happy to be arriving safely. After landing, the passengers on our flight applauded, which is a known tradition for this particular flight. Shawn and Jennifer and their host family from training, Erika and her children, were at the airport to meet and greet Kathy and me. We exchanged money, selected a taxi (there were many eager drivers waiting to assist us) and before we knew it we were at the hotel. The Honduras Hotel Maya is very relaxing and beautiful; different from what I expected- a nice surprise to ease into culture shock. This is the hotel where Peace Corps Volunteers stay when they are in town for business or medical purposes. I soon discovered that in the capitol one can find some of the luxuries that resemble home such as stores, restaurants and hotels.

We spent our first day getting acquainted with being in a new place. We toured the Peace Corps Office and found it to be a unique experience with a unique setting. We were able to check our email, which was fun. It amazes me how connected we are in this world with a simple click of the mouse! Now I can visualize where Shawn and Jennifer spend various hours writing to their friends and family back home. In addition to the Peace Corps office computers, they also have access to internet in their site at the local high school when electricity is working and bills are paid.

During our first evening in Tegucigalpa we had a delicious steak dinner at “Alondra” which means “Lark” in English. Jennifer and Shawn had visited the restaurant earlier and prearranged a welcome gift for us that was presented by the waiter. We received a welcome card, Peace Corps T-shirts and a silver-plated rosary they had acquired at a market during their Guatemalan adventure. Being tired from a full day of travel we went to bed early to prepare for the next morning agenda item when we visited an open fruit, vegetable and meat market. I felt like we were in the Honduran version of Target and Cub Foods rolled into one. Walking through the various aisles was an education all in itself. We viewed fresh produce of all kinds and in large abundance. Some aisles displayed household items or hardware supplies. I didn’t stay in the meat section for very long as it was filled with flies and interesting aromas. Both Kathy and I were bewildered to see the meat hanging fresh in the hot sun. Again, another introduction to culture shock.

I observed that the cities are run by taxis, mainly Datsun cars. Now I know where all those pizza delivery cars went. They did not go to Hollywood…they came to Honduras! (Refer to Pizza Commercial). The Hondurans drive fast and crazy, but effectively as they constantly use their car horns to communicate with other drivers. If I compare this type of transportation to my morning commute in Minneapolis I see that both have their drawbacks. Rush hour traffic is just plain monotonous; very uneventful. However, both must be endured and will not change anytime soon.

On day two we traveled by a nice coach bus to Choluteca, the department capitol of where Jennifer and Shawn live. From there we continued our drive by school bus to Concepción de Maria. The bus ride on the worn-down, yellow bus was rough, hot and crowded. There were people of all ages continually trying to sell something; bags of water seemed to be a popular item. With the hot temperatures, I was glad to have a water bottle.

Not knowing the language made it hard to travel especially when trying to converse. For example, I met one gentleman who tried to talk to me and I was unable to respond. We both resorted to an invented form of sign language to attempt communication. It was an uncomfortable feeling and one of frustration because I wanted to share and exchange, but couldn’t. The most bizarre part of that experience is that the man said his name was Jennifer (Shawn translated for me, so you can trust I am not making this up). He explained when his mother was pregnant she thought he would be a girl and liked the name Jennifer, after he was born she decided to keep the name even though he was a boy. According to Shawn, strange names are a common occurrence in Honduras due to a fascination with foreign names; including one boy in Concepción who is named Yasser Arafat.

Of course the weather was very warm and Kathy enjoyed that immediately (a bit of sarcasm). We spent four days in Concepción de Maria, the place I wanted to see the most after reading about it in Jennifer and Shawn’s update letters. Our experience there was truly unique, exciting and rewarding. The community is settled into a mountain side. Jennifer and Shawn have sent many pictures so we recognized people and places easily. Their apartment is very well organized and decorated; homey, but a bit warm. They gave us their bed (a Honduran custom) and they took the floor (they had a thin mattress to use). When we mentioned to the neighbors that we felt bad for taking their bed, Doña Aminta (the grandmother of the household where they rent their two-room apartment) reinforced that that is exactly what one does when company visits; one gives up their bed and takes the floor. She appeared quite proud as if she had taught them well.

At night the dogs love to bark and the roosters love to crow at all hours. I mean through the entire night! To say the least, this made it challenging to sleep. The dress code is long pants or dresses and no shorts in public. That is one cultural custom I would change. Because people had a difficult time pronouncing our names we became known as Don Lorenzo (Mr. Larry) and Doña Kati (Mrs. Kathy).

The bathroom and wash area are located outside, not my favorite thing for trying to find the bathroom in the middle of the night. Water ran only in the morning hours. Jennifer immediately had me wash some clothes by hand to experience “the experience”. My favorite was the cool water to drink each day that we boiled and bottled to store in the refrigerator. I nick-named Jen and Shawn’s home the “water stop” because they often have visitors stop by to say hello and get a drink of cold water, a luxury for those without electricity in the surrounding villages.

There was a belated birthday party for Jennifer that we were able to enjoy and Shawn organized a great water balloon relay. It didn’t take long to realize that Jennifer and Shawn are very involved in the community; they are well known and very much loved and respected by the Honduran people of Concepción de Maria. We visited the church, library, high school, health clinic and the cooperative where they are helping to modernize the store in business procedures, marketing strategies and updating current computer technology. Besides the cooperative, I didn’t see any large stores, but it is common to find little sales stands in people’s homes where they sell food items such as chips, pop or local food specialties.

We spent an afternoon hiking up a mountain to the small village of El Peñon where Jennifer and Shawn volunteer at an elementary school. It was a challenging hike in 106 degree weather. As we passed by, I studied the people in front of their houses with no doors. Dogs, cats, pigs, cattle and children were roaming freely. Food was being cooked outside in large clay ovens. Much of what I experienced on our hike was foreign to me.

We visited a family who lived close to the school. They were extremely poor with only a couple of old wooden beds, without mattresses, and a ratted up hammock in their small house with dirt floors. While sitting on the bed, in the dirt floor home, with a pig running around and seeing the kids without shoes and one child who was completely naked, my initial thought was “how can people possibly live like this with all the dirt, no belongings and a pig walking through the middle of their home?” I had feelings of unbelief that this could even be possible. I told Jennifer, “This is reality shock.” More than the culture shock that is common to expect, I was astonished by their reality. I was witnessing the reality of their life and it shocked me.

Then I listened to the father and mother and how kind and gentle they spoke. I observed how well behaved the children appeared. I noticed the things that they were lacking, but in its place I witnessed very kind and loving people and I felt very comfortable and at ease in their presence. I admired both Shawn and Jennifer as they conversed naturally with them. We had brought some clothes and sandals to share with the family and I saw how appreciative they were for the small gifts. Shawn gave them a few Lempiras (Honduran currency) to buy food for the week. I felt honored just to be there. In that moment, being a caring person was all that mattered. That is what I have discovered to be one of the most important things in life.

That evening, after the hike we visited Shawn and Jennifer’s good friends, Ruth and Mario and their daughter, Ruth Maria. They would be considered a middle class family by Honduran standards. They have a very nice house and their little daughter had toys and things that the mountain people would never see; for instance a Scooby Doo lunch bag. What was so amazing that day was to visit two homes that were completely different and the fact that Jennifer and Shawn related so well to both families. They treated each the same, with love and respect. That’s a gift. We had dinner at Ruth’s mother’s house the previous night. She gave a kind toast to Jennifer about feeling like she has known her for a long time; long before they ever met. It was a pleasure to meet the close friends that Shawn and Jennifer have made during their stay. Both Kathy and I could see that they are loved.

During our trip we spent a day in Choluteca where I encountered one of the most interesting experiences, at least for me; our visit to a cashew farm. The owner of the farm and a friend of Jennifer and Shawn’s, Mario, took us on a tour of his cattle farm, cashew factory and private high school. He is a busy man and on the hunt for more business opportunities. He put me to the task of checking out where he can obtain goat semen to artificially inseminate his goats as he is currently doing with his cattle business. Any ideas, anyone?

Back to the cashew farm. When I saw the orchard, I saw a field of beauty. The trees were lined up in straight rows as far as one could see. I was impressed to learn that every part of the cashew fruit is used in the overall operation. The cashew seed actually grows out of a red-orange fruit about the size of an apple resembling an overripe nectarine. The fruit is used to make juice. The seed is used for cashew exportation and the seed’s shell is melted down to make paint. It is all very labor intensive.

When we got to the factory I felt immediate sympathy for the women and younger children working in the heat of the day. About 60 employees stood around tables heaped with piles of cashews to clean each one by hand. The task was mind-numbing and tedious. I saw many smiles on their faces as we passed through on our tour. I am guessing they were pleased to have visitors, some type of diversion in their ten hour day. “How can they smile?” I questioned as they stand there all day and do the same thing over and over.

The final part of our week included a great fish dinner in San Lorenzo, staying at a bed and breakfast in the unbelievable picturesque mountains in the national park of La Tigra, attending a beautiful Mass where the priest blessed our silver rosary and shopping for a hammock! After reclining in a hammock on the patio, during our stay at Jennifer and Shawn’s house, I was determined to bring one back to Minnesota with me.

My overall observations of the areas of Honduras we visited are as follows:

The people rise early and start their day. Survival is of most importance and a large part of their day is just that. With the lack of all the conveniences that we enjoy in the United States, it just takes longer to do things in Honduras; like washing clothes in the river. It is amazing to see the many different classes of people; the poorest of the poor and then those who have access to resources. In Tegucigalpa, we saw little boys sleeping on the streets. There was some begging, but not much. The culture shock was amazing. At times the temperature was unbearable and at times perfect. Our time in Honduras is an experience I will not forget. We were fortunate to have Jennifer and Shawn as our tour guides. They have adapted to the Honduran culture and are doing tremendous work. This is an experience that will always live on in their lives.

The biggest difference between Honduras and the United States is definitely the amount of material possessions that we have in the U.S. Life in Honduras seems to be so open and shared with anyone who walks by. In the U.S. we are more private and isolated. The financial class differences are definitely more noticeable in Honduras. We probably have the same here, but it is more hidden than in Honduras. One similarity I would say is that you encounter nice and friendly people in both countries. A smile is the same regardless of country, customs, or culture. It remains a universal language.

Thank you for reading about our trip. It was a journey worth recording.

Sincerely,

Larry (the father)

View Photos from the trip here.