Leff on an Adventure : Odds & Ends

I’ve been in Honduras for four months. It’s weird to think that a third of a year has already passed. While I have done my best to write about the big events that have happened during my time on the Ranch, there are still so many little details to share. So, although it’s a variety of things, here’s a little bit more about life here, with plenty of pictures. Special thanks to my volunteer friends for the pictures that I (lovingly) stole.

Over the past three months, the new, improved, Honduran dwelling Jessica…

…now answers to: Jess-i-ka, Yess-i-ka, Ye-ka (my personal least favorite,) and Gringa, in addition to the previously established nicknames I’ve accrued over the years.

…has “helped” trim the grass using a machete, with the blisters to prove it. Humility is one of your 6-year old pequeños making fun of your chopear skills and watching them chop more grass in half the time.

…uses hot sauce, despite having an embarrassingly low tolerance for spicy things. Desperate times, desperate measures. The rice and beans and tortillas aren’t going anywhere.

…has seen frogs, turtles, armadillos, cockroaches, spiders, tarantulas, scorpions, and snakes around the Ranch. I’m not really thrilled about it.

…can successfully use public transportation to travel to and from Tegus.

…has read five books since arriving here, which is more than I read in two years of grad school. Cheers to (a little) more free time, no homework, and a fabulous library full of English and Spanish books to choose from. You know where to find me if you need a good read recommendation!

In addition to my new skills and nicknames, here are some other things that have happened since I moved to the Ranch:

Día de Padre Wasson

We celebrated the day of Padre Wasson in August, the Wednesday before Olimpiadas. If you remember my posts about Olimpiadas practices and the big weekend, you can imagine how having another event on the Ranch made things even crazier. The department I work in at the school was chosen to help with decorations, so in addition to therapy and Olimpiadas practice, we had to decorate for the big presentation.

From the left: Mira, Anni, Franzi, Kailyn, and me posing with our handiwork. Not too shabby, right?

On Wednesday, we celebrated Mass, which included speakers and offerings in honor of Padre Wasson. After a special breakfast, the students presented a program commemorating Padre Wasson’s life. I remember being so exhausted and thinking about the upcoming Olimpiadas, but it was still a very nice day.

Día del Niño

Día del niño, or day of the child, was September 10. All the volunteers that work in the school were very involved in the day’s activities. The girl school volunteers decided to put on a dance for the kids as a surprise. After a fun presentation, the kids split up into teams and rotated around the school to play games. They earned prizes and got to eat a special lunch.

Two of the teachers performing a skit to a traditional Honduran song.

The kids waiting to eat lunch.

The girl school volunteers in our dance costumes. Working at the school can be frustrating at times, and I am so thankful to have these girls to share teacher meetings, recess supervision, lunch, and just the daily Ranch craziness.

15 de septiembre

Happy independence day, Honduras! My alarm went off at 4:45 in the morning, so the school volunteers would have time to get all of the decorations and drive to Talanga. We marched in the independence day parade for over an hour through town. I helped make the materials for second grade, where we represented two of the departments of Honduras. NPH also had cheerleaders and a band, who had both been practicing for weeks before the parade. We had been warned that it is usually really hot, but we were lucky and got an overcast morning.