Learning Honduran Culture

Well, I guess it is about time to share some of the more practical (and less practical) ways of life as they differ from Canada and all its glory. So here it goes...

1. Hydro Power is VERY unstable here - and so usually the companies pick Sunday as the day in which power will go on and off. You just learn to live with things you are doing being interupted by the power going off. You learn to relax and expect that your personal agenda for the day is VERY flexible.
2. Oh, before I forget. There was a small earthquake here last week, which NEVER happens...but was apparently the result of the meteor that hit Peru. It was measured at 5.5 and I felt my bed shaking as I lay on it - but I thought maybe it was in my head. (Yes, thinking it was in my head is a little bit concerning.) Back to the list.
3. When Hondurans marry - I am told - that they are 'lucky' if their husband remains faithful for more than four months. Infidelity is high here with many men parading around looking for a 'good time' outside of marriage. Apparently even some of the teachers at this school were hit upon by fathers last year. Please pray this does not happen again.
4. As a result, some churches hold services on Saturday night to promote family time. This is because Hondurans rarely spend time together as a family. The BIG meal of the day is lunch, and with kids and school and the father at work, they rarely eat together. And as we know..."the family that eats together stays together." (I think it might be "prays together"- oops)
5. Safety is a huge issue, especially after dark. A few weeks ago the guy who works at our school was mugged - literally just 50 meters away from my front door. So please pray for continued safety.
6. When you as a white person come and live in this culture, you are immediately upper class and everyone knows that you are wealthy (especially compared to the rural population.) Although there are wealthy Hondurans, they do not stick out as much on the street (I think the pale skin and 'towering' height may aid in this) and so you get many people following you. Therefore you get a lot of people begging from you and you are constantly saying "no" in a very firm voice - otherwise you will get mobbed by people who want things from you. FOr example, yesterday a girl followed me home in the hopes that I would give money to her mother for medicine. (Hmmm, I'd rather give something like food- rather than money as you have no idea where it will end up).
7. On that note: the teachers (us) have hired a cleaning lady. We wondered as to whether this would be taken badly or whether this was a wise move, but we were informed that it is appreciated when people like us create jobs for Hondurans - though we as the teachers are 'taking jobs' (but there are not many people who are capable of teaching in English). This will probably change as more children become bilingual.
8. The plumbing system here is really poor - and as a result pipes leak and there is usually a bad smell coming from the bathroom that has nothing to do with waste. It is just a simple part of life, and as there are ALOT of people who do not even have running water, I am thankful.

Well - that is all i can think of for now. Plus it is about to start pouring and I am sitting in a nice exposed place....

Tur-rah