Week Ten in Honduras

Yesterday was my last day at kindergarten class. It wasn't too hard to say goodbye since I'll still be in town and I can drop by whenever. But still. If I could have done anything differently, I would have taken Spanish classes for a year beforehand so I could have taught them things that really matter. For instance; how to share, take turns, how to respect themselves and each other. Also WHY it's important to brush their teeth. I still can't tell if they're telling me they'll miss me, or if they want toilet paper for the restroom. I wish I could have understood them when they tried to share their feelings and opinions-I just wish I could have gotten to know them on a deeper level! I'll always remember their precious faces and big eyes! We drew self-portraits for a memory book and then had a dance party! Oh my, some of these kids have moves. You can tell which ones have TV in their homes for sure!

My time had to end at Kinder because this week we started our Vacation Activities Program. Lots of kids from our normal English classes showed up, plus lots of new faces. Most of the games, crafts and activities we do are in Spanish since it's not an English-focused camp. My Spanish is getting put to the test-I had to read "If You Give a Mouse A Cookie" in Spanish..it's going to be quite an interesting few weeks. On Friday we all went down to the beach and made a Slip N Slide-it was fun despite having to use baby oil and shampoo instead of dishwashing soap!

The firemen took their exams this week for the lessons we've been doing. They did an excellent job-an average of A-! They were so excited we took pictures afterwards and had a little fiesta! I really admire all that they do for their community. On Monday they were carving wooden airplanes for the children in the community. On Tuesday they were supervising the repainting of the local high school to cover up graffiti. On Wednesday and Thursday they were constructing new desks for schools in need (100 new desks) !!

I also take back what I said about loving the rainy season here. Because with the rain, came the mosquitos, and now I'm counting the days til I can escape. Isn't that awful? All these kids running up to hug us every day, the devoted bomberos, chill roommates-and I'm itching to leave. But seriously, I'm literally ITCHING TO DEATH. My body is covered in welts and splotches like you wouldn't believe-the insects love me more than any of the other volunteers. Sigh. Being Asian has become exotic again.