Our first taste of "el tiempo hondureño"

For those of you who may be slightly unfamiliar with Hispanic culture, the concept of time is often considerably different than what we're used to in the U.S. Punctuality is not always quite as emphasized and timing is more loose and more often than not, very approximate. This may seem kind of strange to us Americans at first, but it is a testament to the Hispanic orientation of living life in the moment, rather than thinking so far ahead to the future. 


Last night after returning to our hotel, we were not informed about what our schedule was going to be like today. And to add to our uncertainty, the local cell phone we had been given ran out of battery, so we had no way to contact someone from the clinic. And we were not given a charger. This morning we visited the two volunteers who began their work here two weeks ago (Alex calls them "Team A"), borrowed their phone charger and tried to determine our schedule for the day. After finally reaching Alex, we learned that we actually do not have any official duties today. The Team B Trio played a couple rounds of "Pass the Pigs" (a fun, silly little game!) and practiced some Spanish. Then, the "Team A" girls showed us around the few blocks where we're staying and took us to La Colonia, a large supermarket, where we ate lunch and they got a couple grocery items. Tonight we're planning to make dinner and Alex offered to take us to a movie and take us around town a bit. But of course, we will have to be flexible because we do not know what time that could actually happen! 


Unlike the girls on Team A, we were lucky enough to ease into our first few days here on a weekend, rather than being thrown into the overwhelming work at the clinic as they were. Today was kind of uneventful, so I'm sorry that there is not much more to report! 


Thanks for reading! If you ever have any questions, feel free to post a comment below and I will do my best to try and answer it! 

Trouble-Free Trio

After a slightly nerve-racking scramble to make my flight at the Houston airport this morning, surviving one of the "top ten scariest airplane landings in the world" (which was surprising not that scary), and causing some slight suspicion at customs in Honduras with 700 eyeglasses, my arrival to the clinic and the apartahotel in Tegucigalpa went very smoothly (discounting the crazy Honduran driving and bumpy roads, that is)! The wonderful and welcoming (and hilarious!) Señor Alex Flores chaffeured me and two other UFS volunteers who arrived today (Leah and Ryan) from the airport to the hotel and around town this afternoon, taking care of some preliminary errands: checking into the hotel, meeting some of the ZOE clinic's staff, exchanging dollars for lempiras, eating our first Honduran meal (tacos cazadores con queso en tortillas de harina...mmm!), and doing some grocery shopping. Leah and I are sharing an "apartment" room with a kitchenette, so the three of us who arrived today are planning to try our hand at some cooking! 

Weather-wise, today was hot and very, very humid. A little different than the Austin heat I'm so accustomed to! And as per the weather forecast (which seems to be identical nearly every day), a thunderstorm began just as I started writing this post! 

One of my favorite anecdotes from the day:

When Alex picked us up from the airport, the first song on the mix CD in the car was "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. I am officially convinced that American pop music is omnipresent. Alex skipped many of the songs on the mix CD (Lady Gaga and a few rap songs), assuring us that the CD did not belong to him. Later, when we rode in Alex's own car, we listened to his favorite Christian radio station, which he deemed as much more acceptable. 

As for some of our other adventures of the day... the three of us dived into using some Spanish on our errands at the grocery store and negotiating prices at the hotel and overall, we simply tried our best not to look like a bunch of gringos (which is nearly impossible as a blonde!), but that will definitely take some more practice. 

It sounds like we will not start working in the clinic until Monday, and we're not entirely sure what the rest of the weekend has in store for us, but after being introduced to some of the staff members at the clinic today, I am very excited! The doctors and staff were extremely welcoming and genuinely excited to see us. One of the Unite For Sight directors even invited us to church with her on Sunday! We also met a couple of the volunteers who have been here for two weeks. From what I gathered, we have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but it will be rewarding and it all will be done in great company! 

A church and a hillside in Tegucigalpa

Ryan, Leah, and Blair - The trio that arrived today!

Que Dios vaya contigo

Passport? Check.
Spanish-English Pocket Dictionary? Check.
Anti-malarial meds? Check.
700 reading glasses and sunglasses? (With their own entire suitcase!) Check.
Free-standing mosquito net? Check. 


Phew! I'm all already to go! Today, my parents are driving me to Houston where my flight will leave Friday morning for Tegucigalpa!


In return for all of the loving words of support and encouragement many of you have offered to me during my preparation for this trip, I wanted to present this special Spanish blessing that I came across during my recent Spring Break trip to Costa Rica:

Translation:
May God go with you as you begin your journey;
May God go ahead of you in order to guide you;
May He follow behind you to give you bravery and encouragement;
By your side to give you friendship;
Above you to watch over you;
Inside you to give you peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As everyone parts ways for the summer - whether you are traveling abroad, beginning exciting new jobs or internships, taking summer school classes, or relaxing at home or on an exotic vacation - I wish you all the best! Have a wonderful and safe summer!