Cusuna

Cusuna Weekend 

Our group spend the weekend in the Garifuna* village of Cusuna, one of the poorer villages in Honduras. They don’t even have electricity. This weekend was my favorite so far and was the first time I was truly happy here. We spent the days (after 11+ hours in a school bus) swimming in the sea with the locals, learning about the Garifuna culture, and sharing our culture in return. Here are just a few stories from this trip.

Sketchy (M)otel

By the time we started getting closer to the village, it was too dark to navigate on the steep, twisty-turny, water covered roads, so we stopped at this super shady motel. We were all so exhausted and hot and were looking forward to a good night’s sleep in our small rooms. The set up was a double bed and a twin bed- between four people. Because everyone turned on their air conditioners at the same time, we shorted out the fuse, leaving us in tiny saunas to sleep. Someone came around with fans for every room, but our room’s outlets didn’t work. After everyone in our room showered (sharing two towels), we got ready for bed- leaving the door open because otherwise it was completely miserable. One of us started to laugh at how completely ridiculous the night was turning out to be when a girl from another room came over saying they had frogs and cockroaches in their room so they were going to sleep outside. Which made us laugh even more. And then someone else came to tell us the air was working in their room, so we should try it. We tried to plug it in, and Heather prayed “God, please make it do something.” We plugged it in and a light came on! We were so excited. Then it started emitting this high pitch beeping noise and blinking lights at us. We finally just ended up lying on the sketchy sheets and falling asleep to the sounds of everyone else laughing at what a crazy night we were having.

Community Show

The community put on a show to show off their culture. There was dancing and singing- things that Dutch people can’t do. We all sat in a small school room and tons of little kids crowded around behind us watching the two shows- the dancing and the gringos. One little boy sat on my lap, clapping to the beats- a feat which I couldn’t quite master. The girls and boys could dance so well- even Pablo and a few others in our group got up and showed off their stuff. I didn’t really understand the words because it was in Garifuna, but it was still really cool to see.

Shoes

I thought I only brought four pairs of shoes to Honduras. But, I have four pairs of shoes more that some of the people in Cusuana. The majority of people wear the type of flip flops that you can get at old navy or Wal-Mart- plastic and cheap. Then, there were those who couldn’t afford even that and ran around their village barefoot, even though there was trash everywhere. Those who didn’t have shoes would come and watch us eat, but since we didn’t have enough to give to all of them, we couldn’t share. It was really heart-breaking to see then with their little fingers poking through the slits in the windows.

6-year-old mafias

One night I was just sitting on a log, reading my Bible and writing in my journal. These two six-year-old girls came up to me and demanded that I give them a dollar. I didn’t have a dollar, so they told me to give them my Bible and my journal. I told them that it wasn’t nice to go to people and demand things. They told me they would wait while I got a dollar. I then told them to go hit up the others.

Church

In order to get to church, we not only walked and took a bus, but we also took a couple huge lanchas*. It was really tippy, but it’s okay because we read from Jonah, just to be safe. Walking up the road, we could hear drums and singing. We walked in a did the “I’m gonna clap along and sway bach and forth because I don’t know what else I am supposed to do” dance. Then the women started pulling us all forward, and we all ended up sweating and dancing together for the same great God. We sang a couple songs in English/Spanish for them as well- some of which they knew in Spanish/Garifuna. The sermon was translated into Spanish from Garifuna for us, but by this point I was so tired I had a hard time telling which one was which. After the church service I was feeling a bit dizzy, and then a lot dizzy. Someone got me a chair, which we tried to move to the shade, but before we made it to some shady destination, I hit the dirt. The next thing I remember is that someone was giving me this gross candy and coconut water- which I hate. By this point a group of Garifunas had gathered and was watching me. Then the combination of feeling so dizzy and the coconut water made me sick, so I just threw up in front of all these people. I felt better and then we ate “espegheti”, my favorite food. After resting for a bit, we all walked to a gorgeous Catholic cathedral, took our boats back to our village and went swimming.

Beetle in my pants

The last night, after swimming again in the medusa*-filled sea, our group of 30 ate at an outdoor restaurant. After we were finished with our chicken or fish, we went and danced in the streets where a few guys were playing loud music. After a while of dancing, another girl and I had to go to the bathroom so we went in searching. We didn’t actually find a servicio*, but we did find a bush. When drove back to the houses we were staying at, and as I changed into my pajamas, a beetle fell out of my shorts- and it was still alive. Now I know, always check for bugs before you pee in someone’s backyard.

Return trip

The question that constantly kept going through my mind through this trip was, “Is this really happening?” Well, the return trip was no exception. First, we drank tang- the Honduraño equivalent to orange juice. We made a stop for bathrooms, and one girl got stuck in the bathroom for almost twenty minutes. Some men finally came and just broke down the door for her. We stopped for dinner at this really cute restaurant, which was relatively normal (and delicious). A few hours later, we stopped again for bathrooms. I started getting dizzy again, so I bought some juice. Just as we were about to get back on the bus, I realized that I was going to be sick. So, I ran back in with Pablo yelling “Estás bien?” No, I was not bien. I slept for twenty minutes on the bus, but then we got stuck in a traffic jam. At this point two other girls started throwing up. I had to get off the bus, and then I started throwing up on the side of the road. I got back on and couldn’t stop throwing up for the last hour of the bus ride. I started shaking and then I couldn’t feel my body, which was one of their weirdest sensations ever. People kept asking me things, but I didn’t know what language they were speaking and I just wanted to sleep. We finally got back and took a taxi to our houses, where I just went to sleep. I stopped throwing up, but then I got diarrhea around midnight. So, it was just a really long night for me. I am ready for a new day, but still, I had the best weekend. I am just so joyful that I got to have an amazing time learning about the Garifunas and the people in my group. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

A song that sums up the weekend- we sang it at church

Estoy Alegre (I’m joyful)

                ¿Porqué estás alegre? (Why are you joyful)

Estoy Alegre (I’m joyful)

                Cuénteme porque. (Tell me why)

Estoy Alegre (I’m joyful)

                ¿Porqué estás alegre? Eso quiero yo saber.(Why are you joyful? I want to know)

Voy a contarte. (I’m going to tell you)

                ¿Puedes contarme? (Can you tell me?)

La razón de estar algre es asi Haleluja Gloria (The reason to be happy is this)

Cristo un día me salvó y mi alma transformó (Christ saved me and transformed my spirit)

Y eso quiero algre estoy. (And for this I want to be happy).

               

Garifuna= a person of African ancestry who lives in a segregate community on the coast of Honduras.

Lanchas= large canoes, that are not really stable with twenty people.

Medusa= Jellyfish

Servicio= bathroom

Dependencia

¡Qué dia!

                Today, well yesterday, was really amazing. Instead of having class, we spent the day walking up a mountain in Nueva Suyapa. According to the Hondurans, it would only be half an hour walk, but Horas honderañas are significantly longer than US time. But, the all the effort was worth it. The climb was beautiful, and it was a great bonding time for all of us. Just being able to be away from the sounds and rush of the city was a good thing for all of us. When we finally, after what seemed like forever, got to the top, a group of women met us and showed us around the area that they transformed to be a small community farms. There are so many types of fruit that I have never heard of! I don’t even know the names in English, but there were also mangos (my favorite), avocados, lemons, limes, and so much more!

                Our guide showed us all around the mountain, and with pride, she showed us the beginnings of her house. It can take up to a year to get all the supplies to finish it because it is so hard to actually get the supplies up the mountain. Her two daughters, Jenifer (21 months) and Michelle (5), walked the whole way. Such different lives they live. I couldn’t help but hold Jenifer! She was so tiny and was a very beautiful child. Later, after lunch, she was playing with a few other children from the mountain. It was so cute! She would sit on a toy truck, and the older kids would push her around. I am always drawn to watch the children because they are so innocent. They always expect the best in people. If someone says, “I’ll catch you”, they’ll jump. They only expect the best of people- something that I do too.

                On the way down from the mountain, we saw a man who was pushing a cart full of firewood. 30 gringos surrounded this man and helped him carry his load. In class today, we talked about dependence on one another, and I think that this is a great example. A couple people directed the cart, a few guys pushed it, and when it got stuck in the mud, even more helped lift it out. In the US, we always think our independence is a right, but I think our dependence on each other and ultimately God is not only a responsibility but also a gift.

                Hasta Luego!

Paseo= walk

Cajero automatic= ATM

Elote= corn cob

Primeras Dias

Bueno~

Last time I tried to write a blog, I failed miserably. But this time, I will write whenever something exciting happens- and at this rate, it seems like I will be writing often. So far, I have been in Tegucigalpa (Tegus), Honduras for a little less than a week. There are good things- like the great friends I am making and the family that I am living with- and bad things- like traveler’s diarrhea and tear gas. Here’s a brief look into my daily life, thus far.

                I wake up probably around five or five thirty, usually the former because I have two pet birds that think five thirty is a good time to wake up. The roosters think that five is a good time as well, but there is one rooster that is apparently on Michigan time, and thinks three is better. I then stay in bed until I go absolutely crazy, or until my papi, Donaldo, knocks on the door. I then either a) take a freezing shower if we have water or b) wash my face in a bucket of water. I then make my bed because my sheets fall off. I eat breakfast of tortillas, bananas, and a fruit that looks like a brain but should be eaten with a spoon. I wash my dished in another bucket and then put my Christmas themed plates back in the cupboard. I then walk to Sarah’s house, only six houses down the street, and then we walk to Christina’s house, then to Allison’s, and then to Phanie’s. We then walk 10 minutes along the road between Burger King and “Dunking” Donuts, turn the corner, and walk 20 minutes to our school. We learn stuff, and then we eat lunch of tortillas with some type of food on it, and learn more. We then walk back home where we should do homework aka watch Closed Case with my family. I eat dinner with my papi, and then watch tv with mis hermanas Didi (pronounced Die-de) y Hilde (hill-day). I usually end up crashing about 9 and then repeating things all over again. But…. Of course this is Honduras, so things never stay the same.

Tour gone wrong: On Friday, our class has just started walking to the hospital to meet our doctor and get a tour, when we heard shots and all of a sudden, we were enveloped in a cloud of tear gas. Our group ended up being split in two, my group on the far side, the other group stuck in the mall. So, we walked to the hospital and someone’s mom came and picked us up and walked us back home a safer way.

Pillow or blanket, ¿No sé? (I don’t know): My bed, which has a rooster bed spread, also came with a pillow. Under my pillow is a folded sheet and blanket. I was cold at night, so I put the blanket that was in reach, aka, under my pillow on. When I was making my bed, my mami came in and told me that if I was cold, I had to use the blankets from my metal closetish thing and not the ones under my pillow. That leaves me with a blanket and a sheet that I have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to do with.

Unplanned Field Trip: We started class at the university when our professor heard some commotion in the street. He called our bus driver, who came and took us to the house of ASJ. We then picked up right where we left off. We did get pizza, so I think this was a win.

Broken baño: Let’s face it. I am cursed with the Keyzer stomach. I went to the bathroom without realizing that we didn’t have water. I had no idea what to do because it wouldn’t flush. Just as I was freaking out, my papi came with a bucket of water to tell me that my toilet wouldn’t work- like I hadn’t figured that out 2 minutes ago. Now, I always check to make sure that there is running water.

Hasta luego!

Palabras del dia:

Manta= blanket

Cubo = bucket

Manglar= mangrove  (if you actually use this word, let me know what it actually is)