Experience World Travel: Latin America!: Exploración de mí misma

Current Politics of Honduras

Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party was declared the new president of Honduras in late November. Protests are still taking place from the opponents, the Pro-Libre party, at the capital of Tegucigalpa.

Some quick facts about the political and social instability of Honduras (and the current presidential situation) can be found in the article, "Hernandez declared winner of Honduras vote."

Also, here is a very good historical timeline of Honduras up until the year of 2012.

On Language

I read, write, and comprehend Spanish pretty well, and while I lived with my good friend Yaquelin in Cambutal, Panama my speaking abilities were immensely improving. And while I was on the road (from Guatemala to Panama) and making friends I picked up a lot of the language too. But here in Honduras, I struggle to trust the locals because I get harassed by the men when I am on the streets and it is hard to make friends whom do not already speak English. So there are days when I don't get to practice speaking my Spanish at all, especially on school days since I work at a bi-lingual school. In all honesty in regards to my lack of speaking abilities, I trust that some of this is self-defeating behavior, some of it is naturally my shy personality trait, and the rest of it comes from the circumstances of the situation here.

I think it will be useful to explain to you all here why there is such a strong English language influence in this Latin American country. Here is a quick recount of events in Honduran political affairs:

England colonized the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras in the beginning of the 17th century which is why there are many Caribbean folk here who are native English speakers. In the late 18th century Britain ceded control of the coast to the Spanish. But then, in the late 19th century the USA became interested in the Honduran banana industry, hence why Honduras is called the "Banana Republic". In the years of 1911 and 1912 during political unrest in the country, the USA military moved into Honduras to secure their banana investments. Then came the dictatorships, banana strikes and military coups which continued to keep the US abreast and in the center of all the drama. Starting in 1979, Honduras was surrounded with warfare by neighboring countries when the Nicaraguan Sandinista revolution took effect, El Salvador began its civil war, and Guatemala was also experiencing internal conflict at that time. The USA took control over the conservative politics of Honduras and developed a strong Honduran military so strategic operations could be carried out in the region (obviously made to fight the Sandinista government). This is known as the Contra war. Finally, in 1988 after illegal allegations and protests, the government of Honduras refused to sign another military agreement contract with the USA. However, English is still abundantly used in this country, with bilingual schools and English academies for professionals galore. Consequently from all of these historical events, the English language has impacted Honduras for a very long time.

There are days that I become really frustrated with my conversational abilities here - the frustration is of course only toward myself. My Spanish teacher has tried to correct my poor feelings: “No Sarah, ya sabes la lengua que bien.” She is right that I can converse pretty well once I get warmed up and I am comfortable, but it's not consistent yet. Anyone who said that they could learn a language in 6 months to a year is a genius in my book! I am really hard on myself about it, I know, but I do not want to go through life regretting not being bi-lingual. This is something I want for myself so badly.

Reid, R., Attwooll, J., Firestone, M., McCarthy, C., Symington, A., Vidgen, L. (2007). Central America on a shoestring: Big trips for small budgets, 6th edition. Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.

Common Honduran Words (The best yet)

vaya pue (ok)

cheque (check)

nos vemos (see you another time)

buchica! (wow!)

ABS: My Students (August - December)

All I can say is buchica! It has been a journey with my kids. Learning how to be a good teacher is really difficult and certainly very challenging some days. Non-the-less, there were many fun times and I have seen much improvement with the language and the personal development of all 34 of my third grade students. They grow up so fast. We're almost half way through the school year and I look forward to the rest of my time with them at ABS until mid-June next year.

Once the school year is finished I will give you all a honest recollection of my time at ABS. For now, I would like to keep it light and positive. :)

Día de Niños

Una día de fútbol

Otoño

Día de Folklore

Día de Joya Grande

Día de Gracias

Christmas Co-Worker Party

Christmas Class Time

Christmas Party and Show

On Self Development

Estoy enfocando en mí misma, y en mi vida. Quiero entender quien soy y mis valores. Deseo aprender más sobre misma durante mi tiempo en Latina América.

It has now been over seven months that I have traveled and lived abroad. It is the opportune time to reflect on my self-development since May 6th, the day my father said good-bye to me at Miami International Airport, and the time that I stepped into a new era of my life.

Since moving to Honduras in August I've reflected intrinsically about what has actually happened to me since I started traveling. Up until August, I was more so in the center of all of the experiences and not really focused on how it was changing my perceptions of life, others and myself. Using meditation as a guide, I developed 3 lists thus far, including a list of "Happiness", my "Values", and a "Vision Board".

"Remain centered." The Buddha (from the Dhammapada od Guatama)

Happiness: This list is a reminder of what I owe to myself to be putting positive energy into each day. I see a pattern of themes on the list including “natural surroundings and wildlife, exhilarating hobbies, constructive activities, intrinsic and extrinsic spirituality, comforting favorites, means of relaxation, art and creativity, and a few relational connections". It was the most fun and easy list to develop. The list gives me a clear reminder of all the things that are beautiful in my life and that give me my sense of wellness and good health.

Values: I created a 3-tier list of my values, with the strongest values placed in the center and the others placed in tier 2 and 3 in the outer rings. It was difficult to decipher what values I hold to the strongest. However, what was most interesting was that labeling my values was actually the hardest part as it took much time to develop the 100+ list. I imagine this chart will transform itself a lot through the upcoming months and years. I consider this chart a piece of my inner-spiritual part of me and I prefer to keep it private. I believe it will take a lot of experience, self-exploration and time for the list to be complete.

Vision Board: Some of my short-term goals include “to comprehend and live my life according to my values, to live in the present, to do the things that make me happy, to live with vitality, to stay centered and grounded, to continue to experience and grow in my life independently, to appreciate the beauty surrounding me, to recognize and accept my inner qualities and imperfections, to be bi-lingual, as well as to inspire others to travel.” I have been in the process of making these visions come true.

*******

I know that I don't like the feeling of restriction, or at least I have come to realize this about myself since traveling. I have come to realize many new things about myself....For many months I was just a silent observer and an opportunist to new adventures. I have found that everything that has accrued over time from the millions of micro-experiences (and some much bigger) that I've witnessed or tried has changed myself for the better. Thus, I am writing a list of all the changes that travel has evoked in me these past 7 months. It has been a remarkable journey, one onto its own creation, and me, just the one taking it all in for exactly as it is. I look forward to completing this list during the next six months abroad and to all of the possibilities that lie ahead. I promise to share it here once it is complete.

“Transformative travelers think in terms of flourishing, growing, and thriving. Their experiences for themselves lead them to create their happiness rather than wait for it to happen”. Jeffrey Kottler

Photos of Puerto Cortés

Photo by Joe French

Fun Lessons & New Skills from Abroad

Preparing my first fresh fish (believe it or not)

Thanks to my new boat-living friends, Susan, David and FL native Dean)I can now descale and fillet a fresh snapper fish.

Also, Susan and Dean took rounds teaching me the bowline knot. I know how to tie the knot around a dinghy boat as well as how to tie it around my waist to prepare for an emergency rescue situation when being overboard.

Target Practice with friends from the Hondureño Army