Feliz Navidades

It was about halfway (maybe a little less, in my defense) through training and we were scheduled to have a meeting with the safety and security guy from Peace Corps. He had been on leave as his wife had recently given birth to their second child. I was all set to properly bestow upon him the proper wishes for such an occasion, a very heartfelt Congratulations. I wanted to be the first one to say it (what am I in first grade?). He walked in and I blurted it out, Feliz Navidades! His cheeks flushed a little and then his face told me the ah ha went off in his brain and he graciously thanked me with a slight giggle. Of course my fellow trainees were not as forgiving, the entire room erupted into laughter, then my face went beet red. One of my friends explained that not only had I wished him Merry Christmas, but Merry Christmases! It was an honest mistake, congratulations is felicidades, I just merged the two words for Merry Christmas. What a rookie I was (hopefully this is a past tense and I have advanced at least a little past rookie status). As such, I wish you all Feliz Navidades and Happy Holidays from the bottom of my heart. May you enjoy this time with good friends, loving family and happy hearts. I have found new friends and family here in Honduras, not to replace the old ones, but to add to my classic collection.

Hogar dulce hogar

I can hardly sleep, I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve that has already peeked at my gifts and now am imagining all of the possibilities how to play with my new toys when they are actually in my possession tomorrow (not that I would know what that feels like Mom). I move into my new house tomorrow, my very own Honduran casa, complete with mango and coconut trees! My host family has been and will continue to be precious to me, just as the other two were, however it has been more than 5 months since I moved to this wonderful country and I have lived with generous families ever since, it´s time to spread my newly grown Honduran wings. Not only is this the first time I´ve lived out of my own country, but it´s the first time ever I will be living alone, wooohooo! At this moment I have exactly zero furniture, not a bed, not a stove, not even a chair or a pot to you know what in, but the whole echoing place is mine, all mine I say! There are three bedrooms, only two of which I have access to as the owners are storing something in the third (only in Honduras, right?). Worried at first that it might be bodies or drugs I was relieved when the realtor revealed the owner was a doctor and stores medical supplies there. The house is in a really safe neighborhood complete with watchman riding around on bikes, not to mention the necessity to unlock three locks before you can even step foot in the house. Did I mention there is also a 15 foot concrete fence surrounding the perimeter, very Fort Knoxish. The yard is huge with lots of shade from trees, a seemingly perfect spot for a vegetable garden, however seeing as I have never grown a vegetable in my life stay tuned for the result of this theory. I am looking forward to making it my own with a little paint and a lot of thrifty imagination. Any money saving tips on furnishing and-or decorating would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone have experience making furniture out of paper mache?

Going postal?

Being patient and flexible has been crucial to my success thus far in Honduras. Things are constantly being changed, people don`t show up when they say they are going to and things take 10 times as long to get done here than I`ve ever experienced. I am surely rolling with the punches. The most recent jab was received last week when I went to the post office (aka the house of a women named Yolanda where the mail for my town is delivered from a nearby larger town). She came to the door and began, ¨Fijese que...¨ which in Spanish translate to something like,¨Here´s the thing...¨. She proceeded to tell me that after 14 years of providing this service to my town of El Porvenir that it will no longer be provided. So, not a big deal, I have rented a PO Box in the La Ceiba, so I do have a new address for you to continue sending all of the wonderful things you have been sending. Yesterday I got the announcement of my best friends new son, last week a dear friend sent fall leaves pressed in wax paper to give me a taste of the Northeast Ohio autumn I missed so dearly and a few weeks ago I received 18 individual letters from my friends classroom of students asking some great questions about what I am doing here and Honduras. Thank you so much for all of the great mail. I received some good news today that I may be able to move into my new house as soon as this weekend and when I do I can`t wait to decorate my walls with all of the beautiful pictures I`ve received. Here`s the new address:

Jessica Dillworth

Apartado Postal #911

La Ceiba, Atlantida

Honduras, Central America

Don`t worry about the letters and packages currently in route, they will get to me. Believe it or not my Spanish is good enough that I was able to go to the post office, explain what I needed and that I was still waiting for mail going to my old address and rent a PO box! This patience thing is really paying off!