T-Day Thanks

11.21.07
Happy Thanksgiving to me.
This is the first thanksgiving I’ve ever spent alone. Technically, I’m not alone. There is a room full of people on the other side of the curtain, per usual. There is a fútbol game going on outside my window, even if it’s not of the American kind. But it certainly doesn’t make it feel any more like thanksgiving! I elected to not celebrate with new Cuerpo de Paz friends and a pseudo Turkey dinner—it was my choice to dine on oatmeal and raisins.

That said, today was full of things to be thankful for. For one, hot coffee in the morning and sunshine. Then, a trip up into the mountains of Cabañas to the community of Haciendo San Juan, complete with a horseback ride through the mountains, the farmlands, along side and across the rivers, and ending at a little school house built on top of a hill. This was the first asamblea comunitaria where I got to introduce myself and Obeniel (jefe de la munidad tecnica) mentioned my presencia and apoyo. The community had really prepared for our arrival. They even had the pine needles spread across the floor, which is the sign of a true officially important meeting in Honduras. They had also prepared almuerzo for us, a zopa de guillina, alas, my third this week. I didn’t think I can do another zopa de guillina if my life depended on it! But this one was doable. My bowl had a carrot and a potato in it, and the breast of the chicken, though I’ve learned that all meat here is tough. The community also gave us a huge sac of naranjas to bring back, because it is orange picking season. Living in Copán, Honduras is more naranja country than banana!


The meeting went smoothly, though the process of democracy is not yet caught on to the majority of the participantes. Everyone just raises his or her hand for every project idea, instead of electing what project they most want for their community. Be it la luz, a kinder, a road, land, or una cancha de fútbol. I think dispute is not common in Honduras. In the last meeting in Mirimar San Antonio, a very vocal man spoke his mind about what projects his community needed, but in this community, even the leader was a very soft-spoken man. I imagine without electricity and crowdedness, there isn’t much need to yell. The only loud voices came during prayer. At the opening and closing of the meeting we must evoke god’s name as it is in the agenda.

After going to pee in the cornfields (because building latrines is a project on the list for Haciendo San Juan), we said our goodbyes to the community. On the way back, the guys whipped the horses into a running trot, which definitely left me with a sore nalgas y rodias, but it was so worth it! Remarkably beautiful sourroundings, and to fly by on horseback, for me, was truly unforgettable. Something regular tourists would have paid for, and I, again, am just along for the free ride. Many thanks I have.

Once we were back to the truck, we had one last stop to make back in Pueblo Viejo, a cow that Ronní had bought needed to be brought back with us…and so he was…Kicking and screaming and sliding back and forth in the bed of the truck, along with Noé and Obeniel and las naranjas, which we joked would be juice before the ride was over.


Once back in Cabañas cascoo urbano, I ran to the casa to wash my soaking undies in the pila while it was still sunny and then Benjamin went on a run with me up towards la Cumber San Lucas. I truly do love my host brothers and sister, they are always cheering me up. As we were running away from the killer ants, little Benjamin told me I was the most beautiful creature on earth, the definition of all things beautiful, the essence of beauty…and how can you not love that when you’re sweaty and flicking ants off your ankles? Of course I told him the only thing I was the definition of was a retarded foreign girl in Honduras! But he is a persistent little guy and we laughingly debated my retarded beautifulness all the way down the mountain.


My real dad had called while I was gone, and Carmen had answered and spoke in English to him…well, she said hello and bye! She also brought me some pan to dunk in my post-shower café and this I enjoyed while the dubbed-over version of Home Alone was on t.v.