It's official, I signed my residency papers on Friday - finally! After nearly 2 years they have finally completed, I just have to go back in 60 days to get my 'carnet' card thing! Obviously the photo on the card is one of my best...she spoke to me as she took the picture so I obviously looked at her...not the camera! Nice one Katharine! I went up to Tegus to the 'Migration' office (in charge of residencies, passports etc) with Amanda and Karlita (adminstrator in charge of all the paperwork from school) and we got it all done.
Perhaps my favourite part was after having done fingerprints of all my fingers, the lady filled my hand with Ajax powdered bleach so I could wash the ink off. So there we were with hands full of powdered bleach walking through a government building! a) we could have thrown that in anyone's eyes or goodness knows what else and b) it looked like we were walking along with a handful of cocaine!!! Hilarious!
Anyway, the paperwork is done and I just have to wait for the last bit.
Monday, 18 May 2009
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
New car....I wish
Monday morning at 6am I set off to San Pedro with my friends Adony and Enoc to go look for a new car. Here you find a car, buy it and drive it back - just like that!! Buying a used car in Honduras is nothing like it is in England. You can't find them here in Sigua and basically you can only buy them in San Pedro (about 2 hours away) ...the only place with lots of used car lots - Autolotes. I find it strange there is only really one city in the country where you can buy a car!! Cars here are still a luxury not an accessory. They are still a business.
So off we head to San Pedro to go hunting. We met up with a friend of Adony's who lives in SPS and knows the car places. We go to one autolote...none of the cars started...moved on to somewhere else. Adony's friend Andres came and took us to perhaps the most random place ever. We drove to the backstreets and there were roads lined with cars for sale, about 2 blocks worth. Apparently here is where you sell your car if you can't afford to put them in a lot. So we went to a Feretteria (hardware store) and were told to speak to the lady there. She then asks what type of car you are looking for...we tell her a double cabin pick up and she calls a man to come and get us to show us where these cars are. I ask why we can't wait outside....and am told it's because it's not safe enough so we have to wait inside the store?! Hmmm I wasn't desperate to buy a car from here. I was assured it was legal but was not convinced! We looked around but noone wanted to buy my car as part exchange. We then went to EVERY autolote in San Pedro. Another interesting thing about used car lots here is that you pay to put your car there- but they don't buy the car off you. Everyone still owns their own car. So when you find a car you are interested in the owner of the Autolote has to call the owner of the particular car to come and talk to you!! Crazy.
Anyway, I was not able to find a car I could afford. I can't believe just how expensive the cars are here. I was looking for any truck or big car I could afford and came up with nothing! So we went to meet up with adony's sister who lives in SPS and went ot her in-laws house, where her father in-law was trying to call his friends to help us. It was just becoming more random! We left at 6am and got home at 9pm. I managed to get sunburnt too with all the standing around outside.
So...I have no new car. Still have mine. Need to somehow find more money!
To make matters worse...got a puncture today! I drove to school, past the usual men shouting at me. Today they shouted and were waving, I didn't think there was anything different. I got to school with a puncture - guess that is why they were shouting!!
Elias at school was able to change it for me and I spent the afternoon getting my tyre repaired and then my car washed.
So, as I write this the man that was shouting at me this morning was at my gate shouting for me to come out. I went out and he was offering me parts or a new tyre! I told him thank you but I've had it repaired. Slightly worrying to have it re-iterated that everyone here knows the white girls house - he lives right round the corner!!!
Oh joy. Please join me in praying that God can provide a car for me - before mine dies or explodes!!!! Or I explode!
So off we head to San Pedro to go hunting. We met up with a friend of Adony's who lives in SPS and knows the car places. We go to one autolote...none of the cars started...moved on to somewhere else. Adony's friend Andres came and took us to perhaps the most random place ever. We drove to the backstreets and there were roads lined with cars for sale, about 2 blocks worth. Apparently here is where you sell your car if you can't afford to put them in a lot. So we went to a Feretteria (hardware store) and were told to speak to the lady there. She then asks what type of car you are looking for...we tell her a double cabin pick up and she calls a man to come and get us to show us where these cars are. I ask why we can't wait outside....and am told it's because it's not safe enough so we have to wait inside the store?! Hmmm I wasn't desperate to buy a car from here. I was assured it was legal but was not convinced! We looked around but noone wanted to buy my car as part exchange. We then went to EVERY autolote in San Pedro. Another interesting thing about used car lots here is that you pay to put your car there- but they don't buy the car off you. Everyone still owns their own car. So when you find a car you are interested in the owner of the Autolote has to call the owner of the particular car to come and talk to you!! Crazy.
Anyway, I was not able to find a car I could afford. I can't believe just how expensive the cars are here. I was looking for any truck or big car I could afford and came up with nothing! So we went to meet up with adony's sister who lives in SPS and went ot her in-laws house, where her father in-law was trying to call his friends to help us. It was just becoming more random! We left at 6am and got home at 9pm. I managed to get sunburnt too with all the standing around outside.
So...I have no new car. Still have mine. Need to somehow find more money!
To make matters worse...got a puncture today! I drove to school, past the usual men shouting at me. Today they shouted and were waving, I didn't think there was anything different. I got to school with a puncture - guess that is why they were shouting!!
Elias at school was able to change it for me and I spent the afternoon getting my tyre repaired and then my car washed.
So, as I write this the man that was shouting at me this morning was at my gate shouting for me to come out. I went out and he was offering me parts or a new tyre! I told him thank you but I've had it repaired. Slightly worrying to have it re-iterated that everyone here knows the white girls house - he lives right round the corner!!!
Oh joy. Please join me in praying that God can provide a car for me - before mine dies or explodes!!!! Or I explode!
To laugh or cry?!
Sunday morning was Mother's Day here- and it is a HUGE day! Is celebrated in a big way and everyone goes all out, it's great.
So....this Sunday....as I leave the house ready to go to church, dressed in my skirt and nice clothes...I see hoards of people walking to the cemetary with flowers for mother's day. Everyone goes to visit relatives and so the road outside my house is busy with families and groups of people.
I open up the gates to gate my car out.....thinking I had repaired it on Saturday (Jaime came round on Sat and we repaired said fence and tested it to make sure dogs could not escape)....well....my dogs had had all night to find new escape plans and before I know it they have found a new way out and run towards the groups of people in the road. My dogs both hate bicycles and have developed a hatred towards children recently too (I think the kids up the road come by and taunt them). Anyway....they run towards a group of about 10 people....aiming at the dog with them.....suddenly my dogs become super angry and aggresive towards this dog.....who turned out to belong to a drunk man (nice!). I call my dogs....they ignore me...far too aggressive.....they then start growling and barking at the group of people as well as the dogs and run round and around the people....women and children start shouting and screaming.....dogs start frothing at mouth......I don't know whether to laugh or cry.....my landlords in the house in front hear the screaming and come out....then start helping me shoo my dogs away from the people.....then landlord's son who owns the house next door comes out as he also hears the screaming....he also helps.....drunk man helps too.
At one point I just stopped still and looked around at the disaster happening around me and didn't know whether I should laugh or cry. I was SO SO embarrassed! My dogs were growling and barking at everyone and I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Eventually the dogs were shooed in my direction and I managed to grab them both and appologise profusely to everyone and thank my neighbours.
At least everyone now think my dogs are scary!
I was late for church.
So....this Sunday....as I leave the house ready to go to church, dressed in my skirt and nice clothes...I see hoards of people walking to the cemetary with flowers for mother's day. Everyone goes to visit relatives and so the road outside my house is busy with families and groups of people.
I open up the gates to gate my car out.....thinking I had repaired it on Saturday (Jaime came round on Sat and we repaired said fence and tested it to make sure dogs could not escape)....well....my dogs had had all night to find new escape plans and before I know it they have found a new way out and run towards the groups of people in the road. My dogs both hate bicycles and have developed a hatred towards children recently too (I think the kids up the road come by and taunt them). Anyway....they run towards a group of about 10 people....aiming at the dog with them.....suddenly my dogs become super angry and aggresive towards this dog.....who turned out to belong to a drunk man (nice!). I call my dogs....they ignore me...far too aggressive.....they then start growling and barking at the group of people as well as the dogs and run round and around the people....women and children start shouting and screaming.....dogs start frothing at mouth......I don't know whether to laugh or cry.....my landlords in the house in front hear the screaming and come out....then start helping me shoo my dogs away from the people.....then landlord's son who owns the house next door comes out as he also hears the screaming....he also helps.....drunk man helps too.
At one point I just stopped still and looked around at the disaster happening around me and didn't know whether I should laugh or cry. I was SO SO embarrassed! My dogs were growling and barking at everyone and I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Eventually the dogs were shooed in my direction and I managed to grab them both and appologise profusely to everyone and thank my neighbours.
At least everyone now think my dogs are scary!
I was late for church.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
When things become normal...
I was driving back through town to get home after Bible Study tonight and needed to drop Johanna off at her apartment in town. The road was closed off by a big police bus and there were people everywhere.
I stopped a policeman and a random man who were ambling by and asked them what had happened. Almost worrying to think I wasn't in anyway phased to hear that there had been another death. The random man said it was his friend so I didn't like to ask more details like how etc!! But is most likely a shooting. When did that become a normal every day part of life?!
I stopped a policeman and a random man who were ambling by and asked them what had happened. Almost worrying to think I wasn't in anyway phased to hear that there had been another death. The random man said it was his friend so I didn't like to ask more details like how etc!! But is most likely a shooting. When did that become a normal every day part of life?!
Latest observation....
Even the fattest, largest, most rotund Hondurans have skinny legs here. I know people walk a lot. But really..a mystery! Slightly unjust!
Bible Study
Bible Studies have been very different this year and I love them! Every week (generally) we meet for an English speaking Bible Study (same as last year). The difference this year is that we NEVER talk about school, which is lovely - and normal. I think before, the majority of us were teachers at the school and so it was inevitable.
I sat looking around tonight and realised the teachers from our school were in the minority - so refreshing. There were 12 of us tonight, and that was with a few extras and a few missing. There are us teachers, then a teacher from the Montesory school, the volunteers from camp, a girl who works for an AIDS NGO in town, hospital interns from Germany and Denmark and then some of our English speaking Honduran friends. A real mix!! And so, so refreshing. We are all the same(ish) age and so can discuss away! I think the part I like the most is that everyone is musical it seems and everyone can sing and so the worship (led by Amanda on guitar or Youtube!) always seems to be in harmonies.
With the end of the school year upon us people are now starting to leave gradually and so the group will get smaller until new teachers arrive in August. I just hope we can keep the 'no school talk' rule and find lots of other fun freinds to join us again!
I sat looking around tonight and realised the teachers from our school were in the minority - so refreshing. There were 12 of us tonight, and that was with a few extras and a few missing. There are us teachers, then a teacher from the Montesory school, the volunteers from camp, a girl who works for an AIDS NGO in town, hospital interns from Germany and Denmark and then some of our English speaking Honduran friends. A real mix!! And so, so refreshing. We are all the same(ish) age and so can discuss away! I think the part I like the most is that everyone is musical it seems and everyone can sing and so the worship (led by Amanda on guitar or Youtube!) always seems to be in harmonies.
With the end of the school year upon us people are now starting to leave gradually and so the group will get smaller until new teachers arrive in August. I just hope we can keep the 'no school talk' rule and find lots of other fun freinds to join us again!
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Stupid dogs...or are they?
My lovely fence....useless. Dogs have worked out how to get under the wire fence. Chased them down the road again this morning! Jaime coming back to re-evaluate the whole thing on Saturday. Just need to pin down the bottom of the wire!
Stupid dogs? Maybe not so stupid...! Grrrr
Stupid dogs? Maybe not so stupid...! Grrrr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)