Halloween and Retiro de Voluntarios

Well, I gave in and bought minutes to use the internet lab here on the ranch. Here´s what I´ve been up to the past week.

Last Tuesday was Halloween. They don´t really celebrate it here in Honduras, but with all the U.S. volunteers we just had to do something. I bought a bunch of candy to bring to hogar, and dressed up as an....apple (okay, I know it´s the third time I dressed up as an apple...once in Kindergarten and two years ago in Chicago...but it works and it´s funny). In order for my girls to get their candy bags they had to say ¨trick or treat¨ in English. It was pretty funny to hear the variations, accents, and attempts. I felt like a team mascot; all my girls were punching me since I was stuffed with five pillows and biting me to see what the apple tasted like. After hogar the volunteers had a fiesta in Casa Personal. It was pretty fun. Ryan had just been to the U.S. so he brought candy corn. We decorated everything with cut-out pumpkins, bats, and ghosts. We had a Halloween scary music CD to get us in the mood. And of course no one was allowed in without a costume. People dressed up as a doctor, cat, Hindu Indian, hippie, Christmas tree, vampire, suicide victim with a noose, mummy, and of course me as an apple. I´ll post some pictures if and when I get my computer running again.

Last weekend we had our volunteer retiro/retreat. We all went to Valle de Angeles and stayed in this super cute hotel with cabins, hammocks, and parrots. We had dinner together on Friday night, which allowed for all of us to hang out and ´bond´as a group. On Saturday we had the retiro, which consisted of a talk with the padre/priest about issues on the ranch, bonding/get to know you better games, and reflection. I thought it was going to be pretty corny, but it ended up being really fun. It was cold though! Man, I was not prepared for this weather. We are now entering the rainy season. Valle de Angeles is higher up in the mountains, so it was much cooler there. I had to buy a sudadora/sweatshirt while we were there to keep warm. I also bought a typical blanket, which I´ve been using back at the ranch as well. Kris (Belgium), Annemarie, Jesus, and me decided to stay an extra night. We had dinner together on Saturday night and relaxed in our cabaña/cabin watching TV and reading. On Sunday we had a typical breakfast (eggs, avocado, cheese, platanos, tortillas, beans, ham) and did some shopping. We then headed back into Tegucigalpa to run our routine errands: internet and grocery shopping. It was a nice, relaxing, refreshing, feel good weekend.

Yesterday, being Monday, was Jean´s and my trip to Tegucigalpa. We went to the mall Mira Flores, had a coffee, and met up at the boys´ house where they made us dinner (spaghetti). Geovany, Miguel, and I ended up on the balcony listening to 1980´s ballads and singing at the top of our lungs; it was pretty funny. They are so into songs that remind me of slow dancing in middle school. It´s especially funny to hear them sing English songs with their Spanish accents. Quite a sight, and sound to be heard!

Tonight I am just getting back from hogar. We have three new girls in our hogar: Karina, Luisa, and Gloria. They are really cute, nice, and affectionate. Luisa is having some trouble adjusting and sometimes doesn´t eat and/or want to talk. I´m sure she´ll come around soon though.

My computer software should be arriving tomorrow, so hopefully I´ll be able to repair and retrieve everything that was on there!