Arrival...
Well, it was incredible to walk out of customs and see Courtney's smiling face. We literally ran into each other's arms. It was the most amazing moment for both of us. The months apart made our greeting so very sweet.
Her pastor and his family picked me up and Courtney translated. She is totally bilingual now. She zips through her Spanish as quickly as the Hondurans. In fact, at lunch sometimes she would turn to me and go, oh yeah, blush, and gush into a flow of translation. We went out to eat. My first Honduran food. I had grilled chicken and shrimp, a vegetable medley (no, I have no idea what they all are) and platanos maduros (ripe plantains) which were sweet and delicioso. Yes, I am picking up a few Spanish words...very few. Lunch was terrific. I love the food. No surprise there!
Courtney generously gave me her bed and she bunked with roommate Irene. I "slept" to the all night sound of barking dogs and intermittent crowing of roosters. Perhaps they ought to be brought to Virginia farms for retraining. The melody was not sleep-inducing, said a woman who rose for the airport at 3:30 a.m. Wow, morning came quickly. I was all set to step on the shower when the system malfunctioned, fried itself so to speak. No problem! There was a back-up plan. A spiggot with cold water at my ankles... And a sink with cold water. Both had good flows. Hey, I'm in Honduras, no problem. So, I was a good sport, managed to get soap and water on all of me from a spigot, and washed my hair at the sink. The water spout was too low to put my head in, so I just splashed it up there. Think of a 6 a.m. water fight with yourself. Refreshing! Soap and rinse. Ladies and gentlemen, it can be done I tell you.
School was incredible! Courtney's co-workers are all friendly. They also kept saying I was young and pretty...and looked like Courtney. True or not, it sure feels good. I may have to stay here forever, healthy for the ego. Courtney's kids are adorable. They were excited to see me and clearly love and respect Miss Harris. She has a wonderful way with her students. I was in awe watching her, mesmerized. Then she invited me to teach with her and hand in hand we completed the day. We worked really well together. We found that we use similar mannerisms, expressions, and more as we interact with others. It was a pretty amazing insight for both of us! By the end of the day I was exhausted and HOT but it was irreplaceable.
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