Saturday, October 24, 2009

You know you are an American teacher in Honduras when: When you start dripping sweat the minute you walk outside the air conditioning. When people where hats, gloves, and winter coats in 70 degree weather. When you are stared at everywhere you go because you stick out like a sore thumb. When you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet. When there are no doors on the bathrooms. When you kiss and hug strangers everyday. When you are given many hugs. When people are so giving they will give you anything even if they don't have it. When you walk down the street and are not surprised to hear people yelling, "Hey Baby" out of their windows. When you want to go to Burger King not because of the food or internet service but because of the Air Conditioning. When your students say, "You hair looks more jello today," because they say their "y" like "j" and are meaning yellow. When you eat chicken or refried beans for every meal. When Ice Tea has become your favorite drink. When you don't do you hair because it will look like you haven't done it in 5 minutes anyway. When a Baleada has become your favorite food. When you get so excited to sleep in a room with air conditioning that you you go to bed early When ordering fast food you memorize the order of the questions they ask because you don't understand what they are saying. When you see one of your students everywhere you go. When you are amazing because you are from the same country as the the American Soccer team. When everyone from the grandmas to the babies have a national soccer jersey. When you can talk to anyone you meet about soccer and they will know details to the core. When anytime you say, "Let's pray" people stand out of respect. When the only place you can hang out with other people is the mall or Burger King. When dogs run into the school and people aren't really surprized. When restaurants are always clumped together. When the thought of wearing pants makes you sweat so you choose a skirt even if it is the most causal outing. When you respond to the child who says, "Miiiss,Miiiss," and you don't correct them to say ,"Miss Bethany or Miss Laura" When you are hanging out with your fellow teachers and call them Miss Pamela or Mr Daniel. When dogs lay in the middle of the road even when there are cars. When your students have to translate so that you can talk to their parents. When people wear English shirts they don't understand the written just because it is an English shirt. When you pretend to exchange hair with a different person every weekend because they want "yellow" hair. When you have to pull toilet paper off the wall before you go into to the stall to use the bathroom and if you forget...you better hope you can speak spanish. When you are at the beach and order soup and are served soup with lobster legs hanging out, a whole fish minus the eyes, snails, chopped up squid, and a hammer to open the fish up. What many different things we have experienced here. Some have been good...others well they sure make it an experience.

2 comments:

  1. Bethany,

    It sounds like you are hard at work. I can just imagine those little faces looking to you as their teacher and how your heart must love each of them. I am excited for each of them that they will get to see God's love shine through you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. B!!! sounds exciting!!! fish with out eyes!!! good thing! it'd be weird to have your food looking up at you :) LOVE YOU LOTS!!!

    ReplyDelete