June 24, 2009

Where to start…let’s rewind back to the day I wrote my last blog. Then, let’s fast forward to that night…SCABIES STRIKES AGAIN!! Oh ya, Friday night I woke up in the middle of the night to the same intensive itching that I was experiencing before. (WTF.) Luckily, Saturday afternoon I had an appointment with the doctor. On Saturday, right before I went to my appointment, I was playing with the muchacha’s baby and (wouldn’t you know it) noticed a series of red bumps on one of her arms. Now, I’m no doctor and can’t say that this rash was the effect of…oh, I don’t know…SCABIES (said like Dana Carvey as the Church Lady), but it definitely wasn’t normal. I went to the doctor that day, told him the itching had dissipated on my trip to Comayagua, showed him the damage done to my wrists and ankles the night before, and explained what I saw on the baby’s arms. His response…so deep, so profound, and so true…was, “You need to move out.” (YAY! Glory be to someone who understands!) He recommended telling my family that they should be treated as the bugs seem to live in the house until I recounted to him the last time I tried to explain the sickness to them and that they didn’t believe it was from something in the house but rather a bug that flew in through my window. He prescribed me some more meds (luckily not the burning type) and suggested that I speak to the PC about moving out of the house as soon as possible. So that’s what I did. I called the PC Medical Officer on duty, explained my situation, and inquired about moving into my apartment at the beginning instead of middle of July. My “case” is currently under review, and I should have an answer by Thursday. Another option would be to move me into another host family’s house, but I believe that such a move would severely burn bridges and start rumors in town. I will not have that. I would rather suffer through the discomfort than screw myself over for the next two years. Vamos a ver.

I digress. The rest of my news is jolly and promising for my future here. Saturday I ran with Alex, Jen, and my host mother. (I am proud and surprised by her. She has joined Alex and me to walk while we run in the mornings. So far so good for her.) Afterwards, I washed clothes on the pila (for the last time at the house as the washer is now connected, yes!), met one of the local missionary families in town that lived near Bert and Kalin (Allen and Faith, really nice people from Washington that have been here eight months), and made homemade pizza for Bert’s 28th birthday (we were surprisingly successful). The night was fun celebrating with Bert and Kalin’s host family and local friends.

Made from scratch and love

The always happy couple: Kalin and Bert

Sunday was different than most days but good, none the less. I went to Allen and Faith’s house to join other missionary families in the area for church. (Well, it really wasn’t church. The activities consisted of the families singing psalms and reading a bit from the Bible.) Although I don’t necessarily following their specific practice of faith, It was nice to meet some pleasant people and definitely fabulous to indulge in an American potluck that followed. I even was lucky enough to use Faith and Allen’s wireless internet to Skype with the fam for Father’s Day. It was a good day!

This week has seriously been going well (for serious). I have been working in the Escuela during the mornings, walking around in the afternoons to meet other community leaders (i.e. director of the Gracias youth center, director of a local grade school, doctor at the health center, owner of a local hotel, teacher at a school in an outlying aldea who wants to teach business administration classes, and employee in the Tourism Office who needs help with a business plan), emailing organizations to offer my services as a PCV (i.e. PRAF, EDUCATODOS, etc.), and reading about as well as practicing yoga in my room. In my down time, I am reading the ten-year Strategic Plan of the Mancomunidad and trying to master Spider Solitaire.

This weekend should be AWESOME. Faith and Allen asked me to house sit for them! I will be able to watch movies with Bert and Kalin, cook my own food, make lattes (holy goodness I am so friggin excited for that), and use the internet at their house all weekend! Staying in town this weekend is a perfect idea seeing as we were just told that all Honduras PCVs are on STANDFAST from Friday until Monday. (This is Phase 1 of the PC Emergency Action Plan which basically means that we are to remain in site and prepare for CONSOLIDATION, if necessary. This is the result of the cuarta urna election this weekend.)

I feel like the time will speed up once July hits because there is so much to do/going on. I will be purchasing and moving housing items as well as partaking in the activities of the Feria de Lempira (a conquistador who the department is named after) throughout the month. I will be planning some trips to visit other PCVs, preparing for my brother and Carrie to visit, and hopefully finding my very own puppy (well, it will be both Anna’s and mine). I hope that you all enjoy your celebrations for the 4th! I will be missing the good times back in the day in Tahoe with my girls that day…