December 21st, 2011
First
off, happy bday to my Aunt Theresie and Lydia! Hope it is a great one, sorry I can’t be there to
celebrate. Alright on with the blog… We received word from PC yesterday about
our future here in this country and that future is that for the time being we
are on what is called Standfast which means that we must stay in our site and
do not have the ability to leave until further notice. Since most volunteers
have reported feeling unsafe when they are outside of their site I think this
was a very wise move. We also found out that in early January we will have a
countrywide meeting in which well I am not entirely sure what will be discussed
but I will let you all know once I know. After this meeting every volunteer is
going to be put on what is called Administrative Hold meaning that we all
have to go back to the States for at least 30 days, during this time period PCH
and PCW are going to try to implement changes here in Honduras that will make
the country safe enough for some volunteers to come back. So that is where we
are at right now, I have to say that I think both PCH and PCW did a nice job of
handling a really tough situation and have come up with a plan that makes the
best out of said tough situation. As for the changes that may be taking place
in PCH I have heard many rumors but they are just rumors so I am not going to
take the time to mention them here.
With
all this being said, now that we have a better idea of our future in this
country I want to take some time to look at the pros and cons of what I have
begun to call Peace Corps Chicago. We will start with the cons first because I
am an optimistic person and want to end the blog on a optimistic note. Also I
really truly believe that I will be coming back here to my site once all of
this is sorted out (I have my reasons…maybe in another blog post I will go over
them). Now onto the cons…
Con #1: I will lose out on a month of my time here, that
means that I will lose a month of time to do my projects, lose a month of time
in which to make more friendships/connections, and lose a month of time of
experience in this adventure. I am also going to lose out on a month of
speaking Spanish which means that I really need to practice while I am gone…
Con #2: We are potentially alienating the people of Honduras
and all of the people that we work with. I put this as a con though I do not
believe it is actually going to happen, the few people that I have told about
this so far have been incredibly supportive and completely understand the
situation. However it really does not seem fair that we are telling the people
of Honduras that it is not safe for us so we are going to leave for a bit while
at the same time they have no such option.
Con #3: Potentially not coming back here, this is an option
while it is not an option that I would choose. I love my site, I love the
people I work with, and I love Honduras as a whole. There is so much work that
can be done in my site and I have already laid down the foundation of a lot of
this work. This is something that I do not want, I want to come back here and
finish up my two years here in Dulce Nombre.
On to the pros…
Pro #1: I get to see my family and friends! I have been in
Honduras for right about 6 months and I have got to say that during this time I
have learned that I am a big mama’s boy and I love all of my family and friends
dearly. I think being away from my family has been the hardest part of this
adventure so far.
Pro #2: I will get a chance to spread Honduran culture in
the States which is the third goal of the Peace Corps (I think I remember that
correctly from training). I think I may have the opportunity to get to talk to
some classes at the school as well as of course having multiple conversations
with my family and friends about the Honduran culture.
Pro #3: I get to do American things, eat American food, and
speak English. While I really do enjoy the Honduran culture, food, and Spanish
language it is not my original culture, foods, or language so it is just not
the same. I am really excited to be able to get back to Chicago, watch the
Bulls, eat some PB and J’s, play some basketball, and speak English. I also
have started a short list of things I want to do while I am in Chicago and I am
going to need people with whom to do these activities so please make some time
for me!
P.S. If you want information this is the link to the Peace Corps official press release: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1932
Jim- love the optimism! I too have started a list of food I want to eat and activities I plan to partake in! Also praying to come back to my same site!
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention one thing to do when you return - watch the blackhawks :)
ReplyDeleteHey there, birthday shoutout! Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteWish you had been here to celebrate, but I'm glad I'll have the opportunity to see you soon. And I doubt that you're surprised, but I have some connections for you to work on your spanish while you're here. These connections would also potentially include the special needs population. You can thank me later =)