Feria Time!

Ok, so yes, I am writing this the same day as I finished the other, but this was a cool couple weeks, so I need to do it while fresh!  So I'll start with last weekend.  It was the crowning of the princess of Copan.  Last year's princess, who gave up her crown last Saturday, is Mandy's 1st grader, so we go to go "behind the scenes" and see her and the Indian guys all dressed up.  It was this big ceremony in town where they basically just announances the new princess.  Then the next weekend they do the queen.  Here are some videos & pictures...

 Mandy's student, all dressed up!

Ok, so that was last weekend. It was kind of the start to Feria.  (I should explain, Feria is just a carnival that comes to Copan, but people from all around come.)  So that was last weekend and then this weekend was the queen's ceremony.  That was interesting because we pretty much missed it.  When we went to the princess one, it said it started at 8.  So we went down at 7:30.  Well when we got there, so was the princess. So the ceremony didn't start until like 9.  So for the queen, we didn't want to sit in town all evening, so we decided to go out at like 8.  Well, low and behold, the one time we actually were running on Honduran time, the ceremony was pretty much over.  The queen looked about the same, in the same kind of dress, so I guess we really didn't miss much.  So she is the queen of Feria, and will reign until next year. So that was the crowning ceremonies, just a little part.  Then, last Sunday, they had a ceremony to let the recuperated macaws fly to the ruins, where they have alot that are allowed to fly around free, and then at night they open the cages and feed them, so they are safe from animals and poachers.  So it was set up in town, and there were a couple macaws you could get put on your arms, which I already did at the bird park so I did not want to partake in that again, but some of the teachers did it, and we saw some of our students do it too.  And then there were guys dressed up as birds on stilts, it creeped me out, but was pretty funny.  We didn't stay to see the birds go, which we aren't even sure they ever did, we stayed in town for a while and then it was getting to hot and I had been up since church, so it was time to go.  o! But first we watched some traditional dances by some of the kids in town.  That was kinda same old same old.  We see them all the time, but it's still awesome how good the kids are.  Here's some pictures from that:

So that was last weekend.  Then during the week, an unexpected event happened.  It's a pretty crazy story, but unfortunately too common down here.  Remember it was isolated, and I & the other teachers are still safe.  One of my student's parents was shot & killed.  And about a week before his cousin had been machetied on his arm & beheaded, then shot a few times.  We found out from one of our friends that there is a list of 9 people, now 7 left, except a friend's cousin actually just was murdered and we aren't sure if he was on the list, so there could be 6 left?  They are all drug dealers, and unfortunaely my student's dad was a good dad, but shady business man, and didn't do business to the full, kept drugs and money, and didn't deliver in full I guess. Now down here, everyone has a different story, there's usually only one or two constants.  The one from this is it happened in the middle of the night, and he was coming home we think from the bar most likely.  The shooter was outside, and here's where we're not sure the story.  He was coming from a birthday or going to a birthday, one story my student saw it happen cause she was waiting by the window, the other the wife was with him and ran inside when she saw the shooter to call her brothers, but by the time they got there he was dead.  So anyways, we went to the wake.  There was about 25 fifth graders like 5 or 6 teachers (both Honduran and from the States).  It was sad.  It was at her house which is outside town, so we took a bus.  When we got there the whole family was there, they basically come right when it happens and stay for a couple days.  We then went in and saw the casket, I didn't want to look, but they do it so fast because there's not morgue here, so no where to keep the body before it starts to smell and decompose.  So my boss told me sometimes you'll even see a bunch of buckets of ice under the casket, but we didn't.  We then saw her mom, gave her a hug, and then saw her.  I hope to never do that again in my life, ever.  She looked like she had been non-stop crying for 24 hours, which I'm sure she had.  Her face was just so sad.  We gave her hugs and paid our respect, sat around, she did at one point come out for a little to sit with the students, but before we left they gave her a shot to calm her down so she could sleep.  However, at a Honduran wake, it's almost like a party.  There was a ton of food, and so many people, they were setting up tents because they sit into the night.  Sad atmosphere, but everyone the family knows comes together, almost like a celebration of the life lost.  So that was that.

Ok so after that little sad bit, Feria was here!  It started Wed. or Thursday.  They also had the street opening celebration, so Friday night was like a big block party.  It was alot of fun.  Everyone was out, there was food and dancing.  It was really cool.  Again, something different.  Then Saturday (St. Patrick's Day) was nice.  We went, again to see a folklore dance competition.  I have never seen so much dancing in my life until I got here haha.  So it was supposed to start at 2, it started at like 3.  So we watched a little soccer first.  We stayed for a few schools dances, then went because we were hungry.  Mostly me, but since I've been running I'm constantly hungry, I can't afford running because I always need to eat now haha.  So we ate, then saw the queen's crowning, which we pretty much missed.  Then we kinda split.  A couple teachers went down to the fair, where I guess they rode a few carnival rides and played a few games.  I guess it was kinda crowded and fun.  I just stayed in town with another teacher, the Feria was a little walk away and I just didn't feel like doing it haha.  So we just hung out, some other teachers met us in town.  It was a nice day.  Then Sunday we went down to the fair.  It was just like I was imagining.  Carnival rides, that we think were second hand from the states haha.  Reaaallll safe.  We walked around and ate, a couple teachers played a game, shooting game, shocking.  Everything here is about guns.  And then we went over to the rodeo.  I was looking forward to the rodeo all weekend, I was so excited.  It was my first rodeo!  It was INSANE.  The riders have to be crazy, literally crazy to do what they do.  There is a video on my facebook wall, I can't figure out how to get it on here though.  I'll keep trying.  There was a man who would ride horses in the middle, it was like an hour for this, and the horse would kinda dance.  Then finally the bulls and riders came out!  They would make the bull mad then open the gate.  One of the riders who fell off, was pushed around on the ground by the bull.  It was crazy!  I saw a couple students there, they loved it.  We didn't stay the whole time because intermission was taking forever, it was over an hour easily, but we saw 4 good rides, very exciting!  Then that brings me up to date I think.  Mandy is the photographer so I have to wait for her to get pictures up so I can steal them.  So those will be coming.  Other than that, hope all is well, miss everyone!

It's been a month!

Sorry it's been so long!  It's hard to stalk someone when they can't keep you updated with their lives!  Hahaha.  Anywhoooooo, it's been a month since I've written, probably because nothing much has been going on I suppose.  Everything, like I said before is just "normal" now.  The kids are still as crazy/psychotic as usual.  2 weeks ago we had "Fun Day".  During the week it was dress up days, Monday was crazy hair, tues was pjs, wed was sports, and thurs was fancy dress.  It turned out well, alot of kids, and almost all the teachers participated.  That week was also Valentine's Day.  So it was a pretty laid back week.  Valentine's day we had a party with the whole school at the end of the day, it was fun.  So then came Friday, Fun Day.  It was chaotic!  But fun!  We saw stuff I didn't think I'd ever see in my life.  So, we didn't have classes, but everyone went to school to play games and such, it's a fundraiser the 10th grade does to raise money, kinda like a FunFair.  Onlyyyyyy much different.  There is a place called the jail.  Students can pay to put their friends in, but it's much more fun to put their teachers in.  So low & behold I went in....3 times.  To get out, it cost 10 lempira. (about 50cents).  When you get put in jail, if you're a student, they do EVERYTHING they can to get you up there.  The older kids were like the officers, so they literally picked kids up and dragged them up there.  It was insane.  I went in, but willingly so, the first time in, my 5th graders put me there.  I knew they were going to because they're not very sneaky at some things, they told me we're going to put you in jail.  So that time I had to pay to get out.  The second time, Mandy's 1st graders put me in.  They thought it was HILARIOUS!  It was just so funny to see them laughing hysterically when they got me in there.  It was adorable!  So I sat for a few minutes, the student who has Autism that I help with math spent the day in jail, it was calm and quiet, and everything else was chaos, so it was actually kinda nice going in cause I got to talk with him, but anyways, I was talking with him and he said it was time for me to go, so I was going to pay, but the "warden" came and said someone paid for me to get out.  I get out, and thought the 1st graders were going to pee they were laughing so hard.  They paid for me to get out, you would have thought it was Christmas.  So that was cute.  Then the third time I was walking with one of the teachers daughters and a sheriff came and grabbed us, she threw her egg shell that you crack & confetti comes out, threw it at him and ran, (I later told her mom she will never get stolen because she bolted haha, did the right thing) so he took me up to jail, but when I asked who put me there he said he couldn't tell, which happened to a few other teachers, so we think some shady business was going on.  But that time, another teacher had a ticket to get me out, so I was free pretty fast.  They had these eggs that had confetti in them, and you cracked them on each other, then they had "pies" which was just shaving cream (with methanol in it) that was pretty awesome......not.  Then they had a "waterslide".  It was pretty much just a mess all over, but Fun Day was crazy, and it was great to see the kids outside of class & to remind me they're still fun and awesome kids, they just have no desire to learn & love to make my life difficult in the class.   Here are some pictures from that:

This was after the 1st graders paid to get me out of jail after putting me in:

 This was Valentine's Day/Pajama day, the fifth graders just standing around:

 Dress up day (With Ffarah with the crown on, it was her birthday, she's Mandy's assistant, her family has become our Hondruan family & the littlier one is Gilda, Kinder's assisstant, and then Mandy)

 5th grade 'B' all dressed up, most of them

 Ffarah & I

 Throwing water balloons

 Marin, Mandy, & I all wet & messy

 One of my 5th graders "pieing" me

 The methanol was wonderful in the eyes

 All of 5th grade

 Caios

 The students waiting in line for tickets because selling them before would have been too easy

 the waterslide

Ok, so I started writing this a couple weeks ago, but got incredibly lazy.  So since then some more has gone on.  A couple teachers from last year came to visit our friend Emily, so while they were here we went up to the hot springs.  We only did the front part, which was just 2 big pools, basically big baths.  The water was in fact though naturally coming out hot, so that was cool.  The back parts that we hope to get to someday are supposed to be way cooler, more like a spa.  But we went with our Honduran friend who owns the cafe we always go to, so he drove us up there, it was like a 40 min drive.  It was nice, and something different to do for a Saturday night.  We also had Mandy's aide and her family over.  They told us we are in their family now.  The mom and sister work in the Caseta at school, and they don't make us pay for food when we want to eat. They also took care of Mandy when she was sick, by making her tea and giving her food to make her better.  They are so adorable, here's a picture of us at dinner:

in the pink is the mom, Rosa, next to her is the sister, Raquel, and then Ffarah, and the little girl drinking is Megan, Ffarah's daughter in 1st grade, and then the other girl is Angie, she is in 1st grade and just wanted to come to Miss Mandy's house, she was a surprise guest haha, she is a crazy child.

Let's seeeeeee, my students old teacher came to visit, so we had a party for her.  She was their teacher in 3rd & 4th grade.  My student's have been spoiled in that their 3/4th grade teacher stayed, then their teacher from last year is still here in 4th grade, so they have some kinda witch craft going on I think because I would love to stay another year too.  Anyways, the old teacher had both classes to visit, so my class was second, which put me into a panic because the party was planned for right after lunch, and she wasn't going to come until like 30 min after it ended, I thought, what in the world are we going to do! But the students held it together, we played music and they danced, and "surprised" her when it was their time.  They made a cool decoration by figuring out when the wind blows through the class, the balloons will stick so here's a picture of that, I took about 15 so they could show their teacher since it kept falling over when the wind would stop:

So I think that brings me up to date now.  I'll write a whole seperate blog about Feria weekend.  Because it was awesome!  Here are a few other pictures of the teacher's and I just out and about:

 These two are from La Pintada, the place up the mountain we tutor at