Honduras Mission Update - 5/30/10

Being in Honduras really shows you how crazy this world can be. There are a couple of things that have happened here that make me all the more likely to become a humanitarian doing service in Honduras or something along those lines, so that I can fix up this country.

First, Tegucigalpa has been bombarded with torrential rain for a couple of weeks. Then, today, tropical storm Agatha passed over the city. Needless to say, it was chaotic. The streets were already filled with potholes due to the heavy downpours, and the rivers were very high. Agatha only exacerbated the situation. The Choluteca River has overflowed, and bridges and streets are underwater. Landslides are happening throughout the city, and many people's houses are flooded. There have been thousands evacuated across the country, and at least three deaths have been reported in Tegucigalpa alone. There is great damage to people's livelihoods.

Second, my Honduran family found out this morning that the husband of the principal at the American School where Mafer attends, a Mr. Peter Motz, was found dead last night. I have met Mrs. Motz many times and she is a wonderful woman. Her husband was kidnapped three weeks ago and held at a ransom of 25 million lempiras. He had had a heart condition that required medicine, but because he was isolated in his kidnapping, he suffered a heart attack and died. The community is in shock and mourning. The violence that can be encountered in this city is absolutely tragic.

These instances only encourage me to pursue my dream to help this nation. I deeply love Honduras, and I hope one day to be able to come here and live for the people, dedicating my life to their service. As of now, I am continuing planning my small gift to this country; my time, money, and effort for Orfanato Pedro Atala. I planned the mural today. It's simple, but crisp and beautiful. It depicts the world, along with the Honduran and American flags, along with the phrase "Juntos, somos el mundo" - together, we are the world.

Honduras Mission Update - 5/28/10

So the day finally arrived! I am officially back in Honduras, my country, my land. I have such a love for this country that came flooding back to me as soon as I stepped off the plane. I want to dedicate my life to it in some way, and it will be very difficult for me to leave.

On the plane I flew in from San Salvador to Tegucigalpa, I sat next to a young boy from Chicago who spent his summers in Honduras. His name was Isaac, and he was very friendly and intelligent. We chatted in Spanish and English to each other on the plane, and to pass the time we decided to rip off a magazine cover of two business men and doodle on their faces. The image of the beautiful final product is below (sorry for the rotation):

As silly as this may seem, this was really fun for me. It is so important to engage a child in something that interests him or her, encouraging and developing their aspirations. This looks like a doodle, but it was a collaborative effort between an adult and a little boy that was mutually beneficial. He got attention, encouragement, and fun, and I received the joy of his company. I can't wait to visit the orphanage and entertain the kids with painting and games. It is so incredible good for both parties involved. Kids should never be ignored.

Being back in Tegucigalpa, I also immediately noticed the poverty. I wish I could combat it on a wide scale. I feel like my contribution to the orphanage, though helpful, is small in relation to the woes of Honduras. The nation is desperately poor, and I wish dearly that in my life I can do something to benefit this country. It is a kind and traditional people who deserve the best, and I hope one day I can bring something good to my homeland. It would be a dream of mine to tidy up the city, organize transportation, establish clean but efficient industry, and promote agricultural prowess. One day, maybe, this country will be as glorious as its people.

Honduras Mission Update - 5/24/10

I have been very busy planning for this trip! There are only 3 days left! This has been incredibly taxing and stressful, as I have so much to organize beforehand on top of my regular schoolwork and job at Panera. It's OK though, I'll manage, and I know that this journey will not only be beneficial for my mental health, but for young orphans as well.

Today I received the clothing donations from Natalia, my Spanish tutor. She gave me a wealth of girl's clothes, which will be very helpful to give to the orphanage. There were some boy's clothes thrown in there as well. I spent tonight selecting the items of clothing that were in the best condition and packed them all into one suitcase. There must be over 5o things in there. It was a time consuming process, and I still haven't even packed my personal belongings.

After school today I went shopping for toys for the orphans with Sarah and Hyanna. We first went to AC Moore to buy good acrylic paints for the mural. I don't know what size exactly the mural will be, but I think we bought enough paint to complete it. Afterwards, with still over $100 left to spend on the orphans, we went to Ocean State Job Lot, where we knew we could get cheap yet still fair quality toys and games for the kids. We made sure to get a wide variety of items, ranging from lacrosse sticks to princess coloring books. Each kid will definitely have access to something, due to the massive amount of items we bought. We did tend to get toys that young boys would prefer, simply because the vast majority of the clothing that Chandler and I are bringing down is for girls or babies. After buying the toys, I stopped at Barnes and Noble and bought three books in Spanish for the kids to read: Harry Potter 1 and 2, along with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

So as of now, everything is prepared that can be. I'll pack my clothes soon enough, but that doesn't matter nearly as much as getting ready for the visit to the orphanage. My tickets are printed, travel arrangements are set, and a vague itinerary has been outlined. I don't think I'll plan the mural until Saturday or Sunday though, in Honduras, so that I can get input from Chandler and Mafer.

Spanish Club Update - 5/21/10

Burrito Day ended up being postponed from Wednesday to today due to Sarah having struggles getting and cooking the meat. It became my responsibility, which was fine, and so I used $30 from our funds for the orphanage to purchase about 5.5 pounds of ground beef. I cooked it last night with spices and let it simmer in the crock pot for today.

I was able to leave class 15 minutes early to prepare for Burrito Day, which made the process immeasurably easier. We had about double of all the ingredients this time, except for meat and salsa, because we felt we would have enormous success due to how popular the burritos were a couple of weeks ago. This ended up being good planning on our part. Around 50 burritos were sold this time, and the only things we ran out of were salsa and plates (oops!). People were very satisfied with the burritos, and we got many repeat customers and donations. The meat was monitored this time as well, with each person getting just a little less than a serving spoonful, so that no more Sebastian Rowell's would come along and exploit our kindness. The atmosphere was light and fun, and everyone had a great time. All the burritos were sold after 15 minutes, showing just how successful this project was. In the end, our total collection, combined with the $50 left from the first burrito day, was $156. This was fantastic! We about reached the goal of $160, even after having to spend thirty bucks on meat. I was very proud of our commitment to the activity and the perseverance and dedication of everyone involved. It really was a great day and it's even better to know that all the money raised will go to a good cause, ensured by my personal supervision of its use. I love Spanish Club.

Spanish Club Update - 5/18/10

Burrito Day number two is fast approaching, and the Spanish Club has been working fervently to prepare. It is planned for tomorrow, but I'm not sure if everyone will be able to bring the ingredients and fulfill their individual duties. I'm hopeful that we can host it, but if not, it will be no problem and we will reschedule for Friday. Perhaps it would be better on Friday because we can get more publicity. Either way, I'm excited. We worked so hard on the last burrito day, and I think the fact that the Spanish Club is doing it again just shows that we are committed to this group. Beyond that, we really persevere in our efforts to raise money for the Honduran orphanage, showing that we genuinely have fun caring for others.

As of now, I'm in charge of all the logistics. Planning, organization, etc. I'm like the manager of the operation. Miranda is my copilot, but she has been ill recently so she hasn't been able to do much preparation for this Burrito Day. She will be in attendance though, I think. Carrie and Sarah Devine are treasurers. Kayley has purchased all of the ingredients, except for the meat, which Sarah Smith has said she will obtain and prepare.

We have $80 as of now for the orphanage. I really hope we can double that so I can use the money to splurge on the kids. Let's see how it turns out tomorrow, and if it doesn't happen, Friday will be a fine alternative.

Honduras Mission Update - 5/17/10

Recently I have been talking with Mafer to further organize the upcoming trip to Honduras. It hasn't hit me that there are only 10 days left until I leave! I'm trying to make it so that I won't be doing everything last minute, but knowing me, I'm pretty sure it will end up that way no matter my efforts. Anyways, Mafer has spoken with the orphanage, and so far the plan is that we will be there only for Monday instead of Sunday and Monday. The orphanage will be closed on Sunday, which we didn't know. However, this will give us more time to plan the mural, which has been explicitly approved, and organize the day before.

As for donations to the orphanage, we will definitely not be giving a sum of money to the orphanage, because I would like to see the kids immediately benefit from our efforts in a way that will make them visibly happy. Of course, the orphanage would use the money well, but I don't know what eactly they'd use it for or when. Thus, we will buy items like toys and clothing and give them directly to the kids. I'm still not sure if we will buy the items here or in Honduras. It may be better to buy them here, seeing as the clothing will definitely be cheaper (a lot will be donated for free) and it will be preorganized and more reliable.

Ten days left! This has been a huge challenge to undertake, but I have already raised a lot of money due to Burrito Day (another one coming up, too!) and planned extensively. I'm proud of my hard work and commitment and I am sure that everything will turn out well.

Relay for Life Update - 5/11/10

Tomorrow there will be a captain´s meeting for Relay for Life. Unfortunately, because of my time consuming new commitment to my job, I will be unable to attend. It has been very frustrating lately to have to miss events and meetings because of the necessity of work. However, it is an inevitable sacrifice. Fortunately, my friend Denis is a captain as well, so he will go the meeting and inform me of what exactly is going on and what to expect. I know that there is something called a Bank Night coming up on June 9th and 14th, but I´m not sure exactly what it is. I will have to hear more from Denis and continue planning that.

Beyond the captain's meeting, soon there will be a meeting for the entire Youth Group in which people will register (I hope) and in which we will plan activities like a Car Wash. I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend, but I will still be active in participation, of course, as a captain.

Tennis - 5/11/10

I finally found an afternoon today in which I was free from work and could attend a tennis practice. It has been very difficult for me to be an active member due to my sudden work schedule. I feel terrible because I am not as committed as I should be to this activity, but I need to work so that I can have money for life´s many expenses.

Anyways, practice today went really well. We were able to use all six of the courts today because the girls had a match, so we played sets against each other. I was on a doubles team with Luke, who has been my doubles partner for a while now. First we played Nick and Nick, and won 6-2. Then we played Miklos and Joey, and won 5-2. I was very pleased with my performance. I hadn´t won any matches in a while, and not only was this a confidence boost but it proved to me that I had some skill in tennis. I worked very well together with Luke, making it a point to be encouraging when good shots were made and also using some constructive criticism. I could tell that I had improved in forehands and backhands too, as very few of my shots failed to get over the net. I think that I played holding nothing back and simply having fun, which made a huge difference. The pace was quicker too, especially in the match against Nick and Nick, and I think this helped my game as I was unable to overthink the shots.

CAS Software Testing - 5/10/10

I am done with ManageBAC. I am just frustrated with it and I hate that it might be forced upon us. I am willing to give it a try for the organization of the Extended Essay, but I really don't like it for CAS. I genuinely prefer blogs, and the creation of my CAS blog makes me feel much more accomplished as I can be the "creator" of something, instead of simply plugging stuff in to a boring pre-formatted ManageBAC system, without titles for posts or even drafting.

If I decide not to continue with ManageBAC, if given the choice, it doesn't show my ability to persevere with an activity. However, I feel like this is a special case, and I still stick by the maxim of not fixing what isn't broken.

Honduras Mission Update - 5/5/10

So far, the planning for the Honduras trip has been steady with no major developments. I booked the flights today, which along with insurance only cost around $450. I will be flying down on Thursday, May 27th, and returning in the early morning on Wednesday, June 2nd. Chandler booked his ticket simultaneously, so we will both be going and on the same flight.

There isn't much more for me to do in the planning for this trip beyond establishing a firmer itinerary with Mafer and the Orfanato Pedro Atala in Tegucigalpa. Most importantly, I will need to collect donations or money to bring to the orphans. As of now, I've raised around $80 from the Make Your Own Burrito Day, which is a great start. I hope to raise more money in a second burrito extravaganza, but if this doesn't work out, I'll ask for donations from friends, family, or classmates.

Spanish Club Update - 5/5/10

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!! So Make-Your-Own-Burrito Day had finally arrived. After a week of planning and buying ingredients, we were ready to host the much anticipated event. We were dismissed 1o minutes early from G-period in order to set up for the event. This was very stressful, as we had to move tables and furniture and microwave and prepare what seemed like an endless supply of food. However, we worked diligently together and all of the ingredients were ready by 11:45.

With Ms. Kirk and Mr. O'Kane as hawkers, the floods of customers began to flow in. I couldn't believe the amount. We really seemed to be making money! People were very pleased with the burritos and thoroughly enjoyed them. They were very happy with the free cookies too. Even at $2.00 for the full meal, a profit was easily made within the first few minutes. By the end of lunch, the success had been quantified; we earned over $80.00.

I am very proud of the perseverance of the Spanish Club with this activity. Everyone was committed from day 1, and each person fulfilled their responsibility. I brought the beans, Sarah brought the meat, Ms. Kirk brought the salsa, and Miranda and Carrie brought in the rest. Everything worked so well. I'm so glad that we raised money we can use for the orphanage. To know that this fun activity that a lot of people benefited from already will go further to help less fortunate kids is truly astounding. This burrito day will definitely have a second coming.

For next time, there are a few things that we need to remember. First, we will probably need a bit more time to set up, because we were so rushed with only 10 minutes. Next, we will need extra ingredients like salsa and cheese. We also need to make sure someone monitors the meat station, because otherwise people like Sebastian Rowell take 4 tons of it.

Spanish Club Update - 5/3/10

Our Cinco de Mayo party will actually happen! Burrito day is a go. We have been organizing what we need to do all weekend, and today we finally began to piece together the final plan. My first course of action was to type up flyers to distribute throughout the school. An example of my beautiful work is here:

Clearly, this is going to be epic. After school today Sarah and I went to Star Market and bought some of the ingredients for the burritos, including the cheese, sour cream, and tortillas. I don't think that we have enough though, and we might have to ask Miranda and Carrie to buy more. As for now, we have nothing left to do except finalize the plans. Sarah is going to cook the meat and bring it in, along with the items we bought today, and Carrie and Miranda are going to bring in chopped lettuce and other foods. My responsibility is the avocado and the refried beans, two ingredients I believe to be integral.

Beyond the edible portion, we also have tentative plans for Chandler to be the DJ and for Kayley Mead to dance zumba with anyone else who wants to join her. Kayley is also considering joining the Spanish Club, and I hope that this Cinco de Mayo burrito day convinces her. I think she would be a great asset.

I truly hope this is a success. Not only will it be good exposure for Mexican culture and the Spanish Club, but all funds will be donated either monetarily or more palpably (toys, clothes, etc.) to the orphanage in Tegucigalpa. I hope we make at least $50 - anything will be great to bring to the kids!