Cell Phones in Central America

I have to admit that when I first got to Central America, I was nearly ecstatic at the chance to ¨disconnect¨ from technology: I couldn`t wait to leave behind constantly ringing cell phones, hourly facebook status updates, and annoying reality television for a piece of tranquilidad. One of the things that caught me most off guard in Honduras, and Central America in general, is the access to and use of cell phones. Everyone has at least one, if not two celulares- and is costantly calling and texting!!!

My $15 Cheapie cell phone

There are 3 major cell phone plans:

• Tigo¨Yours¨- Their Slogan is Con Tigo, Todo es Mejor: ¨With You, Everything is Better¨
• Claro ¨Clear¨ or ¨Of course¨- Their slogan is Claro que Si!: ¨Yes, Of Course!¨
• Digicel (Boring corporate name)- Even though it is my carrier for their competitive US call rates, I can`t tell you the slogan= bad foreign marketing... possibly the reason it has the least users (??)

While there are many similarities between cell phone usage here in Honduras and the States, using a cell phone in Honduras is a whole different ball game. Probably the biggest difference is that even though phone plans exist, no one buys them! Instead, we all buy phone cards to charge up. (I eeeeaaaassily spend $15 or 10% of my monthly budget on phone cards!!!)

Buying your minutes has its perks: you are never faced with hours of haggling on hold with your service provider over outrageous phone bills. Buying minutes; however, means you eventually run out. For this reason most people talk suuuuuuper fast on the phone and exchange very few pleasantries other than the 5 mandatory good byes at the very end of the conversation. The following is the average phone conversation:

¨Hey, it`s Santos, so...¨ (even though I was supposed to be there 30 min ago) ¨I think I am going to be late.¨ ¨Ok, see you when you get here¨... and the good byes begin...¨bueno, vaya pues¨ ¨vaya, vaya...¨ ¨ ok, ok, vaya pues¨ .... are you still there??? ¨ hasta pronto, vaya pues¨ Speaking on the phone is not for new Spanish speakers. Most conversations last 2 minutes or less!

Another interesting Catracho cell phonism is the exchanging of cellphones. People are changing and exchanging phones for a number of reasons:

1. Theft of cell phones is super common
2. Phones that don`t get stolen are really cheap and brake all the time... especially if you are in the habit of dropping them :)
3. Many people that live in areas without electricity exchange cell phones with family and neighbors before they head down to towns with electricity to charge up.

Constantly changing numbers makes it is impossible to use caller id to screen calls, making every phone call an adventure... picking up is also strategic in that if you call someone back, you have to pay! A breakdown of my adventure calls:

70% of the time it turns out to be someone I want to talk to

20% of the time it is someone I really rather not talk to... ie sketchy guys I gave my number to back in the early naive days

10% of the time I don`t know the person! (yet!)

Quite possibly one of the craziest phone stories I have resulted from an unknown number. The person on the other end greeted me and asked if I remembered him... to myself I thought ¨this conversation is off to a sketchy start...¨ but when he said he was family of my host family, my defenses eased a little. Digicels talk to eachother for free, but b/c no one has a Digicel, there is no one to talk to- that is except Selvin, who also happens to have a Digicel and got my number from his cousin. (!!!!) After what turned into a 45 minute phone conversation, I found out that Selvin is 28 and works for a non profit in Tegucigalpa while studying to get his masters in teaching. Selvin has been to the states but didn`t like it much and doesn`t plan to go back. We talked about family, religion, the differences of living in rural and urban areas and the political state of Honduras. It was a great conversation with someone that to this day I do not remember meeting. While I don`t have time for conversations like this daily- it was a good reminder that if we let our busy guards down, we might just meet... or at least talk to... some pretty interesting people.

As for me, while I still don`t miss reality TV, I have slowly reintegrated into the digital age, Catracho style!

When There is No Doctor

This weekend was supposed to be a fun, laid back, girls` weekend on the beach, but instead we found ourselves arguing with police, befriended by the armed forces, and most importantly, searching for a doctor.

We decided to spend the weekend in Amapala, a small island off the South coast of Honduras. While Amapala does not offer much in the form of tourism, it has become a convenient hub for international volunteers and locals alike looking for a break from the heat and dust of the summertime.

Arriving in the afternoon, we decided to head straight for the beach. Our group split into two moto taxis, four in one taxi and three of us behind. About half way to the beach, we saw a white pick up approaching- it was going fast and swerving in and out of the middle of the road. From the second taxi, we saw the crash. The moto taxi was tipped over, our friends inside. While the moto was quickly put upright and most people were able to get up or out on their own- we soon realized we needed a doctor.

Universal laws of accidents:

• People flock: within a minute of the accident there had to have been 60 people crowded around us, most of whom really didn`t plan to do much more than watch
• Some one tries to take off: In this case it was the (drunk) driver of the pick up that hit our friends
• There are always good samaritans: The Armed Forces came to our rescue, providing a taxi driver (yes, we got straight back into a moto taxi) who served not only as a guide, but a huge support

We decided to split up: one group looked for a doctor, while our group ¨worked with the police.¨ We quickly learned that the police were not going to be very helpful- they took the names, ages, and countries of origin of the people in the accident and then told us to ¨go to the beach.¨ When we were free to go, we when to the clinic, only to find the island`s only doctor wasn`t in. Instead, we found the doctor in front of a posh hotel, not to be interrupted from his blackberry. He said he would meet up with us later, but he said that the closest clinic with x ray was an hour and a half away by bus on the mainland. (By this point the last boat and bus had left.) After getting word that our friends were at the Armed Forces base, we headed up the mountain and got there in time to reconnect before they evacuated our friends to the mainland in a private boat. Luckily, they had driven in car and would be able to get to a private clinic. (Public clinics and hospitals are closed Saturday afternoons and Sundays!!!) The rest of us stayed and further conversed with police and Armed Forces reps about possible next steps and judicial proceedings. (Amapala`s doctor never showed up.)

• Had we been in the States or Canada, everyone would have received basic medical attention within 30 minutes of the accident, reports would have been taken, and there would be a concrete process to move forward.
• Here it took nearly four hours for our friends to get to a clinic that was open, no formal reports or testimonies were taken, and no criminal charges will be pressed unless the doctor specifies that one of the invididuals involved required more than 10 days of incapacity.

I continue to ask myself what would have happened if we were not foreigners? How long would it have taken us to get medical care? Would the Armed Forces have helped us? If the accident had been more severe, would we have been able to wait to receive medical attention?

Thank goodness that after a night in a private clinic, our friends are now home to rest with no serious, long term injuries- WHEW! It was a long weekend and a difficult lesson in what it means to truly lack access to health care. Even if I am not a huge proponent of our current health care system, I am grateful that it exisits!! (Because the doctor did not perscribe formal days of incapacity, no formal charges will be able to be pressed, and the driver will mostly likely go home today!)

Unfortunately, lack of access to medical care is not isolated to islanders. As most Hondurans live in small, rural communities, access to timely emergency care is all but none exisitant. Community members with pick ups (or horses in extreme cases) are relied upon to be make shift ambulances- traveling upwards of 6 hours to get to the nearest hospital.

**Thank you to the Armed Forces and Noe, a kind taxi driver, both of whom continue to stay in touch and assist us in any follow up from afar**

Dia del Amor y Amistad: A Deeper Meaning

Feliz Dia del Amor y Amistad! Translated into Day of Love and Friendship, the Catracho celebration of Valentine`s Day extends beyond significant others and revolves around showing your love for all that you care about. Individuals text and call friends to tell them how much they mean to them and lots of hugs and kisses are given.

Today I received the ultimate lesson in love, in the form of a shared banana. After a morning of evaluation and planning, Evelia, a health promoter walked in with a minimo- a tiny banana. The next time I looked up, she was handing us each a piece- still wrapped in its skin. We all laughed at the tiny little pieces of banana, and I smiled at her ever present willingness to share what she has, no matter how much or how little.

As for me, I will be taking the opportunity to connect with Orocuina friends today, followed by a date with Enrique Iglesias and a glass of wine :)

Eating Locally Never Tasted So Good!

One of my favorite things about Central America is its plethora of open air, fresh food markets. Here vendors sell everything from fruits and vegetables, to homemade breads and cheeses, to cuts of steak or chickens, freshly slaughtered, and nearly everything is grown or made locally. Eating locally has quickly become a trending green alternative to purchasing carbon ladden products, imported thousands of miles or processed beyond recognition in the states, but what is trendy in the states is second nature in Honduras.

There are many reasons why eating and buying locally is easier in Honduras than the US:

1. Agriculture is one of the primary forms of income generation= there is always variety and fresh products
2. The growing season for many crops is nearly year round, meaning you don`t need to go far for basic staples like onions, tomatoes, green peppers, oranges, bananas, and papaya
3. There are also rotating harvests including melons, mangoes, lychee, guayaba, cashew fruit, passion fruit and others to keep things interesting!
4. Here, there is less temptation to buy imports. Since most Hondurans cannot afford the high prices that accompany chocolate or Guiness, stores outside of the capital don`t carry much.

Honduras has its share of big box stores with prepackaged and imported goods; however, they are EXPENSIVE. Example: a jar of imported pasta sauce costs $5-10, where as a pound of tomatoes, a pound of onions, a bag of oregano, and a bunch of basil costs $3!!

Another reason to shop locally is that most supermarkets in Honduras are owned by the US (WalMart), meaning profits leave the country and don`t support the local economy beyond the jobs created.

**I am by noooo means a purist- especially when it comes to avacadoes (Mexico), olive oil, and nearly any derivative of chocolate!!! but I try to be conscious of where I invest my Lempira**

One of the best parts of eating locally is savoring the seasonal harvests. Everything seems to taste better when you only have access a few months per year!! Most recently, we entered one of my favorite seasons: Mango Season!

Don Santos getting ready to climb and harvest mangoes

A long pole with a Lacrosse-esque basket attached is used to reach for hanging mangoes.

From the moment they appear on the tree, mangoes are ready to be eaten. Green, they are acidic and taste great with chile and salt, ripe they are sweet and refreshing! Mangoes can be eaten straight off the tree, in smoothies and juices, in salsas, and most recently I found out that they are great with what else... chicken! While mangoes will never be locally in season in the States... if you feel the need for something spicy and sweet- try out the following recipe:

Orocuina`s Mango Chicken over Coconut Rice: serves 4

• 4 portions of chicken
• juice of 2 oranges
• vegetable or olive oil for cooking
• 2 red onions
• 2 mangoes
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• cajun spices to taste

1. Cut mango into 1/4¨ thick slices and set aside.

2. Boil the chicken in orange juice over the stove top until cooked through, remove from heat and pull apart into small pieces.

3. Saute onions in small amount of oil. When soft, add cook

ed chicken and sliced mango and cook until mango is heated through.

4. Cook rice with 1 part water and 1 part coconut milk until soft and creamy, and add cajun spices to taste.

5. Serve chicken, mangoes, and onions over coconut rice and enjoy!

Mango Chicken scored high on Catracho and US scales!

Buen Provecho!

Celebrating the Super Bowl Catracho Style!

Touch Down!!! Sporting the Gold!

For those of you who don`t know... I am a huge football fan. Growing up 30 minutes South of the famous Lambeau Field, in the ¨Frozen Tundra,¨ I became a cheese head at a young age and have embraced the Green and Gold ever since! (It is nearly impossible to not love football in Wisconsin- home of the only publicly owned football team in the United States- the fans are loud, proud, and just a little bit crazy ;) )

¨Tailgating¨ Catracho Style

After finding out that the ´Empacadores´ were in the `Super Tazon`, the planning began! Last year found me watching the Super Bowl in English, on a big screen TV in the Marriott in Tegucigalpa- it was Fantastic... however, this year was a whole other ball game! A good friend`s birthday just happened to fall on Super Bowl Sunday and the day turned into a fusion of pool party and international BBQ that was quite possibily the best ¨tailgating¨ I have ever done before a game. We ate chicken prepared with a Mozambique salsa, french fries and fried plantains. YUM!

Of course no Honduran birthday party is complete without a piñata... Important Lesson: piñatas are filled with hard candies for a reason- because they are HARD. Apples and cookies are NOT good substitutes for good, old fashioned sugar!

The game was spectacular! A huge shout out to my French Canadian friends that put up with both the game and the yelling, and a shout out to companions from the US, Venezuela, Mexico, and the Ivory Coast that were yelling along... even if it was sometimes for the other team :P

While we didn`t get the US Super Bowl commercials, the Spanish game commentary more than made up for it! I learned lots of new vocab, the most used: ¨¡agarralo!¨ = ¨Get Him!!¨ It was pretty obvious that intricacies US football strategy was not our sports announcer`s specialty, but his enthusiasm for being on the field more than made up for it.

After the game, and lots of calls to Packer country, we resumed the international birthday festivities with a fabulous platano and ham lasanga and tiramisu! This will go down as one of the most memorable Super Bowl viewing experiences for the books!

¡Felicitaciones Empacadores!

GO PACK!

Taking Breaks

Living the life of an international volunteer in Honduras definitely has its perks:

• Seeing waterfalls on your way to work
• Being invited into peoples` homes
• Exploring different cultures and ways of viewing the world
• Living and traveling in Central America!

It also has its hardships:

• Being catcalled on a daily basis
• Working in 95 degrees without electricity
• Sinus and respiratory infections from inhaling dust every day
• Not being able to leave the house by yourself after 9pm at night

There is often a romantic idealism that`s connected to poverty, and while I appreciate the beauty in simplicity, the truth is that living and working in impoverished conditions can be both physically and emotionally exhausting.

Community members come from upwards of 3 hours to attend a meeting on fuel efficient stoves. It is 95 degrees! (The power goes out shortly after taking this picture.)

From a ¨productivity¨ standpoint, tangible ¨results,¨the way we Westerners think of them, take much longer. Counterparts don`t make it to meetings because they or their child are sick and they need to spend the whole day waiting in line to see the doctor. (You, yourself are likely to get sick and need to spend the whole day in line waiting to see the doctor.) Honduras also finds itself in an interesting conundrum... it has much of the same technology of more developed countries, it just lacks the infrastructure to support its use. Regular power outtages limit communication and create uncomfortably hot working conditions. (Imagine sitting at your desk, attempting to write a memo, when it is 100 degrees and there is no fan. Eeeshhh! )

Emotionally, poverty takes its toll as well. Friends are assaulted on their way home from work, colleagues lose family members early to preventable illness, and you yourself receive just enough money to pay for food, the bus, and a monthly doctor visit (for your regular encounters with parasites and sinus infections). While the women that I work with are some of the most dedicated and determined individuals I have met, there comes a point when the circumstances of our environment prevent us from thriving as individuals and communities.

As a foreign volunteer, I feel that one of the largest gifts I bring is possibility. I can offer a perspective that is less encumbered by experiences of setbacks and oppression, and I can step in when others need to attend to crisis. While a volunteer or aid worker`s phsyical presence is not sustainable, we are able to open doors, spark ideas, and nurture motivation to achieve those things which the organization itself chooses to pursue.

That being said, I have learned the importance of taking breaks!!! Initially, I felt guilty leaving Orocuina and the people who live here, but I have realized that getting away allows me to recharge my fresh perspective and sense of motivation. I return to work, more positive, energized, and ready to provide focus. I hope that some day the individuals that I work with and for have the same luxury to travel for leisure and that I will able to find strength more easily in my surroundings- but for now, I will give my all and recharge as needed!!