Student Trends and Hello Mom!

Mom is coming tomorrow and I'm super excited! Before I get to what we've got planned for our week together, I must first answer a very important question asked by Scully:

For AA Tuesday this week, Scully submitted the question:

Amy, do you know anything about Honduran beer, and have you tried them?

Scully, I am getting to know Honduran beer very well. In general, Honduran beers are quite light and contain 4.5%-5% alcohol. There are three big breweries in Honduras: Salva Vida, Barena, Imperial and Port Royal and a beer costs between 20-30 lempiras ($1-$1.50) . Here is my take on them:

• Barena - Like a Corona and you drink it with a lime. It is made in a transparent bottle with a light flavor. It's very easy to drink.
• Port Royal - Like Michelob. It is a cold filtered beer and the one that most foreigners are familiar with since it is the one that's exported. It is considered a "quality beer" but I don't care for it.
• Salva Vida - Like Budweiser. It is very light tasting and doesn't have much flavor. It is, by far, the most popular Honduran beer and my beer of choice.
• Imperial - Like Heineken. It is a pilsner style beer with a little more intense flavor. I also don't care for this beer because I don't like the flavor.

Thanks Scully, for prompting me to share this vital information! One point for you!

Yesterday, I had a great day with my students in El Pital. They absolutely missed me last week (+1 Amy) and were very concerned about my health when they heard I wasn't feeling well. In my first class (Zompopos), we discussed superheroes and adjectives that describe them, like powerful, fast, and invincible. Then, I had them create their own superhero and write 2 sentences using the word "and"  and two adjectives in each. They really enjoyed the exercise and like to be forced to use creativity. It is obvious that in school, students are not encouraged to be creative - they are forced to strictly follow rules.  For instance, it was very difficult to get them to think about a superhero other than Batman and Spiderman. I hope that my creative exercises in class help them in school and in the long run.

Another trend I notice with my students is they are extremely dependent and want me to do everything for them. Fani, a 15 years old student who attends the best private school in the cuenca, is a perfect example. She is smart and I know she knows the answers but because of her shyness, laziness, and dependence, she won't write anything on her paper unless I have checked it first. Word by word. It is quite a challenge for a teacher who has 12 other students in class with whom to work.

I want to continue to share what I'm learning about Honduras and the cuenca community through my students. Hope thats OK!

So, Mom comes tomorrow and I'm super excited. We almost had an "oops" moment because for the last several weeks, I thought she was coming in on Thursday. Could you picture Mom hanging out at an airport in Honduras with absolutely no clue what to do? Close call, Ames!

I am meeting her in San Pedro Sula and we will hop on a bus to Copan and spend two nights there. We'll tour Mayan Ruins, eat delicious food, and check out the local artisans. We will get an early early bus on Friday morning and head back to Ceiba and hopefully all the way to Sambo Creek, a beautiful Garifuna beach town. After spending the night in a beautiful villa, we will wake up the next morning and take a tour of the Cayos Cochinos islands and snorkel around the coral reefs. Post-snorkeling, we will head up to the cuenca and spend two nights at Omega where we will go rafting and hike up to La Muralla! 

Editor's Note: Remember awhile ago when I ran with Clifford to La Muralla and I promised to post pictures of how beautiful it is? Well, here's what mom has to look forward to...

Cows in my path. Really large cows.

Must. Get. There.

Phew!

School

Mom, bring some good shoes!!

After being super exhausted, we will head to yoga on Monday morning and then 4 classes in El Pital. Mom's last night here, she's going to get the special treatment and stay with me in Guaruma! She better be ready for bugs and cold showers!

Needless to say, I'll be rather busy the next few days and won't blog until Mom heads back to the states! I can't wait to post the pictures of mom in the jungle. Should be awesome! I'll check back in A.S.A.P.!

Final Score: Amy 1, Honduras 0, Scully 1