Friday Night on the Ranch

TGIF everybody back there in The US. . .

I just may stay in for the evening and do this, read, and/or make some flashcards for "school" next week. The language barrier is really hard and our music session didn't happen tonight. (Again, plans are always tentative here it seems or else I am simply misunderstanding some of them.) At any rate, I think I'm in for the night. I learned how to be okay with being alone about 5 years ago, thank goodness. There are times when I just can't hang with the language barrier and have to escape, like this.

Stealing is an issue here at the ranch. I was told to never set anything down if I wanted it. The belief here is, "If you want it, you guard it." The visitor's building is locked and the only people that have keys are other visitors and Honduran employees. We have been told that it is wise to lock valuables (such as computers, cameras,etc) in our suitcases as well.

So today, I came out of my room and walked into the kitchen area and found two teen boys (friends or family of one of the office workers, I think) at the table with all my food; yogurt and peanut butter. It was so awkward. I told them and I think they understood most of what I was saying), "If you want something, please ask. This is my food for when I cannot eat what is being served." (Those times are rare, but they have happened. The cheese here tastes sour to me and the chicken tends to be really tough, at least so far.)

It bummed me out. I can't allow them to do that for every reason under the sun. If they had asked me? That would be a different story. Ugh.

Tomorrow morning is some kind of a "walk" put on by the religious department. It is called a "Pilgrimage" and I am not entirely sure what it will entail other than walking and probably singing. Roxanna told me to meet out front at 7:20 AM tomorrow morning.
Her husband, Armand (sp?) is from Switzerland and they live here on the ranch in their own home with their two sons, Ernesto and Christian. I am fascinated by this unlikely family; They met about 20 years ago in El Salvador, Roxanna's home, while biking. Armand was there with some kind of organization that was promoting bicycling as a mode of transportation. (Peace Corps?) Their son Christian shared with a grin on his face, "My mom fell off her bike in front of my dad and they fell in love."

Speaking of love, the female volunteers have this thing called "The Ranch Crush." They say that everyone has one. The director, Stephan, is a handsome and pleasant (single) thirty year old. I am guessing he is a popular choice for this category. He has an important job and he seems to really care for these kids. These young volunteers remind me so much of my daughters. I wish they were here right now, in fact. The whole "love/romance" thing is an issue here for the kids and for the culture. I am learning, observing, and hoping for change in some of the practiced norms. The main one is the accepted belief that men break hearts. I am not entirely sure how that plays out and why, but it seems to be the "known" deal here.

Next blog: Those Brave Volunteers!