My Mini-Proyecto

The best way to learn the cultural variations of a language is to talk to the people who speak it. I was given the option to attend Spanish classes and learn Honduran slang that way, or go out into an “aldea” (village) and work on a small project with some of the local people. I, of course, opted for the second.

My project is in a nearby aldea called “El Prorvenir” (The Future). El Porvenir is a relatively small community of poor “alfareros” (pottery makers). Like most Honduran roads, the road to El Porvenir is muddy, dusty, and rocky. Families live on small plots of land where 3 or 4 adobe houses are built, one for the parents and one for each of the grown-up children and their families. Each family seems to have 3 or 4 kids and they spend their days playing in the mud with no shoes and very little clothes. Most of the men are gone during the day working in “maquiladoras” (sweat shops) or farming. The women stay home caring for the children and making pottery.

Before going to the community, all I was told is that I would be working with a “Caja Rural” to help them improve their operations. I was given a handout that explained what a Caja Rural is and the name of a person I was to contact to get the project started. Next day I would be dropped at El Porvenir by one of the learning center’s cars and I would be taking the bus back to downtown Siguatepeque where I would be picked up by the center’s car and taken back to class.

Take the bus back from El Porvenir?!?! All by myself?!?! I thought I wouldn’t have to do anything like that without Max.