On the road...

This past week I've had to take two trips into the city all because I want nice teeth!  :)

Wednesday I had to miss school because the only time the dentist could put my spacers in was in the morning.  I wasn't happy about missing school, but I had to.  Also, because generally anyone who I would travel with to the city was also teaching I had to drag Lucy's mom along with me...I'm sure she had a million things to do around the house so I'm very thankful she agreed to go with me.  The thought of going to the city alone makes me nervous, mostly because of that bus terminal where I would most likely get lost.

So Wednesday...the longest day EVER!  My appointment was for 11:00, so we left the house at 8:15...you would think that would be enough time right?  Well, let me tell you about my day!  While we were walking to the bus stop one of her friends was driving down the road and offered a ride to the stop, so we got in the truck and were on our way...when we arrived at the bus stop we got out and SLAM my thumb was still in the door.  I don't know how it happened but my thumb got closed in the back door (I was in the front and Lucy's mom was in the back) and to make matters worse everyone keeps doors locked so it took a minute for him to unlock the non-automatic door...this was also after he started to drive away...thankfully there was traffic so he was just kind of rolling.  Well, don't worry I finally got my thumb out...it was just throbbing and bleeding like crazy.  But I couldn't focus on that since the bus was barreling down the street and we needed to hop on.

Now onto the bus ride...we got about 25 minutes away when WHACK!  We hit a cat...that poor little cat got all run over and stuck up in the wheel or something and we had to pull over (thankfully right infront of the llantera--tire shop).  We were held up there for about 45 minutes...it seemed like longer.  Then on the road again and it was smooth sailing until we got to the city limits were there was an insane amount of traffic of course!  Well...this post is getting long so I'll get to the point...it should take about an hour and a half to get to the city...it took us two and half and I was almost late for my dentist appointment.

I got my spacers put in (which I found out today they were put on the wrong teeth...they were supposed to be put in my top molars...not my bottom...which means my orthodontist couldn't do what he needed today and I have to make more trips to the city before I go home to the states....) and then off to get x-rays!  I needed some x-rays done before my appointment today (of course I couldn't get them done at the same place...so it meant wandering around to a few different places), a lateral cranial (i.e.-profile shot!) and then a panoramic shot of my teeth...and here they are!  Sorry the quality isn't that great, but you get the gist...I have a big mouth!  haha

Today was much less dramatic, praise the Lord!  I was a little stressed last night not knowing who was going to go with me...I'm still not comfortable traveling around the city alone, and thankfully one of the girls from the church was able to go with me.  We got into the city in good timing (no cats slowed us down today!), it was just from the bus terminal to the dentist it took quite a while, but we got there right on time!  I got a new wire put on and changed my elastic colors, they're now a pretty Carolina Blue!  That was all he could do because of the issue with my spacers...so I have to go back to get my spacers put in (in the correct location!) on the 9th and then my normal check up on the 17th.  Then I fly home on the 18th...yep...that's right...I'll be home in 3 weeks from right now!  :)

And...last but not least...my Thanksgiving Feast!  Potatoes, beans and noodles...

Puddle jumping...or falling in puddles...

It rained for 2 days straight.  It's not exactly a dream land here in Honduras when it rains you see, just about every road is dirt and I know my blog readers are smart and know that water and dirt make....MUD!  So the past few days I've been dodging puddles, getting my flip flops stuck in mud and just being in a state of wetness.

Thursday night I was heading up to the camp ground for a ladies get together...first of all it was raining cats and dogs and I think it's a 10 minute walk there (it seemed much longer than that...) and when we got there, Karla remembered that we were supposed to bring the soda...that was back at the house.  Thankfully she knew someone close by with a truck...so he graciously gave us a ride back and forth.  Well, when we got up to the campground, we were meeting at the pavilion...just a cement slab with a roof over it.  I noticed the puddles on the cement (and I think you know where this is going...) and in my head I was thinking, "ok Jen, be careful!"...no sooner do I step on the cement and go gliding across this puddle, which resulted in me sitting in a puddle.  I was soaked...and sat in my wet clothes for 3 hours during our little reunion.  Ok, I'm done complaining about the rain because...

If there wasn't rain, I wouldn't have gotten these cute pictures...

Two of the boys from Kinder were having fun walking around with our umbrellas after school.

Lily (Kinder teacher) and Carolina (My assistant) with the boys

My classroom...

I think its been a while since I've put up pictures from my classroom...I've changed the bulletin boards a few times and as you know I'm terrible about updating my blog so there are some old bulletin board pictures and some new!  :)

No...they don't celebrate Thanksgiving...but I wanted to celebrate anyway!  :)

A close up of the corn cobs!

Just call me Chef Hen!

On Sunday afternoon I learned how to cook!  (For those of you who may have fallen off your chairs...you can get back up!)  :)

Carolina (my teaching assistant) picked me up (ok, stopped by to walk with me...) and headed over to Lily's (the kinder teacher) for a cooking lesson!  Our mission...to make pupusas, baleadas, and chimol...now let me define what those things are.  Pupusas are corn tortiallas stuffed with an assortment of things, traditionally either cheese, beans, meat or loroco (loroco is some sort of flower bud that people eat).  Baleadas are flour tortillas with refried beans, cheese and crema...at least that's what a traditional baleada is...our baleadas were just beans and avacado (why the non traditional route?...because I prefer just the beans and avacado).  Last but not least...the chimol...pretty much the salsa of Honduras, finely chopped tomatoes, green peppers, onions, cilantro, lime juice and seasoning if you choose...

I should also mention that I ruined the first batch of dough for the flour tortillas...Lily's mom said my hands are too hot and I cooked the dough while mixing it.  Now, I assure you my hands are not that hot!  I think I was sabotaged by the warm butter Lily put in!  So Lily's mom mixed up a new batch...my hands stayed far away from it...and then we were in the tortilla making business!

And now for the fun part...pictures!  :)

Mixing the masa (for corn tortillas...)

Perfect consistency!

Loroco...the flower buds used in cooking

Where the cooking took place...I want one!

Carolina filling up the first pupusa...

Cooking away...

Lily making a pupusa (she cheated and didn't make them by hand...)

Pupusas hot off the stove!

Me attempting to make a flour tortilla...

Our mountain of flour tortillas!

The delicious finished product!

Love/Hate

I have a love/hate relationship with technology...

My e-mail was compromised the other day...meaning my account decided to send junk mail to everyone on my contact list.  So, while I love technology and the fact that I can communicate with people (especially while I'm in another country!), I also hate that people go and mess up other peoples e-mails and the hassle that it is to make everything right again...

So, if you got any junk mail from me...I'M SORRY!!!  :(

Am I living in a jungle?

The answer to that question would be no...however...there has been an awful lot of wildlife in my house lately.

*Birds
*Geckos
*Spiders
*Butterflies
*Flies
*Mosquitos

I'm just waiting for the chickens to start making themselves at home!  :)

Brace Yourself!

On Friday I took a trip into the city and started to process of getting braces!

Yep...BRACES!  I only have them on my top teeth as of right now, and my next appointment is November 27th and I'll get the rest of them put on.  I really can't imagine how much pain I would be in if I have all of the braces put on at the same time...are you tired of my complaining yet?

I didn't think they would actually put them on that day, I thought it would be more of just a consult.  Well they took the molds of my mouth and I gagged only about a million times and it tasted disgusting, then he was all, ok, well...let me get the things (yes, he said things...I don't think he could think of the word in English...) and we'll get started.  Oh!  And he spoke English (well...maybe I should say he studied English...) which was quite helpful since I'm not current with my orthodontic Spanish phrases!  Haha

I'll upload a picture soon of the braces I have so far...I want to make sure my teeth are nice and clean and free of debris before I take a nice close up for you!  HAHA