Our Canadian volunteers have arrived! Fourteen students from Huron University College and their professor, Wendy Russell, are now in Copán to work during three weeks at local schools. Although the trip was almost postponed (yes, swine flu issues…) the group made it to Copán and was welcomed by the first tropical downpour of the year (a month too early, but there wasn’t much we could do about that). So within hours the students saw the streets turn into rivers, eat there first dinner of beans, rice and tortillas and experienced no less that twice the power went out. Welcome!

London Ontario vs. Copán Ruinas

After 20 hours of taxi-bus-plane-plane-bus-taxi, going from -16 degrees Celsius to +16 degrees, I'm back home in Copán Ruinas from my third trip to London, Ontario. (And let me explain that +16 degrees feels awfully cold without a heater, long johns or a down parka!)

Yet again I had the chance to help prepare a group of students for their trip to Honduras this May and hanging around at Huron University College, its Rubinoff Boardroom and its food court felt wonderfully comfortable. I had some good sessions with the 14 students, all girls this time and I think I helped them visualize a bit what they can expect once working at the schools in Copan (mostly that they can expect just ANYTHING!). They seemed enthused and interested and I'm sure we'll all have a great time once here! It was also great to see some students from previous years, many of whom I'm still in touch with.

And how strange but wonderful to go from the underdeveloped tropics to the overdeveloped cold! All these cultural differences, some big but most just subtle changes in ways people behave. Saying “thank you!” to the bus driver for example. I have never seen anyone do that here in Honduras. Correction, I actually do that myself sometimes, but only when I personally pass the driver on my way out of the bus and when I’m greatly relieved to have survived a three-hour, nerve wrecking ride through the mountains of Honduras, not after traveling four blocks in downtown London! Other small culture shocks? Swiss Chalet does NOT sell cheese fondue; feeling trapped in layers and layers of extra clothes; for the price of one pack of cigarettes you can by NINE items at Dollar Store and gas stations do not sell alcohol. The trees are made of metal (but o so colourful!) and I didn’t quite get the hang of shoveling snow (to be completely honest, I didn’t even try…). Taxi drivers have funny accents and like to philosophize about God whereas traveling in a bus and inserting the ticket correctly in the right place isn’t that 0easy at all. Pancake Day is a national holiday and Canadians actually do consume maple syrup (or something cheaper that tastes like it). I somehow always happen to meet people who migrated to Canada from Holland lifetimes ago who insist in practicing their ancient Dutch with me. And although I don’t feel that “Dutch”, I must say, pancakes in Holland are better (except the ones Brian makes, of course!). All in all I had a great time, not in the least because of Wendy and Brian who let me stay in their terrific house and took such great care of me (“Where are your mittens!). Yes folks, I think I really, really like Canada…

Carin

The Canada Connection keeps on growing… Right now we have yet another Canadian volunteer, Jillian Ritchie, who works for the McKenzie College in Moncton, New Brunswick (www.mckenzie.edu, check it out!). Since classes haven’t started yet, Jillian helps out where she can (and there’s actually quite a lot to do, so we’re happy with her help!) and brought us some wonderful art supplies! Thanks!

And it won’t be long before I (Carin) set foot on Canadian (frozen!) ground again, because my trip to London is scheduled for February 19th. I’ll be there for a week to help the Huron students prepare for their trip with some workshops on the arts as a medium in community development; cultural differences; international development and also some practical stuff as how to prepare a class (the students will be working at rural schools), how to conduct an evaluation and such. It will be fun!