two weeks of tennis

I just watched the Hannah Montana 3D concert and I was a little disappointed. They only showed an hour and a half including commercials instead of the whole thing. But I guess since it was free on tv I can't really complain...

The next two weeks are going to be the busiest for me but after that I'll be unemployed minus the random jobs I'm working on. I am going to help with a tennis camp at LMC Monday through Thursday and after the one on Thursday, I am going to go down to help with Amy's camp which lasts Thursday through Saturday. Then I'll be back home for a couple days before heading back over to Amy's to help with tryouts the next week.

Also a heads up, by the end of summer, I plan to have a website for my photography so you can start getting excited...........mmm now!

past, present, future

The summertime blues have hit me head on because I have many things I should be doing but I somehow find myself doing pointless things: watching too much tv, napping, procrastinating, the usual.

However, I did get my passport back with my student visa so I guess I really am going to Italy! I have mixed feelings but mostly excitement. I have been giving tennis lessons and doing odd jobs trying to make some spending money for while I'm over there. Although I am pretty cheap so I don't know how much I'll actually spend even if I have a ton of money because I just don't like overpaying which I find applies to many things. I realized I should categorize myself as a cheap person because when you go to a third world country (like Honduras) and still find that things are too expensive (like I did all too often), well that should tell you something.

Last Sunday, I gave my little speech about my trip to my church. After I finished, my grandmother came up and told me she loved the pictures but didn't hear a word I had said. Guess I didn't talk as loud as I thought I did. Both of her hearing aids were in the repair shop too though. She has them back now.

After church Sunday night, Amy and I went down to South Carolina to stay with Jennifer and Andrew for a couple nights. We got to see Jenn and her new apartment as well as Heather and Corrine who was down visiting. We went swimming and had a loverly dinner: General Tso's Chicken. Me and Amy helped Jennifer cook that and Heather brought the appetizer; Jen brought the egg drop soup and egg rolls; Corrine brought dessert. And Andrew helped us eat it. After dinner he went and played warcraft while the girls socialized and watched the mole.

Andrew did, however, come take this picture for us :)

This weekend, my aunt and uncle from Georgia came up to visit my grandparents and my family. We are having lunch with them today. I am going to show them my pictures and stuff from my trip because they couldn't make it last week for my presentation and maybe this time, since Grandma can now hear again, will get more out of it :)

Next week, I am going to see my coach at Hound Ears. I'm working on a stat book for the tennis teams. I am going up there to discuss the nitty gritty. I am also spending the night with Kat and seeing a few of the tennis girls while I am up there!

it's about that time...

I suppose it's about time I post so since I've gotten back from Honduras, I have helped Amy move into her new apartment which I live in Wednesday night and Thursday night.  I am giving tennis lessons to a couple of the girls on her team...trying to make some money for Italy.  I wanted to give some at home but no one has taken me up on my offer.

I also went to South Carolina to see Nanny and Papa and talk to their church about my trip to Honduras.  Everything went pretty smooth.

Oh and good news on the homefront...we have highspeed internet now!  Exciting things are coming my way!

Home Again

Well I made it back safely! Yesterday morning, I got up about 3 (Honduran time) and left for the airport and said my goodbyes. Then, I took a plane from Tegucigalpa to San Salvador with a small layover before catching a plane to Miami. I survived customs who didn't even look at anything I had and waited a couple hours until my next plane. I had some lunch in the airport, called my parents to let them know I was back in the US and got ready for my next flight to Memphis. At Memphis, I had a light dinner. The plane had some sort of electrical problem where it wouldn't turn on or something so it left about 45 minutes late but I finally made my way from Memphis to Greensboro where I found my parents and Amy waiting for me. How could you not smile after not seeing them for 6 weeks...

Yes mom and dad were waiting for me when I got off the plane
and even Amy with her new camera.

And as promised,
my Krispy Kreme donuts were waiting for me in the car

Then we had a 2 hour ride home but I did finally make it home about 1:30 this morning.

Oh and don't worry, I didn't eat 2 dozen donuts...I only had 4 yesterday and 3 more today...

3..2..1..

Since I am leaving at 6am Tuesday morning, I don't count that as one of my days in Honduras so I have three days left.

Yesterday, Kate and Anne came to the city for the weekend and are staying with Claudia. We went to the mall near Claudia's and managed to cross a few streets and make it back in the dark to her house. Then Claudia made us banana milkshakes and took us to rent a movie. We watched Dan in Real Life. It was pretty funny but I was the only one laughing at most of the jokes. Oh well.

Today, I went to the Chimenika with Kevin and am spending the weekend with the Nuñez family. The Chimenkia is an interactive museum. It was pretty cool but it would have been even better if I could have understood the tourguide. My favorite part with this house where inside, the floors are slanted so it's like you're falling over but really you're standing up straight but you don't look like it.

On Monday, I have to meet up with Claudia in the afternoon to go to TACA to precheck in and then Tuesday morning I'll be making my way back to NC where, upon my request, mom, dad, and amy will will greet me with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts!!! They have dunkin donuts here but I've always been a Krispy Kreme girl...

The End Has Come...Almost

Today I visited my last site to photograph.  It was the Escuela Experimental (Experimental School) that Jennifer taught at.  Everyone remembered her and by everyone I mean the principal because that's the only person I met.  So now I have a few edits left and then some write ups and I will be completely finished.

Claudia, the lady I'm staying with (this past Monday stretched til next Tuesday) answers questions for a talk radio show every Thursday.  I went with her today to listen.  It was really awesome.  I got to go inside the soundroom and even got a tour of downstairs where small radio stations operate.  The particular station the show she helps out with just happens to be the one all of Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua listen to and sometimes people from the U.S. call if they can pick it up.

By the way, 

America means the americas (north or south) 

NOT the United States of America.  

So if you say you're American, 

they will say they are too.

It was really cool to sit in on the show and get the tour and see how everything works.  They even had a Q&A session where people called in and now I know how they get people set up for that.  It was really cool.  The most exciting thing was that I got my picture with the microphone.

Claudia's work had a barbeque I got to go to.  Their "barbeque" is like our cookout or grill.  I don't think they know what a real barbeque is...  There was lots of meat - steak and sausage - plantanes, beans, tortillas, pepper sauce, and fruit for dessert!  There was also swimming and music and lots of words I still don't know!!  It was fun though.

Now that I am almost finished, it has started to sink in that I will be headed home in a few days... 5 to be exact

Final Assignments

Here are the pictures of the baskets.  Pretty sweet!!

One guy makes the duck and more intricate baskets. 

But these are all the baskets they have made to sell.

And this is where they sell them.

This week I have two more schools to take pictures of and then I will be through except for the editing which could take a while since I just took 200 pictures in the past two days.  

Last night, Claudia took me to her sister's house because they have a really great view of the city at night from their balcony.  It was gorgeous.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my tripod but luckily, the ledge on the window was wide enough I could use that as my substitute tripod.

She also took me to a coffee and tea place which was really cool.  It was very outdoor meets indoor but you're still kind of outside.  I had the most popular kind of tea which had some jasmine ginger and something else.  It was pretty tasty.  Then she took me to a bakery where I got a flan slash yogurt type substance with cherries and pineapple in it.

Today, Claudia and one of her friends took me to see El Picacho or the Jesus statue (the small version of the Brazilian one).  It was quite large though.  

There were some amazing views too.

And not just because I'm in the picture...

Back in the City

I´m back in the city to take pictures now. I am staying at Claudia´s house until Monday. Yesterday, I went to a hospital and a nursing type home for people who don´t have families and can´t live by themselves. They make these awesome baskets to sell. My computer is back at the orphanage so I don´t have pictures to show you right now.

I also went to the market with Claudia last night. First of all, all their fruit here and I mean ALL their fruit here is much larger than at home. But they are so much cheaper. Claudia got a couple pounds of tomatoes and onions and some carrots and peppers (probably about 7 lbs in all) for about 5 or 6 dollars. The market was really cool. It was outside but under a lot of tents connected together. There were boys there who had wooden carts and would carry your stuff around for you. There were a lot of people there but I did see one other white person which was a nice surprise. But since he had darker hair he didn´t draw as many stares as I did...

This afternoon, Claudia is taking me out to see the city and Sunday, I´m going to church with her. Monday, I´ll take some more pictures and then Tuesday, I´ll go back to the orphanage. Then a week later, I´ll be leaving for the states.