Hi all
I have decided to have a small break from writing about Belize and write about current events in Casa Alianza. First of all, I want to advertise my friend’s blog. My friend is Rich Jones and he has started a blog of his own, to follow his own passion for the written word! http://thecoldface.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/what-do-you-call-a-first-blog/#comment-4. He’s entertaining. Give it a try.
Okay, seven days left in la tierra de Catrachos. I belong in this country. I have met the love of my life here, and fallen in love with Honduras. The people. The beauty. The buzz. There is an air in Tegus. It’s dangerous. But it has a spark. It has its problems, but it has its solutions. It can cure itself of corruption and it’s gang problem if it tries, as well as poverty. The people collectively really need to pull up their sleeves though. I love the sense of humour and smiles and chatting with people. They are a wonderful people here and I have many fantastic memories here. It has flown by because I have loved it. It’s been challenging, but I expected that. I came here for the challenge and I want it to continue, so watch this space.
I still have a few things happening though. Today I am going on a trip to see a big competition of sports at Casa Alianza. Then tomorrow, a lad at Casa Alianza has invited Pame and me to his graduation, which has made me very proud. He’s a really funny kid, very mature for his age and very smart. Then on Friday, I am having a day out with the staff, which should be fun. My last day should be Monday, as Tuesday I will have to pack. I am not looking forward to that. Packing. I hate packing. Packing is shit. My whole intention is to return as soon as possible anyway. To be in the country I love with the girl I love. If I don’t get to say goodbye to people before next week, I will see you in 2012.
Today was strange. A boy who had been in Casa Alianza who had an addiction to Resistol, managed to sneak in through the backdoor where deliveries come in. It’s not the first time he has done it. It was the third time I had seen him do it. The first time he was violent, the second time he was even more violent, and this time he was worse. I noticed he had entered, but the delivery man hadn’t. He began playing football with the other kids. They began to drift away from him because he was being a bit rough in a drugged out kind of way. I approached him to say hi and ask how he got in but he mumbled something I didn’t understand. I then went to tell security, but by the time I found them, he was inside the main residence of Casa Alianza. He forced himself through the doors past the kids. Understandably the kids backed off. He is a big lad and they have seen him hit out before. Not only did he get into the residence, he got into the kitchen. As soon as I heard the screams from the cooks, I knew I had to get in. The cooks hid the knives, but he was looking for food. He started a staring game with my colleague but stopped. He then started pushing me and accusing me of trying to kill him, so I backed away. More staff joined and I walked out the kitchen. I didn’t make eye contact with him, but he was very paranoid about me. He then walked out the kitchen and while I walked well away, but then threw a chair. It missed, but as he tried to get another chair, which made a member of staff grab him to stop. The kid was very strong and head butted the member of staff. I was then called into the panic room, in case he tried looking for me or had a knife, but by that time, the staff had jumped him and turfed him out, as well as called the police, not that the police would do much. The kid had no one to go to. He also didn’t know what he was doing. It made me feel sorry for him more than anything, but it did make me wary of walking around in the streets in case I saw him. He needs help, but like most kids on this drug, they need to help themselves first. The company that make Resistol don’t care, neither do the sellers. We can’t expect them to help either. They make their profit in Central America. They know where their glue is going too, and it’s not in shoes. I’ve written about this before. But it’s a killer. The company Fuller just don’t want to know.
In the morning, I spoke in Menin, the director, and I will be meeting him in January in London about the book. It will be on the web first. I hope to be back in Honduras in February in that case.
After that, I went into the Casa Alianza kitchens to learn how to make a few tortilla based dishes with Mary Jeanette, the boss of kitchen staff. I made pupusas, baleadas, gringas and tortillas maseca. Pupusas are tortillas with cheese or pork. Baleadas are bigger and made with different flour and have sour cream and beans. Gringas are like baleadas but in a wrap with spices, salsa and a mix of meats. I am writing this late at night, so I will write the recipes another time. I learned basically how to make them but I will need to purchase a tortilla machine, and I won’t lie, there were a few casualties along the wide. I need make a few kids happy by sharing what I made, but I will have to wait until tomorrow to see if any have food poisoning! Here are a few pictures.
I want to finish by playing a brilliant xmas song called El Camino de Belen. It also has another name called El Burrito de Belen (The Little Donkey of Bethlehem) or Mi Burrito Sabanero (My Little Donkey something or other). It is a Latin American xmas song which I first heard in a bar last Friday, which had all the drunks dancing to it at the end of the night. I heard it today while cooking and all the kids in Casa Alianza were singing and dancing to it. I like it because the voice is so incredibly high that it sounds as though someone is taking the piss. Also, the kid in the video has the best hair and jumper ever. Fact. See for yourself. The voice though. It’s brilliant. Enjoy.
I will probably finish off the updates about Belize on my return to England now. I want to enjoy my last few days in Honduras, as you can imagine. Don’t think I haven’t enjoyed doing the blog though. I have immensely. I will try to do an update before I leave anyway.
Take care anyway, and enjoy the festive season.
NICK "EL CATRACHO" ROGERS 