The joys of living abroad

Living in a foreign country has its advantages and disadvantages. There are things about Honduras that we love (fresh fruit and veggies, hospitable people, etc.) and there are things that are more difficult to grow accustomed to. Luke and I spent some time thinking about things that we are dealing with or have seen here in Honduras that to us seemed funny, strange, or just something that we’re not used to in the States and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy the list!

· Sweet-tasting ketchup
· Not flushing your toilet paper (systems can´t handle it)
· Cockroaches
· Feeling “chilly” when it’s 79 degrees
· No speed limits, stop signs, or any regard for what we would consider “safe” driving
· Restaurants that are closed during meal times
· Ropa Americana (American clothing) that has somehow made its way to Honduras. We’ve seen t-shirts that say things like: “Too sexy to study,” “Baby princess,” “My boyfriend’s out of town” “In God we Trust,” etc.
· Putting a plate of food to be eaten later in the microwave (somehow the microwave will keep anything fresh and safe for hours or even days)
· Water shortages
· Difficulty starting things on time
· A love for music from the eighties and early nineties (especially the sappy ballads)
· Excessive honking – could almost be considered it’s own form of communication
· Badly dubbed American movies in Spanish
· “Store dogs”: dogs, usually short legged long-haired ones, that belong to the owner of a store and hang out in and on the street nearby the store
· Stale baked goods
· “Piropos” from men (catcalls)
· Not covering food that’s in the fridge
· Men who walk around ringing a bell selling ice cream from a cooler on wheels
· Being woken up around 4 or 5 am by loud “bangs” that sound an awful lot like gunshots but are really firecrackers called “cohetes” that people use to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
· Bolos – drunk old men who fall asleep in the sun on the sidewalk or are really chatty
· Buying then drinking purified water out of ½-liter plastic bags
· Drinking liquados, soda, and natural juice out of a plastic bag with a straw
· Lots of Tweety Bird posters, paraphernalia, car accessories, etc.
· Seeing commercials on tv for rewards for having more “remesas,” (money sent from family/friends who are living and working in the US). Banks here offer prizes – the more “remesas” you deposit into your bank account, the more chances you have to win a new fridge, car, or whatever it is they’re offering.
· Being asked over and over by everyone why we don’t have kids (we´re married so why wouldn’t we??)
· Seeing an entire family (mother, father, child) all riding on a one-person bicycle