My Personal Frustrations

 

"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret -it leads only to evil."

~Psalms 37:8

I would like to share about some struggles I have faced in Honduras as I adapt to the culture and environment. Anytime one ventures outside their home country/community there will be moments when one is faced with something perceived as very different. I want to express some of my experiences and struggles. These are my personal struggles, limited to my perspective. There is a lot more to add than what I have written, so this is rather short.

Sudden Changes

While I am loving Honduras and feel very safe where we are, there are a few things that have been challenges for me. I am comfortably used to relying on set schedules for academic school years. All throughout my life in the U.S. a school schedule was all planned out during the summer months and rarely changed unless some huge unexpected event occurred that interrupted the flow of that schedule, such as a global pandemic or a school shooting. Here in Honduras, what I would consider big plans, can change at the last minute. Everything from the first day of school to when the week-long summer break happens have been changed from one day to the other. As someone used to U.S. timing and culture, this can be frustrating. But I have noticed nobody is bothered by these sudden changes. Everything just happens as it happens. No biggie.

Different Takes on Confidentiality

Lack of confidentiality, from the perspective of a U.S. citizen, is a big thing here in Honduras. At least in the schools and doctor’s offices. While it does not personally bother me much, it is still shocking since I come from a culture where if you break confidentiality, it can cost you your job. But let’s say you’re at the doctor’s office, and a nurse comes in to ask the doctor about another patient. The doctor and nurse will have a short conversation about what to do and/or say to the patient. You are sitting there and hearing everything they say, but it’s not a big deal here. In the U.S. that could go as far as a lawsuit. Another example would be dealing with students. Certain information that would not be discussed with anybody but the student and/or the students’ family, is not as concealed as it would be in a U.S. public school. While information is not just handed out to just anyone, conversations between an administrator and student can happen in front of other students, when in the U.S. it most likely would be dealt with in private.

Drunk Walkers

Running into someone lying unconscious on the sidewalk with no assistance is a very disturbing site for me. It is not uncommon here in Juticalpa for someone who is intoxicated to pass out on a sidewalk. No one does anything for them except briefly check to make sure they are breathing and then quickly move on. People don’t want to get involved. When I shared with someone that in the U.S. 9-1-1 would be contacted, and emergency services would be dispatched within minutes, they responded “emergency services take hours if not days to arrive.” So far what I have observed is there are not so many drunk drivers as there are drunk walkers.

Animal Negligence

Since I deem myself an animal lover, watching stray dogs is very difficult for me. I have seen dogs in terrible condition without any hope of receiving help. It breaks my heart to see them suffering, and wish I could save them all. But resources are limited, although available to some degree. There are veterinarian clinics. Unlike some communities around the world, people here do have dogs, cats and birds as pets. There is just not as much animal control as there is in the U.S. As I write this blog, there are three turtles in a dried up fountain in a park. Someone put them there for the children to enjoy, however, several people have told me that those turtles are going to die there. One woman who runs a small shop sat cross-armed, “They don’t have water, except for the rain water.” She shook her head in disapproval, “They’re just going to die there.” Animal rights and safety measures are little to non-existent. While I view in horror as so many animals in shelters get put down (in the U.S.), I actually see the need for animal control to step in and help control the stray dog population.

Flies & Mosquitoes

The flies and mosquitos are insane, although it is nothing new for me since we lived in an agricultural area back in Washington. Especially in the summer months, flies were nuts. Here is about the same except the mosquitos are also numerous and they carry more tropical diseases such as Dengue fever (which Jacob, my husband, got). According to Jacob, Dengue fever is no fun! Flies and mosquitos give me respect and appreciation for spiders which I am deathly afraid of. Spiders are one of my least favorite animals in the world, except for flies and mosquitos. But lately, I have grown to have a fascination toward them, even though they still scare me.

While I love Honduras and the people here, because I am in a culture outside my own, there will be difficult moments. This happens to everyone who travels and lives abroad. These difficult moments, often known as culture shock, can produce feelings and emotions ranging from anxiety to anger, and at times even hatred. I personally have not experienced hatred, except maybe toward flies and mosquitos, but I have felt frustration.

-Nancy