Dancing Firefighters

I know this is part of the cultural transition process, but there are times when I get so frustrated with the way things happen here that I think the whole country is bonkers. Let's start with today. Santa Clara is having student government elections. It's a cute idea- kids getting together and coming up with ways to better the school. Well, it would be cute if that was what was actually happening. Instead, this election is all about new toys and bribing votes. The student government committees begin with the preschoolers. So, yes- we have a preschool and kindergarten election campaign going. The school walls are lined with parent-made-posters advertising how these four year olds will work for a better tomorrow. The Lion Team seems to be in the lead; today they passed out yellow lion necklaces to everyone in the school.

Then, we've got the upper school elections. These kids have made grand speeches with promises to clean up the soccer field and bring cake and soda for everyone if they win. During recess, the kids form chanting, horn-blowing stampedes and run across the cancha singing things like "Que planilla es la mejor? The Winners, si señor!" Today I heard them yelling "Arroz, Frijoles, y Sopa. The Winners se llevan la copa!" If that isn't enough activity for a little, Catholic school, today certainly was.

The Winners Team is apparently in cahoots with the Juticalpa Bomberos (firefighters), so today the bomberos came to our school for a "fire safety" presentation. They came with a fake, cardboard house and a slew of ten year olds dressed in miniature firefighter uniforms. The presentation began with the lead firefighter explaining how kids needed to know the number to the fire department and how they should ask for help if they're in a dangerous situation. These were good things to know, but during the whole presentation, I kept eyeing the cardboard house. They weren't going to burn that thing in front of this preschool through fifth grade bunch, were they? Then, came the group of junior firefighters. The girls came to the front and began dancing (swinging hips and flipping hair) to siren-themed music. On cue, the boy firefighters came out with mini hoses and danced circles around the girls, pretending like they were hosing them down. I couldn’t quite get the message with the dance. Were the girls supposed to be on fire? Whatever the message, it was the most ridiculous thing that I have ever seen. I couldn’t believe that fire safety was being treated like an American Idol presentation. Couldn't the girls be holding the hoses? Apparently not in Honduras, where girls dance and boys rescue.

Later, the real bomberos doused the cardboard house with gasoline and lit it on fire. The ten-year-old boys, riding out to the siren music soundtrack, sprayed water from a garden hose and saved the day. The Honduran crowd seemed to love this presentation and commented all day that it was so cute, so bien bonito. And yes (ra, ra, ra), it was all done to honor the Winners Team. Tomorrow is the big Santa Clara election. I guess we'll see what really wins votes around here?