CULTURAL

North Coast women painters seek to make their niche in art world

Maxima Tomas tries to capture North Coast scenes in her works.

By WENDY GRIFFIN

TRUJILLO -- "There are a lot of male Honduran painters. The names that fill the lists of the collective expositions are men. Most of the students at the National School of Fine Arts are men. I do not know why. Maybe we women have not known how to fill the gap that is open to us," says Maxima Tomas, one of the nation's few female Garifuna painters.

"Maybe it begins when we are small," adds the Nueva Go, Atlantida native. "Poverty defeats many people's desire to express themselves. It is common in some places to give small children paper and pencils to amuse themselves drawing. In Honduras, most mothers who see children drawing, yell at them. 'Stop that. Stop that. Stop wasting paper. Don't you know paper is expensive,' they would say."

Maxima is fortunate in that she had the support of her mother and her sister to develop her artistic talents. Her family sent her to study at the National School of Fine Arts, where she graduated in 1985. Since 1988, she has worked as an art teacher at the Atlantic Coast Normal School in Tela. "Where there is talent, teachers should be open to developing that talent," she says.

Once women develop as artists, "there are opportunities for both men and women," says Maria Elizabeth Henry, a painter born and raised in Tela. "When the paintings are on exhibit, buyers do not know if the artist is male or female, Garifuna or mestizo. All they see is the work."

As in Maxima's case, the support of her family was essential for Maria. "My family supported and helped me so that I could study at the National School of Fine Arts in Tegucigalpa. It was very difficult for me to be away studying in Tegucigalpa, but when I came home, they sent me back to school again," says Maria.

This dedication paid off. Currently, Maria Henry is painting the exhibitions for the soon to be opened San Pedro Sula Science Museum. Her paintings are also on exhibit and for sale at the Gallery of the Tela Artists Association at the Garifuna Museum in Tela.

SELF-TAUGHT

It is interesting to note that while most of the women artists interviewed have professionally studied art, most North male painters like Jorge Ruiz, Gil Bermudez and Hernan Alvarez are autodidactico, they taught themselves to paint. Their whole approach to art is more vigorous a la brava, which perhaps puts women artists at a disadvantage, notes Maxima.

Perhaps being from the North Coast separates these women from other well-known Honduran artists, in addition to being women. Central Honduran painters emphasize the urban landscape there -- white houses, red-tile roofs, white colonial churches and market scenes.

Maria Henry says she enjoyed documenting parts of the Garifuna culture. For example, she did a still life with coconut bread and an unopened coconut that many Garifunas claimed, "made you hungry to look at it."

Although she is not Garifuna, she comments, "I grew up with the Garifuna culture. My neighbors were Garifuna. Together we ate Garifuna food and together we danced at the dances." The North Coast countryside with its palm trees, the sea, beautiful dark women and children are also seen in the paintings of Maxima Tomas and Wendolin Lemus, also of Tela.

What has been really important in allowing North Coast women artists to sell is having somewhere to sell. The different artists of Tela did not know each other before. Then, Eric Shelbourne opened a gallery and helped them to organize, have permanent expositions in Tela and to participate in different expositions around the country.

Now that his Eldon Gallery is closed, they exhibit at the Garifuna Museum where Maxima is the general coordinator, a difficult task to manage with a full-time teaching job, studying to complete a university degree and being mother of two small girls ages 4 and 5.

FINDING A NICHE

"Previously there was not acceptation (of women and Garifuna artists). We have been opening our own space," notes Tomas. Other North Coast residents point to the work of Virginia Castillo, a Bay Islander whose depictions of Bay Islands scenes also became better known through having her own space to sell it -- through Yaba Ding Ding in Coxen Hole, Roatan, where she sold her works along with those of long time Island resident Terri Anderson.

Like most Honduran artists, these women note how the economic crisis is affecting art sales. With the price of paint so high, painting like Maria Henry's Self Portrait, a fascinating contrast in red and white, sells for over Lps. 1,000, more than a month's salary for 50 percent of Hondurans. "¡Que caro!" (How expensive!), Hondurans exclaim. Almost all sales have been made to foreigners and the pictures are taken overseas.

In spite of the popularity of paintings by foreigners, there is little or no attempt by Honduras' consulates to organize expositions in other countries which would be a motivation for the artists. There is also a lack of internal promotion as well. For example, the Honduran Institute of Tourism reportedly has money to help businesses produce brochures to attract tourists, but no one knows how to apply for this.

In addition, there are few attempts to provide art training on the North Coast, says Maria. Using working artists to train others, for example through the National Professional Training Institute, would help artists economically and help to provide a new generation of male and female North Coast artists.

Since many North Coast artists must run sales themselves, training in small business administration would be helpful. This type of training is noticeably lacking for North Coast women, where stores, even for common things like shoes, are rare in Garifuna villages, notes Maxima Tomas who is also coordinator of Tela's Association of Garifuna Women, "Lanigi Wanichuga."

Adopted children's dream comes true with visit to Honduras

By TELISHA WILLIAMS

Carolyn Schwartz's dream of visiting Honduras came true this past week when she and her brother Michael and her parents, Perry and Mary Jane Schwartz, made a trip from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Tegucigalpa for the first time as a complete family. This visit gave Carolyn and Michael a chance to see their native homeland. It also allowed Perry to introduce to Honduras his recently published book entitled Carolyn's Story, which describes through Carolyn's perspective her family's experience with adoption.

Schwartz said, "Many times it is only the unsuccessful cases that receive public attention . . . we are hoping that through our book we can tell our family's story and show others the positive side of adoption."

While in Honduras the Schwartz family revisited Carlos Madrid, the attorney who helped with Carolyn and Michael's adoption and Christina, the foster mother who cared for Carolyn before she went to live in the United States. Madrid gave Carolyn an oil painting of the town where he believes she was born. Another highlight of the trip was a personal visit with first lady Bessie Reina that the kids say they will always remember.

In her book, Carolyn describes a Schwartz family tradition known as "Gotcha Day." Since Carolyn was brought home on March 25, 1987 and Michael joined the family two years later on March 23 the family chose March 24 as a day for celebrating the children's arrival. Another event the family enjoys is "La Semana" which is a week-long summer camp held in Minnesota for adopted kids from Latin America. At La Semana the children learn about the various cultures and traditions of their Hispanic heritage. Through these activities and their trip abroad, Perry and Mary Jane have encouraged Carolyn and Michael to learn about and personally experience Honduras.

Besides giving its readers an intimate look at one family's success with adoption, Carolyn's Story also describes the different situations when adoption may be considered as an alternative to natural birth. The book explains some of the special challenges an adopted child may have. However, with the support of a loving family these challenges become manageable. The book also includes a thorough list of sources for more in-depth information on the adoption process. Schwartz says, "Parents, we believe, have two responsibilities to their children: to give them roots, and to give them wings." Perry and Mary Jane are positively working toward that goal by providing their adopted children with a loving, stable home and the opportunity to learn about and personally experience their country of birth.

Important words and terms you should know in Honduran legal-speak

Melanie Wetzel

One of the goals of this column is to encourage readers to take a more active role in protecting their legal rights and assets. So this week I will look at some important legal terms. If you know quite a bit of Spanish, these are probably terms that you didn't learn in favor of more useful things like, "Where's the bathroom?" or "Is that meat from a cow?" and if you don't know any Spanish this is your first lesson.

Bienes -- Bienes are property or assets. There are two kinds: bienes muebles (things you can move, like cars) and bienes inmuebles (things you cannot move, such as land). Hipoteca is a mortgage. Dominio is ownership; dominio pleno is complete ownership. Dominio util, or usufructo, is the right to the use of a property, sort of like a lease. Arrendar is to rent or lease (also alquilar, less formally), and inquilino is a tenant. Gravamen is a lien or a tax, that is gravado (charged) on property.

Extranjero -- An extranjero is a foreigner. En el extranjero is outside the country. Estado civil is your marital status: soltero (single) or cassado (married). Tutor or curador is a legal guardian. Testamento is a will.

Negocio -- Negocio is business, and can be specific (un negocio, mi negocio...my business) or general (negocios en el extranjero...business outside of the country). Impuestos are taxes. Lucro is profit, sin fines de lucro is non-profit. Mora is default of payment (moroso, or en mora is behind in payments).

Derechos y obligaciones -- Derechos are rights and obligaciones are obligations. Prestamo is a loan and deuda is debt. Acreedor is a creditor and pago is payment. Subasta or remate is auction. Dolo is fraud or deceit in a contract.

Corte -- Corte is a court with a panel of judges, such as the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Juzgado is a court with just one judge, such as the Juzgado de Paz and Juzgado de Letras. Testigo is a witness who testifies, and perito is an expert witness. Buena fe is good faith, and mala fe is bad faith, and these apply to contracts and purchases. Fallo is the decision or judgement of the judge.

In many bookstores you can buy an English-Spanish dictionary of legal terms. These words will come in helpful if you sign contracts, or buy property. Learning as much Spanish as possible is always a good recommendation. Even if all the people with whom you do business speak English, all judges will be speaking Spanish. An attempt to work in the language of the country will be seen as a sign of respect, and judges love respect.

Nicolaza Hernández reveals Lenca identity through photography

By LORENA MELGHEM

Special to Honduras This Week

The photographic world captured through the lens of Nicolaza Hernández reflects her artistic intuition, sensibility, and Lenca roots. Her small stature contrasts with her great talent, awareness and pride of belonging to the Lenca culture.

Nature reflected in beautiful landscapes, plants, animals, and sunsets is the favorite subject of Nicolaza, who marvelously captures them without the use of filters or other devices. Recently her photographic work was admired in Marcala, La Paz in the exposition titled, "Nature in Liberty" sponsored by Radio Libertad, a station that operates in that city. There her photography, captured with notable composition and beauty, roused praise from the Marcalino public. The same happened in her earlier expositions at the Alianza Francesa, Hispanic Cultural Center, National Teacher's University and in the cities of Siguatepeque, Comayagua, and La Paz.

Exhibiting her work in Marcala -- a few kilometers from Yarula, a picturesque Lenca town, was a significant experience for Nicolaza Hernández. As a youth, barely a year old, she was orphaned along with her five siblings and left at the mercy of charities. Nicolaza remembers how during that time caring people, like the Galvez Montes family, were put in charge of her and one of her brothers in Tegucigalpa. Her closest guardian continues to be Gabriela Galvez Montes, with whom she currently works at G.M. Productions.

Even with the burden of these sad experiences, Nicolaza Hernández shows us a beautiful world through her photography. Having never taken a photography class, her formation in this field has been guided by nothing more than artistic intuition and sensibility. Her technique is sincere without filters or artificiality, as she is personally.

Put some spice in your life

By CAPT. TERRY CLYMIRE

ROATAN -- Thousands of years ago, the Indians of Latin America began cultivating chiles -- hot peppers -- for medicinal purposes. They found that they soothed toothaches and could be used to treat upper respiratory disorders. The ancient Mayans used chiles to calm asthma and coughs, and they are still considered standard treatment throughout Latin America, including Honduras. Many medical textbooks and healthfood stores frequently mention chiles and other hot spices as cold and stomach treatments. So, eat up, and remember as you sniffle like a crybaby that you are reaping the benefits of eating hot foods.

Hot spicy chiles are nature's own natural decongestant, a fiery, albeit temporary way to relieve those stuffy noses and sinuses and help in the clearing of congested lungs. When you dive into that small bowl of hot salsa, you will find that within minutes the nose is running, your eyes are swelling up with tears and sweat is beginning to form on your forehead. The floodgates are open!

These spicy jewels trigger a sudden, uncontrolled release of wet fluid from the glands in the mouth and deep in the nasal cavities. The watery secretions help to thin the respiratory mucous and aid in its elimination, and aid in digestion. Anyone who has had a cold, allergies, or sinus infection has probably had trouble breathing through his/her nose. This little seed- filled bulb comes to the rescue -- without the sometimes dangerous side effects of chemical drugs -- by forcing the nasal glands to release fluids that help drain clogged passages.

The whole action begins when the hot chiles are taken into the mouth and a chemical called capsaicin is released. Normally when we chew something, the glands in our mouth begin to salivate. Capsaicin not only causes us to salivate, but stimulates the nerve fibers that control our nasal glands. The pain and pressure that results from a stuffy head is also relieved as the sinuses clear.

Next time you have a cold sore or a toothache you will be happy to known that eating hot chiles also helps soothe mouth pain. After the initial bun felt from capsaicin, it has a numbing effect.

The heat fired in our mouth from capsaicin causes a lot of people to sweat, though tests show that there is no rise in body temperature. Then, what is happening? Capsaicin passes the taste buds in the mouth, and instead stimulates nearby nerve endings that send messages to the brain via neurotransmitters called substance P. Such a strong response is provoked after several bites that the cells' supply of substance P comes out like Independence Day fireworks. Your mouth becomes so numb that you cannot feel any other kind of pain. In fact, Capsaicin is used as a painkiller for sore gums.

If you eat hot chiles of any kind on a daily basis, muttin peppers for example, the mouth's nerve cells that normally send pain signals are dulled forever. The chiles no longer taste so hot, and you no longer sweat when you eat them.

If you are one of those people that experience so much pain when you eat hot chiles, then why do you eat them? Some noted scientists and doctors believe that endorphins, the neurochemicals associated with "runner's high", kick in and cause us to eat more and more. For example, Dr. Andrew Weil of the University of Arizona, the new guru of alternative medicine, believes that it is the rush that chile disciples are after.

It is found that chile peppers are a way to eat low fat, high-fiber foods rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. A half cup of chopped chiles supplies more than twice the vitamin C of an orange; and the riper or redder the chile the higher the dose of beta-carotene.

Chiles also have a very high content of quercetin, a phytochemical proven to lower cancer in laboratory tests. Spicy leftovers also last longer. Capsaicin, being a natural antibiotic, inhibits bacterial growth in foods.

Are there any bad effects from eating chiles? None have been found. Spicy food does not hurt the stomach. Even if one had ulcers and ate chiles, they would cause no ill effects. The slight irritation that chiles do cause helps protect the stomach from further irritation. In studies, the lining of the stomach responded to mild irritants by replacing cells at a much faster rate, thus becoming more resilient and stronger.

Some studies suggest that eating chiles may lessen the absorption of calcium. But studies conducted in latin countries where chiles are eaten with almost every meal found no higher rates of osteoporosis.

International evidence of the chiles appeal is indisputable; and you need not have the sniffles to reap the rewards! If you do find yourself down with summer allergies or a cold, use the tried and true chicken soup remedy, but this time add some chopped jalapeno or muttin pepper. Even the best cook can use chiles to spice up healthful dishes.

Your mouth is on fire, and you think you are going to die! Drink hot coffee or tea or a glass of cold milk with some bread. This will break down the oils in the chiles. Try some habanero chiles in bean soup, some 40 times hotter than the jalapeño. Use broad anaheims or poblanos for stuffing after they have been roasted and peeled.

To make a quick side dish, saute chopped jalapeno, onion, garlic, and green pepper in a pot. Add one cup of uncooked rice, two cups of water, and a dash of cumin. After 20 minutes, stir in one half cup raw chopped spinach and a sprig of fresh cilantro. Be sure there is enough for everybody!

As the old saying goes...you will not know how good the chiles are until the next morning!

Tela's Luces del Norte popular with tourists, expats

By WENDY GRIFFIN

TELA -- Every North Coast town has a place to eat that is popular among tourists and local expat residents. Since local residents could eat anywhere in town, including at home, where they eat is usually a good sign.

In Tela, the place most often mentioned is Luces del Norte, one block behind the Hotel Puerto Rico or one block back from Central Park, behind the Triunfo de la Cruz High School.

There are a number of possible reasons why Luces del Norte is popular, besides its central location. Part of its charm might be the garden-style ambience. There are green lattice work walls, green plants and wooden tables. It is actually a moderate-sized restaurant, so you do not feel squeezed in.

The restaurant has good food at reasonable prices, food tourists like to eat, displayed on a trilingual menu (French, English and Spanish). The pancakes served with pineapple and banana on the side and orange juice for Lps. 25 is a good example. The french toast is also good. They serve oatmeal, called osmil on the North Coast, either with too much milk -- Honduran style -- or drier, as tourists are more accustomed to back home.

My most vivid memory of the food here is arriving during a heavy rainstorm, the palm trees on the beach with their leaves all straight back and waving in the wind like giant pompons. This type of rain makes you feel you will never be dry again.

Then they served hot, hot vegetable soup. This large bowl had wonderful cooked vegetables full to the brim. Cooked vegetables are so rare in Honduran restaurants, and the soup was so good, that it gave strength, not just to body, but for the will to go back out into the rain and back to the hotel.

The restaurant is reportedly famous for its seafood, but we were so enchanted with the sandwich and soup menu (banana and peanut sandwich, anyone?) that we never ordered anything else.

Another plus for the travellers is the popular paperback exchange here. Better stock up on books as Honduras This Week is not available in Tela.

If you are hungry, Luces del Norte is probably open. By 7 a.m. it is serving breakfast. At 10 p.m. they are still open. It depends on the crowd when they close at night, and in Tela the weekend crowd can be thick at 10 p.m. Service slows down as the crowd picks up, but for Tela, a town known for slow service, the staff usually tries to serve in a reasonable amount of time.

The Garifunas around Tela notice that as soon as it starts to rain, the tourists disappear as if someone had sprayed them with Flix. If you are looking for somewhere to disappear to, try Luces del Norte with a hot tea and a good book. The rain does not last forever, and when it ends you will be right next to the beach to enjoy Tela's white sand and relaxing waves.

Learn the rules of the road before driving in Honduras

When I first moved to Honduras, I had the opinion that in a country where most of the police do not have cars, you really don't need to know anything about the laws regarding driving and vehicles. Then I realized that you have to park some time, and unless you want to spend half an hour shouting in Spanglish with a chepo every time you come out of the grocery store, you had better get your car properly registered, and yourself properly licensed.

When you bring a vehicle into the country, you will pay import duties. The duties on regular cars are about 40 percent of the NADA blue book value, after depreciation. Pickup duties are a little less, around 30 percent, and all values vary depending on the size of the engine in the vehicle. The real bargain is buses, tractors and other work vehicles. These currently pay less than 10 percent. So maybe you should just drive a lawn mower.

Always check the rates for any specific vehicle at the Departmento Ejecutivo de Ingresos (DEI) before deciding to import, as they can change, and as you can see, are sometimes very high.

The registration of vehicles, matricula in Spanish, is a yearly process, which must be done before October 15. It begins with the payment of property taxes on your vehicle, which is done at the Ministerio de la Hacienda. Take your title, and they will give you a card that states that you have paid your taxes. Take this card and your title to any large branch of Banco Atlántida, and pay the registration, and they will give you your sticker for your tags.

You can drive in Honduras for up to 30 days on a U.S. driver's license. Then you are legally obligated to get a Honduran one. Go to the office of the Transito police, and they will give you a little lecture on the rules and regulations, then a test follows. The test is in Spanish. It is often said that you can easily get around taking the test with a little cash, or maybe you could smile very sweetly and ask the nice officer to help you with your test. The fee for the license is Lps. 150.

If you are involved in an accident, after the initial obligation of offering assistance to anyone who may be injured, you should report it immediately to the police, without moving the vehicles if at all possible. In my opinion, if you do not speak Spanish it is especially important to leave the cars where they are so that the facts can speak for themselves, or locate witnesses who will be able to describe to the police what happened. If the other driver leaves the scene, get his tag number, and make the report yourself. You have 72 hours to report an accident. Just as in the United States, any deals made off the record such as "each pays his own repair" or that the other driver is going to bring you Lps. 1,000 manana are completely worthless in court, and do not prevent the possibility of legal action.

Swetcharnik to exhibit work in DC

William Swetcharnik's painting "Frame of Earth" will be on exhibit at Meridian House International in Washington, DC, Oct. 2-5, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Fulbright Scholars Program.

This exhibition, representing works by Fulbright Artist Fellows, is being held in conjunction with the Fulbright Association's 20th Annual Conference. Information about the exhibition and conference may be obtained from the Fulbright Association (telephone 202/331-1590; e-mail <fulalum@cies.org> or <fulbright@fulbright.org>).

William Swetcharnik, an artist with extensive experience in historical painting media, is best known for architectonic installations of still-life, figure, and interior paintings. He has exhibited in numerous museums and galleries in the Americas and Europe, and has served widely as consultant for public and private art projects.

Recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, he arrived in Honduras in 1995 with a senior Fulbright Fellowship in order to create works of art demonstrating contemporary uses of indigenous materials and methods, and to establish a pilot educational program with the same objective, the Latin American Art Resource Project (web <http://www.hood.edu/
academic/art/laarp>).

Swetcharnik has continued working in Honduras for three years, teaching how art products can be made from low-cost, local resources, and providing a model for sustainable development for communities which cannot afford expensive imported materials.

Students enjoy culture and more at Spanish-language schools

By WENDY GRIFFIN

TRUJILLO -- For more than 15 years, the Guatemalan city of Antigua, with its living Mayan culture and colonial architecture, has been home to dozens of Spanish language schools catering to foreigners who wish to learn Spanish and believe they will be better able to do so while living in a country where Spanish is spoken.

But many of these schools' students wanted to do more than learn Spanish. They also want to see Central America. Rather than spending six weeks in Antigua alone, they could see more of the region if they spread their studies throughout different schools in different parts of the region. In the neighboring country of Honduras, entrepreneurs took advantage of opportunity and opened up their own Spanish language schools here. El Salvador has also started three language schools of its own.

COPAN RUINAS

The Ixbalanque School is owned by Honduran Rene Hernandez and his wife, a U.S. citizen. In 1992, they opened their first school in Copan Ruinas, a half hour from the Guatemalan border. Two years ago, they opened another school in Trujillo, on the Honduran North Coast. Almost all of the students at the Trujillo school first studied in Copan Ruinas, which shows that offering a variety of locations does help attract students.

Ixbalanque in Copan Ruinas has a capacity of 24 students. The Trujillo school is currently smaller, but will be moving to a larger location in December. At both schools, students spend four hours a day studying one-on-one with teachers who speak only Spanish. Weekly tuition is $95 for students who arrange for their own housing; $125 for those who prefer a homestay. There is also a special drop-in rate, but don't count on being able to drop in. Both schools are steadily full. Most students com from Europe, the United States and Canada. The Copan campus has a special contract with several Japanese companies, as well.

NORTH COAST

Also in Trujillo is the Centro Internacional de Idiomas, owned by Belinda Linton. Opened in 1993, the school is growing by leaps and bounds, says Linton, who grew up in Honduras and is the daughter of U.S. citizens. A new express bus service from San Pedro Sula and daily flights by Isleña Airlines are expected to boost attendance at Trujillo language schools even more.

Full this summer to its 28-student capacity, the Centro Internacional de Idiomas also offers one-on-one classes with Spanish-speaking teachers, but also provides English-speaking teachers for true beginners. Teachers here tend to be older and more able to converse on different topics about Honduras. The teacher of the advanced class is a university graduate.

Tuition at both trujillo schools is $95 for a five-day week of four-hour classes; $150 with a homestay. A variety of tours are also available to students at an additional cost.

SCHOOLS SCREENED

Many students hear about these schools through Amerispan, an organization that links students who want to learn Spanish with schools in Latin America. Before recommending the schools, Amerispan visits them and reviews the textbooks and other factors. Ixbalanque and the Centro Internacional de Idiomas, as well as Eco-Escuela in La Ceiba, are all recommended by Amerispan.

The organization also provides other benefits, like a refund policy for students who find they do not like their school, and flexibility if a student decides not to spend 12 weeks at a single school after all.

STUDENTS SATISFIED

Honduras This Week spoke with a number of students studying Spanish at these schools. Most report that they are satisfied with their Honduran experiences, but frustrations do exist. Most stem from unrealistic expectations about what it will be like studying Spanish here.

For example, ads for schools say the teachers are certified, and they are. But they are certified to teach Spanish-speaking children in Honduran elementary schools. In Honduras, the degree to become a certified teacher is given to students after completing 12th grade. A number of the teachers are between 18 and 22 years old. Some training has been given to the teachers on how to teach Spanish as a second language, but most of the teachers do not have a university training level.

Experiences with homestays varied. One student from Germany said homestay was the best part of his visit and that he learned more in the home than in the school. Others were frustrated by differences between what they learned in school -- to use tu and usted, for example -- and what they heard at home -- often vos. European students with dictionaries from Spain were also frustrated that many of the words they heard in Honduras, like cipote and guirra (both of which mean "child") could not be found in their dictionaries.

Some students were not comfortable being in a stranger's house. Living with Hondurans means learning what underdeveloped means in terms of lack of running water, uncertain electricity, bugs and sometimes mice. For students who do not want homestays, the schools can arrange stays in local hotels, which span from cheap to luxurious.

GROWTH INDUSTRY

Teaching Spanish in Honduras seems to be a growth industry as study abroad programs become more and more popular. The National Teaching University (UPN) has been asked by a Vermont university to set up a program to bring U.S. students here and teach Spanish and Honduran culture. Kenyon College has a program to study Spanish first at Ixbalanque and then the students spend a semester in archaeology at Naco, south of San Pedro Sula, or studying social anthropology in Cofradia, Cortes. Wake Forest University is planning to set up a program to study anthropology in the Bay Islands. These students mean more income for restaurants, museums and transportation companies.

The Centro Internacional de Idiomas, meanwhile, is arranging for its Spanish courses to be accepted for college credit in the United States.

Getting down to business: Honduran corporations

Any person or group of persons, Honduran or foreign, who are going to participate in a business in Honduras must form a legally recognized "entity," to act on its own in contracts and legal actions.

The business must be recognized by the state, which gives it a personality, and allows it to be subject to rights and obligations. There must also be a declaration of the purpose of the corporation, which obviously must be legal. Many corporations that are used exclusively to bypass laws which prohibit foreigners from buying land near the coast or border (a purpose that is not exactly legal), use the more general and all encompassing idea of "real estate" as their purpose. Most statements of purpose also include a catch all phrase such as "and any other legally permitted commercial activity." There are six different types of business entities, but we will just be looking at the three most important; comerciante individual, sociedad de responsabilidad limitada, and sociedad anónima.

An individual business person (comerciante individual), is not a corporation, it is a business with one individual owner, as indicated by its name. This person puts up all the capital and is personally responsible for the liabilities of the company. The formation of this type of business is rather easy, just an announcement in two newspapers, and registration with the corresponding Chamber of Commerce and the Public Commerce Registry. These registrations must include personal data as well as the purpose of the business and the starting capital.

The sociedad de responsabilidad limitada (limited liability company), is an association of two to 25 partners. Each partner contributes an amount of capital and the total starting capital for the company must be at least Lps. 5,000. The responsibility of each partner is limited to the amount of investment capital they contributed. Similar to the incorporation of a business in the United States, your personal assets are now protected from any legal responsibility arising from the action of the company. The administrative duties are assigned to one or more partners, who are authorized to act on behalf of the company.

The sociedad anónima is made up of a minimum of five members. Starting capital must be at least Lps. 25,000 and 25 percent of the contribution of each partner must be in cash, and must be shown to the court officer or notario público, during the formation of the company. The partners in an sociedad anónima are referred to as stock holders. The company must also include a board of directors and an administrator. The board of directors is the authority of the company, and has all legal powers not specifically assigned to other organisms, including the hiring and firing of the administrator, and budgeting.

One of the benefits of this type of corporation is the use of stock to represent the financial contribution of each partner, or socio. In this way, one partner can sell his stock, with the approval of the board of directors, allowing individual partners to sell out their shares and thereby leave the company, without having to re-register the entire company. The costs of forming a company include approximately Lps. 200 worth of required newspaper publications, a fee for inscription in the mercantile registry (Lps. 1.50 for every Lps. 100 of capital), and fees for your lawyer, which should be approximately 2 percent of the capital.

If you have any question about the Honduran Legal System, or comments about this column, write to Legal Forum at Honduras This Week.

Expatriates find a home away from home on the Web
New expat forum creates virtual community center

CANTON, MA (INB) -- Living abroad is usually considered an adventure, an experience to savor. According to Jeff Freeburg, owner of human resources consulting firm HR International and founder of Expat Forum, it is a complex experience "with challenges and rewards that locals and friends back home don't often understand."

Launched earlier this year, Expat Forum is designed to give

expatriates of all nationalities a convenient place to get reliable information and services geared to their distinctive needs. The site will be expanding and growing over the next few months, adding to their network of service providers, resources and facilities to aid expats around the world.

The vital core of the site is Expat Chat!, described by Freeburg as "a place to meet others who live and work overseas, help those who are preparing to make the move, exchange info and network." He adds, "We want our visitors -- expats, former expats, friends and business - to build and shape this unique online community. It is their openness and willingness to swap tips and tales about living and working in a 'foreign' country that has already made an impact."

Expat Chat! is a collection of message boards organized into

broad topics, discussions and messages. Current topics include

jobs and careers, money and personal finance, the Expatriate Experience, regions (5 world regions), travel, announcements, the Wander Inn, etc. The site is completely free, but to take full advantage of Expat Chat!, you need to be a registered user. Discussions are wide-ranging -- 'Jokes heard 'round the world' and 'Is there life out there for expat wives other than shopping' in the Wander Inn, to 'Food and humor,' and 'Reverse culture shock' in the Expatriate Experience.

Travel discussions include 'Connecting to the Internet on the

road' and 'How do you get over jet lag?', and visitors are encouraged to add their personal input to the humorous (and

non-medical) 'Top 10 traveler's ailments.'

The various regions are where to go for advice and information about a specific city or country. In the Asia/Pacific Rim, for example, participants can join in a conversation about 'Cost of living adjustment for Singapore', comment on 'Vietnam isn't that bad!', and add to the very popular 'You have lived in Singapore too long when....'

In the Europe area, discussions include 'Negotiating a salary in Amsterdam', 'What is it like in Normandy and Paris', and 'Moving to Frankfurt as dual career couple.'

The new Jobs and Careers area helps those looking to find or fill jobs overseas through job postings and positions wanted sections. It will also contain discussions on general business issues (like hiring practices in various countries), career topics and 'getting started' and 'keeping busy' suggestions.

Expat Forum also contains some very practical information: Resources contains the unique and useful international cost of living index calculator, an electric current around the world chart for plugs, hertz, voltage, etc., an international dialing codes chart that includes codes and emergency numbers for 45 countries, and a handy time zone calculator.

The Links section connects to Epicurious Travel's 'Best way downtown from 100 plus airports', Olsen's currency converter, and other useful travel, news, information and language sites.

The Forum's bookstore contains their recommendation sources of information about understanding, living and working in different cultures.

HR International is an independent human resources consulting firm that focuses exclusively on improving the effectiveness of key employees who relocate around the world.

More information can be obtained at HR International, tel: 617-575-0287, e-mail: jeff@expatforum.com ; or visit the HR International web site: http://www.expatforum.com

The Maya Calendar
A guide to the best in Honduran culture

ETHNIC ART EXHIBITION -- SEPTEMBER 18-20 -- The Honduran Institute of Anthropology, History and Inter-American Culture is sponsoring an exhibit of Honduran ethnic art that will be open to the public Sept. 18, 19 and 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The IHCI is located on Calle Real in Comayaguela in front of La Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes. For more information call Marianita Zepeda at 22-0703 or PROPAITH at 38-0608.

GALLERY -- PERMANENT -- The public is invited to visit the permanent gallery of the Honduran Family Fund (PRAF). Proceeds from the sale of paintings will go toward the purchase of school supplies for needy children. The PRAF is located behind the National Congress in downtown Tegucigalpa.

ENGLISH SPEAKING WOMEN'S CLUB -- OCTOBER 9 -- The English Speaking Women's Club invites all English-speaking women to attend their meetings that are held the second Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m. in the Hotel Maya. Learn about the club, make new friends and sign up for activity groups. For more information call Marti Mussell at 32-8848.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB -- SEPTEMBER 24 -- The International Women's Club will be holding a membership Tea at the Casino Sampedrano, in San Pedro Sula.

TOASTMASTERS -- The Tegucigalpa Toastmasters Club invites the public to learn and practice techniques of effective speaking and leadership skills. Meetings are held every first and third Tuesday of the month at the American School library in Tegucigalpa at 6:45 p.m. More information with Maggie Arbuckle at 31-5055 or 38-5114.

FAMILIES ANONYMOUS --Families Anonymous (FA) meetings are held every Tuesday evening at the Union Church at 7:30 p.m. More information with Eileen at 39-9779 (home) or 39-9778 (office).

FESTIVAL OF FOLKLORE -- SEPTEMBER 20 AND 27 -- The Committee Amigos de Guarderías Infantiles will present the VII Folkloric Festival, with the participation of foreign residents who will present the traditions and culture of their native countries. Also on the roster is live music by La Makina (Sept. 20) and Lucho Muñoz (Sept. 27). The event will be held in the Centro Multi-Usos in the old highway to La Lima. Admission is Lps. 150 and doors open at 6 p.m.

FESTIVAL -- THROUGH SEPTEMBER 27 -- El Progreso, Yoro will be holding its annual festival in honor of the Virgin Las Mercedes. Food, arts and crafts and music will mark the celebration. Similar celebrations will be held in San Esteban, Olancho, and Trinidad, Copan, Sept. 24, the day of the Virgin of Las Mercedes.

FESTIVALS -- SEPTEMBER 29 -- Many communities will be celebrating the Festival of San Miguel, including Tegucigalpa; Potrerillos, Cortes; and San Andres, Lempira.

FRENCH LESSONS -- SEPTEMBER 29 -- The French Alliance (San Pedro Sula) is offering French lessons for all levels of students, in a variety of schedules. Classes start September 29. Call 53-1178 or 52-4359.

CORAL REEF EXHIBITION -- SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER -- An exposition of coral reef biology and ecology is being presented in the Ramón Villeda Morales airport in San Pedro Sula. The exposition will move to Tegucigalpa, and La Ceiba in the months of September and October. The exhibit is sponsored by The Smithsonian Institute for Tropical Studies, the Honduran Coral Reef Fund, the Ecological Investment Society, and the Honduran Business Council for Sustainable Development.

ART CLASSES -- the Dr. Ricardo Redondo Licona Fine Arts Academy is offering painting, music, theater, folkloric and popular dance, singing and ballet classes in Tegucigalpa. More information at 30-3880.

ART CLASSES FOR KIDS -- SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER -- The Honduran Institute of Hispanic Culture is sponsoring an art painting class for children. Classes will be held on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm beginning September 27. The 8-week program will cost Lps.350 and students will need to bring a carbon pencil, carbon eraser, and a package of white design paper to the first two classes and may bring their choice of oils, acrylics, or pastels for the last six classes. Location is at the Centro Cultural Hispanico on Avenida Repulica Domenicana, 2nd Edificio, entrance at ENCAT. For more information call/fax 32-5578.

MUSICAL REVIEW -- SEPTEMBER 20 -- The musical review "Romance 97" will be presented in the auditorium of the Museum of Anthropology and History at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 20. The event will benefit the community of San Vicente de Paul.

MUSICAL SEMINAR -- STARTING SEPT. 17 -- The French Alliance of Tegucigalpa is offering two seminars of music appreciation, instructed by Sergio Feferovich, the director of the Honduran National Symphony Orchestra. The workshops are designed for people without musical experience. The first seminar will focus on the baroque and classical periods, and the second seminar will focus on the romantic period. The first seminar will run from Sept. 17 to Oct. 8, and the second seminar will run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 19, and each consists of four meetings. You may choose to attend one or the other, or both. Each seminar costs Lps. 300. For more information call 39-1529 or 39-6164.

TEATRO LA FRAGUA -- SEPTEMBER 19-20 -- Teatro La Fragua presents some of its classics, including "Estudio en Blanco y Negro" and "Las Dos Caras del Patroncito." For Sept. 26-27 students from the school of ballet are presenting Carnaval de Baile. Call 66-0974 for more information.

PUPPETS --SUNDAYS -- D'Barro Restaurant in Colonia Alameda of Tegucigalpa presents the Bambu Puppet Theater for children, Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Admission is Lps. 15.

STUDENT THEATER FESTIVAL -- OCTOBER 9-11 -- A theater workshop will be presented over the topic of "Modernization of the Nation." The festival is open to institutes of secondary education, and training workshops will be offered. For more information call 35-9369 or 35-9370.

CONGRESS ON TOURISM -- SEPTEMBER 18-20 -- The Association of Students of Tourism of the Honduran Technological University are presenting a congress on Tourism, in the Hotel Copantl. Topics will include marketing and promotion, economic impact of the tourism industry and plan of action of the Chamber of Tourism. For more information call 51-6108, 51-2248 or fax 51-2240.

MISS UNIVERSE HONDURAS PAGEANT -- NOVEMBER 1 -- Beautiful Honduran women representing 33 different regions will compete in the 1997 Miss Universe Honduras Pageant to be held in San Pedro Sula.

MUSEUMS AND GARDENS

TEGUCIGALPA

MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA

Formerly the National Museum and the Museum of the Honduran Republic, the New Museum of Republican History is located at the Villa Roy building in Tegucigalpa's Barrio Buenos Aries. It is open 8:30 to 3:30, Tuesdays through Sundays and features portraits, paraphernalia, and other interesting items from past presidents. Admission is Lps. 20 for non-resident foreigners and Lps. 10 for Hondurans and Central Americans. For more information, call 22-3470 or 22-1468.

CENTRAL BANK MUSEUM

The Central Bank of Honduras located at the Comayagüela annex building is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. It has a permanent coin and painting exhibit. For special presentations, call the Emisión y Tesorería department at 37-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120).

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

The Galería Nacional de Arte features rock art, pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial paintings, religious art and a wide selection of 20th century Honduran painters. The gallery is located at the Plaza de la Merced in downtown Tegucigalpa. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10-2 p.m. Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for senior citizens, Lps. 3 for students and Lps. 1 for children accompanied by adults.

IGUANA FARM

The Biosfera Ecocentro Iguana Farm in Colonia La Joya invites the public to come and learn everything about iguanas. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 3 for children. The facility is open every day (except Wednesday) from 9 to 5. For more information, call 30-6346.

YUSCARAN, EL PARAISO

YUSCARAN HOUSE OF CULTURE

Yuscarán's Casa de la Cultura is located at the former Casa Fortín in downtown Yuscarán, El Paraíso department, just 45 km from Tegucigalpa on the road to Danlí. It is open Mondays through Saturdays.

LA PAZ, LA PAZ

LA PAZ HOUSE OF CULTURE

The La Paz Casa de la Cultura is located in downtown La Paz. It features an attractive exhibit of the Lenca handicrafts and culture. It is open Mondays through Sundays.

SAN PEDRO SULA, CORTES

SAN PEDRO SULA MUSEUM

The Museo de San Pedro Sula is located between 3rd and 4th Avenues, 4th Street N.O. in San Pedro Sula. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 2 for students (must present valid ID) and Lps. 2 for children under 12 years of age. (Tel: 57-1496, Fax: 52-7091)

COPAN

COPAN ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located at the entrance of Copán department in the western zone of the country, it shows a splendid variety of the Mayan pieces that have been found in the Copán Ruins Archaeological Park.

LA ENTRADA ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Featuring a sizeable collection of Mayan handicrafts and photographs as well as a room with Japanese antique ceramics, this new museum is located 120 km from San Pedro Sula on the highway to Copan.

COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA

COMAYAGUA COLONIAL MUSEUM

Located in the city of Comayagua, 2 hours north from Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Colonial Museum is in the building that served as home to the government in the 19th century. It contains objects used by indigenous cultures and the Spanish during the pre-Colombian and Colonial eras.

COMAYAGUA RELIGIOUS MUSEUM

Located in the Casa Cural in front of Comayagua's cathedral, this museum features religious paintings and objects dating back to the 16th century. Hours are 8-12 and 2-4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. For more information, contact Leonardo Letona at 72-0348.

TELA, ATLANTIDA

LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Located 2 kilometers from Tela on the Atlantic coast highway, the gardens feature one of the largest collections of tropical and subtropical plants, shrubs and trees in all Latin America. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Sundays. There is an admission charge.

LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA

BUTTERFLY AND INSECT MUSEUM

Thousands of butterflies and insects from Honduras and 18 other countries are on display in La Ceiba' private Butterfly and Insect Museum. It is located in Colonia El Sauce, 2nd etapa, casa G-12. Visiting hours are 8-12 and 2-5, Monday through Saturday. The museum is closed Wednesday afternoon. Fees are Lps. 15 for adults and Lps. 10 for students. Tel. 42-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn

ROATAN, THE BAY ISLANDS

CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Possibly the only private gardens in Honduras, the Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails is located in Sandy Bay, Roatán, Bay Islands. A wide variety of exotic plants is featured here, including "Roatán's most extensive orchid collection." It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 45-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma Brady.

The Maya Calendar is a public service for our readers. If you would like to announce an event taking place in Honduras, please send the information to: Calendar Editor, Honduras This Week, Fax 32-2300, e-mail: hontweek@hondutel.hn

Where to look and what to say when buying spices in Honduras

By WENDY GRIFFIN

Most Spanish-English dictionaries are designed for people who want to read Spanish or travellers who need a word. For this reason perhaps, they sometimes do not have words that residents in a foreign country need. Also, Europeans have found that Spanish-English dictionaries from Europe often have words Hondurans have never heard of. Several people have complained that because of this, they can not buy the spices they want. In Honduras, you also need to know where to look for spices.

Don Julio's, a company based in San Pedro Sula, provides spices for sale in bottles at reasonable prices in most supermarkets. These spices include cloves (clavos de olor), nutmeg (nuez moscada), oregano (same in Spanish), tomillo (thyme) and cinnamon (canela).

One way to impress your friends back home who like to cook is to buy saffron in Honduras. Spanish saffron in the United States comes in tiny little envelopes and can cost $12. Honduran stores sell Arab Saffron (Azafran Arabe) for making yellow rice. It is made of Curcumen and Tumeric at prices beginning at about Lps. 4 an envelope.

Another common spice is pimienta gorda. This is a native pepper, previously known as pimienta paya, as it grew wild in the area where the Paya Indians lived before the rainforest was cut down. Sometimes it is translated as "allspice". It comes in peppercorns and, grated up in a pepper mill, it gives a different sweeter flavor than Black Pepper (pimienta negra), white pepper (pimienta blanca) or Cayenne Pepper (pimienta roja), which are also available.

Some green spices are available in bottles, like bay leaves (hojas de laurel) and parsley (perejil en hojuelas). If you are looking for basil (albahaca), on the North Coast look in your backyard before you shop. Wild basil is a weed here, but domesticated basil is sold in bottles. Culantro also grows as a weed in the same areas as basil.

Rosemary (romero) is not available in bottles, but do not despair. Rosemary from Guatemala is sold at local medicinal plant stands along with many other spices like basil, pimienta gorda, mint (menta), dill (eneldo) and oregano. Medicinal plant stands are also the place to look for ginger (gengibre) if you are going to cook Chinese food. Ginger tea is good for a cough and boiled with orange leaves will clear up sore throats and bronchitis brought on by the rainy season.

Since most Chinese cooks use MSG, here it is sold as sal china, or Chinese salt. It is also sold under its Japanese name ajinomoto. Some companies label it super sazonador (super seasoner), but it is all MSG inside. Another spice whose name is not standardized is paprika which can also be called pimentón español.

The curry sold already bottled is not very hot. It has cumin, salt, sugar, mustard, black pepper and curcumen. For color, Honduran cooks add annatto (achiote), which gives an orange-red color.

Other spices available are garlic salt (sal de ajo), celery salt (sal de apio), anise (aniz), and cumin (comino). Sold together with the spices is cream of tartar (cremor tartaro)

Surprisingly, the main spice that Honduras exports --cardamom (cardamomo) -- is not readily available on the market. It is not a medicinal plant here. Cardamom counterbalance the wild swings in coffee prices. Most of Honduras' cardamom production appears to be exported to the Middle East, although cardamom flavored chewing gum is also sold. If you need some for making, ask a coffee farmer if he knows who grows some.

Honduras grows far less spices that it could. Rosemary is the most notorious example. This plant grows well on the North Coast where it is planted next to other plants to keep away insects that are annoyed by its strong smell. Yet medicinal plant people have to go to Guatemala to order it special with farmers and then bring it back.

Herbal teas are in the same situation. Almost every ethnic group in the country grows lemon grass for tea and as a medicinal plant for fevers (called fever grass in the Islands), respiratory problems and nerves. Camomile (manzanilla) is grown around Tegucigalpa. Jamaican sorrel tea (Rosa de Jamaica) is grown on the North Coast and used to grow on the Bay Islands. Now Honduras is importing packaged teas from El Salvador, made of plants widely grown here.

How much are those legal services going to cost?

By MELANIE WETZEL

Legal forum

You have come across a problem that needs the assistance of a lawyer, and have decided which lawyer you will approach for services. You are sitting in the office discussing your problem and it sounds like the lawyer is going to be able to help. Then comes the moment that all legal clients dread: you ask how much it is going to cost.

As your heart pounds in your chest and you hold your breath you can almost feel the lawyer's eyes looking right through your skin and into your checkbook. You sense that he is biting his tongue to keep from asking "Well, how much can you afford?" As sweat forms on your palms you realize that you have no idea what the answer might be; it could be Lps. 50 or $2,750. Is bargaining considered impolite?

Wouldn't it be a lot easier if there was just a price list for common legal services? Guess what? There is.

It is called the arancel, which means "fixed rates." The congress gave legal authorization to the Colegio de Abogados -- the Honduran Bar Association -- to create the arancel, which gives it the status of law. It basically consists of a list of minimum prices to be charged for all types of legal services, as well as regulations about legal fees, or honorarios.

In the arancel, you will find the "minimum" price for everything from divorces to commercial fishing licenses and residency procedures. There are also articles which govern the use of the arancel. For example, lawyers are not allowed to charge fees less than those established, except for relatives. But this is not always true. If you consider that your situation is special, and for some reason will require less work than normal, feel free to negotiate. Also, they may only charge fees higher than those established if the client signs a written contract. Therefore, if you verbally agreed to pay $2000 for a legal procedure that you later find out is listed in the arancel for 15,000 Lps., you are only legally obligated to pay Lps. 15,000. If you signed a contract, you must pay the price stated in the contract.

The arancel should really be looked at as a guide. It tells you what many lawyers think they should be paid for their services. You are going to pay extra for special services, such as a lawyer who speaks English, or who has a fancy office, or a big reputation. And you should expect to pay less if your case is easier for some reason. For example the arancel establishes the price for residency proceedings at Lps. 10,000 for people not from Central America. If you have not even started collecting the necessary documents and the necessary authentications, it will cost more. But, if you have your documents in order, and can do the translations yourself, or if another lawyer has already completed part of the process, you can try to negotiate a lower price.

In future articles, arancel prices that correspond to any legal processes explained in this column will be included. If you are talking to a lawyer and want to know the arancel price, just ask him or her. He should have a copy in his desk.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Honduran legal system, write to Legal Forum, Honduras This Week.

COPPER ART -- THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12 -- The Embassy of Chile in Honduras invites the public to an exposition of copper engraving. All of the artist featured in the exhibit are members of the Faculty of Art at the University of Chile. The showing is presented in the Salon Cultural of Banco Atlantida in Tegucigalpa.

GALLERY -- PERMANENT -- The public is invited to visit the permanent gallery of the Honduran Family Fund (PRAF). Proceeds from the sale of paintings will go toward the purchase of school supplies for needy children. The PRAF is located behind the National Congress in downtown Tegucigalpa.

ENGLISH SPEAKING WOMEN'S CLUB -- SEPTEMBER 11 -- The English Speaking Women's Club invites all English-speaking women to attend its first meeting of the 1997-98 year, which is also the 25th anniversary of the Club. The meeting will take place Thursday, September 11 at 2:30 p.m. in the Hotel Maya. Learn about the Club, make new friends and sign up for activity groups. for more information call Leonor at 36-8112.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S CLUB -- SEPTEMBER 24 -- The International Women's Club will be holding a membership Tea at the Casino Sampedrano, in San Pedro Sula.

TOASTMASTERS -- The Tegucigalpa Toastmasters Club invites the public to learn and practice techniques of effective speaking and leadership skills. Meetings are held every first and third Tuesday of the month at the American School library in Tegucigalpa at 6:45 p.m. More information with Maggie Arbuckle at 31-5055 or 38-5114.

FAMILIES ANONYMOUS --Families Anonymous (FA) meetings are held every Tuesday evening at the Union Church at 7:30 p.m. More information with Eileen at 39-9779 (home) or 39-9778 (office)

HONDURAN INDEPENDENCE DAY -- SEPTEMBER 15 -- Independence Day will be celebrated around the country September 15. Communities will be presenting parades by school children, military demonstrations and a variety of related festivities.

FESTIVAL OF FOLKLORE -- SEPTEMBER 20 AND 27 -- The Committee Amigos de Guarderías Infantiles will present the VII Folkloric Festival, with the participation of foreign residents who will present the traditions and culture of their native countries. Also on the roster is live music by La Makina (Sept. 20) and Lucho Muñoz (Sept. 27). The event will be held in the Centro Multi-Usos in the old highway to La Lima. Admission is Lps. 150 and doors open at 6 p.m.

FESTIVAL -- SEPTEMBER 13-27 -- El Progreso, Yoro will be holding its annual festival in honor of the Virgin Las Mercedes. Food, arts and crafts and music will mark the celebration.

FAIR --SEPTEMBER 11-15 -- FERICOOP, the industrial and farming cooperatives fair, will be held in the EXPOCENTER of San Pedro Sula. In addition to demonstrations and displays by various cooperative farming group, there will be a variety of live music, including Los Gatos Bravos (Sept. 12, 6 p.m.), Los Silver Star (Sept. 13, 6 p.m.), and La Orquestra Reggis (Sept 14, 6 p.m.). There will also be a presentation by the National Garifuna Ballet and fireworks.

CORAL REEF EXHIBITION -- SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER -- An exposition of coral reef biology and ecology is being presented in the Ramon Villeda Morales airport in San Pedro Sula. The exposition will move to Tegucigalpa, and La Ceiba in the months of September and October. The exhibit is sponsored by The Smithsonian Institute for Tropical Studies, the Honduran Coral Reef Fund, the Ecological Investment Society, and the Honduran Business Council for Sustainable Development.

ART CLASSES-- the Dr. Ricardo Redondo Licona Fine Arts Academy is offering painting, music, theater, folkloric and popular dance, singing and ballet classes in Tegucigalpa. More information at 30- 3880.

EL MARQUES DE TUTI FRUTI -- SEPTEMBER 11,12,13 -- The well received production, "El Marques de Tuti Fruti," under the direction of Rafael Murillo Selva, has been extended. The show takes place in the theater La Reforma, at 7:30 p.m. Ticket price is Lps. 30.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK -- SEPTEMBER 12-13 -- The Proyecto Teatral Futuro offers a humorous look at events that take place in the park, presented at Teatro La Fragua in El Progreso. Call 66-0974 for more information.

TEATRO LA FRAGUA -- SEPTEMBER 19-20 -- Teatro La Fragua presents some of its classics, including "Estudio en Blanco y Negro" and "Las Dos Caras del Patroncito." Call 66-0974 for more information.

PUPPETS --SUNDAYS -- D'Barro Restaurant in Colonia Alameda of Tegucigalpa present the Bambu Puppet Theater for children, Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Admission is Lps. 15.

STUDENT THEATER FESTIVAL -- OCTOBER 9-11 -- A theater workshop will be presented over the topic of "Modernization of the Nation." The festival is open to institutes of secondary education, and training workshops will be offered. For more information call 35-9369 or 35-9370

GALA DINNER -- SEPTEMBER 13 -- The Red Cross of Honduras presents their annual dinner party at 8:00 p.m. in the Centro Social Hondureno Arabe. Admission is Lps. 300 and there will be live music by Los Gatos Bravos.

CULTURAL REVIEW -- SATURDAYS -- Radio San Isidro (San Pedro Sula) presents a review of the cultural happenings, Saturdays at 4:00 p.m.

TEGUCIGALPA

MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA

Formerly the National Museum and the Museum of the Honduran Republic, the New Museum of Republican History is located at the Villa Roy building in Tegucigalpa's Barrio Buenos Aries. It is open 8:30 to 3:30, Tuesdays through Sundays and features portraits, paraphernalia, and other interesting items from past presidents. Admission is Lps. 20 for non-resident foreigners and Lps. 10 for Hondurans and Central Americans. For more information, call 22-3470 or 22-1468.

CENTRAL BANK MUSEUM

The Central Bank of Honduras located at the Comayagüela annex building is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. It has a permanent coin and painting exhibit. For special presentations, call the Emisión y Tesorería department at 37-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120).

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

The Galería Nacional de Arte features rock art, pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial paintings, religious art and a wide selection of 20th century Honduran painters. The gallery is located at the Plaza de la Merced in downtown Tegucigalpa. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10-2 p.m. Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for senior citizens, Lps. 3 for students and Lps. 1 for children accompanied by adults.

IGUANA FARM

The Biosfera Ecocentro Iguana Farm in Colonia La Joya invites the public to come and learn everything about iguanas. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 3 for children. The facility is open every day (except Wednesday) from 9 to 5. For more information, call 30-6346.

YUSCARAN, EL PARAISO

YUSCARAN HOUSE OF CULTURE

Yuscarán's Casa de la Cultura is located at the former Casa Fortín in downtown Yuscarán, El Paraíso department, just 45 km from Tegucigalpa on the road to Danlí. It is open Mondays through Saturdays.

LA PAZ, LA PAZ

LA PAZ HOUSE OF CULTURE

The La Paz Casa de la Cultura is located in downtown La Paz. It features an attractive exhibit of the Lenca handicrafts and culture. It is open Mondays through Sundays.

SAN PEDRO SULA, CORTES

SAN PEDRO SULA MUSEUM

The Museo de San Pedro Sula is located between 3rd and 4th Avenues, 4th Street N.O. in San Pedro Sula. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 2 for students (must present valid ID) and Lps. 2 for children under 12 years of age. (Tel: 57-1496, Fax: 52-7091)

COPAN

COPAN ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located at the entrance of Copán department in the western zone of the country, it shows a splendid variety of the Mayan pieces that have been found in the Copán Ruins Archaeological Park.

LA ENTRADA ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Featuring a sizeable collection of Mayan handicrafts and photographs as well as a room with Japanese antique ceramics, this new museum is located 120 km from San Pedro Sula on the highway to Copan.

COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA

COMAYAGUA COLONIAL MUSEUM

Located in the city of Comayagua, 2 hours north from Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Colonial Museum is in the building that served as home to the government in the 19th century. It contains objects used by indigenous cultures and the Spanish during the pre-Colombian and Colonial eras.

COMAYAGUA RELIGIOUS MUSEUM

Located in the Casa Cural in front of Comayagua's cathedral, this museum features religious paintings and objects dating back to the 16th century. Hours are 8-12 and 2-4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. For more information, contact Leonardo Letona at 72-0348.

TELA, ATLANTIDA

LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Located 2 kilometers from Tela on the Atlantic coast highway, the gardens feature one of the largest collections of tropical and subtropical plants, shrubs and trees in all Latin America. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Sundays. There is an admission charge.

LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA

BUTTERFLY AND INSECT MUSEUM

Thousands of butterflies and insects from Honduras and 18 other countries are on display in La Ceiba' private Butterfly and Insect Museum. It is located in Colonia El Sauce, 2nd etapa, casa G-12. Visiting hours are 8-12 and 2-5, Monday through Saturday. The museum is closed Wednesday afternoon. Fees are Lps. 15 for adults and Lps. 10 for students. Tel. 42-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn

ROATAN, THE BAY ISLANDS

CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Possibly the only private gardens in Honduras, the Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails is located in Sandy Bay, Roatán, Bay Islands. A wide variety of exotic plants is featured here, including "Roatán's most extensive orchid collection." It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 45-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma Brady.

The Maya Calendar is a public service for our readers. If you would like to announce an event taking place in Honduras, please send the information to: Calendar Editor, Honduras This Week, Fax 32-2300, e-mail: hontweek@hondutel.hn

Garifuna say no progress has been made

in bilingual-intercultural education

By WENDY GRIFFIN

TRUJILLO -- Last October, Garifunas marched on Tegucigalpa with seven demands, including the teaching of their history, language and culture as well as the full implementation of International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169.

President Reina accepted their demands in signed agreements after the march. Education Minister Zenobia Rodas de Leon Gomez took out half-page advertisements on the occasion of the Garifuna bicentennial in April of this year, promising literacy, books, dictionaries, curriculum, and many other things for the Garifuna bilingual education project.

Honduras is currently in the process of implementing a more decentralized education system as part of its modernization program. Recently, school superintendents from Colon met in Trujillo in July to evaluate the progress that had been made in implementing bilingual-intercultural education among the Garifunas. To sum up their analysis, one superintendent said, "Basically, we can say that everything [still] remains to be done."

This is somewhat surprising in a project that was authorized in 1992 and has been internationally funded since 1994. The situation is so bad that during a recent World Bank funded seminar in Trujillo, Garifuna teachers from four departments issued a statement, published in the Spanish-language press, that they were giving the government two months to investigate how $1.5 million allocated for bilingual education was used and to fire the current head of the program or they would take over the project's 10 pilot schools, said Casimiro Laredo, a Garifuna teacher near Trujillo.

Even the World Bank, which funds the project, is dissatisfied, having fined Honduras last year for not spending borrowed project money on project activities.

Local Garifuna leaders requested that bilingual-intercultural education again be included as a demand during the planned August 11 march, since the situation of Garifuna bilingual education is worse now than before the last march.

NO REPRESENTATION

At the time of last year's march, the Garifuna program included a Garifuna representative to the Ministry of Education, a person specialized in education, a apart-time linguist consultant, and a whole team of people in La Ceiba assigned to produce a literacy primer in the Garifuna language. These people were also responsible for training and supervising in-service Garifuna teachers, preparing curriculum, and writing texts for 33 schools in five departments.

Although the government was promising bilingual education, by January all but one of these positions had been lost. Now, even that position has also been eliminated. The Garifunas are now the only ethnic group in Honduras without a position for a representative of their ethnic group at the ministerial level. All the tasks remain, but there is no personnel assigned to the Garifuna project.

Ethnic groups have tried different ways to make the project more responsive to their needs. For example, in January representatives of five Garifuna organizations met with the education minister to invite her to the bicentennial and to request that an artist be hired to illustrate the Garifuna literacy primer begun in 1994, reports Dr. Tulio Mariano Gonzalez of CIDH. This was promised. It is now August and there is still no artist. One ministry official commented, "The minister is interested in helping the project, but she is badly served by those under her."

In the spirit of decentralization, the ethnic groups have tried to work through departmental supervisors in Colon and the Bay Islands, requesting specific types of seminars or funds for local activities related to bilingual education. The Bilingual Education Project has been completely unresponsive to these local requests, which is what led to the pronouncements by Garifuna teachers. Under decentralization, funds from bilingual education are supposed to be managed at the departmental level beginning next year. Local education leaders quoted the Honduran proverb, "Entre dicho y hecho hay mucho trecho" (Between saying it and doing it, there is a lot of difference).

WASTEFUL SPENDING

What bothers Garifuna teachers most, reports Angel Batiz Mejia, coordinator for Bilingual Education in Colon, is that this project is yet another example of money being asked for in the name of ethnic groups, but spent on consultants and trips overseas while nothing is done for the schools.

The most annoying recent examples are $10,000 to send supervisors of Atlantida and the Bay Islands to study bilingual education in Ecuador. A proposed seminar in the Bay Islands, which will cost more than $16,000 for a week even though none of the consultants speak Garifuna, has caused a call for a boycott, with Garifunas saying they do not want consultants staying at Fantasy Island with money for the ethnic groups.

Due to the government's failure to respond to the national project, the Garifunas have started some low cost local initiatives in Colon and are searching for alternative funding.

Dissatisfaction with bilingual education programs varies from one ethnic group to another. The Pech have recently received the first books ever to be printed in the Pech language, which previously had no alphabet. They are going ahead with plans to teach some classes in Pech and to include Pech culture through stories, handicrafts and visits to the newly constructed Pech Cultural Center in El Carbon, Olancho. The Tol literacy primers have also been completed, and the Tolupanes hope to begin using them next year, reports Julio Cesar Cardona, the Tolupan representative to the Ministry of Education.

On the other hand, the Bay Islander project has been little or no advances. There is a position for a representative on English speakers to the ministry, but this position is being filled by a Garifuna from the Moskitia, so no one represents the Islanders. In December, an extensive seminar was given in Tegucigalpa to once again hash over whether the Bay Islands program should be in Creole or Standard English, and for the 14th time the Bay Islanders said, Standard English. The study of Bay Islands English proposed for this summer, which consisted of making a glossary of standard English and Bay Islands English vocabulary, was canceled, reports linguist Ross Graham.

About the only bright spot for the Islanders project is that the bilingual teacher training program at the Normal School in Colon is almost complete. This project, which benefits all groups, had been canceled after the march last year, but was resurrected due to local initiative. If approved, it will open its doors in February 1998.

Think twice before hiring (or firing) an employee

By MELANIE WETZEL

Although it has a reputation as sweat-shop capital of the world, Honduras actually has a rather strict labor law. Many new residents don't realize the implications of hiring an employee, but most Honduran citizens know their rights down to the letter. The basis of the Honduran Labor Law is the work contract. The existence of the contract is based on three characteristics: 1) personal activity of the worker, 2) subordination of the worker in respect to the employer, 3) a salary paid in return for the service provided. This basically means that if you tell someone to do something, they do it, and you pay them, you have a work contract.

Along with the contract come many obligations on the part of the employer and employee. Most of these relate to the fact that neither party can skip out on the contract without giving fair notice, and possibly paying damages, to the other. The penalties are stiff for an employer who fires an employee without the proper justification, and can include reinstating the employee to his former post, plus payment of all missed salaries, or if the employee does not wish to be reinstated, the employer could be forced to pay severance compensation.

So does this mean that for fear of litigation you have to do everything yourself? How can you hire help without getting stuck with an employee you can't fire?

First of all, be very aware that any offer of a job is going to be seen as an offer of a contract. Plan your contract. If it is verbal, have witnesses present. Decide if you would like the contract to be for a definite period of time, or indefinite. If you have a definite period of time, the contract will expire. If not, you will have to have a justifiable reason for firing your new employee, and sometimes not even financial collapse of the business is enough to absolve the employer from paying severance compensation. If you are ever going to fire an employee for not doing the job to your expectations, then you must outline your expectations in the contract.

Contracts that expire in a definite period of time are the best for a person who is going to have one or two non-essential employees, such as a baby-sitter, or lawn care person. That way if you are not satisfied with the worker, you only have to let the contract expire.

If you require a long-term worker or several workers, hire a lawyer who specializes in labor law (sometimes called social law) to help you with the composition of a contract, and to let you know exactly what your responsibilities are. Then keep good employment records, recording salary payments in front of witnesses.

Also document any problems which arise, so that if you do fire someone, you have documentation to justify your actions. These documents should preferably relate directly to stipulations in the contract, such as "January 1, 1999, employee XXX, arrived to work two hours late in direct violation of item #4 in the work contract that states workers will arrive at 9 a.m." This would then be signed by a witness, the employee, and the employer.

If you do decide to fire an employee with an indefinite contract, talk to a lawyer first, preferably one who helped write your contracts. Never just fire someone without talking to your lawyer. If you have never been involved in a labor dispute in Honduras, you will be surprised at the amount of money you could be fined for unjustifiable dismissal, or firing without proper notification. It is often two to three months salary. The lawyer will be cheaper.

Melanie Wetzel is a U.S. expat studying Honduran law at the National Autonomous University of Honduras.