On June 18, the finca celebrated a big day in its history, its 15th birthday, or in Spanish its "quince". To celebrate we had a mass, lunch, presentation, dinner, and dance, with over 200 people. All the volunteers took on different responsibilities to make this big celebration possible. As a former waitress I thought it would be fun to take on the food for the day. Although some questioned if I wanted to take on such a big responsibility, I thought it sounded fun, and in the end it was! In the process I learned a few lessons about organizing large meals in Honduras:
1. Beans are not just beans. They are an intricate part of the meal and reflection of your own person. One must care for the beans, no mattter what hour they need your attention (this includes transferring them from a freezer at 4:30 AM), without fail. If one thinks the beans have gone bad, get a second opinion, you may just be doubting your work. And lastly, when one thinks they do not have enough beans to create a quality meal, but there are no more, this is a true injustice of life.
2. To cook bbq chicken one needs chicken, grills, sauce, and a 3 liter of coke for the cooks, all ingredients proving essential.
3. Soda is much preferred to hot chocolate, even late at night.
4. Not all knives and limes are created equal, while some may serve for some, they don't for others.
5. Volunteers work great with kids, and also prove great at serving food to large crowds efficiently and with a smile.
6. If you give Hondurans a meal to cook, they will not only cook it, they will produce a meal that is truly magnificent and delicious.
I must give thanks to the many many people who helped me with all the work that went into the food, we would not have eaten such a wonderful meal without all their help!
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