10/1/09
So we are on the road again. Or more accurately…we are in the Atlanta Airport (ATL) again. Today Marquette Global Brigades ate our last meal at Nuevo Paraiso, said our last good-byes in Tegucigalpa International Airport, and boarded our first flight of the day around 13:00. Now we have eaten our first American meal in over a week, back on American soil, and are awaiting our 21:32 flight to General Mitchell. It is going to be a late night, a short weekend, and classes begin on Monday so we do not have much time to rest, but we will be ready! Have to.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Networking...The Key to Business
9/1/09
We once again had the chance to sleep in a little bit this morning as breakfast was not being served until 08:30, followed promptly at 9:00 by, what we hoped to be short, a talk by Sister who started “Sociedad” the organization that oversees all a number of orphanages in Honduras, including the one at Nuevo Paraiso. Her story was wonderful. Knowing at the young age of six, after seeing some German Sisters and a priest arrive in her hometown, that she was being called to be a “religious”, she journeyed from her aunt and uncle’s home in pursuit of some Franciscan Nuns at the age of nine, which inevitably lead her to live in an orphanage where she helped out in a hospital, doing all that she could to help everybody around her and continue her pursuit of the sisterhood. Eventually she was sent to Milwaukee, Wisconsin (this is no joke), to become a nun and learn English in, what was at the time, a predominately German and English speaking area with no Spanish speakers anywhere. Sister told us about the first snow fall she ever witnessed and how she had replied to her Mother Superior “I wish you the same” while she was being scolded for turning up late to the talk because she had been outside taking in the snowfall with all of her senses. The Mother Superior, “a strict German Nun”, was unable to uphold her stern act and burst out laughing at Sister’s reply and conveyed the humorous transaction to the audience of Nuns. Sister returned to Tegucigalpa and her work in the hospital, this time as a nun herself. However, she did not forget what she had set out to ultimately accomplish…founding an orphanage that was not just a house for children who had lost their parents but rather a home for those lost souls. She did just that and to this day, at age 83, still oversees the multitude of orphanages in the area, continuing to help raise her family of thousands.
Upon the completion of her talk, the Marquette Global Brigades gathered for a group photo, and then we took off to meet Andreas. We were already running late and did not want to make our Swiss-born leader wait too much longer. Joy and Andreas lead this meeting, during which we rapped-up the week with a bit of reflection and took a look to the future of GBB and Marquette’s role in the organization.
Running on “Honduran-time” and with our work complete for the week, MUGBB headed to Juan & Elvia’s Casa for one last lunch with the members of “Rosquillas del Valle de Zamorano” and some music and dance. Even though we were behind schedule, we still managed to stick to the two-hour time frame we had set for ourselves previously and did not lose too much more time before heading to see a memorial to the Mayans and the 30-odd-foot Christo statue in Teguci, followed by a short trip to Valle de Angeles for souvenir shopping, and then capped the networking-filled day with a Honduran meal at the home of Sandra’s aunt’s sister and her two children. The food was absolutely delicious, and definitely one of the best meals we had this week. A wholehearted “Thank You!!” from us GBB’ers to Sandra’s family.
We once again had the chance to sleep in a little bit this morning as breakfast was not being served until 08:30, followed promptly at 9:00 by, what we hoped to be short, a talk by Sister who started “Sociedad” the organization that oversees all a number of orphanages in Honduras, including the one at Nuevo Paraiso. Her story was wonderful. Knowing at the young age of six, after seeing some German Sisters and a priest arrive in her hometown, that she was being called to be a “religious”, she journeyed from her aunt and uncle’s home in pursuit of some Franciscan Nuns at the age of nine, which inevitably lead her to live in an orphanage where she helped out in a hospital, doing all that she could to help everybody around her and continue her pursuit of the sisterhood. Eventually she was sent to Milwaukee, Wisconsin (this is no joke), to become a nun and learn English in, what was at the time, a predominately German and English speaking area with no Spanish speakers anywhere. Sister told us about the first snow fall she ever witnessed and how she had replied to her Mother Superior “I wish you the same” while she was being scolded for turning up late to the talk because she had been outside taking in the snowfall with all of her senses. The Mother Superior, “a strict German Nun”, was unable to uphold her stern act and burst out laughing at Sister’s reply and conveyed the humorous transaction to the audience of Nuns. Sister returned to Tegucigalpa and her work in the hospital, this time as a nun herself. However, she did not forget what she had set out to ultimately accomplish…founding an orphanage that was not just a house for children who had lost their parents but rather a home for those lost souls. She did just that and to this day, at age 83, still oversees the multitude of orphanages in the area, continuing to help raise her family of thousands.
Upon the completion of her talk, the Marquette Global Brigades gathered for a group photo, and then we took off to meet Andreas. We were already running late and did not want to make our Swiss-born leader wait too much longer. Joy and Andreas lead this meeting, during which we rapped-up the week with a bit of reflection and took a look to the future of GBB and Marquette’s role in the organization.
Running on “Honduran-time” and with our work complete for the week, MUGBB headed to Juan & Elvia’s Casa for one last lunch with the members of “Rosquillas del Valle de Zamorano” and some music and dance. Even though we were behind schedule, we still managed to stick to the two-hour time frame we had set for ourselves previously and did not lose too much more time before heading to see a memorial to the Mayans and the 30-odd-foot Christo statue in Teguci, followed by a short trip to Valle de Angeles for souvenir shopping, and then capped the networking-filled day with a Honduran meal at the home of Sandra’s aunt’s sister and her two children. The food was absolutely delicious, and definitely one of the best meals we had this week. A wholehearted “Thank You!!” from us GBB’ers to Sandra’s family.
Over the Mountain and Through the Woods, to Carlos's Finca We Go!!
8/1/09
After a morning-long meeting with many of the members of the Rosquillas del Valle de Zamorano, we headed up into the mountains to view the current production facilities and learn how to make the product ourselves. Before heading there, we were not entirely certain what to expect. We knew it was Carlos’s place and that he has one of the two ovens that the micro-enterprise is planning to use for production, but, other than that, we were not sure how we were going to pass four or so hours up in the mountain.
It turned out that Carlos’s home was also used for interactive classes which encompassed cooking and some agricultural areas. For most the time passed quickly and before long we were hiking back to the van so that Rafa would not have to drive down the mountain in the dark of night. Besides enjoying “la laguna” and the beauty Carlos’s land, our brigade also learned how the enterprise produced their rosquillas, tostacas, and quesadillas, were able to try our hand at every step of the process, and saw many areas in which a more efficient process was needed to decrease production time and the amount of work needed.
After a morning-long meeting with many of the members of the Rosquillas del Valle de Zamorano, we headed up into the mountains to view the current production facilities and learn how to make the product ourselves. Before heading there, we were not entirely certain what to expect. We knew it was Carlos’s place and that he has one of the two ovens that the micro-enterprise is planning to use for production, but, other than that, we were not sure how we were going to pass four or so hours up in the mountain.
It turned out that Carlos’s home was also used for interactive classes which encompassed cooking and some agricultural areas. For most the time passed quickly and before long we were hiking back to the van so that Rafa would not have to drive down the mountain in the dark of night. Besides enjoying “la laguna” and the beauty Carlos’s land, our brigade also learned how the enterprise produced their rosquillas, tostacas, and quesadillas, were able to try our hand at every step of the process, and saw many areas in which a more efficient process was needed to decrease production time and the amount of work needed.
Public Health Brigades
7/1/09
Today we had most of the day away from our normal business brigade work, but it was not a day off by any means. Most of MU GBB headed to a remote mountain community where some of the Global Water Brigades have been working. Our group’s task was to make concrete floors for three families. So we divided into three teams (Joy, Brenda, & Erin; Roberto, Hayley, & Rosario; and Kate, Jorge, & Sarah) and conquered. Joy, Brenda, and Erin worked along side the homeowner, his brother, and our driver Rafa on a floor for the man and his wife who were twenty years old, living in a new home the man had just built a few months previously, and were expecting their first child in two months. Meanwhile, Rosario, Roberto, and Hayley laid the last section of concrete flooring for a family up the mountain while the father oversaw their work. A bit farther up hill, Jorge, Kate, and Sarah worked with Armando (the homeowner) to pour the concrete flooring for his young family while his daughter ran around with the local children trying to help out as much they could and watching all of us “Gringos” and “Gringas” work on their homes and take pictures of the beauty that surrounded us (both in human and landscape form). Back at Nuevo Paraiso, Sandra colored with the orphans and helped around the orphanage wherever she was needed most. We, of course, are finishing off the day with a lengthy meeting to prepare for tomorrow, but we hope to finish and wrap up so that we can have a more relaxing end to our week on Friday.
Today we had most of the day away from our normal business brigade work, but it was not a day off by any means. Most of MU GBB headed to a remote mountain community where some of the Global Water Brigades have been working. Our group’s task was to make concrete floors for three families. So we divided into three teams (Joy, Brenda, & Erin; Roberto, Hayley, & Rosario; and Kate, Jorge, & Sarah) and conquered. Joy, Brenda, and Erin worked along side the homeowner, his brother, and our driver Rafa on a floor for the man and his wife who were twenty years old, living in a new home the man had just built a few months previously, and were expecting their first child in two months. Meanwhile, Rosario, Roberto, and Hayley laid the last section of concrete flooring for a family up the mountain while the father oversaw their work. A bit farther up hill, Jorge, Kate, and Sarah worked with Armando (the homeowner) to pour the concrete flooring for his young family while his daughter ran around with the local children trying to help out as much they could and watching all of us “Gringos” and “Gringas” work on their homes and take pictures of the beauty that surrounded us (both in human and landscape form). Back at Nuevo Paraiso, Sandra colored with the orphans and helped around the orphanage wherever she was needed most. We, of course, are finishing off the day with a lengthy meeting to prepare for tomorrow, but we hope to finish and wrap up so that we can have a more relaxing end to our week on Friday.
Rosquillas.
6/1/09
So, we are working on helping set up this business selling rosquillas. But, before we decided on this project, we had never even heard the name uttered before, more or less had any idea of what a rosquilla might be. This is no longer the case. We have tasted more brands of rosquillas than we could have ever imagined existed and, by now, are the foremost rosquilla connoisseurs around. If only there was the potential for a niche market in the US, we could all invest in our own enterprise and control a large portion of the market share. Unfortunately, as connoisseurs, we have determined that 99.9% of the US population would not appreciate rosquillas, and definitely no where near as much as the Hondurans.
A rosquilla, as we have found, can refer to multiple, similar, but different, products. In general, it is a bakery-esque item for Hondurans that they typically eat dunked in their coffee or soaked in honey for a dessert. Each of the three types of rosquilla we have been introduced to is made with the same batter/dough for the pastry portion. In regards to taste and texture, the rosquilla varies a bit, but in general it tastes like a Cheeze-Itz made with cornmeal instead of regular flour. “The Rosquilla” is a ring that would compare to a small, thin doughnut in shape but bares no further resemblance. It is crunchy like biscotti. Coloring and external texture of rosquillas resembles those short, hard, individually-wrapped Italian breadsticks found at some restaurants. This rosquilla is the one traditionally soaked in honey. The other two “rosquillas” are sweet and are also known as “tostacas” and “quesadillas”. The tostacas are a wafer of the rosquilla dough with a circle of pure sugar cane spread or sprinkled on top before it is finished baking. The quesadillas are a shaped like a pirogue or empanada and stuffed with a sweet filling made with a soft cheese, pure sugar cane, and some spices which we believe to be along the lines of cinnamon, cardamom, and a few other complementary spices. By far we have determined the sweet ones to be our favorite, with the tostacas leading the pack.
If there is a larger Honduran immigrant population in the US who happens to read this, it would be interesting to hear from you. Otherwise, it is in our opinion that rosquillas are not going to break into the US coffee-dunkers niche anytime soon. But, if they do, we will be prepared.
So, we are working on helping set up this business selling rosquillas. But, before we decided on this project, we had never even heard the name uttered before, more or less had any idea of what a rosquilla might be. This is no longer the case. We have tasted more brands of rosquillas than we could have ever imagined existed and, by now, are the foremost rosquilla connoisseurs around. If only there was the potential for a niche market in the US, we could all invest in our own enterprise and control a large portion of the market share. Unfortunately, as connoisseurs, we have determined that 99.9% of the US population would not appreciate rosquillas, and definitely no where near as much as the Hondurans.
A rosquilla, as we have found, can refer to multiple, similar, but different, products. In general, it is a bakery-esque item for Hondurans that they typically eat dunked in their coffee or soaked in honey for a dessert. Each of the three types of rosquilla we have been introduced to is made with the same batter/dough for the pastry portion. In regards to taste and texture, the rosquilla varies a bit, but in general it tastes like a Cheeze-Itz made with cornmeal instead of regular flour. “The Rosquilla” is a ring that would compare to a small, thin doughnut in shape but bares no further resemblance. It is crunchy like biscotti. Coloring and external texture of rosquillas resembles those short, hard, individually-wrapped Italian breadsticks found at some restaurants. This rosquilla is the one traditionally soaked in honey. The other two “rosquillas” are sweet and are also known as “tostacas” and “quesadillas”. The tostacas are a wafer of the rosquilla dough with a circle of pure sugar cane spread or sprinkled on top before it is finished baking. The quesadillas are a shaped like a pirogue or empanada and stuffed with a sweet filling made with a soft cheese, pure sugar cane, and some spices which we believe to be along the lines of cinnamon, cardamom, and a few other complementary spices. By far we have determined the sweet ones to be our favorite, with the tostacas leading the pack.
If there is a larger Honduran immigrant population in the US who happens to read this, it would be interesting to hear from you. Otherwise, it is in our opinion that rosquillas are not going to break into the US coffee-dunkers niche anytime soon. But, if they do, we will be prepared.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Rosquillas & Coffee & MORE Rosquillas
5/1/2009
Our group split into two today...
Kate, Hayley, and Joy (our Global Business Brigade Project based in Honduras) left with the Marquette Medical Brigade so that they could meet with CORAH. This is a functional co-op which grows, processes, and exports organic, free-trade coffee and is a potential future project for GBB.
The rest of us (Jorge, Erin, Roberto, Brenda, Rosario, Sandra, and Sarah), along with our driver Rafa (short for Rafal), headed to the capital, Tegucigalpa. Here we picked up Andreas Obreist (our Global Business Brigade Program Director) and began our day of market research. This required us to visit various locations throughout “Teguci” which sell Rosquillas and then divide and conquer. The shops we visited ranged from a tiny, cramped, sweaty, local shop to the Honduran Wal*Mart (Hyper Paiz) and from an upscale bakery & café specializing in high-end imported foods to the local grocery store. Those most proficient and fluent in Spanish handled the speaking rolls: Sandra and Jorge conducted one-on-one interviews with customers and people in the street; Rosario and Andreas meet with store managers or their purchasing managers and discussed the Rosquilla market and new product introduction. Meanwhile Roberto, Brenda, Erin, and Sarah searched for the stores’ Rosquilla shelves, took notes, and purchased MANY samples for further research later this evening. We were joined by members of the co-op, periodically, who helped a bit with the research and also brought us some more sample of their Rosquillas for further comparison. Before leaving Teguci, we visited the Basilica and parted with Andreas near the GBB Headquarters.
One of the co-op members, Amado, owns and runners a nursery on the main road from Teguci to Nuevo Paraiso so we stopped by for a tour and more conversation about the co-op and its possibilities. Besides learning some more about Vivero Montes Del Sinai (the nursery), Jorge, Roberto, and Sarah adventure through a bit of jungle to the small stream and waterfall in the valley’s basin facing rough terrain and risking increased malaria exposure.
Our last stop for the day was Valle San Francisco, a small community about eight minutes past Nuevo Paraiso. We toured the modest church there and took a stroll around the town square, appreciating the family environment and liveliness on a Monday night in Honduras.
In a few minutes (at 7:30 PM) we will begin our evening re-group and begin a night of planning and preparation for tomorrow.
Our group split into two today...
Kate, Hayley, and Joy (our Global Business Brigade Project based in Honduras) left with the Marquette Medical Brigade so that they could meet with CORAH. This is a functional co-op which grows, processes, and exports organic, free-trade coffee and is a potential future project for GBB.
The rest of us (Jorge, Erin, Roberto, Brenda, Rosario, Sandra, and Sarah), along with our driver Rafa (short for Rafal), headed to the capital, Tegucigalpa. Here we picked up Andreas Obreist (our Global Business Brigade Program Director) and began our day of market research. This required us to visit various locations throughout “Teguci” which sell Rosquillas and then divide and conquer. The shops we visited ranged from a tiny, cramped, sweaty, local shop to the Honduran Wal*Mart (Hyper Paiz) and from an upscale bakery & café specializing in high-end imported foods to the local grocery store. Those most proficient and fluent in Spanish handled the speaking rolls: Sandra and Jorge conducted one-on-one interviews with customers and people in the street; Rosario and Andreas meet with store managers or their purchasing managers and discussed the Rosquilla market and new product introduction. Meanwhile Roberto, Brenda, Erin, and Sarah searched for the stores’ Rosquilla shelves, took notes, and purchased MANY samples for further research later this evening. We were joined by members of the co-op, periodically, who helped a bit with the research and also brought us some more sample of their Rosquillas for further comparison. Before leaving Teguci, we visited the Basilica and parted with Andreas near the GBB Headquarters.
One of the co-op members, Amado, owns and runners a nursery on the main road from Teguci to Nuevo Paraiso so we stopped by for a tour and more conversation about the co-op and its possibilities. Besides learning some more about Vivero Montes Del Sinai (the nursery), Jorge, Roberto, and Sarah adventure through a bit of jungle to the small stream and waterfall in the valley’s basin facing rough terrain and risking increased malaria exposure.
Our last stop for the day was Valle San Francisco, a small community about eight minutes past Nuevo Paraiso. We toured the modest church there and took a stroll around the town square, appreciating the family environment and liveliness on a Monday night in Honduras.
In a few minutes (at 7:30 PM) we will begin our evening re-group and begin a night of planning and preparation for tomorrow.
Busy, Busy, Business
4/1/09
There is no doubt that we have been keeping busy. Last night we settled into Nuevo Paraiso (complete with a tour), ate dinner, and then went straight to work preparing for our week and first full day. Working until nearly ten and exhausted from our travels, we all slept soundly and were ready to go in the morning.
Today we headed off to meet the members of “Rosquillas Del Valle De Zamonaro” (the current and possibly tentative name of the co-op with whom we are working to develop their business) at 8:30 and then spent the rest of the day with them. It has been a full day. The members of the co-op have been wonderfully warm and loving from the first meeting and discussion has been vivid. In the afternoon the members showed us Yuscaran, a nearby village. Upon our arrival the locals directed us to a little blonde-hair girl whose mother would be able to allow us to use the toilet. We followed the girl through the square and down what seemed to be one of the main roads to what turned out to be the local museum. After using the facilities, the mother of the little girl (Bella) gave us a tour and shared the mining history of the local. The museum visit was followed by a short trip to see the view of the valley…muy bonito. Actually, that has been said many times through out the day.
Overall, we have a lot of work ahead of us and have a lot of details to figure out shortly, but we are well excited and ambitious.
There is no doubt that we have been keeping busy. Last night we settled into Nuevo Paraiso (complete with a tour), ate dinner, and then went straight to work preparing for our week and first full day. Working until nearly ten and exhausted from our travels, we all slept soundly and were ready to go in the morning.
Today we headed off to meet the members of “Rosquillas Del Valle De Zamonaro” (the current and possibly tentative name of the co-op with whom we are working to develop their business) at 8:30 and then spent the rest of the day with them. It has been a full day. The members of the co-op have been wonderfully warm and loving from the first meeting and discussion has been vivid. In the afternoon the members showed us Yuscaran, a nearby village. Upon our arrival the locals directed us to a little blonde-hair girl whose mother would be able to allow us to use the toilet. We followed the girl through the square and down what seemed to be one of the main roads to what turned out to be the local museum. After using the facilities, the mother of the little girl (Bella) gave us a tour and shared the mining history of the local. The museum visit was followed by a short trip to see the view of the valley…muy bonito. Actually, that has been said many times through out the day.
Overall, we have a lot of work ahead of us and have a lot of details to figure out shortly, but we are well excited and ambitious.
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