Gracias a Dios

Today was the day I found out where I get to work and live for the next 2 years. I could not be happier! I am going to be really close to where I have been in training this whole time, so I already know the area and tons of people here. My town sounds amazing. The population is about 1200. I got to see pictures of it and it looks nice, clean, and beautiful. I saw pictures of the house I am going to live in- and it looks perfect! I don’t even have to live in a host families house at all to start. I will have my own separate little house right next to their’s. Sweet! Because, as much as I have loved my host families... I am so happy I will soon have a space that is all my own!!

What is especially great about my site is that my good buddy Jamie is only going to be about 30 minutes away from me! So we will get to hang out and travel together to go visit our other friends. And because I’m so central it will be easy for me to get around and I won’t have to take long scary bus rides to the capital... just short scary ones! There are tons of other really awesome girls not too far from me in the departments next door. Sooo all in all, sounds like my site is perfect :)

They told us our placements by putting the names of the department we are in on a piece of paper on our back. Jamie already knew where her site was from some info that leaked... SO she already knew she would be in San Vicente. I was the first person to get a paper on my back. Of course, Jamie was sitting right next to me and looked at my back and had this crazy reaction- so I had to have her tell me. She tole me San Vicente... and I freaked out. We never thought that would happen. It was great! Pics of the event are on facebook.

I was exhausted after all the excitement of site assignments. They took us home in the PC microbuses, because we aren’t allowed to take public transportation at the moment due to the strike. Here is some information I received about the situation:

Salvadoran Bus Drivers Remain Fearful Despite Extra Security

SAN SALVADOR – Much of El Salvador remained without bus service for a second day Wednesday amid threats of violence from gangs, even though the government deployed more police and soldiers to bolster security.

Hundreds of commuters rode private and military trucks mobilized to transport people in and around San Salvador, while media outlets reported that only around 15 bus routes were operating normally.

The vast majority of bus owners began keeping their vehicles off the road Tuesday in the face of anonymous telephone calls and leaflets warning transit companies and shopkeepers to shut down.

The threats were assumed to come from gangs, which regularly target bus companies and small businesses for extortion.

Late Tuesday, the two largest gangs, Mara Salvatrucha and Mara 18, issued an unprecedented joint statement demanding that President Mauricio Funes veto a congressional bill making mere membership in a gang a criminal offense punishable by 10 years in prison.

Salvadoran officials flatly rejected the call by MS and M-18 for talks and announced steps to protect the buses.

“The government is doing its part in the sense of the security apparatus, including to provide escorts for the units. However, there are some owners who have decided not to take them (the buses) out,” the minister of justice and public safety, Manuel Melgar, told Channel 33 television.

“The appeal I would like to make is that they take out their units, that there is security on the street and that this will benefit the Salvadoran people,” he said.

“When they dare to act, they are arrested,” Melgar said of the gang members threatening the bus companies.

Some 2,000 additional soldiers have been assigned to public safety tasks, according to Defense Minister David Munguia Payes, and national police commander Carlos Ascencio said roughly 5,000 cops are patrolling the streets and protecting public transportation.

Ascencio told Channel 33 police arrested five suspects in the burning of a minibus in the western town of Chalchuapa and two others in connection with torching a motorcycle taxi.

Officers also detained two people for a grenade attack on a highway checkpoint, he said.

The police district commander in downtown San Salvador, Gersan Perez, said the situation in his jurisdiction was calm, though Efe saw few buses running and a number of shops shuttered. EFE

Source: lath.com

This kind of thing has happened before but apparently only in the capital or sections of the country, never nationwide like this. It is supposed to end after 3 days... Hopefully that is true and things don’t escalate. Don’t worry about me though, where I live is very safe, same for where I will be moving to next week. And when things are crazy like this, the Peace Corps does not permit us to leave our sites.

A few more things-

I called Ceci, my host sis from Santa Clara, to tell her that I will be living super close. She said she was so happy, that she went to church last night and prayed to God that he not send me somewhere far. She said he gave her a miracle. Hmmm... Gracias a Dios. Very sweet. I am happy I will be close to Santa Clara, where I feel so at home.

On another note- lately I have been observed how sensitive and insecure many of the women here are. Ceci was very upset when I talked to her this morning because I didn’t reply to her text last night. She asked me if she did something wrong for me to not respond. It’s like, c’mon- Where I come from, you don’t have to talk to someone every single day or send tons of text messages about nothing to know that you are still friends. But she really feels like she needs to talk to me daily or something must be wrong.

And my new host mom was in tears yesterday when she found out that I invited my Santa Clara family to my swearing in. She was saying that she doesn’t have to go if I don’t want her to... Because I have my other family. Seriously... she is jealous that I am bringing my other family. I didn’t think anything of it or that it would be a big deal at all. I had to reassure her that I want her to go... of course I want her to go. I dunno, sometimes people here are just weird about stuff.

Bedtime! Buenas Noches!

P.S. I bought a cappuchino at a cake store and noticed they put a ton of Bailey's liquor in it. They don't ask if you want it- they just slip it in there! haha! That would never happen at home. Still... tasty! And... my friend Mariel let me cut her hair! Never cut anyone's hair before... it was fun!