This is Chicken?

Today I discovered what real chicken tastes like.

I woke up this morning and my host mom was no where to be found... which was very unusual. It’s because she was at her mom’s house next door killing the chicken we were going to eat for lunch. Of course! We all (my family and their entire family-- probably about 30 of us) hopped in the back of a huge truck around 11am and headed for the laguna to go swimming. But we didnt actually swim in the laguna, which I am not sure is much different from a lake. We swam in the swimming pools at the “turicentro” that are right next to the lake. It cost us each 80 cents to get in... Immediately upon entering we all went to the tables and this is when I tasted my first real chicken.

It had only been dead a few hours. Maybe it was the way it was cooked... But i really didn’t like it. It didn’t taste at all like the chicken I have been eating my entire life. It’s hard to explain. But it was a lot fattier than i’m used to chicken normally being. And it was nasty fat- when i touched it- my fingers were sticky like glue. I was like- great- do i really want to put this in my body? NO! but i had to force myself to eat as much of it as i could... because, with my new family especially, it’s kind of a big deal if you don’t eat all your food. And I almost never can eat all of the food they give me. It’s a lot! And it’s usually something really fatty or with tons of bread... My food situation was so much better at my first house. I am missing Ceci’s sandwiches and hamburgers like crazy. Tomorrow I’m going to go visit my old Santa Clara family and have lunch with them. YAY! So- I ate the gluey chicken best I could, but it was rough. Especially after yesterday. Yesterday, for the first time since I got here, I had, as they call it in Mexico, “Monctezuma’s Revenge.” I went to the bathroom at least 15 times yesterday. It was awful... and it’s not fun when you are running to a latrine that is not easily accesible because it’s gated and has a flock of chickens in the way- including an evil rooster that has it out for me. I have to go to the bathroom armed with a broom everytime because the rooster is always waiting to attack me. He comes at me pecking at my legs and flapping his wings fast- which makes me start to scream. My family thinks its hilarious, but I don’t! I bet if we would’ve eaten him for lunch I would have enjoyed my meal a lot more. Even when I have no intention of going to the bathroom, he sits there at the edge of the gate looking at me with his evil eyes. That fucker needs to go.

Anyway, I had a great time swimming in the pool with the kiddos. Me and the 2 other gringas had to leave pretty early though because we were going to the funeral for the daughter of a peace corps staff member. Ulises is like the groundskeeper, handyman of the training center. He’s always so happy and nice and I have been saying since I got here that he is my favorite person in the training center. He’s just fun to be around. Well, he had a daughter in her early 20s and on thursday night she went out with a friend in San Vicente and I hear her body was found dead in the street. I was told by some that she was shot, but I dunno- Ulises had told me before that she was ill. Anyway, the other trainees and myself went to the funeral to show our support for the man that is always cheering us on.

In retrospect, I don’t think I should have gone. It was nice to be able to show support for the guy, but really... I don’t know him that well. And it felt awkward being in a group of 20 or so gringos at the funeral when there were only about 20 or so salvadorians from the actually family. I felt like maybe we were intruding. Some of the trainees even went up to look in the casket. I couldn’t do it.... I just felt out of place going up there when the girl’s family members were crying and laying on top of her casket. Seeing all of that made me cry... It’s so sad to loose someone close to you. I don’t think I can think of anything worse. So, it was interesting. Afterwards they carry the casket out of the cathedral and put it into the back of a pickup truck that has a glass house on it- kinda like a ghetto looking popemobile. And everyone who attended the funeral walks behind the car moving very slowly while really sad dramatic music blast from the cars speakers until we get to the cemetery. I have to say- the cemetery was kinda cool to see. It was huge- has been there forever... and they had those big tomb like houses everywhere painted in the colorful latin american way. So i walked to the cemetery but I didnt stay for the entire burial. I just felt like giving the family some space.

So now that I have my first salvadorean funeral checked off my list... Tomorrow I will check off Birthday Party and Baby Shower. So there will be much to write about after tomorrow and later this week especially- because on Thursday I find out what part of this country will be my home for the next two years! YoWzAs!