PART I: LIttle Bit of Everything
I went to bed at 8 o’ clock last night and woke up at 8 o’ clock this morning. Wow. That was some good sleep. I kinda like going to bed early, but so that I will wake up early, at like 5 or 6. Never imagined I’d wake up at 8... I’m sure everyone was really worried about me. Anway....
So what’s been going on this week? Well after my Asamblea General on Tuesday some women came up to me and were like “So u say you want to start an exercise group huh? let’s go running on the soccer field tomorrow morning at 5:30.” I said ok... but man, getting up that early has always been so hard for me. But I did it. And they were there. It was actually a really nice run. It’s so much better to go then, rather than at 7 o clock when I was going and the sun was out and it was already way too hot. I liked it so much I woke up and did it again on thursday and friday! The women here are not well equipped for exercise... they run in their $300 plastic sandals they bought at the mercado. I had a number of grown ups show up and tons of kids for the first run. They are really out of shape... and I was pushing them.... They wanted to stop in sit down after just a few laps, but I kept ‘em going. We did 15 laps. No one showed up the next day... except 5 year old Elvin who runs laps around me.
Friday I went to a unicef meeting at the mayor’s office. It was interesting, but a little unclear to me what it was about. The woman leading the meeting talked a lot about poverty in El Salvador, the broken families and what that means for the children. Because most kids here don’t live with both their parents, or even one of their parents... they were left to whomever so their parents could go to the states. A lot of the kids in my community who’s parents did leave for the states aren’t even getting much money sent to take care of them. They feel abandoned. And so it’s no wonder that something like 3 out of 4 kids here want to abandon El Salvador and go to the United States. The children want to be in a country that is successful and that gives them opportunity. They want to be where their families are... It must be really great there if their parents were willing to leave them behind to go. I don’t understand why the parents don’t take the children with them...
Anyway, we talked about education initiatives we can start within the schools, to boost attendance and projects we can start that will keep kids active and benefit the environment. It really all starts with the parents. I would like to get involved with an Escuela de Padres, and have workshops to educate the parents about what they can do to better give their children what they need. How about setting limits for one. And making your child get out of bed and go to school even when they don’t want to. Holding them responsible for doing their homework. And let them be children. Too many of the kids here don’t really have a childhood... they are expected to work in the field and help in the house as soon as they are old enough to know how to do so. At the same time, their help is necessary to the functioning of the family. It’s a tough one to solve.
Poor Milton. No one supervises him. When he gets bored and no one is paying attention to him he just takes off and runs around the town by himself. He’s only 3 years old... it’s not safe. Last week I was walking home and I found him hanging out with some bolos, drunks. He was entertaining them and they gave him a minuta, which is like a snow cone. I said, “Milton? What are you doing? Come on, let’s go home.” And I carried him home.... But he keeps leaving to go hang out outside of the house.... he will leave and wander to wherever he gets attention. Good or bad attention. He needs love... And he’s not getting it at home. He came back yesterday with a huge bloody purple bump on his head. He said he fell. It hurts my heart. He can’t be running around the streets by himself. I was told that about a year ago, a child his age was playing in the street when a bus came and he was run over and died. So it makes me angry that no one seems to care that my little friend is wandering around wherever to whatever. Pobrecito.
PART II: Payaso’s Have No Pena- Why Should You?
Thursday was Día del Niño, and there was a big party at the school. A clown came and put on a show. It was pretty fun. Kids participated in all kinds of competitions... And then the clown wanted the teachers to participate in one, but around here people- especially adult women, have too much pena, or embarrasment- and they hate getting up in front of people to do anything. It get’s old because people are always using it an an excuse to not participate. I am the opposite- I hardly have pena about anything. So when they volunteered me for the game I was ready to go. I was supposed to do it with another teacher but since none of them would the clown told me to choose a student- I chose Lupita, my counterparts 9th grade sister who’s a good friend and has gone on house visits with me. Luckily she came up to play the game.
The clown gives us a long strand of red yarn with a piece of candy tied in the center of it. We had to put the ends of the string in our mouths and without using our hands eat the string and the first one to get to the candy in the middle wins. Seemed kind of inappropriate, because if we both got to the middle at the same time we would be mouth to mouth, looking like we were kissing. I have a feeling that’s what the clown had in mind. So I purposely lost. I was laughing too hard I couldn’t do it anyway.
It was also hilarious to see the “Who can do the best Michael Jackson dance?” competition among the little boys. It was pretty cute.
At the end of the show those of us who don’t let our pena hold us down all danced... I’ve finally figured out how to dance bachata! I’m pretty excited about it! I want to learn some dances and have a dance class for kids! was at my neighbors house last week and I got her to start dancing with me in the living room- she loved it! Now she’s always asking me when we are going to dance again! I would love to choreograph some stuff and work on it with kids and then put on a little dance show. Maybe I’ll go take dance lessons at this dance studio in San Vicente. The guy that works there and owns it is a nationally recognized dancer. That would be fun, and a good way to exercise.
I’m sitting here in my house right now- it’s almost 10:30... I told some people I would go to their house today at 10. The little girl was supposed to come pick me up from my house... but I haven’t seen her. Maybe she came and saw my door closed and had too much pena to come up to my house and just assumed I wasn’t home. Hmmm... Oh well, I’m kinda good either way. I have been busy every day this week I want to rest! And finish this blog.... Which is turning into a novel! But read on, if you will....
Friday after my unicef meeting I went to meet my friends Jamie and Hollie for lunch in San Vi. We went to Mexican restaurant that has a nice upstairs area and we like to go there because we usually have the entire place to ourselves and enjoy some privacy. Afterwards the girls came back to my town with me and we had a good night. I love having company... and my little house is perfect for sleepovers! I have 3 cots and 2 hammocks.... so visitors are welcome and the company much appreciated! I stayed up later than I’ve stayed up in a month... It was nice to just talk in English to someone who’s in my boat and share and compare experiences. Thus, I was super tired on Saturday- Woke up early to walk the girls to the bus stop. Had my neighbor Roxanna help me cut my wood for my shelves. Which was harder than I thought it would be.... You need some fuerza to cut wood.
Then I went to the surprise Baby Shower for one of the teachers, Margarita. We went and had a nice lunch at a restaurant... I bought her baby a cute little baby blanket- luckily I was the only one to buy a blanket- everyone else all gave her diapers. I ate the salad that wasn’t clearned properly I’m sure and drank the beverage that was made with the dirty water from the tap.... Every time I’ve done that in the past I’ve spent the entire next day making frequent trips to the bathroom. But not today. I think my body is getting used to the parasites. This is a good thing. haha. I guess.
One of the teachers wanted me to go spend the night at her house after the shower.... I really didn’t want to. She kept saying how Allison, the last volunteer would go spend the night at her house... And I’m like ok that’s great but I dont want to tonight- I had no clothes no toothbrush, nothing. I will probably do so in the future- But just didn’t want to yesterday. But I did go to her house and visit with her for a bit before going home. She’s cool, her husband is a policeman, and they just had their 3rd and last baby, Kimberley. Really cute kid. All the babies in this country wear red beaded bracelets on their wrists with one bead that looks like an eye. The infant mortality rate in this country is kind of high- And people believe that it protects their kid from the “Evil Eye.” They say that there are some people that are just evil and have the Ojo that when they look at the baby they can transfer some kind of evil power, like casting a spell on them or something and the baby gets sick and can die. The bracelet protects them and because there’s an eye on it the evil spirit will be drawn to look at that instead of the baby’s eye- something like that.
Ate pupusas last night with the family who’s daughter Mayra left last week to go mojado to the states. Yesterday she was staying at a hotel near the Mexican border... waiting for night to come to cross the river. They get naked and put all their clothes and things in a trashbag and hold onto a floaty to cross. Wonder how she made out. How dangerous is it? Is the Rio Grande a rapid river? Really wide?
What a beautiful lazy Sunday I’m going to have. Today will be my day to decansar (rest) in the hammock. I deserve it. A lot of volunteers say that they spend a lot of time in their hammocks everyday... I never have that. I live with the most active family in the community and people here just seem very active in general.... So I’m always going and working like they are. Otherwise I’m afraid they’ll think I’m lazy. But today is Sunday... Today is my day!
Paz y Amor.
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