Being in Peace Corps sure does beat the daily grind of your M-F, 8-5. I am in charge of my job, my schedule, and have to kind of be my own boss. Life tastes different this way. Will I ever be able to go back to a real job? I never want to find myself working in a job that is not meaningful to me ever again. Such as waiting tables or working in an office sitting at a desk all day. When you spend more hours of your week working rather than with those you love- I feel like you better love what you do. And I love the business of helping people. Helping people help themselves.
But what's all this for? I was simply going to say. I had the best Monday ever yesterday. The kind of Monday that would never happen in Houston, not even if I called in sick to work, because I would know I have to go on Tuesday and then Tuesday I'd have the case of the Mondays.
I woke up and spent the morning hours relaxing, reading, writing, listening to Flaming Lips in my hammock. My hammock is my new classroom/office space. All Salvadoran business can be done from a hammock. My hammock comes in second only to my mosquito net as my most prized posession. I drank my instant coffee with pleasure and made scrambled eggs with all the vegetables i bought from the back of a pickup truck the day before. And when the afternoon came I decided I was ready to face the world. I walked around my community and visited all my favorite people. This is work! This is my job... because in doing house visits I get to know my people, get confianza, and know more about what they need. In doing house visits yesterday I was taking care of business. Recruiting for my new youth group, and I found out many people are interested in getting help with an NGO I'm connected with. So really... it was a productive afternoon! My favorite part of the afternoon was singing church songs on a mic with the kids. They think I can sing. LoL.
I visited Delmi, who has invited me to go to this workshop with her on Saturday. I'm happy to go with her, and was really looking forward to working with her.... Then when I came home and talking to Don Chepito about how I talked about starting a woman's group with her, the beef was revealed. He says, "Esa mujer es mala. She's dangerous, she has no friends in the community, no body wants to work with her.." and I sat and listened to him go on.... and on... Then Don Tulio joined in- saying if I hang around her I will be affected in very bad ways. So the drama begins.
Yes Chepito and Marinita are my peeps, but just because they aren't friends with someone doesn't mean I can't be. This woman worked quite well with the last volunteer from what I understand and is active in various other groups outside the community. This sounds to me like one of those things that goes way back- like something happened between her and others decades ago and they still hate each other for it but they may not even be sure why anymore. Chepito could hardly give me any good reason for the malos sentidos. The best he could give me was that she sent him an angry letter once because there was a party for the extremely poor kids in the community and they didn't invite her kids. And believe me, her kids are really poor. So I'm still going to this training. I do what I say I'm gonna do. But I may not be able to create a women's group with her if she doesn't get support from others. It would ideal to be able to help smooth things over and unify these people some. Chepito said, "No one can get any work done in this community... people won't work together." Sounds like he is part of the problem... holding grudges against people so strong he won't be associated with them. Granted I don't know the history between them. But as the town President I feel like he could build bridges rather than let 'em burn. And he he prides himself in his good Catholic Christian qualities...
Speaking of being good Christians- Marinita and her posse are getting up at 4:30 am every morning this month and going to the church and singing on the loudest speakers in the town to Dios. They do it again into the night. I am in the bed all the time hearing her singing... It's a little funny... another example of how there is no such thing as disturbing the peace around here.
I FINALLY got myself up for my 5:30 run this morning. When I got down to the field, I thought Dios Mio there are a ton of cows on the soccer field. What asshole brings there herd of cows to graze and shit all over the soccer field? I'm a little scared running around them somtimes... I've heard about them attacking friends of mine. And what do those Spanish bullfighters do that's so special to piss off a bull? And the cow patties are everywhere on the field, I have to remain conscious of them as I run to dodge them. When the teams come to play every afternoon they shouldn't have to be cleaning up the copious amounts of poo to play.
So I'm on lap 3.... Chepito enters the field. Those are your cows Don Chepito!? En serio? As president of the ADESCO I'm shocked he would do something so inconsiderate. He owns so much land he could take them to. But it's more convenient for him to take them to the nice open field. Ay ay ay. I don't need to let this bother me so much. There are worse things in life than patties on a field. But still... of all people... Chepito?
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| Can you see the spots all over? No sirve! |
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| One of the damage dookiers. That's bull. |
Today I have real plans, unlike my enchanting Monday of the hammock and house visits. I have youth group stuff all afternoon, and then tonight I'm going to a vela, a wake, because my counterparts uncle that was very close to him died. These velas go on all night long I am told. I would like to just go for a few hours. But it might be one of those things I just have to do like they do. Sitting all night in the living room of Ariel's house with his dead uncle in the open casket. Man... sounds a bit creepy to me.
Paz y amor.
P.S. Today is a mac n cheese kind of day :)
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