Rumour has it that there is a woman in the town over that hasn't bathed in 37 years. She has 7 daughters. Supposedly her motive for not bathing is in some sort of protest to God for not giving her a son. She thinks that God would not want her to suffer and that eventually he will give her the son that she has always wanted. I'm pretty sure this story has to be an excellent example of how out of control gossip can get out here in the campo. What was months of not bathing could have somehow turned into 37. I don't believe it could be true. Who can do that? Not bathe for 37 YEARS!? What would happen to you? How bad would you smell? I don't think anyone could do it... And if this woman wants to have a son, she has to have sex with someone... who would want to touch her after not bathing for nearly 4 decades? Who knows... it couls be true. There are some real crazies in this world. Like those people that are in the Guinness Book of World Records for having fingernails longer than they are tall.
Speaking of crazies- there's a guy that lives in my town that is obviously not right in the head. He is always wheeling around this huge tire on foot and tells people it's his car. He really does think its his car. He's offered me a ride before. I've seen him miles away from our town wheeling it on the site of the highway too...
Another interesting rumour- one that I'm pretty sure is actually true. There is this house on the side of the highway that sells gas. It is not a gas station, but they sell gas. Supposedly they have dug an underground route to the pipes at the gas station and have hooked up more pipes to bring it to their house... Where they sell the gas for much cheaper than at the actual gas station. The buses I take at times stop off there to get their refills. Isn't that crazy? And very illegal. I always did wonder how the bus companies around here make any money if gas is so expensive and my fair is only $0.80 for an hour-long ride. I'm positive the police know about this going on... but perhaps no one does anything about it because the transportation systems are heavily controlled by gangs and getting between them and the money they receive from the bus company's... could get very ugly.
So I was going to post this blog over the weekend when I had access to better internet to put up pics in the blog as well... but I forgot the cord for my camera... So here I am posting this blog without pics because I don't want to wait until I have good internet again to post. My readers are anxiously awaiting... lol... well... maybe, if they're not bored with me by now.
I have been uber busy this month because I've started my baking workshop. Which is going AWESOME! The kids are making something new every day and loving it. They're so enthusiastic and dedicated to this course, I'm really impressed. They are all in their seats ready to start class way ahead of time, so that when I walk in , there they all are. It makes me feel good, that all my hard work on writing the grant to get the money for the course has really paid off. I think the youth here need more opportunities like this to learn new skills and participate in something positive and worthwhile in their free time. I hope I can find more money to bring more courses here... this NGO I'm working with also offers courses in auto-mechanics, cake-making, electrical work, and cosmetology. Having special skills gives these people an opportunity to earn an income and do something other than work in the field or do housework. The kids in my course are already teaming up and planning on how they can get their own bakery started. We talk about small business skills as part of the course too. And it would be super cool if they started a bakery here because while most towns have several, we don't have a single one in my town. All our bread comes from outside, and it's not as fresh or good.
So yea, the time I spend in my site these days is more productive and meaningful. The only thing is- I never have much of a clue about what's going on in the world. I rarely have a chance to watch TV- except for when I go to Noel's, but weekend TV does not keep me up to date on things. I don't really ever watch the news or read newspapers. I'm wondering what it will be like when I get out of here and go back to the states- hardly knowing what went on for 2 whole years... Will I know what people are even talking about? A lot can happen in 2 years. Oh well, it's not really too bad. I kinda like it. Things feel less noisy.
My Comite de Jovenes is up and running! We're planning an excursion to some swimming pools in San Miguel next month as a fundraiser for our activities. Hopefully some more vocational trainings! Some recreational stuff- like a soccer tournament and Field Day. Educational events. Career Fair. Who knows. On the 6th we have another Youth Assembly to see what the youth's interests and needs are to help us prioritize and guide our planning. We're doing this because, again, kids here don't have opportunities to participate in positive activities. Which is what leads to them doing things like hanging out with the wrong people, getting into trouble, joining gangs, etc. Same for kids all over the world. They need help. They need opportunity. Someone to motivate them. So here's to hoping for the best while my newly formed Youth Commitee gets things goin. It would be amazing if I could set up a way for people stateside to donate to my youth projects. I'm gonna look into that! There's never enough money is there! I have spent a lot of my own money on lots of little things for my projects over the last year. Foolish of me perhaps, when I only get $300 a month. At the end of every month my PC account is bone dry.
Oh, Peace Corps. Sometimes I think about how I went from my decent and comfortable teaching salary to this- and I laugh. I gave up a good job to come here and work for free. LoL... I suppose I also may be one of those so called crazies I was talking about earlier. But being here, I'm getting paid in so many other ways- that make me much richer. Like I'm finally fluent in the language that I got a frikin' college degree in. And I have a much deeper love and appreciation for the U.S. and my culture. And I met the most wonderful, loving man and made many new great friends I never would have had otherwise. And I will leave knowing that I did something to improve the lives of some people here in some way. All of that is priceless.
Milton turned 4 last Monday. Because I love that boy so much, I threw him his first ever birthday party! I got him a pinata as big as he is that he came to visit at my house every day up to the party he was so excited there was a pinata to beat in his honor. I played games with the kids like musical chairs. We danced, and ate cake. It was a lot of fun! I wonder if he will remember me when I'm gone. When I leave here he will be almost 5... Who remember stuff from before they were 5? Sigh....
I have my mid-service medical stuff coming up. I'm so looking forward to going to the dentist for a cleaning. Not so much looking forward to pooping in a little tiny plastic cup to see what kinds of parasites and friends I have inside of me. I've had to do that a few times now- it sure would be nice if they gave me a bigger cup. It's hard to see what you're doin back there. TMI? So sorry.
Lastly, I have some news. I'm going to go home for Thanksgiving!! Haha, it will be my 3rd time paying a visit to Houston during my service. Most PCVs only make it home once during service. But I'm Posh Corps like that. Ha, well... I wouldnt have gone home so much if Houston weren't so close and if I didnt have all those airline credits to use up before August. Lucky me. I always did love Thanksgiving. And it will be very nice to be with my family on it. Only wish Noel could come too... then it would really be perfect.
Well there you have it.... a complete update. I will try to blog again soon so I dont have to make such a novel out of it.
LOVE!
Pictures next time hopefully!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Spillin my Beans
I just made refried beans for the first time ever and they turned out nothing like the locals make it. Per Marinita's instructinos, I put them in the licuadora with some of the liquid that they cooked with, put some butter in the pan with some onion... then threw in the liquid beans to fry them up. You know what was missing to make them turn out just like Marinita's? A huge chunk of lard. That way they would have turned out nice and thick instead of soupy. But you know, if I'm makin 'em I just cant knowingly do that to myself. I'd rather just eat her beans and not watch her prepare them. They really do taste pretty awesome the way she makes em.
So it's lots of Salvo campo food for me for the next few days. I didn't go to the grocery store. And frankly, nor can I afford it. I have less than $10 in my peace corps bank account at the moment. I just need to make it 6 days or so til pay day.
Despite that fact that I have no money, I'm good. Looking forward to all the things I've got planned for September and October. Thursday Jamie and I are heading over to our friend Hollie's site in Usulutan to help her out with her Youth day camp-like thing she has going. I'm doing my HIV/AIDS thing, Jamie's gonna do a workshop on Yoga and relaxation techniques... Should be good. And this weeken also coincides with our 1 year anniversary of being in our communities. We will have to celebrate that a little.
What else is new?
If you recall, Marinita's and Chepito's kid came from the states with his family a while back. Well, while they were here they bought my host parents a very nice brand new big expensive beautiful white refrigerator to replace their 20 year old stinky little yellow one. My host mom had it plugged in and was using it a bit while they were here. But as soon as they left, and ever since it has been unplugged almost all the time. It uses too much energy she says. Because she doesn't want to only use it and get rid of her yellow one. She likes her yellow one, which maybe was actually white once uon a time. Because with that one she can put whatever in it and doesnt care if it gets dirty. The new one she doesn't want to get dirty and can't use it in addition to the yellow one because the electric bill skyrockets. So instead, it just sits there unplugged and she uses it to put some things in.... like veggies and bananas. That just get all moldy from being in the hot refri. I think that will ruin it anyway. I said why don't you sell it then? She said oh no... because if they ever come back they wont want to buy me more things if they see I didnt appreciate and keep what they have bought me before. LoL... The whole thing I just think is kinda funny.
Milton turns 4 on Monday. I think I'm gonna bring him a pinata. He's been doing great. I have been teaching him his colors and number and the "magic words"- please and thank you and excuse me. Now he knows better than to just walk into my house and say, "Give me the coloring book." He says "Can I use the coloring book please?" without me having to give him a look or anything. What a good sweet boy he is... I want him to have what he needs and someone to teach him about how to be a good person forever... I've said to his mom in a joking manner about how I want to take him with me... Ok i wasn't really joking, but it's not the kind of thing you can seriously ask a mother... "Will you give me your adorable cute son and let him go and never see him again?" So I say it like I'm joking... And she always makes it clear that that's never gonna happen. Sigh, saying goodbye to my little man is gonna be hard.
But perhaps it's a little too soon for me to be thinking about my goodbyes. I just know the second year is going to fly by though. And my neighbors and friends in my community are already calling dibs on what they want to buy from my house when I leave. Guadalupe wants my hammocks. The clinic wants my tables, etc.
I had a nice weekend in San Sal. Noel and I went to my friend Alayna's despedida, who's done with her 2 years and going on to new things. I spent Saturday recovering and going to see Planet of the Apes at the movies. Sunday Noel and I went to the art museum, which wasn't bad... and free on Sundays. But man... the entire weekend I was just over-indulged with food and beverage. That's what happens to Peace Corps Amy.... spending several weeks in my site straight, I go into the city and get overly excited about what is available to me...
This weekend I had pizza, cheetos, tons of chips and guacamole, two visits to McDonalds, Noel's very bacony carbonara pasta, waffle, Hebrew National hotdogs that traveled all the way from San Diego and into my belly, popcorn at the movies, an assortment of appetizer junk ordered from Bennigans, and Wendy's on my way to the bus terminal.
GROSS! How can I not feel disgusting after all of that? And an even better question, how can I control myself and not go nuts when I get to the city? GROSS GROSS GROSS. Ok, well I suppose not all weekends are like that... this one was exceptionally worse than others.
Haha, and I say I don't want to put lard in my beans!
So it's lots of Salvo campo food for me for the next few days. I didn't go to the grocery store. And frankly, nor can I afford it. I have less than $10 in my peace corps bank account at the moment. I just need to make it 6 days or so til pay day.
Despite that fact that I have no money, I'm good. Looking forward to all the things I've got planned for September and October. Thursday Jamie and I are heading over to our friend Hollie's site in Usulutan to help her out with her Youth day camp-like thing she has going. I'm doing my HIV/AIDS thing, Jamie's gonna do a workshop on Yoga and relaxation techniques... Should be good. And this weeken also coincides with our 1 year anniversary of being in our communities. We will have to celebrate that a little.
What else is new?
If you recall, Marinita's and Chepito's kid came from the states with his family a while back. Well, while they were here they bought my host parents a very nice brand new big expensive beautiful white refrigerator to replace their 20 year old stinky little yellow one. My host mom had it plugged in and was using it a bit while they were here. But as soon as they left, and ever since it has been unplugged almost all the time. It uses too much energy she says. Because she doesn't want to only use it and get rid of her yellow one. She likes her yellow one, which maybe was actually white once uon a time. Because with that one she can put whatever in it and doesnt care if it gets dirty. The new one she doesn't want to get dirty and can't use it in addition to the yellow one because the electric bill skyrockets. So instead, it just sits there unplugged and she uses it to put some things in.... like veggies and bananas. That just get all moldy from being in the hot refri. I think that will ruin it anyway. I said why don't you sell it then? She said oh no... because if they ever come back they wont want to buy me more things if they see I didnt appreciate and keep what they have bought me before. LoL... The whole thing I just think is kinda funny.
Milton turns 4 on Monday. I think I'm gonna bring him a pinata. He's been doing great. I have been teaching him his colors and number and the "magic words"- please and thank you and excuse me. Now he knows better than to just walk into my house and say, "Give me the coloring book." He says "Can I use the coloring book please?" without me having to give him a look or anything. What a good sweet boy he is... I want him to have what he needs and someone to teach him about how to be a good person forever... I've said to his mom in a joking manner about how I want to take him with me... Ok i wasn't really joking, but it's not the kind of thing you can seriously ask a mother... "Will you give me your adorable cute son and let him go and never see him again?" So I say it like I'm joking... And she always makes it clear that that's never gonna happen. Sigh, saying goodbye to my little man is gonna be hard.
But perhaps it's a little too soon for me to be thinking about my goodbyes. I just know the second year is going to fly by though. And my neighbors and friends in my community are already calling dibs on what they want to buy from my house when I leave. Guadalupe wants my hammocks. The clinic wants my tables, etc.
I had a nice weekend in San Sal. Noel and I went to my friend Alayna's despedida, who's done with her 2 years and going on to new things. I spent Saturday recovering and going to see Planet of the Apes at the movies. Sunday Noel and I went to the art museum, which wasn't bad... and free on Sundays. But man... the entire weekend I was just over-indulged with food and beverage. That's what happens to Peace Corps Amy.... spending several weeks in my site straight, I go into the city and get overly excited about what is available to me...
This weekend I had pizza, cheetos, tons of chips and guacamole, two visits to McDonalds, Noel's very bacony carbonara pasta, waffle, Hebrew National hotdogs that traveled all the way from San Diego and into my belly, popcorn at the movies, an assortment of appetizer junk ordered from Bennigans, and Wendy's on my way to the bus terminal.
GROSS! How can I not feel disgusting after all of that? And an even better question, how can I control myself and not go nuts when I get to the city? GROSS GROSS GROSS. Ok, well I suppose not all weekends are like that... this one was exceptionally worse than others.
Haha, and I say I don't want to put lard in my beans!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Could I Be...?
Let me ask you all an honest question...
If you were poor as dirt with no money... living in a mud hut... with nothing to eat but beans and corn and tortillas and what you grow...
Would you leave your family and your dearest loved ones to travel to a far away land to never come back... but to work in a more financially prosperous place and send them money for them to live off of? Would you?
I wonder about this sometimes. Salvadorans leave their families... sometimes to never see them again. Or it may be decades between visits. Until they have the papers to be able to come visit... But with the rare occasion that visits even be a possibility aside... They maintain connections with family through phone calls and moneygrams and other presents sent through travelers... Is that enough?
Is it worth it?
To lose that closeness you have with them to be able to have money and nice things? I mean... they can live like they always have. In their huts. Living off what they grow. It's their closeness. But people are drawn to modern materials.... like blackberries... nice TVs... is it worth it? What a strange country El Salvador is.... nearly EVERYONE has someone up there sending them money to live off of. And I often wonder... would I do the same thing? In their position...
I mean... I know that I myself have chosen to live a life apart from my family. But I have more means by which I can go visit them...skype with them... I have papers... and money for flights... But if I didnt have all of that. Would I say goodbye to my family like that forever? I dont know. What a hard decision. What a hard life.
I am blessed.
Well... today I had my biggest event yet with the youth of my community. I invited them all... all the youth from my community of over 1000 people to come on over and participate in this event in which we elected the Youth Council of the community. This Council I will be working with closely over my next year to plan events for all of the community youth. It went pretty well. I invited a few members of the City Council to help with the official voting process... Which involved putting a bean in a paper envelope with the candidates names on them. Beans were counted by the official city council members and at the end of it all I am left with the group of kids that is my youth council.
It was a bit stressful on me... I could not tell if I was sweating so much just because it was hot as hell or if because I was nervous about running this event on my own. I chalk it up to nerves... because no one else seemed to be hot! LoL... but it's over! thank goodness! I had been putting this thing off since June. Finally I got it done. My community can see that I follow through on things.. doesnt matter that it's months late. It's El Salvador. As long as you get there eventually. But it was pretty cute. Kids gave us their nominations. I wrote the names on papers I had taped to the wall... and then while they put their beans in for their votes I played their favorite reggaeton music to create a nice ambiente (environment). Coulda gone worse. As far as I'm concerned.... EXITO! Success! I got it done! And the kids elected are pretty good ones. So I'm happy. Now I just have to spend the next 5 or 6 months having meetings with them and guiding them while they plan their work. I'll slowly start letting them work on their own... until a year from now, when I'm gone... Hopefully they will continue voting for and electing new rounds of youth councils to take on the work... Sustainable, that's what we're shooting for. Because these kids on the council will be planning educational and recreational activities for all the communities kids... So that they stay out of trouble, off the streets, and put their time into productive, skill building, character building activities.
Whoa. I think I am a real Peace Corps Volunteer. I have to say... I am feelin' kinda successful. Let's keep this going. That's what Year 2 will be all about. Making it happen. Making sure that I am making a difference here. I want that when I leave here for some of the things I started to keep going. For people to continue experiencing good in their lives.
I am grateful to be here. I am grateful for my wonderful, unique, awesome life. For all that I am capable of and for all the possibilities that my future brings... Opportunities to continue doing good things. That is what I want. I want to continue going through life and looking for ways that I can help people. That kind of work is the most rewarding.
Ha! sh*t. Listen to me. Sometimes I feel all beat up like I can't go any further. But I keep going... and then I have an event like the one I had today, that I worked hard to plan, and it turns out to be a success... and I'm like WHOA... this is awesome, let's do this. It's just funny because often I dont "feel like" doing these things. I kinda feel like I might just want to cancel them. I just want to get them over with. But I don't cancel them. I do them. I decide, so what, I'm gonna do it, even if I look dumb in front of my entire community. What do I have to lose really? I'm out of here in a year... I won't be here forever. So let me make a fool of myself. And things always turn out better than I can even hope for. So what have I been such a pessimist for? I need to start believing in myself. That I can really do this. That I actually am doing it. And that I actually am kind of good at it.
So how 'bout that?
Well... Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm going to church with my host mom at 8:30... which I am sure she is thrilled about. I said I'd go because I don't really have anything else going on tomorrow, since Noel's in the Oosa and everything..........So what the hell. I'm going to mass. Won't hurt me. And then Monday I'm going to get all the stuff for my vocational workshop figured out, that is supposed to start on the 19th. We're gonna learn how to makes breads and pizza and donuts, folks! Ain't that sustainable? I have lots of young ladies interested in learning this trade so they can start making and selling bread of their own. Will be tons of fun! Pictures of my youth group and the baking group to come soon!
Marinita, my host mom, walked over to my house this evening just to tell me about her friend in the town over who had her door open at about 8 pm and 4 men entered her house and robbed her and her family of everything they had of value. She came to tell me so that I would shut my door when it gets dark... because sometimes I get caught up in what I'm doing, or I just like the way the breeze feels with the door open. But anyway, the town over is known to be a lot more dangerous than where I live. Besides... I have the police station in my front yard. I'm pretty confident no one would come mess with me here. I'm pretty good at screaming quickly upon being surprised. Don't worry about me. I feel safe here.
Hope all my friends in Texas are getting a break from the drought and the heat this Labor Day weekend! Enjoy the holiday! Pools and beers for everyone! Well... except me... maybe i'll go to the laguna.
To all a good night!
Paz y Amor.
Amy
P.S. Thinking about scheduling a visit home come December... so i can see my folks and brother and soon to be sister in law... and... Drive a car!!! To Chick-fil-a!!!! LoL... the things that keep me going... LOVE!
If you were poor as dirt with no money... living in a mud hut... with nothing to eat but beans and corn and tortillas and what you grow...
Would you leave your family and your dearest loved ones to travel to a far away land to never come back... but to work in a more financially prosperous place and send them money for them to live off of? Would you?
I wonder about this sometimes. Salvadorans leave their families... sometimes to never see them again. Or it may be decades between visits. Until they have the papers to be able to come visit... But with the rare occasion that visits even be a possibility aside... They maintain connections with family through phone calls and moneygrams and other presents sent through travelers... Is that enough?
Is it worth it?
To lose that closeness you have with them to be able to have money and nice things? I mean... they can live like they always have. In their huts. Living off what they grow. It's their closeness. But people are drawn to modern materials.... like blackberries... nice TVs... is it worth it? What a strange country El Salvador is.... nearly EVERYONE has someone up there sending them money to live off of. And I often wonder... would I do the same thing? In their position...
I mean... I know that I myself have chosen to live a life apart from my family. But I have more means by which I can go visit them...skype with them... I have papers... and money for flights... But if I didnt have all of that. Would I say goodbye to my family like that forever? I dont know. What a hard decision. What a hard life.
I am blessed.
Well... today I had my biggest event yet with the youth of my community. I invited them all... all the youth from my community of over 1000 people to come on over and participate in this event in which we elected the Youth Council of the community. This Council I will be working with closely over my next year to plan events for all of the community youth. It went pretty well. I invited a few members of the City Council to help with the official voting process... Which involved putting a bean in a paper envelope with the candidates names on them. Beans were counted by the official city council members and at the end of it all I am left with the group of kids that is my youth council.
It was a bit stressful on me... I could not tell if I was sweating so much just because it was hot as hell or if because I was nervous about running this event on my own. I chalk it up to nerves... because no one else seemed to be hot! LoL... but it's over! thank goodness! I had been putting this thing off since June. Finally I got it done. My community can see that I follow through on things.. doesnt matter that it's months late. It's El Salvador. As long as you get there eventually. But it was pretty cute. Kids gave us their nominations. I wrote the names on papers I had taped to the wall... and then while they put their beans in for their votes I played their favorite reggaeton music to create a nice ambiente (environment). Coulda gone worse. As far as I'm concerned.... EXITO! Success! I got it done! And the kids elected are pretty good ones. So I'm happy. Now I just have to spend the next 5 or 6 months having meetings with them and guiding them while they plan their work. I'll slowly start letting them work on their own... until a year from now, when I'm gone... Hopefully they will continue voting for and electing new rounds of youth councils to take on the work... Sustainable, that's what we're shooting for. Because these kids on the council will be planning educational and recreational activities for all the communities kids... So that they stay out of trouble, off the streets, and put their time into productive, skill building, character building activities.
Whoa. I think I am a real Peace Corps Volunteer. I have to say... I am feelin' kinda successful. Let's keep this going. That's what Year 2 will be all about. Making it happen. Making sure that I am making a difference here. I want that when I leave here for some of the things I started to keep going. For people to continue experiencing good in their lives.
I am grateful to be here. I am grateful for my wonderful, unique, awesome life. For all that I am capable of and for all the possibilities that my future brings... Opportunities to continue doing good things. That is what I want. I want to continue going through life and looking for ways that I can help people. That kind of work is the most rewarding.
Ha! sh*t. Listen to me. Sometimes I feel all beat up like I can't go any further. But I keep going... and then I have an event like the one I had today, that I worked hard to plan, and it turns out to be a success... and I'm like WHOA... this is awesome, let's do this. It's just funny because often I dont "feel like" doing these things. I kinda feel like I might just want to cancel them. I just want to get them over with. But I don't cancel them. I do them. I decide, so what, I'm gonna do it, even if I look dumb in front of my entire community. What do I have to lose really? I'm out of here in a year... I won't be here forever. So let me make a fool of myself. And things always turn out better than I can even hope for. So what have I been such a pessimist for? I need to start believing in myself. That I can really do this. That I actually am doing it. And that I actually am kind of good at it.
So how 'bout that?
Well... Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm going to church with my host mom at 8:30... which I am sure she is thrilled about. I said I'd go because I don't really have anything else going on tomorrow, since Noel's in the Oosa and everything..........So what the hell. I'm going to mass. Won't hurt me. And then Monday I'm going to get all the stuff for my vocational workshop figured out, that is supposed to start on the 19th. We're gonna learn how to makes breads and pizza and donuts, folks! Ain't that sustainable? I have lots of young ladies interested in learning this trade so they can start making and selling bread of their own. Will be tons of fun! Pictures of my youth group and the baking group to come soon!
Marinita, my host mom, walked over to my house this evening just to tell me about her friend in the town over who had her door open at about 8 pm and 4 men entered her house and robbed her and her family of everything they had of value. She came to tell me so that I would shut my door when it gets dark... because sometimes I get caught up in what I'm doing, or I just like the way the breeze feels with the door open. But anyway, the town over is known to be a lot more dangerous than where I live. Besides... I have the police station in my front yard. I'm pretty confident no one would come mess with me here. I'm pretty good at screaming quickly upon being surprised. Don't worry about me. I feel safe here.
Hope all my friends in Texas are getting a break from the drought and the heat this Labor Day weekend! Enjoy the holiday! Pools and beers for everyone! Well... except me... maybe i'll go to the laguna.
To all a good night!
Paz y Amor.
Amy
P.S. Thinking about scheduling a visit home come December... so i can see my folks and brother and soon to be sister in law... and... Drive a car!!! To Chick-fil-a!!!! LoL... the things that keep me going... LOVE!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Talk to the Hand
I am very jealous that Noel is in the USA right now. And I'm in the campo in El Salvador with allergies... and my period. Let me be blunt... it is not fun having your period in the campo in El Salvador. LoL... TMI, gentlemen? Sorry. Anyway, I'll be super happy if he brings me back a bag of flaming hot cheetos or some other tasty American snack foods I can't get here :)
Some things that have been running through my mind lately:
I sure ain't perfect. But at least I try.
I often say the wrong things... but, oh well. I'm getting better with filtering my thoughts from my words as time goes on. And it's usually just because I'm being honest... Although, is honesty really always the best policy? when it comes to someone's feelings getting hurt?
There's been some drama and commotion around the campo lately about the girls I have chosen to help with scholarships to go to high school. But whatevs... I stand by my decisions. They are questioning my actions... like, "Why didn't you give it to THAT girl instead? or THAT one?" I actually walked into all of my teachers at lunch the other day having a conversation about this... They weren't expecting me. But you know, I can't help them all. I know my girls I chose deserve it. And every child that wishes to continue their education deserves the support to do so. My girls are awesome. They're good kids... they have good grades... they're leaders... They deserve scholarships just as much as the quiet girls with the straight A's. Ugh. Whatever, drama. I don't need you.
That's one thing I think I am learning a lot about in Peace Corps. How to just turn my head away from the drama... and to just let people have a problem with me and the way I do things. You can't please all the people all the time. Well... almost never really.
So tomorrow is my big Youth Committee Election Day. I invited all the teenagers of my community to come nominate and elect their leaders. Let's hope it goes well! My entire community of over a thousand people is watching. The kids are going to vote secretly by putting beans into the bags that have the names of candidates on them. Counting all those beans might take a while.
I can't seem to give up my Chicken Noodle Soup and Ramen Noodle habit. It's gross. But just too easy. Anyone want to send me some snacks? :) I've gotten bored with the food here. And I am in such a rut mostly because it's only once a week that I can go to the grocery store and I have to be able to carry everything in bags on my shoulders that I'm gonna eat... and walk with it about half a mile before I get to my house... So I can't buy too many things. Oh how nice those days were... going grocery shopping at Kroger. Pushing the shopping cart up to the trunk of my car. Loading it. Driving all of it to my door step. What luxury.
The other night I had a dream about driving a car. I thought it was the best thing ever. Oh I cant wait to be able to do that again :)
But this grocery trip I did treat myself to a nice bottle of wine, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Vanilla Soy Milk, V8 and Fruit Cups. Things I don't buy regularly. Huge expense when you're living on $300 a month.
Well... Noel got his assignment for his next post... And its.... the.... Phillipines! Way cool! But he doesnt actually start the job there until July 2013... after months and months of language training in Tagalog in DC. Yay!
I'm really looking forward to November and December... to get a break during the holiday season. And I'm trying to figure out when my next vacation will be. Really starting to feel like I need to have a flight out of El Salvador to look forward to.
But in the meantime... I'll be here... workin my tush off in the campo.... Occasional trips to the city or the beach... Same ol' Same ol'.
I want something new... Any hobby suggestions? Or workout video suggestion? p90x is getting old. Anybody want to send me some snacks or things to do or suggestions? Or does anyone want to actually come VISIT me :)?? LoL... Come on friends, gimme' somethin! Por favor :)
Ok well i'm gonna be a good little host daughter now and go say goodnight to my host parents... Helps keep up the confianza.
To all a good night.
Paz y Amor.
Amy
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