This week we have had a lot of good-byes and will soon have some more on Sunday...
On Monday night we spent our last night in El campo with our Salvadoreano family. It was really just about a perfect night. We helped shell new beans with the whole family and everyone was home except for one of the grand-sons, Ronald. We talked and laughed a lot. Our host-mom, Sieriam, got all dressed up to in her suit to take pictures with each of us. We gave the last of our gifts and handed out cookies as a celebratory dessert. It was hard saying good-bye to so many wonderful people. They keep on asking when we will be visiting and can't wait until we send them pictures of from this summer.
Our youngest host-sisters have been writing us little notes all week with pictures of hearts and flowers and little messages that said,
"Mi hermano/a, you will be in my heart forever." Today, we were able to see two of our host-brothers here in San Salvador for the final time. Juan gave Evan a Madrid futbol bracelet and gave me his FMLN Mauricio Funes para Presidente necklace that he always wears. It was really nice of him to do so. We also got their phone numbers so we can call on occasion and check in as well as practice our Spanish.
Needless to say, we will be leaving a very warm and caring family here in El Salvador...but one that we hope to visit sometime in the future and to definitely stay in touch with. We have learned a lot from them this summer and we love them all.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Two weeks left!
It is almost time for us to start saying our good-byes to all the wonderful people we have met this summer. On Monday we will return to Chambala for the final time. This next week in Chambala will be full of playing with the kids, learning how to make a tortilla *finally*, spending time with our host-brothers working in the field, a day hiking trip with Don Miguel up to a high peak in Chambala, and lots of talking and picture taking. It is sad to think of leaving them but at the same time I am extremely happy to be going home to visit my own family. I feel I have learned a ton this summer and I don't think I will ever look at the world the same again and I am grateful for that. I feel I have grown as an individual but I also feel that Evan and I have grown as a couple. This experience has been hard for us in some ways but I believe that throughout our long talks on the porch of our little "house" that we have learned more about each other and grown also grown together. I am incredibly lucky to have spent three months of my six month marriage living and working so closely with my husband.
After this next week, we are being picked up from Chambala on Tuesday and the other girls will be picked up the following day. Then on July 31st there will be a con vivio, which is a meeting of at least one family member from each homestay and all of us. Then we will talk and have a reflection on what we have done and learned in the past two months. After that ends we,(Ramon, Kristi, Emily, Bethany, and Evan & I) will be headed to the beach for two nights. It is El Playa Zonte and everyone is looking forward to a few days at the beach before heading home. It will be Evan's first time seeing the Pacific and only my second time so we are both very excited! We have also already made plans for our first meal back in the states. We will have time for dinner at Houston Airport so we have decided to get some Harlon's BBQ as the first meal! Yumm! The following night we are going out for a welcome back dinner at Bern's (we are also looking forward to that). It is also in celebration of Carol's birthday, which is a week later. While in Tampa we are hoping to see both of our Grandmothers and a few friends as well. It will be a very good week being surrounded by family and friends. We miss you all! Lots of love...
After this next week, we are being picked up from Chambala on Tuesday and the other girls will be picked up the following day. Then on July 31st there will be a con vivio, which is a meeting of at least one family member from each homestay and all of us. Then we will talk and have a reflection on what we have done and learned in the past two months. After that ends we,(Ramon, Kristi, Emily, Bethany, and Evan & I) will be headed to the beach for two nights. It is El Playa Zonte and everyone is looking forward to a few days at the beach before heading home. It will be Evan's first time seeing the Pacific and only my second time so we are both very excited! We have also already made plans for our first meal back in the states. We will have time for dinner at Houston Airport so we have decided to get some Harlon's BBQ as the first meal! Yumm! The following night we are going out for a welcome back dinner at Bern's (we are also looking forward to that). It is also in celebration of Carol's birthday, which is a week later. While in Tampa we are hoping to see both of our Grandmothers and a few friends as well. It will be a very good week being surrounded by family and friends. We miss you all! Lots of love...
Monday, July 7, 2008
Life in the City
Here we are (finally with a computer that I can use for more then 10 mins) and I am very happy to be able to take a little more time filling you in on the details of our past two weeks. OK where do I start... I always have this problem that I can think of a million things to tell before I get to a computer but as soon as I am sitting in front of one, I can not think of a thing!
Well first off, let me tell you a little about how our daily routine has been we get up at 6:30 every morning, have breakfast at 7:15, and are at school by 8:00. We then had a four hour class, a hour and a half break and then off to various places throughout the city with our guide Oscar! Our afteroon trips took anywhere between two to four hours (including travel time) so you can imagine that by the time we arrived home around 5 or 6 at night we were exhausted... especially after speaking Spanish and listening to Spanish ALL day!
On our many trips around the sity we have seen beautiful things but also many things that I would be fine if I never saw anything like it again. This is referring mainly to some pictures we saw at UCA, where five Jesuit priests were brutally murdered and the cook and her daughter. I could only look at a few of the pictures but I saw enough! It was pictures of the morning after the murders. The pictures I have of the rose garden is where they were killed after being dragged from their dorm room quarters on the Catholic campus. It is hard to imagine that the beautiful peaceful garden we stood in is where such a horrible thing took place.
On that note, on to other, more cheerful thoughts...like what we have been eating!
Well, I have three words for you chicken, beans, and rice! There are occasionally other things thrown in...like tortillas, eggs, and that is pretty much it. Nothing too exciting there. We have still not gotten to try a pupusa because our breakfast and dinner was made for us by our homestay mom and those are the only times the pupusarias are open! This week we should be able to get to one though.
Well first off, let me tell you a little about how our daily routine has been we get up at 6:30 every morning, have breakfast at 7:15, and are at school by 8:00. We then had a four hour class, a hour and a half break and then off to various places throughout the city with our guide Oscar! Our afteroon trips took anywhere between two to four hours (including travel time) so you can imagine that by the time we arrived home around 5 or 6 at night we were exhausted... especially after speaking Spanish and listening to Spanish ALL day!
On our many trips around the sity we have seen beautiful things but also many things that I would be fine if I never saw anything like it again. This is referring mainly to some pictures we saw at UCA, where five Jesuit priests were brutally murdered and the cook and her daughter. I could only look at a few of the pictures but I saw enough! It was pictures of the morning after the murders. The pictures I have of the rose garden is where they were killed after being dragged from their dorm room quarters on the Catholic campus. It is hard to imagine that the beautiful peaceful garden we stood in is where such a horrible thing took place.
On that note, on to other, more cheerful thoughts...like what we have been eating!
Well, I have three words for you chicken, beans, and rice! There are occasionally other things thrown in...like tortillas, eggs, and that is pretty much it. Nothing too exciting there. We have still not gotten to try a pupusa because our breakfast and dinner was made for us by our homestay mom and those are the only times the pupusarias are open! This week we should be able to get to one though.
Leaving for Chambala
Well...here I am still at the CRISPAZ office, the rain has been too heavy in Chambala to drive up to our homestay so we are waiting it out here. (The cause of all the rain was the Tropical Storm system that hit Honduras.) There normally would not be many problems but we need to get close to the house to unload our cots and packs. We leave today for Chambala!
I would have written earlier but we have been busy going to more sites (some the same, some different) and being SICK!! Ugh...it was mainly just annoying but we both had stomach problems on Friday and Saturday. We aren´t sure what it was from as we both ate the same things for basically every meal for two days straight. Being sick here is definitely hard, harder than I imagined it would be. There were moments when I wished I hadn´t come and and just wanted my room and my things around me. I am sure those moments will not end throughout the summer but at least I know what to expect now.
Evan´s mom asked "What are the things you miss the most?"
Evan said, "I miss being able to choose from a variety of food."
I said, "I miss BB, my things, and my privacy!"
The whole chicken, rice, and beans thing gets old real fast when you´ve had it for almost every meal!! On the privacy note, it has been hard adjusting to not really having my own time and my own space (Evan does not count as I am already used to sharing my space with him). We have pretty much a good portion of our week and meals scheduled for us around when the group is doing things. I think most of you who are reading this know what an independant person I am (and if you don´t know Evan is the same) so having this fairly structured lifestyle doesn´t sit well with us and brings out our rebellious spirit! We were largely left alone while we were sick but it wasn´t like we could do much.
I have finished my second book of the summer, " The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway yesterday and I have now started on "Water for Elephants", I also have grand plans to read "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. In CRISPAZ´s "library", I have found the first two books but I suspect I just haven´t come across the other two. (the library is a bunch of books left here and we can "check-out" books by leaving our name and the book title on a sheet) They actually have a lot of books here.
I am very excited to get out of the city! In know I will miss some of the luxeries here but I can tell you two things I will not miss...
1. The NOISE!!!
I often feel like screaming so I can drown out the noise of all the cars tearing down our street ALL DAY every day! Evan actually had a dream that he was in a war and we were being bombed and that there were lines of tanks roaring down the street! No doubt because that is what the trucks sound like.
2. The SMOG!!
It smells...it coats your mouth..and now we can even see it!
It makes me sick to my stomach when I have to ride in a car or bus as it blows into your face and is quite disgusting and since it has been raining for awhile, the clouds make it worse! Yuck!
Anyways, to say the least I am happy to be going to el campo for a change of scenery. We have been here for almost a month now!! Hard to believe sometimes, it feels like it has gone by pretty quickly already.
I would have written earlier but we have been busy going to more sites (some the same, some different) and being SICK!! Ugh...it was mainly just annoying but we both had stomach problems on Friday and Saturday. We aren´t sure what it was from as we both ate the same things for basically every meal for two days straight. Being sick here is definitely hard, harder than I imagined it would be. There were moments when I wished I hadn´t come and and just wanted my room and my things around me. I am sure those moments will not end throughout the summer but at least I know what to expect now.
Evan´s mom asked "What are the things you miss the most?"
Evan said, "I miss being able to choose from a variety of food."
I said, "I miss BB, my things, and my privacy!"
The whole chicken, rice, and beans thing gets old real fast when you´ve had it for almost every meal!! On the privacy note, it has been hard adjusting to not really having my own time and my own space (Evan does not count as I am already used to sharing my space with him). We have pretty much a good portion of our week and meals scheduled for us around when the group is doing things. I think most of you who are reading this know what an independant person I am (and if you don´t know Evan is the same) so having this fairly structured lifestyle doesn´t sit well with us and brings out our rebellious spirit! We were largely left alone while we were sick but it wasn´t like we could do much.
I have finished my second book of the summer, " The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway yesterday and I have now started on "Water for Elephants", I also have grand plans to read "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. In CRISPAZ´s "library", I have found the first two books but I suspect I just haven´t come across the other two. (the library is a bunch of books left here and we can "check-out" books by leaving our name and the book title on a sheet) They actually have a lot of books here.
I am very excited to get out of the city! In know I will miss some of the luxeries here but I can tell you two things I will not miss...
1. The NOISE!!!
I often feel like screaming so I can drown out the noise of all the cars tearing down our street ALL DAY every day! Evan actually had a dream that he was in a war and we were being bombed and that there were lines of tanks roaring down the street! No doubt because that is what the trucks sound like.
2. The SMOG!!
It smells...it coats your mouth..and now we can even see it!
It makes me sick to my stomach when I have to ride in a car or bus as it blows into your face and is quite disgusting and since it has been raining for awhile, the clouds make it worse! Yuck!
Anyways, to say the least I am happy to be going to el campo for a change of scenery. We have been here for almost a month now!! Hard to believe sometimes, it feels like it has gone by pretty quickly already.
Life in Chambala
Ok, let my tell you a little about our home in Chambala. Most mornings we rise at 5:30 or 6 but usually we are roused from sleep at approximately 4:30 am, as that is about the time everyone else in Chambala gets up. The roosters crow early...around 10:30 pm and generally aren't heard from again until around 4:00 am. We have a corn-grinder near our small living quarters and it makes quite a racket but it is almost like having a fan to make a continuous noise...the only problem is it has trouble killing all the other sounds! By 7:00 we are out in the fields or helping with a construction project...I enjoy the field work the most as I tend to take a more active part in those activities. I made about 60 holes in the ground with a large wooden stake (my height) for the other stakes to be placed in to let the tomato plants to grow on! It was hard work and I am a bit sore now but it felt really good to actually help out. Evan and I adore our little family...and by little I mean about 10 people. The kids are great as they are not afraid to ask you questions and expect answers...which helps me speak more Spanish. However, it can get tiring when after a long day of hard work a group of 5 or 6 kids surround you and expect you to play with them. Neither Evan and I want to disappoint them but sometimes we are just too tired! Generally when that happens though, the kids love us again just as much the following day, not a spiteful bone in their bodies! Our host-brother, Juan, is eighteen and has been our main partner in crime when it comes to work. He is a very open and friendly guy, much like his father, and is always willing to help us out.
I have yet to really try my hand at "the woman's work" but I will try it before the summer is up. Our host-mother is one busy woman! She washes clothes for about ten people...by hand, cooks food for ten people. She constantly has kids running around her since they go to school in shifts, half in the morning and half in the afternoon. She is up before the rest of the house to get breakfast started by turning on the corn grinder. I rarely have seen her sit down, except for at dinner...and even then she is the last one in. The life of a housewife in the states would probably look incredibly simple and easy to her! I mean wow!
We are not sure of our work with OIKOS or the Lutheran School yet but we hope to find that out soon. Our first day in town we did get to go to an educational fair OIKOS held in El Transito but we haven't been to the office to do any work there yet.
The last thing I wanted to tell about is the Sunday Soccer games! The community has a soccer field way high up on the top of the hills, above many pastures and fields, with AMAZING views of the volcanos. There are two games: the first at 1:30 consists of the younger males in the community, the second at around 3:30 consists of the older, more experienced males in the community. Many people come and watch and there are vendors that bring soda and snacks to sell. It is quite the event and everyone (even the guys going to play) make sure they are showered and properly groomed before going. I found that interesting but because it is basically "THE" social event, it is understandable.
I have yet to really try my hand at "the woman's work" but I will try it before the summer is up. Our host-mother is one busy woman! She washes clothes for about ten people...by hand, cooks food for ten people. She constantly has kids running around her since they go to school in shifts, half in the morning and half in the afternoon. She is up before the rest of the house to get breakfast started by turning on the corn grinder. I rarely have seen her sit down, except for at dinner...and even then she is the last one in. The life of a housewife in the states would probably look incredibly simple and easy to her! I mean wow!
We are not sure of our work with OIKOS or the Lutheran School yet but we hope to find that out soon. Our first day in town we did get to go to an educational fair OIKOS held in El Transito but we haven't been to the office to do any work there yet.
The last thing I wanted to tell about is the Sunday Soccer games! The community has a soccer field way high up on the top of the hills, above many pastures and fields, with AMAZING views of the volcanos. There are two games: the first at 1:30 consists of the younger males in the community, the second at around 3:30 consists of the older, more experienced males in the community. Many people come and watch and there are vendors that bring soda and snacks to sell. It is quite the event and everyone (even the guys going to play) make sure they are showered and properly groomed before going. I found that interesting but because it is basically "THE" social event, it is understandable.
general
We've been here in El Salvador for 2 months now and about one month has been spent with our host family in Chambala. Up to this point it has been a mixture of challenges and rewards, but I think we both finally feel at home here and very accustomed to the country. The better experiences we've had truly vary from visiting the San Salvador Volcano and coffee co-operative to being able to work with our host family as they plant their onion crops. In every aspect of our lives here we have really enjoyed the natural beauty of the country. Having the opportunity to take in a different culture for such a lengthy period of time has been a blessing. I definitely know I will never be able to look at the United States or the world with the same eyes. We've also enjoyed watching how our host community works together on important issues like poverty and community building. There is something truly remarkable in watching communities come together for the first time in an effort to provide for the most needy among them.
As for the difficulties, I think being a married couple offers particular challenges when it comes to private space and time. We went from being married in February and having our own apartment in Washington, DC (where we lived a completely autonomous lifestyle) to living in a small room with a host family who have 8 children having most of our days planned out for us in some sense. This has presented the greatest challenge as both my wife and I have been adjusting to this loss of autonomy and seclusion. Obviously there have been other difficulties such as the language barrier, illness, cultural differences, and the like but none of these seem to be a constant source of irritation like the feeling of having lost our ¨personal¨ lives.
There are several main projects ongoing in our community but those we spend the most time on are: the construction of an onion storage facility and store, general aid to our family in their daily agricultural duties, repair and improvements to the rural roads, and the creation of a inter-community network. In respect to the first three projects, our duties are essentially manual labor. We've enjoyed this change from the more sedentary type of work we do in the US. The latter project is more interesting from an intellectual standpoint. The group OIKOS, a local non-profit, has been working with our community for several years, they are in fact the ones sponsoring the onion project as well. Currently, they are in the process of facilitating the meeting of community leaders from around the area in order to make them more independent from government aid as well as establishing networks for the future for other area wide projects. This is an extremely interesting process as none of the communities have ever worked together before. We've been allowed to sit in on meetings and watch the difficulties and successes of linking communities together and having them make important decisions on a more macro scale. At times our work in the community seems to be without a truly important purpose and that can be discouraging but I believe we have both come to a small understanding of the role we play. It is not for us to play the part of savior or even leader to our community, but to observe and learn what we can and take that back with us to our families and friends. If in some small way our presence encourages those we work with and live with to know that they are not alone and that people outside of their community do care then I believe we would feel some satisfaction in our work. Often when crossing the boundary between fear and courage, it is the knowledge that you are not alone in your fight that carries you through.
As for the difficulties, I think being a married couple offers particular challenges when it comes to private space and time. We went from being married in February and having our own apartment in Washington, DC (where we lived a completely autonomous lifestyle) to living in a small room with a host family who have 8 children having most of our days planned out for us in some sense. This has presented the greatest challenge as both my wife and I have been adjusting to this loss of autonomy and seclusion. Obviously there have been other difficulties such as the language barrier, illness, cultural differences, and the like but none of these seem to be a constant source of irritation like the feeling of having lost our ¨personal¨ lives.
There are several main projects ongoing in our community but those we spend the most time on are: the construction of an onion storage facility and store, general aid to our family in their daily agricultural duties, repair and improvements to the rural roads, and the creation of a inter-community network. In respect to the first three projects, our duties are essentially manual labor. We've enjoyed this change from the more sedentary type of work we do in the US. The latter project is more interesting from an intellectual standpoint. The group OIKOS, a local non-profit, has been working with our community for several years, they are in fact the ones sponsoring the onion project as well. Currently, they are in the process of facilitating the meeting of community leaders from around the area in order to make them more independent from government aid as well as establishing networks for the future for other area wide projects. This is an extremely interesting process as none of the communities have ever worked together before. We've been allowed to sit in on meetings and watch the difficulties and successes of linking communities together and having them make important decisions on a more macro scale. At times our work in the community seems to be without a truly important purpose and that can be discouraging but I believe we have both come to a small understanding of the role we play. It is not for us to play the part of savior or even leader to our community, but to observe and learn what we can and take that back with us to our families and friends. If in some small way our presence encourages those we work with and live with to know that they are not alone and that people outside of their community do care then I believe we would feel some satisfaction in our work. Often when crossing the boundary between fear and courage, it is the knowledge that you are not alone in your fight that carries you through.
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