Monday, March 31, 2008
first few weeks...
I’ll preface this blog by saying that I never wanted a blog (because it is a horrible word in and of itself), but when I call home, I want to talk about what is happening with everyone else, not the crazy happenings here, hence, my blog is born.
After saying a tearful goodbye to the fam in Washington, D.C. about three weeks ago, I started saying my hellos to my fellow volunteers. A varied, interesting group, mostly young with one viejo who is 70! (and amazing), we all started the get to know you process.
We arrived at the airport in El Salvador to our guide, who was wearing a T-shirt that said “Hot water is 4 bedwetters” with a stick figure saying “I love poop” and rode on the all famous chicken bus (the general mode of transportation in El Salv), which included lots of loud rap music, Jesus Christ paraphernalia, stuffed animals, and very close quarters. (People on the chicken buses hand off their bags, children, and animals to whoever can hold it, because the busses are so tight) The night we arrived we received our malaria medication and were finally sent off to sleep in a hotel-esqe place.
The next day, after a few crazy dreams caused by the quinine (malaria meds), I met the couple hosting me for the two months of training, and they are amazing. When I asked my senora for the address of her house (just for reference sake), she looked at me like I was freaking nuts, and told me everyone knew where she lived, on the street with the church (duh Linsey!).
Then I learned something very very important about my new life here. It turns out that the roosters think that dawn starts at 3:30 am, and that roosters are like barking dogs in a neighborhood, once one starts, they don’t stop. Hey, I turned into a heavy sleeper though, Brightside. As well, I learned how to wash my laundry by hand in the pila which is the water source here, and my senora and her friend were laughing at me washing my lil undies, and then continued to laugh when I hung them on the line… though I’m getting used to people looking, laughing (with or at), and generally just being a gringa in town.
I arrived in the week before Easter, called Semana Santa, which is like a glorified, super-uber religious spring break. For instance, we would substitute the body shots, bikinis and drinking games, for processions carrying Jesus through the streets, masses, and a Passion of Christ play. On Palm Sunday, the whole town came out to parade a HUGE Jesus Christ through the streets, stopping at various places to pray and sing. Later that week, the kids in the church put on the Passion of Christ play, where there was gasoline, fire, a live donkey, and a live hanging Jesus from the cross (keep in mind, these are all kids under 15). Legit, they crucified Jesus.
On Saturday night before Easter, I thought I was in a war zone (intermingled with the singing of hymns), but actually, the church was setting off rockets every 30 minutes simulate the resurrection of Christ. I would’ve picked a more reasonable hour, but it is tradition to stay up all night on the Saturday before Easter…EEEEEEEK!
I went to the beach with my family on Easter (the only day we didn’t go to mass), which I found strange, but the beach is the beach. It was a very strange cultural experience because 1. There were only 3 gringas on the whole beach, which drew lots of attention and because 2. We wore bathing suits, which normally wouldn’t really defy logic, as we were at the beach, but most of the Salvadorans wore their clothes in the water and on the beach.
(Forgive the incongruence of the blog; I’m cramming a few weeks in here) We’ve had lots of classes and lots of discussions about the culture here, which has given me lots to think about, so I’m obviously left with lots of questions about the culture, the language, the social norms (i.e. men think that it is completely OK to throw out lots of “hola mamacitas” and “halo babys”), gender roles, and myriad other questions that I’ll probably never answer. I’m pretty much elated about being here, loving it completely. Hopefully I’ll stay Dengue Fever free, stomach worm free, and malaria free. Until I can find more Internet access, hasta luego!
After saying a tearful goodbye to the fam in Washington, D.C. about three weeks ago, I started saying my hellos to my fellow volunteers. A varied, interesting group, mostly young with one viejo who is 70! (and amazing), we all started the get to know you process.
We arrived at the airport in El Salvador to our guide, who was wearing a T-shirt that said “Hot water is 4 bedwetters” with a stick figure saying “I love poop” and rode on the all famous chicken bus (the general mode of transportation in El Salv), which included lots of loud rap music, Jesus Christ paraphernalia, stuffed animals, and very close quarters. (People on the chicken buses hand off their bags, children, and animals to whoever can hold it, because the busses are so tight) The night we arrived we received our malaria medication and were finally sent off to sleep in a hotel-esqe place.
The next day, after a few crazy dreams caused by the quinine (malaria meds), I met the couple hosting me for the two months of training, and they are amazing. When I asked my senora for the address of her house (just for reference sake), she looked at me like I was freaking nuts, and told me everyone knew where she lived, on the street with the church (duh Linsey!).
Then I learned something very very important about my new life here. It turns out that the roosters think that dawn starts at 3:30 am, and that roosters are like barking dogs in a neighborhood, once one starts, they don’t stop. Hey, I turned into a heavy sleeper though, Brightside. As well, I learned how to wash my laundry by hand in the pila which is the water source here, and my senora and her friend were laughing at me washing my lil undies, and then continued to laugh when I hung them on the line… though I’m getting used to people looking, laughing (with or at), and generally just being a gringa in town.
I arrived in the week before Easter, called Semana Santa, which is like a glorified, super-uber religious spring break. For instance, we would substitute the body shots, bikinis and drinking games, for processions carrying Jesus through the streets, masses, and a Passion of Christ play. On Palm Sunday, the whole town came out to parade a HUGE Jesus Christ through the streets, stopping at various places to pray and sing. Later that week, the kids in the church put on the Passion of Christ play, where there was gasoline, fire, a live donkey, and a live hanging Jesus from the cross (keep in mind, these are all kids under 15). Legit, they crucified Jesus.
On Saturday night before Easter, I thought I was in a war zone (intermingled with the singing of hymns), but actually, the church was setting off rockets every 30 minutes simulate the resurrection of Christ. I would’ve picked a more reasonable hour, but it is tradition to stay up all night on the Saturday before Easter…EEEEEEEK!
I went to the beach with my family on Easter (the only day we didn’t go to mass), which I found strange, but the beach is the beach. It was a very strange cultural experience because 1. There were only 3 gringas on the whole beach, which drew lots of attention and because 2. We wore bathing suits, which normally wouldn’t really defy logic, as we were at the beach, but most of the Salvadorans wore their clothes in the water and on the beach.
(Forgive the incongruence of the blog; I’m cramming a few weeks in here) We’ve had lots of classes and lots of discussions about the culture here, which has given me lots to think about, so I’m obviously left with lots of questions about the culture, the language, the social norms (i.e. men think that it is completely OK to throw out lots of “hola mamacitas” and “halo babys”), gender roles, and myriad other questions that I’ll probably never answer. I’m pretty much elated about being here, loving it completely. Hopefully I’ll stay Dengue Fever free, stomach worm free, and malaria free. Until I can find more Internet access, hasta luego!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
