Varios Pensamientos

It's bee a busy past two months. I hosted four Municipal Development trainees in my site for four days in early July, as part of the PC training process. Trainees break up into groups of four or five and stay in volunteer communities for a few das to work with the volunteer and experience what life is like out on the field. I hosted a solid crew and with the help ofa lot of community members, planned a full four days for them. I'm still thanking my lucky stars for the success we had, in that the planned activities were realized, the people I planned with held through on their eds and nothing blew up in my face. I had the trainees help me teach my English class, which ended up being 2 hours of class and one hour of a round-table discussion comparing Salvadoran and American culture in everything from holidays to handshakes. They came out to a rural canton to see my HIV/AIDS charla, gave a charla of their own to 9th graders on gender equality and sterotypes, and helped the school kids decorate masks and make flowers in preparation of our environmental parade happening a week later. I think the trainees enjoyed themselves and I had a great time hosting them. I recall this experience last year as a pivotal moment, when I really saw for the first time how a volunteer lives in every sense in their community. Little did I know that a year later, on the other side of the trainee/volunteer spectrum, I'd realize it as a pivotal experience as well. To put it succinctly, the four days the new guys spent with me was my 'Holy crap, I have learned something this past year' realization. Through absolutely no fault of their own, the trainees were not as culturally or linguistically advanced as I am, just as last year my host was far more advanced than I. It makes complete logistical sense to recognize that one learns a damn lot in a year and subsequently improves n eveyr manner as an effective volunteer and culturally sensitive human being. Makes sense, but I didn't know that until about a month ago. When a community member spoke to the trainees and they looked at me for a translation, I realized with shock and awe that I could understand what Carlos or Clivia was saying. I could understand, even SPEAK Spanish. I know, this shouldn't be such a prodigious realization, but when you are constantly surrounded by native Spanish speakers who blend their vowels and speak half the time in regional lingo and throw out verb tenses that I've never even contemplated before you tend to come home each day thinking little more than 'linguistically, I am a retard.' It's ot so much that I'm down on myself than that in Chapeltique, it is 100% accurate to say that 100% of the time I am the worst Spanish speaker in town. But for these four days, I wasn't. I mentally noted when I heard a verb tense conjugated incorrectly, translated words without picking up a dictionary and finished sentences for the trainees. I spoke SPANISH. I'm a million conversations away from being fluent but I'm far better off now than I was a year ago. And I have to say, it feels good to recognize that. Through discussions and answering questions with the trainees, I realized that I actually know something about not just volunteer life but Salvadoran culture. I know meetin decorum, how to properly introduce someone, the words to the National Anthem, and the rules of the road. I've learned something. And I didn't even realize it. Instead of focusing on how far I still have to go, I was able to clearly see how far I've come. Those four days really bossted my optimism, self- confidence and hope that a year from now I'll be able to look back and think the same.

Since the visit from the trainees it's been nothing but fun and games around here. The parade we put on to honor the environment kicked off Chapeltique's first of two separate fiestas patronales, or week long celebrations to honor the town's patron saints. I had a great dal more fun this time around than I did at our fiestas last December, probably because I know more people now and I have less pena in general. I was asked to help judge the competition to determine the town's queen of the 'fiestas julias', which is rather ironic seeing as I, one of the judges, view the event as facetious at best, while the rest of the population here sees it roughly equivalent in importance to the general presidential election. The mayor actually pulled me aside beforehand to tell me which girl had to win. This I still have trouble believing. As it turned out, I voted for the most gregarious girl, the one who answered her 'what would you do for the youth of Chapeltique' question with the most thought. Sadly, everyoe else voted for the girl with the perkiest boobs, so my queen lost. My one small satisfaction from the night - at least the mayor's girl didn't win.

After our fiestas finished San Salvador's fiestas agostinas began a week later. School was let out for a week, public businesses closed down and the capital was filled with fair-esque events and heavy crowds. This coincided with my friend Biz's arrival to El Salvador. Biz can read this and perhaps testify otherwise, but I think after this trip he has quite a well-rounded view of the country. We started off by visiting a few of my good PC friends in Perquin, a touristy town i the north that also happened to be holding their fiesta del invierno, or annual winter festival. Fiestas in Perquin have a less manufactured feel to them - events held are politically inspired, and many of the main attractions are centered around historically significant events from the war. We mingled among countless Salvadoras and foreigners sporting Che Guevara tshirts and red star caps, watched traditional folk dances and experienced part of the mass march from Perquin to the small town of El Mozote, where the army massacred all but 2 of the 1,000 inhabitants in 1981. We also swam in one of Perquin's grand rivers, ate more tortas and tacos than I can count, and hiked up to a friend's site at the very tip of the country; going from Dave's cabin to his host family's house 200 m away is the difference from being in El Salvador and Honduras. We then spent four days in my site and finished his trip up at the beach and the capital.

I feel pretty safe saying that Biz got to see quite a bit of both the good and the not so good that characterizes this country in his ten days here. The typical food was great; the subsequent intestinal infection was not. His first dip in the Pacific Ocean could not be marred by our getting rained off the beach on our second day at the coast. Nothing could hide the unpleasantness of the feeling of unsafety in the capital, the relentless bugs or the tightly packed, lengthy and loud bus rides. At the same time, hopefully nothing could ruin the freeing sensation of traveling in the bed of a pick-up at full speed with the greatest possible view of the passing countryside, the peacefulness of hicking back and taking it easy in a hammock, or being tossed and turned in the waves in ocean water that is more tepid than bath water. I would be hardpressed to forget playing catch or eating pizza with some of my favorite community members, playing card games by candlelight in the cabin Dave built on the border of Honduras, or joking around at happy hour in the Intercontinental Hotel in San Salvador ($1.25 for two Pilseners and endless nachos Biz, don't forget it). It was a trip full of myriad emotions and experiences and I'm honored to have shared those ten days with my good friend. Thank you Biz - having you here was a pleasure and it meant the world to me.

One of the very last things I ever thought I'd encounter in El Salvador was downright war. Sure, I knew about the civil war of the 70's and 80's and the current gang warfare, but I didn't think those things would directly affect me, and they haven't thus far. Instead, I have inadvertantly foud myself a different type of armed conflict altogether. It involves me vs. My Host Family's Animals. They attack from all sides, furtively in the night and blatantly during the day. You've already read about the turkey - there's no strategy or stealth at play there, he just goes after anyone anywhere with any chance he gets. A few weeks ago he took a sneaker to the chest when I was on my way out for a run, and I suspect I may have pissed him off more than usual because he's rallied the other animals against me. The mosquitos are attacking in greater, stronger droves than usual. The geese have begun waiting for me to leave for the day, then sneaking up onto my patio and pooping huge, messy terds directly under my hammock. A scorpion bit me while I was sleeping either through or inside my mosquito net, and just a few nights ago a tarantula infiltrated my room and scurried under the fridge. I've sprayed Raid until I fear for my brain cell count but I still haven't found the thing. I'm losing sleep, subjecting myself to my own sort of Agent Orange through constant sprays of low dose posion in a small, confined space, walking to and from my house to my host family's house with a broom raised as a weapon to ward off the turkey, and I'm developing an eye twitch. I've also barricated the open entrance to my patio with lounge chairs and a marker board to stymie the efforts of the geese, so I literally look like a prisoner in my own home. Give me a helmet and some paper to write to my sweetheart and I coul be in a trench, fighting the good fight. Woman against beast, civilized vs. wild, clean patio vs. pooped on premisis. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out, as I'm out of ideas and reinforcements and they seem to be actively recruiting. If that tarantula gets me I'm done for. My one and only wish is that if I'm going down, the turkey comes with me, he started this whole mess. Pray for me, pray for peace against perturbed foul and irascible insects. Perhaps more than anything, pray for my sanity.

Caught up in all the action here means I missed some critical things at home - Lisa turning 25 and Sarah's bridal shower. I wish I could have been there with you girls to proudly wear my fidora and pay hommage to the Godfather theme. I can't wait to be home for the wedding next month - mainly, of course, for the food and my right to make a speech of whatever content I deem appropriate as the maid of honor. Be seeing you all soon.... take care until then!