¡Hola Amigos!
On Monday, we all packed up and headed to the retreat center to begin our re-entry retreat. The first day we discussed our hopes and fears and what we thought would be the biggest challenges trying to reintegrate ourselves back into American culture. On Tuesday, we all went to this awesome beach with a huge water slide. This was our last day together as a group. We pulled an all-nighter on Tuesday since the first group of students left for the airport at 4:30am. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone. Due to a flight problem, I had to say an extra day at the retreat center. That Wednesday was so depressing. Four other students stayed behind with me and we all just moped around all day. That night we pulled ourselves together and went out for drinks and dessert.
I arrived back in the States on Thursday, and it has been so hard to adjust back to “normal” life. I’m just in this daze trying to make sense of everything I experienced in the past four months.
So I guess this brings my story to an end. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers while I’ve been away. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my adventures in El Salvador and if there’s time, I would love to sit down with each one of you and show you all my pictures and tell you all the crazy stories that I didn’t have the space to write about. ¡Adios amigos!
Paz,
Stephanie
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Mi último día en Mariona
¡Hola Amigos!
Wednesday was my last day in Mariona. To celebrate your time in the community, we planned a despedida (going away party). We invited all our English students and all the people we have met during our time I Mariona. Oti estimated that about 50 people were coming to the party and the Casa gave us a $50 stipend to work with. So Wednesday morning we spent shopping in the Mejicanos market for party things. In typical Salvadorian fashion, nothing went according to plan, but in the end all worked out for the best.
In the market we needed to print certificates for our students and handouts for the conversation they were going to present during the party, buy a cake, buy frosting for cupcakes Jen and I made the night before, get decorations, and find small gifts for each of the students. Our first stop was a print shop. We gave the man behind the counter my jump drive with all the saved documents. We only accomplished printing the certificates (which came out different since his program was not compatible to ours) and couldn’t print the handout because he was too confused and we couldn’t show him what document we wanted printed. So we left and found a cyber café to print the handout. The print shop had given my jump drive a virus so when we tried to print at the internet café, the document refused to open. We panicked a little since we really needed these handouts for our students. Somehow my jump drive miraculously fixed itself and we finally got to print the conversation, but we had wasted precious shopping time. With our papers we hurried off to the grocery store to buy icing and gifts. The store didn’t carry icing and the school supplies were too expensive for our budget. So we ran across the street to a paper store and bought 9 notebooks, pencils, and erasers for the students. Oti wanted us to buy more, but we were on a budget (school supplies are very expensive in El Salvador) and we only had 9 kids who came regularly to class. With our gifts and papers, we began the cake search. The first cake store we walked into was completely empty. All the display racks were empty. There was no cake to be found. Tuesday was worker’s day and no one baked any cakes because they had the day off from work. We found another cake shop, but they didn’t have cakes either. We asked if they sold icing and of course did not. So we bought $10 worth of pan dulce, which was 99 cookies. We continued the quest for icing and were running out of time so ended up buying chocolate to melt on top of the cupcakes.
Once back at the cooperative we thought we had everything under control. We made decorations and stuffed the piñata with candy (we had a cool Nemo piñata that we bought the night before). As the students began to arrive, we noticed that there were 10, not 9. One girl showed up that had only attended the first few classes. She told us she wanted to come to more classes but couldn’t because her mom had been in the hospital. We felt horrible and went into panic mode trying to find one more gift. Luckily we work at a cooperative and we bought a pair of earrings and a bracelet for one of the older girls who volunteered to be interviewed for our praxis project. The student presentations went well and some of the parents after told us our English classes had helped the kids do better in the English classes at school. We felt so proud.
After the presentations it was piñata time. Of course it was fun and everyone enjoyed beating Nemo. After we ate the cupcakes without frosting (which I thought were horrible but the kids liked them) and 100 pupusas (only 30 people showed up so we had a bunch of left over pupusas). After eating, a dance troop showed up to perform traditional dances for us. Over all our last day ended up being great. We exchanged contact info with some of our students and they gave us cute thank you notes. It was kind of sad saying goodbye to our students since most of them didn’t understand why we weren’t coming back in August and why we couldn’t come visit them often. We’re having a big depedida at the Casa Sunday, so I will say goodbye to Oti, Lolo, and the women from the cooperative then.
Paz,
Stephanie
Wednesday was my last day in Mariona. To celebrate your time in the community, we planned a despedida (going away party). We invited all our English students and all the people we have met during our time I Mariona. Oti estimated that about 50 people were coming to the party and the Casa gave us a $50 stipend to work with. So Wednesday morning we spent shopping in the Mejicanos market for party things. In typical Salvadorian fashion, nothing went according to plan, but in the end all worked out for the best.
In the market we needed to print certificates for our students and handouts for the conversation they were going to present during the party, buy a cake, buy frosting for cupcakes Jen and I made the night before, get decorations, and find small gifts for each of the students. Our first stop was a print shop. We gave the man behind the counter my jump drive with all the saved documents. We only accomplished printing the certificates (which came out different since his program was not compatible to ours) and couldn’t print the handout because he was too confused and we couldn’t show him what document we wanted printed. So we left and found a cyber café to print the handout. The print shop had given my jump drive a virus so when we tried to print at the internet café, the document refused to open. We panicked a little since we really needed these handouts for our students. Somehow my jump drive miraculously fixed itself and we finally got to print the conversation, but we had wasted precious shopping time. With our papers we hurried off to the grocery store to buy icing and gifts. The store didn’t carry icing and the school supplies were too expensive for our budget. So we ran across the street to a paper store and bought 9 notebooks, pencils, and erasers for the students. Oti wanted us to buy more, but we were on a budget (school supplies are very expensive in El Salvador) and we only had 9 kids who came regularly to class. With our gifts and papers, we began the cake search. The first cake store we walked into was completely empty. All the display racks were empty. There was no cake to be found. Tuesday was worker’s day and no one baked any cakes because they had the day off from work. We found another cake shop, but they didn’t have cakes either. We asked if they sold icing and of course did not. So we bought $10 worth of pan dulce, which was 99 cookies. We continued the quest for icing and were running out of time so ended up buying chocolate to melt on top of the cupcakes.
Once back at the cooperative we thought we had everything under control. We made decorations and stuffed the piñata with candy (we had a cool Nemo piñata that we bought the night before). As the students began to arrive, we noticed that there were 10, not 9. One girl showed up that had only attended the first few classes. She told us she wanted to come to more classes but couldn’t because her mom had been in the hospital. We felt horrible and went into panic mode trying to find one more gift. Luckily we work at a cooperative and we bought a pair of earrings and a bracelet for one of the older girls who volunteered to be interviewed for our praxis project. The student presentations went well and some of the parents after told us our English classes had helped the kids do better in the English classes at school. We felt so proud.
After the presentations it was piñata time. Of course it was fun and everyone enjoyed beating Nemo. After we ate the cupcakes without frosting (which I thought were horrible but the kids liked them) and 100 pupusas (only 30 people showed up so we had a bunch of left over pupusas). After eating, a dance troop showed up to perform traditional dances for us. Over all our last day ended up being great. We exchanged contact info with some of our students and they gave us cute thank you notes. It was kind of sad saying goodbye to our students since most of them didn’t understand why we weren’t coming back in August and why we couldn’t come visit them often. We’re having a big depedida at the Casa Sunday, so I will say goodbye to Oti, Lolo, and the women from the cooperative then.
Paz,
Stephanie
Monday, April 23, 2007
El Mozote
¡Hola Amigos!
Two weeks left to my adventures in El Salvador and so much is going on right now. I have final projects in every class- 12 page analysis of the Salvadorian news, video documentary of women’s issues in El Salvador, and some kind of creative interpretation of my time in El Salvador. I feel like there is so much I want to do, but don’t have the time.
This weekend we took a trip to Morazan to visit the site of the massacre at El Mozote. The bus ride there was about 4 and a half hours and by the time we got off the bus pretty much everyone was sick with stomach problems, fever, and body aches. This pretty much set the tone for the weekend. No one felt well and we were all stressed out already because of homework. On Saturday we went to the museum of the revolution. We were supposed to go to a concert after the museum, but most people ran back to the hostel to go to the bathroom and sleep. When I was told we would be staying in a hotel I immediately pictured a Holiday Inn. I should have known better…this is El Salvador. There were no beds, just mats on the floor and there were not enough mats for everyone so there were at least 2 people to a mat. My mat had one blanket that smelled like it hadn’t been washed ever. It was freezing cold at night and I tried to wrap up in the blanket without letting too much of the nasty thing touch me.
The next morning we got off to a late start because people were still pooping. At El Mozote we learned that over 1,000 innocent people were killed. The Salvadorian government refuses to take responsibility for the massacre and claims (after many investigations have proved them wrong) that a conflict between the National Guard and Guerrillas took place there. There was a garden with some of the names of the children killed. Most were under the age of 12. After the massacre, the National Guard set the town on fire. It wasn’t until 1990 that people began to resettle El Mozote. The place had an eerie haunted vibe.
We were supposed to swim in the river in the afternoon, but we all felt sick so we just drove back to the Casa. I think tomorrow a bunch of poop sample will be taken, but don’t worry…I’m still healthy.
Paz,
Stephanie
Two weeks left to my adventures in El Salvador and so much is going on right now. I have final projects in every class- 12 page analysis of the Salvadorian news, video documentary of women’s issues in El Salvador, and some kind of creative interpretation of my time in El Salvador. I feel like there is so much I want to do, but don’t have the time.
This weekend we took a trip to Morazan to visit the site of the massacre at El Mozote. The bus ride there was about 4 and a half hours and by the time we got off the bus pretty much everyone was sick with stomach problems, fever, and body aches. This pretty much set the tone for the weekend. No one felt well and we were all stressed out already because of homework. On Saturday we went to the museum of the revolution. We were supposed to go to a concert after the museum, but most people ran back to the hostel to go to the bathroom and sleep. When I was told we would be staying in a hotel I immediately pictured a Holiday Inn. I should have known better…this is El Salvador. There were no beds, just mats on the floor and there were not enough mats for everyone so there were at least 2 people to a mat. My mat had one blanket that smelled like it hadn’t been washed ever. It was freezing cold at night and I tried to wrap up in the blanket without letting too much of the nasty thing touch me.
The next morning we got off to a late start because people were still pooping. At El Mozote we learned that over 1,000 innocent people were killed. The Salvadorian government refuses to take responsibility for the massacre and claims (after many investigations have proved them wrong) that a conflict between the National Guard and Guerrillas took place there. There was a garden with some of the names of the children killed. Most were under the age of 12. After the massacre, the National Guard set the town on fire. It wasn’t until 1990 that people began to resettle El Mozote. The place had an eerie haunted vibe.
We were supposed to swim in the river in the afternoon, but we all felt sick so we just drove back to the Casa. I think tomorrow a bunch of poop sample will be taken, but don’t worry…I’m still healthy.
Paz,
Stephanie
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Semana Santa y el Campo
¡Hola Amigos!
This past week has been so action packed I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start with el Domingo de los Ramas (Palm Sunday). A group of us went to Amantepec (one of the praxis sites) for mass. We all gathered in the market place and processed to the church singing and carrying our palms. The next day we all crammed into the microbus and headed off to the campo (the country).
So here’s some background info on the campo. The campo is rural El Salvador. The region we stayed in (Chalatenango) was controlled by the guerillas during the majority of the civil war. It was one of the areas most heavily hit by the violence. The “Sumpul River Massacre” (one of the worst massacres of the war) took place in this area. We stayed in small villages surrounding Arcatao (a town situated on the El Salvador-Honduras border). Getting to Arcatao was a challenge. The roads are rough and unpaved. At one point we all had to get off the bus because we got a flat tire. Monday and Tuesday we stayed in Arcatao at the retreat center, and on Tuesday we went on a day retreat with youth from the surrounding villages. For me this was a great experience because I don’t have much interaction with Salvadorian youth/young adults and it was great to learn a little about the faith life of teens.
Wednesday morning we headed out to our communities. We were each put into pairs (my partner was Amy) and given a huge cesta (basket) filled with beans, rice, sugar, plantains, and other things for the family. The cestas were at least 50 pounds each. It took all my strength just to pick it off the ground. We were responsible for carrying our own cestas and our backpacks. With the intense heat I just prayed my walk wasn’t too far because there was no way I was carrying that cesta. Luckily, my family lived in Carasque (about an hour and 45min drive from Arcatao) and since this was ridiculously far to walk Amy and I were given a ride and dropped off at our front door. The road to Carasque was rough. It’s started to rain here so one part of the road was flooded and we had to wait for a pig to finish rolling in the muddy water before we could continue up the road. The scenery was beautiful, but so dry and brown.
We pulled up to my family’s house. It was a small three room house made out of cinder block and a tin roof. There were 5 beds crammed into two tiny rooms that had no air circulation to speak of. The middle room had a hammock, stereo, small TV, and couches made out of old car seats. The “bathroom” was behind the house. It consisted of a pila (a trough-like sink with a bucket) and a toilet that was surrounded by tin walls (we were one of the luckier pairs that actually had a real toilet). Chickens ran around everywhere (one chicken laid an egg under my bed) and there was a strong smell of manure since the horse and cows were just hanging out next to the bathroom (they drank out of the same pila that we had to use for washing out hair and brushing our teeth) and there was a pig next to the pila for washing dished and preparing food. Amy and I were given our own beds and shared a room with the oldest daughter. The mom and 4 boys slept in two beds in the other room. The beds were only beds in the sense that they looked like beds. The beds were wooded frames with a thin straw mat thrown over the springs and a blanket was put on top of the mat. We had no pillows and it was so hard to get comfortable at night. It would have been more comfortable to sleep on the floor, but there was chicken poop everywhere. In the front of the house there was a small patio with another hammock and a table. The mom worked in a tienda (store) in the front of the house selling candy and drinks. The tienda also doubled as a kitchen/chicken house. Also, our house had tile floor which was a step above most families that only have dirt floors.
My family was great. I immediately felt welcome. Within the first 10min of arriving, I had a dirty baseball hat put on my head and was off with the boys and Amy throwing rocks at a mango tree trying to collect mangos. Let me describe my host family a little. The mom’s name is Sonya. She works in a tienda to earn money and does all the farm work during the week as well as cooks and cleans since all her kids go to school and her husband left in December for the U.S. The husband owned two huge trucks and made money by delivering things from Chalatenango (the city) to Carasque. He has three brothers already in the States and lives with them in Denver. He works in a restaurant, speaks no English, and is undocumented. The family said he hasn’t earned enough money yet to send back. There are 5 kids. The oldest is Lupe (18) who attends the National University near the UCA and is studying to be a science teacher. She was really cool and fun to hang out with. She was very open with us and shared a lot about the reality in El Salvador. She said she would love to go to the States to visit her dad, but doesn’t want to immigrate. Jobs in El Salvador are so scarce she may have no other choice. She was sad so many youth were leaving El Salvador that didn’t want to leave, but were forced to go to the States to find jobs. Next was Samuel (16). We didn’t really interact with him much because he was usually working on the farm. He was quiet and I think his dad’s recent immigration has affected him the most since he goes to high school and took over his dad’s job. He goes to the closest high school which is in Chalatenango (about a 2 hour bus ride). He only comes home on weekends and lives in a house with other scholarship students from Carasque during the week. Marvin (14) was obsessed with the U.S. He also talked about how El Salvador is so ugly and boring (which is not true). At one point he was sweeping the chicken poop off the patio and commented that there was no dust or dirt in the U.S. We quickly corrected him and informed him that the U.S. has tons of dust and dirt and that parts are not that beautiful. I have no idea where he was getting this skewed image of the U.S., but I foresee him immigrating to the U.S. when he is older. He also is trying really hard to learn English. I worry about Marvin because I know what kind of life he would have in the U.S. and it wouldn’t be his perfect little pristine dream. The second youngest is Leonel (10). He was so sweat and my favorite person to hang out with. He was so mature for his age that I would forget he was just a little 10 year old boy. The harsh realities of El Salvador cut childhoods short and kids are expected to work and take on responsibilities kids in the U.S. would never have. The baby of the family is Luís (6). He was just like any other 6 year old. He always wanted to play and rigged the card games so that he would always win. At times he was annoying and got picked on by his older brothers. He wasn’t tainted yet by reality.
Now on to life in the campo. My family woke up every morning at 5:30am. Not wanting to seem lazy we usually woke up around 6am. Meals consisted of beans, cheese, tortillas, and coffee for every meal. I don’t drink coffee so when no one was looking the plant next to the table got watered every meal with my coffee. From 12pm to 2pm we rested. Actually it was too hot to do anything so we had to rest. I’ve never sweated so much in my life for no reason. During the day it was 101 degrees and at night it cooled off to 88 degrees. I never stopped sweating.
Because it was Semana Santa (Holy Week), there was a mass or service everyday. On Wednesday night Sonya, Lupe, Amy, and I went to a service at the church. We broke into small groups and reflected on the prodigal son and there was confession afterwards. Since there is a lack of priests in the campo, one priest is assigned to 5 or 6 different communities. These communities take turns hosting the Holy Week masses. On Thursday we hiked 45min up a mountain to get to mass. The churches are small and simple. The majority of people were usually sitting on the grass outside because there was no room in the actual church. Friday Carasque hosted the Via Cruz (Way of the Cross). Small crosses were set up and decorated on the side of the road and we processed in the heat of the day from cross to cross. At each on kids would act out the station. The last 4 stations took place in the church. I couldn’t believe how dressed up the people got for the service. Girls were walking up dirt hills in high heels and men had long sleeved bottom down shirts on. It was so hot I felt like I was melting, but they somehow looked so put together as I dragged myself up the hill in dirty pants and a T-shirt. Saturday we went to the river (an Easter tradition for El Salvador). All the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents were there. We all brought soap and bathed in the river. In the evening we went to Easter Vigil mass. The walk was and hour and 30min and we had to climb three steep hills. Everyone walks, even grandma. Some people can’t come because the walk is too far, but I was amazed at how many people did come and walked for hours just to get to mass. The mass began with a bonfire up the road from the church and everyone lit candles and processed to the church. After mass we burned Judas which was pretty cool. We had a band and dancing and candy. It was a huge celebration and watching the scarecrow Judas burn was pretty cool. Sunday morning we walked an hour to Easter mass. On the way there we passed a blind man walking to church. The faith of the people is amazing.
Monday morning we said goodbye to our family and came back to the Casa. The campo was an amazing experience and I felt so safe and at ease the whole week. Unlike the city the campo is much more tranquil. I have so many stories from campo week, but I can’t possibly write them all here. Ask me when I get back, I’ll be happy to share.
Paz,
Stephanie
This past week has been so action packed I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start with el Domingo de los Ramas (Palm Sunday). A group of us went to Amantepec (one of the praxis sites) for mass. We all gathered in the market place and processed to the church singing and carrying our palms. The next day we all crammed into the microbus and headed off to the campo (the country).
So here’s some background info on the campo. The campo is rural El Salvador. The region we stayed in (Chalatenango) was controlled by the guerillas during the majority of the civil war. It was one of the areas most heavily hit by the violence. The “Sumpul River Massacre” (one of the worst massacres of the war) took place in this area. We stayed in small villages surrounding Arcatao (a town situated on the El Salvador-Honduras border). Getting to Arcatao was a challenge. The roads are rough and unpaved. At one point we all had to get off the bus because we got a flat tire. Monday and Tuesday we stayed in Arcatao at the retreat center, and on Tuesday we went on a day retreat with youth from the surrounding villages. For me this was a great experience because I don’t have much interaction with Salvadorian youth/young adults and it was great to learn a little about the faith life of teens.
Wednesday morning we headed out to our communities. We were each put into pairs (my partner was Amy) and given a huge cesta (basket) filled with beans, rice, sugar, plantains, and other things for the family. The cestas were at least 50 pounds each. It took all my strength just to pick it off the ground. We were responsible for carrying our own cestas and our backpacks. With the intense heat I just prayed my walk wasn’t too far because there was no way I was carrying that cesta. Luckily, my family lived in Carasque (about an hour and 45min drive from Arcatao) and since this was ridiculously far to walk Amy and I were given a ride and dropped off at our front door. The road to Carasque was rough. It’s started to rain here so one part of the road was flooded and we had to wait for a pig to finish rolling in the muddy water before we could continue up the road. The scenery was beautiful, but so dry and brown.
We pulled up to my family’s house. It was a small three room house made out of cinder block and a tin roof. There were 5 beds crammed into two tiny rooms that had no air circulation to speak of. The middle room had a hammock, stereo, small TV, and couches made out of old car seats. The “bathroom” was behind the house. It consisted of a pila (a trough-like sink with a bucket) and a toilet that was surrounded by tin walls (we were one of the luckier pairs that actually had a real toilet). Chickens ran around everywhere (one chicken laid an egg under my bed) and there was a strong smell of manure since the horse and cows were just hanging out next to the bathroom (they drank out of the same pila that we had to use for washing out hair and brushing our teeth) and there was a pig next to the pila for washing dished and preparing food. Amy and I were given our own beds and shared a room with the oldest daughter. The mom and 4 boys slept in two beds in the other room. The beds were only beds in the sense that they looked like beds. The beds were wooded frames with a thin straw mat thrown over the springs and a blanket was put on top of the mat. We had no pillows and it was so hard to get comfortable at night. It would have been more comfortable to sleep on the floor, but there was chicken poop everywhere. In the front of the house there was a small patio with another hammock and a table. The mom worked in a tienda (store) in the front of the house selling candy and drinks. The tienda also doubled as a kitchen/chicken house. Also, our house had tile floor which was a step above most families that only have dirt floors.
My family was great. I immediately felt welcome. Within the first 10min of arriving, I had a dirty baseball hat put on my head and was off with the boys and Amy throwing rocks at a mango tree trying to collect mangos. Let me describe my host family a little. The mom’s name is Sonya. She works in a tienda to earn money and does all the farm work during the week as well as cooks and cleans since all her kids go to school and her husband left in December for the U.S. The husband owned two huge trucks and made money by delivering things from Chalatenango (the city) to Carasque. He has three brothers already in the States and lives with them in Denver. He works in a restaurant, speaks no English, and is undocumented. The family said he hasn’t earned enough money yet to send back. There are 5 kids. The oldest is Lupe (18) who attends the National University near the UCA and is studying to be a science teacher. She was really cool and fun to hang out with. She was very open with us and shared a lot about the reality in El Salvador. She said she would love to go to the States to visit her dad, but doesn’t want to immigrate. Jobs in El Salvador are so scarce she may have no other choice. She was sad so many youth were leaving El Salvador that didn’t want to leave, but were forced to go to the States to find jobs. Next was Samuel (16). We didn’t really interact with him much because he was usually working on the farm. He was quiet and I think his dad’s recent immigration has affected him the most since he goes to high school and took over his dad’s job. He goes to the closest high school which is in Chalatenango (about a 2 hour bus ride). He only comes home on weekends and lives in a house with other scholarship students from Carasque during the week. Marvin (14) was obsessed with the U.S. He also talked about how El Salvador is so ugly and boring (which is not true). At one point he was sweeping the chicken poop off the patio and commented that there was no dust or dirt in the U.S. We quickly corrected him and informed him that the U.S. has tons of dust and dirt and that parts are not that beautiful. I have no idea where he was getting this skewed image of the U.S., but I foresee him immigrating to the U.S. when he is older. He also is trying really hard to learn English. I worry about Marvin because I know what kind of life he would have in the U.S. and it wouldn’t be his perfect little pristine dream. The second youngest is Leonel (10). He was so sweat and my favorite person to hang out with. He was so mature for his age that I would forget he was just a little 10 year old boy. The harsh realities of El Salvador cut childhoods short and kids are expected to work and take on responsibilities kids in the U.S. would never have. The baby of the family is Luís (6). He was just like any other 6 year old. He always wanted to play and rigged the card games so that he would always win. At times he was annoying and got picked on by his older brothers. He wasn’t tainted yet by reality.
Now on to life in the campo. My family woke up every morning at 5:30am. Not wanting to seem lazy we usually woke up around 6am. Meals consisted of beans, cheese, tortillas, and coffee for every meal. I don’t drink coffee so when no one was looking the plant next to the table got watered every meal with my coffee. From 12pm to 2pm we rested. Actually it was too hot to do anything so we had to rest. I’ve never sweated so much in my life for no reason. During the day it was 101 degrees and at night it cooled off to 88 degrees. I never stopped sweating.
Because it was Semana Santa (Holy Week), there was a mass or service everyday. On Wednesday night Sonya, Lupe, Amy, and I went to a service at the church. We broke into small groups and reflected on the prodigal son and there was confession afterwards. Since there is a lack of priests in the campo, one priest is assigned to 5 or 6 different communities. These communities take turns hosting the Holy Week masses. On Thursday we hiked 45min up a mountain to get to mass. The churches are small and simple. The majority of people were usually sitting on the grass outside because there was no room in the actual church. Friday Carasque hosted the Via Cruz (Way of the Cross). Small crosses were set up and decorated on the side of the road and we processed in the heat of the day from cross to cross. At each on kids would act out the station. The last 4 stations took place in the church. I couldn’t believe how dressed up the people got for the service. Girls were walking up dirt hills in high heels and men had long sleeved bottom down shirts on. It was so hot I felt like I was melting, but they somehow looked so put together as I dragged myself up the hill in dirty pants and a T-shirt. Saturday we went to the river (an Easter tradition for El Salvador). All the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents were there. We all brought soap and bathed in the river. In the evening we went to Easter Vigil mass. The walk was and hour and 30min and we had to climb three steep hills. Everyone walks, even grandma. Some people can’t come because the walk is too far, but I was amazed at how many people did come and walked for hours just to get to mass. The mass began with a bonfire up the road from the church and everyone lit candles and processed to the church. After mass we burned Judas which was pretty cool. We had a band and dancing and candy. It was a huge celebration and watching the scarecrow Judas burn was pretty cool. Sunday morning we walked an hour to Easter mass. On the way there we passed a blind man walking to church. The faith of the people is amazing.
Monday morning we said goodbye to our family and came back to the Casa. The campo was an amazing experience and I felt so safe and at ease the whole week. Unlike the city the campo is much more tranquil. I have so many stories from campo week, but I can’t possibly write them all here. Ask me when I get back, I’ll be happy to share.
Paz,
Stephanie
Monday, March 26, 2007
Aniversario de Romero y la Boda
¡Hola Amigos!
Ever since spring break I’ve been incredibly busy. My family came to visit for four days at the end of break. I was excited to have them here and I had a good visit with them. We went to Suchitoto, the beach, and I showed them around San Salvador. In Mariona we had a fiesta to celebrate their visit.
On Friday, the Casa students got to have a special meeting with Robert White, the former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador during the war. He told us that if the U.S. hadn’t intervened, the civil war in El Salvador would have been very, very short and the current ARENA party would not be in office. He also said the gang situation wouldn’t exist now and the government wouldn’t be as corrupt if the U.S. had stayed out of the war. White said that it is one thing to have power, but if you don’t use it for good then power means nothing. Despite popular American belief about the war in El Salvador, White said the revolution was justified and that it had nothing to do with Communism. The fight was against decades of injustice. He admitted that the news is skewed and stressed the importance of turning off the TV news and actually doing research to find the real truth.
Saturday was the 17th Romero Anniversary and there were festivities all day. At 4pm we all joined the march to the Cathedral. On the way we stopped and said five Stations of the Cross. The march was beautiful. People were waving Romero banners, carrying candles, singing, and yelling “¡Vive Romero!” Once we got to the Cathedral where Romero is buried there was a huge mass. It seemed like the whole country was there to celebrate the life of Romero.
Sunday was Gene (our history teacher) and Lupita’s (one of the Casa cooks) wedding. Casa students were in charge of the decorations and I was on the decorating committee (since I’m an experienced wedding coordinator). We worked long hours all week making streamers, center pieces, a banner, and casamiento (beans and rice that you throw on the bride and groom when they leave the Church. It’s called casamiento because the beans and rice come together in a “marriage”). Since Gene and Lupita know pretty much everyone, there were 400 people at the wedding. That means we had to make a lot of decorations for all the tables. The wedding began at 11:30am, and we starting setting up at 9am. It took us so long to move tables and set up that we arrived late to the wedding and had to rush to decorate the Church. Luckily, like all good brides, Lupita was late so we had plenty of time to set up. The theme was blue and white, El Salvador’s colors. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was so much fun. There was a live band and great food. We knew a lot of the people at the wedding so it was fun talking to everyone. We also danced all afternoon. This was pretty much the wedding of the year.
Paz,
Stephanie
Ever since spring break I’ve been incredibly busy. My family came to visit for four days at the end of break. I was excited to have them here and I had a good visit with them. We went to Suchitoto, the beach, and I showed them around San Salvador. In Mariona we had a fiesta to celebrate their visit.
On Friday, the Casa students got to have a special meeting with Robert White, the former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador during the war. He told us that if the U.S. hadn’t intervened, the civil war in El Salvador would have been very, very short and the current ARENA party would not be in office. He also said the gang situation wouldn’t exist now and the government wouldn’t be as corrupt if the U.S. had stayed out of the war. White said that it is one thing to have power, but if you don’t use it for good then power means nothing. Despite popular American belief about the war in El Salvador, White said the revolution was justified and that it had nothing to do with Communism. The fight was against decades of injustice. He admitted that the news is skewed and stressed the importance of turning off the TV news and actually doing research to find the real truth.
Saturday was the 17th Romero Anniversary and there were festivities all day. At 4pm we all joined the march to the Cathedral. On the way we stopped and said five Stations of the Cross. The march was beautiful. People were waving Romero banners, carrying candles, singing, and yelling “¡Vive Romero!” Once we got to the Cathedral where Romero is buried there was a huge mass. It seemed like the whole country was there to celebrate the life of Romero.
Sunday was Gene (our history teacher) and Lupita’s (one of the Casa cooks) wedding. Casa students were in charge of the decorations and I was on the decorating committee (since I’m an experienced wedding coordinator). We worked long hours all week making streamers, center pieces, a banner, and casamiento (beans and rice that you throw on the bride and groom when they leave the Church. It’s called casamiento because the beans and rice come together in a “marriage”). Since Gene and Lupita know pretty much everyone, there were 400 people at the wedding. That means we had to make a lot of decorations for all the tables. The wedding began at 11:30am, and we starting setting up at 9am. It took us so long to move tables and set up that we arrived late to the wedding and had to rush to decorate the Church. Luckily, like all good brides, Lupita was late so we had plenty of time to set up. The theme was blue and white, El Salvador’s colors. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was so much fun. There was a live band and great food. We knew a lot of the people at the wedding so it was fun talking to everyone. We also danced all afternoon. This was pretty much the wedding of the year.
Paz,
Stephanie
Friday, March 16, 2007
Vacaciones
¡Hola Amigos!
This past week was our spring break. My friend Amber and I went to Panajachel, Guatemala. We took a four hour bus ride to Guatemala City then a three hour bus ride to Panajachel. We stayed in a very touristy area which was weird since we’re not used to being around other white people. Panajachel is one of many small villages on Largo de Atitlan, a beautiful lake surrounded my volcanoes (See pictures). We took a boat tour of the lake and stopped at a few of the different villages. We wanted to go on a hike up one of the volcanoes, but we were told by a travel agency that it was very dangerous so we decided against it. There was a huge artisan market by our hotel so we did some shopping. I some how managed to go five days with only $80. I think the exchange rate for Quetzals really helped me out. It was fun relaxing in Panajachel (we had hot water and a TV in our room, something I haven’t been a around in months), but it was so nice to be back in El Salvador. I missed the other Casa students and I just feel more at home in El Salvador.
Random side note—while on break I read an amazing book for my theology class called "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. If you are looking for a good read and want to challenge your world view I highly recommend it.
Paz,
Stephanie
This past week was our spring break. My friend Amber and I went to Panajachel, Guatemala. We took a four hour bus ride to Guatemala City then a three hour bus ride to Panajachel. We stayed in a very touristy area which was weird since we’re not used to being around other white people. Panajachel is one of many small villages on Largo de Atitlan, a beautiful lake surrounded my volcanoes (See pictures). We took a boat tour of the lake and stopped at a few of the different villages. We wanted to go on a hike up one of the volcanoes, but we were told by a travel agency that it was very dangerous so we decided against it. There was a huge artisan market by our hotel so we did some shopping. I some how managed to go five days with only $80. I think the exchange rate for Quetzals really helped me out. It was fun relaxing in Panajachel (we had hot water and a TV in our room, something I haven’t been a around in months), but it was so nice to be back in El Salvador. I missed the other Casa students and I just feel more at home in El Salvador.
Random side note—while on break I read an amazing book for my theology class called "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. If you are looking for a good read and want to challenge your world view I highly recommend it.
Paz,
Stephanie
Friday, March 09, 2007
La Realidad
¡Hola Amigos!
Most of our house visits so far in Mariona have been to homes where the families live simply, but are not incredible poor. Most people we have visited make enough money to meet their basic needs. On Wednesday, though, that changed. We went to San Francisco (a zone in Mariona) to the home of three of our English students- Samuel, Gabby, and Eduardo. Rosa, who worked with us in the cooperative and recently immigrated to Spain also lived in this home. When we entered the home we were greeted by a cloud of black smoke from the huge vat of tortillas hanging over a fire. The house was small, only three tiny bedrooms for about 16 people. Flies were everywhere and the whole house felt like an oven. We sat down to talk with the grandparents. They explained that they are originally from the campo and made a living by farming. Once the war broke out, they became refugees and were forced into the city where they had no land and no money. As farmers, it was hard to find work in a city setting. They couple had 8 children (one died when he was a baby). Rosa and her brother are both in Spain because they couldn’t find any work in El Salvador. Immigrating to Europe is much easier than immigrating to the U.S. It costs between $6,000-$8,000 to just get to the U.S. border from El Salvador. So Rosa didn’t have a husband and she left her two small children with her 21 year old sister when she went to Spain. According to her parents she is still looking for a job in Spain. The father of the three children in our English class was a taxi driver and was killed two years ago. Their mother works two jobs and is a little irresponsible so they kids live with their grandparents. They also have an older sister who has some mental problems and can’t go to school or work. A few other children and grandchildren live in the house who we didn’t meet. The only source of income for the family is the tortilla business. The situation was so sad. We’re trying to convince our casa to buy tortillas from this family to help them out a little.
Thursday in Praxis class, Rick Jones, the director of CRS spoke to our class. He gave us some interesting statistics about El Salvador. El Salvador is the second most deforested country after Haiti. Because of this, clean drinking water is scarce and diarrhea is the biggest killer of children. El Salvador is the second most violent country next to Iraq, and the police force is responsible for many human rights violations. 1.5-2 million Salvadorians have migrated to the U.S. in order to find jobs. A country cannot develop without food security and El Salvador imports 75% of its produce meaning the people cannot sustain themselves without relying on other countries. 48% of the country’s wealth is owned by 6-8 families and 98% of money coming into the country goes back out to pay off loans.
Paz,
Stephanie
Most of our house visits so far in Mariona have been to homes where the families live simply, but are not incredible poor. Most people we have visited make enough money to meet their basic needs. On Wednesday, though, that changed. We went to San Francisco (a zone in Mariona) to the home of three of our English students- Samuel, Gabby, and Eduardo. Rosa, who worked with us in the cooperative and recently immigrated to Spain also lived in this home. When we entered the home we were greeted by a cloud of black smoke from the huge vat of tortillas hanging over a fire. The house was small, only three tiny bedrooms for about 16 people. Flies were everywhere and the whole house felt like an oven. We sat down to talk with the grandparents. They explained that they are originally from the campo and made a living by farming. Once the war broke out, they became refugees and were forced into the city where they had no land and no money. As farmers, it was hard to find work in a city setting. They couple had 8 children (one died when he was a baby). Rosa and her brother are both in Spain because they couldn’t find any work in El Salvador. Immigrating to Europe is much easier than immigrating to the U.S. It costs between $6,000-$8,000 to just get to the U.S. border from El Salvador. So Rosa didn’t have a husband and she left her two small children with her 21 year old sister when she went to Spain. According to her parents she is still looking for a job in Spain. The father of the three children in our English class was a taxi driver and was killed two years ago. Their mother works two jobs and is a little irresponsible so they kids live with their grandparents. They also have an older sister who has some mental problems and can’t go to school or work. A few other children and grandchildren live in the house who we didn’t meet. The only source of income for the family is the tortilla business. The situation was so sad. We’re trying to convince our casa to buy tortillas from this family to help them out a little.
Thursday in Praxis class, Rick Jones, the director of CRS spoke to our class. He gave us some interesting statistics about El Salvador. El Salvador is the second most deforested country after Haiti. Because of this, clean drinking water is scarce and diarrhea is the biggest killer of children. El Salvador is the second most violent country next to Iraq, and the police force is responsible for many human rights violations. 1.5-2 million Salvadorians have migrated to the U.S. in order to find jobs. A country cannot develop without food security and El Salvador imports 75% of its produce meaning the people cannot sustain themselves without relying on other countries. 48% of the country’s wealth is owned by 6-8 families and 98% of money coming into the country goes back out to pay off loans.
Paz,
Stephanie
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Belize
¡Hola Amigos!
This past weekend all the Casa students went to Belize in order to renew our Visas. After 90 days we have to leave El Salvador and go to Mexico, Costa Rica, or Belize in order to get 90 more days in El Salvador. So we decided to make a vacation out of the trip. On Thursday morning we rode 8 hours on a microbus from San Salvador to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. Then we hopped on a small speed boat to Belize. Technically we were on an hour long Caribbean cruise. We docked in Punta Gorda, Belize and took an hour bus ride to the rainforest where we stayed (See pictures). The scenery was beautiful, but we were roughing it in the jungle. I had to sleep next to scorpions and tarantellas (which means I didn’t sleep too well). Bathrooms were pretty much non-existent. We bathed in the river and washed our clothes in the river.
On Friday we went on a jungle hike in the morning trying to find jaguars. No interesting animals, but we got to eat termites (by that I mean the other students ate termites and I watched). In the afternoon we hiked to these awesome caves with waterfalls. I swam through on of the caves and there were waterfalls in the back of the cave (See pictures). So cool!
On Saturday we visited the nearby Mayan village. I learned how to make tortillas, chocolate, and palm fans (See pictures). Then I spent the afternoon swimming in the lake. I had a great time in Belize, but I was so ready to get back to civilization. I can only rough it for so long.
Paz,
Stephanie
This past weekend all the Casa students went to Belize in order to renew our Visas. After 90 days we have to leave El Salvador and go to Mexico, Costa Rica, or Belize in order to get 90 more days in El Salvador. So we decided to make a vacation out of the trip. On Thursday morning we rode 8 hours on a microbus from San Salvador to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. Then we hopped on a small speed boat to Belize. Technically we were on an hour long Caribbean cruise. We docked in Punta Gorda, Belize and took an hour bus ride to the rainforest where we stayed (See pictures). The scenery was beautiful, but we were roughing it in the jungle. I had to sleep next to scorpions and tarantellas (which means I didn’t sleep too well). Bathrooms were pretty much non-existent. We bathed in the river and washed our clothes in the river.
On Friday we went on a jungle hike in the morning trying to find jaguars. No interesting animals, but we got to eat termites (by that I mean the other students ate termites and I watched). In the afternoon we hiked to these awesome caves with waterfalls. I swam through on of the caves and there were waterfalls in the back of the cave (See pictures). So cool!
On Saturday we visited the nearby Mayan village. I learned how to make tortillas, chocolate, and palm fans (See pictures). Then I spent the afternoon swimming in the lake. I had a great time in Belize, but I was so ready to get back to civilization. I can only rough it for so long.
Paz,
Stephanie
Friday, February 23, 2007
Las Pandillas
¡Hola Amigos!
I was telling Oti about my fútbol game experience and we got talking about the pandillas (gangs) in Mariona. The current events in El Salvador and what Oti told me give some context to my Friday night experience.
To begin, three senators and their bus driver were killed at the beginning of the week. There is a man in El Salvador (who’s name I can’t remember) who founded the death squads during the war and is responsible for Romero’s death. The government wants to give this man a very high honor. People are very angry about this because the man is anything but honorable. Well, his son was one of the senators killed in Guatemala, ironically, in a death squad fashion. According to Oti many ex-death squad people still work in the government and are still committing violent acts. For example, on Monday, and international student disappeared and 13 women have been abducted near the Casa.
In Mariona, Oti said the gang situation is at its worse. On Tuesday, a sophomore in high school was ridding the bus and gang members shot him 5 times in the back of the head. Oti said she almost took that same bus to the market, but had a bad feeling and took a cab instead. Everyday for the past 15 days people have been killed by gangs. Buses are very unsafe. Drivers are forced to pay off gang members and are know to drive off their route in order to pay the gangs. Lolo said he was on a bus recently and a man held a gun to the drivers head, but was scared away when all the people on the bus ran at him screaming. Oti said fewer cars are on the roads at night because people are afraid of being attacked.
I feel like I’ve finally gotten a glimpse at the true reality in Mariona. After Friday night when I was robbed on the bus and then experienced a violent atmosphere at the fútbol game, I feel like I can relate better to the people in Mariona. I know what it’s like to be afraid and to not feel safe. What I experienced was very small scale, but it helps me understand what people living in Mariona are forced to put up with everyday. The people in Mariona are oppressed by fear and no one should have to live that way.
Paz,
Stephanie
I was telling Oti about my fútbol game experience and we got talking about the pandillas (gangs) in Mariona. The current events in El Salvador and what Oti told me give some context to my Friday night experience.
To begin, three senators and their bus driver were killed at the beginning of the week. There is a man in El Salvador (who’s name I can’t remember) who founded the death squads during the war and is responsible for Romero’s death. The government wants to give this man a very high honor. People are very angry about this because the man is anything but honorable. Well, his son was one of the senators killed in Guatemala, ironically, in a death squad fashion. According to Oti many ex-death squad people still work in the government and are still committing violent acts. For example, on Monday, and international student disappeared and 13 women have been abducted near the Casa.
In Mariona, Oti said the gang situation is at its worse. On Tuesday, a sophomore in high school was ridding the bus and gang members shot him 5 times in the back of the head. Oti said she almost took that same bus to the market, but had a bad feeling and took a cab instead. Everyday for the past 15 days people have been killed by gangs. Buses are very unsafe. Drivers are forced to pay off gang members and are know to drive off their route in order to pay the gangs. Lolo said he was on a bus recently and a man held a gun to the drivers head, but was scared away when all the people on the bus ran at him screaming. Oti said fewer cars are on the roads at night because people are afraid of being attacked.
I feel like I’ve finally gotten a glimpse at the true reality in Mariona. After Friday night when I was robbed on the bus and then experienced a violent atmosphere at the fútbol game, I feel like I can relate better to the people in Mariona. I know what it’s like to be afraid and to not feel safe. What I experienced was very small scale, but it helps me understand what people living in Mariona are forced to put up with everyday. The people in Mariona are oppressed by fear and no one should have to live that way.
Paz,
Stephanie
Fútbol
¡Hola Amigos!
So, let me begin by saying what happened last Friday (2/16) really scared me and it took me a while to post because I needed time to make sense of what happened. You may read this and think what happened doesn’t sound that bad, but trust me, if you had experienced what I did first hand in the context of current events in El Salvador you would be a little shaken up too.
Last Friday night I didn’t have much work and was looking for something fun to do. The bacarios told us that El Salvador had a good fútbol team this year and were playing Coasta Rica in the semi-finals of the Latin American version of the World Cup. Fútbol is really big here and we all thought it would be fun to go to the game. We did our research on tickets and transportation and decided to leave at 5:30 after class. So I walk to the bus stop all decked out in blue (El Salvador’s color) with pretty much all the Casa students. We were advised to split into smaller groups so as not to draw too much attention to ourselves. Figuring the game would be rowdy, I left my backpack in my room and brought only a small money belt bag (the kind they sell specifically for travelers to keep their money safe). When the bus stopped, I got on with Jennifer, Chris, and Ryan C. We were supposed to also meet up with a guy from San Ramon (Chris’ praxis site) at the game. We got on a fairly empty bus and sat down together. As we got closer to the stadium the bus started to get really crowded. We saw our stop coming up so we all stood up and gathered by the back door. As I stood up a lady pushed forward and bumped into me. I thought she wanted my seat so I pushed out of the way and did a bag check at the same time. That’s when I noticed it. I had been robbed! My side zipper was undone and $20 was gone. As I’m realizing what just happened, Chris yells that we just passed our stop. The bus wasn’t stopping at the stops and people were jumping out so we did the same thing. We held on to each other and jumped out of the moving bus. On the ground, a little shaken up by the jump, we step back on the sidewalk and I announce that I’ve been robbed and I discover that my camera was stolen too. Everyone checks themselves and Ryan finds that he’s been robbed too and he just happened to be holding onto Chris’ money. Everything happened so fast. In shock, we stay close together and enter the stadium parking lot. It was like a circus. It was dark and people were yelling, pushing, shoving, and trying to sell things to us. Scared out of our minds we huddle together behind some cars and Chris calls his friend to let him know where we are. When Chris’ friend shows up he tells us we should try for the $9 tickets, but only Jen has money left meaning we have $13 between the four of us. We buy $3 tickets and push our way to the gate. The way the gates work are people just run through and sit wherever. Once the section is full, the door is shut and another gate opens. Riot police were everywhere because things were so out of control. Once we finally got inside the stadium I was relieved to be inside, but then we were bombarded with water and beer and people kept hitting us as we walked to our seats. I was soaking wet and had no idea why and people were yelling curse words at us. I thought it was because we were white, but turns out it was because we didn’t have a Salvador jersey on. That fact that we were white didn’t help either. Luckily we were wearing blue. Some guy walked in with a red shirt and it was ripped off his body and thrown on the field. I was so glad I was with three guys because the stadium was 98% male and with all the machismo Jen and I would have had some serious problems. Once we finally sat down a riot broke out and we were forced into another section of the stadium. When the game started people kept throwing stuff on the field and the Coasta Rican goalie was hit twice with water bottles. The riot police were just there to scare people from acting out, but really they had no authority. The whole atmosphere was so violent. By the end of the game we were getting pee thrown on us and decided to leave. El Salvador lost 2-0 and we were afraid of what might happen after the game. Later I heard that bombs are often set off in the stadium. I had no idea how dangerous fútbol games were. We took a cab back to the casa and we had to run inside to find money to pay the driver since we didn’t have anything left.
The whole experience was so traumatizing for me. I’ve never had so much violence directed towards me before. I talked to the directors about it and yes games are usually rowdy, but I just had an unusual experience. I guess if we had bought the $9 tickets we would have been in a calmer section. After talking to people and reflecting on what happened, I think I got a first hand look at machismo and the violence that exists in El Salvador. I’m now in a better position to understand the reality of the Salvadorians because I’ve experienced what they go through on a daily basis. Yes I was very scared and it was a horrible experience, but I also feel like it was a learning experience. So I guess it goes without saying that any pictures from here on out are not my own since I no longer have a camera.
Paz,
Stephanie
So, let me begin by saying what happened last Friday (2/16) really scared me and it took me a while to post because I needed time to make sense of what happened. You may read this and think what happened doesn’t sound that bad, but trust me, if you had experienced what I did first hand in the context of current events in El Salvador you would be a little shaken up too.
Last Friday night I didn’t have much work and was looking for something fun to do. The bacarios told us that El Salvador had a good fútbol team this year and were playing Coasta Rica in the semi-finals of the Latin American version of the World Cup. Fútbol is really big here and we all thought it would be fun to go to the game. We did our research on tickets and transportation and decided to leave at 5:30 after class. So I walk to the bus stop all decked out in blue (El Salvador’s color) with pretty much all the Casa students. We were advised to split into smaller groups so as not to draw too much attention to ourselves. Figuring the game would be rowdy, I left my backpack in my room and brought only a small money belt bag (the kind they sell specifically for travelers to keep their money safe). When the bus stopped, I got on with Jennifer, Chris, and Ryan C. We were supposed to also meet up with a guy from San Ramon (Chris’ praxis site) at the game. We got on a fairly empty bus and sat down together. As we got closer to the stadium the bus started to get really crowded. We saw our stop coming up so we all stood up and gathered by the back door. As I stood up a lady pushed forward and bumped into me. I thought she wanted my seat so I pushed out of the way and did a bag check at the same time. That’s when I noticed it. I had been robbed! My side zipper was undone and $20 was gone. As I’m realizing what just happened, Chris yells that we just passed our stop. The bus wasn’t stopping at the stops and people were jumping out so we did the same thing. We held on to each other and jumped out of the moving bus. On the ground, a little shaken up by the jump, we step back on the sidewalk and I announce that I’ve been robbed and I discover that my camera was stolen too. Everyone checks themselves and Ryan finds that he’s been robbed too and he just happened to be holding onto Chris’ money. Everything happened so fast. In shock, we stay close together and enter the stadium parking lot. It was like a circus. It was dark and people were yelling, pushing, shoving, and trying to sell things to us. Scared out of our minds we huddle together behind some cars and Chris calls his friend to let him know where we are. When Chris’ friend shows up he tells us we should try for the $9 tickets, but only Jen has money left meaning we have $13 between the four of us. We buy $3 tickets and push our way to the gate. The way the gates work are people just run through and sit wherever. Once the section is full, the door is shut and another gate opens. Riot police were everywhere because things were so out of control. Once we finally got inside the stadium I was relieved to be inside, but then we were bombarded with water and beer and people kept hitting us as we walked to our seats. I was soaking wet and had no idea why and people were yelling curse words at us. I thought it was because we were white, but turns out it was because we didn’t have a Salvador jersey on. That fact that we were white didn’t help either. Luckily we were wearing blue. Some guy walked in with a red shirt and it was ripped off his body and thrown on the field. I was so glad I was with three guys because the stadium was 98% male and with all the machismo Jen and I would have had some serious problems. Once we finally sat down a riot broke out and we were forced into another section of the stadium. When the game started people kept throwing stuff on the field and the Coasta Rican goalie was hit twice with water bottles. The riot police were just there to scare people from acting out, but really they had no authority. The whole atmosphere was so violent. By the end of the game we were getting pee thrown on us and decided to leave. El Salvador lost 2-0 and we were afraid of what might happen after the game. Later I heard that bombs are often set off in the stadium. I had no idea how dangerous fútbol games were. We took a cab back to the casa and we had to run inside to find money to pay the driver since we didn’t have anything left.
The whole experience was so traumatizing for me. I’ve never had so much violence directed towards me before. I talked to the directors about it and yes games are usually rowdy, but I just had an unusual experience. I guess if we had bought the $9 tickets we would have been in a calmer section. After talking to people and reflecting on what happened, I think I got a first hand look at machismo and the violence that exists in El Salvador. I’m now in a better position to understand the reality of the Salvadorians because I’ve experienced what they go through on a daily basis. Yes I was very scared and it was a horrible experience, but I also feel like it was a learning experience. So I guess it goes without saying that any pictures from here on out are not my own since I no longer have a camera.
Paz,
Stephanie
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Izalco
¡Hola Amigos!
Saturday we had an outing with the Romero Program. All the bacarios came with us to hike up Izalco, one of the many volcanoes in El Salvador. It’s inactive now and located next to Santa Ana and Cierro Verde (if you were to get out a map and find where I was). The whole hike took a little over four hours. To get to the base of the volcano we had to walk an hour downhill. Then it was a two hour climb up to the top of Izalco. The climb was intense because there was no solid ground. I was literally climbing on all fours over loose rocks and ash. The view from the top was incredible, though. (See pictures). There was a crater at the top that we walked down into. To get down the volcano was a challenge. You have to lean back and “ski” down. We were all filthy by the time we got to the bottom, not to mention bruised and cut up. Then it was another hour hike back up the mountain. It was a long hot day, but how cool is it that I can now say I’ve climbed a volcano.
Paz,
Stephanie
Saturday we had an outing with the Romero Program. All the bacarios came with us to hike up Izalco, one of the many volcanoes in El Salvador. It’s inactive now and located next to Santa Ana and Cierro Verde (if you were to get out a map and find where I was). The whole hike took a little over four hours. To get to the base of the volcano we had to walk an hour downhill. Then it was a two hour climb up to the top of Izalco. The climb was intense because there was no solid ground. I was literally climbing on all fours over loose rocks and ash. The view from the top was incredible, though. (See pictures). There was a crater at the top that we walked down into. To get down the volcano was a challenge. You have to lean back and “ski” down. We were all filthy by the time we got to the bottom, not to mention bruised and cut up. Then it was another hour hike back up the mountain. It was a long hot day, but how cool is it that I can now say I’ve climbed a volcano.
Paz,
Stephanie
Día de la Amistad
¡Hola Amigos!
¡Feliz día de la Amistad! Happy Valentine’s Day! In El Salvador Valentine’s Day is so much better because it’s the day of friendship, not romantic love. I like this concept so much better. It’s a day to celebrate friends…candy, red hearts, and stuffed teddy bears not included. I did make cards for Oti and Lolo and they gave each of us cards saying how grateful they are that we are part of the Mariona community.
We spent Wednesday playing with the kids at the parish again. I felt like the kids were extra wild. I got tackled, climbed on, jumped on, and ridden like a horse. (See pictures). Oti had to lecture a few of the boys about their bad behavior. They were being too rough on us. We only spent an hour there because I was getting attacked by little 5 year olds. I don’t do well with children.
Paz,
Stephanie
¡Feliz día de la Amistad! Happy Valentine’s Day! In El Salvador Valentine’s Day is so much better because it’s the day of friendship, not romantic love. I like this concept so much better. It’s a day to celebrate friends…candy, red hearts, and stuffed teddy bears not included. I did make cards for Oti and Lolo and they gave each of us cards saying how grateful they are that we are part of the Mariona community.
We spent Wednesday playing with the kids at the parish again. I felt like the kids were extra wild. I got tackled, climbed on, jumped on, and ridden like a horse. (See pictures). Oti had to lecture a few of the boys about their bad behavior. They were being too rough on us. We only spent an hour there because I was getting attacked by little 5 year olds. I don’t do well with children.
Paz,
Stephanie
El Aniversario de un Mes
¡Hola Amigos!
So February 5th was our one month anniversary. To celebrate I went with a few people to Puerto del Diablo. This used to be a guerilla camp during the war. There are two big hills to hike up and the view is incredible. (See pictures). The day was going well until we ran into these machismo guys. Machismo is a big problem in El Salvador. I find it very annoying because women are treated like dirt here. These guys kept heckling us and wouldn’t go away. We were pretty disgusted and annoyed. We were so mad we had to leave and the guys got to stay and look at the view. Oh, well. It was a fun day nonetheless.
Monday in Mariona was our first real English class. We had about 10 students and the lesson was body parts. (See pictures). I drew a funny looking person on a marker board and we labeled all the parts. After we practiced pronunciation (which really bored the kids) we sang “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” The kids loved this game and I think really learned their body parts. It was funny when we taught them “nose” they kept shouting out “no se,” which is “I don’t know” in Spanish. Clever. Then to really challenge our class we played “Simón dice” (Simon says). It was harder for us to play the game than for the kids because we had to keep switching back and forth between Spanish and English. We were supposed to call out the body part in English, but I kept saying them in Spanish. My brain is too slow. I can’t switch back and forth between languages that fast. Overall I think the kids really learned something. It was cool when we went on house visits later and the kids in our class would come up to us and say “Hello. How are you” in English.
Paz,
Stephanie
So February 5th was our one month anniversary. To celebrate I went with a few people to Puerto del Diablo. This used to be a guerilla camp during the war. There are two big hills to hike up and the view is incredible. (See pictures). The day was going well until we ran into these machismo guys. Machismo is a big problem in El Salvador. I find it very annoying because women are treated like dirt here. These guys kept heckling us and wouldn’t go away. We were pretty disgusted and annoyed. We were so mad we had to leave and the guys got to stay and look at the view. Oh, well. It was a fun day nonetheless.
Monday in Mariona was our first real English class. We had about 10 students and the lesson was body parts. (See pictures). I drew a funny looking person on a marker board and we labeled all the parts. After we practiced pronunciation (which really bored the kids) we sang “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” The kids loved this game and I think really learned their body parts. It was funny when we taught them “nose” they kept shouting out “no se,” which is “I don’t know” in Spanish. Clever. Then to really challenge our class we played “Simón dice” (Simon says). It was harder for us to play the game than for the kids because we had to keep switching back and forth between Spanish and English. We were supposed to call out the body part in English, but I kept saying them in Spanish. My brain is too slow. I can’t switch back and forth between languages that fast. Overall I think the kids really learned something. It was cool when we went on house visits later and the kids in our class would come up to us and say “Hello. How are you” in English.
Paz,
Stephanie
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Padre Octavio Ortíz
¡Hola Amigos!
Wednesday we went on a praxis field trip. We began the day by going to Padre Octavio Ortíz’s parents’ house. We met his parents (who are in bad health) and one of his sisters, Alejandra. There they told us the story of his life. Padre Ortíz was one of 11 children. He was ordained 5 years before he was murdered on January 20, 1979. He was only 34 years old. His parents said they were excited when he decided to become a priest, but were worried when priests became targets of the National Guard. Padre Ortíz, like most priests at the time, worked closely with the poor. He worked in Méxicanos at the San Francisco parish. He was leading a retreat in San Antonio with another priest for the youth. The National Guard came and killed Padre Ortíz, the other priest, and 4 youth, while capturing 20 other youth and torturing them for information. Like other priests, Padre Ortíz was seen as a communist and therefore a threat to the government. His parents said they got a phone call the next day telling them the sad news.
There were 4 other deaths in the Ortíz family. The youngest son was walking one day because the buses were not running. He and a friend walked past a burning bus and were accused of being a part of the FMLN and were shot on the spot. In response to the deaths of their two brothers, the three remaining brothers joined the war on the side of the FMLN and were killed in the war. Only three sisters still live in El Salvador. Two live in California, one died of natural causes, and the three remaining sisters work in the San Francisco parish.
After visiting with Padre Ortíz’s family, went back to San Francisco parish where we had gone to mass on Sunday. Padre Ortíz is buried behind the altar. Then we went San Antonio to see where Padre Ortíz’s body was found. (See pictures).
Before lunch we stopped by the cooperative and found out that one of the women we met Saturday at the reflection had immigrated to Spain. Everyone was sad because it was so sudden, but they said she would have more opportunities in Spain. I also learned that it is easier to immigrate to Europe than the U.S.
For lunch we went to Urania’s (spelling?) house. She has two sons- Ronny, in his last year of colegio (equivalent to a senior in high school), and Diego (5th grade). Diego will be attending our English classes on Mondays. After lunch, Ronny, who is incredibly talented, played piano for us. He also said he can play the flute and guitar and takes acting classes at the local arts center. Ronny talked to us a little bit about the gang situation in Mariona. He said in some parts people have to be indoors by 8pm. Boys join gangs for protection and community. The country’s violent past and lack of father figures cause gangs to form. Even school rivalries turn violent. Students are identified by their uniforms and sometimes students from different school attack each other. Buses can be unsafe because the gangs threaten the bus drivers to give them control of the buses. Oti said a Casa student a few years ago was held at gun point on a bus and robbed by gang members. Ronny said recently he was on a bus and a person near him got shot in the head. That’s probably why we don’t take buses here.
Paz,
Stephanie
PS- Have patience with the pictures. Eventually they will all be uploaded. Until then you all will just have to wait in anticipation when you read “see pictures.”
Wednesday we went on a praxis field trip. We began the day by going to Padre Octavio Ortíz’s parents’ house. We met his parents (who are in bad health) and one of his sisters, Alejandra. There they told us the story of his life. Padre Ortíz was one of 11 children. He was ordained 5 years before he was murdered on January 20, 1979. He was only 34 years old. His parents said they were excited when he decided to become a priest, but were worried when priests became targets of the National Guard. Padre Ortíz, like most priests at the time, worked closely with the poor. He worked in Méxicanos at the San Francisco parish. He was leading a retreat in San Antonio with another priest for the youth. The National Guard came and killed Padre Ortíz, the other priest, and 4 youth, while capturing 20 other youth and torturing them for information. Like other priests, Padre Ortíz was seen as a communist and therefore a threat to the government. His parents said they got a phone call the next day telling them the sad news.
There were 4 other deaths in the Ortíz family. The youngest son was walking one day because the buses were not running. He and a friend walked past a burning bus and were accused of being a part of the FMLN and were shot on the spot. In response to the deaths of their two brothers, the three remaining brothers joined the war on the side of the FMLN and were killed in the war. Only three sisters still live in El Salvador. Two live in California, one died of natural causes, and the three remaining sisters work in the San Francisco parish.
After visiting with Padre Ortíz’s family, went back to San Francisco parish where we had gone to mass on Sunday. Padre Ortíz is buried behind the altar. Then we went San Antonio to see where Padre Ortíz’s body was found. (See pictures).
Before lunch we stopped by the cooperative and found out that one of the women we met Saturday at the reflection had immigrated to Spain. Everyone was sad because it was so sudden, but they said she would have more opportunities in Spain. I also learned that it is easier to immigrate to Europe than the U.S.
For lunch we went to Urania’s (spelling?) house. She has two sons- Ronny, in his last year of colegio (equivalent to a senior in high school), and Diego (5th grade). Diego will be attending our English classes on Mondays. After lunch, Ronny, who is incredibly talented, played piano for us. He also said he can play the flute and guitar and takes acting classes at the local arts center. Ronny talked to us a little bit about the gang situation in Mariona. He said in some parts people have to be indoors by 8pm. Boys join gangs for protection and community. The country’s violent past and lack of father figures cause gangs to form. Even school rivalries turn violent. Students are identified by their uniforms and sometimes students from different school attack each other. Buses can be unsafe because the gangs threaten the bus drivers to give them control of the buses. Oti said a Casa student a few years ago was held at gun point on a bus and robbed by gang members. Ronny said recently he was on a bus and a person near him got shot in the head. That’s probably why we don’t take buses here.
Paz,
Stephanie
PS- Have patience with the pictures. Eventually they will all be uploaded. Until then you all will just have to wait in anticipation when you read “see pictures.”
Monday, February 05, 2007
Mi Casa es su Casa
¡Hola Amigos!
This past weekend was praxis weekend, that is, we spent Friday evening though Sunday afternoon in our praxis communities. At first I was really nervous about the weekend because I would be separated from Jennifer and Anthony, but this was also a great opportunity to stop using them as a crutch and really practice my Spanish. So after class on Friday we were dropped off in Mariona. We were warmly welcomed into Oti’s home and were served dinner. I got to learn how to make pupusas, which is really cool. It’s amazing to watch the women make pupusas because it’s like second nature to them. They take dough and pat it into a tortilla, then put frijoles (beans), and queso (cheese) in the middle of the tortilla then close the tortilla and put it on a grill. We also had chocolate, which is like hot chocolate but better. I stayed at Oti’s home with her 2 ½ year old son, Oscar, and her husband, Richardo. Anthony stayed with Lolo, his wife, and their two daughters, Karen (3yrs) and Maria José (1yr). Jennifer stayed with Lolo’s brother, his wife Kenny and their baby Jasmine. Oti’s house is very small, but clean. There’s a small kitchen, bathroom with a shower and toilet (no sink), a dinning room, and a small bedroom. I slept on a cot in Oti’s bedroom next to Oscar’s crib. That night I played with Oscar and showed Oti pictures of my dog and family. We talked for a little while about our families. I found out her husband is an accountant and has to work long hours.
On Saturday I was woken up by Oscarito saying “Buenos días Estafani,” repeatedly as he stood in his crib. I was kind of impressed he could say my name since it sounds so foreign to everyone and people have trouble pronouncing it. Oti reluctantly let me have corn flakes for breakfast. She was disappointed that I didn’t want the traditional plátanos and frijoles for breakfast, but I just can’t eat beans that early in the morning. Jen and Tony came over after breakfast and we all went to the cooperative. All the women from the cooperative were there and we had a meditation/relaxation session. This was my favorite part of the weekend since machismo is a big part of the culture and I was able to hear how the women were combating machismo and fighting against the oppression. There were 5 women and we all sat out on the patio on pillows. There was a scented candle lit in the middle of the circle surrounded by colored scrapes of fabric. We listened to a song then reflected on women in society and the importance of community. My partners and I were invited to participate in the reflection also. In El Salvador, women are expected to be shadows and stay in the background doing housework, but the cooperative provides a way for women to have a real job and help earn money for the family and gain some independence from their husbands. The reflection provided an outlet for the women to express themselves surrounded by a loving group of friends. Then we did a guided meditation to relieve stress. Afterwards we had coffee (or coke for me) and pan dulce (sweet bread). I loved watching the women interact. They are so affectionate and loving towards each other.
Before leaving the cooperative I picked up some more yarn for my embroidery and then we took the bus back to Oti’s house for lunch. After lunch we went on house visits in a part of Mariona that appeared poorer than the other parts we’ve visited so far. We were also right by the largest male prison in El Salvador called Penal de Esperanza (Prison of Hope). The prison was made for 900 men, but 3,000 are held there. (See pictures).
After house visits we went back to Oti’s house for dinner. After dinner Oscarito walks by me and says something about having to “peepee.” Knowing what peepee meant in English, I wondered what it meant in Spanish. As I turned to see where Oscar was going, I saw him drop his pants and pee in the garage. I guess peepee means the same in Spanish. Instead of getting scolded for going to the bathroom in the garage, Oti just laughed and said Oscarito is very independent. That’s not quite the same reaction he would have gotten in the States. We spent the rest of the night singing songs.
Sunday morning, I wake up and my right eye is swollen shut. A mosquito had feasted during the night and now my eye is oozing and swollen. Delightful. I reached for my dictionary to look up the words to explain my condition to Oti. She was quite concerned and burnt incense all over the house to smoke out the bugs. We went to mass at Oti’s church. The body of Padre Ortíz was buried in the church and a plaque commemorating all the martyrs was on the wall. (See pictures). There were a few pictures of Sr. Silvia who was also martyred. Oti was very close to her since they used to be a part of the same religious community during the war. After mass I actually got to meet Padre Ortíz’s sister. She served us our pupusas. In the States after mass people usually go to the back of the church and eat doughnuts and coffee, but in El Salvador people eat pupusas.
When we got back to Oti’s house my eye was pretty swollen. So she kicked her husband out of the hammock and I laid there with an ice pack that smelled faintly of meet on my eye and stared up at clean underwear and shirts drying in the garage. As I lay there, I thought about how a weekend in Mariona compared to a weekend at a friend’s house in the States. In the States I would have stayed in a guest room, I would have a bathroom to use, and we would have watched TV or a movie for fun. In Mariona I was given Oti’s bed, we were served frijoles and tortillas, there was no place to brush my teeth, and for entertainment we talked and sang. Even without the luxuries of home, I had a great time in Mariona. Everyone is so loving and life is simple. The laidback lifestyle is very refreshing. I don’t think anyone could come to Mariona and not immediately feel at home.
Paz,
Stephanie
This past weekend was praxis weekend, that is, we spent Friday evening though Sunday afternoon in our praxis communities. At first I was really nervous about the weekend because I would be separated from Jennifer and Anthony, but this was also a great opportunity to stop using them as a crutch and really practice my Spanish. So after class on Friday we were dropped off in Mariona. We were warmly welcomed into Oti’s home and were served dinner. I got to learn how to make pupusas, which is really cool. It’s amazing to watch the women make pupusas because it’s like second nature to them. They take dough and pat it into a tortilla, then put frijoles (beans), and queso (cheese) in the middle of the tortilla then close the tortilla and put it on a grill. We also had chocolate, which is like hot chocolate but better. I stayed at Oti’s home with her 2 ½ year old son, Oscar, and her husband, Richardo. Anthony stayed with Lolo, his wife, and their two daughters, Karen (3yrs) and Maria José (1yr). Jennifer stayed with Lolo’s brother, his wife Kenny and their baby Jasmine. Oti’s house is very small, but clean. There’s a small kitchen, bathroom with a shower and toilet (no sink), a dinning room, and a small bedroom. I slept on a cot in Oti’s bedroom next to Oscar’s crib. That night I played with Oscar and showed Oti pictures of my dog and family. We talked for a little while about our families. I found out her husband is an accountant and has to work long hours.
On Saturday I was woken up by Oscarito saying “Buenos días Estafani,” repeatedly as he stood in his crib. I was kind of impressed he could say my name since it sounds so foreign to everyone and people have trouble pronouncing it. Oti reluctantly let me have corn flakes for breakfast. She was disappointed that I didn’t want the traditional plátanos and frijoles for breakfast, but I just can’t eat beans that early in the morning. Jen and Tony came over after breakfast and we all went to the cooperative. All the women from the cooperative were there and we had a meditation/relaxation session. This was my favorite part of the weekend since machismo is a big part of the culture and I was able to hear how the women were combating machismo and fighting against the oppression. There were 5 women and we all sat out on the patio on pillows. There was a scented candle lit in the middle of the circle surrounded by colored scrapes of fabric. We listened to a song then reflected on women in society and the importance of community. My partners and I were invited to participate in the reflection also. In El Salvador, women are expected to be shadows and stay in the background doing housework, but the cooperative provides a way for women to have a real job and help earn money for the family and gain some independence from their husbands. The reflection provided an outlet for the women to express themselves surrounded by a loving group of friends. Then we did a guided meditation to relieve stress. Afterwards we had coffee (or coke for me) and pan dulce (sweet bread). I loved watching the women interact. They are so affectionate and loving towards each other.
Before leaving the cooperative I picked up some more yarn for my embroidery and then we took the bus back to Oti’s house for lunch. After lunch we went on house visits in a part of Mariona that appeared poorer than the other parts we’ve visited so far. We were also right by the largest male prison in El Salvador called Penal de Esperanza (Prison of Hope). The prison was made for 900 men, but 3,000 are held there. (See pictures).
After house visits we went back to Oti’s house for dinner. After dinner Oscarito walks by me and says something about having to “peepee.” Knowing what peepee meant in English, I wondered what it meant in Spanish. As I turned to see where Oscar was going, I saw him drop his pants and pee in the garage. I guess peepee means the same in Spanish. Instead of getting scolded for going to the bathroom in the garage, Oti just laughed and said Oscarito is very independent. That’s not quite the same reaction he would have gotten in the States. We spent the rest of the night singing songs.
Sunday morning, I wake up and my right eye is swollen shut. A mosquito had feasted during the night and now my eye is oozing and swollen. Delightful. I reached for my dictionary to look up the words to explain my condition to Oti. She was quite concerned and burnt incense all over the house to smoke out the bugs. We went to mass at Oti’s church. The body of Padre Ortíz was buried in the church and a plaque commemorating all the martyrs was on the wall. (See pictures). There were a few pictures of Sr. Silvia who was also martyred. Oti was very close to her since they used to be a part of the same religious community during the war. After mass I actually got to meet Padre Ortíz’s sister. She served us our pupusas. In the States after mass people usually go to the back of the church and eat doughnuts and coffee, but in El Salvador people eat pupusas.
When we got back to Oti’s house my eye was pretty swollen. So she kicked her husband out of the hammock and I laid there with an ice pack that smelled faintly of meet on my eye and stared up at clean underwear and shirts drying in the garage. As I lay there, I thought about how a weekend in Mariona compared to a weekend at a friend’s house in the States. In the States I would have stayed in a guest room, I would have a bathroom to use, and we would have watched TV or a movie for fun. In Mariona I was given Oti’s bed, we were served frijoles and tortillas, there was no place to brush my teeth, and for entertainment we talked and sang. Even without the luxuries of home, I had a great time in Mariona. Everyone is so loving and life is simple. The laidback lifestyle is very refreshing. I don’t think anyone could come to Mariona and not immediately feel at home.
Paz,
Stephanie
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Mariona
¡Hola Amigos!
So far I’ve spent 4 days in Mariona, my praxis site. Monday I woke up early, nervous about what my first praxis day would be like. On the bus ride (we nicknamed the bus the “Golden Bullet”) to Mariona I was anxious. I had no idea what to expect- would I like my community, would the people of Mariona like me, would I be able to understand what people were saying, would they be able to understand me. As soon as we arrived at Oti’s house, and were greeted by her and Lolo, a sense of calm immediately washed over me. Oti and Lolo couldn’t have made me feel more welcome. I was in awe at how generous everyone was. Oti put clean sheets on her bed so I could take a nap, on one house visit a lady sent her son out with what little money she had to buy coke for us, and the women at the cooperative were generous with their time as they patiently taught us how to sew.
On Wednesday Oti took us on house visits. This day was very challenging for me and I spent most of my day feeling confused since I couldn’t understand what the women were saying. Then I felt embarrassed that I had been so warmly welcomed into these women’s homes and they were sharing meaningful stories with us and all I could do was sit and smile like an idiot. I did feel a little better when my partners (Jennifer and Anthony) told me they couldn’t understand much either. Despite my frustration, Wednesday was very eye opening for me. I saw how the majority of people in Mariona live, I learned about their religious views, and their family structure. Most of the homes we visited had grandparents caring for grandchildren since the parents of the children were in the U.S. Despite the lack of parents, children seemed very well cared for. The grandparents never complained about having to care for the children while the parents were away. Children seemed loved. They were never scolded or yelled at no matter how badly they behaved. There was some talk about the gangs and women working in factories, but no in depth discussion about the two. As for religion, most of the women we visited expressed that they feel closest to the church of the martyrs not the conservative Catholic Church. This is interesting since the martyrs were Catholic, yet the people have so many negative things to say about the Catholic Church and yet they themselves remain Catholic. Another thing that struck me on Wednesday was how every house we went to, no matter how small, had a big TV and computer. Not to judge because I don’t know the whole situation, but I found it interesting since the money spent on the TV and computer could have been used for food and the children’s education.
The following Monday we spent the morning in the cooperative. I was so excited to learn how to sew. As we sat sewing, I discovered that I know more Spanish than I thought. We were listening to American music and the women were asking me to translate the songs. It felt great to finally be able to communicate. In the afternoon we taught children English. I felt very impatient with the kids for being slow learners, but I had to stop and remember my struggle to learn Spanish and how patient everyone in Mariona is with me when I try to speak.
Wednesday Oti took us to the local parish where we played with the kids. We first visited 4-6 year olds. Kids are not my specialty and as soon as I walked in the door I was immediately surrounded by kids. As Anthony and Jen were standing laughing in the doorway, I became a human jungle-gym. For about an hour and a half I had kids crawling all over me. I have to admit it was pretty fun, but I’m kind of sore from being climbed all over. After a pupusa break, we visited the 1-3 year olds. They were much calmer and I spent my time drawing animals for a little boy who insisted every animal was an elephant (elefante). We walked back to Oti’s house for lunch and after our nap we had a surprise party for Tony’s birthday. That afternoon we went on house visits. Overall I love Mariona and so far it has been a great experience.
Paz,
Stephanie
So far I’ve spent 4 days in Mariona, my praxis site. Monday I woke up early, nervous about what my first praxis day would be like. On the bus ride (we nicknamed the bus the “Golden Bullet”) to Mariona I was anxious. I had no idea what to expect- would I like my community, would the people of Mariona like me, would I be able to understand what people were saying, would they be able to understand me. As soon as we arrived at Oti’s house, and were greeted by her and Lolo, a sense of calm immediately washed over me. Oti and Lolo couldn’t have made me feel more welcome. I was in awe at how generous everyone was. Oti put clean sheets on her bed so I could take a nap, on one house visit a lady sent her son out with what little money she had to buy coke for us, and the women at the cooperative were generous with their time as they patiently taught us how to sew.
On Wednesday Oti took us on house visits. This day was very challenging for me and I spent most of my day feeling confused since I couldn’t understand what the women were saying. Then I felt embarrassed that I had been so warmly welcomed into these women’s homes and they were sharing meaningful stories with us and all I could do was sit and smile like an idiot. I did feel a little better when my partners (Jennifer and Anthony) told me they couldn’t understand much either. Despite my frustration, Wednesday was very eye opening for me. I saw how the majority of people in Mariona live, I learned about their religious views, and their family structure. Most of the homes we visited had grandparents caring for grandchildren since the parents of the children were in the U.S. Despite the lack of parents, children seemed very well cared for. The grandparents never complained about having to care for the children while the parents were away. Children seemed loved. They were never scolded or yelled at no matter how badly they behaved. There was some talk about the gangs and women working in factories, but no in depth discussion about the two. As for religion, most of the women we visited expressed that they feel closest to the church of the martyrs not the conservative Catholic Church. This is interesting since the martyrs were Catholic, yet the people have so many negative things to say about the Catholic Church and yet they themselves remain Catholic. Another thing that struck me on Wednesday was how every house we went to, no matter how small, had a big TV and computer. Not to judge because I don’t know the whole situation, but I found it interesting since the money spent on the TV and computer could have been used for food and the children’s education.
The following Monday we spent the morning in the cooperative. I was so excited to learn how to sew. As we sat sewing, I discovered that I know more Spanish than I thought. We were listening to American music and the women were asking me to translate the songs. It felt great to finally be able to communicate. In the afternoon we taught children English. I felt very impatient with the kids for being slow learners, but I had to stop and remember my struggle to learn Spanish and how patient everyone in Mariona is with me when I try to speak.
Wednesday Oti took us to the local parish where we played with the kids. We first visited 4-6 year olds. Kids are not my specialty and as soon as I walked in the door I was immediately surrounded by kids. As Anthony and Jen were standing laughing in the doorway, I became a human jungle-gym. For about an hour and a half I had kids crawling all over me. I have to admit it was pretty fun, but I’m kind of sore from being climbed all over. After a pupusa break, we visited the 1-3 year olds. They were much calmer and I spent my time drawing animals for a little boy who insisted every animal was an elephant (elefante). We walked back to Oti’s house for lunch and after our nap we had a surprise party for Tony’s birthday. That afternoon we went on house visits. Overall I love Mariona and so far it has been a great experience.
Paz,
Stephanie
La Playa
¡Hola Amigos!
This past weekend we all went to the beach (la playa) with the bacarios, although most of the bacarios had a scholarship meeting and couldn’t come. But one bacaria (Teresita) came and one of the Casa cooks came with her two daughters. We took a bus to Costa del Sol and stayed at a hotel area. The beach was great, but the first beach I went to was prettier. When we first pulled up to the beach we saw a monkey in a cage. A few of us went over to look at the monkey and we were feeding it grapes and bananas. The monkey seemed nice until it stuck its tail though the cage bars and started pulling Beth’s (one of the Casa students in my house) towel into the cage. As she reached to grab the towel the monkey stuck out its hand and ripped her sunglasses off her face and started jumping around the cage with the glasses in his tail. Beth was freaking out, but the rest of us found the whole situation quite funny. Eventually a person from the hotel came out and got the sunglasses back. The monkey incident was pretty much the highlight of the day. On the way home from the beach we stopped for coconuts. That was pretty exciting.
On Sunday a few of us went to mass at La Chacra (JT and Anne’s praxis site). We had to stand up in the middle of the homily and introduce ourselves then at the sign of peace I think the whole church came over to hug us. Salvadorians are very affectionate people. They love hugging, kissing, or just holding hands. This is kind of an invasion of my personal bubble, but I guess I’ll get used to it. After mass Padre Luís invited us to his home while we waited for our ride to pick us up.
Sunday afternoon was pretty quite. Half of the Casa students went to get piercings for Anthony’s birthday. Don’t worry, I hate needles and stayed home. I have no extra body art. I helped make avocado milkshakes for the birthday party. I have to say avocado milkshakes are an acquired taste. I didn’t acquire the taste.
Paz,
Stephanie
PS- A few pictures are uploaded. Hopefully I will have more uploaded soon. Enjoy!
This past weekend we all went to the beach (la playa) with the bacarios, although most of the bacarios had a scholarship meeting and couldn’t come. But one bacaria (Teresita) came and one of the Casa cooks came with her two daughters. We took a bus to Costa del Sol and stayed at a hotel area. The beach was great, but the first beach I went to was prettier. When we first pulled up to the beach we saw a monkey in a cage. A few of us went over to look at the monkey and we were feeding it grapes and bananas. The monkey seemed nice until it stuck its tail though the cage bars and started pulling Beth’s (one of the Casa students in my house) towel into the cage. As she reached to grab the towel the monkey stuck out its hand and ripped her sunglasses off her face and started jumping around the cage with the glasses in his tail. Beth was freaking out, but the rest of us found the whole situation quite funny. Eventually a person from the hotel came out and got the sunglasses back. The monkey incident was pretty much the highlight of the day. On the way home from the beach we stopped for coconuts. That was pretty exciting.
On Sunday a few of us went to mass at La Chacra (JT and Anne’s praxis site). We had to stand up in the middle of the homily and introduce ourselves then at the sign of peace I think the whole church came over to hug us. Salvadorians are very affectionate people. They love hugging, kissing, or just holding hands. This is kind of an invasion of my personal bubble, but I guess I’ll get used to it. After mass Padre Luís invited us to his home while we waited for our ride to pick us up.
Sunday afternoon was pretty quite. Half of the Casa students went to get piercings for Anthony’s birthday. Don’t worry, I hate needles and stayed home. I have no extra body art. I helped make avocado milkshakes for the birthday party. I have to say avocado milkshakes are an acquired taste. I didn’t acquire the taste.
Paz,
Stephanie
PS- A few pictures are uploaded. Hopefully I will have more uploaded soon. Enjoy!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Casa Romero
¡Hola Amigos!
I bet you’re all wondering what life is like in Casa Romero (my house), so I’ll try to explain. I live with 11 other American students, 2 bacarios (Salvadorian scholarship students), and one community coordinator (same thing as an RA). Houses in El Salvador are very open, so we have a patio in the middle of the house with a hammock. We have a small kitchen where the Casa cooks prepare our meals. On Friday nights and on the weekends we are responsible for finding our own food since the cooks don’t work weekends. We have a long dinning room table, but we prefer to eat in chair on the patio since the weather is so nice. We have a garage (but not one you park cars in), two social areas, and a front yard where we hang clothes to dry. Our bathroom consists of three toilets, three sinks, and three shower stalls. My house has hot water, but the students in the other houses only have cold water so our showers are quite popular. There is a laundry room with two big pilas (sinks) to wash clothes in. (See pictures)
I did laundry for the first time the other day. It took my two hours to clean all my clothes and towels. I soaked all my clothes in detergent over night, and then in the morning I had to scrub them. Scrubbing takes a while if your clothes are really dirty (which mine were from all the dirt and dust). The hardest part is rinsing the clothes. I thought I rinsed thoroughly, but after my clothes had dried so shirts were sticky. After that washing experience I really appreciate washers and dryers.
On Tuesdays we all spend an hour having a cleaning party. This way the house chores are done quickly and everyone helps out. Tuesday is also spirituality night, where we reflect on our praxis sites and life in general. Thursday nights are community nights, where we all get together as a house and discuss house rules and then have fun by playing games or watching movies. As a house we decided to speak only Spanish until 8pm everyday except Mondays and Wednesdays (these are praxis days and since we’ll be speaking Spanish all day it’s a nice break to come back to the house and relax by speaking English). So far people are having trouble with this rule, but the bacarios are helping us out. They are very patient and teach us new Spanish words. It’s great to have native speakers in the house to help us learn. One of the bacarios in Casa Romero (Efrain) loves singing and playing the guitar, so he’s teaching us popular Salvadorian songs.
Paz,
Stephanie
I bet you’re all wondering what life is like in Casa Romero (my house), so I’ll try to explain. I live with 11 other American students, 2 bacarios (Salvadorian scholarship students), and one community coordinator (same thing as an RA). Houses in El Salvador are very open, so we have a patio in the middle of the house with a hammock. We have a small kitchen where the Casa cooks prepare our meals. On Friday nights and on the weekends we are responsible for finding our own food since the cooks don’t work weekends. We have a long dinning room table, but we prefer to eat in chair on the patio since the weather is so nice. We have a garage (but not one you park cars in), two social areas, and a front yard where we hang clothes to dry. Our bathroom consists of three toilets, three sinks, and three shower stalls. My house has hot water, but the students in the other houses only have cold water so our showers are quite popular. There is a laundry room with two big pilas (sinks) to wash clothes in. (See pictures)
I did laundry for the first time the other day. It took my two hours to clean all my clothes and towels. I soaked all my clothes in detergent over night, and then in the morning I had to scrub them. Scrubbing takes a while if your clothes are really dirty (which mine were from all the dirt and dust). The hardest part is rinsing the clothes. I thought I rinsed thoroughly, but after my clothes had dried so shirts were sticky. After that washing experience I really appreciate washers and dryers.
On Tuesdays we all spend an hour having a cleaning party. This way the house chores are done quickly and everyone helps out. Tuesday is also spirituality night, where we reflect on our praxis sites and life in general. Thursday nights are community nights, where we all get together as a house and discuss house rules and then have fun by playing games or watching movies. As a house we decided to speak only Spanish until 8pm everyday except Mondays and Wednesdays (these are praxis days and since we’ll be speaking Spanish all day it’s a nice break to come back to the house and relax by speaking English). So far people are having trouble with this rule, but the bacarios are helping us out. They are very patient and teach us new Spanish words. It’s great to have native speakers in the house to help us learn. One of the bacarios in Casa Romero (Efrain) loves singing and playing the guitar, so he’s teaching us popular Salvadorian songs.
Paz,
Stephanie
Mis Clases Comenzar
¡Hola Amigos!
Classes have finally begun. This semester I’ll be taking Salvadorian Literature, Theologies of Liberation, Sociology, Spanish, and the Praxis Seminar. I’m very excited about all these classes. The Literature and Sociology classes are taught all in Spanish so they will be challenging. All the teachers do speak English, though, so if I don’t understand something they can explain the lecture after class. I think my Sociology and Theology classes will be particularly interesting. Sociology will focus on how Salvadorian newspapers skew the news and how this affects the people. Theology will be interesting just because the teacher, a nun (Sr. Peggy) from the Bronx, is crazy. She is very energetic, which is good since the class is 3 hours. Pretty much the class focuses on religion in the lives of Salvadorians. All the classes revolve around El Salvador’s recent civil war.
Paz,
Stephanie
Classes have finally begun. This semester I’ll be taking Salvadorian Literature, Theologies of Liberation, Sociology, Spanish, and the Praxis Seminar. I’m very excited about all these classes. The Literature and Sociology classes are taught all in Spanish so they will be challenging. All the teachers do speak English, though, so if I don’t understand something they can explain the lecture after class. I think my Sociology and Theology classes will be particularly interesting. Sociology will focus on how Salvadorian newspapers skew the news and how this affects the people. Theology will be interesting just because the teacher, a nun (Sr. Peggy) from the Bronx, is crazy. She is very energetic, which is good since the class is 3 hours. Pretty much the class focuses on religion in the lives of Salvadorians. All the classes revolve around El Salvador’s recent civil war.
Paz,
Stephanie
My Praxis and the Martyrs
¡Hola Amigos!
Monday was very exciting for me because we went to visit my praxis site in Mariona. But before we went to Mariona we stopped at San Ramon to visit the school, health center, and soy project. The school is for children ages 10 and under. Connected with the school is a health center that has a dentist office, psychologist, pharmacy, massage room, and HIV/AIDS prevention center. We then walked down the street to visit with community members of San Ramon who talked about El Pueblo de Dios en Camino, a special community centered church that broke off from the Catholic Church. The people of San Ramon wanted the whole community to be involved with worship and the conservative Catholic Church did not allow this so the people formed their own church, but still refer to themselves as Catholic. We ate lunch at the Comedor (soup kitchen) in San Ramon. This kitchen is special because of the soy project. A Maryknoll nun has created a program where soy milk is made and for $2 a month, children in the community can have two glasses of soy milk each day as well as a small portion of food. At the comedor I was introduced to the Salvadorian quesadilla, which is a cream cheese and flour mixture. Pretty much it’s a sweet bread that I now love, and the women who worked at the comedor gave me the left over bread to take with me.
After lunch we headed to Mariona where is finally got to meet my community. I will be working closely with two women, Oti and Elizabeth, and a guy everyone calls Lolo. My praxis partners (Anthony and Jen) and I felt very at home in the community. We will be working in a cooperative named after Sr. Silvia who was martyred. The cooperative works to empower women by giving them the opportunity to earn money by making handcrafts. I will get the chance to learn how to sew and embroider. We will also be teaching ESL classes and making home visits to get a better understanding of the realidad, or reality of the Salvadorian people.
During our visit to Mariona we were all given some type of tortilla and vegetable mixture and hot chocolate (which didn’t really do too much to cool me off as I sat in the 90 degree heat, but it was much better than American hot chocolate). We were also given the opportunity to buy crafts from the women’s cooperative. Then someone found a guitar and we sang and danced until a dance troop showed up to dance in celebration of the signing of the peace treaty in 1992. (See pictures). My community was so hospitable and I can’t wait until the semester begins so I can get to know the people there better.
Tuesday was the anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty, so we went to visit the sights where the 4 church women were killed and where Romero was killed. In the morning after watching “Roses in December,” we went to Santiago Nonualco where the bodies of Dorothy Kazel, Ita Ford, Jean Donovan, and Maura Clarke were found December 2, 1983. There was a chapel built in memory of the women and rocks surrounded by a flower garden marked the grave site where the women were first found. (See pictures).
In the afternoon we went to the Divina Providencia to visit the church where Romero was killed, the hospital he lived at for a whiled, and his house. (See pictures).The whole experience was very moving and a woman who was very close to Romero’s family spoke about his final days.
That night, Dean Brackley, S.J., who is one of the Casa Program founders spoke to us. He was a teacher a Fordham and volunteered to come to El Salvador to replace the 6 Jesuits that were murdered at the UCA. He gave us some valuable advice about our time in El Salvador. After he left, an impromptu dance party broke out and drums were made out of empty water jugs and a dish rack. Tomorrow we will continue with the praxis site visits. Until next time…
Paz,
Stephanie
Monday was very exciting for me because we went to visit my praxis site in Mariona. But before we went to Mariona we stopped at San Ramon to visit the school, health center, and soy project. The school is for children ages 10 and under. Connected with the school is a health center that has a dentist office, psychologist, pharmacy, massage room, and HIV/AIDS prevention center. We then walked down the street to visit with community members of San Ramon who talked about El Pueblo de Dios en Camino, a special community centered church that broke off from the Catholic Church. The people of San Ramon wanted the whole community to be involved with worship and the conservative Catholic Church did not allow this so the people formed their own church, but still refer to themselves as Catholic. We ate lunch at the Comedor (soup kitchen) in San Ramon. This kitchen is special because of the soy project. A Maryknoll nun has created a program where soy milk is made and for $2 a month, children in the community can have two glasses of soy milk each day as well as a small portion of food. At the comedor I was introduced to the Salvadorian quesadilla, which is a cream cheese and flour mixture. Pretty much it’s a sweet bread that I now love, and the women who worked at the comedor gave me the left over bread to take with me.
After lunch we headed to Mariona where is finally got to meet my community. I will be working closely with two women, Oti and Elizabeth, and a guy everyone calls Lolo. My praxis partners (Anthony and Jen) and I felt very at home in the community. We will be working in a cooperative named after Sr. Silvia who was martyred. The cooperative works to empower women by giving them the opportunity to earn money by making handcrafts. I will get the chance to learn how to sew and embroider. We will also be teaching ESL classes and making home visits to get a better understanding of the realidad, or reality of the Salvadorian people.
During our visit to Mariona we were all given some type of tortilla and vegetable mixture and hot chocolate (which didn’t really do too much to cool me off as I sat in the 90 degree heat, but it was much better than American hot chocolate). We were also given the opportunity to buy crafts from the women’s cooperative. Then someone found a guitar and we sang and danced until a dance troop showed up to dance in celebration of the signing of the peace treaty in 1992. (See pictures). My community was so hospitable and I can’t wait until the semester begins so I can get to know the people there better.
Tuesday was the anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty, so we went to visit the sights where the 4 church women were killed and where Romero was killed. In the morning after watching “Roses in December,” we went to Santiago Nonualco where the bodies of Dorothy Kazel, Ita Ford, Jean Donovan, and Maura Clarke were found December 2, 1983. There was a chapel built in memory of the women and rocks surrounded by a flower garden marked the grave site where the women were first found. (See pictures).
In the afternoon we went to the Divina Providencia to visit the church where Romero was killed, the hospital he lived at for a whiled, and his house. (See pictures).The whole experience was very moving and a woman who was very close to Romero’s family spoke about his final days.
That night, Dean Brackley, S.J., who is one of the Casa Program founders spoke to us. He was a teacher a Fordham and volunteered to come to El Salvador to replace the 6 Jesuits that were murdered at the UCA. He gave us some valuable advice about our time in El Salvador. After he left, an impromptu dance party broke out and drums were made out of empty water jugs and a dish rack. Tomorrow we will continue with the praxis site visits. Until next time…
Paz,
Stephanie
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
La Primera Semana
¡Hola Amigos!
As of today (Wednesday), I’ve been in El Salvador for a full week. Things that have stood out to me so far are how much esperanza (hope) the people of El Salvador have and how willing they are to share their story. At first I thought the Salvadorians wouldn’t be receptive to us gringos coming into their country thinking we could make a difference. This is not true. Salvadorians I have talked to all express that our presence gives them hope that their story will be spread to others and change will come. Also, the Salvadorians are very optimistic. Though so many bad things have happened in the past, they have great hope for the future. Salvadorian society is also based on respect and generosity. The people are always willing to share their time, food, and homes, no matter how little they have. Also, a little fun fact, Salvadorians do not like spicy food. Good news for my stomach.
So, on this one week anniversary, we continued our praxis site visits. We went to La Chacra to visit Fe y Alegria, a school for children up to the 9th grade, and the parish of Maria Madre de los Pobres, where we talked with Padre Luís. Then we went to Amatepec to meet with Rev. Amy at the Episcopal Church. After lunch we went to Colon, an area affected by the earthquake. Since hundreds of homes were destroyed in the earthquake, most families in Colon live in tin huts.
When we were at Amatepec, Rev. Amy said something that really made me think about why I’m in El Salvador. She said when people come to El Salvador they come to help or make life better for the people. What stood out during her talk was when she said, “We paint a mural and in three years it needs to be painted again.” When we come to El Salvador as students, though, we have accomplished something that lasts a lifetime— we’ve gained knowledge. This knowledge is much more valuable than any mural. A mural only masks the problems for a few years while knowledge can be used to educate others and ultimately bring about real change. I’m here to learn, not to solve problems. I’m here to listen to the Salvadorian people and experience their realidad.
Paz,
Stephanie
PS- Sorry about the photos, it takes a while to upload things here. Hopefully you all can enjoy them soon.
As of today (Wednesday), I’ve been in El Salvador for a full week. Things that have stood out to me so far are how much esperanza (hope) the people of El Salvador have and how willing they are to share their story. At first I thought the Salvadorians wouldn’t be receptive to us gringos coming into their country thinking we could make a difference. This is not true. Salvadorians I have talked to all express that our presence gives them hope that their story will be spread to others and change will come. Also, the Salvadorians are very optimistic. Though so many bad things have happened in the past, they have great hope for the future. Salvadorian society is also based on respect and generosity. The people are always willing to share their time, food, and homes, no matter how little they have. Also, a little fun fact, Salvadorians do not like spicy food. Good news for my stomach.
So, on this one week anniversary, we continued our praxis site visits. We went to La Chacra to visit Fe y Alegria, a school for children up to the 9th grade, and the parish of Maria Madre de los Pobres, where we talked with Padre Luís. Then we went to Amatepec to meet with Rev. Amy at the Episcopal Church. After lunch we went to Colon, an area affected by the earthquake. Since hundreds of homes were destroyed in the earthquake, most families in Colon live in tin huts.
When we were at Amatepec, Rev. Amy said something that really made me think about why I’m in El Salvador. She said when people come to El Salvador they come to help or make life better for the people. What stood out during her talk was when she said, “We paint a mural and in three years it needs to be painted again.” When we come to El Salvador as students, though, we have accomplished something that lasts a lifetime— we’ve gained knowledge. This knowledge is much more valuable than any mural. A mural only masks the problems for a few years while knowledge can be used to educate others and ultimately bring about real change. I’m here to learn, not to solve problems. I’m here to listen to the Salvadorian people and experience their realidad.
Paz,
Stephanie
PS- Sorry about the photos, it takes a while to upload things here. Hopefully you all can enjoy them soon.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Bienvenidos a El Salvador
¡Hola Amigos!
I know you all have been anxious to hear from me, so here is a summary of my first few days in El Salvador. Let me say first how beautiful El Salvador is. As I was flying into the airport (which is a legitimate airport for those of you who thought it would be a shack with a dirt runway) I was in awe of the beautiful mountains and ocean. It shocks me how a country that appears to be a paradise can have so many problems.
After purchasing a Visa, the three other Casa students I was traveling with met up with a Casa Community Coordinator and were taken to the actual Casa (located outside of San Salvador in Antiguo Cuscatlan). There are three “casas” or houses and I’m in Casa Romero (the big house). Casa Romero is mostly singles, but I have a roommate, Katie, from Boston College. The cool thing about my casa is that we have an outdoor patio in the middle of the house. The weather here has been pretty mild and the bugs aren’t too bad (yet) so we spend a lot of time sitting out on the patio. (See Pictures)The one thing that will take some getting used to the bathroom situation. I’m lucky that my casa is the only one with hot water, but the bathrooms are coed. It’s a little weird showering next to a guy or going to the bathroom next to a guy. The bathroom has already been the source of a lot of jokes so I can’t wait until the stomach issues begin.
The Casa is about a 15-20 min. walk from the UCA where I will be taking classes. The UCA campus is beautiful and looks like a tropical rainforest. On our first day of orientation we were taken on a tour of the UCA. We visited the site of the murder of the six Jesuit priests, the housekeeper, and her daughter. There is a rose garden planted in their memory. We went through the Romero exhibit on the campus which had pictures and different artifacts from Romero’s life and the lives of the six Jesuits. We also stopped by the UCA chapel which has very unique Stations of the Cross that depict the suffering of the Salvadorian people. (See pictures)
On Friday we went to dinner at a pupusaria to experience our first pupusas (a traditional Salvadorian food which is like a tortilla with beans and cheese inside). Pupusas are now my favorite meal and they are gentle on the stomach. For dessert we had coco bananas (frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and nuts). We also walked around and saw a great view of San Salvador at night. (See pictures).
Saturday we began our praxis site visits. Before school begins we will visit all the praxis sights as a large group to get a feel for each of the different communities. First we went to Tepecoyo and Jayaque. In Tepecoyo we celebrated to grand opening of a new commuter lab that Casa students will be helping out with by teach computer classes to the youth. In Jayaque we ate lunch at the Matín Barío dental clinic and had cake and a piñata to celebrate the birthday of one of the Casa students. After lunch we went on a tour of Jayaque and surrounding villages in the back of two pick up trucks. It was amazing. The scenery was beautiful and the ride was so much fun (kind of like a rollercoaster because the roads are paved with rocks). Along the way we stopped at a coffee farm to learn more about the coffee business. (See pictures).
Sunday was a free day. We woke up early and went to mass at a little church down the street. The priest was really nice to us and speaks English. He gave us prayer sheets so we could follow along in Spanish. After mass I went with a group of 8 other people to the beach. It was gorgeous. (See pictures) That night we all went out to dinner for one of the student’s birthday.
I have to admit it’s a big cultural sock living here, but the other students are awesome and I can’t wait for the semester to being. We have orientation until the 20th and classes officially begin on Monday the 22nd. Monday we’re going to visit Mariona, which is my praxis site so I’m quite excited. Hopefully I’ll have another update by the end of the week. Until then…
Paz,
Stephanie (or Estefania as the Salvadorians call me)
I know you all have been anxious to hear from me, so here is a summary of my first few days in El Salvador. Let me say first how beautiful El Salvador is. As I was flying into the airport (which is a legitimate airport for those of you who thought it would be a shack with a dirt runway) I was in awe of the beautiful mountains and ocean. It shocks me how a country that appears to be a paradise can have so many problems.
After purchasing a Visa, the three other Casa students I was traveling with met up with a Casa Community Coordinator and were taken to the actual Casa (located outside of San Salvador in Antiguo Cuscatlan). There are three “casas” or houses and I’m in Casa Romero (the big house). Casa Romero is mostly singles, but I have a roommate, Katie, from Boston College. The cool thing about my casa is that we have an outdoor patio in the middle of the house. The weather here has been pretty mild and the bugs aren’t too bad (yet) so we spend a lot of time sitting out on the patio. (See Pictures)The one thing that will take some getting used to the bathroom situation. I’m lucky that my casa is the only one with hot water, but the bathrooms are coed. It’s a little weird showering next to a guy or going to the bathroom next to a guy. The bathroom has already been the source of a lot of jokes so I can’t wait until the stomach issues begin.
The Casa is about a 15-20 min. walk from the UCA where I will be taking classes. The UCA campus is beautiful and looks like a tropical rainforest. On our first day of orientation we were taken on a tour of the UCA. We visited the site of the murder of the six Jesuit priests, the housekeeper, and her daughter. There is a rose garden planted in their memory. We went through the Romero exhibit on the campus which had pictures and different artifacts from Romero’s life and the lives of the six Jesuits. We also stopped by the UCA chapel which has very unique Stations of the Cross that depict the suffering of the Salvadorian people. (See pictures)
On Friday we went to dinner at a pupusaria to experience our first pupusas (a traditional Salvadorian food which is like a tortilla with beans and cheese inside). Pupusas are now my favorite meal and they are gentle on the stomach. For dessert we had coco bananas (frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and nuts). We also walked around and saw a great view of San Salvador at night. (See pictures).
Saturday we began our praxis site visits. Before school begins we will visit all the praxis sights as a large group to get a feel for each of the different communities. First we went to Tepecoyo and Jayaque. In Tepecoyo we celebrated to grand opening of a new commuter lab that Casa students will be helping out with by teach computer classes to the youth. In Jayaque we ate lunch at the Matín Barío dental clinic and had cake and a piñata to celebrate the birthday of one of the Casa students. After lunch we went on a tour of Jayaque and surrounding villages in the back of two pick up trucks. It was amazing. The scenery was beautiful and the ride was so much fun (kind of like a rollercoaster because the roads are paved with rocks). Along the way we stopped at a coffee farm to learn more about the coffee business. (See pictures).
Sunday was a free day. We woke up early and went to mass at a little church down the street. The priest was really nice to us and speaks English. He gave us prayer sheets so we could follow along in Spanish. After mass I went with a group of 8 other people to the beach. It was gorgeous. (See pictures) That night we all went out to dinner for one of the student’s birthday.
I have to admit it’s a big cultural sock living here, but the other students are awesome and I can’t wait for the semester to being. We have orientation until the 20th and classes officially begin on Monday the 22nd. Monday we’re going to visit Mariona, which is my praxis site so I’m quite excited. Hopefully I’ll have another update by the end of the week. Until then…
Paz,
Stephanie (or Estefania as the Salvadorians call me)
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