¡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
Friday, February 23, 2007
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!
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