Helloooooo world!

As I write this, it is Friday, August 02, 2013 at 8:30pm El Salvador time. I figured I’d give you some context since I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to post this. My last posts were written on Saturday and Sunday last week, so I have a lot to catch you up on! This was my first full week as a PCT, so I think it’s worth celebrating. Yeeeyy. I’m not allowed to drink during PST (10 weeks, FYI), so when October 1 hits and I swear in as a PCV I’m gonna celebrate with margs and Coronas (pronounced with a ES accent, which I’m slowly perfecting). For now, I’ll drink some Gatorade.

Here’s some more clarification- I’ve been online a total of 5 minutes this week. Just enough to go on Facebook, check my email and post on my blog. Peace Corps gave each group of three an internet modem. It’s about $3 for 2MB. Or at least I think. I actually have no idea. I just know that we don’t have a lot, so Skype and Tumblr and Twitter and all the other time wasting things I usually do on the internet are out of the question. I also have to sit in a certain spot on the patio at another PCT’s house, and since he’s a man and hanging out alone in his bedroom is a big NO NO in ES, it’s not the most comfortable place to sit online.

But I’m fine! I have a cell phone here. I can receive texts and calls, but I can’t send anything. Send me a text sometime! My number is +503-7586-6969. (Yes, you need to put the +). You might not have international texting though. Boo. Try it anyways.  

Where do I even begin? I feel like it’s been months. Sorry, but this ones gonna be long! I’ll break down some of the bigger things I bet you’re wondering about. In no particular order-

Food

I honestly really like the food here. Well, with exceptions. Everything has a metric ton of sugar or a metric ton of salt. It’s really disgusting. But I’ve weaned my host mom off putting salt or sugar in my food. Contrary to what I thought, I don’t drink a lot of coffee here. My family aren’t big coffee drinkers, so I only get coffee at the training center. And the only coffee I do drink is instant. All the coffee that’s grown here is exported, so we’re left with the crappy stuff that never dissolves all the way. I eat a lot of pupusas. Someday I’ll link a photo. They’re delish. It’s like a flat empanada made of corn, with cheese and beans inside. Oh yeah- I’m gonna get fat here. Like, real fat and unhealthy. Anyone who’s imagining me eating mangos all day is wrong. I’m doing a good job of talking with my host mom though. She now knows that I like fruit, I like tea, I don’t like lots of fried food, and no more than one tortilla a meal. This might seem simple, but it’s actually very difficult to refuse food or change your eating habits with your host mom. She wants you to eat a lot, and she wants you to eat the food she makes. Really, there’s no difference between a Salvadorian mother and a YiaYia. I’m sure there’s more I can say about food, but I’ll save it for another day.

Electricity

I have good electricity for the most part. The outlets are the same as the US, but not a lot of people have the 3 prong outlets. I learned that the hard way. Luckily, we had a field trip to Wal-Mart and I got an outlet thingy for $.45. The power goes out almost every time it rains. It rains every night.

There’s a Wal-Mart there?!

Yes, and Pizza Hut and Wendy’s and a Sears and Office Depot. But they only exist in San Salvador, which is off limits for PCT and PCVs. This means we’re technically not allowed to go to PC headquarters unless it’s a guided, planned PC meeting. We need to use private transportation to get there or use the PC microbus. We went to Wal-Mart because it was near the place where we got our official ES id’s. It’s like a visa, but better. We’re not allowed in San Sal because the public transit is dangerous.

****This country is not rich. There are rich people, but they live in gated communities with night guards and palm trees. For the most part, from the second you step out of the airport you’re in a very, very poor place with trash, graffiti, stray dogs, gangs, traffic, more pollution, and sick people. If you think, “give em a Wal-Mart and they’ll be developed,” you’re just ignorant and wrong. My family couldn’t afford a damn thing in Wal-Mart.

Packing

I’m an idiot. Listen up prospective PCVs and anyone currently in the packing process!!! Stop what you’re doing. I mean it. Just stop. Look at your clothes. Is it one week, maybe a week and a half of outfits? No? You have more? Take it out of that suitcase right quick. I brought the stupidest things here. I have a whole bag of makeup that I haven’t opened once. It would literally melt off my face. I have about 75 hairties. I only use one. I have sooooo many tank tops. PC doesn’t allow tank tops- even though they said we could in the handbook, but that’s the theme of PC. Write one thing, say another. Just don’t bring a lot of clothes. You’re gonna want to look more local anyways, so buy some clothes in country. 

Some things I couldn’t live without

·         My headlamp. Especially since it has a “red light” setting that doesn’t attract as many bugs. (Thank you Bloomquist family!!!!!)

·         Many washrags. Bucket showers are brutal in the morning.

·         Quick dry shirts. Nothing dries in this humidity.

·         Extra gallon and quart ziplock bags.

·         Nalgene water bottle.

·         Digital watch. I only take it off to shower.

·         Face wipes. Because I sweat a lot!

·         My lifeguard pullover. Shout out to my GPD peeps!

·         Mack’s foam earplugs. I’m going to write them a formal thank you for allowing me to sleep through the roosters.

·         Sports bras. Because I’m always sweating.

Some things I wish I brought

·         I need a pair of Chacos or Tevas real bad. The “roads” here are rocky and muddy.

·         Robe, for walking to the shower every morning.

·         Bedsheets. 2 flat full size sheets and a pillow case. Just bring them.

·         Comfort foods. What I would do for some Pringles…

·         At least one roll of quilted tp.

·         A tuperware. People use a lot of plastic bags here, and it’s not eco-friendly.

·         Backpack. The only ones here are cheaply made, but cost a ton.

My Spanish

I’m learning sooo much. I still talk like a baby, but I’ve already mastered the past and future tenses for… like 5 verbs. But considering how I didn’t prepare para nada, I think that’s pretty good. My family is very supportive and works with me every night.

My family

My family loves me. It’s really that simple. My mom follows PC reglas to a T. PC teaches the host families about microbios that live in their guts that we fancy shmancy Americans don’t have. My stomach is like a baby, so they have to use chlorinated water to make our food and juice and whatnot. Also, the latrines have to have covers (for the flies) and the pilas (where you get water) can’t have mosquito eggs. (Mosquitoes can damn near kill you here. I fear dengue…) My mom is just the nicest lady ever, and she makes good pupusas. All she wants is for me to be healthy and happy. My host dad has a HUGE smile, and he’s always smiling because everything I do is a big joke to him. I don’t blame him though, I’m pretty funny. He works nights so I only really seem him for about 1 hour a day. He likes to help me with my vocab. My host brother, I found out today, is 20. All the PCT girls are thirstay, and they say he’s a attractive. I guess I can’t see it because I’ve seen him dance, and I’ve heard him sing along to Michael Jackson, and I’ve seen him try his absolute hardest to pronounce basic English words. He’s a good guy, he loves his nephew, and he brings me hot lunch when I have class in town. I guess I don’t see him as “Alonae the hottie”, because he’s the only brother I’ve ever had. My host sister goes to the university in town and she works her butt off. I’m proud of her. She’s 18, but she acts older. When my mom isn’t home, she’s the lady of the house and she cooks for me. I love it!

I’m lucky to have a house of four. I go to other PCTs houses and the children cough on me and touch me and they want me to pay attention to them all the time. I hate it. Kids are fine, just don’t wipe your snot on me. Gross.

What I’ve learned (so far)

·         Don’t take immodium when you have diarrhea because they need to do a stool sample *only if sustained more than 2 days*.

·         The civil war was very, very brutal here. My Spanish teacher told me some stories that will give you nightmares.

·         Speaking of nightmares- malaria pills give you the worst nightmares. Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to have a nightmare and wake up in a dark room in the jungle?! I didn’t think so.

·         ES only uses usted, no tu.

·         You can eat a lot of flowers here. Like, every meal has some type of flower in it. Tonight I had chufles. They’re pretty good!

·         You eat with your hands but don’t you dare lick your fingers. Picking the crap out from under your nails with your teeth is ok.

Other PCTs

I love our group. We have some great chemistry here. I really love Kai and Maria, the other PCTs who were dropped in el campo with me. Kai is a straight up Hawaiian Zumba instructor with cool tattoos he has to keep covered (tattoos= gang member), and a big happy smile that makes you feel alright living in the jungle. Maria has a spicy side. She looks innocent, but watch out. Gurl has moves and she’s a good singer- no matter what she says. I get to see the other volunteers on Tuesday and Thursdays. I think once we get more used to the bus we can go visit the town more.

Transportation

Guess what I did today? Me, Kai and Maria caught the most packed bus I’ve ever seen. The bus looks like an old skool school bus, but painted green with gangster Tweety Birds and busty anime women stickers all over the walls. Me and Kai had to hang on to the hinges of the door as the bus sped over potholes, small rivers, up the hill and down the hill. It was without a doubt the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done- and that’s saying something.

Also, the other day I rode in a truck bed to church. It’s very common here to hang on to the side rails of a truck and hope you don’t fall out. But hey, it’s private transportation! I think that means it’s ok by PC.

Church

I never thought I’d be saying this, but I really like going to church. For a whole hour and a half no one talks to me and it is b-e-a-utiful to just sit, stand, kneel. The mass is exactly like the Catholic mass at home. The priest really loves the kids, so that’s sweet. The band has the most dilapidated guitars and bass I’ve ever seen, but they know how to play well. The singers are terrible and tone deaf. Someone needs to take the mic from them.

My host mom is very religious. She’s a big figure in the church, and she brings communion to sick people every Thursday. I know it means a lot to her that I go, so I do. Plus, I get papatias afterward (French fries with ketchup, mayo, and cheese).

Things I hated in the US but I love in ES

·         Katy Perry’s “Firework”

·         Zumba (it makes a lot more sense when you live in Central America)

·         Soccer- watching and playing.

·         Cold showers (only after working out)

·         Black coffee

·         Hand sanitizer. I can’t believe there was a time I was so elitist to say that hand sanitizer creates megagerms. I couldn’t care less about megagerms after using the latrine.

Things I really dislike about ES

·         Mosquitoes and HUGE spiders and HUGE beetles and HUGE grasshoppers and HUGE cockroaches.

·         Roosters that start at 4:40am every morning, without fail.

·         Warm, sweet milk.

·         Rainstorms.

·         Diarrhea.

I

’ve been writing for way long enough. I think this is a good update on my life. The important thing is that I’m happy and healthy. I’ll put up some pics soon. I gotta sleep now because I run at 6am on Saturdays. How that happened, I have no idea. Gotta work off those tortillas!

Besos,

Ále