It all started when I visited my community guide today. I told her that I cannot be a candidata for the upcoming fair. It wasn't a complete lie, but I probably twisted the truth a little much. I just feel really uncomfortable asking the community to buy votes from me. Oh, and my biggest competition is a 3-year-old girl. I explained that there is a rule that PCV's can't handle community funds, therefore I will not be representing them in the pageant.
I expected her to get mad. We're less than 2 weeks away, and about $3,000 away from what we need to put on the fair. But she didn't get mad. In fact, I think she realized how awkward I felt telling her no and eased up on her typical "you never do anything" tirade. I was grateful for that and played with her grand kids a little longer than usual.
Then I got home and was surprised with not only a new flat screen TV, but CABLE tambien! Um, what? I haven't had a TV the whole time I've lived in El Salvador and now I have TV and cable?! Other PCVs have their favorite telenovelas scheduled into daily life and complain about the constant campaign commercials. I was pretty indifferent when I saw in October that my house didn't have a TV, but it does help with learning Spanish. Meh.
It's been on since it got installed. We have over 20 channels and even a few of them are in English. I know, because when my host sister was channel flipping I saw the Jersey Shore flash on the screen and I started screaming! "That show! Jersey Shore! When we got here everyone thought we were like them, but we're not! We're not like the people on TV! I'm not Snooki! I'm not Snoooooookiiiiii!" I think I scared her so much she put on CNN and left the room.
Then later tonight I was doing the Insanity fit test, because what else would I be doing with my Tuesday night? I heard a Spanish speaking man talking about unemployment and the economy, so naturally I assumed he was one of the presidential candidates the country will elect on Sunday, February 2. Another commercial, right?
WRONG! My main man Pres. Obama was giving his (Spanish dubbed) state of the union address! And my 16, 25, 27-year-old host siblings were listening. I was seriously confused/intrigued/amazed. Why would they care? I bet you 75% of all the Americans I've ever known didn't watch the state of the union address tonight, much less listened to it without live tweeting. (Ya know, so people think they're into politics.)
I thought about it in the shower. I mean, on second thought it makes sense. They all have loved ones who live in the US, and they want to live in the US someday, too . The US gives some outrageous amount of aid to El Salvador (I'm too lazy to search now, but here's the Embassy webpage.) Big American brands like Coke and Doritos are sold in every corner tiendita, and fake Hollister and Ralph Lauren labels are sewn onto knock off pencil skirts. The state of the union is one way to keep tabs on their favorite country, straight from the horse's mouth.
When I came out to watch the address they quickly switched to the pageant. The pageant in my pueblo. The pueblo that's 10 minute bus ride away. Possibly the biggest event of the fair, the biggest event of the year! Wait.. why does my pueblo have a cable channel?! I caught myself saying "This is soooo Putnam." Then I realized saying things like that is why I'm still single.
My host sisters proceeded to call every girl who got up on stage in 5 inch stilettos gorda, fea and aburida. Half the girls were 13 or 14-years-old. "Common, Ale! Gossip with us!" I mean, me and my roommate Raechel used to eat pizza and yell at the TV during the Victoria's Secret fashion show? But supermodels earned my
So now I'm sitting here, my extension cord strung from my bedroom to the living room, typing away on my computer. With my internet modem. That works well enough to skype. They're gonna announce the beauty queen soon.
Folks, I've officially crossed over to the Posh Corps life. And it feel soooo good.
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