NYE 2014

I love New Years. I always have. I love getting dressed up and spending outrageous amount of money, because duh, it's the last sheebang of the year and the first of the new! You gotta bring it in right!

I decided to spend NYE with my host family because my host sister's birthday is on December 31. I honestly didn't have high expectations what with the lack of Christmas celebrations. But everyone kept talking about how fun NYE is, so I let myself get a little excited.

We had the whole family over for some fun. We spent the first 3 hours in darkness because, apparently, they turn the electricity off every year so homemade fireworks don't explode the lines? Something like that. We played dinamicas (short ice breaker type games) and destroyed two pinatas. After the pinatas, around 11pm, everyone moved to another family's house. I counted down the new year with my immediate host family and watch Wil shoot off some fireworks.

I got to call home for a few minutes after the new year. It felt good to hear my family. Luckily, Chicago and El Salvador brought in the New Year at the same time!

Our homemade pinatas.

Tamales, of course.

Some of the family after a dinamica.

Poor Santa. I thought we didn't celebrate Christmas?!

They really wanted the gringa to participate.

I broke it.

Mad rush!

I did it!

Me and my host sisters. Who's from the conservative culture?

Belky and Aysel, who stuffed all her candy in her shirt.

My cute old host parents.

The fam.

One picture Salvadorena.

One picture Americana.

Everyone wanted to take pics with me.

My Aysel!