After a year and a half, my little blister has finally come to visit! Having Mimi here has been really wonderful.
Our trip didn't start off so well, however. On the way back from the airport, I made sure to introduce Mimi to the famous Salvadoran food the pupusa. As we were eating, I also ordered an horchata, a local delicious drink, though I warned her not to drink it because of the ice, and I know she has a sensitive stomach. I, in my hubris, bragged that I was "used to the water" and fine to drink it. At 2 am my words came back to haunt me as I vomited violently over the toilet. I tried to play it cool but by the 5th time I prayed at the porcelain god, I decided that this was not, in fact, normal. We rushed to the hospital, where the admitted me. I sent Mimi home, but then was stuck at the hospital for the next day, eating nothing but IV fluid and broth. Mimi was a good sport though and went by herself on a tour of San Salvador, where she learned a lot which she shared with me over the next week.
I know she will probably think it's annoying that I say this, but I am really so proud of the person she is becoming. It's amazing how much she's grown up even just over the past year. Though she denies it, her Spanish is really quite good. Good enough for her to participate in translating at the Eye Care campaign I took her to in Perquin, my friend's site (see the pictures). We spent two days there working with a group of American doctors and Lion's Club members, who brought down thousands of pairs of glasses to El Salvador to give away. In addition they did surgery on cataracts. This year, I organized for 30 people from my community to attend as well, and it was a great success. My site is very sunny and almost everyone suffers from damage to their eyes and no one seems to have glasses. Everyone was extremely excited to finally be able to read the bible again or thread a needle. The entire experience was very inspiring because it was amazing to see these American retirees, who spend their retirement doing such amazing work and truly making a difference in the world. The amount of work and coordination the program takes is enormous. I hope to be involved with activities like that when I am older!
Mimi also had a chance to spend a couple days in my site, meeting my friends. She outshone me at making tamales. Everyone thought she looked very young and was very thin, and everyone said we looked nothing alike, which is funny because they say I look exactly like all my other friends who have visited.
Anyways, it's been a really wonderful visit and I am lucky to have a sister who is interested in coming to see my life here!
Monday, February 1, 2010
more on migration
I thought I'd share this article with you:
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15108697
I think it's sad that El Salvador is 5th in the world for numbers of would-be migrants, only behind such places as Haiti, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and the Congo. Unlike these other countries, El Salvador is relatively politically stable and much better off economically, yet the American Dream is still so infectious here, which results in broken families and drains small towns of their talent.
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15108697
I think it's sad that El Salvador is 5th in the world for numbers of would-be migrants, only behind such places as Haiti, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and the Congo. Unlike these other countries, El Salvador is relatively politically stable and much better off economically, yet the American Dream is still so infectious here, which results in broken families and drains small towns of their talent.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Being a gringa in a foreign land
I'm re-reading one of my favorite books, The Soccer War by Ryszard Kapuscinski and I came across a passage from his reporting in Africa. Though the context is obviously different and the racial tension in Africa is much more severe than here, the passage really struck a chord with me about what it's been like to be such an obvious foreigner all the time and I thought I'd share it with you:
"... I had a wolf ticket. You get that ticket when you cross a certain parallel. When you reach a place where you find out that you have white skin. This is a discovery, a sensation, a shock. I had lived for twenty-five years without knowing about that skin. A hundred children play in the courtyard of the townhouse I live in back home, and not one of them has ever given his skin a thought. They only know that if it's dirty, that's bad. But if it's clean and white - that's good! Well, they've got it wrong. It's bad. Very bad. Because white skin is the wolf ticket.
Books about Africa used to get on my nerves: so much about black and white in them. This color, that color, and all the hues in between. When I finally went myself, I understood. Right away you find out what's assigned to you, which line you're supposed to stand in. Right away that skin starts itching. It affronts or it elevates. You can't jump out of it, and it cramps your style. You can't exist normally. You will always be above, below, or off to the side. But never in your own place..."
(Kapuscinski 62)
"... I had a wolf ticket. You get that ticket when you cross a certain parallel. When you reach a place where you find out that you have white skin. This is a discovery, a sensation, a shock. I had lived for twenty-five years without knowing about that skin. A hundred children play in the courtyard of the townhouse I live in back home, and not one of them has ever given his skin a thought. They only know that if it's dirty, that's bad. But if it's clean and white - that's good! Well, they've got it wrong. It's bad. Very bad. Because white skin is the wolf ticket.
Books about Africa used to get on my nerves: so much about black and white in them. This color, that color, and all the hues in between. When I finally went myself, I understood. Right away you find out what's assigned to you, which line you're supposed to stand in. Right away that skin starts itching. It affronts or it elevates. You can't jump out of it, and it cramps your style. You can't exist normally. You will always be above, below, or off to the side. But never in your own place..."
(Kapuscinski 62)
Monday, January 4, 2010
saying goodbye before the journey north
I am just coming from saying goodbye to one of my best friends in my community, Orbe. Most of you who have come to visit me have met her. She is beautiful and elegant, one of those people who always looks so well put together despite the hot weather and the dust. With her wide, tan face and trim figure, she is often mistaken for her daughter´s sister though she is about 40 years old and has three kids.
Orbe stood out from the beginning by reaching out to me and because of her desire to improve her neighborhood. She was one of the first people I met who was like, "you're here to work? great! let's get started!" She is an obvious leader in her community. She organizes things like trash clean ups and petitions, things that no one does here. I immediately liked her and would go over to her house to cook things together. She taught me how to make beef stew, I taught her how to make fried rice.
Until last year, Orbe ran her own clothing store in the center of town. Her brother, who worked in the U.S., would buy stuff at discount stores like Ross, where his wife worked, and ship them down here. Orbe would then sell these "American" clothes (often made in China or Vietnam) at a mark up here in town. I think she liked the responsibility of running her own small business. Nonetheless, when her brother's wife came back from the U.S. (after 12 years), Orbe had to yield control of the store to her, since it was technically her brother's business.
Orbe seemed restless and frustrated after losing her business. Luckily, she was offered a position on the incoming mayor´s city council, something that kept her busy during election season. She did well in her job. She has great ideas for the town within the first couple months in office she organized the Christmas display in the park and convinced the mayor to get street lamps for several streets in the town. She's definitely the most outspoken female on the city council and is a good example to the girls here.
But the work with the city council hardly pays, and Orbe has become increasingly worried about her kids futures. Their father is in the U.S., though sends money rather irregularly and has found another girl there. For a long time, she thought about opening up a restaurant (or comedor) here in town and I tried to support the idea. I even brought her to a small business workshop with other Peace Corps volunteers in hopes that it would help realize this dream.
In the end, however, Orbe's ambitions for herself and her children cannot truly be achieved here. Today, I went over to her house to say goodbye to her and her daughters before she leaves early tomorrow morning to meet the coyote who will take her across the border to the U.S.
I am so sad to see her go. First, the decision affects me very personally since I know I will miss her presence here a lot. But also, more generally, it makes me so sad that the situation of this country is such that the brightest, most motivated people, the people that want to make something of their lives, have to leave. As much as I didn't want Orbe to go, I knew she could not be persuaded to stay.
Just now, as I was saying goodbye to her, she told me that her experience at the small business workshop had changed her life. Seeing all the Peace Corps volunteers, who were all so motivated, worked so hard, and had traveled so far had made such an impression on her. She said she saw me as a role model, if i could come here, across the world, she knew she too could make something of herself in a foreign land. Hearing that was so bittersweet. The last thing we want to encourage here is emigration, but when that is your only opportunity to really make something of yourself, what is the alternative?
Anyways, it was a very emotional and sad experience to say goodbye. I will be thinking of her all this week as she makes the dangerous journey and I pray she makes it safely and securely. One day, I hope to see her again in El Norte.
Orbe stood out from the beginning by reaching out to me and because of her desire to improve her neighborhood. She was one of the first people I met who was like, "you're here to work? great! let's get started!" She is an obvious leader in her community. She organizes things like trash clean ups and petitions, things that no one does here. I immediately liked her and would go over to her house to cook things together. She taught me how to make beef stew, I taught her how to make fried rice.
Until last year, Orbe ran her own clothing store in the center of town. Her brother, who worked in the U.S., would buy stuff at discount stores like Ross, where his wife worked, and ship them down here. Orbe would then sell these "American" clothes (often made in China or Vietnam) at a mark up here in town. I think she liked the responsibility of running her own small business. Nonetheless, when her brother's wife came back from the U.S. (after 12 years), Orbe had to yield control of the store to her, since it was technically her brother's business.
Orbe seemed restless and frustrated after losing her business. Luckily, she was offered a position on the incoming mayor´s city council, something that kept her busy during election season. She did well in her job. She has great ideas for the town within the first couple months in office she organized the Christmas display in the park and convinced the mayor to get street lamps for several streets in the town. She's definitely the most outspoken female on the city council and is a good example to the girls here.
But the work with the city council hardly pays, and Orbe has become increasingly worried about her kids futures. Their father is in the U.S., though sends money rather irregularly and has found another girl there. For a long time, she thought about opening up a restaurant (or comedor) here in town and I tried to support the idea. I even brought her to a small business workshop with other Peace Corps volunteers in hopes that it would help realize this dream.
In the end, however, Orbe's ambitions for herself and her children cannot truly be achieved here. Today, I went over to her house to say goodbye to her and her daughters before she leaves early tomorrow morning to meet the coyote who will take her across the border to the U.S.
I am so sad to see her go. First, the decision affects me very personally since I know I will miss her presence here a lot. But also, more generally, it makes me so sad that the situation of this country is such that the brightest, most motivated people, the people that want to make something of their lives, have to leave. As much as I didn't want Orbe to go, I knew she could not be persuaded to stay.
Just now, as I was saying goodbye to her, she told me that her experience at the small business workshop had changed her life. Seeing all the Peace Corps volunteers, who were all so motivated, worked so hard, and had traveled so far had made such an impression on her. She said she saw me as a role model, if i could come here, across the world, she knew she too could make something of herself in a foreign land. Hearing that was so bittersweet. The last thing we want to encourage here is emigration, but when that is your only opportunity to really make something of yourself, what is the alternative?
Anyways, it was a very emotional and sad experience to say goodbye. I will be thinking of her all this week as she makes the dangerous journey and I pray she makes it safely and securely. One day, I hope to see her again in El Norte.
Monday, December 7, 2009
madrina!
Yesterday I had the honor of becoming the madrina (i.e. godmother) to a beautiful little girl, Etna Soledad. Her mother, who is only 16, is a friend of mine, and her grandfather, Don Edilberto, is the president of the fishing cooperative with which I often work. Cristina, the mother, asked me to be the madrina a while back, but I thought I would not be able to since I am not, in fact, Catholic. She discovered that the priest in our town doesn't actually bother to ask if one is Catholic or not, as long as one is not "living in sin" and is over the age of 15, you're good to go. So on Sunday, we all sat through the four hour (!) service, and at the end I held little Sole as we baptized her. It was very sweet and I was very honored. Being a madrina here is a pretty big deal. Every child knows who their madrina is, and they call them "madrina" and not their first name. Cristina now will call me "comadre" (co-mother). My technical responsibilities are to be in charge of the spiritual development of the child and to take care of her in the case that her parents die. Sole an incredibly sweet girl, and I love her very much. I am looking forward to the role I will play in her life!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
ima's visit - only two weeks late :)
My mom wanted to know why I hadn't posted anything on my blog about her visit, so I am now doing it a little late. The problem was that the day before she left was the day of the flooding so I was busy posting about that problem. Anyways, my mom came to visit me here in El Salvador for 10 days and it was truly amazing trip. I was a little nervous before she came about what we could do together in the community since she doesn't speak Spanish. Also, despite her promises that she would be a low-maintenance guest, I was unsure she could really handle taking bucket baths and the other realities of life here. Suffice it to say, I was extremely impressed with her. She was an amazing guest and was very interested in the culture and history of the country. She fell in love with my friends in the community and was so impressed with their genorisity. Despite not speaking Spanish, she learned enough to say "muy rico!" after she ate all the variety of food that was placed in front of her at the various houses. Also, I put her to work with me on a world map project I was doing at the school. She was a huge help and support (including a sponser!), and in the end the result was quite beautiful (see the pics). It was a great trip in all.
boat project!
Here are some pictures from the inauguration of the boat project that I have been working on with the fishing community that was affected by the flooding. With this project, the fishing cooperative (run by Don Edilberto, the man in the cowboy hat) will be given 4 boats, 3 canoes, and 4 motors. 25% of the money for the project came from the community itself. I am very excited about this project because I have been working on it with the community for the past year and a half and it's so wonderful to see it come to fruition. The idea for the project came from the community itself. They approached me and asked if I could help obtain boats for the cooperative. Of the 20 members of the cooperative, only 3 currently have boats. This severely limits the economic productivity of the members without boats, as they can only go fishing on days when they can find someone to lend them a boat. This project allows all members more regular access to boats. The cooperative will charge $3 to rent a boat and motor (or $1.50 for just a boat). The money will be saved by the cooperative to help repair boats in case of damage and hopefully buy more boats in the future.
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