Random Lives

[two posts today, don't miss the second one after this]



(Picture is our Canton, from a high vantage point)


It’s not that this can’t be just as true in the United States, doing “normal” jobs, but here it just seems like every day is a new surprise. It might have partly to do with language, and our limited cultural understanding. This would make things that are obvious to the locals, less so to us. Regardless, we started out today just going for another walk. Since we are a bit more focused on trying to find a house to rent, the direction we chose was towards the more developed casario. We thought there might be more options (or at least an option) in that direction.

While we walked I took some photos to try to capture the pastoral nature that I talked about in the previous post. A very nice guy on a horse stopped and we talked to him for about ten minutes, mostly about the differences between the weather here and in the US. We are getting better at this conversation, because it is pretty common. The folks here are kind of proud of their cooler weather, and the fact that it is healthier (and safer) here. Somehow we always talk about the weather in the US to… of course most of them are fairly aware of the weather in the US as they have relatives that live there, or have been there themselves. This guy was also interested in the climate change in the whole world.

After him we met another guy, who we have seen a few times but hadn’t talked to yet. He thought he might have some housing options for us. He is currently building a new house, the conversation got complicated, so we are not sure what house he is thinking of for us, but we do know he has ideas, and we will talk later. After this is where the strangeness begins. We run into the Alcalde (Mayor) who is up from San Ignacio, and a couple of the folks who work in the Alcaldia. We know him from previous meetings and like him. He asks us how we are doing and how we like it up here, ect… All stuff we are pretty good at answering by now. We tell him that we are just out walking and getting to know the communities and the people. Overall, a pretty good conversation. We also mention that we are still looking for a house, he seems to think that we should look closer to Las Pilas (next nearest Canton, also the direction we were heading anyway).

After we head away from him, we go up a road that we haven’t been on yet. We say hello to a young woman carrying masa from the molina as we pass her. She is heading towards her house and we ask if that is where she lives (we do have to practice our Spanish, right?). A man is out on the porch, and we say “hi” to him as well. He asks us why we don’t come down and visit… all of this is how many of our daily walks go… if people want to talk, we stop and tell them about ourselves, and listen to what they say.

Here is where things changed, we were sitting and talking when the Alcalde and his co-workers came down to the house as well. We say “hi” again, and wonder how to gracefully make our exit because obviously something more important than our visit is going on here. The guy we are having a good conversation with will have none of it, and invites us to attend the “matrimonial”… now we are not quite sure, but we now think that the civil component of a wedding is going on here. We try to avoid (the polite thing in our culture) but now the Alcalde is encouraging us as well. So, now we are brought into the house, and made guest of honor. This is the civil part as I mentioned before, later they will have the big church affair. Still, there is more ceremony than you might think. The Alcalde went on for some time about the importance of the institution of marriage; I think that quite a bit of it was for our benefit. He talked about how it was important for the rights of women and children, so that the husband couldn’t just sell the house and leave the wife and kids alone. He also talked about spousal and child abuse. In some ways it seems strange for a marriage ceremony, but he was making a point about the rights that the legal marriage entails.

During the document signing, there were photos taken. I think that there may have been more photos taken of us than the happy couple. Afterwards there was a huge meal, we were of course seated at the table with the Alcalde, and given our plates first. It was actually a very very good meal with good conversation. Afterwards we hung out and talked to the groom. He had been to the US many times, and had lived there for quite a while during his teenage years. We talked about the dangers of the trip (without papers of course), and the different places he had been. This just brought home again how strangely connected to the US the lives of the people down here are… it is so one sided, they depend so much on the US, and are so connected to it, and most folks in the US have no idea where El Salvador is, or what is going on here.

The Shire

That’s where I’ve decided we live now. It’s as close an image as I can give for modern folks from the US. The patchwork of crops across rolling hillsides, scattered small houses integrated into the pattern, it all seems rather Hobbiton. The last few days we have spent quite a bit of time out walking the roads to trails to pathways out and around the surrounding hillsides. Mostly trying to learn who and where our community is. There are fences between the plots of land, but there is always a common ground path between the fences that separate the properties, and pretty much anywhere that a road makes a long switchback or turn, there is a much shorter (though often steeper) walking path.
It is the difference of a society that is still largely dependent on their feet for transportation. The roads are there, but they are only used by the buses, and the trucks that haul the produce, therefore, they only have to get “close”. The houses by and large are not on the roads, but on small pathways, and are frequently surrounded by the crops that that family grows.
The differences from the Shire are obvious as well. Firstly, it is much steeper than either my or Peter Jackson’s image was. It is not the rolling English (or New Zealand) countryside. It is a steeper rivercut valley. The other big difference is that the major export is not tobacco, rather it is cabbage and potatoes. Still, it is a very picturesque place to live, even without the round doors and furry feet.

Old Photos!

I thought I should go ahead and post a few that I tried to post earlier. Now I will know to bring some new ones down with me on the flash drive. It'll be good to show you all more about where we are now living.

To the left is the entryway to the house we lived in in during training, along with a few of the great kids that lived there. After that... hmmm, I need to learn about formating these things... Anyway, this is Vanesa, she was one of our "kids" and a good friend during our training. This is her in her quinceñiera (spelled wrong, see previous entry for the correct spelling) dress. I'm going to hold off on more pictures for now. Cheers! BTW, this is the third update today. We are down in the town of La Palma today, which is our closest internet. We should be back in the area in about a week, the 18th at the latest... So, expect the next blog update around that time.

Shopping for Food

(The photo worked! This is where our site in on the big map of El Salvador. You can see our names at the top, near Honduras) This entry is being made at the same time as at least one other, so scroll down and read the other one first. Today we went shopping for veggies. Those of you that have traveled a bit can probably imagine the usual third world type market, full of strange looking foods and smells, with meat that makes you sure you should be a vegetarian. Well, this isn’t one of those stories. Sure, those exist here, lots, but they are in the pueblos and the bigger towns. Out where we are, there are little tiendas (stores) or tienditas, and these carry things like soap, chips, cookies, soup bullion, chips, candy, oh, and did I mention chips (which are called churros here). The point is, they don’t carry any veggies. So, when you need veggies up here (Quick digression,; I’m going to say up here meaning that our site is pretty much uphill from everywhere in the country. The nearest town is an hour and a half and 3,000 plus foot elevation drop by bus… so it really does feel like “up here”), anyway veggies up here you get by going to the source.

So, today we walked down towards the river, which is the same as saying that we walked towards Honduras, and we met up with a guy who is growing broccoli and cauliflower. After quite a bit of polite conversation we ended up buying two nice heads of each, as fresh as is possible via a machete cut. Afterwards we talked some more to a family next door, and were offered some refresco de limon (lemonade… kind of), at this point when we are offered this stuff, we are going to drink it… it is too hard to politely decline. We’ll see if we end up getting sick, then we’ll have to change our habits, so far things are fine. I really do think that the water people use here is pretty safe. After some more good conversation and having to explain why we are here, we moved uphill carrying our load of broccoli and cauliflower. We passed by a tomatera (tomato field) and talked to a guy who was harvesting a bunch to take down to San Salvador, of course we then got a bunch of tomatoes added to our load.

In the end, we made a very nice fresh soup for lunch today that included the stuff we got today, plus some cabbage and guisquil (squash -like thing) we picked up yesterday, rice pasta and egg. After ten weeks of having very little control over our diet, we are really enjoying being able to cook our own food. It is interesting how much time that shopping and cooking can take out of your day here… luckily the interactions with our neighbors counts towards our “work”.

Oh, and I just added a photo, and it actually worked! So, in the future expect more photos appearing in this currently rather drab site!

Volunteer Status

Prepare for a somewhat disorganized ramble. It is intentional in part, to try to convey the chaos that has been the last few weeks. We are now full volunteers. We have sworn to uphold the constitution and all that. What this means is that all of the “hand-holding” that had been going on (though diminishing), is now gone. We are just expected to go out and do something…

The last part of training was mostly sad. It meant leaving our families, and leaving the training staff, both of whom have been anchors to our reality for the last ten weeks. Then about the time that sinks in, you also realize that you also won’t be seeing any of your fellow trainees anytime soon. For the first part of our time in our site, it is expected that we will not leave a whole lot… so no going off and visiting other volunteers every weekend. It is important that the community get used to thinking of you as being part of it, and around to talk and visit with. We have heard stories of volunteers who leave a lot, and the community thinks that the volunteer doesn’t like them… That kind of feeling could make it harder to work or accomplish things at the site.

Speaking of working or accomplishing something… I know that lots of people wonder what the heck we will do, what is our “work” exactly? Well, it is not an easy thing to answer, and it probably still won’t be after our two years are up. My current thinking on this question is that we are similar to but fall somewhat short of being a guardian angel, or fairy godmother to the community. We are a part of it, but still outside it... with different ideas and an outsider’s perspective on things. We don’t have to work for a living, and therefore have the time to just think about the community, it’s resources, wants and needs. We have connections to resources and information beyond the scope of the usual Salvadoreño. Then there is also this intangible “influence”… we have easier access to things like all of the NGO’s, our own government in the form of the embassy, and even their own government like the secretaries of the various ministries. If we go to a meeting with the Mayor, he or she will want to please us, or at least appear fair and just.

What we do with this “power” is up to us. It is mostly very subtle, and the whole idea behind the development part of this is that we support and teach, but not just “do” things for them. It is the whole teach fishing versus giving fish thing. The interesting aside to all of this, is that I think that this same idea would be applicable even in the US. Think about your smaller communities with changing economies… if someone were around who had the time to help them organize, plan and train, as well as lobby and help find grants. If this person was outside their own internal politics and not part of some outside political agenda… don’t you think this could be a real help to those types of communities? Enough digression, but the idea has merit.

So, for the last few days Katie and I have been starting to meet and know our community. Mostly the way this has played out as is taking a walk down some road, saying “hi” to people along the way, and if they seem more receptive, visit them for a while. This has led to lots of awkward moments. Often we are quickly invited to take a seat (this is pretty universal within the first moments) only to have most everyone disappear shortly after you are sitting. Then you just sit, waiting. When they return there are a few exchanges, and then lots of awkward silences. Some of this is our poor Spanish, but also it just seems to go that way. Then just as you start to think about leaving there is usually a good exchange, and finally when you do leave, it seems like you have really had a good time for a first meeting, and they really mean it when they wish you well, and to come back soon.

It has been amusing how many of the very uncomfortable encounters have become very satisfying and beneficial by the time we leave the house or yard. We still have a long way to go in remembering everyone’s names and in becoming comfortable with the small talk, but we are making progress. We count it a good days work if we meet three new families and spend more than a half hour talking to each of them. It’s a strange way to mark progress, but it really is important to lay that groundwork before we start anything more grandiose.