Hiking, Classes, and Coffee Roasting

Hello everyone!  I have now completed two weeks of living in Santa Marta and I am beginning to have a routine here.  Every weekday evening I teach an hour of English to a group of men and boys who are running an organic garden and several greenhouses.  I look forward to this one hour because I get to speak English (!!) and because this group is hilarious.  They joke around and we all laugh at our mistakes (mine are many because I have no idea what I’m doing).  Afterwards, Peter and Chilo give me a Spanish lesson, which is incredibly helpful because I can ask questions and actually understand the answers. These guys annunciate their words and speak clearly.

Friday, Juana and Simon (Juana’s husband) took me up the mountain behind us to where their cattle graze.  It was a wonderful hike with views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.  It was also devoid of dogs and trash, which was refreshing.  There is an abundance of mangy perros here, and there is no trash collection, so everything is either thrown into the street or burned.  Makes me want to avoid plastic forever!

Saturday I went with Juana to Sensunte for a meeting with female leaders of different communities.  It is amazing to be at the grassroots level of community development and women’s empowerment.  Among the topics were economic, educational, and sexual and reproductive rights.  It was a privilege just to observe this.

 The outdoor market in Sensunte

To end the day, I just happened to roast coffee beans on a giant skillet over a fire!  It’s ok, coffee lovers.  You can be jealous.... 

 A pic from my latest hike

P.S. If you don’t like corn, or are deathly allergic to it, you should probably skip El Salvador and head on down to Argentina, Peru, or some other South American country.  Maiz is the staple food here, and I have it at every single meal.

First Impressions

Hola!  I hope everyone is well.  I arrived in San Salvador in the afternoon of the 15th and met Neil, Juana and Chino at the airport.  Juana, my Salvadoran mom, is a small, warm woman who gave me a big hug and clasped my hands upon meeting.  We left in Chino’s truck and stopped for frescas - coconut water and meat in plastic baggies - tear off one corner with your teeth and drink!  Then there was the three hour, bumpy drive to Santa Marta.  Along the way we picked up bottled water for me, because the water here will make me sick.   

                                                                          Wendy!

Arriving at Juana’s I met Wendy, my new companion for the next four months!  She is fun and silly and is very patient with my horrid Spanish.  She takes me to the different parts of the community, like the greenhouses and the concha where I got to grind maiz for homemade tortillas, which we have at every meal.

I have a small, simple room to myself, with a bed, a table, a chair, and one light.  I don’t spend much time there, because there is a large veranda with a hammock and tables and chairs where everyone spends their time anyway. 

Neil introduced me to the leaders of the Valle Nuevo community and everyone has been incredibly welcoming and friendly.  Everyone just laughs at my grammatical faux pas and then gives me a hug.  How awesome is that?

And now for the most important part of my update - the food!  Breakfasts consist of homemade tortillas (a few of which I’ve made), beans that are cooked on high in a pan until they are like the fried beans we have in burritos at home.  Then there are two kinds of cheeses - a crema, which is liquid cheese, and then a small block of cheese.  Lunches are tortillas and leftover beans.  Dinners are (you guessed it) more tortillas and beans, with onions, tomatoes, and eggs blended in.  Also, not only have I had papusas, but I have made them!  They are delicious!

I now teach English to a group of amigos from the University once a week.  They are hilarious and always cracking jokes, which makes it really fun for me.  Also, I get to speak English for an entire hour, which is a great relief.

Songs I cannot get away from:

“I, I love you like a love song, baby....”

The song from the SNL skit at the bar with the sideways head bobbing....  Baby don´t hurt me, don´t hurt me, no more…Who’d have thought?

Words I have taught Wendy so far:

Cool

Mi mal....

Preparation for Adventure

Hi everyone!  Thanks for visiting my blog!  I plan to post frequently and I hope my entries prove both entertaining and informative as glimpses into Salvadorian culture.  But before I post on my adventures, I have to get there!  A week from today I will be flying into San Salvador where I will be picked up at the airport by Neil R. Miller, who will transport me to Santa Marta, which is on the Honduran border.  This week is filled with grad applications, packing, spending as much time with friends and family, and generally losing my mind with equal parts anticipation and stress.  But I am so thrilled to have this opportunity!
Also, if anyone has any advice on little, random things that I should bring to a developing country, please let me know!

                                                    I hope we can grow this in Santa Marta!

I want to thank everyone for your continued support on this new chapter in my life.  I am so incredibly grateful for the love and encouragement I have received at the onset of this adventure, and I am truly blessed to have you in my life.

On a more somber note, please keep Phoebe Fair and family in your prayers.  The Fair family and I lived at the World Hunger Farm during the same period and they were a big part of my spiritual development.  Phoebe, Nathan and Amey's two year old daughter, had brain surgery earlier this week, and is still dealing with life threatening problems resulting from the surgery.  She is the sweetest little girl I've ever met, so please lift her up.  Amey, Nathan, Ben, Averick, Deacon, and Phoebe are my family.