My Food Revolution

Hello everyone!  It’s been quite a while since I’ve written on this blog and things have certainly changed since the last post.  I returned from El Salvador in May and will be posting my thoughts and reflections of my trip soon.  It has taken a lot of time to digest my experiences, but they have changed my outlook on community, social justice and political change.  More to follow!  

Today I want to talk about poverty, food empowerment, and society’s misconceptions on the power of being poor.  There seems to be a commonly held belief that good, wholesome, organic, non-cancer fighting food is only available to the affluent in our country - that only rich people can actually afford foods that are rich in nutrients and vitamins.  While still acknowledging the abundance of food deserts, the high prices of organic foods at supermarkets, and the amount of time and effort that is needed to make (and grow) healthy meals, I would like to question the validity of this popular belief.  Yes, there are many obstacles that prevent millions of people in America from having access to healthy food, but I believe that our way of thinking is an obstacle, too.  I think there are many people who give up on the idea of eating healthy, solely because they believe that they can’t afford it.  This belief is perpetuated by the diet industry, the fast food industry, and all the companies that advertise cheap, unhealthy food.  This not only leads to unhealthy lives (which in the end are really expensive) but a lack of empowerment over what people put in their own bodies and a belief that they have less power than they actually do.  What if people who live below the poverty line actually have the power and ability to eat as healthfully as their affluent neighbors?  What are the opportunities available to them and what would be the political and social implications of determining their own food sources? 

As a way of answering some of these questions, I would like to do a food experiment for the next year.  I plan to live as much as I can on organic, non-GMO foods, while still getting my daily intake of calories, vitamins, and macronutrients (and sleep!), while spending less than $100 a month on food.  This is well below the amount given by the SNAP program for a single household - $152.  I will be eating mostly a vegan diet (it’s the cheapest) of beans, rice, lentils, homemade bread and staples that I can buy in bulk.  I will be avoiding processed foods mainly because the ‘healthy’ ones will be out of my budget, and growing as many vegetables as possible.  I will explore the use of food stamps in Colorado, farmer’s markets, community gardens, and maybe even some dumpster diving, bartering and begging.  We will see where this leads and what discussions stem from the experiment!  

Stay tuned for weekly updates on what I eat and how much it costs.  Any advice and/or tips would be most welcome!

Top two pictures from World Hunger Relief.  Bottom is from superstock.com.  (The picture was pretty, ok?)

Living in Machismo Country

Ok.  This week has been tough, so I’m just going to let it all out, excluding actual names.  I knew coming to a Latin American country as a single female would be difficult when dealing with the opposite sex, but at this point, instead of getting used to this crap, I’m just getting more pissed-off.  

To be a little more specific, un hombre tried to kiss me the other night - un hombre that lives with a woman I know and they have a little girl together.  Gross.  Not only that, but this guy is sixteen.  Gross/illegal.  Plus I am around the woman’s family all of the time.  And now (of course) he says that it was just a ‘friendly’ kiss, like what you give a friend on the cheek (ok, what French people give each other on the cheek), so now it’s his word against mine.  Of course, everyone believes me, because honestly, (I didn’t come all the way to El Salvador to make-out with a 16 year old baby daddy, believe it or not) why would I lie about such a thing?  But all of these things make me want to punch him in face every time I see him.  Neil, my boss/mentor from WHRI, says this is not the most appropriate course of action, but it is the most appealing.

I don’t really want to get into cultural differences in how men treat women, or sexual abuses, or misogyny in general (although it is a serious problem here as well as in the most countries).  However, I will once again relate how community handles internal problems.  I informed Juana of this incident, who called the wife, who called the grandfather of this hombre, who will talk personally with my young, acquaintance, who will personally apologize to me today.  And all of this happened with no lawyers being called....

This is Chilo and Moses at the garden and green houses.  

Photo by Mark Menjivar.

Happy Easter everyone!  My easter consisted of swimming in the Rio Limpa with the family and eating plantains and honey.  These are Easter traditions here in El Salvador.  The river is a kind of re-baptism and the promise of new beginnings.  I think we ate fish in reference Jesus feeding the thousands with fish and bread, but I’m not for sure.  

Random Hondurans

Author’s note:  To all the lawyers reading this:  I couldn’t help the lawyer jab - I love you please don’t sue me!!!

Honduras, Birthdays and... Iguana Soup?

Hola friends!  I hope you had a blessed week and that this post finds you happy and healthy.  

In my last post I mentioned I would be traveling to San Salvador to partake in the Monsenor Romero commemoration (which sounds peaceful, but is actually a gigantic, all-day, all-night epic frenzy), but I decided to skip it this time.  Considering I would have to take several buses all day just to get there, and then probably get stuck in traffic for another half a day, and not having a place to stay, I decided to park my butt in Santa Marta and commemorate from there.  It was quiet and peaceful, and we watched a movie about him outside in the plaza before it started raining.  This all turned out for the best, because the next day I was able to go to Honduras!  Again, this was an all-day ride (this time standing up in the back of a truck) and I was exhausted by the end of it, but it gave me three interesting experiences.  On the ride there, I experienced my first official police shake-down.  Coming from America, where cops usually just tote holstered handguns, I am still unused to and unnerved by policemen here carrying fully automatic machine guns, shotguns, and any other intimidating weapon short of a samurai sword.  The men I was traveling with had to line up on the side of the road and lift up there shirts, while another policeman/soldier searched through the bags of the women.  The policemen/soldiers were actually quite nice about it...as nice as you can be while holding a loaded M-16.  But soon we were on our way and were not stopped by scary policemen again.

El Salvador on the left, Honduras on the right

We landed in a small town across the Honduran border, where, during the war, 7,000 Salvadorians made camp for a year before finally moved to Mesa Grande (ultimately over 11,000 refugees would live here for years).  You may not be able to tell from the picture, but let me tell you - this place is really small.  I can’t imagine 300 people living here in tents, let alone 7,000.  Oh, and the water from the river was contaminated, so they had nothing to drink.  

This valley contained the camp

Then I saw the president of Honduras but I was waaaaaaay too claustrophobic to listen to what he was saying.  I was concentrating on not going mental, because the plaza was so packed that at least 8 people were touching me the whole time.  Of course this political rally was held in the afternoon when it was 200 degrees in the shade.... But I digress.

Tuesday was my birthday and it was one I will never forget.  First of all, I ate IGUANA. Secondly, I didn’t die from salmonella poisoning from eating IGUANA, so that’s a pretty good birthday right there.  That night the family threw a birthday party for me which included birthday wishes, cake, smearing my face with cake, and Tito the agronomist (I have no idea why he was there, but I rolled with it...).  

I'm pretty sure we're looking at two legs and a tail... but it's hard to tell

The family and Tito

Unfortunately, the women’s organization has had nothing for me to work on so I may make my way back to the green houses.  I miss working outside in the dirt - so much as to brave the rumors.  We’ll see what happens.  Please pray that I will be given some direction and that I can be of more use here.  I have too much time on my hands.  Plus I’m running out of books...

Hola amigos! I hope this post finds you healthy and well.  These past few weeks has been both personally devastating and surprising uplifting - an emotional roller coaster that I’m still recovering from.  First of all, my Mom was here and she couldn’t have come at a better time.  I needed her emotional support and her positive enthusiasm this week.  Last Thursday night I was informed by Juana that there was a nasty rumor about me involving one of the muchachos at the green houses.  Fortunately for me, I didn’t know most of the words she told me, but I understood ‘prostituta’ and ‘cinco dolares.’  Apparently, I’m desperately hard up for money.  I was of course upset that such vile things were being spread around town, but I was also upset that I couldn’t work in the green houses anymore, which I really enjoyed.  

But God always blesses me with more than I deserve and this experience proved no exception. A few days prior I had met another American, Brenda, who runs an organization outside of Santa Marta that fights violence against women.  Brenda is incredibly warm and funny and once I called her and explained the situation, she immediately agreed to my working with her and her employees.  From what I can gather, I will be transcribing the personal notebooks of females in the local prison - females that are members of the Fifteenth Street gang, one of the most violent gangs in El Salvador.  Eventually these notebooks will be turned into a book that will be more than just another book about abused women, but will be an inspiration for social justice and change in the country as well as from within gangs themselves. At least, that is the hope.  

Brenda!

Tortilla Making with Juana

I am so thrilled to be working in this field of social justice that I’m actually glad the rumor happened.  But don’t tell anyone that in Santa Marta!  This is a new chapter that will hopefully open many doors for my still uncertain future.  

My first Salvadorian birthday party!

This week I said goodbye to my Mom, and hello to my longtime friend Mark Menjivar, who is here photographing the people of Valle Nuevo.  It’s been a blast walking around town with him -  of course with his fun and enthusiastic personality, everyone in town knows him!  We even went in to San Salvador so he could photograph some of the youth in the universities and interview them about community and returning to that community.

Saturday is the anniversary of Oscar Romero’s death, and I will be traveling to San Salvador again for the city-wide commemoration.  More pics to follow!

Into the Lap of Luxury and Back Again

 

Hello folks!  Sorry I didn’t write last week - but I have many pictures to make up for it!

Two weekends ago I visited my friend, Robin Merchant, who happened to be in San Salvador for work.  After traveling seven hours by pickup truck, bus, and finally taxi, I met my friend at a beautiful beachfront house.  Walking through grass, next to numerous hammocks and a swimming pool a stone’s throw away from the beach, I felt like I was at a resort, not next to one of the most dangerous cities in the world.  After pupusas, beer, shrimp, and coconut water, I strolled with my friend on the beach.  Santa Marta and the everyday struggles of it’s people was so far away I felt like I was in a dream.  It was wonderful to catch up with my friend and relax at a fancy beach house, but I was also ready to get back to what I feel as my community.

The day before my great adventure to San Salvador, I went on a hike to view the local caves.  Up to sixteen people would squeeze into these tiny holes when the bombs would drop during the war.  If you would like to see more (professional) pictures, check out Mark Menjivar’s website, where you can see other members of the Valle Nuevo Community at markmenjivar.com.  Click on Retorno.

This week I taught my first class at the school, which was way more entertaining than I thought it would be.  Classes are a lot more chaotic than in the States, but everyone seemed to enjoy my story and questions. 

Thursday I went to tour Radio Victoria, which is one of the leading liberal radio stations in El Salvador.  I was able to sit in on a program about the upcoming elections and talk with the hosts and guests.  

 

 

The month of March is going to be packed with events, so stay tuned for more adventures!

Dehydration is no joke...

Hi!  I hope everyone had a great week.  Mine left more to be desired.  Last Monday night I ate a couple of pupusas from a street vendor that had bad chicken in them.  I couldn’t sleep that night because of painful cramps and the next day I was plagued with sickness.  I drank as much rehydration salts as possible, but I knew there was no way I was drinking what I was losing.  By mid-afternoon I was so weak, dizzy and dehydrated that I couldn’t walk.  I had to crawl on my hands and knees from the outhouse to the house, and even then I was on the verge of passing out.  I knew I needed help and I was very scared that I would not make it through the night.  Luckily, Wendy was there and she helped lower my temperature (I was running a high fever) with wet towels that she put on my head and neck.  Juana and Simon arrived shortly after.  I kept repeating that I needed to get to a clinic or hospital and that I needed an IV, but there was no way I could walk there.  Juana started making calls, and a couple of hours later I was on my way to Sensunte, the closest town with a hospital.  Pastor and Juana went with me.

I was kept in the hospital for two days and two nights while I rehydrated and slowly got rid of my diarrhea.  I slept almost two days straight because my body was so exhausted from fighting the amoebas in my gut, as well as my fever. 

Except for my appetite and energy, I am fully recovered and am feeling great!  I’m so grateful to be surrounded by such hospitable and gracious people who will help me at a moment’s notice.  It makes me appreciate the importance of community and having a foundation of people to support you.  I don’t know what I would have done if I was alone in a country where I didn’t know anyone.

                            This is an awesome tree I found on my walk. I think a hobbit lives here...

Tomorrow, Wendy is taking me to San Salvador to visit the sepulcher of Oscar Romero!  Then I head to the gardens with the youth….

                                                                   This is a cow.

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.