My last post talked about settling in to Perquìn. It was an exciting time of learning and growing and I gave myself a lot of patience when it came to new experiences. Unfortunately that patience has slipped away and I find myself becoming frustrated all to easily. I constantly have to remind myself that it has only been 3 and a half months and that obviously Spanish and a different culture will continue to confuse me. I have a lot more learning to do. They don't call it "Serving and LEARNING Together" for nothing
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| Spanish is confusing but these kids are awesome. If I wasn't working with these lovable crazes I think I would go insane. |
In between the frustrating moments there have been encouraging moments. I have bonded a lot with my host family and have seen a transition in their comfortableness with me being around. For example they no longer feel the need to give me a plate of food first or clear the dishes for me. It’s little things like these that make me feel a little more at home.
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| Those are officially my travel pants. I disperse my valuables in every pocket and button them up. |
My family has also accepted me as another helping hand! When sitting at dinner one evening my host mom mentioned working in a farm and started pointing at every person in the room saying they had to help before she had a chance to finish I raised my hand and said “y yo”. Though I wasn’t exactly sure of what I volunteered to help with the family got a good laugh out of my excitement and I was just happy to be allowed to help.
So, we spent a Saturday working on Hieldo my host dad’s farm. What they consider a farm I would have considered a bush but that is just another cultural difference I suppose. First we stacked a large pile of wood in the back of the truck to bring back to town and use at the house. Then I learned my height is an advantage when it comes to harvesting oranges! Yay for fresh orange juice!
It was a hard days work but it made me feel useful which is always nice as your stumbling though another culture. Also the cold shower afterward was refreshing rather then painstaking like normal.
Since blogging last I have also tapped into some community outlets such as the church choir and a ladies soccer team! My favourite thing about attending a Spanish church service on Sundays has been the fun lively music so I am really excited to play a role in that. My first “juego de football” was a blast. It was refreshing to be participating in something outside of the daycare and not needing a huge Spanish vocabulary to do it. “Atras” - back, “adelante” - forward, and “aqui” - here, were about all the words I needed to know. I am quite looking forward to more Sunday afternoon Footbal games and getting to know the girls on my team.
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| My host sister Yaneth and I before the game. My shoes were not so white after. |
Getting out of my bubble and participating with the community has been a bit of a focus of mine lately and has meant being open to invitations here or there. Yaneth recently asked if I would be interested in going to an “actividad” with her on a Saturday night. I was completely unsure of what that implied but she mentioned it being a little work and not taking to long. I agreed to go feeling the need to take every opportunity I had to integrate myself into the community. It turned out that the “actividad” was a political event for “FMLN” a left wing party with a candidate running for Presidency. “FMLN” and “ARENA” are the two favorites to win the upcoming elections but without a doubt “FMLN” has Perquìns vote.
I am unsure of the history behind the political candidate but I know they played a large part in the civil war and unifying diverse groups in order to give aid and assistance. FMLN's history is one thing I would be interested to learn more about while I am here in El Salvador.
One thing I do know is that a “FMLN” political event is unlike any in Canada. People came from all over Morazan and the tent was FULL. There was food and beverages to buy and Venders selling El Salvador pride souvenirs. There were people at every age chanting and dancing and yelling “Adelante” (forward) which was the political party’s trademark phrase. I must say I stuck out like a sore thumb at this event being the only white let alone blonde person at the festivity. Yet, it has been one of the higlights of my time here in El Salvador. I feel like I participated in something a backpacker would not have seen and I felt a deeper connection with the people by sharing a rush of El Salvador pride. I also learned how to dance! Well….sort of.
The 15th of November was a special day for the kids at the daycare. The day there summer vacation started. They pretended to be sad for me but I knew they were pretty excited. I still gave them homework to do even though they wouldn’t be coming back for two months. Was that evil of me?
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| This is likely the face Jorge will be making when he notices the homework. ;) |
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| Duck faces have even spread to El Salvador…but this one is so darn cute. |
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| A little girl and her mom at my church in Canada made these small gifts for the kids in El Centro. It was a very fun day spent with some very thankful children. |
The last day of class was a fun one. We had special treats for the kids and each class got to create a presentation of one thing they had learned this year and explain it to the other classes. My class was in charge of volcanoes. It’s just a little different learning about volcanoes when you’re a short 2-hour drive away from one.
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| My classes volcano project. |
Another thing I have been enjoying here in Perquín is traveling further up the mountain and visiting family friends. Although I find myself quiet and feel a little out of place I like to listen to the conversation and hearing the laughter. It’s relaxing to hear people laugh. Plus the view of the mountain while riding in the back of a pickup truck is breathtaking, under a tarp in the rain however…not so much.
I have mentioned before how one of my biggest challenges has been not petting the street dogs. I love dogs and some of the street dogs are so cute and so sad. But as advised from a man with a medical degree I cross the street to avoid getting to close. However, when my host sister brought home the cutest little puppy I could not resist picking the little guy up.
Her name is Licksy Prin. Which in English would translate to Lexy princess. I tried to explain the irony of naming her licksy since she is a dog and licks things a lot but my host family didn’t find the connection as uncanny as I did. She is an adorable “perrita” that I don’t think I will get sick from petting. If I do it will have been worth it. Just look at the little thing.
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| She cunningly snatched this Papusa. Sneaky perrita. |
Over the last week I have been in Guatemala for some MCC team meetings. It has been refreshing to be among some familiar faces and reconnect with the people I hadn’t seen in just over two months. There were many stories and challenges to share. The meetings this week were in a small town not far outside of the city called Antigua, a very popular tourist destination for many Guatemala travelers.
The MCC team retreat gave us each an opportunity to share what each MCCer has been doing in their placement within the past year. During past MCC meetings conversations had been translated from Spanish to English for the benefit of both language-speaking parties. This time the MCC rep made the executive decision not to translate and conduct the meetings for the most part – solely in Spanish. It was exhausting trying to keep up and missing pieces but good practice in the long run and it was a nice feeling to not be slowing down the process by needing a translation. When my turn came to present I even felt the confidence to at least try and present in Spanish. I made it though with a little assistance and naturally having made mistakes but for the most part I was understandable so I am marking it down as a success.
The MCC reps had rented a house for the meetings as a more affordable alternative to a hotel. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed walking around without shoes on, sitting on a couch in the living room, taking warm showers, unlimited internet and not being woken up by chickens at 5:30 in the morning. I love Perquìn but these few luxurious reminded me of some of the differences I have had to overcome living in the rural town.
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| I snuggled up on that couch with a blanket while the fire crackled and we all enjoyed a game Charades |
While in Antigua we got the chance to wonder the cobblestone streets and visit the monument overlooking the town. A cross-called the “Cerro de la Cruz”. It was nice to see a little more of Guatemala and the hike was some much-needed exercise before a big meal.
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| The view from "Cerro de la Cruz". I understand why Antigua is such a popular tourist destination. It has a lot of charm. |
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| Antigua has the charm of Europe…but more affordable. Anyone who wants to visit should contact me on this matter! |
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| The classic "point your camera up to try and get the whole building" photo. I'm no photographer folks. |
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| Cerro de la Cruz |
Undoubtedly one of my highlights during this past week of meetings has been the variety of food available. I have not eaten eggs or beans for a full week now but rather opted for the pancakes or yogurt option. Two things I love and don’t eat often enough in Perquìn. We also had the opportunity to prepare one of our favourite foods for a Thanksgiving feast. I know, I know, thanksgiving was forever ago… but Americans thanksgiving is actually next week. Those crazy Americans… I considered it more of a Christmas celebration. So many foods I hadn’t had in so long. Turkey, mashed potato’s, gravy, pecan pie, carrots, beans, salad, and the list goes on. It was a very well received meal that after numerous combinations of eggs beans and tortillas, I appreciated immensely.
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| Familiar tests in an unfamiliar world |
Another thing that warmed my heart in the city was the Christmas decorations. I had almost completely forgotten that Christmas was fast approaching. There is hardly any talk of Christmas in Perquìn and I have yet to see a single decoration. Guatamala city on the other hand is a tad more “westernized” and in result has capitalized on the profitable holiday. My heart automatically swelled up at the sight of the giant tree and wintery candy land in the Miraflores mall.
I am a person who gets very excited about Christmas and have a habit of making a pretty big deal of decorations and gifts. I am nervous about yet looking forward to experiencing a more humble less extravagant Christmas in Perquìn, which I am told, is more about social events at Church and with neighbors. I am still thinking of small gift ideas for my host family.
I am looking forward to heading back to Perquìn in the morning. My host sister Michelle had her graduation this weekend and I am excited to hear how her speech went. My host brother Ronald had a ping-pong tournament and I am curious to find out how he did. I am looking forward to the graduation of the “Prepa” class coming up this Wednesday. My class is doing a dance for the graduation ceremony. It’s going to be adorable. I find it comforting even though I have enjoyed the luxurious Antigua provided I am excited about numerous things that await me in Perquìn. I think that’s a good sign.
Through the month of December I will be teaching English classes to a group of children. One hour a day every week day. I am really looking forward to sharing my first language but am unsure of how to teach it. I will be setting aside some time for prep work and I will let you know how it goes. I would appreciate prayer for things to come together smoothly and that the kids will have some grace. In my experience they always do. :)
One more thing I am obviously excited for is a visit from my Dad and little sister on December 3rd. I am excited to share a culture with them and give an inside look at my life here in Perquìn. I have a pretty stellar vacation in the works for us! Details on that coming soon to a blog near you
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| Should have seen how excited I was to get this package in the mail…I don't know how I am going to be able to handle the excitement when my Dad and Lizzy come. |
As always,
Miss you all and prayers are ALWAYS needed and appreciated!
