Beware the random photos.
Wow, it’s been a while. Crazy Peace Corps. It’s a good time though. You should try it, the fireflies are crazy. HA, no seriously though, they remind me of the Eiffel Tower. I know, I know, what a comparison, but at night they had the tower sparkling all over, and that’s what nighttime in the pitch black street looks like right now with these things, just at a slower rate. Although it was super hilarious the other night when there was a drunk guy staggering in front of me as I was heading my house from Don Raul’s, and he was like ( in a slurred voice), “HEY LOOK, THE LIGHTS ARE BLINKING” while laughing hysterically afterwards. Needless to say, I was right there with him.
This On Air sign before we walked in the TV Show Chivisimo
Chivisimo as we walked in
Apparently a 6.5 earthquake hit Guatemala a few days ago as well. It was kind of a cool feeling because we felt it for 10 seconds or so while playing cards on the patio. Francisco, just up and ran out yelling leave leave leave, but we stayed playing cards haha. It was very weak, but strong enough to feel what was like ripples in the ground. Nifty.
My neighbor Mauricio going crazy.
My cards partner again as we pound our opponents in what you would translate at "Dog" (Chucho...well slang)
HAH.... Milagro cleaning Franciscos hair
Oh yeah, a Furman foreign study group showed up in El Salvador about a week ago. They are traveling through Central America, and stopped in Morazán for a few days to check out all the Civil War stuff. They stayed with Peace Corps volunteers for a few days, and then later all came back together in Perquin where the war museum is. I met up with them there and they were nice enough to set us up with a room and food. Dr. Ching invited a war veteran who had a traveling band before, during, and after to tell his story. He fought for the guerilla, and is a huge supporter of the leftist group here. He told some really good stories, and had some interesting opinions. One of the guys playing club baseball was there as well, he is going into the Peace Corps and will be French speaking Africa somewhere.
Our state of the art truck of the municipality we used to take recycling.
A random truck that we loaded 14,000 oranges onto until midnight
The next day another volunteer and I headed to San Salvador to catch a fellow volunteer’s birthday party. We celebrated part by making our way into a TV studio for what would be their equivalent of TRL. The studio had decided to film an hour earlier this day though because of some show called Dancing for a Dream, but we met a bunch of “famous” Salvadorans from the CHIVISIMO show. So it was kind of cool.
The Lopez's cat eating the rat that I had caught in the house during the night. Yeah, she ate it whole, and really quickly..i was impressed.
Mario, the religious crazy guy, evangelizing the dog. I eat breakfast with him often, hes a funny guy.
Also, after getting back, apparently Celia, Don Raul and Dona Amalia’s daughter, had just got out of the hospital. They said her headaches had got to the point that they had incapacitated her and she had pretty much gone unresponsive. When she came too she was numb in some parts and pain in all the rest of her body. It sounded like the hospital gave her something for the pain and then sent her home with an appointment for a CAT Scan a few days later, haha. I went with her mom and her, the dad couldn’t go, and everything turned out ok, from what the doctor said when they had it read the next day at a different office. They put her on some kind of medicine without knowing what it was, and it seems to have knocked her out somewhat, she sleeps a lot. Today she seemed much better though. Crazy stuff.
An intense game going on our felt table.
Oh yeah, on a political note, I got preached to today in another canton by an older guy with a big red FRENTE hat on. That’s the “leftist” group that we have in the country. I put leftist in quotes, because some of the connotations that we normally associate with the left, does not apply as much here (religiously….yet). I think he had been drinking a little bit, but as soon as I sat down, he asked if I could speak Spanish and then started asking me what I thought about the government here, and the US government. Before I got answers out at all he was answering them for me. You know, George Bush is why we are poor here and then he moved on to something like that Americans are worth millions when they die and them worth houses? I’m not quite sure where that was going, but I eventually got out of there. The people all around got kind of embarrassed, crazy city-folk visitors. On that…. For those of you who haven’t heard, George W. Bush, will be speaking at Furman’s graduation this May. Wowzers.
Also on the political deal, has anyone seen where they are scientifically measuring the Colbert “bump” now? After Clinton’s win in Pennsylvania, I bet you he is all smiles. Actually I think they were basing their “science” on campaign donation trends, but whatever.
Now I start a few pics the military sent me. This was the commander of the batallion. Awesome guy, he loves to ball.
Me getting my but whooped by the chess teacher and sgt.
Let’s see what else. Oh I am a walking fool now. We are going to have the trainings for the Vision Campaign where I am bringing in an NGO named FUDEM to give free consults etc, for a week. They have numbers they have to meet though, so I am meeting with all of the ADESCOs of the cantones to get them organized etc etc. This is a bigger place than I thought. Tomorrow I go to the most remote part of the municipality, should be fun.
Living the good life.
Oh yeah, so continuing holding on the holding my tongue front after the US bashfest, a guy brought up evolution and religion right after I had finished the Origin of Species deal. There are these two guys that do work across the street in different parts of the year, and I had heard that they were “of another religion,” but the Lopez family always feeds them while they are here working, and they are really nice guys. Religious talk really never came up except for the last day they were here. It was more like a good convo and less of a confrontation. The guy brought up how he had a relative that went Jehovah Witness, and how that they aren’t really a religion, but more like Bible scholars….. :) Don Raul then piped up and told a story about a story brought to his attention by a lady in the community about a relative that had invited her to join a new church that had come in from without. She said they the church said that as long as you believed in Christ, that all the marrying as many people as you wanted (and other examples which I’ll generalize as “the moral law”) really don’t have any influence on your salvation. After a short convo, the guy was like, yeah well I think it’s the fault of the preachers in charge of those flocks, because ultimately that’s where this stuff germinates. It was an interesting conversation. It still amazes me how much bigger the 7th Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses are than any other non-Catholic group.
The full bird colonel trying on the Salvadoran side arm. US wasn't allowed any weapons during the mission.
D'oh! I should have joined the military.
I had some quotes from the Origin of Species, but I already gave it away for the Spanish Literature master’s guy to read. I felt bad for him cause he’s been in the capital in therapy with a pinched nerve for a while. He’s going through books insanely fast.
So, I leave ya’ll with something much more hilarious!
8 comments:
I watched that drive thru church video...HILARIOUS!!! My favorite line is when the drive thru lady says that the old testament God is mean. Funny stuff.
So you're doing lots of walking? According to Anne Rice, in Christ our Lord: The Road to Cana, Jesus did A LOT of that. So, you're cool.
:-)
yes yes my sister, I must say, I did smile a few times watching that clip.
Yeah, Ive had a few days off of walking, but now thats over. We have to get the people ready to get their eyes checked :)
Did you finish Anne Rice already?
I did finish it. On the whole, it was pretty good. There were parts that you laugh or scratch your head at, but there were others where I thought she really got it right. I am enjoying her journey.
I would like to know, though, how weird it was for her to write about the temptation of Christ in the wilderness compared to the one she wrote about in Memnoch the Devil. Two completely different perspectives.
Anyway, I'll have to email you a quote from the book. She's got some good ones.
I liked the Drive Thru Church. I think my fav o rite part was the cheerleader for Carmen and the African American. Thanks for sharing!
Did you ever receive my seeds?
Also, I tried calling you twice last week and it wasn't a good no.
Did you change nos? If so, let me know. I have eaten half of the box of goodies I was trying to send you. You could have "afforded" them better than me. I must have gained 5 lbs.! Been out of touch for awhile, so am behind in the blog. Hope all is well. Stay safe and healthy. Love you much.
yes chili con queso I did receive you seeds and they are much appreciated. However, my number hasn't changed! FEEL FREE TO CALL.
503-7514-2432 (503 is the country code)
Very sad that you are eating my snacks. haha. But pretty funny at the same time.
PS, Cari, Memnoch the Devil sounds like a very nice person.
Although, I must say, that I am intrigued as to how she portrayed the two sets of 40 days.
That is the no. I called. I called maybe on Fri, and again tonight. The msg. says, the no. you have called can not be completed as dialed. Please check the no. and dial again. Is there something else I can add? It seems like you had told me another no. that you have to dial sometimes.
yes... sometimes you have to dial 011 to get out of the US
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