My conversations with other volunteers here in El Salvador are pretty interesting. We dont talk about international affairs or the current political situation in country. So... what do we discuss over breakfast? Diarrhea, parasites, the current status of the latrine, cockroaches, rats, and roosters. Here's a typical conversation:
Convo #1
Mya: Hey Cholo what's up?
Cholo: Nothin much just telling Emily about the 1000's of cockroaches that were crawling around my latrine this morning. I've been pissing out of my bedroom window since I got here.
Emily: Well atleast you don't ahve rats chewing through your mosquito net every night!
Convo #2
Cholo: Do u still have parasites.
Mya: hell I don't know but i did spend about 4 hours in my latrine last nite. I thought I was gonna die out there.
Cholo: Have you talked to the nurse yet?
Mya: Well yea, but she keeps asking me how my poop looks. If it's liquidy or not. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE? IT FALLS ABOUT 20 FEET INTO THE GROUND! I HAVEN'T SEEN MY POOP IN WEEKS!
Cholo: *laughs hysterically*
So, if you guys think that I overshare on FB please forgive me, but this is my reality right now!
Luv you all,
Mya
p.s. I move to my permanent site in two weeks. I dont know where it is exactly but I do know that I'll be living on the beach. Not like IN THE SAND. More like.....i'll have a house on the beach!!!!! Hopefully ppl will visit me. YEA RIGHT!
Salu
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Pork Pork Pork
I'm allergic to Salvadoran pork...and how did I find this out? I ATE IT AND MY LIPS SWELLED WHILE I WAS SLEEPING. Well actually I didn't sleep that night because I felt like there were a million bugs crawling all over my body. I was scratching from 9pm-6am. Around 3am my bottom lips began to swell and it SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME!! Do you guys remember the movie Nutty Professor? Well, there's this scene when Buddy transforms into the Professor. Remember how his bottom lip was just kinda hanging there....about the size of a polish sausage. THAT WAS ME! By the time I got out of bed my entire mouth was swollen. I didn't want to leave the house because it looked REALLY bad. My host mother, being such a darling, told me that it didn't look that bad (she was lying to make me feel better...it didnt work). Long story short...I went to the hospital, was told not to eat anymore pork, was given medication. Last nite I slept like a baby and my lips are no longer swollen. :)
luv u all
luv u all
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Randomness.....
ketchup: I never thought that I'd miss eating ketchup but I do. I really do. Do they have ketchup here, YES. But only in the super market and that's far from my house. My host family doesnt buy it because they dont eat it!
internet cafe: Young ppl here cant have sex at home because there's always someone there so they use the cafes (cheaters also). These places have doors with locks and sometimes the keyboard and mouse feel sticky (LMAO). But hey...30 minutes of privacy for 60cents is a good deal...those of us that actually use the comps are the ones that suffer.
washing my clothes: Yup, I do it by hand and it's HARD! Jeans are the worst but I'm getting better with time. Also, I hang them out to dry and when my family burns the trash (we dont have a garbage truck in our community) the smoke gets in my clothes and they smell like I havent washed them at all. ¡Púchica!
sleep by 9,up b4 6: My days start really early...usually before 6am when the rooster starts singing (I was secretly happy when we killed one a couple of weeks ago bc I thought there wouldnt be one to wake me up, but he was replaced by another one). By 8pm I'm exhausted and I'm asleep before 9. I've turned into an old lady.
hot chips: Of course they don't ewxist down here and I miss them so much!!
fried chicken n mild sauce: HA! Don't even know where to begin.
parasite: It's official...I have parasites. Constant diarrhea, unbearable stomach cramps....sigh...I´m better now, but my parasites cant be treated with medicine so I have to get rid of them naturally. HAHAHA...sigh
Luv you all,
Mya
internet cafe: Young ppl here cant have sex at home because there's always someone there so they use the cafes (cheaters also). These places have doors with locks and sometimes the keyboard and mouse feel sticky (LMAO). But hey...30 minutes of privacy for 60cents is a good deal...those of us that actually use the comps are the ones that suffer.
washing my clothes: Yup, I do it by hand and it's HARD! Jeans are the worst but I'm getting better with time. Also, I hang them out to dry and when my family burns the trash (we dont have a garbage truck in our community) the smoke gets in my clothes and they smell like I havent washed them at all. ¡Púchica!
sleep by 9,up b4 6: My days start really early...usually before 6am when the rooster starts singing (I was secretly happy when we killed one a couple of weeks ago bc I thought there wouldnt be one to wake me up, but he was replaced by another one). By 8pm I'm exhausted and I'm asleep before 9. I've turned into an old lady.
hot chips: Of course they don't ewxist down here and I miss them so much!!
fried chicken n mild sauce: HA! Don't even know where to begin.
parasite: It's official...I have parasites. Constant diarrhea, unbearable stomach cramps....sigh...I´m better now, but my parasites cant be treated with medicine so I have to get rid of them naturally. HAHAHA...sigh
Luv you all,
Mya
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What Am I Doing Here.....
Last Thursday all PC trainees had to visit a current PC volunteer in order to get a better understanding of the PC as a volunteer. I was sent to a place called Las Mercedes, Tacuba, Ahuachapán. I was excited to get away from the training environment for a few days, but the volunteer that I was to visit told me to pack VERY light because we’d have to hike 1.5 hrs in order to get to his site. HIKE?!?! LIKE UP A MOUNTAIN!!!! I tried to be open minded and everything….but I really wasn’t looking forward to that part of the trip.
So early Thursday morning I left my host family and about 4 hours later I met Jeff (the volunteer that I had been assigned) in Ahuachapán and we then took a bus to Tacuba. While in Tacuba I saw MS 13 and MS 18 spray painted on a few buildings…needless to say I didn’t wanna spend much time in that city. We took a pickup truck from Tacuba to some place which is located at the bottom of the mountain (most cars can’t go up the mountain). I remember thinking to myself “this guy lives in the jungle”. We started up the mountain and the only thing that I could think about was the fact that I might be living in a site like this in less than two months. THE HIKE WAS TERRIBLE!! The guy lives AT THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN!! The hike lasted for more than two hours, we took so many breaks because I thought my lungs were gonna jump out of my chest. THIS IS WHEN I FIRST ASKED MYSELF “What the hell am I doing in the PC?”
The next day Jeff told me that we were going to take a water filter to some lady’s house and that she lived about 1.5 hrs away (LIE!!). So we headed out after breakfast at 7:30am. The walk was so intense that I seriously thought I was gonna die. On the way we passed many people and they asked Jeff where we were heading. Once people found out where we were going they would look at me (at this point I was sweating profusely) and then tell Jeff that I wouldn’t be able to make it and that I would be in a lot of pain the next day. One man even asked him why he was taking me to a place so far away. At about 9:30 my legs started trembling and I began to feel nauseous. Periodically Jeff would ask me if I were doing ok and if I could continue walking WHAT OTHER CHOICE DID I HAVE? IT WAS EITHER CONTINUE WALKING OR STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE WHERE EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME AND ONE WRONG STEP I’D BREAK MY ANKLE, FALL INTO A DITCH, AND DIE!
After about three hours of hiking my hands started to swell. My fingertips were the size of grapes and I thought that blood was gonna start gushing out of them. I threw up three times and I just couldn’t understand why I was sent to visit this guy up in the mountains and why he was taking me to my death. As I was walking up (and down and up and down) the mountain I prayed for strength to make it through. To God I said “Father, I am dying here. I don’t think I can make it. Just give me a little more strength.” Even though I was in so much pain I had to remind myself that He was there with me and that He wouldn’t leave me. Long story short, we finally made it to the lady’s house at 1 (do the math!!!), gave her the filter, rested and then went back to his community.
I was in such a bad mood. My experiences that weekend made me question my motivation for wanting to be a PC volunteer and I wanted to return to Chicago. On that mountain I was convinced that I had made the biggest mistake of my life and that I wasn’t cut out for PC life and I was LIVID with Jeff for taking me through all of that. I honestly thought about killing him on several different occasions. The one thing that held me back was the fact that I had no idea how to find my way off that mountain...AND i guess I'm not the murdering type. I had to call my Mommy to let her know about my terrible weekend. When I called she said that I had been on her mind all weekend and that she had been praying for me. She also told me that everything that I had gone through had been a test of my faith. She also reminded me that God has a purpose for me and that it was no mistake that I had been sent to that site.
That test has now become my TESTimony. My God is real and He didn’t leave me! I called on Him when I thought that I couldn’t make it any further and He showed up for me! Yes, my legs still hurt! Yes, I will probably be sore for a few more days! Yes, this was probably the first of many tests that I will have to go through here in El Sal! But one thing that I know for sure is that even during my darkest hour there will always be someone with me…strengthening me when I’m weak, accompanying me when I’m lonely. Ain’t God alright?
It ain’t over til God says it’s over…
BTW…I am no longer mad at Jeff. I had to go through this experience and NOW I’m grateful that he took me up that mountain (hmmm...how crazy!).
I’m so grateful for my Mama and my Daddy...who encouraged me this weekend when I thought I’d be heading home a lot earlier than planned.
Love & miss you all,
Mya
So early Thursday morning I left my host family and about 4 hours later I met Jeff (the volunteer that I had been assigned) in Ahuachapán and we then took a bus to Tacuba. While in Tacuba I saw MS 13 and MS 18 spray painted on a few buildings…needless to say I didn’t wanna spend much time in that city. We took a pickup truck from Tacuba to some place which is located at the bottom of the mountain (most cars can’t go up the mountain). I remember thinking to myself “this guy lives in the jungle”. We started up the mountain and the only thing that I could think about was the fact that I might be living in a site like this in less than two months. THE HIKE WAS TERRIBLE!! The guy lives AT THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN!! The hike lasted for more than two hours, we took so many breaks because I thought my lungs were gonna jump out of my chest. THIS IS WHEN I FIRST ASKED MYSELF “What the hell am I doing in the PC?”
The next day Jeff told me that we were going to take a water filter to some lady’s house and that she lived about 1.5 hrs away (LIE!!). So we headed out after breakfast at 7:30am. The walk was so intense that I seriously thought I was gonna die. On the way we passed many people and they asked Jeff where we were heading. Once people found out where we were going they would look at me (at this point I was sweating profusely) and then tell Jeff that I wouldn’t be able to make it and that I would be in a lot of pain the next day. One man even asked him why he was taking me to a place so far away. At about 9:30 my legs started trembling and I began to feel nauseous. Periodically Jeff would ask me if I were doing ok and if I could continue walking WHAT OTHER CHOICE DID I HAVE? IT WAS EITHER CONTINUE WALKING OR STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE WHERE EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME AND ONE WRONG STEP I’D BREAK MY ANKLE, FALL INTO A DITCH, AND DIE!
After about three hours of hiking my hands started to swell. My fingertips were the size of grapes and I thought that blood was gonna start gushing out of them. I threw up three times and I just couldn’t understand why I was sent to visit this guy up in the mountains and why he was taking me to my death. As I was walking up (and down and up and down) the mountain I prayed for strength to make it through. To God I said “Father, I am dying here. I don’t think I can make it. Just give me a little more strength.” Even though I was in so much pain I had to remind myself that He was there with me and that He wouldn’t leave me. Long story short, we finally made it to the lady’s house at 1 (do the math!!!), gave her the filter, rested and then went back to his community.
I was in such a bad mood. My experiences that weekend made me question my motivation for wanting to be a PC volunteer and I wanted to return to Chicago. On that mountain I was convinced that I had made the biggest mistake of my life and that I wasn’t cut out for PC life and I was LIVID with Jeff for taking me through all of that. I honestly thought about killing him on several different occasions. The one thing that held me back was the fact that I had no idea how to find my way off that mountain...AND i guess I'm not the murdering type. I had to call my Mommy to let her know about my terrible weekend. When I called she said that I had been on her mind all weekend and that she had been praying for me. She also told me that everything that I had gone through had been a test of my faith. She also reminded me that God has a purpose for me and that it was no mistake that I had been sent to that site.
That test has now become my TESTimony. My God is real and He didn’t leave me! I called on Him when I thought that I couldn’t make it any further and He showed up for me! Yes, my legs still hurt! Yes, I will probably be sore for a few more days! Yes, this was probably the first of many tests that I will have to go through here in El Sal! But one thing that I know for sure is that even during my darkest hour there will always be someone with me…strengthening me when I’m weak, accompanying me when I’m lonely. Ain’t God alright?
It ain’t over til God says it’s over…
BTW…I am no longer mad at Jeff. I had to go through this experience and NOW I’m grateful that he took me up that mountain (hmmm...how crazy!).
I’m so grateful for my Mama and my Daddy...who encouraged me this weekend when I thought I’d be heading home a lot earlier than planned.
Love & miss you all,
Mya
Friday, February 19, 2010
Running for My Life
I went to the local high school with my fellow trainee (Erik) and then we were locked in this one classroom and we couldnt get out. A lunch lady who had had a fight with the woman that locked us in the room came to our rescue and freed us. Erik and I then ran from the school and somewhere along the way we realized that the army was trying to kill us. We hid out on top of two houses until the soldiers began closing in on our location.
We realized that the only way to get away from the Salvadoran army was to escape to Guatemala. We began to make our way north, with the army close on our trail. Finally, we reached Guatemala. We stood in line for the bus, boarded, paid 50 cents, and when we got off we were in NEw York.
THIS....my friends, is one of the side effects of taking antimalarial medications. My dreams have become a lot more vivid (cant complain about all of them, haha) and some are so scary!!
We realized that the only way to get away from the Salvadoran army was to escape to Guatemala. We began to make our way north, with the army close on our trail. Finally, we reached Guatemala. We stood in line for the bus, boarded, paid 50 cents, and when we got off we were in NEw York.
THIS....my friends, is one of the side effects of taking antimalarial medications. My dreams have become a lot more vivid (cant complain about all of them, haha) and some are so scary!!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Donde El va yo ya he ido
So...not really sure what to write about today....let me think....OH!!! So today we took a field trip to visit a volunteer that has been here for one year. His site was relatively close to the city but getting there was kinda hard. Half of the journey is on the Panamerican and the other half is on an unpaved, dirt/"bouldery" road. I thought we were gonna hit a hole and then go head on into a tree.....or maybe a cow.
So we get there and it´s super hot and dusty but not bad. The guy´s house is really nice....although he said that he had to kill some big rats when he first moved in (!!!). A couple of us trainees helped him vaccinate his chickens that he´s raising and it was kinda fun/challenging picking up these 15 wk old chickens and putting drops in their eyes. We only spent a couple of hours at the guy's site and then we headed back to San Vicente, which is where our training center is.
So I guess I should let you guys know what else we've been up to. Well, as trainees we have cultural classes, language classes and some other classes that I cant really recall right now. We´re a group of 36 trainees and we live in 6 different communities. My community members are AWESOME!! I am so happy that we're all together because we have a great time cracking up with each other and sharing our opinions about the things that we've seen so far.
Now since my Spanish level is higher than my community members I dont have to attend the language classes. Instead, I get to go around investigating the neighborhood (which is only about 3 blocks long/ 484 ppl), making appointments for my group to meet with the health promotor, school director, etc. and I also get to interview ppl in the community.....which brings me to the health promoter.
HE'S A BIG ASS FLIRT!!! So, I had to make an appointment with him so that I could ask him for the key to the medical clinic (we've having a meeting with the youths in our community) and if we could go with him during his house calls. The meeting was a success...we will use the medical clinic and we´ll accompany him this Monday to his house visits. The whole time we were talking he was FLIRTING while his wife say a few feet away. My trainee friend Lindsey lives at his house and I told her to be careful because I know his type all too well....donde él va yo ya he ido!!!! More on him later bc this post is getting long.
Love you all,
Mya
p.s. PLEASE TELL MY MAMA TO SEND ME SOME FEBREEZE AND FLAMIN HOTS IF POSSIBLE
So we get there and it´s super hot and dusty but not bad. The guy´s house is really nice....although he said that he had to kill some big rats when he first moved in (!!!). A couple of us trainees helped him vaccinate his chickens that he´s raising and it was kinda fun/challenging picking up these 15 wk old chickens and putting drops in their eyes. We only spent a couple of hours at the guy's site and then we headed back to San Vicente, which is where our training center is.
So I guess I should let you guys know what else we've been up to. Well, as trainees we have cultural classes, language classes and some other classes that I cant really recall right now. We´re a group of 36 trainees and we live in 6 different communities. My community members are AWESOME!! I am so happy that we're all together because we have a great time cracking up with each other and sharing our opinions about the things that we've seen so far.
Now since my Spanish level is higher than my community members I dont have to attend the language classes. Instead, I get to go around investigating the neighborhood (which is only about 3 blocks long/ 484 ppl), making appointments for my group to meet with the health promotor, school director, etc. and I also get to interview ppl in the community.....which brings me to the health promoter.
HE'S A BIG ASS FLIRT!!! So, I had to make an appointment with him so that I could ask him for the key to the medical clinic (we've having a meeting with the youths in our community) and if we could go with him during his house calls. The meeting was a success...we will use the medical clinic and we´ll accompany him this Monday to his house visits. The whole time we were talking he was FLIRTING while his wife say a few feet away. My trainee friend Lindsey lives at his house and I told her to be careful because I know his type all too well....donde él va yo ya he ido!!!! More on him later bc this post is getting long.
Love you all,
Mya
p.s. PLEASE TELL MY MAMA TO SEND ME SOME FEBREEZE AND FLAMIN HOTS IF POSSIBLE
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Huele a Nicaragua....
the title means "it smells like Nicaragua" and that's the first thing I saw when I exited the airport (I was the first in our group to step foot in El Sal, hehehe). This place brought back many memories of my time in Nicaragua and from what I've seen so far I'm gonna love it here. Hmmm...maybe I should wait a few more day....maybe some months...
So now we're in training and today was SUPER long...I felt like I was gonna fall asleep. Tomorrow we move in with our host families and I'm really excited about that. I hope I get a good family with a couple of kids running around.
Ok, I'm tired now.
Hasta pronto,
Mya
So now we're in training and today was SUPER long...I felt like I was gonna fall asleep. Tomorrow we move in with our host families and I'm really excited about that. I hope I get a good family with a couple of kids running around.
Ok, I'm tired now.
Hasta pronto,
Mya
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