Hey all,
This past weekend myself and 10 others PCVs from the eastern region of the country took 25 girls to a 3 day leadership camp on the beach. In this culture it is uncommon for kids to spend the night away from the home, so this was a great accomplishment for me (being the youngest volunteer amongst the other camp leaders) because my neighbors trusted me enough to send their daughter with me. The camp was awesome! The girls were between the ages of 12 and 16 and most of them had never been to the beach or even outside of their village . Just to see how excited they were to see the ocean was amazing. At the camp we talked about many important things such as leadership, effective communication, domestic violence/healthy relationships, the importance of higher education, etc. We also did many activites with the girls such as: self defense workshops, nutrition workshops, bonfire w/smores (definitely a hit!), bracelet making worshops and journaling. I can't even begin to explain how beneficial this workshop was for them (and for myself). Most of the girls come from VERY small towns and had never travelled anywhere alone. To be in a position to teach these girls something new and valuable is a great feeling. In the future I plan to do another camp and invite different girls.
I feel good here in El Salvador. Good times are ahead and I'm looking forward to them. Difficult times are also ahead, but I feel stronger to deal with them. I love and miss you all.
Stay encouraged!
Salu
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Homegoing
I went home last Monday for the homegoing of my Aunt Nikki. Her death was/is a shock to the entire family. She was always the life of the party and will always hold a special place in my heart. I will always remember her unconditional support of all the decisions that I made. She never made fun of my dreams and she always celebrated my accomplishments with me. My cheerleader will be deeply missed. The pain seems to get stronger everyday, but I know that God will heal it in due time. Now I feel like I have to try even harder to be a good example for the kids (my cousins) that Nikki left behind.
Now I'm back in El Salvador and it wasn't hard coming back like I had previously imagined, so I guess I will make it until 2012 (God willing).
Now I'm back in El Salvador and it wasn't hard coming back like I had previously imagined, so I guess I will make it until 2012 (God willing).
Saturday, August 14, 2010
My New Boyfriend
Ok...so i know that I said that I didn't want to be in a relationship for these two years, but this relationship is NECCESARY! His name is Aaron, he's 25, and he's a fellow PCV. He lives in the west (I live in the east) and we don't get to see each other very much, but I really value our relationship. I think we might actually defy the odds and make this thing work...I think we're in it for the long haul.
LOL...in all seriousness Aaron does not exist. I made him up so that men (and women) and my community would stop telling me that I need a man to move in with me in order to protect me and provide other "services" (some people will say just about anything!). Also, I don't want anyone to think that I'm available.
Here it's really uncommon for a woman to live alone. When a girl leaves her parents house she moves in with her husband and his family. My neighbors always ask me if I'm afraid to live alone (NO!)and then they begin to mention all of the men that are available for me. When I tell them that I can take care of myself and that I don't want to date anyone in my community they feel that, as a woman, I am too strong. In their eyes I should desire to have a man in my house to take care of. PUH-LEEZE! I barely like cooking for myself...I don't want someone in my house that EXPECTS me to wait on them hand and foot (this is the culture here).
So here's an example of what I deal with on a daily basis:
Since the ocean is trying to reclaim the land where my house and other houses are situated a lot of damage has been done. Coconut trees have been uprooted by the ocean and my muro, protective wall, has been severely damaged. The construction crew arrived this week to repair the damage because the tide is expected to rise even higher within the next month. I woke up yesterday at 6am to men knocking down rocks...o sea mucha bulla...and I thought it'd be a good idea to get up, make breakfast, and leave because I didnt want to be the only woman around 10 macho men (just in case they expected ME to cook for them!). As I was preparing breakfast one worker comes into the kitchen to ask for a cup. After i gave him the cup he stayed there and began talking to me. Now let me paint a picture for you guys...it's 6am, I haven't showered (the water comes on at about 7), I have bed hair, and I'm still in my "pajamas" (shorts and a cami). Basically, I'm not looking very attractive and I'm in no mood to talk to ANYONE. He didn't get the hint and I couldn't be rude...mainly because he was closer to the door and was basically blocking it.
Anyway...we start to talk and he asks me the usual questions: where are you from? how old are you? what are you doing here? bla bla bla...
He then goes on to ask if I'm afraid to live alone and if I ever get lonely at night (yuck!). I told him that I'm not afraid to be alone and that I actually prefer la soledad and if someone tries to mess with me at night I have a weapon to protect myself (if those at PC Washington are reading this rest assured that I do NOT have a weapon). So, I finish cooking and exit the kitchen....he follows me to the patio...we continue to talk. Long story short he offers to be the one to take care of me at night so that I wouldn't be lonely, he also offers to cook for me (I told him that I don't cook...hoping that that would turn him off...didn't work). So this is where Aaron comes into existence. I HAD to tell this man that I was already taken and that Aaron and I are very much in love y que él me cuida bastante bien jaja. He then told me that I was being unappreciative....THE NERVE OF THIS MAN! This is my life...I deal with men like this everyday. In a culture where women are expected to be totally submissive to men, a woman like myself must somehow find a way to fit in/live here without going absolutely crazy.
Love you all,
Mya
LOL...in all seriousness Aaron does not exist. I made him up so that men (and women) and my community would stop telling me that I need a man to move in with me in order to protect me and provide other "services" (some people will say just about anything!). Also, I don't want anyone to think that I'm available.
Here it's really uncommon for a woman to live alone. When a girl leaves her parents house she moves in with her husband and his family. My neighbors always ask me if I'm afraid to live alone (NO!)and then they begin to mention all of the men that are available for me. When I tell them that I can take care of myself and that I don't want to date anyone in my community they feel that, as a woman, I am too strong. In their eyes I should desire to have a man in my house to take care of. PUH-LEEZE! I barely like cooking for myself...I don't want someone in my house that EXPECTS me to wait on them hand and foot (this is the culture here).
So here's an example of what I deal with on a daily basis:
Since the ocean is trying to reclaim the land where my house and other houses are situated a lot of damage has been done. Coconut trees have been uprooted by the ocean and my muro, protective wall, has been severely damaged. The construction crew arrived this week to repair the damage because the tide is expected to rise even higher within the next month. I woke up yesterday at 6am to men knocking down rocks...o sea mucha bulla...and I thought it'd be a good idea to get up, make breakfast, and leave because I didnt want to be the only woman around 10 macho men (just in case they expected ME to cook for them!). As I was preparing breakfast one worker comes into the kitchen to ask for a cup. After i gave him the cup he stayed there and began talking to me. Now let me paint a picture for you guys...it's 6am, I haven't showered (the water comes on at about 7), I have bed hair, and I'm still in my "pajamas" (shorts and a cami). Basically, I'm not looking very attractive and I'm in no mood to talk to ANYONE. He didn't get the hint and I couldn't be rude...mainly because he was closer to the door and was basically blocking it.
Anyway...we start to talk and he asks me the usual questions: where are you from? how old are you? what are you doing here? bla bla bla...
He then goes on to ask if I'm afraid to live alone and if I ever get lonely at night (yuck!). I told him that I'm not afraid to be alone and that I actually prefer la soledad and if someone tries to mess with me at night I have a weapon to protect myself (if those at PC Washington are reading this rest assured that I do NOT have a weapon). So, I finish cooking and exit the kitchen....he follows me to the patio...we continue to talk. Long story short he offers to be the one to take care of me at night so that I wouldn't be lonely, he also offers to cook for me (I told him that I don't cook...hoping that that would turn him off...didn't work). So this is where Aaron comes into existence. I HAD to tell this man that I was already taken and that Aaron and I are very much in love y que él me cuida bastante bien jaja. He then told me that I was being unappreciative....THE NERVE OF THIS MAN! This is my life...I deal with men like this everyday. In a culture where women are expected to be totally submissive to men, a woman like myself must somehow find a way to fit in/live here without going absolutely crazy.
Love you all,
Mya
Monday, July 26, 2010
Today I Met An Angel
Today I had to go to the airport to get a package that Daisy, Kez, and Yem had sent me via FedEx (never send via FedEx) and I was in a great mood because 1)I didn't get lost on the bus, 2)the weather was really nice, and 3) I just had a really nice weekend. I got to the airport and headed straight to customs. There they sent me back to the main entrance of the airport for a pass. At the information desk the attendant tells me that I have to go to the cargo terminal because that's where the FedEx office is. When he asked me anda carrito? (are you driving?) I knew that putting on 3" platform shoes this morning was a bad idea (hey sometimes I need to dress it up a little bit). The cargo terminal was really far from where I was and of course me tocó caminar, I had to walk. I arrived at the FedEx office and they asked me for the tracking number. OOOPS! I forgot to get that number from Daisy. So, I texted Daisy and she sends the number. The FedEx guy put the number in and then he started shaking his head. Oh NO! He explains that some information is missing and that the form that is needed to correct the mistake is in San Salvador! What??!! He told me that I would either have to go to San Sal (which is about an hour away on the bus), get the form, and then return to the airport OR I could wait until noon when they receive their deliveries from the San Sal office (it was already 10:30). Have you guys ever heard of a fax machine?! So I waited. And I knew that noon would in fact not be noon. The form arrived at 1 (dont you just love Salvo time?). So what did I do for those 2.5 hours? I sat in a chair pissed off at the world.
So I got the form. I then had to take it over to the customs office and handle all the paper work. Then I had to wait for them to locate the package, while filling out tons of paper work. While they were locating the package I started asking the other people that were waiting how long they'd been there. On average I'd be waiting for three hours. It was already 1:45 and being on the bus to San Sal in the evening is not recommended. I started to panic. Where would I stay if I had to wait for more than three hours? How can I afford a hotel near the airport on a volunteer's stipend (especially since I had spent $$$ in San Sal over the weekend)? As these things were running through my head i got even angrier. This is where the angel comes in. When I first arrived at the customs terminal there was this man (Rafael) that helped me with the paper work. He was also picking up a package . He was there with me throughout the entire process, telling me not to look so mean and that everything would work out in the end. He knew EVERYONE that worked in the administrative offices and in the warehouse where the packages were stored. He talked to the officer there and had him go and get my package right away. The officer moved me up in the line and I didn't wait for more that 20 minutes!! I could NOT believe that things were moving so fast until I remembered the prayer that I had sent up to my Father. I prayed, "Father, please show me favor so that I am not here all day long". Did He deliver or did He deliver? Rafael was the person that turned my day around for the better. He took time out of his schedule to help me and he made everything so much easier. I'm so grateful for the blessings that He throws my way...even when I don't deserve them.
THE PACKAGE
Once I was called into the warehouse to open the package I was so nervous that something bad would happen and they wouldn't allow me to take it home. We did the necessary paperwork and then the official opened the package to review the contents. I burst into tears as he took everything out of the box! I was so touched that my friends sent me a box full of goodies...noodles, mac n cheese, PEANUT BUTTER, shampoo, candy, cheetos and tons of other things. At that point I really began missing my friends and the tears wouldn't stop falling. I kept repeating las extraño tanto, I miss them so much. The official looked at me and in order to make me feel better, he pulled out a tampon from the box and asked me if it was a jumbo size Qtip. From tears to laughter in a matter of seconds! So long story short, after about another hour of paperwork, I left the airport with my 12 lb LOVE PACKAGE in my hand...thinking about what to eat first (I just finished a bag cheetos).
Today, inspite of the blisters that are now forming on my feet, was a really good day. I am truly blessed to have friends that care so much about me and a Father that knows EXACTLY what I need and when I need it. Rafael was a true blessing today.
Love you all,
Mya
So I got the form. I then had to take it over to the customs office and handle all the paper work. Then I had to wait for them to locate the package, while filling out tons of paper work. While they were locating the package I started asking the other people that were waiting how long they'd been there. On average I'd be waiting for three hours. It was already 1:45 and being on the bus to San Sal in the evening is not recommended. I started to panic. Where would I stay if I had to wait for more than three hours? How can I afford a hotel near the airport on a volunteer's stipend (especially since I had spent $$$ in San Sal over the weekend)? As these things were running through my head i got even angrier. This is where the angel comes in. When I first arrived at the customs terminal there was this man (Rafael) that helped me with the paper work. He was also picking up a package . He was there with me throughout the entire process, telling me not to look so mean and that everything would work out in the end. He knew EVERYONE that worked in the administrative offices and in the warehouse where the packages were stored. He talked to the officer there and had him go and get my package right away. The officer moved me up in the line and I didn't wait for more that 20 minutes!! I could NOT believe that things were moving so fast until I remembered the prayer that I had sent up to my Father. I prayed, "Father, please show me favor so that I am not here all day long". Did He deliver or did He deliver? Rafael was the person that turned my day around for the better. He took time out of his schedule to help me and he made everything so much easier. I'm so grateful for the blessings that He throws my way...even when I don't deserve them.
THE PACKAGE
Once I was called into the warehouse to open the package I was so nervous that something bad would happen and they wouldn't allow me to take it home. We did the necessary paperwork and then the official opened the package to review the contents. I burst into tears as he took everything out of the box! I was so touched that my friends sent me a box full of goodies...noodles, mac n cheese, PEANUT BUTTER, shampoo, candy, cheetos and tons of other things. At that point I really began missing my friends and the tears wouldn't stop falling. I kept repeating las extraño tanto, I miss them so much. The official looked at me and in order to make me feel better, he pulled out a tampon from the box and asked me if it was a jumbo size Qtip. From tears to laughter in a matter of seconds! So long story short, after about another hour of paperwork, I left the airport with my 12 lb LOVE PACKAGE in my hand...thinking about what to eat first (I just finished a bag cheetos).
Today, inspite of the blisters that are now forming on my feet, was a really good day. I am truly blessed to have friends that care so much about me and a Father that knows EXACTLY what I need and when I need it. Rafael was a true blessing today.
Love you all,
Mya
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Package from Mommy and Kim
I'm so happy to have received a care package from my Mommy and sister Kim. Thank you guys for the lovely underwear (washing your panties on a concrete rock causes a lot of stretching), the shaving cream (now my legs will be nice and smoothe), the febreeze (now when my clothes can't dry because of the rain, they'll atleast smell good) and the clothes!! I love you guys!!
Salu,
Mya
Salu,
Mya
Friday, July 23, 2010
Food!
Hey all!
Right now it’s 5:55 (1 hour til bedtime, but who’s counting?) and I just ate “dinner”. Dinner is in quotations marks because ever since I’ve moved on my own my eating habits have been…poor. I usually get around to eating three times a day, so that’s not the problem. The problem lies with what I’m eating. I usually go to the grocery store and spend anywhere from $50-70 every two weeks on food, which is a HUGE chunk of my living allowance. Usually I buy comfort foods like peanut butter, Doritos, mashed potatoes, Ragu spaghetti sauce, etc. which cost me an arm and a leg. Ok, so I usually go into the store with a list and I try my best to stick to it. Then I get home and realize that most of what I purchased doesn’t really combine nicely into meals. Yes, I’m usually able to make some kind of soup and then there’s always spaghetti (I’ve already had it 4 times this week), but besides these dishes I’m usually stuck, staring into my fridge wondering what the heck to do with these items.
So dinner tonight was butter and herbs mashed potatoes. This box of potatoes (breakfast and dinner) and a can of sweet kernel corn (lunch) were the only things left in my fridge that I could eat. There’s a bag of pasta that I could’ve boiled, but I woke up this morning and found that the pasta sauce had molded…lol. Back to the potatoes…while reading the instructions I realized that I lacked half of the ingredients needed to make them. I had the water and the pouch of potatoes and seasoning but I didn’t have the milk or the butter (why I needed butter when the box clearly stated that real Land o’ Lakes butter was already mixed in is beyond me). Facing starvation (yup I’m dramatic) I decided that the potatoes would be just as good with only water. Oh my dear friends and family I was SO wrong! These potatoes tasted like warm grass. I ate as much as I could stomach and fed the rest (not much because I WAS really hungry) to the dog that has decided to live with me.
I wish I could tell you guys that this doesn’t happen very often but the sad truth is that my life has become filled with meals that sometimes even the dog won’t eat. This brings me to my latest culinary disaster. During my recent trip to the store I decided to buy soy protein. Why? Because it comes in a bag and I don’t have to worry about putting it in the fridge until after I cook it and because it’s loaded with folic acid and protein…two things I’m sure I could use more of. I was really excited about cooking for the first time, but when I opened the bag and saw the little pebbles I couldn’t help but to think of dog food. It even SMELLED like dog food. Anyways…I decided to give it a chance, after all it did cost me a whopping $0.50 a bag (foolishly I bought 2 bags). I make a soup and put the soy protein in the soup after I had seasoned it and stir fried it. That soup was the worst thing that I’ve ever made IN MY LIFE, mainly because it wasn’t REALLY a soup…more like scalding water with chunks of soy protein, bell peppers and onions. I really did have more veggies but somehow my knife disappeared and I couldn’t cut them up. I ended up ripping up the bell pepper with my hands and I just put the whole onion in the pot. It was so pathetic yet hilarious. I’m not one to waste food so I had to eat every drop of it. The texture of the soy protein made me gag…and I still have another bag waiting to be consumed. After that I made spaghetti and tried to roll the soy protein in to little meatballs, which didn’t work. I gave up and fried it and smothered it with garlic, black pepper and curry. Mixed with the spaghetti and sauce the soy protein was HALF bad…you just had to swallow it down really fast without chewing. I’m relieved to say that it’s all gone and I will never buy it again.
This weekend I’m going shopping again and I will make sure to buy things that I can turn into meals. Also, my friend Lindsey is coming to visit my site. Her best friend is visiting from the States and they’re gonna come hang out with me at my beach. Should be fun….hopefully my water will be running. Three girls, one bathroom, and no water? DIOS GUARDE! Love you all! Pray without ceasing and take good care!
Salu,
Mya
Right now it’s 5:55 (1 hour til bedtime, but who’s counting?) and I just ate “dinner”. Dinner is in quotations marks because ever since I’ve moved on my own my eating habits have been…poor. I usually get around to eating three times a day, so that’s not the problem. The problem lies with what I’m eating. I usually go to the grocery store and spend anywhere from $50-70 every two weeks on food, which is a HUGE chunk of my living allowance. Usually I buy comfort foods like peanut butter, Doritos, mashed potatoes, Ragu spaghetti sauce, etc. which cost me an arm and a leg. Ok, so I usually go into the store with a list and I try my best to stick to it. Then I get home and realize that most of what I purchased doesn’t really combine nicely into meals. Yes, I’m usually able to make some kind of soup and then there’s always spaghetti (I’ve already had it 4 times this week), but besides these dishes I’m usually stuck, staring into my fridge wondering what the heck to do with these items.
So dinner tonight was butter and herbs mashed potatoes. This box of potatoes (breakfast and dinner) and a can of sweet kernel corn (lunch) were the only things left in my fridge that I could eat. There’s a bag of pasta that I could’ve boiled, but I woke up this morning and found that the pasta sauce had molded…lol. Back to the potatoes…while reading the instructions I realized that I lacked half of the ingredients needed to make them. I had the water and the pouch of potatoes and seasoning but I didn’t have the milk or the butter (why I needed butter when the box clearly stated that real Land o’ Lakes butter was already mixed in is beyond me). Facing starvation (yup I’m dramatic) I decided that the potatoes would be just as good with only water. Oh my dear friends and family I was SO wrong! These potatoes tasted like warm grass. I ate as much as I could stomach and fed the rest (not much because I WAS really hungry) to the dog that has decided to live with me.
I wish I could tell you guys that this doesn’t happen very often but the sad truth is that my life has become filled with meals that sometimes even the dog won’t eat. This brings me to my latest culinary disaster. During my recent trip to the store I decided to buy soy protein. Why? Because it comes in a bag and I don’t have to worry about putting it in the fridge until after I cook it and because it’s loaded with folic acid and protein…two things I’m sure I could use more of. I was really excited about cooking for the first time, but when I opened the bag and saw the little pebbles I couldn’t help but to think of dog food. It even SMELLED like dog food. Anyways…I decided to give it a chance, after all it did cost me a whopping $0.50 a bag (foolishly I bought 2 bags). I make a soup and put the soy protein in the soup after I had seasoned it and stir fried it. That soup was the worst thing that I’ve ever made IN MY LIFE, mainly because it wasn’t REALLY a soup…more like scalding water with chunks of soy protein, bell peppers and onions. I really did have more veggies but somehow my knife disappeared and I couldn’t cut them up. I ended up ripping up the bell pepper with my hands and I just put the whole onion in the pot. It was so pathetic yet hilarious. I’m not one to waste food so I had to eat every drop of it. The texture of the soy protein made me gag…and I still have another bag waiting to be consumed. After that I made spaghetti and tried to roll the soy protein in to little meatballs, which didn’t work. I gave up and fried it and smothered it with garlic, black pepper and curry. Mixed with the spaghetti and sauce the soy protein was HALF bad…you just had to swallow it down really fast without chewing. I’m relieved to say that it’s all gone and I will never buy it again.
This weekend I’m going shopping again and I will make sure to buy things that I can turn into meals. Also, my friend Lindsey is coming to visit my site. Her best friend is visiting from the States and they’re gonna come hang out with me at my beach. Should be fun….hopefully my water will be running. Three girls, one bathroom, and no water? DIOS GUARDE! Love you all! Pray without ceasing and take good care!
Salu,
Mya
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Ok, So I'm an Emotional Wreck
I received this email from Keisha this morning while I was having coffee at the local café. I broke down and the tears wouldn't stop falling. I felt like an idiot because everyone was staring at me, but THEY didn't just get an email like this so they can KICK ROCKS!
encontre que hubo un maratón de Golden Girls [A Golden Girls marathon was on]. Have you ever watched that show? I watched it when I was little, but never understood what it was about. But watching it today made me realize what a good show it is. It made me think that when I get old, if for some reason I had to have some room mates, it would be nice to be roomies with you again. Okay I'm on a rant, I really wanted to just sing you the theme song to the show, because every time I hear it I think of you. Here I go (I know you hate me cause I'm singing to you in an email) :
Thank you for being a friend,
Travel down the road and back again,
You're heart is true
You're a pal and a confidante
And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew,
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend!
To my dear Keisha, I love you more than you know! You have always been there for me, without passing judgement (but keeping it real), and I am blessed to have you in my life! Count on me to be your pal, your sister and your confidant for as long as I live!!
In other news, I've been crying a lot lately. The smallest things make me cry. I'm not sad or depressed...I'm just overly sensitive right now.
Love you all,
Salu
encontre que hubo un maratón de Golden Girls [A Golden Girls marathon was on]. Have you ever watched that show? I watched it when I was little, but never understood what it was about. But watching it today made me realize what a good show it is. It made me think that when I get old, if for some reason I had to have some room mates, it would be nice to be roomies with you again. Okay I'm on a rant, I really wanted to just sing you the theme song to the show, because every time I hear it I think of you. Here I go (I know you hate me cause I'm singing to you in an email) :
Thank you for being a friend,
Travel down the road and back again,
You're heart is true
You're a pal and a confidante
And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew,
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend!
To my dear Keisha, I love you more than you know! You have always been there for me, without passing judgement (but keeping it real), and I am blessed to have you in my life! Count on me to be your pal, your sister and your confidant for as long as I live!!
In other news, I've been crying a lot lately. The smallest things make me cry. I'm not sad or depressed...I'm just overly sensitive right now.
Love you all,
Salu
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)