Tormenta en Verano

In Suchitoto, people love to listen to music. They also love to share their incredibly loud speakers with their neighbors. I am currently listening to the greatest hits from the 80's, with a disco twist. 

Privacy is expensive. Here, the doors are thin, and the rooves are tin. 

The truth is, the people here in Suchi don't seem to care. They are used to sharing. Whole families live in small apartments, sharing rooms, sharing food. Many people spend every afternoons sitting on the cobblestones, talking with their neighbors. 

Our roommates Noel and Elba often have family or friends stay the night. At one point we had 8 people sharing one bathroom. This goes against all I know as a middle class American, but at the end of the day it's not a big deal. While waiting for the shower, I had a 20 minute conversation with my roommate while wearing just a towel. We're used to it by now - our shower is outside and it's just too hot to wear a robe.

Chris and I talk often of our crankiness. Between the heat and the lack of alone time, it can get to be a bit much. Some days I miss anonymity. It is a 15 minute walk uphill to our workplace, but it often takes 30 or 45 minutes. Everyone loves to stop and chat. There are days when I love this, and how wonderful that we have friends to talk to! But then, there are those days when I just want to go home and close the door.

Needless to say, we are still adjusting to the culture change!

The children of Suchi have been on a break for the past 2 months, and went back to school January 21st. I look forward to the sense of routine that will bring!

Our schedules have been somewhat up in the air since November. Some children came to the arts center looking for things to do over break. Others who had been attending classes every week, stopped coming. When we took a week off for Christmas, many students didn't return. 

We can't take ourselves too seriously. Kids are kids, and here in Suchi many of their parents allow them to make their own choices. If a child wants piano lessons, they have to seek it out, they have to get to the lesson, they have to practice. Discipline is a difficult skill to learn!

Chris has found that his piano lessons are more successful with 3 friends learning and practicing together as opposed to one-on-one. This creates a bit of chaos at times, but it is much more motivating and cool if the children can learn with their peers. You have to meet people where they are.

We will take a trip across the border of Costa Rica next week, along with our friend Allie. We have to leave El Salvador every 90 days in order to renew our tourist visa, and stay out of the CA-4 region for 72 hours. It is a good opportunity to travel!

I leave you with some photos of Lake Suchitlan, right before the thunderstorm started. Thunderstorm in the dry season? I'm not sure what that means, but I was glad when we got off the boat.

"Having someone who understands is a great blessing for ourselves.

Being someone who understands is a great blessing to others." 

-Janette Oke

Patinaje

I am a music therapist. I have a college degree, and experience in a variety of healthcare settings. 

Today, however, I am a supervisor at skateboard park. I have to ensure that every child is wearing a helmet, wristguards, kneepads and elbowpads.

I will admit, at first I didn't want to supervise skateboard park. I wanted to use my skills, to teach something meaningful. As time has gone on, I have realized that my supervising skateboard park is one of the most important things I am doing at Centro Arte.

I like sitting on the bench and watching the kids skateboard down the ramp. They yell "Jenna! Mira" looking for affirmation. They are so proud of the things they can do on the skateboards. Affirmation is not always something that the children here recieve at home, and it is something that I can give.

One day, while sitting on the bench admiring the kids skateboarding, I started talking to a 10 year old boy. "We have a lot of stress in our house," he said. His brother is missing, the police are not sure where he is. He left for Soyapango and never came back. In El Salvador, this usually means either he joined a gang or was killed by one. His mother is dating a man in a gang, so he lives with his dad. They might move to the United States, it would be safer.

I listened, trying to understand the complexity of his situation. I felt grateful that he trusted in me, and that Centro Arte can be a safe place for him to go.

The other day two boys began pushing one another. "I want the scooter!" they shouted. I came over and the pushing stopped. I talked to each of the boys separately. "This is Centro Arte para la Paz, here we use words to communicate, not violence". Each of the boys swore it wasn't their fault. "When you want something, ask nicely for it. If someone pushes you, say NO and walk away." 

These children live in an area of Suchitoto known for gang violence. It is not safe to walk around at night. Who knows, that may have been the first time an adult had told them that there is an alternative to violence. 

At the end, they shook hands and said sorry. "Viva la paz!" I said, and the boys continued skateboarding.

It turns out, here in skateboard park at Centro Arte para la Paz in Suchitoto, I am using my skills. I am being challenged. I am getting to know some wonderful kids who otherwise wouldn't have a place to play. 

Life is full of surprises. I am learning what is is to accompany. Not to feel superior to someone, but to see them as a fellow human being on the road. To know their story, and to have them know yours. To sit with them on the bench at skateboard park, and listen.

Quietud

El Salvadorans are fantastic at small talk. As we walk by our neighbors will often comment, "passing up the road?" or "going to work? That's nice". Small talk is great for our Spanish, because people repeat things many times. Example (translated):

-It's so hot today!
-Yes, it is.
-Yes, so very very hot.
-It seems like it's going to rain 
-Yes, but it won't rain.
-No it won't.
-But yes, it's very hot. It would be good if it would rain.
-I totally agree. We will have to wait for the rain. Life is like that.

This afternoon I sat in a hammock for 3 hours. The tranquilo is very tranquilo these days.

I wonder if my fast pace has ruined my ability to slow down. I have been spoiled by traveling, exciting new restaurants, movies and television. My life in Minneapolis was one of constant movement, with occasional meditation. It was as if I was running a marathon, with quick breaks for a cup of tea.

But I loved my life, my wonderful friends, my job, the variety I had in my days in months. The seasons reminded me that time was changing, that I was changing.

In El Salvador every day is hot. The sun discourages movement, it makes you want to sit in the shade all day and be still. It is so frustrating sometimes, the stillness.

Soon after we arrived we were complaining to another American about our boredom. He told us, "you have to create your own excitement".

And we have. I am proud of our effort to make new friends, to find joy in little things to do together and alone. Still some days it is hard. I think of the freedom that I had, to take off in my car and explore. I loved finding new hiking trails and walking on my own, sitting in a cafe and reading a book. 

Then again I wonder, is that freedom? Or is freedom something that lives inside of us? That we have to find in ourselves?

My neighbor is accustomed to a very slow, simple life. She wakes up, she has breakfast. She walks slowly to the market to buy fruit. She makes fruit juices, and she sits outside her house waiting for a few customers to come by. Later she cleans up, goes back inside. Maybe she sweeps for a bit. Then she makes dinner for her family, and goes to bed.

She seems like a very happy person. I want to be satisfied with this kind of life, to feel the rhythm of the day go by.

In the stillness I am stuck,
Waiting, not sure what for
An explosion of light
Laughter ringing in my ears
The ordinary come to life.
I want the world to dance,
To long for one another.
But instead the world is sitting on my front step,
Watching Time pass by.
Time, I am desperately chasing you
Hunting you,
Hoping to find something better
than this moment.

Felices Fiestas

Christmas here has come and gone. Highlights included:

-Chicken sandwiches (the special food here for the holidays) with Wendy's family

-Going to mass with our sweet friend Alex, who lost both his parents last year

-Dancing at  the disco until 2AM on Christmas eve

-Opening our stockings from my parents (still enjoying the chocolate, it's hard to find here!)

Christmas overall is... not as big of a deal here in El Salvador. The focus is on spending time with family and people you love. While I love gift giving, it was kind of nice to not have that stress this year! (We did send some gifts home when my family came in November of course, and they brought a suitcase full of peanut butter and treats).

We had a week off after Christmas, and we decided to stay in El Salvador this year. We traveled with two other Americans named Shannon and Tyler, who are also volunteering in Suchitoto. We enjoyed time at the beach at Barra de Santiago, enjoyed a beautiful sunset at Lago Coatepeque, a volcanic lake. We hiked Volcan Izalco, scrambling up the rocks and enjoying the view at the top. 

Of course, no trip goes without mishaps. Both the boys got stomach sick one day, and we had to camp out in the hostel. There was some friendly competition for the bathroom, we just had to laugh!

The morning we decided to go to the volcano, the owner of the hostel told us the bus would come at 8. It didn't come, and didn't come, and didn't come. She flagged down a pick up truck, and we hopped in. We were supposed to take another bus to the Cerro Verde where the volcano is. We had missed that bus as well, but thankfully the manager gave us instructions. "If you miss the bus, take bus 209 and then hitchhike to the top". 

And sure enough, we missed the bus. We took bus 209 and got off at the bottom of the hill. We sat and waited for a pick up to come by, and as luck had it we saw another one of the guests at the hostal driving by in their rental car. We piled in and made it to the foot of the volcano.

There was a big debate about whether or not we would go hiking at all. Too much wind, the branches are dangerous, they said. Finally those in charge decided it was safe to hike the volcano with less trees. We traveled in a group of 100, with policeman in full gear with large guns. Just in case.

It was a funny experience. The woman behind me talked on her cell phone the whole way back, giving her daughter an hour by hour summary of her busy week. Every person is different.

We spent new years eve with our wonderful friends Sara and Konstantin and their family. I am constantly amazed at the hospitality here. People's doors are always wide open, ready to invite us in. There is a warmth and kindness that I have come to love.

"The extravagant gesture is the very stuff of creation" 

-Annie Dillard