Aprendizaje

My dad is a question man. I remember riding with him in my car when I moved from North Carolina to Minnesota (a 20 hour ride). I would have thought within the first 10 hours he would be out of questions, but no! He always has more.

Lately he has been asking me "what have you learned?" I don't know if I can sum that up in a few sentences, or a blog entry. What I have learned in El Salvador is difficult to name. But I will try.

Slow down. It's okay to take a long lunch, or lie down in a hammock to read for 2 hours. All the "things I have to do" will wait. To rest is to take care of myself. I like asking El Salvadorans "what will you do on your day off?" The answer is almost always "relax". And they really do.

Pack light. Washing clothes by hand is easier than I thought. Dishwashers? Nice, but not necessary. I find that by having to do things by hand I also have a chance to relax within that chore. For an hour, I will listen to music and rinse out clothes. And that's ok.

Delicious little things. Even in the poorest communities El Salvadorans love their refrescos. Fruit juice with a lot of sugar, and ice. Fruit is in abundance here! Truly, there is nothing better than coconut ice cream on a really hot day.

Keeping me humble. Learning a second language can make you feel stupid. It can make you feel fantastic. Most of all, it keeps your ego in check. It is like transforming into a child again, who makes a lot of mistakes and is afraid to speak. We tell our co-workers at Centro Arte that our Spanish is in the coffee, along with our courage.

Serving or being served? Volunteering in the traditional American sense is more for the volunteers than the people being served. A big group shows up in El Salvador and wants to make a difference for 2 days. I am not trying to be pessimistic, but this is what I have learned. When we travel to another country, we should arrive with open eyes and open hearts. If we arrive to accompany, to listen to the stories of the people, to have an experience, it is real. If we arrive to "help these poor people", then we are looking down on them, and it is not a real experience. Will you let me be your servant? I can be your servant too.

Kids are kids. They like to play, they get an attitude starting at age 7, they love all things sweet and making loud noises. The children here are, without a doubt, much less disciplined than the states. I am often frustrated with this. They don't show up for class at all, or they show up an hour late. They talk to their friends, and text on their cell phones. Discipline is part of culture, and I cannot change a culture. I cannot change how parents bring up their children. I am learning to make my expectations clear, and be flexible within those expectations. 

Education is key. We are so lucky in the United States to have school 8 hours per day, to have (free) after school activities  At my high school, an arts magnet, I was able to take theatre, choir, French. I was surrounded by people who loved to learn. Here in El Salvador school is 4 hours a day, an hour of which seems like it is made up of arriving and departing and playing. There is no arts program in the public school system. School from ages 16 through 18 is called Bachillerato, and it is optional. I would guess about 1/2 of all school age children choose to do Bachillerato. Even fewer go to University. Although the public university costs $8.00 a month, the majority of the population needs a scholarship to be able to afford school. All of this has helped me decide to go back to school to get my Master's degree. My education has been an incredible journey so far, and I am lucky to have the ability and resources to continue my learning.

Talents are better when shared. I am having so much fun using talents, and learning new things so that I can teach them. The children and young adults that we are working with are excited to learn, and we have something to teach.

Making friends. takes time and determination. In Central America #1 is family, #2 extended family, #3 friends. We have had to search for people that have room in their lives for a friendship, and are open to foreigners with bad grammar. Lucky for us, they exist!

Guilt doesn't get you anywhere. We are living amongst a variety of people, some of which only have enough money for tortillas for dinner tonight. We have friends that live on dirt roads with dirt floors in very simple homes and have to walk an hour to get to the bus stop. Yet I have never heard them complain. On the contrary, they are proud of what they have. They are proud of their community and their home. People love to invite us in to "know their home". It is worth something - it is theirs. I will strive to be happy with what I have, and remember to be generous.

Suffering. I have experienced a tiny bit. El Salvadorans have experienced too much. Everyone in the country lost someone they loved in the war, if not their whole family. They also have family in the states, which is a great loss as well because they may never see them again. The problem with gangs continues in the country, and extortion makes it very difficult to start a business or be successful. Some families live with 9 people under one roof, living on beans and tortillas. I do not know suffering like Salvadorans do. 

Resiliency. The people here inspire me with their determination to continue moving forward despite the odds. It is an exciting time to be living here. More and more young people are going to university, and the country is changing for the better.

True companion. I have chosen a fantastic life partner. I am so grateful for Chris, that we are in this experience together. He and I commiserate when we are homesick, laugh at the ever-amusing cultural differences, and even share an office. We are in a good place, learning as we go.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. 

Because the world needs more people who have come alive."

-Howard Thurman