They Want to Rent a Bus, And Use Our Parking Lot As a Meeting Place

http://www.esmitv.com/vernoticia.aspx?id=1197

There are a few times you can see my face, the short Salvadoran man speaking is the Vice President, and the girl sitting in the front in the black dress is super pretty.

The first two months of Peace Corps are really about one thing, food. I eat food all the time. I will be walking and start talking to someone and then they will buy me food, or they invite me into their house to make me food, because Salvadorans love with you their food. Yesterday was Independence Day here and they showed the movie The Patriot in spanish on tv here. So I told this guy that I hangout with that I really wanted to watch it but couldn't because my host family goes to sleep at 8 and the movie is at 9. He invited me over and when I went to his house he had bought a thing of grape soda, water, and lots of chips. I ate almost all the chips.

Food is really just a way of integrating and it is a great way to show that you are in love with this country and these people. Whenever I eat the food I will say, "Oh my gosh! This is amazing! There is no way you could have made this! Are you an angel, because this is heavenly!" And they love it. It means a lot to them. And it makes them feel awesome.

I also got invited to go to the beach with a lot of people from my community a few days ago. I did not even hesitate to say yes. They rented a bus and we all jammed ourselves in it and drove 2 hours to the beautiful and sandy beach called Costa Del Sol. We rented a hammock and played soccer and chased each other and got to know each other.

Right now I am living with the Niña Cruz and her four boys who are 18, 13, 10, and 6. The 13 year old and I get along really well. He is only 13, but he seems a lot older. Most of these kids seem older where I live because they have to work in the farms and are asked to be responsible for a lot. I really like the kids in my house and I have a HUGE room with a couch and hammock and a nice bed and even a fridge. I will only live in this house for the next 2 months and then I will go back to San Vicente for 2 more weeks of training and then I will come back to my site forever and hopefully live in this one house I have my eyes on.

I really love my site too.
I really liked it the first day,
But now I think I love it.

It is really hot where I live. They told me it was really cool, but it is not, it is super hot. There are a few rivers where I live, and one of them is mainly used to catch fish to sell in the nearby communities. The river I usually go to is not too deep, but it is just right. I usually start walking with one of the kids in my house in the morning and then other kids see me and follow us. I bring a few balls that my mom sent that are just perfect for the water, and I also bring some shampoo. We get there and strip to our undies, jump in, splash around, bathe, and walk back home for lunch.

What I really like is that there is a one hour bus ride from the closest town to my community. We wind down a dirt road that is being paved right now and is going to look incredible. The views on the way there are incredible. Green hills, soft clouds, and fields of corn seemed to be rolled out for the entrance. There are only 2 real streets in my community. Once I get there there are a few stores that sell soda and chips and candy that have really cool people to chat with, there is a beautiful huge new catholic church, and the soccer field.

The people are really amazing here. I get to know them so much more every day and I am excited to see what we are going to do.

Peace Corps Volunteer

Yesterday I was sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador.
The ceremony was held at the Ambassadors Residence which had one of the most elegant bathrooms I have ever seen in my life.

We had 5 speakers, the Acting Country Director, the Ambassador, some other man whose title I forget, a trainee from our group named Eric, and the Vice President of the Republic of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez. It was a very special and inspiring and ceremony. The Vice President was one of the commanders of the FMLN guerrilla group during the civil war, before they were a political party. Now he is Vice President and also the head of the Ministry of Education. His words were great. The importance of education, and even more so, the importance of educating the children. Truly incredible to see this man who 20 or 30 years ago did not really have the best opinion about the 33 of us, and stand and encourage us to really live in the pueblo, to help, and to educate.

And now I head to my site. For 2 years. Saying goodbye to the people I got to know for 2 months. The same people that feel like my brothers and sisters. And now to share the hope and peace and love that I honestly feel for these people, and help.