Almost 2 weeks as travelers...

Gee we are approaching the 2 week mark. In the Gate portion of the trip , every moment was preplanned for us and in this second part the group have very different lives and schedules as they are not only attending language school but also living in a Salvadoran´s home. That means for all of us no screens and perhaps sleeping under mosquito nets/not. We are not eating in a restaurant 3x/day and are for the most part subject to the diet of our hosts. YES Quite a change from spending 24/7 together. We have homework and instructors who don´t translate for us. It is overwhelming as we learn about cultural norms firsthand. I hope the students will eventually share their lives with you again but computer usage is a bit more difficult since the institutes´computers are slower than turtles if functioning. I accompanied a class to UES ( U of El Salvador) today to see the students´mural art.I can´t wait to go back with a camera but it was suggested not to have backpacks with us. BUMMER!

Monday, Monday and it's back to school...

We were all in our places with bright smiling faces... awaiting to be assigned language levels which were based on a written grammar and oral interview. Every morning language classes will last from 8-12 with a half an hour break. A bell sounds and classes are released. WELL everybody came down for break with a smile on their face and we had an introduction game with all the students with musica and a ball. If the music stopped so did the ball, and the person holding the ball had to introduce themselves,tell where they were from and what they liked to do. Sound familiar methodology students? So besides our Wisconsin contingency there are 3 students from Canada, 1 from New Hampshire, 1 from Kansas and 1 from Conn. ( Yea- They are willing to show us the ropes since they have been here longer.) The main skill emphasis here is communicative and none of the teachers will speak English. This will really benefit the Pollitas whether they realize it or not. This is for the best. We will go get some lunch together which is the main meal of the day and then be back by 1:30 to have our Cultural Political Orientation program. We will meet at least 3x/week after English classes to do something cultural. This week will include a museum visit, a video about gangs, and outings on both Saturday and Sunday. I think we will keep plenty busy!

Last day together at Costa del Sol beachside...

Friday marked our last day for all of us together and we were fortunate enough to spend it at the beach at Costa del Sol.

We stayed in bungalows and had an eventful day at the beach with Tracy and Stephanie boogie boarding, Adam running for over an hour, some beach walks, shell collecting, sunning, crab chasing and even toad hunting amidst eating our meals al fresco. The ocean air did us good. Amber wins for the best burn but we all left with a bit more color except for Sister Marie. The evening was a bit sleepless with two cabins ending up with 4 each rather than the designated 2 people. Togetherness. One cabin shared their space with a very active cat in the rafters. The ceiling tiles would bow with the weight of the unknown critter and then it would pounce every once in a while... pretty scary stuff. One bungalow got all the cockroaches and then there even was a toad visitor. Amber, Tricia and Grant took off for the airport before 6am Saturday and we dropped Adam off on our way back into San Salvador. 11- 4 = 7. So now it's just my 6 pollitas and me. Students took both written and oral placement exams on Saturday afternoon and then our host families gave us a nice reception with traditional foods. We have a varied experienced set of hosts and I am sure that we will all come home being much more appreciative of the daily things we take for granted with SPACE and PRIVACY being at the top of the list.

Day 8...

You know I am glad that there´s a pharmacy 2 doors down bc in my most recent web search for stomach issues I read that a dose of pepto bismol pre-meals controls the rumblings... and the tums are not really doing the job. Last night we experienced the Salvadoran favorite food called papusa which are served at papuserias, a place where they make papusas. It´s a tortilla dough filled with cheese, beans, a meat/any combo. It was an art to watch the cooks making each one individually and then flip them onto the grill. The natives put a marinated cabbage slaw on top in addition to a tomato salsa. ( BTW our group avoided the cabbage. :) We went to a favorite pupusaria right outside the city. The owners told me that they had lived in Texas and when I said that I had grown up in Little Rock, they said that they had also lived in Russelville and Fort Smith. A lot of people here either have lived in the US/a family member who has. I also had a traditional drink called Horchata. After dinner we walked down to the overview that we had visited the previous day to see the city´s twinkling night lights. Not far from there we then stopped at a local community gathering with traditional music present by a police band. These community gatherings happen monthly and vary as to town to promote a safe family get together and local police are present along with tourist police. We were even introduced to the commissioner of tourist police who also is responsible for the Special Olympics. Our girls took over the dance floor and Tracy and Stephanie, who was feeling much better even polka´ed for the crowd. It was a lovely evening to be out and we were home by 9:30. I told you we are tired. Today breakfast will be a little later to allow a little more time in bed...
Adam, a pastoral student in D.C:.with Iowa roots no less, will be adding an entry today re: our visit to the Jesuit University yesterday. He is a great addition to our group and after you read his entry, you will understand why...

Greetings! My name is Adam Briddell, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a contribution to the El Salvador Y Nosotros blog. I am a student at Wesley Theological Seminary (www.wesleyseminary.edu) in Washington, DC, and a candidate for ordination in the United Methodist Church (www.umc.org). Traveling with GATE and this wonderful group of professors and undergraduate students has been a great joy!
Wednesday was no exception.

After spending some time with a representative from the FMLN political party (which in 2009 became the first party of the left to win control of the presidency in the history of El Salvador); we then visited a cathedral in the historic downtown district of San Salvador. It was not only a beautiful house of worship, but its crypt is the resting place for Arch Bishop Oscar Romero.

Bishop Romero was assassinated in 1980, having called on the security forces of El Salvador´s oppressive regime to lay down their arms and refuse orders o kill civilians. He was killed in the middle of a worship service, and his martyrdom became a rallying point for the people of El Salvador, who would not see a peaceful settlement to their civil war until 1992.

The visit to Romero´s tomb was an appropriate precursor to our afternoon at the Jesuit University of Central America. We were able to visit a small chapel and museum on the campus, which is home to the possessions of six Jesuit priests, a housekeeper and her daughter, who were murdered by government forces in 1990. We spoke with Father Dean Brackley, a Jesuit priest and professor of theology at the University of Central America.

Father Brackley was one of the first Jesuits to arrive in San Salvador in the aftermath of the 1990 massacre. He provided powerful first-hand insight into the climate of terror that gripped Salvadoran socieity in the 1980´s. This climate proved to be fertile ground for the emergence of liberation theology in Latin America.

Father Brackley described a process whereby communities began to systematize a way of doing theology from the perspective of the poor; to consider sin as more than individual transgressions, but as those systems that reinforce injustice and disparity; and that while God´s love is infinite, the Gospel of Jesus Christ reveals a preferential option for the poor.

He used a parable of two brothers to help us appreciate this idea better. A mother sees her oldest son picking on his younger brother. The mom takes the side of the younger brother, not because the younger brother is good, or better than the older brother, but because the mother is good.

When asked whether he had any advice for the group, Father Brackley paused before responding that as with any pilgrimage, we must ¨resist the urge to change the channel¨as we experience the depth of the people´s struggle in El Salvador. He asked that we be willing to ¨have our hearts broken,¨ to ´go home ruined for life,´and be able to look at our own contexts with new eyes.

Reflecting on Lent, a few days before he would be murdered, Bishop Romero offered that ¨No one can quench the life that Christ has resurrected. Neither death nor all the banners of death and hatred raised against his church can prevail... Lent, thus, is a call to celebrate our redemption in that difficult combination of cross and victory... but those who have Christian faith and hope know that behind this calvary of El Salvador lies our Easter, our resurrection. That is the Christian people´s hope.´

Thirty years later, these words remain a powerful articulation of God´s desire for justice, mercy, and that we all might find a way to stand in solidarity with the poor.

Better stop, before I start preaching...

Adam Briddell
Guest-blogger
Wesley Theological Seminary

One week is gone...

Wow we have completed our first week and as you have read it has been super full. Due to upset tummies and the like,  reminders are constant about the use of antibacterial goop to constantly wash hands and to be continually rehydrating. I feel like a broken record but our bodies just aren´t used to a new place´s germs in addition to being a lot warmer than to what these Wisconsin bodies are accustomed.  Amber and Erica will write about day 7´s outings. Hold on because it was a curvy and very bumpy road up and down. :)

Hola again. This is Erica speaking! Good news- I am back on my feet and basically back to normal thanks to Karen, and Dona Sarah (the owner of the hotel) and her Doctor Son in law! I took a day off to rest and recover and Day 7 was my first day back with the group. Today we went to La Puerta del Diablo (The Devil's Gate). It was a very curvy and bumpy ride as Karen has mentioned and I was thankful no one tossed their cookies on the drive. Once we arrived at our destination we were able to climb to the top of the point where we had a great very of the country. We were able to see many surrounding cities and through the haze we could even see the ocean and the waves crashing. It was awesome!!!

It was quite the hike and although we were all pretty beat by the time we got to the top, the view was definitely worth it! We were all very grateful to be able to get out of the bus and stretch our legs a bit too.


After Our time at La Puerta Del Diablo, we went to a local art museum that showcased local artists' work. The paintings were breath taking! They also had some dolls to show the differences between indigenous El Salvadorean (Is that a word?) dress compared to that of the Spanish. There was also a comparison of a hand made garment that would cost a women over $300 and a machine made one that would only cost around $25! UNREAL! In the back of the museum there was a spot for students to come and do homework. There was also a theater were some of the theater students would put on performances. While we were there, some students we reading through a script. It was great to see this place for students to come and work and also nice to see some very motivated young people!

Next, we walked down the block to see an old church.

I believe it was around 400 years old! The art was fantastic but being that it was 400 years old and the people do not have enough money to preserve them but we could still see their beauty. Outside the church there was a school and once again

Grant was able to talk to some of the local kids who always seem so eager to talk to people and who are always smiling!

Amber: During the second portion of day 7 we talked to "Cherie´s kids".

This is a youth leadership program in El Salvador that attracts youth and gives them a positive group to be a part of. We talked with three youth that are within the program; Alexia, Daniel, and Roberto. These youth are working in their communities to combat the youth gangs and violence. It was powerful to hear these young adults talking about the impact they have made and the goals that they have. At a young age they are striving to make large changes, and it shows how people, even youth, can make a big difference.

Weary Troops... Day 6

The troops are tired as we have been going, going, going. There is so much to see and experience and although bus travelling time allows us some shuteye, it´s difficult to not want to miss out on anything out the window.

Of course we do have one particular individual who catches catnaps whenever possible.




The flame trees are in full bloom and are spectacular. I feared that there would be a mutiny if our bus driver slowed down for one more time to allow me to try to capture their magnificent glory on film...

We were plenty ready to get back to our inn, shower, kick our feet up etc... pre and post dinner. Our day´s commentary will be by Grant and I´ll let him introduce himself to you in this posting. I apologize that I can´t post my pics but you will all eventually get to see them! I am also very happy to report that the blog´s photo editor will be back on her feet today after a day´s worth of antibiotics...

Monday, May 23

Yes, the troops are indeed tired and they are beginning to drop like flies as the intestinal bug has started to hit a few people.  However, there are three nursing students in the group, and with Karen´s help, they are taking care of us.  Oh, wait, one of the nursing students, Erica, was feeling under the weather, and she stayed home today.

In the morning we went to San Vicente to visit a farming project.  The highlight of the day was the visit to where they shell, dry, and package the cashews.  Everyone in the group bought bags of cashews to take home.  All of the food products are organically grown, and the group is beginning to create a market for their goods outside of El Salvador.  The work looked very hot and hard. 

The guide told us that 60 workers  produced  500 pounds of cashews a day.  They were paid minimum wage, and so they averaged between $7  and $10 a day. 

Grant and Stephanie played futbol for a few minutes with some local children and so Stephanie had a chance to demonstrate her athletic skills.

We ate fish or chicken at the restaurant on the compound. 

The food generally has been good, but not "traditional."  Some in the group enjoyed feeding the dogs, fish, and goats on the compound.  The dogs are especially undernourished.  Indeed, they are scary thin.

We also visited an eco-tourism project.  We hoped to go on a boat ride to the ocean, but the tide was out and so the river was too low.  We had to settle for beautiful views of the river and countryside, gentle cool breezes,

and a short (very short) siesta in a hammock.  Everyone agreed that the eco-tourism project was in need of a good marketing major.  Octavio lamented that they did not have more business, but when we asked for brochures or pamphlets, he admitted that he did not have them.  The group wondered why the people at SanVicente did not have a web page and why they did not promote the project on the internet.

The drive was long and rough.  The road was narrow and unpaved for some of the way.  The fish factory was closed, and so we did not tour that project.  We were all pleased to get back to our air-conditioned rooms.

After dinner the group engaged in a spirited discussion of free trade.  Our good Methodist minister-in-training, Adam, said our visit to the rural development project helped illustrate the need for balance in free trade.  In other words, while the principles of free trade are sound, it is important to account for the conditions of each idividual country and the urban and rural poor in each country.

Others wondered if there was not a way that El Salvador could not benefit from free trade.  We all agreed to study the issue in more depth.  Other members of the group, especially Raisa who has experience in marketing, said that it was surprising that marketing strategies were not used more effectively.  The group wondered if an internship could be proposed to help out the different agencies.

The group maintains a high level of energy and friendliness.  Grant forced the members to practice their Spanish at the evening meal by asking them questions in Spanish and rewarding them with a Tootsie Roll Pop if they gave the correct answer in Spanish.  To include the non-Spanish speakers, the group asked questions in English, then translated, then answered in Spanish, then translated again.  Everyone is improving.

* It's a hoot that Grant writes about himself in the third person. Grant is an English prof at Viterbo who was going to retire this year but decided to be back this fall to torture himself or is it his students??? for one more year ...

Water project

This is where the drilling was done and where
the pump was place underground.

Hello, my name is Amber and I am a senior nursing student at Viterbo University.  I am experiencing the GATE portion of the El Salvador trip with the goal of getting a new outlook on the world and experiencing a new culture much different than my own.  So far I have been accomplishing this goal, and even more so after we visited the water project in Sonsonate.

On the left side of the picture is the start
of the collection tank that they are building.
The base is finished and they are waiting
to finish the walls. You can see some of the
proud locals that were there to show us around.

Sonsonate is a community of approximately 300 people.  The community has worked together to purchase the land and begin the process of getting access to clean water.  The process involved drilling a well, laying the pipes for the water, building a housing unit for the electrical system that will pump the water, and building a water tank.  This has been a long process for these individuals and is still not complete.  The water tank is still in process but they are so enthusiastic about the day they will have water. 

They were very proud to show us their running
water!!! 

As Americans we tend to forget about how priviledged we are and take water for granted.  We are able to walk a few feet within our home and has access to clean water.  The visit to Sonsonate really opened my eyes to the difficulties that people are facing around the world, yet they are still full of hopes and dreams for the future.  The people of Sonsonate really welcomed us into their community and showed great appreciation that we had taken interest in their project and overall well being.  This is just one example of how great the community was and how effectively they are working together to accomplish a common goal.  If I took anything from this visit it was that when people work together and have a positive outlook there is a lot of good that can be done.

* Photos will be added of our visit to the water project, a women´s bakery and a sewing home purse making industry. This NGO has some of its projects sponsored by GATE... the money for the well alone was $16,000  as stone layers had to be drilled through, the bakery needed mixers and the seamstresses needed push pedal sewing machines...

COMADRES

My name is Steph, and I haven´t posted on here yet, and I decided to talk about the Comadres.First off, it is important to know that to become a member of the Comadres, you had to have a family member who was killed, dissappeared, or was a political prisoner, or you had to have something personally happen to you.  I also think it would be important to give some history about the comadres.  They started in 1975 because there was a march of students and some were killed, some dissappeared or became politcal prisoners.  One of the founders, Alicia Garcia, worked at the hospital where this march was taking place, and saw students being killed. Only 127 students from the march were found alive.  Father Romero told the women to give him a list of all those who were missing or killed, and every Sunday, after his homilies, he read off all the names.  The comadres looked in clandestine cemeteries for those that were missing, and over 2500 bodies were found, but the government told them they could not search any longer.  The comadres broke the silence about what was going on. The comadres helped with making it a national law that it is illegal to use force disappearances.  Today they give workshops on human rights and what human rights are, and they also go to schools to talk about the history of El Salvador.

Patricia, a member of the comadres, came to give us her own personal story.  At age eleven she sought out Archbishop Romero to ask what she should do about what was going on, and she started working for the comadres at age 11.  In 1982, Patricia was captured for the first time. She told about the torture she went through, which I won´t go into detail about.  She was captured a 2nd time in 1991.  It was crazy to me how it was at the National Police Headquarters.  Someone had come and stopped one of her tortue sessions, which she most likely would have died from.  Whoever gave her possessions back told her that what had happened to her was just a bad dream and it never really happened.  Patricia was sent to the US and visited the Kennedy family.  The Comadres have also received many international awards, including one from the Robert Kennedy foundation.

It was so inspiring to me to hear her story.  She was so courageous to come and talk to us about what had happened to her.  I appreciate that she did, because it definitely made me more aware of what was going on, and what is still going on, and it made me want to be able to stand up and do something to help.

*Stephanie gave collected donated bagfuls of medical supplies for the Comadres to disperse to those in need.

Day 3: Romero Lives

Name: Kasie
Occupation: Student
Destination of Day 3 in El Salvador: Divina Providencia Chapel

The Chapel is located in a quiet part of the city, and it seems like behind the entrance gates, it continues to be a calm and peaceful place. Along with the Chapel and museum of Romero, there is also a cancer hospital that regularly sees patients.

This is a picture of a "shrine" that was located outside of Romero's home.
Romero's heart has been buried underneath the rocks. 

For the first part of the presentation at the Chapel, we listened to Sister Mercedes talk a little bit about Romero and how he lived. We were able to see the place that he lived; it´s evident that he lived in modesty. When we look at bishops´homes, they usually look grandiose and spacious. However, Romero´s home only had three rooms. Each room still contained the books, furniture, and wall hangings that Romero had in his home, and it contained a lot of added pictures and documents. The garments he was wearing the day he was shot were also available to see. His car was still in the ¨garage¨ too. His home has been well preserved for onlookers, so it´s evident that he was, and still is, a significant part of Salvadoran History.

We then headed to the chapel and sat in the pews while Sister Mercedes talked a bit more about the day that Romero was killed. She told us what really happened, as there have been many lies and myths about the event. We also listened to a cassette of the homile he was giving that day.

Sister Mercedes Standing in the place
Romero stood when he was shot

We learned that Archbishop Romero was such an integral part of the fight for human rights during the civil war and we had heard that his significance remained in the culture today. Though we had heard this, I think we realized this when we visited the chapel.

View of the chapel from the outside. This is where the assassin
was located when he shot Romero from his truck

It was a nice way to start our day, and I think we were all grateful for the experience!

DAY 3 PROCESSING

Saturday was a very emotional day as in the am we visited where Archbishop Romero was assassinated and in the afternoon heard a testimonial from a member of Co- Madres, an organization whose members are victims of the ´disappeared.´ I will let our students elaborate on their impressions.  Do interject your comments as we continue our processing. A BIG THANKS  to Erica for taking the time to upload pics for our blog. More to come.´IF you want to be able to view previous blog entries just join as a follower at blogspot.com  ( El Salvador y Nosotros)  and you can read any/áll our posts.. We have an earlier departure today Day 4 so I have a feeling new postings may not be available until this evening...

More About the Open Air Hospital Visited on Day 2

Hola!!! My name is Erica and I am a junior nursing student from Viterbo.  I haven't had a chance to write on the blog yet and I would like to comment more on the hospital that we visited on day 2. As a nursing student I was really moved by the visit to the hospital.  I have spent much time in hospitals in the US and to see the difference was down right shocking. It was a very beautiful area I thought. There were a lot of gardens and plants throughout and the entire hospital was all open. When talking to the other nursing students on the trip we all thought that there seemed to be just a sense of disorganization- although we recognize that they have their own way of doing things that probably is very organized for them. We were able to get a tour of the old part of the hospital and then we heard about the new addition.

The old part of the hospital is separated in half- one side is the women's ward and the other is for the men.  There are two separate hospitals for pediatrics and obstetrics. There were different buildings in this particular hospital for the different specialties such as a neuro unit, cancer, and surgical.  In these buildings there were no rooms for the patients.  They were just long rooms with beds lining the walls and barely any curtains separating the different patients. It was so different to what I am used to in the US.  We hear so much about patient privacy and confidentiality- there is no way that that can exist here.

We were also able to walk thru the emergency/urgent care unit. This was a little overwhelming.  There were patients everywhere waiting to see someone.  Since this is the only public hospital in the whole country people from all over the country come to this hospital to be seen.  They also do all cares for free at this hospital including dialysis and chemo. Anyway, the emergency waiting area was so full of people.  Some had been seen initially but were waiting to see a doctor I am guessing because they already had IVs started.  However there were not enough IV poles in the hospital so many of the patients were holding their IV fluids.  As a nurse in training I couldn't help but feeling as if I should step in and do something... anything. It was hard to see them all sitting there knowing that many of them must have traveled a very long distance to be there and then they have to wait in this crowded room just hoping to be seen.

Even though there were parts of the hospital that were hard to handle, such as the crowed rooms, the privacy issue, and the damage done to the buildings by earthquakes that has yet to be restored, there were many impressive elements as well.  I mentioned that the do dialysis and chemo but they also do many surgeries including transplants.  They also have an MRI machine and a radiology unit.  This was surprising to me after seeing the facility itself.  Dr Virginia, the doctor that was giving us the tour, mentioned several times that infrastructure is not their priority... The care of the patients always comes first. It was mentioned in an earlier post that this doctor only makes $1000 a month! I make more than that working my summer jobs in the States! It really hit me that she was there to care for the people of her country and not to make money.  With a salary like that you'd have to be.  She was such an inspiration to me as I am going into the health care field. I hope that I will always remember her and remember that I should not be working for the money but rather to care for people who need it.  That's what we are being trained for and that is what we need to keep in the forefront.  It's so hard to let our minds focus on the money or the salary and that really gets in the way of the care we are giving sometimes.

As for the future of the hospital... They are currently building a new ICU wing since there is a need for more beds.  I believe they said that the new wing would have around 40 beds (although I could be wrong). I would have to say that from my short time at this hospital that I think that this hospital is in good hands with Dr. Virginia working there. If they have more doctors like her... they will continue to make a huge impact on the health of this country.  There is so much more I could say about my experience at this hospital and ust what an incredible impact it had on me but my post is already reaching the point of being long-winded! So stay tuned to hear about more of our experiences and we will continue to keep you updated as we are able!
Thanks for reading!
Until next time...
Adios!

Computer access

Unfortunately last night we didn´t have internet connection and I don´t want to take away any steam from the student writers. So we will try to have 2 posts today and work on some photo posting. Our days are so full and informative. I can´t tell you how fortunate I feel to be part of this trip. We are all getting to know each other better. TBC.

HI all,
This is Tricia giving you the scoop about yesterday! I am the only non Viterbo student along on the trip- I attend UW-LaCrosse. So far this trip has been incredibly eye opening and some of the things we see here really hit you hard. Yesterday, during the first part of our day, we visited the CONTRASIDA office, which literally translates to "against AIDS." There, we spoke with a woman who has worked there for 7 years, and she told us a little bit about what they do for people at the clinic and other programs they put on. She did a little demonstration using some of the members of our group to help show just how easy it is to spread the HIV virus, and why it is such a big problem here in El Salvador. She also explained a little more about the society here, focusing on the gender roles and how they differ from the U.S. It was really hard to listen to the situation that many women are in here- one of desperation and helplessness. Men have so much power over women here in every single aspect of life. There are high rates of domestic abuse, teenage pregnancy, and prostitution here, because women here have no power and no voice. Even when reporting sexual abuse, most of the police officers are male, and simply look the other way- beleiving that any man has the right to do what he pleases to his family and to women in general. It is so heartbreaking to think of people in that situation. Especially when we come from a society that, although we are definately no perfect, does focus on equality of men and women, and there are places where women can go to seek help and advice if they find themselves in a violent or dangerous situation. Here, there is no such thing as a women`s shelter, and that just breaks my heart- they have no where to turn. Hearing about this sort of society makes me sad, but also frustrates me, being a female myself.
It´s these kinds of stories, and exposure to these types of things that really lets us see the REAL El Salvador- not just the sugar coated tourist experience. While sometimes I feel like its too much information and hard to process, I am so glad to have the experience. It has already changed me and my perspective, and it´´s only the third day! I look forward to the rest of the trip and everything else I will learn.

Well hello there! My name is Raisa and I will also be talking about CONTRASIDA, specifically about the game we played. It started off with a collection of quarters, compliments of Tracy. Our speaker then called Adam to the front of the group. He was playing the part of Roberto, a 25 year old Salvadorean man. Adam/ Roberto then had to pick from the group his girlfriend/fiance/wife (this was a really quick progression), and I was the lucky girl. My part was of Maria. Now Roberto, when he was 13, hadn´t shown much interest in girls, which really worried his uncle. The culture here is very worried about homosexuality. So his uncle took him to a prostitute and he enjoyed his experience there, so whenever he had some extra cash he would go back. He has also had many girlfriends who he had sex with because he told them ¨if you love me you will have sex with me¨. Sometime during these encounters he contracted HIV. Then he met the lovely Maria and decided to get married (Only 40% of the population here gets married!).This is where the quarters come into play. Two coins were marked with an x to represent the HIV disease. Well Roberto and Maria have sex, a process in which the coins are in Roberto´s hand and are transfered to Maria´s. Then Maria throws the coins onto the floor and unfortunately both coins with the X are turned up. Maria has HIV, but does not know it. Well later in their relationship he starts seeing another woman, Conchita played by Tracy (it is not uncommon for men here to have several relationships going on at once). She also contracts AIDS via the coins. The story continues with Roberto and his best friend Carlos, played by Grant, drinking at a soccer game. Carlos is not married. The two men decide to head back to Carlos´s after the game to continue drinking. They drink a lot. Sometime during this period they wonder what it would be like to have sex with another man. Both men are not gay, but are still interested. So they have sex, via the coins (which are now marked with four X´s),
and he contracts HIV. Well sometime during the night Roberto stumbles his way back home. When he wakes up later he realizes what he has done and is mortified. So to prove that he is not gay, he sleeps with Maria. Well Carlos wakes up later the next day and is also mortified by what he has done. So to prove that he is also not gay he calls up his girlfriend Daisy, played by our very own Karen, and they have sex. Two more X´s are added to the coins and when thrown they come up. Daisy has also contracted AIDS and has become pregnant. Know Roberto finds out that he has HIV and he needs to tell everyone he has slept with. The speaker asked us how we would feel when Roberto would tell us and we also find out we have HIV. We all answered that we would be angry and Karen said that she would be saying ¨Adios!¨ It was a really interesting activity. In this country, people usually don´t know they are infected until it is too late. Usually when someone dies or they become too sick. The great thing is that here, if a woman is pregnant and is tested positive she can get free medication and when people are diagnosed, they can get free medication, even though it is limited. It seems like there really is a sense that health is important or at least giving people the health care they need is a big care here instead of making money, at least for the poor.

Day One

I am travelling with an amazing group of young women who are majoring in nursing, criminal justice, English and Spanish. and my compadre Grant, an English prof. Last night´s reflections blew me away as we begin to process this unique human rights experience. Each day my hopes are that another student participant will share with you. I am keeping a journal too. It´s a lot of work being a cultural tourist.  So hold on , here we go!

My name is Tracy, I´m a nursing major and really excited to be here!

Today was our first full day in El Salvador. We spent the morning at the hotel listening to Carlos Garcia speak to us about the history of the country as well as the current state. It was interesting watching him speak with such passion and Sister Marie was nice enough to interpret. What we discussd later was his incredible knowledge of the history and ability to recall dates which many of us admitted not being able to do for our own history.

Wall of Remembrance

Wall of Remembrance

After lunch we headed to a park in the city where we saw the wall of names of people that have gone missing or were killed as a result of the civil war. It is reminiscent of the Vietnam War Memorial as the names seem to go on and on but the difference was the incredible amount of women´s names. It really puts into perspective the damage that has been done as a result of the war.

Little boy who was selling gum at the park where the memorial wall is. He was there with his brother. They were quite the charmers

After the park we went over to the hospital across the street which is the only hospital for the poor in El Salvador. We had a tour led by Dr. Virginia (in English!) and it was fascinating to see the complex, open air hospital. It was busy and crowded at times, and very different than home but it was beautiful in its own way. It really shows that the workers care about the patients as we learned that Doctor Virginia who is a surgeon only makes around $1000 per month. Despite what meager funds the hospital has they manage to provide care to many people that would otherwise go without and that is really amazing.

View of one of the hospital buildings
from the center garden area 

Although there is much more to say, that is all I will say for now. More to come later!


Each evening we have a reflection time as to what we experienced that day so here´s very brief first day´s cultural observations.

-history repeating itself in both our countries: displacement of  people, slavery
-being happy and material wealth
- the book of Ruth and the role of women without their men
- hospital systems / health care and discrepancies for indigents

*New foods today included :tamarind and hibiscus juice, paterna- served in its pod  it´s a seed that looks like a habanero chile in a coccoon  -you eat  the cocoon and the green seed will be cooked. We had the green part in our dinner salad .

Aqui estamos We´re here !

´´Óur first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes for the place is holy. Else we may find ourselves treading on people´s dreams. More serious still we may forget that God was there before our arrival."

Have patience with me acquainting myself with the keyboard...
Here are some of the the group´s first word impressions:

hot, muggy, buggy, green, geckos, different, palm trees, tiny rooms, noisy, beautiful, unique, poor, amercanized

Yes we are near the equator, it is the tropics, plants are lush, if you stand under a light at night there will be bugs, we are in another country and we are cultural tourists. And there are more U.S. restaurant franchises than Salvadoran.

Sister Marie is a delight and passionate about her life´s work. She has a very full and awesome program for us for the next 10 days which she gave us a quick overview after a warm guest house welcome of meriendas; cheese sandwiches, mini empanadas filled with beef, ham and cheese, chicken and philadephia cream cheese. Pastries included a wedding cookie filled with caramel and a traditional pastry ´semillas´which has a granola crust filled with marmalade.

Photos will have to wait as the computer is as antiquated as this typist.

First cultural impressions:
price of gas 4.69 for a population that earns $7/day.
taxis = open bed trucks with benches loaded with locals
don´t flush tp
scarcity of water
high cost of electricity, turn off ac and lights upon leaving the room

Saludos.

So long... farewell... auf wiedersehen... adieu...

Today's the day... Take off.  Took one last walk and peeked at flowers that I will miss blooming... so close. All the herbs in and now with watering they should be ready for cooking upon my return. One thing I will definitely not miss is deer fly season. They will have to live without me!

One day and counting. The word of the day is ELIMINATE...

Oh my goodness… ONE day to go!

Today is the day of  ‘ELIMINATION .’

Eliminate some dust in the house. I love those microfiber cloths.

Eliminate 'giveaway' sacks in the car.  Someone else can use it.

Eliminate some stress. Go JAZZERCISE and coffee with the girls.

Eliminate extra clutter in the entryways. 

Eliminate some suitcase items. Travel lighter.

Eliminate some worries… notice I said SOME?

Day 2 ... oh no, the list is a long one today!

2 days and counting… AND Yesterday was such a productive day that I am worn out just thinking about all that got done.  It really was a dilemma having so much to do inside with a drop dead gorgeous day outside. I am so bad that I even moved parts of inside projects out just to be in the fresh air and sunshine.  There were moments that I was chasing after flying pics as the wind got a bit rambunctious. I had two photo projects, one that took me down memory lane and the other which would be a hostess gift... Mom always said gifts from the heart are the most appreciated. Therefore I decided that a homemade gift would definitely be the most appropriate for this cultural exchange and I would come up with a project that would share where I live and one of my passions with my hosts…

For a first time endeavor I made cards using my botanical photographs of plants found here in the End of the Rainbow Valley. AND you know what? They came out so nice that I don’t want to give them away!   If I had bought them, I would just buy an extra set for myself. :) It almost took as long to decide what  groupings would make up each gift then the actual production. Anyhow, after seeing them, Irv began to have grandiose ideas of a cottage industry with botanical notecards. 'Natureman' is always trying to sway me into the craft art industry. Man can not live by ‘art’ alone is my retort. But it sure would be nice if it could pay for health insurance!

Well onto the long trip list of things to accomplish today. Oh no, the sun is out. Maybe a little weed pulling before I start that list today. One really appreciates these perfect spring days after such a long, long winter… Ok I 'have to' share the newest addition to the flower bed anyway-

Isn't he the cutest?  You have heard of June bugs, right? This is a Spoon Bug.

3 to go... Cleaning Before a Trip

Ah thank goodness today is a day that I did not have to ‘go to town.’ Those that have visited know that ‘going to town’ means ‘ heading to the big city of La Crosse versus the small town of Chaseburg. Chaseburg is 5 minutes east while La Crosse is about 20-30 minutes northwest.

It’s a good thing I have one day to stay home since there is plenty to do before departure.  Does anybody else like to come home after a trip to a straightened clean house?  The place is never as straightened until I leave to go out of town...  

Awaiting me are these dreadful piles. I don't work that hard to make these piles but they are a result of a semester's worth of accumulation. AND if I leave these piles anywhere else, Irv will make them into one very large pile. These piles consist of papers that need to be filed, work papers that need to be sorted and reorganized, mail that needs to be answered/ paid, papers saved for all sorts of reasons… You get the picture. I can’t see the top of my desk.

Wait here’s a visual. It took me all semester to get this lived - in look. I call this a workroom. LOL.

So whether your pre- trip projects are self imposed/someone else’s idea you know that you might as well tackle them ASAP especially if you are leaving with our group on Wednesday.

AND

when you finish them, you will feel a lot better.  I know my desk does...  

          

 

Day 4 ..Toughest part of the trip...

You might be surprised as to what the toughest part of this trip is?   Drumroll...................... LEAVING. 

In one week’s time End of the Rainbow Valley is no longer gray brown but has exploded into green.  As a gardener this is the perfect time to be outside here in the valley. No bugs, nice temps, easy time to dig in the soil and great plant selections in the garden centers… I have dedicated the majority of my free time at home this past week mulching the flower beds along with the impossible task of weeding in addition to establishing recent purchases. 

This year we have a bumper crop of dandelions. I think we grow them better than anybody. I spent an entire afternoon digging them out of the major flower beds only to see a new crop blooming after the rainfall. Hmmm… maybe that’s why yellow is my least favorite color in the garden… 

All the plants that were brought inside last fall are back outside.  My 7 yr old lantana may have succumbed to white fly but only time will tell if it can really come back. It has been severely pruned.Winter has done its own pruning and now there will be 2 great looking Japanese maple bushes since  they really can’t be trees in our valley. Planters are being refilled and Irv will have the major task of watering those in my absence. Not exactly low maintenance for my low maintenance guy… but you can bet he will be thinking about me every time he waters!

Day 5 and PACKING...

One good thing about having a job is it removes endless shopping possibilities.  Whether you have funds/not doesn’t deter a real shopper but a job removes that free time to go to one’s favorite stores.  A real shopper knows shopping has absolutely nothing to do if one needs anything or not.  Now that I am done with school and going on a trip and TJ MAXX is my favorite store, here I come… I do have a

 mission… cotton apparel. 

These last unseasonably warm days here have reminded me about clothing that breathes.  El Salvador will be in its rainy season during our month’s stay. We were also instructed to dress moderately.  No sleeveless shirts. EEGADS! Therefore, the chore of packing the appropriate type and amount of clothing will consume my thoughts these last 5 days before departure. I come by this ‘packing procedure’ honestly as my Dad was Navy trained…  we have lists and we roll everything. My daughter has inherited this skill so well that she even packs others’ suitcases ... but my son must have a derivative gene … he can just throw things into a suitcase before he heads to the airport. Of course he usually arrives with wrinkled clothes without socks, a dress shirt or some other essentials…What I have learned through all my travels is that there are stores elsewhere…

Thank goodness for space to start the arduous packing procedure. The guest bedroom has become ‘packing central’ and as I find items that ‘need’ to travel with me, the guest bed will become the collecting place. Sorry, no room for couchsurfing guests nor scrapbook projects this week…  The piles will continuously change as I opt for different combos/add and eliminate choices. This procedure will not end until the ‘last’ zipping en route to the airport when I find something in the car that I can not live without.

Usually I travel with a hiking back pack as it frees one’s hands and doesn’t require check in nor waiting at the baggage carousel . Nowadays it evens saves that additional airlines charge. BUT a month’s stay and being Mother Hen may necessitate a suitcase. Hmmm backpack/suitcase? BOTH options will sit as I decide what all will go…  would you like to take a guess?

I know you are excited to think you could be hearing about clothing selection for these next entries… but I promise you other topics will be broached as in ‘ Am I losing my mind?  Where did I put the signed trip contracts that need to be returned to the University?

MOM always knows BEST/ These shoes are meant for walking...

My Mom was really on my mind yesterday as I began the search for the perfect ‘travelling’ shoes. You see she always stressed the importance of good shoes… that looks didn’t matter when it came to comfort and durability.  AND ‘Mom always knows best’ although I have to admit that she had some ‘pretty ugly’ shoes. It did seem to take me way too long to understand the wisdom of her words after numerous blisters/aching feet throughout the years. Gee what women sacrifice for ‘good looking’ very ‘uncomfortable’ shoes. 

(*My friend Pinque just won an photography award for these silver beauties.)

Most countries' citizens use their feet not their cars to go everywhere. So I knew that my really broken in favorite shoes were not the answers for this Salvadoran adventure. It’s not like we have oodles of shoe stores to choose from in La Crosse but I did have to spend the entire afternoon scouring store after store after a style of ‘Merrills’ that I would soon discover didn’t exist any smaller than a ‘6’. Grrrrrrrr. The problems of having small ‘kid’ sized feet.  Are you ready for this?  Size 3 Kids/ Size 4/5 women’s.

You might think that wow one could really save a lot of money because kids shoes are cheaper than women’s but 2 major facts exist regarding the different categories;1) most kids shoes look like kid shoes and 2) many tend to not be made as well since kids grow out of their shoes very quickly… So the shoe quest is always on and when I find a shoe that fits, I usually buy it. Irv calls me the Imelda Marcos of Chaseburg due to the number of shoes that fill my closet. I can't help it, I tell him, "my feet don't grow."

I am proud to admit that I experienced success. I found not only one but two pairs that should fare me well for lots of walking.  

Now be honest - Do you think that they're ugly?