Chalatenango

Oh wow, November is almost over! In synopsis, there have been additional festivities, lots of rain, and a new adventure north. At the beginning of the month were celebrations of both the Day of the Pupusa and the Day of the Dead. For the first, one can only guess what I ate for breakfast :) And the for the latter, as is common in many other countries, people eat sweetened pumpkin, called ¨ayote¨ here. I didn’t visit any graveyards and it was explained to me that only those with buried relatives do so.

A couple weeks ago was a time of massive rainfall, landslides, and other catastrophic consequences throughout the country. In our area the internet was out until today and the water main still isn’t functioning. This is nothing compared to all those who lost their lives, are homeless or missing. Never before had I seen so much rain or evenings of constant thunder and lightning. Usually, it is supposed to be transitioning into summer during this month. Ironically, right before this all happened we had taught the students of our English and virtues classes the phrase ¨it’s raining cats and dogs¨.

The northern part of the country didn’t have as much rain damage. I traveled there to a province/district named Chalatenango for several days last week and again for the earlier part of this week. It was one of the most amazing times, mostly because of the location of the Baha´i Center. It’s in a neighborhood with bunches of the cutest children, playing soccer in the street, arguing about the number of stars in the sky and making fun of each other. The couple who live at the center are Honduran and have a son, who’s now 1 year old! His birthday party was last Saturday and it was so entertaining watching him improve his art of walking. One of the few words he can say is ¨agua¨ and likes waddling up to people, trying to drink out of their glasses, haha! I also met a few youth who had recently accepted the message of our faith and it was inspiring to speak with them.

When I stop to think about it, I realize I’m not in Alaska. Other times, like today, I spend hours listening to songs that immerse me in memories of home. While I firmly believe people are essentially the same wherever you travel, I’ll take this moment to highlight the different lifestyle here. Firstly, people don’t heat their homes. Okay, that seems like a given, but I was really taken aback during my first few weeks, always looking for base-board heaters. Markets are set up mostly every day on the streets and common beverages you can buy there are coconut juice and ¨horchata¨, made from seeds = amazing! The most common bumper sticker I see, other than ¨Jesucristo vive¨, is ¨Guarde su distancia¨ meaning keep your distance. I’ve now gotten to the point where if I go a whole afternoon without hearing Reggaeton, I go into withdraws. Water is another topic of curiosity. Tap water can’t be ingested and everyone uses blue plastic jugs to dispense water, like the kind commonly found in business offices. Houses also have ¨pilas¨ which are large concrete basins from the floor to about waist-height. My roommate saved me from the mistake of drinking from it, as this water is normally used to wash clothes and such. Oh, and the bus ride from Olocuilta (south) to the city of Chalatenango (north) cost only $1.43 plus a $3.00 cab ride in the capital. And yes, they use U.S. dollars here, lucky me.

Since I’m not sure how the internet situation will be, thought I’d fill you in all at once. My closing thoughts of the evening are of inspiration and the joy of experiencing different cultures. I recognize that I’m fortunate to have a home to return to. My roots and a large part of my identity will always remain with Fairbanks. Nevertheless, living in El Salvador feels completely normal and it’s nice to know that every place in the world is encircled by beauty. My time abroad is filled with many new events, but more so of moments where I’m reconnected with who I am. This place affirms that the entire world can be your home and that there is always more to learn. It’s not always happy or easy, but the value is in the power to grow, adapt, and change.

Cuidate, take care!