It's independence day in El Salvador and so even though it's Monday, there is no work, school, or anything. In fact, the only things I know of that are open are the pools and amusement parks in the city. However, since I am in the "campo" or in the country, there isn't much special happening. It is a day of rest, which really means that the one or two men who have contracted jobs don't have to work and there is no school, but everything else continues as normal. Nonetheless, I am determined to sleep late in honor of the day off! But by 6am, I have been wide awake for an hour, and I am the only one in bed except for Marielos (my 5 year old little sister that I share a room with). As I lay there thinking, I realize that it didn't rain lastnight - which I realize because the rains always bring a certain smell with them, a smell that isn't there this morning. This is the first night that I have been in the community that it hasn't rained. Normally, I bathe every morning with the rain water that we collect from the roof. My realization shocks me a little, and makes me dread (just a little) carrying my bath water to the house... maybe I won't bathe today??
The morning is very relaxed. I retained a little of my determination to sleep late and decided to stay in bed and read for a little while. However, by 6:30, Marielos is awake and she says she will only get up if I get up too. We both roll out of bed and stumble outside and find that Alicia and Ricardo have already gone to the Molino (which Ricardo is in charge of for the month) to grind the corn for tortillas and returned! Before Alicia starts making tortillas, I do a little more reading and play a game of cards with Marielos. This year I am going to learn to make tortillas and tamales so I take advantage of every opportunity to practice! Today goes better than most days; I manage to make one semi-round but edible tortilla to every 3 or 4 of Alicia's perfectly round tortillas.
After breakfast I am happy to hear Ricardo (host dad) announce we are all going to the river - to wash clothes and bathe! This means a lot less water to carry and some guaranteed fun with the kids at the river. I pack up some clothes to change into, my dirty clothes (to wash), and we head down. The path down to the river always makes me a little nervous, but I manage it without falling today - probably because it hasn't rained and the path wasn't full of mud! Since there are no meetings or anything big planned for today, we can take our time playing and enjoying the morning at the river. I explore up the river, venturing farther than I ever have. Nelson, a 9 year old neighbor, accompanies me on my exploring adventures. Then I return to the family and spend a while playing with Diego and Marielos so Ricardo can have a break and Alicia can get some washing done - she has to wash the whole family's clothes (and mine too if I don't stop her!) so she will be washing for 4+ hours. While I play with the kids, Ricardo explores further up the river. When he comes back, he carries several beautiful orchids that he later plants by our house. He loves to find the orchids and plant them at the house... I can't wait till they all flower because we have around 40 orchids all around our little house. Before heading back up, I ask Ricardo to bring me next time he goes looking for orchids. I want to bring one back for Anita, one of my bosses, because she loves flowers and she took care of me while I was sick and has been a lot of help to me lately.
I headed back up to the house a little earlier than everyone else in hopes of getting some work done before the kids come back. No school today means that Marielos thinks we should play all day! However, I find the house locked and I am without a key so I opt to take a nap in the hammock instead :) Lunch is special today and we eat fresh Tilapia from the Tilapia ponds in the community. The family wanted to do something special for me since I have been sick and just started eating normal food again (first day in over a week!). After lunch I head over to the Restaurant (which also serves as the community gathering space and my favorite work space) to write up a few documents. I spend most of the afternoon there, only taking a break to walk to Don Goyo's cornfields to see the nearby construction. Some rich people have been buying up all the land around the community and building a golf course and fancy "country homes." The sight saddens my heart - it is not only more deforestation (for a stupid golf course that a ridiculously small percentage of the population can afford to use) but I also know what this means for the community. People worry that soon the same people are going to start buying up the community's land. They are paying good money for land and the people have a lot of land, which is in great condition and almost completely forested. You can't blame them for accepting an offer either. They are barely surviving and an opportunity at any large sum of money is almost impossible to turn down. If this happens, Los Naranjos will cease to exist. These people need some form of sustainable income that will alleviate a little of the huge economic pressures they face... and sooner rather than later would be better.
In the evening we have a "grupo de jovenes" meeting. FUNDAHMER works to create a "grupo de jovenes" or youth group in all their communities. Most people reading this are probably thinking "church youth group" but this is quite different but not completely different. It is something to get the youth (age 10 to 25) involved and thinking about their life, their community, and the reality they live. They do a variety of activities such as workshops, cultural events, political discussions, games, dances, art etc... I think it is a truly great thing and I love hanging out with all the youth and learning from their thoughts and questions.
The meeting was supposed to start at 5pm, so of course it actually starts around 6pm. We start with 10 or 15 minutes of duck-duck-goose. I taught them this game last year and everyone (even the 20 year olds) love it! I have never had this much fun playing duck-duck-goose! Then we talk for about 45 minutes - today was mostly planning - and we end, traditionally, with half an hour of dancing! At 7:45 I take a break to check the time and my heart skips a beat when I realize it's so late. I don't want to end the party, but I know I have to go. My family usually heads to bed at 8pm and I know they are waiting up for me (and keeping food warm for me). I run/walk back to my house, and Cesar, one of the youth leaders, walks me home. I find everyone in bed except for Ricardo. I feel bad that I didn't get to say goodnight to everyone (but I enjoyed the youth meeting so I only partially feel bad). I eat my semi-cold beans and rice mostly in silence, but I don't mind. It's been a good evening. It's a clear and beautiful night so I eat slowly enjoying the natural beauty of where I live... and enjoying the moonlight from the full moon which allows me to not eat in the dark. The battery for our solar panel died yesterday so we use candles and flashlights now.
By 8:15 I am in bed... but I manage to read until 8:45... it is the end of a full and beautiful day in Los Naranjos.
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