How to Save The World- Or at Least Teach A Women's Group How to Make Shampoo

Like this picture of a strangely delicious fruit called mamón.
You bite off the outer shell and eat the
gooy center that surrounds the seed in the middle

Well I said I was going to post from San Vicente didn't I? And I did not. That was due the the terrible fact of my computer charger being fried and my intense dislike of El Salvadorian internet cafes. Also now I can add some colorful pictures to brighten the post. :) And if it makes you feel any better I am super out of touch with news. I do not even know who the Republican presidential candidates are... I am a disgrace to Poli Sci majors everywhere. 


So I did just spend 3 weeks back in San Vicente for more training. Literally I now know how to or have the information to complete just about any project a Peace Corps volunteer could ever want to do. I can make shampoo. I can start a women's or youth group. I can teach basic hygiene and first aid. I could start a trash or recycling campaign. I could have a chicken or rabbit project. I could teach English. I can promote HIV/AIDS prevention. I could run a camp on pretty much any theme you can think of.  I could teach life skills or self esteem. I can teach nutrition. I can apply for grants and scholarships.  The list goes on, but I think you get the point. Literally were were going for the entire 3 weeks. I am glad to be back in my site now. It did take a little readjustment once back in site, but I am pretty much back into the swing of things.        

Lil guy hiding in the lid of my water filter.

Since I have been back, it has been a whirl wind. Some interesting things that have happened in the last week. - My host dad brought out the head of a deer and ate it at the lunch table. -At that same lunch he pulled one of my host sister's teeth out with pliers. (Thank you Dad for never being serious about that) -Two of my chickens died. :( -I had to travel to Santa Ana (the city) to pick up a package. It was in a warehouse. At the jail. Sweet. 

This is my pila. It is filled with river water. This is what my river
 water looks like during rainy season. This is what I shower with and
wash my clothes and dishes with.  'Nuf said. 

OK so it is officially rainy season. I was assured by numerous people that it would cool down. It has not, we have just added humidity to the mix. Terrible. Lets get down to the dirty dirty though. What does a little rain and humidity really mean for me?  *whining commence now* Well you can refer to the picture here of my pila water. Gross, just gross. (Yes parents you will have to bathe with that when you come visit.) The rain mixes up the river water, so it is visibly filthy. Usually it is pretty clear, so I can pretend to ignore the copious amounts of bacteria that are in it. But never mind how clean I feel, I feel like my clothes are never truly clean. Speaking of my clothes, it is so humid here that my clothes never fully dry. (Also the fact that it rains every single day could have something to do with that.) The shirt I am wearing right now is dry but smells like mildew. So there's that. Also it is mosquito season. Let's all cross our fingers I make it until October without contracting dengue. *End of whining*

This is where Hoja sleeps now. On my table.
She will not have it any other way. 

Well on to happier things. Like Hoja. Also I realized for all of you non-Spanish speakers out there Hoja might be a little odd sounding if you pronounced it like an American. haha It is actually pronounced Oha. haha Here is a series of pictures. None of them are staged. She is actually this cute all the time. 

When she finishes her chores she has to do her Spanish home work.
This is also very hard. 

I am so mean, I make Hoja do all the chores.
Takes a lot out of a little puppy. Also
please note how ghetto my broom is
with its handle made of a tree branch. 

My backyard is full of corn! 

Also now we are in the middle of corn season. Salvadorians eat a lot of corn. I know Americans eat a lot of corn, but it is usually hidden in the form of HFCS or chips. But here, there is no hiding it. Tortillas, corn on the cob, tortillas, deep fried tortilla dough filled with potato, tortillas, pupusas and tortillas. People here brag about the amount of tortillas a day they eat. And really, it's quite impressive. Some people eat upwards of 10 tortillas EVERYDAY. haha This just blows my mind. My host mom told me I needed to eat better and I could start by eating more tortillas. Most families have huge containers that they store all of their corn in for the entire year. But right now they are growing it, and El Salvador is covered in a blanket of corn fields, and this does not exclude my backyard. 

Punk rock corn? I'll take it.

 Spanish word of the day. Milpa = Corn fields 
I won't pinky promise that I will post more often now that I am back in my site and have my computer up and running, but I will make a better effort. I know how you all await my posts.

Little bumble gathering corn pollen.
Everyone and thing loves corn down here.