More Than You Wanted To Know

Growing up my family has always used Quilted Norther toilet paper. I don't know why, but we always have. Was there some type of toilet paper competition at the beginning of my parent's marriage and Quilted Northern won? What were the criteria for this competition? Smell? Texture? Thickness? Cost? Who knows, and I am certainly not asking for the details. I have never really given this much though, not even in college when I was living in an apartment with two other girls. Truth be told we never really bought toilet paper that often because people bought it for us. It was almost as if our parents and well meaning relatives were afraid that we would forget to buy it for ourselves (what with all of the studying going on and all).

So now that I am living alone here in El Salvador, I have come to the conclusion that there is NO good toilet paper in this country. First of all 99% of toilet paper down here is scented. Gag me. You are literally going to put poop on this paper, giving it a scent is not going to cover it up. Also the scents are never as pleasant as the companies who produce them think they are. I have to hold my nose whenever I go down that isle at the store.

Also down here there is no medium type of toilet paper. You can either buy the expensive kind (for $3.99 a 4 pack) or the cheap kind (for .80c a 4 pack). Now let me just stop your scoffing right there. A dollar a role does not seem that bad, but remember that my budget is $50 a week. I have to make that stretch as far as I can.

So a couple of weeks ago, I had a little time so, I decided to compare every type of toilet paper the grocery store near me carried. This is a very important issue to me. I spent 20-30 min in the isle and I could only find ONE type that was not scented. ONE. I mean, clearly this is what people want, but really?? The unscented type I found was really cheap quality, but at least textured. So I settled on that, but when I went back last week, they were out! Such a dilemma. I just don't know what I am going to do if they don't restock.

(Semi-related side story: As I was examining all of the different toilet papers, an employee came up to me. I thought he was going to ask me if I needed any help or tell me other customers were weirded out that I was spending so much time in the isle or accuse me of trying to steal toilet paper or something. I was ready for, yet another, awkward and embarrassing conversation as I tried to explain what I was doing. Turns out this kid wanted to know if I spoke english, and if so if he could speak to me in english to see how his pronunciation was. Keep in mind I am holding like four types of toilet paper while speaking to this kid in english. I kept wondering when he was going to tell me that I needed to leave the isle. It never happened, he just wanted to speak english. I was back at the grocery store yesterday and he came up to me while I was looking for cinnamon and goes 'HELLO' and scared the bajesus out of me.)

Thank you for listening to my toilet paper rant. Aren't you glad you stopped by today?

Word of the day- Toilet Paper = Papel Higiénico

Hoja: A Memory

So after 9 beautiful, chaos filled months together, my time with Hoja has come to an end. It culminated when she chewed my host mom's cell phone in to 128 pieces. I was already thinking about finding a new home for her as her behavior was still out of control and I am headed stateside for the Christmas season, but this just pushed it over the edge. I told my host family I needed a new home for her, and they agreed to help me find one. An hour later, my host dad told me he found a family to take her in, and he would take her the next morning when he left for the corn fields. This husband of this family works in the mountains and my host dad said he would take Hoja with him so that she could run all day and be too exhausted at the end of the day to cause any trouble. So my host dad took her the next morning and all that his story implies. I am just going to let it go, because as much as it pains me to think of the reality of her fate, life is just different down here. Especially for a dog. There are no animal shelters or websites dedicated to finding dogs new homes. If a dog is misbehaving, it is taken care of in a very country sort of way. So this post is a dedication to the adorable, mischievous life of Hoja. 

First bath. Adorbs. 

Being bi-lingual is hard. Even harder when
you're just a little puppy. Gotta study hard.

Chores are also hard. For some reason she
 loved sleeping on this broom. 

All the sibs. She was one of 7. 

Doesn't every dog go through a chicken
eating phase? No? Hello?

Always on the look out. 

Bonding with Clay.

Holding court.

Look at that belly! So many spots :)

Rocco and Hoja: siblings, best friends.

Life is so hard when you are genetically
disposed to cause mischief.

I miss ya already, little buddy.

Mischief managed. 

Why Didn't I Go To School In Georgia?

One of the many questions I was asked in a recent conversation was why I did not attend college in Georgia. Strange right? This conversation has to be one of the stranger ones I have had in country. I was waiting for the bus last week with a woman from my community and her sister. The sister is from El Salvador but lives in Athens, Georgia. She is a legal US resident, (I find I don't meet too many people who are legal residents, so it is always a surprise when I do.) visiting El Salvador because her brother died a few weeks ago. She has lived in Athens for 28 years. She does not speak very good English, so our conversation was in Spanish. I will now give you our dialogue (in English) for your reading pleasure. We will call her Rosa.

(Conversation started as soon as the sisters came up to the bus stop.)
Rosa: Who are you here visiting?
Me: No one, I live here.
R: But why are are you HERE?
Me: I am waiting for the bus to go to the pueblo to buy groceries....
R: OK but you're not visiting any one?
Me: No, I work here, and am living in in this town (Her sister confirms this)
R: But WHY would you EVER want to live in El Salvador? You actually LIKE it here??
Me: I do like it here, and work brought me here. But yes I do like it.
R: I prefer the US. It's much better. Who do you work for?
Me: Peace Corps, it is a government organization that works in development
R: I have never heard of it, but you must make a lot of money. How much do you make?
Me: I actually don't make that much, just enough for housing and food
R: Ok but how much do you make? (she was very persistent on this question, and I was very persistent in not answering it.)
Me: Enough to live on. (This went on and on, she just did not want to drop it.)
R: Where do you live in the community.
Me: (I tell her)
R: Do you live with your husband?
Me: I don't have a husband, I live alone.
R: YOU LIVE ALONE? (She looks at her sister) SHE LIVES ALONE?! (She looks back at me) YOU LIVE ALONE?!
(Side note: people think it is really scary to live alone, and no one can ever believe that I do.)
R: Well I have a nephew you can marry, so don't worry about living alone and not being married yet.
Me: I wasn't, and no thank you.
R: Oh is it because you have a boy friend or because you don't like latin men?
Me: No, I have no problem with latin men, I just don't think I want to marry your nephew.
R: That's fine, we will find you someone.
Me: .......
R: So are you still in school?
Me: No, I graduated.
R: Which school in Georgia did you go to?
Me: (Confused) Um, I did not go to school in Georgia, I went to school in Massachusetts.
R: But why? All of the best schools in the country are in Georgia. Are you not smart enough to go to one of them?
Me: (Unsure of how to respond as I can see she will not be convinced that there are other good schools in the country.)
R: No matter. Have you ever lived in Georgia?
Me: No, but I have family in Atlanta.
R: Oh that's nice, Athens is better. Great colleges there too.
Me: Ok....
R: So you really live alone??

The conversation went on like this for 30 min, as the bus was late. I am pretty used to people being forward with their inquires here, but she was the most forward. And possibly the most amusing. Her shock at just about everything I said was so genuine as was her insistence that she was always right. She is here until mid January, I can only hope there will be more of this to come.

Life Is Calling... Haiti: Pati De

Life Is Calling is a series of reader submissions. It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories and experiences about life as a recent college graduate conquering the real world. If you would like to submit a story to this series, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment with your e-mail. Today’s post is the second of two by Zach, who is currently volunteering at a clinic in Haiti. You can find his first post here.

Life is Calling...

Homebound

Now that I am home, I find myself thinking about the people I left behind. And truly, I feel as though I have left them behind. I sit here at my desk, surrounded by items that I have gone without for 7 weeks. I have electricity and air conditioning. More importantly, I have food and water.  All of these things are in abundance and I feel so spoiled.  

You know how as a child you think the world stops if you are not in the immediate vicinity? Obviously the world keeps turning, and everybody keeps living, but it takes you a while to get out of that self-centered world view. I'm not a child anymore, and I know that in the hours I spend writing this, my friends in Haiti are looking for food, for water, for shelter, for money, for a child. Maybe during a keystroke one of them is reaching for a cup of water. Or during a phone call maybe one of the girls is putting her hair into a new style. They are living their lives in parallel with mine but without me next to them.

I know that eventually my mind will forget certain details about my time in Haiti. Faces will be blurred, events will become distorted. But the feelings associated with the memories of those faces, those events, will manifest themselves in my life as it passes. Out of all the senses, the sense of smell is the one most connected with memory. I know that soon enough, I will smell an avocado and be brought back to when I shared them for breakfast. I will smell burning rubber and be brought back to Cite Soleil. I will smell....something, and be transported back to the foot of the dead boy's bed. 

That’s the thing with memories, you never know what will trigger the ones buried in your subconscious.  

While at the orphanage, I read Mother Teresa's biography. In her first iteration of the Missionaries of Charity, she wanted her Sisters in Christ to live without any benefit of society, like the diseased, dying, and malnourished that they would be helping. She eventually realized that this was not possible. In order to help the distressed thousands, she and her organization would have to be at their very best. They would have to provide for themselves first, and then provide for the poorest of the poor. However, they wouldn't overindulge in any aspect of life, out of respect for those who had nothing.  

I've realized that even though I have more than those living in Haiti or throughout the world, I can choose to use what I have for their benefit. I won't overindulge out of respect for those that have nothing. I will not withhold assistance when it costs me nothing, I will be as altruistic as possible. So to do those things, I think I will become a Doctor. It might take me a while, but after this....I think it'll be worth the time spent. 

I Guess It Rains Down In Afffrrr...El Saaalvador

SO standfast has finally been lifted. I hopped the first bust to town this morning as I could not wait to enjoy the beautiful sunny day I had been presented with. I did my shopping, I drank my liquado, I visited my seamstress. All in all a good day. When I returned home, I found an e-mail from my country director. I thought I would share it with you. (You know for those of you who do not follow Salvadorian news.)

Following is an update on the situation:

• The water levels in the rivers are quickly receding.
• Access (by vehicle or on foot) to most communities is possible to most places in the country.
• Currently 49,000-50,000 people who were evacuated are in shelters.
• The World Food Program (WFP) is providing 14,000 metric tons of food; they say the food shortages should not be a problem.  However, it is the timely distribution which is crucial.  Distributions are still underway to the affected areas.  Proteccion Civil is in charge.  Make sure your communities contact them to be on the list.  We have sent our list to USAID and they forwarded them on the Proteccion Civil people in San Salvador but the request should also come from the communities as well.
• Two out of the three major border crossings between Guatemala and El Salvador are closed.  The one that is open is very backed up with traffic.  You may see shortages in your local markets and stores for a while.
• The port of Acajutla is open but due to high tides, the ships carrying can’t come in yet.
• A large number of the crops (corn and beans) that have been already harvested are wet and are in danger of rotting if they can not be dried before the onset of mold and fungus.  I suspect that prices will increase.
• The UN reports that there are 3,943 houses at risk; 489 houses partially damaged; and 85 completely damaged (Note: these are initial assessments-- more are likely to be reported as assessment continues)
• The UN and other sources report that there are about 300,000 people in the country that have been affected by the storm.  The reconstruction will be a lengthy process.
• The government’s health system has been greatly strained.  Due to all the flooding and lack hygiene at the shelters and in coastal areas, it is expected that the state of public health will be negatively affected.  We should see increases in diarrhea, dengue, child hood diseases, etc), especially in the flooded coastal zones.  Please take appropriate precautions.

What will be the US Government’s response?  The US Government is happy with the way that the Salvadoran authorities have handled the situation.  They were proactive in early evacuations which many feel saved many lives.

A number of you have reported specific needs and damages in your respective communities and surrounding areas.  Please don’t expect to see any Embassy truck delivering aid directly to your communities.  The Embassy has been asked by the government to provide any and all donations to the Government-run Operations Centerlocated at CIFCO (the fair grounds in San Salvador).  So we are working behind the scenes in support of the government.

The first main US response will be the arrival of a large cargo plane (from Miami) that is expected to arrive to the country within a day or two bringing the following goods among others:

·         Hygiene kits for a family of 5 that will last for two weeks ($10,000 value)

·         Collapsible jerry cans to be used to carry and store clean water (10,000 units)

·         Kitchen kits (Some PCVs helped with the preparations of some kits but more will arrive with the plane)

·         100 large rolls of plastic sheeting to be used to cover roofs, the ground, etc

·         Blankets (2,300 units)

(These items will be put into the CIFCO pipeline and sent out to the affected districts.)

In addition, the Ministry of Public works has requested NASA to help provide specific satellite images of the areas most affected.  This will aid in assessing the damage and making plans for further assistance in reconstruction.  USAID has also responded by some initial purchases of food, mattresses and blankets and they are assessing and looking for funds for what can be done as part of the reconstruction phase.  The USmilitary is working closely with the local military providing them fuel for the trucks involved in the food distribution process and also purchasing needed supplies to complement what is needed for the CIPFO distributions.

I was *very* lucky that my corner of the country was not terribly effected. It rained a lot, but everyone still has their homes. Even if we all might have suffered a small bout of cabin fever.