So its been brought to my attention that my I should be using the word synopsis rather than synapse but I feel kinda attached to my biology word. Anyways thats not really all that important but it was worth mentioning.
As I sit here in my Hammock outside my room with the fan blowing on me I can't help but think the US should really try to develop siesta time. It allows for all people to get time for themselves so they don't worry about doing all that upkeep early in the morning when its nice can cool and you could be working.
Today I'd like to share about my food and my room and what its like. If you've already been here you kinda already know but this is mostly for the people who haven't traveled here and want a mental image. So to start off the differences... its hot now. Its hot pretty much all year round but not as hot in some parts of the year. As of now its about 85 and rather humid. This is what they call the dry season because it hardly ever rains. In about May it starts to rain more and in the middle of the rainy season the rain is almost like clockwork. It seems to rain most days around 5. Its not your normal rain either it usually pours but at the same time its been soo hot that it feels amazing. And since its warm pretty much all year round getting wet is a blessing.
Okay so back to food. Today is a good place to start because I went to the Market after worship with Val (one of the quaker ladies who lives at the house I'm staying) Now there isn't a safeway or anything but the market reminds me of high school hallways except instead of lockers there are tables with fruit stands vegetable stands and pretty much everything you need from shampoo or soap to food (both ingredients to cook and things you can eat right there that are hot) Its also very crowded like a high school hallway. One of the things I learned today thats so different about our cultures is that americans tend to buy in bulk while Salvadorans buy what they need fresh ussually. Since there are so many stands and there isn't like a big chain stand that saves money by buying in bulk all the items you need are the same price if you buy a lot or a just enough. It also goes the well with their culture because they generally don't have great refrigerators or any refrigeration at all. There are about a bazillion kinds of bananas and tons of new tropical fruits that I have yet to try but hear great things as well. I think they also don't have pesto or basil to make pesto so I'm out of luck for that with my pasta.... :(
Now onto my house. its a rather nice house as houses go. Suchi is a nicer part of el salvador. I rented a room with a desk, dresser and bed. The bathrooms are outside. Its a great experience to wake up and walk out of my room and see a gigantic tree in the middle of the "living room" or patio or something. most houses are one story. Most mornings I check my shoes for scorpions before I put them on. On my first trip there was a scorpion in Cyrus's shoe that I saw before he put them on so thats why. Laundry is done by hand (which I have yet to do but plan on doing some later today) You do laudry in whats called a pila which is a big basin of tub of water that you fill up and keep "clean" then you take buckets of water and use the sinks on either side to wash your clothes. I say clean cause it doesn't always stay clean but thats the purpose at least to have a clean source of water that you can use to bathe yourself among other things. When you get out to the home stays not everyone has flushed toilets. In El gigante and el bario many homes just have outhouses with a concrete seat with a hole in it. Another difference is that when you use the bathroom you don't flush the paper down with it. It goes in a waste basket beside the toilet. Back to the room I don't remember if I mentioned anything about mosquitoes and fans. Fans are great to use for two reasons. #1 they cool you off #2 they provide a bit of noise so that mosquitos buzzing around you won't be heard. Also helpful are mosquito nets because they keep the mosquitoes from flying up and buzzing right next to your ear which is one of the most annoying things. I will post pictures later this afternoon when I get up from this hammock. Its almost 4 so its close to time to get up I guess...
Well thats it for this synapse
Secrest Out!
No comments:
Post a Comment