PCVs are weird. I like that.

So as the end of our pre-service training is coming to an end, my mind is all over the place. This training screwed with my head alittle bit. We've been spoiled these past few weeks. Nice hotels, hot showers (successfully getting the layers of dirt off my skin), air conditioning, people in business suits, saunas, computer access, a real bed- no mosquito net needed, swimming pools, great food, other gringos, grass that was actually cut with a lawn mower & not a machete, dogs on leashes, sushi, talking lots of english, dogs you can actually pet, and many "holy cow, where am i?" moments. I guess it's safe to say, I'm already finding a great appreciation for things. However, as nice as these past 3 weeks were, I am looking forward to going back to my community and the simple life I have there. The place where all you really have is each other. I miss that.

Some other moments from these past few weeks:
- Seeing my first dead person in El Salvador. We aren't really sure what exactly happened, but I think it's safe to say he was probably shot and it was probably gang related. After all, it was in San Salvador
-- Finally seeing more of this beautiful country. We traveled west to Ahuachapan (the department closest to the Guatemalan border) & Sonsonate. This country truely is beautiful. Bottom line is: mountains and funky colors sure make me happy :) Some of the towns that we went to were just so bright, funky, and fun. (street posts painted in flowers, peoples houses painted funky colors with cool illustrations. As we drove through these towns, the song "magical mystery tour" by the Beatles, kept playing over and over in my head.

So it's a bit strange with Thanksgiving approaching, being in a country where they don't celebrate the holiday. Fortunately, the workers of the US embassy opened their homes to host all the volunteers. So I'll be spending the holiday with 2 other volunteer friends & a random family. It'll be nice, maybe a bit weird as well? The holiday of giving thanks and appreciation for your closest friends and family, and spending it with a family I haven't met yet, and with friends that I met 4 months ago. But either way, I hope she can make a mean pumpkin pie, and that her house has carpet that I can walk around barefoot on. If I'm really lucky maybe she'll invite us back, and say "feel free to use my washer and dryer any time you'd like.."

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

oh how i missed toilets...

So I'm back in Apastapeque. As much as I didn't want to leave my site, I must say it is nice. It's weird to be back in civilization. I appreciate having my own room with a door, a bathroom that is only 10 feet away from my house (not to mention with an actual toilet), more food then just beans and rice, and someone to speak english with. I missed my Apastapeque group.

It was nice being reunited with my old family (where I lived during my training), we spent the afternoon in the cemetery celebrating dia de el muerto. It was very interesting for me. The graves here are HUGE and some of them are like small houses. It was beautiful to see all the flowers covering every grave and the abudance of people there. Tonight I met up with casi everyone from the group, and we didn't waste anytime drinking "jugo" with the Milanos. They loved that we can all actually understand and somewhat speak spanish now! It was nice to engage in conversation with the families we lived with before, but couldn't have much of a conversation with then. I'll be enjoying all these luxuries for the next 3 weeks. I am alittle nervous about not being able to speak spanish when I return to my site, since I'll be in gringo land for 3 weeks.
So now that I have internet, por fin! I can update everyone on whats been happening in the last month here...

Let's see...
Last week I had my asamblea general where I had to present to my community (What is peace corps? Who is Jamie? My ideas for the future) I was nervous no one was going to show up since there was chuch and another meeting, but around 100 people came. I think it went pretty well. All of my spanish teachers came, and they told me how surprised they were because my pronunciation and grammar was so good.

I had a moment of euphoria last week. Without much planning, I taught about 25 kids (of different ages) an English class. Hearing them all scream the English alphabet as I pointed to each letter. I thought, this is freakin cool. Amy came to visit my class last week, in which about 30 kids showed up. We taught the kids parts of the body, and they had fun playing simon says and learning the song head, shoulders, knees, and toes.

It's funny how you just grow accustom to weird/awkard stuff here. As I'm struggling to find stuff for my blog, I'm realizing my moments are starting to feel "normal" now. ... Let's see..
Well I was given a chicken during one of my house visits, in which I carried around with me to a few other houses I needed to visit (that really gave the town something to talk about) Owell, at least my host parents are happy that they have something to eat for Thanksgiving. Oh, and my sisters digging through my garbage, and finding items in there that kept them entertained for a week. Not to mention, giving my family something to wipe their butts with (by throwing out all my old spanish homework). Some guy here insisted on painting my nails during a house visit, then later proceeded to pretty much ask for my hand in marriage so he could go to the united states.

So as month #5 approaches, I STILL can't believe I am actually here. I feel like I'm in a dream just waiting to wake up any moment now. I mean lets be honest here, some days are TOUGH and I do feel lonely, but I still find myself every single day, thinking to myself; "man, this is so freakin cool"

A day in the milpa..

mas fotos!

A day in the milpa with the family!











































my best friend here, Lorena! (this picture confirmed how much i really adore this girl...she loves jumping pictures too!!)








my family here! (in case you are wondering, yes that is someone's house... a family of 3, in fact.)