I've been struggling for some time with some culture clashes and homesickness as has probably been apparent in a few of my posts. These have peeked recently and since I have been so candid in the past I thought I might as well share my thoughts and emotional struggles as well.
I've spent long periods away from the US before, so I've experienced homesickness before. I was expecting to experience the same types of things this time around and I did at first. The longer I have been here, however, the worse some of these feelings have gotten and recently they hit a fevered pitch. After a lot of reflection and a lot of conversations with multiple friends (thank you to everyone - you know who you are) I have started to piece together what I am really feeling and why. This is a normal process for me when I'm faced with strong negative emotions because I don't like to be unhappy and therefore I like to understand my feelings in order to correct whatever needs to be corrected. I have come to a few major conclusions that have been very helpful.
My first conclusion is that my homesickness is stronger this time because my home life is happier now. I sincerely love DC, Georgetown, the CR Program and all of my wonderful friends and I miss all of these places and people terribly. This was actually a comfort to me, like most people, I have had my ups and downs in the past few years and it was great to recognize and acknowledge that I am actually in the midst of an "up" time and it is my desire to continue to enjoy these people and places that is making me sad. Ironic but now that I know it I can express these emotions more positively and productively.
Second, I have been struggling with a few cultural clashes that have been extremely frustrating. Some I was forewarned but in the end it didn't seem to matter as they are all equally frustrating. Most of these clashes revolve around the cultural conceptions of time, punctuality and scheduling. I am pretty much obsessive compulsive when it comes to punctuality and this OCD is very contradictory to the local cultural understanding of time and schedules as fluid and flexible. I know there is no "right" or "wrong" in this situation. There is only what I am "used to" and what I am not. I have my good and bad days with this and I recently had a very bad day, which prompted a lot of these reflections.
Third and most influential is my realization that much of my frustration stems from the common source of the dependent lifestyle I have to live while here. What I am referring to is my almost complete dependence on others for my ability to move around the city. Buses in San Salvador are fairly unreliable and not terribly safe (the most common threat is pick pocketing but other things have been known to happen). Suffice it to say Eva is not encouraging us to utilize the buses that run within the city. Taxis can get pricey if you're using them a lot and my lack of Spanish language skills and my lack of familiarity with the city can make giving directions a challenge. I think it has been this problem that has been the most frustrating and it has increased the effects of the other two challenges.I'm used to being able to independently move freely around DC, which allows me the flexibility to adjust my schedule more easily when plans need to change, an ability I don't really have here. I truly think this has been the cause of so much of my frustration and I am hoping that now that I recognize this I will be able to avoid any more moments of extreme frustration.
My experiences thus far have been too good to allow them to be spoiled by such a petty cultural clash. I thought I would share all of this with you because I know it was a comfort to me to learn that my reaction is not uncommon for Americans in Central America. This is a process I think many, if not most, people go through when they spend extended amounts of time away from their home country/culture. For any of you who may be struggling through similar homesickness/cultural clashes, you are not alone.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Yes I Do Work
The past two weeks have been particularly busy for us and it made me realize that I really have not written much about the work I'm doing. It may surprise all of you but I'm really not on vacation here.
Part of the reason that I haven't given a lot of detail about what we're working on is we didn't really have a clear objective until recently. We knew from the beginning that we would be focusing on an evaluation that would combine empirical data from the project and theory in an attempt to demonstrate the role mediation can play in a justice system in a developing nation. In some ways it's a tall order. I don't know of any reports that have been able to empirically show mediation's effects on a justice system. (If anyone has any suggestions in this area, please pass them along.) Despite knowing this broad goal, there were a lot of related questions that were unanswered until last week at the meeting at USAID on my birthday. I guess that was USAID's birthday present to me, a final project description and goal. Now we know our final product will look far more academic than we had originally thought, which Mark and I actually like since we feel like we're on more familiar ground.
For the next 3-4 weeks Mark and I will be sifting through crime statistics, statistics from the mediation centers, ledgers of costs for the courts and mediation centers and hopefully making a few more site visits outside of San Salvador. How well the numbers will be able to show a direct and positive relationship between increased efficiency in the justice sector and the use of the mediation centers is yet to be seen. At the same time we will be diving into theories on rule of law, democracy, legitimacy and public perception surveys in an attempt to create bridges of theories, logic and statistics between mediation and its uses and effects. Mark and I now have 5 weeks left in El Salvador and the pressure is truly on. Word of our work has circulated fairly widely and we have already been invited to make a presentation to the Procurador (the Public Defendor) and many within USAID have expressed interest in the paper as well.
The work itself is extremely interesting to me. With my interest in post-conflict justice systems, this project is ideal for me in that respect. Searching for information has revealed an interesting trend. It seems that most people stopped writing about Central America, at least its challenges in the justice sector between 3 and 5 years ago. Finding recent information has been extremely challenging in some cases. Mark has been focusing on issues relating to democratization in the past day or so and he has commented that he is surprised that he can find so little considering the various levels of democratization and the very different processes one can observe in the region. Pass the word along to our DG friends, there's plenty to be done and learned in Central America.
Another note on our research process concerns politics, both in El Salvador and globally. Mark and I have recently had some meetings with representatives from the two violence prevention programs USAID is currently funding here. In both meetings concern was expressed over the less than ideal timing for attempting to promote some of our projects. 2009 is a major election year for El Salvador. January will see the election of a new Legislative Assembly as well as municipal councils and mayors. March will see the next presidential election. Within a few months almost every layer of the government here will face elections and the consensus is that these elections are going to be bitter and nasty. Some have even expressed concerns about the possibility of violence but of course it is far too early to really be able to predict that. While mediation in and of itself does not appear to be terribly politically sensitive, the approaching elections have made the upcoming out-reach program DPK is organizing far more challenging. The private sector is reluctant to donate money because they do not want to be associated with any governmental department, which the Procuradoria and Fiscalia are both widely seen to be (although that is technically not the case). Political changes can also threaten projects that have become associated with an opposition party and that can include some of the current mediation projects as well as some of the work being done by the other two projects.
In addition to the domestic politics of El Salvador, we also have to keep in mind our own elections this fall and the effects they may have on the policies and priorities of USAID and the State Department. All of these things can come into play. I have also learned that Canada, Italy and Germany are also major international development donors in El Salvador. Politics in those countries can also be very influential on projects they fund. This showed me yet another way that the globe has become interconnected.
Part of the reason that I haven't given a lot of detail about what we're working on is we didn't really have a clear objective until recently. We knew from the beginning that we would be focusing on an evaluation that would combine empirical data from the project and theory in an attempt to demonstrate the role mediation can play in a justice system in a developing nation. In some ways it's a tall order. I don't know of any reports that have been able to empirically show mediation's effects on a justice system. (If anyone has any suggestions in this area, please pass them along.) Despite knowing this broad goal, there were a lot of related questions that were unanswered until last week at the meeting at USAID on my birthday. I guess that was USAID's birthday present to me, a final project description and goal. Now we know our final product will look far more academic than we had originally thought, which Mark and I actually like since we feel like we're on more familiar ground.
For the next 3-4 weeks Mark and I will be sifting through crime statistics, statistics from the mediation centers, ledgers of costs for the courts and mediation centers and hopefully making a few more site visits outside of San Salvador. How well the numbers will be able to show a direct and positive relationship between increased efficiency in the justice sector and the use of the mediation centers is yet to be seen. At the same time we will be diving into theories on rule of law, democracy, legitimacy and public perception surveys in an attempt to create bridges of theories, logic and statistics between mediation and its uses and effects. Mark and I now have 5 weeks left in El Salvador and the pressure is truly on. Word of our work has circulated fairly widely and we have already been invited to make a presentation to the Procurador (the Public Defendor) and many within USAID have expressed interest in the paper as well.
The work itself is extremely interesting to me. With my interest in post-conflict justice systems, this project is ideal for me in that respect. Searching for information has revealed an interesting trend. It seems that most people stopped writing about Central America, at least its challenges in the justice sector between 3 and 5 years ago. Finding recent information has been extremely challenging in some cases. Mark has been focusing on issues relating to democratization in the past day or so and he has commented that he is surprised that he can find so little considering the various levels of democratization and the very different processes one can observe in the region. Pass the word along to our DG friends, there's plenty to be done and learned in Central America.
Another note on our research process concerns politics, both in El Salvador and globally. Mark and I have recently had some meetings with representatives from the two violence prevention programs USAID is currently funding here. In both meetings concern was expressed over the less than ideal timing for attempting to promote some of our projects. 2009 is a major election year for El Salvador. January will see the election of a new Legislative Assembly as well as municipal councils and mayors. March will see the next presidential election. Within a few months almost every layer of the government here will face elections and the consensus is that these elections are going to be bitter and nasty. Some have even expressed concerns about the possibility of violence but of course it is far too early to really be able to predict that. While mediation in and of itself does not appear to be terribly politically sensitive, the approaching elections have made the upcoming out-reach program DPK is organizing far more challenging. The private sector is reluctant to donate money because they do not want to be associated with any governmental department, which the Procuradoria and Fiscalia are both widely seen to be (although that is technically not the case). Political changes can also threaten projects that have become associated with an opposition party and that can include some of the current mediation projects as well as some of the work being done by the other two projects.
In addition to the domestic politics of El Salvador, we also have to keep in mind our own elections this fall and the effects they may have on the policies and priorities of USAID and the State Department. All of these things can come into play. I have also learned that Canada, Italy and Germany are also major international development donors in El Salvador. Politics in those countries can also be very influential on projects they fund. This showed me yet another way that the globe has become interconnected.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
First Birthday Abroad
Yet another first...I told you this would be a summer of firsts. Let me give you a little timeline of the madness that was my 23rd birthday.
6:30 AM - Woke up 15 minutes earlier than I wanted to.
6:40 AM - My host/coworker knocks on my door and informs me we need to be at the Fiscalia (Attorney General's Office) for a meeting and need to leave at 7:00.
7:05 AM - I'm dressed and ready and waiting for her so we can leave.
7:15 AM - We're in the car and on our way.
8:00 AM - The meeting begins. Due to some recent problems my office needed to make a presentation to the top prosecutors to get them to recommit to a pilot mediation project hosted within that Fiscalia office. Thanks to Ricardo, who I am now calling the Mediation televangelist, everyone in the room was converted and their souls (and the pilot project) were saved.
8:45 AM - We leave the Fiscalia and head to the office so that I can go to another meeting. Along the way Ricardo sang "Happy Birthday" to me a la Marilyn Monroe (it's on youtube if you somehow don't know what I'm talking about).
9:00 AM - We are preparing to go to the Procurduria (Public Defender's Office) when Delmy surprises me with a birthday gift. A lovely necklace! Thank you Delmy!
9:30 AM - The meeting begins. This was the wrap-up meeting to end a week-long workshop/evaluation of the mediation process in the Procurduria. I'm not going to lie, I couldn't/didn't follow most of the conversation. I was distracted by the thought of going to the beach for the weekend.
10:30 AM - Break and snack
11:00 AM - Back to the meeting
12:30 PM - Break for lunch (Salvadorans feed people well at their meetings).
1:30 PM - The meeting begins again
1:45 PM - Eva is finally released from her simultaneous meeting with the Procurador (Head Defendor) and we need to rush out in a vain attempt to get to USAID on time.
1:57 PM - We call USAID to tell them we will be late for our 2:00 PM meeting.
2:15 PM - We finally arrive at USAID for our meeting.
6:00 PM - We leave USAID more because the Embassy is closing for the day than because we ran out of things to talk about in regards to the specific projects Mark and I will be working on. Not going to lie, by this point I was pretty tired and had a definite headache.
6:30 PM - We stop at PriceMart (it's like a Cosco's or Sam's) because there was no food in Eva and Mark's apartment.
7:30 PM - We get back to Eva's to put away the food and so Eva and Mark can change clothes.
8:10 PM - We FINALLY leave for a nice quiet birthday dinner for the three of us.
8:30 PM - We arrive at the restaurant Eva picked out and after mumbling something about a reservation she leads us to the back of the restaurant where I find the entire office waiting to celebrate my birthday. Needless to say they were very hungry by this point.
10:00 PM - We finish dinner and Luis takes me and Mark out for a few drinks. The bar is supposed to be one of the best in San Salvador. There was live music (which was really good), beer (which is always good) and plenty of drunk people dancing (which made everything even better).
12:45 AM - We decide to call it a night. After the long day of meetings I was pretty wiped out and it was clearly written all over my face.
1:00 AM - I finally get home. I read all the birthday greetings sent to me (thank you everyone!) and pass out within half an hour.
So, that was my first birthday abroad. In a few hours Mark and I will be returning to that beach we have posted so many pictures of for a weekend of relaxing, swimming and other fun things. I am SO ready!
6:30 AM - Woke up 15 minutes earlier than I wanted to.
6:40 AM - My host/coworker knocks on my door and informs me we need to be at the Fiscalia (Attorney General's Office) for a meeting and need to leave at 7:00.
7:05 AM - I'm dressed and ready and waiting for her so we can leave.
7:15 AM - We're in the car and on our way.
8:00 AM - The meeting begins. Due to some recent problems my office needed to make a presentation to the top prosecutors to get them to recommit to a pilot mediation project hosted within that Fiscalia office. Thanks to Ricardo, who I am now calling the Mediation televangelist, everyone in the room was converted and their souls (and the pilot project) were saved.
8:45 AM - We leave the Fiscalia and head to the office so that I can go to another meeting. Along the way Ricardo sang "Happy Birthday" to me a la Marilyn Monroe (it's on youtube if you somehow don't know what I'm talking about).
9:00 AM - We are preparing to go to the Procurduria (Public Defender's Office) when Delmy surprises me with a birthday gift. A lovely necklace! Thank you Delmy!
9:30 AM - The meeting begins. This was the wrap-up meeting to end a week-long workshop/evaluation of the mediation process in the Procurduria. I'm not going to lie, I couldn't/didn't follow most of the conversation. I was distracted by the thought of going to the beach for the weekend.
10:30 AM - Break and snack
11:00 AM - Back to the meeting
12:30 PM - Break for lunch (Salvadorans feed people well at their meetings).
1:30 PM - The meeting begins again
1:45 PM - Eva is finally released from her simultaneous meeting with the Procurador (Head Defendor) and we need to rush out in a vain attempt to get to USAID on time.
1:57 PM - We call USAID to tell them we will be late for our 2:00 PM meeting.
2:15 PM - We finally arrive at USAID for our meeting.
6:00 PM - We leave USAID more because the Embassy is closing for the day than because we ran out of things to talk about in regards to the specific projects Mark and I will be working on. Not going to lie, by this point I was pretty tired and had a definite headache.
6:30 PM - We stop at PriceMart (it's like a Cosco's or Sam's) because there was no food in Eva and Mark's apartment.
7:30 PM - We get back to Eva's to put away the food and so Eva and Mark can change clothes.
8:10 PM - We FINALLY leave for a nice quiet birthday dinner for the three of us.
8:30 PM - We arrive at the restaurant Eva picked out and after mumbling something about a reservation she leads us to the back of the restaurant where I find the entire office waiting to celebrate my birthday. Needless to say they were very hungry by this point.
10:00 PM - We finish dinner and Luis takes me and Mark out for a few drinks. The bar is supposed to be one of the best in San Salvador. There was live music (which was really good), beer (which is always good) and plenty of drunk people dancing (which made everything even better).
12:45 AM - We decide to call it a night. After the long day of meetings I was pretty wiped out and it was clearly written all over my face.
1:00 AM - I finally get home. I read all the birthday greetings sent to me (thank you everyone!) and pass out within half an hour.
So, that was my first birthday abroad. In a few hours Mark and I will be returning to that beach we have posted so many pictures of for a weekend of relaxing, swimming and other fun things. I am SO ready!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Celebrating the Fourth of July
[Let me start with a brief side note to explain the double posting I've been doing lately. For the past couple of weeks I have not had internet access at home so I have had to wait until in the office to make blog posts. To minimize the amount of time I spent doing "non-work related" work I started drafting blog posts in word documents at home, which eventually led to a small back-log of thoughts I wanted to share. The internet glitch has been resolved so I wanted to get caught up with my posts and as of this post I will be.]
This was actually the first time I have been out of the US on the Fourth of July (yet another first) and I was honestly a little torn about it. Part of me would have loved to spend another Fourth in DC and part of me is glad I missed the outrageous number of tourists who come to the area for this important national holiday. Still I wanted to celebrate and Mark was also eager to avoid spending an entire weekend sitting around the apartment so we went in search of some entertainment.
Before we started, however, I was in desperate need of clean clothes so I had my first experience with hand washing ALL of my clothes. My host does not have a washer or a dryer so buckets and soap are my only option. Call me spoiled, lazy, whatever you wish but that process is horrifically time consuming and although my clothes have been hanging to dry for two full days, they are still wet. Trust me, I'm going to be looking for alternatives in the future.
Anyway, after I spent my morning doing that I got a call from Mark asking if I'd be interested in going to the national art museum. I was, so off we went courtesy of a friend who drove us. There was a $1.50 entrance fee and Mark and I went off to enjoy the works of Salvadoran artists. The collection was very interesting although fairly small. Maybe I am just too used to the expansive Smithsonian collections. Still, it was a very pleasant way to spend an hour. Afterwards we attempted to visit the Anthropology museum but we arrived only 30 minutes before closing so we saved that for another day.
Later that night we again ended up in the Multiplaza mall for dinner and a movie. After agreeing on our ideal criteria for dinner (full service and not Mexican food) we ended up, a little ironically, at Tony Romas. We didn't consciously plan it this way but we ended up in an American restaurant on the Fourth and had some really good BBQ. We then met up with another friend and watched Wall-E at the theater in the mall. Overall it was a very pleasant night of BBQ, cocktails and storytelling. It was the first phase of "celebrating the Fourth".
We did hear of a celebration at the Embassy that we would have been welcome at but we decided to bow out of that one. We've seen parties at the Embassy. They're not that entertaining. There was to be another celebration of the Fourth on July 5, however, and for lack of anything better to do we decided to go to there. I can't explain to you the extent of the wildness of this party! (Sense the sarcasm). It was attended by a lot of embassy workers with their families, a group of Peace Corps volunteers, and the two interns from Georgetown. Mark and I entertained ourselves with joking remarks about the "party", the music, and the food. It wasn't very expensive, however, and all told I think we both enjoyed ourselves. We were warmly greeted by the Ambassador's wife and later the Ambassador himself. If nothing else we each got to shake hands with him and hear his very bad joke at the end of his welcome speech. Mark has reserved the right to retell that story so you'll have to wait until he gets his blog up and running. The party ended with a nice fireworks display (that set off almost every car alarm in a 5 mile radius).
Now, before you conclude that Mark and I don't know how to "celebrate" a holiday, there is one last phase to our celebration. Once again our friend Luis picked us up and took us to a couple of bars where there were PLENTY of other Americans "celebrating". Our first stop was La Ventana (The Window) which is apparently a popular hangout for "extranjeros" (foreigners - predominantly Americans in this case). I was able to get a couple of Guinnesses so I was in heaven. Luis forbade the use of English for the night, which means I didn't talk much...at least for the first hour or so. Luis and his friends that joined us were convinced a few beers would loosen my tongue and it turns out they weren't far off. Mark, always more brave about speaking did very well throughout the night.
After a couple of drinks we moved to a nightclub/restaurant that I wish to high heaven would branch out and come to DC. The music was an entertaining mix of salsa and American pop and the food to die for. By this point there was a group of five of us so they ordered a huge platter of delicious meats. (My apologies to any of my vegetarian friends who may be reading this but I've never made it a secret that I am a carnivore.) That is truly the type of dinner I always crave when drinking. For the rest of the night we watched some very drunk Americans do their version of salsa dancing. Thanks to my Salvadoran companions I now actually know how locals look at us crazy Americans when we cut loose in other countries. Trust me, we are funny people. No one at my table seemed to stop laughing.
It was a great weekend and a Fourth of July to remember. Happy Independence Day everyone!
This was actually the first time I have been out of the US on the Fourth of July (yet another first) and I was honestly a little torn about it. Part of me would have loved to spend another Fourth in DC and part of me is glad I missed the outrageous number of tourists who come to the area for this important national holiday. Still I wanted to celebrate and Mark was also eager to avoid spending an entire weekend sitting around the apartment so we went in search of some entertainment.
Before we started, however, I was in desperate need of clean clothes so I had my first experience with hand washing ALL of my clothes. My host does not have a washer or a dryer so buckets and soap are my only option. Call me spoiled, lazy, whatever you wish but that process is horrifically time consuming and although my clothes have been hanging to dry for two full days, they are still wet. Trust me, I'm going to be looking for alternatives in the future.
Anyway, after I spent my morning doing that I got a call from Mark asking if I'd be interested in going to the national art museum. I was, so off we went courtesy of a friend who drove us. There was a $1.50 entrance fee and Mark and I went off to enjoy the works of Salvadoran artists. The collection was very interesting although fairly small. Maybe I am just too used to the expansive Smithsonian collections. Still, it was a very pleasant way to spend an hour. Afterwards we attempted to visit the Anthropology museum but we arrived only 30 minutes before closing so we saved that for another day.
Later that night we again ended up in the Multiplaza mall for dinner and a movie. After agreeing on our ideal criteria for dinner (full service and not Mexican food) we ended up, a little ironically, at Tony Romas. We didn't consciously plan it this way but we ended up in an American restaurant on the Fourth and had some really good BBQ. We then met up with another friend and watched Wall-E at the theater in the mall. Overall it was a very pleasant night of BBQ, cocktails and storytelling. It was the first phase of "celebrating the Fourth".
We did hear of a celebration at the Embassy that we would have been welcome at but we decided to bow out of that one. We've seen parties at the Embassy. They're not that entertaining. There was to be another celebration of the Fourth on July 5, however, and for lack of anything better to do we decided to go to there. I can't explain to you the extent of the wildness of this party! (Sense the sarcasm). It was attended by a lot of embassy workers with their families, a group of Peace Corps volunteers, and the two interns from Georgetown. Mark and I entertained ourselves with joking remarks about the "party", the music, and the food. It wasn't very expensive, however, and all told I think we both enjoyed ourselves. We were warmly greeted by the Ambassador's wife and later the Ambassador himself. If nothing else we each got to shake hands with him and hear his very bad joke at the end of his welcome speech. Mark has reserved the right to retell that story so you'll have to wait until he gets his blog up and running. The party ended with a nice fireworks display (that set off almost every car alarm in a 5 mile radius).
Now, before you conclude that Mark and I don't know how to "celebrate" a holiday, there is one last phase to our celebration. Once again our friend Luis picked us up and took us to a couple of bars where there were PLENTY of other Americans "celebrating". Our first stop was La Ventana (The Window) which is apparently a popular hangout for "extranjeros" (foreigners - predominantly Americans in this case). I was able to get a couple of Guinnesses so I was in heaven. Luis forbade the use of English for the night, which means I didn't talk much...at least for the first hour or so. Luis and his friends that joined us were convinced a few beers would loosen my tongue and it turns out they weren't far off. Mark, always more brave about speaking did very well throughout the night.
After a couple of drinks we moved to a nightclub/restaurant that I wish to high heaven would branch out and come to DC. The music was an entertaining mix of salsa and American pop and the food to die for. By this point there was a group of five of us so they ordered a huge platter of delicious meats. (My apologies to any of my vegetarian friends who may be reading this but I've never made it a secret that I am a carnivore.) That is truly the type of dinner I always crave when drinking. For the rest of the night we watched some very drunk Americans do their version of salsa dancing. Thanks to my Salvadoran companions I now actually know how locals look at us crazy Americans when we cut loose in other countries. Trust me, we are funny people. No one at my table seemed to stop laughing.
It was a great weekend and a Fourth of July to remember. Happy Independence Day everyone!
Spreading the Wonderment of Peanut Butter (In More Ways Than One)
As I am sure most of you know one of the things that gets most of us through long periods away from home is comfort food. One of my favorite comfort foods is peanut butter and it is usually more readily available than chicken wings so I rely heavily on it during my homesick phases.
An interesting thing I have learned from my hosts is the tendency of Central America to hold close ties with the United States while South America prefers to maintain closer ties with Europe. This dynamic means that grocery stores in El Salvador look a lot like grocery stores in the US with a lot of the same brands. This, of course, includes peanut butter! Which I have to say was a great relief to me because in my semester in Ireland a few years ago I learned that peanut butter that isn’t from the States just isn’t the same. Even though peanut butter is easy enough to find, it is still not the cultural icon it is in the States (understandable) and I have encountered several people who have never tasted it. Well, OF COURSE I feel the need to offer a sample and most are willing to give it a try. So far I have converted 3 or 4 people to the wonderment of peanut butter. It is my way of thanking them for introducing me to pupusas.
Despite the occasional frustration that arises from intercultural encounters, I sincerely think they can be a positive thing. While sharing food is interesting and entertaining, I grant that it is hardly a life changing experience. I have, however, grown to envy the general culture of the work environment here. Unlike the seemly nonstop “nose to the grindstone” culture that predominates in the US, the professional culture here is far more relaxed and healthy (at least in my opinion). The tone in our office, in particular, is extremely laid back, friendly and social. Do not think for a moment, however, that this somehow means that less work is accomplished here than would be if the American work culture presided. The regular members of the team here have accomplished far more in the past year than I would ever have expected a staff of 6 to be able to do. At least partly due to this work culture, everyone in this office comes in with a smile and enthusiasm daily despite their hectic schedules, holding more than one job in some cases, and taking care of their family responsibilities in the evenings.
We have often spoken of the importance of maintaining our mental and emotional health while working in this challenging field. Conflict resolution work often has the potential to be mentally and emotionally draining but I now see the important role played by the dynamic of the setting of one’s work. I can only imagine how frustrating this project could have been for the team here if they did not take the time to laugh with each other and support each other. Work can be stressful enough so the office shouldn’t be. Yet another lesson learned.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Pictures
I know that I have been posting a few pictures but I thought everyone might be interested in seeing the other pictures I have been collecting over the past few weeks. Just click on the picture below. I'll keep updating this album as well as the one on Facebook. Enjoy!
Coatepeque
At long last, it has happened. I have finally seen where Go spent those six months before beginning his adventures at Georgetown. This past weekend Mark and I were taken by Eva, along with two of her friends who are visiting from the US, to El Lago de Coatepeque. We arrived fairly late Saturday night, just in time to see the lake from a look-out point while the sun was still up. We had dinner and drinks at Las Palmeras, a restaurant on the shore of the lake. Eva told us that it was a regular hang-out for her, Go and other summer volunteers. It was certainly a beautiful spot. After our meal we headed down the VERY rough dirt road to the San Jorge Hostel for the night. This is where Eva’s other organization (Nueva Acropolis) hosts their volunteers and where Go called home for all those months. Eva and I actually shared the room where Go stayed.
After seeing the area, I am in awe of Go and of everyone who lives there for any length of time. I can’t explain the sense of isolation that I had while there. Coatepeque is only about an hour’s drive from San Salvador but while you are there you can easily feel as if there isn’t a city within living memory. By the time we got to the hostel it was well after dark and Eva did her best to give us a tour of the grounds. It was wonderful to see all the great projects Nueva Acropolis has going on the grounds and nearby but I have to admit I was absolutely distracted by the unbelievable number of stars in the sky. If I could see that night sky every night, I would be a happy girl. The cost may be too high for me, however, because the price is living in a VERY rural area. I think I may be too much of a spoiled city girl for that. I truly enjoyed the experience all the same.
In the morning Mark and Eva’s friends went for a six hour hike on the volcano while Eva stayed to welcome a small group of volunteers for an agricultural training session and I slept in for the first time since I arrived in El Salvador. We then rented a boat for the afternoon and went out on the lake. After touring around the lake for awhile to see some of the beautiful weekend houses that have been built along the shores, we took the boat out into the middle of the lake and jumped in for a swim. The water was beautiful but our swim was cut short when a thunderstorm rolled over and caught us in the water. We jumped out of the lake and back onto the boat and made a run for the restaurant where we rented the boat from. We eventually got behind the rain and almost everyone jumped in for another dip before we went back.
Of all the events of the day, however, I have to admit the highlight was probably meeting Oscar and his sister. They are two local children who Go befriended during his time there and, although shy, they were interested in meeting the friends of Go. They were sweet kids and I’m sorry we didn’t have the time to spend with them and see if we could get any good stories about their memories of Go.
It was definitely a good weekend.
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