Somewhere in Between

Goodbye, 2011

2011-12-31T15:44:00.001-05:00

2011 was a busy year work-wise, and the first year in a long time that I did not leave the States for at least a month. This will most definitely be remedied in 2012. 2011 marked our first full year in Baltimore, which was overall decent, but nothing fabulous. My husband was able to renew his residency without any problems (but with a lot of stress on my part) and should be able to apply for citizenship this year, God and the government willing. 2011 was surviving a lifestyle that neither one of us likes, and wishing we were back in El Salvador or Colombia, depending on who you asked. In the end, both of us realize that it's Baltimore for the time being, and that Maryland was actually a fabulous choice (thanks again, all you UMBC people who convinced me).

In addition to teaching at school, I also led a 18-week online course through the RELO office in Lima, and went to Peru to give workshops for several weeks in the summer. This was a fabulous experience, but the next time I go to Peru I want it to be for vacation (or to live)!

On the El Sal side, we started the process of adopting our niece, only to lose her to violence in September. The last couple months of 2011 were ones of mourning and readjusting our plans for the upcoming years.

And so 2012, here we go. My resolutions....

Get my recertification classes out of the way so I can get on with my doctorate!
Convince Cincinnati friends to move to the DC/Baltimore area.
Reclaim my car so I can go exercise. Walking to the rec is unsafe and somewhat unreliable. Find yoga studio. Go.
Spend less time lesson planning.
Save money to buy a house.
Help husband study for citizenship test.
Go to El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala and/or Nicaragua this summer. Present at conferences, but don't get suckered into working. Find nice hamaca on a beach and stay there.
Start volunteering someplace on a regular basis.f
Find people to hang out with in Baltimore (2011 was boring in that respect). Force husband to go to culture events, or go by myself.
Go back to Central Ohio to visit family and Cincy to see friends (see number 2).
Get mother-in-law's tourist visa.
Make a larger dent in student loans (this is where teaching was not such a great choice).

And, the 11 favorites of 2011:

Hiking around Maryland

Wild ponies! One childhood dream accomplished.


Erin learns Salvadorans are Salvadorans wherever they live, and that Venezuelans are well-behaved.

Arequipa, Peru...simply delicious

My fabulous Peruvian teachers

Garden before it went crazy...no peppers in 2012

Shaven gatita

Spring break in NY

More hiking around Maryland

Niagara Falls, frozen, after Justin and Lisa's wedding

TESOL in New Orleans. I loved New Orleans!

Lima Again

2011-08-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

I spent the second part of this trip to Peru working, working, working in Lima (not Lima, Ohio btw). These were interesting days to be there, since July 28th was independence day and the inauguration of president-elect Ollanta Humala. I caved in and paid for a Mirabus tour of Lima at night, which was honestly not worth it since I happened to pick the same night that they re-inaugurated the national stadium, complete with a visit from the Peruvian soccer team, who recently placed 3rd in the Copa America. This resulted in lots of crazy Peruvians roaming the streets dressed in their red and white (and earlier, way too much honking of car horns). Congrats to them, but ugggh to the noise! The tour went through Miraflores to the centro historico of Lima, where we got to see the Palacio de Gobierno, the catheral, plaza de armas, plaza de San Martin, and other buildings where we didn't even stop long enough to take pictures. There was also an hour-long stop at the Circuito Mágico del Agua, part of the Parque de la Reserva, where they've spent I don't remember how many millions of dollars creating a complex of fountains that are lit up at night. I couldn't help but wonder, in a city of 10 million people, if they all have running water in their houses. I'm betting not. Anyways, it'd be a nice place to visit when there are less soccer fans around and when you're not being herded by a tour.

Plaza de Armas and the cathedral

Plaza de San Martin

Arequipa Tastiness

2011-07-25T09:35:00.000-05:00

After almost a year of not traveling to Latin America, my first workshop stop in Peru was Arequipa.
The best part about Arequipa? The food! How long had it been since I'd walked down a street and felt forced to stop at a restaurant because it smelled so delicious? The last I remember is Chicken Rico in Highlandtown (which not coincidentally is Peruvian), and although it's good, holds no candle to the food in Arequipa. I was warned about the good food by the lady sitting next to me for several hours at the gate in Miami. All of that weight I lost while my husband was on vacation, let's just say it came back in the four days. I had my first meal watching Peru beat Colombia in the Copa America, seco de cordero. So big that I didn't eat dinner, although at 2300 meters digestion was not an easy feat to accomplish.

Alfajores, with chocolate from La Iberica in the background that didn't last very long

The second best part of Arequipa, known as the "white city," is the fact that it is beautiful. The view of the mountains, the volcano, all combined with buildings made out of sillar, a white volcanic rock. I spent a morning in the Santa Catalina monastery, which covers various blocks in the centro histórico of Arequipa. Even the airport was made of sillar. I'd forgotten how dry it is there (flew through last year as well), how hard the sun hits (the teachers I worked with were complaining about the rising rate of skin cancer there), and the fact that buildings are not heated. It was a great place to try out my new alpaca coat!

Shout out to Peruvian Airlines and the flight back to Lima. The captain was a great tour guide! And thanks for not charging me more as a foreigner than you would for a Peruvian (unlike LAN).

View of El Misti from the plaza de Yanahuara

Entrance into Santa Catalina

Looking down into Santa Catalina

Plaza de armas

View from the airport

2 Weeks Left

2011-06-03T18:30:00.005-05:00

The end of my first year teaching with Baltimore City Public Schools is quickly coming to an end. I'm glad to be back in a job that I enjoy, even though I'm definitely ready to have a lesson planning break. Maybe some day I'll redeem my Sundays from my all-day planning sprees.

This summer I won't be traveling as much as I'm used to, but I will be going to Peru for two weeks as an English Language Specialist and teaching another online course that stretches into October. And who knows, maybe I'll break down and use all those Taca/Avianca miles I've been hording to head off to Honduras with the esposo (or maybe I'll save them until next year when I've vowed to actually take a vacation).

TESOL 2011 Convention in New Orleans

2011-03-26T17:32:00.000-05:00

Five years after the first TESOL Convention I attended in Tampa, I finally managed to attend another one! They've been in inconvenient, boring, or expensive cities in the time between, but New Orleans was worth the wait. I was curious to see if it reminded me of Barranquilla (it did).

As far as TESOL goes, I was able to see friends and presenters from all over the world, network more than I have anywhere offline in a long time, and get lots of new ideas, in particular about online education. The only downside was that I didn't learn much that's applicable to my current teaching situation. All but one of the K-12 workshops that I went to were basically a waste of time, even when the presenters were BNIFs. I was also disappointed that I never made it to the Electronic Village sessions, which I really enjoyed in Tampa. I had wanted to meet all of the wonderful teachers I learned with in Second Life this winter, but it wasn't meant to be.

The convention left me wanting to go back to school again and to be connected to a uni again somehow. We'll see. Once the husband finishes his classes, doctorate here I come! For now, it's back to online teacher training and summer trips.

Adventures in Second Life

2011-03-09T18:04:00.000-05:00

During January and February this year, like every year, I took a free online course from TESOL, VILLAGE 11. This year I finally got around to learning how to use the Second Life avatar that I created years ago when I was working in Barranquilla. I was able to see many different ways to use SL for language learning and teaching, as well as (somewhat) master how to move around SL, control camera and views, go shopping, and build basic objects. I still have a lot to learn, but taking this course really opened my eyes to a whole new "world" of learning and exploring.

In a classroom in Arachon

Dancing at the VILLAGE closing party.

Learning to use Builder's Buddy

Without a Head in MacBeth

A newer, better dressed incarnation of Chelita

At the Museum of Natural History

Touring Language Lab

The Globe Theatre in Language Lab

At the Great Wall of China

Learning how to pose and take pics

The 10 Best of 2010

2011-01-01T17:07:00.000-05:00

Feliz 2011

2011-01-01T16:51:00.000-05:00

My husband and I decided not to go anywhere for Christmas break this year. It's been nice being lazy and doing whatever I want, but I realized that the last time I hadn't gone anywhere for Christmas was probably freshman year of high school. A bit strange, to say the least. I've done a lot of traveling and moving in the past 15 years, and an enormous amount in the past 4. It was about time for a rest, I suppose. I've also decided that I'm about done sending Christmas cards. Facebook and email is so much easier and cost efficient.

Baltimore has been good to both of us so far, and is already starting to feel like home. I love my job teaching ESOL in Baltimore City Public Schools, and Edwin enjoys interpreting and translating for the school system. We've been here since September, and are both glad to be here after a rather lousy start in North Carolina. There's yummy Greek food across the street and basically anything that we could want from El Salvador except 80 degree Decembers and the beach within walking distance.

What I'm looking forward to in 2011 (not exactly resolutions, but things that I'm going to do or would like to get done):

Start saving for a down payment on a house. Rent is ridiculous and a mortgage would be cheaper.
Go to big TESOL in New Orleans.
Teach online again, and maybe go back to Peru.
Be in Roatan or Colombia or at least El Salvador this time next year.
Make myself run again, since zumba and yoga aren't cutting it.
Vow to shop at the markets instead of the "super"markets.
Present at Maryland TESOL next fall.
Find more gringo food that Edwin will actually eat.
Start volunteering again...hasn't been the same since I left Cincinnati.
Write! I started this year, but fell off the train when I had to go back to lesson plan world.

Iquitos and the Amazon

2010-10-14T17:31:00.000-05:00

Took a while to get these posted, but here they are!

First Impressions of Lima

2010-06-17T17:54:00.001-05:00

I'm so glad to be back in a place where the sun sets around 6:00 every day! Yesterday's travel was exhausting (thanks so, so much, American Airlines and your plane that looks and feels like you haven't updated it since 1990), but I'm excited to be back in South America. Honestly, I feel more comfortable here in Lima than I have all year in Ahoskie, and it's not just because I'm staying at the Radisson and the Pacific is a couple of blocks away! Tomorrow and the day after I'll have workshops with the teachers I've been working with online, as well as many others from pedagogicos all around the country. It will be nice to finally meet the faces behind all the forum postings and comments. It is, however, much more expensive than I expected. I went out to the pharmacy to pick up some of the things you can't get in the US without a prescription, and found the prices to be even worse than a dollarized place like San Sal. I'm just happy to be out of the swamp and back into what feels like "real" life.

Peru & El Salvador, Summer of Conferences

2010-06-03T18:27:00.002-05:00

After almost a year of living in the US again and 10 months since I had traveled out of the country, it's time to leave again. I'll be headed to Peru in June to serve as an English Language Specialist and to present at various conferences. Even though I won't get to play tourist this time like I wanted, I'll have time to explore Lima, as well as Tacna and Iquitos, with a little Amazon trip planned on the side. Then again, in July, I'll be headed back to San Salvador for a month to present the BNC's biannual conference and to help write up some research. I can't wait to be back in Latin America!

Merchants Mill Pond Trip

2010-05-11T21:10:00.000-05:00

In an act of desperateness to escape from Ahoskie, there was the mill pond. Creepy, but gorgeous!

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-19T21:12:00.007-05:00

Fun times in DC, North Carolina, and Baltimore. Great to see old friends and eat lots of Salvadoran food!

Weekend escape: The Outer Banks

2010-03-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

Only an hour and a half away we have the Outer Banks, some of the prettiest beaches I've seen in the US. We only made it as far south as Kitty Hawk and Nag's Head, but hopefully we'll be able to take the whole route down sometime soon!

Food Outlook: Somewhat less Dismal with a Chance of Plátanos

2010-03-14T14:49:00.000-05:00

hMost food in Ahoskie is just like the swamp....dismal...in price, quality, selection, you name it.

Thank God that the Hampton Roads area is so close. Pupusa heaven @ El Gavilan in Norfolk and awesome comida dominicana @ La Tierra in Virginia Beach! Too bad dancing is only on Sundays...

Quest for Salvadoran Food

2010-03-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

After 3 months here in North Carolina, Edwin is going crazy for pupusas. I can't blame him...the quality of food here is absolutely disgusting. At home, he cooks almost everything we eat for the simple fact that he is incapable of even dreaming of changing his eating styles. And really, so am I. I miss miss miss 2 hour lunches where that was my big meal of the day. After I get home from school, there's no way I'm going to cook, and I love Salvadoran dinners, so...

Sad thing is that it took me this long to find out where there's Salvadoran food close by. Another trip to Norfolk/Virginia Beach to search out pupusas is on the plate for today! God bless Justin, whoever he is, and his lovely map of local markets.

View Restaurants and Markets in a larger map

Derbez en cuando

2010-03-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

SI UN ABOGADO ENLOQUECE... PERDERA EL JUICIO?

SI LOS DERECHOS SON RESERVADOS...QUE PASA CON LOS ZURDOS?

CUANTOS PAJAROS EN MANO CORRESPONDEN A 450 VOLANDO?

SI UNA PERSONA ES ATROPELLADA CADA 5 MINUTOS... COMO HACE ESTA PERSONA PARA AGUANTAR TANTO MADRAZO?

SI LOS INFANTES DISFRUTAN DE SU INFANCIA... LOS ADULTOS DISFRUTAN DEL ADULTERIO?

SI HAY MAS ALLA ' ... HABRA ' MENOS AQUÍ ' ?

SI LA PISCINA ES HONDA , EL MAR SERA TOYOTA ?

QUE CUENTAN LAS OVEJAS PARA DORMIR?

SI EL DINERO ES LA CAUSA DE LOS PROBLEMAS... ENTONCES PARA QUE FREGAOS TRABAJAMOS?

PORQUE CORREMOS RAPIDO DEBAJ0 DE LA LLUVIA SI DELANTE TAMBIEN LLUEVE?

DONDE QUEDARIA LA OTRA MITAD DEL MEDIO ORIENTE?

HASTA DONDE SE LAVARAN LA CARA LOS CALVOS ?

PORQUE AL PLANETA LE LLAMAN TIERRA SI TIENE 3 CUARTAS PARTES DE AGUA?

PORQUE SEPARADO SE ESCRIBE TODO JUNTO PERO TODO JUNTO SE ESCRIBE SEPARADO?

SI EL AMOR ES CIEGO PORQUE LA ROPA INTERIOR ES TAN POPULAR?

POR QUE LE LLAMARAN MEDIO AMBIENTE? SERA QUE YA DESTRUIMOS LA OTRA MITAD?

POR QUE LE LLAMAN HEROE AL QUE NO TUVO TIEMPO DE CORRER?

Salvadoreñisimos with Don Wicho

2010-02-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

My husband made me read through this email quiz on salvadoreñisimos I don't know how many times, but erased all of his copies of it by the time this was on La Choly's program on February 18 (http://www.miradio.com.sv/wfProgramaLista.aspx?radio=4&codigo=14). I just got it back, so here it is: the Salvadoran nationality test.

1.COMPLETE LAS SIGUIENTES FRASES:

Saludemos la patria orgullosos __________________________

¿Mató tunco tu tata? __________________________
Sana sana ___________________________
Chinchilete ___________________________
Ponponte Niña Ponponte______________________
Zapatito Cochinito_______________________
Piedra, Papel_______________________

2.TRADUZCA AL ESPAÑOL UNIVERSAL LA SIGUIENTE FRASE:

A un cipote peche y chele, un tetunte lo apachó._________________________

3.TRADUZCA AL ESPAÑOL UNIVERSAL LAS SIGUIENTES PALABRAS:

Chucho_____________________
Cincho_______________________
Ataché_______________________
Chingaste______________________
Chambre_______________________
Paila__________________________
Pisto__________________________
Bolo_________________________
Careto(a)______________________
Chiliyo_______________________
Jeta_________________________
Cabal_______________________
Híjole_______________________
Chichipate____________________
Cholero______________________
Utual________________________

4.EXPLIQUE LAS SIGUIENTES FRASES:

Le estan dando atol con el dedo________________________________
Pegue una gran guinda______________________________________
Le gusta el arroz con tunco___________________________________
Es de mecha corta________________________________________
Esta comiendo frito_______________________________________
les tan dando en la nuca___________________________________
Nació mordido por la luna___________________________________

5.Explique la diferencia entre un tamal de sal, y un tamal de azucar.

6.Detalle los tres tipos de nuegados que existen.

7. Cual es el “poder medicinal” de la sopa de patas

8.Que se come con chicharron o merienda?

9.Que se come con curtido o salsa?

10.Que calle de San Salvador tiene dos numeros al mismo tiempo

11 Que otro nombre recibe el area de sol, del estadio Cuscatlán

12.Cual es el procer de nuestra independencia, mas narizon

13.”Quien no ama el lugar, la tierra natal, y donde ha nacido…” es la canción de un comercial de gaseosa, nombre esa gaseosa

14. Que personaje de la vida cotidiana decía ya se va papito…salu pues

15. Quien es la PIPIRIPAU

16. Según la canción, quienes bailan el CANCHIS CANCHIS

17.Escriba el coro de la cancion "El sapito" de grupo "Bongo"

18. En que programa habia una seccion llamada “NI SI NI NO, NI BLANCO NI NEGRO”

19.De donde vienen las pupusas de Arroz?

20. Que quiere decir la expresión “Tumblinblin”

21. De que color eran, los siguentes billetes antes de la dolarización:
Un colon______________________
Dos Colones_____________________
Cinco colones____________________
Diez colones_____________________
Veinticinco colones_________________
Cincuenta colones__________________
Doscientos colones_________________

22. DE QUE GRUPO O ARTISTA SALVADOREÑOS SON LAS SIGUIENTES CANCIONES:

-El Cipitío______________________
-Las Pupusas______________________
-Con Zapatos de Tacón______________________
-Mi País__________________
-Patria Querida__________________
-Zangolote____________________
-Moviendo el Atol de Elote________________
-Pájaro Picón _____________________
-Bolo y Solo__________________
-Hacer Nuestro El Universo_________________________

23. LOS JUANETES ES UN MAL DE:
-Las Manos
-Los Pies
-Las Orejas
-La Espalda

24. EL BIENTEVEO ES UN MAL DE:
-Los Ojos
-La Piel
-Las Uñas
-Los Párpados

25. EL PISPELO ES UN MAL DE:
-El Ombligo
-Los Calcañales
-Los Ojos
-El Hígado

Snow and Virginia Beach

2009-12-20T10:36:00.004-05:00

Edwin finally is here! After a long horrid confusing visa process that still isn't over, he flew into Dulles last Saturday. Must blog more about this later...it pisses me off to no end. This meant a trip to DC for me, which was happy, and a visit with Karen. I also got lots of salvi groceries and some stuff from Colombia, including my $2.50 Pony Malta. He's basically hibernated his way through the first week, since it was the last week of school for me before break, and we had an insane amount of meetings and after school things.

In my continuing tradition of trying to travel here on days when the weather sucks, Edwin and I went to the Virgina Aquariam at Virginia Beach. At least I only made two wrong turns!

Love the teeth.

On the way back, instead of rain, we had snow! Glad it wasn't the feet that the rest of Virginia got.

Me and the chucho de agua.

The snow, which was conveniently gone by late morning.

Snow was promptly followed by watching the first two hours of Sin tetas no hay paraíso. I've never been a big fan of novelas, but I'm still desperately missing living in the eje cafetero, and have fun picking out places I've been.

We'll be headed back to Ohio on Tuesday, snow permitting, cat in tow.

Thanksgiving in Nueva York

2009-12-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, after a whole night of getting lost on the turnpike.

Allyson making food. Yum, food. Too many leftovers.

The Aftermath of Ida

2009-11-10T22:25:00.005-05:00

I got these pictures from I don't know how many emails sent by my husband and friends in El Salvador. It kills me to know all of these places, have friends that are there, family that's not been heard from in a couple of days, and know that there's nothing I can do except send money.

North Carolina or Ohio?

2009-09-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

After two and a half months, I finally have some choices to make. ESL in Ohio or Spanish in North Carolina? Neither job is at the university level, which in the end I think is okay, since the uni positions don't seem to pay much, have any benefits, or be in decent places to live. I would really like to stick with ESL, but here's the problem...

North Carolina is MUCH more organized when it comes to teaching in public schools. In Ohio, I've spent the WHOLE time I've been back trying to figure out what I need to do to teach here. It's a pain and $$$$, to say the least. So if I go with the place in NC, I automatically get a lateral entry license and they lead me through the process of what classes I would need to take. The school would pay for the first 6 semester hours, and the rest would be reduced tuition. This is great, since NC is WAAAAAAY cheaper than Ohio anyways! I might even be able to get some of my teaching experience to count. And, to top it all off, the school has TEACHER HOUSING! So, I'd get to live in a new apartment complex, only with other teachers.

And for Ohio. UC took way too long to tell me how to even take classes again. Each three quarter hour course is $618, and I would need to take at least 6 of those (around $4,000 for 18 quarter hours) to get the coursework that the Ohio Dept. of Education says I need for the alternative license. If I listen to UC, I would have to take 27 quarter hours, plus 6 more of ESL K-12 methods for the endorsement. And, the school doesn't seem to understand what alternative licensure is. I could be on sub pay for a long time (although I have to clear this up). And I don't know how much I would make, and I'd have to live in the Nati again, even though I love the area and students I'd get to work with.

At either place (although not sure this applies if I'm a sub all year) I can get my Stafford loans paid off, something like $5,000 for every year that I work, up to $17,500. That's awesome! But honestly, I'm not sure that I trust UC, or Ohio. In NC, it's warmer, way close to the beach and DC, and they know what they're doing. Sigh, decisions.

On Applying to Teach For America and Alternative Licensure

2009-08-18T08:54:00.000-05:00

In today's NY Times, there's an opinion article discussing teacher education programs and the relationship between teacher pay and performance (Room for Debate: Do Teachers Need Education Degrees?, http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/education-degrees-and-teachers-pay/ ).
In my job search, I've applied to universities mostly, but I've been thinking about teaching at public schools. When I was working on my M.Ed. in Teaching ESL, I was sure that I would never want to teach in a public school, let alone work with youth. Four years abroad working with teens and public school teachers changed my mind. I don't know how many times I've looked at the Teach For America website, and then decided not to apply, including this year. But according to the Ohio Department of Education, there's no path for me to alternative licensure without being hired by a school district first. I have all the content and methods classes I need for both Spanish and ESL (and probably technology, too, even though I didn't have them look at that). I just need to take the Praxis for both areas which I'm planning to do in September, and 12 semester hours more of classes. I'm looking for a new challenge and new experiences, and really, for some stability.

But, a job. I could live at home, substitute teach, and see if something works out. However, I have no desire to live in northwest Ohio, or even in Ohio. I could go back to UC full-time and pay out of my pocket for more than a year of classes in education, but seriously, I'll be paying for my undergraduate education for years to come and don't need to add more loans on top of that than I have to. This is where Teach For America starts to look good. Yes, I'm already an educator, but not a public school educator. I would love to live in many of the regions of the country that they're in, and be closer to universities that I could (and actually want) to do my doctorate at in the future. I've been applying to schools in North Carolina (highly recommended by various VIF program teachers who worked there and loved it) hoping to be able to find one that would accept me through lateral entry, but I think it's the wrong time of year. I know that T.F.A. has a lot of skeptics, some of who managed to dissuade me from applying before, but in the end I think it could be a good option for me.

Going back to the article, it mentions that the director of teacher education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education said that of the nation’s 1,300 graduate teacher training programs, only about 100 were doing a competent job and “the others could be shut down tomorrow.” The first year I was in El Salvador, I went to visit one of the other fellows that was in Xela, Guatemala and to present at a conference there. She had done her Master's at Monterey Institute of International Studies, and two of her professors were also visiting for the same conference. I'd always known that my Master's program wasn't everything that it should have been, but listening to my colleague and these professors, both well-known in the field of TESOL, talk about the good ole time at Monterey, my fears were confirmed. That was also about the time that I decided that a doctorate was for me, but that I needed to choose carefully.

There's so many things that I would like to do, and that I wished I had planned for, but now I know. I had imagined another year in Colombia, but being back here has opened my eyes. I'll keep trying, and when it happens, it happens!

San Sal Quick Trip

2009-08-17T22:31:00.000-05:00

Taking a break from interviews and filling out job applications, I decided at the last minute to go to El Salvador to visit with my husband and bring back my cat. Unfortunately the tickets weren't as cheap as they were the first time I looked, but Continental was recommended for pet travel anyways. Five days wasn't enough, but at least it was five days where I felt like I was at home again. Ohio still feels foreign to me after a month back. We spent the majority of the time running around to get papers for the cat (which by the way, no one ever checked in any of the airports), seeing friends, watching soccer games, and just enjoying being together. No news on Edwin's visa yet; it's apparently still "in the mail." We made it out to the beach on Sunday, which was empty since vacations had just ended.

Why do I feel at home in San Salvador, I wonder? I haven't lived there for a year, and still am not fond of its violence and crazy drivers, but how can you not love a place where you see guys on the corner holding large venomous caterpillars? Where the menu is painted on the wall and includes rabbit, iguana, armadillo, and turtle eggs? I love having the Pacific a half hour drive away, and same for mountains. I love the comfort food (sorbete, plantains, pupusas, beans, and such) even though I gained about a pound a day that I'll now have to run back off. I've been offered a job there, and am tempted, but I'm holding out for the US. What's meant to happen will happen, I suppose. El Salvador has so many problems that even though I want to be with my husband, I also want to be safe and finacially sound, and he agrees.

I'm also happy to note that there are still lots of nice people in airports, contrary to my previous international travel experiences. The cat's kennel/bag lost a zipper at the first security checkpoint in San Salvador when I had to take him out. A nice couple gave me all their safety pins and luggage locks, and helped me punch holes in the bag to try to keep it closed. This got me back to the gate, where a very nice police officer pulled out his leatherman and tried to fix the zipper, along with another airport employee. This didn't end up working, so he went and found someone from Continental to help. The Continental guy and a lady from the duty free shop next to the gate punched more holes in the bag and then laced packing tape through it. Thank you, friendly airport people! In Houston, other travelers helped me get the cat out and through security, thank you all, too! It's nice to be proven wrong about grumpy people in airports, and I had more enjoyable conversations in one day than I've had in the past four years traveling thanks to one pretty black and white Salvadoran cat (who was adopted from http://www.aranielsalvador.org/).

Casa de Alejandro Cotto

2009-08-02T10:05:00.004-05:00

Don Alejandro Cotto recently donated his house and museum in Suchitoto to CCSA (the institution I worked at for two years in the English Language Fellow Program). The structure needs a lot of physical work to bring it up-to-par, and CCSA doesn't have the resources to handle it on their own. Does anyone know where funding for such repairs can be found? One of my friends was asking me to see what I could find out, but that's certainly not my realm of expertise. Alejandro Cotto is well-known in Suchitoto and in El Salvador for supporting the arts and preserving the past of Suchitoto, as well as putting it on the map for tourists.

Here's the story, plus video, posted in El Diario de Hoy
http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=8615&idArt=3862723

and another article written about Don Cotto's house in La Prensa Grafica
http://www.laprensagrafica.net/reportero/nota.php?idcont=1771

Although Suchitoto is admittedly not one of my favorite places to visit in El Salvador unless it's after dark (think killer sun and not much breeze), this is an extremely important project for the town and for El Salvador.

Summer in Ohio

2009-08-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

Playing around with my new camera in the backyard.

2 Weeks Back

2009-08-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

After two weeks, I've had four interviews with universities and was invited to have a second interview with one of them. I've filled out more job applications than I can count (why, US universities, do you all use the same system, but force us humble job applicants to enter the same information over and over and over). I even applied for a job back in Bogota, although I doubt anything will come of it. I've spent some quality time trying to find out what I would have to do to get my teaching license in Ohio (not easy, even though I already have a Master's in TESL and the equivalent of an undergraduate degree in Spanish) and how much money I would have to spend to do this (too much). I also figured out that there are indeed other states where I could move and get a public school teaching job fairly easily (North Carolina, for example, which I need to find out more about). I wrote countless essays for a short-term Peace Corps TEFL training position, and re-examined what I'd have to do to join the foreign service (not yet, that's more in the long-term plan for me). I'm trying to figure out how to write a proposal for research that I think should be held at an ivy-league school (so out of my league, but it'd be a great learning experience) and how I can videotape myself teaching pronunciation now that I have no students and am semi-stuck in rural Ohio during everyone's summer vacation (teaching portfolio at http://erin.lowry.googlepages.com).

There are so many things that I'd forgotten about, like peach cobbler, root beer floats, and watering the plants. There's also a lot of things that you can't do without a job, like get a cell phone plan and buy a car (if you want loans). The first time I walked into Wal-mart, I literally felt sick to my stomach. It's so easy to get and accumulate "things" here, something I want to try to avoid if possible. I finally cleaned out the boxes that held all of my notes and papers from undergrad, which ended up being easier to part with than I thought it would. I've spent a lot of time talking to friends back in Colombia and El Salvador, along with some here. I think the shock of being back here might have been easier being in Cincinnati, so that at least I would have been in a city as opposed to a cornfield. Hopefully I'll find out early this week if I'm going to get one of these uni jobs, and will have a couple of days to run down to El Salvador to see my husband and collect my cat. Still no news on his visa, but the application should be in San Sal by now.

First reflections on years spent as an ELF

2009-07-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

With my final reports finally written, the expense reports in the mail, and a workload that now consists of job hunting, I've had a moment to reflect on the time that I've spent living in Latin America.

I'm thinking seriously about writing, not only to publish on teaching EFL, but for fun. I've learn a great deal about life and what it means to me, not only at a professional level, but personally as well. And what it means to other people. About the "perlas" both good and bad. I have more than four years of blogs and journals, sketches on pieces of napkin, and photos. It in no way can describe the experiences that I've had, and even less, those to come. What have I learned:

I'm finally ready to go back to school to do my doctorate. I'm reading again, a lot, and for fun, which is a good sign. I might have to export myself to a warm climate during breaks, but I wish I could start now.
Getting visas is never fun.
People take advantage of each other everywhere, but there are many life-long friends that I've made in the past four years. A friend is a friend, no matter for how little time you have known them. Those are the ones that you keep for life, and even if you only talk to them once a year, you always think about them, and make the effort to keep in touch.
I have opportunities, but then again, I don't. I regret having to leave a life that was in many respects much simpler and enjoyable. Money and material goods are most definitely not everything.
I've learned as much from others as I have taught them, if not more.
I will never permanently stay in the U.S., even though I may have to live here for a while. I am excited to be back in communities where I can play an active role as a volunteer.
Foreign service fascinates me, especially for being a career path that I had never even considered when I became a fellow.
I can indeed drive in other countries without killing myself or others, and I was setting up moto lessons when I left!
Simple is better. I'm in the process of downsizing all of my belongings now, and will avoid upsizing as long as I can.
There is really nothing better than Colombian coffee, no matter what Salvadorans say.
Just visiting a place doesn't allow you to know it. Neither does living there. I can't force anyone back home to understand what it means to live abroad. I can only tell them, and try to help them understand.
I now mumble to myself in Spanish rather than English.

This is just my preliminary list; I'm sure it will grow. I haven't even been back for a week yet, and have spent most of my time applying for jobs, but I've still got a lot left to say.

Museo del Oro in Bogota

2009-07-17T20:38:00.000-05:00

On my last day in Colombia, I decided to stop back at the gold museum in Bogota. I hadn't been there for three years, and wanted to check it out while I was killing some time before meeting a friend. I'm afraid I'm not nearly as stylish as the guys who wore these outfits, but the museum was much better than I remembered it being the last time!

Ciao Manizales

2009-07-15T06:04:00.007-05:00

You wake up, and for me, it's the feeling that everything's ending. It's like breaking up with someone, knowing that everything will never be the same again. The relationships you have with places are equally as difficult. I'll never feel the way about Cincinnati or Barranquilla like when I lived there the first time. Many of the people who were there who made it what it is for me have moved on, just as I have, and it's just not the same for it. A friend told me that you end up staying in touch with the people in life that you should, even if it's just once a year, and there's truth to this. But it's hard, to in the space of four days, realize that once again it's time to move on.

I'm leaving Manizales today, Colombia tomorrow. Although I know I'll never be gone permanently from Colombia, I don't know when I'll be back. Hopefully it won't be long. Now it's time to deal with reverse culture shock, to see family and friends, and find out what's next in line.

Caio Caio Manizales

2009-07-14T20:05:00.002-05:00

Dinner with some of my co-workers right before I left. Thanks Martica, Lucero, Olga, Patty, Carlos Ernesto, and Camilo!

One Week Left

2009-07-10T10:28:00.001-05:00

With one week left in my fellowship, I'm wondering what will come next. I'm also wondering how many dixie cups of tino (coffee) I have drank since last September (3 to 5 cups a day), and how much space those cups are taking up in the dump. And, how will I beat this coffee habit, and go back to nasty cafe americano? I don't think I'm quite ready to go back to living in the U.S., nor do I think this is the best time to be moving back.

I've had an interview and wrote a crazy projection plan for a job here in Manizales at a university. It'd be fun, I think, and I'd like to stay. It was something I was looking for, it kind of found me. Should find out on Friday if it's going to happen. I hope so, really. I like Manizales, and wouldn't mind staying. I'd kind of missed the craziness (like Once Caldas winning last week and the ensuing "civic" afternoon for celebrating).

Once Caldas Celebration

Yensy's Stuff

2009-06-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

Love what I can find through tweets...check out my friend Yeny's jewelry.

http://e-commercesa.blogspot.com/

La costa atlantica after 3 years

2009-06-17T19:13:00.000-05:00

Almost three years ago to date, I left the Atlantic coast of Colombia to join the English Language Fellow program. I had no idea that I'd ever go back after a year of living in Barranquilla and teaching at Universidad del Norte. It was a tough year, partially because Barranquilla is not exactly a paradise by any means, and because I was coming out of a six-year relationship with someone. I probably would have stayed a second year if I hadn't joined the ELF program, but I'm not sure how much I would have liked Colombia had I done that.

I've been in Manizales for 10 months now, and like it a lot. The people and the place have nothing in common with the coast. I began to remember while I was sitting in BOG waiting with all the costeños for the flight to leave. And getting off the plane at BQL, with trash all over the floor. And taking the circunvular and seeing all the dust and run-down buildings and traffic. All the people without homes. The stray dogs. The unkept streets. The arroyos. The brown-gray color of the water where the Magdalena meets the ocean (a friend who was still teaching in B'quilla refused to let him students use blue for the Magdalena, only brown or grey). Sure, there are some things that I'd missed, like being able to sit outside, wear sandals, and eat comida arabe. The way people speak. Music everywhere. But Manizales is much more like home for me.

May 30th, the day I left, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Leaving Manizales, the plane takes off and circles out over Chipre, then heads back towards Bogota. The view was unforgettable...the nevados in the background, with Manizales down in the valley, and nothing but green as far as I can see. Too bad most days you can't see anything!

Here's Grandfield, looking the same, but with another whole floor on his house and eating more than bread, cheese, and fruit. Friends that I miss.

You can see the disappearing beach near Puerto Colombia (global warming??). It used to be full of palapas. The pier is also in the distant, but half of it collapsed into the ocean because they didn't take care of it. Sigh.

In Cartagena I was suprised to find that some of the teachers in my workshops were guys that I'd met three years ago when a group from the University of Cincinnati came down for a course on applied linguistics. It was great to reconnect with them, and find out that my professor is bringing down another group this month for the same course. Maybe I'll get to use my silla ganadora from Avianca and go pay them a visit!

One new development in Barranquilla was that my friend Kathleen's husband, Jaime, had made a couple of vallenato songs/videos which aren't half bad (although I'm the first to admit that vallenato isn't my most favorite music ever). He's calling himself Jimmy now, which I found particularly amusing!

I went back and visited Uninorte, which was looking cute after adding some new buildings and some plants. I even had a generous job offer from another institution, but not enough to make me want to leave Manizales.

ELF Highlights: Barranquilla and Cartagena

2009-06-10T14:12:00.011-05:00

Highlight 18

Date: June 1-3, 2009

Title: ELF Visits Centro Cultural Colombo Americano in Barranquilla

Participants: 187

From June 1 to June 3, English Language Fellow Erin Lowry imparted a total of five workshops at the Centro Cultural Colombo Americano in Barranquilla. Three of these trainings, a total of six hours, were attended by 110 public school teachers from the city, and focused on how to teach pronunciation and vocabulary, as well as strategies for integrating technology in large classrooms with few resources. The local Secretary of Education paid a visit the first day as a part of Barranquilla Bilingue program, and diplomas were provided for teachers who attended all three workshops. In addition, two workshops were provided for Colombo teachers. The first, titled “Motivating Underachievers,” dealt with strategies for motivating students to learn English, in particular in the bilingual assistant programs at the binational center. The second workshop, “Ideas for Authentic Listening,” introduced teachers to new online resources for engaging students in listening activities, as well as new ways to teach using authentic songs and film.

Public school teachers share their experiences

Highlight 19

Date: June 4 & 5, 2009

Title: ELF Visits Centro Colombo Americano in Cartagena

Participants: 100

Senior English Language Fellow Erin Lowry spent two days in Cartagena giving workshops to teachers from the Centro Colombo Americano and the public sector. On the first day, Colombo teachers discussed the importance of syllabus and course design in the morning, and methods for teaching listening and speaking in the afternoon. An open house workshop on teaching vocabulary was scheduled for the second day for teachers from other educational institutions in Cartagena, but was unfortunately cancelled due to rain and flooding in the city.

Colombo Cartagena teachers discuss the relationship between course objectives and evaluation methods

Highlight 20

Date: June 3 & 5, 2009

Title: ELF Visits Escuela Superior de Administración Pública in Barranquilla and Cartagena

Participants: 61

Regional branches of the nationwide Escuela Superior de Administración Pública (ESAP) in Barranquilla and Cartagena were host to Senior English Language Fellow Erin Lowry on June 3rd and 5th, respectively. ESAP had invited teachers from both public and private sectors in each city to attend a workshop on Shaping the Way We Teach English, a teacher training program developed by the University of Oregon under request of the US Department of State’s Office of English Language Programs. Shaping is a tool designed to standardize teaching practices of English as a foreign language in countries. Participants were introduced to the materials, and worked through a portion of an example module dealing with teaching large classes. The materials, which include a trainer’s manual, DVDs with videos of classrooms from around the world, and a set of readings, were donated to all branches of ESAP that ELF Lowry has visited in the first half of 2009.

Public school participants in Barranquilla pose after a workshop teacher training materials

Teachers from various institutions in Cartagena discuss how they manage large classrooms of 35 to 60 students

Real academia de lengua guanaca

2009-05-26T21:00:00.000-05:00

Learn "spanish" with la abuela. The paisas got a kick out of all the crazy things my husband says.

My Birthday Jello

2009-05-25T21:52:00.000-05:00

No one knows how they get the flower inside of the jello, but it sure did taste good. And it didn't look like the other kind of gelatine from around here that actually looks like it's made of cow hoves. Uggh.

Rolling Meat

2009-05-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

Don't even want to think about how far they rolled all this meat, and how much crap ended up on the meat because none of it was covered.

Archivo Digital de Fotografía Historica de Caldas

2009-05-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

One of my friends is putting a lot of work into this, and I think it's pretty cool. It's a digital archive of photos from the department of Caldas. He's been traveling around to the different towns and going through their photo collections (and is always inviting me to go when I have to work, would have been a great way to see Caldas!). Colombia celebrates its bicentennial in 2010, and this is part of it all.

Check it out: http://fotodigitalcaldas.com/

French & Me

2009-05-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

I'm way past due to blog about my recent French-learning experiences. When I arrived in Manizales last September, I decided it was about time for me to get serious about learning a third language. I'd started to study before in San Sal, but didn't get very far. The place (we'll leave the name out) is right down the street from my house here, so I thought hey, why not. I'll learn another language, and have the chance to reflect on the language learning process.

In short, it's been horrible so far. I have class twice a week from 6:30 to 9:00. The first teacher wasn't a teacher (in that she really didn't teach), although she had a good command of the language. What I wasn't expecting was such a humongous focus on grammar. Whatever happened to learning a language to communicate? To speaking in class? Quite frankly, the first three months of what I "learned" I could have done at home by myself and online for free.

Why am I taking these classes then? If I don't have deadlines, I don't do anything. I tried to learn Italian at one point on my life, then Telegu, then continue studying German on my own...couldn't do it. Once I get to the point that I can read and listen at a decent level, that what I do. I remember when I was living in Zihuatanejo, I bought all the Harry Potters that there were at that point in Spanish and had a blast. I'm sure I'll get there with French, but for now...

I want to know who teaches these people to teach (or better, not to). The teacher I have right now is decent, but still, nothing spectacular. After class after class of grammar and following the book, I wonder what's up. These "teachers" are basically the same age as me. In many ways, Manizales is like seeing what the US was like 50 some years ago. Family is paramount here, and I respect that. But they also teach like we're living then, too. Grammar is an important part of language, but certainly not the most important. And where has context gone? Why should I have to write 80 words about Colombia's weather forecast for the upcoming month? Since when do meteorologists forecast for a whole month? And when will I ever have to use that?

Also, I don't think I ever want to go to France. Or Europe really (except for the eastern part or maybe to visit friends in Germany). Montreal, sure maybe, and Africa I really hope so! So....I want to learn about culture in these places, too. And what I really want is to be able to converse. We talk about English as an international language now, meaning that there's more than one right way to say things and think in a language. What about French?

I really do like the language, but I'm wondering if I can't find a better way to spend my money.

ELF Highlights: Cali ELT Conference

2009-05-14T08:15:00.001-05:00

I really should be posting these...at least I'll know that someone actually reads them if they're on the blog!

Name: Erin Lowry
State of Residence: Ohio
Country: Colombia
Host Institution: Centro Colombo Americano Manizales

Highlight 16
Date: May 8 & 9, 2009
Title: ELF Tells Tales at 17th Cali ELT Conference
Participants: 55

From children to adults, folktales have a certain ageless appeal. As EFL teachers, it can be a struggle to engage students in reading, and even more so in the writing process. How can teachers personalize what is taught and motivate their students to develop these skills? Retelling well-known stories and local fables is one such way. Some elements of folklore are common to all cultures, while others are distinctive. This workshop will provide participants with activities that combine the students’ knowledge of local tales, drama techniques, and the integration of skills along with the examination of cultural differences.

On May 8th and 9th, Senior English Language Fellow Erin Lowry traveled to the Colombo Americano in Cali to share two workshops at their 17th ELT Conference and Book Fair, titled “Best Practices in ELT.” 55 conference participants attended ELF Lowry’s workshops, where they shared tales, took part in various reading and writing activities using folk stories, and brainstormed ideas for using local stories in their own classes.

Escuela Marina Orth

2009-05-02T09:16:00.000-05:00

Check out the video clip on Morning Joe from MSNBC about the school and changes that have been occuring in Medellin. I did a workshop there a couple of weeks ago, and thought it was fabulous. Just have to figure out a way to move Manizales closer to Medellin so I can go back and volunteer!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/#30516600

Here's my highlight...

Date: April 13, 2009
Title: English Language Fellow Visits Escuela Marina Orth in Medellin
Participants: 18

Teachers from various content areas at Escuela Marina Orth, a public school on the outskirts of Medellin, spent three hours practicing their conversation skills with English Language Fellow Erin Lowry. Teachers discussed their difficulties with learning a new language, how their students feel about learning the English, and participated in various interactive activities to help them develop strategies for communicating in English language. The school was originally founded by former Peace Corps volunteer Maureen Orth, and teachers in all areas have weekly professional development time where they focus on learning the English and technology.

ELF Highlights: Medellin and Pereira

2009-04-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

Name: Erin Lowry
State of Residence: Ohio
Country: Colombia
Host Institution: Centro Colombo Americano Manizales

Highlight 14

Date: April 14, 2009
Title: Colombo Medellin Teachers Learn About New Technologies for Language Teaching
Participants: 78

On April 14, teachers at the Centro Colombo Americano in Medellin received 4 two-hour workshops from Senior English Language Fellow Erin Lowry. In the first set of workshops, titled EFL 2.0: An Overview of Technology for Teaching English, teachers were encouraged to share their beliefs about the use of various types of technologies in the teaching of foreign languages, and were given a general introduction to using tools such as blogs, wikis, webquests, and digital scrapbooking with their classes. In the second set of workshops, Implementing EFL 2.0, Colombo teachers were able to try out some of these tools and brainstorm ideas for implementing them in their teaching.

Highlight 15

Date: April 16 & 17, 2009
Title: Teachers in Pereira Learn About New Technologies for Language Teaching
Participants: 56

Senior English Language Fellow Erin Lowry traveled to Pereira to impart workshops to teachers at the Centro Colombo Americano and English language teachers in the city’s public school system. On April 16, ELF Lowry worked with a group of 40 school teachers on how to find and develop authentic listening activities for their classrooms. In small groups, the teachers created lesson plans and activity outlines to go along with songs and podcasts, and explored how they as language teachers can take advantage of online opportunities for developing their learners' listening skills using authentic audio materials. Ideas for creating interactive listening activities for large classes were also discussed. The next morning, Colombo Pereira teachers shared their ideas for integrating technology in the English language classroom and tried out various different free, online tools for teaching language.

Parque Nacional Los Nevados

2009-04-12T15:51:00.000-05:00

Edwin got here (Manizales) last Saturday for two and a half week vacation that includes semana santa. Although most of the week has consisted of playing with the new Macbook and watching movies, we also made it up to Parque Nacional Los Nevados.

Every morning when I get up, I look out the window to see if I can see the Nevado de Ruiz (which actually happens maybe once every ten days if I'm lucky). The park runs throughout parts of the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio, and Tolima, and has three major peaks that are snow-covered: Ruiz, Tolima, and Santa Isabel. On the first day we went up to the glacier-covered part of Ruiz, which is over 15,000 feet high. I was proud of myself that I didn't get altitude sickness, but Edwin didn't feel so great. We stayed two nights at El Cisne, which was chilly but fun (except for the the ghost stories that Edwin and Camilo told that didn't let me sleep). The second day we went to Laguna Verde...nice, but foggy!

I'm sorry that I waited this long to go to the park, and will be sure to go back the next long weekend we have!

More of my comments on volunteering abroad

2009-03-28T13:33:00.000-05:00

I got an email a while back from the University of Cincinnati about alternative spring break trips they have going on this year. I went on one of these when I was doing my Master's, to Reynosa, Mexcio. We were helping build dorms and church roofs with a church right across the boarder from McAllen. It was undoubtedly one of the worst travel experiences I've ever had. I'd lived in Mexico before I went on this trip, and knew what to expect. Most of us had little to no experience working at a construction site, and I was the only one who spoke Spanish fluently. We ate peanut butter and jelly (note: most people I've met in Latin America have a strange aversion to peanut butter). We brought all the food, or ate at malls. We didn't really go out in Reynosa. We went to Monterrey and Saltillo, but didn't spend much time there. We went to a cave. It was Mexico, minus Mexican culture, language, food, everything there is to love about the country and its people. The only thing worse I've seen is Cancun, which might as well be Florida at this point.

So, this year they're also going to El Salvador, to La Libertad. They're paying $1,200 and staying a week. I'm familiar with the projects they working on. I don't disagree that there's a need, and that it's good for people to get to know El Sal. But how far could that $1,200 go if it were just donated? And how much of this do we do just to feel good about ourselves and to get to go to the beach? I hope they don't have matching t-shirts. I hope they learn some Spanish. I hope some of them go back and stay, not for vacation, but to live, to work, to really get to know the place. And please, I hope someone tells them that undercurrents and jellyfish are a real thing, and that the beach isn't necessarily safe.

Here's a portion of the mail. Like I said, I understand why people go on these trips, but in the long-run...

The UC student organization Serve Beyond Cincinnati is organizing three trips. Serve Beyond Cincinnati (SBC) strives to build an emerging, civic-minded generation by providing national and international service experiences for UC students. All trips depart Cincinnati on March 20 and return on March 28.

La Libertad, El Salvador – Thirteen UC students will represent SBC as they join the Fuller Center for Housing’s 100 House Village Project. The project provides secure homes for families in need. Each of the students has raised $1,200 to cover their cost of the trip.

Reynosa, Mexico – Ten student members of SBC will travel to northern Mexico to assist in construction projects ranging from building homes and school buildings to building bathrooms and cultivating gardens. The cost of the trip per student is $1,100.

Minden, La. – Nine students will assist families in Louisiana as they help build and refurbish homes and assist with other projects. The cost of the trip per student is $300.

The Shocking Shower

2009-03-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

This my disclaimer on my shocking shower, just in case it ever does full-on electrocute me. To begin with I had a finicky gas-heated shower, that sometimses worked and sometimes didn't. It died, I heated water on the stove for two weeks, and then finally I got this. The red wire runs up and under the light bulb. Needless to say, I think the guys who installed it were still drunk from the night before, and they forgot to ground it. So, every 30 seconds or so it shocked me. They came back, added a ground, and it was okay for a week or so. Now it's back to shocking me, worse than before! They fixed the gas two days ago, but didn't take off the electric part...gotta love Manizales!

Salento Visit

2009-03-01T17:18:00.003-05:00

I'd been to Salento and Valle de Cocora before, but this time it was much more enjoyable! It remains one of my favorite places in Colombia.
Palmas de cera, the main attraction at Valle de Cocora

One of many hummingbirds we saw at the Acaime Reserve

I'd been to Salento and Valle de Cocora before, but this time it was much more enjoyable!

Maria Elena's where we stayed. She also makes her own jams, which taste like jams are supposed to. It's nice to be reminded of how hospitable people are in the eje cafetero. We also met an older lady, Lia I think, who sold me a beautiful scarf, and who told us the story of how she had recently been reunited with the love of her life who she hadn't seen for forty some years.

Yum, river trout, even if it's farmed and not really native.

Views of the Nevado

2009-03-01T17:08:00.000-05:00

The Nevado at dusk, from the Colombo. Also a sign that I need to get a new camera that can take pictures this time of day.

The Nevado the next morning. It was like this for several days, which I fully enjoyed since I hadn't seen it since I'd arrived in Manizales

Things I'm Thankful For

2009-03-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

I ran across this article, Too Many Innocents Abroad, when I was reading the Times this morning. It reminded me of why I chose to do AmeriCorps instead of Peace Corps.

In Cameroon, we had many volunteers sent to serve in the agriculture program whose only experience was puttering around in their mom and dad’s backyard during high school. I wrote to our headquarters in Washington to ask if anyone had considered how an American farmer would feel if a fresh-out-of-college Cameroonian with a liberal arts degree who had occasionally visited Grandma’s cassava plot were sent to Iowa to consult on pig-raising techniques learned in a three-month crash course. I’m pretty sure the American farmer would see it as a publicity stunt and a bunch of hooey, but I never heard back from headquarters.

When Peace Corps finally offered me a position as a volunteer in 2003, it was working with agriculture in South America. Not only did I have no interest in this (or much knowledge), I knew that as a female in Bolivia or whever it was that they wanted to send me, I would have little to no impact. I'd already lived in Mexico by then, and remember thinking what a waste it would be for me to do that job.

This lack of organizational introspection allows the agency to continue sending, for example, unqualified volunteers to teach English when nearly every developing country could easily find high-caliber English teachers among its own population. Even after Cameroonian teachers and education officials ranked English instruction as their lowest priority (after help with computer literacy, math and science, for example), headquarters in Washington continued to send trainees with little or no classroom experience to teach English in Cameroonian schools. One volunteer told me that the only possible reason he could think of for having been selected was that he was a native English speaker.

This is one of my arguments now. I gave several trainings for incoming and in-service PCVs in El Salvador, many of which would end up teaching English. Because of the 2021 bilingual plan in the public schools, there was a huge need for teachers to learn more of the language, but there was no country-wide plan that I ever saw. I did meet volunteers who did excellent jobs of working with this, but they were usually a little bit older, or in a Master's international program. Here in Manizales, they want to bring native speakers to be in the schools, but their teachers should come first. It may take several years to bring them all to the level of language and methodology that they need, but I've met some excellent, excellent public school teachers here. Sometimes I feel like it's degrading to my own career...if all you have to be is a native speaker to teach English, then why did I get my Master's and why do have to be certified in the U.S. to teach (it's not like this everywhere here, I'm more reacting to what I've seen going on in Central America with Peace Corps and English language teaching).

Recinto del Pensamiento

2009-03-01T08:04:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to seeing the Recinto de Pensamiento outside of Manizales, after months of rain and me being lazy.

Playa El Pimental

2009-01-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

Hundreds of sand dollars at Playa Pimental.

Barra de Santiago

2009-01-03T20:51:00.000-05:00

Barra de Santiago was a quick stop on the way back from Safari Chapin. If the hotel had taken credit cards, we would have stayed. Ni well.

Traffic Rant

2009-01-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

Just now, on our way back to Edwin's house in Soyapango, we saw yet another pedestrian hit by a car. It was on the other side of the boulevard, right in front of Plaza Mundo and the Hiper. Ironic, because there was not only one, but two pedestrian bridges right above this guy. The traffic is always, always horrible at this spot, but yet people are still don't use the bridges. They'd rather take their chances with the traffic. And the worst of it is that the person driving the car who hit him is at fault here. They'll most likely go to jail, as that's what the law stipulates. Although I don't know exactly how it happened, I'll bet they didn't even see him. It's dark, there's tons of buses right there. The guy wasn't exactly dressed in light colors you could see.

That's the law that scares me the most here. If some drunken fool walks out into the highway in front of me while I'm driving, it's my fault. If some lady climbs over the cement barrier dividing in the road and falls in front of me, it's my fault. I've never seen this many accidents in my life--pedestrians, drunk drivers, going way too fast. Awesome.

Pólvora, Cuetes, Cuetillos...Nasty

2008-12-24T13:49:00.003-05:00

At 10:30 am on Wednesday, December 24, the Ministry of Social Protection (of Health, I suppose) in Colombia, had registered 186 cases on burns from fireworks. 111 of these were children, 75 were adults, and 3 died (http://www.minproteccionsocial.gov.co/VBeContent/NewsDetail.asp?ID=18170&IDCompany=3). The sale of pólvora is outlawed, apparently. I was watching the news one morning in Manizales, and there was a story about parents who had allowed there children to set off firecrackers and such in the street unattended. The police caught them in the act, and the parents now have to do community service, along with having their faces smeared all over the news (a big deal in a small town, I imagine).

Too bad they don't do the same in San Salvador. In my post from last Christmas, you can see the sky the morning after New Year's Eve. Disgusting. And Christmas Eve is no better. I understand why people like fireworks, but to have every one set off firecrackers, bottle rockets, etc for a whole evening is just too much. Sorry, they're not for children, especially not unattended children, and even less for drunken adults. Yes, it's a tradition here, but it was in Manizales, too. They got over it. There's a to-buy-or-not-to buy article in Tuesday's La Prensa Grafica, and one about what our lungs would ask for for Christmas (we know it's not cuetes for sure). I myself will be hiding inside someplace, wishing the sky were gray because of snow and not pollution from pólvora (can you imagine how many firecrackers and snakes one would have to set off to make the sky still gray the next morning??).

Views from Chipre

2008-12-08T18:07:00.003-05:00

Pics from walking around in the Chipre neighborhood in Manizales, and from the water tower.

Flowers, Flowers

2008-12-08T17:42:00.004-05:00

One great thing about living in Manizales is that I can have beautiful, fresh flowers every week, which at their most expensive are no more than $4.

More Manizales Christmas

2008-12-08T17:36:00.011-05:00

These are more of the Christmas decorations that are all around the city (well, somewhat around the city). I especially like the cow. There was also an awesome hot air balloon that was lit up yesterday, and a humongous moon on the top of cerro San Cansio (odd, but interesting, since there's nothing else up there).

I'll be in Cali the night before I head back to El Sal, so I think I have no choice but to stay by the river and all the lights there (awesome). I was there in 2006 for the feria, but just realized that I never posted the pics, even though the majority of them didn't turn out. Oppps.

Velitas

2008-12-08T11:12:00.003-05:00

Velitas is a traditional Colombian celebration that takes place on the night of December 7, or in the morning on the 8th (or the night of the 7th & 8th in Manizales). It marks the immaculate conception, as well as the beginning of Christmas festivities. There were streets where every house has Christmas lights and decorations, in addition to putting paper laterns (farolitos), lumieres, or just candles stuck to the cement. Beautiful. Time to get a new camera that takes good night pics.

I could work at a newspaper, too

2008-12-02T08:07:00.003-05:00

This is our wedding announcement that ran in the Findlay Courier today. See my comments in red, like a good little teacher. I'm highly amused, even though I know my mom just made up some of it because they wanted that information.

Lowry-Vasques Vasques is not my husband's last name, Lopez is. Vasquezzzzzzzzzz is the second last name. But hey, they got my last name right, which was more than the San Salvador alcaldia could do in a month.

Erin Kay Lowry, of Manizales, Colombia (I'm most definitely not Colombian, and even more definitely NOT paisa), and Edwin Vladimir Lopez Vasques, of San Salvador, El Salvador were married Nov. 10 (we were married November 8, and then that was the religous wedding; we were actually married civilly June 21) at Ranco (Rancho, hello, like ranch) Estero y Mar in the department of La Paz, El Pimental Beach.

The officiants were Joses David Ramirez and Gregory Hunt.

A reception followed.

The bride's maid of honor was Consuelo Rivas. Best man was Josue Arevalo.

The bride wore an off-the-shoulder satin (I was wearing satin??) dress covered with pleated organza. She carried a bouquet of tropical flowers.

The bride is the daughter of Darrell and Linda Lowry of Bluffton. A graduate of Cory-Rawson High School, she studied informational systems (capitalize please) and Spanish at the University of Cincinnati as an undergraduate and received a master's (capitalize please) degree in English as a second language(not sure when native speakers of English study their own language as a second language, but okay). She is employed at the English Language Fellowship (Fellow) Program.

The groom is the son of Blanco Angelica Vasques of San Salvador, El Salvador. He received a bachelor's (capitalize please) degree in business administration (capitalize please) from the Universidad Politecnica de El Salvador and is employed in the customs department of the government of El Salvador.

The couple traveled to Roatan, Honduras on their honeymoon. They will live in Central America. (this is quite frankly news to me!)

Note: This is also why I read the Times and watch BBC in the morning unless I want to know how the Buckeyes are doing.

Colombo Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T19:58:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving, with turkey and most other necessary foods.

My fifteen pounds of mashed potatoes. Never want to see potatoes again (at least til next year).

Trip to Colombo Armenia

2008-11-29T19:13:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday I went to Armenia, about 2. 5 hours on very very curvy mountain roads from Manizales, to do a workshop on learner autonomy at the Colombo there. The workshop went well, and it was warmer in Armenia than here, so all and all happy.

The best part of the trip was the finca that I stayed at, El Balso. When I called to make a reservation the day before, one of the owners just laughed and said they would come get me at the Colombo and that was all the reservation I needed. Her husband, Don Julian, all of seventy-something years, came to get me, bought me dinner, told me about the plantation, and then drove me out to the finca in a downpour that didn't end for more than twelve hours.

The finca still produces coffee and platano, and is gorgeous to say the least. Even though the Panamerican was probably less than a kilometer away, the silence was deafening after the noise of my apartment. I don't know the last time I've had coffee that good, and breakfast was fabulous, with fruit grown right there. I love the architecture, the colors, everything. And all for $85.000 pesos (more or less $40). I'd just randomly picked the place, but turns out I'd read about it the Times several years ago (http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/travel/12coffee.html?scp=2&sq=el%20balso&st=cse).

Pre-election work fun

2008-11-29T19:07:00.001-05:00

Even though I missed out by not being at work for election day, I did get to enjoy the pre-election day fun. The EducationUSA advisor and I made info boards for both candidates, and the teachers and students actually used them.

I also learned the Obama really is a lot taller than McCain!

More Wedding Pics

2008-11-20T13:10:00.000-05:00

The Wedding

2008-11-14T16:10:00.004-05:00

I'll add more pictures as I can. Despite my serious doubts, the wedding turned out great. We had the live music (Tierra Caliente), it wasn't high tide (although I seriously believe that the hotel should acquire tide charts), and I could pay with my credit card (instead of carrying a very large wad of bills with me to the beach). The sunset was perfect, the flowers, even the crazy sealife cake...wow....and soooo much cheaper than home! I now have a small fortune in makeup that I don't know how to use/am too lazy too use, but thanks Quyen, I looked awesome! I learned my lesson about inviting people though. They may say yes, but change their minds at the last minute, or simply just not tell you. Hmmm. Oh well.

I needed a break from chilly, rainy Manizales, and this was just the ticket. I only wish that I'd had longer than two weeks, but work calls!

Operation Canadian Santa

2008-10-24T11:49:00.002-05:00

Check out what Santa's doing this year at http://operationcanadiansanta.blogspot.com/

Christmas 2007

From Christmas with Centro Cultural Salvadoreño Americano

Las estatuas humanas miran a Manizales

2008-10-13T20:24:00.001-05:00

This was the only thing I saw that was part of the Festival de Teatro de Manizales. I'd forgotten about these guys, that would stand in front of the cars while they were stopped at the traffic lights in Barranquilla, and on the corners up by Buenavista. Also, not so fortunately, I was re-introduced to Colombian mimes. Mimes, don't make any noise, right? Not Colombian mimes...they squeak like a dog's plastic toys!

The Good and the Bad (but more Good or Amusing)

2008-09-23T21:05:00.007-05:00

After two years away from Colombia, there's many things that I'm happy to have again, like good coffee, good music, libraries, and decent public transportation including Jeep Willys that are at least thirty or forty years old. Cheap food. Good fruits and veggies. Cultural events. Fresh flowers. Artesanias. The termales. Beautiful countryside that I don't want to stop looking at even to take a picture. An empleada to wash and iron my clothes every week and clean the apartment (this is not because I'm lazy, but because it's so cheap and people need work). There are some other things that I wish had gotten better in that time, such as:

Driving. Put a taxi driver on a mountainous road, and I'm bound to feel sick within 5 minutes. Taxi drivers who insist on asking where you're from as soon as you get into the taxi and then propose marriage. Good thing is they believe I'm from all kinds of strange places that I'm not, which can be fun.
Bagging grocies at the supermarket. The baggers love tying the handles in knots that makes the bags hard to carry. They're also very good at putting way too much or way too little in one bag.
Starting on time.
Building sidewalks and entrances....bathroom and indoor tile gets slippery when it's wet don't you know.
Banks. After one month my Bancolombia account still isn't working right.
Building in general. I can hear everything going on in my brand-new aparment building, everything.
Customer service for television/Internet/gas. Especially since it's outrageously expensive.

Granted, these things don't really make me mad, they just make me sigh and say, "Colombia!" There's many things in Manizales that are better than they were on the coast, like the DAS (who smiling at me and flirted while giving me my cedula instead of scowling and mumbling), and the roads, which are well taken care of and clean.

Crazy Manizales Weather

2008-09-10T18:03:00.007-05:00

So, apparently weather here changes on a dime, and flying in and out will always be a bit of a problem. The airport runway is set up in the mountains almost, so rain, clouds, you name it, it closes. It can go from sunny and 75 in the morning to freezing and raining in the afternoon. Wouldn't be so bad, but how do you dress? I find myself most of the time with a scarf and coat, which I may need when I put it on and then not need it anymore in twenty minutes. And even more interesting is that a couple minutes "down the mountain" and it's warmer and not so crazy. There's only been one morning here so far that I've been able to see the Nevado from my window. Alex and her friend came for two days, so I got to go to the termales (hot springs) for a little while which made up for the cold, although it was also a reminder that Colombian taxi drivers are certified crazy.

In Manizales

2008-09-10T08:14:00.007-05:00

Arriving in Manizales was a little bit of a trip, and a reminder of how different life in Colombia is from C.A. It wasn’t the first time I’d been a flight where an airport was closed for bad weather, but it is the first time they didn’t fly us to our final destination! The plane landed in Pereria a half hour late, and then Aires proceeded to put us all in a little buseta with the luggage stacked on top. I was supposed to have arrived in Manizales at 4:45, but ended up getting there around 9. No problem, but wouldn’t it make sense that if a flight is paid for they actually fly you there? Just curious, not angry, and more than a little sore by the time I got there...love being back in Colombia!

Manizales is much colder than it was when I was here two years ago for semana santa. The wool coat and scarf I got in Bogota were excellent purchases, even if I didn't end up doing much else there. It’s rained every day and for a good part of the day except for today (Saturday). I like being able to walk from place to place here, and the San Francisco-like streets are going to give me some nice calves after 10 months! The apartestudio that the Colombo had waiting for me is more than cute, and co-workers have been great so far. I went on a cold-weather chiva (same idea as warm weather, but just not the same), and have been happily falling asleep every night to my neighbor’s blaring vallenato and salsa. There’re seven universities here, so the city feels and looks young, and there’s so many events going on that my head is spinning, especially after two years in San Sal. Overall, people are so very nice. Work is a little slow for me now, trying to get used to a new schedule and the general chilliness (most definitely going to have yellow teeth from drinking large quantities of yummy coffee!).

Food is much cheaper here than I’ve become (re)accustomed to, but I’m going tohave to bring back a large bottle of hot sauce! I love being able to call friends here again, and my first visitor will be here in less than a week! Next week is the regional ELT conference in Pereria, which I need to get working on, but I'm still feeling a little conferenced-out after July. Other than that, my time is occupied cooking and reading, talking to Edwin through Skype, and some walking around if it's not raining.

My Friends Paterna and Anona

2008-09-01T17:01:00.000-05:00

More fruits that I'll miss from El Salvador, anona and paterna.

What's in Erin's Suitcases

2008-08-30T09:54:00.004-05:00

Changing apartments, cities, and continents is never fun, especially when you have to fit everything into more or less two 50 pound bags. I've been packing and travelling and repacking for about a month and a half now. Earlier this week I went back to Ohio for two days for the final switch of stuff, and am now in Bogota feeling like doing nothing but sleeping (sad because I love Bogota and because I'm not even motivated enough to go out and buy a new SIM card so I can call friends here). I left piles and piles of stuff in San Sal with Edwin and with Silvio that I'll try to retrieve later on, but not sure how. I'm not even sure how I'm going to get my bags to Manizales since the weight limit on national flights is much lower than international, but I don't think I'm allowed to take the bus anymore (or at least I can't tell anyone if I do). I can basically take me, my computer, and some clothes. Rest I guess will go courier since even my carryon is double the weight limit of 15 kilos.

I did go out yesterday to eat and shop with Jose...great day, didn't rain, and it was actually a little warm! I finally found the mandatory coat and scarf and had fun criticizing all of the boot styles the bogotanas are wearing (all with pants tucked inside or with leggings...felt like the eighties again). I also discovered that most of the music I had added to my ipod was mistakenly erased by Edwin. All of my salsa and merengue...gone for the next year since the cds are in Ohio. This makes me verrrrrrry sad. Time for San Andrecito I guess. I need to catch up on my Colombian movies, too. Just looking forward to Tuesday and Wednesday so I can unpack and get settled.

More caliche

2008-08-14T21:45:00.009-05:00

Continuing on with the words that start with "c" that may or may not exist anywhere other than El Salvador. Happy to say that this is not only problematic for me, but also for other Spanish speakers that are not from here.

cachudo- devil
Deja de mencionar el cachudo.

chapudo- red-colored
Estas chapuda. (What people say to me after I go to the beach or really anywhere outside here)

chompipe- turkey (like Thanksgiving dinner)

chulunco- too short (like pants)
Me queda chulunco.

El Salvador Impresionante

2008-08-13T22:24:00.006-05:00

Someone at work gave me this first video of El Salvador made by CORSATUR. It has some horribly cheesy moments that I thought were worth sharing. Why cheesy? It shows the airport...without people. 49 Av. Sur/Los Heroes...without cars, or people, or bus. Other major streets and places...with no one. Reminded me of the first Colombia es pasion videos that I saw

The second clip has some more cheese...two goofy chelitos.

Here's some other (better) short commercials from MiTur. I've actually acquired a lot of nice info from MiTur. I've gotten bags with nice up-to-date tourist info at two conferences now.

Fiestas agostinas

2008-08-10T17:33:00.010-05:00

August 1-6 was vacation finally this year, after two years of missing San Sal's yearly celebrations. I think it's the first "real" vacation time I've spent here in El Salvador (as opposed to running away as quickly as I can to other countries). Here's what happened on my vacation:

1. Went to El Imposible for the second time and watched Edwin's family all be as afraid of insects as he is. Watched them kill these insects. Saw a 6 year old beat me back up the trail. Next time maybe we'll get to the 8 km path. You could see the coastline looking back down...Barra de Santiago, Costa Azul, etc. Beautiful. I was happy that the 2 hours on the stone road going up to the park didn't kill my car or the rental.

2.Went to the feria de consuma twice and ate all kinds of things that were definitely not good for me, but they sure tasted good. There were lots of nice indigo artesanias that were more than just simply tie-dyed (me wearing some in the last pic) at decent prices and now I know where to find some of the talleres.

3.Went to Joya de Ceren and San Andres with Maria Eugenia, Paulina, and Kevin. Saw corn preserved in volcanic ash. Note the building in the back of the first pic...that was the family's sauna (these were some short people).

4.On the same day went to El Boqueron and Puerta del Diablo with Edwin and Kevin.

5.Danced.

6.Reserved the place for the wedding and went there to try the food.

7. Attempted to pack up some of my apartment (again), which wasn't particularly successful (again).

Biblioteca itinerante

2008-07-15T09:55:00.007-05:00

You can read about the Biblioteca itinerante in La Paz and in Yucuaiquin, which I don't know why I haven't taken the time to write about before. It's a joint project between the embassy and the Centro Cultural Salvadoreño Americano, which basically amounts to being a Bookmobile without the vehicle. The set of books stays in a casa de cultural for a month, where they are available to the surrounding schools and general public. I've gone to the openings off and on since I lived in San Miguel, and it's been a great way to get to know more of the pueblos of El Salvador as well as proving that I'm not a good extemporaneous speaker in Spanish and that try as I might I'll probably never get protocolo down. Above all, it provided me with fabulous television appearances where I would then go to the Charlaix to run and people would say, "hey, I saw you on the news yesterday!" These are pics from Paraiso de Osorio in La Paz, Ciudad Barrios in San Miguel (where I wanted to borrow all the books I haven't read since maybe sixth grade), and Chinameca in San Miguel (where they gave me some yummy totopos).

Gift giving and packing

2008-07-15T08:58:00.005-05:00

I remember being envious of my mother when I was younger. Every time there was a holiday, and especially Christmas, she would come home with piles of gifts from her students. I've received many presents in my time here in El Salvador, but I think that the most valuable gift that I've been given here is that of thanks. A simple, "thank you for making my job easier," or, "I've learned a lot from you," is much more meaningful than any gift certificate or detalle, as they're called here, could ever be. I wish I could say that all of the projects that I've had at CCSA in the past two years could have been completed successfully, but that's not the only goal of the ELF program. In addition to enhancing English teaching capacity, mutual understanding and sharing between cultures is one of the objectives of our time. In that sense, being able to share perspectives and ideas with my coworkers--teachers, administrators, and facilities management alike--has been even more fulfilling as the project work itself. Although it's nice to receive a diploma or envelope from the institution thanking me for my work as an ELF, the simple gift of thanks from those I work with daily is what I will always keep with me.

When gifts are given, I always think "and how exactly am I going to fit this in my suitcase?" It's amazing how many things one acquires in the space of two years, and how every time I travel, the weight limit has gone down even more. I weigh, take out, weight again, take out again. I'm no longer traveling with bathroom supplies or books. I can scan a piece of paper or part of a book, but the rest has to stay.

I also have to figure out what to do with the gatito, since I can't take him to Colombia with me until I find out all the rules on Avianca and see if the apartment they got me will allow me to have a cat. It's expensive, especially for such a short period of time, and I have no idea how much I'll be traveling.

National Conference for Teachers of English in El Salvador

2008-07-12T09:26:00.006-05:00

For months we'd been planning the 10th National Conference for Teachers of English (NCTE) and of course the week it happens is the week I would get sick! Like having a party and not being able to enjoy it (missing talking to A LOT of people I wanted to meet or catch up with, missed the reception, missed ALL of the concurrent sessions that I really did want to see). I spent most of Tuesday in a blur...mc'd for a while and sounded like a frog...went to lunch with Kay where I don't think we actually talked about my projects, but didn't need to anyways...bought more artesanias that I'm not sure how I'm going to get home. I also didn't get any good pictures, so I'm going to have to see if I can borrow some from someone else. I did get to hear the ambassador speak for the first time since he got here and caught two good plenaries from Jodi Crandall and Joan Shin.

This was the last "official" project for me as an ELF at the Centro Cultural Salvadoreño Americano and I'm happy to say that it went well. There was a little over 200 teachers in attendance not including the 49 presenters and 39 people on the control committee, and would have been more if not for the ministry. Quite a few people came from UMBC to present and help out, which has been great for me as well since I can pelt them with questions about the doctoral program I'm interested in there. I'm sure I'll be back in El Salvador in the future, but I'm a bit sad to be done.

We also had four post-conference institutes. I had 15 people in mine on Strategies for Integrating Technology in Language Learning, where we had 10 hours of learning how to find resources online and develop activities and lessons using technology. One of the students even won an iPod shuffle while we were talking about podcasting! I've heard excellent comments from the participants in Jodi Crandall and Joan Shin's institutes as well. I was able to sponsor 20 teachers to attend the conference and one post-conference institute with my activities allowance and another 20 were sponsored by the embassy.

Hospital Fun

2008-07-09T19:27:00.003-05:00

I finally had to break down and take myself to the doctor after waking up this morning with a fever and nasty sinusitis. So, I headed back to the hospital I took a friend to last year, Profamilia. I guess I'd never noticed that it's mostly a maternity hospital. Very nice people, as before, but I really got a kick out of the sign hanging in the waiting room that lists their commonly offered services and the prices. So, for my general consultation it was $5.75. You could also have a STD consultation for $5.75 or your tubes tied for the mere price of $39.95 (male version I think was $34.95). Pap smear for $4 and something (the nurse tried to sell me on this one). Awesome! Way better and far more amusing than the general physical I had to pay for with one of the post-recommended doctors which came out to around $200 in the end just to fill out some papers.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-05T08:49:00.003-05:00

After getting soaked to the bone the night before at the embassy's party, at least there was a little bit of sun for the kiddies to dance. We taught them the Virginia Reel, since they came on the 3rd and said they needed to learn how to "square dance." The last time I'd done square dancing of any kind was at the Appalachian Studies Association's conference back when I was still in AmeriCorps, but luckily the students are quick learners and good at inventing. It was the most country music I'd heard in a long time, and songs that were from the early to mid 90s. This fourth was significantly more fourth-like, with ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs (with cole slaw on them...new for me and don't think I'll try it again). Even fireworks, although there was a humongous tree blocking the view...

Trash, trash everywhere (but the garbage can)

2008-07-01T09:59:00.003-05:00

I'd heard a lot about the trashy group of PCVs that's been getting on buses to talk about the littering problem in El Salvador from various different people, and now here it is on You Tube! Much more effective than the teeth-clenching I've done the few times I've taken the bus from San Miguel to San Sal.

Edwin quickly discovered that he can't throw his trash out the car window anymore or I'll start screaming. Now he just has fun with me by opening the window and threatening to drop whatever it is. They make a good point really...trash = money here. Sometime last year I was going someplace with one of the drivers from CCSA and on the way we stopped to drop off a couple of bags of soda cans. There's no recycle bins at work, so the cans had been picked out of the trash (silly, since many educational institutions and otherwise have separate bins at least for organics and inorganics). I think there was three trash bags full and he got some $30 for them! I even took pictures of the bins at other binational centers and made a recycled paper box in supervision, but still no separate bins for the cans.

Honeymoon in Roatan

2008-06-30T11:17:00.002-05:00

After it finally occurred to me to ask Marjorie, who lived in Roatan for a while, where to stay, we finally found affordable options that weren't for backpackers. I'd gotten to the point with package deals where I figured it'd be better to save and take a trip sometime later, but Edwin had already asked for the vacation days. In the end, we got a deal on the flights for about $212 a piece on Taca, and found a decent place to stay that was only $55 a night instead of the $140 or so most of the places in West Bay are. That meant we could stay four nights instead of two and have a direct flight back to San Sal on Sunday. And....I didn't want to leave. Roatan was great!

We didn't really do anything special, just rented a moto and got sunburnt. But it was awesome. I forget sometimes how small Central America really is. It was only a forty minute flight from Roatan back to El Salvador on Sunday, from the Caribbean to the Pacific.

The (first) wedding weekend

2008-06-24T21:20:00.004-05:00

So, I am now officially civilly married in El Salvador! We signed the papers Saturday morning at 10 in the CCSA board room, which ended up being a little awkward in many ways, but some of that we didn't find out until later. We walked in and I was a little confused because no one was around, I mean no one, which is not at all normal for a Saturday morning there. Come to find out they'd been planning some food and all for us, but then one of my co-workers found out her partner had
passed away minutes before we got there. Hence the sad looks on the few people's faces that were still there, but I didn't find out until Monday.

So, we signed along with the two testigos, Josue and Consuelo, went to buy shirts for Sunday's El Salvador-Panama game, and headed off to Suchitoto to take a ride around the lake. I'd never really wanted to go there before since Suchitoto is always hot to the point that I feel sick afterwards, but I gave in. The lake, Suchitlan (Suchitoto + Cuscatlan according to our lovely guide Jose, and as dubbed by the famous Mr. Coto), is actually man-made reservoir of types. It was created in 1973 , and you can still see the remains of the haciendas and cantones that were covered by the lake. Quite interesting. It's also home for many types of birds.

Sunday afternoon we headed to the stadium. It was my first soccer game since I left Colombia two years ago, so I was excited. We saw one of my ex-ILEA students, so I got to introduce Edwin as "my esposo" for the first time. We got soaked in the rain, but El Salvador won 3-1. It was semi-worth the $40 tickets, but made me miss Barranquilla and Junior. At least I got a nasty wet kiss in the ear from the very drunk guy sitting in front of us!

Wednesday we'll be off to Roatan for a last-minute, semi-planned honeymoon!

Parque El Boquerón

2008-06-20T17:13:00.004-05:00

Last week the new Parque El Boquerón opened. El Boquerón is the most visible crater of the San Salvador volcano (there's also the Picacho and Jabali peaks which are remnants). I've wanted to go for a while, but the piece of the road that goes up to the crater was not so nice and rather dangerous up until now. You still can't walk all the way around the rim without a guide, so I was a little disappointed, but it was nice to be outdoors anyways. Yensy and I had fun buying veggies and some really strange-looking raspberries, and the atol de elote that I've been wanting for so long. It's a good thing we went a bit early though, since around 11 lots of people starting coming in.

You can also read more about the park in the Diario de Hoy's article.

Random Thoughts

2008-06-20T16:11:00.003-05:00

On Professional Clothing:

When looking for an interview suit about two months ago, Edwin and I came to the following conclusion: there aren't many places here that sell professional clothing for women. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised; female newscasters and tv reporters here sometimes look like they're dressed up to go to a club. It really hit me when we started looking for a suit for him, though. In Siman (local "nice" department store), I can get the equivalent of a suit from K-mart or Wal-mart, or at the very best, Kohl's, for maybe two to three times the price. But for men's suits in Siman, there you have some choices. Why is it like this? Even though it might not be true, there are many more men in power positions here than woman. So, women don't need nice suits, since apparently they aren't professionals.

On Things that I Haven't Done Here:

I was going through my email yesterday looking for info to fill out some forms when I came across a email from one of my grad school professors. There's a group of students here from UC this week on a study tour focusing on human rights and economic justice. Out of curiosity I was looking at their schedule, and realized that there's some things that I haven't done since I've been here, such as visiting Romero's tomb and the rose gardens at UCA. Have I been that engrossed in work? Maybe. Not with other people that would want to do those things? Possible, but then I should have gone myself. This brings me to another point...as nice as study tours, mission trips, and vacations are, it's never the same as living someplace. I wonder if I would have come back to El Salvador had I gone on the study tour offered by UC in 2002 with CRISPAZ. What else have I been missing out on? My experience is very different than that of a Peace Corps volunteer (still glad that I chose AmeriCorps over Peace Corps by the way, although I think I might like to try someday). Why haven't I read more about El Salvador's history? Or asked people more? I was a bit surprised when a volunteer in Chinameca told me that the war is still a huge topic of conversation for people in his community. In San Sal, I hear people mention bits and pieces, here and there, but the only one who's ever really told me his story has been Edwin. I feel like that's my fault, especially since it still affects people and the way they live their daily lives.

Gas Prices

2008-06-14T19:07:00.002-05:00

This is the gas station on the corner of Los Heroes and Los Sisimiles in San Salvador on Friday afternoon. I had to fill up this afternoon, since the gas light came on right when I left work, and it had gone up to $4.60. Fun times.

Six Days

2008-06-10T19:06:00.002-05:00

I'm almost at the end of my "real" working time (a.k.a the time in which they pay me and I have health insurance) here in El Salvador. I've been at CCSA for almost two years in the ELF program, and am not sure how I feel about ending my time with them. I've certainly learned a lot about teaching and teacher training, curriculum, diplomacy, grant writing, and of course, Salvadoran culture. There are certainly many things that I'll miss when I move on this September to the Colombo Americano in Manizales, Colombia through the ELF program, but I think I'm ready to move on to something new. As an ELF, I've done so many different things and haven't done a great job of documenting any of them. I was thinking about that on the way to Paraiso del Osorio for a mobile library event today. Sometimes I feel like I could have done so much more in the past twenty months than I've actually accomplished. And that there's so much more left to do and so much more to learn here! I'm not going to have any problem "volunteering" the two months I'll have in El Sal where I don't have to work. In the end, it's always difficult to leave a job and a place that you're used to. It's hard to think that I'll be getting married, and then have to leave. I figured I'd find a decent job here in El Salvador for another year, but it just didn't happen. And really, I'm excited to move back to what was my favorite city in Colombia! And be able to walk outside again, and go to cultural events, and drink gooooooooood coffee! And go to the hot springs!

I'm not going to miss driving in San Sal, or the $4.60 a gallon it is now for gas, or really even San Sal itself. Will miss being able to find salsa tobasco whenever I want it and going to Office Depot. And my gatito of course, since I don't think he can go with me, at least not at first. And living close to the beach. I think I could go on and on...

Parque Nacional Montecristo

2008-06-08T11:11:00.003-05:00

Edwin, Jonathan, myself, and some others from CCSA headed to Parque Nacional Montecristo for the labor day holiday. It took a long time to get there and we didn't stay very long, but I'd like to go back to hike and camp if I can find the time. The park is close to Metapán in the department of Santa Ana, and sits right on the Guatemalan and Honduran borders. It's a cloud forest, but it was nice and sunny the day we went and I don't think we actually got into the cloud forest part anyways. We did get to see the famous arbol de amor (love tree)...see if you can figure out why it's called that from the picture.

Planning a Wedding in El Salvador

2008-06-06T23:29:00.008-05:00

The date is coming close for the civil part of my wedding (June 21), and I've still got a lot to learn about the whole process of getting married. The "real" wedding a.k.a the party is not until November, but the problem is I'll be going back to Colombia in September for work. This adds just a little bit of stress I'm not very traditional even by US standards, so getting what I want here has been a blast so far. There's a lot of people trying to tell me to do this and that, but not much luck so far in finding what we'd (okay make that I'd since Edwin is even less picky than me) really like to have. I've got a stack of bride magazines, some from here, with awesome articles about the "first night" (pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee, salvadoreños that write these articles, that's not very practical for people here). Maybe the women, but definitely not the men. All the dresses look like cake icing, which I'm really not into. And no, I don't want a cola (train) as long as Thalia's. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd only send invitations through email and facebook.

Anyways, this is all I really want from my wedding:

live music,
drinks and food (in that order),
a beach (this is a hard one since salvadoreños don't seem to get married on the beach much),
not to be broke at the end,
not to be stressed to the point I get sick.

I really don't think I'm asking for that much. I've been to many places that swear they'll send me quotes for prices, which never happens. Prices at hotels on the beaches that are semi-close by are ridiculous in general. Eloping would be so much easier. I'm sad because I really don't have the time to change my name because of changing countries again. I'm pretty sure the passport wouldn't be ready in time, especially since I'll be leaving El Salvador, going to Ohio, going back to El Salvador, back to Ohio, to Colombia, then back to El Salvador. Not at all complicated. In addition, I'd have to change my IDs in three different countries, tax info, bank accounts, credit cards, services...I'd rather not. I'll do it some day when I know I'm not going to be changing continents every 10 months!

In light of all the fun I've had trying to find someplace to make my dress that won't charge me $500 and trying to find a place to have the wedding, I'm going to start posting the places that I've had luck with.

Off to look for more ranchos in La Libertad...anyone know of any good ones that could hold up to 150 people and that are right on the beach?

IHCI Conference 2008

2008-05-30T21:49:00.007-05:00

From May 15-17 I was in Tegucigalpa for yet another conference for English language teachers, this one hosted by the Instituo Hondureño de Cultura Interamericana, another binational center. Cecil, Martha, and Jackie from CCSA were there as well. Safe to say this one was much more fun than the one I'd gone to in Tegus the year before hosted by one of the universities, where no one knew what was going on, where anything was, and where the room numbers were changed randomly during and after sessions. I'd originally wanted to go to this one just so I could spend my birthday in a nice hotel with good food, comfy beds, and "real" hot water. Edwin was supposed to come meet me for the weekend, and another friend was supposed to be in town, but both of those things fell through. Allyson came up from Nicaragua though, and Kay was there from Mexico, so I had a good time drinking and chatting and shopping (bought lots of Lenca pottery that I don't know how I'm going to get home, but now thanks to Carmen from the embassy I know all the good places to go for some day when I have money). It was the best birthday I've had for a while!

I am also the proud owner of lots of pictures of myself looking stupid...sleeping on the bus...blowing out the candles on the cake that they brought to me during one of my sessions at the conference. Digital storytelling, topic of choice this time round, was not that big of a hit, but then again technology never is in C.A. The people at IHCI were wonderful and I hope I can go back to visit again some day. It's always fun to see people that you've met at other conferences and workshops...central america is small in the fact that you see the same people/teachers everywhere you go!

My ELF Story

2008-05-14T23:46:00.002-05:00

Here's the first draft of my ELF story for your viewing pleasure...

Los Ausoles

2008-05-04T13:44:00.006-05:00

Los Ausoles is located in the department of Ahuachapan, right outside the city of the same name by the geothermic plant La Geo. They're smoke-spewing fumaroles (vents?) that you can walk right up to, as well as boiling mud and hot springs. Smelled a bit like when the water softener at home in Ohio isn't working, but stronger. The best part was that it was just kinda there, free for anyone to walk right up to (or into if you weren't paying attention). Los Ausoles is defenitely on my list of cool things that I've seen in El Salvador that most people don't even know exist. Next stop is the Termales de Santa Teresa right down the road.

The vents make a hissing sound, just like a pressure cooker. Not a particulary comforting thought when you're walking over top of them.

Dia de la cruz

2008-05-04T13:32:00.003-05:00

Dia de la cruz is celebrated May 3rd in El Salvador. It marks the beginning of the rainy season (winter) and dates back to prehispanic times when offerings were given to give thanks to the earth and what it provides. I just enjoy seeing all of the kinds of fruits that you don't see very often. These pictures are from Concepción de Ataco in the department of Ahuachapan. You can read more about this holiday in the Prensa Grafica's special from 2004.

What's Going On and What's Next

2008-04-26T13:52:00.005-05:00

I have about two months left in my second term as an English Language Fellow at the Centro Cultural Salvadoreño Americano. Since I've been a not-so-good little ELF and haven't been writing my highlights (not true either, I've started to write them and just never finished them), this is my attempt to update the world on what I'm doing and to come out on top in google searches for "ccsa," just because it's fun.

Lots has changed in the past couple of months at CCSA, most noticeably the color of the buildings and the logo. They finally added the "americano" on for good (used to be just CCS). The paint part involved lots of fume-filled days, headaches, and the unfortunate deaths of many garden plants, but it looks good now that it's almost done. I also recently realized that I was in San Miguel this time last year, and had no idea how hot it would get in San Sal (even though this is an abnormal year). In San Miguel right now they're getting up to 110, but then you know you're never going to go outside unless it's dark. In San Sal, the heat comes in. Yuck.

I'm busy trying to finish up my curriculum project, teach my ILEA and admin classes, plan for July's national conference, and keep up with my Peace Corps outreach stuff, among many other little things. Our TESOL organization is finally on it's way to becoming legal and someday I'll publish it's first newsletter (once people send me things to publish). I'll head to Honduras for my birthday to present at IHCI's conference and enjoy "real" hot water in a nice hotel.

On the publicity side, the embassy wrote this nice article about me back in January and I'm making a little video about my time here.

Other than that, my kitten came back a couple of days after he ran after and I had my first car accident that was my fault (my fault for driving like I'm in Ohio and not El Salvador). I've got an interview on Monday, which is great if it works out. And then I can plan my wedding!

Gatito Gone Missing

2008-04-20T10:32:00.003-05:00

My little gatito disappeared from my second floor apartment on Friday night. He was there when I went to sleep, not there when I got up. Salvadorans keep telling me that they don't like cats because all they do is escape (which is why they're not the most popular pet here) or that he's out chasing female cats and will come back when he's done (he's neutered, isn't this supposed to help keep him from doing this?). I find it odd, because there's no way to climb out of the one window that was open, unless he jumped down into one of the tree-shrub things below, and if he'd wanted out so bad, why hadn't he done it before? He could have fallen I suppose, since he likes to sleep on the window sill, but I doubt it. The vigilantes said they didn't hear or see anything, which is also strange, since Nico is a cry baby. Or, someone could have pulled him out of the window with a pole (apparently something that people do here). My neighbors (except for the one across the hall) are all unfriendly, but I don't think they would do that.

Anyways, I doubt he's coming back. I'm gone all day, there's no way for him to climb into the apartment, and I wouldn't be able to hear him crying at night if he does return. My first "real" pet of my own!

The circus

2008-04-13T20:26:00.004-05:00

We went to the circus on Friday...first time I'd been in quite a while. Edwin had never been before. A couple of weeks ago four baby lions were born, and they let us take pictures with them (fun for us, I imagine not so much fun for the babies). It was fun, but sad at the same time (for the animals). And look, you can suggest names online for the babies here, and I suppose win something (unless you're a foreigner, and then you're not allowed to win anything).

Verano Feliz Verano Seguro

2008-03-24T20:06:00.004-05:00

I love the one that says avoid an excess of passengers. The Salvadorans that were behind us on the Panamerican were given a ticket for having too many people in their mini van. There were 3 adults, 1 teenager, and 2 kids, and you know a mini van can safely hold more than that. They also did not stop all of the pickups with Nicaraguan plates full of people in the truck bed (not so safe). I also like the one that says drive with all of the doors closed. Why, may I ask, is this a problem?!

What You Should Know about Traveling to Nicaragua

2008-03-22T20:09:00.004-05:00

Don't break any traffic laws, ever. Always have your fire extinguisher and triangle handy. Buy the stupid car insurance. If you have Salvadoran license plates, you will be stopped approximately every 15 minutes. Nicaraguans know how to drive like "normal" people. This is happy, even though donkey carts and horses are mixed in with cars.
Phone service sucks.
70 sunblock does exist and is a worthwhile purchase.
You can spend cordoba or dollars. Why change, as long as you're good at doing conversion rates in your head?
Nicaraguans make good food. And they have international food. Yum, gyros and bibimbab.
Medicine is cheaper in Nicaragua than El Salvador.
Gas is more expensive (even though they're getting part of it from Venezuela?)
Malls are much more interesting. I actually found clothes I liked, even though they were outrageously expensive.
Buy the $1 map and don't get "lost" in the Selva Negra with the crazy howler monkeys.
You can't buy the isletas in the lake by Granada, even though there's signs saying you can.
Volcano fumes can make you feel really sick, or even pass out. A comforting thought for all of those who were tossed over the edge as sacrafices...they probably didn't get to the bottom before they were unconcious.
San Juan del Sur is nice, but nothing special unless you want to surf. The road to "one of the most touristed places in Nicaragua" especially during semana santa sucks.
Queso ahumado is awesome, as is Flor de Cana.

This was an excellent trip, and we got to see a lot. It was a good idea to come back on Friday, since we avoided traffic just about everywhere, and I got to see people making alfombras in Soyapango as we looked for a way that wasn't blocked to go to Edwin's house. Edwin went to the beach yesterday with his family, and said what is normally a 30 minute drive took 2 hours going and 3 hours coming. Glad I stayed at home with the cat!

What Salvadorans Put in the Back of Trucks

2008-03-09T17:52:00.004-05:00

These people had a whole band in the back of their truck, with the cymbals hanging off the side.

Cavities? Go to El Salvador

2008-03-08T12:43:00.001-05:00

I was just reading this interesting piece on Tim's El Salvador blog about the cheap cost of dental work in El Salvador. When I came to El Salvador after a year in Colombia of eating sugar filled/covered/drenched everything, and poor preventive care dentists (yes, I did go there, twice), my mouth was very unhappy. Fortunately, I now have a dentist in El Salvador, who coincidentally is my future sister-in-law, who gives me great prices. When I went two weeks ago, I only paid $20 for the filling of one nasty cavity. And that's without the help of insurance. I can't imagine how much that would cost back in Ohio, especially if I have no dental insurance!

What's New

2008-02-25T20:12:00.004-05:00

This was my February:

I climbed half of a volcano (Izalco), so I half met my resolution to climb a volcano. I want to drive up the next one. Volcano rocks suck to walk on. On the same trip, I learned that when clouds move in scary sounding swarms of insects come are pushed along with the clouds because they don't like the cold. I have no idea if this is true or not, but could pass on seeing that again.
I got engaged. Yea! (note: picture was staged afterwards, the real thing took place on valentine's day when I came home from stressed and grumpy and half asleep).
I was thrown in a pool with all my clothes on by a bunch of drunk Colombians and Ecuadorans. But that's okay, because I got to dance salsa and vallenato all afternoon, and everyone else present was also thrown into the pool. Even after a year and a half in El Salvador, Colombians still win in my book!
Resolution that I need to do some extensive traveling in South America, and that before I die, I will make it to the Galapagos.
Looking for a new job is no fun. We'll see what happens, and I still have a while.
I don't think my cat is going to grow out of kneading my head. Not good.
I finally found someone who actually understands my tax situation, but that also means that my taxes have to be redone for the past two years. Expat fun never ends (if that's what I am).
Semana santa will be spent in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Yea, nice beach and cheap(er) prices.