Marones (more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew)
Sticky, sweet fruit that looks like it came from a Dr. Seuss book or a Lucky Charms box.
View of the hot springs, near Ahuachapan
A few days ago I went
to visit the mother of my host mom, La Abuelita, because I promised Nina Mirin
(my host mom) I would hike back home with her. Within a few minutes of entering
the smoke filled shack (they were making tortillas), she pulls me outside
behind the house as continue to follow her, tripping over myself in the process
wondering, “what in the world does this woman want from me now?”. Without
saying a word, in an arm pointing gesture, she directs her finger towards the
looming trees ahead…now I understand. I see them. The mangoes.
Abuelita grinding coffee Culta, Mama Perrita with...7 puppies born last week!
Not the green sour ones,
but ripe, yellow colored, full of juicy yummy goodness, mangoes. A few minutes
later, we ran down together, her holding a long bamboo stick and gently
touching each one for them to fall from the tree. Now, imagine that I am
gopher-ing (I don’t think this is a word, but it works for this situation)
around below. There are coffee branches smacking my face while finding the
fallen mangoes among the piles of dried leaves and dirt. It was a scene to say
the least, along with my face covered in mango juice after eating, not one, not
three, but SEVEN in one sitting. Deeeeeeliciosaaaa-ri-si-si-si-mo!! This is not
a word either, but there’s your Spanglish for today)
Dense, myself and Patty after taking a dip in some hot springs!
We hiked back with my
backpack full to the brim of mangoes, fresh coffee beans to toast and grind at
home, platanos and my host mom trotting along behind me with a sack of mangoes
on her head.
Besides busying myself
with eating montons of mangoes, I do sometimes work. Crazy thought, I know.
About two weeks ago, I started the project of computer classes with kids from
my community. There was 12 kids in the class (the largest internet café has
only 13 computers) ages range from 12 to 23. It’s a little bit overwhelming,
but they are good group and the hour bus there and back shows how much they
want to learn. We started on a typing program in Spanish for them to get
comfortable with the keyboard (teclado in Spanish!). The next few classes I
have an agenda to teach Microsoft Word by explaining all the tools/formats/etc
for school or work use. They will open their own e-mail accounts and per
request, want to learn how to use face book. About 3-4 students have accounts,
but they only know how to use it on their phone versus a computer, which in the
least I can say is pretty different (not that I would know, my phone doesn’t
have that special feature, it just makes calls and sends text messages…when I
have service). There will be a total of five classes; though I really wanted
more, but they are paying the $0.90 bus fare there and back, which adds up and
I don’t want to put their families in a position where their kid cannot attend.
Bird flew inside the house one day. Little Karencita, getting a ride home from Dad after school
When I am not turning
brilliant Salvadoran youth into computer geniuses (far from it) I have been
busy organizing a book club at the school with the slowly growing library and
keeping up on a few other projects. This weekend I have to finish a quarterly
report for Peace Corps, which I am dreading, it shall be SUPER FUN (no, not at
all). The first weekend in April I had two PCV’s come visit me and we went to
these hot springs only an hour away…then a 2 kilometer hike. We went swimming,
relaxed and chilled at this beautiful resort, I did not even know existed. It
was a treat, although we would have loved to stay the night, the entrance fee
was $10 and we definitely couldn’t afford one of the cabanas.
My host sisters, Joseline (left) and Erika with Enchiladas
This week I made Mexican
enchiladas for my host family, super cheesey and pretty tasty. In El Salvador, they make enchiladas, but
they are fried, open-faced and just different. We made potato ones with cheese,
avocado, chili Verde salsa and more cheese…they were a hit! Cooked them over
the open fire, so can’t get more rustic than that! J
As for the coming
weekend, I have some wonderful PCV friends coming to visit the West, relax in
Ataco and check out Juayua. I am looking forward to some chill time; hopefully
I can get all my work done before Friday! It’s crazy to think it’s already
mid-way through April, I feel like it was just March. I know these next few
months will speed by, until then, I will continue to eat as many mangoes as
possible…without getting sick of course. ;-)
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