First of all, I am really confused about how this week has gone by SO fast. For some reason, in my mind, it is still tuesday. We have just been doing so much all of the time that everything is blending together into one giant memory and one giant day. I was looking through with my photos today with one of the little salvadorian girls, and I was like, “WOW, I don’t even remember this happening.” So hopefully this bloggy business will help me remember stuff later.
Today we had our first real illness in the house: two of the boys have some sort of stomach virus/dehydration issue/they-drank-the-water-and-are-now-dying thing. They seem to be okay-ish now, but they had to miss out on some, if not all, of the day’s activities.
Today, I again went to Zaragosa (I have decided this is how you spell it...). It was just a half day of work--we had to clean up and leave by 1:15. So, we tried to make the most of the morning. I spent most of the time teaching the small children how to make god’s eyes. You know, those weird yarny things that everyone made in third grade. With the popsicle sticks, and the wrapping, and the colors.
SIDE NOTE: I am actually typing this outside, because the weather is nicer and I (hopefully) have enough battery, and there is the weirdest noise just outside the gate of the compound. I am pretty sure it is some sort of bird, but it might be a dog. Or a rooster, for all I know. END SIDE NOTE
Well, the god’s eyes were a little frustrating, because none of the kids learned how to make them very quickly, and I had a lot of trouble remember what the instructions were in spanish. I eventually just ended up making some for the really little kids, while the more fluent speakers (and the more patient non-speakers), helped the older kids make them on their own. I did get really good at asking people if they wanted more colors, and telling them they needed to tie them. ALL IN SPANISH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
My spanish is getting a lot better/natural as this trip goes on; I haven’t really learned many new words (with the exception of cortar, to cut), but I find it easier to create sentences more quickly.
After I got bored of making gods eyes, I went to help with the construction of the guardaria. I was added to the team of concrete-ers and mortar-ers. Basically, I followed the head construction guy, Don Miguel (a different one from Tuesday) around and put concrete in bricks and mortar in between the. It was actually kind of enjoyable, because I could actually see how I was helping make something that would make these people’s lives better.
After I finished with the mortaring, I changed my bandage, and then stood around and felt pretty useless. All of the kids were being taken care of, and I didn’t really want to go an muss up my bandage again. So I just sat there, and felt pretty useless. But, pretty soon, it was time for lunch, all the kids went away, and everyone sat down and chatted.
After lunch we played a fantastic game of soccer. It was mostly fantastic because we won, but also, I actually KICKED the ball. It was grand.
During the game, it began sprinkling on and off, but we were all hot and sweaty, so no one really cared. Right after we finished playing, however, the rain began to pick up again, and we headed for cover under a near-by roof. Within seconds of everyone and everything getting under cover, the sky opened up, and it began to pour. This rain was harder and faster and more-er than any other rain I have ever seen. It was absolutely fantastic.
While we were avoiding the downpour, everyone: the kids, the voulenteers, the local workers chatted and talked and played together. Laura, Katie and I hung out with one little girl, Tiana (or Tatiana) for most of time time. Sadly, Helen, my friend for the day before was doing something; I think Tiana said that she was at her house, but I wasn’t really sure of what she said or meant. We spent most of the time with her teaching her hand clapping games, and taking pictures. I took lots and lots of pictures of the rain, and the small children, and everything. It was really rather magical.
After an hour or so of rain, we realized that we had to just suck it up and walk back to the bus--we were already at hour late. We trudged through the downpour and got completely soaked.
The bus ride was wet and sticky and cold. We had less people than yesterday, and we spent most of the time just chatting and telling stories. Eventually we ran out of things to say, and we began to play 20 questions, which quickly morphed into what the youth minister of one of the other groups, John, called 100 questions.
It’s a hard game when you are playing with people you don’t know and really hard objects.
We had a half day today (remember me mentioning that?) because after lunch, we went to a local university, where in 1989, six jesuit priests and their housekeeper and her daughter were brutally murdered. It all had the potential to be very interesting--these priests are VERY important to the local Catholics--but I just couldn’t find it very intriguing or even particularly moving. It was probably a combination that I had no prior knowledge of anything they were talking about, I am not Catholic, and I was really cold and really tired. And the tour was really long. It all made me sort of feel like and alien robot, but I got over it.
After the tour, we played more 100 questions, and headed back to the compound. I ran for the shower, hoping it would be warm and inviting and make me feel better/ more human. But it was just what I knew it would be--cold and sort of sticky. After everyone was clean-ish, we broke off into little groups and just hung out. I spent some time with the new people I have met, making sure the people who were sick were okay, and some time just relaxing and playing games. We never played pictionary today, but we did break out the Phase Ten and Sorry and about 394234 other games that we never actually started playing.
For dinner, we had tacos, and the girls and my table and I talked about imagining people complexly and seeing other people’s points of view. It was all very nice.
After dinner, I spent 30 minutes looking for my computer charger, because my computer is in high demand, and it had moved 847543 places. It turns out my charger was hiding in my clothes, disguised as some sort of pants pocket or something.
It was a lovely day.
I am tired (surprise, surprise)
I really should go to bed.
And my battery is about to run out.
This seems like a pattern.
Hasta Luego,
Sofia
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