Aaaaand, I'm deaf!

When Salvadorans through a party, they don't mess around with la musica. There was a wedding in my community and my ears are literally still ringing from this afternoon, the music was so load. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The wedding festivities started yesterday morning. 530am. This is when we slaughtered the fattened calf! Now normally, I would be a little less enthusiastic about putting 3 bullets into the head of a cow, but I hadn't had meat in 2 weeks and the prospect of beef for lunch the next day definitely outweighed the animal lover in me! So I helped tie the cow to a tree, and then stepped back and watched some hombres kill and skin a cow. I'll spare you all the video I took...

After that, though, yesterday was pretty dull. It was way too hot to census, so I basically laid in my hammock all day long. And washed some clothes. I honestly spent about 2 hours watching wasps build a nest in one of my electrical sockets and I didn't even bother to get up and do anything about it. I just watched. Useless.

Today, on the other hand, was way eventful. Sensory overload. The entire community, plus 3 other cantones nearby piled in the back of several trucks and headed to the pueblo this morning for the wedding mass. Everyone was decked out, looking their best. I've never seen so many early 90's skirt suits (there was polyester EVERYWHERE) and holister t-shirts in my life!! Before mass we all went and bought presents (I gave the couple a bath towel. Apparently that's a good gift...), ate some pupusas and then went to church (again). After the service, we all piled back into the trucks and headed back to our community.

Now, this morning, when I was getting ready, I looked in the mirror and said to myself, "Look, this is your life now. And you're going to have fun today. Got it?" And I really was trying to have fun. But of course, on the way back from church, sitting in the back of a truck in the scorching sun, I got a migraine. Lost all feeling in my left hand/arm, side of my face. Had 2 auras and honestly thought I was going to barf in the truck that was packed 3x as full as it should be. It. Was. Miserable. When we got back to the community, the party was already started and the music was BLARING. I swear, I've never seen so many speakers in my life! And while I normally would think this was hilarious, in the moment, it was the worst situation I could have been in with my migraine.

I toughed it out though until after lunch was served. I ate at the mesa de honor (table of honor) with the bride (whom I hadn't even met yet) and the groom and their families. Lunch was delish and carne asada never tasted so good! After lunch I went back to my house and laid in bed until the migraine passed, and then headed back to the party.

Let me just tell you how being stared at by 400 Salvadorans feels like. It's terrifying. EVERYONE at the party stared at me for the remainder of the afternoon. And of course, none of them bothered to talk to me, except the bolos (the drunks). I was forced to dance with some guy I didn't know, and then ended up dancing with a series of strangers. It was very exciting apparently to dance with the gringa. Side note: Salvo dancing is kinda lame, and none of the guys have any rhythm. I literally stepped side to side for about an hour.

Anyway, after the party was over, about 50 different people came up to me and said, "ya puede, you can dance." I'm the talk of the town apparently. Hilarious. And they think it's even more hilarious that I have no idea who I danced with. If any of the men I danced with had introduced themselves, I wouldn't have been able to hear their names over the music anyway!

Anyway, I'd like to give a shout out to Cindy and my Mom for the wonderful packages I received today!!! Pasta sides and tampons have never made me so happy in my life! It's the little things at this point! Keep 'em coming!

I'm thinking tomorrow I'm going to fake sick so I can lay in bed for most of the morning without being judged. I am freakin' beat.

Miss and love you all!

Adios, pues.