noviembre

First, here’s what’s been going on on the “work front.” Pregnancy club numero uno went surprisingly well. I spent the entire morning before my meeting dreading that no one was going to show, but we ended up with 9 women in attendance!! So I felt pretty good about that. My nurse and I gave a charla about childbirth and how to care for newborns. We had a doll that the women had to practice on for learning how to change diapers (mostly for the teenage girls there), and how to properly hold a baby while breastfeeding. And Estella went on a rant about how important it is that you have your child in a hospital, and NOT with a midwife/witch doctor. FINALLY! A rant from her that made sense!! She was much more on top of her game with the pregnant women than she has ever been at the school with HIV/AIDS. So that was a plus. It was also nice to work OUTSIDE of the school. The women were attentive, participated and excited to come back for the next lesson. Definitely a 180 experience from any work I’ve done in the school so far, so I have high hopes for this group. I’m hoping to continue the group after the holidays and even extend it by giving Lamaze classes or something. Still working out what I think will work, but Pregnancy Club is something that I think I could work on long term.

School just let out for the summer (like every day isn’t vacation in the Salvadoran school system?) so I get a break from feeling guilty about not wanting to show up at school at 8am with 150 screaming children. We’re having a graduation mass/diploma ceremony this Wednesday so I’m busy this week helping the teachers get ready for that. The 6th graders are even putting on a dance for Wednesday night that they’re real excited about.

In other news, the creepy crawlers are out in FULL force in my house right now. In the last week I have killed four tarantulas and a scorpion. Not amused. Tarantulas are about the ugliest insect I’ve ever seen and I literally still have goose bumps thinking about the one I killed last Thursday. I was cleaning my house getting ready for my friend Pablo to come and visit and I found one the size of my entire hand hiding behind my bag. I WISH someone had been there to watch me try to kill this thing. I was alone in my house, screaming and jumping around because I had the chills so bad every time I thought about smashing it with a shoe, and Taylor Swift was playing in the background. I’m sure it would have been comical to any onlooker! I eventually killed it (and since then, three others) but DREAD finding another one. Que feo!

Also, two weeks ago I was robbed at knife point in San Miguel. I’m pretty sure the guy watched me take money out of the ATM and then followed me across the street to take it all from me. He came up to me, showed me his knife and asked for all my money. I gave him my wallet and he took my cash and ran. Could have been worse, as I was coming home from the capital and had my phone, computer and clothes with me also, but still. Getting robbed at knife point is not my favorite. Especially when I make $300/month in a country where that’s barely enough! Every dollar is precious these days! So I’m extra cautious now when I’m in San Miguel, but I can’t really avoid the place since it’s the only destination my bus goes to.

I’ve also found pupusas in my site…FINALLY. I’ve been asking around if anyone sells them and everyone has either told me they don’t know or that no one sells them. False. I was walking Jefe the other day and stumbled upon a woman making them in her front yard. So Sundays and Wednesdays are pupusa nights from now on!

Looking ahead, I’ve got my second meeting of Pregnancy Club this week, and then next week I’m off to the capital to have thanksgiving dinner with an embassy family. Hoping whoever is hosting me can cook!

Eat lots of turkey and mashed potatoes for me! Miss you all!

xoxo