Hot Springs

Yeah! Tomorrow I´m going with the local VIDES group to some natural forming hot springs, this should be great! So why am I so tense?

I´ve been thinking about this quite a bit, and I´ve come to the realization that I don´t like this particular Sister who heads up VIDES and will be going as well. I always feel edgy around her, like she is looking for something from me, but I don´t know what and I can´t give it to her. Makes me feel incredibly weird and uncomfortable. So I avoid her. This works really well because she is never at the house - she spends most of her days at home taking care of her father and visits the school on occasion.

This week, however, she has been at the school, and I have been avoiding her, except when necessary to communicate. I´m not sure what about her fills me with such unrest, I have a lot of ideas, but I´ll leave it at that. I´ll be happy when she heads back home.

Goodbye Jodi

Jodi is going home. Today. At noon. So in about 40 minutes if the plane takes off on time. I know it´s different here from what we´re used to and I´m not the nicest person to be around, but I didn´t think she´d actually leave!

Actually, it´s not that at all. I am a great person and I can´t imagine anyone not wanting to be where I am. :) Something came up at home, she had to go, I´ll let her explain if she wants on her blog. However, we are one volunteer short now and even though she has only been here 1 month, her absence is felt. It is for me anyway. I like her. Chances are good I´ll be gone before she returns and I didn´t even say goodbye. So, goodbye Jodi. Take care. You and your family are in my prayers.

On the plus side, exams are done for me! Now I just need to grade them. icky!

New Pictures

I´ve finally added some new photos! Check them out the slideshow on the sidebar.

Nearing the End

Have you ever done this? You´re in a situation where items or comforts you are used to are denied you. You know that for the time being, there is nothing you can do about this, so you tell yourself to forget those things and simply focus on what you have. I´ve been doing that for the last 9 months and it really hit me today in the supermarket.

Gina, Jodi, and I went to the supermarket to pick up party items for the End of the Year/Birthday Party (for those whose birthdays are not during the school year) for the Interna´s. As we walked through the food aisles to pick up a few snacks for ourselves I suddenly realized how tired I am of crackers, nuts, and peanut butter(easy foods to keep stored in your room) and everything else looked sooooo appetizing!

I walked by Eggos in the freezer section and longed for Eggos; I walked by broccoli and longed for a veggie platter with veggie dip; I walked by All Bran Flakes and longed to take it home with me. I long to prepare meals again, because meals are so much more satisfying when prepared yourself. (even macaroni and cheese!)

So, my self denial is really starting to fall apart. I hope I can keep myself busy enough these last weeks to hide this fact from myself.

Soyapongo Thriller Dance

Right now, Immediately, go to Gina´s blog and watch the video she and Jodi put together of the teacher´s dancing to MJ´s Thriller! Too funny. She compiled the best dance moments, which is too bad because the other moments were hilarious! Not that the good moments are all that good! Ha ha! So much fun. Watch it, watch it!

Liturgical Dance

I don´t think I ever mentioned this, but we have liturgical dancers at the school. Isn´t that awesome! I remembered today because we had mass this morning and between the first reading and the Gospel, 6 girls danced up the aisle for a short song. They wore petal shaped skirts of different pastel colors with a matching ribbon in their hair. With graceful arcs and steps they flowed to the front of the congregation where they completed their dance. This isn´t the first time they´ve danced, just the first time I thought to mention it.

Haven´t we all wanted to be liturgical dancers at some point in our life?

WIND!

It is officially the windy season here in El Salvador. I can even tell you that it started at 9:57pm Sunday, the 18th of October. That is when a really strong blast of wind ripped through my bedroom. This would not be so unusual if a fairly large and loud thunderstorm then followed, but the amount of rain and noise was not proportional to the strength of the wind.

Since then, the wind has not stopped. Slamming doors abound on the campus and I remember that it was windy when I first came here as well. So I guess the wind will last for about 3-4 months.

Oh, and it´s ¨cold¨ now too! Last night I wore my pajama pants, put socks on, and wished for a second blanket. It got down to 73 degrees! Just goes to show what constant heat will do to a person. Yeah, pretty sure I´m going to turn into a Popsicle when I get home!

And last but not least - I purchased my plane ticket home yesterday! It felt very nice. It is for the 17th of November. I plan to travel to the coast of Honduras the week prior to leaving and learn how to scuba dive off the coral reef there. :) And I´m taking the new volunteers with me! We´ll have a grand time.