I went to a molienda a mill where they make "sugar" from sugar cane. its not really sugar, they call it dulce meaning sweet. they take the cane and squeeze out the liquid and boil it for hours then let it hrden. when it boils it has a distinct smell (which i think smells bad>) you can always tell when you pass by one on the highway. you can just go to on and take a spoon ad try a little from the pot, i don´t really like it though, kinda tastes like a weird carmel. after it hardens they cut it into bricks and wrap it in corn husks and sell it at the markets

there are lots of sugar cane feilds everywhere and they are very dense. the leaes of them are sharp and can cut you and make you itch so when they harvest the cane they burn the feilds which makes it easier to harvest. when its windy the ask will travel and you can see it in the sky falling like snow. they call it black snow...not good.

feeling pretty good because my host family was tellling me about the craze volunteers that they have had. it makes me feel like part of they family. they are so nice and always try to include me in the coversation although i usually only get what they subject is and not what exactly they are saying about it.

we went to san salvador, the capital, to go to a museum and the pc office. the buses were crazy! there is no way i am going to be able to navigate it by myself. on all the buses that i have been on there is always people on them selling various candies, fruit, and agua de coco but on these buses it was like a little shopping network. they were selling pills that prevented cancer only a one dollar, great price right. also they sold cleaner toys and a bunch of other stuff. the funny thing is that they would sell the stuff and really go into detail about it, even the little chocolates, haha. while in the capital we hit up the pizza hut which really hit the spot. here pizza hut sells pancakes and waffles and has a huge play set.

so obama is coming to el salvador in march which is the same time as we are getting sworn in as volunteers and there is a teeny tiny chance that he might sware us in. probably not but it would be awesome.

 sorry i didn´t have time to proof read this fyi

My first two weeks

I have been with my host family for about 10 days now and everything is going as well as it can for how much spanish I can speak. I have a mom and a sister who is about to graduate high school, which I got invited to in November. (I'm not sure how old she is but I think kids graduate at like 16) I also hae a brother who has already graduated. We live in a little house that has two bedrooms and a main room which has a TV computer (which I have never seen anyone use) and a fridge (which never has much in it). Outside in the back is a shed which is the kitchen, they use a camping like gas stove and cook tortillas over a fire (I have helped make and it is a lot harder than they make it look.) They have a pila which is whereget all their water and store it, wash clothes, dishes. Next to the pila is the room for bucket baths which i love, it is so refreshing in th 90 degree weather. Across the dirt road in front of the house is a latrine.

It is amazing the differences in houses in the cantone (little town) of about 1500 people there are some big houses with 2 levels and then adobe houses made of mud.

We visited a current volunteer this last weekend and participated in an HIV awarness program he put on which included a soccer game. It was us trainees and a couple volunteers against a Salvadoranan team. They were good! And many girls on our team hadnt ever played before so it was hard, but fun. We lost terribly, like 1-6. After we visited one of the many volcanoes in El Salvador which was beautiful! There was a sulfur laki in the crater at the top of the volcanoe.

The volcanoe by my cantone is called chichondepec. Chiches is spanish for breasts and they call it that because it has two peeks and looks like boobs.

Thing I think are funny about el salvador

• the tightly packed school buses used for public transportation, sometimes so packed that they cant shut the doors and people are hanging on from the outside.
• the large amounts of sugar they like to put in drinks
• the amount of trash everywhere! went to a soccer game yesterday and the feild was covered in trash as they were playing
• the buses honking loudly when they are about to reach a stop, including at 4am (also the dogs and roosters make noise at all hours of the night)
• The lack of speed limits and general road laws.

Things I love

• The food! ( love pupusas, tortillas and the fruit) there is this fruit called ganadillas that kinda looks like an orange on the outside but on the inside looks like slimy alian eyes. It is really good though
• The people
• hamacks
• learning a new language
• my training group
• the relaxed feel of the country

having an interesting but great time!