La bolsa decepcionada

Well folks, I'm back onstage. Well, really more like ongrass.

A couple of days ago I did my first performance with Gringuísimo, a group of Peace Corps volunteers who visit different sites in the country and do skits about the environment, AIDS, etc. We did a skit called "La Vida de Basura" (the life of trash) at one volunteer's school and I played the role of Bolsa Decepcionada. I thought that meant Deceiving Bag (wouldn't you?) but turns out it means Disappointed Bag...good thing I double checked that before I learned my lines. I had a long and tragic monolouge where I cried and cried after I learned I couldn't be recycled (I was a plastic grocery bag.) It was one of the most fun things I've done here and I will probably do it again next week. Plus, our performance was near the touristy city of Suchitoto, where there is a lot of artisan stuff and a huge lake, so we hit that up afterwards.

The Fiesta de Flores y Fruta (fruit and flower festival) is now over after lasting the entire month of May. The last day was June 1, the same day our new leftist president, Mauricio Funes, was inaugurated. Apparently Hillary Clinton spoke at that ceremony, and although I was listening on the radio, I must have missed that...

That day was huge in our community, and not even because of the inauguration. People from all over brought huge palanquins of pineapples and coconuts to the church and gave the fruit away or sold it. I ate one and a half pineapples that day and had no room for dinner and enough fruit to last me the rest of the week. Our youth group also did a ring toss, people sold all kinds of food and danced in front of the church in costumes...the dancers were, unsurprisingly, drunk. All in all, a very good day.

On the downside, I have been forced to teach English every day because we lost the temporary English teacher, who was there until the permanent one comes back from maternity leave. This would not be a problem if it were my only job here, but I have other projects going on and trips planned and the kids are little devils (I swear to God Salvadorans do not teach these kids basic manners) and don't care at all about school and I'm not supposed to be alone with them anyway, as I'm not a legal teacher. I am supposed to help out or direct class with the real teacher in the room. In homage to my insistence on this rule, the principal shows up to supervise my English classes, waits until I say, "Good afternoon," and the kids repeat it, and then he promptly leaves forever. The classes, incidentally, are an hour and a half.

Is it any surprise that I have planned to be absent all next week? He breaks his promises and I'll break mine.

Here are some fotos for you...
My current dietA palancaIsabelle as the Chica OrgánicaLake Suchitlan

Paz y amor.