It is easy to talk about the first performances of this year in quantitative terms. The youth from Nueva Esperanza performed their play "Juntos podemos" (from a quote from the community--"Juntos podemos, pero solo no podemos nada": Together we can, but alone we can´t at all) on the night of March 28th. The play "Que no se vuelva a repetir!" was presented the morning of March 29th for an audience of representatives from the Committee of Victims, people from various organizations around the country and Central America that are working on re-constructing historic memory. The jóvenes from Ciuda [View Full Entry]

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Nearly every day here the issue of immigration hits and washes over me from this "other side." A taxi driver I met in San Salvador had lived in Venice Beach and spoke fantastically vulgar street English, which he probably learned from working in a Mexican restaurant on Wilshire. When I asked him if he had been other places around the States, he said yes. When I asked if California was his favorite, he fell silent. The customary "I like Americans--except for ´los negros´" followed. The anciano in his cowboy hat next to me on the bus started a conversation with me [View Full Entry]

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I've been living on my own for the first time in a small casita, complete with a large backyard bursting with fruit trees--mangoes, lemons, limes, oranges, bananas, coconuts, maranon (cashew), almond, and others that are still a mystery to me (that and I keep forgetting the names for them). I also have my very own pila and latrine to complete the picture, and Cristina has told me that she'll be giving me a couple pollitos (chicks), and Colombia will be handing over a kitten when it's old enough. Cristina jokes that all I need now is a dog, a cow, a [View Full Entry]

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These other previous musings are about things I've noticed in my spare time--really, what I've been doing most of is theatre (and I wouldn't have it any other way!). I'm currently working with four different groups, have rehearsals six nights a week (and twice a day two times a week), have bought costumes and paint, and have written 3 scripts. Those are the plain facts, but of course the intricacies of the groups are much more complex and not as finite. (Note: the first pictures match up with the text which pertains to them, and the following ones are in order [View Full Entry]

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Chuchos It's amazing the things you can learn from animals. I've learned so much from the people here, but two of the most interesting interactions I've had have been with dogs. Human culture affects them as well, just as it impacts food, beliefs, government, and the natural world. My first experience was with the dog Surdan, who actually technically belongs to Cristina's mother who passed away two years ago. Since he is now left to his own devices, he wanders around to all the houses of the family members, grabbing food when he can. He's actually a sweet, calm dog--which h [View Full Entry]

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When you wake up in the morning in Ciudad Romero, it´s to a dawn of sounds. Around 5 a.m. the chorus of a hundred gallos commence their melancholy howling, encouraging the insects to bring their buzzing from a forte down to a piano. Some time later, the air is sprinkled with the twitters and whistles and cries of the native birds, waking up in the early light. Then the mooing and baaing starts, along with the thumping bass of rancheras, reggaeton and ballenato being played way too loud at 6 in the morning, but loud enough so that the mujeres can [View Full Entry]

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The ArtCorps training in Antigua was a truly--dare I say magical?-- experience. During the 5 days that we spent together, I learned new skills and ideas to enhance my work in El Salvador...even better, I had the opportunity to forge relationships with some truly incredible artists who are giving a year to share their talents with others to make a difference. I was humbled by the amazing skill and creativity of the group, and also felt proud to be a part of it! We met in Antigua, a beautiful colonial-style tourist trap in Guatemala, complete with cobblestone streets, carriages, and majesti [View Full Entry]

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I have begun my year-long "adventure" in the lovely city Quetzaltenango (or "Xela), which I adore despite the smell of gasoline smoke and the sound of barking stray dogs at night. It is beautifully nestled in the mountains, which you can see towering elegantly above the cement blocked and brightly colored buildings. First and foremost, I want to thank several people for their "apoyo" (support): my incredible parents, Gary and Shelley, who have been so supportive of me throughout this whole process; and the following generous people: Nick (whose continued activism in the chemical world am [View Full Entry]

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Ceviche (say-ve-chey): Cold soup-like dish usually bearing suspect raw fish or unidentifiable parts of aquatic creatures. How does it taste: when cooked correctly...incredible. The basic ingredients: limes (lots of ´em), raw seafood (virtually anything to your liking: shrimp, octopus, fish, lobster, prawns, scallops, conchalagua), tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, salt. Isn´t it dangerous to eat raw seafood: Yes!!! Actually, in theory the seafood in ceviche is not raw at all, as it is cooked in the acids of the limes before consumption. Before getting into this particular story of R [View Full Entry]

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Struttin across Chile! Robyn and Aaron First of all, if you missed the previous blog about Bariloche (I realize that it might have been confusing, since that entry actually came "before" the update one, but I published it afterwards...), just scroll down and check it out! It's a long one, but you can cheat and just look at the pictures if you want to. Just because I'm "recovering" at home doesn't mean I'm going to stop writing about the adventures we've had! There's a lot to catch up on! Now, we're on to Chile. [View Full Entry]

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