15 Things Ive learned in El Salvador

1. When someone is talking to you and you arent really sure what they are saying, but you decide that nodding along and saying, si, every so often is the best thing to do, you might be telling your host family that you, too, fought in a war.

2. Cows are cars too.

3. Everything the people of las marias do while hosting us is done in the best interest of the americans. they cook the most amazing meals for us, give up their beds for us, and wash our clothes every day, just to name a few.

4. When you are attempting to cross an intersection and you make eye contact with an approaching car, that doesnt mean that they see you and will slow down.

5. The people of El Salvador are the most gracious hosts. Last night it was chilly for Salvadoran standards and Marina, my roommate, and I went to go shower (aka pourwater on ourselves from a basin ) and we walked outside to find our host mom had heated up a whole bucket of water for us to use.

6. Taking a hike is a relative term, it might mean trekking up an entire mountain at an 80 degree angle for an hour.

7. Calling someone fat, or gordita, is a term of endearment here so you shouldnt take offense to it.

8. Helping out with the Bokashi is just a fancy way of saying shoveling various types of poop into a huge pile.

9. It is best to wear closed toed shoes (see #6 and #8)

10. The war here effects everyone and everything. I have not met a single person who hasnt lost a family member or close friend to its violence. Even the beauty of the country is tainted by the atrocities of the war. While in San Salvador, we took a gorgeous, scenic hike up a mountain to find that the top was where soldiers used to dump the bodies of the disappeared.

11. Measurments here are just guestimates. If you are working in the kitchen and one of the women tell you to get them a handful of butter, they literally mean stick your fist in the butter tub and bring them a handful.

12. There is no need for alarms here. We all wake up each morning to the melody of roosters crowing, dogs barking, and sheep baaahing.

13. Do not pet the dogs.

14. Despite all of their hardship, the salvadorans are constantly smiling and giving you hugs and encouragment for the smallest of completed tasks. Today I carried a wheelbarrow with 1 bag of Bakashi up to the fertilizer sight and the man assisting us, who was carrying a wheelbarrow, two bags of Bakashi, and 2 shovels, cheered me on the whole last stretch.

15. Paint thinner is not to be used to get paint off of your hands.

16. Time here is more of a suggestion.

17. Laughter is the universal language.

18. Sometimes when speaking broken spanish, it helps to use sweeping hand gestures and sound effects. The other day I managed to describe a cricket using this tactic.

19. Desensitization is not a theory, we have all proved that. The first time we saw someone with a machine gun on the streets, we were all scared. Now, we wave.

20. My life at DePauw is one that I hope to never take for granted again. Simple conveniences such as toilet paper, clean water, and tennis shoes that I dont think twice about are cherished by the people of Las Marias. I think its safe to say that all of us here have achieved a new perspective on our lives in the U.S.


Thanks for keeping all of us, and the people of Las Marias, in your thoughts ans prayers. We all miss you and look forward to telling you, in person, about the amazing experiences weve had thus far.

Smiles,
Molly McGonigal