A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere

Wow, what can I say... I've got a ton to catch up on. Yes, I realize I have not made a post in nearly 7 months as many of you have informed me. But before I get to explaining myself, I'd like to try something a little different...
This blog started out as a documentation of my life in El Salvador. So far it has been a mix between a travel guide and an El Salvador news report. But I think it can serve a higher purpose.
There are an estimated 10.8 million illegal immigrants residing in the United States.
According to the Annual Immigration Enforcement Actions Report, in 2010:
The Department of Homeland Security apprehended 517,000 foreign nationals.
ICE detained 363,000.
387,000 were deported.
Out of those 387,000- 73 percent were from Mexico, 8 percent were from Guatemala, 6 percent were from Honduras, and 5 percent were from El Salvador.
In 2010 1,042,625 immigrants achieved the dream and obtained legal permanent resident status 
200,567 immigrants in the same year were issued visas based on family preference. 6,200 of these individuals were from El Salvador.
So what do all these statistics mean? They are a little shocking, sure. But to most they are just numbers. BIG numbers. But they're more than that... each number represents a person with a unique life story.
My goal is to put a face to one of these numbers, and I hope that by sharing my family's story I am able to help others who find themselves in a similar situation.
Ironically I am doing an internship at an immigration law firm. The other day I was asked to explain the immigration process to a man who's wife was returning to El Salvador for a consulate case similar to my husband's. The conversation was short and mostly limited to the interview and application process. But there was so much I wanted to tell him... So much he needed to be prepared for. Don't worry about the interview, she'll do just fine. Worry about how you are going to cope sleeping alone at night. How you are going to comfort your children when they cry because they miss their mommy. El Salvador is a dangerous country, how are you going to make sure she is safe? Prepare yourself for days without talking and months without seeing each other. Financial struggle. Emotional hardship. These are the things that will matter to you. Prepare yourself for this and you will be much better off.
I will continue to update my story and provide information about El Salvador to those of my readers who are already there or are about to make the big move.   

 

As promised

I said I would post pictures of the rooms as I finished them.... so here they are. Pardon the low iphone quality.

  

   

This is Angelo's room (obviously). It looks a lot like it did in the United States. Somehow I managed to bring Ikea and Skip Hop to El Salvador.

And finally, here is the soon to be guest room. We are using it as our room for now, because our actual room is looking more like a storage unit than a place we would want to sleep. 

"We only part to meet again."

Well, I guess it's back to El Salvador and back to the blog. 

In the time I have been away Marvin has managed to get a job at Sykes working for MetLife Dental Insurance. He has 9 weeks of training to endure before he can officially be considered a member of the team. Sykes is an outsourcing center that provides customer service and support to a number of fortune 500 companies. I would recommend it to anyone from the United States who may be looking for a job in San Salvador. Marvin told me that in his class there is a dentist, a pilot, and various other students with four-year degrees. At Sykes the only requirement is that you speak fluent English, but it apparently pays higher than many professional occupations in El Salvador. 

   We went to Lago de Coatepeque this past weekend- a beautiful crater lake only about 10 minutes from our house. At the center of the lake is the island of Teopan, which is a Mayan site of some importance. Locals offer 45 minute boat rides to the island, as well as through surrounding hot springs. The shore is lined with restaurants and hotels where you can grab a bite to eat or go for a swim. We had lunch on the dock while watching some adventurous tourists on a scuba diving tour. I wanted to go in the water but it was so windy and chilly, I figured I better stay dry.

We took Angelo to Mudo Feliz today- kind of like a Salvadorian version of Chuckee Cheese. He had a blast. I think I might want to have his birthday party there. They offer birthday packages just like Chuckee Cheese does, but they are a bit on the expensive side. They give you a private birthday party area decorated with 200 balloons, 150 tokens for the kids, a candy-filled pinata, and a 10 minute show by their mascot, among other things. They also offer a clown that puts on a magic show and makes little balloon animals. Sounds like a lot of fun but we might opt for a pool party at the house instead... not sure yet. I'm afraid this Christmas will have to be a light one until I can get back to the United States and make some more money. 

Well, not much more news here. I've been staying at home with Angelo while Marvin works all day. We cook and clean most of the day. I have mastered doing laundry by hand. Homework is almost the most interesting thing I have to do, but I am already running out of assignments! At least I have some extra time to start studying for the LSAT.

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel, until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow"

I apologize for the lack of new postings! It may be a couple of weeks before you hear any more from me- can't write a Salvadorian blog from the United States!
Even though I have only been officially living in El Salvador for a month, it felt strange to come home. As the plane was making its decent into the Atlanta Airport they played a little clip on the overhead monitors welcoming everyone to the United States of America. That is when it hit me. I was in the US. Trust me- you can never fully appreciate your country until you have experienced living in a foreign one. Every time I get home from a long vacation I feel like I want to kiss the ground, but this time I almost wanted to cry! And I think Marvin feels the same way about El Salvador. He loves it- it brings back all of his childhood memories. For him El Salvador is home. But for me- boy am I glad to be back in the US!
My first stop was in Florida for my Dad's wedding. It was very nice. A little ceremony right by the water. Also got to spend some time with my new extended family. Even though it is nothing like growing up with siblings, I must say- I am very excited to have a step brother and sister. Growing up as an only child I probably spent the majority of my birthday candle wishes asking for a sister. Preferably a twin so we could be like Mary Kate and Ashley. Start a mystery hotline and "solve every crime by dinner time". But hey, I guess this is the next best thing! Anyways, I am sure the two of them are having a wonderful time in Jamaica for their honeymoon.
After the wedding I flew out to Denver for a few weeks. This is home. Driving in my car listening to my favorite radio station. Eating at my favorite Thai restaurant. Cool air.... sweet smelling fall leaves crunching beneath my feet. I couldn't have picked a more perfect time to come. I don't think I could ever leave this city. It is too much a part of me. It is amazing how much more I appreciate it after being away. Even engaged in some medicinal mischief. Gives a whole new meaning to the mile high city. We drove past our old cherry creek apartment and I was surprised how much I missed it. Seeing all of our favorite places- the mall, Panera bread, Swing Thai, Cherry Cricket, Bonnie Brae Ice Cream.... brought back some good feelings. I hope one day we will be able to afford a house as close to that vicinity as possible. Definitely will be needing law school for that.
 Filled out my voters ballot today. Guess I arrived just in time to feel like I am still a part of this country. A little annoyed that I got a Wheat Ridge ballot instead of a Denver one. I think there are more important issues than whether Wheat Ridge should have a city wide trash collection service. Voted no all the way down on the amendments. Yes, even on 63. I did have one yes- for the trash thing. Other than that... Bennet, Pearlmutter, and Hickenlooper- Pretty easy.
Well... not much more to say here. Just enjoying my brief visit home. I go back November 10th, so more Salvadorian news will be coming shortly.

Into each life some rain must fall.

I't has been raining constantly for the past three days. I've been trying to keep myself busy with homework and household chores. The floor is looking nice and shiny at least. My grades in school are looking up as well. I am excited to report that I've started a garden (actually just some seeds in peat pots) and raising some baby chickens. It's something that I've always wanted to do- just never had enough free time on my hands. Some good may come out of this move after all.

We have finally met all of our neighbors. Everyone is very nice and welcoming. They have brought us all kinds of little gifts- tamales, loroco seeds for my garden, and 3 baby quails to add to my bird collection. One of the neighbors has even promised me a plaintain tree. That should be fun to grow. I wonder if they think I am some crazy American.

Before the rain we had an opportunity to get out and explore our new city- Santa Ana. It is located near the Guatemala border, about an hour from the capital. Before becoming classified, it was inhabited by the Mayans who left ruins throughout the city. It is also home to several volcanoes and a population of over 600,000- El Salvador's second largest city.  I've seen pictures of the Santa Ana Cathedral and had to go see it for myself. It was built in the early 1900's and is still in surprisingly good condition. There is a group dedicated to the restoration of the church that operates completely off of donations. Restoration is currently stalled due to lack of contribution. The architecture is amazing. It is an old Spanish Gothic style building, still up and running. Burning candles line the isles with pictures of loved ones propped up against them. A little old lady walks around selling rosary beads and other religious paraphernalia. When the bells ring in the tower it sends a majestic sort of echo throughout the church. Pigeons soar through the cathedrals arches and nest in the stone crevices. My son had a good time chasing the flocks and watching them scatter. 

      

Here are some more pictures of the architecture in Santa Ana. During the late 19th century Santa Ana was situated on the heart of the coffee region. Ash from a recently erupted volcano make the land extremely fertile and one of the best places to grow crops. For a time, the city was the largest and the richest in the entire country. This flow of money enabled the city to build masterpieces like the cathedral, the theatre, and the municipal palace (below).

We also had a chance to get to the pool in our community. It was very refreshing after a long hot day with no AC!

"I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself."

Finally all moved in to the new house! It was a rough first couple of days with no running water or furniture. We were forced to eat on the tile floor "like the chinese" as Marvin's Aunt says. But we now finally have a table and some running water so that we can live more comfortably. Next on my To Buy list is an air conditioner. God we need that. I can do nothing but sleep all day or go to the pool, it is so darn hot. I have to wait until it gets dark and cool to get anything done. We still have no internet, phone, or cable- i feel at a disconnect with the outside world. I will post some pictures of the house when I get a chance. It is still not where I want it to be, but its getting there. And I love the new car by the way. It gets something ridiculous like 50 mpg highway and 40 mpg normal use.
I witnessed something interesting the other day- a police arrest. Very different from the United States. I don't think "police brutality" is a word in the Salvadorian dictionary. We saw these two men fighting in the street and all of a sudden an unmarked truck screeched to a halt in front of them. A police woman hopped out and put the guys hands behind his back then started kicking the crap out of him. A police man also jumped out of the truck to help her beat this guy to the ground. It was funny at first- to watch this little police girl, her hair in a ponytail, just beat on this guy- and the guy just stood there and took it. It got a little intense when the police man joined in though. Thats when we drove away. Guess that is the arrest procedure here.
Later that night we were at our house- I was taking a nap and Angelo was playing outside with his friends. My husband and my son woke me up to show me what had happened. They took me outside to see a car that had been rear-ended and pushed up onto the sidewalk. Apparently some guy came racing down our street in his car. He didn't realize that it was a dead end, so he turned around and sped off the other way- almost hitting one of Angelos little friends who was about to cross the street (thankfully my husband stopped the boy). Then he turned down the next street and slammed into the back of a parked car, just missing the security guard. He pushed this car all the way up onto the side walk into a metal pole. The security guard was able to radio the entrance so they could lower the gate and arrest the guy. I bet he got a beating just like the man we saw fighting in the street.
Then, to make the night even worse we locked ourselves out of the house. Actually the dog locked us out. These stupid doors lock automatically on the outside when you close them. My husband and I were in the garage and the dog pushed the door closed. The front gate was locked too so we were trapped in. And the keys were right there in the door. So frustrating. We ended up bashing the window open so we could grab the keys and let ourselves in. I was worried that the window would be expensive to repair. Pain in the ass yes, but expensive no- only $2. $1 for labor and $1 for the pane of glass. But I'm still getting little shards of glass in my feet when I walk barefoot across the living room floor.
And finally, I have to include this video. This song is so ridiculously popular here- literally not a day goes by that I don't hear it at least 5 times. I actually really like it but I have a feeling I will be sick of it very soon. Its some kind of Italian Electro House. Beware- its catchy.

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun"

I do feel safe in El Salvador. Being a blonde haired, green eyed, American- I still feel safe walking through the streets of San Salvador (with my family of course). In El Salvador you don't have much to worry about unless you are involved in a gang or are a bus driver or a frequent rider of public busses. I am none of the above. That being said, El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world as well an epidemic of gang violence. The main gang is Mara Salvatrucha (MS 13). It was formed in Los Angeles in the mid 90's by Salvadorian immigrants and was spread to El Salvador as a result of the deportation of thousands of Salvadorians from the U.S. Their rival gang is know as 18 street. Much of the violence occurs between members of these two gangs.
The homicide rates are said to be fueled by the drug cartel. The gangs also make money by charging business owners, especially bus drives a fee for their protection. The gangs made an estimated $18 million off of this in 2009 alone. This past week police have discovered 3 barrels stuffed full of money- millions and millions of dollars- related to the gangs and drug cartel. They have discovered about $15 million just this week. If the bus drivers don't pay up they are often killed. There have been many recent attacks on the public busses by gang members- including dousing the busses with gasoline and lighting them on fire, passengers and all. There are currently around 12 deaths per day as a result of the violence.
This past Thursday the president of El Salvador- Mauricio Funes- signed a new law criminalizing gang membership. My husband said he saw on the news that this law gives the police the right to stop suspected gang members- and even kill them. As you can imagine, this law did not sit well with the gangs. They responded with threats of violence. All of the public busses have been shut down. Large numbers of Salvadorians rely on public transportation- so the last couple of days the streets have been flooded with people walking to and from work. The traffic has been ridiculous- 30 people piled on top of one another in the back of a pickup is now a common sight. It has become almost a war between the police and the gangs. Just earlier today a police officer was killed on the right behind the wall of where we are staying. Afterwards, the police searched all of the houses for gang members. All day long there are helicopters hovering over us searching for gang members as well. And the police are everywhere. Seriously- there's like 1 officer every 10 feet on the main streets. The Salvadorian army has deployed 2,000 troops to ensure public saftey.
We are staying in Soyapango- which is only about 5 minutes from some of the most dangerous areas in El Salvador. Which is why I am very excited to get out of here and move to our house in Santa Ana tomorrow. Like I said earlier though- the violence is gang to gang, gang to police, and gang to public transportation and business owners. It is not directed at American tourists or ordinary citizens. Most areas are still relatively safe and nicer areas of el salvador remain unaffected. Even staying in Soyapango I have yet to see a gang member or an act of violence. Yet I know it is occurring all around me. But ordinary precautions such as not going out alone or at night will keep you safe.  
I personally think the Salvadorian government is making the right move and finally doing everything in their power to get the gangs under control. But we will see what is to come out of this ban on the public busses.