Headin to El Salvador

It's been a long time since I've posted. So much for following the news while traveling.

I had a great time in Mexico, experiencing the people and Cervantino festival in Guanajuato. The pace of life is so much more laid back than the northeast US, and the people are, generally speaking, incredibly friendly, except for one dude who decided to punch me in the back of the head for no reason. Of course, he was really drunk and we had some pretty ladies with us; maybe he was just jealous.

Anyway after Guanajuato I went to another city, Guadalajara...much more modern but still very nice and much different than Mexico City. There I took a TEFL course. I see teaching English as a way to get by while I'm traveling. I'm still taking a potential job away from a local, but these positions seem to be in high demand and I'd feel worse taking a different job I was less qualified for and that was easier for a local to get. Also, I struggled with teaching English for awhile, as I see spreading English around as facilitating US world dominance, but it's also a practical skill that many people want and so I also think it's not my place to not provide it if people want it. I'll just do my best to make it culturally sensitive and contribute to the community through service as much as I can. I also want to keep up with community service whenever possible to keep myself connected to the social work field, as I do want to practice when I get back to the US, who knows when. I'm thinking of maybe community organizing work with immigrants, but not sure yet and anything could change as I learn more about myself and what direction I want to go careerwise.

So anyhow I've been back in the NJ/NY area for month now and have been trying to see family and friends and catch up on some research work that I do on the side. I've been half heartedly looking for English teaching jobs because I wanted to do a little more volunteer work before my savings run out. I found a few good programs, and was able to arrange for a placement in one of them, called the Center for Exchange and Solidarity. I'm leaving early this Sunday morning for San Salvador, El Salvador, where I'll spend two weeks taking Spanish classes, Freirian style, and learning about the local issues that have persisted since the end of the country's long civil war in the 80s (of which the wonderful US made sure to be on the wrong side of democracy, again).

After that, I'll move to a town a couple hours away from the capital called San Francisco Chinameca, which is hopefully gringoless. I'll be teaching English for about 6 hours on Wednesday and Friday evenings through a local grassroots social change agency. The class changes each class and is supposedly relatively small. I'll also be doing my research job, learning Spanish (think I have to learn the vosotros that i never memorized before haha), and learning about the local culture. I know basically nothing about SFC, maybe it's more rural who knows.

I'll probably finish the volunteer work in mid-April, by which time I hope to have a lead for an English teaching job. I have a friend in Honduras who can probably get me a job, and an open offer to a friend's house in Bogotá, Colombia, where I'll have free room and board for a bit while I find a place and a job. Of course, before I leave Central America there is still much I'd like to see. I recently read a great book called The Country Under My Skin by Giocanda Belli. It reads very well and the way she describes Nicaragua made me want to go, so maybe I'll stop by Granada. It would also be nice to see Costa Rica to see what all the gringo hype is about. Once I get to South America I'd also be interested in checking out Peru and Chile, to say the least. But who knows what will happen. I'm just tryin to take it one step at a time and make smaller rather than larger commitments for now.

Also, I still have a desire to do long term volunteering in the future, but I'd like to get my Spanish to a better level first. I go back and forth with Peace Corps, not so much because it's a long commitment (actually, it offers the best benefits most security you can find for a long term placement so it's pretty enticing), but more because I have reservations about being a part of our country's often questionable foreign policy. These concerns are compounded with the current admin for sure. We'll see though. For now, ya me voy.