I started out this morning in a hurry because last night, I didn´t see one of the pieces of clothing hanging on the line, so I accidentally left it for the storm to play with. This morning, there was my black skirt, covered in mud and leaves...an unexpected surprise! I had planned my morning to be able to drink coffee and have some pan dulce before heading off to Nueva Granada, but I washed instead. So, I hurried off to wait infront of the school, in desperate need of my ¨daily drug¨where a pick-up truck passes every morning to haul in the teachers. It´s the other mode of transportation if we miss the bus that comes by at 6 am. Since my meeting was scheduled for 8, I decided to go in the car at 7:15. But, the car broke down and didn´t come until 7:40. Not a big deal, though...I´m getting more and more Salvadoran everyday when it comes to time. So, we rode the 45 minutes on our rocky, dirt (or should I say mud now that we´re in winter) road standing in the back of our red pick-up, hair blowing in the cool wind (a beautiful thing...lovin´me some winter weather), trying not to step on the person next to me or touch their butt or anything, and chatting about the man who died from drinking poison. I finally got to NG at 9 am, but it was fine. The mayor didn´t seem to mind, and we joked for a while before getting to the topic. He´s nice, and I finally got me some coffee! 2 cups to be exact :) He even shared some of his sweet bread. We have this huge project where we´re trying to get the members of the community to change their d.u.i.s to be registered with NG because that´s the territorial district we belong to. By doing this, it will be easier to receive funding and projects from the local government. It´s successful. The Mayor´s office is going to fix our road (YEH!!!) starting next week, and also will probably buy some land we need to solicit for the health clinic. I think he´s going to give us a ¨casa comunal¨also. So, I was excited by our visit, as always because it gives me hope that something´s going to happen, and soon! Also, chatted on the phone with the UN´s rep that I adore, and figured out what to do about some projects gone rye under their reign. So, it´s been a productive day. After all of that, I figured since I´m already out and about, I might as well head on over to Santiago to check my e-mail, buy some pan dulce, and see what all my peeps have sent me in the post office! I love pueblo days! So, I´m sipping on some coffee waiting on the P.O. to open after their long 2 hour lunch hour, and thinking of all of my loved ones that I miss in the States. December can´t come soon enough!!

This week I learned how to make corn tamales...they´re yummmmmmy! The fam made chicken tamales also, but still confused on how it´s done. Maybe next entry. If you want recipes of some yummy campo food, just ask!

Many of you have asked me how I´m living and who I live with and all of that. I thought I already said, but so you know, I live with a little old lady who´s very spunky, Ester, and her grandaughter Ana, who´s 14. I love them both very much. I have my own room with a bed and hammock and closet thingy. Our living room has a couch and 2 hammocks, and a TV...go figure. We don´t have a kitchen, but the house directly next to us does, and I´m constantly in and out of both houses. My house is bloque, but the other is adobe. We share everything, since we´re all family anyway. I usually just eat red beans and tortilla, and some Salvadoran cheese or I fry an egg or something. But, right now it´s winter season, so we get some veggies and also lots of corn!! I love it! There are corn tamales, corn tortas, corn on the cob, corn soup, etc. We eat rice sometimes too. Pan Dulce´s the best ever!!! And, yes, I´m still an addict to coffee. Pupusas when I go to the pueblo are a must...they´re a savory Salvadoran delicacy (not really, theý´re everywhere) that everyone must try at some point in their lives. I crave them sometimes; they´re like my new hamburger!!

So, life´s been really really good, and lots of surprises have come my way. Work´s been sensational, meaning that I feel like I have lots of it to do, and that it´s coming together well. Personally, I´ve met someone that´s great, and am thoroughly enjoying his company when I´m able. But, he lives in the capitol, and well, I don´t. But, it´s very new and very ¨chivo¨. This weekend, we went salsa dancing and to dinner, and it was crazy, because we had my camera out on the dance floor, and from goofing around a bit much (just my style, right?), we lost the camera, and someone must have stolen it. So, in the course of 2 days, I lost my phone and my camera. Therefore, more pics on my site will be delayed for a while, but eventually I´ll get a new one and keep filling you in on the ever-increasingly adventurous life of a Peace Corps Volunteer!

I ¨don¨this blog entry as The Poop Chapter.

1. Hilarious story about my cell phone...I usually don´t ever use a latrine because I just go in the monte, but on Friday, I was like, hmmm, think I´ll use the latrine up at my uncle´s house. Well, I had my cell in my back pocket of my bluejean skirt, and I guess that as I took it off, the cell phone fell into the latrine pit!! It was so gross! So, Tio Mardoqueo, after about an hour of trying to get it out with sticks and string, and me holding the flashlight so he could see, finally retrieved the once-white phone, now-brown-phone from the dark abyss. I had to go clean it, and while I was cleaning, our mayor came to my house looking for me (I had poo on my shirt and my hands!). Can you imagine? Then, my phone ended up dying anyway. So, had to buy a new one, but that´s a huge crazy soap opera story too.
2. My little bundle of joy, the new baby boy of my ¨aunt¨Marina, gave me a gift of love as well. He´s now 2 months, and I go over to hold him all the time. Not only does it give Marina some time to do things, but also I love it! Anyway, one day he peed on me (not strange, since he never wears diapers...too expensive), and the following day, I went to pick him up and felt something nice and warm. I thought, oh, he peed again...until Marina said Oh Ginger, look at your hand!! So, I looked, and my hand as well as my beige skirt, were painted bright yellow. Fun stuff, I gotta say. Edward just looked up, laughing, like he knew that he´d made a funny. He´s so cute!

3. Following the poo theme, we are finally getting a Latrine Project in our site!!! I´m so excited, and the Mayor has worked really well with us on this, as well as amazing friends and family in Greenfield, TN! We´ll start the project in November, but the announcement´s been made, and they are currently signing up for the labor and the project. I´m gonna get to go in my own back yard, but in an outhouse!! Yeh!