Coming to (North) America

During my visit to the states, I look forward to…
• Not sweating.
• Sleeping in passed 6am, with no mosquito net, and without daily readings from Animal Farm: ”moo...cluck…woof…oink…kill, Napoleon!”
• Playing, I’m the coolest Uncle, with my nieces and nephews.
• Having a 4x4 quadruple-patty IN-n-Out burger, animal style fries, and an ice-cold Dr. Pepper! Mmm…hell yeah!
• Wearing my kafiyah + wool coat = deathtrap in balls-hot El Salvador.
• Watching some REAL fireworks…the non-bomb/gunshot sounding variety.
• Eating Indian food!
• Getting my teeth cleaned…yeah, Peace Corps is getting a little cheap and will only pay for one annual cleaning. In fact, they keep telling us that cleaning your teeth once a year is the same as getting it done every 6 months. I mean, come on, who the hell are they trying to fool?
• Drinking tap water and not having to worry about amebas alienating my insides.
• Using high-speed internet to download all the new tunes.
• Riding public transportation without the friendly extortionists.
• HOT showers!
• Playing Scrabble with competitive people…oh and no offense to the crybabies, but you guys need to sit this one out.
• 24hr coffee shops.
• Paying $10 for a movie! hahaha…ok, so this one’s clearly a joke. But, seriously, I could buy like 20 or 40 papusas with that much dough.
• Hanging out with brown people that don’t speak a word of Spanish.
• Hanging out with people that do speak Spanish.
• Sharing pictures and stories to those that care to listen.
• Not having my community health promoter accidentally prick me with a rabies vaccine this was clearly meant for Ramses. Yes, this actually happened and, if I’m lucky enough to live and see next week, I’ll be more than happy to tell you the story.
• Kissing Maryam’s cheeks :)
• All the little things that don’t seem so little anymore…I guess being a PCV in El Salvador has that effect.

**Ojalá, vaya a estar en los estados desde Dec. 27 - Jan. 6, 2010!**

Mártir

I know it's been a while since my last post...I guess you can say that I've been overwhelmed...too many stories and not enough ink, or at least that's what it feels like.

Well, I guess I should start where I left off. About a week after my last entry, we had another big storm...which, at this point, didn't seem too out of the ordinary. I do remember, however, a significant amount of thunder and lightning that night; in fact, I pretty much stayed inside for the majority of that weekend. As I walked to work the next day, I saw nothing. That's right, nothing...or, really, no one. Normally, on my way to the school, I'm greeted by all sorts of people...vendors, children, and even by the town's drunk...but, oddly enough, that day took a one-eighty. So, where was everyone? Usually, when the pueblo turns ghost-town, there's most likely a concert, futbol game, or funeral in session. It didn't take me long to realize what was happening. There was a large crowd of people outside of the mother's home...the vendors, children, news reporters, and, yes, even the town's drunk. I guess you can say that I sort of knew him. I knew that he played for our town's futbol team and that he was a promising college student. No, I'm not talking about the drunk...I wish I was, but I'm talking about the 23 year old kid in the casket. He was playing futbol when it happened. They say that the lighting went straight through his chest, killing him instantly. I wanted to feel sorry for the boy, but I knew in my heart that he will be treated like a martyr and, thus, be taken take of. I guess I was more concerned for the mother. Her tears were so heavy, clearly carving paths down her cheeks...a familiar pain, but yet so different.

'Martyr' in Spanish is 'mártir'...a word that I've heard here more than anywhere else. I'm not going to go into too much detail about the hurricane and landslides; in fact, I think I expressed myself enough on fb. If there's one positive thing that surfaced from all this mess, it's that my faith and purpose here in El Salvador have evolved to something greater. I look forward to visiting friends and family this winter, but I also look forward to return to El Salvador with new endeavors and hope.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

It was a dark and stormy night...but seriously though, as cliché as it may sound, it was pretty dark and stormy the other night...I'm talkin about axe murderer friendly type weather here! Anyway, so here I was in my house, all nice and cozy in my hammock and getting ready to watch the opening season of Heroes, which by the way took me about 2 hours to download. Oh, and yes it was worth it! I'm actually downloading new episodes of The Office as I type. Anyway, so I'm in my hammock and it's raining vacas and caballos outside...I have about three leaks in my roof, which are loud enough to keep any Abdullah (or person with selective hearing) awake. So I start watching the show. About 5 minutes into the show, the power goes out. Luckily for me, my laptop was fully charged...so the power outage really didn't bother me too much...at least not at first. Within minutes, my laptop becomes an open flame to all flying creatures. I was a little annoyed, but I kept watching my show anyway. I guess I could have easily migrated over to my mosquito-netted bed, but I was way too comfortable to move. About an hour into the show, I start hearing some familiar noises...squeaks, chirps, and ribbets to be exact. Normally, these sounds don’t faze me; however, they were a little different that night…in fact, they were significantly louder and closer than I liked them to be. Even with all the leaks, bugs, and well orchestrated jungle music, I still remained adamant about staying put and completing my show...which is exactly what I did. I'm sure you'd do the same, right? Alright so there I was, glued to my laptop, and all of sudden this giant frog jumps into my hammock! I frickin' flip out! About a few minutes later, the power turns back on and I discover bats flying over my head. Thinking that the situation couldn't get any worse, I go to the kitchen to grab a broom and find about a thousand ants attacking a nearly dead scorpion. oh, and I'm not gonna lie...it was kinda cool to watch! Now, the only thing missing from this picture was a chicken eating my Top Ramen. Yes, it happened before and if it happened again...'Pollo' would have become the new main course of the week! Anyway, so about a can of Raid later, I was able to play hero and reclaim my house...yeah, whatever that means LoL

My New Crib in El Divisadero, Morazan!

I moved into my new site yesterday...or, I guess you can say my new house. I´m renting a 3 bedroom house (for $25 a month!) that lies about 100 ft. from the main highway. I live within a 5 minute walking distance to the nearby pueblo (town). It´s a pretty tranquilo (chill) spot...there´s a ciber cafe, a hardware store, other small tiendas/chill spots, a sweet futbol field, and a beautiful church. My house came partially furnished with a hammack, bed, table, and 2 chairs. There´s still quite a few things that I still need...such as a fridge and stove. Fortunately, Peace Corps gave us about $750 each for our first month, which gives me some budget to work with. All in all, I´m pretty excited to make my house into a home and to start working in my community! ojala (inshaAllah) =)

My Site Assignment!

I'm the yellow start on the far right, middle part of the map.

10 Benches, 6 Peace Corps Trainees, 1 Tarantula, & A Whole Lot of Fun!

I probably should have added the 7 painful blisters that I inherited during this past, eventful weekend...but I guess it´s always best to start out with something positive, right? lol. aite so I, along with 5 other PCTs, joined a youth group in making bamboo benches for our community´s playground (aka ¨La Cancha¨). It was definitely a fun and interesting experience, one that I´m excited to share with you all. So go ahead and enjoy these videos...and don´t be afraid to pick my brain and share your thoughts. peace ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOj4myOPbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5uDJjYOwxo

La Prosseción de Santo Domingo

Here´s a video I made during Santo Domingo, a religious festival here in San Vicente, E.S. It was a pretty wild day! There were people dressed up in all sorts of costumes...there were even cross-dressers in the mix. Anyway, enjoy the video! =)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5BjvC9WERY

Tour de San Isidros

Here are a couple of videos I took of my host-community in San Isidros, San Vicente. Enjoy! =)

Part 1 or 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eOHbCutWpI
Part 2 of 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh-2Kzuoqds

Hola!

Alright, so it's been about 2 weeks since I've arrived in El Salvador and I'm loving every minute of it! Yes it's HELLA hot, but the people and food make up for that. My host family is super nice too. I live with a mother and father and their two beautiful kids. I'm in San Salvador today and plan on buying a couple of birthday presents for my host dad and brother. Oh, did I mention that birthdays are pretty big here? yeah, just imagine a low scale wedding lol. it's pretty awesome. Hasta luego

Another Reason Why Coincidences Don't Exist!

It would have been another typical Saturday night at the movies, at least until my dad offered me a better opportunity. He asked me if I would like to accompany him at the Human Development Foundation's (HDF) annual benefit dinner. I recall reading my dad's daily memos on the fridge about the event, so in the back of my mind I kind of didn't want to go. Not because the event wouldn't be fun, but mainly because my dad would know that his memos work, which isn't exactly desirable in the Abdullah household.

Ok, so I ended up going to the dinner. The food and the company were good. They even raised about 90K, which will go to the development of schools and clinics in Pakistan. My story almost ended here, but fortunately my dad wanted to stay til the end of the program.

Later that night, something surreal happened. Congressman Mike Honda of the 15th district was the final speaker of the night. He's a pretty respectable man. As a young boy, he endured Japanese interment camps and mass discrimination. He immediately had my attention. But the crazy thing about his speech was his Peace Corps experience in EL SALVADOR! yeah, it was insane! As soon as he finished his speech, I went up to him and told him about my PC plans. He was estatic and he gave me the biggest hug and advice I've ever heard. He gave me his personal email and told me to conjure up a fiance before I leave. I laughed, at first, but then soon realized that his advice was totally legit. hmm...I guess I have about 2 weeks left to find a girl. Who's interested?! LoL

"Meet the Newest PCVs!"

Here I am, honored in a Peace Corps newsletter! =)
http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/LandingPage.aspx?id=390360&p=1

My Peace Corps Timeline

January 2008: I began to think about the Peace Corps and the application process.

August 2008: I started the online application

December 2008: I submitted my application. I really only spent about a good two weeks getting my application together; however, I spent months deciding whether or not to go through with it. I prayed a lot and, ultimately, I felt great about my decision.

December 18, 2008: I had my PC interview with THE best recruiter, Ms. Heather Driscoll =)

January 16, 2009: Heather nominated me for the Environmental Education program. I was so stolked, because I love teaching about the environment =)

January 23: I received my medical toolkit, which was probably my least favorite part of the process. You'd feel the same way after 5 vaccinations, 6 fillings, and 2 wisdom teeth extractions =(

February 2009: I was medically cleared and received my invitation to become a PCV =)

April 2009: I should have been in Latin America by this time, but my program was pushed back to July. It worked out nicely, because now I can be here for the birth of my new niece, Mariam =)

April-June 2009: Just chillin', doing some acting, rollerblading on the pier, hanging out with friends and family, and brushing up on my Spanish.

July 7, 2009: My orientation in Washington, DC.

July 8, 2009: I arrive in San Vicente, El Salvador where I'll be completing my first three months of training.

September 8, 2009: I will be sworn in as an official PCV and serve for 2 years!

Hasta Luego ;)

My Motivation Statement

My mom is my inspiration for joining the Peace Corps. She was a strong, loving person and had a tremendous heart; always putting other peoples' needs before her own. She was the type of person that said hello with warm smiles and sweet cups of chai. She was more than a mother of six, but a friend to anyone who needed a friend. She was also my teacher and, because of her, I learned to stand strong with my convictions. Within my first semester of college, my mother became ill. The doctors said it was breast cancer and that it spread to her lungs, kidneys, and liver. They also said that if it had been detected early, she might have had a better chance of recovery. Knowing that my mom had the resources to monitor her health was tough and, for a while, I felt guilty not monitoring her health as much as I could have. Fortunately, through faith and through the love and support of my family, I was able to mend my wounds and develop ways to honor my mom.

In May 2004, I participated in my first fight against cancer walk. I initially chose to walk for my mom; however, I ended up walking for millions of people that have been touched by cancer. It was a cathartic experience, listening to survivor stories and talking to others just like me. The walk was empowering and, most importantly, I felt that my actions made a difference. It turned out that our Nation’s cancer rate dropped that year, and it continues to drop due to the development of new treatments and prevention programs. I wanted to continue to make a difference, so I signed up for the next event and for the one after that. In my heart, I needed to participate in these events not only for my mom, but because they were the right thing to do and I felt great doing them. Someday, I hope to feel the same way about the Peace Corps.

My friends and family always ask why I want to join the Peace Corps, and I usually say that it's an opportunity of a lifetime. Sure there may be moments of great stress, emotional and physical demands, but I know in my heart that the rewards will outweigh the costs. My mom used to always tell me that you can do anything, as long as you have pure intentions and the right reasons. As a volunteer, I hope to help others with the same love and compassion that I was given growing up. In the process, I want to better myself, so that someday I may inspire my own children to do what makes them happy.

I'm Inspired

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7991230021892512510&ei=Bs3nSbSDJJ_YqAOXr4nCDA&q=peace+corps+el+salvador&hl=en&client=firefox-a