Below are the 3 most recent journal entries recorded in siprenee's LiveJournal:

Saturday, August 7th, 2004
12:50 pm	I am back in the city because I had to go to the doctor, unfortunately. Monday was a beautiful day for me. I woke up at 7 am which is kind of late for me living in los espinos and my mom had a sweat warm platino ready for me to eat for breakfast. I am going to miss those gigantic bananas when I go back home to Kentucky, maybe because they remind me of here or maybe because they make bananas look like midgets. Then my sister invited me to walk with her and buy some green beans from a neighbor. It was quite a walk, but my sister kept me amused as she showed me flowers along the way. When we arrived there she picked up a big stick and was kind of hesitant about approaching the house. She told me it was because of the dogs but they didn’t bother us besides for bark. As we approached the house I noticed flowers every where almost hiding her small little house. She greeted us with a kiss on each of our cheek. Her and my sister small talked for a while about her not being able to get water at her house and her sun who was sick and I chimed in with a question every now and then. Eventually we left and returned home and cooked the green beans and maid tortillas and while laying down for a nap with my belly full I remember thinking this is the life. The next day I woke up with a fever it was a long day for because I went to the hospital, but as it started to get dark and the sun started to go down I felt at peace again. While my little brother was waiting for my sister to hide so he could find her, he told me that they (meaning my younger siblings) had thought I was going to die. Then remembering the whole day as my mom had taken care of me and the worried looks on every bodies face, I realized how much they really cared about me. I began to think about how much love I had experience here. Love within the community as people share what they can with one another and the love of my mother to her children, family and friends and I have great appreciation for being able to live, understand, and learn here in el Salvador for the summer. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 26th, 2004
7:14 pm	I now have 21 days left in El Salvador. This is depressing thinking about it, although I miss my life at home at the same time. Every thing has been great here. The other day I visited a place that makes natural medicine that was fun. We divided up in different groups and made different things, after we ate and excellent meal. Also there was a trash picking up day in my community and that was allot of fun also. I am still accompany the youth in all their activities. I gave interviews to four of them so that I could have a better understanding of their dreams and opinions. First I interviewed my brother who is 19 also. His dream is to move to the U.S. in san Francisco where his uncles live and work. He says there are no jobs here; currently he works for his father on the farm. After I encouraged him to think about all his options, if he could do anything what would he want. He then said play in a band or play on a professional ball team, but these are not what he thinks about because they are not realistically an option for him. The second interview was with my younger brother, his touched my heart. He wants to go to college and study communications and eventually become a priest. He says he wants to be the hands of god for his brothers and sisters in El Salvador and serve their needs. He wants to live, wherever God wishes. But he told me realistically he knows that he is not able to study because he does not have the money. He said my brother and sister were not able, why would I be able. I asked him the impact of the United States here in El Salvador. He replied that the way people dress, music, television,... is becoming that of America and that he believes that it is better just how it is. He also believes that the government does what it pleases with El Salvador only what is beneficial. He thinks that life in the U.S. is a lot of working and spending money. That people are trapped in a world of materialism and that it causes many worries and problems. He believes sharing the experience of getting to know Sara and I have been great and something that he thanks God for. The third interview was with Sara’s sister and she has very high goals. She wants to be a doctor or a journalist. She wants to travel allot and come to the United States to visit her family. She is 15 now and her father has given her the alternative of having a boyfriend or going to high school. Not all the young people in my community get the privilege of going to high school because they do not have enough money. For example my cousins have not had that privilege of going to high school. It is hard for me to understand, but my friends here have so much hope and happiness in a different dimension than I know. I can only imagine dreams that involve money and competition. The young people in los espinos might never be able to study, get extravagant jobs, go allot of places,... but in a way it seems like theirs are better because they involve being who they are with the people they love. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, July 12th, 2004
10:07 am	Hola! I am half way through my stay here. This is depressing to me because I am in love with this place. I have been accompanying the teen with all there activities and participating in all the church activities. I am teaching English at the local school and Yoga for the young women. I was surprised, but they really like it. They did not laugh during the breathing or the relaxation exercises. Salvadorans laugh allot at things that are not even funny. I have a hard time with that because I don not like to be laughed at. I feel like this place is giving me many things. Let me explain, Usually I like to be very productive and am inpatient and being here has cured me of that. I go days without what Americans would believe is being productive and am just content with being, living, talking with people. I also find my self waiting allot, Ahora means now in Spanish and here people use it for all times of the day. When are we going? Now. This could be any time of day. I think I am mastering the art of doing nothing and patience, these people sure have it mastered. I help run a bakery too. Women in my town take turns making sweet bread for the whole community and me and my mom do it three times a week. The only down fall is I have gained wait because the bread is so delicious. My family thinks this is great and so do the other people because being healthy here is good. So I get the complement that I am getting fatter every day! I also have obtained some mysterious break out on my body but I am not sure what it is. I hurt my foot too, but I went to the local masseuse and it was like magic I went in limping and went out walking two visits with him and I was cured. I am very fond of my community and my family. They are so nice. My mother is like no other woman here. She is in charge and powerful. She leads my house hold, which is rare her, and is in a constant state of serving. It is very inspirational to live with her and she cares for me very much, like one of here children. I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters. My little sister amazes because she is 10 years old and she is very mature. She is like the subsitute mother taking care of the boys and even me. My other sister works in a city and stays there throughout the week, but I like her allot two. She was the representive for my community at the festival in the city of my church. I am kind of tired now because the day before yesterday I danced at the fiesta until 2 am in that town. It was loads of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am very close two my brothers too. My younger brother Arturo is the leader of many activities with the youth and my little brother is precious and like sweets and like to cry. Well I guess I am going to end this, but I want every body to know I am thinking about them and miss them very much. Much love, Renee (1 Comment |Comment on this)