February 21st 2010 – Can’t Remember Such a Lazy Day

Other than answer 3 work related emails (granted they were important ones) – I did hardly anything today. 

We started out with a relatively normal Sunday: getting up and getting ready for church… everyone showing up at the Pastoral House for church and the chit chat that stems from that.  It was Blanca’s birthday so we presented our presents and I put one of our peanut butter cookies that Alisha and I had made the night before on everyone’s breakfast plate as a symbol of celebration for her.  Balmore really liked the cookie and got up for another one! 

Alisha and I attended church together.  Today, the singing was particularly painful.  It was loud and nasally and very off key for the most part.  Even the priest a couple of times looked like he was in pain.  But we endured.  And hopefully better people for it.  But maybe not… there might be a special place in he—for those of us who complain about church music. 

After church, we strolled to the market. 

Not sure if I said yet, but the park is all torn up.  They are remodeling.  So we had to walk around by way of the police station. 

Alisha asked if there were always people in military garb and full armament standing around.  I told her yes… in front of the police station there are almost always police or military standing around.  Military personnel also serve as local police – rotating from town to town helping out.  One does get used to it after a while.  And actually, their presence is welcome for the most part.  People behave better in general.  

Today was quite busy.  We saw lots of people we knew – including my new little friend Brian.  Brian is a little boy of about 9 who now seeks me out.  I met him when St. Boniface was here in January.  He found us in the ice cream shop.  He wanted ice cream.  They bought him a cone.  He told me he was hungry.  And so were his brothers.  I bought them pupusas that day.  So now when Brian sees me, he comes up to give me a hug and to see if I will get him a pupusa.  I’m a bit of a sucker so often do.  He is just a ragamuffin of a child.  He is always filthy and barefooted.  He said he lives with his brothers because his mom is in San Salvador working.  He breaks my heart.      

So now, Brian is always there with a hug.  And he sometimes gets pupusas and sometimes not.  But he always has the hug and smile.  Check out Alisha’s blog: http://alilorraine.blogspot.com – she has a great photo of our little friend and she writes a great blog.

We each bought a shirt.  Twin shirts actually – but in different colors.  We couldn’t resist for $5 each.  They are gauzy and embroidered and summery nice.  And she bought a couple of gourd scoops.  And I bought a gourd water bottle.  We’ll hang it in the Pastoral House museum.   We say Haydee and Mily and a few other people we knew and just strolled. 

We got back to the house by about 11:15.  And that is basically where any useful activity ended.  It was just Cecilia at home.  And we were all feeling lazy.  Hardly anyone was ringing the door bell.  I don’t think the phone rang even once.  Alisha and I both finished a book.  She even fell ‘asnooze’ in the hammock for a short time.  I puttered with a few emails, helped Mauricio with some English pronunciation, read, played Hearts on the computer for a bit.  Read some more…

What a day.  Not sure I like not having much to do.

Comments

[Alisha]

The church singing was pretty bad. I kept trying to hum the right pitch in my mind in hopes of them getting in tune. At least I didn't go tell them I thought they did a good job as one of us suggested. That would surely land me a place in he--