It is the end of my second week. I’m a quarter of the way through my stay here. I’d say I am a familiar face along the streets I travel. Between where I stay and the school, I exchange a “Buenas” with many people. I’ve made some friends and have some social invitations.
Here is what I’ve learned this week:
You can use your iPhone to look up lyrics to songs and get kids to sing along with you in English.
I knew it was the rainy season here but did not realize this was considered winter. As part of me feels ripped off that I get two winters this year and the other part of me says that if it this hot in winter, I don’t want to be here in summer.
A group of ten excited, shrieking girls can generate more decibels than a jet engine at take off.
When you say “Su lapiz esta a la pisa”, instead of “Su lapiz esta a el piso”, the girls will think you are telling them their pencil is on the pizza instead of the floor. They will laugh at you… Laugh with them
We learn a language in a very sterile environment; a classroom or Skype that has no distracting noises. But, we practice it in places with the sounds of traffic, music, and people talking around us. It makes it challenging.
During class, if you pull out your bottle of hand sanitizer to get marker off of your hands, the students will all want a drop of hand sanitizer too.
Walking the street in the morning, you hear everywhere the sound of tortillas being patted out by hand.
The people of El Salvador are both appreciative and generous.
The image above is the local regimental band playing their monthly concert at the alcaldia (city hall).
Donde estas su lapiz? jajaja And little girls in a horde can make ear piercing squeals and what gets me is it doesn’t bother them one bit!
They have young ears. Sometimes it is like the old Beatles videos.
That is one perfect analogy!
I think you have a nice life in El Salvador, Christopher. Maybe you will want to remain there :))
Only if my family will join me. I miss them. 😊
I am sure of that. And I am sure they miss you, too
It’s not easy. But this is turning out to be a good experience.
Glad to hear that, Christopher 🙂
Me too. 🤖
What a wonderful snapshot of life in this place.
Thank you so much. It is an interesting place.
I meant to say as well that it is so true what you say about learning a language in the classroom or on skype or in the very old way of linguaphone on cassette as i did when I first learned Italian. There is no noise, no other distraction – it is SO different when you are live in the room and you did make me smile with the pizza/floor blooper!!
I have many bloopers. That was just the most memorable. 😃
You sound very happy here. And the girls and their shrieks…so true! Glad you are having a good time. Your photos are wonderful.
Thank you so much Lois. Cheers!
From shrieking, to tortilla patting, to musical instruments and then to your pencil on the pizza sounds… WHAT AWESOME SOUNDS for YOU in these past two weeks! Muy bien!
Gracias. If I had a podcast, I could do a medley of the sounds. Lots of horns honking here….more than Boston.
Oh that would be fantastic! But, maybe for your own benefit… use your iphone and record the sounds…
I have a video of driving across town that I may post at some point.
Can’t wait!
Wonderful experiences indeed! You are seeing the real country by living there. And you are generous to take time to share it with us. We are all in this world together! I love the thought of the band playing once a month in that beautiful courtyard.
Thank you. It is a lovely event. I wish it were better attended.
Lovely post, Chris! Like how you mention the difference between learning a language in a totally different environment from that when you finally get to speak it 🙂 Cheers!
Thank you, Sarah. It is very different. Cheers!