"Esperamos Aqui"
This morning, I left San Pedro with a heavy heart only 28 hours after I had intended to leave. (I think that's a San Pedro record, but you'd have to have been there to get that.) It was an experience, to say the least. My Spanish now exists, though I certainly wouldn't brag about it.
For the last few weeks, I've taken the chance to chat politics with one of the brothers who runs the school. He has less than a sixth grade education, but has managed to pick up quite a bit from the students passing through. On Thursday, he hired a private pick-up to take the two of us to San Pablo, a neighboring village. While the people of San Pedro have the basics, San Pablo was straight out of a Sally Struthers commercial. We took a stroll around and I saw, among other things, kids (six or seven years old) who should've been in school but who were either working or idling because their parents needed the money or couldn't afford notebooks. Afterwards, I returned to San Pedro to mock the England fans as they had yet another sub-par performance, this time against Trinidad and Tobago.
I also saw someone complete Alegre's Long Island Iced Tea Challenge (drink six and get the seventh free). It was a sight to behold. I have to give him credit. Those Welsh can drink.
A few nights ago I saw my first sunrise in San Pedro with two Ausies, an American, and a frog. Needless to say, it was on the backend of the day. Nonetheless, it was a night well spent.
In leaving, quite a few of the local townspeople whom I helped keep in business were disappointed by my departure. One asked if I planned to come back. When I said that I didn't know, she replied, "Esperamos aqui", or, "we're waiting here".
All in all, it was twelve weeks well spent. I met a bunch of great and weird people (consider the descriptions mutually exclusive), such as a Swede who's moving to England to study a subject he doesn't like to chase after some chick who's with another guy, a Canadian who couldn't shut up about crystal skulls, a professional poker player who's giving that up to open a hotel in the town, and the first (and probably last) limey I'll ever buy a drink.
Now I'm in Guatemala City for a night. Tomorrow I head out to San Salvador with an expired visa. (Hence the 28 hours late leaving San Pedro. Last night I had some mystery potion from the other brother running the school. Worked like a charm.) I expect to be in El Salvador for about a week before returning to Guatemala to see all of the stuff that I haven't yet seen.
posted by Sean @ 4:45 PM
1 Comments:
hey-- i wanted to share this with you, but i can't e mail you because of the spam problem with your yahoo acct... so please don't e mail me back!!! my dad found this on the radio, and lo and behold, i also got an e mail about it.
when will you be back in the states? i will be moving to philly in about a month. i'll let you know via snail mail what my new address is!
hang in there, and have a drink for me!
Mary
> From: "Morton Blackwell"
> Subject: Leadership Institute keeps achieving new
> “first
> s.”
> Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:21:25 -0400
>
> Dear Leadership Institute Friend,
>
> Your Leadership Institute keeps achieving new
> “firsts.”
>
> Here’s a doozy of a “first.”
>
> On Thursday, June 22, at 2:53 PM Eastern Time LI
> will run a full one-minute ad nationally on the Rush
> Limbaugh program. You might want to listen in.
>
> I’m running this ad on Rush’s program Thursday and
> on the Drudge radio program next Sunday night.
> Other LI print and broadcast ads will run in various
> media in the next few weeks.
>
> The reason for the ads is to help my staff recruit
> 60 talented and dedicated field staff, who will
> start here in late August and spread out to recruit
> and organize conservative students on campuses this
> fall in all 50 states.
>
> Already, LI’s Campus Leadership Program has 736
> active, independent conservative student groups. By
> the end of 2006 I fully intend to increase that
> number to at least 1,000 active groups.
>
> If you know anyone who might be right to be an LI
> field representative this fall, please let him or
> her know. To make this easy for you, I’ve run below
> the script of the commercial which Rush’s program
> will carry for LI tomorrow.
>
> Thank you for all you do to help the Leadership
> Institute.
>
> Cordially,
>
> Morton
>
> Here’s the radio ad script or go to
> http://www.leadershipinstitute.org
>
> Tired of liberal bias on college campuses? Stop
> complaining, take action – and get paid to fight the
> left. The Leadership Institute in Arlington, VA is
> recruiting 60 conservative activists to become field
> representatives in the fall.
>
> Field Reps travel to college campuses around the
> country to help students create independent
> conservative groups and publications. Field Reps
> receive a generous reimbursement package, financial
> incentives, and rewards for exceptional performance.
> This is a great opportunity to jump-start your
> career in the conservative movement and make a
> difference. Go to conservativejobs.com and click on
> the field representative link to apply.
>
> I’m the Leadership Institute’s National Field
> Director Anthony Mantova. Join me on the front
> lines of the conservative revolution on our college
> campuses. These positions are filling fast, so
> apply now. Grab this opportunity. Go to
> conservativejobs.com before it’s too late.
>
> Take back our campuses – and save America.
>
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