Tonight...The Gods Revolt!

This past weekend I played in Peace Corps’ soccer team. For the 1st time, apparently, we beat a respectable team of Salvadorians 3-1. I played left defensive end, a position that I’ve been playing since I got here. Much like in Basketball and Football, I’m a defensive player, a true guardian of the gate, like the Roman god Janus, if you will...well, not really, more like a sloth smoking a cigarette on the verge of a cardiac arrest.

Okay, back to the game. We played near my old training site, which, if you remember is on the volcano. Volcano + Rainy Season = Violent/Heavy Rain. And so it did...violent and heavily. But that didn't stop us. While the Salvadorians all ran inside we divided the team, and played within the fury of the gods. In Jupiter's wake, piercing arrows of rain, the zero visibility of a massive cloud that consumed us could only be Juno. And with poor visibility slippin' and slidin' across the mud we battled the unseen forces, and each other.

It was so much fun. After the rain passed, the Salvadorians came to play...and we kicked their 3rd world asses, haha.

PS. My friend keeps telling me I shouldn't say that. I know I shouldn't, I know, it's just so difficult to hold back...but I'm trying really hard to be the shepard.

Yesterday

''GIVE IT UP!!!''
- Pinhead

Yesterday, oh sweet yesterday. For those that don't know I train with the Salvadorian fùbtol team in my site, as stated, I play defense, but yesterday, yesterday I played a combination defensive/offensive forward/guard. I ran my ass off to say the least, several times almost collapsing trying to catch up to these ultra-fit Salvadorians. To my great surprise, I also scored a goal, my first goal…in my life. Sadly, no one cared.

Now you have to understand how bad I am at sports to appreciate this. If we were to look at my scrapbook of fatal athletic memories, you would see that my lack of coordination and slow reaction time (see myspace entry on my hypothetical neurological abnormality) and general cardiovascular limitations that extend from football/basketball/baseball in grade school and basketball in high school (although I was sick that week during tryouts...I swear, you know how sickly I was back then). I’m so bad at sports, during my baseball years (if, indeed, you would call them that) the 1st, and only time I hit the ball (a double by the way) my coach, good ‘ol coach Willy, stopped the game to get the ball and hand it to me. My teammates were astonished, my parents, as jovial as the day I was born. I still have the ball to this day, a testament to my inability to play to game.

The intrinsic satisfaction I felt, baby-tapping that ball to bounce off the leg of the 6-8 year old goalie (hey, their vicious players at an early age, give me some credit) gave me a sense of accomplishment. Going to that to that field, where at first, no one knew my name and their faces didn’t hide their dissatisfaction that I’m such a bad player took guts. The more I got my face out there, the more I saw the ball being passed to me, and even heard my name being called when I’m looking for an open player. Last week, one player even showed me a few moves, having me kick the ball for an hour straight…then playing a game…I was so sore, I limped the next day.

I hope to come back to the Motherland with an ability for ‘‘the game’’, which has alluded me all these years. Only time will tell, but for right now, it’s time to kick some balls!

Your Affectionate Volunteer,

SCRUTAPE

PS. I still suck though.

Bajo Lempa

The situation as it stands in El Salvador

Hurricane Stan hit El Salvador hard on Tuesday leaving in its wake over 186 miles of devastation that included 117 schools, 10 health clinics, and 1 hospital that were completely destroyed. As a result of the rains, several communities were entirely flooded including the community of Bajo Lempa (located south of my site, within the department of Usulutan). On Wednesday I accompanied my alcaldia into Bajo Lempa to survey the damage and pass out food and clothing to the families that have chosen to stay. The situation is bleak, as you can see with the photos.
Witnessing the devastation and seeing these people first hand is a new experience for me that I still haven't come to terms yet. I saw entire homes and crops completely submerged in water (an entirely livelihood wiped out). At times we could not make out the road and it seemed as if we were on a boat crossing the lake to the other side. As for the people themselves, many did not have family in other parts of El Salvador and had no choice but to stay. They made make shift houses out of plastic and sticks, many of the men were fishing where their homes once stood, casting nets over the murky waters.
Although much in the way of aid arrived in this community, the one necessity they needed the most (and we quickly ran out) was drinkable water. Luckily, toward the end of the day, a tanker truck arrived to temporarily alleviate their thirst, but imagine, some of these people went days without drinkable water.

What was most astonishing in this experience was the amount of smiling faces and playfulness that was among the entire community, including the relief workers. Everybody joked, including the entire staff, children played in the water pushing each other and calling each other names, old women yelled at pigs trying to keep their livestock in check, women sat and gossiped with other women trying to cook what little they had, as the men did a series of odd jobs, some even riding their bikes and waving. I’m telling you, I have never met a more positive people I have here in El Salvador.

Your Affectionate Volunteer,

SCRUTAPE

PNOD Gets Down On Bended Knee!

''Marwage...is what we are here...today...twue lwuv...''
- The Princess Bride

A note of congratulations to my best friend since High School, Phillip (of the illustrious brothers’ Hooper) recently became engaged. That’s right, out of the 6 (if you count the estranged Roybal) two thus far have chosen to go down the dark and bitter path of happiness that is marriage. Note, personally, I don’t count myself, it was more of a nibble really, a tiny morsel that I just happen to choke on, scarring my esophagus. Anyhow, Scrutape proposes a toast! To PNOD (aka wormwood) and his lovely bride to be, Kristin (whom I often have dirty thoughts of), I wish you all the best and many congratulations! I will definitely be crashing the wedding come next October (which, I was told, really couldn’t happen considering I’m invited).

PS. I heard through the grapevine that CliffOhm (1 of the 6 is getting married, or perhaps is married by now, is this true?) In this case, we have a possible 50% of the group married here. Hmm, I could just get online and ask him, but that would lead to a conversation that would then cost me money, so, oh well, the important one is Phil here people (the point of the blog), lets not loose sight of the focus here, jeez.

Your Affectionate Volunteer,

SCRUTAPE

Sophie went under the knife

"LIVE LIVE LIVE!"
- P. Hooper.

So I'm in the Peace Corps office right now, relieved that everything will be alright knowing that she is in the hands of a certified Apple technician. Apparently the problem lies in her internal battery. I have to come back next week to pick her up. I've resorted to writting letters, so everyone should get at least one within 2-3 weeks. Pray for her.

~SCRUTAPE

Loss in the House of Mora

¨Do not go gentle into that good night…¨
-Dylan Thomas

In the last few days El Salvador has experienced tremendous devastations such as the loss of homes and the loss of family. No one can distinguish one particular loss with more emphasis than the other, but there comes a time when we all loose something so dear and close to our hearts, for but a moment in time we acknowledge their impact on our lives.

On the 4th of October, during the storm which lasted 24 hours, Sophie Audrey de la Mora slipped quietly into a coma. The exact nature of the cause is unknown, and the nearest doctor that can treat her is in San Salvador. I am by her side everyday, and at times she seems to awaken with an all too familiar gong. But soon after, after the incendiary light glows like my soul at the site of her, she again slips into darkness. I don’t know what to do. I feel completely lost. I just wanted everyone to know the grave situation and where it stands.

As far as the rest of the situation here in El Salvador, I simply don’t know, nor do I care at this moment. All I care about is poor Sophie, the only woman (beside my mother) who has been there for me through thick and thin. I feel quite torn at the moment, and do not know what I will do if she does leave this earth.

Your Melancholic Volunteer,

SCRUTAPE

Soooo...A Volcano erupted here

"We're in a volcano. We're surrounded by liquid hot magma"
- Dr. Evil

Here´s the link to read up on it:
http://www.physorg.com/news6904.html

So basicially in short, the volcano Ilamatepec began to spew ash and (liquid hot)magma this saturday. Peace Corps volunteers near the region were exacuated and sent to the capital to await further instructions.

So, just to let you all know, I´m WAY on the other side (the volcano is in the department of Santa Ana, and I´m in San Miguel), and even if a big eruption did happen, I´d be fine...sorry to disappoint Chris, to go by way of volcano would have been a cool story. BUT, there´s still hope as El Salvador is experiencing above average rain fall which is basically causing all kinds of floods, mudslides, car crashes and deaths (due to vehicular causes or drowning). Good times in the country known as The Savior! Just today I was coming back from the capital and there was a serious accident (which, by the way, is common here) involving a jack knifed big rigg, a bus and several cars.

Seriously, who pissed off God to give this small country so many plagues? I think if the biblical stories are to be taken literally then I would say that Lucifer Fell to Earth and landed in El Salvador...think about it, it makes sense, but no one believes me. Oh well, different discussion for a different time, okay, I have to swim home now.