On Work

So I realized…well, I didn’t really realize, I just wanted to sound as if by some epiphany, some inspired divinity of selfless goodness that I over looked that this website has been dedicated to everything OTHER than my Peace Corps experience. Granted I do write about politics and news and, well, frankly, it’s more interesting. I’ve gotten so many more responses the bloodier or controversial I make the postings. Part of it was as a social experiment, the rest, a morbid fascination, but hey I can’t help it, it’s my major.

Anyhow, don’t get me wrong, I love what I’m doing here and after a year I’ve gotten use to almost all the things that drive me mad (again, another self inflected experiment, I know, I know) but I still have retained the availability to disconnect and see my work from an outsiders perspective (some call it apathy or an anti-personality complex but since everyone uses antisocial incorrectly and confuse apathy for empathy, I’m in the clear). You know what happens when tell myself what I do as a 1st worlder without the 3rd world experience?

Oh what great work. Wow, I never could do it (I’d never want to do it, but I’ll keep that to myself). Wow, how is that country that I don’t care about and will never visit in my life. Tell me more about it…Zzzzzz. Isn’t there a gang problem there? You know, my gardener, who I thought was Mexican is actually Salvadorian, who knew? Zzzzzz.

Now the reasons are many-fold and really and to get right down to it, being 1st worlders (more specifically 3rd generation-ers and on), those “little things” that often make us smile as we struggle through our Scope of Work, that “Big Deadline” that “Big Appointment” or that “Big Project” really, is all I have, while for you, well, it’s different. Cause for you guys rather than the constant, it’s the anomaly. Think of it as the Friday Night Hallmark movie or the inspirational testament from Channel 11’s “Wednesday Child”. Looking at it, it’s just a block of time that you give up basically because your either to hung over to change the channel or going through some crisis and are looking for external support (I don’t have the research to back it up with me, it’s at home, ask my mom for the box). Really, those little things really are not that important to you. I mean really, think about. If that were so then why don’t we all go back to where we came from? Why are we saturating ourselves in this post-industrial country wasting all of our money with entertainment and luxury and saving nothing?

Well…because it’s nice…and, quiet comfortable.

Oooh, are those 600 count sheets made of Egyptian cloth? I have the red ones.

So you see, not having these things, the luxury items nor the entertainment factor (although I admit I’ve been able to intelligently get most of them back) along with constant face to face time with abject poverty, you know, that thing you drive by on your work after downing your double shot Venti Mocha with the double sleeve wearing the latest Kenneth Cole Reaction series (which is fabulous) all while planning your weekend with your friend on your brand new Motor Razor, is what I am forced to see everyday and it’s gotten to the point that I am apart of it (someone call Daxia, my threadest, she’s going have a heart attack). Now c’mon, don’t be shy about how I described you, let’s be honest here people. Look, I did all that stuff and I know you do all that stuff, I’m not judging. I’ll have you know that, well, when I get back, I, I plan to do it all again (except you Daxia, sorry, I don’t see the need anymore but Anne, my anestitian, you’re still on speed dial). Actually, I plan to do it when I come back for Pnod’s wedding. Okay, maybe I won’t have the latest Kenneth Cole series, but I’ll at least have a Razor…I mean, c’mon, I’m a 1st worlder.

Well anyhow the point of this blog is to share Work, so enjoy because it may be the last one for some time since the next pending blogs pertain to El Salvador & Iraq, my 11 year old pimp and a very angry commentary on El Salvador & Tourism among others.

Yesterday, 26/June/06 I had my 1st successful Medical Brigade in the poorest cantón (it’s a poor rural area, think of trailer parks and people with mullets without teeth holding Budweisers) in my municipality. Now I say it was my 1st success because I had a Medical Brigade before and it was, well, a failure (along with many others). I could complain as to why, but it would take up too much space, so let’s talk about it over a Ocean’s 12 martini (with the edible flowers) at Lola’s with some bruschetta and calamari (your treat) before heading off Temple Bar for some live music. Anyhow…as you may remember (okay, you don’t) I have a new administration, the right-wing ARENA party. Now, say whatever you want about them (which won’t be much) but I like these guys. Now, I’m saying this because at the municipal level it really does not matter what party wins, what matters is the team and their vision (and that they keep their promises after the elections). I like their vision for my town and they’ve been good about promises so far. Never had I had the support of an administration like this one (and I’m speaking with a WHOLE 13 months of experience here, c’mon now, I’m practically a native [shudder]). After leaving with bad terms with the Medical Brigade from the 1st disaster the empire of ARENA recovered face and went beyond. How do they do it? Keep reading

First off, a Medical Brigade is not the check you sign for the tax write off, it’s an actual event (who knew?). It’s basically a small team, in this case based in San Salvador and these guys offer $2 for medical consults with free medicine. Side note, two leading medical problems in El Salvador: diarrhea and dengue (I’ve had one of them so far). Now, with the AMAZING support from city hall we organized a FREE consult for the residents of this impoverished area. Now I wish I can put a comment about politics here but I would then have a nice discussion with my Director that would effect my stay here and I don’t want that so ask me about this over a small latte with just half a pump of vanilla (yes, I know you still have to charge me) and a slice of carrot cake which we’ll need after that dinner at PF Chang’s (oh those Lemon Drop Martinis were simply divine, weren’t they?).

Now I didn’t get any thanks or any glory from the event (now don’t canonize me just yet, I want glory and I’m still on the lookout) but I did feel intrinsically good about it and the interaction I had with the residents was incredible. Below are some pictures of the campaign. The little girl you see was the highlight of my day. Damn I feel good about being here today. Of course, there are still the hours that remain from when I wrote this until I post this blog.

¿Puta madre y quien sabe que puede pasar en ese tiempo? Somos fregado…buey.

No I won’t translate what I just wrote….ask your gardener…and tell him I said hi, chances are he’s from my town.


Isn't she cute?

My crew

My 2 Live Crew

I'm vain

Introduction with the Sindico

Front Shot

Campasino

People In Waiting

Consult

Sitting, and Waiting and Wishing

Sitting, and Waiting and Wishing II

Cutey

Close Up


'I feel No Pulse'


'Uh, Sir...Sir!'


'Uh...Is This Thing On?'


Your Affectionate Volunteer,

SCRUTAPE

The Center Will Hold

I was recently composing another compilation CD to add to my growing playlists. As some of you know I enjoy making theme based CD’s for people and for my own creative expression. Recently I have been in bit of a mood due to personal reasons unrelated to my service here in El Salvador which is absolutely stellar. As for the mood behind the smile that is something of a delicate matter and I am utilizing all of my cognitive resources to deal with it. Back to the matter at hand, I was in the middle of creating a new CD, two actually, entitled: El Salvador – The Black Album and El Salvador – The White Album. Like Janus, Freud, Jung, Lynch and others before me, duality is an issue I have particular interest in and I wanted to express the bipolar relationship of the country through my eyes in song.

The first CD, The Black Album is just about complete, 13 songs of violence, aggression and futility, the number holding significance to Salvadorian gang culture. I was reviewing the tracks and decided to take a break to read an article in the paper recommended by our assistant director who informed us via email. As I read it I realized something I had not before, for whatever reason, I missed it, a bigger concept not found in the pages of the newspaper, an exercise in critical thinking or human apathy. Reading the paper everyday can and does make one cynical, yes it leaves one informed, but the amount of violence this tiny country experiences far exceeds the pages allotted. In turn, along with my current mood has created a sort of symbolic relationship that may not be the most beneficial to my own cognitive welfare.

As I read the article, for a brief moment between the starting gun blast of song one fading into the next song citing, in a modern twist, the Code of Hamurabi (if you remember it, it’s the one that that’s famous for “an eye for an eye”) I realized something about El Salvador’s urban police force that made take a look outside the headlines. Granted there is rampant corruption within the flanks and measures are being taken to correct hem, but aside from that the notion that dawned upon me, between the newspapers piling on my floor showing screaming deputies or marred bodies and the Black Album filling my living room (substituted then by Gershwin), I thought of those men and women putting their lives at risk in the most violent nation in the Western Hemisphere. It stopped me for a moment. The most violent country on this half of the world and these uniformed officers deal with it everyday. Remember, this is the country where maras (or Salvadorian gang members) throw grenades at clubs for petty matters and alcoholism is as common as having a family member in the States. All things considered, it says something about integrity and sheer will of the people of this country. Here in the rural areas of El Salvador where I am stationed, I enjoy a crime free zone with utmost liberty to come and go as I please at all hours of the day and night. Coming from an urban sprawl such luxury is rare (save in small ethnic barrios) and I imagine San Salvador, the nation’s capital, to be very similar my own city of origin in that sense.

When you think about the urban police force here, they make very little, some, if not all, take on other forms of employment to make ends meet. Yet with the level of hostility and danger they are exposed to, one wonders how the government is able to retain so many different units of public regulation with bodies to fill these positions. Somehow, within all that has been going on in this country since the Conquest, the center has held. These men and women, rather than sitting at home waiting for a check from one of their family members from the States, rather than running to States themselves or flooding themselves in a fugue of drugs and excessive alcoholism have chosen, for whatever reason to stay and fight.

I realize now how every person fights their battles in the best way they know how. Some use a pen and others a sword and El Salvador has those that have tackled all available areas of injustice, with the bottom line being: many have chosen to stay and fight. With this combined effort, through the power of sheer will, maybe El Salvador will one day see the change it so richly deserves. El Salvador, literally, The Savior, it’s ironic that a country plagued with a history of dictators, oligarchies, social stratification, massacres, oppression, civil war, desperation, PTSD, violent crime, maras, earthquakes and floods should be named as such. To draw an artistic license (inserting El Salvador rather than Mexico and inventing the rest) from a quote by former Mexican dictator, Porfirio Díaz, I think to myself, solely letting the words roll from my tongue: poor El Salvador, so far from God and so close to salvation.

Black Wednesday

Violence at the National University

Protests before the National University of El Salvador (UES) occurred on Wednesday, July 5th due to the price hike in urban and interdepartmental public transportation and electricity. Due to rising global costs of energy and oil, the national government declared that it could no longer could pay the subsidies that controlled the prices of public transportation and energy. July 1st marked the last day the national government would pay the subsidies.


'Don't Raise The Price of Transportation'

Protests began around 6:30 am, July 5th near the entrance of the UES nearly an hour later the protests began to turn violent, destruction of private property such as signs, phonebooths and university property were targeted. About 9:30 am an ATM machine was destroyed by a growing mob. By about 10:30 am the Unidad de Mantenimiento del Orden or UMO (The Unit of Preservation of Order) which I have not seen in the papers since they were activated in last April's riot, the equivalent to our riot police, was called upon and organized behind the police, who formed some distance away from the entrance of the National University and the rioters. The UMO, as riot police do not use the same weaponry as the national civil police, PCN, who are armed with assault rifles, pistols, AK-47’s and like. Rather, they are equipped with batons, heavy armor, shields and tear gas.


Police


UMO

Rocks, 9 mm’s, homemade arms such as pipe bombs and small cannons were used against the police and the UMO. One protester fired a M-16 killing two officers from the UMO, one of them, the father-in-law of my former mayor. While this blog was being written the former mayor of Sesori made his attempt today to reach San Salvador, being Friday July 7th, in an attempt to reach the capital to mourn the the loss with his sister. Due to protests against the violence and the increase in taxes, the main roads in and out of San Salvador, the nation’s capital, were blocked off to all traffic. I am unaware if he made it to the capital in time for the funeral.


No in or out of the capital

The gunman was a trained "francotirador" or sniper, killing one officer by passing a bullet through his head and killing the other by a bullet through the heart. The shooter was later identified as JosÈ Mario Belloso Castillo a radical active member of the far-left FMLN who recently was part of the "consejo municipal" or municipal advisory board, part of a municipality in greater San Salvador from 2000-2003. A report in the Diario de Hoy (that was not found in La Prensa Grafica) noted that the gunman was trained in Cuba (which is common among the FMLN) as a sharpshooter. The FMLN are distancing themselves from the shooter, all deputies are denying having known the man.


Shooter, type of weapon M-16. The man behind the shooter was captured.

When it was over, 31 people were captured, their ages ranged from 17-45 years of age. Of casualties instilled, 2 dead and 10 wounded police and UMO officers.


2 UMO officers are killed, one being the father-in-law of my former mayor

The nation is in a state wide man hunt to catch the shooter.

Where I live, the town in shame over the whole ordeal and feelings of extreme embarrassment have filled the faces of my workmates. Many noted how sorry they were that I had to be here to witness the sharp rise in violence in their country. A small minority were excited about the protests and see it as the fault of the center-right ARENA government, globalization and US intervention whose frustrations date back well before I born.

The political problem: The ARENA government has denounced the far-left FMLN accusing them for invoking the riot. The FMLN is also being attacked for coordinating numerous other protests throughout the country. Furthermore, many legislative measures have been at a stand still due to the 32 member FMLN legislative body (of 84 possible seats) against the majority 34 of ARENA. This has only added more fuel to the fire.

The FMLN: More and more the FMLN is becoming a party divided, on one corner you have the orthodox communist militants and on the other you have those that want to move more toward the center. Since the Peace Accords in 1992 this divide has been growing wider and wider. Several prominent leaders have either quite or have been expelled from the organization do to irreconcilable differences. The party is split with the proposed Northern Highway, gay marriage and several other measures that will determine the political course of the FMLN. In many cases they simply have withdrawn from voting. What does fate hold for the FMLN? A party in shambles, divided by internal conflict, it’s anyone’s guess what will become of the Frente.