1,000 pounds of salt: July 2010

So… it has been four weeks since my last internet connection! Trying to sum up a month of my life is hard enough as it is but now let’s throw in my waning competence of the English language and see what happens, shall we?

Ok, I experienced a few campesino fiestas of the purest kind this month. The first one I learned how drunk a human can actually be at noon as well as how to say “don’t bother me” in Spanish. I found myself not being incredibly eager to dance with older men that had achieved that caliber of intoxication so instead, I went on a few walks to ponder alcohol and that dark place that people go through the use of excessive substance consumption. Not really a cheerful party-time subject to be thinking about but I eventually found sanctuary in the bell tower of a church where I had a pep talk with myself to the extent of a Nike slogan. The second party turned out to be mainly for the purpose of cock-fighting. Well, I had never experienced a cock-fight so I tuned in for the first round. It was actually less aggressive than I thought it would be and nothing wound up dead! Jaime and I mused on the fact that we still haven’t gotten used to hundreds of eyes staring at us all at once (I guess we look a bit different than what people are used to). The third party was more of a campesino rights meeting, which was really exciting to witness. I played a role in a couple comedy skits with the women from my town. Once you get used to all the eyes on you, it makes more sense to intentionally stand out. The trip back was a fairly gruesome uphill three hours so for a little while I rode the burro, giving me a chance to gaze at the beauty all around me. The sun was setting which cast pink on all the banana trees and hills below me. Upon its final descent, the sun gave way to a path lit only by the moon and stars, accented by little fireflies all around me. Through any uncertainty I may feel in an unfamiliar country, I have always been familiar with my desire to be in a jungle. You know what I mean by jungle? Somewhere that tourism has never existed, that grows unashamedly and forces you to conform to it rather than cowering under your humanly advances. A strong presence around me, I got back to my host family’s house and lay under the stars, enjoying the product of new and inconsistent electricity (a black-out).

Ok, I have had the chance to help my host family pick bananas and lemons and to help some other men sort coffee! I rubbed all the beans through a sieve to get the peels off. So the next time you’re kicking back enjoying that hot cup of Folger’s Select just remember I’ve had my grubby little hands all over it. The uncomfortable part of my journey to accepting animal products into my body is over and I actually quite like eggs and cheese. I declared veganism when I was fifteen so I feel some kind of obligation to at least mention this… Oh! But I did have a particularly terrible experience with pig meat that I could still see the hairs growing out of. I guess I didn’t need to mention that part.

Ok, I just deleted my section on what books I am reading/just finished. After writing so much I realized I was doing no justice to any of them. But guess what I did on my birthday? Cleaned a graveyard! I was so excited to hear the announcement saying that July 15th would be the annual graveyard cleaning. It seemed like an appropriate celebration this year. Looking down into the dirt and subsequent growth I thought about my life, my end, and felt assurance in the contribution my energy makes to this world, and will continue making long after my body is gone.

Ok, ok, enough of this crap. We need to talk about the actual project. Upon signing up for this a few months ago I was aware that the community was looking forward to setting up a waste management system. A month ago I was very excited that I was going to be part of an organization that focused on empowerment and self-esteem and not as much on actual physical development of an “undeveloped” community. My thoughts on the matter have changed quite a bit, causing a shift in the intended outcome of the project. Jaime and I started to realize what the trash project would mean for the next six months and our contribution to the community. Due to community opinion and resources available, we realized that the community was very interested in building a landfill somewhere closer to the town and not interested at all in the concept of recycling. I was definitely not excited about being part of a landfill construction project and it in no way addresses the core problem of waste. By building a convenient trash disposal area, people stop thinking about how much they are using. It is not sustainable or efficient for our emerging global problems. So anyway, we had a community meeting and explained that if we went with the trash project, it would pretty much just be education about proper trash disposal rather than the whole new system. Then we presented the other option of cocinas mejoradas (or more efficient stoves) which would help with a variety of everyday problems such as respiratory illness. It is strange to me that I am now seeing the value in going into a village, helping them construct something useful, and then feeling secure that your help will last after you are gone. Of course along with that, education and awareness need to exist. So now this leads us back to the goals of MEJORC, giving me security that the outcome will be favorable to my time here and to the organization.

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