craft sale at the embassy

Heading out early (madrugando) around 4:30am on a pick up to catch the 5:45am bus direct to San Salvador. Have to print off some materials telling the story of the women of ADIM (Asociacion comunal para el Desarrollo Integral de la Mujer)


A co-op of women brought together after the peace accords of 1992. My host mother is the president of this co-op and is a group of women I have long wanted to get 'in' with. More and more I am getting to know more of the women. In El Salvador one only gets 'in' by giving time and that means spending hours, weeks and months. It first started when I did some translating for them when an expert in recycled paper products came to help the women learn to make higher quality and more efficient production techniques. For 2 weeks I showed up and translated from 8:30 am to 4pm with a lunch break. I was in!


Now tomorrow I will be heading to the U.S. embassy for a craft sale and hopefully bring home some beacon for these ladies!
We have been working on designs for the recycled paper products for cards, notebooks, etc and Indigo dyed shirts, pants, and bags. I've had a good time flexing some creative muscle and look forward to working with them more. 

this is my fav photo because of her nail polish.
choice design

and here she is in all her glory cutting the fabric

laying the fabric out to dry after washing it... 

some finished product hanging out to dry after being dyed in indigo and washed

mixing up the natural soap

Soap batter in the mold 
this is apparently apple flava
 *note two red apples in front*

Tadaaaa! almost finished product

Some of the ladies

Miriam the sales woman in the store
(yes i know i am a gigante!)


on a side note:
later that day while waiting for a pick-up a lady said in spanish
 "you don't need to grow anymore do you? ya estas" with a head nod
I smile and she tells me to sit with her while we wait for the pick-up together, she's worried I'm going to get tired out standing.
Then she asks if I'm German.
I say no, from the U.S.
She asks my name, I tell her Krystal
She says she wanted to name her daughter Krystal but that they wouldn't let her register it because its a foreigners name.
 say "que lastima" (too bad)
She asks where I live, I tell her a half hour up the road in Perquin.
then she offers me her home anytime it gets too late and I need a place to stay.
  just go to the ice cream shop and look for her. She owns that building.
Not bad! Thanks... and here comes our ride. 

Current Status: going to close the mac, head home, pack, and snuggle up to the awesome book "Game Change" thanks mom! I don't want to put it down. 

trust

Trust in what you love, continue to do it, and it will take you where you need to go.
- Natalie Goldberg

the curse of looking toward the future...

How can one live in the moment with so many countdowns in the head?


17 hours til the grant is due
16 days til the Embassy Craft Sale (gotta get moving on some artisania making)
25 days til PFCAC and students arrive
33 days til Nicaragua trip *fingers crossed*
49 days til my feet land on American soil 
156 days til Dad arrives in El Salvador
185 days til Mom arrives in El Salvador


Or is it a blessing of always looking forward to something? :)

deadline looming....

applying to this grant (Powering Economic Opportunity Competition)
and this video created for encouragement is actually taunting me!
1 day left. Dios Mio!

what's goin down?

Lets kick it off with a big OH YEAAAH.... 
My association now ASDETURP (Asociación para el Desarrollo Turístico Ruta de Paz)
is walking towards becoming a legal association. Very exciting. A couple photos of the signing. 
after this we get a couple more things in order... 
turn in the package to the gov... 
and cross our fingers they don't take too long. 

reading the statutes

sign here please

my host mom with pena b/c I was snapping photos

she gets down to business

LATER THAT DAY.....


 STREET ART
LOCATION: CO-PINOLAR Morazan,  Cafeteria de CoPinolar 

yes that is a dead fish taped to the chair. 

the artist
my host brother Christian.
look at that confidence. 

the artist at work
"hold on... just have to smash this berry right here
....and there we go"

 Culinary Art
Location: Copinolar, Morazan, Cafeteria de CoPinolar

another artist at work.

best pupusas in El Salvador... which might well mean the best in the world. 

showing me her new technique. I was leery. 
but apparently she can sling out 5 pupusas in less than 60 seconds 

cookin'

Following Day: 

Rosellen y Krystal Duo create and give mercadeo charla (marketing presentation)

in 2 weeks they will return with the homework we gave them and Rosellen/Krystal consulting team will sit down and have hour long consulting session with each (4) business. 

HUGE gracias to the ever so ambitious, intelligent and all around awesomesauce Rosellina :) 

rosellen teachin the 5Ps

For those interested:

1.Producto

2.Plaza

3.Precio

4.Personas

5.Promoción

Piña Season

today i

slept in.

wrote and USED a grocery list at the tienda

was regala-ed a pineapple from a guy named Gertrudis (he's in my tourism association)
it smells.oh.so.sweet but i've made myself promise to keep the blade away from it until friday... to share with Rossellen.
piña mojitos anyone?
Whaaaat!? we can't work without a little juice.

furthermore and moreover, i made time for hammock lounging,
laundry,
guitar,
emails,
priority to-do list,
made my bed,
had a chat with Clayton Hansel David Kennedy,
studied a tiny bit of U.S. history
and snapped a photo of our newly planted ginger. (thanks again to Prudi)


aaaahhh yes... that is what i call a restful yet productive day.

I'd say i am way out of the one year slump. gracias.a.dios. :)



CURRENT STATUS: facing toward the sunshine. . .and crossing my fingers we get water tomorrow so I can flush the toilet and don't have to pop a squat in our yard. ewww TMI huh?