I realized that many of you probably have no idea what daily life is like down here in El Salvador. Allow me to give you a snapshot of my day!
5:30 – Alarm goes off. I automatically hit the snooze button. Some things in my life haven’t changed.
5:35 – It’s been six months. I don’t know why I’m still cringing at the hour and dragging myself out of bed instead of springing about with glee at the sunshine.
5:45 – Edgar (the 9
th grade student who lives at the
colegio) sweeps the downstairs while I put away the dishes from the night before. Then I mop. (When I moved here, I never expected the verb
hacer la limpieza to be a part of my daily vocabulary. It’s not that I didn’t clean in the States, but the dust here makes it necessary to sweep and mop every day.) Flor and Marta, who are studying 8
th and 9
th grade, clean the upstairs.
6:30 – Shower time! Unless, of course, the water isn’t running. Then I dip a bucket out of the cistern and manage with something like a sponge bath.
7:00 – Classes start. Well, officially. Most students (and some teachers, because of the bus schedule) don’t arrive until 7:15. You’d think I would be early every day since I live here, but actually walking up the stairs to get to class is a lot harder than you might think.
8:30 – First recess, also known as breakfast time. My students always ask if they can leave early because they’re hungry and want
pupusas. I eat in our dining room. My favorite is fried plantains, refried beans, and avocado. And a tortilla, because there’s always tortilla.
9:35 – I usually finish my classes for the day. Afterwards, I help the first grade teacher with reading class or answer e-mail. Sometimes, I go to get the corn for our tortillas ground or to buy vegetables for the week.
12:00 – Beans and rice are a frequent guest at our lunch table.
1:30 – Afternoon classes start. I don’t usually teach in the afternoon, and use this time to work on special projects or meet with Padre Rafa. (I have to admit…I do occasionally take a
siesta.)
4:00 – I’ve just started an exercise pact with my friend Paty. There’s nothing like working up a good sweat…just changing into your shorts.
6:00 – Time for dinner. As the resident adult woman, I’m clearly in charge. Beans are a frequent dinner guest, too. If we get fancy, there’s guacamole with hard-boiled eggs, or fried tortilla, or squash in cream sauce. We often eat dinner
en familia, but it’s not really a civilized affair. Mostly we just make fun of one another, like a big group of brothers and sister. Afterwards, homework (for the students) and grading (for the teacher).
9:30 – Lights out. This girl needs her 8 hours of beauty rest! (Unless I'm reading something good...)