My Favorite Things of 2017

Well out of all the years, 2017 was the most recent. This year protests became the new brunch, it frequently felt like we were living in a dystopian TV show, and there were many natural disasters (wildfires, Hurricane Maria, and the earthquake in Mexico to name a few). In more positive news, child mortality and global poverty rates went down.  On a personal level, I said a tearful goodbye to Taiwan, then moved to El Salvador. I also traveled to Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Borneo, Honduras, and Guatemala. As we get ready to welcome 2018, here are some of my favorite things of 2017.

Watched

TV show

                                                       American Vandal 

 The show is a mockumentary done in the style of Serial or many a crime documentary show or podcast. Instead of following a murder, the show tries to solve the mystery of who spray painted thirty-six penises on teachers' cars in the high school parking lot. I had pretty low expectations of this show going into it. I never thought I would get so invested in this case, but I did. Not only does this show poke fun at the genre, but it also is a love letter at the same time. Additionally, it is one of the most accurate portrayal of high schoolers and high school I have seen on TV. Go watch it, so I can talk about it with you!

TV Finale

Insecure

This show continued to be great in its second season. The second season finale boldly split into the three points of view of Issa, Lawrence, and Molly with overlapping events. The audience gets a satisfying conversation with Issa and Lawrence that gives both of them closure. So many finales feel the need to end with a big, soapy cliffhanger. Here we have characters quietly repeating past mistakes, while still making the audience wonder how they are going to end up. 

Sitcom Episode

                          "Dance Dance Resolution," The Good Place 

I binged this show this fall. I don't think I truly appreciated this sitcom until I watched this episode. Without giving too much away, this show continuously subverts what is expected. It also has a talented, diverse cast, and is just so smart. This episode in particular has the running physical gag of Janet falling down, which is always funny. It has the added bonus of a bevy restaurant puns like "From Schmear to Eternity" and "Knish From a Rose." 

Movie

                                                      Coco

This latest Pixar/Disney offering is visually stunning. The plot is a little clunky in some places, but overall this was a great movie. I bawled during the last thirty minutes of this movie, and I do not usually cry at movies. I also liked Get Out a lot. 

Music Video

"New Rules" by Dua Lipa

I do not watch a whole lot of music videos. However, watching this video made me like the song more. It isn't over-the-top and doesn't have huge special effects, but the simple choreography keeps your attention. I'm still waiting for a GIF of when they pony by the pool. 

Video

Selena Google Doodle 

I just found this google doodle incredibly charming. What a great way to celebrate Selena! 

Seen/Read

Fiction Book

Noteworthy 

I read thirty-five books this year. That is down a couple books from last year. There were many books I started but didn't end up finishing. Frequently I will lose interest or it is due back at the library before I can finish it. There were many books I liked, but didn't love. Noteworthy is one of the books that I liked a lot. It follows a high school student who dresses like a boy to join the school's male a cappella group. This book is funny and appealed to my music nerdiness. 

Non-Fiction Book 

Hunger 

Roxane Gay's memoir is deeply personal. She tells the story of when she was gang raped as a child. As a defense mechanism she gained weight and became super morbidly obese. Her memoir details what it is like to have a marginalized body. There were several times I found myself relating with her observations, and other times when I was unsettled. There aren't enough non-fiction and fictional representation of fat people, so here's hoping this book is a start to seeing more. 

GIF

 

"Sure, Jan"

This GIF isn't new. It was my favorite though. 

News E-mail  

The Skimm 

Living abroad it is sometimes hard to keep up with the news. I started subscribing the Skimm, which is a daily e-mail that summarizes the news. It gives enough information to know the major events that are happening around the world. There are also links to articles that I can go to for more information. 

Website 

Bustle

Bustle is a website that "is for and by women who are moving as fast as you are." I check it almost daily. It is my go-to for social sciences/pop culture reading. 

Listened 

Throwback Song 

"The Middle"

I listened to "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World on repeat when I first moved to El Salvador. I even wrote a blog post about it. "The Middle" was one of the songs I then started to hear everywhere. 

Breakout 

Julia Michaels

There was so much good music in 2017. I couldn't pick a favorite song. There were comebacks, and a lot of new releases from favorite artists. Julia Michaels wrote many of your favorite pop songs. This year she also released her own EP, and it is so good. 

Lyrics 

"Truth Hurts" by Lizzo

I listened to a lot of the Minneapolis-based singer Lizzo in 2017. Her song "Truth Hurts" has some of my favorite lyrics of the year. Here are some of my favorite lyrics:

"That's the sound of me not calling you back."

"I put the sing in single." 

"Ain't worried 'bout a ring on my finger/so you can tell your friend, "shoot your shot when you see 'em/It's ok, he already in my DMs." 

Album 

Rainbow by Kesha

I liked Kesha's previous music, but was blown away by her new album. The album reflects Kesha's personal struggles, including her legal battle with her former producer Dr. Luke. The album showcases her musical chops while also being empowering. Like any good album, I continue to go back and listen to it. My favorite song is also constantly changing. 

Podcast 

She's All Fat

Everyone has a podcast nowadays. There are so many great ones. The one that I most looked forward to was She's All Fat.Last year I learned more about feminism from the podcast Call Your Girlfriend. This year I learned a lot about body positivity and self-love through She's All Fat. The podcast is two fat women talking about their experiences of being fat. It informs while being chill and entertaining. 

Rando

Form of Communication 

Voice Messages

Last spring my friend Jess visited me. Her friends would send her voice messages on What's App. I was very confused by this. Why would you send someone a voice message when you could just text? This year I have come around to sending voice messages on iMessage and Messenger, mostly because I like getting them. They can be longer than text messages. It's also closer to having a real conversation with someone when they are far away.  There's just something about hearing a person's voice. 

Game Changer 

Sun Protection Clothing

This summer when I went to Borneo with my mom, she bought us both sun protection clothing. I burn so easily. It was a real game changer not having to worry about getting burned or constantly putting on sunscreen. 

New Food 

Fried Plantains/Beans

A tipico breakfast in El Salvador is eggs, beans, fried plantains, and cheese. I never get tired of this breakfast. I especially like the fried plantains with crema and the beans. 

Feature on PowerPoint 

Removing the Background

This year I started using PowerPoint more. I use it more with lessons in the classroom. I also use it as a kind of photo editor. My favorite feature is removing the background on pictures. Then I can put a new background, like in the picture above. 

Person I've Never Met

Lin-Manuel Miranda

For the second year in a row, Lin is my favorite person of the year. This year he continued to be incredibly charming on Twitter. He and his wife, Vanessa, are expecting another kid. He helped raise awareness and money for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. He is also bring Hamilton to Puerto Rico next year, where he will be playing Hamilton once again. He's just the gift that keeps on giving. 

Guat's Up

I had a week off for Thanksgiving, so three other teachers and I went to Guatemala. Here is how we spent our week. 

Day 1

Jacob and I at the restaurant in Guatemala City

We woke up early to catch the Pullmantur bus from San Salvador to Guatemala City. We opted for first class, and enjoyed reclining seats, breakfast, and a snack. The bus ride took about five hours, but didn't seem overly long. I used the bus ride to catch up on some podcasts. When we reached Guatemala city, we checked into our hotel. Then we met up with my friend Jacob. I taught with Jacob in Taiwan and now he teaches in Guatemala. He showed us around Cayalá, a kind of city-within-a-city in Guatemala City. We wandered for a bit around looking at the more upscale shops in Paseo Cayalá.  Then, He showed us around the more historical downtown area. We had dinner in another zone. At the restaurant, they gave you a card and you could go to different food stands within the building. It was kind of like a food court, except you paid at the end with everything on the initial card.  It was nice seeing Jacob, and comparing experiences in Central America. 

Day 2

The view from our hostel kitchen in Xela

The next day, bright and early, we caught a bus to Xela (Quetzaltenango). It was about a four hour bus ride to Xela. That meant more time to listen to podcasts! We stopped at a small village, where the bus driver announced that he was going to stop to eat for thirty minutes. When we got off the bus it was more obvious that Guatemala is at a much higher elevation than El Salvador. It was cold! We warmed up with hot chocolate/coffee and a tipico breakfast at the nearby restaurant. After arriving in Xela, we found our hostel. At the hostel we were greeted by a man named András, who checked us in. Xela is known for its language schools, so there were quite a few gringos around. András was from Hungary, and was working at the hostel while going to school to learn Spanish. We dropped off our bags, then walked to the main square a couple of blocks away. Parque Centro had some older buildings, including a church. There were many locals just hanging out at the park. There was also a smaller market with food and some things to buy. We went back to the hostel, wanting to force friendship on others staying at the hostel. On the hostel's rooftop, we forced our friendship on a couple from Holland. We invited them to go to the hot springs with us the next day, because new friends. They, then, invited us to a soccer game that night. We grabbed a pupusa from the street market on our way to the stadium. It was our first experience at a Central American soccer game (we have been told the crowd gets very rowdy and it is dangerous to go in El Salvador). The crowd cheered along with the fan band. It wasn't a great game. Neither side played very well and it ended 0-0. The fans even booed for their home team. 

Day 3

Fuentes Georginas (hot springs)

The next morning we left to go to the hot springs Fuentes Georginas with our new friends. We were able to arrange transportation and entry with the hostel for $150 Q ($20 USD). We relaxed in the various pools. There were three bigger pools. Closer to the parking lot there were three more smaller pools. We decided to go check out the smaller pools. While walking there, I ran into Silvia, one of the PE teachers at my school. She was on vacation with her family.  We left the hot springs and got back in the afternoon. We ate lunch at the hostel's restaurant, which served Asian fusion. I had dumplings the first time since Taiwan. They weren't up to Taiwan red and yellow dumpling place standards, but they were decent. We did a little more exploring, including some shopping. The next day, Leah, Michelle, and Erica were leaving on a three day hike (more info on their hike here). They stocked up on some warmer clothes. That night they went to a meeting for the hike, while I enjoyed some alone time.

Day 4

My weaving project

Leah, Michelle, and Erica left very early the next morning to go on their hike. I puttered around for a bit at the hostel. Then, I went to Trama Textiles to take a weaving class. There are many weaving cooperatives in Guatemala for women. The women will frequently live in the cooperative and get an income from what sells in the store. The cooperative also takes a cut to pay for living expenses. At Trama Textiles, they also teach classes. The classes range from one hour demonstrations to longer twenty hour projects. A woman at the cooperative had me pick out my colors and showed me the basics of weaving. She did not speak English, but I could fake my way through the Spanish enough. I just spent the next four hours working on my project. It was very relaxing for me. The people in their cooperative went on with their day. I saw people coming and going about a normal day in the cooperative.  I had arranged for a shuttle to take me to Panajachel. In my plans I had timed it, so that I would have only a short amount of time in between weaving and the arranged pick-up time. Transportation from Xela to Panajachel was the only thing  I was a little worried about with traveling solo. I was paranoid they were going to forget me. I waited outside the hostel for the 30 minute window they gave me as a pick-up time. I also didn't have internet or a way for the hotel to contact me. I was just about to go to McDonald's to use their internet when András came through the door and asked if I was waiting for a shuttle. The hotel said they were going to be late. András let me hang out and chat with him in the hostel. They were two hours late, which meant I didn't get to Panajachel until dark. I made it though. I read some of What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton, then went to bed very early. 

Day 5

A church in San Juan on Lake Atitlan

I have never done a solo trip. So, the three days I spent by myself on this trip were actually the longest I have traveled by myself. I enjoyed traveling with the three other women, but I really enjoyed these days to myself to do exactly what I wanted to do. Still there were some drawbacks to traveling by myself. First, accommodations are more expensive, because I was not splitting it with anyone. Also, I knew that I wanted to tour some of the towns on the lake. I didn't think it would be as fun just doing this by myself, so I looked for a tour. However, most of the tours I found were private and there was a two person minimum. I e-mailed two tour companies and explained my situation. I heard back from one of the tour companies immediately saying that I could book the tour. It was with Tours Atitlan, and they were really great. The responded very quickly to all of my messages. The day of the tour the guide, Juan Carlos, picked me up from my hotel. It ended up being just me on the tour. We went to the villages of Santa Cruz and San Juan. Juan Carlos was very friendly and knowledgeable. He also let me practice my Spanish with him. He lived in Santa Cruz, so he told me about his experiences living there. We ran into an old teacher of his. We also ran into his nephew, who had firecrackers and matches in hand. Then we took a lancha and headed to San Juan. Each little village on the town is known for something. San Juan is known as a kind of artist hub. There were lots of painting galleries and more weaving cooperatives. I watched a demonstration of the process they use to go from cotton to the string they use for weaving. The cooperative also used natural dyes, so they showed all the plants they used to make the different colors. Even though I had seen the process for weaving before, it was interesting to see the steps needed before the actual weaving even started. I also saw a chocolate making and a natural herb demonstration. I found a place to eat dinner, then went to bed. 
 
Day 6

A dock in Panajachel

Happy Thanksgiving! Since I got to Panajachel so late on Tuesday and I was gone almost all day on Wednesday, I didn't have very much time to explore the city. I was meeting up with everyone else in the afternoon, so I took the morning to explore. Panajachel is know as the main hub on the lake. There are so many little tiendas everywhere where you can buy stuff. I find that it is all pretty similar things from shop to shop. I'm not a huge shopper, but Panajachel had really good shopping. I'm not one who usually buys a souvenir from my trips. What I do like to buy is art though. So, I found an art gallery that I went to and bought two prints. I also bought a purse that looked unique from others that I had seen. I ate lunch at a pizza place next to my hotel. There a man and I started talking and he wished me a happy Thanksgiving. He was from Bend, Oregon, which I was familiar with having lived in the Northwest. He had sailed from Oregon to Guatemala on a trip, and never left. He sold his sailboat and has lived on the lake for thirteen years. I took a lancha over to San Pedro, where I was meeting Leah, Michelle, and Erica. As Juan Carlos told me, San Pedro was nicknamed "Gringolandia." As I stepped off the lancha, I noticed the large amount of gringos. I did not like San Pedro as much. I took at tuk tuk to the hotel. We stayed at Mikaso Hotel, which was pretty nice. It was a bit of a walk to the main area of San Pedro though. I met everyone else at the hotel. We exchanged stories of our time away from each other. That night we went to get burgers for Thanksgiving. We ran into the couple from Holland that we had met in Xela. Together we shared what we were thankful for.

Day 7

One of the many shops in Antigua

The  next day we had breakfast at Idea Connection, which is a great European bakery. Then we took a shuttle through Atitrans to Antigua. Originally, Antigua had been the main purpose of visiting Guatemala. Everyone always spoke so highly of it. I liked Antigua. For me though, my favorite of the trip was Lake Atitlan. The hostel we stayed in Antigua was a pretty typical hostel dorm room. However, it was decorated like a stereotypical grandma's house. There were knick knacks everywhere. It was decked out in Christmas decorations, including two Christmas trees. They decorate very early in both Guatemala and El Salvador. We enjoyed the decorations though, since it was now after Thanksgiving. We wandered around for a bit and found a very big indoor market. All the stall owners claimed to have a good deal for us. We ate lunch at a restaurant called Fridas, which had really good Mexican food. There was also a store right next to Fridas, where we did some shopping. It had all the goods from the little stands, but was much cheaper. You also didn't need to haggle or get confronted by a salesperson. We also visited a chocolate museum, which had really good chocolate tea. That night we went to a bar called Cafe No Se. It was very dimly lit with graffiti on the walls. It had a good atmosphere though. While we were sitting at a table near the door, we ran into two people that the others had met on the hike. The joined us, and a really good guitarist and harmonica player started playing music.


Day 8

The iconic clock tower in Antigua

The next day we did some more shopping. We tried to go back to the indoor market we had found on our first day. We finally had to stop and ask someone, who told us it was closed on Saturdays. That night we hung out on the rooftop of a brewery. 

Day 9
On our last day we were determined to go back to the market we had found on the first day. We didn't end up finding it. I guess it is like Brigadoon. We did find an even larger labyrinth of a market. We were able to explore only a little bit of it before we had to go. We took another shuttle through Atitrans back to Guatemala City. Then it was back on the bus. After about six hours, we made it back to El Salvador. It was a good trip, and I would definitely go back and explore more of Guatemala. 

An Attitude of Gratitude

          The route to my grandma's house was a familiar one, and one I took often during college. Instead of going "over the river and through the wood," I would take the Tacoma Narrows Bridge across the Puget Sound and then go through the woods of firs and pines. This particular time, my uncle Paul had picked me up to give me a ride to my grandma's house for Thanksgiving.There were three things that were almost always a given at Grandma's house. The first was that there would most likely be Marion berry pie with Tillamook Ice Cream. It was highly encouraged to eat it for breakfast, because as my grandma would say, "It counts as a fruit." The second given was that there would be napping under homemade quilts in front of the TV while watching old movies. The third given was the feeling of love that could be found in every corner of the house from the hand stitched notes of love on the Ragedy Ann dolls to the animals that had been taken in that always seemed to find my grandma to the hugs at the backdoor. We sang along to Janis Joplin during the hour-long drive as I eagerly awaited getting to one of my favorite place.

          When we pulled up the gravel driveway, I was surprised there weren't any lights on. Were Grandma and Uncle Roy not home? We pulled in and parked behind Uncle Roy's Bronco. 

          "We haven't had power the past couple of days. There was a storm that knocked out the power lines. They don't know when it will be back up again. Ours was out too, but it came back on about a day ago," my uncle said.  

          I was surprised. Maybe I should have waited to come until the power had come back on. I had brought work to do on my laptop. It was too late now though. I was here. Thanksgiving was a couple days out still, so hopefully it would be back on before then. Uncle Paul said his hellos to Grandma and Uncle Roy, before heading back home. 

Here's an old picture of my grandma and I at her house. 

          We settled in the living room under quilts. Uncle Roy and Grandma confirmed everything that Paul had said. They hadn't had power for the past couple of days, and that they didn't know when it would come back on. They added that they had been fine though. Uncle Roy had made a few trips into town to buy some food and supplies, but other than that hadn't needed to change much of their normal routines. My uncle still got up everyday to go work at the shipyard. 
          My grandma asked me if I wanted some hot chocolate. I said I did. 
          "One of the things I had to go out to get was water," My uncle said, while Grandma was in the kitchen using the gas stove to make hot chocolate.                    Having grown up in the depression, my grandma hoarded food. I slept in the extra bedroom, which also served as an extra pantry for canned and dried goods. She also kept big containers of water. It had come in handy this time, but she added bleach to the water so it wouldn't go bad. 
          "The animals wouldn't drink the bleach water, but Grandma still does. So we have non-bleach water if you want some."
          I was skeptical that my grandma was currently making me hot chocolate  with water that neither the cat nor the dog would drink. 
          She handed me the hot chocolate and settled back in her recliner underneath her quilt. I watched her take the first sip. The face she made was not quite a grimace. She mumbled under her breath that the bleach was pretty strong, but it wasn't a complaint. I drank mine without saying anything. A little bleach wouldn't hurt anyone. Well it could, but I wasn't going to think about that. 
          We spent the rest of the evening in the living room all together under quilts listening to the Mariner's game on the radio. Even the animals joined us. The dog Rose was sleeping on the rug, while the cat Rose slept on Grandma's lap. Every once in awhile, the gas heater in the corner would kick in. We sat there talking in between innings until the sun went down. Eventually we couldn't see each other and decided it was time to go to bed. 
          We used a flashlight to find our way to our rooms, not that we needed one. We all knew the house with our eyes closed. The power came on the next day. My parents came a day later and we celebrated Thanksgiving like normal. Though I don't remember much about that actual Thanksgiving. Even though I had been initially a little annoyed to be without power, I was so happy and grateful in that time spent with my grandma and uncle. 

        This week I was thinking about how I was going to teach my students about having gratitude. This story came to mind, as it does every year around this time. It's a reminder for me to have gratitude for what I have (i.e. quality time with people I love) and not to focus on what is missing (i.e. power). I needed this reminder this year. My lifestyle in El Salvador is very different than it was in Taiwan. It's hard not to focus on the absence of some things I had while I was living in Taiwan, and instead focus on what I have to be grateful for here. I do have a lot to be grateful about my situation in El Salvador. As it is close to Thanksgiving, here is my list of what I am grateful for about living in El Salvador. 

I'm grateful for the beaches and these views.

What I Am Grateful For

1.My students/parents          

I have a really nice class. They are thoughtful, smart, and kind. They get excited about learning new things, and are just generally happy kids. They impress me and make me laugh daily. Their parents have also been very supportive. In conferences, many asked me about action steps they could be taking at home. I have also had many parents check-in to see how my transition to moving to El Salvador has been. 

2. Having a place to live/close to school

I live in a complejo with many of the other foreign teachers. It only takes a quick group message if you need something and there are many offers of help.  My roommate and I have our own house and backyard. The school pays for this housing. It is also very conveniently located near the school, so I walk to school each day. 

3. Haydee

The school requires us to have a maid come twice a week to our house. At first I was opposed to this. Why pay to have someone do something that I could do myself? Our empleada, Haydee, is such a blessing and I am so thankful to have her. She cleans, does our laundry, and cooks for us. It is so nice coming home after work and not having to worry about doing these chores. I also have much  more . . .     

                      

4. Time to Write

With Haydee doing the housekeeping, I have a lot more free time.  I have been using this time to work on several writing projects, including my book. This is something that I didn't have an established routine for in Taiwan. It have really enjoyed getting back into establishing daily writing routines again. 

5. Cindy/Spanish

One of my goals for living here is to learn Spanish. I get free Spanish classes through the school. There are only three of us in the class, and I really enjoy everyone's company.  Our teacher, Cindy, is also fantastic. The class is entirely in Spanish, which is what I need. I already can speak and understand way more Spanish than when I first came here. I also know way more Spanish than I do Chinese. Plus, I can read Spanish! 

6. Yoga

There is a group of us who walk to a yoga class every Tuesday. I started going to yoga somewhat consistently last year with Janice. I am so happy that I can continue the practice. I feel so zen and relaxed after class. The meditation is also very helpful to me. 

7. Cooking

In Taiwan, I rarely cooked. We didn't have a working oven, and also it was hard to find the ingredients I needed. I cook a lot more here. I have enjoyed getting back in the kitchen and seeing the end product of a meal. 

8. I'll be home for Christmas

Last year, I wasn't able to come home for Christmas. This year, I am so excited that I will get to go home for two weeks. I don't even care that it will be bitterly cold. 

            

It Just Takes Some Time

Related Song: 

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World 
Backstory of this song: A high school girl e-mailed the band saying that she didn't feel like she fit in at her high school, because she was not punk enough. The band wrote this song as a response to be yourself. Jimmy Eat World didn't think it would be a hit, and it almost didn't make the album. The bandmembers thought it was too simple of a song to have mass appeal. 

There are times when a song perfectly describes a mood, feeling, or just in general seems to understand your current existence. Since moving to El Salvador, that song has been "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World. There are times when I feel like I should be more settled and further than I am. Our house still has bare, white walls. Even though school has started, I still do not have everything up in my classroom. There are feelings too, like everyone else is forming frienships faster than I am. There are times when I have just needed the chorus of "The Middle" to tell me that it is going to take some time, and that everything, everything will be all right and be just fine.  Here are how my socially anxious thoughts fit in with the lyrics of "The Middle." 

Hola, El Salvador

I have been in El Salvador for almost two weeks now. The first week was mostly getting settled for both living and working in a new place. I filled out a lot of paperwork and went to trainings. I saw my classroom and started getting ready for the first day of school. Everyone has been super nice and helpful. There were lots of shopping trips to get everything settled for my house too. The second week we had off, because it is Agostinas in San Salvador. The week is used to celebrate Jesus, the patron saint of San Salvador. Here are some of the other adventures I have been on while in El Salvador. 

1. The Beach

El Salvador is the only country in Central America that does not border the Caribbean Sea. It still has plenty of beaches though. My first Saturday in El Salvador we took a trip to the beach. There are five other new international teachers and four teachers who are part of the welcoming committee. We loaded up two vans and went to the beach. The school pays a membership to a resort called Atami. We rented a couple of cabanas for the day, then spent our time by the water. There were pools, wave pools, and of course the beach. It was beautiful and relaxing. 

2. A Volcano

There are twenty-three volcanoes in El Salvador. We visited the San Salvador volcano, which is located in El Boqueron Park. We can see this volcano from the complejo. It was about a forty-five minute drive. We drove most of the way up and then took a short hike up to the four view points. The volcano is 5,905 feet high. The crater pictured is about three miles in diameter and 1830 feet deep. There was also a small museum about the last eruption of the volcano in 1917. On the way down we stopped at a restaurant called La Pampa, which had good food and a great view of El Salvador. 

3. The Market

I have been to two markets so far. The one pictured is a local food market. We got warnings that you will "get gringoed" and get charged more. I don't think we did though, because I got a ton of fruits and vegetables for $11. I'm excited to start cooking again! We also went to the main downtown market (on the walking tour below). It had food, clothes, and miscellaneous things, kind of like a night market in Taiwan.

4. A Walking Tour (And Lots of Churches)

As I was looking for things to do for our week off, I found a free walking tour of the downtown area. I went with four of the other new teachers. The walking tour company was called EC Tours. The company was originally started to fight the negative stigma of El Salvador being unsafe. They even promote tourism in El Salvador with the hashtag #dontskipelsalvador. Before the tour, we had been given some general warnings about being safe in the downtown area. During the tour, our guide congratulated us sarcastically about surviving the most dangerous part of San Salvador. On the tour we learned more about the history of the country. We also visited several churches. El Salvador has a Catholic heritage, but religion in general plays a big role in the culture. According to the CIA World Fact Book from 2014, 50% identify themselves as Catholic, 36% as Protestant, and 12% as not religious (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/es.html). I met someone who said she lived by a church. She had to time when she left and arrived at her house, because 10,000 people attend the church services. The church pictured above is the Basilica Sagrado Corazon de Jesus. The church was built between 1900-1913. The church structure is made of metal. It was designed and shipped from Belgium. 

 Here is another church we visited on the walking tour. From the outside, it doesn't look like much of a church. The Iglesia El Rosario was designed by a sculptor and finished in 1971. Though it doesn't look like much on the outside, the inside is beautiful with  rainbow colored glass windows lighting the sanctuary. It is the #1 site on TripAdvisor in San Salvador. 

This is the view looking out from Iglesia El Rosario. Much of the downtown area is currently under construction, because the mayor wants to revitalize the area and promote tourism. 

5. Agostinas

As I mentioned, this week we have had off because San Salvador celebrates Agostinas. Some of the other teachers and I went to one of the celebrations. It reminded me of a fair back home. It was very crowded. There were buildings with vendors. Outside there was bandstands with music and performances, rides, and food stalls. One ride in particular was very entertaining to watch. It is called Tagada. People sat on the inner edge of a bowl-shaped ride. There are no seat belts or restraints. The ride spins and then will bounce and jerk around. It was entertaining watching people trying to hang on and trying not to fall into the middle. We also saw part of a hot dog eating contest and a man with a pet squirrel. I didn't take my phone, so I don't have pictures. :(

Here's to many more adventures in El Salvador! #DontskipElSalvador

Turtle Time

"Turtle Time!" A man yells running up from the beach. 
Everyone stops what they are doing. Card hands are left on the table mid-game. I pause the podcast that my mom and I are listening to together. The guides put out their cigarettes and lead the group with flashlights towards the beach. This is the moment everyone on the island has been waiting all day for. 

Ten Hours Earlier . . .
My mom and I were sitting on a small jetty in Sandakan, Borneo with a bunch of other strangers. We all seemed to be eyeing the docked boats warily wondering if we would be getting on one of them. Our guide, Darwis, picked us up from the hotel earlier in the morning. We were running late, but Darwis ensured us that the boat wouldn't leave without us. He told us to sit while we waited for his signal. Mom went to the bathroom and came back quickly, saying she could wait. He finally gave the signal, a small wave, and we carried our baggage to the small motorboat. It was about an hour ride to the even smaller island off of Borneo called Selingaan Island, or as it was nicknamed Turtle Island. 

We had arrived in Borneo three days earlier. I had decided to go on one last trip in Asia, before going home for a few weeks. My mom met and came with me. This is a poor life choice, I had thought to myself as I was taking the bus from Taichung to Taipei for the last time. It had been an emotionally draining week. I had said goodbye to my students, my friends, and the country that had been my home for the past year. I am not a crier, but I started crying almost immediately when I woke up. It continued on and off for most of the day. Though by evening on the first night in Borneo, I was glad that I had chosen to go to Borneo before going home. It was a place that I had looked into visiting even before I had left for Taiwan. It provided a good distraction, and animal distractions are the best. 

When we arrived on the island, we were met with beautiful sandy beaches. Before we were shown to our rooms, Darwis pointed out a board hanging over the dining hall. It showed various statistics on the turtles on the island, including number of nests made and the number of eggs laid during the year. It also showed the time that turtles had come to the beach to start laying their eggs. The previous night it was recorded at 10:50 pm, so we could possibly be in for a long night. We had a couple hours of downtime before lunch, so Mom and I went to our room for a bit. 
       "Do you know what this reminds me of?" I asked as we walked to our room. 
       "What?" Mom responded.
       "A bunch of strangers meet on a secluded island. Only one boat on and one boat off. I've read this book and seen this mini-series." 
My mom didn't believe me that someone was probably going to get murdered within the next twenty-four hours. I told her to just wait until someone didn't show up at mealtimes. Everyone showed up to lunch in the dining hall that I noticed.  

The sunset on Turtle Island. 

In the afternoon, most people on the island went to the beach. You could rent snorkelling equipment, but we opted for just straight swimming. It was a good choice, because the allocated beach area was very shallow. It was hard to swim without knocking into or stepping on some coral. After swimming we walked around the island. It took us less than an hour to circumnavigate the whole island. Darwis took us to the beach to watch the sunset and explain to us what would be happening this evening. As he was talking to us, we saw some turtles start climbing onto the beach. We had to leave the beach, so the turtles could start building their nests. There would be nobody allowed on the beach from 6 pm to 6 am, except for the rangers who helped collect the eggs.  Before dinner we watched a brief video on the history of the island's turtle conservation. The hatchery was started in 1966 to protect the endangered green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles. Both species are endangered, largely due to people selling and eating their eggs. Everyone showed up to dinner. After dinner, we just waited until a ranger spotted a turtle who had laid at least five eggs. It didn't take long.

"Turtle Time!" A man yells running up from the beach. 
Everyone stops what they are doing. Card hands are left on the table mid-game. I pause the podcast that my mom and I are listening to together. The guides put out their cigarettes and lead the group with flashlights towards the beach. This is the moment everyone on the island has been waiting all day for. We run to the beach following the flashlights. There are a couple turtles that we notice, but we are told to keep moving until we get to the one with the ranger. The turtle had a small pile of eggs already in the nest. They can lay between 80-165 eggs in one night. The mother turtle is working hard to push all of the eggs out. The excess salt from the green sea turtle's salt gland make it look like she is crying. When she is finished, the ranger collects her eggs in a bucket. The mother works on burying the nest, not knowing that her eggs are no longer there. The ranger then checks her shell for any harmful coral that needs to be scraped off.The ranger also checks the tracker that is on the turtle. It has been seven years since she has last been to the island. She moves about a foot in front of the nest before taking a rest. We are led off the beach to the next part of the program. 

The mother turtle is working hard to lay the eggs. 

A ranger helps collect the eggs and helps the mom make her way back to the ocean. 

Earlier in the day, we passed a gated area with green material in holes. We were told it was where the eggs stayed in the hatchery. It was unclear how this worked though. For the second program, we get to see it first hand. The ranger takes the eggs that have been collected from the mom and puts them in one of the holes. Then they get buried in the sand. The green material around the hole protects it from any predators. The eggs need to incubate for two months, before they will finally hatch. A stake marks the number of eggs and the date and serves as their "birth certificate." "Congratulations, you are all godparents now," one of the rangers says. 

One of the two hatcheries for the eggs. Each hole marks one nest. 

The final program is releasing the baby turtles into the ocean. The ranger has a basket of turtles that hatched during the day. We surround the babies in a semi-circle. They put a light on the ocean to help guide them, but some turtles need a thumb to help rotate them to the right direction. It takes several tries for some of them to make it to the ocean. Only about 4% of the turtles will survive into adulthood. The put the light on the water and we can see all of them swimming around. 

One of the baby turtles making its way to the ocean. 

Before we go to bed for the night, Darwis gathers up our group. He tells us that we are not allowed on the beach until 6 am, but there was a chance that we could still see some turtles laying eggs after that. He says that we could take a morning walk, just for the chance of seeing more turtles. The next morning we wake up and start walking around the beach. We make it about halfway around without seeing any turtles. We questioned whether or not to just go back to our room. Then we see a ranger waving towards us. We both start running as we saw a turtle making its way to the ocean across the beach. We get there just as it goes back into the ocean. It is followed by another turtle. Closer towards the middle of the island, I see some sand being thrown. I go over to investigate and spot a turtle burying its nest. There are two other turtles that we find still on the beach. We watch them until it is time for breakfast. The board shows that twenty-nine nests were made during the night. The rangers collected 1945 eggs and released 452 hatchlings. It was a memorable twenty-four hours and a highlight of our Borneo trip. Each day it got a little bit easier to be away from Taiwan.

One of the turtles making its way back to the ocean.