Preparing for a site change is a strange experience. I'm not working so much - just doing art and English at the school - and I'm trying to get my things organized.
One of the most difficult things to sort out has always been my trash.
Like so many rural communities, the Cocalito doesn't have trash pickup. I went "native" when it came to things like toilet paper or old scrap paper and set it on fire in my yard. But I drew the line at plastic. I packed up my plastic trash in grocery bags to take in on trips to Sonsonate. But eventually, the trash started to take up a whole corner of my kitchen. Beyond outsourcing to the Sonsonate terminal.
In the early evening, I walked out into my yard with one bag of trash like there was nothing to it. Then I set it on fire. The thing was gone in less than 5 minutes.
So I brought out another. It was like the trash never existed. Guilty satisfaction.
The next night I looked at the remaining hill of "Super Selectos" bags stuffed with refuse and decided to make things happen. Make sacrifices happen.
It was a hard decision, but it was time. I set a bag on fire, and retreated inside to grab the other bag that would go up in flames.
It had been a point of contention in both my host families and my school. The now gnarly, torn, stained, kinda moldy "Da Vinci's Gnome" bag. It was time to let it go. It has traveled around with me since my first-ever boyfriend, Michael, gave it to me years ago. Since then it has been decorated, criticized and admired. It has hauled groceries, books, garbage and live hens. But it's era came to an end.
In the roaring, toxic flames of a farewell fire, the gnome was consumed.
New site, new bag. The women's group in Chalate do embroidery. A artesania bag will be just the thing for a new life in a new site.
In other, breaking news, I will be having surgery soon...maybe here in El Salvador. That should make for a good blog. I'll keep you posted!
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