The beginning of the end

I need to start eating with a fork, I need to not talk about gastrointestinal issues, I need to learn to talk about things that have nothing to do with El Salvador or Peace Corps. These things are not interesting to anyone outside of my friends here.

More seriously, I have been out of the US culture for the last 2 years. No tv, sporadic internet, spanish language radio, no social life outside of a few gringos and my community. This might sound melodramatic... but that's kind of a horrifying prospect. Diving headfirst into all of this, even though it will also be great, is scary. People find PC interesting for about 4 minutes, and rightfully so. El Sal has been my life, and I have little more to talk about.

We live in a little bubble here, and in some ways, defend it's borders. Due to our need to immerse ourselves in the Salvadoran culture and push away things American, we never have to confront the problem. However, a few weeks ago, I spent time with non PCV gringos, and the realization hit me.

I've become a little socially stunted.

On the plus side, I'm really looking forward to having new conversations. Throughout these last 2 years I've been reusing conversations, jokes and interactions with Salvadorans in the campo. For my part, I always privately blush when I re-use a joke with a second group of people in the US. Contrived. Here, it's just a part of immersion. You use whatever technique you can to get people to laugh, to interact, to like you. It's a cheap, useful, and fuerte tool.

You know how many times I've had the same conversation about mitos and frijoles and las lluvias? Igualito. Down  to the punchline. Exactly. The. Same.

Cheap. Socially cheap.

I guess on the plus side, my absolute ignorance of basically everything will hopefully lead to some kind of conversation... I'll be schooled. Hopefully, I'll at least have the pleasure of having good tasting microbrews on the table while I learn the ways of the new world.