Call me Casey Kasem, if you will.

I feel that if you want to get to know someone, you can get pretty far by listening to the music they like. For me, it speaks volumes when a person doesn't have any chispa, or passion, for music. In the last two years, music has been a tool for evil, in the form of bumping techno or 80s music coming from my neighbor's house at all hours, and for good. The good outweighs, of course. Volunteers share music and share the experience. I taught kids songwriting and dancing, and the music brought us together. You want to make connections with people when you don't speak their language so well, quite la pena and belt out some popular spanish song, and they won't let you forget about it for the next two years.

I can get lost in music, and one of the perks of going back to the US, is that I will have even more music to absorb. But these are the top 26 songs that will always and forever be ingrained in my mind as Peace Corps, 2010-12. I should note, however, that these are the ones that I actually like. The list of songs that I had beaten into my brain against my will over and over again (this includes Bob Seger's Down on Mainstreet, UB40s Red, Red Wine, and a random Techno song called "its my life") will have to wait until I can manage to listen to them again and rank my hatred.

So let us begin.

Calle 13. Anyone who knows me, knows that I've been a total nerd for Calle 13 since 2008.
Due to their sheer, amazing talent, they top the list en general. But since this is a list of top songs, not top groups, I’ve picked the most fitting 4 tracks. But they will always win... hands down.

1 La Perla. Part of my “Buenos Dias El Cocalito” playlist, along with several songs on this list, got me through my time in Ahuachapan. Every morning….

2  La Jirafa. Ditto. Also, great video.

3  Latinoamerica. Just. Amazing. While romanticized, sometimes you need a romanticized version of your world. Perfect.

4 La Vuelta al Mundo.  If I were to get a “tatuaje de calle 13” it would be from this song.
si quieres cambio verdadero, pues, camina distinto. Yet, I already have a tattoo I'm not crazy about, entonces, that probably won't happen. Probably. Maybe.

This makes the list most especially because it’s all about trading your boring life for a life of love, sand, uncertainty and vagando around the world, following your heart. If you don’t speak Spanish, you’re missing out, tragically.  This seems like just the right place to switch gears. I’ll hesitantly leave 13^th street for #5 en adelante.

5 Blood. The Middle East. I listened to this song (along with Miike Snow's Animal, which didn't quite make the list) over and over and over during the flights to El Salvador. I cannot listen to it without thinking about how that felt. Literally flying into the unknown, with 25 dollars in my pocket, and knowing there was no going back. Sounds pretty sentimental, and while I don’t get sentimental about it now, this song touches the heartstrings, a little.

6  El y Ella. Ricardo Arjona. Personally, I really don't care for Ricardo Arjona… and even this song is so cheesy. It only makes the list because this song is my first two months in El Salvador, in Istepeque Spanish classes.  Besides, what would a girl love better at the start of her PC life than a song about a gringo and a latina falling in love against all odds? Yeah, know better now. Horrid song, worse idea.

Not every song feels like a snuggie. I aprovechar’ed aplenty the fact that my community members don’t speak english, to vent my frustration through music. That'd be the next 2 songs.

7 F**k You. Cee Lo. Again, on the “good morning El Cocalito” playlist. Not coming to my meeting? Talking smack behind my back? Well… let me passive aggressively put this song you can't understand on at a medium volume every morning… TAKE THAT.

8  99 Problems, Jay-Z. I had at least 99. At least. 

9 Bold as Love Jimmi Hendrix.  Just around my 1.5 year mark, Jeremy French sent me a 2 disc care package. One called “rebirth” for when I’m up, and one called, morbidly enough, “suicide” for when I just need to do a little wallowing. This one is a gem of an upper.

10 Yes we Can, Pt 1. Lee Dorsey. This is just a good funky, song. Some lessons those bichos could definitely write down.

11 Cuando me Enamoro. Enrique Iglesias y Juan Luis Guerra. I know it’s from a telenovela, but what a sweet song. I can’t hear it without thinking of my camp kids at Lago Coatepeque. The best.

12  Corazon sin Cara. Prince Royce. If you’re going to listen to “bachata-esque” music, you can’t go wrong with Royce. He's way better than Aventura. I'll say it. Even though the message, which is very much like Bruno Mars’ “Just the way you are,” is ridiculous, it totally works. Awee, sweet.

13 No Me Doy por Vencido. Luis Fonsi. A song about never giving up. In Spanish. Cheesy goodness. When the chorus comes, you can’t help but pump your fist to the sky. Also, sang this all the time on the guitar with my kiddos. Good memories.

14  Thank You. Sly and the Family Stone. Because sometimes you gotta dance it out, alone in your room.

15  Middle Distance Runner. Sea Wolf.  Moody and sweet, but sweet in a backhanded way. Makes me take a realistic look into the future at my re-entry into the dating world. Pfft. Men.

16  Safe Travels. Peter and the Wolf. Announced the unofficial PCES Danny Sanny song, way back when we all lived in Istepeque.

17 45-46 was my number. Toots and the Maytals. Another JFrench reborn special.

18 Santa Monica. Everclear. Recently remembered that I’ve harbored a love for Everclear ever since I was a tween, and I’m glad I did. Art Alexakis, my fellow Oregonian, has no idea how well this song fits the Salvo life. Need to get out of your head? Leave your site, go to the beach, and get sucked out by that crazy Salvadoran riptide. Done and done.

19 Mariposa Tracionera. Mana. This song makes me crack up, and blush. This song goes on the list for Dr. Curly, PhD.  Gotta ride the tide, man.

20 Malanina. Havana Mambo. It’s a little goofy, but as a gringa chick in ES, you gotta put up with a lot of machista b.s. Sometimes you just have to own it.

21  I Gotta Feeling. Black Eyed Peas. Not a BEP fan by any means, but COED/RH 2010-12 had the last best swearing party. This was the song. Put it on, we’ll bring the house down.

22 The Greatest Sum. The Avett Brothers. Almost any Avett Brothers song could apply to this list, especially if I had written it in my first year. Pretty sure they made it on my Cocalito Hammock Recommendation list. As it is, the Avetts need to make an appearance, and this song is the best representative.

23 Old Before YourTime. Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs. I would be very mistaken to leave Ray off any list of mine. Jolene almost took the list, but this song is so beautiful, and just hits the spot.

24 Alejate de Mi. Camilla. As my BFF Milena says, They’re so ugly, but their songs are so pretty. 

It’s kind of true, and while it’s pure latin pop, that’s alright by me.

25 Single Ladies. Beyonce. Best Swearing in pre-party ever. Mr. Kennedy and I TORE THE ALAMO UP. :)

26 Sloop John B. The Beach Boys. Because sometimes all you need to do to get through those rough patches is harmonize to the line “let me go home.”

Here I leave you with a bonus # 27. Gotta bring it full circle. 

Antiguatemala

See how I did that? Nice.

Here are some photos from NYE in Antigua, Guatemala. We rang in 2012 with some chispa, drinks and quite a few Gallos.

Met some lovely people, including the "Colombian Dave Grohl," the two goofy Louisiana boys who bought a bottle of rum for the bonus dominos, and Krystal's lovely mom, Alex.

Anyhow, NYE...

I have always considered myself to be a very lucky person, but I have this sinking feeling that my luck ran out during that 10 minutes in the Antigua plaza, wherein at some point 2011 turned into 2012.

I feel like I'm recovering now from this crazy trip, and I hope that any little remnants of my buena suerte last me until I go back up North. Bad luck there is getting locked out of your car, or forgetting a bag at the grocery store. Bad luck here? Getting robbed at gunpoint.  GO 2012!!

 El Arco de Antigua

Sirenas

 Ghost whispering

Parque Central, by morning

Taken from one of the only hotels with a roof in all Antigua. ;)

Delicious  Life destroyer

 "Hey ladies."

 "Hey ladies"

 Hipters ruin everything.

 Cotton, the fabric of our lives.

Why climb up higher? That's what it looks like.

La Navidad, Part Deux

Well, I took a lot of photos, as practice for my Farewell Tour '12 of Central America. I have about 51 days left until I shuttle out of Playa Tunco to Antigua, Guatemala, then to Honduras, and finally Nicaragua. We're going to end where we started by swinging back to San Salvador for a 2 am flight Pal Norte. Being a tourist, a mochilera, will be strange... but at least I know I'll never feel like a tourist in the Savior.

Anyways....This little Christmas Break to La Barra has chalked up to be just the right way to say goodbye to the Gallardos. The best holidays are the ones where you can celebrate and enjoy, instead of rush around, stress out, and go broke. We "remember the reason for the season." For them, it's vaguely about Christ, and for me, it isn't at all. So we ate, drank, and were merry all together.

Tomorrow morning I'm hitching a ride out of the painful heat of La Barra and taking the long ride back up to my "helado" La Palma. Less one guitar, one box of christmas cookies, and a full, kind of uncomfortable fullness in both my tummy and my heat. Aweee.... Touching.

Dinner, Indio

 No longer alive..

Those bad ass old fashioned metal sparklers.

 Nina Carmen and Don Jorge

Sand Pyramid...kinda

"He's floating like Kris Angel" they said.

La Barra at it's worst. Apparently two vacationers were pulled out by the riptide and two lifeguard types went to save them. They were probably swept out too, if we're being honest.

  

Tide's in.

Widowmaker.

Un, Do, tre, BRINCA!

La Navidad, Parte 1.

After sitting in a  slowly crawling chicken bus for an hour past the broke down Rio Ateos bridge in the noonday sun, and being violently pushed aboard my former "going home bus" the 259, I arrived at the desvio for La Barra de Santiago and hitched a ride into town. 

Since then, I've had delicious lemon juice covered fried fish, chuco, icy cold bottles of coca-cola all in my swimsuit. My swimsuit, juntos with "campo appropriate" layers. Shorts. T-shirt. I brought my twin 12 year old host sisters down to the beach today, and went swimming in a denim skirt and tee. Felt like I was going to drown.

The best part of it all is that I get to spend all day, every day with my former host family. Milena and I were up till 11 pm last night gossiping. While we're culturally from two different worlds, she is the best friend a gringa could ask for when it comes to good conversation and a good laugh.

Today is "Christmas Eve" in El Salvador, since we will be doing our celebrating tomorrow. Fireworks, pollo dorado, singing and most likely, lots of impromptu dancing on my part.

I have to say, Christmas without the presents, the shopping, the hustle and the bustle is the best version of Christmas I can imagine. Unfortunately in the states we all get caught up in it, and expectations for the holidays set us up for failure. Here, at least from where I can see, everyone is happy because no one expects big gifts or feels the need to give them. One plus of being broke, all of us.

While I'm enjoying La Navidad here, I hope you all are enjoying Christmas there. Hasta la Proxima.

My 2nd year PCV haggard self with my girls.

The girls playing my guitar. I gifted it to them for Christmas.

 I can't wait to get back to my REAL guitar back home.

She's got a style going

One of the twins preparing the fish for lunch. 

The kids rolling around in the sand. One of the worlds most itchy games.

Asi es la Vida

The changes being implemented in PC Central America were interesting enough for the New York Times. Unfortunately, a similar story went out in a Salvadoran newspaper and the online comment board that followed was a sad handful of pretty harsh comments on PCVs which, while they sting, are really just another irritation.

Well, I can't say with absolute confidence, but it looks like the about to COS group that was scheduled to go home in March now has the option to leave sometime after our Closing of Service conference in mid-January. Still planning on traveling Central America after service, my friend Dan Clarahan and I have tentatively rearranged our travel plans for February, which would get us back in the US before the end of the same month.

This is a very sad situation. This place is near and dear to my heart, as is Peace Corps El Salvador. I hope that the staff, especially those in San Vicente, are not fretting over the holiday season, and that they are able to keep their jobs despite the big changes.

As for me, I just finished my med visit, and am only waiting for the PCMO to call me and tell me to get out of Dodge. I am so excited to get down to La Barra de Santiago and spend time with the Gallardo family for Christmas. However, being a short 7 kilometers from my former site and all my friends and not being able to visit them will be hard. El Cocolito is just not the place for me anymore.

Very Happy Holidays to everyone, and I will catch you all on the flipside.

Good Morning, El Salvador.

Time in El Salvador is a tricky mistress. I hardly left my house all day yesterday ( you would have found my in my PJs, on my floor, embroidering and watching episode after episode of Arrested Development ) and yet, when I rolled into bed around 8:30, the day felt like it zoomed by.

The PCVs and incoming trainees got some interesting news on Friday afternoon regarding service in El Salvador. All the incoming trainees for El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua will not be brought in for "safety and security reasons." Fair enough, Central America isn't the safest or securest place in the world, which we see in the article on Genevadeclaration.org called Trends and Patterns of Lethal Violence. I'd link it, but why place worrisome information directly into my mother's hands? Lets just say: Doesn't it feel good to be number one?

The decision to halt the entry of trainees to El Salvador wasn't, in my opinion, a bad one. I love El Salvador. I really do. I generally feel safe (maybe just because I'm a streetsmart badass) and I feel that the PC wants to keep their volunteers safe. But there are only so many steps one can take to insure safety. No matter where you are, you never know what might happen when all your safety and security training falls just short. I feel horrible for the sites that are going to hear the bad news that no one will be coming to help them, but as the security continues to deteriorate, I'm glad that PC seems to be acknowledging the difference between the PC experience of cultural missteps, big projects, and exciting adventures and the experience of desensitized gringos, real anxiety and a legitimate unease in public transportation.

Anyway, the initial result for PCVs here in country when we heard the news was "and THEN what?" As always, the appearance of "chambre" worthy news led to the great gasto of tigo saldo, and everyone was telling or hearing tales of so and so told so and so and that fulano said that we're being evacuated by midnight... or some such nonsense.

Do I love El Salvador? Yes, absolutely, this is my home.... Would I mind if they sent me home a month  or two early? No. I spend my days shooting the breeze with my women and embroidering tablecloths, not a hard way to live till March, but.... I would welcome a little Yusa in my life. (Lets not exaggerate what that would look like. Think, embroidering on  my couch, watching expanded cable and being constantly on the grid. At least for the first week, while I work on washing the campo off my skin and re-learn using a fork.)

All I ask for is that I fulfill my winter plans. Christmas in La Barra de Santiago with my very beloved former host family, and New Years in Antigua, Guatemala, with my two beloved Daniels.

Anyhow, I'll be disconnected throughout Christmas, but, I wish you all very Happy Holidays. Try to reign in your jealousy that I get to play around on the beach, eat chicken foot soup and light off fireworks throughout the holiday. I'm pretty excited for it.

Paz, amigos.

THREE!

Ladies and Gents, I have less than three months left in El Salvador. Sweet baby Jesus. I hit the 3 month mark while floating with a liter beer in a pool at Playa Tunco. If that isn't best way to recollect that I have to take these three months by storm, I absolutely don't know what is. I'll keep the thoughtful, emotional reflections for later, when I assume I will feel them... for now, I'm counting down and soaking it all in.

Next week I have my final visit from my Jefa, Clelia. After that I plan on going down to La Barra de Santiago to spend Christmas on the beach with my Salvadoran family (Milena, Ben, Mi Comadre and all the kids) I guess I do already feel this sad reality. It will probably be the last time I ever see them, and I will miss them so so much.

But anyway...

Since my last post El Zarzal has been a hopping place. A week and a half of constant, depressing rain, Fiestas Patronales, weddings, baptisms, and Gringo visitors.

I don't have much to say about any of that because, as I do, I waited too long to post and none of it seems terribly interesting now. Besides, I have the sneaking suspicion that while few people view my blog page, even fewer do more than scan the photos. So I added some photos I never got around to editing of the "Baile de los Viejos" from our fiestas. Everybody wins!

Chepito and Tita

Don Jesus defending the baby from zombie attack.

My neighbors

Where did they find these masks?

And finally, Andrea in her first communion outfit. Got her to smile. :)