And we all thought Americans were direct...

OK. I don´t have a lot of time right now, but I haven´t posted anything in a while, so I´m going to post a short entry.

So much has happened in the last 2 weeks, there is no way I can recap any of it. But here is a little short story about something that continues to make me laugh:

While waiting for 2 trainees at the bus stop in my community, I began talking to 2 community members, a woman in her 70´s and her daughter in her 30´s. They, as most people are, were very interested in what the gringa (me) eats. I explained that I cook my food (which floored them) and also that I didn´t cook tortillas or beans, and usually not eggs, all of which can be classified as the typical food here.

They were like, "So...what do you eat?" I told them sandwiches, soup, vegetables, fruits, etc. And I explained that I don´t like salt or oil or fat in my food (because they saturate their food like mad here with that stuff). And they were like, "Ohhhh! You´re SO healthy!" And I just kind of shook my head since I´ve had this same conversation like 5 million times.

And then the grandma said, "So....then...............why are you so fat?"

I just started shaking my head (yeah, Americans are the direct ones) and laughed and said, "Well....................I like chocolate a lot."

"Ah. That explains it." That was the response.

So I guess I´m not just the gringa in town. I´m the FAT gringa in town! !PUCHICA! :)

Visit http://www.developingwords.org/el_salvador/michelle/2006/07/ to read about peeps in my community.