A couple fun stories...
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Hey, everyone! So we now have $3045 (36%) of what we need for the project. Thank you!!
Onto lighter topics. As you´ve probably noticed, I don´t have a lot of funny stories anymore (at least I feel that way), but I´ve been laughing a lot during the last week! Two events that make me smile:
The Form Pick-Up:
There is now a new volunteer living like 5 minutes away from me in the next town, Mary Susan. We decided that we were going to Sonsonate together to do some grocery shopping and other errands. She came to my site to observe a computer class for teachers and then we were off. On our way out, I asked the school secretary if there was anything she needed from Sonsonate and she told me she needed a form. Ok, no problem. We wrote down all the relevant information (form name, building location, etc.) and we´re off.
After stopping in Izalco for some lunch and completing a few short visits with people in the mayor´s office, we ended up arriving in Sonsonate at 4 PM. We decided to pick up the form first because the building was located right next to the bus terminal. The bus driver was nice enough to walk us to the building and just as we arrived, the cleaning lady opened the door to sweep out the dirt from inside. As I attempted to walk in, she stopped me and informed me that they closed at 3.30. I was like, "Oh, I´m sorry. I didn´t know that. I don´t need to talk to anyone though; I just need this form." And she said, "Well, you can come back tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM. We´re closed." And I said, "I don´t think you understand. I only need a form. I don´t need anything else." She said, "Oh, ok, well I have to get permission from our boss." I said ok and she shut the door and walked away. Now, this door is a glass door. I can see all of them and they can see all of me. All of the workers were still at their desks working, or at least it appeared that´s what they were doing. I watched the cleaning lady walk into a back room, stay there for about 5 minutes, then come back out and continue cleaning, ignoring me! She basically LIED to me to get me to away!! I couldn´t believe it! I mean, seriously, maybe that works with Salvadorans, but it doesn´t work with Americans! Or at least not this one!! Who thinks you can lie to someone to get them to go away!! Unbelievable.
At this point, Mary Susan, the other volunteer with me, said, "I don´t think they´re coming back and it´s pretty late...we should get going." I was like, "I´m not leaving!! She lied to me!!" And she said, "Well, we´re not in the US; we´re in El Salvador! There´s not really anything you can do about it." I said, "What do you mean? They have to leave sometime and they have to come through this door. I don´t care if I have to wait all night and sleep here! They´re talking to me!" She was pretty irritated at this point and informed me she could wait 5 more minutes but then we would have to go. So I started staring at the people inside. I mean, I was standing directly in front of this glass door just staring. As you can imagine, the workers inside became somewhat uncomfortable. They started talking amongst themselves, clearly saying things like, "What´s wrong with this gringa? Why isn´t she going away? It´s obvious we´re closed and are not going to help her." And of course by this point, the cleaning lady was milling about going about her business also obviously ignoring me.
Five minutes passed with the staring with no results and Mary Susan, unable to convince me to leave with her, left to run the errands we had planned, while I continued the starting. I watched 2 of the women close up their computers and pack up. They still were pretty uncomfortable with the idea of approaching me, so they asked the security guard to escort them out. So, the security guard from across the room struts over with his huge gun, unlocks the door, and lets them out. Of course, they run by without making any eye contact whatsoever and I immediately take advantage of the door being open and step in.
The security guard informs me that they´re closed. I say, "I know. I´m sorry. I don´t need to do anything here; I just need to pick up this form and I can leave." And he said, "Right, but we´re closed." And I said, "I don´t understand what the problem is. I don´t think it´s difficult to hand me a form. Is there not an organized system here?" He said, "Ok, I have to talk to my boss." I said, "Ok" but didn´t move. He said, "I have to shut the door if I´m going to leave it." I said, "Yeah, well that´s exactly what she (pointing to the cleaning lady) told me and she never came back. So since people here obviously lie, I´m going to wait right here. I won´t walk in anymore, but I´m not walking out." At this point, he was very uncomfortable and certainly not used to someone, especially a woman, being so direct, so he started to question the cleaning lady who got super irritated she was being called out for lying by someone who was showing up late and didn´t have any reason to complain about anything.
The security guard at this point didn´t know what to say or do so I encouraged him to ask the boss to join us and the three of us could talk about it. So, reluctantly, he asked the supervisor to come over and the supervisor asked me what the problem was. I said, "Hi. I know you closed at 3:30. I´m really sorry I´m arriving late, but all I need is this form. I don´t need to talk to anyone. I don´t need anyone to do anything for me except hand me this form." And he said, "Ok, I´ll give it to you now, but in the future, please try to come before we close." I said, "I really appreciate it. Thank you so much." And he reached to my left, pulled out a sheet of paper, and gave it to me. Can you believe that??? It took like 0.1 seconds to give me that form and I had to create this huge scene to get it!! I mean, 30 minutes of me staring at them, being super direct with them, ect., for them to take 0.1 seconds to give me the form!! He didn´t even have to walk anywhere to get it!! Wouldn´t it have just been easier to give me the paper in the first place?
Anyway, I walked to where Mary Susan was and told the story to her and all she had to say was, ´"I can´t believe you got the paper." I just said, "Oh, I knew I was getting the paper; I just didn´t know how long I was going to have to wait to get it!" And she said, "Do you ever take no? You seem like you´re kind of a determined person." Well, maybe...
There is now a new volunteer living like 5 minutes away from me in the next town, Mary Susan. We decided that we were going to Sonsonate together to do some grocery shopping and other errands. She came to my site to observe a computer class for teachers and then we were off. On our way out, I asked the school secretary if there was anything she needed from Sonsonate and she told me she needed a form. Ok, no problem. We wrote down all the relevant information (form name, building location, etc.) and we´re off.
After stopping in Izalco for some lunch and completing a few short visits with people in the mayor´s office, we ended up arriving in Sonsonate at 4 PM. We decided to pick up the form first because the building was located right next to the bus terminal. The bus driver was nice enough to walk us to the building and just as we arrived, the cleaning lady opened the door to sweep out the dirt from inside. As I attempted to walk in, she stopped me and informed me that they closed at 3.30. I was like, "Oh, I´m sorry. I didn´t know that. I don´t need to talk to anyone though; I just need this form." And she said, "Well, you can come back tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM. We´re closed." And I said, "I don´t think you understand. I only need a form. I don´t need anything else." She said, "Oh, ok, well I have to get permission from our boss." I said ok and she shut the door and walked away. Now, this door is a glass door. I can see all of them and they can see all of me. All of the workers were still at their desks working, or at least it appeared that´s what they were doing. I watched the cleaning lady walk into a back room, stay there for about 5 minutes, then come back out and continue cleaning, ignoring me! She basically LIED to me to get me to away!! I couldn´t believe it! I mean, seriously, maybe that works with Salvadorans, but it doesn´t work with Americans! Or at least not this one!! Who thinks you can lie to someone to get them to go away!! Unbelievable.
At this point, Mary Susan, the other volunteer with me, said, "I don´t think they´re coming back and it´s pretty late...we should get going." I was like, "I´m not leaving!! She lied to me!!" And she said, "Well, we´re not in the US; we´re in El Salvador! There´s not really anything you can do about it." I said, "What do you mean? They have to leave sometime and they have to come through this door. I don´t care if I have to wait all night and sleep here! They´re talking to me!" She was pretty irritated at this point and informed me she could wait 5 more minutes but then we would have to go. So I started staring at the people inside. I mean, I was standing directly in front of this glass door just staring. As you can imagine, the workers inside became somewhat uncomfortable. They started talking amongst themselves, clearly saying things like, "What´s wrong with this gringa? Why isn´t she going away? It´s obvious we´re closed and are not going to help her." And of course by this point, the cleaning lady was milling about going about her business also obviously ignoring me.
Five minutes passed with the staring with no results and Mary Susan, unable to convince me to leave with her, left to run the errands we had planned, while I continued the starting. I watched 2 of the women close up their computers and pack up. They still were pretty uncomfortable with the idea of approaching me, so they asked the security guard to escort them out. So, the security guard from across the room struts over with his huge gun, unlocks the door, and lets them out. Of course, they run by without making any eye contact whatsoever and I immediately take advantage of the door being open and step in.
The security guard informs me that they´re closed. I say, "I know. I´m sorry. I don´t need to do anything here; I just need to pick up this form and I can leave." And he said, "Right, but we´re closed." And I said, "I don´t understand what the problem is. I don´t think it´s difficult to hand me a form. Is there not an organized system here?" He said, "Ok, I have to talk to my boss." I said, "Ok" but didn´t move. He said, "I have to shut the door if I´m going to leave it." I said, "Yeah, well that´s exactly what she (pointing to the cleaning lady) told me and she never came back. So since people here obviously lie, I´m going to wait right here. I won´t walk in anymore, but I´m not walking out." At this point, he was very uncomfortable and certainly not used to someone, especially a woman, being so direct, so he started to question the cleaning lady who got super irritated she was being called out for lying by someone who was showing up late and didn´t have any reason to complain about anything.
The security guard at this point didn´t know what to say or do so I encouraged him to ask the boss to join us and the three of us could talk about it. So, reluctantly, he asked the supervisor to come over and the supervisor asked me what the problem was. I said, "Hi. I know you closed at 3:30. I´m really sorry I´m arriving late, but all I need is this form. I don´t need to talk to anyone. I don´t need anyone to do anything for me except hand me this form." And he said, "Ok, I´ll give it to you now, but in the future, please try to come before we close." I said, "I really appreciate it. Thank you so much." And he reached to my left, pulled out a sheet of paper, and gave it to me. Can you believe that??? It took like 0.1 seconds to give me that form and I had to create this huge scene to get it!! I mean, 30 minutes of me staring at them, being super direct with them, ect., for them to take 0.1 seconds to give me the form!! He didn´t even have to walk anywhere to get it!! Wouldn´t it have just been easier to give me the paper in the first place?
Anyway, I walked to where Mary Susan was and told the story to her and all she had to say was, ´"I can´t believe you got the paper." I just said, "Oh, I knew I was getting the paper; I just didn´t know how long I was going to have to wait to get it!" And she said, "Do you ever take no? You seem like you´re kind of a determined person." Well, maybe...
Calling MINED
We needed to set up a meeting with the National Technology Director in the Ministry of Education, so one morning I called the general Ministry number since I didn´t have his direct line. The woman answering the phone told me she didn´t know who he was so I told her he worked in technology and before I could correct his name (she thought I said "Rodriguez" instead of "Urias"), she had transferred me. I was thinking, "Great. I´m going to be talking to like 10 people here to get his secretary." So the next person picked up and I said, "Good morning. Could I please speak with Carlos Urias?" And she said, "Michelle!" Dude. I don´t know about you, but when I´m calling the secretary of a national officer and she immediately knows it´s me from asking if I can talk to him, she is either amazing at remembering people and voices or I´ve done my job and made an impression (hopefully a good one). I was so shocked I couldn´t even speak. She informed me the day of the meeting that she "knows my voice". I jokingly said, "Are you sure it´s not my gringa accent?" And she said, "Oh, well that too.". Puchica. 2 years of speaking Spanish and it´s still clear to everyone living here that I´m DEFINITELY from the states.
Alright. Those were pretty lengthy. Good for now. I´m sure I´ll have more... :)
Miss ya all!!
Alright. Those were pretty lengthy. Good for now. I´m sure I´ll have more... :)
Miss ya all!!
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