September 24th-October 9th, 2007: The Final Month!

COS or Close of Service is the ending of one's service in the Peace Corps. This is not as simple as picking up one day and saying goodbye. There is a detailed report to write, lots of paperwork to be filed and medical examinations and release. I headed into San Salvador on the 24th for three days of COS medical. It actually went like a breeze for me, the hardest part was timing my day to give a stool sample. I got a clean bill of health on all aspects and have only to take an HIV test at the end of October to be Medically cleared (and trust me when I say if it was negative before I came here it is certainly still going to be so!). So besides enjoying the cuisine in my free time I got a chance to go to a couple small museums. The first is run by the former Guerilla radio announcer and its current feature exhibit was photos and information about a European ethnographer who went through El Salvador at the turn of the century (not this one, the one before). It had many interesting photos and descriptions of the people and traditions of that time before the Massacre of 1932 drove much of the indigenous culture in El Salvador out of existence. The 2nd was a folk art museum focused mainly on the clay figurines produced in a village in northern El Salvador.

Work Continues on the Spring

The check for $3,000 arrived, thank god, as I was done to $2.76 in my bank account here. Three trips later we have purchased all the materials necessary to complete the project (my fingers are crossed). Unfortunately things have progressed a bit slowly because the digging of post holes and foundations has not involved a shovel but rather prying out and break up huge stones that fill the riverbed.

Community Helps

We invited the community to come out and help carry the sand and other materials down to the work area from the road and over 15 people responded (or all sexes and ages). Other people have come out at various times to help but there is still a lot of carrying to do (sand moves slowly when carried on one's back).

Saying Thank You

Sure "gracias" is easy, but how to really say it for all the little things that people have done for me over my 2 years here. The list is endless, though headed up by their opening up of their homes and hearts to me, a complete stranger, when I arrived dazed and confused 2 years ago. For me rather then buying gifts or writing poetry, I would rather do something together to express my gratitude. I got started this past weekend, taking my wonderful host family to the beach. When I say the family, I mean the whole kubudal (well nearly).