August 14, Day 54: Food Overview Pt. 2

I have been in El Salvador for nearly two months, so I am going to reflect on both the foods and the drinks that I will miss the most. As I will tell anyone who asks, I have never eaten healthier, though I have also never drank more unhealthily (primarily because water and skim milk are much more expensive here than in the States), so check out my favorites! I'm not claiming that any of these foods are specifically Salvadorian, but they are my favorites I have experienced here.

Foods (Comidas)

10. Mangos - Gerardo's house - They are bigger, sweeter, and juicier than those I have tried in the States, though that might just be because Arkansas is nowhere near an area that grows mangos...

9. Pancakes with condensed milk - Gaby's house - Instead of syrup, we ate pancakes with nothing but condensed milk. I had never had this before, but it sure made for a delicious snack. Going to keep it in mind when I return to the States.

8. Salvadorian Chinese food - Various restaurants - Salvadorian Chinese food is drastically different from American Chinese food. It mostly consists of rice, along with three or four types of meat, which have been cooked wonderfully with vegetables. Personally, I take points off for the onions (my worst enemy) and the mushrooms (which were occasionally disguised as beef), but the food was of excellent quality at every Chinese restaurant we went to, and I will miss it. Then again, I personally prefer the Americanized Chinese food, so it isn't a terrible loss, though it is probably far more unhealthy in the States.

7. Pupusa revuelta - The pupuseria on el Boquerón - Revueltas are hands-down my favorite pupusas, containing melted cheese, creamy beans, and mouth-watering pork. I have not been unsatisfied at any pupuseria I have been to, but the one I went to with Gaby the day after going with Mario, Connie, and Gerardo's family prepares them the best. I am going to miss pupusas so much!

6. Caviar - Gerardo's house - After years of wondering what the fuss was all about, I finally got to try caviar, courtesy of Gerardo's uncle Armando, a marine biologist. To my unrefined mouth, it tasted like really salty tuna with the texture of blue berries. Slap a cracker underneath and call it delicious!

5. Pork chops and mashed potatoes - Gerardo's house - Still the best pork chops and mashed potatoes I have ever had, and I have been lucky enough to have them several times since that magical first encounter.

4. Stroodle - Gerardo's house - The exact same day Armando brought caviar to the house, his daughter Diana, Connie, and Karla were making stroodles! I had never tried them before, but they were absolutely divine. They tasted like a hot pocket apple pie to me, homemade and fresh. Apparently they took hours to make too...damn.

3. Crêpe - Crêpe Love - My sweet tooth has been somewhat tame lately, so crêpes have dropped to number 3 on the list. Despite that, I still love them with a burning passion, and lo and behold, Gerardo knows how to make them! Wonder if I can convince him to whip up a batch in the States...

2. Pasta with fish, lobster, and shrimp - I haven't had it since my first day in El Salvador, but only now do I reflect on how absolutely superb that meal was. It was filling, fresh, and the epitome of my favorite types of healthier foods.

1. Pizza - "La Tarteleta" - And the pizza from my favorite restauraunt in all of El Salvador has taken the lead at number 1! Going there the other day on our way back from Perquin only reinforced how much I loved it!

Drinks (Bebidas)

5. Pilsener - Since I won't be drinking in the States, and since Pilsener is a Salvadorian beer in the first place, I imagine that I will miss the beer that I have grown most accustomed to drinking here. That said, it is mostly the nostalgia I will miss; drinking alcohol hasn't really been as appealing to me as simply drinking a glass of milk, Sunny D, or water in the States.

4. Mirinda - A carbonated drink that is orange flavor, I have grown attached to Mirinda and Fanta, neither of which I have ever found in the States, despite one of them being owned by Coca Cola.

3. Hot Chocolate - I had the best hot chocolate of my life when I was out with Mario and friends the other day. Chocolate con leche, which sounds just like any other hot chocolate I have had in the states, but it was thick, sweet, and creamy. Truly delicious, but the hot chocolate at U of O can satisfy me.

2. Fanta - Fanta has become my typical drink of choice at restaurants, solely because they tend to have it more often than Mirinda. Just as with the Pilsener though, I prefer water and milk to soda, so I can live without it.

1. Frozen de Fresa - Frozen de Fresa will be the sole drink that I will truly miss and crave from El Salvador. I was hooked on Sonic's strawberry slushy drinks in the States, but the more natural and fruity frozen de fresa of El Salvador has it surpassed in every way.

And with that final addictive drink, I am done thinking about Salvadorian food and drink. I will really miss how natural it all is, and how the meat and vegetables are prepared better than in the States, but nonetheless, I'm excited to get back to eating what I am used to. Hopefully, I will retain some of what I have learned in El Salvador and incorporate more vegetables into my diet, but only time will tell.

One.

August 8, Day 48: The Little Things Pt. 3

This is my final installment of The Little Things. I am both anticipating and dreading my return to the States; there is so much I miss from the States and so much I will miss from here. Here are the final things that I have been meaning to talk about, the last alien sensations in this great country that have struck me as unique.

Stars - I have seen no stars in El Salvador. Gabriel always excitedly points out when a few lonely stars are blinking out to us, which seems pathetic to me since I have been spoiled on beautiful starry skies. Stargazing used to be one of my favorite time killers, though it's been a long time since I've truly enjoyed it. That needs to change.

Allergies - In the 48 days I have been in El Salvador, I have only had to deal with allergies one day. Anyone who knows my track record in the States can testify what a glorious relief that has been for me. The only day I had allergies was when we were up in the mountains in an area that greatly resembled Arkansas to me. From that, Gerardo deduced that my allergies come from dirt, contrary to my belief that I was allergic to pollen, since El Salvador has more flowers than Arkansas, but far less dust floating around.

Air - There is no getting around it: most of El Salvador's air is probably toxic. There is always a strange smell in the air that although I have gotten used to, I expect the fresh air of small-town Arkansas will be a blast of unexpected relief. Still, toxic air feels like a welcome tradeoff from the crap that sets off my allergies so badly that most people believe I've contracted the flu.

Children - When I first came here, I pointed out that Gabriel and Andrea were more well-behaved than most children in the States. I stand by that statement and also apply it to Lore, Gaby's sister. However, the fact that they are children automatically seems to point towards a universal truth that they can be annoying. Unnecessary noises, constantly repeating the same word over and over, making stupid sounds, etc. Nonetheless, they have already established boundaries and know how to act like a family which is more than I can say about most siblings in the States.

Gas - I don't see a lot of regular gas being sold; most of it is Plus or Premium, and sells for around $4.40 per gallon. I think that is about a dollar more expensive than in the States, but nonetheless, I was expecting it to be far more expensive. Maybe I was thinking of Europe...

Fruity Drinks - The closest equivalent I can find in the States are the Real Fruit Smoothies at Sonic. The problem is they completely pale in comparison to the fresa frozen (frozen strawberry) drink that nearly every Salvadorian restaurant offers. If that fails, I turn to Miranda and Fanta, orange-flavored carbonated drinks that I have also grown especially attached to, though they are many times unhealthier.

I'm not sure how many people actually read this blog, though I know I have almost touched a thousand views since starting, which makes me pretty happy. If anyone has any questions at all about something I have forgotten to mention or that I did not consider noteworthy, send me a message or comment so I can address your concerns and provide even more insight over El Salvador from the perspective of a gringo.

One.

July 17, Day 25: The Little Things Pt. 2

It's time for another segment of The Little Things! More differences between my culture and Gerardo's have become evident to me, so here's what I've learned (or remembered).

• Seasons - In the US, there is a winter, spring, summer, and fall. In Spanish, the exact translations for these would be invierno, primavera, verano, and otoño. I had been under the impression that all four of these seasons existed in El Salvador, but I was mistaken. Here, there is only invierno and verano, and rather than translating to winter and summer, it is more accurate to say that they translate to "rainy season" and "dry season." Right now, we are in the middle of the "rainy season" and we have been experiencing intense tropical storms nearly every day, fortunately usually during the night. That means that the summer I left behind in the US has been replaced by what is normally translated in Spanish as winter!
• Music - Obviously, in a Spanish speaking country, there is a much greater popularity with Spanish music. What surprised me, however, is how frequently English songs are played. Particularly rap songs. I have heard quite a few of my favorite rap songs played and memorized by many. Macklemore, Pitbull, and Eminem are a few, and Gerardo's little brother Gabriel even sings to Bob Marley with me!
• Money - Both countries make use of the US dollar, which extends to so many countries around the world that it has become the world's principal reserve currency (economics fun fact). However, in El Salvador, I don't recall having seen someone pay with a debit or credit card yet. Most people pay with physical dollars and coins. Additionally, I have seen a ton of $1 coins here in El Salvador, which was a pretty rare sight for me in the US. I'm trying to collect as many as I can; if the dollar crashes, I have more faith in the value of coins than paper.
• Police - In the US, cops only ever seem to be around when you are driving five miles over the speed limit...not that I have had any issues with them yet. In El Salvador though, they are everywhere. Literally, I encounter at least three or four just walking to the local track for a run. Furthermore, they are packing heat, strapping machine guns in broad daylight. It would be intimidating, but somehow, I doubt I have ever felt safer. On the other hand, I know that militaristic force was used against civilians during the Civil War in El Salvador, so I'm scared to try imagining the advantage the cops would have if history ever repeated itself...
• Ages of consent and drinking - Yup, I'm going there. In the US, the drinking age is 21 and the age of consent is 18. In El Salvador, the drinking age is 18 and the age of consent is 16. Why does this matter? Perhaps it does not; I have not and will not be in El Salvador long enough to get a true grasp of how this difference in legal acceptability affects people, but here's the blunt truth of what I know about the US: Sex and getting wasted are what high school students find cool. Would lowering the ages have a positive psychological effect on people or would it just make it worse?
• Goods and Services - I would say that many of the goods I have seen in El Salvador are more expensive than in the US, probably because many of these goods are imported from the US to begin with! Who would have imagined that? On the other hand, I have never seen such a cheap service industry! It's fantastic! Let's compare a few! These are the prices I have experienced, so don't have a hissy fit if what I am used to doesn't match what you are used to.

      Service                                                    United States                              El Salvador
Movie Theater (Night)                                    $9                                                $3
Haircut                                                          $12                                              $2.5
Dentist Cleaning (no insurance)                      $120                                            $10
Gym Membership (1 month)                           $25                                              $10

I know there are a ton of other services I'm forgetting about; medical expenses alone are all cheaper, so I will probably take full advantage of that while I'm here. Anyway, that's all I've got for today!

One.

July 9, Day 17: Homesick

For all of the good stuff I've experienced in El Salvador, I have to admit at this point that I am beginning to feel a little homesick. It is not homesick in the way that I would have expected though; while I miss my physical possessions and the people, there are some things I long for that surprise even me. So here it is: the top five things I currently miss the most about my life in the US.

5. Hot showers: Apparently cold water is good for your skin, keeps you looking youthful, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if that is true, and I've gotten used to it enough that I can tolerate the cold water pouring over me, but really, sometimes I just want a refreshing hot shower. First world problems...

4. Commitments: Sad as it is to say, I really need some sort of commitment in my life to keep me occupied. School, sports, a job, whatever it may be, I like it when something keeps me focused. That doesn't equate to me wanting to be tied down; I genuinely love traveling. However, I need a sense of purpose, and excluding blogging, my activity here has been all over the place. I would say it expands my views and is necessary, but I'd love to find something to do that is genuinely meaningful. Summers are a pretty purposeless time for me anyway, so that might not be because I'm in El Salvador, but still, it is easier to find something to commit to when you are familiar with the people, places, and general occupations of an area.

3. Locational knowledge: I love exploring new places, but without a phone, car, or GPS, I can only travel in the company of someone who knows the area. The gym is literally the only place I can walk to by myself; I don't know enough Spanish to successfully communicate my destination desires to a taxi or bus driver, and being alone in El Salvador is potentially hazardous for gringos and women.

2. Arby's: It is beyond tragic that Arby's made it to #2 on my list, but I've been craving it since the day I arrived. I practically lived on Arby's during the first month and a half of summer I spent in the States. The employees recognized me and knew what I wanted the instant I arrived. A Jamocha Shake. Mozzarella Sticks. A Reuben Sandwich. Unhealthy, I know. I pray to the sweet lord that my cravings will be gone by the time I am back in the States; if two months without it doesn't cure me of this food lust, I don't know what will.

1. English: I knew what I was getting into the moment I came here, but it only just now occurs to me how badly I miss English. I can still usually understand the intent of what is being spoken to me, but it is intolerable when I have to give choppy or single-worded responses. There have been many opportunities to bond with friendly strangers, in basketball, at Connie's university, etc. and the limits of my Spanish have essentially blocked each and every potential friendship. Even last night when I was hanging out with a girl I was interested in named Gaby, the fact that we were hanging out in Gerardo's home meant that she was free to pursue conversations with others in Spanish and I could only attempt to comprehend what they were saying, a mentally exhausting feat. That chance might have flown out the window...I've GOT to learn some damn Spanish.

One.

July 5, Day 13: Food Overview Pt. 1

Today for lunch, I had a truly amazing meal, and I decided immediately that even though this blog will cover many important aspects of my time here, it is definitely relevant to devote several posts to nothing but food. So here it is: my top five favorite foods that I have eaten in El Salvador (so far). Drumroll please!

5. Sopa de frijoles (Bean Soup): I hate beans in the States, but ever since I tried a pupusa offered to me by my friends Gerardo and Mario, I began to open my mind a little. When Gerardo's mother made bean soup, I was still somewhat skeptical, but I went ahead and tried it, and I am very glad I did. The soup combined with duro-blando queso (hard-soft cheese), portions of tortilla, and a little bit of salt created a utopia of flavor in my mouth. It was impossible to narrow down the taste, but the cheese stood out the most along with the various textures.

4. Platanos con leche de crema (Plantains with Milk Cream): Plantains are somewhat similar to bananas, though they have a unique texture to them. Boiled plantains, fried plantains, and even raw plantains have all made plantains one of my favorite fruits, despite having never tried it in the US. When Carla brought out milk cream for dinner one night and Gerardo advised me to try it, I discovered I was instantly in love. It is a very light and soft cream that tastes like milk but is also a bit sweeter, making a healthy snack on par with many delicious but unhealthy desserts.

3. Carne de cerdo con puré de papas (Pork with Mashed Potatoes): As someone who resides in the South, it is almost sad including this, but there is not getting around it; Gerardo's mom cooks up the best pork and mashed potatoes I have ever had in my life. The potatoes were extremely creamy, almost like a gravy, and the pork was so tender that it could be sliced up with merely a fork. It almost melted in my mouth, but most of it was meat, rather than fat. Needless to say, the parts that were fat were even tastier. This was my lunch today.

2. Pizza: As stated in a previous post, the best pizza I have ever had was at the restaurant "La Tarteleta" in San Miguel. I could taste every single ingredient: the thin crust, the perfectly melted cheese, the tomato sauce, and the raw tomatoes on top. It sounds largely like your average pizza, but it was so much more. I ate it on three different occasions during the four days we were in San Miguel.

1. Crêpe: Though more well-known in France, I tried my first crêpe at a mall in El Salvador shortly before going to the movies with Gerardo and Connie to watch The Great Gatsby. My sweet tooth was kicking in so I was going to buy an éclair, but Gerardo dragged me to a food stand called Crêpe Lovers. I had never tried one before and the pictures that looked like tortillas made me sure that it was going to be a typical Salvadorian food, but I was way off. The crêpe I had was sweet, rolled up and stuffed with slices of bananas and strawberries with a double layer of white and milk chocolate. Of all the desserts I have ever enjoyed, this one is definitely at the top of the list, and anyone who knows me can testify that I am a sugar junkie. There are different types of crêpes; apparently salty ones are more akin to a meal (Gerardo had his with cheese and ham), but the sweet ones are undoubtedly desserts.

That's it for this food post! I hope to experience more savory delights that I can discuss and ultimately compile at the end of my trip into a "The Best Foods of El Salvador" post. And by the way, today is Gerardo's birthday. Happy birthday, Gerardo!

One.

July 3, Day 11: The Little Things Pt. I

As El Salvador has been and will be my first extended stay in another country, I have time to really delve into the little things that most people don't really think about that divide their lifestyle and culture from those in the States.

• Mosquitos - They are everywhere, and they are hungry for gringo blood. I sprayed myself multiple times every day when I first came here and still got covered with bites. I never thought that even after a shower, it would be necessary to spray. By now, I've gotten so used to them that I don't even bother.
• Driving - I have already mentioned it in a previous post, but the driving here is completely different than anywhere I have been in the states. I could try to describe it, but you really have to be in El Salvador to fully understand just how different it is.
• Common knowledge - Some things that we see as common knowledge differ greatly. For example, two of my friends in college, one from the States and one from Guatemala, were arguing about continents. The American claimed there was a North and South America (as I myself had been educated in my youth) while the Guatemalan claimed there was a North, Central, and South America. The sense of common knowledge I had developed collapsed since no one in the States really knows which continent to identify Central America in, despite it not being its own continent. Just today, Connie described her hair as being brown while mine was blond, while I identified hers as black while mine is brown. Darkness and lightness seem to have a slightly different scheme here...or maybe I'm just in denial.

• Food - Salvadorians have a diet centered around corn. Economy and location play a heavy role in determining how the citizens of respective countries live. El Salvador is poor, generally speaking, but the produce and seafood are abundant and freshly harvested, meaning that many meals are healthier and thematic than in the US, one of the wealthier countries in the world with the trendy focus on convenience at the cost of quality. It is truly amazing for me to finally understand this; I didn't believe the quality was lacking because it was all I had ever known.
• Religion - In the States, though a majority of people would identify themselves as Christians, the US nonetheless opts to keep religion a fairly private matter, primarily an issue reserved for churches, youth groups, and private schools. Traces of religion are more evident in El Salvador; being a small country, much more of the country's history is steeped in it.
• Minorities - In the States, whites are undoubtedly the dominant race. In El Salvador, I am an extreme oddity as only about 12% of Salvadorians are white, but most of them are still native Spanish speakers. It is a very strange feeling, transitioning from the majority to the minority. At the moment, it hasn't resulted in any serious problems, and I am uncertain if I will be here long enough to really understand the difficulties presented to the minorities of the US, but I have had a taste of it. Little children stare at me, elderly women scowl at me, one man even yelled, "Ayy, gringo!" and flashed me a sideways thumbs-up. Apparently, that meant that he was not going to kill me. That was very sweet of him.
• School - The hours always seemed so simple in the States. Elementary school was approximately 8 - 3. Naturally, there are variations across the regions, but in general, it was the same. In El Salvador, schools seem to operate from 7 - 12:30 (for morning classes). Gerardo told me that those hours extended to 4 for juniors and seniors going to a private school, but for the most part, those hours apply to everyone. There is a need to squeeze in afternoon classes for students and/or parents who prefer later hours, and adults who were unable to receive an education as children are granted the ability to enroll in school as well.

That's all I can think of for now, but there are many more differences hidden under the surface. Differences a lot of people would probably rather not think about, including myself. Still, I will do my best to bring these differences to the light, if for no other reason than for my own personal enlightenment.

One.