Pictures and Moving Pictures

Hi All,

I thought that, this time around, I would give you all a multimedia presentation of what I've been up to lately. First off, here's the link to the latest Picasa photo gallery:

http://picasaweb.google.com/bennnn.williams/March2008Photos

I've also decided to use the miracle of YouTube to bring you a little bit farther into my world here in El Salvador. My youth group has been taking some culinary adventures lately, as we've made pizza http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-GwR7iEooU and hamburgers in the last few months. I know – boring American food – but imparting sophisticated San Francisco Foodie techniques just isn't that feasible here in the countryside. Plus, teenagers love pizza and burgers. Speaking of cows, check out these two videos of a cow castration, El Pital-style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eg776oMNZ0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1lpYEoz8UQ. Not for the faint of heart – this is NASTY. But it's a big part of life here, and everyone treats it as no big deal. But you can still hear me shudder behind the camera, which means I haven't gotten used to seeing it yet. I wonder what a psychoanalyst would say about a society so at ease with castration?

My Sunday hiking group has explored nearly all there is to see around these parts, including several trips to the nearest volcano, El Chingo. Here we are in the crater, messing around on a makeshift see-saw. Not only is the video special because it contains a fat man squealing with girlish joy, but also because of the fall at the end by yours truly http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1699956108683494126. Great cinema. On the same hike, we found a vine dangling from the jungle canopy, and decided to swing on it, consequences be damned http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7216655464365819281. (Peace Corps has great medical coverage, by the way). Luckily for us, the vine was thick and not about to break. On a separate hike, I fought an epic sword fight on top of a misty hill and lost, badly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzO_lanu_UE. Always get under your opponent.

To give you a sense of the kids I work with daily, here's a video taken from the literacy group's end-of-the-year party http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JC75r2MZ5k. We're playing a form of Rock-Paper-Scissors, but with a huge group of people. Everyone loved it. At the same party, a friend of mine who has recently gotten into heavy metal taught the kids how to head bang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSxDxCSz5Mo. Not something you see everyday in the land of ranchera music. And finally, speaking of music, my friend Juan and I held an impromptu performance of a popular ranchera song ("La Puerta Negra") on my front porch http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5678246825823974841. I never thought that that's who I'd become when I grew up.

So I'm still spending my days teaching literacy and other remedial subjects in the Sala de Nivelacion (a special classroom for kids who have been held back grades or who are not getting the teaching they need in the normal classroom setting). I work there from 8 to 6 everyday, with occasional breaks to teach 8th and 9th grade English. On the weekends, I spend my time with the youth group/card makers, either going on trips, having parties, doing community service, or just hanging out. My life here is filled to the brim with activity, especially now that we're also in the initial stages of building a computer room/library to house the computers received from Keesal Young & Logan. I have submitted the proposal and budget to Peace Corps HQ in DC, and after it is (hopefully) approved, I will be badgering you all for donations. Honestly, it is a very cool project that will impact the lives of nearly everyone in the community for the better. More information on this is coming soon.

Already nearly a third of the way through my second year here, and time seems to be flying by. I've come to love this friendly, dusty little country, and I can't begin to think about what I'll be doing after this . . . any ideas? Any/all suggestions are welcome. Hope you all enjoy the videos and photos – and if you have the time, send me some of yours (but only if they aren't castration videos). I'm anxious to see and hear what life is like back home.

All the best,

Ben