After six weeks in our Peace Corps site in Chalatenango, we were whisked back to San Vicente for another two weeks of "technical" training. This training session was intended to be geared more towards our actual program areas, sustainable agriculture and environmental education, and not so much on cultural integration, which made up the bulk of our first two months of training.
During this time, we had some field trips to vegetable projects, compost-making demonstrations, and integrated tree/crop systems that conserve soil and provide diverse sources of agricultural income. The environmental ed folks (Laura) also got a whole bunch of info on how to do participatory (read: fun!) charlas (talks/workshops) with kids and we got to practice with a group of super-listo (very smart) kids in Suchitoto. We're headed back to Chaletanango today to hopefully put all these things into practice over the next two years!
El Salvador schools finished their exams last week and they are now on vacation until January. This is the equivalent of our summer vacation - and it's summer here too now - and they think it is very strange that our vacations are June-August. But the planting season is completely different here, and many kids (at the lower elevations) are helping harvest beans and sugar cane during their vacations. And of course preparing for Christmas, La Navidad! Everyone is already decking the halls and all that jazz. In our Canton, the preparations are less commercialised and more religious, but people are excited nevertheless.
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