Pamela: "I want pupusas!"
Rosa: "¿Quiere dos pupusas?"
Pamela: "Yes! Dos!"
I did not have to do a thing! When we are out and about, I read signs and words we see to Pamela to let her practice her Spanish. She remembers what she has learned from our informal Spanish program at home and occasionally uses words when she speaks.
I am faring pretty well also. My first solo was at customs. The clerk spoke no English. I answered his questions, even the tough one about why I was born in Japan. I said in broken Spanish, "Mi padre es in la marina" ("My father is in the Navy"). When I was paying for the $10 tourist card, I told him that my husband was Salvadoran, "Mi esposo es Salvadoreño." He wanted to clarify that Steve was Pamela's father and, after a little back and forth, he understood that Pamela is also technically Salvadoran. I only had to buy a tourist card for myself because she is a citizen by birth.
While I do not understand everything, I am getting along much better than I did on previous trips. I think our Spanish homeschooling program is helping me to build the ear for Spanish that has been so lacking in years past. Here I am finding opportunities to practice between communicating with the maid, waiters and waitresses, and store clerks.
Even though Elena and I had never met, we have enough in common that we had a delightful conversation and a very good meal. We have been keeping in touch on Facebook for quite some time, but being able to talk face-to-face enabled us to learn more about one another's families, insights as mothers of special needs children, our childhood, and our stories. Her sister had recommended this restaurant and, except for the loud music, everything was well done. I had never eaten a burger with black olives and mushrooms . . . esta muy deliciosa. They cleverly wrapped Pamela's in lettuce, and, of course, she added her usual glop on top.
Today was especially clear so I wanted to share pictures I took of the skyline with volcanoes far off in the distance. I adjusted the contrast and lighting to bring them out even more. El Salvador is a land of volcanoes, responsible for the many earthquakes, that erupt only occasionally. The most interesting story I have is about Izalco, which was once known as the Lighthouse of the Pacific. It emerged in 1770 A.D. and erupted constantly for two hundred years. On one trip Steve's parents took us to the practically abandoned Hotel de la Montaña (Hotel of the Mountain) in Cerro Verde (Green Hill). Businessmen believed that people would find it worth the travel just to stay in a hotel with a spectacular view of Izalco, so they built a hotel. Unfortunately, the paint was hardly dry before Izalco went silent in the mid-1960s. After they were sure Izalco was at peace, Steve and his siblings climbed up some of the ashy spots of Izalco and slid down it for fun, just as I slid down dirt hills near Bremerton, Washington on cardboard boxes and plastic swimming pools.
3 comments:
What a dream! One day Khaled and I are going on holidays too cool places (God willing).
Does Pamela like Lettuce wrapped food?
And what are pupusas?...I googled, they look like little stuffed pizzas yummmy! Who wouldn't want that for breakie!
Pupusas are stuffed tortillas. They stuff it with meat or beans or cheese or all of the above. Here is how they make it. They are gluten free and the ones without cheese are casein free. Most of all, they are delicious!
She enjoyed the lettuce wrapped food but was a bit puzzled about how to approach it!
hahah I would be too!! It looks huge that "lettuce wrap". Good on her for daring to try :)
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