Playing Hooky

On Thursday my co-worker Nelson, who aside from being an endless fount of jokes is also an endless fount of information about cultural events, told me there would be a free performance of the Salvadoran national symphony orchestra that night, as well as a performance by the national folk ballet on Friday morning. Basilia felt like staying home Thursday night, but I joined Nelson and his wife Norma for the symphony. Among other pieces, they performed Mussorkgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, which I remembered performing (albeit in an abridged form) in my high school orchestra, so it was nostalgic to hear it again. The last movement, "The Great Gate of Kiev," is so dramatic!

Nelson encouraged me to skip work for the folk ballet Friday, which was a good call. (I taught him the English expression "playing hooky.") Basilia and I took the bus to downtown. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that this was my FIRST time walking around in the city center after almost six months in the country. It's chaotic and considered dangerous by nearly every Salvadoran I've talked to and by the Lonely Planet guidebook, but I had to do this at least once. We went early so we'd have time to look at the artisan crafts for sale at the Mercado del Ex-Cuartel. Walking from the market to the Teatro Nacional, we came across a big parade on the theme of the environment, reminding us that this was World Environment Day. For some reason this seems to be ignored in the U.S., but evidently the Salvadorans take it seriously.

The Teatro Nacional is incredible, a beautiful old theater that has been taken care of, quite a contrast with the decaying downtown buildings that surround it. The ballet performance was excellent, with live musical accompaniment. The first part told the history of El Salvador from precolumbian times through dance. After an intermission they performed a variety of folk dances specific to different towns and regions of the country. Every Salvadoran event features something that would just be inconceivable in the U.S. -- in this case it was a dancer prancing around for the finale with an effigy of a bull on his back, loaded with fireworks! As they burst and filled the theater with smoke, I kept looking at the stage curtains nervously and planning our escape route, but happily the curtains didn't ignite.

After the ballet, Basilia and I went to the Tica Bus station and met Celenia, who came from Honduras and will spend a week here with us. It's great to have her here, feels more like a complete family.

I did actually go to work for a couple hours in the afternoon, where I received by email scanned copies in English and Spanish of the collaborative agreement between Humboldt State and Don Bosco with HSU President Rollin Richmond's signature. I passed the docs on to UDB Rector Huguet for him to sign. Another step forward!

Celenia and Basilia dancing to Sierra Madre

Last night Basilia, Celenia and I went to Rich Cairncross's house for dinner. The place where he lives is a center for volunteers who come from the U.S. to work with the Catholic church (a progressive branch of the church that follows the teachings of Monseñor Romero). The house was filled with seven (!) members of Rich's family who were finishing a week's visit, and a group of volunteers who were also finishing their short stay in El Salvador. They served pupusas for dinner, and afterward there was a performance by Sierra Madre, a lively folk group who are Romeristas (followers of Romero). We had fun dancing to their music. We left to go look for a taxi home just at the moment that the band were leaving in their mini-van, so they gave us a lift to a busy intersection where we quickly found a cab. Very kind, guys!

As we were leaving Rich's place, he mentioned that he'd like to talk with me about collaborating on a paper about our experiences here in El Salvador. An interesting idea...we'll get together again soon to talk this over.