Soon soon soon

I'll be wrapping things up for the second time and going nomad for a bit. I'm looking forward to being back, but it'll be tough to give up moments like these...

Music: Vampire Weekend

Song: Boston (Ladies of Cambridge)

We made the news!!!

Apparently all eyes are on tiny El Salvador this week. And not just for Charlie Sheen's latest outburst, which was pretty hilarious, by the way. Pissed off a few folks, but it kind of made me laugh that he's even heard of us here.

No, we're finally getting some semi-good publicity, thanks in large part to a certain gringo passing through, taking a break from the frigid northeast.

<<< Obama in The Savior >>>

I wonder if they made him pay the $10 visa fee...

While he was here, Obama announced a US pledge of $200,000,000 to Central America to combat narco-trafficking and improve overall security. Great news, right?

What many were hoping for and what he ultimately failed to publicly mention were any increases in health initiatives for the poor (sort of a useless word since practically everyone's poor), but specifically funds which could be utilized for water projects, hospitals, child nutrition. In short, areas of dire need.

Here's a relatively old article, but one which outlines the situation fairly well.

<<< Salvadoran water crisis >>>

I know, I know. I'm sure an argument could be made for fiscal restraint in light of the ever-present US budget crisis, but those arguments lose nearly every ounce of credibility when US-led warships launch 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles in one day. Damn.

<<< Costs of this weekend's involvement >>>

Don't worry, I'm not about to go off on military spending in Iraq, Afghanistan, blah blah blah. I fully realize that our two wars there are costing tax payers approx. $450,000,000 a day. That's not my style nor what this blog is all about. I'm just disappointed that our commander-in-chief clearly views El Salvador and Central America as nothing more than impoverished nations caught up in the bullshit narco war and not populations in dire need of support. Frustratingly basic support.

A few facts to consider: each one of those Tomahawks costs as much as $1,500,000. Digging a well for a community of 100 families can cost as little as $5,000. You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to figure out which of the two will benefit more people, and in not publicly addressing the health needs of the Salvadoran poor, I think Obama ultimately revealed his views on the region as a whole. What a shame.

The ultimate weekend

This past weekend, a bunch of us gathered together for the third annual ultimate frisbee tournament at El Cuco, a remote beach out on the flat, eastern shores of the country. I'd actually been there with my dad and Vicki about a year ago. But with 30 volunteers taking over the resort, this experience couldn't have been more different.

It was my first year at the tournament, which as a west coaster up in the northern mountains was just too hard to reach. But with a rental car and a free schedule, nothing's impossible.

Way more volunteers turned out than I expected, all fired up to throw the disc around. It was a good chance to say goodbye to a few old friends who are on their way out and to the Peace Corps community as a whole, which I'll be officially leaving in a couple weeks.

At the tournament, body paint was a must.

As well as all forms of eccentric behavior.

For those not in the know, first possession in beach ultimate is decided by a team boat race. Both teams gather up and drop down on all fours, downing as much as they can without touching the frisbee. Great news if you're one of the first in line. Horrible news if you're the captain anchoring the team. Fun fact of the day: over four cans of beer fit in a frisbee. Not so fun fact: in the first moments, beer shoots up your nose, causing most people to only take a few sips and leaving the vast majority for the team captain. Ug.

My boy Greg rocking the joker/christmas tree look.

Fred, rocking the ultimate war paint beach fro duo.

Team Gang Green

Wild Man Karl, Zach and I get the bonfire going.

Brian, one of the weekend organizers, enjoying a little downtime by the fire.

Hagan, Peace Corps El Salvador's very own Mark Zuckerberg-esque computer genius.

There's nothing like a full-moon bonfire and a few pitchers of cuba libres and kalimotxos after a day at the beach.

Help a brother out

Recently, my younger brother Adam launched a kickstarter campaign to get his final thesis performed in Chicago. It's a classical piece modeled after a season of baseball.

In just four days, he's already raised almost $700, but he's got a long way to go. To throw your own coins in the proverbial guitar case, click on the link below.

<<< Adam's kickstarter campaign >>>

Even 5 bucks can help. C'mon, that's one less green beer today!