Things I am looking forward to...

Aside from conducting research in this beautiful country, I am looking forward to indulging in a number of simple pleasures that can only be found in the land of the Saviour!

Hammocks: In my opinion, there is nothing better than a siesta on a hammock.

Boquitas Diana: Diana makes some of the best junk food! My personal favourites are by far the Jalapeño tortilla chips (which you can see to the right of the picture); the corn nuts are a close second. An interesting fact about these deliciously bad products, which might interest you health-driven nuts out there (i.e. Sylvie), is that the servings are significantly smaller than a regular North American bag of chips (about 1/3 of the size).

There are corner stores or "tiendas" all over the place, which means I can get my Diana snacks no matter where I end up for my siesta!

-berto

Say What??!!

Going to El Salvador means speaking another language all day long. I'm hoping that I will be able to pick it up really quickly once I get there, but for nowI have to brush up on the little Spanish I know already. I've pulled out my old high school and university Spanish binders to review my notes. Also, my in-laws have taken it upon themselves to teach me new words every chance they get and they especially enjoy using words in Salvadorean dialect to confuse me! It's like a whole other language!!

The fun part is that sometimes, I think I am saying one thing but I have accidently changed one letter which completely changes the meaning. Of course everyone gets a kick out of that! Other times, terms translate to really funny meanings in English. Berto and I have fun with literal translations. So without further ado, here are some examples.

• When you are congested with a head cold you say that your nose is ...constipated. (No joke!) Now, I wonder what you say when you are actually constipated! lol
• The word for the Salvadorean dialect is Caliche...not to be confused with culiche (which means ass-h*$%) Yikes!!
• I thankfully already know that embarrassed is embarasosa and not embarassada which means pregnant (that would be quick!).

Stay tuned for more misadventures in language learning and slips of the tongue.

~Sylvie

The winds of change

I found encouragement in the unlikeliest of places recently...on a package of reduced sugar instant oatmeal believe it or not. The Quaker brand prints these little sayings on each package and this one in particular has kept coming to mind in the last few months. Never underestimate your capacity for change.

The last few years have been chalk full of change for me! Lots of big changes like getting married and having a baby, all in a short amount of time. But I have been often surprised by our ability to adapt. Though that does not mean these changes have been without their moments of diffuclty or challenge, but like God continues to remind me, he only gives me what he knows I can succeed at, what I can handle. My foundation in Christ is solid and he makes me more than a conqueror in every situation. So I say, let the winds of change blow!

~Sylvie

What I have found out so far...

• Passport processing times are not as long as I expected them to be.
• Sooters in Ottawa takes great infant passport photos.
• Depending on your airline, you might be required to purchase a seat for an infant at full cost. You might also have the option to travel with your infant on your lap.
• If you are travelling with an infant, there are certain exceptions to the "no liquids aboard a plane" rule.
• Levi is high maintenance and I expect that he does not travel light.

-JGM