Istanbul and Caleb

After about a week in Morocco, my group spent a week in Turkey in the beautiful city of Istanbul. This trip made me appreciate that I took a history of the West class last year. All of my readings of Byzantine history are bit more meaningful now since I have been to the historic city of Byzantium. It is also now cool to say that I have been to both ancient Roman Capitals—Rome and Constantinople.

Istanbul is an incredible city, and a very big one. The population is estimated to be around 20 million. The city is also intercontinental between Europe and Asia. There is a very European feel to the city because of the cobble stones, trains, and western style.

The harbour view is absolutely incredible. One of my favourite parts of being in Istanbul was riding the ferry to simply get from one part of the city to the other.

My time in Istanbul included visiting many historic Mosques. Some used to be churches, and others were built by former Ottoman Sultans. I also got to see a whirling Dervish ceremony which is Sufi Muslim and includes traditional music and people spinning. It was quite interesting.  

We also came to Istanbul right after an election so we had quite a few speakers talk about current events in Turkey as well as many of the political issues that Turkey has faced.

View from the hotel

Other highlights include visiting a Hammam—a Turkish bath. This is an experience that my Program Director “refuses to be denied”. It included a sauna, a few steam rooms, a bucket bath, a powerful scrubbing by a Turkish man, and a soapy message. It was a cultural experience to say the least.

I also got a chance to participate in Turkish music. A few of us were looking for a café to listen to some traditional Turkish folk music. We ended up walking past a café, that is intended for jamming, with two musicians play music. I grabbed a guitar off the wall and tried to keep up. Just as many things are different cross culturally—so is guitar. They played in different keys than I was used to and played with different rhythms, but it was very fun and I learned a lot.

Istanbul was all around an incredible experience. I spent a week there and I feel like that I have not even touched the city; there are many incredible historic sites that I did not go in, There is a lot of food that I did not have time or stomach capacity to try, and I also need more time to work on my guitar so I can keep up with the Turkish folk stars.

Morocco and Caleb

From November 6 to November 14, I was in the beautiful land of Morocco. It was my first trip to Africa and I do not think it will be my last.

The first destination was the city of Marrakech. It is a lovely city with fun markets, various spices, wonderful coffee, cheap food, palm trees, beautiful mosques and palaces, and many interesting people. The accommodations for my group was very close to a bakery and café. The bakery was filled with pastries and croissants. A croissant came to be about $0.10 American so it was a wonderful way to start the day. And the café served a drink called nus-nus (half-half) which is steamed milk and espresso for $1—also a great way to start the day.

Our time in Marrakech was filled with hearing speakers about the culture, having a Moroccan Arabic session, bartering at markets, and being able to enjoy music. We had one evening where we heard two musicians whose ethnic line came from slaves who escaped the African slave trade. That made the music incredible. There was an African feel to it, as well as an Arab sound. It was a mixture of many different factors which reflects the culture of Morocco. Morocco is in Northern Africa, just below Spain, was colonized by France, and on the outside of the Arab world. All of that plays into a very distinct Moroccan culture as well as music.

To say the least, I really enjoyed the music so I ended up buying an instrument. It was a way for me to really put my bartering skills to the test. I tried out a few stringed instruments in a music shop, and my asking price got me a small three stringed lamb skin instrument of some sort. I have no idea what is called or how it should be tuned, but it has been really fun to try and play it.  

Using the Moroccan instrument and the limited Moroccan Arabic we knew to make children's' song.

Another destination for our travels was the Eureka valley. It had incredible scenic views and was an opportunity to learn about the Amaghaze population in Morocco. The Amaghazes—also known as Berbers (translates to Barbarians)—is an ethnic minority in Morocco that faces many identity difficulties. Their language and culture has been difficult to maintain in an urbanizing and globalizing world, but it was great to see actions being taken to preserve it. Our day in the Eureka Valley included a beautiful hike, traditional cooking, mint tea, and more music and dancing.

The Eureka Valley

Former camp cook goes to work

Superstar dancers

After Marrakech and the Eureka valley we travelled to Fes. Fes was incredible because it has one of the oldest medinas in the world. This means that it as an old medieval part to the city, which also happened to be where our hostel was. The medina was like a maze and was very fun to navigate through. Our time in Fes was filled with various speakers, tours, and time to explore. A highlight in Fes was coming out of a café and having an 11 year old sales man try to convince us to come to his parents’ restaurant. This sales men ended up being our tour guide through Fes as he brought us to his cousins scarf shop, and then to another relatives leather store. Like I said before, the Medina was confusing, so having a tour guide was very helpful. The evening included lots of laughs, cups of tea, and the purchase of a few presents that may show up at Christmas time.

The gate to the medina

What the evening with the salesman/tour guide became

Our time in Fes almost took us to the end of our time in Morocco, however we had an evening and a morning to explore Casablanca. The Atlantic coast in Casablanca was beautiful and was also a place where many young men spent time playing soccer. I saw this and realized that I was a young man who likes soccer… so there was some potential for fun here. I walked on the beach wanting someone to invite me to play with them and before I knew it someone yelled Swesteiger (A name of a famous German Soccer player… I am blonde so I guess it makes sense) and passed a soccer ball to me. I ended up playing in a game which I was the only non-Moroccan. It was interesting because I really like to communicate in sports, but there happened to be a language barrier. That meant my communication was a mixture of French, Spanish, Arabic and English. I am not great at any of those languages, but it was really fun to try and communicate with people.

A quick stop in Rabbat on the way to Casablanca. This is where Tom Cruise was in the new Mission Impossible movie.

The next morning included a visit to the King Hassan II mosque. It is only a few years old and is the third biggest mosque in the world, and the biggest outside of Saudi Arabia.

This blog post ended up being longer than I expected, I guess that just proves that it was a wonderful trip.

A little update

Hello my friends,

I hope all is well in your lives. I have heard of this white substance called 'snow' falling on some of you. I am so sorry. But in all honesty, I am getting a little chilly myself. Jordan is getting cold! And by that I mean that it is has been as low as 15'C some days. Those of you experiencing frost right now may be wishing for me to stop complaining, but please let me explain myself. With spending a month in a very hot and humid climate in El Salvador, and then coming to a scorching hot desert (it was 40 a lot of the time.. lots of sweating), 15 feels a little cold. I guess it is all relative, but the fact that I come back to Canada in mid December is going to be a shock to my system.

All joking aside, Amman, Jordan, and the Middle East in general has been great. Throughout this semester I have always been amazed as I learn more about the culture and history here. Recent classes and guest lectures have covered topics such as tribalism, refugees, feminism, Arab Christianity, Islamic history, and many more topics. Every time I feel like that I start to learn more, I become very overwhelmed with all that I don"t know. These topics and situations are so complicated and then the media is given the task to try and simplify it. It has been very interesting reading western articles, and following elections talking about the Middle East and Islam.It is sad to see generalizations that can be incredibly offensive, but I can understand the difficulties in covering such a large and complicated topic.

I am about to learn a lot more about the Muslim world as I travel to Morocco and Turkey (3 continents in one trip). It will be a fun two week trip. But that means I do not have that much time left in Amman. After the two weeks of travel, I will have two left in Jordan... and then I am back to the land of Moose and Maple syrup.

I have many hours on planes and buses on the trip to come so I will have time to write own some good stories to share with you.

Until then, enjoy some fun photos

Last day of tutoring at the American Academy in Zarqa 

Pondering from a castle

Making Friends

It's been a while since my last post... I apologise for that. It is not because I have not experienced anything worth writing about-- it is quite the opposite actually. Since the last time I have posted, I have swam in the dead sea twice, done some fun hikes, travelled in Israel and Palestine, studied a lot (it is true Mom!), and have met a lot of cool people.

I want to talk about the people I have met. Mainly because in all of the cool places I have, it is the people that I am with or meet that make the experience so much better. As well as learning about language, politics, culture, and religion, it is from ordinary people that I learn the most.

Jordan is in an interesting spot because it boarders so many countries where people are fleeing, or fled, for safety, such as Syria, Iraq, and Palestine.

This means that Jordan has a high level of cultural diversity. Over half of the population's family line originally comes from Palestine. This is a result of the 1948 war.There are also people from all over due to the many conflicts currently in the Middle East. When people ask me where I am from I will say Canada, and then I will ask where they are from. Their response is often either "I am Jordanian-Jordanian" or "I am Philistine(Palestine)-Jordanian. Other responses will include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and many many more. It is amazing to see all of the diversity in Amman!

There is a cafe that I often go to called Strand. There are three waiters there that I get along with really well. I go to the cafe because of the strong internet connection so I can skype my friends and family. All of my waiter friends will also join my skype calls to wave at who ever I am talking to. It is quite the fun experience, and if you want to be a part of it, then lets set up a skype appointment. These waiters are very fun, when ever they see me walk by the cafe they will wave me down to come and say hi, we have even gotten to the level of friendship where we do that Arab cheek kissing thing. The three waiters are from Palestine, Sudan, and Burkina Faso. They give me a chance to practice my Arabic, and the waiter from Burkina Faso gives me a chance to practice my elementary French.

Down the road from this cafe is an electronics store. Outside of the store is a security guard. There are two guards that I often see who will rotate shifts. One is from Sudan and he often shows me pictures of King Abdullah II and likes to talk about how he used to serve him as a police officer. The other one is from Syria and knows English very well. We often make jokes about how we are both always on the move, and most recently poked fun about how the Sudanese guard sits down too much.

It is fun being in a place long enough where I can see familiar faces. It is also great being in a culture where people are so chatty and welcoming. It may be partly because I am a tourist on why they want to talk to me--but who cares-- I am making friends learning lots, and having a blast.

Here are a few photos from my past few weeks:

On the Mount of Olives looking at Jerusalem 

Floating on the Dead Sea like a champ

Jumping in the Dead Sea while being coated in mud.. like a Champ!

Wadi Mujib hike

Petra

It is not everyday that I get to explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I would like to make it more of frequent hobby though.

I would say Petra is the coolest place I have ever been. I recommend that all of you go and visit, and then invite me to come along because I have much more to explore to and learn about Petra.

However, in my two days of being there, reading some lonely planet, and talking to locals, I can share a little bit about the beautiful site.

The first thing that a few of us students did to get pumped for Petra before we went was watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The film was misleading because it gave me the false hope that I could find the Holy Grail. However, it did give me some awesome one liners to quote while I wore my new and cheap Indian Jones hat.

It was a fun two day experience. Petra is about four hours away from Amman, so that meant that we got a bus to travel in, as well as a hotel to party in. (That is completely true, there was an Arabic Dance Party).

                                                                                                                                                                      

We entered the site of Petra on Thursday afternoon, and got to see the treasury, which is probably the only part of Petra that most of you have seen on post cards, documentaries, oh and Indiana Jones.

Petra is much more than that. It is filled with many caves, ancient buildings and local Bedouins. I had many experiences and conversations with Bedouins over cups of very sweet tea, watching the sun set, and riding donkeys.

We stayed at one of the furthest points from the gate at Petra to watch the sunset. It was after closing hours, but it was okay since we were with locals. After the sunset it got dark quickly, so it made for a beautiful night walk through Petra.

There are special tickets for "Petra at Night". This ticket costs 15 JD (over 25 Canadian) to walk and see the treasury at night with candles lit in front of it. Since we were still trekking from the Monastery we were able to see the beautiful candle lit treasury for no extra charge. However, the security did not like us stopping for photos and constantly repeated that it was time to go.

We got back to the hotel, ate at a buffet, and then had the opportunity to dance after supper. I did participate a little this time, and I had fun but my Arab dancing ability has a lot of room for improvement.

The next morning was filled with more wandering. I hiked up to an ancient sacrifice site and wandered down through a much more secluded section of Petra, but still had many interesting buildings, caves, and cups of tea. The group I was with also happened to find a donkey leg in the middle of the sand.

These are just a few highlights from my two days in Petra. There are a few photos on the bottom  to show some of my incredible experience. However, no amount of blogging or photography can capture the beauty of Petra. I was in absolute awe with the beauty of the site, the history of Petra, and the hospitality that I received.

Service Project

A part of the schedule of the program I am in is to participate in service projects on Tuesdays. My service project is volunteering at a school in a city called Zarqua. It is about an hour, by public transit, from where I am staying in Amman. It has been fun figuring out how to use taxis and busses to get to the school. The combination of limited Arabic and still trying to figure out the layout of Amman guarantees for travel to always be an adventure.

I have now done two days at the school, and it has been a blast. The school is popular because it has many English speaking teachers and administrators. That means that many parents will send their Arabic speaking children to this school so they can learn English. It also means that English speaking parents will send their children to this school so they can understand what they are learning. Therefore, there is combination of Arabic and English classes. I love it since I am trying to learn Arabic, so the quick translations are helpful for me. However, I see it being quite difficult for teachers who can not speak Arabic, and therefore have little hope of being able to control a class.

My role has been interesting so far. My first day consisted of shadowing classes to just get a feel of what the school was like.  I had a bit more purpose on the second day. I spent the whole day in the library with students who needed more individual face time with their English. It was fun, because that usually just entailed helping students read story books. One period I was assigned with a student, who spoke almost no English, that needed help in Science. It was incredibly challenging. The concept of cells is difficult enough, and not being able to communicate in same language is quite the obstacle to add on.

It was an eye opening experience. I can definitely empathise with people struggling to learn a new language. Arabic has been tough so far, and I can see English being a struggle with many students. It is nice being on both sides—the student and the teacher—because it helps me know how to learn and teach more effectively. 

Church

My parents would be proud that I found a church to go to on Sunday morning, my siblings would be more proud that I went to a good lunch spot after.

Two other students and I went to an Episcopal Church on Sunday morning. The service was in Arabic. However, since the Anglican Church is liturgical and English bulletins were provided, I could slightly follow along. I had no clue what the sermon was about though, but that is okay. I have only been in Jordan for two weeks, so there is time for my Arabic to improve.

After the service, there was time for coffee and snacks (My Church in Hinton will be very impressed by that). The congregation was quite welcoming and very kind to three obvious foreigners. That is also just a reflection of Arab culture. Locals have been wonderful hosts to me so far. Proof of that has come from needing to go into a neighbours yard to retrieve a volleyball and then being asked to come over for coffee some time. A much larger example would be being able to attend a Church in predominantly Muslim area.

Christians make up a very small population of Jordan, but they are generally treated quite respectfully. That was made evident when I was talking to a Christian about her experience growing up in Jordan. She said that she has never felt religiously discriminated in Jordan. Many of her friends are Muslim. She would invite her friends to come over for festivals and holidays such as Christmas. Her friends would repay the favour by inviting her over for Islamic celebrations.

And this is just one discussion I have had. Therefore, I am not going to draw conclusions about Christians living in Jordan after talking to one person. However, I can say that I have felt incredibly comfortable so far talking about faith with locals. That makes me excited to continue this semester learning about how faith shapes people’s lives.

A Week of Celebration

Once a year I have a birthday and once every ten years I get to enter a new decade. I just happened to have both those millstones take place while being in the wonderful nation of Jordan.

I will admit, it was interesting being away from home for my birthday.  My sister did make me pack a card that she, and some friends and family, made and signed. She also gave me a little collage of family pictures and some Reese chocolate! (Thanks Julie!).

I tried to get a hold of my family to say hello but the time distance and lack of strong internet connection made that difficult. Two classmates were very kind to come with me to an internet café after Arabic class so that I could make calls over Facebook. We all shared one chocolate muffin to justify being able to sit and use their internet. It was essentially birthday cake and a party. 

Even though I was not with my family, I still felt very included in Jordan. Some classmates sent some nice text messages on my Jordanian cell phone. (The fact that there are only nine buttons to text with made it all the more special). The Program Director, Dr. Doug, treated the group to homemade ice cream that was served with chocolate cake. The cake also happened to have fire work styled candles on it… so that was cool. Dr. Doug also read me a Dr. Sues book about birthdays. It was read in a very participatory fashion, so that also made the birthday more special.

The party also celebrated two others. One of them experienced their birthday on the day of their flight. So with the way that time zones work, she actually had shortened birthday. I hope the Dr. Sues story made up for it.

My Birthday was great, but I think I had even more fun at a local party in the neighbourhood.  The party was essentially a family gathering, but they also welcomed twenty North Americans (the whole MESP group) to be a part of their party.

The party was an opportunity to participate in Arab culture. It was a chance to see some Jordanian traditions, taste incredible food, listen to accordions, and watch dance. After a while of accordions and dance, the kids at the party started playing soccer. Naturally, I migrated to that section of the party as well. The kids were welcoming to me and very excited to teach me about Arabic soccer terminology. It was also fun to talk and relate about which soccer teams and players that we personally liked.

Dance and soccer seem to be two things that are present in many cultures. My experiences in El Salvador had a lot to do with both dance and soccer. With both my month in El Salvador, and my first week in Jordan, I was overjoyed and honoured to experience ordinary fun events. What made those experiences possible was how welcoming and inviting people have been. It has not been an everyday occurrence in my life to see a family host an extra twenty people that they have never met.

Those twenty people are pretty awesome though. I have not been here too long, but meeting people my age who have a passion to come to the Middle East and display a willingness to learn about a different society and culture is incredible.

Meeting People and their Struggles

I experienced a lot in my month in El Salvador. I made it to 7/14 of the provinces and I was able to watch shows ranging from a classical symphony to a travelling circus. However, the greatest experience of all was learning people's stories. I seriously think that you could pick any person in El Salvador and their life would be content for an incredibly moving book or movie.

Many of these situations  and stories that I will discuss are not unheard of in the First World. They are just much more of an ordinary occurrence in El Salvador.

I have mentioned gang violence a few times in my blog. In this month there was violence between gangs, policemen and bus drivers. Many bus drivers were a target of gangs and it resulted in a bus strike. That was detrimental to the already congested traffic of San Salvador.The violence of El Salvador affects every citizen. The situation that brought the extent of this gang situation to my attention was meeting a man a few years older than me. He had to leave his home and family because of physical violence and death threats from a neighbouring gang.

Another example of current violence came from meeting a mother and her three children. They rode a bus over an hour to come sell plants to their family friend Brian. After they sold Brian some new plants, Brian then explained their story. Their father was a gardener and was brutally murdered.The police did not investigate the murder. They usually never do. With one of the highest murder rates in the world, only three percent of cases will get looked into.

The impact of violence, and resulting displacement of people, is not anything new to El Salvador. The civil war in the 80's took many lives. I met people who grew up without a father because of the war. On the plane ride to El Salvador, and all throughout my stay, I met Americans who were former Salvadorans. Many of them left their lives in El Salvador and fled for safety. The war caused families to become separated as they did anything to survive.

Situations like these really cause me to think about life and death. Those are not easy thoughts ponder. Another situation that made me think of this theme was the health care system. I attended an HIV and AIDS support group meeting in a San Salvadoran Hospital. It was nice to be able to see people come together to bond with, and support, each other as they battled their illness.

Another healthcare related experience was meeting a haemophiliac. It was difficult to learn about his pain, his dying haemophiliac friends, and his experiences of sub-standard healthcare. He has to go to the emergency during the night to receive treatment and after has to sit in the waiting room awake all night. It is a difficult and repetitive routine in his life. 

These examples explain the violence and healthcare in El Salvador, but I will now focus on poverty. The home I stayed in would be considered middle class in El Salvador. However, I am not sure what my Canadian friends would describe a home that only received four hours of undrinkable and cold water, a place for stray cats to enter (in my bed one night! not enjoyable), a place where mosquito nets were beyond useful, and house that has a temporary small river run through when there is a down poor of rain. It was by far a very different place to stay than what I was used to, but many people who have lived there and would visit for nights experienced one of the most luxurious homes they have ever stayed in. I was in no place to complain about my accommodations because of the poverty that so many Salvadorans live with.

I spent day having fun swimming with coffee farmers. The average coffee farmer makes three dollars a day. My first job as newspaper deliverer paid me roughly three dollars an hour. Obviously there are differences with the economies of El Salvador and Canada. That being said, the wage of a coffee farmer does not allow for basic needs to be met. Living standards are low. 

One of the coffee farmers also worked as a security guard. That job paid him a dollar an hour, so he made twenty-four dollars a day... yes he worked all day and night. Then he would get a day off and do it all again. The human body is not designed for that sort of functioning. It is sad to see people being overworked and then seeing people unemployed. There could be such a better balance.

I was also given an opportunity to visit a homeless shelter. It was not the same as the shelters in Edmonton, but it was still a great place of community and support. A few people staying there  

invited me to play board games with them, It was very enjoyable to spend time with the people living in that home.

These situations and stories are sad, and it is often easy just to turn a blind eye on these situations and just forget about it. However, with spending time with people through all of these scenarios-- the humanity of it all really shines. When we associate a name or face with injustices, it is more difficult to forget.

It should not be forgotten.

Joy and Suffering

I am only in El Salvador for a few more days. I know I have been slow on blog posts, but I can assure you that I will share many reflections and thoughts about my experience here.

I must admit that I do find it bit challenging to write these posts. Firstly, I did not bring my laptop. Writing on my phone makes it a bit more challenging. Secondly, it is hard to know what message of El Salvador I want to share. The obvious message I want to share is the real El Salvador. However, that is a difficult task because of all the contrasting elements of society present here.

It would be easy to simply write about the joy I have experienced. Of course I want my family and friends to know about how nice people have been to me, the funny and short Spanish conversations I have had, and the natural beauty of El Salvador. However, In just sharing that I miss a key aspect of life here--suffering.

It is difficult to grasp the amount of suffering present in our world.

But i do not want to just fill my writing with negative examples of poverty, violence, and corruption. That sends a message of El Salvador being some far away and pain filled nation. It leaves out the beauty that El Salvador offers.

I have a story that I hope brings a balance to both joy and suffering.

On Sunday, Brian and I traveled with a group of adults who were children in the same orphanage that Brian used to work at. These children were displaced because of the civil war. The purpose of the day was to reconnect with other children from the orphanage, but also remember the war.

The first stop was at an environmental retreat center/ farm. It was a target of the government, and it then became a base for the FMLN  (the army that fought the military). It was emotionally straining to see where bombs had landed, to walk on trails where combat and civilian slaughter  had taken place, as well to see this adult group from the orphanage reliving their childhood experience of war.

A sociologist was also on the tour, so Brian and I later discussed the societal aspects of El Salvador that cause violence. A key component is economic inequality. It is what happened in the civil war and it resembles present gang conflict in El Salvador. That made it abundantly more sad while we toured the area. The fact that so many people died, and that the society did not drastically change is hard to bare. 

Through this whole tour, I did not understand much of what was said (thankfully Brian translated a bit and discussed with me after). There was also a seven year old boy on the tour who, justifiably so, did not care too much for war history. Therefore the two boys that were not listening to the tour became friends.

His imagination went to work with toys that he would build out of sticks. I told him that I could not understand Spanish (one of the few things I can say), but that did not stop him from consistently talking to me the whole walk. We played with a few marbles that he had and spent a while flipping a coin.  It did not take much for him, or me, to have fun.

I quite enjoyed making a new friend and also observing friends reconnect. The next part of the day consisted of traveling to homes where people were associated with the orphanage. Much coffee was consumed, and much lively conversation took place.

Through all the difficulties that life threw at these orphans and displaced people, they are still able to find joy through friendship.

The civil war caused many tragedies in their lives, and has negatively impacted society in El Salvador today. With that being said-- El Salvador is still an incredibly beautiful nation filled with wonderful people.

That Time I Crashed a Fifteen Year Old's Birthday Party

The first party to come to mind when you think of "crashing" is probably a wedding. Well interestingly enough my Saturday evening experience in Santa Ana, El Salvador,  was not so far off.

In El Salvador, and many other cultures as well, it is significant when a female becomes fifteen. It marks a time of growing and maturing. Therefore, the celebrations for a fifteenth birthday are a bit bigger. And the party I crashed seemed to be of a wealthy family-- so the party was BIG.

The way I got connected to this event was by a youth group in San Salvador that I have been hanging out with. Some people of the youth are friends with the birthday girl, so they were able to invite more of the youth to tag along for the fun.

And fun it was! The whole event reminded me much about a wedding. It started with a Catholic mass in a beautiful church filled with decorations.  It could probably even be considered a cathedral. The birthday girl had a chair in the front of the sanctuary facing the priest. She wore a big blue, almost like a grad, dress. The front row was filled with family. The younger family members wore matching green dresses or suits with green ties. There was also a guy who seemed to be a date who wore a matching blue shirt. Then behind the family sat a group of friends that seemed very similar to a wedding party. ( I kind of want to call them the birthday party party, but that will probably get confusing). There were fifteen girls wearing light orange dresses and fifteen guys wearing matching light orange dress shirts. There was a wide range of ages in this group from people that seemed a few years younger to people who looked at least eight years older than her.

The service seemed like a typical mass. (my lack of Spanish leads me to make a few assumptions). There was communion, offering and a homily, but what was different was a symbolic shoe change. The birthday girl's shoes were changed to more glamorous ones to signify the transition of becoming an adult. Then the service concluded with her walking, in her new shoes, through a human arch way of her matching friends holding up their arms.

After the service, it was time for the reception. It was a beautiful facility with pools and a bar. Yes, it was definitely the first birthday party of a fifteen year old where I have seen an open bar. It was also the first time at a birthday party of a fifteen year old where I have seen a grown man drunk... I guess there is a first for everything.

Anyway the reception was incredible. It started with a dance routine from the birthday party party and the birthday girl with her date. I do not know if the birthday girl happened to be friends with internationally recognized dancers, or if she held auditions, or if they practiced for a year, but it was outstanding! 

After the dance routine, there was a nice supper. When supper concluded, it was time for everyone to come dance. If being white, blonde, and blue eyed did not prove I was a foreigner, then my dancing definitely did. My knowledge of jive and swing simply did not cut it for for Latino styled dancing. Males are supposed to be leaders on the dance floor, but I am afraid that I had lack of leadership qualities in this circumstance. However, people were kind and patient to teach me some moves. I was then later rewarded when an Elvis song played and I could actually swing!

After a bit of dancing, there was a cake cutting ceremony by the birthday girl. This sounds quite similar to a wedding, except that she did not smudge the cake in anyone's face.

Then there was a another dance routine. This time it was only guys. And for someone who has been decently athletic for his life, I was completely mind blown by the athletic capabilities of these people.

The floor was then open to everyone again, and it continued to be fun. There is something about Central America that makes a Congo line/ train so much more special.

As the night continued,  the dance floor became a bit less populated. People, including the birthday girl, began to head home. Then the athletic dancers began preforming stunts to jump into the pool.

All in all, it was an amazing experience. I am not sure if I will be successful in making big fifteenth parties in Canada a trend, but it may be worth a try.

It was a great experience because of how people went out of their way to include me. Many of the youth there knew very little English, and I know very little Spanish, but we would still find a way to communicate. Dancing does not involve a lot of talking. And again it is still funny a week later to talk about how a Canadian striker missed a wide open net against El Salvador.

So, even if glamorous fifteenth birthday parties do not begin to trend in Canada, I think making sure visitors feel included and welcomed is a trend that we should make a priority.

Thanks for reading.

First Week Completed

It has now been a week that I have been in El Salvador, and I have three more yet to come. I have already had opportunities to experience many aspects of the culture and history here.

This travel experience has been different for me, as it is the first time I have flown (and dealt with customs and all that other fun airport stuff) by myself. It is also the first time that I have traveled anywhere that does not have a large global tourism industry.

Therefore, it is quite safe to say that I "stick out" here. That also means that there is much for me to learn here.

Brian Rude, my host/tour guide/taxi service/language interpeter/everything else I need help with, has already taught me much about the politics in El Salvador, and the foreign relations between El Salvador and other States.

It is simply sad to see a place so impacted by civil war.

It is also sad to see the negative impacts that other States, and my home State-- Canada, can have in El Salvador.

With only being hear a week, I do not feel comfortable making too many claims about political situations. However, I will continue to openly learn.

Another thing I am trying to learn is Spanish. I want to be able to have better communication.

Even with my minimal Spanish, I have been able to have some conversation. The combination of many people studying English for school and the power of Google translate has made many conversations possible.

There are also a few things that are universal regardless of language. For example, it is incredibly funny to watch a Canadian striker miss a wide open net against El Salvador. My Spanish-English dictionary does not need to show the translation of laughter.

Music is also a language that I think I can understand a bit better than Spanish. Playing and enjoying guitar is understandable in both Spanish and English. As well, sharing YouTube videos of favorite songs is a fun way to communicate. I take pride in introducing some citizens of El Salvador to Mumford and Sons. I have also loved being introduced to local music, and sometimes even attempting to translate it.

With one incredible week down, all I can say is that I look forward to what the next three weeks have in store.

Caleb.

This Blog

Thank you for reading my blog. You are either very considerate to me, or very lost on your current internet surfing. None the less, thanks for stopping by. 

The purpose of this blog is so that I can have a place where I can reflect on my adventures and lessons of my world travels, but it also allows you to be able to stay connected with me as I may be very far from chatting distance. 

I have been blessed in my life to have a family that enjoys travel, and that is very open to hearing various perspectives. Because of that upbringing, I want to travel, and I want to meet people who have experienced life in a much more different way than me. I am not going to lie, a part of my ambition to travel is also that I have lived relatively in the same area my whole life. I have lived all across Alberta and have moved homes and schools a few times, but I want to experience a change that is a bit more drastic than moving from a town to a city. I am lucky to have been able to see how people are able to live differently within the same province. My family's life on a farm in Viking, or an acreage in Hinton, is much different than the urban lifestyle of Sherwood Park, but I will admit that I feel oblivious to anything that is not the First World. I spend an abundance of time watching the news and reading about global affairs, but I feel that I need to experience these places, first hand, so that I can have a better grasp on these situations.

As I travel to El Salvador in July, and Jordan for the Fall Semester, I hope that my mind can be opened to view the world from perspectives that I have not fully considered, or have given my full attention. 

I am a man who spends a lot of time thinking. I probably over think and philosophise about many things, and I know that these travels will make me think an incredible amount. That almost sounds like a painful experience, but also a beneficial one. I hope that my thoughts can also lead you to maybe ponder about some situations differently. 

I also simply want you to enjoy reading about the fun I am going to have. I am incredibly excited to travel, and I want you to share in that excitement, fun, and joy.

Thank You,

Caleb