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Stacy's View on Things
Page 4
A few more random observations. Eggs are not refrigerated here - in people's houses or even in grocery stores. No expiration date or anything. People just don't put eggs into refrigerators - and people eat a lot of eggs for breakfast here.
You can buy anything from the street vendors here in the city. Bananas and mangos are a dollar for a large bag of them. Then there are people selling things like cell phone chargers. And people cleaning your windshield (like in New York), etc. People selling "minutas", chopped ice with some syrup flavor on top. Just about every street corner has them.
We have some dessert with another of Louise's relatives in the afternoon.
They have been married for two years and have a great little house high up
on the hillside. Here is the interesting thing about these people. He has
quit his job and is in business on his own now.
His business is simple -
he and his wife both fly to New York about every two months and buy name
brand clothing (Hillfiger, Outer Banks, etc.) at outlet places up there.
Then they simply sell the stuff back here. They say for example they can
buy a shirt for $25 and sell it for $60.
They don't have a shop or
anything - we can see the clothes they have simply hanging on a couple of
racks in the living room. What irony! I have already met a guy here from
the States who works in the clothing industry. His company makes clothes
for L.L. Bean and Outer Banks in factories down here. Then of course they
are shipped to the states. And now these folks go to the states and buy
them there to sell back here! Something is wrong with this picture.
Friday morning Marielos treats us to a breakfast buffet at the Radisson
hotel. Very nice but I cannot eat due to stomach problems. Her sister
Patty presents me with an old slide rule from her bookstore - something I
had asked about earlier. They used to sell them but they have not been
selling much lately - and they still had a few leftover. It is nice to see
one of these things again - and I think they may make a good lecture on
logarithms if I ever decide to teach Mathematics.
Later we decide to see some chess tournament in San Salvador based on a
newspaper clipping we find. After navigating through some of the worst
traffic I have ever seen we get there and it is great. A huge hall filled
with chessboards and clocks and people playing. It doesn't take Jonathan
long to play a pickup game or two.
He gets beat three times - his record
has not been too good on this trip! Uncle Toņo (a very good player) has
also beaten Jonathan about 20 games (Jonathan did win one though). But
every game you lose you learn something. It was interesting that some girl
at this big event (a very good-looking young girl) was the champion.
Friday night Luis has organized a big party for his work (nothing to do
with us). He gets a grill for the event - one made out of an old washing
machine tub.
This works out pretty good because the tub already has holes
in it for the air - and whoever he got it from welded a nice tripod stand
to hold it up. There is a big bowl of cerviche and then grilled meat and a
keg of beer.
This is a big party - but unfortunately I don't think as many
people came as Luis expected. Anyway - the people who did come all have a
good time - they finally leave around 3:00 am. Louise bugs one of them
(the boss at the TV station that Luis works at) to send a crew out to
Usulutan to cover the Habitat blitz build this next week.
The right rear tire of our car has a slow leak in it. Every day (almost) we have to stop in a gas station where the attendants fill the tire with air (and check oil, etc.) gladly - whether or not we buy anything. Wish it were that way back home.
Saturday Louise takes me to see Patty's husband - who is a doctor - about
my stomach trouble (diarrhea to be specific). He gives me some antibiotic
and by the next day I am fine (I was quite skeptical). He refuses any
payment. As a matter of fact earlier in our stay (before I arrived)
Jonathan had a slight accident and Louise had to take him to the emergency
room. He had X-rays (there was nothing broken) and his thumb put in a
temporary splint. Total cost for the visit was $36. Doctor's here
apparently do no get paid as much as in the States.
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