living in bizarro world

Having returned from El Salvador yesterday, I’m just struck by…almost EVERYTHING about my daily life and how different it is from the past week. I think we, meaning Americans and certainly Brandeis students- we are the ones living in surreality, considering how many people in the world live our lifestyle and how many people live more like rural peasants.

I woke up this morning in my apartment, alone. No one was sleeping in the next bed, I had a door to my room, instead of a curtain. There were no roosters crowing or children running around. It was around 10 AM, not 6:30. I have time this morning that isn’t scheduled for anything and yet there is a tremendous sense of urgency, instead of a loose attachment to time in which, paradoxically, more activities are scheduled. I made myself a bagel instead of being served some combination of rolls, plantains, avocadoes, fruit, and sugared coffee. Of course, it’s real cold, instead of a pleasant 87 degrees and sunny.

One thing I NEVER thought I’d say: I kind of miss latrines. Wait, wait- not in the sense that they are AT ALL fun to use or comfortable. But at least latrines never back up (well, they probably do, but let’s move on) and fail to flush- because they DON’T flush at all, genius- and you never have to futilely plunger the latrine and watch your waste matter linger stubbornly, staring you in the face. Our apartment toilet sucks, even if it is the greatest luxury ever.