Hello readers,
I know I usually don't report the news, but this is worth reporting.
The past weekend members of the street gang 18 in El Salvador opened fire on a microbus. They then set the bus on fire, killing 13 people inside. Injuring at least 16 more. Police were able to break the glass and free around 13 passengers however they not able to rescue everyone. A few hours later the same gang opened fire on another bus just down the road in the same neighborhood of San Salvador, El Salvador.
The neighborhood "Mejicanos" is particularly well known for gang violence. Both of these incidents occured during the night hours. This is not the first time this year that a bus was burned, in fact over 50 buses have burned in total however the death toll is 2 for those 50 buses. This attack however was more more violent. President Mauricio Funes reffered to this as an "Act of Terror".
In the last year and a half over 217 drivers and passangers of buses have been killed in suspected gang activity.
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Q. What does this mean for visitors of El Salvador?
A. It means you should be careful when your hear. Avoid using the bus system. Call a Taxi or rent a car to be safe. It would be advisable to avoid the neighborhood of "Mejicanos" in San Salvador.
Q. El Salvador is dangerous, isn't it?
A. While El Salvador is known as a dangerous country, that is a matter of opinion. These people were in-fact innocent. It's a sad reality that the bus system is unsafe here and the majority of gang related attacks are on the bus systems. There is no extensive danger to visit here as long as you avoid illegal activities and the bus system.
Q. Why do they attack the buses?
A. The gangs here put something called "rent" on the businesses in certain areas. They demand the owners pay high amounts of money to prevent from being attacked. Typically the owners will not comply and they will kill the bus drivers, passengers and destroy the bus to send a message to the owner.
Q. Do the gangs really make money that way?
A. An estimated $18 million dollars in 2009 came from gang activities including "rent" on businesses.
Q. What do you think about all this VidaSalvadorena?
A. I personally think it's terrible. I've lived here a while and fortunantly have no come across any gang activity. I have personally rode buses in the city, although never passing through the "Mejicanos" area. I live about 40KM from San Salvador and have never seen any gang violence. It is mostly limited to the city, which unfortunently is where most tourists go. To be honest I do not feel it is particularly unsafe here. I recommend avoiding opening a business here, avoid using buses in the capital (San Salvador) and try to avoid driving through "Mejicanos". Making the decision to pass through "Mejicanos" is similar to passing through "Compton" in the USA. It's a known, dangerous gang area... that being said, I still think it's terrible. The majority of the people who use the buses live in the area of "Mejicanos" and are very poor, they have no other choice.
Q. I don't think I want to visit El Salvador anymore, smart, right?
A. No. Don't let fear stop you. That's exactly what people like the gangs want. To control people with fear. Very very few attacks, if any are against tourists in this country. The majority are gang to gang activity and in tragic cases bus attacks. There are little to no cases of taxi's or car's being attack (a few on the Pan American Highway.... but few fatalities). Essentially, it's really not that dangerous overall, none the less, don't let your guard down.
Recognition
More great posts on the school system, food choices, cost of living and sites in the country are on the way. For the mean-time, I just want to take a moment to thank a very special reader: George F. of California
He did not request any recognition. However, he has made a wonderful difference for this blog. He has provided great amounts of information, opinions and valuable ideas. In addition he has provided a wonderful donation which goes a long way. I would just like to personally say thank you to George.
People like George make this blog possible and continue to motivate me to provide information and helpful tips about El Salvador. So thank you, Thanks George for everything.
He did not request any recognition. However, he has made a wonderful difference for this blog. He has provided great amounts of information, opinions and valuable ideas. In addition he has provided a wonderful donation which goes a long way. I would just like to personally say thank you to George.
People like George make this blog possible and continue to motivate me to provide information and helpful tips about El Salvador. So thank you, Thanks George for everything.
Cost of Living Update: June
I just figured I would update the cost of living for this month so everyone can get an idea of what it might take to live here.
Rent: $0 (Own Home)
Car Insurance: $0 (Not Required)
Food: $175 (For two, not eating much typical food still, mostly all super market)
Electricity: $75 (LCD TV, Window A/C 12 hrs a day, PC w/ modem/router, Lights, Refrigerator)
Furniture: $252 (4k+ financed, sofa + stove + entertainment center + kitchen counters. 18 months)
Mini-Split AC: $89 (Just purchased, 18k BTU, $600 full price. $98 down plus $89 monthly for 5 months)
Internet $375 (I have special business, household plans unlimited from 29.99)
At this moment, the following is average cost with electricity, internet, food and no rent included.
1 person $200-250
2 person(s) $275-300
3 person(s) $375-400
If you choose to eat local food and live without an AC, it's realistic to live off $100 monthly. You won't live the USA life though, but then again... this is La Vida Salvadorena, right? ;)
+This information applies to this date and time. Cost of Living (CoL) changes frequently here.+
Rent: $0 (Own Home)
Car Insurance: $0 (Not Required)
Food: $175 (For two, not eating much typical food still, mostly all super market)
Electricity: $75 (LCD TV, Window A/C 12 hrs a day, PC w/ modem/router, Lights, Refrigerator)
Furniture: $252 (4k+ financed, sofa + stove + entertainment center + kitchen counters. 18 months)
Mini-Split AC: $89 (Just purchased, 18k BTU, $600 full price. $98 down plus $89 monthly for 5 months)
Internet $375 (I have special business, household plans unlimited from 29.99)
At this moment, the following is average cost with electricity, internet, food and no rent included.
1 person $200-250
2 person(s) $275-300
3 person(s) $375-400
If you choose to eat local food and live without an AC, it's realistic to live off $100 monthly. You won't live the USA life though, but then again... this is La Vida Salvadorena, right? ;)
+This information applies to this date and time. Cost of Living (CoL) changes frequently here.+
Peace Corps in El Salvador
*This article contains a high content of opinionated material as well as factual material. Be aware that this is simply opinion for the most part.*
So what, it's tough to live here. I do it, and I'm still willing to volunteer. But you won't accept me? Good move Peace corps, glad to see you choose the "most qualified".
I recently ran across a group of Peace corps voulenteers. They were working hard, partying at a local bar. Again. I know it sounds amusing, but it's true. In fact, I spoke with an ex-peace corps voulenteer a few days ago and he informed me that "Peacecorps is a joke", "The majority of the work is just for photographs, it's more of a way to get an easy vacation pass" and that "The majority of the voulenteers could care less about helping".
I would say that was his opinion, if several others didn't tell me the same thing. I do see where they have done some decent work here in El Salvador but I also see them playing around more than helping.
I decided to give it a shot myself and out of the blue visited their website. I went to apply. They won't accept me because I didn't have a four year college degree. They say it's not required, yet they wouldn't accept me. I am not bitter on it, but what a dumb move. I am a young, able to volunteer, have a caring passion for El Salvador and I speak fluent Spanish and English. I already live in El Salvador, have my own car and accommodations. If that wasn't enough, I have extensive knowledge of the country, can navigate without maps, translate, locate services and materials and do just about anything necessary here.
Yet some bloke with a four year degree who can't speak a word of Spanish and has never left the USA is better prepared to come and assist in El Salvador? Really? I am pretty sure I can accomplish a lot more, all without a four year degree.
Seems like Peace corps may be an easy vacation ticket for an four year degree graduates who want to feel like they are helping. I don't think I would be a good volunteer because I would feel terrible drinking and partying at a bar all day when I should be volunteering.
So what, it's tough to live here. I do it, and I'm still willing to volunteer. But you won't accept me? Good move Peace corps, glad to see you choose the "most qualified".
On a side note, the PC does do some great work. Unfortunantly.... not so much here. There are plenty of private organizations that are glad to have volunteers and don't pick and choose. They work much harder and the results are proven.
Please refrain from angry emails, I am not going to change my opinion based on yours, I can't change the interviewed volunteers opinions and ... honestly, I warned you all this was opinion.
Cooling your Home in El Salvador
For anybody currently living in El Salvador or planning to move to El Salvador, this is an important topic. One of the negatives to living in El Salvador is the heat. Its hot. Often around 98-100 degrees with a humidity level of 100%.
Being outside in the weather isn't half bad, it makes great for the beaches or yard work. Unfortunently sitting inside on the sofa or trying to sleep at night is quite unpleasant in the heat. In some states in the USA it does reach said temperatures however Central air conditioning is quite common.
In El Salvador cooling systems are not nearly as common. My first advice would be to get rid of the idea of a Central AC unit. The cost of electricity is way too high, there are very few companies to install them and they will charge plenty to do an installation. The actual cost of the units are considerably higher as well.
The best option is either a window unit or a Mini-split. A window unit can be used for a single room and a decent 8,000 BTU unit will comfortably cool a bedroom. I currently run a Haier 8,000 BTU window unit which utilizes 810 Watts of electricity an hour.
At the current rate of 0.17 cents a KW with Delsur in El Salvador, using the window unit 12 hours a day would cost roughly: $1.65 x 30 days = 49.50. Not half bad.
If you are more interested in a Mini-Split that is probably the best option. I recently upgraded to a 24,000 BTU Mini-split from Haier. The unit comfortably cools my kitchen, living room, bathroom, entry and bedroom. The Mini-Split resembles a central AC but does not use nearly as much electricity.
The 24,000 BTU unit uses 1.7KW of Electricity an hour. At the current energy rate and 12 hours usage daily that is roughly $3.4 daily x 30 = $102 monthly.
The cost is not half bad compared to what a Central AC unit would cost. A Central AC unit on average uses between 4-5 KW an hour. At the current electricity costs using a Central AC unit just 12 hours a day at 4.5KW electricity would cost about $9.18 daily x 30 = $275.40.
The savings by a Mini-Split should become quite apparent. In fact, having a Central AC unit here is very unpractical and very few do. The cost is just too high.
If you have never heard of a Mini-Split, they are much like a Central AC. The plus is that there are no vents to install. A Single blower unit is installed inside and connects to an outdoor compressor unit. An average 24,000 BTU unit currently costs $650 pre-charged with Freon. They can be purchased from OmniSport and many other dealers. Omnisport offers a finance plan and installation is an additional $70. You will also need to have the electrican connect the unit. The cost for us was about $15 for the electrician.
Here is more information and photos of the Haier Mini-Split units:
http://us-china-international.com/eng/airconditioner/haier/haierr410a.htm
Here is a calculator to determine which one you would need to cool your space depending on the size in SQ FT:
http://www.home-air-care.com/acsize.htm
Here is the current electricity cost per KWH via DelSur:
http://www.delsur.com.sv/pages.php?Id=44
Remember to keep it cool. :-8
Being outside in the weather isn't half bad, it makes great for the beaches or yard work. Unfortunently sitting inside on the sofa or trying to sleep at night is quite unpleasant in the heat. In some states in the USA it does reach said temperatures however Central air conditioning is quite common.
In El Salvador cooling systems are not nearly as common. My first advice would be to get rid of the idea of a Central AC unit. The cost of electricity is way too high, there are very few companies to install them and they will charge plenty to do an installation. The actual cost of the units are considerably higher as well.
The best option is either a window unit or a Mini-split. A window unit can be used for a single room and a decent 8,000 BTU unit will comfortably cool a bedroom. I currently run a Haier 8,000 BTU window unit which utilizes 810 Watts of electricity an hour.
At the current rate of 0.17 cents a KW with Delsur in El Salvador, using the window unit 12 hours a day would cost roughly: $1.65 x 30 days = 49.50. Not half bad.
If you are more interested in a Mini-Split that is probably the best option. I recently upgraded to a 24,000 BTU Mini-split from Haier. The unit comfortably cools my kitchen, living room, bathroom, entry and bedroom. The Mini-Split resembles a central AC but does not use nearly as much electricity.
The 24,000 BTU unit uses 1.7KW of Electricity an hour. At the current energy rate and 12 hours usage daily that is roughly $3.4 daily x 30 = $102 monthly.
The cost is not half bad compared to what a Central AC unit would cost. A Central AC unit on average uses between 4-5 KW an hour. At the current electricity costs using a Central AC unit just 12 hours a day at 4.5KW electricity would cost about $9.18 daily x 30 = $275.40.
The savings by a Mini-Split should become quite apparent. In fact, having a Central AC unit here is very unpractical and very few do. The cost is just too high.
If you have never heard of a Mini-Split, they are much like a Central AC. The plus is that there are no vents to install. A Single blower unit is installed inside and connects to an outdoor compressor unit. An average 24,000 BTU unit currently costs $650 pre-charged with Freon. They can be purchased from OmniSport and many other dealers. Omnisport offers a finance plan and installation is an additional $70. You will also need to have the electrican connect the unit. The cost for us was about $15 for the electrician.
Here is more information and photos of the Haier Mini-Split units:
http://us-china-international.com/eng/airconditioner/haier/haierr410a.htm
Here is a calculator to determine which one you would need to cool your space depending on the size in SQ FT:
http://www.home-air-care.com/acsize.htm
Here is the current electricity cost per KWH via DelSur:
http://www.delsur.com.sv/pages.php?Id=44
Remember to keep it cool. :-8
My Story -- Per Request
If you are not interested in hearing how I ended up living in Central America (El Salvador), just skip this post, the rest of the blog will resume to be about El Salvador and the journey. This post will be about how and why I am here, what my plans for the future are...
It Begins...
I met my other half on a warm summer day at an Amusement Park, the least likely of places. I had no real attraction to Latin American individuals prior. I was not exactly racist either, neutral. I have to admit, I do like new cultures though. We met, went out on a few dates, you know the story. We fell for each other. Our friends never though it would last since we were young (23-24) and to everyones surprise it did.
We were not married at the time. We simply were not ready. Unfortunately my significant others visa expired. She neglected to tell me, I can't blame her. It probably would of cost us the relationship. Long Distance Relationships tear families apart, they don't work well. We went out as if nothing had happened.
It was a Monday morning and she left for work, just like any other Monday morning. We were upset with each other so I didn't say good-bye. I went to work that same day, expecting to see her when I got home. At about two in the afternoon I get a text message from her. It read as follows...
"Te Amo." - I love you.
Followed directly by another....
"Me van a deportar" - They are going to deport me.
I had no idea if she was serious or not. I didn't know what to make of it. A few minutes later her family called me, very upset. Turns out she had been the passenger in a car which was pulled over for not slowing down at a yellow light. They check everybodies ID's on suspicion of who knows what and found she had a deportation order (for overstaying her Visa) and she was taken into custody.
I remember the terrible feeling I felt for two days. No idea what was happening. After two whole days she finally was given access to a phone from the County Jail. She called me, crying, because we were apart and she thought she was going to loose me. I was only 25 and had an entire life built. Purchased the car of my dreams (A Mustang), got a mortgage and a house, had an incredibly well paying job as a restaurant manager (a huge accomplishment with no more than a high school education), and now, now I was about to loose it all.
That call ended, I had never felt so horrible in my entire life. It still hurts all these years later to even write it. From that jail she was transferred to another regional jail in the middle of the night. She called. I went to visit her. Less than 24 hours after she got there, they moved her again, before I got there to visit, hours before. She was en-route to another regional jail more than eight hours from where I lived. She was placed in the regular jail, with criminals, full criminals. She said the conditions were horrible, the guards constantly racist and it cost two dollars a minute to talk to her. Go figure.
I visited her twice. I couldn't take talking to her through 3 inch thick glass. One night when I visited, she put her hand to the glass against mine. I felt like an idiot crying in front of everyone but seeing the person you love being treated that way is something I hope none of you readers ever have to go through.
By this point she was moved again to another jail several states away. Apparently she would of been deported at this point after two months except a contagious disease broke out in the jail where she was harbored. They quarantined everyone and took days to get medical staff. I was incredibly worried. Fortunately she did not get infected, but several did. Two died in custody on a level below her. I am sure the medical staff did all they could (*sarcasm*).
By this point I had long made the decision to drop everything, sell everything and blindly move. Yeah, it was a crazy decision. I don't regret it. I am not going to let immigration tear my life apart. Sure, they did, but why let them ruin it anymore than necessary. I sold my cars. I lost money on the house, took a huge hit... left the job I loved. Auctioned everything I could. Managed to get a final total of $4500 after paying all the debts, etc.
She was moved to yet another jail, this time an immigration jail over 13 hours from where I lived. The cost of calls was about 3.00 a minute at this jail plus connection fee of 1.25. It cost well over 30 dollars for a short conversation. I called the El Salvador consulate and he felt so horrible for our situation, because it was so much worse than most he pulled some strings. A week later I had her deportation date. July 27th. They were sending her on a commercial flight.
Only one commercial flight was leaving the airport closest to her July 27th. It was TACA at 10AM. I bought a flight on TACA leaving my airport at 10AM.
I landed in El Salvador with 2 suitcases, 4k hidden in my sock, a lot of fear and no knowledge of the place. I had never been to El Salvador. I read up on it. I speak fluent Spanish. I had learned it working in the restaurant, I am of Italian blood as well and speak Italian so that helped the process. My Spanish is fluent but by no means perfect. My wife (now -- wife) does not speak English well, so we communicate in Spanish.
When I landed, I walked outside the airport -- lost, confused, nervous and excited. That is life. I waited. Hours and she still didn't come. Finally at 5PM she walked out the doors. God, she looked bad. All white, no color, lord knows how many pounds lighter. Maybe 20-30. It was great. Of course, we still had no plan what-so-ever.
She has one sister here who picked us up and took us back to her house. We stayed, fought, and planned. It was horrible and great. Bitter-sweet. We finally sat and cried together, deciding the only choice was for me to go again. To go back to the USA and work. She was banned from the USA for 10 years automatically by the way. Immigration lawyers gave us no chance because the horrible anti-immigration laws and attitudes those days and these days alike.
I got on a plane. My wife and her sister said I never looked so sad in my entire life. Every step felt horrible, but I did it. I got back on that damn plane. I flew back to the USA. I lived in a cramped, crappy apartment. I drove to work everyday fifty minutes using a borrowed car from my sister. Thank god for family.
First job was at a factory. It was horrible, the work, the conditions. I ate one sandwich a day with one slice of ham and one slice of cheese. I sent every penny back to her that was left. Finally I got a break, at a Call Center. My CS skills landed me a temp position. It was perfect, six months. The pay was amazing. I got over-time, lots. For almost the entire time I left training til the day I left I worked 80 hours a week. 7AM - 9PM M-F and Saturdays. Two Sundays in that time as well. I worked, I worked. I volunteered to do Spanish as well for no extra pay. That made me valuable, helped me progress. They offered me FT but I declined.
The venture cost me both our birthdays together, I missed Christmas with her too. Valentines day passed. Feb 21st I got on a plane and went back to El Salvador. We used all that money I made to build a house. We now have a home. It is not what we had in the USA, but its a roof over our heads.
The day I got back I asked her to marry me. We are engaged and still not "married" but we are planning on it, all this time later. We don't want to rush it. The entire experience has made us inseparable. Since I found a job at a call center here. The pay is moderate but low. I also work part-time as a freelance writer.
All of her family and mine are in the USA. We talk now and then. We all miss each other terribly. My little sister is growing up, my other sister graduated nursing school. I missed it. I missed it all. Every day I miss something that I should be there to see. My parents grow older, I worry. I worry so much, but I can't be there with them all the time.
We live decent here, but with the usual feel. The slightest bump in the night worries us. Who knows when we will get robbed, we live in the country area, it happens. Sometimes we can't find basic things we need but for the most part we are comfortable. We are together.
I have learned a lot about the culture. I am not shocked by it anymore. I was at first. The poverty level is high. I still enjoy seeing how people are just happy to be together and alive. I think its something that is lost in Northern life.
I enjoy the little things. I still do not like the food here, for the most part. I hang on to my old clothes from the USA. I guess its a subtle reminder, although they are ripped apart. We finally got an air-conditioner, I did adjust to the heat.
People look at me funny sometimes, they find it hard to believe an American is LIVING here and not just vacationing. They are friendly though. I have never felt out of place here. Everyone is friendly and accepting.
My biggest gripe is that there is no good Chinese food here. I miss sweet and sour chicken. I miss my family. I miss my dog and all the places we visited. I miss our life, but I have began to accept this is our life now. She feels the same.
We both feel a little lost, but we take it day by day and we are surviving. I just wish that everybody who fights so passionately to deport immigrants would realize they are tearing AMERICAN families apart. The whole cause of immigration is to protect the American life style, right? So what happened to no man left behind. What happened to all the American families who are hurt and torn apart, like mine? I know my family is suffering without me. My life isn't what it should be here either.
I don't think I have anymore right to an American life than my wife does. I am here in El Salvador to stay. My country has abandoned me and my wife because of my choice to marry her? Because she isn't American we can't be in love and be together in the USA? We weren't going to rush our marriage just for immigration. We aren't going to be un-true to who we are.
It wasn't our choice to leave. We had too though. The worst part of it all, after all I have been through, the people here treat me better than actual fellow Americans do. I get rude looks from people at the embassy every time I go, because I made the choice to "abandon" my country, as one southerner told me. Image that, I made the choice.
I think my Wife and I would agree, this was hardly a choice.
That is why this blog started. For all those who will go through this terrible situation as well. I am here to help.
For those readers who are married to nationals of El Salvador and living in the USA and here... plenty of respect to you. We are family on some level. We all are. Making the choice to stick with our wife's and husbands from El Salvador regardless of the situation.
-VidaSalvadorena
P.S. Yes, this story was dramatized. It still doesn't begin to depict what we went through. I don't care to be the victim or ask for pity, this is our life now. Words can't describe what we truly experienced. Hopefully they can help you along your way though, maybe help you avoid this.
It Begins...
I met my other half on a warm summer day at an Amusement Park, the least likely of places. I had no real attraction to Latin American individuals prior. I was not exactly racist either, neutral. I have to admit, I do like new cultures though. We met, went out on a few dates, you know the story. We fell for each other. Our friends never though it would last since we were young (23-24) and to everyones surprise it did.
We were not married at the time. We simply were not ready. Unfortunately my significant others visa expired. She neglected to tell me, I can't blame her. It probably would of cost us the relationship. Long Distance Relationships tear families apart, they don't work well. We went out as if nothing had happened.
It was a Monday morning and she left for work, just like any other Monday morning. We were upset with each other so I didn't say good-bye. I went to work that same day, expecting to see her when I got home. At about two in the afternoon I get a text message from her. It read as follows...
"Te Amo." - I love you.
Followed directly by another....
"Me van a deportar" - They are going to deport me.
I had no idea if she was serious or not. I didn't know what to make of it. A few minutes later her family called me, very upset. Turns out she had been the passenger in a car which was pulled over for not slowing down at a yellow light. They check everybodies ID's on suspicion of who knows what and found she had a deportation order (for overstaying her Visa) and she was taken into custody.
I remember the terrible feeling I felt for two days. No idea what was happening. After two whole days she finally was given access to a phone from the County Jail. She called me, crying, because we were apart and she thought she was going to loose me. I was only 25 and had an entire life built. Purchased the car of my dreams (A Mustang), got a mortgage and a house, had an incredibly well paying job as a restaurant manager (a huge accomplishment with no more than a high school education), and now, now I was about to loose it all.
That call ended, I had never felt so horrible in my entire life. It still hurts all these years later to even write it. From that jail she was transferred to another regional jail in the middle of the night. She called. I went to visit her. Less than 24 hours after she got there, they moved her again, before I got there to visit, hours before. She was en-route to another regional jail more than eight hours from where I lived. She was placed in the regular jail, with criminals, full criminals. She said the conditions were horrible, the guards constantly racist and it cost two dollars a minute to talk to her. Go figure.
I visited her twice. I couldn't take talking to her through 3 inch thick glass. One night when I visited, she put her hand to the glass against mine. I felt like an idiot crying in front of everyone but seeing the person you love being treated that way is something I hope none of you readers ever have to go through.
By this point she was moved again to another jail several states away. Apparently she would of been deported at this point after two months except a contagious disease broke out in the jail where she was harbored. They quarantined everyone and took days to get medical staff. I was incredibly worried. Fortunately she did not get infected, but several did. Two died in custody on a level below her. I am sure the medical staff did all they could (*sarcasm*).
By this point I had long made the decision to drop everything, sell everything and blindly move. Yeah, it was a crazy decision. I don't regret it. I am not going to let immigration tear my life apart. Sure, they did, but why let them ruin it anymore than necessary. I sold my cars. I lost money on the house, took a huge hit... left the job I loved. Auctioned everything I could. Managed to get a final total of $4500 after paying all the debts, etc.
She was moved to yet another jail, this time an immigration jail over 13 hours from where I lived. The cost of calls was about 3.00 a minute at this jail plus connection fee of 1.25. It cost well over 30 dollars for a short conversation. I called the El Salvador consulate and he felt so horrible for our situation, because it was so much worse than most he pulled some strings. A week later I had her deportation date. July 27th. They were sending her on a commercial flight.
Only one commercial flight was leaving the airport closest to her July 27th. It was TACA at 10AM. I bought a flight on TACA leaving my airport at 10AM.
I landed in El Salvador with 2 suitcases, 4k hidden in my sock, a lot of fear and no knowledge of the place. I had never been to El Salvador. I read up on it. I speak fluent Spanish. I had learned it working in the restaurant, I am of Italian blood as well and speak Italian so that helped the process. My Spanish is fluent but by no means perfect. My wife (now -- wife) does not speak English well, so we communicate in Spanish.
When I landed, I walked outside the airport -- lost, confused, nervous and excited. That is life. I waited. Hours and she still didn't come. Finally at 5PM she walked out the doors. God, she looked bad. All white, no color, lord knows how many pounds lighter. Maybe 20-30. It was great. Of course, we still had no plan what-so-ever.
She has one sister here who picked us up and took us back to her house. We stayed, fought, and planned. It was horrible and great. Bitter-sweet. We finally sat and cried together, deciding the only choice was for me to go again. To go back to the USA and work. She was banned from the USA for 10 years automatically by the way. Immigration lawyers gave us no chance because the horrible anti-immigration laws and attitudes those days and these days alike.
I got on a plane. My wife and her sister said I never looked so sad in my entire life. Every step felt horrible, but I did it. I got back on that damn plane. I flew back to the USA. I lived in a cramped, crappy apartment. I drove to work everyday fifty minutes using a borrowed car from my sister. Thank god for family.
First job was at a factory. It was horrible, the work, the conditions. I ate one sandwich a day with one slice of ham and one slice of cheese. I sent every penny back to her that was left. Finally I got a break, at a Call Center. My CS skills landed me a temp position. It was perfect, six months. The pay was amazing. I got over-time, lots. For almost the entire time I left training til the day I left I worked 80 hours a week. 7AM - 9PM M-F and Saturdays. Two Sundays in that time as well. I worked, I worked. I volunteered to do Spanish as well for no extra pay. That made me valuable, helped me progress. They offered me FT but I declined.
The venture cost me both our birthdays together, I missed Christmas with her too. Valentines day passed. Feb 21st I got on a plane and went back to El Salvador. We used all that money I made to build a house. We now have a home. It is not what we had in the USA, but its a roof over our heads.
The day I got back I asked her to marry me. We are engaged and still not "married" but we are planning on it, all this time later. We don't want to rush it. The entire experience has made us inseparable. Since I found a job at a call center here. The pay is moderate but low. I also work part-time as a freelance writer.
All of her family and mine are in the USA. We talk now and then. We all miss each other terribly. My little sister is growing up, my other sister graduated nursing school. I missed it. I missed it all. Every day I miss something that I should be there to see. My parents grow older, I worry. I worry so much, but I can't be there with them all the time.
We live decent here, but with the usual feel. The slightest bump in the night worries us. Who knows when we will get robbed, we live in the country area, it happens. Sometimes we can't find basic things we need but for the most part we are comfortable. We are together.
I have learned a lot about the culture. I am not shocked by it anymore. I was at first. The poverty level is high. I still enjoy seeing how people are just happy to be together and alive. I think its something that is lost in Northern life.
I enjoy the little things. I still do not like the food here, for the most part. I hang on to my old clothes from the USA. I guess its a subtle reminder, although they are ripped apart. We finally got an air-conditioner, I did adjust to the heat.
People look at me funny sometimes, they find it hard to believe an American is LIVING here and not just vacationing. They are friendly though. I have never felt out of place here. Everyone is friendly and accepting.
My biggest gripe is that there is no good Chinese food here. I miss sweet and sour chicken. I miss my family. I miss my dog and all the places we visited. I miss our life, but I have began to accept this is our life now. She feels the same.
We both feel a little lost, but we take it day by day and we are surviving. I just wish that everybody who fights so passionately to deport immigrants would realize they are tearing AMERICAN families apart. The whole cause of immigration is to protect the American life style, right? So what happened to no man left behind. What happened to all the American families who are hurt and torn apart, like mine? I know my family is suffering without me. My life isn't what it should be here either.
I don't think I have anymore right to an American life than my wife does. I am here in El Salvador to stay. My country has abandoned me and my wife because of my choice to marry her? Because she isn't American we can't be in love and be together in the USA? We weren't going to rush our marriage just for immigration. We aren't going to be un-true to who we are.
It wasn't our choice to leave. We had too though. The worst part of it all, after all I have been through, the people here treat me better than actual fellow Americans do. I get rude looks from people at the embassy every time I go, because I made the choice to "abandon" my country, as one southerner told me. Image that, I made the choice.
I think my Wife and I would agree, this was hardly a choice.
That is why this blog started. For all those who will go through this terrible situation as well. I am here to help.
For those readers who are married to nationals of El Salvador and living in the USA and here... plenty of respect to you. We are family on some level. We all are. Making the choice to stick with our wife's and husbands from El Salvador regardless of the situation.
-VidaSalvadorena
P.S. Yes, this story was dramatized. It still doesn't begin to depict what we went through. I don't care to be the victim or ask for pity, this is our life now. Words can't describe what we truly experienced. Hopefully they can help you along your way though, maybe help you avoid this.
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