Julio and I got DUI's. Oh-oh!

That's right.  DUI's.  Driving Under the Influence.  JKJKJKJKJKJKJK.  Jokes.

No, today we went to get our official Salvadoran identification cards called DUIs (pronounced 'doo-ees').  During the month of December, the government allows citizens to obtain them for free.  They normally cost $10 US.  That's a lot for the average Salvadoran.  So of course, people take advantage of this bargain.  This means that people wake up and get to the DUI centros as early as 4am (they open at 8am)!!!  We got up at 5am and made it there just before 8am.  We were # 85 and #86 in line.

Julio and I have been trying to get our DUIs since we got here, but each time we've gone we've arrived way too late because most centros have met their quotas for the day (usually 150 people).  But today, we finally made it to the Soyapango branch.  We waited 5 hours to get the darned things!!!  3 of those hours were spent standing up; 2 of those hours spent sitting inside playing musical chairs as we rotated seats as we got closer to the attendants cubicle.  It was borderline torturous.  So torturous we played Spanglish hangman.  Good times.

So was it worth getting one for free?  Depends.  We need them to cross the Guatemalan-Salvadoran border, which we are going to do for Christmas.  So in that sense, we totally needed them.  But if I had to redo it again and didn't need it right away, I would have gotten it done in Vancouver through the Salvadoran embassy. 

But for the average Salvadoran who makes anywhere between $1-$10/day, getting a free DUI is a huge, huge deal.  So I felt really bad being such a baby about the whole thing afterwards.  Julio, of course, was calm and collected amongst the frustration playing Sudoku on his cell and chatting it up with the fellow line-up-ees.  But the cool thing is we now have official Salvadoran identification, which means we can vote for the upcoming national elections if we want.  Chivo (cool)!

On a side note, yesterday we went to San Sebastian in San Vicente province to meet Julio's paternal grandmother and family.  It was really nice to meet them.  Such an affectionate bunch of kids.  Julio looks just like his abuelita  and his brother Joey looks just like their uncle.  I took a great pic of him sitting in front of a pile of harvested maiz (corn).  We also went to pay our respects to Julio's late father.  That was an extremely important thing for Julio to accomplish.  RIP Don Jeremias.

happy reunion for julio and abuelita

julio's great uncle - such an elegant campesino if i ever saw one!

Today, we also went to Chalatenango, a bustling hill town that we can see from my mom's veranda across the valley.  It was a very busy place and it reminded me a lot of India.  Lots of vendors, loud music, and tonnes of people and traffic.  I wanted to take lots of pictures but was too afraid to take my camera out, so I got my cousin Nelson to take a couple of snaps cuz he's so tall and buff.  But we didn't get nearly as many as I would have liked to to show everyone the ambience of Chalatenango.  Me and my cousin Nelson went walking around while Julio got his cholco-ness fixed.  I'm sad to see his cholco face go.  =(

part of a chaotic market scene in chalatenango - it really doesn't capture it well enough!

We  also saw a cow riding on the back of a pick-up truck.  Highlight of my day.

hola vaca!  hola!  (hi cow!  hi!)

Well, feliz navidad everyone (Merry Christmas)!  Everyone here has their nacimientos or nativity scenes out in full force and you can hear the cuetes (firecrackers) going off here and there.  Christmas here has a lot more of a religious feel to it than it does in Canada, but it is also WAY more festive.  The 10 or 12 days before, Catholics will participate in a tradition known as las posadas.  This ritual is supposed to represent or re-enact the journey of Mary and Joseph as they seek shelter for Mary to give birth to baby Jesus.  Children get dressed up as Mary, Joseph, Jesus, an angel, and the star of Bethlehem and they lead a procession of devotees around the local barrios or neighbourhoods singing villancillos or Christmas carols.  Neighbours volunteer their homes to represent the different inns Mary and Joseph go to and the final home is the home where Mary and Joseph are given the posada.   More villancillos are sung and the host family gives out treats at the end while families and friends socialize and celebrate the symbolic manger location where Jesus will be born.  I did one with one of my aunts and cousins last week.  I haven't done on in a long time and it felt really nice to take part, even though I am no longer necessarily a devout Catholic.  I think it's all about the warmth and festive nature of rituals.  =)

my adorable nephew Kike messing around with my aunts' ellaborate nativity scene

Salvadorans (and I think most Latin Americans) actually celebrate on the 24th which is Noche Buena or Holy Night.  Most families will have dinner early and then go to midnight mass.  Then they go back home or to family or friends homes and wait until midnight when we play traditional Christmas songs and hug each other at midnight and blow up firecrackers.  Then we open presents (if we buy them) and then dance, celebrate, and maybe drink the night away with family and friends.  I'm no longer a very religious person, but I can appreciate the warmth and festivities that is the Latin American fiestas navideñas (Christmas fiestas).

posadas - the "inn keepers" are inside singing while the angel, mary, and joseph wait 

Tomorrow we are off to Guatemala.  We will be staying in Antigua for the weekend to spend Christmas.  Can't wait to see Christmas here!  Fireworks galore!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Can't have a Latino Christmas without some Jose Feliciano!