EL SALVADOR

Celebrating Independence Day In El Salvador And The United States

By Heidi Calderon

Independence Day is one of the most important dates for every country. How do El Salvador and the U.S.A. celebrate Independence Day? Cultural traditions, food and fireworks are some different ways to celebrate in each country.

First, El Salvador has a cultural tradition of celebrating on September 15 of each year, in honor of the heroes who fought for freedom and independence of my country. That day the government closes the most important streets of El Salvador. The orchestras parade interpreting the national anthem and all kinds of music; its dancers dance to the rhythm of the music. On the other hand, the United States celebrates Independence Day on July 4. For instance, many Americans gather with their families in parks, but there are no orchestras in the streets like in El Salvador. My family comes from different states to Washington to spend time together.

Second, in the United Stated, foods like barbecue, hamburgers and hot dogs are the dishes you see on this day at the parks. In contrast El Salvador doesn't have a special dish for these days. For example, when I lived in my country in 2013, I remember on September 15, we went out to celebrate Independence Day with my children. After hours we were hungry and we only ate snacks, sodas, and fruit since everything was closed. It would be excellent if there were food trucks nearby to buy food. Also, its orchestra parades through the main streets of the city.

Third, it is unlikely that El Salvador will make a law that allows fireworks on that day like the United States does. The Salvadoran families go with blue and white flags to celebrate their homeland independence. On the other hand, since I came to this beautiful country I have seen how the U.S.A. paints the sky red, blue, and white, honoring its flag with fireworks.

Would you like to visit El Salvador or the United States on special dates like these? I'm sure you would really enjoy both home cultures and their different ways of celebrating "freedom" in both countries.

My First Half Marathon

By Claudia Cunningham

One of my new year’s resolutions for 2023 was signing up to run a half marathon. At the beginning of 2023 I started researching for it. And I found this amazing activity called Capital City then I signed up for a half marathon. It was in Olympia on May 21st. to be ready for this race I did a lot of training, doing workout, running a long distance once a week (11milles) with some nice hills. That was an incredible experience. It kept me motivated. Also, I lost weight while I was doing my training and now, I feel so happy and motived to run a full marathon. Hopefully I can do it next year. I encourage everyone to challenge themselves. We are so powerful. We can do anything that we put in our minds.

Things I Miss About My Country

By Iris Lopez

My name is Iris Lopez. I came to the United States fourteen years ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss some things about my country. One thing that I miss about my country is the traditional foods like pupusas, fried yucca, tamales, and tender mangoes. I still haven’t gotten used to eating the processed foods available here. In my country, everything comes from local farms. Another thing that I miss about my country is being able to travel. El Salvador is a very small country, which means we can travel almost everywhere in one day. I miss traveling to the beaches, colonial towns, and green mountains. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can eat and enjoy everything that my country offers me.

A Substantial Change In El Salvador

By Xiomara Elizabeth Zavala

El Salvador known as “El pulgarcito of America” because is little in terms of territory. For a long time, El Salvador was a country known for dreadful things, but a substantial change came in year 2019 when new presidential elections were, and a new government was elected in El Salvador different from the last 30 years governed by two different leaders who were in the country in poverty and elevated levels of insecurity.

In 2019 a new start came for El Salvador the new government gave a different spin on state resources and the economy improved, violence decreased, and tourism and development opportunities for Salvadoran families increased.

Now El Salvador is known for positive things. People different countries talk about our president Nayib Bukele who has a peculiar phrase “Money is enough, when nobody steals it.” If you visit El Salvador, I assure you that your experience will be unforgettable. You could enjoy a beautiful beach, volcanoes and do not forget the best typical gastronomy.

Gambia

WHEN I CAME TO THE U.S. IN 2018

By Anonymous

I came to meet my husband. Then I got pregnant, and I got sick. When I went to the hospital, I was there for 8 hours. The nurse checked me and said I had an ectopic pregnancy. I was shocked. Then I started to cry. The doctor said he had to do an emergency surgery on me. I was stressed. I lost my baby. My husband supported me through the process. It was so intense for me I still think about it.

Georgia

Things I Miss About My Country

By Daviti Goderidze

My name is Daviti Goderidze. I came to the United States one year ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss some things about my country. One thing that I miss about my country is traditional Georgian foods like khachapuri, khinkali, and mtsvadi. Another thing that I miss about my country is the nature. I miss my village with its beautiful mountains. I also miss the view from the house I built. And I miss my friends in my village. I really miss the cultural traditions like Georgian architecture. Georgia has many architectural styles and many old buildings. I also miss Georgian wine, but the local wines here in Washington are delicious. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can eat traditional foods, see my friends, and enjoy the culture.