Service Sector

Buenas! We have been having a great time here in El Salvador. Today was really hot and humid, possibly more so than it has been thus far. I know many of you reading this blog are enjoying the snowy winter weather up north; meanwhile, it has been interesting for us to experience the hot and humid-style Christmas season. Speaking of Christmas, we have spent some time in the area malls and I have noticed there are no voracious shoppers racing around gobbling up gifts and trying to check everyone off their Christmas lists. It is refreshing to see people just spending time together for the holiday season. Moreover, they know how to celebrate here. There are Christmas decorations in the park, fireworks nearly every night, and decorations up all over town...even in the community where we are working, many houses has a beautiful yet modest Christmas tree in the entryway.
But none of that is what I was planning on writing about. As promised in my last entry, I want to tell you about the service economy here in El Salvador. More than half of working Salvadoreans work in the service sector, and it has created many jobs here that we do not have in the United States. Aside from restaurant, supermarket, hotel, and government jobs, there is another arena of creative service work. At many restaurants, ice cream shops, gas stations, and shops someone will greet you at the door, or assist you in a variety of ways. For example, we went to an ice cream shop and someone greeted us at the door, then stood with us in front of the counter in case we had questions. There was also someone behind the counter to serve us. Additionally, at Pollo Campero, a local favorite fast food venue, they serve you as if it were a traditional restaurant. There was a bus boy, a server, and a preparation person in addition to the cooks, cashiers, and front counter people. So, there is a very creative sector for extra jobs we do not have in the United States but which offer valuable jobs to people who are grateful for the opportunity to work.
We will be picking coffee on Thursday morning at 5 am. As a group of coffee drinkers, I am sure many of us will consider just popping a few coffee cherries in our mouths while working...to keep ourselves awake. Unfortunately it doesn´t work that way, but I will keep you updated on that experience in my next blog because coffee is another important aspect of El Salvador´s economy. Thank you for your continued support and curiosity about our daliances in Central America.