Journal, July 25, 1976 PM

Que tranquilidad! {What tranquility!} I have the place to myself tonight, and after some work, have things pretty well in order. I’ll be glad when Mrs. Zúniga comes Tuesday and does all the dishes. Ed {Shiffer} and his army of CREFAC kids left a mountain of them in the sink last night. I moved them out to the pila {traditional outdoor sink}, but am running out of necessary items like teaspoons & coffee cups. I am becoming a coffee addict; I had 5 cups today. And to think I never drank a cup in my parents’ house, ever! I think it’s the pressure I’ve been feeling lately to get things done, & my lack of sleep. But today, after Ed, Jaime {Olson} and the CREFAC kids were all gone, I wrote 4 very necessary letters. I also made yogurt, and did a little shopping.

Ed won’t be back for 3 weeks. I should get just about everything caught up I need to, if Jaime doesn’t come into town either!

The soccer game was well worth seeing yesterday evening. We got to the stadium at 1:30 PM for a 7 PM game, but wouldn’t have needed to. We got to see two preliminaries though. Ed was higher than a kite all afternoon, playing cards, buying beer & peanuts for the kids. The game between Porussia (?) of West Germany and the Salvadoran Olympic team ended 2-0, but was very tough-fought until the Salvadoran goalie had to leave with a twisted ankle, and the Germans snuck in a goal on a penalty kick from outside the larger boxed in region. That shot the home club’s morale. The Germans were a wonder to watch with their pinpoint passing and sophisticated team play. In ability I think the Salvadorans were probably their equals, but the Germans’ superior organization on offense allowed them to control the ball & the game. They just waited for El Salvador to make defensive errors. They waited the whole first half while El Salvador played flawless defense, but eventually their patient precision paid off. Around the stadium after the game everyone was coming up to us Gringos and saying, “You are Germans right?” It was a strange and funny twist on the usual line, “Usted es de Los Angeles, verdad, ó de Nueva York?” {You’re from Los Angeles, right, or New York?}