It’s been a long time since I’ve put up a blog. But, no worries, it’s only because I’ve started back into a regular routine of teaching and have been keeping very busy. Some new additions to my routine…
Pants!!
Machala has settled in to a nice comfortable warmth rather than an overwhelming, suffocating spell of heat and humidity. I can comfortably wear pants sometimes. It´s the highlight of my day when I get to wear an article of clothing that has been tucked away because it´s too heavy for Machala weather (pretty much any clothing is too heavy). We have been consitently seeing temps in the low 70´s to mid 80´s and the sun shows itself for a few minimal hours a day. It´s incredible. I´m sitting in my house right now, still in front of a fan, and not sweating through my clothes. Relief! It´s funny because people here also seem to see the change in weather as an opportunity to wear the ¨winter¨ clothes that have been tucked away for the last six months. On Monday, it had drizzled a bit in the morning and that evening, when I came to class, all of my students were dressed in close-toed shoes, sweaters and jackets and saying ¨brrrrr.¨ Mind you, it was still in the mid 70´s!
Returned friends:
Suzan and Mickey, missionaries from Virginia, returned for a much more extended visit. They had visited for about a week back in November. Suzan, who had accompanied me on some of my morning runs during her first visit, was back for a whole month, so I had a consistent running buddy for the hot, muggy mornings in Machala. In addition to the runs, having some fellow English speakers around was a welcome change for me. I really enjoyed the genuine company and companionship of Mickey and Suzan and plan to stay connected with their whereabouts in this world. They have since left Ecuador and are moving on to Costa Rica and then Nicaragua. They lead a wonderful and exciting life traveling and entering the lives and cultures of people around this world to share the Word of God.
Guitar!
I have been receiving guitar lessons in exchange for private English lessons. It’s quite the deal. I even have my own guitar on lend and am able to practice daily. I would like to continue with lessons when I return but they’re so expensive in the U.S. Although, I’m going to have to learn guitar in English because, as of now, I only know the guitar terms in Spanish.
Traveling all over this little country. A bigger feat than it sounds.
I have taken lots of little trips which have really helped to break up the routine and time spent alone in Machala. I’ve been making the rounds to visit WorldTeach friends in their home sites before the time comes to leave Ecuador. Last week was our End of Service conference in Quito where we pretty much wrapped up all business and some volunteers even headed back for the States already. We all finish up at different times depending on the schedule of the institution we’re working for.
Sad to say Goodbye...
It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that my time here is coming to an end. I can honestly tell people that, in the beginning, I was not enjoying my time and experience in Ecuador as much as I had expected to. I often found myself counting down the months until I could go home. Then, about two months ago, shortly after I began receiving regular pay again, something changed. I can´t say what it was exactly, but I came to the realization that I was now, not just enjoying but, loving my time here and was sad to count down the days.
Looking back on the last ten months, I can only guess that what I was going through was a transition phase. It simply took eight or so months to really feel at home, established, and happy in my life in Machala. Now that I feel so happy and comfortable here, I don’t feel as though I’m ready to leave. But, I know, Ecuador will always be here if I ever feel it calling me back. And, I know for sure, I will be returning for a visit in the very near future. Though I’m sad to leave this life behind that I have established for myself over the past year, I am extremely excited to return to my home. My organized and structured home. My temperate weathered home. My home where I can drive my car. Where I can walk the streets anonymously. Where I can eat Mexican food and sushi! Where I can be near my family and friends.
Still so much to do!
So here’s where I am. About one and a half months until I land in San Francisco. Only three weeks of teaching left. Laura and Ellen are coming in the beginning of July to do some exploring in this beautiful little county. And, the greatest surprise twist to the end of my story in Ecuador, is that Molly is coming!! We had discussed this idea and decided it just wasn’t meant to be in this moment due to schedules and financial situations. But, only a short time ago, during one of our weekly Skype chats, something changed. One minute we were talking about the trivial events of our weeks and the next, Molly had booked a ticket to Ecuador! I really have no recollection of how we got from point A to point B. All I know is it happened and she’s coming and I couldn’t me more excited to share this little piece of my life with Molly which she hasn’t been a part of (and you know, she’s always been there for every part of my life since middle school).
So, that´s that. I fell behind on the blogs, but there may be another one or two on the way. We´ll see. Thanks to everyone who has supported me during this last year from abroad. I think of you all often and look forward to seeing you very soon. I´ve only got one month left in Ecuador and I´m going to give this last month my all and make it the best yet!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Crossing the Border
Border crossing by bus…sure to be an adventure!
I have lived two hours from the Peruvian border for eight months and decided it was about time I crossed on over. My friend, Annie, and I decided to venture on South to the well-known beach town of Mancora. Luckily I had done a lot of border crossing research because it’s quite the border crossing experience. Four stops, and one question asking if we were from Mexico, later, we were safely across the border and only an hour from Mancora. We really lucked out and had a really nice bus helper who made sure we were on the right track. All bus drivers in Ecuador have a helper employed by the company. They’re not always the most friendly and discourage question asking. But this guy stayed with us up until the moment we were in a little moto cab to our hostel.
Peru uses little motorbikes with a little covered cart on the back for for means of taxi transportation. I’ve never seen this kind of thing before except in movies but apparently they can be found in other countries and might go by the name of “tuk-tuks.”
Mancora was the coolest little beach town filled with tourists and tuk-tuks. The Peruvian people we met were so friendly. The people in Ecuador are very friendly as well, but the simple acts of kindness we encountered really blew me away. Sometimes the simplest things can really make my day. While doing some street vendor shopping I had made friends with one of the vendors. I returned the next day to buy something from him. While looking at his bracelets I told him I really wanted to learn how to make the simplest stitch. He then offered to teach me, right then and there. He helped me make a bracelet, tied it on my wrist and insisted we take our bracelets and lessons for free. I think he was happy to have some company and change in his daily routine of selling on the street. Bracelet making had been on my mind forever. I had even bought some materials and attempted learning on my own but things just weren’t working out. I was so touched that he taught us and didn’t expect anything in return.
Our time spent in Peru was too short but we are in Ecuador to be teachers and had to get back for work on Monday. Border crossing back consisted of three bus changes, but everyone was helpful, and we made it back to Machala with new stamps in our passports!
Small, yet important, accomplishments
Crossing the border to Peru really is an accomplishment. If you google it, you’ll find blogs from past travelers who title it as “ the worst border crossing in the world” It’s definitely hazardous because of the millions of people and a bit complicated, but nothing unmanageable with a little research and help from the right people.
I have never felt as though I´ve achieved so many things in one year as I have while living in Ecuador. I’ve done so many things I would never have thought of myself to do and have overcome things that I would have used to think difficult but now just find them necessary and another step along the way. A lot of times they are little, like crossing a border. But in another country those little things seem so much bigger. Other times they are bigger, like teaching little rambunctious children. Whatever size such accomplishments may be, they have made me more comfortable with just diving in head-first and eagerly awaiting the outcome. It’s never bad. It’s always an experience.
I have lived two hours from the Peruvian border for eight months and decided it was about time I crossed on over. My friend, Annie, and I decided to venture on South to the well-known beach town of Mancora. Luckily I had done a lot of border crossing research because it’s quite the border crossing experience. Four stops, and one question asking if we were from Mexico, later, we were safely across the border and only an hour from Mancora. We really lucked out and had a really nice bus helper who made sure we were on the right track. All bus drivers in Ecuador have a helper employed by the company. They’re not always the most friendly and discourage question asking. But this guy stayed with us up until the moment we were in a little moto cab to our hostel.
Peru uses little motorbikes with a little covered cart on the back for for means of taxi transportation. I’ve never seen this kind of thing before except in movies but apparently they can be found in other countries and might go by the name of “tuk-tuks.”
Mancora was the coolest little beach town filled with tourists and tuk-tuks. The Peruvian people we met were so friendly. The people in Ecuador are very friendly as well, but the simple acts of kindness we encountered really blew me away. Sometimes the simplest things can really make my day. While doing some street vendor shopping I had made friends with one of the vendors. I returned the next day to buy something from him. While looking at his bracelets I told him I really wanted to learn how to make the simplest stitch. He then offered to teach me, right then and there. He helped me make a bracelet, tied it on my wrist and insisted we take our bracelets and lessons for free. I think he was happy to have some company and change in his daily routine of selling on the street. Bracelet making had been on my mind forever. I had even bought some materials and attempted learning on my own but things just weren’t working out. I was so touched that he taught us and didn’t expect anything in return.
Our time spent in Peru was too short but we are in Ecuador to be teachers and had to get back for work on Monday. Border crossing back consisted of three bus changes, but everyone was helpful, and we made it back to Machala with new stamps in our passports!
Small, yet important, accomplishments
Crossing the border to Peru really is an accomplishment. If you google it, you’ll find blogs from past travelers who title it as “ the worst border crossing in the world” It’s definitely hazardous because of the millions of people and a bit complicated, but nothing unmanageable with a little research and help from the right people.
I have never felt as though I´ve achieved so many things in one year as I have while living in Ecuador. I’ve done so many things I would never have thought of myself to do and have overcome things that I would have used to think difficult but now just find them necessary and another step along the way. A lot of times they are little, like crossing a border. But in another country those little things seem so much bigger. Other times they are bigger, like teaching little rambunctious children. Whatever size such accomplishments may be, they have made me more comfortable with just diving in head-first and eagerly awaiting the outcome. It’s never bad. It’s always an experience.
What have I been doing? I don’t even know if I can follow…
Finally, I am coming around to giving a little more insight to just exactly what I’ve been up to in terms of teaching these days in Ecuador.
There was the expected...
As I’ve said before, I began teaching in October of 2008 at the University of Machala. I taught an entire semester (up through the beginning of February) at the University. The English classes are actually held at an institute of fine arts downtown which is separate from the main university campus. University students, as well as professionals who just want to learn English, can enroll in the language classes.
The original plan was to teach the first semester and then teach two months of intensive summer school type classes. Summer vacation in Ecuador is February, March and sometimes April. In March and April we were to teach five-hour sessions of beginning English each day for five days a week. I had heard from past volunteers that this was the least liked part of our teaching contract. March and April also happen to be the hottest months of the year and we would’ve been crammed in a room with up to 40 students, for five hours, and in the worst heat of the day.
After summer sessions, we were to teach another semester which would have taken us through the end of July.
And then the unexpected...
Well, seeing as things are never guaranteed here and plans tend to change on a whim, Bryce and I have been lead down quite a different road than what we had originally been expecting. Just as anywhere else in the world, changes tend to occur as a result of change in government and new legislation. I don’t know if Ecuador is always experiencing such political change but it has been in this year that I have lived here. I couldn’t have been here in a more politically stimulating and changing time of year. I’ve tried my best to grasp the reasoning for such changes, especially in regard to education which has directly affected me.
From what I can gather, when the constitution changed in September, it stated that public educational systems would change over to free tuition for students. Because of this change, the country´s finance department had to change the budgeting system for all public schools as far as how they go about distributing funds and who needs what. Basically, a lot of changes created some very large setbacks in the original timeline of things. We were informed that classes could not be held in March and April at the Institute because of the budgeting crisis.
At first, I was in a bit of a panic mode, not knowing what was going to happen. Would I have a job anymore? Would I have to leave Machala? Go back to the U.S.? I had no idea and was very naive to the way things work in Ecuador and how people somehow always manage to get by in these crucial times of change.
Working with the unexpected
Things soon began to look up as I had made many connections in Machala and they, along with the University, were willing to work with us to find some supplemental teaching work. So, we set out, under the direction of another University English teacher, to teach a one-month seminar course on pronunciation. A few weeks earlier, my director had asked me of ideas for topics for native Spanish speakers who are now English teachers. I had suggested pronunciation work. Pronunciation is one of the hardest parts of English to master and it definitely shows. I have had several students who were good English speakers but could be very hard to understand from a native English speaker’s perspective. So, Bryce and I team-taught a pronunciation class that was compiled of high school and college English teachers. It was entirely refreshing to change location, student demographic, and class topic for the month.
Expecting the Unexpected
As March concluded, I began looking for other opportunities in which I could volunteer my time as an English teacher. It’s not hard to find such opportunities here. It’s with no exaggeration that I say, EVERYONE wants to learn English. I found a volunteer opportunity through one of my professor students. She works at an elementary through high school and they were in need of an English teacher. Though, I couldn’t offer more than one month of my time, they were very excited to bring a “gringa” on board. I was under the impression that I would be working alongside the other English teachers for “ reinforcement” as they had told me. I showed up for work on the first day and the director handed me a fully loaded schedule in which I would be teaching my very own classes of first and second graders. After having spent seven months living here, this came in no way as a surprise to me. I took the schedule and prepared myself for what was ahead.
Los Chiquitos
My one month with the seven and eight year old English students was soooo hard but I can’t believe how much I learned in one month! When forced to confront a slightly uncomfortable situation due to lack of knowledge, it’s amazing how fast you can learn in order to proceed. I can now say I have experience teaching kids, which is something I had not anticipated in coming to Ecuador. I think I can also say that I would not want to teach kids that young in the future! I had no idea how hard they can be and I have a newfound and extremely high level of respect for all those elementary school teachers I have had and how they had the patience and kindness to work and teach the youngins. I am a patient and kind person but there’s no better way to test that level of patience than to be thrown into a classroom with 15 little kids who need to learn English but don’t speak much more than a word of it! Wow! What an experience. The kids were cute though and they taught me a lot. I was greeted with warm hugs every day and even when they were mad at me, they would forget after five minutes and be my friend again. They even told me that they were going to bring me a gift on Mother’s Day. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I wouldn’t be teaching them come Mother’s Day.
So, that brings me up to May. Classes have already been postponed but there is a start date in sight. I am writing this blog during my “office hours” where I am required to be at the school campus but don’t have classes to teach yet. Getting there though :)
There was the expected...
As I’ve said before, I began teaching in October of 2008 at the University of Machala. I taught an entire semester (up through the beginning of February) at the University. The English classes are actually held at an institute of fine arts downtown which is separate from the main university campus. University students, as well as professionals who just want to learn English, can enroll in the language classes.
The original plan was to teach the first semester and then teach two months of intensive summer school type classes. Summer vacation in Ecuador is February, March and sometimes April. In March and April we were to teach five-hour sessions of beginning English each day for five days a week. I had heard from past volunteers that this was the least liked part of our teaching contract. March and April also happen to be the hottest months of the year and we would’ve been crammed in a room with up to 40 students, for five hours, and in the worst heat of the day.
After summer sessions, we were to teach another semester which would have taken us through the end of July.
And then the unexpected...
Well, seeing as things are never guaranteed here and plans tend to change on a whim, Bryce and I have been lead down quite a different road than what we had originally been expecting. Just as anywhere else in the world, changes tend to occur as a result of change in government and new legislation. I don’t know if Ecuador is always experiencing such political change but it has been in this year that I have lived here. I couldn’t have been here in a more politically stimulating and changing time of year. I’ve tried my best to grasp the reasoning for such changes, especially in regard to education which has directly affected me.
From what I can gather, when the constitution changed in September, it stated that public educational systems would change over to free tuition for students. Because of this change, the country´s finance department had to change the budgeting system for all public schools as far as how they go about distributing funds and who needs what. Basically, a lot of changes created some very large setbacks in the original timeline of things. We were informed that classes could not be held in March and April at the Institute because of the budgeting crisis.
At first, I was in a bit of a panic mode, not knowing what was going to happen. Would I have a job anymore? Would I have to leave Machala? Go back to the U.S.? I had no idea and was very naive to the way things work in Ecuador and how people somehow always manage to get by in these crucial times of change.
Working with the unexpected
Things soon began to look up as I had made many connections in Machala and they, along with the University, were willing to work with us to find some supplemental teaching work. So, we set out, under the direction of another University English teacher, to teach a one-month seminar course on pronunciation. A few weeks earlier, my director had asked me of ideas for topics for native Spanish speakers who are now English teachers. I had suggested pronunciation work. Pronunciation is one of the hardest parts of English to master and it definitely shows. I have had several students who were good English speakers but could be very hard to understand from a native English speaker’s perspective. So, Bryce and I team-taught a pronunciation class that was compiled of high school and college English teachers. It was entirely refreshing to change location, student demographic, and class topic for the month.
Expecting the Unexpected
As March concluded, I began looking for other opportunities in which I could volunteer my time as an English teacher. It’s not hard to find such opportunities here. It’s with no exaggeration that I say, EVERYONE wants to learn English. I found a volunteer opportunity through one of my professor students. She works at an elementary through high school and they were in need of an English teacher. Though, I couldn’t offer more than one month of my time, they were very excited to bring a “gringa” on board. I was under the impression that I would be working alongside the other English teachers for “ reinforcement” as they had told me. I showed up for work on the first day and the director handed me a fully loaded schedule in which I would be teaching my very own classes of first and second graders. After having spent seven months living here, this came in no way as a surprise to me. I took the schedule and prepared myself for what was ahead.
Los Chiquitos
My one month with the seven and eight year old English students was soooo hard but I can’t believe how much I learned in one month! When forced to confront a slightly uncomfortable situation due to lack of knowledge, it’s amazing how fast you can learn in order to proceed. I can now say I have experience teaching kids, which is something I had not anticipated in coming to Ecuador. I think I can also say that I would not want to teach kids that young in the future! I had no idea how hard they can be and I have a newfound and extremely high level of respect for all those elementary school teachers I have had and how they had the patience and kindness to work and teach the youngins. I am a patient and kind person but there’s no better way to test that level of patience than to be thrown into a classroom with 15 little kids who need to learn English but don’t speak much more than a word of it! Wow! What an experience. The kids were cute though and they taught me a lot. I was greeted with warm hugs every day and even when they were mad at me, they would forget after five minutes and be my friend again. They even told me that they were going to bring me a gift on Mother’s Day. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I wouldn’t be teaching them come Mother’s Day.
So, that brings me up to May. Classes have already been postponed but there is a start date in sight. I am writing this blog during my “office hours” where I am required to be at the school campus but don’t have classes to teach yet. Getting there though :)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Final Days of Mom and Dad´s visit
A visit to my “hometown” (for the last 7 months)...Machala!
Of all the places we had planned to visit, I think Mom and Dad were most excited to visit Machala; to see the life I have been living for the past seven months.
I can’t remember if I’ve described Machala in past entries or not. I don’t give Machala much credit for anything and often times I’m fairly harsh with my criticisms towards the city. It’s HOT, humid, rather unattractive, and notorious for being a “tough” (aka dangerous) town. It’s a coastal town with a laid-back coastal feel. It's not a Santa Cruzy coastal feel but more of a dusty, arid, lazy and lethargic coastal feel. People on the coast tend to be heavier than those in the Sierras which I have determined to be caused by the sheer lack of motivation and physical ability to do anything in the heat of the day. The favorite pastime is lounging on your front stoop with your shirt rolled up exposing your coastal gut while watching your children splash about in the kiddy pool. That’s it; that’s all you can do in the worst heat of the day. If you’re not trying your hardest not to move a muscle so as to prevent more sweat, then you’re passing time in the newly built air-conditioned mall.
So, with that description in mind, Mom and Dad were stoked to soak up some Ecuadorian coastal heat, haha, right. Heat aside; Machala has the redeeming quality of its incredibly generous and genuinely nice people.
So, at my Christian party, we ate, sang Christian songs, and everyone gave short speeches about the things they like about me and the personal experiences they have had with me. It was a very sweet, yet awkward while on the spot. We ended with the ritual of the cake. First they sing Happy Birthday (in English and in Spanish), then, after blowing out the candles, they tell you to take a bite of the cake without using your hands. At this point, someone kindly shoves your face in the cake. Before anyone is allowed to eat cake, every person or family unit in the room must take a picture with the birthday person and his or her cake. Then, you get to eat the cake. It’s quite the experience.
The next night we were invited to my friend Elizabeth’s house for dinner. I didn’t realize until we arrived that it was another birthday party! Her mom had prepared a gourmet seafood meal. Dad even got to help make the patacones (fried green plantains)! It was delicious and her family was so excited to meet my family. We ate until we were stuffed and then out came the cake that Elizabeth’s mom had made. Can you guess what was next?? Yep, Happy Birthday songs, cake in the face, and pictures with the cake.
Pictures with the cake...after cleaning my face!
My host family came to see off my parents. So nice!
**In my next blog entry I’ll give a little insight to exactly what I mean by these so called “surprises” and “whirlwinds.”
Of all the places we had planned to visit, I think Mom and Dad were most excited to visit Machala; to see the life I have been living for the past seven months.
I can’t remember if I’ve described Machala in past entries or not. I don’t give Machala much credit for anything and often times I’m fairly harsh with my criticisms towards the city. It’s HOT, humid, rather unattractive, and notorious for being a “tough” (aka dangerous) town. It’s a coastal town with a laid-back coastal feel. It's not a Santa Cruzy coastal feel but more of a dusty, arid, lazy and lethargic coastal feel. People on the coast tend to be heavier than those in the Sierras which I have determined to be caused by the sheer lack of motivation and physical ability to do anything in the heat of the day. The favorite pastime is lounging on your front stoop with your shirt rolled up exposing your coastal gut while watching your children splash about in the kiddy pool. That’s it; that’s all you can do in the worst heat of the day. If you’re not trying your hardest not to move a muscle so as to prevent more sweat, then you’re passing time in the newly built air-conditioned mall.
So, with that description in mind, Mom and Dad were stoked to soak up some Ecuadorian coastal heat, haha, right. Heat aside; Machala has the redeeming quality of its incredibly generous and genuinely nice people.
The host fam and birthdays
Mom and Dad stayed in my host family’s house with me during their visit. My host family always insists on guests staying in our house. And not only do they share their space, but my host mom, Lourdes, gets up early and prepares breakfast in the morning for my guests, my host dad, Alfonso, drives us around for a tour of the city, and my host sister, Marietta, is an awesome translator and really saves me the time of translating Spanish to English. My host family is so caring towards me and shows it by caring as well for my guests. Mom and Dad were no exception. It was obvious the host family wanted to leave a lasting impression on my real parents. They took us out to dinner at the mall’s food court on our first night here (it’s a big privilege in their eyes to dine at the air-conditioned food court). Then, the next morning which was also my birthday, Lourdes prepared a large breakfast for us and shrimp ceviche for lunch. I had no clue what they had in mind for my birthday night. I wasn’t expecting much but I knew they had something up their sleeves. They called over a bunch of their church friends and Alfonso cooked up a delicious typical Ecuadorian dinner for everyone.
Now, I’m leaving one important detail out about the festivities of my birthday…my family is Evangelist. In Ecuador, most people are either Catholic or Christians who have converted from Catholicism to Evangelism. Being that they have converted, they are VERY religious in all aspects of their daily lifestyle. My host family, now that they are retired, spends every moment of their spare time at church or church related events. We pray before every meal…even in the food court. And when it comes to birthday parties, the only acceptable party is a “Christian” party. This means, no alcohol, only Christian music, and absolutely no dancing. Dancing, in all other aspects of the Ecuadorian culture is crucial to any festive gathering. The Evangelists don´t like to partake in dancing because the music that usually accompanies the dancing is not of religious background.
Mom and Dad stayed in my host family’s house with me during their visit. My host family always insists on guests staying in our house. And not only do they share their space, but my host mom, Lourdes, gets up early and prepares breakfast in the morning for my guests, my host dad, Alfonso, drives us around for a tour of the city, and my host sister, Marietta, is an awesome translator and really saves me the time of translating Spanish to English. My host family is so caring towards me and shows it by caring as well for my guests. Mom and Dad were no exception. It was obvious the host family wanted to leave a lasting impression on my real parents. They took us out to dinner at the mall’s food court on our first night here (it’s a big privilege in their eyes to dine at the air-conditioned food court). Then, the next morning which was also my birthday, Lourdes prepared a large breakfast for us and shrimp ceviche for lunch. I had no clue what they had in mind for my birthday night. I wasn’t expecting much but I knew they had something up their sleeves. They called over a bunch of their church friends and Alfonso cooked up a delicious typical Ecuadorian dinner for everyone.
Now, I’m leaving one important detail out about the festivities of my birthday…my family is Evangelist. In Ecuador, most people are either Catholic or Christians who have converted from Catholicism to Evangelism. Being that they have converted, they are VERY religious in all aspects of their daily lifestyle. My host family, now that they are retired, spends every moment of their spare time at church or church related events. We pray before every meal…even in the food court. And when it comes to birthday parties, the only acceptable party is a “Christian” party. This means, no alcohol, only Christian music, and absolutely no dancing. Dancing, in all other aspects of the Ecuadorian culture is crucial to any festive gathering. The Evangelists don´t like to partake in dancing because the music that usually accompanies the dancing is not of religious background.
So, at my Christian party, we ate, sang Christian songs, and everyone gave short speeches about the things they like about me and the personal experiences they have had with me. It was a very sweet, yet awkward while on the spot. We ended with the ritual of the cake. First they sing Happy Birthday (in English and in Spanish), then, after blowing out the candles, they tell you to take a bite of the cake without using your hands. At this point, someone kindly shoves your face in the cake. Before anyone is allowed to eat cake, every person or family unit in the room must take a picture with the birthday person and his or her cake. Then, you get to eat the cake. It’s quite the experience.
The next night we were invited to my friend Elizabeth’s house for dinner. I didn’t realize until we arrived that it was another birthday party! Her mom had prepared a gourmet seafood meal. Dad even got to help make the patacones (fried green plantains)! It was delicious and her family was so excited to meet my family. We ate until we were stuffed and then out came the cake that Elizabeth’s mom had made. Can you guess what was next?? Yep, Happy Birthday songs, cake in the face, and pictures with the cake.
Pictures with the cake...after cleaning my face!If only Ecuador had a Costco
Also, while in Machala, Mom and Dad met Bryce, the only other volunteer from my program in Machala. We met up at Nice Cream Ice Cream, the popular hangout downtown. Bryce and I have instilled the tradition of taking all of our guest to get ice cream at Nice Cream, another popular way to cool off in Machala. Mom and Dad included Bryce in the cool souvenirs from home group and brought him a nice Santa Cruz shirt. The host family was going to get SC shirts too but when I asked them if there was anything specific they would like from the U.S. they requested nuts and vitamins, go figure. Nuts are expensive and limited to the selection of peanuts and almonds here. Vitamins are apparently really really expensive yet highly desired. People in Ecuador run businesses of importing vitamins and wellness drinks from the U.S. and then selling them for triple the price in Ecuador. Lourdes and Alfonso specifically requested their daily vitamins in Costco size containers of 500 tablets. They’ve been the U.S. on few occasions and are very familiar with Costco and its greatness of buying bulk at cheaper rates. I think if Mom and Dad could’ve fit more in their suitcases, Lourdes would’ve asked for a lot more items from Costco!
Bananas!!!
The last thing we did while in Machala was to visit a banana plantation. Don’t forget, Machala is the banana capital of the world! If you come, you’re sure to see bananas everywhere you go. Pancho, husband of my host sister, Marietta, owns several banana farms in the surrounding areas of Machala. He offered to give us the grand tour. The production and systems of the banana farm were incredibly simple yet fascinating. He took us through the process of cutting the bananas from the trees, to the cleaning, to the boxing and ready to ship to the U.S. He left us with some stickers from his bananas so that Mom and Dad could search for bananas in stores back at home that came from his farm. Turns out, they already found some!
I think Mom and Dad were incredibly pleased with their visit to Machala and they definitely left reassured that I am being well taken care of here in the home of Lourdes and Alfonso.
Unfortunately the two-week visit had to come to an end. It was hard for me to let Mom and Dad go back home. They were able to come almost exactly half way through my year here, which was really perfect timing. As much as I’m enjoying my time and experiences in Ecuador, I still miss home and family more than I had anticipated. This experience has been a complete whirlwind and has taught me so much and I know in the three and a half months I have left, I am going to encounter even more surprises that the crazy country of Ecuador has to offer.
The last thing we did while in Machala was to visit a banana plantation. Don’t forget, Machala is the banana capital of the world! If you come, you’re sure to see bananas everywhere you go. Pancho, husband of my host sister, Marietta, owns several banana farms in the surrounding areas of Machala. He offered to give us the grand tour. The production and systems of the banana farm were incredibly simple yet fascinating. He took us through the process of cutting the bananas from the trees, to the cleaning, to the boxing and ready to ship to the U.S. He left us with some stickers from his bananas so that Mom and Dad could search for bananas in stores back at home that came from his farm. Turns out, they already found some!
I think Mom and Dad were incredibly pleased with their visit to Machala and they definitely left reassured that I am being well taken care of here in the home of Lourdes and Alfonso.
Unfortunately the two-week visit had to come to an end. It was hard for me to let Mom and Dad go back home. They were able to come almost exactly half way through my year here, which was really perfect timing. As much as I’m enjoying my time and experiences in Ecuador, I still miss home and family more than I had anticipated. This experience has been a complete whirlwind and has taught me so much and I know in the three and a half months I have left, I am going to encounter even more surprises that the crazy country of Ecuador has to offer.
My host family came to see off my parents. So nice!**In my next blog entry I’ll give a little insight to exactly what I mean by these so called “surprises” and “whirlwinds.”
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Mom and Dad come to Ecuador!! pt 2
Baños
The dreaded tunnel while biking the waterfalls. We opted for a truck-ride on the way back.
They only look innocent...the foam vendors
When you least expect it! Foam in the face!
Since we were so flexible in our trip planning, we were able to stay in Baños longer than we had originally planned. I think Baños was definitely one of our favorite stops. It’s a super tranquil little town that’s very popular among tourists. Although it’s touristy, it’s still surrounded by a lot of local flavor. There are a million outdoor activities to partake in. In our days spent in Baños, we hiked to great heights, biked along a popular waterfall route that included biking through pitch black tunnels that are shared among bikers and cars, and went into the jungle. I was also very stoked to find that the people of Baños have some knowledge of Mexican food. In Machala, I get crazy looks when I mention a burrito or guacamole. In Baños, almost every restaurant makes guacamole. Granted, they don’t all serve tortilla chips. More often it’s served with nacho cheese flavored Doritos but hey, beggars can’t be choosers, right?
The dreaded tunnel while biking the waterfalls. We opted for a truck-ride on the way back.Quito
We left Baños and braved yet another crazy Ecuadorian bus ride to Quito. Quito is the capital city where I spent my first month in Ecuador. It has its good moments but it’s really not my favorite place. However, it is home to “Mitad del Mundo,” or Middle of the World. You can stand on the world´s latitude zero degrees, zero minutes, and zero second’s line. Supposedly, it has been proven false and the actual line actually exists some meters away but, for what it’s worth, it’s pretty cool.
We left Baños and braved yet another crazy Ecuadorian bus ride to Quito. Quito is the capital city where I spent my first month in Ecuador. It has its good moments but it’s really not my favorite place. However, it is home to “Mitad del Mundo,” or Middle of the World. You can stand on the world´s latitude zero degrees, zero minutes, and zero second’s line. Supposedly, it has been proven false and the actual line actually exists some meters away but, for what it’s worth, it’s pretty cool.
Also in Quito, Mom and Dad got a taste of the true Ecuadorian party scene. Dad insisted on staying at his book’s “Editor’s Pick” which was a historical building that had been converted into a hostel. This hostel was located in quite possibly the biggest party spot in all of Quito and we were there on a Friday night. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep that night. Well, at least Mom didn’t. She can probably recite by heart all the songs that emotional drunk men sing together with arms around each other at three in the morning.
Cuena - Ghost Town
From Quito we flew south to Cuenca, foregoing another lengthy bus ride. Cuenca is a beautiful city which resembles cities in Spain much more than other cities in Ecuador. It is a very cultured and artistic city which many foreigners visit. However, we somehow chose to visit Cuenca on, what I’m sure, is the most dead time of year, Carnaval (our equivalent to Mardi Gras). Had I had known, we probably would have re-arranged our trip, but I didn’t. Those who stay in Cuenca for the holiday hide out inside their houses the whole time preying on poor tourists. While walking seemingly empty streets, we had to constantly dodge water balloons that, literally, appeared out of nowhere. The minute it hit the ground, we would look up and see nothing but the swaying curtain that was surely hiding the culprit. We even had to dodge an egg.
Turns out, everyone in Cuenca who´s not playing hard-to-get with tourists heads to the beaches during Carnaval. Carnaval is a beachy holiday because it’s celebrated by dousing anybody and everybody with water in any way, shape, or form. The most common forms are water balloons, super-soakers, or plain old buckets. Then the real players come along and follow up the water with flour or spray foam. It’s a full week (actually month) when it’s totally acceptable to partake (willingly or not) in water fights with complete strangers. When not in the mood, this holiday can really bring you down. There’s no way to survive but to get on board. While walking down the empty streets of Cuenca one night hungry and looking for an open place to eat, I was pegged with a water balloon on my shoulder by another gringo. I have determined that it’s totally unacceptable for one gringo to peg another gringo in the form of another culture’s festivities.
From Quito we flew south to Cuenca, foregoing another lengthy bus ride. Cuenca is a beautiful city which resembles cities in Spain much more than other cities in Ecuador. It is a very cultured and artistic city which many foreigners visit. However, we somehow chose to visit Cuenca on, what I’m sure, is the most dead time of year, Carnaval (our equivalent to Mardi Gras). Had I had known, we probably would have re-arranged our trip, but I didn’t. Those who stay in Cuenca for the holiday hide out inside their houses the whole time preying on poor tourists. While walking seemingly empty streets, we had to constantly dodge water balloons that, literally, appeared out of nowhere. The minute it hit the ground, we would look up and see nothing but the swaying curtain that was surely hiding the culprit. We even had to dodge an egg.
Turns out, everyone in Cuenca who´s not playing hard-to-get with tourists heads to the beaches during Carnaval. Carnaval is a beachy holiday because it’s celebrated by dousing anybody and everybody with water in any way, shape, or form. The most common forms are water balloons, super-soakers, or plain old buckets. Then the real players come along and follow up the water with flour or spray foam. It’s a full week (actually month) when it’s totally acceptable to partake (willingly or not) in water fights with complete strangers. When not in the mood, this holiday can really bring you down. There’s no way to survive but to get on board. While walking down the empty streets of Cuenca one night hungry and looking for an open place to eat, I was pegged with a water balloon on my shoulder by another gringo. I have determined that it’s totally unacceptable for one gringo to peg another gringo in the form of another culture’s festivities.
Let´s get out of this town
After witnessing the desolate streets of Cuenca, we decided to get out of town for the day. After attempting to navigate the crazy bus station filled with Cuencanos trying to escape to the beach, we reluctantly negotiated a ride with a taxi. Our driver took us to Chordaleg, a tiny town known for its silver. Chordaleg did not have much to offer during this season of Carnaval, so we headed back towards Cuenca stopping in Gualaceo. At last, we had found where the people who don’t go to the beach reside during Carnaval. Gualaceo was a pretty normal little town from what I could tell but its streets were filled with the shrieks and screams of those being soaked in water fights. It was instantly apparent that there was no escaping the festivities.
After witnessing the desolate streets of Cuenca, we decided to get out of town for the day. After attempting to navigate the crazy bus station filled with Cuencanos trying to escape to the beach, we reluctantly negotiated a ride with a taxi. Our driver took us to Chordaleg, a tiny town known for its silver. Chordaleg did not have much to offer during this season of Carnaval, so we headed back towards Cuenca stopping in Gualaceo. At last, we had found where the people who don’t go to the beach reside during Carnaval. Gualaceo was a pretty normal little town from what I could tell but its streets were filled with the shrieks and screams of those being soaked in water fights. It was instantly apparent that there was no escaping the festivities.
As we navigated through the streets of Gualaceo, Dad was back-stabbed by a shopkeeper who pretended to give him cover but then ended up pouring a bottle of water over his head. Mom innocently strolled by two young guys who were pretending to be looking at some clothes but then suddenly turned and sprayed her down with foam. Then, walking through what seemed to be a fairly harmless produce market, we were attacked from behind with long-range water guns. Luckily on this day, we were in the mood and had a great time navigating the dangerous streets of Gualaceo and running from little children fully loaded with water, foam and flour.
Note the buckets...
Attacked from behind!!
They only look innocent...the foam vendors
When you least expect it! Foam in the face!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Is everyone in the U.S. an actor?
Mom and Dad visit Ecuador is still on the way...
Here´s a little story of something classic that happened to me today:
I have started working mornings at an Elementary school. Work at the University is still on hold for the time being. Now that I work in the mornings, my work-out routine is in a rut. I used to get up and go for a run before the sun had come out. Now, I have to go in the afternoons. You can imagine how hard it is to get myself outside for a run at 4 pm in 90 degree heat!
Today I made it! I left my house at 5 pm and was refreshed by the cool breeze that was coming in and by the clouds that were shading the sun. Towards the end of my run I witnessed a car accident. It was pretty bad but no one was injured. I came to an immediate halt and joined in with the crowd of onlookers. It´s even more common to crowd around an accident here than it is at home.
While looking from afar, a woman next to me struck up a conversation. This is yet, another daily occurence in Ecuador. The friendliness of the perfect stranger still amazes me. Ecuadorians think people from the U.S. are cold and unfriendly. I think we´re just not as trusting of strangers. They always tell me I prove their theories wrong, so I must be doing some good down here, right?
Anyways, we got to talking. She wants to meet up with me for a jog sometime because her husband calls her lazy. She asked which part of the States I´m from. I said California and she asked if that was near Hollywood. Hollywood, another intriguing factor of the U.S. for those outside of it. I told her Hollywood was IN California so then she thought I must have met some celebrities in my lifetime. Unfortunately, I have not unless you count Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Biggest Loser...) or some no-namer from CSI who Dad was convinced was a main character and who now does water shows at theme parks. The woman then asked if nearly everyone in the U.S. is an actor or actress. So, lots of acting talk later, she tells me I remind her of a famous actress. Melissa something...she can´t remember the name. She looked to her daughter for help saying, ¨you know, that girl from that show you watch, Clarissa Explains it All.¨
For those of you who don´t know, Clarissa Explains it all was a popular Nickelodean show from about 14 or so years ago in which Melissa Joan Heart played a teenage girl going through teenage girl stuff. It was an awfully annoying show. It seems to have made a comeback in Ecuador. She informed me that she also plays on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Yes, I know who she is and no, no one has ever told me before that I resemble her.
Having this little, humorous conversation with my new friend on the street really brightened my day and left me running home with a smile on my face. Melissa Joan Heart? Really? You just never know what to expect.
Here´s a little story of something classic that happened to me today:
I have started working mornings at an Elementary school. Work at the University is still on hold for the time being. Now that I work in the mornings, my work-out routine is in a rut. I used to get up and go for a run before the sun had come out. Now, I have to go in the afternoons. You can imagine how hard it is to get myself outside for a run at 4 pm in 90 degree heat!
Today I made it! I left my house at 5 pm and was refreshed by the cool breeze that was coming in and by the clouds that were shading the sun. Towards the end of my run I witnessed a car accident. It was pretty bad but no one was injured. I came to an immediate halt and joined in with the crowd of onlookers. It´s even more common to crowd around an accident here than it is at home.
While looking from afar, a woman next to me struck up a conversation. This is yet, another daily occurence in Ecuador. The friendliness of the perfect stranger still amazes me. Ecuadorians think people from the U.S. are cold and unfriendly. I think we´re just not as trusting of strangers. They always tell me I prove their theories wrong, so I must be doing some good down here, right?
Anyways, we got to talking. She wants to meet up with me for a jog sometime because her husband calls her lazy. She asked which part of the States I´m from. I said California and she asked if that was near Hollywood. Hollywood, another intriguing factor of the U.S. for those outside of it. I told her Hollywood was IN California so then she thought I must have met some celebrities in my lifetime. Unfortunately, I have not unless you count Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Biggest Loser...) or some no-namer from CSI who Dad was convinced was a main character and who now does water shows at theme parks. The woman then asked if nearly everyone in the U.S. is an actor or actress. So, lots of acting talk later, she tells me I remind her of a famous actress. Melissa something...she can´t remember the name. She looked to her daughter for help saying, ¨you know, that girl from that show you watch, Clarissa Explains it All.¨
For those of you who don´t know, Clarissa Explains it all was a popular Nickelodean show from about 14 or so years ago in which Melissa Joan Heart played a teenage girl going through teenage girl stuff. It was an awfully annoying show. It seems to have made a comeback in Ecuador. She informed me that she also plays on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Yes, I know who she is and no, no one has ever told me before that I resemble her.
Having this little, humorous conversation with my new friend on the street really brightened my day and left me running home with a smile on my face. Melissa Joan Heart? Really? You just never know what to expect.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Visitors!! Mom and Dad, pt 1
After little thought and lots of planning, Mom and Dad came to visit me in Ecuador! At about halfway through my year here and near my birthday, timing couldn’t have been any better. We talked many nights on Skype attempting to plan our trip but, I’ve never been much of a planner, and Ecuador has only encouraged me to plan less. It’s fairly easy to just move around here and be assured that you’ll find a place to stay and a tour to book when you roll into town.
Here’s a little breakdown of Mom and Dad venture to Ecuador for a little adventure:
Hotels (not motels…motels are rented by the hour)
Hotels in Ecuador like to book reservations based on the number of people in your party rather than the number and/or types of beds needed. If you declare four people, well then, they want to give you four beds. The first night in Ecuador we were in a HUGE room with four beds (enough room to sleep 7 people) because my friend Elizabeth accompanied me to meet my parents in Guayaquil. You really have to make yourself clear if you want a specific bed arrangement. “ Una sencilla y un matrimonio por favor,” otherwise you end up sleeping in three twin beds.
A local’s point of view
Dad, taking after Grampa Ike, loves to make friends with any old stranger. You would think it would be harder to do in Ecuador what with the language barrier and all, but, you’d have to see it to believe it, my dad can converse for hours with the locals with his slight Spanish skills and their eagerness to listen. Dad made friends with David and family on a train ride to La Nariz del Diablo in Riobamba. He met sweet Olga, a small woman living alone at the peak of a vista point in the mountains of Baños, and – can’t remember her name – he spoke every morning with the woman who served him coffee. She came to recognize him when he walked through the door as “ café para llevar” man.
While trekking up the mountains behind Baños one day and beginning to conclude that we were never going to reach the mysterious little town of Run Tun at the very top of the mountain, we met a mountain local, Manuel. Manuel hailed us from the road insisting that we needed to rest and drink some tea…in his little concrete mountain house. I, as I always am here, was very weary and ready to say no. Well, we tried, but in true Ecua fashion, he refused our refusal and we ended up sitting down to a cup of tea and some cookies inside Manuel’s tiny, immaculate house. He insisted we stay for a while and even took his Nixon mask off the wall and put it on for a little show. He sat back with the mask on, held up two peace signs and said “ No so ladrón,” I am not a thief. It was at this point I had a hunch we were not the first wandering tourists to be sharing an afternoon cup of tea with Manuel. I became sure of this hunch after he led us back to the trail and then put his hand out politely requesting a tip.
Jungle time
One of the must sees for Mom and Dad was the jungle of Ecuador. We booked a one night trip out of Baños to go to the jungles of Puyo. The three of us had a private guide, Carlos who “ spoke English.” Carlos was awesome and definitely knew how to survive the jungle life. He lead us to our lovely rustic cabanas, where we would be staying for the night and then went to the kitchen to “ prepare the food.” He always said he was going to go prepare the food and he would be in the kitchen much longer than all the other guides who were individually preparing food for their groups. We soon realized our wait was well worth it when, after we’d been jealously eyeing other travelers eat their heaping plate of pasta, Carlos presented us with cream of mushroom soup, grilled garlic and herb chicken and fresh veggies. I assure you, this is not normal for food served on jungle trips, let alone food in Ecudaor. Carlos continued to wow us with his gourmet dishes.
It was after the first jungle hike and night’s stay in the rather shabby rustic cabins, that Mom and Dad agreed they were happy we had only booked one night. Jungle tour agencies here hardly ever warn you of the physical condition you should be in in order to participate in jungle trips. Jungle tour guides are part animal and just don’t consider that other people aren’t. After our first day’s hike we had had shared homemade yucca alcohol with the village shaman, painted our faces with ink from a jungle plant, climbed yet another tall tall mountain to a vista point, and swung over a large mud pit on a vine like Tarzan. Well, Carlos did, Dad did, and I opted out after witnessing the result of Mom’s turn. You’ll have to ask her about that story…
Our next day hike was even more strenuous and done wearing panchos because the rainforest rains had begun to fall hard. We inhaled some water mixture made from the bark of a tree that was supposed to clear our sinuses. Not only did it clear our sinuses, but it brought tears to our eyes, as well as our jungle guide’s eyes. On this day we were told we were going to hike to a waterfall and could swim. We all assumed the swim was optional. This assumption was put to rest when we had to begin hiking upstream in waste deep water. Then we stopped and Carlos informed us to leave our things on the embankment and swim around the rock ahead to get to the waterfall. Mom’s “no way am I swimming on this rainy day” attitude was confronted and conquered.
Here’s a little breakdown of Mom and Dad venture to Ecuador for a little adventure:
Hotels (not motels…motels are rented by the hour)
Hotels in Ecuador like to book reservations based on the number of people in your party rather than the number and/or types of beds needed. If you declare four people, well then, they want to give you four beds. The first night in Ecuador we were in a HUGE room with four beds (enough room to sleep 7 people) because my friend Elizabeth accompanied me to meet my parents in Guayaquil. You really have to make yourself clear if you want a specific bed arrangement. “ Una sencilla y un matrimonio por favor,” otherwise you end up sleeping in three twin beds.
A local’s point of view
Dad, taking after Grampa Ike, loves to make friends with any old stranger. You would think it would be harder to do in Ecuador what with the language barrier and all, but, you’d have to see it to believe it, my dad can converse for hours with the locals with his slight Spanish skills and their eagerness to listen. Dad made friends with David and family on a train ride to La Nariz del Diablo in Riobamba. He met sweet Olga, a small woman living alone at the peak of a vista point in the mountains of Baños, and – can’t remember her name – he spoke every morning with the woman who served him coffee. She came to recognize him when he walked through the door as “ café para llevar” man.
While trekking up the mountains behind Baños one day and beginning to conclude that we were never going to reach the mysterious little town of Run Tun at the very top of the mountain, we met a mountain local, Manuel. Manuel hailed us from the road insisting that we needed to rest and drink some tea…in his little concrete mountain house. I, as I always am here, was very weary and ready to say no. Well, we tried, but in true Ecua fashion, he refused our refusal and we ended up sitting down to a cup of tea and some cookies inside Manuel’s tiny, immaculate house. He insisted we stay for a while and even took his Nixon mask off the wall and put it on for a little show. He sat back with the mask on, held up two peace signs and said “ No so ladrón,” I am not a thief. It was at this point I had a hunch we were not the first wandering tourists to be sharing an afternoon cup of tea with Manuel. I became sure of this hunch after he led us back to the trail and then put his hand out politely requesting a tip.
Jungle time
One of the must sees for Mom and Dad was the jungle of Ecuador. We booked a one night trip out of Baños to go to the jungles of Puyo. The three of us had a private guide, Carlos who “ spoke English.” Carlos was awesome and definitely knew how to survive the jungle life. He lead us to our lovely rustic cabanas, where we would be staying for the night and then went to the kitchen to “ prepare the food.” He always said he was going to go prepare the food and he would be in the kitchen much longer than all the other guides who were individually preparing food for their groups. We soon realized our wait was well worth it when, after we’d been jealously eyeing other travelers eat their heaping plate of pasta, Carlos presented us with cream of mushroom soup, grilled garlic and herb chicken and fresh veggies. I assure you, this is not normal for food served on jungle trips, let alone food in Ecudaor. Carlos continued to wow us with his gourmet dishes.
It was after the first jungle hike and night’s stay in the rather shabby rustic cabins, that Mom and Dad agreed they were happy we had only booked one night. Jungle tour agencies here hardly ever warn you of the physical condition you should be in in order to participate in jungle trips. Jungle tour guides are part animal and just don’t consider that other people aren’t. After our first day’s hike we had had shared homemade yucca alcohol with the village shaman, painted our faces with ink from a jungle plant, climbed yet another tall tall mountain to a vista point, and swung over a large mud pit on a vine like Tarzan. Well, Carlos did, Dad did, and I opted out after witnessing the result of Mom’s turn. You’ll have to ask her about that story…
Our next day hike was even more strenuous and done wearing panchos because the rainforest rains had begun to fall hard. We inhaled some water mixture made from the bark of a tree that was supposed to clear our sinuses. Not only did it clear our sinuses, but it brought tears to our eyes, as well as our jungle guide’s eyes. On this day we were told we were going to hike to a waterfall and could swim. We all assumed the swim was optional. This assumption was put to rest when we had to begin hiking upstream in waste deep water. Then we stopped and Carlos informed us to leave our things on the embankment and swim around the rock ahead to get to the waterfall. Mom’s “no way am I swimming on this rainy day” attitude was confronted and conquered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
