Thursday, December 18, 2008
December 18, 2008
Today is the 6 month anniversary of my arrival in Ecuador. I celebrated it by washing my clothes in an actual washing machine. A neighbor introduced my to a friend of hers that has a washing machine. I am very happy!
December 17, 2008
So I have a dog… Sort of… Actually, not really… I have no idea.
Ok. So what happened is that I was walking through my site on Monday to invite children to a course of ‘Libros y Arte’ at the library on Tuesday. A few girls happened to run up to me and told me that they found this tiny stray dog and asked me if I wanted to see it. I agreed and they showed me this ratty little dog that fit in the palm of my hand. They told me that their parents wouldn’t let them keep it and asked me if I would. Now I love dogs and have been contemplating getting one. I had a temporary moment of weakness and agreed. As I walked home with this tiny dog in my hand I realized what a big responsibility it was and that I couldn’t possibly handle a dog right now. However, I also knew that I couldn’t abandon the dog. So after a long night caring for the puppy and much chastising from the bf, I decided that the dog could live in my garden and I would care for it as long as it stayed. If it left… so be it.
Unfortunately, the entire neighborhood decided that the dog was definitely mine. Every time the dog ventures out of my yard, practically the entire neighborhood comes running to tell me. I keep telling them that if the dog leaves, fine. I’m not going to chase it down every 5 seconds. They don’t listen! I don’t get it. There are a bazillion stray dogs here, and the dogs that do have homes never actually live there. One old dog constantly sleeps in my yard. No one cares. But every time this dog leaves the vicinity of my yard it is a neighborhood catastrophe. I almost shouted at my neighbor to leave the dog alone.
This is what I get for trying to help a stray pup.
Ok. So what happened is that I was walking through my site on Monday to invite children to a course of ‘Libros y Arte’ at the library on Tuesday. A few girls happened to run up to me and told me that they found this tiny stray dog and asked me if I wanted to see it. I agreed and they showed me this ratty little dog that fit in the palm of my hand. They told me that their parents wouldn’t let them keep it and asked me if I would. Now I love dogs and have been contemplating getting one. I had a temporary moment of weakness and agreed. As I walked home with this tiny dog in my hand I realized what a big responsibility it was and that I couldn’t possibly handle a dog right now. However, I also knew that I couldn’t abandon the dog. So after a long night caring for the puppy and much chastising from the bf, I decided that the dog could live in my garden and I would care for it as long as it stayed. If it left… so be it.
Unfortunately, the entire neighborhood decided that the dog was definitely mine. Every time the dog ventures out of my yard, practically the entire neighborhood comes running to tell me. I keep telling them that if the dog leaves, fine. I’m not going to chase it down every 5 seconds. They don’t listen! I don’t get it. There are a bazillion stray dogs here, and the dogs that do have homes never actually live there. One old dog constantly sleeps in my yard. No one cares. But every time this dog leaves the vicinity of my yard it is a neighborhood catastrophe. I almost shouted at my neighbor to leave the dog alone.
This is what I get for trying to help a stray pup.
Monday, December 15, 2008
December 15, 2008
Another busy week. My casi-boyfriend (I hate the word boyfriend, but there is really no other word to describe him in the English language) and I got into this ridiculous fight and then made up, I helped paint a mural on a wall outside one of the elementary schools, I made gingerbread without ginger, help another ‘Libros y Arte’ course with the children at the library (we made candle ornaments), and I received two amazing packages from complete strangers (plus the regular amazing packages from my mother).
This past weekend I went to Cayambe to visit my host family for training. I left my site Friday night and took a bus to Quito. Once in Quito, I got lost riding the trolleys for an hour or so (anyone who knows me shouldn’t be surprised). After two trolleys and a bus ride, I finally got myself to the right bus terminal to go to Cayambe. I call it a learning experience. I won’t make that mistake twice!
Once I arrived in Cayambe, the kids immediately wanted to play with me. I was exhausted from such a long trip, but didn’t want to disappoint. We went to the park for a bit and then returned for lunch. After lunch, the kids showed my around some of the stores that had been built since I had left. Then we spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and trying to keep warm (I was missing the Coast).
The next day, Marcos, Pata, Monica and I drove around the countryside. It was really beautiful, but I would constantly fall asleep and then we would stop at another destination. We stopped by Otavalo—which has this really touristy market—and I bought myself a hammock for my house and several gifts to send to the States. When we finally got back, it was almost time for me to catch a bus to Quito.
Once I arrived in Quito, I—once again—got lost riding the buses (another learning experience) on my way to the PC office. I finally got to the office and spent an hour or so using the ridiculously slow internet and chatting with other PC volunteers who happened to be there. Then it was time to catch another 10-hour bus ride back to Machala. Yippee!!!
This past weekend I went to Cayambe to visit my host family for training. I left my site Friday night and took a bus to Quito. Once in Quito, I got lost riding the trolleys for an hour or so (anyone who knows me shouldn’t be surprised). After two trolleys and a bus ride, I finally got myself to the right bus terminal to go to Cayambe. I call it a learning experience. I won’t make that mistake twice!
Once I arrived in Cayambe, the kids immediately wanted to play with me. I was exhausted from such a long trip, but didn’t want to disappoint. We went to the park for a bit and then returned for lunch. After lunch, the kids showed my around some of the stores that had been built since I had left. Then we spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and trying to keep warm (I was missing the Coast).
The next day, Marcos, Pata, Monica and I drove around the countryside. It was really beautiful, but I would constantly fall asleep and then we would stop at another destination. We stopped by Otavalo—which has this really touristy market—and I bought myself a hammock for my house and several gifts to send to the States. When we finally got back, it was almost time for me to catch a bus to Quito.
Once I arrived in Quito, I—once again—got lost riding the buses (another learning experience) on my way to the PC office. I finally got to the office and spent an hour or so using the ridiculously slow internet and chatting with other PC volunteers who happened to be there. Then it was time to catch another 10-hour bus ride back to Machala. Yippee!!!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
December 7, 2008
On Friday one of my Peace Corps friends from training came to visit me for the weekend. It was so wonderful to see her. We spent Friday afternoon walking around my town and visiting the mall. It was great fun to show off my town. Her sight is very rural so it was a shock to her to see how many nearby conveniences I have. It really made me appreciate my site. It also made me realize how drastically different Peace Corps experiences can be. No one can ever foresee what his or her Peace Corps experience will be like. There is so much variety.
In the evening, my friend and I got ready to prepare fajitas when the electricity went out. Hungry and determined, we ended up preparing and eating an amazing meal over candlelight. Very romantic!
The next day we hang around my house until it was time to go to the Machala girl’s photo shoot. One of the Machala volunteers thought it would be hilarious if we took a Christmas photo of all the volunteers in the Machala area hanging off of a motorcycle (since riding on a motorcycle is very forbidden by Peace Corps) to send to the PC office in Quito. It was ridiculously hot out and, of course, only half of the volunteers arrived on time. By the time we were done I halfway melted. Fortunately, immediately after a few of us went to the beach. It’s times like these that I love living in Ecuador. I don’t miss the cold!
In the evening a few people came over to my place and we had a lovely dinner party. I cooked fresh shrimp that I had bought at the beach and then baked cookies in my campo oven. Since I can only make a dozen or so cookies at a time in the campo oven and they take a lot longer to bake, I decided to save the gas needed to cook all the dough and forked over the remainder cookie dough to my guests. Since, after all, the raw dough it the best part anyway, right? Everyone was very appreciative!
My friend left early this morning. It was sad to see her go. I can’t wait till I see everyone from training at reconnect!
Some photos of my new house:
In the evening, my friend and I got ready to prepare fajitas when the electricity went out. Hungry and determined, we ended up preparing and eating an amazing meal over candlelight. Very romantic!
The next day we hang around my house until it was time to go to the Machala girl’s photo shoot. One of the Machala volunteers thought it would be hilarious if we took a Christmas photo of all the volunteers in the Machala area hanging off of a motorcycle (since riding on a motorcycle is very forbidden by Peace Corps) to send to the PC office in Quito. It was ridiculously hot out and, of course, only half of the volunteers arrived on time. By the time we were done I halfway melted. Fortunately, immediately after a few of us went to the beach. It’s times like these that I love living in Ecuador. I don’t miss the cold!
In the evening a few people came over to my place and we had a lovely dinner party. I cooked fresh shrimp that I had bought at the beach and then baked cookies in my campo oven. Since I can only make a dozen or so cookies at a time in the campo oven and they take a lot longer to bake, I decided to save the gas needed to cook all the dough and forked over the remainder cookie dough to my guests. Since, after all, the raw dough it the best part anyway, right? Everyone was very appreciative!
My friend left early this morning. It was sad to see her go. I can’t wait till I see everyone from training at reconnect!
Some photos of my new house:
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
December 1, 2008
I finally officially moved into my new house on Saturday. I can’t describe to you all how much I LOVE IT!!! It is my home, the sanctuary that I dreamt about. It is a place where I can be me: where I can prepare my own food, walk around in my underwear if I so desire (and I desire to do that a lot… it is getting really hot), and… well… be me. It isn’t prefect. There is only water in the morning, my place shares a wall with the owner and I can often hear them when I want to sleep, and the children apparently believe that my house is the latest playground… or a zoo. I friend came over yesterday and a group of children just watched us through the screen door for half an hour. They didn’t say anything. Just watched. I keep reminding myself that the novelty of my living here will quickly wear off. I hope.
Today I spent the morning enjoying my new house. My counterpart then came over and I showed off my new place. We discussed what we would do this month. She wants me to write another 3-week ‘Libros y Arte’ (Books and Art) class. This time with a Christmas theme. The only problem is that there are no children Christmas books or stories written in Spanish. I spent several hours surfing the internet for Christmas stories posted online, but none of them were any good. I know Christmas isn’t a big deal here… but seriously! I desperately searched the libraries close to my parents in hopes that my mother could scan some books for me. No luck. After several hours I found ‘The Gift of the Magi’ in Spanish and another story that looks passably interesting. Hopefully I can start with them and therefore buy myself a little more time before I have to write the lesson plan for the third and final week. Wish me luck!!!
In the afternoon I baked banana muffins in my new campo oven… which is basically a big pot with a rock in the bottom that I place over the stove to bake. I’m happy to say that it worked! Then later this evening the little girl I’ve been tutoring came over and I helped her with her homework. She can barely subtract but is ‘learning’ long division in school. (I put quotes around learning because I know she isn’t learning anything in her classes.) I broke out the large lima-bean shaped beans that I have and we counted and grouped the beans for several hours. In the end she managed to do all the math herself with me only prompting her with phrases such as “Where do we write the 7?” “What number do we bring down now?” and, my favorite, “Are you sure 7 x 7 = 1? I think you better count how many beans there are.” She eventually got the hang of the concept of division and while she solved the problems I cleaned my house and shaved my legs. All in all, it was a very productive evening!
Today I spent the morning enjoying my new house. My counterpart then came over and I showed off my new place. We discussed what we would do this month. She wants me to write another 3-week ‘Libros y Arte’ (Books and Art) class. This time with a Christmas theme. The only problem is that there are no children Christmas books or stories written in Spanish. I spent several hours surfing the internet for Christmas stories posted online, but none of them were any good. I know Christmas isn’t a big deal here… but seriously! I desperately searched the libraries close to my parents in hopes that my mother could scan some books for me. No luck. After several hours I found ‘The Gift of the Magi’ in Spanish and another story that looks passably interesting. Hopefully I can start with them and therefore buy myself a little more time before I have to write the lesson plan for the third and final week. Wish me luck!!!
In the afternoon I baked banana muffins in my new campo oven… which is basically a big pot with a rock in the bottom that I place over the stove to bake. I’m happy to say that it worked! Then later this evening the little girl I’ve been tutoring came over and I helped her with her homework. She can barely subtract but is ‘learning’ long division in school. (I put quotes around learning because I know she isn’t learning anything in her classes.) I broke out the large lima-bean shaped beans that I have and we counted and grouped the beans for several hours. In the end she managed to do all the math herself with me only prompting her with phrases such as “Where do we write the 7?” “What number do we bring down now?” and, my favorite, “Are you sure 7 x 7 = 1? I think you better count how many beans there are.” She eventually got the hang of the concept of division and while she solved the problems I cleaned my house and shaved my legs. All in all, it was a very productive evening!
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