(Monday, August 30, Day 70)

"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps."


Phrase of the day:
Batidos, te amo... Fruitshakes, I love you

As odd as it is, I've started to run. Kasie, the public health volunteer here, loves to, so I go with her. None of the kids I know play soccer in the evenings, so I need to get exercise somewhere. The run is scenic. We begin on the one non-dirt road in town:
Pass a really nice home. (By far the nicest I've seen since Quito... I think the people that live there have family in Spain). I need to see if they have an apartment to rent, haha:
And then finally run through the country. Parts remind me of Tavullia, others of India, and others of what I imagine Thailand to be like.:
(Nice and all, but I'm definitely getting a bike in a few weeks!)
The weekend was probably the longest two days that I can remember. Not long in a bad or good way... just long. I don't think I was productive for more than 6 hours... and 30 minutes of that was one of Luis' friends trying to teach me how to dance, if that counts. Yeah, totally counts like double! I'm not sure why, but most people just sit around when it's hot and sunny outside. I mean, sure, I'll wait till it's later to run, but???

Next weekend I'm hoping to make a pull-up bar... and maybe begin suscribing to a magazine of some sort. Not sure what as yet, but something productive!

On that note, I have a mailbox now. I'm only posting it because some of you have asked, repeatedly, haha:

Kundu Shantonu
CASILLA 13-02-27
BAHIA DE CARAQUEZ - MANABI
ECUADOR

You really don't need to send me anything though! Besides people(you all), they mostly have the same things here. (Unless you somehow have a timemachine; that would be perfect for when I have tons and tons of free time, haha). But really, taxes are super high and they charge way too much for even the smallest package. If you still do send something, make sure you declare the value as "0", and try to keep it under 4pounds (they can/do open packages here, especially when they are "heavy"). Word on the street is that padded envelopes make it to their destination here in ecuador most frequently. Also, I only check my mail every two weeks, because it's like 2hours away.

I'm hoping to get internet some time this week. It all depends on whether or not those wireless usb modems work out here. Cross your fingers!

Side note, I totally cut my hair after bb asked if I was trying to look like Justin Beiber(and maybe a bit because it's hot):

Hope all is well back home!

ps: I know, I didn't mention anything about the "batidos"! You'll just have to come and try them.

(Wednesday, August 25, Day 65)

"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps."


Phrase of the day:
Entonces, eso estuvieron interesante... So, that was interesting.

I'm not sure what happened today (I mean, I totally know what happened, but it's just interesting how things work here)...

During breakfast this morning my counterpart asked me to come to the high school around 11am. Naturally, I went, but only to find that I was there to talk to one of his Strategic Planning class. What!?! Why would I be talking to his class already? It's like day number 3 here. And what would I even talk about? Priceless.

Luckily, he introduced me to the class and said what I was there to talk about. And after translating what he told them (us) into English, I winged-it for the rest of class... It seems he wants to begin 6 projects: Neighborhood Organization, Community Planning, Radio Communication, Trash Organization, Tourism, and Girls Soccer (more details to follow, for sure). I get to use his class to help me with these said projects. We split up the students into 6 groups, and I'll begin meeting with them this coming Monday to work on the projects. (Umm, hopefully I'll learn a bunch of Spanish by then!).

Then in the afternoon, Luis said we were going to the cascades. I had no idea what to expect... and I still don't, because we didn't make it, haha. BUT we did try!
We drove through creeks, up and down mountains, and finally made it to a path we could walk on.
After a mile through the forest, we made it to the river and tried to scramble our way to the cascades. (Think Great Falls on a much smaller scale).
We had to leave our shoes, cameras, and other valuables under some rocks when it came time to cross the river to continue on. Unfortunately, we didn't make it all the way to the cascades before it began to get dark. But when you visit, we'll definitely be going back! And as always, we'll pile 16 people in the truck.

(Monday, August 23, Day 63)

"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps."


Phrase of the day:
Lo siento, pero me nombre no es San Antonio... I'm sorry, but my name is not San Antonio

I'm finally at my site! I say finally because I ended up being in Quito a bit longer than I had expected... somehow I was nominated and elected to some Volunteer Advisory Council. It's basically like a student government. The group (VAC) meets 3 times a year with the country director to discuss issues that volunteers are having with policy and what not. I will be at the meetings representing my Youth and Families program. And no worries, I haven't changed; I'm as shocked as you are that I am in VAC.

I stayed in Quito for meetings on Thursday and Friday, and I noticed that the other volunteers, who all have more experience, are all pretty biased towards their own programs. Hopefully I'll bring at least a little logic to the group, if nothing else.

After my meetings on Friday, I went to the bus station to try to purchase a ticket for the evening bus to my site. No dice (and no complaints, haha). I hadn't eaten lunch, so I went to the really nice mall, Quicentro, (like Tysons nice) and went to Crepes & Waffles. I mean, it can't get much better than that! Really, as long as it didn't have rice or potatoes I would have been happy. Randomly, I sat next to a girl my age-ish and her mother. They spoke English and tried to translate the menu for me. I actually knew what everything meant, I was just trying to decide which kind of ice cream I wanted on my berry-filled crepe. I ended up choosing vanilla and strawberry. We spoke for over an hour during lunch (that was nice because I still think it's lame when I am in a restaurant eating alone). The mother is a doctor and works with World Vision. I'm pretty sure she is getting one of the new health volunteers this coming week actually. The daughter is finishing up her thesis to become an architect. And they speak English because 1) they used to live in California, 2) they have had money to go to private schools, and 3) they still have some family in the states whom they visit. If they ever come to the US after my two years, you'll possibly be meeting them.

Somehow I ended up hanging out with the girl and her friend in the evening too. That was really nice because there weren't any other volunteers (who I talk to) still in Quito, and I really didn't want to stay in my hostel all night. They showed me around La Ronda, a happening street in the old part of Quito. It reminded me of Paris a bit... old architecture with lots of lights, people roaming the streets, and good food. No comment on the lack of ice cream in that area! I did have empanadas and hot chocolate though. And yes, I totally waited for the hot chocolate to cool down a bit.

And sadly no pictures of the old town at night. I wasn't sure if it would be safe or not.

But yes, I arrived here Saturday evening around dinner time. On Sunday I finally slept in (it's been weeks and weeks since that has really happened). And now we are here... we'll see what happens...

I have lots of surveys to complete, and lots of books I can begin reading when I am bored. (I know, I of all people am resorting to reading something besides National Geo and Popular Science at Big Uncle's!) I will also begin taking some more pictures of the town itself to show you. Word on the street is that there actually may be some sort of gym! (I'm imagining a few dumbells in a windowless room, but much better than nothing!)

Hope all is great back home! Cannot wait for Spring.

ps: Oh, if you know me decently, you know I only corrected them about my name in my mind, haha. (My new main goal is to get at least 30 Ecuadorians to be able to pronounce my name properly).

pps: I was hoping to grow out my hair, but I don't think that is going to slide. It is way to warm and muggy here for that.

(Wednesday, August 18, Day 58)

"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps."

Phrase of the day:
Somos voluntarios, finalmente!... We're volunteers, finally!

This morning we swore in as volunteers. As usual, it was made into a pretty big deal, haha. We had a nice little ceremony at the ambassador's residence in Quito. She had bagels, cream cheese, fruit, and juice for us for breakfast after we swore in.
Her house was pretty sweet. It had a greenhouse, pool, and basketball/tennis courts.
And the views were definitely great. This is from her backyard.
The Youth and Families kids.
Cayambe Dos (minus Katie). The coolest trainee group around.
Me and Hannah. I've been growing out my hair. I hope I'll be able to a bit more before it gets too warm.
Right now we are in our hostel waiting to head to headquarters for a bbq... then in the evening we have a "party" at the health kids' hostel... and tomorrow we're off to our sites.

Oh yeah, 2 years beginning... now!

(Monday, August 16, Day 56)

"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps."

Phrase of the day: Estas seguro que no podemos estar aqui por nuestros dos anos?... Are you sure that we can't stay here for our two years?

Last night we arrived in Quito.
I realized that this is definitley the Ecuador I wanted to see! Definitely not all of it by any means... as 4 more trainees have been mugged here already. But I like the old parts of town, which remind me of Europe.
Don't let the muggings deter you from visiting ever, but do know that the State Department deems Quito as "Critical" when it comes to security for US Citizens. We had a wicked talk from the head of security from the US Embassy here. He was definitely a Marine; crazy as ever. The trainees have really just had bad luck in my opinion. They stand out with their blue eyes and lighter hair. (See Willy, aren't you glad you don't have blue eyes now?) I do stand out being Inidan, but I think I've been okay because who would mess with me!?! Just kidding! I am always on my toes.

Hopefully I didn't scare you. I'd love to see you here! This place is just like anywhere else, you just have to know when to go where, which I am learning. I am hoping to scope out all of the good spots in this country in case any of you do have time! The Mariscal is a really happening district with tons of restaurants and a great nightlife. All of the tourists do go there, so you have to be on your toes for thieves. Last night we went to a Mexican restaurant there called Red Hot Chili Peppers (thankfully they were playing some Stadium Arcadium, or else we would have had some issues). I especially like downtown, where the government buildings are.

This is some super old church filled with gold. I couldn't take pictures inside, but we can pretend I did!

Tomorrow we have more sessions at the headquarters, and then on Wednesday we swear in.

Hope all is well back home!

As for Cayambe, I will definitely return at some point. My host family there mentioned how all of their past trainees said they would visit, and never did. Naturally I can't let that happen again. (Plus I want some pie in Otavalo!)

(Thursday, August 12, Day 52)

"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps."


Phrase of the day:
San Isidro, voy a hacerlo lluvia!... San Isidro, I'm about to make it rain!

Today we took our final exam! (No worries, I passed, haha). Well, at least I imagine I did! This past week has been very chill...

On Tuesday we went to a neighboring town to see an organic farm. The 20 minute walk out to the farm was really nice.
I'm not sure how organic it actually was though?
Doesn't that look a bit ridiculous?? And my shoe is even off the ground. So really the cabbage is even a little bigger than it looks.
Then in the evening I went and had dinner with my friend because she didn't want to be at home. We went to this sweet restaurant on the Pan-Americana. (It's a highway that pretty much runs throughout South America. Yeah, I totally made that up. But I don't have internet in my home, so you can google it, haha). The place, Cafe Jinette, is owned by a couple from Ireland. Pretty random, I know. I had a burger with salad and french fries, and then a crepe with nutella and vanilla ice cream. Too bad I didn't find the place earlier! And yes, I totally ordered in English.

Yesterday was somehow even more chill. It was our last day of class, so we started class a bit late and met for breakfast, then finished up all of our work, filled out a few evaluations, and had one last charla with our host siblings...
Yup! We just taught them how to play kickball. I'm not going to lie, we didn't stress all of the rules... it was a bit complicated to explain. (bb, did you miss that phrase??). I tried to hit the far wall with the ball, and somehow ended up kicking it over. It was crazy. I'm thinking it's the elevation or something. Naturally, I ran and got it. (And became a superhero for the kids at the same time... priceless). (And the ground is the light green grass, not the dark green shrubbery on the wall, thank you).
We're off to Quito this weekend for more activities... and our swearing in ceremony on Thursday. About time we are actually volunteers!

Before we head out though, there will most likely be another trip to Otavalo. I mean, I need to get some pie before I head to the coast!

San Isidro should be interesting. To start off, my counterpart has a 10-year plan for the community, which consists of making distinct neighborhoods and creating a radio system for communication between the town itself and the 50+ nearby villages. I'll try to somehow work in bringing decent internet to the town too... ideas on that??

But for me, I would like to create some sort of exercise group when I first get there. I think that will help me get to know people informally. The youth there do not have after school programs, just as in most of Ecuador(the world). I figure that should be easy to create, plus I can get in shape at the same time. And who doesn't like to get paid to workout? (Yes, even if it's like $7/day). After I get to know the kids/town I will try my best to tackle sex-ed topics, Computer classes, English classes, and lots of self-esteem topics with the girls.

My real goal though, don't tell Peace Corps, is to eventually somehow create an ice cream parlor small business for the community. Right now all they have is freezer-burned ice cream bars... sad!

Just a guess, but I imagine this is the last time I'll write until I'm in San Isidro.

Have a great week(2 weeks) and I will talk to you all soon... hopefully.

ps: thanks for the mail! but please don't send any more to the office in Quito. I will be getting a mailbox near my town eventually.

(Saturday, August 7, Day 47)

"The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps."

Phrase of the day: Verdad?, siete charlas en cinco dias... Really?, 7 presentations in 5 days.

Well, that was a bit ridiculous... During the past week, all of the trainees were sent away in groups on technical trips around the country. My group went to Bahia and Guayaquil on the coast. We all ended up having to give at least 7 presentations in the few days we were away. I guess that doesn't sound too bad when I type it... but then again, when it's in Spanish in front of 20+ twelve year olds... pass!

Bahia (where I will be going to use the post office/bank/faster internet) was nice. It reminded me of Pesaro... well, kind of. It was very calm, safe, and near the beach. The best part was that every night we were able to walk around after dark (Yes, I know, what a luxury). A good number of the roads were paved too (another luxury). There are actually a decenet amount of Americans and Germans who live there too.

In Bahia, we ended up at one of the best schools I have seen so far. (Don't tell the other schools I said that though). Before we gave our charlas, the students(teachers) surprised us with a super long presentation. Yes, normally "super long presentation" would be a bad thing, but this time it meant that they were taking away from our time to speak... great! Their presentation began with food! for us from the coastal region... ceviche, queso fresco(cheese), patacones(fried plantains), maduros(fried ripe bananas), bolas de verde(mashed plantains with cheese)... guess what i'll be eating a lot of for the next two years apparently!?!

After our snack, they presented a few skits and dances for us. The best part though was when an extremely animated boy recited a poem to one of the trainees.
I have like 80 more pictures like this from the week... charlas as normal. We mostly spoke about self-esteem, habits(good/bad), and sex-ed.
We also met the mayor(?) of Bahia while we were there.
After Bahia we traveled to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. It was an interesting place. It had really nice areas along the water...
...but besides that, it reminded me of the really busy parts of New York. To no surprise, I don't think I will return, ha. Although, once again, we all found our favorite food stop.
I ordered the most expensive plate ($6.50)... chicken, beef, falafel
Possibly more to come about my week as I remember, but for now... rice crispy treats! (thanks mitch/doug!)

Hope everyone had an amazing weekend!