San Pedro!

7.10.10

Today (Saturday) I went to Ayora for the morning to work with a group of volunteers on some music for Family Appreciation Day that is coming up in a few weeks. There are other groups to organize stuff for the day, like a cooking group, dancing, etc. Today learned a new song, and a few people who can play instruments were learning the songs as well. I wish i could play the guitar and jam out! Afterwards we came back to tabacundo to watch the soccer game for 3/4th place for the world cup with a few other people. After the game we went to Angela’s grandmother’s house because the whole family was dancing for the fiestas of San Pedro, so the other volunteers wanted to check it out. We started at about 4 pm, and it was a great time! The family was extremely welcoming and full of energy. I love the songs that they sing, which pretty much talk about people getting drunk too fast, love stories, and there's even one about Tabacundo. The people dress up in indigenous outfits for the fiestas, and also carry bottles of alcohol to drink while walking/dancing around. We didn't dress up because we didn't expect to stay long and there were a lot of us, but Angela did because her family is pretty hard core! They dance almost every weekend for San Pedro, so she's a pro by now. After a while we were all given orange scarves that were embroidered with the family's name or something for the occasion, so we were welcomed into the family! Success!

Te busco, Te robo, Te dejo en el polvo. HASTA LUEGO!

7.9.10

So today is the big soccer day, yay!! I left my house in the dress that I was going to wear for the "Reina" Competition and had some other bags with all my soccer stuff and a change of clothes for after the games. I borrowed a white sweater from Betsy (my madre's daughter) but left it on the bus on accident! Hannah and i ran back to the bus station and checked multiple buses and talked to the drivers, only to figure out that our bus that we arrived on had probably just left, grrrr! I was all flustered and felt really bad for losing Betsy's sweater that I didn't really want to borrow in the first place!

We got to the stadium or center for the day and all the groups/teams had great costumes and barras, or sayings to represent themselves. Our slogan was "Hasta Luego Cocodrilo", like "See ya later alligator" but crocodile instead. Don't hate on it, we like it! And then our song or barra is written above as the title of this post, and it means, "I'll look for you, I'll rob you, and leave you in the dust. See ya later!" Our thoughts in creating it were related to playing soccer, like chasing someone down and stealing the ball from them.

We had the Reina Competition first and sang the National Anthem. Then 6 out of the 13 girls were picked to answer a question in Spanish. I was not chosen, nor did I win or anything, which is fine. I was glad not to have to speak Spanish in front of everyone!

We played 3 games, lost 2, but scored some goals and had a great time. The team from ayora won the tournament, and played their final couple of games in the rain! It was an exciting day and other volunteers had come to watch the tournament and hang out. Afterward a group of us went to a chinese restaurant for dinner which was really good, a nice change from an ecuadorian meal.

Before dinner I had been trying to call my madre to tell her that I wasn't coming home for dinner and would be back around 7 or 8, but no one answered the house phone and she doesn't have a cell phone. When I did get home, my madre was in the street waiting for me with a shawl because she thought i was in a dress all day! I'm pretty sure I told her that we had a soccer tourney but she was all worried and I felt bad she had been waiting outside in the cold--ahhh communication mishaps!

Tough Topics

7.8.10

This morning we had a medical session on rape: definition of it, stats about it and Peace Corps Volunteers, how to report it, the process after in terms of medical attention, treatment, etc. It was difficult to sit through the whole morning talking about such an awful thing but it's necessary. We watched a video of three Peace Corps Volunteers who were raped at some point during their service, which was tough to watch, but also good to know their situations and how we can stay safe by avoiding certain areas or beaches at night, just having knowledge of some "dos" and "don'ts". Of course it's a scary thought and I hope nothing like this ever happens to anyone in our group, or any volunteer for that matter, but it is a reality and it was comforting to know that Peace Corps is up front and open about the topic.

In the afternoon they lightened things up and we had different stations related to non-formal education and ways we can incorporate it into our service. The stations were making puppets, making candles, jewelry/beads, making soy milk, and utilizing videos or different media tools to help in our charlas or workshops at our sites. The soy milk was interesting and would be easy to make on our own. I don't remember the process exactly but you would soak the soy beans for a day, then cook them until the outer layer comes off. The milk is made also with vanilla and cinnamon sticks, and it tasted pretty good!! By the end of the day everyone was ready to go home and get things organized for the big soccer tourney tomorrow!

Himno Nacional de Ecuador

7.7.10

Today we spent some time learning the National Anthem of Ecuador, because this Friday we are having a soccer tournament between all of the communities, and also a competition for a "Reina" (Queen) of our group, Omnibus 104. So each community has to elect one of the girls to represent their community, and I was chosen to be the Senorita of Tabacundo. Below are some of the words to the National Anthem. We didn't learn much because we didn't have a recording to listen to so it was a little difficult.

Salve Oh Patria, mil veces! Oh Patria!

Gloria a ti. Gloria a ti!

Gloria a ti. Gloria a ti!

Ya tu pecho tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz ya tu pecho rebosa

y tu frente y tu frente radiosa

mas que el sol contemplamos lucir

y tu frente y tu frente radiosa

mas que el sol contemplamos lucir.

Los primeros los hijos del suelo que soberbio el Pichincha decora

te aclamaron por siempre senora

y vertieron su sangre por ti.

Dio miro y acepto el holocausto,

y esa sangre fue germen fecundo

de otros heroes que, atonito, el mundo

vio en tu torno a millares surgir

a millares surgir

a millares surgir.

Yesterday in class we talked about our progress with learning Spanish and how it helps to spend time with our host families around meal times, at least for me it's helpful. It reminds me of being at my grandparents’ house with my family because we do the same thing as my host family here: sit, talk, eat, laugh, tell stories, etc. It’s a good feeling to have that reminder of home and the same feeling of family and being together, as corny as that may sound. We took a break in class to get some cafecito, and talked more about next Friday, our expectations of our sites, and how anxious we are to learn where we will spend the next two years.

Then today we had a change of focus and had some fun learning "piropos", or pick up lines for both men and women. Some are pretty hilarious, some of them translate to "What a mango!", or "You are for me to eat", which is "Eres paco...merse". It was a pretty entertaining day!

After class we spent time in Cayambe to buy our jerseys for the tournament and picking up other stuff that we needed, like a sash for me to wear. We named our team the Cocodrilos de Tabacundo, or Crocodiles from Tabacundo, and we're going to have green jerseys that say "RAWR" on the back, I'm so excited!!

Charlas

7.5.10

Today we had a meeting in Ayora with the Youth and Families group and we were given the topic for our first “charla” in our towns. "Charla" means "workshop" or literally "chat", and every volunteer will give various charlas throughout their service, so we are practicing now with our families and people in our communities. Tabacundo was given the topic of Personal Values. We put together the presentation and practiced in front of the group. We had the group listen to a series of statements, and then stand in front of one of three signs: I agree, I disagree, or I’m not sure. The statements talked about gender roles, teen pregnancy, etc. It was interesting to have some discussion about each statement and what ppl believed, why they chose to stand where they did. It was also good to have our Ecuadorian professors and trainers there to add to the discussion, because their culture has different opinions on things like homosexuality or having sexual relationships before marriage. We will officially give our charla on Wednesday afternoon with members of our host family and a few community members.

After the training day ended, Jordan, Hannah, Angela, and I went to a cafe and had some coffee and bizcochos (biscuits/biscotti). We talked about wanting to find out our sites next week, or where every volunteer will be placed for their two years. After we find out we will go on a one-week site visit to get to know our communities a little bit and get a feel for what it will be like. We've had some interviews with our Program Staff about our preferences about the type of work we would like to do within Youth and Families, where in the country we want to be, etc. My preference was to be in a warmer environment and use my previous Social Services experiences; I'm not really sure what to expect but I know it will all work out for the best. When we find out our sites we're supposedly having a party/ceremony and they will announce where each person's site is. I said I imagine it to be like a game show almost, where they will call each person up one by one to reveal their site. “Angela, Come on Down!” Almost like a Price is Right episode, Ecuadorian style. We were also told that the facilitadores/professors will dance and provide entertainment for the volunteers, so we will see what happens!!

The pic is of Ayora, where we meet at least a couple times a week as a big group to have Technical training and such.

Happy 4th of July!

7.4.10

WE LOVE AMERICA!!

We celebrated in Ayora, a smaller town than Tabacundo, with other volunteers in a large field with beer, bbq, other "American foods". I brought oreos, yummm!!

On the way to the field I spent about 1 hr with hannah trying to find the entrance to walk down to the field but we couldn’t find the “door”. Supposedly there was a small door with writings on it, it was in the middle of a stone wall, and then there were narrow stairs going down. We saw one door that had stairs going down but looked dangerous or as if no one really goes down those stairs, so we continued to walk and then ran into another volunteer. Eventually we went down the stairs and joined the party. We played some baseball with a soccer ball, so we played kickball basically, and invented some other games. It was nice to have some kind of invented American bbq and just speak English and hang out with other volunteers.

After the party, Hannah and I went back to my house and then went to Angela’s grandmother’s house for another celebration with all of the families from Tabacundo. Mama Dios and Daniel (her grandson) joined us, as well as Jordan, her mom and sister, Angela’s family, and Hannah (her parents were unable to come). We told funny stories about how I left my cell phone in Angela’s father’s van the second day we had them, as well as some posters for a presentation a week later (Angela did that). We made smores which were amazing, and ate pizza that Angela made with her family. Overall it was a really fun day, viva America!

Tabacundo loses a member, sadness.

6.28.10

So today our friend, Cat, who is in our Tabacundo group, has decided to go back to the States. The past week she has been sick and missed a couple of days of training. She has been feeling homesick on top of everything else, and said that she has been having doubts about being in the Peace Corps for two years, since this is her first time being far away from her family for such a long time, as well as her boyfriend who is in the States. We wish her well and hope she can find different opportunities to volunteer in the U.S. and maybe come back to Peace Corps in the future if she wants!

Slowly adjusting...

6.22.10

The time passes by pretty slowly here so far, tomorrow we will be here one week and it feels a lot longer than that. Today in class we talked about the importance of family in ecuador. It seems similar to that of the U.S. in some ways, but here it’s very common for family to see each other every day and to be in constant contact. Sometimes the grandparents and parents will help to raise the children in the family and always help no matter what. We also talked about machismo and the rise of femenismo/feminism as well. There are some commercials that talk about machismo being part of violence, and woman are slowly gaining more respect. The other day when we went to Otavalo for La Fiesta de San Pedro, Jorge (my madre’s son in-law) was driving but couldn’t find the entrance to the party, but his wife was telling him where it was. He wouldn’t listen and pretty much pretended that she hadn’t said anything, he didn’t even respond to her. This was really frustrating to see because i wanted to yell at him but i knew i couldn’t . Otavalo is another town like an hour from Tabacundo, it's a big tourist spot and known for its Market. Fiestas de San Pedro are two months of basically partying in the streets, to be honest I'm not sure of the history but I know that people save up the rest of the year to be able to do a lot during the two months of San Pedro.

Today was frustrating in general because things kept changing and Norma wanted us to talk about the average age that people get married in the states, if we agree with extended family living together, etc, and no one really cared that much about the answers to her questions. We have a general meeting tomorrow in Ayora and heard at the last minute that we had to buy coffee, tea, snacks, etc for the day for 70 people. We felt frustrated because i feel like this is a new job, and it is not my responsibility to coordinate these things. Each group will have to do it at some point, and i understand that it was probably a test to see how we would handle it. We have everything we need and hope it’s enough for everyone, so we will see. It also didn’t help that i woke up this morning with a bad headache; it has gotten better but is not totally gone. I need to drink more water but I also have to go to the bathroom and i can’t! Tonight i’m in bed early and just trying to relax before i have to wake up early tomorrow. We did get to talk a bit with Gabi and Cristina, the Program Managers, which made us feel better to talk to them about some of our concerns, and we talked about “girl stuff”, like plucking eyebrows haha. I told them that last night I was practically in my closet with my flashlight plucking my eyebrows because I needed more light.

Chicas de Tabacundo!

6.19.10

So in Quito we each had an oral Spanish exam with a staff member, and from there everyone in each program was separated into different groups based on language level. We were all transported together to a small town called Ayora, about 1.5 hours northish from Quito, and then from there driven to our towns where each group would live with families and get together for language classes. I am in a group with four other chicas: Angela, Catherine, Hannah, and Jordan, and we will be living in Tabacundo from now until mid-August when we complete training. There are 13 groups total, all of which are dispersed in and around the city of Cayambe. Our language facilitator, Norma, traveled with us and dropped us off at each of our host families houses.

As we drove around I started to get nervous about living with a host family again and wondered what they would be like. I was the 2nd last to be dropped off, and my madre met Norma and me at the front gate. When Norma drove off with Angela to her house, I was like "ahhh don't leave me yet", it was all happening so fast. But my madre showed me upstairs to my room and I met her granddaughter, Jhanice. She watched me as I unpacked my stuff, and we laughed because a bottle of bugspray had spilled/exploded in my backpack! The whole room smelled like bugspray, but thankfully it was in a plastic bag so nothing was ruined. Jhanice was pretty quiet but told me she knew a couple of words in English, like "chicken". Random part of the story but she's so cute!

The rest of the day I spent meeting the rest of the family. In the house lives my madre (they call her Mommy Dios/God Selena, or Mommy Diose, because she is very generous and the door to her house is "always open"). Her daughter, Candi, also lives in the house with her son, Daniel (15), and Jhanice is her daughter who is 8 years old. Jose Fernando is her son who lives there as well but has a separate room/apartment right next door but has a separate entrance. Her other daughter lives in the house behind ours with her husband and two children. Then Cristian and his daughter Maria Jose live in Tabacundo but a few minutes away, and they come over a lot for meals and stuff.

In conversation the family told me that Tabacundo is generally safe, however there are some streets that I shouldn't walk down at night, especially when the bars close at 2 pm because there is a lot of drinking and violence. It seems like something I would keep in mind in any place.

Random thoughts/observations: Everyone eats with a spoon, rarely with a fork or knife. And hot water in this country is a HUGE BLESSING! I was a little shocked by my first cold shower, it's definitely a wake up call!

Bienvenidos

**Time to play catch up! So I have horribly neglected my blog and am just starting to post things that were written back in June. The post date on the blog will be different but I'll include the date each entry was written so you can put these posts in perspective in terms of time. So sorry, I'm a first-time blogger!

6.18.10 Happy BDAY to my sister Kerty, 22 woop woop!! I love you!

We arrived safely later in the evening of the 16th to Quito, Ecuador, yay! All 68 (the largest group so far) of us were welcomed by Peace Corps staff who clapped for us an helped us get our luggage to the vans and then onto the buses. We were divided into two groups: Youth and Familes (Jóvenes y Familias), and Public Health (Salud Pública). As part of Youth and Families, I stayed at Hostal San Javier. Over the next few days we stayed in Quito and spent a lot of time at the Peace Corps Ecuador Office, getting to know staff and fellow volunteers, completing paperwork, getting shots, language exams, and talking about safety and cultural things, policies/procedures as PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers). The 67 other volunteers that I’ve met are amazing people, and come from all over the States; there are two other “Wisconsinites” (woo!). Everyone comes with all different kinds of traveling and volunteer experiences. Our group is also fairly young, most have just recently graduated from college, others are in their mid to upper 20s.

After training during the day we came back to the hostal those couple of days and had dinner, and then hung out, played games, etc., you know, the usual thing you do when you first meet new peeps.