Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you, My New Man, GQ...

So wouldn't know it I've been hooked up with this new guy GQ....

At first glace I'm not too keen on him...

He's very loud all the time, it's like he never sleeps...

He can be pretty rude at times and whooo wee the machismo is out of control!

He can be dangerous and right now I'm little scared of him...but I can't let on that I am...

He's so confusing and has a lot going.....

I mean don't get me wrong the ladies love him. All the girls in my group can't wait to come meet him and stay awhile. They wanna go out till the wee hours approach and spend the night. Not me thought, yet I'm the one stuck with him...

I get the allure though, GQ is big and tough with a lot to offer, however the rough exterior is less than inviting if you ask me...

I prefer some one a little bit more natural, possibly Indigenous, or maybe beachy, I was definitely looking for a more laid back vibe and to be honest straight up country/campo. Gentle, laid back, small and quaint is what I was looking for...I wouldn't even mind a little bit of dust and dirt...

But alas, these are the cards I've been dealt....

On and upside GQ is pretty modern and can provide for me anything I should ever need...once I know how to get it from him...

He definitely knows the right people and has the perfect group of people for me to work with. I'm giving GQ major points for that!

Right now he and I don't even speak the same language so our communication is at an all time low.

Once I can start speaking the same language and understand his rhythm things should look up.

I also don't trust GQ and until I can I'm going to be walking on eggshells which is no fun for anyone. Trust takes time so I just have to be patient.

I guess it's just awkward because we don't know each other but have just been thrown together and now we have to learn to live together in perfect harmony for the next couple of years....

So wish us luck! Hopefully this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship....

Activities I've done since here....

Unpacked,
Slept a total of 5 hours over the course of 3 days
Slept for over 12 hours this past Tuesday...cause I was times Gquil are tough and I was exhausted
Killed rats the size of kittens my first day at work (well I just held the door closed while the brave souls broom "sticked" those monsters to death yeeeeps!)
Managed to aggravate all the sweet ladies with my lack of language skills...luckily eye rolling is a universal sign for get out of my face.. (ack I was more popular when we were killing rats!)
Walked aimlessly in the blazing heat not knowing where I was or who I can ask...(plus side I may actually lose weight with all this walking I'm doing)
Figured out what bus I take to and from work (whew that's a relief!)
Wrote down aaaaaalllll the dreams and aspirations of the Mujeres and Friday (today) (which actually now was yesterday...late posting this...)I need to present on what I heard them say, and what I think we can do....wish me luck!!!
Talked to my duena (my landlady) maaaaybe twice since I've been here...this is so not my Cayambe family...
Been able to come and go as I please and haven't been force fed a meal...I take that back actually...today my Mujeres realized they can force feed me...so I had two desayunos (breakfast) and a mountain of rice, lentils and eggs for lunch...
Discovered there is a slug like bug living in my bathroom (O Dios Mio!)
Got the Secret in Spanish! (score!)
Actually eaten more fruit than rice or cookies...I'm doing better...

There's more but I'm tired...and I gotta work on this presentation for the Mujeres. I just hope I can get this Spanish and earn the friendship and trust of the Mujeres. There are really actually quite self sufficient and borderline famous (if you ask me..). They have had a lot of publicity and success and have been around for years and years. Everyone be praying for me that I can add some love and light to their organization!

Paz y Amor!

Ohhh so an update since I didn´t post this on Friday like I planned.

I definitely went to work today (yep I work Saturdays) and after much stress and exhaustion...I definitely broke down and cried today at work. The story can come mas tarde. I think I´m just stressed, and it´s SO hard to not be able to express myself and I want soooo very much to do a good job and add something to the lives of the people I´m working with and I think I was just feeling too much. Ah well. I have volunteers to tend to right now who are visiting for the weekend. Don´t worry about me though I still have my head on straight and haven´t lost perspective. Sometimes you gotta get broken down to build back up into a newer stronger you. Onward and Upward!

In the beginning...

I’m going to try to take you on a journey through pictures. I have so many pics and I have no clue the best way to get them online. I have compiled many pics together on my computer since I made my family in Cayambe a photo album before I left. I’m trying this on my computer at home and have NO clue if this is going to transfer to a computer online or if blogger is going to accept pics through Word. Here goes nothin… These pics can’t even capture just how MUCH stuff we had…three humongous bags for each person lugging them through the airport. We were all wheezing, sweating, grunting..but as you see smiling all at the same time…I mean we were starting our journey. The idea of the adventure ahead gave us inspiration to trudge on… It was so great when we finally got to our gate to just sit down….(please note in these pics we have all checked at least two bags. We definitely overloaded the plane since we got preferred boarding most everyone else on the plane ended up having to check their bags despues boarding the plane. Ooops sorry everyone… We made our final calls and hit the friendly skies… Next stop Ecuador…

The Journey Begins:

A) I realize my narration could be more witting and exciting, but alas I’m cansada B) since this is taking forever, I think I’m going to spread this idea over a series of posts JYay. That way everyone wins. I can have enough posts to take me through September and you finally get the pics you’ve been wanting…weeeelll some of them. You gotta love it cause I’m too scared to pull out my camera here right now and usually my family in Cayambe had my camera and captured all the moments. I also don’t have the luxury of stealing other people’s photos…I mean I can but since we live in totally different places their pics reallllly won’t capture what’s going on with me. So enjoy these pics and this journey through photos…they may be your last (tee heejuuuuust kidding…kkiiiinda….)

First Days In The Mean Streets...

Alright, I found a Internet Cafe, but nothing on this computer works...

Just wanted to touch base and say I´m here safe...

not gonna lie...these first few days have been pretty rough...

I´m so worn out and my Spanish is muy malo ugh...but with patients everything will turn out just fine...

I know I owe people emails...and Ihave even written some, but my flashdrive is playing me or maybe it´s this viejo computer that won´t recognize it.

Either way I can´t send off these messages ugh...

I have updated my new mailing address and that´s about all I can do today...

Hopefully I´ll have more luck with my computer, my flash, my language, my energy and all things here in the near future!

Love and miss you all!!!

(comnig attractions... I´m trying to do a journey in pictures that has proven to be quite the task on these old computers...but my first (and only at this point) will post tomorroww) Besos!

Not enough time...con´t

I think this is going to be my last post until I get to my site. Things are way busy with final interviews, tests and evaluations. you´ll be happy to know so far so good all of my reviews have been great and I have been passing my examenes. It just hit me that we have tonight, tomorrow where we plan a party for our host families, then saturday is the party...then we are off to Quito!! We spend 4 days or so in Quito...we swear in on the 19th (!!!) then ti´s off to our sites. My head is spinning and sadness is sinking in about leaving Cayambe, my friends and new family here. Plus we have been working NON STOP so I´m beat down tired. So I think I´m going to take a load off and post post post in a week or two!

Lot´s of LOVE to all!!

Not enough time...but need to update...

I have ten minutes until I have to be in Ayora for a final interview with my Project Manager.

This past week we had our week long Tech Trip visits. My group went to the Guayas. We visited muchas bonitas playas. I can´t remember all of the locations since I am feeling rushed but a couple of them were La Libertad, Palmar, La Entrada and Mangelar or something? If you look at Caro´s blog who is one of my friends on here, it was her site. She was so sweet, fun and inviting! But I´ll get to that...

We got to open and close our trip laying on the beach so that was really fun. We got to play in the ocean with gigantic waves it was so divertido!! I heard the other groups where waking up mad early and working super hard all day. My group had one charla to do and we each picked a day to do it. There were some mix ups, confusion and last minute information with our charla on friday but we rose to that occasion and it went really well. It was the funniest charla I had been to actually. We had 70 kids so we were freaked out, but it was really awesome. We went to a differnt city everyday also. There always played amazing salsa music on the bus and I was about to jump out of my skin cause I wanted to dance in the isles sooo bad. I hope I can find a safe and secure place to salsa dance when I get to G-quil...

Anyway, que mas...
Have I mention that I loathe night buses? Well if I haven´t I so do, and I was so tired when I got back on Saturday, but all of my friends wanted to get together because we hadn´t seen each other for a whole week. I had to spend most of Saturday trying to recoup. What does that mean? Another weekend cut short, knowing a duro week awaits on the other side.

I wish I wish I wish I could go into detail about all the funny stories about the tech trip there were many...and all the fun I had with my family on Sunday. We were basically in a parade and walked from one city to the next..we were dying, but I wanted to spend time with them, especially Mama Ana (mi madre) cause I´m going to miss her so much. I can´t describe how cold it was, how far it was, how never ending it felt...

Sorry I haven´t been blogging thigns have been hefty..

Gotta run more mas tarde...

MUJERES DE LUCHA

This is a discription of projects and work found in the community I’m working with and what they are requesting from the volunteer (that’s me!!) who is moving to their city. (May read kinda choppy cause I translated it from Español)

Right now Mujeres De Lucha is working in their community against of lot of the threats that are in their neighborhood, such as poverty, malnutrition, violence, the lack of opportunities to advance and machismo (or chauvanism).

The association of muejres are working together in order to improve their community. They have a community store where they have items for the community at affordable prices. Items such as veggies, lacteos (dairy goods), fruits and other things important for life. They also have a community dining room where lunch is served to children, elderly people and people with disabilities.

With this the comedor we have people who pay for the lunches for the ninos who don’t have the means to pay (i.e. padrinos)

There is also a restaurant in connection with the cafeteria where the community can buy a complete lunch for $1.00. There is also a bakery where they sell pan for 7 cents. They also have a beauty parlor where the people can come in order to improve their looks and there for improve their self esteem. Again, all services at a discounted affordable price.

They also had a daycare/nursery whose function was to play with and feed the children of the community so that their parents can go to work. There is also a medical area where services are given to assist with the health of members of the community.

Outside of the microenterprises there was a project with the Ministeries of Work where young adults were taught life skills such as baking, cooking, sewing, industrial and automotive mechanics, beauty school, and electronic. The point of this project was to teach the students things they could use to start better work and by having better work options they could create a better life for themselves and that in turn would improve their self esteem. This project right now is no longer functioning even though the hope is that it can be started again.

Things that I will be working on primarily:
Help improve the micro enterprises
Help with business plans
Help develop projects that just started or need to be rejuvenated
Help find more padrinos for the thecomedor
Find people/organizations to collaborate with
Continue to keep in contact with the network of people all ready in place
Conduct talks, charlas, presentaciones about life plans, self esteem, family and health…. I have more things…but this is a long “primary” list…
Secondary proyectos are:
Teaching Dance, Music and Arts and Crafts classes
And if they let me, I’m going to work in the beauty shop as well (smile)

Otra Cosas July Part III

More random delights for your reading pleasure

Mi madre asked me to be the madrina of my little sister in two years at her confirmation. I accepted. It's in Junio 2011.

Guayaquil had the best Empanadas on the face of the planet and will be the reason I gain the Peace Corps 20 (lbs)

We made a huge breakfast with our faciliator Lenny who we love so much. It was so delicious and now I know how to make my favorite snack so far. Emborajados. Think if a fried plantain and a funnel cake had a baby. Pure fried deliciousness!

A Haiku for Theresa:
Doll-face, tough as nails
Ciudad Peligroso
Estoy bien, now

That’s for Theresa the PCV who saved my life and made G-quil not seem so scary. During my site visit she invited me into her home and life, made me remember routes and made me breakfast, made me meet with the Mujeres solo and made my jumpy nerves calm down. Mil Gracias Terry!!! You are the best!

BTW Tere the Great is the only volunteer I know who has not been robbed or had an incidient in G-quil. Hopefully since I´m following in her footsteeps that can be my lucky fate as well!
I clearly am still obsessed with my planner, I thought traveling abroad would break me, but alas, it hasn’t happened…

Night.buses.are.the.worst. (maybe I’ll write more on these mas tarde)

August 1-7th is our tech trip. My group is going to a beach town in the Guayas I think… all I know is we have about 3 weeks left and one of those weeks are now going to be spend else where. I’m going to miss my Cayambe fam so much!

Did I mention?

That 4 of us were selected to meet the US Ambassador of Ecuador and I was one of them. We had lunch and we heard all of her amazing stories and it was quite an honor to be there!

That I improved 3 levels since my initial Spanish Interview. I still need to move up one more level to be able to be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Fingers Crossed!

Lugares

I know allofyou are now starting to askyourselves. Hey, when can I come visit? Well I can’t even havevisitorsforover 4 months BUT I did receive this list of places togoandthingstoseefrom a friend. So start Googling and researching locations youwantto check out so you’ll be allreadyforyourtripto Ecuador!

MainCities:
Quito
Guayaquil
Cuenca
Galapagos
Beaches:
Esmeraldas
Montanita- Famousfor surfing
Atacames
In Quito:
La Mitad del Mundo
Panecillo
Churches in themainarea, like "La Compania", butifyougothere, youwillseetheotheronesallaroundit.
Teleferico
Othercities:
Northern area:
Otavalo
Ibarra
Cotacachi-Leathertown
Southernarea:
Latacunga- Cotapaxiisthenameofthevolcanothere- 1-2 daytourtothemiddleandvolcano
Ambato
Riobamba
Cuenca
Loja
Oriente- Thejungle, check withtravel agencies for tours viaboat
Papallacta- Spring waterbaths
Food:
Hornado-Pork
Fritada-Pork
Ceviche- Shrimp,
Cazuela de Mariscos- Seafoodsoup