Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year Too!!

Where are my manners?

I have just left my supportive audience to read my Why I Love Ecuador tidbits while I fail to give real updates, shame shame and it's gotten so bad I can't even send good tidings and cheer! I am have put myself in time out and I am back on it!

So your Christmas present will be pictures of my apartment. I was waiting to do an actual photo shoot when everything was in order, but it seems to never happen so I'm going to provide what I have which was taken AS I was moving in.


So I lived with a host family for a month and that was an adventurous one. That is going to have to be a series of stories you hear from me in person, I can't even write about all the shenanigans that were going on in that house. In the end I really needed space of my own but I like the family a lot. Now that I am able to spread my wings (and unpack all the boxes I was living out of in that tiny room) I feel more myself and I go hang out with the family when I have a chance. We are all good now.

Wait, I'm going to put pictures of Christmas on this post since it's more relevant and I'll post apartment pics for January. New Year New Apartment. Christmas was a blast. My friend Anna and her hubby own a hostal On the Beach and we cooked ALL day long listening to the waves crash and we went from DJing the Christmas music, to the smooth Brazilian tunes and closed out the night with Raggae. Such a beachfront Christmas. It was really great. There was plenty of food for everyone and everything turned out deeeeelicious!


Excuse the randomness, I'm super sleepy as I write this, but it's been to long so you gotta do what you gotta do right?

I am working at La Aldea and I will have pictures of that next year. The organization is really great and well...organized. It's an orphanage that is set up like a little village (which is what aldea means). They don't separate brothers and sisters and up to 9 children live in a house with one madre. It's a great set up and it lends itself to raising kids that have a sense of familya. I will talk more about that when I have some pictures to better explain.


I have had visitors for Christmas and I have ticket confirmations for more coming and I'm so excited. Next year will bring more friends, maybe a trip to Machu Piccu and who knows what else!

Speaking of next year, I really just realized I'm going back to the states in a matter of Days!
I am heading to Florida for my 30th Birthday Celebration and for a Family Reunion. I will be heading out on the 5th which felt like 6 months from now yesterday but now it feels like it's tomorrow. Time is a funny one I tell ya.

This will be the first time that I have gone home in over a year and a half! So Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to me on that!!!

So Stay tuned for apartment pics next year, I might get a chance to post NY pics at the top of the year but no promises :)

If not Happy New Year to all! May this next year bring lot's of love, peace, abundance and wellness! I appreciate each person reading these words and who have kept up with me and supported me for the past, what, 18 months!! Really couldn't do it without you!!

Love and Hugs

#19 Ya Mismo, make it work for you….

If you were to ask a gingo, how they feel about ya mismo, they would probably say they hate it. In fact if you perused half of the blogs coming out of Ecuador, I’m SURE they all mention “ya mismo” at one point or another. It’s probably the name of half of the Ecuador blogs out there! “Ya Mismo” is probably what I would call the equivalent to the English “In A Second!”. When you tell someone you’ll be there “in a second” you don’t really mean literally in one second, you will be present. You mean you are on your way, you are thinking about coming, you are in motion…that kind of thing. Well “ya mismo” means about the same thing, and while some people usually use it in the way we say “in a second” a lot of times it’s abused. And that’s why time conscious, wound tight, lovin a to do list gringos hate it.

Q: “when will this meeting that’s going on three hours be over?” A: “ya mismo”
Q: “Hey partner I planned this event with, when will you get here everyone is waiting for us to start and YOU are the one that speaks the Spanish!?” A: “ya mismo”
Q: “WHEN are you going to come put out this fire Mr. Firefighter!? “ A: “ya mismo”

Do you see how it can be frustrating for those who want answers, who want results aaaand who probably want some promptness.

Me? I love me some ya mismo!

Q: “Jen when are you going to be coming to work” A: from the bed “ya mismo”
Q: “Hey we are at the club waiting on you to get here! What time you coming?” A: never agreed to go to said club “Ya mismo!”
Q: “When are you going to be the madrina, marry my son, dance in the parade etc” A: “ya.mismo.”

It’s all to the “G” double “D” , GOOD! Make it work!

#18 Action Jackson/Gestures

Man, I could show you better than I can tell you but this should definitely make it on the Why I love Ecuador list. People are SOOOOOO animated and it’s my favorite. Of course, this is a generalization, but in just observing that has been something I have picked out. I love it first of all because my Spanish is mas o menos and it really helps. I can be on the bus looking at people on the corner talking and I pretty much know what they are talking about because people are SO animated. I also love it because I love animated people! People who use gestures, face, and whole body to convey a message. In training they said that is something you’ll find more on the coast, and all the better that I’m here. It’s hilarious to see now how we volunteers have picked up things like pointing to stuff with our lips, doing the full body “shoulder shrug” or the super frown face when you don’t know something. We may look ridiculous, but I call it integration.

#17 Mas Futbol

Well I had this in my notes, not sure why… but it was probably when Ecuador was in the Seleccion, with the potential to go to the world cup, which we know did NOT happen. All the volunteers bought their Ecuador camisetas and I still sport my proudly today. I will say that I DO enjoy watching futbol and I DO like that camaraderie that builds around it. Everyone in the world loves futbol (soccer) except for us (north) American’s thinking oh so much about futbol Americana. I liked going to watch soccer games at sports bars and when the world cup was on and I was pretty into it. I would have never done that in the states. Aaaand just in case we forgot what else I love about futbol here……

#16 Eighties Music

This might sound ridiculous, but don’t mess with Ecuador and it’s Eighties! I can be at the mall, on the bus, walking past a store. Sure there is salsa and cumbia most of the time, but sometimes the Eighties music is blaring and when it is they are playin the JAMS! I found myself like Oooooohhh I forgot all about that song!!! I love Eighties music and Ecuador delivers every time on that one. They don’t do just the popular hits that err’body knows, they get into the “what choo know about THIS” hits! Fine, laugh if you want, but that is a definite plus about living here for me ☺

#15 Dolla Holla y Montñas

So an ick thing about the city is the potential for crime. However, there are definite ways to keep yourself safe and minimize the loss if anything does happen. For us ladies, what was suggested to us, is keeping our phones and money in our bras. Now if my grandma was reading this, she’d be like, “That old trick?” but hey, it’s our survival skill. Now do I like doing this? Not at all. I don’t like having a phone that close to my body at all with all of it’s harmful waves, and if you have never tried to pay for something with a soggy sweat dollar, then you don’t know real shame. However, this list was born in an attempt to see the bright side of things even when they are not so sunny. Well the bright side of this one? When you come home ick from all the sweat and ready to jump in the shower, it never fails, the pouring out of money that had inevitably been sticking to my body. Hey it’s a stretch, but I do get delighted when I’m like, SWEET I still had 5 dollars on me. Or sometimes ,I don’t know how, I forget all together that I had money in my bra. I can only imagine this is the high that strippers get finding dollars in their underthings. May be a stretch, but on a crummy day, dolla dolla bills ya’ll on the falling on the bathroom floor are all I need to pick me back up ☺

#14 When Machismo = Chivalry

I was attempting to take the machismo that I often encounter that I cannot STAND, that makes it hard for me to leave my house some days and change it into a positive and try to draw some parallels how it can be consider chivalry. But Hablo Serio! Machismo SUCKS and that’s really there is to it. Sorry. I’ll do better next time.

Naranjal

Naranjal, now this is one you may not hear a lot about. It’s a small city outside of Guayaquil where a volunteer I was visiting lived. We were throwing a surprise party for a friend and decided that a hike would be the best birthday present. Naranjal brags of waterfall hikes, that an be physically challenging but worth the trek. I will say I like Naranjal. The city was small, but not campo like I thought. It’s an actually city with stores, cars and even a Tia! (that’s a store that I liken to Walgreens). We had to drive a little ways (in the back of a truck, you already know) to even get to the location to start the hike. It started off chill enough, but soon it became an issue of if we wanted to advance we had to climb ropes to get there. It was crazy and I never thought I was going to be able to climb using the ropes,
but I did and it was great. We swam in the waterfalls and climbed the rocks. Our group ranged from experienced and adventurous to I-just-have-on-street- clothes-and-I-don’t-do-this-kind-of-thing! The experienced helped, us less experienced and we had fabulous time. We rewarded ourselves with ice cream and brownies to close out the birthday and headed home. It was a great day trip and I liked knowing that an adventure like that is only an hour or so away.

#13 Night Rains

Now while talk of the rainy season struck terror in our hearts…tales of flesh eating cricket plagues and 40 days and 40 nights of non stop flood worthy rain…. It a) did not end up being Armageddon end of days b) sometimes the rain could be a joy.

In fact as the rainy season started to taper off in February the rain would mostly come at night. Not only would the air right before a rain be fresh and breezy, but the rain itself would bring some relief to the oppressive head and there is no sound better to sleep by.

My new tradition was when the rain came I would light a candle or incense and go to bed. Best sleep ever. So great, it made the list!

#12 Let The Sunshine

No one let’s the sunshine in like Ecuador booooyyyeeee! Now many days when I’m walking home and feel like I’m tight row walking directly ON the Equator. But really I could be walking miles and miles in the snow or the freezing wind and that would not be awesome. Truth is, I love the sun. I love sunny days, the energy it cooks into your skin and (I’m writing this as I sit DIRECTLY in front of my fan) I prefer the heat to cold. I mean I’m Sunshine Builder! So for those reasons I love Ecuador cause now one has Ecuador beat on the Lettin The Sunshine In!

#11 Condensed Milk

I don’t know what to say about this one, except for I never knew all the uses for Condensed milk until moving here. Sure you can cook with it right? Always an ingredient though. Um wrong. It can go in cocktails, it most Certainly goes on TOP of your snow cone as a frosting….and if you are under the age of 12 and can stomach this, then you’re eating it straight out of the can, drizzling it on your fingers and going to town. My first reaction was yelch! But then I was like…I mean it’s sweet, delicious…yeah why not. One snow cone with extra condensed milk please! ☺

#10 2009 Planners/Agendas/Year at a Glance

I don’t know what to say about this. Except for anyone who I have seen carrying around or in the case of the people I have the pleasure of working with, are all currently using 2009 planners. People on the street walking around, 2009. Some people have 2005, I don’t know if that year there was a planner sale or something, but that’s a whole ‘nother myster. It’s just comical to me, and it’s interesting how I see super professional people with it. So now it’s a game for me and I look for it. I Have finally seen a 2010 or two, but mostly 2009 reigns supreme. I’m interested to see what we’ll be totin next year.

Colimes!

Another place I don’t think I would have found myself if I didn’t have a friend that was volunteering there. It’s small but a town in it’s own right.
There is a river that divides the town and is the town swimming pool/beach when it gets hot outside. The only way across? A rickety old caña bridge! They too have a main town square there too that the weekend I was there was pretty live. It was one of the first places I visited after moving to Guayaquil and it was such a breath of fresh air, being in a small safe community.

How I'm Livin' Right Now

All of my stuff from my Guayaquil apartment, in one tiny room..aaaaand some stuff just chillin outside. Good thing it's now starting to rain for the rainy season! Everyone keep you fingers crossed that Peace Corps doesn't apply the "first three months living with a host family" rule to me this go around and that I can move in 2 weeks!!!

#9 Almuerzos!

I don’t know if I have to go into much detail about this before you see the how this should have really been #1 on the list.

1 Huge bowl of soup (talking, lentil soup, cream soup with cheese and noodles, chicken noodle soup take your pic the possibilities are endless, fresh fish or come one now…)

+

1 Entrée (I’m talking, beans, black, white, yellow whateva, chicken in all kinds of delicious sauces (even COCO flavored!), if you like carne, you got it…you know any part of a cow on a plate, lentils, fried egg. Main dish, With a side of …excuse me, a MONTON (i.e. mountain) of RICE, and a side salad,/side something. Salad meaning, carrots in mayo, cucumber tomato salad or if someone loves you some fried plantains!)

+ (I know it’s not even over yet!)

1 Delicious glass of whatever kind of fresh squeezed/blended jucie you want! My fav is Mora but you can have your pick of whatever juice is being served up to accompany your bien rico meal. (I know you’re thinking, yeah right like I’d have room in my belly!) But I haven’t even told you the cost!!!

= (drumroll please)
1 complete Almuerzo for…

1 dollar
50 cents

THAT IS IT! So here it for a single person, it’s sometimes cheaper to eat OUT than to buy groceries and cook. When is THAT ever the math?

When life gets crazy, knowing that you can get a full square meal for $1.50 really makes life seem okay again. Plus, usually I can’t get through my soup so that means my segundos (that’s the entrée part) I get para llavar..or “to go” That means no cooking AND I just ate lunch AND dinner for $1.50. Let’s be serious. Does it get any better than that?

Dos Semanas En Sua...

I wanted to write and update while I still had time, I have so many anecdotal stories to share, and they are slipping out of mind. However, I'm in between meetings right now, so I don't know when I can't tell those stories...so maybe just quick..

Fun things (or just things really) that have happened or I've done...
Running on the beach...with 5 kids behind me like I'm the momma duck...

In turn found a running partner/trainer, so hopefully I will be getting into shape

Finally seen the BEAUTIFUL Atacames Beach!!

Met my new Counterpart (boss) and he's super pilas and nice

Really excited about my new project. In the planning stages now, but basically I will have a captive audience of niños and get to plan activities, workshops and programs. Favorite thing to do!

Sunbathed while finishing The Autobiography of Malcolm X
and almost got a attacked by a crab!

Meeting new friends and making new connections everyday

Might go camping this weekend and to Santo Domingo next week..so getting to know different lugares.

Housing search, sometimes fun, sometimes tough..won't know if I can even move until the 14th so stay tuned...

Ate fried fish the first 5 days I was here...hey it was served up!

Best food and Jugo on the PLANET! So maybe won't be getting into shape, but I won't gain 50 lbs due to exercising off all of this foooood I am gonna be eating!!!

More later, just know I am still very much in transition, but things are looking up and I am def making the most of the change, and Sua IS pretty awesome...

Love.

Pedro Carbo

What to say about Pedro Carbo? I know one thing I would have never stopped through the modest campo town had it not for my friend who is a volunteer there. However, I have now been a couple of times and Pedro Carbo isn’t just a town you drive through. I thought Pedro Carbo was going to be super duper campo, as in nothing but trees and huts. It’s actually a small town, with a main park several stores and concrete houses. Also, it seems they are always celebrating something or putting on an event. My friend organized a concert series where people from Guayaquil came to perform! Another time I went there was a festival going on and we listened to music in the park and road on the caterpillar.> I didn’t know about the caterpillar before, but that is a CRAZY STREET ride. That’s right, imagine a rollercoaster in the middle of a main straight and there you have the Caterpillar. The youth group my volunteer friend works with are also a lot of fun and active presence in the community and it’s really great to see. For those reasons I love Pedro Carbo and will be back…yet again.

# 8 Malecon/Peñas

These gems have to make the list because they were the first things I liked about Guayaquil. The city was an attack on my senses and I was having trouble finding Peace. One day to get my cardio on, in search of some sanity, I went walked the Malecon and went up to Las Peñas. The Malecon is a boardwalk overlooking the water which was peaceful and I felt safe there. Then as I climbed the 444 stairs of Peñas I turned around and could see the whole city and the water and it was Beautiful! It was at that moment I was like, alight, maybe it’s not so bad. So the Malecon and Peñas will always be special to me for that reason.

Almost a Week In Sua

So it's hard to believe but I've been in Sua now almost a week now. I have had friend fish EVERY.SIngle day and I'm not tired of it yet lol. Sua is a tiny town with lots of friendly people. This weekend was a feriada so a normally super quiet Sua was pretty live! Of course there is the beach that I have gone to everyday and it's cute and fabulous. I am doing the host fam thing again and that has been an adjustment. Just to discuss it in one second, I don't have one second to myself...not one..I actually writing this post under the guise that I am taking a shower because it's the only only only time I am sola. I just wanted to touch base and say I"M HERE! I'm happy, I'm adjusting, but asi es la vida. The newest adventure is going to be HOUSING! Right now I'm in a little cozy room which would be fine except I have EVERYTHING from my apartment. So a full apartment worth of stuff in a tiny tiny room. There is stuff I need that I just don't feel like unpacking all these boxes to get ya know? So I feel like I'm camping and hoping I can move rather soon. I'm pretty sure PC is not going to make me do the standard 3 month jam...somethings gotta give if THAT is that call. The other issue with housing is that either you live in Sua or you come for a weekend. No one rents here really long term like a year. So I have had a TIME finding a place. I'm meeting a friend this afternoon to take pictures of two of my possibilities. If I can get more "shower" time, I will post those pics so everyone can be in on the decision making process :) More to come...

#7 Afternoon naps

Shout out first of all because I have an “occupation” right now that allows afternoon naps! That alone is wondrous. Yet, it gets even better here in Ecuador. Whenever my work day ends early, I get sooooo excited because there is a chance the sun is till out right were I need it to be for my after noon naps. I come home and lay in my super cozy bed right in front of my huge window and I open the curtains and the sheers and just sun bathe basically until I drift into a dreamy sleep. It’s The.Best. I of course have my fan workin over time which makes dreams of beach getaways a breeze. ..wait was that a pun? A lot of times I wake up when it gets dark, as if the darkness has disturbed my sleep and now I must waken to get on with my day. That’s exactly how it goes. I get up and proceed to eat some dinner and continue on with my night activities. But those afternoon naps falling asleep in the sun, are something I will always think back on when reminiscing about my time in Ecuador

Oh, Oh, The Places You'll Go...

So in my hiatus, I haven't updated on ALL the places I've been in Ecuador, so I will be starting a simultaneous series about the places I've visited. I am also contributing some of these to another blog I'm writing for, so they may have a different "voice", so just know that's why. :) Check under the "places I've been" tag. Stay tuned...

A Change Is Gonna Come....

I could have been posting everyday, the ups and downs of what has been happening, but emotional roller coaster not only sound cliché, it doesn't even BEGIN to describe what I've been going through of feeling. I'll just give you the facts and as austerely as possible.

I'm being taken out of Guayaquil and moved to Sua for safety and security reasons.
This a HUGE change, I was just in Mid Service planning my next year in Guayaquil with the Mujeres, and now that is all changing. You never know what news tomorrow will bring.

Well in this case this has been dragging out for a month. I wasn't sure where I was going or when, and while it has been nuts, I have really great program managers that have I think taken care of the situation better than most people would have.

There have been tears, lots of stress and with all the unknowns hanging over me for weeks, it's been insane.

Now I have definites, so now I'm writing.

Location: Sua, a playa (that means beach and that's a plus) in Esmeraldas...a region I have never been to...It's going to be small town versus the big city I'm used to an aaaalll the changes that go with it...

When: Oct 29th is my official move out day...

In the meantime: I'm packing like a crazy person, STILL have to go to Quito to complete site change paper work and other Peace Corps Business...So I essentially have 3 days to pack up my aparment.

I know it's for the best, but the hardest part was telling the Mujeres I work with. I'm going to miss them SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much I can't even think about it!! I will keep in touch and I just know everything happens for a reason and I just hope and pray that this is the best path for all of us. One of the ladies was saying to look at it in a positive light, that I'm going to get a chance to help another community that may need me even more like I have helped them. I thought that was really sweet for her to say. All of them have said that they are most concerned with my well being and are going to miss me.

That has been the most shocking thing for me actually how much even my site mates are going to miss me. I feel like all I do is go to work and shut myself indoors. I am not half as sunshiney or social as I normally am, so I was surprised at everyones sadness...I thought it was only going to be ME missing Everybody else! Same with the ladies, they are so amazing and have been around for 10 years, so I knew EYE was destroyed with the news, but I didn't know they were going to equally miss me as much. I always planned to have Mujeres de Lucha in my life beyond my time with them, even when I returned to the states, so that still hasn't chanced. My Program Manager said I can still stay in touch and help out a little bit as well.

So that is the news...it's the beginning of my second year in Peace Corps and I'm starting in a completely different location! So lucky for everyone I have started blogging again and you can be a part of this new adventure of mine. Ahroa, I'm packing, saying good bye, and trying to get my wits about myself in this topsy turvy turn of events!

Love and Light

JC

# 6 My Apartment and my Neighbors

As I have mentioned I love my apartment here. I didn’t think my place would be this cozy when joining the Peace Corps so that is a positive. I also love my living situation. My neighbors are the best. They have a 2 year old boy that never sleeps and is either tying to talk, laughing or crying. Sounds annoying but he’s so super cute. My vecina who is at home pretty much all day watching him is soooo sweet. We have a great relationship. We share food and pleasantries and she keeps an eye on my place when I’m gone. The husband is usually gone at work all day, but my vecina sit up by the front gate every night to welcome them home. They are so sweet. Anyone who has lived anywhere with great or horrible neighbors knows what a blessing it is to have great neighbors! Also my landlady is great. She is all about the business, but she gets things done. If anything breaks or shaks a loose, she’s on top of it, even if it’s a Saturday! Anyone who has ever rented knows. That your sanity lies in the responsiveness of your landlord! So I feel like I landed in a pretty sweet spot, and that’s why my living sitch lands a spot on the list!

# 5 Mujeres de Lucha

I could go on for days how much I love them, so I AT LEAST had to put them on the list. I would not be in Ecuador and loving it like I do if it weren’t for the Mujeres de Lucha. They are group of visionary woman who work tirelessly to uplift their community. I am inspired by them every day I am here. They know how to make a way out of no way and I love that in a ‘em! We have had great times together and I look forward to my future with them!

#4 Cutest Kids on the PLANET!

When pictures are better than words...

#3 Empanadas Bam Bam!!!

I know I mentioned snacks, but this was my first fav empanada place and it was my treat for myself when I made it successfully through a week…or sometimes just the day hee hee…

They have empanadas de carne, pollo or the only one I have had…QUESO! Que Rrriiico!! They fry up in a big old bubblin vat of grease and serve it up. On the “bar” there is garlic sauce, aji and sugar…if you are on the run (as I always am) you just split it open and pour sugar inside the delicious pocket and get on your way!

It’s a fun Ecuadorian treat. When I feel guilty for being such a pig about these things, I tell myself I’m gonna be sorry when I’m craving them back in the US and have no way of getting my little pockets of joy!

Update: Had an unfortunate run in with a Empanada from Empanadas Bam Bam, at first bite I was like…ummm this cheese is NOT right. But I just added more sugar and kept it going. I paid for that for about week. It’s broken me of my fixation….but I people coming to visit and they have to know the joys of EBB so I’ll be back….

Back from My Hiatus

I'm back on the blog, and the winds of change are rising so updates are CERTAINLY coming. In the meantime however I found some more "Ecuador How I Love Thee Let Me Count The Ways" writing that I can post while you wait :)

Enjoy!

#2 Diversity (Landscapes and People!)

Ecuador in my opinion is a land vast majority. I don’t know if other volunteers serving in other countries get to experience all the different varieties of life that we PCVs do here!

There are mountains, beaches, jungles and more! It’s like the annoying tag the people say from California (one of my personal favs) You can climb a mountain and go surfing all in the same day! That’s awesome! Moreover you can zip line through a jungle, whale watch, see an IMAX film and learn to make a hat out of dried leaves, all the same…well… week. Ecuador is such a culturally rich country full of unique traditions.





Speaking of traditions, I also respect the different cultures and people one encounters here. Yes, yes, we are all individuals and unique that way. I’m speaking of how the deep Sierrian tradition is completely different that of the Costañas tradition which is totally opposite to those living in the Amazon. Everyone is so tried and true to their traditions. Being in a city I get to see the melting pot of it all.
Since many of keeping tradition shows up in clothing and style of hair even,it’s easy to spot. Even body types in general differ. You can put a Sierran woman next to a man from Esmeraldas and the difference is there, but they are both Ecuadorian. It’s refreshing to see, and it’s great to get the inside scoop. Many times, when floating through “A Small World” in Disneyland or flipping through single viewed magazines you only see the kind of people chosen to represent a country, when really there is so much more to the story.


My host sisters dressed as traditional Sierran woman for a parade. Since they live in the city they normally where t-shirt and jeans, but thein the campo areas of the sierra, the woman can be found in this clothing day in and day out. Such rich cultural tradition!








Tsa'chila men from the Santa Domingo canton in the Pichinca Province. Known for their tradition of shaving their hair off at the sides and sculpting the remaining hair on the top into a pointed peak, painting it read using a mixture of grease and read achoite seeds.


Picture of a Shuar Man who is native to the Amazon Region











Ladies from Esmeraldas


"They" Say if you want to know what a typical traditional man from Esmeraldas looks like, just turn on any futbol game because "everybody" knows that's where all the best ball players come from. While I don't like when people say that...don't know rubs me the wrong way... I will however take this time to feature some of my fav jugadors that do happen to be from Esmeraldas and def reppin what a man from Esmeraldas looks like.



Reasons I know I need to stay away from Esmeraldas! Whooo chile' !!









In case you didn't get it... What!? I'm just making sure you can respect the Ecadorian Diversity!


Did I mention I met him in person?! Sigh..... Ooops! This lesson has gone terribly, terribly, askew.



















Fine, till next time!
I'm outta here! (me dressed as a Sierran Doña for a Parade)

Let Me Count The Ways...Starting From The Top!

So after having another robbing incident I'm pretty *grumble grumble* about Guayaquil and approaching *sick and tired of being sick and tired* status... So In true Sunshine Builder form, I'm going to have to kill Gquil with kindness and count the ways of love that I feel deep (right now so deep I think the love is hidden...) down inside....I may have to extend actually my love list to all of Ecuador...but still...

Guayaquil and Ecuador oh let me count...and continue to count the ways!

#1-Ecuador is a land of SNACKS

Seriously you can get an tortilla de verde on a two hour bus ride to the beach or walk down the street and get some pork on stick with all the fixins. Ecuadorians take their snacking seriously and that is right on time for me! Before you can say "I could use a snack" there is a lady walking around with a wooden try strapped to her shoulders with chifles, maize, canguil, chicles, those delish popcorn things I forget the name and the list goes on. Oh and the deliciousness will cost you cents on the dollar and are packed with flavor. Don't wanna snack? Needing some hot comfort food no problem! People set up their frying skillets on cualquiere corner frying up chancho, chicken, carne empanadas and tortilla everything. I REALLY try to resist most of the time, cause if I let my eyes do the eatin we'd neva stop! But even when I don't partake I always smile pleased that everyone is so for real about getting their snack on ALL the time here.

See feel better already.... Lata folks!

The Honeymoon Is Ova!

So we are at 6 months in site. Finally. It seems like we’ve been talking about 6 months for.ev.er. I think part of that has to do with that our 6 month anniversary in Ecuador was in December. However, we got to our sites in August so that started the count down over again. So in talking to the folks in my Omnibus we are all feeling kinda tired, overwhelemed, a little on the burning to burned out side and just a little blue. We all thought that at 6 months that when we were all gung ho and ready to GO go GOOO!!!! Thinking that we were feeling the exact opposite of how we should be feeling only made us feel worse.

It wasn’t until I talked to a wonderful and wise PCV who is at the end of her service that was like…”Oh no, your not supposed to be excited…The Honeymoon is Over!” Wait, what? She explained that it is about this time that the PCV realizes that they are not at camp, that this isn’t a summer abroad or some conveniently shorter Peace Corps alternative program. This is the Peace Corps and you are going to be here for 27 months. This isn’t a project, this is your LIFE. It’s that reality check that has hit all of us, I think, and worn us out! I won’t speak for everyone, but I know there are a good number of us.

I felt relieved to hear this news personally. I didn’t feel so crazy anymore for feeling worn out. It all made sense now! When I wake up in my apartment (that I love!) I would look around as if to say “yep still here” and then getting dressed slowly like “off to the barrio…again…like everyday…” usually by the time I was in the barrio with ladies I’d be energized again, but day after day I would have that morning drag. I didn’t get it I love my apartment why the negative feeling…I love the work I’m doing why not be flying out of the door to go everyday? Now I get it. It’s the realization that I’m HERE for real. I’m not going anywhere. So if I want to work 6 days a week…go head…but this is my life….not a short term project. If I think…in my life …I would like to whisk away to the beach every now and then… I need to go ‘head and write that into the program…cause we’s gonna be here for awhile.

It gave me perspective and I think I have exhaled. Like today, took the day off to catch up on emails and blogs and get over this lingering cold I have had that isn’t going to go away until I sit still. So poco a poco I’m getting the memo. So I guess now the real work begins!? Lol Dios Mio what have I BEEN doing?

My Haunted House…

If I haven’t said it already, I love my apartment. Even with barely anything in it it felt like my home. Now that I’ve lived in it more, it feels even more like home. I feel truly thankful for that. Having said that… there is a flip side to my blissful living. My house is haunted. Not by your regular fantasmas (ghosts) but mystery winged roaches!!! Dios MIO!!! I used to call them beetles but that would be too lucky. I think this are cucarachas and these bad bos have wangs!

Okay an infestation problem may be inconvenient but lets not go as fas to call it a haunting shall we? Oh WE SHALL. It’s the strangest thing. These winged beasts play with my head you see… They only show up when I’m gone or have gone to bed, they only show up in the same two places (by my toilet or by the bathroom door) and they are ALWAYS without a doubt DEAD! It’s the ca-raziest thing. It went for inconvenient to driving me crazy. When I would be gone for a weekend there would be two…like one for each day. When I was gone for four days. Four. Lying dead…all in a row by the toilet. Dead. When I wake up sometimes there is one…lying there…like whoooo wee did I have fun in Your bathroom last night…yep just feet from where you lay your head to rest. BEAST!

People tell me to fumigate. I bought some Raid..but it’s lame, cause well…they are already dead you see…. Sometimes it makes me feel better but my actions are all in vain. Well, recently they have been showing up in OTHER places. So now I’m like oh helltothenaw.com this can’t be. UNDER my bed once. By my yoga mat and guitar (i.e. the quiet mind corner that cannot HAPPEN!) and outside of my bedroom door. Always dead. Thank God! But seriously get outta here!! So I started problem solving. When I had to go away for Reconnect I was like do not want 5 new friends in my apartment when I got back.


When I have people come over I have them inspect my place and place their bet on where they think the beasts are coming from…no one ever knows. Once a Vol closed a crack in my window and I thought that was it. I lived in peace for a week….then one dead friend showed up making the mystery deepen. People also ask me about them now like they are my kids “Soooo how are your little winged monsters?” ,“Seen your friends lately?” Um No…we cannot be closely associated like that.

Anyway, While taking my shower before leaving I realized around the pipes in the wall there were opening. Big enough for the winged beasts to get into. …. I decided to duct tape around that. I actually set up a few duct tape boobie traps too just to play out some theories…only thinking later as I was on the bus like…if my boobie traps catch them…I’m gonna have to unstick the tape with a dead beast on it!!

So spend a glorious week in Cuenca…and return to my crib. There was a mansoon before we left…which is when I discovered that my roof leaks….So I thought I was coming home to pools or water, crickets (who love the rain and eating clothes) and winged beasts. I unlock my door and kick it open FBI style…nothing… peer into my kitchen…nada…sweet…but that’s not the real test…I kick open the door to my bed room (might as well had my hands in a pretend pistol position) look left right ..nothing…the real test…The Bathroom….Yay! Nothing!! Whoo hooo I solved the mystery!!!

Days later…

Dead.Winged.Beast.

For weeks after same thing… not only the same thing… this is when they really started showing up in different places.

*Just a note people , you should be happy about these bugs cause THEY are how I KNOW I’m coming back to the US. All of you that say I’m going to stay here forever or extend my time. It’s these crazies, alone, that make me sure that while I’m enjoying my time here…I’m not stayin past my regularly scheduled program. *

Anyway, when I had to leave again for Quito, I was like what else can I duct tape? The toilet!! It made perfect sense it’s connected to the ground and they could be coming from there. I thnk they end up dead cause there is a garden surrounding the walls of my apartment. I know they have pestisides and stuff… and to cross over that to get to my place I think they are at the edge of life by then. Anyway, I ducted taped my toilet and left again. Came back…NADA!! They know what I’m thinking… Maybe they are just messing with me. That was a week ago…and I haven’t had an incident yet…We’’ll see…..

Oh you thought I was done with that hauntings…Well try waking up to low moaning scary voices that escalate into screams. Yes Screams! At 4 in the morning it was hard for me to comprehend what that was. It wasn’t sounding all that human…but other worldly yes. And ALLL night long! I just would put in headphones and go to sleep already knowing my house was haunted. It wasn’t until I woke up to what only could be described as what the world coming to a rapid end would sound like. Again at 4 in the morning a deep loud rumbling, maybe crumbling sound that at first I thought was an earth quake…. Since I jolted up the room was definitely shaking…or was that just my head? Anyway, once I got myself , and the screams and rumbling came together I realized that it wasn’t the end of the world it was two cats scrapping it out on my tin roof!! My word! Who knew that’s what it would ever sound like? It’s awful. That explains the screams too. Have you ever heard cats go at it when they are doing their mating or warning call or whatever it is they do. Low moan into a scream roar? Well my bathroom has this open screened window that they love to go at it. Right. There. Oh how do I know? Cause when I go to the bathroom having been woken up, there little white and gray faces are there peering at me! Which further scares the crap out me! Lookin at me like..what are YOU doin up? Lord help me! Lol.

So that’s my journey into the hauntings of my house. Stay tuned for updates…



This is Nerves of Steel Signing off!

Class Is Now In Session!

Alright so starting in Feb (who knows when this will post) I am starting to teach classes for juuust about every group we have established in the barrio. For starters the niños or the younger kids, will be getting art clases, English (ugh hate it but they want it so fine…), possibly some dance and self esteems. For the jovenes, or teenagers, I’ll be teaching, English, self-esteem, leadership, Health & AIDS/HIV and maybe some dance in there too. I plan on doing a lot of projects and service learning as we call it in the Peace Corps to help develop leadership and cooperation skills for the jovenes. For the Mujeres De Lucha I’m going to be teaching classes on communication, accounting (Dios mio!), and motivation. I’m even going to be giving some charlas on health and exercise to the ederly group or the adultos mayores.

There clearly aren’t enough days of the week to fit this all in, but its going to work out some how. Right now the kids are on vacation so I’m going to work with them at least 3 days week. The niños in the morning and the jovenes in the afternoons. The Mujeres are going to be basically the weekends i.e. Friday and/or Saturdays and the adultos mayores whataever day I leave open to come see them.

I most nervous about my Spanish! The Mujeres and I have come up with our own way of communicating. Since they are so sweet they let me get by with some pretty messed up Spanish and they never correct me. It only becomes apparent when Im speaking to ANYone else. They cannot understand me usually…(this is why I need a tutor) and I’m like right…only Mujeres get me cause they let me get by with madness. So when I have a group of teens that CERTAINLY would rather be outside playing soccer on their school vacation than listening to self esteem charlas….bad Spanish is only going to make it worse. Oh sure I have games, activities and what not to spice it up, but teens are the toughest crowd. Since I want to work with youth now and in the future there is no time like the present to just jump in there and do my best. I know there is no way we can spend two months together in class and me not learn anything and them not learn anything. We will both surely gain something from the experience, so I just have to keep that in mind at all times.

When school gets back in session around April I’m hoping that maybe I can still get one day with the jovenes afterschool or something. You know as a youth group kind of thing. There is an existing group of jovenes already, but it has come to my attention that there are some teens in the community that are def excluded from this group Not good for self esteem. My dream is get all of the teens working together cause there is really no need for strife man. My thought…build a garden together and the byproduct will be new friendships formed. Vamos a ver. Wish me luck!

Reconnect. Lucky for you all I’m not in that much of a writing/babbling mood. Just wanted to report that Reconnnect, which I was calling DisConnect since we were all separated, was actually a great event. My CAT Tools, a presentation we were all freaking out about (and another reason I was MIA Dec/Jan), was not all that impressive, but we got through it. It was great seeing the volunteers that I don’t get to ever see and it was just fun switchin up the schedule and spending time in Cuenca.

Oh mama, Cuenca is my new love. It was BEAUTIFUL. Nice, clean, great sites to see, safe, you name it. We didn’t get to spend too much time in the city, but I definitely want to go back to Cuenca. Maybe during a family or friend visit? Hint, hint


Reconnect would not have been half as special or beneficial if it weren’t for the fact that I invited my counterpart. It was optional for our counterparts to come, and once my presentation wasn’t really coming along, I figured, I wouldn’t have her come and only embarrass myself. I also figured since she takes care of about 5 kids In her house there was no way she could leave for 4 days. But when I gave her, her invite letter she was ALL about it. During our meetings in Cuenca we had exercises in how to plan events from beginning to end which was great for her to see. Plus, I just love spending time with Lottie and this event brought us closer. We butted heads on some ideas, which was great, because we were able to strengthen our communication skills. She was all about participating (a little too much if you ask me, cause that meant EYE had to participate vs daydreaming hee hee) and everyone loved her. So that was special and amazing. Since Peace Corps paid for our counterparts I was really happy to get Lottie out of the barrio.

All of the volunteers were going to get together in Riobamba after to really Reconnect, but we weren’t allowed to due to strikes going on. That weekend ended up being a fun time though anyway…even though my apartment didn’t have water the whole time...but that's another story...


See Short and Sweet. Besitos xoxo