Break In Case of Emergency/Light at the End of The Tunnel Part Duex

A Month by Month Break Down of things I know I have to look forward to in order to make the hard days just pass away....

November- Por supuesto Thanksgiving
I knew Thanksgiving was going to be fun because one of the girls in Guayaquil stated early on she is very serious about her Thanksgiving so we were very serious about making this a fun one. As it's turning out, good friend PCVs are coming to town. Some of gringa connections are also having some fun activities. The US Consul and the American School are having Feasts and Flag Football! We are going to be eating non stop from Wednesday night to Sunday Morn, we are going to be playing out in the field and having fun time slumber parties. Nov has come with its challenges but what a great light to have at the end of the tunnel right?

December- Navidad! I thought this was going to bring my first group of visitors but it turns out that isn't possible. Which is okay cause it is still New Apartment Month. My first month of real privacy and freedom! Yay I never have to put on pants or a bra to go to the kitchen ANYMORE! ooops sorry TMI. Look people its HOT here! Also, I am excited about all the fun Christmas activities we are going to be doing in the barrio. Plus December is the LAST month of 2009! This has been such a crazy, different, off, zany year for everyone and now it's over. I remember Jan 2009 like it was yesterday. Time waits for no (wo)man, that's all I know. It's an exciting milestone

Then already it's 2010!!!
I look at 2010 as the "the long haul" If I make it through 2010 the rest of my service is a cake walk. It's really all about 2010. '09 was getting trained and getting acquainted. 2010 is about really getting into projects, making a life here in Guayaquil, getting my travel on and really just taking advantage of my time here...

2010 Lights-

January- New Years! My birthday! Reconnect-An event where we travel to a location and all of the PCVs get together and discuss their progress so far. Reconnect will really be a validate our time here thus far I think. Its a week long so it will be fun to have that break and see everyone.

February- I was giving myself time get adjusted before I dove into my hobbies. I'm so tired at the end of the day I didn't know how I would do it. But now that Reconnect is over and it's time for The Long Haul I'm about to get my Dance Dance Dance ON! Feb is when I'm going to start taking dance classes at this one place I found. I think the adult classes "tropical" dances (that's what they call it) but I think it's all the Latin based favorites, salsa, merengue, bachata and other stuff I can't pronounce. I'm still looking for a modern and maybe ballet class as well. Also, Jan/Feb is going to be when EYE start teaching dance and wellness classes!!!

January-April- Marks The duration of my classes I will be teaching where I get to work with the youth in the barrio. I think this is really going to brighten my days and give me a sense of purpose. I need to remember to still be getting my travel on! Oh I forgot to mention I also REALLY hope to be getting some tutoring at this point!

May - My mama is comin to see her baby!! I have also been invited to Miami for a very important bbday bash :) Maybe May will be a wooo-sah break month to exhale after my classes with the niños y jovenes.

June- Marks a year I've been in Ecuador what can be better than that?

July- Will probably do some fun 4th of July stuff will probably visit the new kids on the block that will be starting training and visit my Cayambe Family. (all this time, I'm still enjoying Everyday with the Mujeres, Improving my language, making good on some projects I have started and dancing it up!)

August- A YEAR of being an official PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER. We have our Mid Service event where we AALLL get together and I simply cannot wait for this! This is really going to be a grand moment for us. This is another real light at the end of the tunnel. I know it seems like so now we have another whooole year to go, but I KNOW after August time is going to really zip on by.

Sept-December- Apply what we learned at Mid Service (we get new ideas to implement from the PC staff during the event), Now is the time where I get to improve upon what I kinda messed up the year before. The Mujeres have event that they do every year. Well Sept of 2009 I was clueless and could barely speak. I'm hoping by Sept 2010 I can be real asset to the events such as Day of Nutrition in Oct, be instrumental in the Thanksgiving donations this year, and really contribute to the Navidad celebration now that I know what one looks like and how they get down! Really excited for a second go at these things :)

2011!! Already!

January- Family reunion in Orlando! My first officially planned US trip (we'll see about May '10) and of course New Years and 30th!! Birthday!

Feb-April- My last time teaching my classes gotta make it great!

okay so here's the deal. Right now I want to apply to be a co-trainer. Our co-trainers were awesome and fun and really added so much to our training experience. A Co-trainer is a volunteer who is currently serving in country who wraps up their service three months early to assist with a new incoming group. So remember those three months I had training in Cayambe? Well there were people that wrapped up their service early to be there with us. After we swore in, they left and returned to the US. IF I am able to be a co-trainer... Theeen...

May- is all about wrapping up my service officially!!

June-August- Will be training with a new Omnibus and COS ...Close OF Service. And then....just like that...the whole thing is over. Sad huh?

There are soooo many variables in all of that too.Peace Corps offers committees we can join, who knows the friends I'll meet, what opportunities that are going to rise. Something new pops up EVERYDAY with the Mujeres. Who knows who is going to be able to come to Ecuador and see lil ol me. Then there is just the new and strengthening of friendships here...the skys really the limit. This is just an outline skeleton of the most boring dull thing that can happen. Not too shabby! Anything added will only bring more excitement. So for the complete list of aforementioned reasons....my "super bad I can't do this anymore, I'm SERIOUSLY going to lose it on the next guy that hisses at me, tells me he loves me in poorly spoken English, or makes a kissy sound at me crap days"...are just bad days, because I know I have SO much to look forward too.

Peace and Blessings!!

Independence Day? (?)

Happy Independence Day. Of course there is a definite delay in my posts but hey it is what is. No worries. My independence day had little to do with Independence. My day was filled with washing clothes by hand. WHOO WEE what task. Yep mi madre finally cornered me and got me to do it. She also made me sweep and dust my room...under supervision. She even "you missed a spot"ted me lol. I learned how to make a bed like they do at a hotel and as I type this all of my personal intimate apparel is hanging up outside in the front yard over the dog house for everyone person who comes over to see. Sweet. Also, this weekend it was QUITE the task getting out of the house Friday and Saturday. All of our new padres are really protective of us trainees. They feel we are their responsibility and they are not messing around. They want to make sure we don't get jacked in the park, that we have enough money to get a taxi if we need it, but not too much in case we get robbed/pick pocketed, oh and we always are sent out of the door with something to eat...if we don't sit and eat something which is preferred. I was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic as I'm approaching 30 and yet can't be out past 7:30. In reality I appreciate someone taking me into their home and loving me as if I were their own. It's just me and my attitude trying to get out of line. Tonight I (4th of July) I really didn't want to go out and party like a lot of people wanted to do. My super protective family served as the perfect excuse to stay home and test our my new blogging technique with my thumb drive. I sure hope this works. I was able to go out and meet up with friends.... I just had to be home before dinner :)

Friday our Co Trainers, Current Peace Corps Volunteers, Facilitators and Staff had a Futbol Tournament and BBQ for us. It was SO MUCH fun. After my week I needed to just be outside and running around. In Ecuadorian Tradition we had an Madrina/Reina competition. The Reina represents the futbol team and it's basically a pageant before the tournament. There are maybe 9 language groups so we each had to elect a Madrina. For my group..that we call the short bus since we are the lowest Spanish class lol...picked me. Well it was more I agreed to do it cause NO one wanted to. No one wants to parade in front of people AND have to answer a competition question IN Spanish! Our group is the one group that doesn't even speak Spanish so you know we can't even wing it if we wanted to!! Man we at first were like, no man, no way...but then our competitive spirit took over and the Short Bus banded together for real! We came up with a chant in Spanish, we got T-shirts made (pictures coming hopefully) and my whole team had my back helping me come up with my speech. I had one night to memorize it....I thought I could never do it. I could barely READ it correctly let alone memorize it! We were being judged on team spirit, team outfits, chant and the madrina. I was soooo nervous the next day for the competition. Mi Madre was so on top of it, she ironed the one dress I brought with me, and made me wear some make up lol and she even came to the event even though it was just for Peace Corps people. She's so supportive. My lil sis came too and took pictures. My team looked great in our outfits, we had great team spirit, I actually made it through my speech and while the competition was steep guess won !? Yep ME! lol. I am the Reaina of Omnibus 102 2009 and have the sash to prove it. For real it means so much because my group REALLY came together as a team. The Director said the reason Cayambe (my group) won was because our team spirit was so obvious. We were all up late at night writing my speech and while I was saying my speech my girls were mouthing the words in case I forgot lol. It was fun. It's a good memory for when I think I can't do something, I can remember that a) si se puede b) I have a support system.

Despues we got to playing some futbol. My team didn't have any apparent great players like some teams, but we really held our own out there on the field. I think we were pumped from our victory. We won our first game (I made our one and only winning goal, maybe I'll be a futbol player for real!) and we lost our next game in a kick off...and that team was the Facilitators and they were really good, so I feel like we one that one too...lol. Then we met volunteers who have been serving for about a year and had the best food I've had in weeks. It's always great talking to people IN service cause they tell you how it is. We all hung out after the even too...and it was hard getting out of the house lol....but I did and all and all it was a great day.

I got out of going to a parade today early in the AM but tomorrow there is one that I gotta be ready to leave that house at 9 AM sharp. I have written about 5 posts on this thumb drive tonight, I hope that it works. I will have much more fun detailed blog posts if it does! Happy Fourth even though I"ll probably post this on the 14th lol :)