17 August 3:00 PM
Already I’ve been negligent in updating my blog – by I guess it’s a good sign that I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to do so. I hit my two week mark tomorrow, and I would say things are going really well. But let me back track a little to get everyone up to speed.
I finished up my week of Spanish classes on Friday. Four hours every morning was pretty exhausting, but helpful. I plan to continue taking classes after I teach, but that won’t start until next week, and only once or twice a week. My Spanish is definitely improving, but still revolves around the same four or five verbs: I want, I can, I like, I need, I have and I am (tired, usually). My comprehension of conversations around me is on a more intermediate level, so that’s good. I’m sure that it will get better each day.
This past Saturday I was supposed to go on a hike with a few other volunteers to a waterfall and lake, but the guy who was supposed to take us never showed up. So Suzannah (volunteer from the UK) and I decided to venture off on our own. We followed the now unused train tracks out of Otavalo for about 3 miles or so. It was cool to venture off the beaten path, and see how the people outside Otavalo live. We also saw a lot of cows and pigs and stuff, which for this city girl was cool too. I’m sure the locals found it really hilarious to see the Gringa taking tons of pictures of cows, but whatever.
And my host family is super sweet. On Monday night Danny (the eldest) showed me ALL of the family albums. Although it took a while, it was really cool to be invited into the family history like that. I’ve shown my pics as well. I really lucked out with my host family – they’re pretty modern, liberal, and just so nice to be around. It’s still weird living is someone else’s house, but I’m getting a bit more comfortable each day. And thankfully I’ve avoided crazy intestinal distress thus far, so I haven’t had to embarrass myself too much using the centrally-located bathroom I’ve previously mentioned.
On Sunday I joined the other volunteers for a hike around Leguna Cuicachi – which is a lake within a volcanic crater. It was really beautiful, but I’m still working on my hiking legs, so it kicked my ass a little (ok a lot, but keep in mind I’m at about 10,000 ft here). After the hike we took a boat around the lake for about 30 minutes. It was cool, but pretty touristy. The scenery here is just unbelievable, and of course my pics don’t do it justice.
Monday was my first day at the school (called Muenala). I’m sure it’s not surprising to know that I was totally nervous about it. I just felt so unprepared – I didn’t think my Spanish was good enough, I know nothing about teaching little kids, I had no idea what these kids would be like, etc. etc. But it really wasn’t so bad. I felt a bit out of place, but the kids were mostly really sweet, although sometimes poorly behaved (pushing limits and stuff), as kids often are. I think they just wanted to figure me out a little once they realized they would have me around for the next 15 weeks.
I guess now it’s just a matter of getting into the swing of everything. I now have a schedule that I will follow for the next 15 weeks, I’ll get to know the kids better and better each day, I’ll feel more confident in my teaching abilities, and my Spanish will improve. I think in another couple of weeks when I’m really settled with the school, I won’t feel so much like a fish out of water.
And the kids are SO cute. They’re a pretty affectionate bunch, especially the girls and the younger ones. To see them at school, they seem like most kids we encounter, but then you realize that they have so much responsibility within the family – even the real little ones. For example, during my walk to school yesterday, I ran into one of my 9-year-olds with 15 cows in tow. And kids as young as seven may be responsible for all the little ones younger than them.
And they are so poor. It’s really sad. Each child has one set of clothes that is worn everyday – which has probably been handed down from older siblings. The rubber boots each wears (without socks) are practically disintegrating around their feet. And the kids are really dirty. You wouldn’t think of it, but water is not easy to come by for these families. They live high in the Andes, and the water source is a river in the valley. Although there is some plumbing that offers running (cold only) water, it’s unreliable. And when the family’s survival depends on farming and livestock, the water is better used for that. It’s really eye-opening to be in a situation where bathing is thought to be a luxury.
It’s pretty impressive what GVI brings to these kids. My school, during the regular school year (it’s optional summer session now), will have about 30 students grades 1-6. One local teacher is supplied by the government for all of them. The school has two rooms, only one of which has electricity, and a kitchen. GVI provides volunteers that allow for students to be separated by age and ability. Additionally, the organization pays for each student to have all the necessary school supplies so they can actually attend school. The food that is served during the day (usually rice and lentils, some veggies and fruit) is also supplied by GVI, and purchased every morning by volunteers at the market to support the local economy. Furthermore, any improvements to the school, other material needs, etc., are covered by GVI. The hope is that the three schools GVI supports will produce students who can choose to continue on in their education (secondary school and university) and therefore be better prepared to help their communities survive, as the poor indigenous communities are really threatened in this country.
So for those of you who chose to help sponsor my coming here, you can feel really good about where the money is going. And for all of you that opt to follow my blog, I encourage you to think about whether you might want to give something to the efforts here. If so, I can definitely direct you how to do that. And just so you know, 100% of any contribution goes to the project itself. Ok, that’s enough of my pitch today.
So I have to give you some more info on the folks who I’m working with, just so you have a better picture. First there’s Suzannah, who is 33 and from Kent, England and will be here for another 3 weeks. I love her – she’s really feisty and great to hang around with. Colleen is the other girl here: 28, an elementary school teacher from Wisconsin, and also really nice. She’s here for another 12 weeks, so I’m glad to know there will be that consistency. And she lives practically across the street from me, so it’s nice to have someone I can walk with at night. Tom, 22 and the only male at the moment, is the most girl-hungry guy I’ve ever encountered. He talks about girls all the time. It’s really unbelievable. Despite that, I like him a lot as he really is a good guy and is amazing with the kids. There are three more volunteers arriving this weekend, and I’m looking forward to meeting them (and having the extra help at the school).
And that leaves Chrissie (36, another Brit) who is the project manager here. She’s really amazing – gave up her life in England to do this and wants to do it forever. She can get a bit preachy, but her commitment is full-on, and she’s such an inspiration. This week she and I worked together at Muenala, just the two of us, so it was good getting to know her better on our 40-minute hikes to and from the school everyday.
It’s still pretty surreal to be here. It totally freaks me out when I stop and think “Holy Shit, I’m in Ecuador!” But I’m finding my way, and trying to get comfortable. Everyday I feel a bit more at home. I think that catches you all up. I hope to post to my site about twice a week to let you know how it’s going.
I finished up my week of Spanish classes on Friday. Four hours every morning was pretty exhausting, but helpful. I plan to continue taking classes after I teach, but that won’t start until next week, and only once or twice a week. My Spanish is definitely improving, but still revolves around the same four or five verbs: I want, I can, I like, I need, I have and I am (tired, usually). My comprehension of conversations around me is on a more intermediate level, so that’s good. I’m sure that it will get better each day.
This past Saturday I was supposed to go on a hike with a few other volunteers to a waterfall and lake, but the guy who was supposed to take us never showed up. So Suzannah (volunteer from the UK) and I decided to venture off on our own. We followed the now unused train tracks out of Otavalo for about 3 miles or so. It was cool to venture off the beaten path, and see how the people outside Otavalo live. We also saw a lot of cows and pigs and stuff, which for this city girl was cool too. I’m sure the locals found it really hilarious to see the Gringa taking tons of pictures of cows, but whatever.
And my host family is super sweet. On Monday night Danny (the eldest) showed me ALL of the family albums. Although it took a while, it was really cool to be invited into the family history like that. I’ve shown my pics as well. I really lucked out with my host family – they’re pretty modern, liberal, and just so nice to be around. It’s still weird living is someone else’s house, but I’m getting a bit more comfortable each day. And thankfully I’ve avoided crazy intestinal distress thus far, so I haven’t had to embarrass myself too much using the centrally-located bathroom I’ve previously mentioned.
On Sunday I joined the other volunteers for a hike around Leguna Cuicachi – which is a lake within a volcanic crater. It was really beautiful, but I’m still working on my hiking legs, so it kicked my ass a little (ok a lot, but keep in mind I’m at about 10,000 ft here). After the hike we took a boat around the lake for about 30 minutes. It was cool, but pretty touristy. The scenery here is just unbelievable, and of course my pics don’t do it justice.
Monday was my first day at the school (called Muenala). I’m sure it’s not surprising to know that I was totally nervous about it. I just felt so unprepared – I didn’t think my Spanish was good enough, I know nothing about teaching little kids, I had no idea what these kids would be like, etc. etc. But it really wasn’t so bad. I felt a bit out of place, but the kids were mostly really sweet, although sometimes poorly behaved (pushing limits and stuff), as kids often are. I think they just wanted to figure me out a little once they realized they would have me around for the next 15 weeks.
I guess now it’s just a matter of getting into the swing of everything. I now have a schedule that I will follow for the next 15 weeks, I’ll get to know the kids better and better each day, I’ll feel more confident in my teaching abilities, and my Spanish will improve. I think in another couple of weeks when I’m really settled with the school, I won’t feel so much like a fish out of water.
And the kids are SO cute. They’re a pretty affectionate bunch, especially the girls and the younger ones. To see them at school, they seem like most kids we encounter, but then you realize that they have so much responsibility within the family – even the real little ones. For example, during my walk to school yesterday, I ran into one of my 9-year-olds with 15 cows in tow. And kids as young as seven may be responsible for all the little ones younger than them.
And they are so poor. It’s really sad. Each child has one set of clothes that is worn everyday – which has probably been handed down from older siblings. The rubber boots each wears (without socks) are practically disintegrating around their feet. And the kids are really dirty. You wouldn’t think of it, but water is not easy to come by for these families. They live high in the Andes, and the water source is a river in the valley. Although there is some plumbing that offers running (cold only) water, it’s unreliable. And when the family’s survival depends on farming and livestock, the water is better used for that. It’s really eye-opening to be in a situation where bathing is thought to be a luxury.
It’s pretty impressive what GVI brings to these kids. My school, during the regular school year (it’s optional summer session now), will have about 30 students grades 1-6. One local teacher is supplied by the government for all of them. The school has two rooms, only one of which has electricity, and a kitchen. GVI provides volunteers that allow for students to be separated by age and ability. Additionally, the organization pays for each student to have all the necessary school supplies so they can actually attend school. The food that is served during the day (usually rice and lentils, some veggies and fruit) is also supplied by GVI, and purchased every morning by volunteers at the market to support the local economy. Furthermore, any improvements to the school, other material needs, etc., are covered by GVI. The hope is that the three schools GVI supports will produce students who can choose to continue on in their education (secondary school and university) and therefore be better prepared to help their communities survive, as the poor indigenous communities are really threatened in this country.
So for those of you who chose to help sponsor my coming here, you can feel really good about where the money is going. And for all of you that opt to follow my blog, I encourage you to think about whether you might want to give something to the efforts here. If so, I can definitely direct you how to do that. And just so you know, 100% of any contribution goes to the project itself. Ok, that’s enough of my pitch today.
So I have to give you some more info on the folks who I’m working with, just so you have a better picture. First there’s Suzannah, who is 33 and from Kent, England and will be here for another 3 weeks. I love her – she’s really feisty and great to hang around with. Colleen is the other girl here: 28, an elementary school teacher from Wisconsin, and also really nice. She’s here for another 12 weeks, so I’m glad to know there will be that consistency. And she lives practically across the street from me, so it’s nice to have someone I can walk with at night. Tom, 22 and the only male at the moment, is the most girl-hungry guy I’ve ever encountered. He talks about girls all the time. It’s really unbelievable. Despite that, I like him a lot as he really is a good guy and is amazing with the kids. There are three more volunteers arriving this weekend, and I’m looking forward to meeting them (and having the extra help at the school).
And that leaves Chrissie (36, another Brit) who is the project manager here. She’s really amazing – gave up her life in England to do this and wants to do it forever. She can get a bit preachy, but her commitment is full-on, and she’s such an inspiration. This week she and I worked together at Muenala, just the two of us, so it was good getting to know her better on our 40-minute hikes to and from the school everyday.
It’s still pretty surreal to be here. It totally freaks me out when I stop and think “Holy Shit, I’m in Ecuador!” But I’m finding my way, and trying to get comfortable. Everyday I feel a bit more at home. I think that catches you all up. I hope to post to my site about twice a week to let you know how it’s going.
posted by Melissa In Ecuador at 5:32 PM
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