La Generosidad

(This is my entry into the WT journal contest...enjoy!)

Expecting the unexpected becomes second nature here in Ecuador. Volcanoes spurting ash, parades marching down the streets, eating guinea pig for lunch- these exemplify just a few of the many daily surprises that Ecuador gives her volunteers. Flexibility quickly becomes a desired trait. With many of these surprises, I usually just laugh to myself and move on with my day. Though with all the unbelievable moments that I have experienced already, the one thing that continually surprises me and touches me to the core is the generosity of my students.

Ecuadorians are such a generous people in general, but my students take it to a whole new level. Not only have they accepted me as a teacher, but they have become my cultural informants, my guardians, and most importantly, true friends. They give me so much during our classes together. With our final projects this semester they had to perform skits in front of the class. One group performed a scene from Shrek and came in costume, with Shrek and Donkey masks and all! Another group brought all the traditional Ecuadorian food dishes- fritada (fried pork), llapingachos (potato pancakes), moté (a cousin of corn), and other treats. Watching my students give their presentations with such pride and excitement made me so grateful to be a part of it all. Their own enthusiasm and desire to learn are gifts in themselves. And even on those days when the last thing I want to do is stand up in front of my classes for five hours, I usually leave happy at the end of the day because of my students.

In addition to the daily kindnesses my students give me in the classroom, they have many times surprised me with their generosity outside of the classroom as well. When I took an overnight bus to the coast during my first few weeks teaching, Henry called to make sure I got to my destination safely. When I mentioned to Rosa that I liked her pink nail polish, she brought me the bottle the next day and insisted that I keep it for myself. Jazmín and her father usually drive me home after class, and we often stop for ice cream or go to their home for more conversation around the dinner table. This past November, Rómulo hosted a field trip for our class at his uncle’s house. My students bought all the food and wouldn’t let me pay a cent, and we had a BBQ with the Tungurahua Volcano in the background. And when I mentioned to Zoila that I needed to buy Christmas presents for my family back in the States, she invited me to the festivals and markets in her small indigenous town. Not only did she meet me in town to help with my shopping, but she took me and two other volunteers to her friend’s home to participate in the celebrations. Though I know many of my students don’t have a lot, you certainly wouldn’t know that with all they give.

My favorite example of my students’ generosity came during our Thanksgiving Day class. Beforehand I had tried to explain Thanksgiving to them as best as I could, emphasizing the value of spending time with family and loved ones, and setting aside a day to be thankful for all one’s blessings. I had told my students about how much I love the holiday and how sad I was to be away from my family this year. When I arrived to class that day they all surprised me with turkey sandwiches for the entire class! My students told me they wanted to make sure I had my turkey on Thanksgiving Day. It was obvious that they grasped the meaning of Thanksgiving better than I had ever hoped for.

I came to Ecuador with the hopes that I might have something to give my students- maybe my knowledge of the English language and my desire to share my culture with them. And yet while I do try to give my students as much as I can, I am just so humbled by all they have given me. My students have welcomed me with open arms and have made me feel so loved and appreciated. These men and women, strangers only months ago, have now become the faces I look forward to seeing every day. They are the people I go to with questions or concerns, always ready to help me in any way they can. One might say that generosity, or generosidad, signifies the same thing in every language. But if I have learned anything in my time so far in Ecuador, I have learned that here generosity means something a little more.