Life's a Beach

Again, so much to report! The last few weeks have been quite the whirlwind. Classes are off and running and we have been studying the past tense and the formation of questions. Questions are so tricky! Did you know that every question in English needs a modal (do, have, can, will, could, etc.) unless it has the verb “to be?” What a crazy rule. I’m telling you, I learn so much every day. But my students are doing wonderfully and I am just so impressed with how far they have come since October! We are actually going to learn some sports terms tomorrow and put them into practice at a Ambato vs. Guayaquil game on Thursday night!

I have been getting more and more excited about the UVa Alternative Spring Break trip coming in just 5 weeks to the elementary school in Pillaro where I’m a volunteer a few times a month. I had a meeting with the principal (my student) and the entire faculty to clarify teaching expectations and to arrange housing, food, and other activities for the group. Can you believe that the parents of the school are putting up all 12 of the students for FREE all week? People here really do ooze generosity. I have been scheming with the two site leaders back at UVa too, and they are so on top of things and getting excited as well. More to come on that front soon.

Unfortunately, though, this brings me to a sad confession. Our last trip to the school in Pillaro was Eden’s last visit there because she is leaving the country for good on February 7th. I hadn’t mentioned it before, though I’ve known since November, because she hadn’t announced it to the other volunteers yet (which she did this past weekend). Eden’s mom is sick and Eden made the extremely difficult decision to return home for the rest of the year. I will miss her dearly, but I know she made the best decision for herself and her family, and it certainly takes a lot of courage and love to carry out such a decision. But Eden will forever be a part of my Ecua adventures because she has certainly left her mark not only on me, but this city and so many of its people.

I had a wonderful time with Eden and the rest of the WT crew this past weekend at our Midservice conference (can you believe I’ve reached that point?!). Actually, “wonderful” doesn’t even do it justice. We stayed at an amazing eco-hostel called Alandaluz right on the beach. And even though it rained the first two days, it certainly didn’t dampen our spirits. We ate delicious seafood, slept in bungalows, had a bonfire on the beach with s’mores and a guitar sing-a-long, and some people even went for a late night swim in less-than-standard beachwear, if you catch my drift (I’m pleading the fifth on that one). But most importantly, the conversations that I had with the other volunteers were so fruitful. I loved hearing about their experiences, and it was so great to see how we all share so many of the same ups and downs. So now I feel very refreshed and re-energized. We also stayed an extra night at the beach to have a despedida for our outgoing Field Director, Therese. We all went out dancing and showed her off in style. She is leaving to travel around South America for a few months before she goes back to Chicago to teach. We will surely miss her. And welcome to our new assistant Field Director, Katie!

And I should say that things aren’t always peachy here in Ecuador. I know from my blog it sounds like things are always happy and exciting, but those down days are more common than you might think…today for example. I was just feeling lonely and a bit friend and family-sick. It’s amazing, depending on my mood, how these 5 months seem like they will fly, or they seem like an eternity (though rarely!). But I’m already in a better mood than I was this morning, and I know that I just have to take the good with the bad in this crazy Ecua experience I’ve been given. And I certainly do know, though, that I am meant to be here this year, and that these memories will be a part of me always.

Speaking of things sometimes being frustrating in Ecuador, I very well might be going on strike. SECAP, the governmental school that I work for hasn't paid us volunteers for 2 months. Our contract with them states that we MUST suspend classes if we go without pay for 60 days...so it begins February 6th. The problem is that President Correa has just dictated that all governmental accounts need to be changed into one big account so that he has control over it all. So all the accounts are changing, hence the delay. My Field Directors in Quito have given the National Director of SECAP and all the individual city directors warning, but if we don't get paid this week, we can't work until we get the money. Next Monday and Tuesday are national holidays too, so that just makes things harder. So we were all instructed to talk to our students to get their support, because it especially isn't fair to them because they are paying and might not receive class. It's also not fair to my host family because I can't pay them for room and board until I get that money. My students wrote a letter in class and they had a meeting with my director earlier today. They were like..."Katie, we're a team." So sweet! And I got word from my Field Director today that it looks like we should have money by the end of next week and that if we do go on strike, it will only be for a day or so. I never thought I would have the opportunity to go on strike from a job, but looks like it just might happen!

On a more positive note, there are great things to look forward to this weekend. We have the splendor of the Ambato festivals, so I can’t wait to give a full report back. I’m also going to the town of Guaranda on Saturday to experience Carnival there because they take it to a whole different level. People throw water, eggs, and flour at everyone in the street, so it should be interesting! After Midservice my new goal is to really make this experience my own, so I am going to extend myself more into the Ecuadorian culture. I am hopefully going to start helping the Peace Corp volunteer with her project at the hospital, take private salsa lessons (I have my first this Friday), and just put more effort into my host family experience, my Spanish, and my classes.

So until next time, enjoy Mardi Gras and take care. Mucho amor! xo