Letting Ecua-Life Carry Me Along

It is always unbelievable to me how much happens within a week's span here in Ecuador. Not only do I seem to experience every sort of emotion, but also looking back I could never have imagined the course of the week's events. And even though I try to diligently plan everything out in my calendar, somehow what's written down never quite comes to fruition as planned.

Last Saturday I had plans to go to Riobamba, a town about an hour away, to visit my friends Annie and Hilary. Rio is so close, but for some reason I have never gotten myself there. Riobamba, like Ambato, is close to Volcán Tungurahua, but they have been hit by the majority of the ash fall. Annie said she could see footsteps on the ground where people had walked, much like snow. Anyway, I decided to go meet the girls for an afternoon coffee and to explore a bit of Riobamba's Colonial downtown. That afternoon, though, I got a call from Carla asking me to help her with a favor. Her friend is a photographer, and he was currently compiling a photo archive for the city government. He needed people to serve as models at a museum shoot that afternoon, and Carla asked if I would join. Me being asked to be a model for a photo shoot in Ecuador?! Of course I said yes. These are the things good stories are made of. So I decided to reschedule my Riobamba trip and met up with Carla and the other "models" at Casa del Portal in the town center. Basically I just walked around looking at paintings and laughing with the other people about how we had all gotten ourselves into such a ridiculous situation. And as often happens in Ecuador, this whole experience opened another door that I never could have imagined.

After the shoot we all went for coffee, and my fellow models, and now new friends, were just so fun to be around. You had Adam, the American photographer who has lived in Ecuador for 2 years, Victoria, the bubbly Colombian, and Diego, Stalin, Carla, and Alejandra representing Ecuador. And then Dan and I held our own as well. Victoria invited us all to her house, which turned out to be absolutely incredible! It had a sauna, an indoor pool, a full-out bar, and more. So we spent the entire evening playing card games and getting to know each other, and we even planned to have a costume party in March! So I was so glad that I had accepted Carla's offer, because I came out of the day with a handful of really enjoyable new friends.

The start to my work week, on the other hand, was a bit of a bummer. I was sick with a very sore throat and a terrible cough. I can certainly attest to the rumor that one's emotions and physical well-being are tied hand in hand, because being sick definitely affected my spirits. Eventually my host parents confronted me because they could tell that I had been upset. Though I really felt that all I wanted was to be left alone, I did appreciate their care and concern. Eventually they convinced me to go to the doctor, and thankfully because of that and the meds I got, I immediately started to feel better.

When Thursday came, though, and I could find nothing at all to complain about. I had such a fabulous Valentine's Day! Aubrey and I made heart-shaped sugar cookies with chocolate icing, sprinkles, and coconut that morning. Then Aubrey came with me to class since she has off all month (I know, no fair), so it was great having her as a special guest. I gave my students Snoopy Valentines that I had brought back with me from the States. It felt like elementary school all over again! Everyone in my afternoon class received roses from the class president as well. Then they had to draw names out of a hat and make each other Valentines, while we watched a chick flick, naturally. My night class decided they all wanted to go out to eat, so we went to a BBQ restaurant. They pre-ordered for everyone, so I was not at all prepared for the plate of food that appeared in front of me! The plate had steak, a pork chop, 3 sausages, a liver, and a potato. I have never eaten so much meat in my entire life, and I didn't even make it halfway through it all. But my students gave me a card that they all signed and a Snoopy mug! What a coincidence, eh? So who needs one Valentine on Valentine's Day when you can have 22 Valentines instead?

I spent all day Friday at the school in Pillaro making plans for the ASB group's arrival on March 2nd. I am so excited to have them come! I had a meeting with all the professors, and then later with the PTA, to go over all the details of the week. I got a little choked up because the families and administrators were just so gracious to be receiving these volunteers. They went on and on about what a privilege it will be to have native English speakers at the school, and how blessed their children would be. I even met with the families who will be hosting the volunteers, and they could not be more thrilled. Everyone is going so above and beyond, you would have thought they were hosting foreign diplomats or something! They are offering the volunteers free room and board for the week, and taking the group on a "field trip" on Friday to the jungle, as a thank you gesture. I have talked to the ASB site leaders a lot as well, and it seems like the excitement is running just as high back in the States as they all prepare for departure. So I really hope the week turns out to be a fruitful cross-cultural learning experience for everyone involved- the children, the UVa students, and the families, teachers, and administrators as well.

The highlights of the rest of the weekend include going to Baños to spend an evening with Liz, Brooke, and Joel, three Quito volunteers who were there for the weekend. We went out to a nice dinner, rode an open-air chiva (think those cliché city tour buses, but Ecua-fied) up to an overlook of the city, in the shadow of the smoking volcano (yes, maybe not the best of ideas, but tourism there is as busy as ever). Then I also started tutoring two little girls this past weekend, ages 7 and 12, in English. They could not be more sweet. Their dad is the brother of the student who takes me home every night, so I wanted to tutor the girls as a thank you to the family. I ended up staying late last night sitting around the dinner table with the parents, the girls, and some family friends, discussing everything from travel to politics. Again, so many nice moments like that pop up when I least expect them.

Then Sunday turned out to be student-filled day. Aubrey and I went to a soccer game with my students Lorena and Manuel. Not only did they insist on paying for my ticket, but Manuel had bought me a sky blue Mácara soccer jersey, so that I could demonstrate my hometown pride with the rest of the crazies in the crowd. Then later on, Diego and Richard took me to get fritada in my favorite fritada restaurant! As you can see, generosity never does seem to run dry here. And on that note, I guess I should mention that I owe an added big thank you to my students for their immense generosity. They were my inspiration for my journal entry into the WT contest, and I actually found out this past week that I won first place! It is definitely both an honor and a surprise, but I am certainly glad that other people will be able to read about my students and their huge hearts. I posted the entry that I submitted for the contest on one of my December blog posts if you would like to check it out!

This weekend I am heading to the jungle with Aubrey and some other volunteers, so hopefully I will have interesting things to report afterward. Until then, have a wonderful week and please keep in touch!