Through Others' Eyes

Looking back, I was given an incredible gift this past week by being able to see Ecuador from many different perspectives. I have gotten so used to living here (well, minus my one or two surprises every day), and have pretty much fallen into a daily routine. This weekend gave me a few chances, though, to break out of that stagnant mold and to see facets of Ecuadorian life that maybe I had forgotten or hadn’t fully appreciated.

It all started last Wednesday morning when I went to the school in Pillaro. I had a few last minute things to organize before the volunteers from UVa were to arrive, but my student Marco also invited me that morning because the children were to have a ceremony in memory of a famous battle that took place in the 1800s. I still don’t quite understand who or what the battle was about, but after the morning I certainly did have quite an appreciation for it! The school had a few big tents set up, and all the parents of the children huddled under them in anticipation. Then the music began and all 200 students marched out onto the field, in perfect unison, even with uniforms and their little sailor hats. They looked like a perfect little army! The older students were carrying various flags and the rest of the students took their places around the field.

I was told to sit in the front row with my student Marco (the principal) and other honored guests. Another teacher welcomed all the parents and then read out the names of all the teachers and special guests, calling me the “Coordinator of English Studies,” which is quite a stretch since I go to the school only a few times a month. My new title was certainly appreciated though! I watched as the children proudly marched around and sang their national anthem. Then some high ranking police officer with a decorated uniform (who I might mention was sitting next to me) stood up and gave an inspirational speech about Ecuador, its people, and its values. Then the part of the ceremony that moved me most was when each of the young flag holders marched toward the Ecuadorian flag, knelt on one knee, and kissed the flag. I got choked up and everything! Witnessing such a show of patriotism from these 11-year-olds made me proud to be Ecuadorian too, if only for this year.

Well, then the greatest thing happened next. All the honored guests one by one made a short speech at the podium and then pinned one of the students with some sort of medallion. And sure enough before I knew it I had a medallion in my hand (of course no one had mentioned to me before that I would be included in the ceremony!). So in my blue jeans and sneakers I stood up in front of the podium and mumbled through something about being happy to share in this day with them all. Then I walked onto the field and pinned a sweet little girl, who was sure to thank me with “thank you” and not “gracias.” I am the Coordinator of English Studies after all. After the ceremony all the teachers, student flag holders, and their parents headed to a restaurant to have a grand feast together. There must have been 40-50 people at our banquet table. And just to make the day even more of a success, I ate cow’s tongue for lunch, without even realizing it until afterward!

Then on Friday, Aubrey and I headed to Quito to welcome the new WT volunteers at the airport. We met up with our directors and two other volunteers for dinner beforehand, and then headed to the arrivals gate wearing WT shirts and with welcome signs in hand. We helped them to the bus, traveled with them to the hotel (where I was serenaded by the Ecuadorian cast of High School Musical), and then helped them settle in. They were all so exhausted, but already I could tell that they were a great group of people that I am glad have now joined the WT family. It was such a surreal experience for me thinking that it had been exactly 6 months before that I had been going through the very same motions as these new volunteers- packing bags, saying goodbyes, and having so many expectations of my year to come. I became so nostalgic, thinking back on my thoughts then, and my emotions as I left home and descended upon this totally new and different world. Now half a year in, I can’t believe how the time has flown, or how much I have experienced. Never could I have imagined all that I have lived through since last September, and I just hope these new ten volunteers are blessed with some amazing experiences like I have been.

Then Saturday night about eight other volunteers and I performed a song and skit about life in Ecuador for the new volunteers. I played the starring role of Sally Volunteer, who experiences some pretty unexpected things her first few weeks in Ecuador, and then as time passes, she learns to understand the Ecua life going on around her. Some of the best scenes included a ride on a city bus, a lunch with her host family, and a seen in a dance club with an unwelcome dance partner. The other volunteers and I had such a blast writing the script and practicing all afternoon! We were all laughing so hard, and again it was weird to think of how not so long ago, I too was clueless about what to expect from this country. How have I learned so much in such a short amount of time? The new volunteers seemed to enjoy it, though not nearly as much as our directors who were almost in hysterics in the back of the room. I think we might have just confused the volunteers even more! But then we all went to a restaurant and just chatted and got to know each other, which was so great. They are a wonderful group of volunteers and WT Ecuador is certainly lucky to have them join our ranks. And these new volunteers have enabled me to really put my time here so far into perspective, and more importantly, have given me a new-found enthusiasm that will hopefully carry through my final four months here.

Then Sunday, if this past weekend couldn’t have gotten any busier, the UVa Alternative Spring Break group that I had anxiously been anticipating since last October finally arrived. Again, I headed to the airport, this time accompanied by Marco, his wife, and four other of my students who wanted to tag along. It was great seeing students coming out of the arrivals gate wearing UVa sweatshirts! Talk about a crashing of my two worlds. So they all headed onto the bus,and we began our whirlwind tour of the city- visiting La Mitad del Mundo so that they could stand with one foot in each hemisphere, Quito Antiguo to visit the beautiful old plazas and churches, and then La Virgen de Quito, a huge statue up on a hill with incredible views of the city and city lights. I can’t believe it was exactly 2 years before that I had done a similar tour with my fellow ASBers, so for the second time that weekend I became very nostalgic and was in disbelief by the passage of time and how life can bring about such oddities.

I loved being able to answer the students’ questions about Ecuadorian food, culture, living with host families, or teaching in the school. It also baffled me how I was able to translate everything from Spanish into English for them, or to answer questions about certain words or phrases…I hadn’t realized at all how much Spanish I have learned these past months. I guess all I really realize day to day are my frustrations when trying to understand or to express myself, and not all my little Spanish accomplishments along the way. But these UVa students have also helped me to appreciate the little things that I once found surprising, and now just take for granted. From the generosity of their host families who arrived with flowers and signs to pick them up, or to the Ecuadorians we saw dancing in the park just because there was sun shining and music in the background, there is so much beauty and life around me here that I have started to not really notice. So for the rest of my time here, I will try to remember to look at Ecuador through the eyes of someone who has just arrived, excited to soak up every small detail.

And though these ASB kids were so exhausted and overwhelmed on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning when I met them at the school (rightfully so!), I think now on day four they have settled in and are feeling a bit more comfortable in their new surroundings. I am meeting them tonight because we are all going to be on a television program in Pillaro called Punto de Encuentro, or Point of Encounter- a Larry King-esque show that will interview them and feature their service work. Should be interesting to say the least! And then we have many other activities planned together throughout the rest of the week, which I will be sure to fill you in on later.

There is just one other experience this past week that I want to share. Last night I went with 8 of my students to a Chinese restaurant in town. Neither eating out nor Chinese food are very common here, so I knew ahead of time that this might be an interesting dinner choice. I was still shocked, though, when I ordered egg rolls and not one of my students knew what they were or had ever tried them (so of course I ordered enough for the whole table). Then, they were all flabbergasted when I started eating with chopsticks! So a few of them got their own set and we continued to practice throughout the meal. I even taught them how to say thank you and goodbye in Chinese as we headed out (sadly that is about all I remember from my 4 months of Chinese last year). Little did I know how a trip to get some sweet and sour chicken would turn into such a fun cross-cultural experience- me teaching Ecuadorians about Chinese food and Chinese culture. It really made me thankful that I come from a place and background where I learned about different cultures from a young age, and where these differences are usually celebrated. So it warmed my heart to see my students embracing this Chinese cultural experience, and I hope that I am always as willing as they were to learn about new peoples and cultures.

Well, sorry for such a novel this week! I’ll cut it short now and just say chao. Chao!