And what says living it up like getting an Ecuadorian haircut? Well, all I can say is that I just saw hair flying off my head and of course it ended up way shorter than I had expected. But I kinda like it! Of course at first it was a bit mullet-esque, but after I had her even it out it looks much better. It’s pretty short and in many different layers, but I figure it’s temporary and you have to try new haircuts every once in awhile. At least it takes less time getting ready in the morning!
Since Dan was away last week, I helped a bit with his classes so that they wouldn’t have to make up all the classes when Dan returned. So on Monday his students prepared presentations for my students on some of the different modals- can, should, must, might, may. Then on Tuesday we had stations and my students traveled around the room learning about the structure and usage of each of the modals. It was such a heart-warming thing to see! Dan’s students, who are in Advanced 1, really poured their hearts into the presentations, making posters, worksheets, and skits. I was so impressed with their level of English as well, and I certainly hope my students will sound anywhere close to that in 6 month’s time. So I think the exercise went really well and that it was beneficial to everyone involved.
On Wednesday morning I found myself in Pillaro at a planning meeting for all of the English teachers in the school. Can you believe they were learning how to lesson plan? The school had never required the teachers to turn in plans before, so this was their training session teaching them how to make a 3-week plan. And of course I don’t have too much experience myself, but I somehow became the consultant in planning for an English classroom- creating a balance between the four main skills, reading, writing, speaking, and listening. So it was interesting to help out and offer the little that I could, but they seemed to really appreciate it, especially the big binder of resources that I brought!
That night brought a get-together of a totally different kind. Richard and Diego, two of my students who are best friends and more like brothers, took me out to eat. These two have become my Ecuadorian food hosts, taking me to all the hidden places to try all the “platos tipicos” that I can. So Thursday’s mission became chinchulines, or otherwise known as intestines. So they ordered me grilled chinchulines and caldo de 31. And the intestines looked like what you might expect- tubish looking pieces of meat that have a chewier consistency. The chinchulines are intestines served with potatoes and onions. The caldo de 31 is a milky broth with intestines as well, and gets its name from the up to 31 different parts of a cow’s intestines that can be found in the soup. Ironically enough, the soup is often given to children that have upset stomachs to ease their discomfort. And believe it or not, I actually quite enjoyed the soup, though the grilled intestines seemed a bit much. Then we topped it off with one of my favorite Ecua drinks, morocho. It’s a hot milky drink with corn, which has a flavor and consistency similar to rice pudding- a perfect way to end the night and head to bed.
Thursday night Aubrey and I had a wonderful surprise! Eden, our long-lost Ambateña, now living in Michigan, sent us a package! She sent us all these amazing American things that Aubrey and I couldn’t have been more excited about- Reese's, Peanut M&Ms, Orbit gum, cake mix, and her mom even made us the most beautiful homemade socks! So it was wonderful to literally get a taste of the States, and to also feel like Eden was close by again. We took all our new goodies and headed onto an overnight bus bound for Cuenca, in the southern region of the country. After sleeping all night on the bus, or at least trying to, we reached Cuenca around 8am the following morning.
On Frid
ay we met up with a bunch of other volunteers to go hiking in Cajas National Park. It was FREEZING! But the views were so incredible- a seemingly infinite number of green, treeless hills spotted with vast lakes and fog floating above. It was great hiking and chatting it up with the other volunteers. We also rode in the back of a truck both there and back, which of course always adds to the experience. Then after showers and de-thawing, we headed over to Chris and Karina’s beautiful apartment for an American feast! We had homemade pizza, chips and guacamole, and the most gorgeous salad I have seen in months. So all around it was a wonderful day- getting some exercise, seeing breathtaking scenery, catching up with the other volunteers, and of course eating some delicious food.Saturday became girls’ day. Ellen, the volunteer who lives in the most rural WT site, invited all the ladies of WT to her tiny town for a girls’ night. So all of us girls, about 13 total, piled into a bus and took an hour-long ride through the countryside to get to the town of Jima. It was amazing to see what a different experience she has than I do! Instead of walking down Ambato’s busy, dirty streets, Ellen has a 4 minute commute to her school on dirt roads with lush, green hills surrounding her on all sides. Then again, Ellen has shaky phone service, no internet, and very few options when it comes to eating out, or really doing anything outside of her home. We were told in orientation that when you visit other people’s sites that often you feel a few pangs of jealousy here and there, just seeing how the other volunteers live, and how there are such different pros in each of the placements. So it was great having the Jima experience for a weekend, but I really do think Ambato is a great fit for me.
Ellen eats all her meals in a tiny restaurant run by a woman named Zoila, who really took us under her wing and treated us like royalty. She bought two guinea pigs for us,and gave us a lesson in how to prepare them- we watched them be killed and then roasted on a spit (eek!). And I must say that they were killed in a very quick and seemingly humane way. Then she served us a feast of chicken, trout, roasted potatoes, vegetables, a traditional dish from the region known as motepillo (a large grain prepared with eggs), and of course guinea pig! After lunch, we took a hike up to the top of a mountain overlooking all of Jima (there isn’t much of it) with the green surrounding mountains in the distance. You could even see where the jungle begins to the west of the town. Then we spent the rest of the evening relaxing, girl-talking, and having a sleepover in a room with literally about 12 beds in the compound where Ellen lives. I’m sure it looked like a scene right out of Little Orphan Annie! It’s always so nice meeting up with other volunteers and hearing about their experiences. We all have such different Ecuadorian experiences, but we really do go through so many of the same emotional ups and downs, which is always refreshing to remember. So after such a nice weekend, we hopped on the long bus home on Sunday, and I spent the evening planning for the week ahead.
April 22nd is Earth Day, and in its honor, I showed my classes Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth about global warming yesterday. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it- it really is incredible what we are doing to our planet. And no matter on what side of the political spectrum you find yourself, Gore does a very good job presenting well-based, and I must say startling, research. It was so interesting for me to see, though, how all my students were in such agreement about the existence and severity of global warming. All of the controversy and doubt that exists in the States is completely non-existent here. Not one of my students had any doubt that global warming wasn’t taking place, and they thought that even when I surveyed them before the movie began. So I hope not to offend anyone, but it really was incredible for me to see how much the media can affect what we believe in the States, and how as a country we really do need to wake up and do something about protecting our precious Earth, or else we will be very sorry all too soon.So today I am excited about having Dan back in town and starting the future tense with my students! Big day. This weekend my friend Annie is having a birthday party in Riobamba, a town only an hour away, and then I think on Saturday Aubrey and I are going to hike Chimborazo. So it should be a nice week, and I hope all of your have an enjoyable week as well. xo
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