If you are going to hike on a glacier wear pants.

I will start this post with some of the work I have been doing and end it with a few adventures that I have had over the past few weeks.

At my high school I am working on co-planning, co-teaching, and improving the methodology. I am doing all of this while trying to improve the overall English level of my teachers. These tasks have many complexities that I did not expect when I arrived here. The job seemed rather straightforward and the Peace Corps had given me ample training… I thought. However, there are things that cannot be taught in a classroom. Practical experience has taught me that the cultural aspect of my job is as important if not more important than my “expertise” in education. The best teacher in the world could come here to help but they would have no impact if they did not have a basic understanding and respect of the Ecuadorian culture. Trying to explain basically any of the culture and rituals in this blog would be futile as the culture is very intricate and complex but I will give one small example. If I bring some snack to work or to any public place it is expected that I will share all that I have. This is taken to an extreme here. Recently on a public bus a stranger offered me some of his chips that he had just bought from a vendor. I suppose I am integrating because I did not think anything of it and grabbed a handful of his chips. All of this is to say that the cultural aspect is a vital part of my living and working here.

I have taken on many “secondary projects” here in Latacunga. I am able to work just about anywhere that I want so long as there is a need and it is not for profit. I mentioned that I had worked with visually impaired people in the States and was told I could help at the Ministry if I wanted to. I work once a week at the Ministry of Education teaching blind students. I have 9 students and they range from 9 years old to mid 30s. We are working on very basic English. They had no background in English whatsoever before I arrived. This presents a difficult problem. I am used to drawing and using visual aids when I teach English. With these students it is impossible. I am constantly trying to think of alternative methods of teaching English to these guys.

I have also started working at a university. A contact of mine teaches an English mastery program at Instituto Técnologico Superior Aereonautico or ITSA for short. Her class consists of 15 students 12 of which are professors at a private university that want to gain a certificate in English. It is a night class and is 4 hours long. I teach the last hour and a half. I try to keep it fun and hold conversation groups or have debates. I am very content working in the university. The students have a strong desire to learn. Teaching is so much more enjoyable when you have a group that wants to be there. I might also begin working at the other university in town, Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi . I met several UTC students at a local café a few weeks back and they were very interested in having me come to visit their class. I told them to ask their professor and if he/she approved I would come check it out. I was enthusiastically given the green light and I am headed to observe the course this afternoon.

Now on to a few adventures.

Three weeks ago I went to Cotopaxi National Park with a few friends/volunteers. The national park sits about 30 minutes outside of Latacunga. The park is home to the world’s highest active volcano, Cotopaxi. We left about 7 in the morning and returned around 5 in the evening. We went with a local group of outdoor enthusiasts. I had been told that we would be hiking to a waterfall that was around the same elevation as Latacunga (9,000 ft). Turns out that we were headed up and up and up. I was ill prepared for cold weather. I was wearing shorts which are an Ecuadorian foul to start with. We parked at the base of Cotopaxi and began hiking up to the refugio that sits at about 15,000 feet. This is the place where people on a summit bid stay the evening before heading up to the summit at midnight. By the time the guide and I made it to the refugio it was sleeting and the driving winds did not help one bit. Someone asked if my legs hurt and I responded no. They did not need to know it was because I could not feel them. We rested at the refugio trying to catch our breath when the leader of the group declared we were going to the glacier.

It is very odd to think that there is a glacier on the Equator but like most things here, you never know what to expect. Despite my legs and hands being frozen I decided I needed to stand on the glacier. We continued the hike up. It was bitterly cold and the hike was very difficult. I plan on climbing this volcano later this year and this hike really showed me I need to get serious about training for my ascent. We hiked another 30 minutes and I finally saw the glacier. I stood on it, took photos, and asked the guide if I could go back down to the refugio. I was told no because we had to wait for everyone to make it up and we would all descend together. It was cold coming up but now that I was stationary I was freezing. After another 20 minutes everyone either made it up or had turned around so we descended. As we loaded the bus to go home a person was being brought down in a makeshift blanket stretcher that had apparently fallen ill due to the altitude. It was a very fun trip but made me realize the seriousness of the mountain.

Last weekend I went to the first communion of my host sister in Tumbaco. It was great to see all the family and friends that I had made during training. I spent the weekend in Tumbaco and ate more food that I care to remember. The catholic ceremony was very nice and the family was very happy. I was very glad that they invited me to come and share with the rest of the extended family. After the ceremony we went to the grandmother’s house and ate and ate and ate. I was so full but all the food looked fantastic and I could not stop myself. This comes partly because I now cook all my own food and I missed some Ecuadorian home-cookin’.  After I thought I could eat no more an entire Cuy, or guinea pig, was presented to me. Of course I gobbled it down too. Tasty as always.

While in training I had my own room at their house per the rules of Peace Corps and the three siblings slept in the other room. Now that I was gone things were back to normal and I bunked with the two boys. As it turns out my host brother talks in his sleep even more than I do. While I did not get much sleep it was fun trying to translate the slurred Spanish and imagine what he was dreaming about.

The school is winding down and we are all getting ready for vacation. The students leave on July 6^th and the teachers are out on the 26^th. Having things to look forward to is very important to keep a positive attitude here. I have something exciting happening next month. A great buddy of mine is coming to visit for ten days. I have not yet been to the beach but I am anxiously awaiting his arrival so we can bust out of the high sierra region and see some of the country. What kind of trouble can two Texans get into at the beach? Time will tell. See you soon Jordan!

Corpus Christi, World Map, and Ecuadorian "NBA Finals"

 The last two weeks have been just as eventful as any other period of time here. My work weeks have been filled with attending my teacher’s classes and trying to work with them on their methodology. My work schedule was changed recently and now I work three morning shifts and two afternoon shifts. The schedule is difficult for me because I prefer to have a set routine. I suppose it is time for me to live up to all the talk I spouted during the application process about being “flexible”. Change and progress here will certainly come slowly but I can be patient. I think.

Many times when I feel that I am not being productive or useful I have moments of clarity when I look out my window at the snowcapped mountains and rolling hills that surround me and I remember how lucky I am to be here. Life is good and I need to remind myself of that fact from time to time. Another thing seems to always happen when I am feeling listless. A man that is probably in his late sixties crosses in front of my house two times a day. He uses arm crutches and has a very difficult time crossing my street due to the uneven sidewalks and steep curbs. If I see him resting and preparing to cross I hustle down to help him. As we laboriously cross the road we have a set script. I ask him how he is doing and the response is always the same. “Well, my legs hurt, my knees really hurt, my back hurts, I am tired and I am going to eat lunch with my daughter”. I am not sure if he ever remembers who I am but that is of little importance to me. While I sympathize with this man and his troubles it makes me feel somewhat useful on days that I am bummed out.

Cotopaxi from my bedroom window

On to more entertaining stuff. After I climbed Pichincha two weeks ago I got pretty ill. I ate at Mexican restaurant that was delicious but it turns out the savory taste was not worth the effects. I spent three days in bed and in the bathroom. After speaking with the Medical Unit of the Peace Corps I was given some drugs and eventually I began to feel better. My body is adjusting to Ecuador slowly but there are times that I get a shock to the system as I did in Quito.

Last weekend I went to a parade in a largely indigenous community, Pujilí, that is situated about 10 miles from Latacunga. The celebration is called Corpus Christi, or Body of Christ. I was invited by my Ministry of Education Coordinator to sit with her and her family. As usual I was welcomed with open arms by everyone in her large family. By the end of the day I felt as if I had many new friends. One man that I had met once before came up to me and saw a healing cut on my face that I recently got while running with my hand in my jacket (foolish, I know). He was appalled that I had not called him right when it happened despite that fact that I did not have his contact information. He, along with everyone else here was distressed over something that really needed little attention. Ecuador is community oriented. This cannot be overstated.

Group from Columbia

The parade started at 9:00 am. I expected it to last a few hours and then go eat some good street food. As usual, my expectations were way off. We settled into our seats and watched as the many colorful dancers and entertainers shuffled down the street. The cultures and traditions were on full display during the parade. Many groups donned the enormous headdresses that have been worn year after year during this parade. I was told the original headdresses from many years ago weighed close to 200 pounds. Of course they are much lighter and more maneuverable now.



Traditional Headdresses

The parade went on and on and on. I asked someone how long the parade would last and was informed it would probably last until 2:00 pm. That was fine with me. I was enjoying the parade and the company I was with. 2:00 pm came and went and the parade continued. The last portion of the parade was filled with dancers and groups from Peru and Columbia. One of the last groups to meander by was dressed as if they were from Mexico. Of course they were not but it was funny seeing Ecuadorians dressed up as Mexicans. At 4:30 in the afternoon, with my butt completely numb from the wooden bench I had been sitting on, the parade drew to a close. The festival was a lot of fun and I was glad I was invited to attend.

"Mexidorian"

Corpus Christi parade clip

 

 

This past week has been filled with acrylic paint under my nails. A fellow volunteer that has lived here for a year asked if I would help her paint a World Map at another campus of my high school. While new volunteers are really supposed to focus on settling in and less on starting projects, I jumped at the opportunity to “get my hands dirty”, plus I really love maps. The World Map is a project that many volunteers do around the world. It is a great way to teach geography and the English names of countries. There are countless activities that schools can use with this giant map.



Nearly Finished

We started on Monday by projecting the map on a large interior wall of the school. Throughout the week many students helped us trace, paint and repaint the map. I spent a good portion of my week at that campus working on the map with my fellow volunteer. She was really the boss lady and I sort of assisted. This was more than fine with me. She did a great job of organizing the whole thing and it was really cool to see a project go from an idea to a finished product. Though many students and teachers helped us paint, a majority of the school just stared at us. The male professors at the school would constantly come up and jokingly harass me or poke me when I was “in the zone” painting. The male professors enjoy having me around to joke with. I think the whole idea of being a volunteer is not the manliest thing to them. This machismo society is an odd thing. Where exactly I fit in on their hierarchy is somewhat of a mystery to me and possibly to them as well. But for the most part we all have a good time and they have welcomed warmly.

English teachers working hard on the Ecuadorian Map

The map came along fine throughout the week. On Friday a parent of a student showed up to help. It turns out he had some real artistic ability. He finalized a lot of the map and helped us mix colors to match what we had already painted. We asked him to paint a small Ecuadorian flag above the map. I assumed it would be a basic rectangular flag. Nope, in about 15 minutes he created a sweet flag billowing in the wind. Impressive. The map turned out great. It is a tangible thing that my fellow volunteer and I can be proud of. I encourage any currently serving volunteer to try it. I am not artist and the map turned out alright.

Awesome Improvised Flag

On Friday of this week I was invited but the male professors from my high school to go watch a professional basketball game here in Latacunga. Considering it the Finals are on in the States I figured I could use a little b-ball action. Latacunga was in the playoffs and the men were excited to go watch the game. I paid my three dollars to get in and we sat in the best spot we could find. When the players took to the court I was surprised to see so many white guys. It was explained to me that the teams here hire American players to compete during the playoffs. The other players were large Afro-Ecuadorians. I was hoping to see a bunch of stereotypically short Ecuadorians battling it out but that was not the case.

The game was very entertaining for several reasons. There was a large television screen that was streaming the Venezuelan soccer game behind one of the goals just in case you were bored with the game right in front of you. Also, watching the Gringos that were playing try to communicate with their teammates and coaches was hilarious. Hand motions and frustrated broken Spanish came from the white guys. I watched the same tall Gringo get two technical fouls because he was trying to explain to the ref that he did not foul another player. The ref assumed the player was spouting English profanities at him rather than simply pleading his case. Gotta love miscommunications.

Latacunga ended up losing the game pretty badly. In the final three minutes I watched as two Americans on the opposing team did some crazy alley-oops to rub the loss in Latacunga’s face. Oddly enough, when the final buzzer sounded the entire crowd erupted in cheers. All the men slapped me on the back and told me how great the game was. I am not used to celebrating a loss but these guys were just happy to watch such an exposition.

As usual the last two weeks have been full of new experiences and adventures. I am learning more and more that I still have no idea what is going to happen next. It is kind of like the more you know, the more you know that you don’t know anything. I am on a journey into the unknown and I know that I like it.