Wednesday, February 5, 2014

New year, new house, same scary shower head!

I had the great fortune of finding a small back-house here in Latacunga that was available. The owner of the house was enthusiastic to have me move in. Over the Christmas break she and her daughter fixed the place up and Peace Corps came and did their mandatory housing check. I was given the green light and moved in last month. It is a small one bedroom back-house on the property of my landlady. Three generations of her family live in the main house, as is customary here in Ecuador. My landlady supplied the furniture which is decent shape. I am grateful that I did not have to start from scratch.

It is funny to see people’s reaction when I tell them that I live alone now. Most are shocked to hear that I lived alone in the US and feel more comfortable living that way. Moving out of your family’s house here before you are married is very odd. Many times you stay in the house even after you are married. I am really blowing some Ecuadorian minds here people.

I will say that it is very nice to come home to my own house after work and be able to fully relax. I can play my music without worrying about bothering my host family. I can walk around the house without my shoes on because no one will see me commit such a taboo. Actually, that habit is probably permanent by now.

I love my new house but just so everyone doesn't think that I am living in a “posh corps” house here are a few minor details:

-My sink faucet is a water spicket.
-My electric shower head shocks the bejeezus out of me if my head gets too close to it.
-My only cooking appliance is an industrial stove top.
-I still wash my clothes on a rock.


The "kitchen"

Embassy Summer Camp

I and two other volunteers were asked to take charge of a US Embassy summer camp for 17 kiddos that are Ecuadorian minorities (Afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous). The kids are part of an initiative by the US Embassy in Quito to prepare economically disadvantaged kids for the university. They had been in the program for nearly two years so their English level was decent which made our camp activities that much more fun.

 The camp was held on the beach in the province of Esmeraldas. The facility was great. All our meals were served on an outdoor patio with a great view of the ocean. We were served amazing seafood including my favorite, ceviche!! Ceviche, for those of you that do not know, is a dish of fresh raw seafood that has been marinated in citrus juices. So good!

Most of our activities at the camp were held on the beach because… WHY NOT!?

A few of our activities:

-Capture the Flag (difficult to explain to non-native English speakers…)
-Bonfire with s’mores
-Camp-wide treasure hunt complete with rhyming clues
-English classes focused on following your dreams
-Talent show
-Movie night
-A myriad of English games
Capture the Flag
Karaoke
Many of the students had never seen the ocean before. The first afternoon we let them swim and it quickly became apparent they did not understand the science behind waves. Several girls would all hold hands and walk into two feet of water and the first wave that came along would take all their legs out from under them. They spent more time on trying to get back up than on their feet.

On our movie night we showed “Remember the Titans”. The campers are ethnic minorities so it was interesting watching them as they identified with what the African Americans were going through in the movie. In Ecuador, people from the coast and Afro-Ecuadorians are called “monos” or monkeys and depending on the intonation it can have rather racial undertones. The most poignant part of the movie occurred when the rival coach calls Denzel Washington a monkey. Many of the kids immediately made the connection that they were in the same boat as African-Americans in the late 20th century.

I love the Ecuadorian coast but let me tell you I was made to be in the mountains. I think I lost about 20 lbs of water weight that week. From the time we got off the bus on the coast to when we arrived back in mountains I did not stop sweating.  Also, the mosquitos must have a thing for Gringo blood because by the end of the week I was just a giant walking mosquito bite. I wore enough bug repellent to keep a herd of elephants mosquito-free but to no avail. I would be constantly swatting while the kids sat nearby with nary a bug bothering them. It started the first night when I was bitten on the eye lid and I proceeded to look like Popeye for the following two days. Enough of my whining, it was a great trip and I hope that the kids had half as much fun as we did.

This year has already been full of changes and great experiences. Looks my sophomore year here in Ecuador is shaping up to even better than last year. Hasta luego!

Oh and one more thing. A volcano near my house erupted while I was one the coast. Check it out!


Volcan Tungurahua Eruption Video 


BBC news story about volcano



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