Corpus Christi all over again

No this is not a post about the city in Texas but I hope the title garnered a few extra readers.

The small nearby town of Pujilí had their annual festival this weekend. It is honoring the Holy Communion and is celebrated with a large parade, music, dancing and drinking. It is a rather well known celebration and dance teams from other South American countries come to show their stuff.

Last week my friend asked me to dance in the parade with him and his high school. I was happy to accept the invitation and showed up at his house early Saturday morning. There we ate a giant breakfast to “give us the necessary strength” to make it through the day. We gorged ourselves on “jugo de carne con huevos tibios” or meat juice with soft-boiled eggs. It seemed like too much food but in hindsight I probably should have eaten even more.

Dance group from last year

We donned our ponchos, indigenous hats and pounds of sunscreen and we were out the door. We arrived at the starting point and I was introduced as a special guest to the crowd. Our specific group was comprised of the parents of the students of the school. They were to dance with large stalks of sugarcane. I don’t know how many times I got hit in the face by the long leaves.

Danzantes

My position was up front with my friend and 3 teachers of the school. I asked the women how I was supposed to dance. I had accepted the invitation to be in the parade and at the last minute I realized I had no idea what I was supposed to do. The instructions given to me were simple, dance the way the music makes you feel. Clearly the Gringo heard the music differently than the rest of the group. There was a lot of arm flailing and shuffling to the beat from this guy.

Throughout the parade my friend would dart around yelling to the crowds and leaving me alone out-front. At times it appeared like a Gringo was leading the high school in the parade. In those moments I would yell to the crowd “Viva Corpus Christi” to which the crowd responded “Viva!” It felt odd yelling, “Long live the corpse of Christ” but when in Pujilí, do as they Pujilense do...

Can you spot the Gringo?

Dancing under the strong equatorial sun for more than 2 hours really took its toll on us. We were exhausted. At the terminus of the parade we congratulated one another and made our way back to the where my friends were watching the ongoing parade. I finally was able to sit down my and was just about to eat lunch when friend informed me that the dance team from his high school would be passing by and we should support them by parading with them past our group of friends.

Sure, why not?

Once I saw how happy my friend was to start the parade over again I realized what I had gotten myself into. Our small gesture of support turned into another 2 hours of dancing. People immediately recognized the indigenously-clad Gringo and no doubt wondered why he was taking a second lap. This time the dance was a bit different. Every 10 minutes we had to stop and pick people out of the crowd to dance with. This was always awkward and I tried to only pick women who would be eligible for AARP.

At the end of the second lap I was beyond exhausted. We once again returned to our friends who were watching the last bit of the parade. Once the parade ended we all went indoors for dinner. A bowl of chicken soup and fried pork awaited us. Fritada has never tasted so good.

Over dinner my friend and I were able to reflect on the day and entertained our friends with our tales. As we spoke I realized that this is what integration feels like. Even though I didn't even live there I felt a part of the community and a part of the family.

It is hard to believe that this was my second Corpus Christi and I won’t be here for the next one. I don’t know where the time has gone. I suppose as long as it is spent making memories like this it really doesn't matter.  

La Mama Negra: Why are those Gringos in the Parade?

La Mama Negra

This weekend the fiestas of Latacunga have officially drawn to a close. La Mama Negra is a festival that begins on September 23rd with the parade of the pueblo and basically continues until the 11^th of November with the celebration of the Independence Day of Latacunga. I quickly got my fill of endless fireworks.

Fresh

The festival is a blend of every culture that exists in Ecuador. Afro-Ecuadorian, Spanish and Indigenous aspects are all represented in the parade. The melting pot of culture makes it virtually impossible to understand what is going on. At one point in the parade people are giving praise to the Virgen de la Mercedes (Catholic), at another a people are being rubbed down with live guinea pigs and get alcohol spit on them to cleanse their bodies (Indigenous), and a man dressed as a woman with a painted black face rides a horse through the streets. It is all a little bit confusing. The main point, as far as I could tell, was to give thanks to the Virgin of the Mercedes for protecting us yet another year from Cotopaxi a mildly active volcano situated right outside our city.

Gettin' our march on

But where does Todd “Pepe” Hemelstrand come into the picture you might ask? 

The principal of my school was asked last year to one of the 5 principal characters in the festival. He, as the Captain, invited me and 3 other Gringos that live here to a part of his entourage. We all happily accepted. The last 2 months have been spent preparing for La Mama Negra at my school. To say that the school has been consumed by the preparations for this parade would be an understatement. Almost every day we would have either a meeting or a 2 hour practice at which times school would be invariably cancelled. I wish I could say that all that practice led to a flawless march but there were still mistakes made by the goofy Gringo…

Found this on the internet. We famous!

When the day finally arrived we met up at 6:30 in the morning. We marched to the houses of each character and the parade grew from there. By 12:30 we were ready to officially start the parade. The sun was beating and my ornate, cumbersome costume did little to keep me cool. Luckily it cooled off about an hour into the parade. 

The festival is known for the liquor that is guzzled in the streets from dawn ‘til dusk. We, as a part of the parade, were instructed to not take any drink from anyone. This had less to do with sobriety of our group and more to do with staying alive. Every year people are drugged and foreigners are at an even higher risk. 

As the parade progressed I noticed the police presence intensifying. At certain spots in the parade our security detail would have to beat back the crowds to allow us room to march. At the end of the parade we simply filtered into the crowd. At this point the national police were dressed in full swat gear apparently ready for action. I had heard from many sources that last year was “tame” because only 2 people came to enjoy their last Mama Negra…

The parade ended and we loaded buses to head to the city where my boss lives. There he threw a party for 4000 people. He hired bands of traditional Ecuadorian music and pop music alike. We danced late into the night. 

Today, the 11^th of November, is the Independence Day of Latacunga. This morning we had another parade but this was much tamer than La Mama Negra. Each high school in the city was involved and marching bands played. This holiday coincides with Memorial Day so it was nice to get to enjoy a parade. 

La Mama Negra was quite an experience. I am glad that school allowed me to be a part of something so important to them. Going from “that Gringo” to feeling like you are “one of the guys” is great. I am integrating slowly but surely. I now have a greater understanding of what it means to be from Latacunga. Even better than that though, I know what I am going to be for Halloween for the foreseeable future.

Colegio Vicente Leon

Ecuadorian Mlitary

Little Ecuas!

Eye on the Prize

Ok, this is somewhat disjointed but stick with me.

Well school is in full swing. Teachers and students are settling into normal schedules and the Gringo is still trying to figure it all out. A weaker person would have given up trying to understand everything and just go with the flow. Wait, did I say weaker? I meant wiser. However, I do enjoy getting surprised on a daily basis so life is good. 

This year my high school has been given the honor to march in a parade as the Captain and his entourage. The parade is called the Mama Negra and consists of 6 main characters, the Captain being one of them. The principle of my school will be the Captain and I was asked to march behind him. The Mama Negra is a very popular festival here in Ecuador and apparently known around the world. I am not sure how true that is but have been told it over and over again. I will say that all the photos I have seen of the festival include ample of amounts of foreigners. I am anxious to see their reaction as they see a white guy walking in a very traditional parade. 

My costume is rather elegant, complete with a sword and handmade shoes. I have to learn the choreography for the march and the men at my school are very serious about this. So serious in fact that we have cancelled classes 3 times already so that we can work on our moves with many more practices to follow. (I really don’t want to stab anyone around me so this might be a necessary evil.)

The festival “officially” begins November 9^th. I put officially in quotation marks because the party has already started. The Mama Negra of the pueblo started last week and I have been told that each neighborhood holds their own mini-Negras from now until November. It is not uncommon to hear fireworks at night here but now that the festival season is upon us I hear them constantly. No rooster to wake me at 6 am, just flying fireworks. 

I recently attended a fiesta at my high school that the whole city was invited to. I was told to wear a poncho and a hat. I only had a hat that was from the coast and did not have a poncho. My host friend told me I could wear his. He had a dark one and a bright one. Which did I pick? Of course the yellow and orange one! My coworkers wore dark ponchos at the beginning of the fiesta but then shed them to make dancing easier. I, on the other hand, wore mine all night. I stood out like a sore thumb as I danced in my bright attire but had a great time. 

I blend in right?

After a recent training in Quito a few friends and I decided to go camping in a nearby national park. The place we camped was called Boliche. This is a campsite and recreational area in Cotopaxi National Park. We took a bus and were dropped off in basically they middle of nowhere and began our hike into the park. A 45 minute hike through the woods brought us to the entrance. We paid a small fee for our tents and then we ushered into the park by an overzealous park ranger. Maybe overzealous isn’t the word. EXTREMELY happy to see tourists come to his park is maybe a better description. He explained many things about the park and how great it was. After we paid our way in he asked to take a photo with us. We obliged and then hoped to be on our way. He then took a photo with a friend’s large backpack and even took an action shot as he slung my friend’s backpack on his shoulder. All of this was highly entertaining if not a bit strange.

Our Campsite

I cannot say nice enough things about Boliche. This park was small enough to day hike and had beautiful views of the surrounding snowcapped volcanoes, especially Cotopaxi. The park staff was professional and courteous. The campsite was clean and accommodating. We had a great time there. I might have also just missed camping.  One thing I will say is I was glad I brought plenty of clothing. The weather became rather frigid after the sun went down. We had a campfire but being at such a high elevation in the Andes always lends itself to very low temperatures. 

...And Boliche Had Llamas!

I am currently preparing myself to climb Cotopaxi, the enormous mountain outside my city. It promises to be very difficult and the guides in town recommend training before attempting it. I do not feel that I am out of shape but I am working really hard at preparing myself physically for the upcoming challenge. Just today some friends and I climbed a nearby mountain. Putzalahua has great views of Latacunga and other surrounding cities. The weather cleared nicely as we neared the top and afforded a nice panoramic view of the place we call home. 

Cotopaxi

On the way back to Latacunga this afternoon I had yet another very awkward moment. I had to stand as we caught a bus on the Pan-American Highway. After 10 minutes of standing I noticed a small baby sitting on her mother’s lap. The chubby little kid smiled up at me and I did my best to keep her attention and smiled back at her. After a good 10 seconds of staring at the kid I realized that the mother was looking at me as well. Her face seemed to say, “Like the show?” As it turned out, the mother had been breastfeeding when the baby turned and looked up at me. What I affectionately call, “the milk show”, had just been interrupted and I seemed to be staring directly at the… uh… the woman, though in reality I was just looking at the kid. The woman smiled and I tried to act as though I saw nothing, though the opposite is true. Luckily it was only a short 5 minutes more until we reached the terminal where I hurried off the bus and avoided eye contact.

Word to the wise, keep your eyes forward and don’t look at the babies on the bus, they might be eating…

Vacation Fear Factor: Ecuador

This post will probably do very little to bolster my image as a poor, deprived, lonely, in-a-developing-country, Peace Corps Volunteer. So be it. It was so much fun and I want to share a few of my experiences.

My good bud Jordan just came to visit and brought his friend and co-worker along with him. They stayed ten days and eight days respectively. Judging from their reactions throughout the entire trip I feel I can confidently say they did not know what they were in for. Between the hectic schedule I created, strenuous hiking, high altitude, not knowing the language, and all new food I think I thoroughly wore them out.

I will start this by saying that Jordan and Tyler spoke zero Spanish when they arrived. Translating basically everything was a challenge but it really boosted my confidence and we all know my level of confidence is very low. Ok maybe there was a hint of sarcasm there…

First 72 hours:

We started out in Quito after they arrived on Friday evening. The bus takes about an hour and a half to travel from the Quito airport to Quito. You may need to read that sentence again but trust me it is correct. The highly praised new airport is situated in Tababela, a small city outside of Quito. Due to traffic, bridges, and distance it takes a long time to get into Quito proper.

Pretty sure I saw him flinch one time

 We spent that night in Quito in a quaint hostel and then headed to the Centro Historico in the morning. We explored the area that is full of 500 year old churches and buildings. We even toured the presidential palace. The president allows all Ecuadorians and foreigners to tour his house and the center of his government when it is not in session. At one point we were able to walk up to the large table and chair where the president sits during governmental meetings.  I cannot imagine Obama or any American president allowing tourists to mosey around the oval office and sit his chair if they so felt like it.

That evening we traveled to my site and prepared for the next day of travel. My host friend, as he like to be called, volunteered to take us to the Amazon Rainforest. We all piled into his car and headed south. We stopped seemingly every twenty minutes as Fabian, my “host friend”, would show us something new. He was a great tour guide and was proud to show off his country.

One of our first stops was to eat cuy. Avid readers of this blog might remember that a cuy is a guinea pig. This meat is a delicacy here and I actually rather enjoy. Unfortunately my friends did not feel quite the same. They were able to stomach the cuy but they spoke little of it in the car as we wound our way through mountain passes that could easily induce motion sickness.

I always think of my old pet when I taste this juicy delicacy

The views were fantastic throughout the day. Fabian would stop off on the road many times to allow my friends to take pictures and ask questions. Traveling from the mountain region to the rainforest requires nothing more than two hours of travel. We left Latacunga wearing jackets and slightly shivering and within an hour we had shed clothes down to shorts and t-shirts. Like I said, this is a bio-diverse country.

The zip-line went right over the spot where they converged

Our second stop was to go zip-lining. We found a small roadside stop that advertised zip-lining and we decided to jump at the opportunity, pun intended. We had passed many zip-lining operations on the way to the Amazon but Fabian insisted on one further outside of the touristy areas. I was told that zip-lining has no regulations here in Ecuador and thus you have to be picky when deciding where to risk it. Within ten minutes of us stepping out of the car into the muggy, warm air we were harnessed up and ready to fly. My friends went first and I got some great photos of them. After I saw that they had not plunged to their death I assumed it would be safe for me. Thank guys!

Probably should have cropped this photo but I hate technology

We zipped across two enormous waterfalls that soaked us with their spray. We were quickly dried due to the speed at which we were traveling. Once on the other side we were told we could either take a cable car back across the expanse or zip back for an extra five dollars. The second zip, we were told, was much faster and longer. He had me at five dollars. This second trip was amazing as promised, truly an exhilarating experience.

Fabian and the dudes at the beginning of the Amazon

We were hustled back into the car by Fabian and were headed deeper into the jungle. We arrived in Puyo about an hour later and were greeted with heavy rain and crazy humidity. The rain would be in a full on downpour for five minutes and then stop. This was a cycle that was repeated over and over. We drove around aimlessly for about an hour and then finally found the animal habitat we were searching for.

Small crocodile at the habitat

The place we stopped at was a shelter for endangered species and wounded animals of the rainforest. In an hour period we saw the wildest array of jungle animals. We saw 5 different species of monkeys that included two that would fit in the palm of your hand. They had the smallest kind of monkey in the world. They only grow to 15 cm. At one monkey habitat a monkey reached out to Jordan’s hand and grabbed him. I of course had to repeat this task.

He wanted to go home with me

We saw a capybara, the world’s largest rodent. Heetland, being Heetland, entered the habitat in an effort to touch the thing. Luckily, the capybara knew what was best for him and walked away. I feel that this animal habitat would never exist in the US. Just as in most of Ecuador, the rules were relaxed. I do not feel like Americans would stumble upon a crocodile lounging in the walking path as we did. He also scooted along after seeing the group of gringos approaching. The habitat was a very neat place and it was great to be able to see so many different animals in such a small area.

Jordan getting to know the capybara

The day was quickly fading and we needed to head back to Latacunga. We were headed home when Fabian quickly pulled over on the side of the road and instructed us all to get out of the car. We went into a small open-air restaurant and saw a bowl of dirt. Fabian asked if I wanted to try one. I did not know what he was talking about so he shook the bowl. Four or five very large, very alive grub worms appeared on the surface of the dirt. In the name of new experiences I accepted the offer. The worms were quickly thrown on the grill and the woman explained that this was a delicacy of the Amazon. If I had not heard this from many other sources I would have assumed it was just a cruel joke that they play on unsuspecting gringos. We sat down and prepared our stomachs for what was about to take place. When they arrived Fabian instructed me to bite the worm at the base of the head and eat the body. The head is inedible and that was just fine with me. The taste can be described as a mix between crawdad and bacon. It really wasn’t that bad. Texture on the other hand was slimy and gooey just as you would imagine. Now that that memory was made we all piled back into the car and headed back to Latacunga.

Small volcano eruption

On the way back to Latacunga Tyler saw something that looked odd on the nighttime horizon. He asked what it was and we all looked. We were about 15 km from an active volcano and we all quickly realized that Tyler had spotted the beginning of an eruption. We pulled over on the Pan-American Highway and watched as lava flew over the edges of the volcano and smoke and ash billowed high above it. Soon many cars pulled over and were taking pictures just as we were. We stood in awe of the small eruption and said very little. This was a great cap to the day.

Buen Provecho!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was difficult seeing them squirm around before I ate one

Day three involved us going to Quilatoa, the giant crater volcano about two hours from my site. We caught bus in a small city outside of my sight and this was apparently a bad idea. The bus was already full and not taking passengers. I asked if we could board and just stand which the driver was happy to allow. We paid our fare and tried to get comfortable on the rather smelly bus. At one point Tyler accidently bumped a cardboard box on the floor and chickens began bawking and squawking from within the box. Tyler turned and looked at me as if to say “Really Todd..?” 3^rd goal of the Peace Corps: Share the culture and customs of the host country to citizens of the United States. Check.

We arrived at Quilatoa and took in the amazing scenery. After a few photos we descended into the crater volcano. It took about thrirty minutes for us to reach the bottom. The trail is rather steep and with each passing minute you realize it will take you double the time and considerably more breath to get back out. We reached the bottom of the cold vast crater and Heetland, being Heetland, suggests we swim. Of course I am right on his heels as he jumps into the cold water. As soon as we came to our senses we jumped back out and tried to find someone to rent us a kayak. We found an indigenous woman who told us we had to pay $2.50 a person and we had free reign of the lake. We paddled around for awhile and took in the magnificent 360 degree view.

Quilatoa with Tyler and Jordan

Upon returning to the shore we decided it was time to hike out. I had made up my mind I would see how fast I could make it out of the crater to the rim. It took me 43 minutes and I plan on breaking that each time I return. I waited on the rim for my friends to come out. They were not far behind but were visibly exhausted and somewhat agitated. I knew as soon as they caught their breath they would be happy they had made the trek. Catching their breath might have taken two days but eventually we were on speaking terms again. We returned to Latacunga late that evening and this concluded our initial 72 hours. It was jam packed with activities and I would not recommend doing all of this in such a short time. That being said, the experiences we had and in such a small amount of time were absolutely amazing.

The ladies that served us breakfast each day and fell in love with us. For real...

For the remainder of the trip we went to the beach, Atacames to be exact. We stayed at a nice hotel called Playa Hermosa, Frente Del Mar. It is a bit pricier than other hostels in the area but the location on the beach and the security more than make up for it. For three days we relaxed on the beach taking in the sun, sand, and surf. We ate so much fresh seafood I thought I might grow a fin. We spent the nights on the beach dancing and singing karaoke. I do not think I will ever forget seeing Jordan Heetland and Tyler Shin singing “Gangsters Paradise” at the top of their lungs as 10 Ecuadorian women watched with puzzled looks. Good stuff guys.

Many small fishing boats advertised whale watching for 10 dollars. We hopped on a boat around noon on our second day at the beach hoping to see some. We left and quickly realized that the size of the boat was no match for the waves. For an hour we drove around aimlessly as the lookout searched for whales. After an hour and fifteen minutes we decided to tell the boat driver we no longer cared about seeing whales, we just wanted off the boat before we all lost our lunch. Suddenly the thought of fresh seafood was revolting. We were lucky though because on the way back we got to see a mother whale swimming with her baby. The baby whale was playing and jumping out of the water and crashing down onto the waves. Everyone on the small boat was suddenly happy that we had been out on the ocean for such a long period of time. These animals were majestic and seeing them so close was breath taking.

Here is a link to a video I took:

Whale Watching

Our vacation was drawing to a close and we made our way back to Latacunga for our final night. I would like to say that we reminisced about all the things we saw and experienced over the past 10 days. However, we were simply too exhausted from the whole ordeal. Jordan flew out on Sunday and I went to sleep.

My vacation was such a great experience. I am happy that one of my best friends was able to come visit me and get to experience a little of what my life is like here. Heetland, you’re a good dude. Tyler, glad you made it down here bud. Fabian was happy to have another “Chino” in Latacunga for a short while.

 I am taken back when looking at all we did and all the ground we covered in such a short amount of time. I am even more amazed at how much more of Ecuador I have not even began to explore yet. Anxious to get back out there!

For now it is back to the grind. A fellow volunteer and I are hosting a summer camp for Ecuadorian children in her site. It is a lot of work but tons of fun. At the conclusion of this two week camp I will try and get another post up about the unexpected success and certain failures of our efforts.

Advice for life: Eat the worm, it tastes like bacon.

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.