Ok, so my promise to blog more didn't catch on.

But, for 43 days now, I have been committed to uploading a photo a day of my life in Ecuador. It's a snapshot into my world down here, the people I encounter and the work I do.

Please feel free to follow me and comment. http://365project.org/dcamell/365/2012-01

If you're interested at looking at more photos - I've uploaded more photos to Picasa.

In Southern Ecuador, the Virgin El Cisne is Queen... eh, Virgin. All around Ecuador (and Latin America) different names represent the Virgin Mary, associated with a local sitting of the Virgin. In my old site, Guaranda, La Virgin del Guayco is Virgin

Simon Bolivar first declared the pilgrimage in 1824 - pilgrims bring their wooden replica of the Virgin El Cisne (picture on left) from the village El Cisne (picture down below) to the provincial capital Loja. Thousands of devotees from around Ecuador and surrounding countries make the pilgrimage every year. Some walk days starting from their home towns, and passing through Catamayo.

Last Sunday, the Virgin arrived in Loja. The procession was two block from my apartment. Most of the stores in Loja were closed all day, and traffic was rerouted from Ave. Gran Columbia. She will stay here through the month, and then return to El Cisne. During the month, she's at the Cathedral in Loja - there are daily masses, devotees to visit her, and sellers to provide all with candles, rosaries, necklaces and other memorabilia.

An interesting article and photos about the pilgrimage and its diverse pilgrims.

Getting to Guadalupe from Loja:7:30am bus from Terminal Terrestre in Loja to Zamora 9:10am arrive in Zamora10:00am bus from Zamora to Guadalupe11:00am arrive in Guadalupe

Guadalupe is located in the Provence of Zamora-Chinchipe, and serves as an organized epicenter for the Parroquia, surrounded by dozens of small villages. The word villages is used loosely, scattered houses on a hill-side are often grouped together and given a name.

Guadalupe is centered around the Mission "Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe" which includes a parish church and a clinic, that offer a variety of services and activities for the surrounding villages. To get to the Mission, you cross a beautiful jungle bridge (although, a little wobbly, there's a great view of the river and the Mission from the middle).

In Guadalupe, Soluciones Comunitarias has 6 asesoras - we'll be starting campañas at the end of the month, once La Virgin del Cisne leaves Loja (I will post a blog about La Virgin in the coming weeks). Additionally, we will be starting an improved stoves project in the area :)

Guadalupe is a growing, organized center - there's a Cultural Center, 3 colegios (one during the days, one night, and one distance program), 3 escuelas, restaurants in the center, and buses pass more than 5x a day. However, it's still an untouched community, where our lunch cost $1 a plate and it is not uncommon for a family to have 10 children.

In Guadalupe, many of the women pass their time making hand made goods - wood crafts (and painting them), necklaces, bracelets, earrings, as well as embroidering traditional dress. Mercedes and Carmen are sisters from Guadalupe. Apart from being asesoras for SC, they also make and sell handi-crafts. Last summer, summer interns (Social Entrepreneur Corps) visited Guadalupe and seeing potential in their work, have returned to the United States and now want to receive samples of their product to begin looking for a market in their University towns. Good Stuff Good Works, will be sponsoring products from Nicaragua, Guatemala, South Africa, and Ecuador (the four countries where SEC programs were held this past summer. The weather in Guadalupe was perfect for the day - the sun was out, and there was a fresh breeze moving down the main street. The sun is STRONG through, and bugs are not uncommon. Common foods include yucca and plantain (verde), as well as frog. Since coming to Ecuador two years ago, I have converted into a carnivore. Don't get me wrong - I still love my veggies and don't cook meat in my house. But, there's no way I'll turn down trying frog! We sat and chatted with the artisans and their families (daughters, grand-daughters, neighbors), while listening to their stories. They were all strong women who proved to be searching for a better life for their families - better health, better education, and more opportunities.

Getting to Loja from Guadalupe:3:50pm start waiting for bus (one passes around 4, another at 4:30)4:15pm neither bus has arrived, but a camioneta passes and gives us a ride to the junction 20min away4:30pm bus passes junction, and picks us up to Zamora5:15pm arrive in Zamora6:15pm bus to Loja7:45pm arrive in Loja

I left Guaranda a little less than a week ago, I still feel like I'm heading back in a few days - back to my secret garden house, 7 Santos, work in the campo, tortillas de yucca, stadium running, old friends and a special someone.

But, I'm not. I'm here in Loja -- and so far, honestly -- I'm loving the new changes and the new opportunities. A few things I've experienced in my short week down South...

- They have trails (dirt) where you can go running with trees around the Parque Jipiro, where no dogs chase after you (I did see stray dogs, they just didn't run after me barking and snapping).

- There's hiking on official trails. This morning I went hiking with some other Peace Corps Volunteers across from the Botanical Gardens, at the Universario, there was a Visitor's Center, a trail-head, we even had to pay an entry fee and got a trail map.

- The land is F L A T - Loja is at the base of the Andes Mountains it sits at 2100 m (6890 ft) above sea level, submerged in the Cuxibamba Valley it stretched down the valley along two main rivers - Rio Zamora and Rio Malacatos.

I'm currently living with a host family (a divorced woman and her 20 year old son). I have a SMALL room in their apartment, but will be moving out (into my own apartment) in October. There are three other Peace Corps Volunteers who live in the city of Loja (and 5 more TEFL volunteers who will be moving here at the end of the month!), they are all amazing people - and love to have dinner parties :) let the cooking begin!

I was in Cuenca last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, where I did some training for my new job. Currently, two Italian women work for Soluciones Comunitarias in Ecuador. They both work out of the Cuenca office, and I'll be in Loja developing the work here and helping to "set up the office". Soluciones Comunitarias is a US based organization, currently operating in Guatemala, Ecuador and S. Africa. I won't lie, I'm ecstatic to work for a US company again, before you shoot me down for that comment, let me try to explain. I was at the office last week, and was preparing to fill out a receipt for some travel costs. Without thinking, I asked, "what color pen should I fill out these receipts with? Blue or Black?". My boss looked at me, and goes, "I don't care, pink, green, red, what ever color you want." In Ecuador, the color of pen that you use on official documents is critical - if the ink is black, you have to use a blue pen.. so people know it's the original copy. In schools, the school kids are fanatics with the type of writing instrument and color they use - pencil? pen? blue? black? red?

I immediately started laughing, I HAD been working in an Ecuadorian office for 2 years.

Maybe I did extend my stay in Ecuador because it's easier than the thought of reintegrating into the US culture. But this job is providing me with good professional experience - it's a blending of my undergraduate business degree, my love for social entrepreneurship, and my new passion for nutrition. And, offering me a step towards integration, before heading back to the states.

After spending three days at the office in Cuenca, I learned more about the work I'll be doing.. I'll be helping to train and develop (mainly) women entrepreneurs in the rural areas of Loja to start their own businesses and sell health products (water purification systems, solar lamps, organic seeds, and reading glasses). Plus, we're starting projects to see the need and potential for watering systems and smart stoves in the area. Currently there are 5 group of entrepreneurs who have received training and have started to sell the products (through bimonthly campañas). I'll be working with them to strengthen their knowledge and to help create more opportunities for them and their clients.

I'm hopeful, excited and ready for the challenges of this next year, and will be sure to share the stories of the people I meet.

The last few weeks have been a blurrr (more photos) - finishing with projects, spending time with loved ones, planning for my move, attending despedidas (going away parties), and packing up my house. I've changed communities/ jobs/ host families ...but Guaranda is and always will be a part of my heart.

It really hasn't sunk in yet that I've left Guaranda, staying in Ecuador and having plans to go back to visit every 2ish months (half marathon in October, Christmas in December, and CARNAVAL in February). I filled the last few weeks with seven despedidas - between schools, the Fundacion, CEMOPLAF, friends and family - I realized the despedidas are really for everyone else. My despedidas ranged from elementary school kids dancing Danza Kuduro..

(LEFT: students of Santa Ana, during their Despedida Program) In the last few months, we've been getting things ready for the new volunteers - finishing up the Literature Program for the year, organizing the Youth Entrepreneurship Group, finalizing requirements for student scholarships, setting up the Ludoteca (Youth Center) and Library at the Foundation.

Sheep (kiillings and) BBQs...

At the beginning of the month, my host mom (Teresa) asked me what food I wanted for my Despedida ... "lasagna? guacamole?", she asked, listing my favorite dishes to make. She joked about the idea of killing a sheep - "sheep lasagna?!" A week or so after that, she approached me again, timidly proposing the idea of having a sheep killing - they wanted to do it, but weren't sure if I would eat it. I told Teresa, it was her last chance to castigarme (punish me), so she might as well do it by making me eat yaguarlocro (sheep intestine soup) and bbq'd sheep meat.

Saturday night the neighbors came over and Thomas was killed.

I better explain something; Thomas is the new PCV who will replace me at the Foundation. Teresa named the sheep Thomas - she said the sheep is named Thomas because he's sacrificing his life so I can go to Loja and be successful. For the past two years I've been working and sacrificing my life to live in Guaranda and preparing the people here and the work for Thomas to come. He needs to sacrifice (his life?) to make sure I have success in Loja. Ecuadorian Culture or Quick Cover-up? I'm still debating...

And good old fashioned dancing and friends...

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Peace Corps Ecuador accepted my proposal for a Professional Development Extension for 10 months. This past Tuesday I moved to Loja, the Provincial Capital of the Southern most Provence. It's a larger city - close to 240,000 people. It is located at the bottom of the glacial Cuxibamba Valley, and lies between the humid Amazon Basin and the Peruvian sechura - making it the perfect geographic location for paramo, cloud-forest, and jungle. Podocarpus National Park (a massive cloud-fores reserve) is located just minutes outside the city. To make things even better, Loja is the Music Capital of Ecuador and is knows as the City of the Parks. It's going to be a great next year!

Tuesday morning at 3am, my host uncle, aunt, and grandma drove me the 9 hours to my new home. (And, thank goodness, if I had gone by myself on public transportation, it would have been 2 buses, 1 scary Guayaquil terminal, 12+hours, and cutting my number of bags in half!)

I absolutely adore my new host family - a divorced woman and her son. They are both very smart, charming, caring, and well connected within the Loja area. After spending less than 24hs in my new community, I took a 5hr bus ride up north to Cuenca. My new counter-organization, Soluciones Comunitarias, has their office there, and everyone who work for the organization (2 Italian women) lives there. We reviewed methods, products, accounting, logistics, history, and goals for 3 days! The work appears innovative, hands-on, dynamic and is focused in social entrepreneurship, nutrition and woman empowerment. I'll be working with entrepreneurs in the rural area - focusing on training and development. Additionally, I'll be helping to set up the Regional Office in Loja - building the professional and social network for Soluciones Comunitarias and social entrepreneurs.

Oh, I'm accepting applications for visitors this coming year :) Please apply ASAP!

Last weekend in Guayaquil, 4 Peace Corps Volunteer friends and I participated in the Guayaquil Half Marathon. I say "participated" because training has been S L O W. Two of the girls ran with parasites (and who knows what other stomach friends). The race started at 6am, which might seem early, but the Guayaquil sun gets up at 6:30. By the middle of the race, I was dehydrated and sweating like crazy. Training in the sierra is good for the lungs, but doesn't help at all with the humidity! Spirits were high, as we all ended with PRs, receiving our medals at the Finish Line.

María teresa Guerrero (Flaca), a famous TV anchor and news reporter in Ecuador was at the race too! She competed in the 10k, finishing with an impressive 47min. She was recently hit by a car while running, but it appears her recovery is going very well.

We made Peace Corps Running Shirts!! This is the BACK:

and ... the FRONT:

In Carbon Chimipamba, the students have been hard at work. Starting in October, we organized our Programa de Literatura at La Escuela Galo Vásconez Ocampo, 11 students participated. Their goals were focused on reading as many books as possible, demonstrating their understanding of the books, and rewarding both the individual students and the whole school for their achievements. Here's how we broke down their goals:

After 8 books: The school will receive more books

After 18 books: Invite our parents for a "Parent's Reading Day"

After 28 books: Paint murals on the school wallsThe BIG mural... the quote on the book says ""Aprender es descubrir que algo es posible." - Fritz Perls (to learn is to discover that something is possible)

Murals for the little kids...

Another Mural "The Ugly Duck"Mural of kids playing a local game around a tree

After hard work and weekly reading circles, the school completed all their goals ... and received CERTIFICATES. Not only did they complete their formal goals … we began to see several changes around the school as well … every morning the students pick up trash outside their school building and then wash their hands before opening their books to learn. During their recess time, the kids enjoy reading in pairs. After several art projects and the murals went up in the school, two students have expressed interest in learning to draw. The students minds are ideas are starting to open. A HUGE Thank You to everyone who helped donate books!! Especially Mr. Bobby’s Class!

I know, I know, it's been forever!

Every time I thought about writing, there were always a million things to write about, a billion things to say, and I never seem to have enough time/ energy to sit down and write them all. So, I've decided to use this blog space to write short tid bits on my life here in Ecuador - interesting people that I meet during my day, new communities that I visit, a new food I try. "The Daily Happenings"

First off, I have less than two months left in Guaranda!! TODAY is my 2 year anniversary in ECUADOR!! The time has flown by - the days sometimes long, but the weeks slip though my fingers all too quickly.

I have accepted a 10-month extension with Peace Corps Ecuador. I will move sites, to Loja; and switch counter-organizations, to work with Soluciones Comunitarias!! It's an awesome opportunity for me - and I'm excited to surround myself with business-like minds working on entrepreneurial endeavors to change the health of their communities.

That's all for now, a short a sweet quick up-date to jump-start my re-blogging for the final happenings in Guaranda and the preliminary adventures down South.

¡¡Saludos de Ecuador!! / Greetings from Ecuador!! Since August 2009, I have been working with the Fundación Promoción Humana Diocesana de Guaranda (FPHDG) in rural community primary schools. We have organized group work on a variety of topics - self-esteem, life skills, art projects, small business development, nutrition, health, composting, recycling, child development, etc. Our work in these schools includes: starting school gardens, providing school scholarships, and organizing reading groups.

A common trend in all of these schools is lack of resources. In the rural communities in the Provence of Bolívar, schools struggle to provide equal education for their children. The Ministry of Education of Ecuador has put a high priority on reading and writing. However, where families are living off $2 a day, this priority has often become unimportant. Most children have NO access to books, and have not had the opportunity to explore literature and/ or the arts. During my visits to the schools, two directors of small (less than 30 students) schools approached me about the need and desire to have books in their schools. It is an opportunity to give back to the children of Ecuador and their futures. Currently, we are organizing reading circles at each school; utilizing a limited supply of children’s books (available at a Cultural Center 1-2 hours from these rural schools). The school libraries will provide resources in each school, not only bringing literature and stories into their classrooms, but to bring new ways of thinking and methods of teaching into the classroom. The books will be used in two primary methods:

(1) After-School Reading Program: a program designed to allow children to explore literature and express their reactions.

(2) Curriculum Enhancement: the teachers will be educated in how to utilize literature to enhance both subjects of science or math as well as develop characteristics of questioning and leadership. These libraries aim to spark a spirit of discovery and foster participation to grant every student a universe of possibilities. With your help, we can provide a future filled with greater possibilities and self-expression to the students of Ecuador, specifically in two schools. Santa Ana: A 24 student, 2 teacher school in the subtropics of Ecuador. A 45-minute drive up a windy dirt road from the city of Caluma lies the small community of Santa Ana. Here, the students eagerly participate in activities of every kind, eager to learn more and thirsty for knowledge.

EL Carbón: Twenty-eight students and two professors in a school tucked away in the high Andes (at the base of Chimborazo). A bi-lingual community (Spanish-Kichwa) who’s main income is agriculture – quinoa and potatoes. During my first conversation with the school director, he said the children (and community) of El Carbón need the opportunity to read. What can YOU do to help??!! Go to http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/SYY6N0AWX171/ref=cm_sw_em_r_wl_8qoVmb1WZ3FP4 ... we’ve set up a Wish List named “Books for Ecuador”. You can help us provide books to the students by purchasing a book on-line. The books will be sent to my parent’s house (in Louisville, CO – the address is saved on Amazon.com) where we will transport them to Ecuador and to the rural communities.

The books (including a variety of reading levels) will go directly to the two schools, kept in a community-made reading area (created through a minga – a community gathering to complete a task). Every week, an organized reading time will let the students read. Additionally, monthly community meetings will educate the community on the literature program and allow them get involved with the program. If you have any trouble with the Amazon website, please let me know! deanna.camell@gmail.com

¡GRACIAS POR TODO TU APOYO! / THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

Last weekend Omnibus 102 had their official Midservice Conference. All 32 (oh no, I've lost count of how many 102ers are left...) ... 32ish ... volunteers met up in Quito for a 3-day conference. First....

Prior to the conference, my %$@* awesome (sorry, inside joke) friend mentioned jumping a 70 foot waterfall to celebrate our mid-point and relieve some stress before going to sit in meetings for three days. It was the best idea ever -- we spent the day 'camioneta surfing', and zip-lining 13 separate lines over the canopies of the sub-tropic Mindo. Then, before sundown, fit in waterfall jumping, swimming and water slides (the kind that end 15 feet above the river and spit you out at terrifying velocities). The waterfall jump was no joke either, the 40 year old man after us took a good 15 minutes (and lots of name calling from his friends) to JUMP. Of course, the day was finished with some Pilsner and a 2 hour ride back to Quito - where we had no seats and squeezed into small corners and ledges on the packed bus.

Midservice marked our mid-point, although technically we've already been in site 13.5 months, and we have our COS (Close of Service) Conference next April ... which means only 6 more months of "work". We had an "Open House", where we got to see everyone's work/ projects/ and a little more about their site and how they've spent the last 13.5 months in site. I was so impressed by everyone's work, and how much people have been able to relate to their communities and make an impact on the people around them. Several people are talking about a third year ... we'll see where they stand in another 6 months. Some of the coolest projects I saw - an HIV and AIDS theater (written, directed) by a PCV, volunteers who are "Wide Awake" and have found a spiritual calmness over the past year, Volunteers putting on community-wide concerts, teaching swimming lessons, starting small businesses ... I could go on for awhile...

Right after we finished Midservice, when I was getting ready to go to the bus terminal, we were told "NOT leave the city and to return to the office". There was some civic unrest in Ecuador ... it was pretty crazy actually. The national police were on strike, they kidnapped the president and were holding him hostage in a hospital. We (my omnibus and some other PCVs) stayed at the PC Office for a few hours, and then we were put in a hostel for the night. People were saying that we were going to have to stay there for a week!!! The hospital where the president was being held was just over a kilometer from our hostel!! We could hear gun shots outside, and then watch the live shoot-out on TV (the had the entire thing live on a local government channel). Even with all this chaos though, Dominos was still delivering - they even had a "Police Riot Special" on their pizza all night long. The military saved the President before midnight and everything returned to "normal" after that. There were a lot of loitering that went on in the bigger cities... but Guaranda is too tranquillo - everyone said the police are too lazy to organize a riot. We all returned to our sites the next day, and except for the fact that we can't travel right now, everything is back to normal.

Now, I'm back in site (we're under 'no-travel' law). Being back is good, but it's been stressful... I have less than a year left ... what do I continue? What can I drop? What is going to succeed? What's worth my time? What do I still want to do before I leave Ecuador (climb Cotopaxi, hike Quilatoa Loop, visit Tena and Esmereldas, climb)???

Sorry, no pics form these adventures (I really need to get better at this, I know my blogs aren't THAT interesting....) Hope you're well - love and miss!

On August 19th, I officially celebrated my 1 year anniversary in Guaranda, Ecuador. It's been an amazing experience, filled with laughter, new friends, challenges, new memories and of course, lots of food and dancing! (PHOTO: My Ecuadorian Host Family and my Grandparents; PHOTO:Guaranda with Chimborazo in the background "X" marks where I live)

Over the past year, I've learned more about myself than I ever imagined, I've been able to experience every holiday in a foreign country and have held my longest job-to-date. I've learned to speak Spanish; make spaghetti sauce, brownies, pancakes, banana bread, pizza and tortillas from scratch; to bargain for my fruits and veggies; to make a jar of PB last a month; to plant potatoes; to make recycled paper; to clean my dishes by hand; to not be afraid to try something new; to laugh at myself (and everyone around me); to be committed; to not be afraid to let go. (PHOTO: my bday, getting my face smashed into a cake; PHOTO: Christmas celebration at a school in the campo; PHOTO: dinner party with my friends)

I'm living on my own in Ecuador. I have a fantastic host family here, Ecuadorian friends, PCV friends, lots (sometimes too much) work, a studio apartment and people who trust in me. The mail-boy knows me by name and finds me on his scooter whenever I get mail (WHICH MAKES ME SOOOO HAPPY!) I have a credit account with my local grocer, and the fruit lady on the corner gives me my favorite YAPPAS (no more cuello for me). My host mother has opened a restaurant - where she often serves brownies, zucchini lasagna, carrot cake (some of my favorites that we cook at her house). (PHOTO: trip to the sub-tropic with Monica and Raul, playing in the pool)

A lot of my time goes into work. My primary work is with Fundacion Promocion Humana Diocesana de Guaranda - their mission is to assist organized groups in sustainable development and to help facilitate access to resources; their two main focuses are on Micro-Credit (community banks), organic agriculture and commercialization of products. (PHOTO: Kids in Santo Domingo planting a garden)

Since I'm a Peace Corps Youth and Families volunteer, and wanted to improve my language before diving into business development (which, as many of you know, is my passion) ... I started my service working in local schools (20minutes - 1 hour trip into the campo). I did lots of group building, self-esteem games and agriculture (yes, I learned to start composts and small gardens). It was a great opportunity to understand how my Foundation works, what the schools are like and who I could/ couldn't work with. Working in local schools led to working in schools all over the Provence and soon I was running around like crazy really not helping anyone (spending one day a month in a school, hitting 5-6 different schools a week). I was having a hard time building lasting relationships, let alone remember anyone's name. My Foundation was pretty stuck on the idea that I should help out all the schools, and I was pretty sure I didn't want to spend the next year and a half doing that ... so I decided to switch gears a little... (PHOTO: co-workers and I)

So, I changed gears and started looking for secondary projects - CEMOPLAF, Soluciones Comunitarios, Gustavo Lemos Elementary School, setting-up a toy room in Santo Domingo, Teaching English classes for World Teach ... if you've ever had a hard time keeping track of my "work", this is why. (PHOTO: cooking classes at Santo Domingo; PHOTO: students of Gustavo Lemos)

So, NOW WHAT you ask?? Well, over the past 12 months, there have been some things that have stuck, and some that haven't. Some that were great short-term projects that taught me about the culture, a certain group of people or how to manage/ develop an event. However, there have also been some projects that are just taking form, ready to launch-off, that I think just might stick for the next year. With each of these project, I've found a local I can work with - a single person that is willing, able, and wanting to participate in change. And this, with a little bit of encouragement, has created the momentum for my second year. (PHOTO: Don Hernan - agriculture promoter at Fundacion Promocion Humana)

YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP - recycled paper. A group of 10-15 youth who are interested in making money (youth from low-income families that need the money to stay in school), while learning business skills, leadership and about the environment. Basically, this group will make recycled paper into cards, bags, boxes and decorate them with local pressed flowers etc. We'll utilize a beginner, intermediary, advanced ranking to encourage participation, savings and paper-making quality - their incentive, a larger percentage of each product sold awarded to the individual as they improve their personal ranking. Additionally, each youth will have the opportunity to take over leadership roles in the business – for example, marketing, production or sales. I have found a great counterpart to work with me on this project – we even took a 12 hour bus ride down South to visit a PCV and see how her woman’s group makes and sales their recycled paper (their product is AMAZING). Now, all we have to do is form the group. Laugh ... but I'm serious. Forming this group of youth has been one of the most challenging things I've tried to do in Ecuador - timing, participation, respect, interest, incentives, they all have to line-up perfectly. (PHOTO: visit to San Pedro to see recycled paper process with Teresa)

SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS Last year, my Foundation had a budget for scholarships; however, because of lack of organization, the money didn't go to children in need, it went to purchase candy bags for each child at each school for Christmas. This year (to start) 18 elementary aged students will receive scholarship for the year. We are currently evaluating each student, their needs and resources and coming up with a solution for how we can best help them (purchase of medicine, mattresses, clothes, food).

AEROBICS At work, I've started teaching aerobics classes! I know, I've never done it before in my life - but that's the point, when else will I have 6 women who are excited to go to my aerobics classes each day? haha, probably never :) We're doing kick-boxing, aerobics moves, weight lifting and some yoga. New moves, suggestions, and music are ALWAYS appreciated! CEMOPLAF At the local “planned parenthood”, I’m helping start a youth group, a sort of peer-education methodology for the students to teach their friends at school. Last month, my counterpart, Maricela, and I attended a HIV/AIDS conference ¿Cuantos Sabes? in Guayaqui, where we learned a fantastic, new methodology for incorporating HIV/AIDS knowledge with youth groups (youth promoters, very similar to the peer-education model CEMOPLAF currently uses). We have plans to replicate the program with our youth group starting in November. (PHOTO: "This is how you put on a condom" demonstrations)

SOLUCIONES COMUNITARIOS Four women in my local community have decided to become acesoras for SC, an organization that sells health products to people in the campo through the micro-consignment model. (See my previous post in August for some photos and a video! PHOTO: Teresa helping a woman find glasses to let her read)

JUAN PABLO Last summer, when Social Entrepreneur Corps (a group of 14 University students here for a summer internership) and SC came to Guaranda to help the women acesoras, they also spent a day with the Foundation Juan Pablo. The women at this foundation make and sell turron and have been asking for help with their business. For the past 20 years they have been making turron and selling it under the name Deli Turron - a brand started by Fundacion Promocion Humana which sells turron from 5 woman’s group under the same packaging to help create market and brand for the entrepreneurs. After all these years and experience, the women of Juan Pablo want to expand their business and have their own brand. The visit and day long consultations from SC helped organize the women and get them focused on their business goals. Additionally, last month, we were awarded a grant from the Social Entrepreneur Corps and have started meetings to design a development plan. Right now, we're looking at new packaging (with a new logo, and brand for their turron), promotion, and product diversification (different sizes and the turron filled with different nuts). YUMM! (PHOTO: Women of Juan Pablo making turron at a food fair in Guaranda)

LIBRARIES and READING PROGRAMS Through the Peace Corps, there is a program called WWS (World Wide Schools). Basically it pairs up a PCV with a teacher in the U.S. From here, the project and outcomes are up to the teacher and PCV. I was paired up with a very responsive teacher and during our first letters back and forth to each other, Mr. Kennedy (my 2nd grade class, in Colorado!) told me he's very interested in altruism and creating a real-life project for his class. I brought up the idea of starting some libraries at two of the schools in the campo in Ecuador and implementing reading programs at them. Both of the schools in the campo are under 30 children, have great motivated and involved directors who often talk with me about the importance however huge lack of reading at their schools (and Ecuador in general). So, Mr. Kennedy and his 2nd grade class have agreed to help me collect books and monetary donations to create a library at each campo school. While at home, I visited and met Mr. Kennedy's 2nd grade class. The kids were filled with endless questions and stories :) Want to help out?? More information to come… (PHOTO: Kids reading in Herapamba) Apart from work, I’ve also been able to travel a little in the country (haven’t made it out of country yet) – the beach (Salinas, Palmar, M….), the jungle (MACAS!!!), the sierra (Ibarra, San Pablo, Cuenca, Loja, San Pedro). Along the way, I’ve met some very colorful individuals, friends for life and people who either love or are scared of me simply because I’m American. I was blessed with a visit from my Grandparents where I got to share my site, my friends and my family with loved ones from home. We were able to explore Ecuador together and I’m happy to see I’ll age well!! And, I even traveled home for a short, wonderful catch-up with my friends, family and the sweet CO air! (PHOTO: Whale watching off Palmar with PCVs; PHOTO: downhill biking Chimborazo with friends)

So, as I start the countdown (not that I’m actually counting days, but that I have less left then I’ve been here already), I look back and smile at my time in Ecuador. To Part II of my adventure! Salud!! (PHOTO: Riobamba at sunset)

I had the best surprise for my birthday this year! I got to come home for my birthday - my first bday at home in Colorado since I turned 21. I got to see old friends :) Hang out with my entire family, go trail running, make sushi, do yoga, play with my dog, drink coffee and have great conversations, visit old College stomping grounds, have sleep-overs, go to our cabin, play tennis, see the first signs of fall, watch the Rockies and eat a Rockie dog, drink micro-brews, ride my bike, go shopping at Target at 9pm, hug my mom, eat large amounts of Mexican, sandwiches, sushi, visit Mr. Bobby's class, drive ...

A few questions everyone was asking:

"Is it weird to be home?" NO. Honestly, not at all, well - I guess everything was sparklingly clean and I had to be reminded to flush my TP and that I could drink tap water, but other than that Colorado was awesome in a familiar "that's exactly what I missed" kind of way. I'm guessing my sub-two week trip didn't qualify me to go through reverse culture shock, so I'll let you know about that after my PC service. Oh, and there are ENDLESS options in the US ... going to the grocery store or ordering from a menu took at least double the BPC (Before Peace Corps) time.

"What do you DO down there?" LOTS and LOTS of different stuff everyday is the simple answer ... the long answer, read my next blog entry, I've included some projects I hope to continue for the next year.

"Do you have friends down there?" Honestly, I spend a lot of time with my host family - my best friends are a 37 year old woman and her 12 year old daughter. I spend a lot of time during the day at work, and there are a great group of women who I'm learning how to gossip with. Every once in a while, I break out the dancing shoes and hit up a graduation party or disco with some local friends - and yes, we ALWAYS party till 4 or 5 in the morning :) Some of the coolest people I've met are PCVs ... while the closest one lives 35 + minutes away from me, It's always a blast when I get to visit or be visited by PCVs - life long friends.

"Have you tried Guinea Pig" Yes, and, it DOES taste like chicken. If you want a try, we'll make you some, just come visit!!

"Do you like it there?" Ecuador has been an amazing experience and continues to be different and challenging everyday. I love my work and my host family. Some days are better than others, and I'm learning how to ride the successes with the failures. Living in a different culture and being committed to the same job for two years has pushed me outside of my box countless times. Ecuador is an amazing country filled with fantastic people who are always ready to laugh or dance.

"What did you miss the most from the US?" The people and being able to sit and have a good conversation; good beer and wine; my family, trail running; pet dogs; dating; yoga and endless saldo ...

"What are you doing after?" I've considered doing a 3rd year as a PCVL in Quito (you work at the PC office). I want to backpack up through Central America on my way back to CO, and then have a seasonal job waiting for me at a ski resort and then stick around for summer and probably live there forever (open a yoga studio). I've considered going back to graduate school - Environmental Economics, Social Business, Non-Profit Management. I've also wanted to get an apartment somewhere, get a job (not a 9-5, but one of those work-from-home jobs). Obviously, I have no idea. I should sit down and think about that.

"How's your Spanish?" It's getting there. I mean, I can have conversations in Spanish, but it's still not to the level I want. I often find myself frustrated because I can't find the right words or phrases to express my feelings/ situation. I hope it will come with time, but for now, it will just makes me respect words and people's ability to communicate successfully through them. My Uncle asked me "so, if you were to hit your hand with a hammer, would you shout in Spanish or English?" A close friend told me ... you need to find an Ecuadorian boyfriend. haha, both good pieces of advice.

My vacation to Colorado went way too fast, but it was great. It helped me realize people are people - we are the same all over the world (well, in Ecuador and the U.S.). Yes, we do have different cultures, histories, opportunities and personalities - but that's what makes us human. We all want friends and someone to love us ("some one to tell the pains of our lives to" - my driver at work during a heart-to-heart yesterday), we all like to have fun and don't like it when people around us are upset. There are also "good" and "bad" people everywhere - usually defined by local norms and customs. Some people you don't get along with, and some you do (and when you do, oh man, what an amazing feeling). People love to learn and be encouraged, hate to be told they are stupid, need to express themselves, often have self-esteem issues and want to be part of something. My trip to Colorado helped me tie my two lives together, things don't feel quite so odd or unfamiliar anymore.

Unfortunately, I have no photos ... I had to order a new camera charger and got it right before I came back to Ecuador. See ya in February!!

Micro-Consignment: so, think Mary Kay - women selling make-up to their friends and neighbors ... now think of this functioning in Ecuador. Now, have the women sell products like reading glasses, solar lights, water purification systems and organic seeds. The business model provides sustainable jobs for entrepreneurial women (a job that will also teach them about health and how to care for themselves and their customers). Additionally, the distribution system is designed to access hard-to-reach people that live hours from the closest small tienda, people who have never been able to drive to their local Wal-Mart and pick up a pair of reading glasses

COOL VIDEO

COOL PICS

Ecuador amazes me everyday. I fall more and more in love with the land and the people.

This past week I got to travel to the sub-tropic for a week to work and play. My past travel to the sub-tropic in Bolivar was always daily - get up and leave the sierra ridiculously early @ 5am, and return after the sun had set. This past week I went to Caluma with a promoter in my Foundation, Melina, stayed in her house, met her family and her friends, saw her life and where she works and plays.

Monday morning I caught the 5:30 bus to Caluma. The drive is amazing, within 2 hours of Guaranda, you start an amazing descent from 2700m to 260m. First off, it's terrifying. The bus driver whips around tight corners as you look off the edge into what appears to be an endless cliff. But, after the initial fear, it's one of my favorite drives - a cloud topped forest awaits your descent, the flowers, greenery, small sugar cane houses, horses and local people on the side of the road create a rich feeling of peace, tranquility and warmth. Of course, the bus is also heating up - and those 3 layers that were necessary in Guaranda are quickly removed.

Melina met me at the bus stop, and we jumped on another bus to get to her house about 30 minutes outside of town. She lives in a bono (government built) house with her sister and two daughters. Her mother and younger sister live in a sugar-cane house right next door. Their front yard is filled with flowers of every color and size - her mother is an obsessive gardener and plant collector. In the back-yard roam ducks, chickens, a roaster, their faithful dog Luis, and of course guinea pigs (well, the don't roam, they are in a cage).

The house is simple - originally built with only walls dividing the kitchen from two bedrooms. They have since added on two larger rooms (one with a bed, the other used for ... stuff). None of the rooms have doors - the two original rooms off of the kitchen have sheets, but the new, back rooms have nothing - only an open space for people to pass in and out. The bathroom is attached to the back of the house (also with a sheet-door), equipped with a small sink, a toilet and an open space for the shower-head (no mirror).

At her house, her sister cooked breakfast for me - a HUGE plate of fried fish and fried plantain. After, painfully, finishing off the last of the fried plantains, we set off to our first school.

Our mission for the week: to look for and evaluate children who were in the most need for school scholarships. My Foundation has a large fund for helping schools all over Bolivar - we currently work in 22 schools with over 1400 students. However a great base to start development work in the schools, most of the money and programs for students have little organization (lack of personal), creativity, and sustainability. Last year, the scholarship money was used to purchase candies for children during Christmas. This year, we're changing things. We've had our first "official meetings" for the Lorini Project (the project for working with schools and children in Bolivar, run by Promocion Humana); we're developing campo-days to do large projects with the schools (planting local trees and flowers, trash and compost, life-skills, and cooking/ nutrition); and we're looking for 30+ students to give scholarships to this school year. Right now, the sierra is on vacation, and the coastal schools (Caluma, the sub-tropic) is considered a coastal school, are in session. So, we're starting the scholarship program in the coastal schools.

Over our three days, we visited 5 schools and found 5 excellent students to receive the scholarships. We decided to start 10 in the sub-tropic and 10 in the sierra, see how they work for a month and then build on the program. During our school visits, we played games with the kids and colored butterflies.

The sub-tropic is amazing. People work hard, play hard. We spent the days in the campo, visiting schools, families and planting gardens. The afternoons included a swim in a local waterfall. Nighttime brought out the dancing shoes. Salsa. Merengue. Cha Cha. Mambo. Reggaeton. Whatever the dancer's heart desires. Melina's friends were friendly, outgoing, charming, and patient with my Spanish (I don't know if it's getting worse, or if they really do speak different in the sub-tropic, but the phrases and speaking speed threw me off all week). The bars we went to were open aired; equally filled with older men, young men and women and the occasional child.

Visiting the sub-tropic was AMAZING and, yet again, eye-opening to the diversity found in Ecuador (both people and geography). It showed me I need to work more and more on my Spanish -- however able to communicate with people, I'm still unable to relate to people on the verbal level I would like to. I'm sure that with a little more dancing and daring revueltas, I'll be able to mejorar mi español y comunicacion con los demás.

More photos up!!

As a Youth and Families Volunteer in Ecuador, my time has been filled with adventure, passion, challenges and opportunities. When arriving at my site, the world was at my finger-tips, there were limitless possibilities to what lay ahead. My community included a network of people, organizations and ideas waiting to take form. Starting out, my work proved to have its good days and it’s not so good days. However, through perseverance, dedication and a handful of great, motivated people, I’ve found my place in my community. The people I have met along the way, including my co-workers, youth, my Ecuadorian family, and the local tienda owners have made my Peace Corps Service take form. Within my work as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I’ve been honored to work with youth entrepreneurship, life skills, HIV/AIDS, and nutrition. My work with youth entrepreneurship and life skills activities has allowed me to combine my background and my passions with the needs of my community. Starting out, we worked with local youth in self-esteem, nutrition, leadership, the environment, and team building. We worked with local schools in sports and with campo schools in self-esteem and literature. Additionally, we have started a youth-room at my Foundation, a place for youth to come, do homework, read, play, or participate in weekly activities. From there, we are forming a small business, run and operated by the youth themselves. We are making recycled paper into gift cards, bags, book-marks with an endless list of potential products. Within the group, we are building skills in leadership, business knowledge and environmental responsibility. It has been an amazing, unique opportunity for me and for the youth of Guaranda, Ecuador. For the future, my Foundation liked the ideas of youth entrepreneurship so much, we're looking for new youth-run businesses to assist!

My Ecuadorian mother Teresa just opened her very own restaurant!!!

She serves breakfast starting at 9am and starts serving almuerzos at 12:00pm.

Almuerzos from the first week include:

Lentil Soup

Chicken in wine sauce with mushrooms

Spinach, apple and carrot salad

Rice

Melon Juice

Strawberries and chocolate

Mexican Soup (spicy bean soup - MY FAVORITE!!)

Trout in orange sauce

Broccoli salad

Rice

Orange Juice

Brownies

If you're in the area, come have lunch!! She's an amazing cook and the service is fabulous!

I was talking to a dear friend of mine from home the other day, and was asked "do you miss the USA? Do you want to come home?"

Quickly, before I could think, out spat "Are you crazy? I love it here, I don't want to go home!!"

*GASP* Is this really how I feel??

After 11.5 months in country, I've adjusted to all the things that "shook my world" when I first got here.

- I've adjusted to the $1.75 lunches (almuerzos) ... my saving pennies how includes my daily walk uphill from work to avoid paying $0.18 for the bus.

- I always bring a baggie to the campo ... there's NO way I'm eating three meals of rice on one plate.

- Half the time loud hisses or cat calls come my way I ignore them, the other half I go confront the problem (and once made a friend out of it! haha... that's like .05%).

- I don't look twice, or even take photos of the cows and chickens that roam the streets.

- I sleep pleasantly with ear plugs ... the 30minute songs till 2am OR the constantly crowing rooster outside my window no longer bother me.

- When someone says "we'll start the meeting at 8AM" ... I bring a book

- I've learned how to stand on a bus while eating habas and whipping around small roads, psch - "no pasa nada"

- NEVER turn down a free tortilla or carrot juice from the host family!

- I've learned that "Gringas always get the last laugh" --- words from fabulous Eik!!

- Even though I still need to learn all the rules, I joined a soccer team :)

- Pilsner is okay (when it's really really cold and you think of it like water)

- Downing soda (grape, orange, pepsi...) is second to sipping water -- gotta pass the cup for the next person!

- If someone borrows a text message .... you can always regalo one from them come end of the month

- Instant coffee tastes good with sugar, milk and chocolate

- Black rain boots ARE fashion!

- Funny faces at the meat market can (almost) be kept to myself ... or at least out of direct visual line of the woman with the knife.

- 10 hour bus rides... haha, bring them ON!!!

- Yes, I speak English ... if you ask me to speak it, I'm going to make you sing a song with me!

I think what I wanted to tell my friend is that, I'm comfortable here. Right now, life has kind of leveled out. Going back to the USA would be more culture shock for me than ... well than waking up tomorrow and going through my day (I know more about the El Capo drama than what's happening on LOST)

Normality is relevant though. Each day is still amazingly diverse for me - brings lots of changes and unexpected events ... which is why I love it.

This month is bringing lots of leaps forward (after months of planning)... and of course, more planning...

- The grupo de jovenes in CEMOPLAF is meeting regularly and were planning/ starting some money generating projects... photos to come

- Organizing a tech trip to visit a Volunteer in the South of Ecuador who works with a group of women who do recycle paper ... and talking to my Foundation about starting a youth-run business :)

- Xi is getting married ... end of summer 2011 :)

- ALL OF THE TOYS are in Santo Domingo (de los Frios) and were starting to incorporate creative games, alternative learning styles and group work into their daily classes :) We started painting the room. PHOTOS.

- I'm teaching English classes.... the local WorldTeach program lost two of their volunteers (due to security reasons) with only one month left to go in the 9month program. So, they asked the gringa in town to teach. I love it!! Although, I did have to kick out two kids for cheating on their make-up test (they didn't pass the first one) ...

- My amazing sister and I are organizing book drives, libraries and reading programs ... OH MY!!

- Working with Soluciones Comunitarios, they provide products to people in the campo that solve a specific health problem (glasses, stoves, water purification, solar lamps). Their business model consists of training local women to be asesores (sellers/ promoters ... think Mary Kay, but in rural Ecuador, with different products). So, were currently training 4 women in the program - when finished they will have some health, business and self-esteem knowledge. Soluciones Comunitarios is also helping me out with a small business (women making Turron) I've been working with. End of the month they are bringing some inters to country who will work with the women in market understanding and market expansion. sweet.

- Profesora Judith's kids want a summer program ...

"All you are is what you have thought" - someone wiser than me

I will never use the P Word again.

The P word was used too much during my college education, way too much during Peace Corps training, and wayyy wayyy too much when PCs feel like they are "doing nothing".

(Hint: Peace Corps is not the P Word.)

As Omnibus 102 closes in on a year in country, we start to ponder our p.....s - our successes and failures. The problem with thinking and evaluating our time with the p-word, is that we have little control over them and how they turn out (during our two years, or after we leave). I came down to Ecuador thinking, or at least hoping, that I would be able to change the world after two years. Well, after 9 months in site, I've seen my share of failures, misunderstandings and frustrations. Meetings that went flop, conversations that went south, potential understandings that I found out later are completely wrong.

But, I have also realized that these set-backs are always related to the p-word. When describing my challenging days to others, when I use the p-word, my days quickly appear horrible, miserable and un-lively. I start to think of deadlines, schedules, organization, structure ... and usually, it never exists (at least in the way I look for it).

When you change this p word for another, things look up.

When I take a step back, and focus on people (I know this starts with "p" too, but don't let it confuse you, it´s not the ¨P Word¨ ... It´s the new and improved ¨P Word¨), I smile. The people I have met here make everyday amazing. The people I have met here have taught me about myself. The people I have met here have been accepting, hospitable, crazy (good, fun crazy), and encouraging. The people here have become my family. When I change my mentality to work with and through people, suddenly, my times here has been and looks increasingly successful.

This doesn´t come as a shock. It´s one of those ¨duh¨ moments. It´s the amazing people (like you) who have always turned life into living.

So, for the next year, I´m eliminating the P Word (not Peace Corps or people) from my vocabulary. I´m concentrating on faces, individual dreams and strengths. The people in my life will forever remain my sense of strength, enjoyment and freedom.

Peace Corps is a time to time to help others achieve what they want to do.

Peace Corps is a time to achieve what you want to do.

Peace Corps is a time to live.

Peace Corps is a time to pass time.

Peace Corps is my life, right now.

New Photos up!!

Yesterday morning, I was enjoying the morning sun with some of my co-workers from the Foundation (we often take the first hour of work to catch the warm morning rays and catch up on gossip). Thirty minutes later, things got cold ... we looked up into the sky, and a huge, black cloud was rolling in from the east. Rain? Hail? Funny Guarandinian weather?? I was hoping for rain, the corn still needs to grow more!

Another half an hour later, when I was working hard in my office, the economist (that's really what we call him "el economista") knocked on our door and told us to come out. Not rain, but ash was falling from the sky. The roof-top was covered in a layer of gray ash, and you could hear the impact against your jacked when standing in the open.

On the streets of Guarada, people hurried around with masks and cars circled the streets with loud-speakers informing people of the health concerns and recent news, Tungurahua erupted!!

So far, in Guaranda, I've experienced my first earthquakes (usually small and at night, takes me too long to even realize what they are to react in a safe and conscious fashion. I usually wake up, think, "wow, an earthquake?" and then it's over) and now my first volcano (well... ashfall).

But, no worries, this happens all the time :)

First off, if anyone is reading my blog, I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Life has been crazy (good!!) busy! I'm loving my Ecuadorian family, city and figuring out my work. I'll write about my work again this week, but I wanted to tell you all about one of my favorite experiences so far in Ecuador ...

Well, after being in Ecuador for almost 10 months, I had my first visitors from home :) And, they were my fabulous Grandma and Grandpa. Adventuring down South, without knowing Spanish, with very little knowledge of future living and eating situations, they met me for three weeks South of the equator.

To start our adventures (and to avoid lugging around the extra chunky, natural peanut butter and card games they brought me), we headed to my site for a 5 day cultural integration. It was amazing having them here -- I got to show a little bit of another part of the world to them ... a part of the world that has become part of who I am.

My host family warmly welcomed them like they have welcomed me for the past 8.5 months! My host mom made cuy (guinea pig) for my grandparents one night - the entire family came over and we talked and laughed and I tried to keep up with the translations. To begin, my host mom invited me and my grandparents over early. She wanted to make sure they knew how the cuy was prepared and to help out in the process. Luckily, they were already de-haired and gutted, so we just helped to later them with Achote and flip them a few times in the oven. My Grandma also helped with the potatoes, peanut sauce and my Grandpa got to try the local Pajaro Azuel and trago (which he commented, "Tastes like Good Moon Shine!). The cuy was well received ... so my host mother joked that she was going to make yagra locro (blood and intestine soup, a delicacy here) the next day.

Luckily, the next day, everyone decided spaghetti and meatballs - of course with garlic bread - would be better than yagra locro! My Grandma helped make meatballs, and my host family learned my secret spaghetti recipe (basically, throw whatever you have around into the sauce, and then add hot sauce!) My Grandparents brought some goodies to share as well - Easter Egg dying kit (which we are actually using tonight!); t-shirts, lotions, books, kitchen towels (a Grandma trademark), and an American Football. Wow - the football was LOVED, we're going to start a (touch) football tournament.

Sunday we all went up to Chimborazo. It was an amazing adventure. For the past 8.5 months the tall mountain, covered in snow, has looked down at us everyday. You can see the peak from my city, the only peak around with snow. The locals say only the tall mountains get snow - and standing 20,565ft, it defends it's title. The summit of Chimborazo is regarded as the spot on the surface farthest away from the center of the Earth. 18 of us packed into a van and ventured up, up, up -- for 15 individuals it was the first time on the mountain. At the first refugio, we warmed ourselves with Pajaro Azuel and started up. Quickly, upon starting our assent, it started to snow :) S N O W ... not the graniso (falling hail/ slush) that will fall in the high country here sometimes, but real snow - SNOWFLAKES, to be exact. We quickly started packing snow balls and snow men and playing in the white crystals. Everyone made it to the second refugio - so enthused, proud, exhausted, amazed - at 16,404ft, it was the highest I have every been. A few of us decided to venture up a little more, and brought backpacks and scraps of cardboard to try out sledding :) After another 300ft assent, we found a great push-off point for sledding. Only, the inch of snow that covered the ground didn't help us glide effortlessly, too many rocks! It was amazing to go up Chimborazo with my new family, and to have my Colorado family there to do it with me - some experienced mountain-lovers to share the mysteries of the highest peaks in our own backyards.

The rest of my Grandparent's visit flew by - we traveled by public bus, private car, taxi, by foot, airplane :), boat and camioneta to reach places in Ecuador I've dreamed about going to -- Cuenca, Chungchilan, Cotocachi, Otovalo, Quito. I put some pic up! (and there will be more once I get all of my Grandma's photos) All in all, it was an amazing adventure, I am blessed with fabulous Grandparents who were adventurous enough to visit me first, two people who quickly became part of my Ecuadorian family here, and individuals who are full of young spirits and great hearts :)

MONDAY 7am Wake-up and feed Daisy Prepare for Nutrition Charla; post-office visit and loop around town

*I'm not sure why I put this in, but this is the post office in Guaranda*

10am Nutrition Charla for Profesora Judith’s Class 11:30am ALMUERZO … made tortillas for week 12:30 visit with PCV Nancy – picked up movies, had coffee and chatted about current reads/ her son got engaged! 3pm – 5pm Planning with Maricela in CEMPOLAF for Friday’s Joven’s Class 5:30pm quick Internet check – gchatted with CO girls :) 6pm return home to feed Daisy 6:30pm chat with Maria, Teresa and Vicente in tienda – gossip about last weekend's weeding, up-coming week’s events. 7:30pm DINNER and a movie (August Rush) 9pm (can’t sleep … cleaned kitchen and bathroom; read The Age of Turbulece, journal) 11pm SLEEP TUESDAY 6am Wake-up 6:30am Meet with Teresa, Don Hernan and Gilbert to go to Santo Domingo 8:30am Arrived in Santo Domingo to learn school was canceled and the teachers had a meeting in Simiatug. Luckily (and unexpectidely), the director gave the key to an INFA (day care for 0-5yrs old kids in Ecuador) teacher and organized for all the mother’s of students to meet with us. So, instead of helping the teachers organize the toy room and do child evaluations, Teresa and I ran a charla with 17 women and one man about sewing, child development, small business opportunities and we played the human knot. Three of the jovenes and a group of ninos also helped me put together some toys in the Toy Room – we put together a body of bones and the internal organs, and cut out clothes for two plastic kids. We talked about parts of the body – the 14 year old girls were learning what our heart and lungs are for. It’s amazing to watch people’s eyes light up with they understand something or ask a question because they crave more knowledge.*I forgot to put the memory card in my camera, but these are photos from previous trips. The school is going to receive three "shipments" of toys. In between, we are organizing the toys, arranging activities and evaluating the kids at the school. The biggest challenge will be getting the community to "own" the project.*

3pm Arrived back at the office 5:30 Home, fed Daisy, colored with sidewalk chalk and the cousins - I was sure Maria (my land-lord) was going to kill me, until I ensured her the chalk washes away with the rain. 7:30pm Short/ slow run 8:30pm Read material for tomorrow’s charla 10pm SLEEP WEDNESDAY 7am Feed Daisy 8am Work in office … accounting, informes, planning and email 3pm Meeting with San Vicente Grupo de Muejeres. A group of 17 women who have been working together for 17 years making Turron. They started out with a loan from Promocion Humana, and today function as their own Foundation. Only 5 women showed up to the meeting, but they are currently not making Turron. We talked about areas in which we can collaborate and where the Foundation wants to go. They are looking for a bigger market, some leadership skills and additional products to sell/ produce. For the business side of my work with the group, we are going to start with Market knowledge and analysis in May. For the integration side of my work, I’m going to teach English classes (oh…) starting next Tuesday. 5:30 Feed Daisy 6:30 Internet and Pizza with Salinerito Pizzaritos 11pm SLEEP THURSDAY 6am Run 7am Feed Daisy 8:30 to Quindigwa with Don Hernan and Gilbert – meeting with women’s group. Don Hernan is starting an agriculture project with three of the women (very very cool - for one part of the planning, we had each of the women draw what their land looks like now, and on the other page, they had to draw what they wanted their property to look after the three year project) and we were going to present additional opportunities for the women through Soluciones Comunitarios. Upon arriving, the women’s group had some internal conflicts they need to work out; we addressed them as an outside institution and encouraged the women to resolve the issue among the group, and will save the additional business opportunities for the future. We worked with school’s garden, exchanged English for Kichwa lessons with the kids. 4pm return to Guaranda 5:30pm feed Daisy 8pm Novela “El Capo” and Chismea with Teresa, Monica and Maria in the tienda 11pm SLEEP FRIDAY 6am Run 7am Feed Daisy 8am To Carbon Chimipamba with Melina and Melania – Charla with escuela kids in brushing teeth and washing hands. We sang songs, drew pictures, and handed out toothbrushes and tooth paste for each child. 2pm back in Guarnda 3pm Grupo de Jovenes with CEMOPLAF – I’m helping Maricela start up a Volunteer group of Youth Promoters to teach their peers sex-education. If the program gets off the ground, we’ll be able to educate the youth in AIDS/ HIV awareness, safe-sex, self-esteem, and sell condoms to the youth (it’s a form of income for the Youth Promoters). Today we watched Juno and talked about teen pregnancy – the pros and cons they see and the costs (monetary and otherwise). Watching Juno just reminded me of when I used to watch the sex scenes in movies with my parents or any other adult in the room … all of the kids tensed up, let out a few laughs, told the youngest kid in the room to “cover your eyes… don’t look”, and then kept watching. Haha. 5:30 Feed Daisy 6pm night walk with Teresa*Guaranda at night -- the view from my roof*

8:30 Novela “El Capo” SATURDAY 6am Run 7am Feed Daisy 8am Office Day – planning, market-day in PHDG, Organizing and Planning for next week. 9am break Market with Maria – bought food for Daisy and some for me too. And now were up to present time … it’s Equinox on the equator, so I’m doing my skin a favor and staying inside today. Going home to clean, cook a late lunch (vegetarian spaghetti with Dora and Daniel) and read a book. Tonight my favorite local coffee shop has a live band, plans to go sip some Pilsner and chill to some tunes. Tomorrow we’re going hiking in the campo. It will most likely be followed by a much-too-large meal and lots of laughs. We have to build a new door for the pigs, we now use their old one as a bed for them. An old PCV is coming to town tomorrow too - looking forward to a game of Scrabble and some good gringo talk. So… that’s more or less a week in my life here. Do I love it? Yes. Do I miss home? Of course. I’m pulling myself out of a little hole I was in (I mean, after Carnaval, nothing is quite exciting anymore… jk). I’m learning lots about myself and loving every moment of everyday, learning that "This too will pass" - for t. We have officially been here for 7 months - so, I can officially tell all of you that being a tourist in a developing country is worlds different than living in a developing country. You begin to understand the lives of the people in a new way - their struggles, their systems, norms and customs. The great part about being a foreigner though, is that you can break some of their norms and systems.

My first visitors will be here soon -- MY GRANDPARENTS -- April 7th - April 27th. sooo excited!

Wow.

From the moment I got my site assignment back in July, all I've hear about is this festival called "Carnaval" (not to be confused with carnival -- where Ferris Wheels, cotton candy, shooting games with over-sized stuffed animal prizes rolls into town for one or two weekends). This is C A R N A V A L ... where parades, dances, music, and yes, water fights rule the streets. The locals tell stories of how crazy the streets and dances are, the foreigners ask me for a spot on my floor ... Guaranda, you see, has the biggest and best parties in the country.

For most places in Ecuador, Carnaval lasts for a weekend and ends the Tuesday before Ceniza (Ash Wednesday). In Guaranda, it started January 6th, the day after the 3 Kings arrived in Bethlehem (and finishing the Christmas festivities). The festivities included live music and dances every weekend, having to dodge water balloons (especially the hour after schools get out), and family water fights.

Scheduled events in Guaranda started the end of January, as each escuela and colegio begins by selecting their Reina (Queen). The Taita Carnaval is also selected every year – an individual who acts as the Mayor of Carnaval – organizing activities, parades and events, as well as raising money and putting on a pig-fry. The Reina competitions are very similar to beauty pageants in the States. The competitors have to wear traditional clothing and evening-wear, walk around the stage in front of a panel of judges, and have to answer a question. My cousin Mischel competed in her colegio Reina competition. She placed first in the traditional clothing portion! The family and her friends were so excited for her - we shouted cheers, waved posters, and banged pots together every time she was on stage.

My family and I also went to the Reina competition for the city of Guaranda. It started around 8:30pm Friday night, and finished up around 2am! The indoor stadium was packed with fans - each group sitting bellow huge photos of their hopeful Reina. The purpose of the crowd was to make as much noise as possible using drums, noise makers, pots and pans, whistles, or just yelling. My aunt told me the competitors spend $800+ on each outfit (and that's just to rent the attire). After the competition, there was a dance party outside - sponsored by Pilsner - with two live bands. It was so much fun, family was in town and I have never seen so many young people in Guaranda. The music was fabulous - dancing salsa and merengue - mixed in were some classic English 80's hits, and of course - Michael Jackson ... we went home early at 4am.

The next week, starting Wednesday, the schools were out for a week. And, the entire week before, every moment between class, recess, and after class, the school kids filled the streets with water balloons and polvo (flour). I, being a Carnaval-un-experienced-gringa, decided to hold class at a local escuela Wednesday (like I do every week). I entered the school grounds to find children running from end to end, water covered the ground. The kids were concentrated in two areas - one at the water-supply near the bathroom, and the other at the water-supply in the opposite corner. I quickly darted up to my classroom, the teacher was expecting me and we had an environmental education class planned. As I entered the classroom, the kids were filled with Carnaval enthusiasm and they eagerly greeted me. Two seconds later, as I was looking for the teacher (we always chatted a little before I start), she had booked it out of the classroom. I started gathering my stuff to start class, but the kids were in official "Carnaval-mode". Half the class was outside, starting to fill their water balloons, the other half was inside asking me if I wanted to go outside and play Carnaval. As I muddled over my options - to stay and play or to try and get back to work dry, the kids brought out the polvo and began "painting" each other with polvo. I looked outside at 100s of kids filling water balloons and running after their classmates - I was not equipped to take on these elementary school kids (I didn't even have proper tennis shoes to run in ...). Since my attempted class was officially a failure, and some of the kids (who had similar feelings about playing Carnaval at that moment) were hanging out in the room untill the madness outside died down - we decided to play Hang Man. After 45 minutes of Hang Man, we picked up our things, and dogged a few water balloons on our way out. I am very proud to say however, that I made it back to work, and DRY. For the next week, Taita Carnaval had planned dances and parades for different groups:

THURSDAY – University Day (my official work day was from 8am-10am; the parade started at 10am)

FRIDAY – Guaranda Day and Parades in Guanujo (local barrio)

SATURDAY – Indigenous Day

SUNDAY – Parades in San Miguel (local community)

MONDAY – Parade with groups from all over the country

TUESDAY – Parade with groups from all over the Provence Each of these parades ran multiple hours (a record 5 hours on Monday) and was concluded with a dance party (or two) in the center of town. Additionally, small stages were set up in the park and a local colegio, featuring live bands every night. One of the big Family Events during Carnaval is the killing and cooking of the pig. Saturday morning, starting at 5am, the entire family gathered to kill the pig. When I was still not there at 6:30am (I didn’t mind helping with the cleaning and cooking, but didn’t want to be there for the killing), I received the best morning phone call from my Aunt Cecilia – “Deanna, where are you?? We’re killing the pig. Why are you not here? Get over here, QUICK!!” The family was so excited about the pig- and rightly so – their favorite treats cuello, fritada, morcilla, chorizo, agua locro, and chicharon come from the pig. Every part of the pig is cleaned with care and cooked up, nothing wasted. I love this model of preparation and part of their culture – nothing goes to waste. Some Peace Corps friends were in town and we all helped the family fill large intestine with rice, carrot and peas (for morcilla), make chiguillies, and start celebrating Carnaval. The cousins even started a water fight, and no one left dry. The parades were amazing – traditional clothing and dances; New-Age costumes and sexy moves; Michael Jackson; large floats with Reinas and a few jungle surprises. To make things better, these parades aren’t like in the US – where you get a wave and a small candy from passing by paradies (individuals in the parades) – these parades are interactive. The crowd dances, has water and foam fights, and passes out traditional Pajaro Azuel to the paradies. In return, the paradies hand out roses and other flowers, candy, and Pajaro Azuel (just to return the favor). To make things better, some wonderful Peace Corps friends made it into town for the festivities. We enjoyed the craziness of Carnaval, but also escaped to some wonderful home-made meals, a fire-pit and some card games. Some 2010 updates:

- My Grandparents are coming in visit in April for three weeks!

- I’ve started a new project with my Foundation – helping professors and parents to organize a child-development program. The school received $8,000 in toys (think everything from dress-up clothes, to puzzles, to houses, to bikes) and our purpose is to help them integrate the toys into their school curriculum as well as their community. We’ve divided up the toys into three stages, and the school has the first! It is an indigenous community, and they are so excited to have the opportunity to execute this project in their community. We're helping design norms, goals, evaluations and activities with the professors and parents. Also - future projects include parent groups, business classes with woman run small-businesses, and community planning.

- I’ve officially mastered baking brownies.

- My 12 year old cousin beats me at Phase 10.

- Profesora Judith’s 7th grade class is officially pen-pals with a class in Mesa, AZ – the kids are so excited to write letters to their new friends.

- Omnibus 104 came to Ecuador last week – we are no longer the Freshmen.

- I’ve been in Ecuador 8 months – and 6 months in site. Sometimes, I feel like my Spanish is improving.

- A woman in Fuerza y Union, a community bank I have been working with, needs a lens transplant. She has cataracts and has lost vision in her right eye. She just found out it spread to her left eye, and needs to operate to save it. If anyone knows of any optometrist opportunities in Ecuador, please let me know.

- I ate pig skin -- I think there were still some hair follicles in it.

- Thanks for the cards, good thoughts, emails and photos from home – I really can’t get enough love from you guys!!

- New Photos are up - including a trip to the beach (for an American Superbowl); Carnaval; and the kids in Santo Domingo.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Whew ... this holiday season has been jam packed! It's good ... sometimes just keeping busy helps being away from friends and family. My deepest wishes of love and peace to everyone with the year 2010. I am one who believes you don't have to wait for the "New Years Resolutions" to make changes in your life; but like the Ecuadorians do, there's always time to burn your past and leave it there (I'll explain ... just keep reading... ).

Thank you sooo much for all the holiday cards, presents, snowflakes, and wishes from home!!

CHRISTMAS WITH THE FAMILY

To back-track just a little, besides the Christmas activities with work, my family celebrated the Novena leading up to Christmas. It included the nine nights before Christmas Eve. The family meets at a different member's house every night. The host provides song, readings, reflection, and (of course) food. I hosted the night of the 23rd with a single mother (she's the sister of Teresa and lives in my apartment complex) Dora. She prepared the readings and reflection for the night, and I made breakfast burritos!! There was a song we kept singing every night previously during Novena called "El burrito caminando" (the walking donkey), and haha ... it just made me think of Vegetarian Primavera Illegal Pete's Burritos, so I had to make the closest thing I could. Nancy and I also taught the family "Jingle Bells", I'll have to make a video of it next year!!

I spent Christmas Eve in Guaranda with my family ... I highly advise reading and rereading this part about their Christmas Program -- one of the best ways to spend the holidays with loved ones! I think more people should celebrate Christmas this way. They have a party Christmas Eve - it starts with the Misa de las Gallinas (mass of the roosters or midnight mass). Afterward, everyone (three generations - this year's count was 53 family members from Guaranda, Ambato and Quito) travels to the Casa de la Rena (the Queen's House - specifically for Christmas, she was elected last year). Nancy and I made three turkeys (thanks Grandma and Jenny for the bag and recipes!! We did brine the turkeys, and they were AMAZING!!), stuffing and mashed potatoes.

After the food (the Queen also prepared a salad, rice, and a coconut dessert!), we started with the program. The Queen and Princess paraded in and gave speeches of thanks for all who came.

I had the honor of hosting the program with my cousin - we basically announced who was going to preform next and read some good holiday thoughts and wishes in between acts. I think the family just enjoyed laughing at my Spanish and listening to my lame attempts at cracking jokes. Each family member performed in one (or more) numeros or acts - including dances (we did a traditional dance with long colorful dresses, there were also two Michael Jackson Thriller presentations), singing, and even a mass (a couple did a reenactment of la Misa de las Gallinas, dressed up like a priests and a nun and recited "new-aged prayers" for the family).

After the acts, it was about 4am, and the dance party started. I made it until around 6am dancing Salsa, Reggeaton, and Cumbia. Man -- Ecuadorians are born to dance for hours and hours. I don't know how to keep up here ... I find old men with bad hips out dancing me. After making it to a respectable 6am, I squished into the back of a camioneta with Teresa and some cousins and enjoyed the sun rise on Chimborazo as we rode home. At least I got to see snow at the top of the volcano Christmas morning :).

The next morning, after a 2-hr nap, I took the 9am bus to Riobamba to join up at Jason's for their Christmas Party. We spent the day catching up, getting Christmas hair-cuts and filling ourselves with amazing food!

NEW YEARS

For New Years, I decided to head to the beach. It's amazing how different la playa (the beach) y (and) la sierra (the mountains) are. They are like two different worlds - the people, the attitude, the climate, the food, even the dialect is different (I officially have a Spanish accent and use momentita y cercita - diminutive words for "in a moment" and "very close" filled with love and strong sierra roots). It was great to see old friends, get a little sun (okay, I got burnt), eat some seafood (while sitting on the beach, sipping Club and watching the sunset - good times Peyton!), and pancakes with peanut butter!!

For New Years, people here have a few traditions. First, they make replicas of people out of corn stocks or newspaper including politicians, ex's, bosses and self-replicas. The idea is that by burning the figure at midnight you are leaving behind bad thoughts/ events and entering the new year fresh! Us PCVs decided to burn a cuey (guinea pig). Everyone wrote their "burn-wishes" on a piece of paper, put it into the cuey, and at midnight with champagne and sparklers, we burnt our past. Another tradition is to run around the block with a suitcase - this signifies you will travel in the new year. And if you eat 12 grapes, you will have wealth in the new year.

...AND THE HOLIDAY SEASON CONTINUES

After the wonderful holiday season, I was ready to get back to site - refreshed, driven, focused after talking to other PCVs (all in all, a successful mental health break). Unexpectedly - this word is becoming daily language here in Ecuador - I learned that the BIG festival in my town, the CARNAVAL, the place to be in Ecuador, which I thought started mid-February ... actually starts today. In the Catholic Church, the three wise men arrive in Bethlehem, and I guess this is how they celebrated.

RECONNECT

Next week I'm heading to Riobamba for the week for Peace Corps Reconnect (we've nick-named it disconnect, because our Omnibus is being divided into three regional areas). It's when we come together with our counterparts (our community/work contacts) to talk about our communities, their needs and our future projects. During training, Peace Corps trained us in CAT and PACA tools, or community assessment tools (surveys, community maps, 24-hour clocks, seasonal maps), during our first months at site were supposed to utilize these tools during our integration to learn more about the community. The CAT and PACA tools are not only for us though, they are for our communities as well - it's the process of uncovering needs and project potential WITH not FOR your community.

New photos UP.

Feliz Navidad de mi familia y amigos en Guaranda!!

Here are a few local traditions and how I've been celebrating the holidays this year ...

Teresa and Byanca filling bags with cookies, chocolate and candy for kids in the campo. This is a tradition for many families and organizations here in Guaranda. Most of the families in the campo don't celebrate Christmas with gifts and Santa Clause. For the very poor families in the campo, gifts are not an option - however it is a tradition for people to bring kids bags of candy, and in some cases clothes and small presents.

Teresa's nacimiento. Families put together small replicas of the baby Jesus's birth, adding small figures, houses and animals. This nacimiento includes several scenes - Noah's arc on the bottom left, next to it Guaranda, and up top the "white house neighborhood" and Colorado!! I told my host family how we have snow for the holidays, so they made a scene with all the snow-covered houses and now call it "Colorado".

Teaching the cousins how to make snowflakes.

Snowflakes around town. I missed snow for Christmas, so I helped several groups learn to make snowflakes from paper ... and we started decorating the town white.

With work, the schools I work at had school Christmas festivals. A school hosted 2-3 other surrounding schools to come and celebrate the day with traditional dances, activities, a lunch and, a few surprises. This photo is the School Christmas Festival in Gradas Central - Un Paso de Nino - the kids dress up like Mary, Joseph, the three wise men, angels and walked to the school to begin the festivities.

School Christmas Festival - "la vaca loca" - kids from one school dress up and try to rope the torro (the opposing school). The school which successfully ropes the torro in the least amount of time wins - 19 seconds was this year's winner!

School Christmas Festival - traditional dances.

The school kids standing in line for almuerzo (lunch) after receiving their bags of candy. The almuerzo was cooked by the community and everyone that came to the School Christmas Festival received a meal.

My New Years resolution is to post more frequently on my blog :)

November 15th

I moved into my very own apartment this weekend! After looking at 20-some apartments (some turned down for personal reasons, others because of PC safety and security policy), and trying to explain to my host mother my reasons for wanting to move out, I found my perfect apartment. It's small – a studio apartment with a personal bathroom and kitchen. It has huge windows with an amazing view over the city and a shower with hot water. I looked all over the city, and had three in mind before Peace Corps came to approve my housing. However, at the end of the day, none of them felt right. I would not only be moving houses, but changing families. In Ecuador families are very very close. It's normal for children to live with their parents until they get married, and even then parents often have a hard time letting their children leave the house. The family is number one in Ecuador, and these traditional feelings shine through with my host family. My host mother lives on the same street as her parents, her husband's parents and five of her siblings/ siblings-in-law. In fact, my new apartment is across the street from my host family, it's in her mother's house. It feels great. I have family all around me, but I have my own space. I can leave my papers and books out, read till all hours of the night, and make my cafe and avena in my underwear :). While I still need a few things (a stove, a broom, some curtains), but I feel safe and happy here – it will be easy to start calling this my home. I have been in Ecuador for five months now. It's longer than anytime I have spent away from my family and Colorado. There are days when I miss home, the US, my family, and all my amazing friends. There have been days when I call loved ones, and the sound of familiar voices makes me want to jump on a plane and head home. The worst is when things are wrong, and all I want to do is give someone a hug – but, I hug doesn't have the same sentiment when it occurs over the phone. But this travel has just begun. I'm starting to feel comfortable here, and would love to show some foreigners around (hint, hint, wink, wink). Before I left the states, Ella and her sister Michelle gave me a travel bracelet from South-East Asia. It was hand-woven blue thread with bright beads and small seeds all the way around. The story goes … with this Travel Bracelet, put it on at the beginning of your travel. During this time, make wishes, hopes, dreams for the coming adventures. Eventually, once your travel dreams are ready to take form - the bracelet will fall off. At this time, all of your travel karma will be released into the Universe. During your travels, your good thoughts, hopes and dreams will come back to find you. I've worn my travel bracelet for the past 5 months, through training, my time living with my host family and the first three months of my work here. During this time, I thought often of the meaning of the bracelet and my reasons for traveling to Ecuador. Last night, I was moving my last load of stuff from my host family's house to my new apartment. I started looking around, to make sure I hadn't let anything. My host mother came to my door and told me she was going to miss me. We started talking about some of our plans for the coming years, how we were going to stay in touch and special days we wanted to spend together (yes, my new apartment is right across the street). I looked in all the drawers for left thing, and under the bed, where, I found my broken Travel Bracelet. I've found a place to call home and people to call family.

First solita-almuerzo!

The door on the left goes outside, the middle one goes to my kitchen, the one on the right the bathroom.

The view from the windows is over all of Guaranda :)

One of the great inventions of Peace Corps for us Volunteers are Mental Health Breaks ... they are 2 3-day periods during the month when we are able to visit other volunteers, see other areas of Ecuador, or for PCVs out in the campo - a chance to check mail, use the internet, and go to a market in town. They are an amazing opportunity for us to see other parts of Ecuador, get to know other volunteers and re-energize for the coming weeks.

This past weekend PCV Peyton came to visit me! Two Ecuadorians I work with took us on a bike ride from Chimborazo to Salinas. At first, we were told it was going to be an hour and a half bikeride, all downhill. That quickly became a joke as we went up into the clouds to start our 7.5 hour ride (with a modest 3 hours uphill). Words just won't do the photos justice ... PHOTOS

I know... two posts in one day! I've had both of these blogs started for at least a week, and today is Saturday and I'm working in the office, so I have time to update.

Three weeks ago (or maybe four...) I spent visiting 5 communities in the Sierra. This past week (or two) I spent visiting 6 communities in the Coast. My head is spinning from stimulation overload, but I love it! My work operates in the “red zones” of the Provence Bolivar, or the poorest communities (of the poorest Provence in Ecuador). My work reaches out to them to better their living conditions through resources, knowledge and income generating opportunities. They focus heavily on organic agriculture, health, human rights, and woman's empowerment (I know, I know, how did I get so lucky!!?!). They have hundreds of projects going on, so learning the ins-and-outs will probably take me my two years alone! The Provence Bolivar is considered half Sierra and half Coastal. The climates, geography, and cultures within these two areas are very very different. The Sierra consists of both indigenous campos and mountain communities. The Coastal is made up of coastal people, but not beach-coastal, mountain-coastal. I'm rambling, but I hope you start to get an idea of the diversity. Just when I've started feeling comfortable with my Spanish around people, I go to the Sierra, where they speak Kichwa (Ecuador's most common indigenous language). A few of the schools I will be working in are bilingual – the majority of students speak Kichwa in their homes, and then learn Spanish at school. Each of the schools are very different – the students, the buildings, the teachers – each paints a small picture of their lives, the history of their families, and their stories of love and tragedy. I won't make you read all about all my visits … but here's just one … 7am Wednesday morning I meet Melania at a market in the center of town to leave for the two school visits we had planned for the day. Melania helps the schools build and maintain school huertos (gardens), at the first school we went to on Tuesday, the older kids in the school helped us plant seeds while we chatted and got to know each other – today, I remembered to wear more sunscreen to work in the sun. We walked for about 15minutes to a bridge where we met with the teachers of the school to take a camioneta to the community. A camioneta is a truck-taxi. Basically, as many people as possible pile into the bed of the truck to move from place A to place B. At times, more than 15 people are standing in the truck beds – I've seen as many as 20!! (Tina – I need to put pictures up for you!) Once at the school, Melania introduced me to the teachers and spoke with them a little about who I was. Each of the teachers kept asking what I was going to do and if I was going to be there everyday. But, that's the funny thing about my work here – I don't know what I'm going to do until I see (1) the community needs, and (2) community interests. Also, since I'll be working in several schools, I'm unable to visit them all everyday. So, I really have no idea what I'll be doing/ who I'll be working with until I know more about the school and community – and this was my first visit ... after trying to explain that I was here to help with what they wanted me to help in, we walked over to a concrete court (In the US it would look like a basketball court, but here they play voli and soccer on the cement), where the entire school was lining up, in rows according to grade. At attention, facing away from us towards the school director, they greeted him and at his command, made a half turn to face Melania and me. In unison, they greeted us and all 80-pairs of eyes looked timidly at us. I looked at Melania for her to begin speaking, but she was looking at me. Introduce yourself she told me. So, in my broken Spanish I said hi to the kids and explained a little of where I came from and that I was going to be working with them for the school year. After a short explanation, I looked back at Melania for some direction so we could begin working on the huertos. I figured we would divide out the older kids, like we had done in the previous school and take them to work on the school huerto. I was not expecting the words that followed – Play something with them. My brain shut down – I knew we were coming to visit the schools, but I expected to simply help out with the huertos and to casually say hi to students around the school. Thank goodness I was a YMCA leader, and for PC's dynamicas we did everyday during training, I was able to “Simon dice” and “Cuando yo digo...” my way through the next 30 minutes. Although it was completely not what I expected that day, while reflecting, I think – what else did you expect? Seize the day. Es la vida. My coastal experiences have been very different. Traveling to the coast takes 2-3 hours, but is the most beautiful drive – descending thousands of meters into a sub-tropical paradise. My co-workers call me crazy for liking the drive – it's mainly dirt road, hot, at times very dusty and long – well, maybe this is still the honeymoon phase of cultural adaptation, or maybe I have my dad's love for 4-wheeling after all. Eitherway, I must say, some of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen.

The first time I went to the coast was to distribute food rations to communities. In one day we went to three communities and distributed around 80 rations of food. Each of the communities has a community contact who Promocion Humana contacts to let the community know when and why PHD is coming. One of the communities we went to was very well organized; when we arrived at the selected meeting place, all the families were present to receive their rations. At the other two, it took a little more time to distribute the rations to everyone - some of the communities appeared very unorganized, or it could have been lack of motivation to come get the food rations or simple that phone service cuts in and out at times and they didn't hear the news. Either way, working to unite the communities to work with PHD is a key to success. Without them working and interested in the projects, FPH does not succeed. Because FPH only visits each community once or twice every month, the communication and organization the community has within itself is crucial to the sustainability of the work we do.

In the coast, we received regalos (presents) of oranges, bananas, and various other delicious fruits! There have been days where they field promotors I'm working with don't stop for food -- these fruits have been a life saver for me!

In both the Sierra and the Coast my Foundation has worked with family organic huertos (vegetable gardens). While traveling, we visit the gardens. It's amazing to see some of them - with the three A's: Amor, Alimentacion and Agua, they grow like crazy! The majority of the farmers here in Eucador use chemicals to grow their veggies, so a large part of our projects are to educate and start oganic huertos for families and schools! Next just might be cooking classes.

Last weekend I went to a wedding!

At 7pm we arrived at the Cathedral in downtown Guaranda for the mass. My host grandmother had invited the family to come (her niece was the bride-to-be). So, Nancy and I decided to tag along with the family. We came equipped with a juice-maker and pressure cooker as presents and rice to throw on the newly weds as they exited the church. When we got to the church, people outside told us the mass started at 8pm. It seemed a little strange, but it's Ecuador and everything starts late! We took the time to stop in at my favorite cafe downtown – Siete Santos - and order hot chocolate and cheese (Gemma – you have to try this!!), which is delicious and my new favorite treat. The cubed cheese turns soft and chewy in the hot chocolate. Just trust me, you have to try it! When we returned to the Cathedral there was lots of commotion going on inside and outside. Inside, at the front near the alter, there were a group of people crowding around the groom. There was a rumor going around that someone didn't want to marry someone. (Pause for *gasp*) My host grandmother and aunts quickly took off to assess the evening's happenings. A few men came into the church and were directed (rather forcefully for being inside a Cathedral) to sit in the pews at the front. The news came back to us that the friend's of someone didn't want them to get married. (Another pause for *gasp*) A few short minutes later, the bride came in running and in what appeared a confused state. She was wearing her wedding gown, and rushed to the front of the church where the priest and groom were. Soon the couple was talking to the priest. People started to be shushed out of the Cathedral, and as we made our way to the back, the lights turned out and after the last person left, the large doors were closed. The couple and the priest still inside. (*Gasp*) Outside, everyone tried find an explanation for what was happening - we figured out it was the groom's friends who didn't want the couple to wed. In Ecuador, it's tradition for both the groom's and bride's parents to give their blessings to the couple before they wed. When the couple came out and hopped into a camioneta, everyone said – to the party. The priest had married the couple alone in the church! So, off we went, to the mother of the bride's house. Once we got to the house, the pain of the newly-weds was present. The importance of family and friends here in Ecuador was displayed strongly as the bride was consoled by all. However, soon, as well, the love of the fiesta shone threw, and all began to dance the night away. The next morning, I learned more of the previous night from my host mother, in fact, it turned out to be more explosive and thought-provoking than I initially anticipated. (Pause for *Gasp*) It was the groom's friend's who were protesting the wedding. The reason - the groom comes from a lighter skinned family and his friend's didn't want him to marry a woman with dark skin. (*gasp*) They had gotten him wasted before the wedding and locked him in a room. (*gasp **gasp*) Finally he escaped and called his fiance and told her to meet him at the church, that he still wanted to marry her. (Hence why the wedding was delayed an hour.) At the Cathedral, the same friends came to protest the wedding. With too much confrontation and anger, the priest had hold everyone to leave while he privately married the desiring couple. *SIGH* I send out my best wishes to the newly-weds. I can only imagine the difficulties of trying to start a new life together without the support of your friends. This degree of discrimination is not often seen in Ecuador. However, it is a county of extreme differences – cultures, geography, history, climate, and skin color. I find it respectable and amazing that a small country, the size of Colorado, is still uncovering these differences and learning how to live peacefully with them.

I went to the jungle this past weekend ... well it really was the coast, but it felt like the jungle.

A few photos ...

My host sister and I went to help my mom cook for a local cooking competition. We cooked all day preparing for 100 peole to show-up, eat our food, and vote for their favorite. I guess the people organizing the event didn't publicize very well ... because, noone showed up! It was an unfortunate event, but we went exploring anyways...

Alta Mira.

A little haven in the jungle.

They had an ostrich, tiger, turtle, birds, fish and snakes!

There were 7 waterfalls on the property ... photo with Ide and Waterfall #2.

Waterfall #1 and the swimming pool.

Hiking to the top of the hill ... my host mother got some help from the horse.

Sunset over Echeandia, Ecuador. Our guide and his daughter.

Plus ... weekend live entertainment!

1) Take days one at a time - planning the next day's activities is often a waste of time. No, I'm not saying we shouldn't have goals for the future, but micro-planning or micro-managing (at least in my 3 weeks of experience) has repeatedly failed me. It's the spontaneous people, conversations and visits that work the best. At work, my first few weeks here have been a slow start. I'm getting to know my office at Foundacion Humana Diocesana (FHD) and the people here; but, according to Peace Corps, the office and Guaranda are not my community. These first months (until January) we are asked to complete CAT (Community Assessment Tools). Basically, we are supposed to go house to house, asking questions concerning the resources and needs of the people in our community. It appears to be a great way to diagnose sustainable development and project potential. At FHD I'll be working in the communities around Guaranda (the province of Bolivar has eight Cantons, FHD works in all of them) – so for CAT, I need to focus my analysis on these communities around Guaranda. This past week, I had my first two dates set to visit communities with promoters (the individuals who work for FHD in the field, or in the different Cantons). Tuesday I went to a town called Quesea with the promoter Melana to meet with the teachers and talk about what I could do at the school; in the sierra the children hadn't started school yet, they started yesterday. The week before I had been trying to speak with Melana about what we were or weren't going to do at the school, what the community was like, what kind of youth program we could implement (or what charlas we could give). All week I felt like I was failing, we talked, but I always left the conversation with the same questions I had started with. Last Tuesday, for our trip, we had a 25 minute ride out there, a 20 minute conversation with some workers about their cheese machinery, followed by meeting one teacher for 5 minutes, and then returned to the office. It was a good lesson - the visit to the school however short, helped me understand how important my relationship with the promoters in the Catons will be. During our 25 minute ride home, I had the best, unplanned conversation with Melana, and it came through our chofer, and basically we started talking about how I didn't know what I was doing. Not in the broad goal sense, but in the small detailed day to day stuff – I don't have a program of exactly what I want to do and who I want to do it with. He started explaining to Melana that we need to work closer together, that I might be nodding my head yes when she speaks to me, but that doesn't mean that I understand everything. Melana and I talked about how we needed to get to know each other better, and I expressed that I hope this is our project, not mine. These conversations are good to keep in mind – I need to learn to keep expressing myself over and over until I'm sure people understand me, and then say it once more. My second visit on Wednesday was to the Canton Caluma to work with the promoter Melina at six schools which were all in session (it is a coastal Canton, and their school are in session). In previous conversations, Melina and I had connected and I was excited to go spend time with her because of her enthusiasm for me to be there and the common project ideas we had talked about. Because the kids were in session, it was going to be a little easier to get a feel for the communities, and we planned on starting some CAT and doing some work (a charla) with a class. Long story short – Tuesday night I ate some bad mani molido (peanut butter), went to bed at 8pm and didn't get out of bed for 24hours. So much for planning CAT and charlas!

2) I'm Sola - Everyone asks who your novio is and assures you that after two years you'll be married and wont leave Ecuador. (too many stories, I don't know where to start...)

3) Just say “si” to every invite

Last Thursday, my actual birthday, I had a wonderful dinner with PCV Nancy. (She found queso frito – which looked and tasted enough like crunchy Cheetos to make me smile). Upon calling it a night and returning home, I encountered my aunt and cousins at my house who came to wish me Happy Birthday. Their personalities fill the room - they love to talk, act out stories and we laugh MUCHO! Thinking it was merely talk, I agreed to go running with the younger cousin, Angelo at 5AM the next morning. True to his word, at 4:58AM I heard my host mother calling for me -- "Angelo esta aqui. El gustaria correr. Va?" (“Angela is here. He want's to run. Are you going?”)-- Sure enough, he bounded into the room, ready to run. Upon seeing me in my PJs ... he declared he won (I guess we had made a beat the night before...). I started wondering if I was dreaming or not – I had just gone to bed 4.5 hours before and those queso frit/ crunchy Cheetos-wanna-be's were still lurking in my stomach, not happy with the thought of an early morning jog. But then the voice (and face) of my co-trainers from our 8 weeks of training in Cayambe popped into my head - “You're first months there, just do everything. Don't say no.” They'll be happy to know, I took their advice; and to my surprise, the night was beautiful - full moon, brisk weather, pleasant company. In fact, I think I found myself a running buddy (although I doubt he'll live up to Amy and Cole)!

4) Talk to everyone – you just might fall in love. Honestly, I keep enjoying the random conversations I have with the Bon Ice kids, the man who makes carrot juice, the security personal at Tia ... but since I'm writing this blog in bed Monday night, I'll write about the person I met today … After lunch, I wondered down the the pizzaria to hang out/ find my cookbook I thought I had left there. I couldn't find my cookbook in my office, so after using the internet, I stuck around the pizzaria for a little with my friend Deanna (I know, cool, ha – I swear it's another person). The cook in the back came out and showed me the “Buen Provecho” cookbook I had been looking for, I had left it there the week before! We started talking about the English, PCV-written “cooking in the campo” cookbook, and although he couldn't understand it all, he really liked the book. He wants to learn to cook, wants to learn more about food and nutrition and wants to cook dishes in Ecuador that use more fruits and vegetables and give people a more balanced diet. We talked about traditional cooking here in Ecuador and how a lot of people don't want to try anything new; however, the market sells a plethora of local fruits and vegetables. Most Ecuadorians don't utilize fruits or vegetables into their cooking/diet. In Ecuador specifically, the almuerzo (lunch) is such an important family meal (its the largest meal of the day and children and parents alike usually return home around 1pm to eat), changing the way almuerzo is prepared in the home would help increase nutrition and health of Ecuadorians. There are Universities to become a chef in the larger cities, but none in Guaranda … so he's going to try cooking new dished with Buen Provecho; I offered to try everything he makes. To top off this conversation, he told me he would also love to take a class in Photography. He thinks it's a shame when Ecuadorians live in such a beautiful place but don't like to look at it. He said that people don't like to travel or see new places, and he wishes he always had a camera so he could show Ecuadorians how beautiful their land is … :)

5) Latin American host mothers ROCK

My host mother is the best. Tomorrow she is leaving for Echeandia to prep for this weekend. What's happening this weekend?? An Iron Chef type taller (another word for charla, although these are usually longer and more of a demonstration – I think), without the competition of Iron Chef, and she has more than an hour. She's going to prepare a 4 course meal for 100 people with three main ingredients -papacuna, yuca and platano. Additionally, she can only use ingredients that grown in Echeandia as well (apples don't grow there, so she can't use apples). All day today we invented new dishes incorporating traditional Ecuadorian dishes, made them and tasted them. GOOD LUCK!!

6) Estoy aqui In the US, if someone asks you how you are, it's common to say “I'm good”, no matter your real situation. We work hard to appear happy, successful, wealthy, even if we are not. Often, happiness is a role we play to cover up pain; but if covered up for too long, depression, overreacting or breakdowns might quickly develop. In Ecuador, if you ask someone how they are, they usually respond with “estoy aqui” - I'm here. They are willing to talk about the pain of their lives and don't feel the need to pretend their day is great if it's not. At first when I got here this phrase kind of bothered me. I wondered why people wanted to go through their lives merely being, it appeared an easy out for not living and for not grasping their lives and living them to the fullest. It reminded me of conversations you have with people where all they want to do is complain and don't want to try and fix what they are complaining about. However, after spending sometime here with the people, I realize its good to be realistic – we are all just here, living. I don't want to live everyday saying, “estoy aqui”, but I do want to think twice before saying “I'm good”. For me, there needs to be a balance between the two responses -- somewhere between the realist response “I'm here” and the optimistic response “I'm good”. That balance comes by realizing when and why you can't honestly say “I'm good”, and by learning to understand what makes you feel unhappy.

My Birthday was this past week! Thanks for all the thoughts and messages, I missed being around close friends and family, it was great to hear from everyone. This past weekend, the Ecuadorian family helped me celebrate with an Ecuadorian party. Being my first birthday in Ecuador - this was obviously my first experience being a host at an Ecuadorian party … How did I do? Um.... I flopped big time, and, possibly made the biggest rookie host-mistakes – not enough food, a HUGE no-no here in Ecuador. My aunt nicely assured me that I was forgiven since this was my first party, and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves throughout the night. But, here, a topic of conversation the day(s) after a party is about the sobras, or plate(s) of leftover food that the host gives you upon leaving a party to take home. From here on out, I will always cook double when preparing for guests in Ecuador. One of my sweet PCV friends came into town for the weekend, but other than that, I hadn't made any plans to do anything for my birthday. That's where I got lucky to have such an awesome host mother/family- she gathered her family and everyone made sure I knew how to correctly celebrate a birthday (minus the lack-of-sobras). Around noon, my host mother, sister and cousin cooked me two cakes – one vanilla with chocolate frosting and the other chocolate with a white cream frosting, both had strawberry designs on top. They made apple flavored gellitan, ham-pepper-pickled onion-olive on a stick appetizers, rice and soup. I was in charge of making burritos, so we made 25 tortillas, beans, guacamole, and aji and cut up cheese and tomatoes. I figured this would be more than enough, and shrugged off preparing a chicken as well. After the family showed up, I got my face plastered into a cake ...

The burritos, cake, rice and gellitan were quickly demolished and we had a four hour dance party. The living room barely fit everyone, but no one seemed to notice. The kids started playing a lime-on-a-spoon dance competition. Everyone holds their spoon with a lime on top in their mouth while dancing, if you drop your lime you're out, the last person dancing wins! Then we played various balloon games, like: “dance with a balloon between two people”, “balloon hot potato”, and “hit the balloon back and forth”. Like a lot of Ecuadorian games I've experienced, these games consist of punishments for the losers. Let me explain in a little more detail, for “balloon hot potato, ” if the music stops and you are holding the balloon, you have to do a penatencia (penalty or punishment), which is anything the other people make up in the room that you have to do. This particular night, it usually included dancing in the middle of the circle or moving your body in some other funny manner in front of everyone. The rest of the night was filled with dance parties. I tried to but on some American music, but they kept wanting their beats ... I need to get YMCA and the electric slide for the next party ...

It was a fabulous party and everyone enjoyed themselves ... even though they went home empty handed :)

My first weekend in Guaranda ... visiting the family finca, roasting choclo and making corn-husk dolls.

My host mother is on the right, the other Peace Corps Volunteer next to her, and my host sister in the middle (the one that looks like she's about to fall over/ fighting with the boy in front of her).

Cousins.

My memory cards are not working 100% ( I can't upload some of them)... but here goes a short visual trip of what I've been up to ...

The first picture is of my Family in Pesillo. We're taking a break between cooking 1,000 pieces of bread for a wedding.

Photo #2: During our tech-trip to La Entrada, we encountered a delicious pie/ coffee shop on the beach :)

Photo #3: Traditional fiesta in Pesillo.

Photo #4: Peace Corps Swearing-In Day

Photo #5: My house in Guaranda... my room is 2nd floor, most right window -- it's half way up a hill and has an amazing view of the entire valley!!

... training's done - we've passed our language tests, our technical competencies, we've followed bazillions of rules, we've proven we can adapt to a new culture and have what it takes ... deep inside each of us ... to be a Peace Corps Volunteer.

... we've sworn in - after a beautiful morning at the Ambassador's home in Quito, 42 Americans were shipped off to various places all over Ecuador. For some it took merely a matter of hours to arrive at their new homes, others spent several (10+ hours) on the bus(es).

... my bags are unpacked - I've landed in a house filled with love and have been received with open arms. It's a short walk to work as well as to the center of town. There is another Peace Corps Volunteer in my site - a wonderful older volunteer who is from Minnesota! Her host family wasn't working out, among other discomforts, they wanted to double her rent to $100 because she was taking hot showers everyday; so my host family has adopted her, and she's looking at moving up the street from me into my host grandmother's house. My mother loves to cook and I have a big bed -- so come visit me!!

... I've started work - my first assignments are to complete a business assessment of the pizzeria and chocolate/cheese stores downstairs, and tomorrow I am giving a charla to the 30+ people at my office. "What's a charla?" you wonder; it's a term (in Ecuador) for workshops or lectures that (with a Peace Corps twist) usually consist of food, games and pre/post tests. Wish me luck! My work is going to be busy – Promocion Humana has over a hundred and fifty groups through the province of Bolivar. The people at my office are dedicated and hard working. It's been quite a learning process to sit in long technical meetings in Spanish. Most of the time I find myself lost, but slowly and surely I'll make enough mistakes to start understanding the process of work here. We're supposed to take it easy for the first three months and integrate into our communities. According to the casa blanca, we're all just those crazy gringos who look ridiculous doing whatever it is we do all day long. No matter how much we try and blend in, we will stick out. Picture this – someone dressed up in a chicken suit, running around and shouting “I'm here to help you! I'm here to help you!” in the middle of Times Square – this is what we look like in Ecuador. So, to minimize that however amusing visual, for the first three months PC asks us not to leave our sites; and to take the time to say “hola” to every person on the street, attend every community activity and get to know the local norms/ slang/ and dangerous places. My first weekend here was my first chance to integrate with my family and community. Thursday, my first day here, I took off work to unpack my bags and spend the day with my mom and sister. My sister curiously sat in my room while I unpacked, asking what everything was. We talked about our families and school and hobbies. She knitted me a scarf and hat, because it gets cold in Guaranda. For lunch, the other Peace Corps Volunteer here in Guaranda joined us, and after we all headed to the weekly 3pm Thursday market trip. The entire trip took 2.5 hours and we came home with what I remember felt like 150lbs of fruit and veggies in three potato bags. At the market we joined up with 3-6 other women (I couldn't keep track of them sometimes) to purchase fruits and veggies in large amounts. The women bartered and hurried from seller to seller, quickly filling their bags and dividing their finds. The actual time we spent purchasing goods in the market was short, the meeting people and socializing between levels of the market is what we spent most of our time doing (yes, it is a two and a half story building filled with chicken, fish, eggs, pigs and more!). The next day I went to work for my first official day. The day was unexpectedly filled with excited familiar faces (from my site visit) as well as several new faces to meet. That night we made guacamole and tortillas (thanks for the recipe mom!) and my host family loved them!! I had been running by myself the previous two days, and my little sister told me Friday night she wanted to join me, so, sure enough at 7am sharp she was waiting in the living room for me. We walked up a short hill to the Federacion de Deportes where there is an outdoor track to run around. I was so proud of her, and hope we can keep up the early morning workouts! Saturday is actually a work day for me here (until 2pm), so after running with my little sister, I headed to work. Saturday night was spent playing cuarenta (an Ecudorian card game) with the cousins. Sunday morning for breakfast I made french toast, although it really is just not the same without maple syrup … and then we set off for the family finca (ranch/ farm). We decided to walk the hour to the small, peaceful haven outside of the city. My host aunt and her family own the land and are building a new house on it. During my complete tour of the house-to-be, I fond my father's prized possession is a grill where they can cook pigs. :) We cooked corn over a fire, ate it with mayonnaise while making corn-husk dolls decorated with flowers and petals of every sort. That night the whole family returned to our house where we made chocolate chip cookie and played Frisbee.

These first few days showed me a glimpse into my new life, but there are still many many unknowns. It appears to be a very new experience filled with unexpected challenges everyday. The next few months will be spent making sense out of everything. I think PC has it right – spend the time now to integrate and learn what the people want; you'll spend less time redoing the projects you wanted to have and more time empowering the projects they want.

Talking to the other volunteers in Omnibus 102, its amazing to see how different each of our experiences have already been. We all are placed in very different places, and we all come from very different places. Someone recently asked me, “Where does your motivation to be here come from? How do you know you want to be here for the next two years?”. To this, I think the following begins to capture some of the internal/ unconscious motivation:

"Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment." - Toole

So, training has been crazy. Every second is filled with schedules and requirements. Free time is not a common phrase here.

My site visit went awesome! I will be living in a bigger city (the capital of the province Bolivar - Guaranda), and working in communities all over the province. For the first three months, I´m living with a host family. I have a mom and sister who live in teh house with me. The father works in another city for 45 days a week and is home for 2-3 days a week, and the oldest son of the famliy just graduated from colegio (high school) and is going to University (possibly in Quito). My mother loves having another hija in her house - sadly, she recently has lost her job and her son has left for school, so she loves cooking and cleaning for me. During my four day visit, I ate enough food to feed a small army. I´m going to have to work on slimming down my meals once I get there! My host mother and sister went walking around town with me every day I was there, they will be great support to have while adjusting to Ecuadorian language, culture and lifestyle. Both sets of host grandparents and 4-5 aunts and uncles (I haven´t figured out who lives there, and who was just visiting) also live on the same street - so I´ll have lots of Ecuadorian family around.

The Foundation I work for has an office in Guaranda. They work in cities all over the province, I´m going to start working in their Youth Program. They work with childre, mainly through after school programs, in organic agriculture. They philosophy is that if they teach the childre, they children will teach their parents. Additionally, the Foundation does work in community loans and small enterprise development. Under the office in Guaranda, they have a pizza restaurant and a store that sells cheese and chocolate; these stores support women-run businesses in Salinas. Once my Spanish gets better, I hope to do some work in these areas.

For the first three months on site, the Peace Corps asks us not to leave our sites, so we have time to adapt to the culture and to get to know the people at your site. However, I am also not supposed to ahve visitors and I´ll ahve to ask permission to leave for my birthday and Halloween. We are also supposed to complete community assessmens and present them in four months. My Foundation has been around for 30 years, and has doen some work with long-term goals and program/community assessments. However, it will be quite a challenge to get to know 6+ communities and build confianza with them. I will be the gringa who just shows up for awhile... I was talking to a current volunteer who also worked in surrounding communities during his service - he said you never quite adapt to the culture of all the pueblos, ¨Just make your charlas at each community as fun, outgoing and crazy as you can so they remember you and want to come next time. Then, find a few people at each pueblo you can relate to, and try to work through them.¨ A charla is a term here for workshops. Many Peace Corps Volunteers utilize charlas to reach out to and to educate their communities. They can be anythign from a 30 minute conversation about sexual education to a camp fire, s´mores and talking to kids about fears.

Another sweet find while at my site, was the Federacion de Deportes de Bolivar which is a 20 minute walk from my house. They are a government run program which offers all children in the province sports free of charge. When we were there, we saw karate, kung-fu, soccer and a rock climbing wall! The Federacion also has a soccer field, basketball courst, a track and an awesome staff. I hope I can find sometime to work here.

I´m heading to Guayas today for a technical trip. About half the Youth and Family Volunteers (about 12) are going. We will get to meet current Volunteers, practice charlas with kids and see the beach!! I´ll be back Friday, and then I only have a week before going to Quito for a few days and swearing in on August 19th!!

I know I´ve been promising photos - but I still can figure out how to upload them from these public computers to Blogger...

I got my site for the next two years.... DRUM ROLLL .... I´m going to Guaranda. It´s the capital of the provence Bolivar. At our sites, we have a counterpart (to get our primary projects organized and started) and a host family (to help us adapt to the area and learn the culture). My counterpart is the organizer of an foundation who caters to developing the city. They have outlined their needs in the community, which include, youth self-esteem development, agroculture micro-enterprise development, and working with women´s community banks.

When I was told my site, my first thoughts were, ¨AWESOME ... where´s that??¨ Infact, my site is on the map and I have been told it´s a large city with a small town feel. My town is 45 minutes away from Riobama and about 4 hours from Quayaquil. Guaranda is in the Sierra, in a valley in the Andes. The city is known for it´s week long Carnaval festivities and for Pajaro Azul. They also have cheese and yogurt factories, a chocolate factor and lots of agriculture in the surrounding towns. There is a park where people stroll in at night (a place to go running!), and rock climbing in the area (a sport I will be picking up down here!). Additionally, I have heard there is internet at my work and wireless internet is available in many restaurants. There is a delicious pizza restaurant and some international restaurants.

One of the programs through the Peace Corps is World Wise Schools, an exchange program between PCVs and teachers in the US. Peace Corps Volunteers get to write about their experiences and the local culture to a class back in the US, and in exchange can develop assignments and receive letters from the students.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/

I´m looking for a teacher in the US to connect with. Let me know if you or some one you know would be interested!!

Tomorrow at 6:45am I´m leaving to Guaranda for a four day visit! I´ll tell you all about it when I get back .... I love and miss you all!!!

My brain is a mesh of Spanglish right now. Thankfully, after three years of college spanish classes and 6 months of living in Spanish speaking countries, my Spanish is starting to improve!! Unluckily, sometimes this means I can´t speak or type English. My deepest appologies for my spelling and grammer on these pages ...

Over the past four weeks, I have been part of a motivated, diverse and very caring group of people. We are OMNIBUS 102. We are 45 individuals from around the US here in Ecuador to serve for two years in two programs - Youth & Families and Community Health. During training, we are divided into ten surrounding communities, based upon language level, to live with host families. I live in a small town, about a 40 minute bus ride from our training site. In my town, there is no internet (hense why it takes me so long to update my blog, and I have so much to say right now!!), one full service restaurant (under my bedroom), several small stores, kindergarden, a primary school, TWO fulbol fields, two milk companies, a mushroom factory and a volleyball court. Most families have cows, they milk twice a day, as well as a variety of other animals (popular ones include: pigs, sheep, dogs and roosters). I live here with three other Peace Corps aspirantes. We complete language, technical and cultural training everday until we swear in as PCVs on August 16th. Between now and then, we will complete charlas (workshops) with the youth and parents in our community, visit our sites (More on this to come!!) and go on a technical trip. During our taining, we get to work with and meet current volunteers, we are evaluated on several competencies, and we get to share our knowledge with OMNIBUS 102.

To back-track a little and update you on my whereabouts since my last post, we got to celebrate the 4th of July!! Now, we didn´t get fireworks, and there was a deffinate Ecuadorian twist to the American Independence Day. Peace Corps held a reiña contest, futbol games and a BBQ for us. For out futbol games, we were divided up by community and each team had a reiña of their community. The reiñas each competed to be the reiña of OMNIBUS 102. They were judged on appearance, team spirit, and by answering the question, ¨Why do you believe you will be a good volunteer for your community?¨ Additionally, the futbol teams competed in a bracket - my team was eliminated the first round 2-1, but the team we lost to won the championship (so we declared 2nd place for our team). For the BBQ, PCVs cooks us hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, fruit salad and guacamole!!

Two weekends ago, my friend John and I climbed on the hills by our houses. We trotted up pipline trenches and followed sheep paths up to a field of wet, long grass. The top was beautiful - we were able to see all the surrounding communities and farmland. Hiking made me miss home for one of the first times. But it also rejuvenated me and quenched my need for a small adventure. I don´t have any pictures to post right now, but I will get some up soon!! I think my photos from the first three weeks here got deleted off my camera :(

My family here has been very supportive and helpful. I have a mother and father (Maggie and Luis), two sisters (Ali, age 17 and Magily, age 12) and a little brother (Leonel, age 3). Right now, the two girls are on vacation until September. They spend their days helping their parents in the family store/ restaurant. Additionally, we have language classes at my house 2-3 times a week, and the family loves to watch us try to speak Spanish. We have Cuy at our house (guinea pig, a delicious delicacy here), chicken on the roof, and a pregnant pig down the street. Ali has one more year of school, and then is going to University. She is going to study law, and will either go into the police service or continue her education to become a lawyer. Her younger sister has an incredible amount of patience for me, will explain things 5 times over, and enjoys ¨taking care of me¨. Leonel enjoys being the boy of the house, he has endless amounts of energy and enjoys playing his guitar with his dad. I know when I´m learning a lot of Spanish, becuase I´m able to understand him. My family enjoys helping me with my Spanish vocabulary and like to learn English words - Leonel´s favorite word is ¨pig¨.

Last thoughts .... things I forgot in my 2 year bag (which is in Quito until August 16th), but I wish I had right now ... my computer charger, duct tape, my french press, bubbles, my Chacos ...

Whew... the past two weeks have flown by! We´re in training right now and the week days (plus some weekend days) are packed with language, cultural, technical and security training. We are divided into communities based upon language level (about 4 or 5 per community) where we each have host families to live with until we are sworn in as PCVs and move to our sites for two years.

My host family is awesome! I have two younger sisters and a little brother. The family owns and runs a restaurant and store underneath their house. The first weekend I was here, the town was celebrating the festivels of San Juan. There were non-stop people moving in and out of the restaurant and tienda - I made myself useful by helping in the restaurant and getting to know some of the hungry visitors. For lunch, we serve soup, followed by either trout, chicken or carne with rice, potatoes with cheese sauce and a small salad (mainly just cabbage) and homemade juice. For dinner, trout, pollo, carne with rice, avocado, lentil and a small salad (carrots, tomatoe, and cabbage and mayonase), also with a soup and juice. During the festivales of San Juan in my town, there were two bands in the town center all weekend (half a short block from my bedroom window), in addition to a parade Sunday morning. My first night here, my sisters dressed me up in traditional skirt, blouse and hat, and took me around town singing and dancing for hours. Traditionally, the diablo huma is the important character of the night. The portrayer wears a mask with two faces and 12 horns, he also carries a whip. Other men wear pants made with animal fur and play the guitar. The men and women sing and dance in circles. The circles are traditionally symbolic of safety and the legend states that when a person strays from or breaks the circle, they are subject to a beating from the devil. Additionally, the groups move house to house; here we received gifts from the owners of bread, oranges, rice, meat and drink. The festivles will continue in different communities until August.

Training during the week has been intense, playful, empowering, draining, challenging, and has arrounsed many many other emotions. It has been the best training I have received prior to any job. As a PCV, you are supposed to keep your mind open to where your site will be, who you will be working with and even what you will be working on; you are also supposed to use training to prepare for what you will complete during the next two years. One of my collegues said it best, ¨I want to learn something new everyday.¨ So far, I´ve met this goal several times over, daily. My Spanish is improving, I´m no longer a vegetarian, I´ve started running with my little sister, I can understand my little brother when he talks (sometimes), I met the president of my community, I´m going to find a way to help my Papi in their tienda (bodega, viveres, store), I want to learn how to build a garden, and I take a bucket shower in an outside bathroom in 40 degree weather.

Last weekend we went on a cultural trip with half the aspirantes (this is what PCVs are called during training, before they swear-in) to an Afro-Ecuatoriano community. We experienced their food, made masks, took a walk in the ¨jungle¨, watched and danced the bomba, played futbol with the locles and heard about the discrimination against Afro-Ecuatorianos. It was an eye-opening experience as they openly talked about both the difficulties and pleasures of their lives. Again, my host mother here was the most welcoming person. She told us how at 4am every morning she climbs the mountians around her house to collect caracol (snails). The live ones are sold for food the the old shells are gathered and sold for jewelry or other artisanias. Additionally, she and a group of women make cards out of recycled paper and local flora. When we were leaving she asked repitedly when we were gonig to come back and visit and if we remembered how to get to her house so we could visit and stay with her. Infact, the entire community welcomed us and enthusiastically played futbol, played music in the streets and watched every move us ¨gringos¨made.

My community is small, but I like the personal feeling I have there. Most of the people work for two milk companies and own their own cows. There are lots of local dogs and pigs and chickens that roam the streets. Luckily, one of the neighbor dogs likes to go on runs and protects us. I don´t have internet in my community, but I hope to update my blog every other week or so.

Well, I have to go do my laundry before it gets dark out! Miss you all tons! Let me know how life is ...

I'm in Miami right now! We start staging today.

On Wednesday, tomorrow, I will leave the US to live in Ecuador and serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer or PCV. I will be working specifically on Youth Entrepreneurship, and I can't wait. Like a lot of things in the PC, I won't know what that means until I start and give it meaning. But for right now, I know our mission is three fold:

1. Youth Stewardship to increase self-esteem and improve education; volunteers sponsored youth workshops to build leadership sills and self-esteem and train young people in HIV/AIDS prevention and sex education.

2. Community and Organizational Development to increase the capacity of communities to address the needs of youth and families.

3. Prevention to better equip youth and families to deal with life's challenges.

Once we get to Ecuador, we will spend three months in Cayambe, Ecuador (mountain town!!). I will live with a host family in the area, get immersed through the family and receive language, cultural and technical training. We swear-in as official PCVs on August 19th!

This blog is to keep in contact with the people who have impacted my life, to meet new people, and to hopefully inspire and share with those I don't know. Please read as often or little as you like and let me know what you think/ want to hear more about/ don't care about/ or give me inspiring words of wisdom and creative ideas.

Before leaving the states, I met several people connected to Ecuador. Among them, I would like to tell you about two who have already inspired me. Jorge, a salsa partner, is from Ecuador, came to the US and now owns his own carpet cleaning company. His sister and brother (among lots of other family) live in Quito and are entrepreneurs. His brother worked at Good Times in the US, and when he went back to Ecuador, started his own hamburger stand! Man, talk about having entrepreneurship in your blood, I wonder if this is a common characteristic! Penny, the stewardess on my flight to Miami, does non-profit work in Ecuador and now works building primary schools in Guatemala. We talked about the challenges in the area and PCVs opportunities and responsibilities.

I don't know what my internet situation will be in Ecuador, but I will try my best to post regularly. Thanks for all the kind words of wisdom, gifts and thoughts before I left!!

Hello. Thanks for visiting my blog!

I'm leaving for Miami for staging on Monday June 15th. From there, I'll leave for Quito, Ecuador on Wednesday!

Please check back in a few days and I'll of had time to make my first (well, second) post.