Saturday, April 25, 2009

Some things that I love about my life in Ecuador:

1. Sleeping under my mosquito net

2. Early to bed and early to rise

3. My community’s generosity and hospitality—sometimes a week goes by where I barely buy any food because friends and neighbors give me things from their farms or cook me meals

4. Fresh, local food and meals from scratch

5. Lots of alone time

6. An endless supply of fresh-roasted coffee

7. Where to this weekend? The mountains, the jungle, the beach, Peru?

8. You can get almost anywhere on a bus (though it’s not always the safest ride in the world—ask my mom).

9. Seeing kids that are growing up just fine without play dates, video games, toys, full body uv-protection gear, movies, Harry Potter, iPods, summer camp, Nike sneakers, organized extra-curricular activities, and limited parental supervision.

10. Passion fruit!

11. Humitas!

12. Heating up water in a pot and pretending that I am taking a bath at the Hilton, rather than in a bucket in my bathroom

13. Sunrise in La Victoria after a night of rain

14. Being constantly surrounded by incredibly diverse natural beauty

15. Ecuadorians’ amazing ability to find any excuse for a celebration and their impressive resourcefulness in coming up with the funds, food and drink for the party

16. Peoples’ curiosity about my country, culture, family and life back at home

17. Three o’clock downpours after a blazing hot day

18. Being able to get a tan in 15 minutes

19. The custom of always greeting and saying goodbye to everyone with a handshake—no matter where you are, what you are doing (even if it interrupts a meeting), and whether you know the person or not—rather than casually acknowledging or even ignoring people like we do in the States.

20. My fellow volunteers who have become great friends and are the only ones who will ever really understand how this experience has changed me.

21. Getting really excited about things like Diet Coke, brownie sundaes, riding in air-conditioned cars, wine, hot water, and going to the city

22. Riding in the back of a truck (obviously)

23. How a meal cooked for five can always be made into a meal for seven, eight, nine, or however many people show up at mealtime. Although, I always hate to be one of those last minute guests because, from my observations, it just means that the kids get less meat and more rice which is the last thing they need.

24. Always knowing the score of the soccer game, even if I am reading in my bed at home where there is no TV or radio. When Ecuador scores the whole town cheers and honks car horns. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!

25. The sound of my tin roof creaking when the sun is getting high in the sky and how the pounding rain obliterates all other sounds during a storm.

26. Killing cockroaches, spiders, ants, tiny scorpions, and things with too many legs; and chasing frogs, toads, chickens, and dogs out of my house. I am one with nature…

Friday, April 17, 2009

Ecua Life

Making Humitas - putting the ground corn into the husk to cook.


Making humitas - adding salt, cheese and butter.

Making humitas - my neighbor, Esperanza, cutting the corn off the husks.




Making humitas







My neighbor´s son fixing out roof in a storm. It´s been raining like this most afternoons.



My backyard.




Nathalie, Jacob and me.




We got very stylish sunglasses and wear them everywhere--as if we
don´t stand out enough already.





St. Patrick´s Day party in Machala.




Planting coffee.


Eating dulce de leche with Rosita






Alberto´s mom stretching out for a nap at the farm.





Grilled sweet plantains with cheese!


Valentine´s Day ceviche lunch in Peru with Nathalie, Eva and Alberto.


Cold on the bus. We aren´t used to air conditioning.



Stirring the dulce de leche


Why?



My fish had sharp teeth.




Our anti-trafficking in persons presentation.


























Our coffee



My car...I wish.