Gardening
Passion Fruit Flower
Passion Fruit on the Vine
Juicy Passion Fruit
Talia Harvesting Oranges
Rosa, Don Wilfrido, Talia and Me
Almost Ripe!
Perfectly Ripe!Sunday, November 1, 2009
Long Time No Post - 5 Months Left!!!
GardeningPassion Fruit Flower
Passion Fruit on the Vine Juicy Passion Fruit Talia Harvesting Oranges Rosa, Don Wilfrido, Talia and Me Almost Ripe! Perfectly Ripe!
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…
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.
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.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Mom and Doug´s Visit
gringo tourists
too much bus travel
Cuenca decorated for Christmas
Ori!!!! They know her here too?!
The Devil´s Nose train ride. See my white skeakers?
Chimborazo. It´s peak is Earth´s closest point to the sun (equatorial buldge).
Quilotoa hike.
Quilotoa volcanic lake.
So green.
The three travelers. They look happy, but are all suffering from Ecuabelly...I think it was the market in Quito.
I love llamas! I´m going to get some when I move to the country in my next life.
The Chugchiglan cheese factory.
Chugchiglan. 
Decorating the church for Christmas.
The Black Sheep Inn.
Common Fund for Commodities visit to Las Lajas.
Alberto and Eva.
Eva´s garden.
Alberto´s parents. 
Kids in Chugchiglan.
Mom on the zipline!
The Basilica in Quito.
Quito´s old town.
My bedroom.
The kitchen.
Pretty nice for a garage....
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