The end...for now

I leave for Quito (and then to the airport) exactly ONE week from today. The last couple weeks I had been feeling really ready to go home, almost wishing I could fast forward time…and now I am finding I want exactly the opposite. The library is finally coming together and I am adding the finishing touches: currently typing up a list of rules to laminate and put on the wall, labeling the different book sections in the library and as the table and book shelves are finally in the room I have been enjoying just hanging out and watching the kids come in, sit down, and just read…something they have never had the opportunity to do in school. I almost couldn’t believe it when a group of the seventh grade boys stayed past the school bell to finish the page they were on.

Just for fun, I am going to make a list of things I will miss and things I will not miss.

THINGS I WILL MISS (and already miss thinking in a week they will no longer be the “norm”)
1. A minimum of 100 hugs per day from some of the cutest kids you could imagine
2. Listening to Segundo’s stories about the Llaganates, hidden treasure, and whatever else is on his mind
3. Being a campo girl: milking cows, planting fruits, plowing land, riding horses
4. Eating encebollado (this fabulous tomato based soup with onion and fish that Isabel makes Friday-Monday to sell in el centro de El Triunfo).
5. Watching the kids play with my puppy, Sisa and listening to all the nicknames they have for her, “Sisas,” “Sisita,” “Sisan,” “Simon”….
6. Watching Barbie movies with my “hermanita” Melanie on rainy Ecuadorian winter days
7. Learning how to knit from my neighbor (or rather stopping by her house every 5 minutes because I messed up a stitch on the scarf I am hoping to someday finish)
8. Taking the bus to and from El Triunfo and seeing waterfalls, gorgeous mountains, a snowy volcano, etc. every time I look out the window
9. Riding in the back of trucks with at least ten other people with hands grabbing onto me trying to steady themselves
10. Picking fruit from trees and kids pressing little apples, pears, claudias and numerous other fruits into my hands every day during class
11. Going to the river when it gets hot to skip taking a cold shower
12. Paying only 35 cents for a coke, 25 cents for a tamale, 15 cents for ice cream, $10 for a pair of jeans (and the list goes on…)


THINGS I WON’T MISS:
1. Not being able to drink water without boiling it first
2. COLD showers (when there is even water that is)
3. Rice and some form of chicken (if it’s a good day) every day
4. Not being able to flush toilet paper down the toilet
5. Catcalls and the nickname “gringa”
6. Other teachers thinking I am a money tree of gringa-ness
7. Not having any privacy
8. Not having internet or a phone (although I will admit, this could just as well go in the list of “things I will miss”)
9. Waking up to roosters crowing at 5:30 every morning
10. Washing my clothes by hand (Well, this could be a little white lie…I have been paying a neighbor to wash my clothes for the lat couple months)

When I re-read what I have written down, both for things I will miss and won’t miss, I think to myself that all of these things have been a part of my experience here in Ecuador and that my experience has certainly been a positive, unforgettable one. Even the things I won’t miss I cherish in some way and probably wouldn’t change them even if I could.

I think it’s fair to say that this could be my last blog from Ecuador…thus, the end of my blog until my next adventure (which is still T.B.D). As I am leaving mid-May I have rounded out exactly one year abroad (having left late May for the Dominican Republic last year). Wow. One year abroad. The Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Ecuador. Sometimes I wonder what it will be like to be stationed in the U.S for a while, speaking English, taking hard classes again, etc… Then I remind myself that the adventure doesn’t stop here, nor does the Spanish or the cultural clashes…life is what you make of it and I certainly want to keep the same zest for life, adventure and new experiences that I have encountered abroad.

Two and a half more weeks in Ecuador...

Why is it that just as you are feeling like you really are a part of and fit into a community it is already time to go? This past summer in the Dominican Republic just as I was starting a reading group with young mothers and baptizing my godchild it was already time for me to pack my bags. In Uruguay this fall just as I knew the Montevideo bus routes like the back of my hang and was beginning to spend more time with uruguayan friends from the university it was time for me to go. And now, once again in El Triunfo, Ecuador I find myself finally feeling like a real member of the community (holding neighbors new born babies, saludando everyone by name, progress in school and with the new library, etc.) while at the same time I realize that I only have two more weeks here. Two more weeks and my year abroad will come to an end. Some days I am ready for life to resume back to normal in the good old USA and other days I can hardly fathom what it will be like to speak and hear English all the time, actually throw toilet paper down the toilet, take hot showers and be able to use my blackberry. Regardless, life is what you make of it, and I truly believe it can be adventurous wherever you are and whatever language you are speaking.

Everything is great in El Triunfo. The library is coming along nicely and thankfully timely. I am planning a inauguration of the library (which will be my last day in the school) where a group of kids are going to put on a little play that I wrote and we are going to read a couple stories, eat cake, drink cola, and celebrate the opening of la biblioteca República de Suiza. Last week the entire room (which will be both the biblioteca and computer center) was painted and cleaned and two big bookshelves were made. In a couple hours someone is coming to measure the room to put in new cables for the computers and tomorrow I am hopefully going to Ambato (a big city about an hour away) to buy a big wooden table and rug.

In the middle of June El Triunfo celebrates the founding of the township and there is an entire week of festivities. One of the big events is the selection of the queen of El Triunfo – in which a candidate from each barrio (area of El Triunfo) is involved in a little pageant to determine who is queen. Last night the first preliminary round for la reina de El Triunfo began. There was a huge turnout to watch the pageant (which included the hula skirt of a candidate falling off during her dance, lots of cerveza and vino, karaoke by a few choice members of the community, an obnoxious singer named Yolando who sang one two many tunes for my liking and kids who stayed out as long as their parents). It was a fun night to say the least and I am certainly feeling the effects. Not to mention the adorable 16 year old girl that I took to breakfast with me the other month in Baños (I think I mentioned that in an earlier blog) won!

Día del Maestro

This past Tuesday was Día del Maestro, or Teachers Day as we know it in the good old USA. However, here in Ecuador, the “holiday,” was a bit extended (to say the least). Instead of a few kids bringing in little treats for the teachers on the actual day of (as it is done in the US), both Monday and Tuesday school was cancelled. The Thursday before all the teachers from the school where I teach left school two hours early to have a special celebratory lunch in Baños. Then the following Wednesday (the day after the actual holiday) the student government and their parents prepared a feast (and I mean feast…about four different pieces of meat per person) for lunch. On Thursday (TWO days after the actual holiday) the board of school directors planned a day of “juegos populares” (games like toss the water balloon, pass the pencil nose to nose, etc.) and yet another feast, this time of the Ecuadorian delicacy, cuy (known in the U.S as GUINEA PIG). No further comment on that meal. Then on Friday, being that the teachers wanted to round our the week celebrating, the third grade teacher had a party at her house (at least the school day didn’t get cut short for this one…)

I actually missed out on Fridays festivities (can’t say I was too upset…I was a bit “Teachers Day-outted”) because I accompanied the seventh grade class on a field trip to go bird watching in a town about an hour away. We left at 4:30 am (not kidding) and spent the morning bird watching. Afterwards we went to a river water park (with two huge slides) and spent about three hours playing in the river water. Then we had a typical Ecuadorian lunch (packing full the little comedor), followed by a presentation by the local cuerpo de bomberos (fire department). After over 12 hours of “paseando” we arrived back to El Triunfo at 6:00. I went to bed at 8:00 ☺

***Library update:
-repainting the space this weekend
-hired carpenter to make bookshelves
-bought $200 worth of books in Quito last week
-going to a market this Monday to buy a table and rug

A Day in the life of "Megita"

My daily schedule goes somewhat like this:

Wake up around 7:05.
Make a cup of tea.
Feed my puppy.
Make the less than one-minute walk to school.
Teach from 7:30 to 12:45.
FREE TIME
FREE TIME
FREE TIME
FREE TIME


As you can see…after 12:45 I have a pretty free schedule – and yet I always feel busy. Here is how I find myself spending my “free-time”…
-helping students of all ages with English homework
-going to the river with groups of kids to bañarse
-sitting at the front of the kiosk-like store in the center of town and playing cards
-helping someone milk their cows in El Monte
-Racing on horseback up to the mirador (look out point) of El Triunfo
-Looking for (pulgas) on my puppy...(not so much anymore thanks to the friendly vet)!
-babysitting my adorable little “sister”, Melanie
-helping vecinos (neighbors) to plant crops/till fields, etc. (thus the constant blisters on my hands)
-hiking to the cascada de las golondrinas (waterfall of the songbirds) and swimming in the waterfall beneath it
-taking the bus down to Baños and getting manicures for $1.25 (complete with semi-ghetto flower designs)
-helping to feed the chickens/rabbits/pigs/guinea pigs/etc.
-reading to the neighbor kids
-washing clothes in the river on a rock with las muchachas (I am by a LONG shot the worst washer around)

Estás celoso? I thought so. Muahaha.

Enjoy the fotos! (Teaching El Triunfo how we celebrate Easter in the states, Puppy Lovin’, Humming bird sitting in a nest made of spider webs, niño in a USA hat from the clothing drive, Antoni with his pet chickens

PS – My highlight of the week was giving Leni (a little boy in third grade with six fingers on each hand) a few pictures I printed out when I was home of the six fingered major league pitcher, Alfonseca. The look on his face almost made me cry…as his classmates looked on wishing they were the ones with six fingers.





M

Return to Ecuador!

Yesterday marked my return to Ecuador. I originally was only staying until the end of March, but I decided to extend my visa and stay until mid-May, which is how I found myself re-entering the wonderful country of Ecuador late last night. The family that I lived with in El Triunfo had agreed to pick me up at the airport, so when I arrived at 9:15 pm (with three HUGE duffel backs jammed packed with supplies for the library and used clothes to sell in order to raise more money), I luckily had people there waiting for me. I figured it would just be Isabel (my friend who I live with) and her brother who owns the truck, but I should have known better. Instead Isabel’s entire family, including Segundo as well as her brothers entire family were waiting for me in the airport, complete with “Bienvenidos, Megan Mishler” balloons. As soon as I arrived they explained to me that they had been worried all day long, not being able to remember if I was arriving 9 am or 9 pm. Luckily for everyone involved, they guessed correctly. They also told me that as it was every ones first time in an airport as they were waiting for me to pass through customs and get my bags they were taking pictures of themselves as if they had just arrived from a foreign country or long trip (fake crying, waving, hugging)….”just incase we never have a chance to be in the airport again” they told me.

Once we all said out hellos, we packed into the two-cab truck…four in the back and four in the front. It was crammed to say the least. As we headed out of the city and towards El Triunfo we already had been informed that the quickest route home would not be doable because the road from Baños to El Triunfo was closed for a Semana Santa (Holy Week) walk aka caminata from los campos (the small towns) to Baños for a morning cathedral service. Knowing this, we decided we would take an alternative route that would get us home about an hour later than the normal three-hour drive from Quito to El Triunfo. As we were on the last part of this drive we approach police blocking the road and we learn this road is also closed due to another caminata. As I was half sleeping it took me a few minutes to realize we were headed in the wrong direction, back tracking the last hour of our drive. As we pull onto the dirt/gravel road that is our only remaining option for making it back to El Triunfo before morning, Segundo points out to me a cars headlights what seems like hours away and much higher up the mountain. “Yup, that’s where we are headed” he tells me. About an hour into the drive on our “new” country road we come across a big tour bus (luckily without passengers) stuck in the mud at a high point on the mountain. The four men tell us they have been waiting for a car to pass since 10:00 pm – it is now 2:00 am. Two of the men jump into the back of our truck as we try to make our way around the side of the bus. As we try to inch by along the side of the mountain on the muddy terrain, we get stuck. I will admit that I was already imagining this would happen. So, half of us get out of the car and lift up the back two wheels of the truck, which miraculously works. About an hour and a half later (3:30 am), after departing from the Quito airport at 9:30 pm we arrive to El Triunfo. I would say my first seven hour in Ecuador upon my “re-arrival” were a perfect start. I am not being sarcastic…it’s always an adventure.

PS – Stay tuned for an update on how the “pulga” went – aka the selling of the three duffel bags of used American clothes I brought back from the US…

Back to Bloggin'

I think the last time I posted it was maybe two weeks ago --- but I have good excuses for the writing lapse. For one, my brother, John, visited me in Ecuador on his spring break from law school and we traveled around together for the week. We spent a couple days in Quito (seeing the sights...churches, miradores, markets, etc.), then continued on to Mindo (a beautiful little town in the cloud forest where we stayed at a beautiful eco-lodge...unfortunately we got VERY sick...I am not going to go into details, trust me, it is for your best interest). After a seven hour bus journey on "recovering" stomachs (to say the least) we made it to my "hometown" of Baños (gracias a dios) and enjoyed having some time to regain our energies...we ended up doing a go-kart tour of the waterfalls around the area, going on a hike, visiting the mountain town where I teach, and much more! Overall we had a great trip and I was so glad to have had a miembro de mi fam to share my new home with! John and I traveled back to the U.S. together (or rather we left the airport the same night), which leads me to my second excuse for not blogging recently -- I have been at home for the past week and a half! And believe me, as much as I love Grand Rapids, I can't say that it inspires me to write/reflect. Regardless, it has been great to recharge my energies, think about how I want to spend my last couple months in Ecuador (I will still be living in El Triunfo and teaching at the elementary school), and relax. I almost could not get over the fact that in the U.S you can actually throw toilet paper down the toilet...as John said when he arrived back home "God Bless the U.S.A!"

And now for an additional "pitch" to all readers....I also spent a lot of my time at home working on stationary (made from the paintings done by los niños from El Triunfo) which I am selling for a minimum donation of $10. The proceeds of the stationary will go 100% towards the founding of a library in the elementary school in El Triunfo! If you are interested in buying some stationary please contact me at mmishler@middlebury.edu, and I will hook you up! (See attached letter).

For now, enjoy the pictures (including John milking his first cow) and I will be back to blogging via Ecuador sometime later this week as I head back Thursday morning....just in time for Semana Santa!

Día de la Mujer

Día de la Mujer, which falls on March 8th to be exact, is supposedly an international holiday…although I will admit that I never knew the holiday existed until this past Monday. Regardless, I think it is one of my new favorite holidays. The day started with a two-hour program put on by the seventh grade class. The program consisted of songs, poems, dances and a rose presentation (one given to each of the female teachers). To represent the women and mothers in all parts of the world, the seventh grade class split up into groups and learned dances from different parts of the world. The songs chosen to represent the Estados Unidos were “You Ain’t Nuthin’ but a Hound Dog” along with a mix of other similar songs, which I thought was hilarious. Maybe they think that is still how we are getting our groove on in the USA. I guess I am alright with that misconception, as I would say that as a whole we Americans just don’t know how to move like Latin Americans do. Actually, there is no comparison…while the LA youngsters grow up with their hips swinging to the constant blaring beats of merengue and salsa I was clapping along to “B-I-N-G-O” and “Row your Boat” (along with s slew of Disney songs) until I was old enough to choose my own radio station (and then it was Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys, dios mio).

Getting back to the topic of Día de la Mujer, after the program classes were cancelled and all teachers went to a close-by town to have a trout lunch (I fished for the trout myself thank you very much), followed by more than a few drinks and some friendly dancing to nacional música de Ecuador, cumbia and salsa. I like to imagine my experiences here in the escuela in a small Ecuadorian mountain town happening back in my elementary and high school in the US…although it is hard to imagine because it would never happen. The two education systems really are worlds apart.

I am going to have a respite from school stories and the likes because this Saturday (in only three days) John (mi hermano) is coming to visit for a week and then I am going home for a week and a half. I am going to pick up John in Quito where we will spend a couple days, then off to Mindo and the cloud rainforest for a couple days and then to Baños/El Triunfo. It will be nice to be home for a bit to recharge and to take some time to think about things I can do in the school and teaching wise as there aren’t many resources here in El Triunfo. Project ideas? Want to help sponsor a new library in the elementary school República de Suiza? Holler at me!

Besote,
Megan

PS – Feliz de de la Mujer (a couple days late) to all the mujeres that read this blog. Especially to my mom who es la major de todas! ☺