It’s been waaaaay too long since I’ve written a blog post. How have the last 2 months flown by so quickly?! A lot has been going on during my first two months in Ambato, with lots of work at the university included. I will try to quickly catch you up on the things I’ve been up to lately.
Over the past two months, I’ve been working a lot and getting lots of English teaching experience. When I first arrived at the beginning of October and met my classes, I had no idea how I was going to learn the names of all sixty students. It’s been an adventure teaching both classes and I’m definitely enjoying myself and always have lots of funny moments and quotes to share with people back home. ☺ I never thought I’d be teaching high school or university students, but I’m learning day by day. Surprisingly, some of the behavior management techniques I use with little kids have served me well here also. It’s definitely a different environment and refreshing in some ways. I enjoy the discussions I can have with my advanced classes. One day we did a lesson on the conditional tense starting out with “If I were a man...” and “If I were a woman...” That elicited an interesting discussion. In the beginning, I also felt I had no idea what I was doing at times. I sometimes still feel that way, but the other day, I had the revelation that I feel so much more comfortable now and am feeling like I can experiment and try new things in the classroom. My teaching skills are developing, but at times I feel that my English skills are deteriorating. It may be that I am grading too many of my students’ essays and taking on their vocabulary, or because I’m speaking more Spanish...I’m hoping it’s the latter. Some days I can’t believe I’m here doing this, because I never would have envisioned it in the past, but I’m grateful for this unexpected adventure and all of the crazies in my classes.
Even though I’ve been working some weekends to make up some hours that we missed during our orientation in September, I’ve also had some opportunities to travel a bit. In the middle of October, we were able to go to a soccer game in Quito to watch Ecuador play Chile. There’s nothing like watching a soccer game in a Latin American country – or probably any country other than the U.S., where soccer isn’t as popular as it should be. We bought some $5 bright yellow jerseys off the street right before the game in order to show our spirit and blend in a bit better (though that isn’t ever really possible for me, unless I can find a really good wig). We were not expecting the beer shower we would get every time Ecuador scored a goal. We ended up winning and there was a very exciting last minute goal scored at the end. It was fun to go back to Quito and see other volunteers. The next day, we decided to make an impromptu trip to Baños, a tourist attraction about an hour outside of Ambato. Of course since it was a holiday weekend, we all ended up running into students there. Two of my friends jumped off a bridge on Sunday morning. I will save that experience for later...maybe. ☺
At the beginning of November, a lot of us volunteers met up in Cuenca about 6 hours south of here, because it was their Independence Day weekend and another 3-day weekend for us. It was also finados weekend in Ecuador, which is like their Day of the Dead. A tradition here is to drink “colada morada” and eat “guaguas de pan”. Colada morada is a purple drink (not in any way related to Lil’ Wayne’s “purple drank”) with fruit in it. It is like a thick fruit juice mostly served warm, but also good cold. It is quite delicious, but I had my fair share in just a couple of days. Guaguas de pan are literally “bread babies.” It was a very fun cultural experience and I’m sure I’ll be craving colada morada when I’m back in the states (my host mom made a very delicious batch).
Cuenca was a fun experience. I had heard a lot about beauty of the city and how it’s a haven for retirees. There were so many WorldTeach vols there and we were all spread out in various hostels that it was hard to get together and catch up, but it was great to see everyone and catch up even if it was brief. On Sunday, the Ambato crew went to Cajas National Park. This was really a beautiful, unreal place. I had hoped to see a llama, but sadly they evaded me. They were spotted by others in my group and I was a little envious. When we got there in the early afternoon, it was misty, but the views were still out of this world. We planned to do a hike for a few hours and attempt to get a bus back to Cuenca after that. I was freaking out a little bit, as my family and friends know I have a tendency to do, and was a little worried for various reasons – lack of daylight, no cell service, no food, not much water, large rain clouds, an inability to read maps, etc. I like to think I’m the realistic thinker each group must have. ☺ We got a little lost and ended up doing a full circle, which wasn’t planned, but we ended up getting back to the lodge after getting quite wet. We were wondering if we’d be able to find a bus coming down the road when we spotted one. We stared wildly running up the hill as it was raining and I couldn’t help but laugh at the complete ridiculousness of it. Luckily the bus stopped for us and we got on and were able to dry off a little on the way back to Cuenca.
The next weekend was also a three-day weekend as it was Ambato’s Independence Day. My friend Amanda and I went to a parade on Saturday morning in Latacunga, a town about an hour away. It was highly recommended to us by our Spanish tutor, who is from there. This parade was called “Mama Negra.” It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There are many symbols represented (which I still don’t understand). One thing that I saw often in the parade was a man carrying a roasted pig on a stick on his back with baby pigs attached to it...along with mini bottles of alcohol. It was also common for people in the parade to carry shot glasses and alcohol bottles with them while marching. It was definitely an experience that I may never have again. I also got a pretty crazy tan from the flats I was wearing that day while sitting in the hot sun.
That weekend there was also a fair going on in my neighborhood. The tiny area was packed with people from the town shopping, eating, and enjoying the rides that had been set up. Trying to get a bus or a taxi out of the area was quite the challenge. While attempting to meet friends for dinner and a movie, I was waiting with my host dad in the crowd of people to catch some transportation down the hill. A tiny truck pulled up and they said they were going to the center and people hopped in the back. My host dad told me it may be my only chance to get out of there, so I hopped in too and rode down to the center of town in the back of a truck. After a minute of getting in, I spotted a taxi, but decided to stick it out and enjoy the adventure, while thinking about how my insurance probably doesn’t cover such activities.
The next day, Ambato had a parade where all the high schools marched. I discovered there are A LOT of high schools here. Bands marched, girls twirled batons, and chosen seniors marched. It wasn’t like parades I had seen back in the U.S., but it was fun to sit with my host sister and watch our other sister march with her high school and spot some of my students in the parade as well.
The next week was midterm week and I had no idea what I was in for. I gave my test on Tuesday and the rest of the week consisted of oral exams, class and LOTS of grading. It was also one of those weeks. As I was getting off the bus one day, I somehow hit my head, slipped and lost my shoe, and then had to sit on the step of the bus and put my shoe back on before getting off the bus. Then the bus passed me and someone else after we had been waiting in the hot sun for a while. We shared a look of disbelief and exasperation. The next day, I was doing my laundry and it started to seriously pour. I had yet to see it rain like that here and some of the streets even started to flood. Every time it rains, my students say, “Teacher, let’s go home!” I don’t understand their reasoning, as they believe that it will be raining harder when we get out of class, though it’s usually stopped by then. Being from Oregon, I don’t love the rain, but I’m definitely not afraid of it. When I came home later that night with a mountain of grading to tackle, I discovered the power was out and I graded by candlelight for about half an hour until the power came back. Another first. I survived the craziness that was midterms and created part of an expertise exam all in one weekend.
The next week was Thanksgiving and it did feel strange not to be at home with family. I had my students make hand turkeys and discuss what they were thankful for. None have ever had the pleasure of having pumpkin pie. I facetimed with my family right after they had eaten and got to see all of the delicious food. That’s when I really was missing being home, especially when I heard about the pumpkin ice cream bars they were going to have for dessert.
This last weekend, I finished the hours I had to make up with my class and then we headed over to Baños to meet up with some other volunteers. It was nice to have a quick getaway, but I had lots of work to do when I returned home the next evening. It was nice to sit by the river for a few hours chatting, just relaxing. Even though we didn’t have a Thanksgiving feast this year, it was still good to spend some time with friends.
I cannot believe it is almost December. I told my host family my mind doesn’t believe it’s almost Christmastime because the weather isn’t cold. Some days it’s sunny and 60 or 70 degrees. Maybe if I listen to Christmas music constantly, I can finally convince myself it’s the holiday season. I’m sure it will be very strange being away from family this year. Three years ago, I spent Thanksgiving with friends in Panama (after being visited by family in Costa Rica), but this will be the first time I’ll be away from home at Christmas. We have a week off, so I’m hoping to finally visit the beach! If I don’t get a chance to write before then, hopefully I’ll be able to write about holiday adventures and New Year’s in Ecuador.
Trying to summarize a month in Quito in one blog post is quite the challenge, but I shall try. It has been a busy month filled with orientation, practice teaching, and exploring. I’ll start from the beginning...
We arrived on September 2nd late in the evening. We were at the back of the flight (in non-reclining seats next to the bathroom) and by the time we got on, there was no more overhead luggage space! It was interesting, but we didn’t mind because we were excited to chat and get to know everyone. I had some sunscreen explosions and hair product spillage (that is some important stuff!), but all of our luggage made it. That night we stayed the night in a hotel – trying to haul all of my stuff up and down flights of stairs was interesting, but I survived with only some minor muscle soreness for the next few days. The next evening we were greeted by our host families and whisked to our new homes. A year long Quito volunteer, Natalie and I lived with a great family. Our host mom was very caring and our host brother was always wanting to take us on adventures. We had some great dinner conversations and I was very sad to leave them at the end of the month.
The first week, our host brother took us the see the city center at night. It was beautiful to see it all lit up and almost deserted. He first took us to an area called La Ronda where we had a huge empanada de viento (like fried dough) and canelazo. A sugar cane drink that kind of tastes like apple cider. We then walked around and took lots of pictures. Later that week, some volunteers and I were on an insanely crowded bus during lunchtime. One guy was pickpocketed and three out of six had their bags slashed (my supposedly “slash proof” purse included). Luckily nothing was stolen. I sewed up the four layers that were cut and it’s holding up well again. It was definitely a learning experience for all of us. We had been through lots of security training that week, but having experienced something first hand has made us a little more aware and cautious.
The first weekend, we went to a celebration called Fiestas de Guápulo with our host brother and met some fellow volunteers there. I was told it was a hipster/bohemian neighborhood and came to discover that yes, hipsters do exist in every part of the world. This fiesta was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. A ton of people gathered in the plaza near an old church to listen to music, dance, eat, and drink canelazo. There was also a thing called a vaca loca (crazy cow). It is huge device that sprays sparks and goes around and chases people. At one point we ended up down in the middle of the crowd. I was a bit terrified as it came at us and everyone was screaming, laughing, hanging on to each other and running. It was fun. Luckily my hair didn’t get singed (I don’t think). The next day, our program planned a barbeque for our host families at a huge park with some amazing views of the city. Apparently there are llamas in the park, but sadly, I didn’t see them.
The next week I finally was able to experience a trivia night! I had been hoping to do trivia in Portland all last year but it never happened. Who would have thought I would finally get to do it in Ecuador? Some volunteers and I met up at a pub with some current volunteers who arrived in February. Since I’m a Jeopardy fan, I’d hoped I would excel at trivia. The categories weren’t exactly my forte, but our group ended up winning first place! We all got to split $50 to the pub. It was a positive first trivia experience.
Later that week we took a salsa lesson and climbed an inactive volcano (another first). I wasn’t sure what to expect from the 5ish hour hike (4 up and 1+ down). I definitely did not expect to get as dirty as I did. I’m now kicking myself for wearing my favorite Hanson shirt that day. Even though it was dirty, tiring, and strenuous, it was worth it. We took the Teleferiqo (a cable car) up part of the way and then hiked the rest of the way to the top. My host brother is really into hiking and adventure, so he and his friend acted as our guides. Before embarking, he had us do some stretches (knee rolling included). Then we were off and I realized how many breaks we would need to take just to catch our breaths. Most of the way up there was a trail, but toward the end, we had to climb some rocks and hike up sand and then run/roll/fall down it on the descent. When we got to the top of Pichincha at about 15,000 feet, I was exhausted, but the views were amazing. I may have been sore for a few days after that, but it was so worth it.
The next couple of weeks were full of more orientation and practice teaching at a high school. My group and I taught a group of 13 and 14 year olds. As one fellow volunteer pointed out, teenagers are the same all over the world. It was a fun experience, but getting on a crowded bus at 6 a.m. to get to the high school by 7 was rough. Sometimes public buses are the definition of “packed in like sardines.” The kids were very sweet and gave us all presents when we left.
Speaking of transportation, we’ve had some interesting taxi experiences. I’ve tried to get better at bargaining, but it’s still a work in progress. Some taxi drivers are very nice and practice their English with us by talking about family in the United States and tell us to “dream with the angels.” Others get very angry when they are lost and we can’t give them directions. One taxi driver even hit a stray dog on the freeway and dented his door pretty badly. That was kind of a traumatic thing to witness. After one month of walking around parts of Quito, I finally felt I knew my way around a bit. Unfortunately, I confused the streets of 12 de Octubre and 9 de Octubre when trying to give our taxi driver directions. I will never make that mistake again!
In the last couple of weeks, we tried to pack in what we could. One Saturday, we went to the historic center to try to see the governmental palace. We had tried the previous week, but they were closed. The second time around, we were unable to buy tickets. We decided to check out the basilica instead and climb the towers. We had to walk up some slippery, sketchy steps, but when we got to the top, we were rewarded with amazing views of the city. The next day we went to the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument. It’s not the actual center of the world, I’ve been told that was a little ways away from where we were, but it was still cool to straddle the line between northern and southern hemispheres. We also went to a bug museum, ate a huge lunch, and then had an amazing oreo sundae. It was a fun day, but I was sooooo full by the end.
Also that week, we had quite a few birthdays to celebrate, so we all rented a chiva bus one Saturday. I’ve been told a chiva is a bus that is typically used for transportation in the countryside. Ours had flashing lights and music. ☺ For two hours, we drove around the city. It was really fun to hang out with everyone outside of orientation. It was so random and something I’d never expected to experience, but it was a great way to spend a Saturday evening.
The final week was a bit sad and exciting at the same time. We were all excited to go to our teaching sites and see a new city, or to be done with orientation an actually start teaching or traveling, but I was sad knowing orientation was coming to an end and I wouldn’t see some people for awhile. Even though our host brother works a lot, he is always wanting to take us on adventures. He and Natalie went camping with some of his friends the day I left for Ambato. I really would have liked to go, but maybe next time. ☺ During the week, he took us rock climbing at the sports store where he works. It was like a big REI with a rock wall in it. I had never been rock climbing, so I was a bit terrified. It was tough, but so fun. Daniel even had Natalie and I hold the rope for each other when we went up and came back down – with his help and supervision, of course. Again I was sore for a few days after – I need to get a gym membership ASAP. Running (my occasional money saving exercise go-to) isn’t a great option here with early mornings, pollution, traffic, altitude, etc., but if I go on any more crazy strenuous adventures, I have to be prepared!
Our last evening in Quito, we all had dinner as a group at a really good Italian restaurant. I really didn’t like saying goodbye to everyone. Especially since after a month together, we were really starting to get to know each other. In Costa Rica three years ago, we all talked about how we were “fake friends” in the beginning and were definitely “real friends” by the end. I felt like we were moving from one to the other after a month, and then we all left for different parts of the country. Oh well, it just gives us all an excuse to travel at some point! Saying goodbye to my Quito family was also harder than I expected it to be. After a month, I was getting used to the city and didn’t realize it was starting to feel like home. Life is full of changes, so now it’s on to the next adventure.
I am now in Ambato with a very welcoming, kind family. It consists of a mom, a dad, and 4 sisters. Definitely different than anything I’ve experienced before. It seems that music is almost always playing in the house – I’ve heard “Call Me Maybe” twice in less than 24 hours. And I’m okay with that. ☺ Tomorrow I start teaching advanced English and I’m a little nervous. I need to think of some kind of plan before 6:45 a.m. tomorrow. Yikes! I’m sure it will seem less daunting when I get into a routine and meet my classes. I believe I will be teaching a class of university/professional students and a class of high schoolers. I’m really excited to get to know my students.
That’s all for now! I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to post and that this is so huge, but thanks for reading! Next time I’ll hopefully let you know about my adventures in teaching and exploring a new city.
It's hard to believe, but the time to depart for Ecuador has arrived. My bags are STUFFED and I'm ready...I think. Other than a few packing freak outs (and the occasional moments of what am I thinking?!), I'm feeling surprisingly calm for the most part. I'm definitely feeling less nervous than I have been for my previous travels. I hope my family and friends can attest to that. :) I feel as though all of my previous experiences have prepared me for this. I'm ready for a new adventure. I'm definitely a little terrified, but excited more than anything.
Whenever I think of the little things I will miss (driving and singing in my car, spending the holidays with my family, etc.) I can't overlook the new experiences I will have and the opportunities I will encounter. I love to collect quotes and I've found a few good ones when it comes to stepping outside of our comfort zone. One from Abraham Maslow I especially liked: "One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." Whenever I doubt this big leap, I remind myself of all the reasons I decided to teach abroad this year. Ecuador hadn't been on my radar until just a few months ago. This past year allowed me the opportunity to take some time to figure out what I wanted to do next. I have the travel bug - does that ever go away? - so I thought teaching English in a Spanish speaking country sounded good to me. This year has also allowed me to get some great English as a Second Language experience. It's funny how things seem to fall into place and that's often only seen upon looking back.
Going into this, I have no idea what to expect and I'm okay with that. I'm just trying to go into it with an open mind, ready to embrace the new and different. Sometimes I catch myself trying to plan for the future or worrying about the what-ifs, but I know that it can be best to just take it one day at a time, one step at a time. This year will definitely be about going with the flow.
I will be in Quito for a month of training and then will be off to my placement site for the rest of the time. I will try to keep this updated every so often and will hopefully post pictures as well. I leave you with this quote that I found upon deciding to go to Ecuador that I thought was very appropriate at the time. Hasta luego amigos!
"Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience."
- Paulo Coelho
