Alright, so today I finally have a few minutes to myself and I’m going to try my best to update you all on what I’ve been doing for the past month! Just to warn you: this is going to be long, might get a little dirty (hygiene-wise, of course), and I can’t promise great writing, but you asked for it so here I am to deliver!
Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start)- Feb 16. I had an early morning flight out of Sac to and then eventually to D.C. It was an emotionally exhausting day, not because I cried that much, but because I think it finally hit me that I was going to be gone for 2 years. The airport was crazy hectic and I honestly think I would have missed my flight if Aaron wasn’t holding my spot in the security line. OK now fast-forward to landing in D.C. Picture me with my 2 huge bags and my overstuffed carry on trying to hail a cab. Alright fine, it wasn’t that hard because there was a huge line of cabs waiting curbside, but still it was a schlep from the luggage carrousel to curbside. I eventually made it to the hotel in : The Holiday Inn. I didn’t see anyone else in the lobby that met my definition of a fellow PCT (Peace Corps Trainee), so I checked into my room and then later I met up and hung out with Lindsay.
The next day all 55 of the new PCTs met up for a day long logistical conference type thing. It was pretty basic stuff, mostly overview of the next day’s flight schedules and some important Peace Corps policy, but nothing I didn’t already know. We all did skits on different scenarios and I was the lead in my group’s skit. It was really encouraging to talk to everyone and see that we all had pretty much the same fears- Spanish, culture shock, not being able to be effective, etc. The next day we got up really early and started our journey to our new home: ! We had to circle a few times before landing which was pretty annoying since we were all anxious to finally get there, but it was really pretty to look at all the lights of the city.
Once we got off the airplane, we were greeted by PC staff and loaded our luggage into a big truck and then we were separated into different groups: NRC and AG. We were taken to 2 different hostels were we stayed for the next couple of days. We went to the office the next day and had more basic overview sessions: safety and security, language requirements, US Embassy representatives came and spoke about current events, etc. It was pretty cool, but we were all so tired and it was hard to stay awake. We had to take a bunch of pretests so that they can see how far we’ve come and how much we’ve improved when we take the same tests at the end of training.The next day we went to Mitad Del Mundo (the Center of the World), or the equator line. There’s a huge museum all about and their different styles of dress in the different regions. We had a guide but it was all in Spanish, so I only caught every other word. After that we went to the real equator line (the other one was from before scientists had GPS or something like that) and watched a bunch of cool things that can only happen on the equator line- water drains straight down on the equator and then clockwise and counter clockwise on either hemisphere, you can balance an egg on a nail on the equator, you can’t walk in a straight line with your eyes closed on the equator and my favorite one of all: you weigh 3 lbs less on the equator because there is less gravitational pull! After a group dance party with an indigenous rain dancer and some lunch, we headed to Cayambe where we would stay for the next week at a little retreat type place called CAAP (we never figured out what that acronym stood for).CAAP was a lot like a mixture between summer camp (what up, Cottontail), Spanish camp, and freshman year dorms. We had a lot of group meetings and different overview sessions. We were split into different language groups and went around the city asking for different directions to things and places in Spanish. It was cool to interact with locals and try to navigate our way through a . We had a couple of basic tech training sessions where the Program Managers (Nelson and Eduardo) for the Ag program basically went over some of the different projects people have done or are still doing at their sites. Everyone has different backgrounds and experience so it’s cool to hear the different questions people ask or hear about what they are hoping to do out here for the next 2 years.
Eventually our time at CAAP had to end, so on Feb 26 our new host families came to pick us up and bring us to our new home for the next 2 months. My CBT (community based training) site is only about 10 minutes from CAAP, so just my mom, Dolores, came to pick me up. I threw my bag in the back of her camioneta (pick up truck) and we were off. Her husband, Manolo, works in during the week as a taxi driver and comes home every weekend. I don’t see him much, but when I do he likes to get into deep conversations about the history of or the differences in religions between the and . Obviously with my Spanish level sitting somewhere around Low Intermediate, I can’t really add much to the conversation, but they are definitely interesting to be a part of. Dolores and Manolo have 1 son and 2 daughters- Patricio (Pato), Catolina (Cati), and Estefania. Pato is married with a daughter of his own, Maria Paz, she might be the cutest Ecuadorian 2 year old I’ve ever met. Cati lives and goes to school in , so I’ve only seen her a couple of times. Estefania is only 17 so she’s who I’ve been talking the most with and hanging out with when we both aren’t in school.
I’m the family’s 7th volunteer, so they aren’t as excited about me as some of the other families with their volunteers. They are really nice, patient, and super accommodating with me. On the first day I told them that I didn’t eat pork and unlike some of the other families who just kind of ignore that kind of information, they’ve never served me anything pork related. It’s kind of funny, though, because since religion is so important to them here we were told during one of the sessions at CAAP that it might be easier to just say you aren’t religious or something like that instead of getting into major religious debates with people, so I couldn’t really tell them that I didn’t eat pork because I’m Jewish. Instead I told them that whenever I eat it I get a really bad stomachache and even hives sometimes. Other than that the food has been pretty good. They eat soup with everything and I’m not the biggest soup fan (something about the consistency always gets me) so that’s been a little tough, but if that’s the worst thing I have to overcome food wise in these next 2 years then I’m golden. One of the good things about being the 7th volunteer my family has had is that they kind of have a better understanding of our eating habits. Along with soup for every meal, they also always have rice and/or potatoes and bread with everything. At CAAP they told us that not finishing your food is seen as an insult so I was a little bit worried, but as soon as Dolores saw that I wasn’t going to finish my huge mound of rice on that first day, she told me not to worry and ever since then she has only served me a fraction of what everyone else gets. She also knows that most Americans don’t eat cow stomach or intestines so she doesn’t serve that, at least to me. The weirdest thing food-wise that has happened to me was a chicken foot floated up in my soup on day. Needless to say, that didn’t help with my already wavering confidence in soup.
We have very scheduled and jam packed days during training. I usually wake up around 7, have breakfast (hard boiled egg, coffee, bread) with Dolores, go to class 8-4, hang out with the other people in my group at the pizzeria (there are only 2 restaurants in Ayora and one of them is a really cool pizzeria so we usually go there after class and hang out for awhile), come home see if I can help Dolores with anything (she usually says no), hang out with Estefania (usually watch t.v. or walk around town, sometimes her other friends are over so we all just hang out), eat dinner around 8, around 9 or 10 everyone is usually in bed or at least in their rooms with the doors closed so I usually do the same and either study more Spanish, read, or watch something on my computer. My Spanish has definitely improved, I started in Principante Medio but in the last month I’ve moved up to Intermedio Bajo. We have to be at least Intermedio Medio to swear in so I have one more month to improve a little bit more. I think once I get to my site, I’m going to have to do a lot more studying on my own, but for now I’m going to milk these lessons for all they’re worth. Some days the whole group meets in Ayora for more sessions: safety and security, heath and nutrition, etc. Those days are really fun to see everyone and hear about all of the different experiences with their host families.
Yesterday the whole group got together to finally find out our sites. I wasn’t really so much nervous about it as I was anxious to finally know. All of the facilitators and staff came in early and drew out a map of Ecuador with the different regions and provinces with tape on the floor and had an isle full of rose pedals that they each lined up along (picture those tunnels we used to make after a soccer game for the teams to run through). All of our names and future sites were typed out on pieces of paper and put in a big bowl. We were all sitting at one end of the room and then our names were called out along with our future sites and we had to run through the tunnel high fiving everyone and go stand on our spot on the map. It was really fun and pretty hectic. My site is basically in the center of . It’s in the Sierra in a province called (the biggest volcano in the country, maybe even the world I forget the exact fact). I’m in a small indigenous town called Guallapishi. Apparently it is in the mountains (3,000m so around 9,000 feet), but it’s kind of in a valley within those mountains. I’m going to be the first Peace Corps Volunteer this town has ever had which will be a nice change from my training community and family. I’m going to be working with a company called Fundacion DIA (Desarrollo Integral Ambiental). Fundacion DIA is a dried fruit company that started in 2007 and hasn’t really gotten off the ground yet. I’m going to try to help them with more marketing and exposure and I’m also going to help them stay organized with their accounting and whatnot. There is also a women’s group that I am going to try to help set up a community bank with. I don’t really have much more information about it, but I am going there tomorrow for a week so I will have a better understanding of what I am in for.This afternoon we are having a family appreciation bar-b-que. All of the families are coming to Ayora we’re all just going to hang out and show our appreciation for our families. The staff is providing 2 chancos (pigs) for the main meal and then every training group is responsible for bringing drinks and the rest of the food. My group is making potato salad and guacamole and we bought 5 big (3 liter) sodas. After that party, my family is having another party because Cati (the older sister) is moving to the for 8 months next week so they are having a going away party for her. They all just pilled into my room announcing that they were going to Cayambe to buy a pig to kill later in the day so apparently pig is on the menu tonight as well. Looks like I’ll be eating a lot of guacamole at lunch today!
Well, that’s all for now. Sorry this was really long, but hopefully now you all have a better idea of what I’ve been doing for the past month. In writing it all down, it doesn’t seem like much but honestly every day for the past 32 has been action and Spanish-packed and I’ve been loving every minute of it!
Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start)- Feb 16. I had an early morning flight out of Sac to and then eventually to D.C. It was an emotionally exhausting day, not because I cried that much, but because I think it finally hit me that I was going to be gone for 2 years. The airport was crazy hectic and I honestly think I would have missed my flight if Aaron wasn’t holding my spot in the security line. OK now fast-forward to landing in D.C. Picture me with my 2 huge bags and my overstuffed carry on trying to hail a cab. Alright fine, it wasn’t that hard because there was a huge line of cabs waiting curbside, but still it was a schlep from the luggage carrousel to curbside. I eventually made it to the hotel in : The Holiday Inn. I didn’t see anyone else in the lobby that met my definition of a fellow PCT (Peace Corps Trainee), so I checked into my room and then later I met up and hung out with Lindsay.
The next day all 55 of the new PCTs met up for a day long logistical conference type thing. It was pretty basic stuff, mostly overview of the next day’s flight schedules and some important Peace Corps policy, but nothing I didn’t already know. We all did skits on different scenarios and I was the lead in my group’s skit. It was really encouraging to talk to everyone and see that we all had pretty much the same fears- Spanish, culture shock, not being able to be effective, etc. The next day we got up really early and started our journey to our new home: ! We had to circle a few times before landing which was pretty annoying since we were all anxious to finally get there, but it was really pretty to look at all the lights of the city.
Once we got off the airplane, we were greeted by PC staff and loaded our luggage into a big truck and then we were separated into different groups: NRC and AG. We were taken to 2 different hostels were we stayed for the next couple of days. We went to the office the next day and had more basic overview sessions: safety and security, language requirements, US Embassy representatives came and spoke about current events, etc. It was pretty cool, but we were all so tired and it was hard to stay awake. We had to take a bunch of pretests so that they can see how far we’ve come and how much we’ve improved when we take the same tests at the end of training.The next day we went to Mitad Del Mundo (the Center of the World), or the equator line. There’s a huge museum all about and their different styles of dress in the different regions. We had a guide but it was all in Spanish, so I only caught every other word. After that we went to the real equator line (the other one was from before scientists had GPS or something like that) and watched a bunch of cool things that can only happen on the equator line- water drains straight down on the equator and then clockwise and counter clockwise on either hemisphere, you can balance an egg on a nail on the equator, you can’t walk in a straight line with your eyes closed on the equator and my favorite one of all: you weigh 3 lbs less on the equator because there is less gravitational pull! After a group dance party with an indigenous rain dancer and some lunch, we headed to Cayambe where we would stay for the next week at a little retreat type place called CAAP (we never figured out what that acronym stood for).CAAP was a lot like a mixture between summer camp (what up, Cottontail), Spanish camp, and freshman year dorms. We had a lot of group meetings and different overview sessions. We were split into different language groups and went around the city asking for different directions to things and places in Spanish. It was cool to interact with locals and try to navigate our way through a . We had a couple of basic tech training sessions where the Program Managers (Nelson and Eduardo) for the Ag program basically went over some of the different projects people have done or are still doing at their sites. Everyone has different backgrounds and experience so it’s cool to hear the different questions people ask or hear about what they are hoping to do out here for the next 2 years.
Eventually our time at CAAP had to end, so on Feb 26 our new host families came to pick us up and bring us to our new home for the next 2 months. My CBT (community based training) site is only about 10 minutes from CAAP, so just my mom, Dolores, came to pick me up. I threw my bag in the back of her camioneta (pick up truck) and we were off. Her husband, Manolo, works in during the week as a taxi driver and comes home every weekend. I don’t see him much, but when I do he likes to get into deep conversations about the history of or the differences in religions between the and . Obviously with my Spanish level sitting somewhere around Low Intermediate, I can’t really add much to the conversation, but they are definitely interesting to be a part of. Dolores and Manolo have 1 son and 2 daughters- Patricio (Pato), Catolina (Cati), and Estefania. Pato is married with a daughter of his own, Maria Paz, she might be the cutest Ecuadorian 2 year old I’ve ever met. Cati lives and goes to school in , so I’ve only seen her a couple of times. Estefania is only 17 so she’s who I’ve been talking the most with and hanging out with when we both aren’t in school.
I’m the family’s 7th volunteer, so they aren’t as excited about me as some of the other families with their volunteers. They are really nice, patient, and super accommodating with me. On the first day I told them that I didn’t eat pork and unlike some of the other families who just kind of ignore that kind of information, they’ve never served me anything pork related. It’s kind of funny, though, because since religion is so important to them here we were told during one of the sessions at CAAP that it might be easier to just say you aren’t religious or something like that instead of getting into major religious debates with people, so I couldn’t really tell them that I didn’t eat pork because I’m Jewish. Instead I told them that whenever I eat it I get a really bad stomachache and even hives sometimes. Other than that the food has been pretty good. They eat soup with everything and I’m not the biggest soup fan (something about the consistency always gets me) so that’s been a little tough, but if that’s the worst thing I have to overcome food wise in these next 2 years then I’m golden. One of the good things about being the 7th volunteer my family has had is that they kind of have a better understanding of our eating habits. Along with soup for every meal, they also always have rice and/or potatoes and bread with everything. At CAAP they told us that not finishing your food is seen as an insult so I was a little bit worried, but as soon as Dolores saw that I wasn’t going to finish my huge mound of rice on that first day, she told me not to worry and ever since then she has only served me a fraction of what everyone else gets. She also knows that most Americans don’t eat cow stomach or intestines so she doesn’t serve that, at least to me. The weirdest thing food-wise that has happened to me was a chicken foot floated up in my soup on day. Needless to say, that didn’t help with my already wavering confidence in soup.
We have very scheduled and jam packed days during training. I usually wake up around 7, have breakfast (hard boiled egg, coffee, bread) with Dolores, go to class 8-4, hang out with the other people in my group at the pizzeria (there are only 2 restaurants in Ayora and one of them is a really cool pizzeria so we usually go there after class and hang out for awhile), come home see if I can help Dolores with anything (she usually says no), hang out with Estefania (usually watch t.v. or walk around town, sometimes her other friends are over so we all just hang out), eat dinner around 8, around 9 or 10 everyone is usually in bed or at least in their rooms with the doors closed so I usually do the same and either study more Spanish, read, or watch something on my computer. My Spanish has definitely improved, I started in Principante Medio but in the last month I’ve moved up to Intermedio Bajo. We have to be at least Intermedio Medio to swear in so I have one more month to improve a little bit more. I think once I get to my site, I’m going to have to do a lot more studying on my own, but for now I’m going to milk these lessons for all they’re worth. Some days the whole group meets in Ayora for more sessions: safety and security, heath and nutrition, etc. Those days are really fun to see everyone and hear about all of the different experiences with their host families.
Yesterday the whole group got together to finally find out our sites. I wasn’t really so much nervous about it as I was anxious to finally know. All of the facilitators and staff came in early and drew out a map of Ecuador with the different regions and provinces with tape on the floor and had an isle full of rose pedals that they each lined up along (picture those tunnels we used to make after a soccer game for the teams to run through). All of our names and future sites were typed out on pieces of paper and put in a big bowl. We were all sitting at one end of the room and then our names were called out along with our future sites and we had to run through the tunnel high fiving everyone and go stand on our spot on the map. It was really fun and pretty hectic. My site is basically in the center of . It’s in the Sierra in a province called (the biggest volcano in the country, maybe even the world I forget the exact fact). I’m in a small indigenous town called Guallapishi. Apparently it is in the mountains (3,000m so around 9,000 feet), but it’s kind of in a valley within those mountains. I’m going to be the first Peace Corps Volunteer this town has ever had which will be a nice change from my training community and family. I’m going to be working with a company called Fundacion DIA (Desarrollo Integral Ambiental). Fundacion DIA is a dried fruit company that started in 2007 and hasn’t really gotten off the ground yet. I’m going to try to help them with more marketing and exposure and I’m also going to help them stay organized with their accounting and whatnot. There is also a women’s group that I am going to try to help set up a community bank with. I don’t really have much more information about it, but I am going there tomorrow for a week so I will have a better understanding of what I am in for.This afternoon we are having a family appreciation bar-b-que. All of the families are coming to Ayora we’re all just going to hang out and show our appreciation for our families. The staff is providing 2 chancos (pigs) for the main meal and then every training group is responsible for bringing drinks and the rest of the food. My group is making potato salad and guacamole and we bought 5 big (3 liter) sodas. After that party, my family is having another party because Cati (the older sister) is moving to the for 8 months next week so they are having a going away party for her. They all just pilled into my room announcing that they were going to Cayambe to buy a pig to kill later in the day so apparently pig is on the menu tonight as well. Looks like I’ll be eating a lot of guacamole at lunch today!
Well, that’s all for now. Sorry this was really long, but hopefully now you all have a better idea of what I’ve been doing for the past month. In writing it all down, it doesn’t seem like much but honestly every day for the past 32 has been action and Spanish-packed and I’ve been loving every minute of it!
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