Update on the Ecuadorian Front

July 9 2009, Thursday

Update on the Ecuadorian front. Like I mention in my last blog, we are starting to get into a routine here. There are basically lots of lectures during the day, mixed in with technical classes, language classes, and culture classes. That is pretty much the life of a PCT in a nutshell. Oh yeah, and you have to put in the competencies in there as well (basically tests) and progress reports. In the spare time that we have, which isn’t really too much, it is usually spent either traveling from point A to point B or preparing a charla or some competency for the upcoming week. And if we don’t have a charla we have to work on, then it’s either time to wash the laundry, take a shower, or take a nap. Now don’t get me wrong, we manage to mix in some time in there to have fun with each other as well…whenever we can which doesn’t tend to be that often.

I guess what I am trying to ramble on is, we don’t have much spare time during CBT (community based training). For La Chimba, it also doesn’t really help the cause that we have to spend about two hours a day traveling give or take. I think we estimated that we walk about 2 mile one way to Olmedo just about every day either to take the bus to our site for the day or to eat lunch that day (there are no restaurants in La Chimba). Then we have the 2 mile walk back as well. It is definitely one great way to get your exercise for the day, but it also really cuts back on your day when you have lectures 8am-4/4:30pm with 2 hours of travel and it being dark at 7pm easily. But we are definitely getting the trail down, that is for sure.

I have also heard though that once you are actually at your site you have loads of free time and almost don’t know what to do with it all because you don’t have all of these lectures and classes. CBT is definitely a thing of its’ own which is really needed and yet at the same time can become kind of tedious. It is a great way to strengthen our PC support group with each other though.

So this past week has basically been more lectures and classes, nothing really too crazy to report about the week. However, last weekend I went into Cayambe on Saturday where they are currently having the fiestas. In case I have forgotten to mention it in any of the blogs…which I think I might have…right now is fiesta time…for four months. That’s right, four months of fiestas every weekend. Now let me quickly define fiesta for you as well. It’s a parade that goes around for quite a few hours around the town (and by parade I mean people that dress up from each sector of the community and then dance and drink around the town), with some “typical” parade things as well such as community queens and such, with lots of people selling stuff on the street and of course...drinking and “dancing”. They always decorate the town with streamers and such. Now let me quickly define dancing for you. This would be when everyone stands around in a circle and moves their feet back and forth as they continue drinking and walking around in a circle together. I think you are starting to get the picture; lots of drinking and lots of “dancing”.

Each community in the area is assigned 1-3 weekends of fiestas, for their respected Saints, depending on the size of the community, one weekend is always the biggest, and this past weekend was the biggest one for Cayambe out of three weekends. It was actually really cool because I ended up just walking around by myself, during the day so it was safe, and just looked around at all of the street vendors. Just by doing that I ended up in the plaza de torros where sure enough, there were some “brave souls” in the middle of the ring with their red on taunting the bull; the good old running with the bulls. However, there were a lot of people in that area which was very cramped and had quite a few intoxicated people, so I didn’t stay that long watching the bulls. I then came home and spent Sunday completely in La Chimba, sleeping “in” (waking up at 8), washing my clothes, washing myself, doing general maintenance to my body such as clipping toe nails, and working on some Spanish language practice. And let me tell you, it was great to actually have the time to do all of that.

Now the interesting/sad part of this story is that some other people also went into Cayambe over the weekend and got something stolen or had some attempt to steal something. From my understanding thus far, assault is really not that common here in Ecuador, but thieves and burglary are. One girl took her camera out to take a picture of the torros and then put it back into her purse where someone grabbed into her purse and stole it. Another girl had the back of her purse pouch that they gave us to keep our valuables in, it’s like a mini purse if you will, slashed without her even knowing. However lucky for her, the knife hit her camera that was in the purse, so it didn’t get slashed enough for anything to fall out (her camera had a nick on it later she realize when she got home and saw the small slash). She said that she didn’t even feel it at all.

Now before you start to worry mom, it really could be a lot worse. Most of the theft here is pick-pocketing in the streets and it is especially common during the fiestas. So basically this just means that you have to be aware at all times and make sure to not leave things in your pockets where things can easily be taken especially in crowded situations. You just have to remember to put your belongings underneath your cloths and close to your chest where you will be more aware of someone try to steel. But enough with that downer because all in all the weekend was a lot of fun; it was also just a good reminded that we are living in a foreign country where you have to be careful.

My nose is still slightly peeling…and man do I just not understand why because this is like the fifth time it has. Oh well, that sun really is strong here. They actually told us today something about how they rate the UV rays and how dangerous they are…and the UV rays in Quito are about 2-8 points higher than what they consider to be dangerous. Long story short here, wear sunscreen you pale white gringa, and wear the silly sunscreen (thanks Dad…). My bug bites however are completely gone in the itchy and bumpy way, now they just look like really funky scares. And thankfully, the fairy has not made another visit to me but I have heard that she is having some extended visits with others.

Today I did pick up a bit of a cough though which is really annoying because I already have a hard enough time breathing up here in this altitude without the cough! I told the doctor today because he was at one of the lectures and he basically told me what I thought; this is just the Sierra form of a cold because the air up here is so thin and dry that it affects your throat like this at times. It is definitely a new feeling though for me…a new feeling that I’m not the fondest of! Hopefully tomorrow it will be better…or I will just have become more accustomed to the feeling.

We also had our first progress report today with our technical group leader for Youth and Families, Cristina (who is Ecuadorean). Everything for me was pretty much on the positive side which was nice to hear that they think I belong here even if there are sometimes when I question whether I do or not. If the trainers think that I have the right attitude for this gig, I guess I have to just agree with them and have a little more faith in myself sometimes. Now with the language competency for the day I would say that I did pretty well on, but of course I would like to have done better as they are definitely places that I can improve. My language needs work, but they know that I want to work on it and that it will come little by little…which I just have to keep reminding myself of!

Other than that, the only other news I have is that we now have another dog “living” at my house. This one however I am not too fond of as it is a larger dog, one of the larger ones I have seen really, and he tends to like to bark at night right outside my door (for example last night between the hours of 1 and 2:30 where I was wide awake). He is actually the dog of my mother’s brother who has a PCT staying with them as well. Basically the conclusion that we have come too is that this dog, Martin, doesn’t like staying at his house because he is the only dog there were here he has three other ones to play with. However…even though it is hard for me to say…I’m not a fan of Martin and I really, really wish he would just go back home (and he won’t because we have tried a couple of times and he just comes back here). So hopefully for tonight he won’t bark a whole bunch because otherwise I think I might have to go get a stick to get him to be quiet because that is what they do around here. My three dogs though I do still love and adore and my best friend still walks with me every day…the three year old girl told me his name is Bismoth…but I think that the PCT girls of La Chimba are going to give him another name at some point as he walks with us every day.

Alright, I think I’m just about blogged out for the night. The only other thing I can think of to add is that in one week we will know our site for the next two years which is…super exciting!!! It will be really nice to be able to look at the bigger picture and know where you are going to be with what type of people (because the type of people differs greatly by region just like in any country) and what type of climate. That in itself I am really excited for like I am sure all of the PCTs are. Cristina told me today that even the counter-parts that we will be working with are getting anxious and asking her when they will know who they are working with as well. So that is something for the upcoming week to really look forward too. Tomorrow night I think we are getting together with the people in Pesillo (a town about 30 minute walk away) for an “American” type dinner, and then for Saturday it is either time for a hike up into the freezing cold mountains, or a trip down into Cayambe. Sunday will probably be another nice relaxing day in La Chimba with laundry to do and a futbol game in the afternoon. Now though…it is bedtime!