How easy it is to lose track of time!
Yesterday, Saturday, was my official 5 month mark of arriving in Ecuador. Crazy to think that I have been here for this much time already. I think I feel the same way every time I think about how much time has gone by and its always an odd, bittersweet feeling.
I wish I could say I have lots to say about what I have been doing with my time, but really I think I’ve kinda spoiled myself while my counterpart has been gone. I’ve made quite a few trips into Guayaquil, watched quite a few movies, cooked a lot for Melita and me, READ a lot.
The best part of these past few weeks is that I found a beautiful new apartment and I got the keys to it this past Wednesday. I can’t move in until my program director comes and approves it (I think, really hope, that he’s coming sometime this upcoming week but who really knows). It broke my heart to tell Melita that I would be moving out but I’ll be so much more comfortable in my new place. Its on the top floor of a building, has incredible windows that overlook the whole 6 blocks of Cumanda, has a skylight, an ELECTRIC SHOWER (no more cold showers for this kid) and a bathroom I could do cartwheels in. I like to refer to it as my one bedroom, studio apartment; all its missing is a grand piano and then I’d be content and live here forever. I’ll try and get photos up soon. Its seriously, really pretty. I’ve spent two solid days just cleaning it and then sitting and admiring its glory.
Oh, one thing productive I did do this past weekend was I started meeting with my “tutor”. She’s originally from Cumanda but her family won the “visa lottery” (didn’t even know it existed) but I guess they randomly select people’s social security numbers and if you get chosen, you get a visa for life. Anyways, her family moved to the states when she was 14 and she’s now going to be a sophomore at the University of Vermont and is just home for summer break. Why nobody thought I’d like to be introduced to her earlier I’m not sure. I’m her first student so she’s really not very experienced and we have class in her house and her mom, grandmother, two aunts and 12 year old cousin also looooove to help me out and add their own personal comments.
For any of you that know Spanish, we were discussing the difference in the past tenses, like when to use estaba versus estuvo and she told me that you use estaba when referring to a feminie object like la escuela estaba cerrado y el banco estuvo cerrado. Riiiiiiight….okay guess we’ll just focus on my pronunciation then. The sad part is, her entire peanut gallery agreed with her.
So last weekend was the final weekend of the festivals in Bucay. It was topped off by a parade on Saturday, rodeo on Sunday and then bullfighting on Monday. The parade was interesting to say the least. All the schools, groups and neighborhoods have a dance and costumes and parade through the town following their car that is blasting chosen songs. Some were really good, others not so much. Like the group of transsexuals doing the Macarena. Maybe if the community were actually gay-friendly it’d be okay, but they actually just think that cross-dressing is one of the funniest things possible.
I know something else I during my past two weeks of freedom. I went to another volunteers site that is about an hour from me and helped him with his “world map project”. It's a general project that peace corps encourages us to do, which is just painting a giant map on the side of a wall of a school or wherever. I really hope to do one before I leave because the only geography they know is if things are in la costa, sierra or oriente (the 3 regions of Ecuador). Maps, the united states, macchu pichu are all figments of their imagination, they’ve heard people talk about them but I’m convinced Ecuadorians are a little skeptical as to their actual existences. I’m hoping that the next school year I can teach a geography class and then include the map as a project. I’ll share with them my love for maps. Anyways, Mitch and I met up at this other guy, Jakob, site and we spent the day painting countries and we had a lot of fun.
I’ve started making it a ritual to make myself dinner and then pack it and take it the old train track bridge which has a nice breeze and an incredible view of the sunset. Its nice to have some quiet, alone time. A few nights ago, there were two ladies that came walking along the train track with a plastic bag. I thought they had been admiring my new habits and were coming to join me or at least check out what this crazy gringa does every day walking here. But no, instead they walked a few steps on to the bridge, waved and grined at me, and then threw their plastic bag into the water, which exploded upon impact and sent dirty diapers racing down the river. On the better days, I’ve been entertained by two little boys doing micheal Jackson dance moves on the sand bed and the crazy giant iguanas that have made the sandbags their home.
Welp, I think that's about it from here. I’m mildly dreading having to go to the office tomorrow but I guess I can’t do nothing forever….or could I?
Love love.
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