January...

Today as I was sitting on my roof trying to digest the 2 lbs of rice I’d just consumed for lunch, I was looking at all the rooftops lined with clothes and I started to think how I am going to miss seeing them. What I once saw as a chore has now become a game for me, guessing when I get my clothes washed, when will it be sunny enough, how long can I leave them out, can I make it back to the house before the rain starts? Sometimes I win and sometimes I fail miserably but I just have to laugh and try again tomorrow. Work is sort of the same way too…

Two weekends ago a friend invited our women’s basketball team to come and play a game of soccer at his farm because they were hosting their annual party. I realized its been quite a while since I played soccer last but it was a lot of fun playing even if we lost. We drove about 45 minutes outside of town, crossed three rivers and traveled through acres of banana trees to find a well manicured football field, pond and open aired bamboo huts. We played, we lost, we ate, we drank and we danced. A great Saturday in my mind despite the loss and dancing.

One of my new years resolutions (there are many for this year) was to be in better contact with my counterpart. This past week we attended a conference together about how to make successful business plans which was very interesting and I shocked him when I added my personal opinions to the discussions. I know I may speak Spanish like a 3rd grader but I’m not an idiot, I do know some things, like how to do a strengths and weakness analysis.

Also another one of my goals (many of these as well) for starting the year off was to meet with the director of the high school and I finally did that last week. Turns out you do have to have some sort of credentials to teach high school classes but they have a bunch of other projects they have asked me to help out with. Later today I am going with a professor to see where we are going to start an organic garden and worm beds with the students. The professor that I am going with also worked with an Ag. Volunteer that was here 5 years ago so he already has an understanding of how the program functions and in what ways I can help. Tomorrow I am meeting with another professor to learn about their chicken raising process and she has asked me to research what types of value added projects we could do with the chickens and eggs. So if you have any suggestions, ideas, send them my way.

Last weekend I made attempt number one to buy canning jars in Ambato, a city that's 5 hours away. I traveled halfway and stayed the night with a friend and we were going to continue together the next morning to this town but plans got cancelled because the president made a surprise visit to Ambato in order to try and prevent strikes with the indigenous people. So this coming weekend will be attempt number 2.

English classes have now come to an end for the school year. I gave the final exam last weekend. The exam was about 80% of the questions I used on the pre-exam and then gave them bonus points if they could draw and label 5 parts of the human body. I had an average of A-‘s.

So the fiestas from Christmas and new years finally came to an end last week. But this Friday began the fiestas of Cumanda. So once again, no one is working and all the kids are on summer break. The fiestas of Cumanda end the 27th I think and then Carnival starts the 14th for a week. I seriously believe they are “in fiestas” more than they are “out of fiestas”. I tell you, it's a good life here.

Ok that's about it from here. Keep your fingers crossed that attempt #2 at locating canning jars is a better success. Take care. Love. And Happy Martin Luther King Day!