Los Estudiantes son muy bueno

This week I have had the pleasure of accompanying the students in VILA to their respective sites where they are volunteering here in Quito. The first two days I got to go with some students who were working in the markets in the south side of the city. The volunteers were two Stanford students, and a French student from Austria and a Scottish student. Together, they were running a day program for the street children there, and kids of people who have little tiendas en el mercado. This particular week, they were teaching the children about different parts of the earth. Out of their own pockets, the volunteers purchased materials to make volcanoes con los niños. Since there are so many volcanoes in Ecuador, it was a good lesson, and the kids got to name the ones they knew, and they seemed to really enjoy it. The day started with the volunteers setting up, then going around the market to gather the children. Most were very eager to come with the volunteers. They sat in a circle and sang lots of songs in español. I was so surprised at how into it each of them were. Both boys and girls were eager and excited to sing the songs and play the games (including, pato pato ganzo a.k.a. duck duck goose). Most of the kids clothes were in poor shape, but others clearly had new clothes on. After the songs, they each participated in making the volcanoes. At the end of each day, they go with the volunteers to wash their hands with soap and water, and brush their teeth. It was really amazing. I´ll send pictures soon. The following day, they had a similar routine, but instead of volcanoes, they created a mural of the ocean, and the kids either colored in or drew sea creatures. Again, they were all very excited about the project and were generally very obedient. Very impressive.

Wed. and Thurs I went to Casa de la Ninez, where five other students were volunteering. This was an interesting experience. It is basically a camp, which also offers social services for kids and their families, with pretty nice facilities (though it is located right next door to a jail, and you can actually look down into the courtyard of the jail from the Casa). Although there were seemingly more resources at this location, the volunteers were a bit frustrated with the disorganization and miscommunication from the director. I´m really glad I got to see this first hand, because it was truly and interesting situation. The VILA volunteers have a lot to offer, and it seemed that their skills were not put to great use. They did play games with the kids and do art projects, but it was very haphazardly with Ecuadorian volunteers yelling and treating the little kids very poorly. In any case, the VILA students were making the most of it.

A few more sites I´ve had the chance to check out include El Panecillo - this amazing hill with views of all of Quito. Atop this hill is a huge silver stature of the Virgen de Panecillo w/ wings. She is the virgin saint that looks over the city and connects Quito to the sun. It was interesting climbing inside to the area with the view -- to me it was very reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty (climbing inside a tin lady).

Friday I accompanied another student, Maria, at CENIT and her volunteer work included bringing los ninos to la dentista. It was really amazing to see the work she was doing, talking to the parents about dental hygene and bringing the kids in for check ups and fillings (yikes!) The dentist office was a little stall in the mercado, it was far from a dentist office you see in the US (cement floors, paint coming off the walls, etc.) But, she kept things very clean and sterilized things in a hot oven-like box. The kids that came by for check ups that day had lots of cavities, one little girl, probably 5 or 6 years old had 10 cavities! I don´t know how else they would get dental treatment because CENIT subsidizes half of the cost ($12 for 1 filling total).

Inti Raymi Adventures

Where to begin? Well, this past weekend, I was extremely fortunate to be invited (by a friend - Pablo, of a friend - Kat), to a local festival north of Quito, in the mountains. It was part of the Inti Raymi celebration, where local indigenous groups celebrate their heritage and honor the sun. It was amazing. Pablo invited me to come along with him, and two friends (from England and Slovakia) because some of the villages do have volunteers, usually from the peace corps, who help with different projects. We got up early on Saturday, and drove about two hours north. It was a beautiful drive, very mountainous, and a bit dry, and there were lots of colorful little pueblos along the way. The sky was expansive, and a beautiful blue with clouds touching the mountaintops. When we arrived near the town, which was surrounded by green beautiful mountains, we stopped to ask an older woman for directions. She happened to be the sister of the woman who invited Pablo, so she hopped in the car and guided us to the celebration site in the communidad de Eugenio de Caja. We stayed with a host family, who were very gracious and took good care of us.

Since we arrived a bit early for the festival, we went up to Otavalo, a town about 20 miles north of this community, which is famous for its artisan markets and indigenous crafts. It was so colorful, from roasted corn, fresh fruits and vegetables, to colorful blankets, bags, and alpaca sweaters. We also stopped at a quesoria (a local cheese making house) that made queso fresca. They also have volunteers who come to help them maintain the building and the business, and I got the chance to speak to some of the community members who said they were in need of more volunteers to help them with marketing and distribution. I had some good conversations with the people there. The cheese was amazing, and they were saying that unfortunately some of it goes to waste if they are not able to distribute or sell the cheese fast enough (since it´s fresh, it doesn´t last very long). This stuff would sell in a heartbeat in the US, totally organic, fresh, handmade from an indigenous community needing funds.

When we got back to the house, the host family prepared a meal, which consisted of hominy, small pieces of fried pork, half of a fresh avocado, and a roasted potato. It was actually good and filling. Then we headed out down to the celebration area, and our hosts walked us out to the main road, which was a bit confusing. They instructed us to get into the back of this pick-up truck, so we did, not really knowing where we were going, but we knew it had something to do with the fiesta. They took us to another family´s home for the pre-celebration, and they offered the family a live chicken (as did about 20 other families). This community was San Augustine de Caja, and they offered us food, and many beverages. There was lots of dancing with chickens, singing, guitar playing, colorful dresses and masks. The masks symbolized the indigenous community´s interest in preserving their heritage, and putting on a fake mask to keep that within them. It also had a mirror on the forehead, which was to reflect and honor the sun. The beverages were an experience in themselves. Chicha (a mild homemade liquor of yucca or oats and spices) was in a bucket, and they scooped out a cup full of drink for you to have, then you give them back the cup for the next person to drink. They also insisted we drink a mandarin infused pure whiskey to warm us up in the cold weather. Again we were to take a quick shot, and give the cup back for the next person. (They also used this process for soda and fruit wines). Because it was part of the celebration, I couldn´t say no - it wasn´t the cleanliest experience, but it was awesome.

After the pre-celebration, we were herded onto the main road. They had a truck in the front with people playing guitars, and a 18 wheel truck with a huge flatbed, where they had a band and speakers blaring the music. So, we (100+ guests) walk and dance right onto the Panamerican Highway, yes a two-road highway, and start heading back to where the main celebration was taking place. Cars were honking, some were taking pictures, buses and trucks were passing us by, but it was incredible - dancing, singing and drinking on the highway that Che Guevarra rode through on his motorcycle. After about 2 hours of walking/dancing we finally got to the large festival, and it appears that these pre-celebrations took place in other communities, and they all converged in one open field, surrounded by mountains, to dance, drink, sing, and eat. It was fun. It was also really cold. Overall, I can´t really do justice to the experience, but I felt really blessed to have been able to participate in such an amazing event.

I´ll have to save other stories and descriptions about the hostel and Stanford students who I got to visit in action for another time.

Quick stop in Lima en route to Quito

Well, I made it, despite almost missing my flight by an entire day by misreading the departure date and time (note: leaving at 1:30 in the morning of the date on the ticket means that date, not the following date).

As I mentioned in my previous post - I had a 7 hour layover in Lima, and decided to venture out. I met an older Panamanian guy on the plane who was really concerned for my safety because of what he´s heard of Lima. He said he was concerned about going in on his own, then when he heard I was planning to do that, he had to go with me. Then another guy we were sitting with from Savannah, GA jumped in on the conversation as well - they were really nice. It ended up that the Panamanian gentleman couldn´t come into Lima due to visa restrictions, then Brant, from GA, offered to share a ride to his hostel, and he ended up coming with me to the part of Lima I wanted to check out - Miraflores (right on the ocean). That part of Lima was great, and there were handgliders over the cliffs. For future reference, if you are in Lima, check out ¨Vista al Mar¨restaurant, and try the ceviche - muy bueno!

Well, my impression of Lima is mixed. So, the city itself was way more 'advertised' than I expected. The signs for stores and malls were huge, and there were big lights and signs everywhere. There was also a lot of dust and empty buildings, it almost reminded me of the scene in the future in Idiocracy (sans the piles of trash everywhere).

Our cab driver was awesome, and my Spanish got a major work out that first day. He took us to the hostel, then Miraflores, and offered to pick us up and bring me back to the airport. He was super nice, and even gave me his cab number for any return trips. The ride to (and from) the airport was long due to traffic, but by the end we were really talking a lot, which was fun. Speaking of traffic, it was similar to that in the Philippines ' no regard for lanes, other cars or buses, it was pretty intense! But that´s the way things are there.

Now, I´m in Quito and it´s absolutely beautiful. I've been lucky with the weather, I checked before I left, and it said rain for days. But it´s been sunny with beautiful blue skies over this long narrow city between the mountains. It´s gorgeous. And the buildings in Old Town show the Spanish colonial influence (as well as the numerous churches and cathedrals). The hostel I´m staying in is extremely quaint, and luckily quiet (I´m just a bit over the crazy party hostel days). Anyhow, I´m so excited to start my research, meet with the students, and even with a few Ecuadorian contacts who work with American college students doing service. For now, still getting acquainted with the city, and my Spanish... hasta luego!

An New Adventure - Suramerica

Well - it's time for me to hit the road again (well, technically the sky)! I'm leaving tomorrow for South America - Quito, Ecuador in particular -- where I'll be traveling to begin collecting data for my dissertation research on international service and student identity/leadership. I'm so excited to be heading down there, to experience the culture, see the Andes, observe students in action, talk with community members, understand the situation, and to improve my Spanish. Who knows - I may even attempt to write an entry en espanol.

The students I'll be visiting belong to a group at Stanford called Volunteers In Latin America (VILA), and they have been working with street children in Ecuador for a number of years. The students have been extremely warm and welcoming of my research, and they themselves have prepared for this journey in a quarter-long course exploring the issues of Ecuador, international service, etc. I'm so glad that I'll be able to join them. They will be living in Ecuador for two months.

I'll be staying in a hostel in La Mariscal and am looking forward to meeting new friends along the way. One of the students told me that this area is often called 'gringolandia' because a lot of travelers stay there... but I'll probably be able to get by a little easier without complete fluency in Spanish.

Right now - I have few expectations. I'm going in with an open mind - have a few places that I want to visit, but for the most part I want to get lost in the experience, and bring back some good information that will be useful as I continue on the dissertation journey.

The first part of the trip will be an adventure in itself, as I've opted for a 'round about' flight to Quito, with two stops. One in El Salvador for a short time, and the other in Lima, Peru. I'll be in Lima for about 7 hours - and am hoping to take a cab into the city and at least see a little of Peru, maybe grab some ceviche, which I'm told is excellent there (as well as in Ecuador.) Well, wish me luck -- and thank you for sharing in the the journey with me!