I was talking to a dear friend of mine from home the other day, and was asked "do you miss the USA? Do you want to come home?"
Quickly, before I could think, out spat "Are you crazy? I love it here, I don't want to go home!!"
*GASP* Is this really how I feel??
After 11.5 months in country, I've adjusted to all the things that "shook my world" when I first got here.
- I've adjusted to the $1.75 lunches (almuerzos) ... my saving pennies how includes my daily walk uphill from work to avoid paying $0.18 for the bus.
- I always bring a baggie to the campo ... there's NO way I'm eating three meals of rice on one plate.
- When I first got to Guaranda, I thought ¨how funny¨and tried (descreately) to take pictures of the old man on Calle Sucre who sat outside all day with his scale, offering to weigh people. Now, after all that rice, I´m thinking of paying for his useful services.
- Half the time loud hisses or cat calls come my way I ignore them, the other half I go confront the problem (and once made a friend out of it! haha... that's like .05%).
- Having a hard day, just take Peyton's advice ... "I just did yoga and saved my legs, I feel like a new person."
- I don't look twice, or even take photos of the cows and chickens that roam the streets.
- I sleep pleasantly with ear plugs ... the 30minute songs till 2am OR the constantly crowing rooster outside my window no longer bother me.
- PANDORA DOESN'T WORK IN ECUADOR!!!!! :( .... it's okay, I found a replacement ... thesixtyone.com :)
- When someone says "we'll start the meeting at 8AM" ... I bring a book
- I've learned how to stand on a bus while eating habas and whipping around small roads, psch - "no pasa nada"
- NEVER turn down a free tortilla or carrot juice from the host family!
- I've learned that "Gringas always get the last laugh" --- words from fabulous Eik!!
- Even though I still need to learn all the rules, I joined a soccer team :)
- Pilsner is okay (when it's really really cold and you think of it like water)
- There are 3 year olds AND 90 year olds who will always move their hips better than me.
- I'm not sure I quite have the Ecuadorian fashion down, but I'm okay doing the "Gringa Swagger" all over town (Ms. Molly, WONDERFUL phrase!)
- Downing soda (grape, orange, pepsi...) is second to sipping water -- gotta pass the cup for the next person!
- If someone borrows a text message .... you can always regalo one from them come end of the month
- Instant coffee tastes good with sugar, milk and chocolate
- Black rain boots ARE fashion!
- Funny faces at the meat market can (almost) be kept to myself ... or at least out of direct visual line of the woman with the knife.
- 10 hour bus rides... haha, bring them ON!!!
- Yes, I speak English ... if you ask me to speak it, I'm going to make you sing a song with me!
- Just because you're a pedestrian in the CROSS-WALK doesn't mean the cars will stop for you .... okay, I might NEVER adapt to this...
I think what I wanted to tell my friend is that, I'm comfortable here. Right now, life has kind of leveled out. Going back to the USA would be more culture shock for me than ... well than waking up tomorrow and going through my day (I know more about the El Capo drama than what's happening on LOST)
Normality is relevant though. Each day is still amazingly diverse for me - brings lots of changes and unexpected events ... which is why I love it.
This month is bringing lots of leaps forward (after months of planning)... and of course, more planning...
- The grupo de jovenes in CEMOPLAF is meeting regularly and were planning/ starting some money generating projects... photos to come
- Organizing a tech trip to visit a Volunteer in the South of Ecuador who works with a group of women who do recycle paper ... and talking to my Foundation about starting a youth-run business :)
- Xi is getting married ... end of summer 2011 :)
- ALL OF THE TOYS are in Santo Domingo (de los Frios) and were starting to incorporate creative games, alternative learning styles and group work into their daily classes :) We started painting the room. PHOTOS.
- I'm teaching English classes.... the local WorldTeach program lost two of their volunteers (due to security reasons) with only one month left to go in the 9month program. So, they asked the gringa in town to teach. I love it!! Although, I did have to kick out two kids for cheating on their make-up test (they didn't pass the first one) ...
- My amazing sister and I are organizing book drives, libraries and reading programs ... OH MY!!
- Working with Soluciones Comunitarios, they provide products to people in the campo that solve a specific health problem (glasses, stoves, water purification, solar lamps). Their business model consists of training local women to be asesores (sellers/ promoters ... think Mary Kay, but in rural Ecuador, with different products). So, were currently training 4 women in the program - when finished they will have some health, business and self-esteem knowledge. Soluciones Comunitarios is also helping me out with a small business (women making Turron) I've been working with. End of the month they are bringing some inters to country who will work with the women in market understanding and market expansion. sweet.
- Profesora Judith's kids want a summer program ...
"All you are is what you have thought" - someone wiser than me
