Santiago's Children

I just finished up Santiago's Children. It is a book by Steve Reifenberg about his experiences in Chile living at an orphanage for two years. That is such a lame way to describe it, but you should just read it... I'll try again... it is an amazing book that takes the stories of the children and people he met and weaved it in with his insecurities about his future as well as the tumultuous political climate in Chile under Pinochet. A little better haha. I'll just some of the quotes speak for themselves.

"But I came to Chile, to Santiago, to the orphanage, and my objectivity, so stern and rational, had disappeared. Time after time people invited me into their homes and their families and gave me the best of what they had, generously,openly, with few expectations in return. Children threw their arms around my neck and needed me to tie their shoestrings or lift them up until they could touch the roof with their fingertips. There was a sense of belonging, an immediacy and urgency, the joy of a child on the first day of summer vacation when life was full of endless possibilities. I was needed and welcomed and taken in, and, yes, it was recaptured, that sense of belonging, but in a different, more complex way, with all the hardships of living with and loving so many people so intensely under one small roof...."

"What had changed the most was me. I had learned some things: that the world was a lot more complicated than I ever thought; that U.S. political decisions had reverberations in dramatic ways all over the world; that children were often incredibly resilient; and that interventions, especially when carried out with compassion and love, could make a difference. Finally, I learned to believe in the idea that maybe it was not a bad thing to have dreams, even if they sometimes fell short.”

The last part that I will share is something Reifenberg included in the book from Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rilke

One more semester down, DC style

Another semester is over... this one was spent in Washington D.C. I was part student (1 day a week) and part intern (4 days a week). I was an intern at Partners of the Americas, which is a non-profit organization with a vast network particularly in the western hemisphere that connects volunteers as well as carries out social development programs.My role in this organization was to work with the VP Matt, and Michelle in the communications office. The major focus of the semester was the Second World Summit for Youth Volunteering in Colombia. I provided support in the area of registrations and flights,as well as anything else that was needed. Through this role I was able to get to know some of the amazing youth in our international network. Obviously being at the office also allowed me to get to know the Partners staff, which is a dynamic, knowledgeable and welcoming team.

As far as D.C. in general goes, I fell in love with the city. There are beautiful neighborhoods to explore, lectures and events to attend, diversity, and a population that knows what is going on in the world. I spent every weekend trying something new and meeting more people. "Networking" is a big deal down here, but I didn't really see myself doing anything differently than I usually do, which is being somewhere new and getting to know the environment. One blessing that sticks out in particular was stumbling across Capital City Church. It is unlike any church that I have been to before, full of young professionals who aren't restrained in their passion and motivation for God. Some of those lovely people are below :)

It would take forever to write about all that I learned over these past 4 months. I will cut it off here, as I will be leaving the city soon to head home to these goofs

I will spend about 2 weeks at home before my next adventure-- back to Ecuador for a month!

For Cody

My friend Cody passed away this past Sunday, January 23rd in an accident in Ecuador. This is for him.

It must have been back in November when I first saw Cody Hankerd. I saw a tall blonde guy sitting at the fountain in the middle of the UEES campus, and I thought… hmmm. Definitely not Ecuadorean, but I have no idea who this is. I was excited that there were more international students though. I ended up meeting him not long after at a salsa class on campus. We went through the “hey nice to meet you where are from” etc, but didn’t talk much beyond that. A few nights after, I saw him and his friend Ramon, also a new international student, playing basketball. I was pumped because Ecuadoreans are all about fútbol, and not so much básquet. I asked Cody the next day how often they played, and if I could join. Being the gentleman that he is, it was no problem. From then on we met up a few nights every week for my last month to play. I brought my friend Ana Belen with me, and Cody and Ana ended up hitting it off pretty well. The three of us would spend the beautiful warm evenings after class playing out on the court. Some nights others would join; Juan, Ramon, Juanki, Victoria, Marcos, and even random people who wanted to play. Some nights it was just Ana, Cody and I, and a few times just Cody and I. We would talk about life back home, or what he could look forward to for his next months in Ecuador. I would give him some advice about Ecuador and when Ana was there she would help him with his Spanish. He didn’t know very much but he learned so quickly. Cody was a firefighter back in California, and got a scholarship of sorts to come study Spanish, which would in turn help him on the force. He would talk about his brother, who left for Afghanistan in December, and how proud he is of him. How hard it was not being there when he left. And of course being me I talked plenty, and he was a willing listener. I wish I had had more time down there, but I went home right before Christmas. We tried coordinating meeting up besides for basketball, but it never ended up working out. Our time together was spent on the courts. Those evenings were some of my favorites, so relaxing. From the month I had with Cody, I figured out that he was a really good guy. Trustworthy, motivated, patient, and loving his life in Ecuador. My heart goes out to his brother Sean, and his family.

Time to wrap it up

No he escrito en casi 4 meses… sorry. Estaba ocupadísima por allí. No puedo escribir todo que me pasó en octubre, noviembre y diciembre, pero elaboraré un poco. Al fin de Octubre terminé con el primer bimestre. Después tuvimos casi dos semanas de vacaciones! Primero, fui a Baños Ecuador con Bree, Belinda, Kristi, Clara, Sarah, Hayley, Andrea, Erik, Sou y Micheal. Era mi parte favorita de las vacaciones. Baños es un pueblo en las montañas donde puedes hacer cualquier deporte de aventura que deseas pero super barato. Un día fuimos a la Amazonía cerca de Puyo, y era increíble. Por $30 conseguimos un guía, fuimos a una reserva de monos, subimos por el bosque a una cascada, comimos un almuerzo típico, tuvimos un viaje por bote en un río, y disfrutamos con un “swing” loco. Al fin del día sentábamos en una montaña mirando sobre el río y un valle, una vista que quitó la respiración con la belleza y tranquilidad. Después de Baños, viajamos a Cuenca, pero sin los chicos y Andrea. Ella nos encontró allí un día después. Quedamos allí solo para una o dos noches, para descansar antes del viaje a Mancora Peru! Mancora es un pueblo de la playa, con el sol, las olas, los hostales baratos, y la relajación. Celebré mi cumpleaños el 31 de Octubre allí, y para el resto relajé con mis amigos, tomando el sol, nadando, “surfeando”… tranquilo. A veces había drama, pero así es la vida. Regresamos bronceados a Guayaquil para un bimestre de 6 semanas. Para las últimas semanas, pasé el tiempo con clases (Español y La Historia de la Cultura Ecuatoriana), la pasantía (pero solamente 2 días cada semana), jugando básquet, saliendo con mis amigos extranjeros y ecuatorianos, haciendo actividades voluntarias para la Navidad etc. Me fui el 23 de diciembre, y llegue a casa para la Navidad. Para el resto de mis aventures, miren a mis fotos por Factbook. =]

I have not written in almost 4 months… sorry. I was so busy there. I can’t write everything that happened to me in October, November and December, but I will elaborate a little. At the end of October I finished with my first bimester. After we had almost two weeks of vacation! First, I went to Baños Ecuador with Bree, Belinda, Kristi, Clara, Sarah, Hayley, Andrea, Erik, Sou and Micheal. It was my favorite part of the vacation. Baños is a small town in the mountains where you can do whatever extreme/adventure sports that you desire, and it is really cheap. One day we went to the Amazon near Puyo, and it was incredible. For $30 we got a guide, we went to a monkey reserve, we hiked through the forest to a waterfall, we ate a typical meal, we had a trip down a river in a canoe, and we had fun with a crazyyyy swing. At the end of the day we sat on a mountain looping over the river and a valley, a view that took the breath away with the beauty and tranquility. After Baños, we traveled to Cuenca, but without the boys and Andrea. She met us there a day after. We stayed there only for one or two nights, to rest before our trip to Mancora Peru! Mancora is a Beach town, with the sun, the waves, cheap hostels, and relaxation. I celebrated my birthday there the 31st of October, and for the rest of it I relaxed with my friends, tanning, swimming, and surfing. At times there was drama, but that’s life. We went back to Guayaquil tanned for one more bimester of 6 weeks. For the last weeks, I spent the time in class, at my internship (but only two days a week), playing basketball, going out with my friends both international and Ecuadorean, volunteering for Christmas activities etc. I left on the 23rd of December, and arrived home for Christmas. For the rest of my adventures, look a my photos on Facebook. And if you ever want to know anything about travel in Ecuador, let me know. You should definitely go! =]

Solamente un otro dia en Latinoamérica... ja!

No es posible escribir sobre todo que ha ocurrido desde mi ultimo blog. No puedo creer que es Octubre. Mis semanas han ido súper ocupadas. La pasantía saca mucha de mi energía y tiempo. Yo estoy enseñando 4 o 5 clases de francés con Jeanne, mi amiga de Francia. Yo ayudo, porque yo sé solamente un poquito francés. Los niños son adorables… por ejemplo, hoy uno de los chicos, de 6 o 7 anos, me dijo “Estas bonita, como una reina”. Algunos de los niños piensan que yo estoy una hippy porque de mis camisetas jaja. Hay algunos que aprenden rápidamente, y otros que no quieren prestar atención. Ser profesor es difícil.

En la tarde tengo mis clases de español, y Andean and Mercosur Markets (Comercio). En la clase de español, revisamos un poco, y también nuestra profesora nos enseña sobre las frases comunes aquí en Ecuador. Mi clase sobre comercio es en ingles, y mi profesor asistió la universidad de St. Rose en Albany NY! Yo estoy aprendiendo mucho sobre los países en Sudamérica, sobre su historia, presidentes etc. Yo estaré súper preparada para el modelo OEA, no puedo esperar. Después de mis clases, yo duermo porque de mis mañanas tempranas.

Hoy ha estado especial. Creo que todos saben sobre la situación en Ecuador. Jeanne, Hayley, Bree y yo estábamos a la pasantía cuando una de las profesoras nos dijo que la policía estaba en huelga. Yo no pensaba mucho sobre lo, pero pronto yo aprendía que ellos han bloqueado la puente entre Guayaquil y Samborondon. También no podíamos caminar en la ciudad porque sin la policía, hay mas robos, obviamente. Esperábamos hasta 2:30, cuando un coche llego para traernos a seguridad. Ahora, estoy en mi casa, mi fortaleza jaja. No puedo salir hasta es mas seguro. Si quieren saber mas sobre la situación aqui, Gooleala!

..... Translation!

It isn't possible to write all that has happened since my last blog. I can't believe it is October. My weeks have been super busy. The internship takes a lot of my time and energy. I am teaching 4 or 5 French classes a day with Jeanne, my friend from France. I help, because I only know a little French. The kids a aodorable... for example today one of the boys, 6 or 7 years old, told me "You are pretty, like a queen". Some of the kids think I am a hippy because of my clothes haha. There are some that learn quickly, and other that don't want to pay attention. Being a teaching is difficult.

In the afternoon I have my classes, Spanish and Andean and Mercpsur Markets. In Spanish class, we review a little, and also our teacher teaches us about common phrases here in Ecuador. My trade class is in English, my teacher attended St Rose University in Albany NY! I am learning so much in the class about South American countries, about their history, presidents etc. I will be very prepared for the Model OAS, I can't wait. After my classes, I sleep because of my early mornings.

Today has been special. I think that everybody knows about the situation in Ecuador. Jeanne, Hayley, Bree and I were at our internship when one of the teachers told us that the police were on strike. I didn't think that much of it, but soon I learned that they had blocked the bridge between Guayaquil and Samborondon, which is the suburb where I live. Also, we couldn't walk in the city because without police, there are more robberies, obviously. We waited until 2:30, when a car arrived to bring us to safety. Now I am at my house, my fortress haha. I can't really leave until it is safer. If you want to know more about the situation here, google it!

Also, we went to Cuenca this past weekend. It was amazing! There are pictures on facebook, go check them out =))

Lo siento

I have been really bad at updating this/ keeping in touch with everyone... I am sorry. I deactivated my facebook for the time being so I can get 1 paper, 2 tests, and 2 presentations out of the way this coming week. The internet at my house has been down due to construction so I haven't even been able to do my homework. I am mildly freaking out. I am on campus with Shelby, who needs wireless as well. Nobody is here, seeing that it is Sunday, and we have to sit outside because nothing is open... but at least there is internet. And it is a lovely day to be outside anyway. So, apologies for lack of communicating, after this week, I will be able to breathe again. Until then, time to work!

Procrastination

Well, I should be doing homework right now. Yes, on a Friday night. I spent the day out and about, so now I have a lot to get done before the weekend. We were supposed to go to Baños this weekend, but we had a cultural seminar this morning about the ecology of Ecuador. We decided there wasn't enough time for the trip this weekend. Anyway, the seminar was quite interesting. Ecuador has found a unique way to deal with the environment. European nations, and hopefully others, will be giving Ecuador $$ to not drill for oil in Yasuni National Park, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, "one of the most biodiverse sites on earth". (http://www.lapress.org/articles.asp?item=1&art=6189) There is more to it than that, and you can read a short article about it in LatinamericaPress.

After the seminar, Clara, Kristi, Belinda and I went to do some shopping, eat out and get massages (they were so cheap and amazing!!) as recovery after our long week. We were out for a long time, and after that Bel and I went swimming in her lovely resort like pool (she lives in the Urbanizacion across from me). Now I am "doing homework", which so far has consisted of doing my Spanish homework, skyping with Jess, and blogging.

I decided to do Las Olympiadas, which are bimester long sporting events. They are every weekend, and Bel and I are going to play basketball! We find out how it works tomorrow morning. I think we will be put on teams because there are not enough international girls to make our own basketball team. I haven't played in so long, but I miss it a lot and I figure it is a good way to stay in shape. After that, we will be meeting everyone else 3 hours away in Montañita, a BEACH TOWN! I can't wait! We are staying there tomorrow night.

I should try to get more homework done tonight, so, that is all for now. Sorry I didn't do this in Spanish as well. Also, I keep meaning to write more about Ecuador itself, the people, the culture etc... soon I will! Another thing, as a side note, my family is wonderful! Sussy (self proclaimed Super Sussy, when I exclaimed over her wealth of knowledge about Ecuador) has information about everything and everywhere, which has come in handy countless times already. I don't get to see Wendy as much, as she is on call at the hospital. But I have had fun with her when I do, so I wish I did more! Shelby always has to drive me to or from school, but since he takes classes as well, I don't think he minds. We bonded over SNL videos the other night haha. My host parents are lovely as well.

Ok, buenas!! =)