Rush towards the R&R!

The lovely thing about weekends in my new world? Relaxation.
After years of stuffing every moment of my life full of events and chores and extra things to do, it's wonderful to have Saturdays that can consist of nothing more than laundry, dishes, and homework. Well, and perhaps watching a football game.

We had a full week of lessons and current PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) coming through to relay wisdom and advice to us. It was nice to have some people currently on the ground in our future jobs/similar jobs giving us their insider advice and encouragement. Despite me still feeling vastly underprepared for this experience, I'm feeling better after having them chat with us. I'm primarily concerned with integrating into my community - I do awkward very well, so I have this feeling that my skills shall be used a lot in the coming months.

Next week we are finally going to be able to see some more of Ecuador! We have two 'Tech Trips' during our training, which take us to different parts of the country to learn more about the culture and possible projects that we'll be working on. This week, we stay in the Sierra region of the country, but go further north to see several new regions. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I am excited! Just getting out there and seeing something new will be delightful. And in a couple of weeks? We get to go to the coast region - I'm stoked. At this point, I'm hoping they'll assign me to a post in the coastal province, but we'll see how that works out.

The frustrating thing about our training layout is that they don't tell us our sites (ie, where each of us is going to be assigned) until several weeks into training - 5 or 6 for us. Though this is done so that they can evaluate where each of us would fit best, it's infuriating to have no idea where I'm going to end up. I just want to know! I don't think I'll be able to really process that I'm staying here until I get that assignment and do the site visit.

In the meantime, more integration here, more work here, and more relaxation on the weekends. Yesterday, our language facilitators took us to markets to learn about different produce and how to chat/barter with the market folks. We found a lot of cool things, and got to have ceviche for lunch - so far, I have not died of food poisoning, so that's a plus. Our group also got to wander around Quito for a couple of hours - I like it better after having seen more than the buses, though I'm thinking that a post in the campo (ie, countryside) might be a better fit for me than a city posting. Life lesson: Never buy a bunch of blackberries and strawberries before getting on the city buses - you'll have marmalade before getting home!

For anyone interested in contacting me, I love, love, *love* letters - they cost almost $4 to send from Ecuador, meaning that my outgoing post will be less than I'd planned, but I'm a fan of incoming!
Also, the way that cell phones work in Ecuador is that incoming calls are free, while outgoing cost. Loophole - this includes incoming calls from other countries! So if anyone is interested in paying an arm and a leg to hear my voice, you are welcome to give me a call! Just set it up ahead of time, so that I can be sure to be available to talk to you. The number you'd need to call is as follows:

011-593-9-09-80410262

(I'm pretty sure that is correct - the 09 may not be necessary, but we'll figure that out as we go.)

I've also got Skype set up, so feel free to ping me on there to chat!

One down, eleven to go

Well, we've made it through our first week of being actual PeaceCorps Trainees.

If I can take anything away from the last seven days, it is that I will be learning more over the coming eleven weeks than I realized would be possible.
We are being given a HUGE amount of information, regarding cultural adaptation, language, safety, health, and technical training. Broken down, we will be attending 450 hours of training over the course of 12 weeks (37.5hr/wk, plus our cultural immersion - ie, living with locals), all of which are pounding information into our little heads. For the most part, everyone is taking the brain-squishing in good humor - it's obvious that we're all stressed out, but I think we'll get along just fine.

This past Wednesday we were taken into Quito to pick up our phones and visit immigration. The multiple hours on cram-packed buses was certainly a cultural experience - we were warned that it would be crowded beforehand, and there was no exaggeration! We all, however, managed to make it back without a major incident, which I consider a win. After being out near Tumbaco for a week, the city seemed HUGE, though I think it's technically smaller than metro Atlanta.

Our training is taking place in the Sierra region of Ecuador, which is the highland/Andes region of the country. Our town is in a valley, but surrounded by absolutely beautiful mountains - none of them are incredibly high, but all of them are breathtaking. Over the next few weeks, I hope that a group of volunteers and myself can go walking up some of them! During training, we will also have the opportunity to visit the coast region - I'm looking forward to some hot temperatures again!

My host family is lovely - they're being very kind and attentive, and are generally more worried about me than most parents would be about their own kids. My host dad doesn't chat much, but my host mother, Victoria, and her sister Maria, make up for that. They're very patient with my Spanish (thank heavens), and are even being lovely about my inability to eat the sheer amount of food that is piled onto my plate at every meal. I've learned to make it into the kitchen just a bit before the dishing happens, to lessen the amount of food that ends up on my plate. That being said, the food here is delicious. If it weren't for the desire to make a concerted effort to stay fit/tone la cuerpa, I'd be the shape of a blueberry before too long!

For whatever reason, I'm still coasting in the 'feeling like a holiday' state of mind. Though I'm aware that I'll be here for two years and that the main challenges have yet to really begin, it hasn't hit me yet. I expect that some tears and ice cream shall become a part of my coping mechanism when it does, but for now we're working through everything slowly.

Surviving the first Weekend in a strange, new World

Over the course of the weekend, it was delightful to see a bit more of the town, courtesy of my host-family, and to run into one or two other volunteers. I have no idea if it was just me, or all of us, but when I saw other volunteers my brain began screaming 'FAMILYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!' I'm pretty sure this is the first step in me becoming a true PCV: an unhealthy attachment to other volunteers as a safety net in my host country.

I attended Mass with my host mum on Sunday morning (6:30am is still way earlier than I like to be anywhere), and then she, her son, sister, niece and I all drove into town in his Taxi and went grocery shopping. After returning, we relaxed for most of the day. A lovely lazy Sunday. My host-family has also decided that 'Melinda' is just too difficult to remember at this juncture, so they're calling me 'Linda' now. Apparently, this weirds my mother out a little, but I think it's precious.

Update on the family dynamics:
It turns out that the local dialect for 'Tia' is 'Nena' (with both n's being pronounced like the Spanish n-ye), so all of the folks I met were my host-mum's siblings. I feel better, given that it wasn't Spanish that I misunderstood, but Kichwa.


Monday morning felt like the first day of school - my host mum was kind enough to walk me to school (holding my hand most of the way left the first-day-of-school impression), and upon arrival it felt like I hadn't seen anyone in a decade. We all seemed pretty happy to be back together, despite only having met last week. Again, I guess this is what they mean about us becoming a very odd family of sorts.

I took my language test this afternoon, and was assigned to Intermedio Alto.
Basically, we have four tiers of language proficiency; Beginner, Intermediate, Advance, Fluent. The first three classes have sub-groups, of Low (Bajo), Medium (Medio), and High (Alto), and once you hit fluent, they just don't bother with assigning sub-groups. The sub-groups help them determine where we are in each level, and what our learning needs are. I landed right where I expected to be.
In terms of my test, everything that I already knew I had trouble with is what I was told to work on. I'm annoyed that I choked up several times during my interview on trivial vocabulary, but c'est la vie. I'll just dive on in and see if I can drag my language skills up a notch or two before leaving for my assignment.

Our daily schedule is still a bit fluid, but most folks have been sorted into the language classes they need, and we're still being drilled on various aspects of safety and health. Overall, the sessions may be a bit tedious to sit through, but it's excellent and very important information for our self-care. Our two-hour lecture on diarrhea, however, just seemed... over the top.

Winning question of the day: "Can you describe mucus?" - Alex

Whatever else I gain out of this experience, my co-volunteers are smashing.

The first foray into my life in Ecuador

Well, I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one reading this who spent her Saturday evening dancing to a Mariachi Band in Ecuador.
Alright, maybe that's a little out of context, so let's back up a step.

Saturday, all of the PeaceCorps Ecuador trainees met their host families, with whom we'll be living for the next three months. Needless to say, we'd all been a bit nervous about leaving the country, but I am pretty sure that all of the volunteers would agree that the most nerve-wracking thought thus far has been meeting our host families. This is a short-term family, so it's perhaps a little less intimidating than the next leg (which will be six months to two years, depending on the situation), but nonetheless, it was arrhythmia inducing.

After giving us an incredibly in-depth rundown of what to expect, all of the volunteers were lined up on one side of the courtyard, and the families on the other. Our intrepid leader then began to call out names: first the 'Aspirante', as the volunteers are called, and then the host families' names. We'd meet in the middle, and then go grab our luggage.
I was called towards the beginning of the roster, so I didn't see most of the families meet their volunteers.

The lovely ladies who brought me home, Ms.Victoria and her sister(in-law?), live very close to the training center. I'll get to walk about 1/2 mile each morning and evening - I'm excited. I think I'm probably living closer than anyone else, so maybe less time for socializing, but I need to dive into this immersion thing.

Anyway, they live in a charming house within a compound - I can't quite figure out what the exact family situation is, but from what I understand, the following is the setup:
Victoria, Husband, Son, myself - 1 house
Victoria's Sister(in-law), Husband, Daughter, and Son - 1 house
Victoria's Mother and Husband - 1 house

All of the casitas are in a little compound, with several chickens, a piedra de lavar (hand-washing stone), a pig-pen, garden, and lots of room for the resident stray dogs and cats to roam.

I'm absolutely stoked - we have a hot-water shower, a hand-washing stone basin, wifi, and generally super-friendly folks. Pretty much everything a girl could want - and exactly what I was (selfishly) praying for. Seriously, spoiled with wifi. I know there are going to be hiccups and miscommunications, and several more-than-awkward moments, but I want to learn!


Upon my arrival, my lovely hostess informed me that it's her mother's birthday today, so they were grilling a HUGE dinner for the 12 of us (including some out-of-town relatives). Victoria's husband and son were still working, or working out of town (also unclear to this Gringa), but it was fun to have a bunch of out-of-town family to meet.

Lots of grilling (both of chicken and the Gringa about her lack-of-boyfriend situation), followed by soup with chicken (enough to be more than a full meal for me). Once they'd cleared away the soup and given speeches thanking the mother for being such a wonderful lady, a mariachi band came in and sang several songs for them. The first one was just for the guests of honor, but then they were insistent that everyone dance, so ... long-story short, I was dancing to mariachi. To those who have known me for a while, breathe normally - it's still me, but new continents demand a change in being mortifyingly shy.

After the band left, another course was served, which was about 3 times as much as I usually can get down in a meal... I've got leftovers for Monday lunch! They were very gracious about me not being able to cram down as much as I was offered. I am going to *have* to take up jogging as soon as it is physically possible. I should see if any other volunteers would be down for joining me, so as not to run alone and break all of the rules.

For the final result of the evening, I've been informed that I need to learn to dance more, drink more, and eat more.
Cultural immerson, y'all.

As I'm writing this, the party is still going on out there with a lot of raucous dancing and laughter.
It's been a tough three days, and I have this feeling that the next three months are going to be really, really challenging, but I'm looking forward to it.

I still have no idea why life has funneled me in this direction, but I hope that my learning will be good for me, and will equip me to help someone out, no matter who that is.

Communication while I'm Away

Hey Guys,

So, I've been asked a bazillion times about communication while I am down in Ecuador - this is what I was given by the PeaceCorps for family members. This is pretty general, but should give you an idea of what my ability to chat with you will look like.

Now, for the first week, just assume that I won't have access to internet - that is their 'blackout' period. I may well be able to access the webs within a day, or it may be a week or two - I simply can't know that until I'm there. 
I will also not be moving to my permanent address until mid- to late-August, so I will update you all again when I have a different address.

I would love to hear from everyone, be it via email, Facebook message, or by letter. I *love* writing and receiving letters and post-cards, so as I am able, I will try to keep up with writing those, but again, the ability for me to write frequently is a complete unknown to me right now.

If (heaven forbid) there is an emergency, and you need to get ahold of me ASAP - it is best to go through my parents. It'll create less of a hassle for the PC to handle calls from them, as opposed to my amazing friend #8. If you do not have their contact information, mum is on Facebook now, and you can reach out to her for a phone number there, if you need. If you would like to have it preemptively, message me on Facebook or shoot me an email, and I'll confirm that she's ok with me passing it out.

Alright - I think that's most everything! Peruse the following letter, if you are so inclined, and that's the information on contacting me! <3



Communicating with your Peace Corps Volunteer while overseas
March 2013
Dear Friends & Families,
Greetings from the Ecuador Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to the Peace Corps family. We receive many questions from Volunteers and family members regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages, mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest handling them.

1. Written Communication. 
The mail service in Ecuador is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service; thus, it is important to be patient. It can take about 4 weeks for mail coming from Ecuador to arrive in the United States via the Ecuadorian postal system.
We suggest that in the first few letters sent, the Volunteer family member give an estimate of how long it takes to receive the letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often the volunteer will write. (Also keep in mind that written correspondence sometimes wanes as the Volunteer’s service progresses.) Try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if one has been missed. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!
Volunteers often enjoy telling their most humorous or extreme stories when they write home. This is one of the exciting and adventurous elements of serving as a Volunteer. Anecdotes in letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, transportation challenges, etc. While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted or exaggerated on the home front.
There is a Peace Corps medical officer at the Peace Corps office in Ecuador. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer is cared for by our medical staff. If Volunteers require medical care that is not available in Ecuador they are medically evacuated to either Panama or the United States. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances.
If for some reason your normal communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for an abnormal amount of time, you may want to contact the Counseling and Outreach Unit (COU) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call COU immediately, so that we can inform the Volunteer. This number is available 24 hours a day. Tell the operator your name, telephone number, and the nature of the emergency and the Duty Officer will return your call.
Dear Prospective Volunteer: Please give this letter to your family and ask them
to hold on to it for as long as you are in Ecuador.

2. Telephone Calls. 
The telephone service in Ecuador is relatively good and service in and out of Ecuador to the United States is mostly reliable—however, it may be pricey! During training, your Trainee may have scarce access to email, but some of the host training families may have phones either in their homes or at a nearby location. Your family member will communicate what that phone number may be to you.
During their service, access to email should be available—albeit not necessarily at all times. They will also be able to inform you of their telephone number once they arrive at their permanent sites in the country.
The Ecuador Desk maintains regular contact with the Peace Corps office in Ecuador through phone calls and email. However, these communications are reserved for business only and cannot be used to relay personal messages. All communication between family members and the Volunteer should be done via international mail, email, or personal phone calls, unless of course there is an emergency and you cannot reach your family member.

3. Sending packages. 
Family and friends like to send care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. You may use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member until he/she has informed you of a different address:
Melinda Ellington PCT 
Cuerpo de Paz
Casilla 17-08-8624
Quito, Ecuador

NOTE: If you are awesome and send a package, please do not send anything weighing over 4lb. And please refrain from declaring value, if possible, as this leads to insane tariff taxes (ie, the first step is almost $200).

It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed and opened more frequently.
We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador. We understand how frustrating it is to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline. Please feel free to contact me at the Ecuador Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. My phone numbers are 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2525 or 202-692-2525.
Sincerely,
Ella Ewart
Country Desk Officer
Ecuador and Colombia

Roadtrip Summary

So, it's nigh impossible to sum up (heck, even remember) all of the awesome things I was able to experience over the past month, while driving around the USA. I saw amazing sites, and appreciate the beauty of this continent infinitely more now. It's cheesy, but true.
I've listed a few points that give the barebones of my experience - for the stories, find me and ask - I could talk about them for months... I loved seeing new places and old friends, and meeting new ones. I have the WanderLust, and this was a good preparation for my upcoming move. Thank you to everyone who helped me out and supported me, and made this trip possible! <3

Days Traveled: 27 (April 7 - May 3)

Total Miles Driven: 7377.3 miles 

Total Flown: 12850 miles

Total Bus: 296 miles

Total Train: 365.8 miles

Total Miles Traveled: ~20,889 miles (including inter-city flights, trains, buses; not including travel within cities while exploring)

Modes of Transportation: Car, Train, Bus, Bike, Plane, Taxi, Feet

Number of States Traversed: 19  - Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia

Other countries visited: 2 - South Korea, Canada (not counting Japan, as I didn't leave the airport)

World Heritage Sites visited: 4 (Gyeongju, SK; Gyeongbok Palace, SK; Chaco Culture National Historic Preservation, NM; Grand Canyon, AZ)

Campsites: 3

Motels (ie, foiled camping..): 5

Hostels: 2

Friends visited: 13

National/State Parks passed: Countless

Wildfires passed: 2

Number of states' license plates not seen: 12

Litres of coffee consumed: Countless

Best Coffee: Vivace in Seattle

Regrets: Passing Monument Valley and Yellowstone, not visiting the DMZ (though it's not a huge regret - just something that'll be difficult to do in the future), not visiting several other people I wished to see.

Worst drivers: Southeast (anything from Arkansas southeast was just unfortunate)

Most polite drivers: Oregon, Kansas

Biggest Snaffoo: Being re-routed through Japan on my way to South Korea

Geekiest Moment: Freaking out when I realized that I was driving through Ponderosa Valley

Most un-Melinda experience: Going to a club in Seoul - that was a thing that happened.

Scariest experience: Going to Gyeongju, South Korea, on my own for a day trip, and then trying to get back to Daegu... turns out you can ride on a single in-city bus for 2 hours before the route ends.