So, I need to take pictures of my jogging route at some point.
I run right at sun up (or a little after) along a mountain road that runs from my town, Chaguarpamba, over to the next, Olmedo. This route is very rural and winding, with a house or two strewn every half kilometer or so, and a goodly amount of traffic, so as to make it safe for me to run alone (as I prefer doing).
The mornings here usually consist of several phases - overnight, clouds build up in the valley, and around 5am wind comes through and start shifting them about - the clouds remind me a lot of whipped cream at that hour, and right as dawn is starting to creep over the most distant mountains we can see, the clouds are being pushed up the mountain, covering us in fog, and falling back down in a beautiful "whipping the butter" sort of formation.
Dawn comes about and the clouds in the upper half of the valley dissipate around 6:30am, giving us a beautiful, clear sunrise. This leaves the bottom half of the valley hidden, looking like a bowl of risalamande (Google it, if you don't already know what that is) - that's usually when I'm out on the road. Over the course of the next hour, those lower clouds dissipate, and the whole valley gradually fills up with sunshine.
I've only done it a few times, but it's just so incredibly beautiful to run on that road. From the border of Chaguarpamba, it's approximately 11.5 km to Olmedo, which is the perfect distance for my half marathon training - the goal at the end of these two years is to be able to jog/run a 1/2 marathon sin pausa. We'll see how that goes! Right now, 5 km (2.5 out and 2.5 back) is my starter distance, and I'm enjoying it. Because the road runs along the edge of the valley, for at least the first 3 km you can see how far you've actually gone - once I get as far out as I'm planning each morning, I am both proud and distressed about how far I've got to jog home!
Dodging cow droppings and the occasional angry dog is pretty standard on that route. The confused looks I get from the locals as I gasp and sweat... I mean triumphantly jog past their houses amuse me - hopefully over the next two years, I'll get more smiles and good morning wishes in return for mine.
This morning, for a good 20 yards of my run a flock of bright yellow birds that look a bit like large sparrows were flying just ahead of me - fluffing up, resettling, seeing that I was still running towards them and moving another 5 feet further up the road. They were all watching me curiously, but didn't seem to be afraid at all - it was pretty awesome. Reminds me of the time in Acworth when I was running through the woods and a herd of about 15 deer were running in the woods alongside my path, keeping pace with me - it felt very Pocahontas. [insert obligatory 'Colors of the Wind' break]
Another little bird, a fat, brown, sparrow-ish creature also made an appearance along the road - he flew out of some bushes and decided to land on a very long stalk of grass - sadly, it wouldn't bear his weight and cartoonishly bowed down to the ground almost immediately. Realizing that he was too fat for the grass, the bird decided to try... another long blade of grass... and then another. After a few rounds, he settled back onto the fence and watched me run past. That was one of the single most precious things I've seen while I've been here. Watch out, Aurora - my love for naps and list of cute-critter stories may overtake your title in the next two years!
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
A day in the early life of a PeaceCorps Volunteer
It's not every day that you can see a nun in full habit, wearing a baseball cap, driving a beat-up old truck and getting it stuck sideways in the street while failing to execute a 3-point turn... well actually, it's every day for me.
Chaguarpamba has many quirks and intersecting lives that I'm only barely beginning to scratch the surface of. I'm still in the process of trying to meet people, get to know the area and culture, figure out how I can fit in (Read: stand out) here. I've bumped into dozens of youth, and kind of know the family of my counterpart and host family, but networking is going incredibly slowly apart from that. Some of the shopkeepers know me now, and a couple of random people, but introductions by my organization members isn't something they really do. In the next few weeks, I'll be going to visit all of the families of my youth group, so that'll skyrocket the number of people I know - until then, daily walks and brief "How ya doin'" conversations will have to do.
I went to my first Red Cross events the other day, which ended up being two long First Aid courses for local teachers. It was fascinating to have all of this information repeated in Spanish (I probably could have given a good 75% of the presentation without notes, but only in English...). The side-tracking conversation-starting was starting to drive me nuts, but I hear that's pretty common here. Something to get used to, I guess. I've gotten on the schedule to do charlas with one of the regional high schools in the next couple of weeks, in collaboration with the Catamayo police. They'll be addressing drug and alcohol abuse issues, while I'll be working with the consequences of sex (it's a catholic school, so contraception isn't really an option). From what projected plans look like, I'll be doing the same and/or more for two more high schools over September and October, and then coordinating a full school-year worth of efforts with the Catamayo police for 2015, depending on the results of the surveys at each of the schools. BOOM - some sort of project set up! It's going to be tough to figure out how to mobilize the women and girls in the community, as they tend to be pretty housebound in the local culture, but I'll do what I can! I have two years to figure it out. I've got two years, so no worries.
On my way back to town from one of the Red Cross charlas the other day, I had a great moment of realization. We were all hot and sweaty, gross, tired, and pretty hungry. We jumped into a chiva full of school kids, and rode through the Ecuadorian mountains for about 25 minutes. It's amazing what having a vehicle full of arguing and giggling kids can do for your mood, while having the wind comb your hair and dry your sweat. Once the majority of them were off and we were just sitting quietly and enjoying a bit of a rest, it struck me that I'm actually here!
I'm a PeaceCorps volunteer!
I'm living in Ecuador!
I'm tired, I'm scared stiff, overwhelmed by language and culture differences, and so very excited about it. If nothing else, this is showing me some of the limits I didn't know I possessed, and presenting me with a lot of very real and very important growth opportunities that I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else.
There have been so many instances in which I've wanted to thrown in the towel and just not deal with all of this hard work - find something comfortable, something easy, something I know I can do. But then I think, why? Completely apart from really having drunk the KoolAid on the PeaceCorps mission, I want to grow. Whatever I was missing in the states, whatever I wasn't finding in my life there, I'm being pushed towards it here. Complacency and boredom in worklife aren't for me - and I'm pretty positive that I won't have the option of that here.
Chaguarpamba has many quirks and intersecting lives that I'm only barely beginning to scratch the surface of. I'm still in the process of trying to meet people, get to know the area and culture, figure out how I can fit in (Read: stand out) here. I've bumped into dozens of youth, and kind of know the family of my counterpart and host family, but networking is going incredibly slowly apart from that. Some of the shopkeepers know me now, and a couple of random people, but introductions by my organization members isn't something they really do. In the next few weeks, I'll be going to visit all of the families of my youth group, so that'll skyrocket the number of people I know - until then, daily walks and brief "How ya doin'" conversations will have to do.
I went to my first Red Cross events the other day, which ended up being two long First Aid courses for local teachers. It was fascinating to have all of this information repeated in Spanish (I probably could have given a good 75% of the presentation without notes, but only in English...). The side-tracking conversation-starting was starting to drive me nuts, but I hear that's pretty common here. Something to get used to, I guess. I've gotten on the schedule to do charlas with one of the regional high schools in the next couple of weeks, in collaboration with the Catamayo police. They'll be addressing drug and alcohol abuse issues, while I'll be working with the consequences of sex (it's a catholic school, so contraception isn't really an option). From what projected plans look like, I'll be doing the same and/or more for two more high schools over September and October, and then coordinating a full school-year worth of efforts with the Catamayo police for 2015, depending on the results of the surveys at each of the schools. BOOM - some sort of project set up! It's going to be tough to figure out how to mobilize the women and girls in the community, as they tend to be pretty housebound in the local culture, but I'll do what I can! I have two years to figure it out. I've got two years, so no worries.
 |
| Need a schoolbus in rural Ecuador? Grab a chiva! Picture found online. |
I'm a PeaceCorps volunteer!
I'm living in Ecuador!
I'm tired, I'm scared stiff, overwhelmed by language and culture differences, and so very excited about it. If nothing else, this is showing me some of the limits I didn't know I possessed, and presenting me with a lot of very real and very important growth opportunities that I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else.
There have been so many instances in which I've wanted to thrown in the towel and just not deal with all of this hard work - find something comfortable, something easy, something I know I can do. But then I think, why? Completely apart from really having drunk the KoolAid on the PeaceCorps mission, I want to grow. Whatever I was missing in the states, whatever I wasn't finding in my life there, I'm being pushed towards it here. Complacency and boredom in worklife aren't for me - and I'm pretty positive that I won't have the option of that here.
Friday, August 8, 2014
A nutsy couple of weeks to close out PST
Where oh where to begin? It's been an intense couple of weeks, with a ton of roller-coaster emtions, so I'm going to try and catch you up briefly without mentioning each and every little thing... here we go!
First off, I got to do the tourist thing in Quito! We visited several museums, several gorgeous churches, including the Gothic Basilica and La Compania church (reputedly the most beautiful in all of South America). The lovely SJs and I took the tourist-y double-decker bus around Quito on our last weekend in town. Though I usually avoid those types of things, I very much enjoyed being able to see a lot more of the city, including the modern art museum. There was a stupendous alternate-reality exhibit called 'Améxica', which explored what the world would have looked like if manifest destiny had occurred in the opposite direction (ie, Incas and Aztecs conquering Europe). Just well drawn and fun to see.
Among other things that have crossed my path, I've gotten a couple of news-es (just go with it - my language addled brain wants to say it) from home that have just been keeping me on an emotional cliff the past few weeks. My grandfather had a stroke several weeks ago, and is finally home, but due to the severity of the stroke and having rather advanced Parkinsons, he's having a really tough time with recovery. My grandmother is also having a difficult time adjusting to it, so I've been worried about them a lot (thus, to anyone at PST who I snapped at or was just not helpful to, I'm sorry...).
I also found out a couple of hours before leaving for my site that a close family member is probably going to have to have cardiac valve-replacement surgery within the next couple of months. Even if my travel companions could tell something was wrong, I'm pretty sure I kept it together better than I expected I would. So far, it's unclear how this situation will unfold, but we'll find out for sure towards the end of the month exactly what's going to have to happen.Overall, I didn't want something to make me want to go home, so if someone notices me being self-pitying the next few weeks, tell me to buck-up, lock it up, and go for a run. Jogging is better than peanut butter (or so I've been told).
To all of you who have listened to me vent, or have lent me a shoulder to cry on (in person or e-shoulders), you are vastly appreciated. I couldn't have survived the past few weeks without you.
On a brighter note, as many of you have seen, I am officially a PeaceCorps volunteer now! We had our swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, which was fun to attend. A lot of families came out to watch us graduate, and several of my co-volunteers gave absolutely smashing speeches. Overall, after three months of exhausting training, it was really motivating to launch us into our new worlds. I'm still sad about leaving my buddies, but the next two years are going to rock, I'm certain of it!
Though my site is very, very, VERY far away (due to some hiccups, it took over 22 hours to get here), it's gorgeous. The people are a little leery of the strange gringa wandering around, but those to whom I have spoken have been friendly and interested, so I'm hoping my novelty status helps me through the awkward. As soon as I have some time, I'll take pictures. My new host family is lovely, and though it'll take time to get used to one another, I think I'll really enjoy living with them. My counterpart invited me to her coffee shop/plantation last night to have dinner and to see their home - also beautiful! I was unfortunately not able to join her to learn about her roasting process this morning, due to more-serious-than-I-realized dehydration catching me unawares, but she's promised to have me over soon.
The next couple of weeks are jam-packed with work and meetings and learning - I'll be a sleepy Melly, but luckily I live deep in coffee country, so I'll have something to help me combat the weariness!
As far as updates go, I know I've missed a lot of fun things. My fellow trainees and I spent a fair amount of time hanging out before heading to our new sites over the past few weeks, which was delightful. Our training staff spent a lot of time making sure that we knew we were appreciated, as well as mentally preparing us for site, which has been magnificent. My friends and family at home have been spectacularly supportive and encouraging over the past few weeks. It was hard to say goodbye to my host family in Collaqui, but they were also encouraging and made sure to see me off with many warm fuzzies.
All of this combined? I'm ready to launch into an incredibly intimidating (from this end) two years of service with the PeaceCorps. It'll be tough, fun, and life-changing. Let's do this!
First off, I got to do the tourist thing in Quito! We visited several museums, several gorgeous churches, including the Gothic Basilica and La Compania church (reputedly the most beautiful in all of South America). The lovely SJs and I took the tourist-y double-decker bus around Quito on our last weekend in town. Though I usually avoid those types of things, I very much enjoyed being able to see a lot more of the city, including the modern art museum. There was a stupendous alternate-reality exhibit called 'Améxica', which explored what the world would have looked like if manifest destiny had occurred in the opposite direction (ie, Incas and Aztecs conquering Europe). Just well drawn and fun to see.
 |
| La Compania church in Quito. Nope, I didn't take this, but isn't it GLORIOUS? Almost anything yellow is gold-leaf. |
I also found out a couple of hours before leaving for my site that a close family member is probably going to have to have cardiac valve-replacement surgery within the next couple of months. Even if my travel companions could tell something was wrong, I'm pretty sure I kept it together better than I expected I would. So far, it's unclear how this situation will unfold, but we'll find out for sure towards the end of the month exactly what's going to have to happen.Overall, I didn't want something to make me want to go home, so if someone notices me being self-pitying the next few weeks, tell me to buck-up, lock it up, and go for a run. Jogging is better than peanut butter (or so I've been told).
To all of you who have listened to me vent, or have lent me a shoulder to cry on (in person or e-shoulders), you are vastly appreciated. I couldn't have survived the past few weeks without you.
On a brighter note, as many of you have seen, I am officially a PeaceCorps volunteer now! We had our swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, which was fun to attend. A lot of families came out to watch us graduate, and several of my co-volunteers gave absolutely smashing speeches. Overall, after three months of exhausting training, it was really motivating to launch us into our new worlds. I'm still sad about leaving my buddies, but the next two years are going to rock, I'm certain of it!
 |
| America and Ecuador - the crossing of my two new worlds! |
The next couple of weeks are jam-packed with work and meetings and learning - I'll be a sleepy Melly, but luckily I live deep in coffee country, so I'll have something to help me combat the weariness!
As far as updates go, I know I've missed a lot of fun things. My fellow trainees and I spent a fair amount of time hanging out before heading to our new sites over the past few weeks, which was delightful. Our training staff spent a lot of time making sure that we knew we were appreciated, as well as mentally preparing us for site, which has been magnificent. My friends and family at home have been spectacularly supportive and encouraging over the past few weeks. It was hard to say goodbye to my host family in Collaqui, but they were also encouraging and made sure to see me off with many warm fuzzies.
All of this combined? I'm ready to launch into an incredibly intimidating (from this end) two years of service with the PeaceCorps. It'll be tough, fun, and life-changing. Let's do this!
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