No Rainbow without Rain

As you know, I was sick for a bit and then, of course, there was the frightening thought of a cranky canine looming over me so I hadn't been back to the park in quite awhile. I'm feeling better and I've got that post-sick boom of energy, probably a product of cabin fever as well, and I was ready to start moving again. I decided I needed a run.

Needless to say, I was not thrilled about having to pass by the same place where the dog was, but it's really the only place in my site where I feel safe running alone. I was also really tired from working with a gaggle of crazy 6 year-old's today (more on this later), but I knew this would be good for me.

So I put on my metaphorical big girl undies and my baggy comfy pants (to draw less attention), puffed out my chest, and started my 10 minute walk to the park, reminding myself I can be a bad bitch if I put my mind to it. (Not really, but I can try.)

I had walked just one block when I ran into an old neighbor I absolutely love, whom I haven't seen in ages and she stopped to walk with me for part of the way so we could catch up. She said I seem more tranquila now, more comfortable here, which is true but not necessarily the best timing since I still had that perro bravo on my mind. We parted ways and I puffed back up, telling myself not to be afraid, mostly because I know they can smell it.

I made it to the park intact, no chunks missing from this big booty today, and when I got there and started to run, I passed by a small group of kids working out together, some kind of running team and immediately started hearing whispers of "Chelsea" "Teacher" and little girls smiling shyly at me. I smiled and kept on running. When I got to the back end of the park, I looked through the patch of trees only to find a view of, I shit you not, a rainbow over a volcano. Obviously I don't carry a camera on me when I go for a run, especially if there's a chance I'll be eaten on the way, but that kind of made it even better. Like this picturesque moment was a small reward only for those who sucked it up and stepped outside. Awesome. (And by awesome, I mean it actually inspired awe.)

So back to the 6 year-old's. This was something else I was absolutely dreading. A somewhat pushy parent bullied a councilman into giving her my phone number and called one day to ask for a favor and said she'd be at my house in ten minutes (yeah she also knew where I lived as most people in Pujili do). She asked me to help with a small group of kids at the Catholic elementary school across the street from my house during summer vacations and I obliged, helping out a few days a week for about a month to get them caught up on their English. The class was exhausting because I spent 2/3 of the hour asking them to sit down over and over, but there were only about 10-15 kids and they were cute and I didn't have anything else to do since school wasn't in session.

Fast forward to September when the pushy parent calls to say she's coming over in ten minutes to say thank you for helping them. She brings a carton of peach juice and some chocolates and I'm just thrilled to be getting paid in chocolate again and naively happy for the gratitude she's showing. Then she asks for another favor, of course. She wants me to continue giving English classes at the school. I say okay and start explaining my squirrelly schedule. She asks if I can have a meeting with her and the head nun later that week at 7am. I'm no longer thrilled as I am not really a functioning human at that hour but I agree.

She arrives at my house promptly at 7am and we walk to the school. When we get there the doorman says the nun isn't there. Pushy parent calls the nun, she had forgotten about the meeting and she was in the church helping with mass. We agree to walk over and meet her at the church so there I am, in the back of a church as a nun is begging me to change around my schedule to accommodate the kids. I resist a little as I'm already stretched thin (now that everyone is realizing how little time I have left and are finally taking advantage of me, in a good way). Sometimes when people here are asking for a favor they say "por Dios" along with their por favors and it's kind of like saying "do it for God". Let me emphasize the scene: in a church, nun begging me to do it for God. Now, you know I'm not a religious person but I have a loose belief in karma and superstition, plus I'm kind of a doormat, and WWJD, y'know? So I said yes.

Because I was sick and needing rabies shots so much, I had to postpone a few times until I finally made it and there were THIRTY FIVE screaming 6 year-old's, basically ignoring my presence, and all of their parents outside waiting for them and taking turns knocking on the door because the nun forgot to tell them I was coming. (Seriously forgetful nun.) I made an attempt to do some diagnostic assessment for about 5 minutes before I got so overwhelmed by the constant interruption of parents that I just said "Forget it! I'll be back next week when everyone is ready."

This is next week. All day I was dreading going back into that room full of tiny, sweaty, screamy humans. I even told 3 people at the high school today how much I didn't want to go and spent a good 30 minutes debating backing out. I got there and was relieved to see only about 15 crazy little people. We worked on some colors and I said "sit down" about 76 times, but I think they enjoyed it a little. The rainbow of the event: I told them they could leave and they all got up and got in a line in front of me so that each one could give me a hug before they left. I melted. And mentally resolved to continue the class even if I lose my hair or mind while I'm at it. Besides, bald is the new blonde, right? ;)

It's amazing what a rainbow and some tiny hugs can do for your attitude.

Nothing but Bad Luck

I said "bunny bunny" for October so I don't know what caused all this mayhem!

I missed a few days of school a few weeks ago because my throat was on fire and felt swollen, I could barely talk. Then a dog bit my butt (twice!) and I had to go all the way to Quito 3 times in one week, twice for rabies shots and once for a conference. Then we decided to get away for the weekend to hike in Cuenca and it POURED rain the whole time to the point that now the city is on orange alert for flooding. And now I'm super sick again.

BUT! I'm still smiling :)

That was the bad and the ugly but the good always outweighs the bad. While I was sick with the throat thing, my beloved teachers surprised me and came to check up on me and brought me two huge bags of "get well" fruit, (including bananas because they didn't know so I forgive them) and babaco!

You peel off the skin and make juice out of it and it's really yummy. I can't really compare the flavor to anything because it's so different, but if you happen to see it somewhere, try it!

The dog bite was not a big deal, it wasn't a very big bite but because it broke the skin and there was no way for me to know if the dog was a stray (and even if he wasn't, it's very unlikely he's had any vaccines in his life) I had to go get the rabies shots as a precaution. The medical office is in Quito and I can get there and back in one day so I'm not authorized to stay the night there. It takes me about 4 hours one way. Going there and back twice in one week for a very short appointment each time made me realize how much I don't mind long bus rides anymore. In the US I would definitely have complained being stuck in a car for 8 hours for one vaccination but here, it's just the way it is. You learn to accept these things and see the good in them. There's always a pretty view from the window, I have a lot of time to think and reflect, and sometimes nap, and when in Quito, eat as the Quitenos do. I also got to visit my favorite host family the second time and Sonia made me ceviche and I got to play with Aylin, who is growing up so fast!

Then I headed back to Quito to give trainings to some teachers, which was equally exhausting as it was rewarding but it was also really nice to be able to hang out with some other volunteers in the evenings.

we stage candid photos

The weekend in Cuenca was beautiful despite the rain. That city has everything! Breweries, beautiful churches, ethnic foods, bagels, and really nice people. I met one of my favorite girlfriends, Kat there to hike and see some Incan ruins and she's just the best! I always have a great time hanging out with her no matter what we're doing and she even saved me from near death during the hike when I found the only puddle of quicksand mud in the park and sunk to my knee and couldn't get out. Then we went out dancing each night in different fun places and met really nice people. We wouldn't allow the rain on our parade.

I just wanna hug her face

And now I am sick as a dog. I did my research and I have all the symptoms of ebola minus vomiting and internal bleeding. So, on the bright side, I don't have ebola. I thought I was getting better yesterday and then last night I put myself to bed at 9 and laid there shivering and sweating for 2 hours and today my whole body hurts. I'm going to school tomorrow if it kills me! Especially because I'm realizing how little time I have left here. I can't keep spending it in my apartment under the blankets.

Next month, going to Peru! In 57 days, I'll be home for Christmas! And in less than 5 months I'll be finished with service. $hit's getting real. I've started planning my post-service travels, including Colombia with my sister! Ahhh it's all so exciting and unreal!

Cross your fingers for a luckier second half of October.

Sending all my love <3<3<3<3------->>>>>

p.s. caught Sly on camera

ugly lil guy, isn't he?

Feeling Sluggish

Shoot! I've been pretty good about posting at least once a month and I did not post in August. Sorry but I was really busy! (Bunny bunny for September.)

Biggest news first: I have a new roommate. He's super lazy and messy, leaves a trail everywhere he goes, and doesn't listen to a word I say. I don't even know how he got in but he just found me and decided to stay. It's a slug. I named him Sylvester Von Slime. He just keeps appearing on my kitchen counter! I sprayed him with cleaning detergent and threw him in the trash and he was like "haha that's cute" and climbed back out. How does this orange-scented poison that eats my skin when it gets on my hands NOT kill Sylvester?! Zombie slug? Well, I threw him out the window (he hasn't paid rent!) so I expect he'll take a couple days to get back in. I'll try to take a photo next time his slimy ass decides to show up.

Since my last real update...

I spent 4th of July in a tiny beach town called Ayampe with some amazing volunteer friends. We drank a lot of beer and barbequed and pretty much just spent the weekend being extra American and extra awesome. I saw a couple new coastal cities, fell asleep in the sand, got sunburned, and was all the happier for it.

At the end of July, we celebrated Sonia's baby shower and then her little chubby-cheeked munchkin was born on August 6th. I went to visit the next day and was so delighted to meet Amarelis, my ahijada (goddaughter). Yes, I explained that I don't actually believe in a god, but Sonia says that's an insignificant detail. When I meet with the priest and he asks any questions, I have been instructed to just nod and smile :) This event also reminded me, yet again, what an old spinster I'm becoming. The doctor walked in and saw me holding the baby and said "Ohhh who is this? My next client? When will you be getting pregnant? You don't even have a boyfriend? How old are you? Wow, you better hurry up." Sigh.

Next, we had a big TEFL conference in Tumbaco, which turned out to be much more eventful than expected with a big earthquake, landslide, lots of aftershocks, and a birthday. The earthquake was pretty funny for me since a lot of the volunteers had never felt one before and were pretty shook up. (All puns are intended.) And the birthday was fun because it was Todd's, my sitemate, and we had a lot of fun surprises in store for him, including an exploding balloon cake and blindfolded archery. The whole week was filled with Quizno's, donuts, friends, and some productive work mixed in.

Then it was my turn! The volunteers at the conference surprised me with chocolate cake and singing, then Todd bought me birthday food and wine, and then my teachers took me out to pizza and cake in the city. These things alone sent me to bed with such a full heart and so much gratitude for this experience and it wasn't even my birthday yet.

Then the best present of all arrived- Momma! Yep, not only did my mom fly all the way to another continent for her daughter's birthday, but she also brought funfetti cake, party hats, noisemakers, a Coke with my name on it, hiking boots, cookies, candy, AND she paid for us to stay in a fancy hotel on my birthday so we could end the night with a jacuzzi and wine sesh. I was seriously spoiled and I can't express how thankful I am to have the mom that I do.

Mom was here for 10 days and we had tons of fun, touring Quito, going on a waterfall tour, ziplining, whale watching, snorkeling, sipping pina coladas, playing cards, and taking silly photos. It was sad to have to send her off, especially because I had to leave her at the airport hours before her flight so I could catch the bus back home and I was having a tiny pity party. The airport makes me emotional, there was a creep trying to get me to stay at his house in Quito, then I stepped onto the last bus which was filled with people yelling and smelled like old cheese and socks, but it was all put into perspective when I got a call at 4am that my mom was stuck in Quito. THEN she got stuck in Atlanta! AND she had a terrible, swollen tooth infection. Stupid Delta. I felt so bad for her terrible trip home but she says she had a really good visit so I hope that outshines the awful inconveniences.

The new school year started this week so hopefully I'll get busy working and it won't be long until I'm home for Christmas.

I've started learning Portuguese. Umas mulheres estao dirigindo carros. (Some women are driving cars.) I'm hoping to start improving soon.

Until next time, take care, my friends. And thank you for reading. (Sorry no photos or memes this time, my internet's been pretty squirrelly lately.)

Tchau from Chelsea and Sylvester.

Workin' on My Fitness

As you may have noticed (and wisely not pointed out), I gained a bit of weight in my first year of service. Based on the very few times I've stepped even close to a scale (by force of doctors appointments), I gained at least 15 pounds in the first 9 months (hashtag freshman fifteen). I could inundate you with a slew of excuses about the stigma of independence in this country, the mounds of rice, or the lack of friends with whom I could be active, but I'll save that drama for my momma. It basically boils down to comfort. Outside of my bubble, my safety net, my comfort zone, the one thing that never fails to make me happy is good eats.

I know myself and this habit is not going away. I'm not going to lie to you or myself and pretend to diet. In general, I eat fairly healthy. When I'm in control of my meals (not invited out for a fried pig lunch or an afternoon coffee with 4 tablespoons of sugar included), I choose lots of veggies, quinoa, and white meat. I drink green tea with no sugar, and fruit at snack time. But then there are those days. (Just one of them days that a girl goes through.) The day when disappointment or homesickness strike and my consolation is to binge like it's my last day on Earth. Or I've just finished a particularly stressful session with 6 year-old's and my body tells me the only possible reward is at least 2 handfuls of chocolate.

Those days aren't going away and neither are my cravings. So, once I moved into my own apartment, I figured the only way to balance out all this emotional eating is with exercise. I got serious at first and dropped enough poundage to fit into some of my dress pants again by Christmas but then my motivation petered out when I got back here and the distance was once again an issue. But honestly, I've never been a "fit" person. I've never liked the gym. Running is okay but I really have to force myself to do it. I ran track in high school but I chose short distances for a reason. Sports can be fun but I'm not good at them and I'm not competitive, especially not with myself. I've never felt the need to be good at physical activity. Looooved the kickball league but that was mostly for the beer and friends.

I'm pretty much like:

 Now that I have a reason to exercise, it can be pretty ridiculous. So I've created a list of some of my thoughts while exercising. Here's a guide to fitness by a girl who's unfit:

-First of all, if you were a fly on the wall, judging by the noises, you'd think it was an exorcise rather than exercise...
-They're called burpees because first you burp, then you vomit because they're hard.
-They call them mountain climbers because if you do them for more than a minute, you want to throw yourself off a mountain.
-Jumping jacks. If I met Jack, I'd punch him.
-Russian twists because well, Russians are evil and enjoy torture.
-Sometimes I see photos of some fit girl with this t-shirt that says "this is why I squat" on the back with an arrow pointing to her butt. But when I think of squats, I think of squat toilets and that shirt means something completely different. It's shitty. (Pun intended.)
-Crunches. I'd rather be crunching some potato chips.
-V-ups. Yeah, up yours.
-If I succumb to the pressure to plank, the entire time I'm planking, I'm shaking so bad it makes me think my body isn't up to earthquake standards.

So there you have it. It's not pretty. To be clear, I'm not living the cliche of trying to achieve some media-driven, unattainable, stick thin body. I don't want a thigh gap and I like having a booty. I just want to go back to enjoying looking at myself naked. Oh and because I'm so flat chested, if I even have a little pudge in the belly region, it sticks out farther than my boobs and (rude) people start asking if I'm pregnant. I'd like that to stop as well. And I would like to ban them from talking to me like what happened to this 4 year-old:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/conn-boy-4-mom-banned-doughnut-shop-article-1.1877800

All in all, I'm always comfortable in my skin, but self-improvement is never a bad thing.

Tonight I did this little workout:

To a soundtrack including Shakira, JayZ, Daddy Yankee, and Taking Back Sunday among others. I always time my playlist so that right after the workout is over, 2 or 3 of my jamz come on (usually something by Lil Jon) and I dance around the living room for 10 minutes as a cool down. It gives me something to look forward to while I'm shake-planking. Then I stretch for 10 minutes in the company of the Avett Brothers or Jason Mraz. And then my brain's all "release the endorphins!" and I'm all "ahhhhh" and I lay on my yoga mat for another 10 minutes. Kinda like:

This isn't meant to be motivational or some kind of before/after story. I'm merely chronicling another facet of my unique life here. If I was really trying to get all motivational on you, I'd post something like:

Nahhhh not really, I'd probably be like:

Sweet son of a six pack!!! Geez. Now that is motivation. But I'm not motivating you. Unless you count the calories you burned while giggling! Okay, that's enough memes for one post.

Okay one more...

Hehehehe

Talk at you soon, friends. Thank you for reading.

Send Out Your Ray of Sunshine

Well sometimes the sun shines on
Other people's houses and not mine.
Some days the clouds paint the sky all gray
And it takes away my summertime.
Somehow the sun keeps shining upon you,
While I struggle to get mine.
If there's a light in everybody,
Send out your ray of sunshine.

I want to walk the same roads as everybody else, 

Through the trees and past the gates.
Getting high on heavenly breezes,
Making new friends along the way.
I won't ask much of nobody,
I'm just here to sing along.
And make my mistakes looks gracious,
And learn some lessons from my wrongs.

-JMrizzle

When I walk around town, I tend to keep my head up but my eyes down. Between the catcalls from creeps and the awkwardness of seeing familiar faces that I don't really know in a small, foreign town, I often just get into my walking zone on a mission and avoid eye contact. It seems like the easier option but upon reflection, I have to remind myself that this is only a disservice to myself and everyone around me. Even if I look like a grinning fool, what's the harm in just flashing a smile to everybody I pass, sending out my "ray of sunshine"?  Maybe I can improve a tiny moment of a familiar stranger's life or at the very least, give them the impression that we gringos are a friendly and approachable people. 

Anyway, update time!

Since the last time we talked, my friend Mark came to visit! Minus one drunk debacle, it was a great couple weeks. Highlights: we swam in several waterfalls, kayaked around a lagoon inside a volcano crater, a monkey peed on my lap, we pet a llama, I almost died climbing a hillside during a jungle hike in the Amazon, we tried chicha (fermented maize chewed up by indigenous people, spit out, and then consumed), we held a baby crocodile, ate tons of delicious Ecuadorian dishes, and played a lot of rummy (and I won every game). 

just monkeying around

No probllama

After I sent him packing, I spent a couple days catching up on sleep and netflix and then it was time for Corpus Christi 2014! This year, I was not feeling being in the parade like last year. It's a whole lot of people staring at you as you walk through town slowly, red in the face, being forced to take shots for a few hours. Not really Chelsea's cup of tea. I was happy to be a spectator this time around.

not just because some of the men were shirtless.

After all the festivities died down, it was time to get excited for the World Cup! A couple friends and I went to the capital to watch the big games for Ecuador and the US and guess what- they both lost! Argh! But we showed up decked out in patriotic gear for both of our teams. Since the US advanced, I will NOT be wearing red, white, and blue because apparently I jinxed it last time.

Yep, those are all the updates, I think. I've got a beach trip coming up that should be super sweet. The school year is almost finished so I haven't been doing much productivity wise, which makes the time kinda drag by. So if you'd like to be the highlight of my day, let's set up a skype date! :)

Until next time... don't forget about the sunshine song.

A Cure for the Blue Box Blues

I don't like to brag about cooking but I've been cooking for about 10 years and now I cook all 3 (sometimes 4) meals a day for myself every day (except the occasional restaurant splurge) and this was the best dish I have ever made. Ever.

The pasta of my dreams

Okay this picture does not do it justice. In fact, this photo actually makes it look kinda gross when in reality, it was a flavor soiree to which my taste buds were cordially invited. (Too awesome to call it a plain ol' party in my mouth.) It's basically fancy mac n' cheese. Couldn't find elbow macaroni so this is mini bowtie pasta. It has mozzarella, smoked gouda, and sauteed garlic and onion with longaniza sausage and some crunchy crackers crushed on top (crazy crafty alliteration, no?). I baked it for a couple minutes but not actually long enough because it smelled so good I couldn't wait. I was also going to dice up some fresh tomato to put on top but that also became irrelevant once the fork was on its way to my salivating mouth.

When my uterus talks, sometimes I listen, and sometimes it turns out really, really well. Tonight was one of those times. Glorious. I want to thank the Academy for their support and my dear mother for sending me the cheese.

In other news, not too much has been going on in this neck of the woods. I went on a class trip to the Amazon last week, which was so much fun and I never want to do it ever again. Okay, that's dramatic. It was just really exhausting. I tagged along with the 8th grade class (which is 1 year younger than our 8th grade so the kids were about 12 years-old). This is my favorite class because the kids are really respectful and excited to learn English, but they're still young enough to have reckless fun without the "too cool" high school attitude.

We went for a nature walk by the Puyo River, went swimming at a big outdoor pool complex, and then went to a bird zoo. We left Pujili at 4am and got back at 10:30pm and those children talked, sang, and yelled the ENTIRE time. I envy their endless energy. (Super poetic tonight. Musta been the mac.) The swimming complex had a high dive! Hadn't jumped off a diving board since I was a kid so I immediately took the leap (lol). My friend/co-teacher was nice enough to take a photo of it.

nailed it.

I couldn't talk a single kid into jumping off even the low dive. Could be because only 2 of the 35 knew how to swim, but whatever... YOLO, amirite?! (Jk.)

I also made some chocolate crinkle cookies for the trip that were to-die-for! AND I made it the entire day without a single mosquito bite! That alone makes it a successful day in my book.

Other than that, I haven't been doing much. Sometimes I watch 3 hours straight of How I Met Your Mother. Sometimes I play with makeup and take selfies.

that pensive look (thinking about mac n' cheese)

Sometimes I go to rumba, sometimes I just dance in my living room. Sometimes I eat cereal for lunch and chifles for dinner. Sometimes I read OPB (Other People's Blogs) all night. (I'm down with OPB, yeah you know me.) My favorites are: The Bloggess, Gweenbrick, A Beer for the Shower, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency. Sometimes I take naps. And by sometimes I mean almost every day.

It's a glamorous life I lead but somebody's gotta do it. But really, they're always saying Peace Corps volunteers have way more free time than they've ever had before and will probably ever have again. I'm okay with it. I'm pretty good at entertaining myself even when I'm doing virtually nothing. I'm not claiming it doesn't get lonely. It does. But I'm getting better at enjoying my own company.

But I also get to look forward to MARK being here in 10 days!!! Adventure time! I'll write again after his trip and regale you with stories of travel and laughs.

Until next time... Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.

Abrazos,
Chels

If the Gringa Jumped off a Cliff, Would You?

Sitting here, drinking a mango strawberry smoothie, thinking life is pretty sweet. And not just in my mouth.

Last weekend we went on a trip to Riobamba to hike and dance. We ended up walking and dancing but it was fun nonetheless. Mostly just nice to get away from the routine I've been inadvertently worshiping lately.

We walked around a lake called Laguna de Colta but there weren't really any paths so we walked through farms that apparently cultivate ferocious farm animals, railroad tracks, and a road. It was a beautiful day so no one was sincerely complaining.

I've been having fun with English Club on Monday afternoons and Kids Class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 3 little kids followed me after class one day and begged to come to both sessions even though they're exactly the same (divided by age). I told them they'd probably get bored and they promised they wouldn't. Felt nice that at least 3 kids must enjoy it.

And yesterday my teachers and I went on an awesome day trip to La Mana in celebration of Teachers Day. It's a city in the subtropical region between the mountains and the coast so it's much warmer and greener. A lot of the wealthier people in Pujili have vacation homes in La Mana because it's only about 4 hours away but has a much nicer climate and a different lifestyle so everyone has been telling me since I got here that I need to see it.

It really was beautiful. So much vegetation and it was humid but not too hot. We hiked for about 30 minutes and we all complained like crazy about how much we were sweating and how many bugs there were. But we reached a set of 7 waterfalls and little pools in the river for swimming and it was so worth it. We saw 5 of the 7 waterfalls and swam and played, jumped off rocks, and slid down a natural waterslide. The water was a little cold but perfectly refreshing and so clean. We ate cueros (pig skin), tilapia estofada, cacao fruit, hamburgers, and batidos.

19 mosquito bites and a few beautiful memories later...