Real Update, not just cat photos

It’s been a hot minute, guys. Let’s see, what have I been up to? 

I went on a really cool hike at Los Ilinizas (some mountains nearby) which led to a waterfall and hot springs. The hot springs were filled with copper so we left smelling like old pennies and looking like we’d been using too much fake tan spray. I stained my YOLO shirt, but decided that was okay, because that’s what the shirt is all about, know what I’m sayin?! 

I’ve been hanging around the school, trying hard to work with the teachers, but they’ve been really busy. We got WiFi at school though! Fancy! So that’s awesome.

I’m in the middle of a househunt. I’ve looked at a couple new places and have made no decisions. I’ll probably move at the beginning of December so I’ll be sure to fill you in and post photos. (some might be of the house, mostly just photos of cats)

My town’s anniversary was October 14^th. Pujili is now a wise, old 161 years-old. Aging like a fine wine, if you ask me. We had tons of fiestas, of course. The highlight of which was watching drunk guys get trampled by bulls. In the United States, there are a lot of laws and rules set in place to protect people from themselves and their potential for stupidity. Wear your seatbelt. You must be this tall to ride. No smoking. Speed limit: 65. Helmet laws for bicycles. And plenty of food sanitation regulations. 

In Ecuador, on the other hand, it’s pretty much a free-for-all. In fact, last weekend, the town government actually set up and sponsored an event in which people get drunk and try to get themselves killed. And then we all set up wooden shacks and eat snacks while we watch. Like a spectator sport. Awesome.

It was basically amateur bullfighting, in which anyone can enter the ring and tango with the toros. It was somewhat thrilling the first day but then it lasted a total of four days and I sort of got sick of it. But it was definitely an experience! 

Then, last week, I was sent to a city called Riobamba in Chimborazo (2 provinces south) to present at a teachers’ workshop. We did 2 days for 4 hours each day. It was somewhat tiring at the end, but I LOVE workshops. After each session, the teachers clap and tell you how good a teacher you are and want to take photos with you. Talk about an ego boost. It’s as if I’m some famous Swedish professor sent across the world to give a lecture on Quantum Physics, or something equally confusing, rather than a 2 hour Powerpoint about my native language. PLUS GUESS WHAT I ATE?! You’ll never guess because you’ll think it’s so mundane and not worth YELLING IN CAPS LOCK so I’ll just tell you. CARL’S FREAKING JUNIOR! It’s the only one I’ve seen in this country and it was so delectably delicious. I got a Portobello mushroom burger and my mouth had a party and it invited that burger because it looked like a fun-ghi! Get it?! 

Finally, this weekend, my host family entered our bitch into a dog show. (it’s our female dog, I’m not being crude, you guys) She is so gross. She has long, blonde, nappy hair and there is always food stuck in it. Okay, that kinda sounds like me, but at least I brush it! Sometimes! Anyway, her name is Kiara and she is ridiculous. She won 3 categories!!!! 2 trophies, tons of dog food, treats, brushes, everything. But man, this was a shitzu show, if you ask me. All the dogs barked at each other the entire time so you couldn’t hear the presenter and not a single dog could do a trick. Most people here believe you can’t train dogs. The other top 3 participants included Scrappy the baby pug, dressed as Dracula, and Dobo, the un-fixed French bulldog who peed on everything in sight, including the other dogs. Definitely an experience.

Alright. I’m out. I’ll post again soon with photos of toros, bitches, and cats when I can sort out whatever fight my camera is having with my computer because right now, they’re not speaking to one another. 

Here’s an excellent song I’m currently rapping to. The message: “the things you own end up owning you” (name that movie and you’re my new best friend)

http://youtu.be/gAg3uMlNyHA

p.s.

 

You can´t shut ME down!

What the government shutdown meant for me: thankfully, nothing. Although I am a government employee, Peace Corps Ecualife went on as usual for me. We all received an email from the Peace Corps director in DC saying that basically all the non-essential functions were shutdown stateside in order for the volunteers to have the funds to continue working, including our in-country medical and security staff. I don’t really know if that was a voluntary sacrifice made on their behalf, but I am extremely grateful nonetheless. I can’t imagine what it would look like for us to be shutdown as well. Would we be sent home? Would we be sent to our consolidation points to wait it out? Would we be stuck here without our monthly stipend? I can’t imagine the questions and uncertainty that government employees have been forced to face during this ridiculous conflict. I also don’t know the current status of the shutdown, I heard it may have just been put off until later. I don’t know because I would much rather browse through photos of cats on the Chive than read about some crybabies and their political nonsense. 

Everyday is Caturday, y’all! 

(he could run the government better. just look at that tie.)

Embarrassing Reflections

Buying toilet paper in this country is embarrassing for me. So silly. It’s such an essential purchase and yet, I’ve started buying it in the city so that I can hide it in my backpack on the way back home. And it’s all because I’ve actually seen people snickering or smiling when they see me walking by with just a 4 pack of Charmin in my hand. (Okay, we don’t actually have Charmin. I said that for effect. I actually buy the best smelling cheap brand, Scott.) This is how I figure it: everything I do is noticed and observed. I could be walking down a street in San Diego with a roll of toilet paper and I would be just as invisible as usual, but here, they see it and think about it. So then, I assume they think “jaja the gringa poops” or maybe they’re thinking that I have to buy tons of TP because everyone knows gringos get gastrointestinal problems here, which I’m proud to say that I haven’t in MONTHS, thank you very much! (Knock on wood.) Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Or maybe I also had my fly down and a kick me sign on my back the times that I noticed people laughing. 

Also

 

That moment when you realize all the time you save by not shaving your legs is canceled out by how much time you spend flossing meat out of your teeth. Said the female Peace Corps Volunteer who was a vegetarian once upon a time. (I floss my teeth multiple times a day. True story.)

Family Matters

Sorry this post is a little belated, but I had to hit the ground running as soon as I got back, while sick.

No less than 7 days ago, I was on another continent, in the arms of my family and friends, and on cloud 9. I decided to go home and surprise my family so that I could welcome my beautiful new niece into the world on Friday, September 6th.

Before I spill all the juicy details of my awesome trip, I'll explain how and why I was able to come home when I previously thought it an impossibility.

Vacation time: When I joined the Peace Corps, I was aware that we would get vacation days, but only 2 per month and part of our job is to travel and see our host country, so I was under the impression that I would only really be able to use that vacation time to go home once during my service and my mom had promised me a flight home for Christmas. So when my sister announced she was pregnant before I left, I cried tears of joy and tears of preemptive regret knowing I would be in another country with less than dependable internet access. Then, I found out once I got here that we get 3 "personal days" per month, in which we are allowed to travel and see the country, visit other volunteers, and just take time for ourselves, on top of the allotted vacation days! Score! So the logisitics of vacation time was all squared away.

Money in the bank: On a Peace Corps volunteer's salary, it is absolutely impossible to buy airfare to another country. However, before leaving for service, I sold my car. The money from my little baby Yaris was sitting in my US bank account so that I can buy a car when I return to the states after my Peace Corps experience is finished. Young, silly, somewhat irresponsible Chelsea says "Savings shmavings! I can get a job when I get back to the States and then figure out the car situation. I don't have to worry about that until April 2015."

And all that really matters- Family: I was having a bad day at some point here (not the first, nor the last, I'm sure) and I realized that oftentimes, when I need cheering up, I think about little, seemingly insignificant memories with each of my family members. When I'm on the verge of tears, I picture my mom saying "aint no thing but a chicken wing!" and I picture my sister sticking out her belly and dancing when she was pregnant with Colton, and I think about the first time someone broke my heart and I had to move in with my dad as a result and I thought there wasn't anything more embarrassing than crying to my dad about a boy, but it turned out he was a really good listener and didn't judge me in the least. And the things I miss the most about home are Mom's wheezy laugh, Carly claiming whatever she is eating is the best thing she ever tasted!, watching TV with Dad and talking about places we've never been, and jumping on the bed with Colton.

So logistics, vacation time, money, and the long journey melt away and pale in comparison to the significance of being there for an important moment for my family as they have always been there for my most important moments.

During my short trip home...

I ate: donuts, chilaquiles, Cocoa Pebbles, frozen yogurt, cabernet, Thai pad see ew, Avery White Rascal, Los Panchos quesadilla, peanut butter cup pancake, bacon wrapped chicken taco, and so. many. cheeses.

I watched: a few episodes of the final season of The Office (but still not the finale!), Colton climb up and slide down his new bat cave bed (about 73 times), A Goofy Movie (4 times), the best reactions EVER to "Surprise! Chelsea!"

I drove: many glorious hours.

I received: the most awesome birthday care package from my Club 3770 crew, a Nook! from my bfff, and a surprise visit from his lovely momma, no weird looks from strangers (because I actually blended in)

I saw: a few amazing friends, my wonderful family, and America's finest city, San Diego!

I met: the most beautiful baby girl ever born.

I caught: a terrible cold.

So on the journey back to Ecuador, I had a miserable 11 hour layover in Atlanta and when I arrived I spent a couple days with Sonia and family so she could take care of my sickliness and then I had to head back to the training center for a week-long conference. I'm here now and today the Peace Corps doctor told me I have bronchitis. I could have guessed that because I haven't slept in 5 days due to my lungs trying to kill me. But you know what? Absolutely, totally, 100% worth it.

My Life as an Ecuadorian Farmer

1 de septiembre, 2013

A covered truck pulled up to my house at 7 in the morning and the driver told me to hop in the back. All it was missing were the words “caramelitos gratuitos!” painted on the side (free candy). It was my co-worker’s brother and his family. One of the English teachers at my school has parents who live out in the campo in a place called Rumikincha and he invited me to spend a Sunday playing Ecuadorian farmer with his family and it turned out to be one of my best days here. I rode a horse for the first time in my adult life. I milked a cow and then drank that cow’s milk seconds later, warm, frothy, fresh, and nasty. I used some chochos (beans) as a musical instrument. I put my feet in the most natural hot springs I’ve ever seen. I was fed a big lunch of tilapia and rice by an indigenous family and I shared with them some lemon bars I made (I don’t think they liked them). And I learned a few short phrases in Kichwa: Nyuca Chelsea mikani (My name is Chelsea) is all I can remember now. There were a few nieces and nephews along for the trip and of the 4 children, only 1 had ever seen a white person before. And yet, they welcomed us with open arms. 

Yet another happy day spent in gratitude of the kind spirit of Ecuadorian people.

P.S. guess what guys?! By the end of this week, I’ll have a niece!!!

SO scared

being superheroes at the hot springs

NEW EXPERIENCES

trying not to upchuck

Verano

When school let out in late July, I knew that I was in for a busy “summer vacation” and boy was I ever. So last updates included the end of my 2 week summer camp in town and training for the Embassy summer camp. Since then, so much has been done! (Passive voice because much of it was not my choice.) I’ll try to wrap up everything in a nice little package. It’s my life in a box.

The US Embassy summer camp was SUPER chevere- the campgrounds were absolutely beautiful, with a lake, huge trees, lots of open fields, in Valle de los Chillos (the middle of nowhere). This place also had a lot of uber-mosquitoes which ate me alive. My ankle swelled into a gigantic cankle and my hand was so puffy, I looked like Eddie Murphy in The Klumps. Don’t worry, everything went back down to normal size (Ecuafat). The camp was really fun and we did some activities that I’m definitely going to repeat in future English classes. Highlights: We got to hang out with a bunch of really cool Ecuadorians, scared the mierda out of the kids around the campfire, taught Baseball which all the kids hated, danced the Cha Cha Slide, and got a free CD and band tshirt from a cute Ecuaboy with a British accent. Also! Before the camp, we got to Quito a night early and watched the Ecuador vs. Spain soccer game in a bar in the party area of the capital, which was really fun and I definitely wanna go back.

Next was the Peace Corps conference, Reconnect, in which all the volunteers got back together to talk about our progress, share best practices, and work with our Ecuadorian National counterparts to hash out some projects for our communities. I had to do a 15 minute presentation in Spanish which made me want to puke but it went well. It was really nice being back with all the staff and volunteers and with my favorite host family of course.

And luckily, this conference fell right smack dab on my birthday! The night before my birthday, 2 of my favorite female volunteers bought me a brownie, stuck a candle in it, and sang me Happy Birthday in the middle of a mall in Ecuador. Sonia made me a huge, delicious breakfast and even went to the mall 30 minutes away to make sure I had a chocolate donut on my big day. That night she made me a delicious seafood rice concoction and Javier made me a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. They gave me hugs and sangria and made me feel so special and loved. They invited over a couple of my volunteer friends and my sitemate Todd got me a cool coffee cup that says “Keep Calm and Make a Difference” and my fellow fattyclub member, Jazzy, got me peanut butter, chocolate, and chocolate wafer cookies. Cloud 9. That night, the volunteers had a party at one of the host family houses and we played drinking games and danced and had a great time. Turning 27 was completely different than the previous 26 birthdays but it was definitely a good different and I am still in an awed state of gratitude for the wonderful life I lead.

That weekend after the conference, a group of volunteers and I headed to a city west of the capital called Mindo. It’s in the subtropical area between the mountains and the coast so it’s not too hot, not too cold, and a bit humid and SO PRETTY I’M GONNA DIE! Everything is covered in vegetation, flowers, butterflies, and rainbows. I’m not even kidding. Highlights of the trip: taking a cable car above a cloud forest to a hike with at least 5 waterfalls, jumping from a waterfall into a pool below, chocolate tour, Mexican food, first time ziplining on 10 cables above said cloud forest, and being eaten alive AGAIN by my kryptonite, mosquitoes. 

This week, the teachers are getting back into the swing of things and starting some lesson planning. We’re having an English area meeting on Thursday. My plan is to drink 7 cups of coffee before the meeting and be SUPER enthusiastic about the workshops I want to hold so that my energy will encourage them to agree and attend. We’ll see. Classes start back up next week and I’m actually kinda looking forward to getting back to the routine, daily grind, good work stuff. Ask me again in a few weeks and we’ll see how much my attitude has changed. Though, going back to school today reminded me how great my teachers are and how happy I am to work with them. Every bone in my body is grateful today.

I also bought a Shakira CD today and have been dancing around my room to it all day. Then I went for a run and listened to it while running, all the while resisting the urge to start a dance party at the park. If you feel like tapping your toes, (or your entire body) I recommend “Lo hecho esta hecho” featuring Pitbull. 

Until next time, keep dancin’ that gratitude dance, my friends.