Trying to update 3 weeks worth of events at one time is going to suck so much, but I'm trying to procrastinate on the essay that I have to turn in tomorrow, so I guess it's a lose-lose situation either way.. Let's see.
After the Amazon, we went back to Quito where we met our new families that Saturday. My host mom and her nephew came to pick me up; they seemed really nice so that was good. The first day was awkward, as usual. I have my own room but I have to share the bathroom with the whole family. There's a mom (Maggie), a younger sister (Daniela, 18), and an even younger brother (David, 15). I really can't remember anything we did that weekend, but I know we started classes on Monday. Getting around Quito is a little harder than it was in Los Chillos because all the buses look the same and there are so many of them!
But we all got used to it quickly and started sightseeing after class and such. Classes are pretty much just lecture format but from a bunch of different guest speakers who are professionals in their line of work. We've had a lot of really cool talks about shamanism, the indigenous movement, poverty, Afro-Ecuadorian history, precolonial history, U.S.-Ecuador relations and much more. As interesting as they all were, they were in Spanish and often hard to follow. But still, I learned a lot.
THIS IS A RANT NOW. DO NOT READ IF YOU GET ANNOYED BY RANTS. THIS IS PRETTY MUCH JUST FOR MY SAKE..
As I started getting used to the routine, I also got used to the family, which turned out to be a little more overbearing than I had expected. My Los Chillos family had been so great about giving me just enough freedom but a lot more family time. I had expected my Quito family to be the same way, if not more independent because they're in the city and most are more liberating. But it's the complete opposite with this host mom. She doesn't like when I go anywhere or when I'm not home. Even if we don't do anything at home because the kids are on the computer all day and night doing homework or just playing, she still doesn't like me leaving the house. It's really frustrating at times because I'm 20 and think that I am capable of sightseeing with my friends, but when she tells me not to come home late everyday (and I have been coming home at around 4 everyday), it just really irks me! After class, the girls like to maybe go to the artisan market in the Mariscal, which is about 30 minutes away, but I have to lie to my host mom that I have class late that day so she doesn't give me a 20 minute lecture why I shouldn't buy anything there. I learned that telling the truth in this case will cause me to literally go insane. I'm not allowed to go dancing at night because it's bad and I shouldn't stay out past 8, which I understand since the city can be really dangerous. But again, I am 20 and NOT alone ever; and there are guys in our group; and I can just take a taxi home. And I don't have the key to the house; every time someone needs to enter or leave, another person has to go all the way down to the front door to open it with the key. So literally I can't leave without someone letting me out. I'm like in jail or something. Just one more story and I'll be done.. One time, I went to this place called La Ronda, which is just a long street with a bunch of cafes, bars, karaokes, and stores. It's such a cool place to walk around at night because the lights are pretty and there's a lot of music on the street. We were also planning on going to a traditional modern fusion dance concert, so I would probably get home a little late. I told Daniela to tell Maggie, and she says that I should be home by 12. So with that in mind, we did our thing and ended up at a nice cafe to have some hot chocolate since it was freezing. We decide to leave around 11, and as I get into the taxi to go home, Maggie calls me. "Gina, where are you. It's 11 and I'm tired. You're making me wait for you." "Oh, I'm sorry. Daniela just told me to be home by 12, but I'm actually on my way." Click. ...Okay. So I get home and David lets me in. There Maggie is sitting at the kitchen table taking the kernels off corn cobs for tomorrow and there David is on Facebook just chilling. So I tell her that I'm going to sleep (because I thought everyone was just waiting for me) and go to my room.. But I'm actually not sleeping. But anyway. I finally hear them going to sleep at around 1:30. OKAY. Do NOT tell me that you're WAITING for me if you're not going to go to sleep when I get home! Seriously!!! That's not waiting up for me then! That's just sleeping late! Really. They are nice people, and she has good intentions, but I honestly think we just don't mix well. She's also racist.. She asked me if I knew what Chaulafong was because apparently it's a typical Chinese dish here. This was after I told her I'm Korean. She calls the indigenous people (the native people of Ecuador) "indios," which is kind of offensive. Like calling Chinese "chinks," etc. So her children say, "No mom. They're 'los indígenas.' 'Indios' are Indians from India." Maggie says, "No. Indians from India are called 'Hindus.'" .... Are you serious right now? Wow. I was so taken aback I couldn't say anything. Recently, the topic of my Korean heritage came up. And she thinks it's really funny when she makes up super racist Asian phrases. Not exaggerating: "Sushichongchifautoyota. Hahahahahaha." Me: .............. Smile. She may think that's funny and cute or whatever, but HECK no. Also, it's not okay to feed me when I don't want to eat. Please. I respect your traditions that you eat a 3-course dinner at 10:30pm, but I'm really not used to that and would rather just eat once at 6pm. But if I say that I'm not hungry, please believe me that I mean it and really DON'T want to eat. Also, if I say that I only want one piece of chicken and that will be okay for me, do not ask me 4 times if I'm sure I don't want another piece, because my answer has not changed within that 10 second period, and then give me a piece anyway. Fine, 2 pieces at 9pm I can do. Don't ask me again if I want another piece because I DON'T!!!! And then put it on my plate anyway, even though I said, "No, I don't want another piece because 2 is plenty and I'm getting full and it's really late." She seriously doesn't understand the concept of being full. Lastly, when I tell her that I'm sightseeing with my friends, she tells me that there's really nothing to see there so I shouldn't go. For example. My friends and I wanted to go to this inhabited crater that I will talk about later as well as the Middle of the World because they haven't been there. She says that it's really boring and I wouldn't have fun there so I shouldn't go. I tell her that the group is thinking about going to Mindo, which is a cloud forest like the one we went to on our excursion; the directors highly encouraged us to go because it's gorgeous up there. She says that it's not that pretty there and all there are are trees, waterfalls, flowers, and mountains. I shouldn't go because there's nothing good to see there. UM..... trees, waterfalls, nature.. THAT'S THE POINT?! Any artisan craft that she didn't make is really ugly and she can do better. I recently bought a tea tray that was painted by a Tigua painter (Tigua is an indigenous style of painting in the town of Tigua near Quilotoa), and she looked at it and said, "Hmm.. I paint better than that. That's not that pretty." .. Oh. Okay.... That's really respectful to the indigenous painters of that community. It's not even that she turns off the hot water, or doesn't give me good water or anything. She just really rubs me the wrong way. We are so not meant to be..
But anyway. I only have 3 more days here so I'm trying not to blow up on her.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Amazon Princess
This is a really long post.
The area we were staying was half flooded because the rainy season just ended. So, it was still really muddy, and my feet got stuck in the mud as we were getting out of the canoe. It was insane how much mud there was, and I wasn't even wearing boots! The area is really cool because during the high point of the dry season, the water completely dries up and you have to walk everywhere. Even when we were in the middle of the lagoon/river, there were places where the water was just knee-high. But sometimes it got annoying because our boat kept on getting stuck! By the time we actually got to settle in, it was already dark and time for dinner. I loved all the buildings because they were all made of wood and pacha (this hay-looking plant for the roofs) and looked super Amazonian. It was so surreal being in a place like this. It was a really chill night, and most of us spent a lot of time either in the hammocks or in our bunks.
The next morning, I woke up bright and early at 6 because of the birds right outside our cabin/hut. They really were the coolest bird I had ever seen because they make this sound like a water droplet - they're called oropendula birds. Really cool, really loud haha. After breakfast, we went on a hike in the forest; there was no path or anything so the guides had to lead the way. After walking for a while, we were left alone in various spots in the forest to do our "solos" for an hour, which was just sitting in the middle of the rainforest listening, looking, and smelling. It was just personal time that the directors gave us to connect with ourselves and with nature. I really enjoyed it, even though there were SO many bugs/ants/frogs/flies/mosquitoes. I don't think I ever had this much private time in Ecuador except right before I sleep, but then I'm on my computer so it's not very personal.
When we returned, we had lunch, which was amazing. Again. :D I loved the food here. Then after lunch, we went for a short boat ride to go piranha fishing! It was awesome since I actually caught fish!! The piranhas there are vegetarian, and the method of catching them were different. With poles that had string attached, we attached a piece of raw meet. Then with the end of the stick, we shook it in the water, and then put the meet in. Immediately you can feel the piranhas feeding on the meet. When you feel like they've taken the bait, you quickly pull the pole out of the water and hope the fish is caught on the hook! I think I caught two or three in total. It was really fun!!
Then right after that, it was getting really dark, so we went caiman hunting on the river. In order to spot the caiman, you have to skim your flashlight across the surface of the river and along the trees. If you see a round, red reflection, it's their eyes. Then we would turn off the motor to try and get closer to the caiman and see it up close. We didn't have much luck, though, because we didn't get to see one super up close. We did see a baby caiman on land, though. It was really small and cute! Then we went back and had dinner and played card games the rest of the night. I learned a new game called Rummy that Lisa taught everyone, and I want to bring it back to my area and teach everyone because it's an awesome game!
The next day after breakfast, we went to visit the Siona community, a group of indigenous people that lived on the reserve before it was considered protected. So they still have the right to live on the land, but they have to obey the rules of the reserve. As soon as we got there, a monkey that the people had found last year greeted us; his name is Nacho! He was super adorable, and since he was still a baby, he was really energetic and wanted to bite everything he got his hands on. It was super cool to play with a monkey!!! He was climbing all over us and dragging us everywhere.
After a while, we got a tour of their community, and their farm area. The coolest part was tasting the fruit of a cacao plant! The seeds actually have a gooey white fruit around that is sweet but really sour. I loved it and saved the seed from the fruit that I ate. I can't turn it into chocolate, but it's still cool to have! And we got to harvest some yuca plants. Yuca is very similar to potatoes in their shape and the way they're grown underground, but they taste different. It's white and a lot smoother than potatoes, which I like since I don't like the grittiness of potatoes. After harvesting them, Marisol, one of the indigenous women, made us really delicious tortillas de yuca. It's such a long process, but she doesn't add anything, so it's really healthy for you.
After lunch, we had a charla with the local shaman. It was really interesting to see him because we had read about shamans in class, and I really wanted to see one in person. We really couldn't understand anything he said because his Spanish wasn't very good since he speaks an indigenous language, which is completely different. He had on very traditional clothes, and our directors told us that only he wears it now since he is the shaman. Everyone else can wear more modern clothes. His feet were really different because he has never worn shoes in his 90 something years of life. So his toes are really spread apart, which is useful for climbing trees, apparently.
After the talk, we played some soccer with the locals and then went swimming in the river! It was really refreshing since the day was really, really, really, extremely hot. The current made it hard to swim against it and kept taking us away from the boats haha. But it was really relaxing and fun - kind of scary since there are caimans and snakes and other animals that live in the water, but we didn't encounter any of them, so it was fine.
The rest of the afternoon/evening, we just chilled and talked. The next morning, we woke up at around 5 to go rowing in the canoe and watch birds, but it rained so we couldn't. I was really upset because I really wanted to canoe, but oh well.. After breakfast, we had time to chill until 10:30, which was when we had to leave for the airport. One canoe ride, one bus ride, one plane ride, and another bus ride later, we were back to civilization at the Alston Hotel. It was really surreal that earlier that day we were in the Amazon. It was really a life-changing experience. But I was really glad to be able to sleep without having to worry about malaria. :D
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Hiking in the Cold
That next Saturday, I was supposed to cook Korean food for my family, but we decided it would take too much time since we woke up late, aka 10 am. So we postponed it and instead made this really good potato soup. We pretty much just chilled at home since the next day we were climbing Cotopaxi, the second tallest mountain in Ecuador at 5080 (or something like that) meters. It's an active volcano that can erupt at anytime and it's always snowing/always cold there, so no vegetation can grow. There were really cool volcano rocks that I picked up, though.
Anyway on Sunday, we woke up really early and met up with my Rocío's cousin, Marcelo, and his host student Maddy, who I talked about before I think. We drove for around 2 hours to Cotopaxi where there is a parking lot 4500 meters up the mountain. From there, we hiked up to the refuge, a building where people can sleep or rest if they plan on hiking all the way to the peak. It wasn't a really hard walk physically, but it was super freezing because it snows in Cotopaxi. That day, it wasn't actually snowing, but since there's always snow in this area, it's always cold and the wind is probably below zero. I thought my face was going to freeze off. And since it's really high up, it's harder to breathe, even if we're just walking literally 10 steps. It took around 45 minutes to an hour to walk to the refuge.
As we were reaching the refuge, we saw two foxes! It was really cool because they're usually never there since it's too cold for anything to grow/live on the mountain. When we got there, we got to drink the best hot chocolate ever (probably because we were freezing), and had Oreos and this other Ecuadorian cookie that was delicious. After resting for 30 minutes and then taking pictures, we started our walk down. When we were hiking up, actually, we took the zig-zag way because the shorter way was really steep and would have been much harder to climb up.
But we took this way down since it's easier to go down and it's shorter. It was kind of slippery, though, because there was a lot of sand and random huge rocks that we tripped on. I think I fell twice, but Maddy and Daniel fell more than three times. Maybe it was three times. I can't remember. But every time someone fell, I don't know why we all thought it was hilarious and started taking a bunch of pictures. Great times.
On our way back home, we had picked up a hitch hiker from Argentina who left his country 9 months ago to travel the world. And now he was in Ecuador. I personally didn't get to talk to him because I was sleeping... But Daniel told me about him. He said that the guy smelled like he had been traveling for 9 months. LOL Pretty sweet. We dropped him off somewhere along the way, and then headed home.
We had lunch at Marcelo's place, which was really delicious. We had hornado (baked pig?) with this really good sweet/sour sauce that you put on it with mote and choclo - aka the usual Ecuadorian food. It was delicious. Then we got to play with their puppies. Their dog, Chispa, just had puppies three weeks ago from now, and they are the most precious things I've ever seen. I was so in love with them, and I guess Marcelo's family realized that because they offered to give me one. And I was ECSTATIC!! So now I get to take a super cute Cocker Spaniel baby home in December. They said they'd keep taking care of her for the next two months, obviously, and then my host mom would arrange papers so that I could take her home with me when I leave Ecuador. Pictures are on Smugmug.com, or will be very soon! I am so excited!!
Then it was time to leave Los Chillos forever, which was really sad. My family dropped me off at the usual drop-off place in front of our school. I almost cried when I left because my host family had been super caring and loving for the month I had stayed with them. But I still have a lot of time in Ecuador, and we had planned a bunch of things for the weekends, so I'm glad I can still see them once in a while. We then went off to the Alston Hotel to rest before the Amazon! :D
Anyway on Sunday, we woke up really early and met up with my Rocío's cousin, Marcelo, and his host student Maddy, who I talked about before I think. We drove for around 2 hours to Cotopaxi where there is a parking lot 4500 meters up the mountain. From there, we hiked up to the refuge, a building where people can sleep or rest if they plan on hiking all the way to the peak. It wasn't a really hard walk physically, but it was super freezing because it snows in Cotopaxi. That day, it wasn't actually snowing, but since there's always snow in this area, it's always cold and the wind is probably below zero. I thought my face was going to freeze off. And since it's really high up, it's harder to breathe, even if we're just walking literally 10 steps. It took around 45 minutes to an hour to walk to the refuge.
As we were reaching the refuge, we saw two foxes! It was really cool because they're usually never there since it's too cold for anything to grow/live on the mountain. When we got there, we got to drink the best hot chocolate ever (probably because we were freezing), and had Oreos and this other Ecuadorian cookie that was delicious. After resting for 30 minutes and then taking pictures, we started our walk down. When we were hiking up, actually, we took the zig-zag way because the shorter way was really steep and would have been much harder to climb up.
But we took this way down since it's easier to go down and it's shorter. It was kind of slippery, though, because there was a lot of sand and random huge rocks that we tripped on. I think I fell twice, but Maddy and Daniel fell more than three times. Maybe it was three times. I can't remember. But every time someone fell, I don't know why we all thought it was hilarious and started taking a bunch of pictures. Great times.
On our way back home, we had picked up a hitch hiker from Argentina who left his country 9 months ago to travel the world. And now he was in Ecuador. I personally didn't get to talk to him because I was sleeping... But Daniel told me about him. He said that the guy smelled like he had been traveling for 9 months. LOL Pretty sweet. We dropped him off somewhere along the way, and then headed home.
We had lunch at Marcelo's place, which was really delicious. We had hornado (baked pig?) with this really good sweet/sour sauce that you put on it with mote and choclo - aka the usual Ecuadorian food. It was delicious. Then we got to play with their puppies. Their dog, Chispa, just had puppies three weeks ago from now, and they are the most precious things I've ever seen. I was so in love with them, and I guess Marcelo's family realized that because they offered to give me one. And I was ECSTATIC!! So now I get to take a super cute Cocker Spaniel baby home in December. They said they'd keep taking care of her for the next two months, obviously, and then my host mom would arrange papers so that I could take her home with me when I leave Ecuador. Pictures are on Smugmug.com, or will be very soon! I am so excited!!
Then it was time to leave Los Chillos forever, which was really sad. My family dropped me off at the usual drop-off place in front of our school. I almost cried when I left because my host family had been super caring and loving for the month I had stayed with them. But I still have a lot of time in Ecuador, and we had planned a bunch of things for the weekends, so I'm glad I can still see them once in a while. We then went off to the Alston Hotel to rest before the Amazon! :D
Busy Week
That Thursday, we had Final Exams for our language course, so we were all busy studying Wednesday night. The rest of the day was busy and full of planning/practicing for our class final presentations in front of the whole group, teachers, directors, and the assistant dean of our SIT program. No pressure. Our class decided to do a rendition of "El Ahogado Más Hermoso del Mundo" by Gabriel Garcia Márquez and turn it into a skit. It was fun making lines and actions up.
The next day, we had a few hours to practice and then we presented. First it was Andrea and Kara's group - they did a Jeopardy game with food, legends, famous people, ethnic groups, and Ecuadorian expressions. It was really fun, and at the end, we all got candy. Yum. The second group consisted of Lisa, Sophie, Joi, Chris, Abby, and Lucy, and they acted out all the crazy things that had happened to them so far. It was hilarious and by far the best "skit" I'd ever seen. They really did have interesting events throughout the month, and it was really cool to see things acted out. It's one thing to hear about it and another to see it kind of happening in front of you.
We were the last group. It was really fun to present what we had practiced. It probably wasn't our best run-through, but it was still really enjoyable and entertaining. We dressed up in "rural" clothing and even made a fake ahogado (drowned man) out of Dan's clothes and a bunch of pillows, bags, and newspapers; we even gave him a face that we cut out of a magazine. Hahaha it was pretty great. We also used real candles and flowers and other stuff that made the experience a bit more real. It was really cool.
Right after class, I went straight home to quickly take a shower and eat lunch, because I was planning on meeting Laura W. at the choclo (type of corn) monument so that we could go to Quito together. We met my host parents in Quito and drove to their work so that we could walk to the 30-S commemoration march. 30-S, or 30 de septiembre de 2010, was a really crazy day for Ecuador. The police and other people started riots in Quito because they were really against Rafael Correa (the president of Ecuador). So Correa tried to go stop them or something but the police had captured them. And so the military had to be involved and shot a bunch of people; in the end 4 people died and many more were injured.
Correa tried to make it look like it was all the police/anti-Correa's faults by using propaganda and controlling the media, and he claims that it was an attempted coup d'e'tat. I still don't think I can form my own opinion since I don't know much about this country's politics, but I really don't like Correa because of his previous actions, which you guys can look up or ask me if you really want to know. But yeah. Now he's trying to make it like a celebration that democracy is still living since he is president, and he's really sorry that 4 people had to sacrifice their lives for democracy. So in honor of those who were injured/killed, he had a commemoration ceremony/march in the Carolina Park in Quito.
It was seriously crazy that Friday because there were so many indigenous people walking around that had traveled for days just to be there. Apparently Correa pays some of them to make it look like he has indigenous supporters, when in reality he really doesn't because he's ruining their homes with the petroleum industry in the Amazon. But anyway. We got to be in the midst of tens of thousands of people who were chanting and holding flags and banners. Eventually we got to see Correa in person because he gave a speech. He's young and handsome and charming, and I can see how he got elected. But I still don't approve.
Then we went straight to our host family reception, since it was the last weekend with our Los Chillos families. It was really fun because we got to see all our group members' families and how they interacted with each other. The food was great, and afterwards, we got to dance a lot. It was so much fun since there were a lot of people, and the music was Ecuadorian. Afterwards, the group wanted to dance more, so we went to a discoteca (club) called Picante to dance. It had really good music to dance to. It was such a fun night. :)
The next day, we had a few hours to practice and then we presented. First it was Andrea and Kara's group - they did a Jeopardy game with food, legends, famous people, ethnic groups, and Ecuadorian expressions. It was really fun, and at the end, we all got candy. Yum. The second group consisted of Lisa, Sophie, Joi, Chris, Abby, and Lucy, and they acted out all the crazy things that had happened to them so far. It was hilarious and by far the best "skit" I'd ever seen. They really did have interesting events throughout the month, and it was really cool to see things acted out. It's one thing to hear about it and another to see it kind of happening in front of you.
We were the last group. It was really fun to present what we had practiced. It probably wasn't our best run-through, but it was still really enjoyable and entertaining. We dressed up in "rural" clothing and even made a fake ahogado (drowned man) out of Dan's clothes and a bunch of pillows, bags, and newspapers; we even gave him a face that we cut out of a magazine. Hahaha it was pretty great. We also used real candles and flowers and other stuff that made the experience a bit more real. It was really cool.
Right after class, I went straight home to quickly take a shower and eat lunch, because I was planning on meeting Laura W. at the choclo (type of corn) monument so that we could go to Quito together. We met my host parents in Quito and drove to their work so that we could walk to the 30-S commemoration march. 30-S, or 30 de septiembre de 2010, was a really crazy day for Ecuador. The police and other people started riots in Quito because they were really against Rafael Correa (the president of Ecuador). So Correa tried to go stop them or something but the police had captured them. And so the military had to be involved and shot a bunch of people; in the end 4 people died and many more were injured.
Correa tried to make it look like it was all the police/anti-Correa's faults by using propaganda and controlling the media, and he claims that it was an attempted coup d'e'tat. I still don't think I can form my own opinion since I don't know much about this country's politics, but I really don't like Correa because of his previous actions, which you guys can look up or ask me if you really want to know. But yeah. Now he's trying to make it like a celebration that democracy is still living since he is president, and he's really sorry that 4 people had to sacrifice their lives for democracy. So in honor of those who were injured/killed, he had a commemoration ceremony/march in the Carolina Park in Quito.
It was seriously crazy that Friday because there were so many indigenous people walking around that had traveled for days just to be there. Apparently Correa pays some of them to make it look like he has indigenous supporters, when in reality he really doesn't because he's ruining their homes with the petroleum industry in the Amazon. But anyway. We got to be in the midst of tens of thousands of people who were chanting and holding flags and banners. Eventually we got to see Correa in person because he gave a speech. He's young and handsome and charming, and I can see how he got elected. But I still don't approve.
Then we went straight to our host family reception, since it was the last weekend with our Los Chillos families. It was really fun because we got to see all our group members' families and how they interacted with each other. The food was great, and afterwards, we got to dance a lot. It was so much fun since there were a lot of people, and the music was Ecuadorian. Afterwards, the group wanted to dance more, so we went to a discoteca (club) called Picante to dance. It had really good music to dance to. It was such a fun night. :)
This Is Going to be Hell...
Because 1. you guys probably don't want to read a 100 page novel on my blog and 2. I'm super lazy, I won't go too in depth with my life in Ecuador since that one Sunday in Quilotoa (I think it was the 25th?).
The Tuesday afterwards, we visited an elementary/middle school in Fajardo, which is around 10 minutes away from our school. We were separated into groups based on each grade a couple weeks before and had to come up with lesson plans for the students. It was really fun to decide what we were going to teach and how because it reminded me of summer school at KCC last summer. I even had the same grade - first and second graders. Joi, Abby, and I were really excited and adement that we get this grade because we really love little children! We planned so many games and activities to do like: learning animals, shapes, colors, and numbers in English; weather and climate of Ecuador; making musical instruments out of cups and beans; among other random games like Simon Says and Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.
As soon as we walked into the class, they got really excited and would not shut up/stop moving around. Their teacher quieted them down with this really cute song called "Las Lechusas," which I have no idea what it means, but it's a song about being quiet and shushes them. Then also when they were wild, we would yell out "Abrazos de oso," which means bear hug, and then they would hug themselves so they can't move. And they usually quieted down. It was adorable. We got to know the students pretty well given that we only saw them for 4 hours. There was one student in particular who was really obnoxious and didn't listen at ALL. His name was Richard. And he is the kid in class who never sits down, never stops talking, never listens to directions, and always wanders off on his own. But other than him, all the other students were fairly attentive, especially the girls. They were so cute and kind of like suck ups like all little girls are to new people, especially foreigners.
At the end of our time there, we played with bubbles, and the kids enjoyed that thoroughly. They loved to jump and try to pop the bubbles, and they loved it when they got to blow from the bubble sticks. As we were about to leave, one of the kids - Luis - asked if we were coming back the next day. And when we told him we weren't, he asked when we were coming back. We couldn't answer, because we weren't going to be back.. So after like 5 seconds, he asked, "Are you never coming back?" And it just broke my heart. It was really sad. Even though we had only known the kid for 4 hours, we had formed such an impact on him and the rest of the class. I loved the experience of this rural school and really want to help/be involved in improving their studies so they can have brighter futures.
The Tuesday afterwards, we visited an elementary/middle school in Fajardo, which is around 10 minutes away from our school. We were separated into groups based on each grade a couple weeks before and had to come up with lesson plans for the students. It was really fun to decide what we were going to teach and how because it reminded me of summer school at KCC last summer. I even had the same grade - first and second graders. Joi, Abby, and I were really excited and adement that we get this grade because we really love little children! We planned so many games and activities to do like: learning animals, shapes, colors, and numbers in English; weather and climate of Ecuador; making musical instruments out of cups and beans; among other random games like Simon Says and Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.
As soon as we walked into the class, they got really excited and would not shut up/stop moving around. Their teacher quieted them down with this really cute song called "Las Lechusas," which I have no idea what it means, but it's a song about being quiet and shushes them. Then also when they were wild, we would yell out "Abrazos de oso," which means bear hug, and then they would hug themselves so they can't move. And they usually quieted down. It was adorable. We got to know the students pretty well given that we only saw them for 4 hours. There was one student in particular who was really obnoxious and didn't listen at ALL. His name was Richard. And he is the kid in class who never sits down, never stops talking, never listens to directions, and always wanders off on his own. But other than him, all the other students were fairly attentive, especially the girls. They were so cute and kind of like suck ups like all little girls are to new people, especially foreigners.
At the end of our time there, we played with bubbles, and the kids enjoyed that thoroughly. They loved to jump and try to pop the bubbles, and they loved it when they got to blow from the bubble sticks. As we were about to leave, one of the kids - Luis - asked if we were coming back the next day. And when we told him we weren't, he asked when we were coming back. We couldn't answer, because we weren't going to be back.. So after like 5 seconds, he asked, "Are you never coming back?" And it just broke my heart. It was really sad. Even though we had only known the kid for 4 hours, we had formed such an impact on him and the rest of the class. I loved the experience of this rural school and really want to help/be involved in improving their studies so they can have brighter futures.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Cunugyacu & Quilotoa
On Sunday, Keely, me, and my host dad left Sangolquí at around 6 to go on an adventure! And it was probably the coolest adventure ever. We drove around 2 hours, mostly on a rocky and bumpy road, up the Illinizas, two mountains next to Cotopaxi. On the way, we saw a bunch of wild bunny rabbits that were really cute! We were looking for the Cunugyacu waterfall, known to be thermal. It turned out to be kind of cold because it was snowing at the top of the mountain, but it was still cool. The water is yellow because of the iron content that's in the soil in the mountain. But it doesn't really smell bad or anything; it's just yellow. The hike wasn't bad either. It was literally a 7 minute hike to the falls. From where we parked the car, we could hear the water falling (get it?? hahaha). We crossed a river using stones and logs for balance; I felt like a true nature girl! :D
After taking a bunch of pictures and admiring the beauty of the place, we left to go to Quilotoa, a lake that formed inside the crater of an inactive volcano. On the way, we stopped by Pujili for lunch - potato pancakes and fritada. Yummy!! This area rarely gets foreigners so Keely and I got some stares. We got to walk around the market, which is pretty much all indigenous people, and saw a lot of different things than normal. That does not make sense, but I don't know how to make it make sense. There was a guy that was selling these HUGE worms to eat.. Because it's supposed to be really good for pain and is a cure-all.
Then we left for Quilotoa; on the way, we passed by Tigua, a small pueblo known for its amazing art because of the famous artist Jorge Tiguaza (I think..?). We got to stop at his gallery and talk to him and look at his art. It was really cool. Then we finally got to Quilotoa. It was the most amazing place I've been in Ecuador. We got to go down to the lake, inside the crater; it's pretty deep and the ground is mostly sand so it was kind of difficult to go down quickly, but it was really fun sliding down. It took around an 45 minutes to an hour to get down the crater. When we got there, we took a lot of pictures and got to explore around the lake. There was an overnight house near the lake so we went to go look around. The rooms are really small because they're designed to be exactly how the indigenous people used them. There's only a bed and a window. Sweet and simple - all you really need.
Then we sat down at this camping table and ate bananas, dried aves (a type of bean), and pepino (a type of fruit that tastes like Korean pear - delicious!). After eating, we decided to go back up because it looked like it was going to rain. We got to climb up riding horses!! Or mules, to be exact. It was so cool because I've never been on a horse!!! Super chévere! It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would; my host dad said that my legs will hurt a lot. But my horse would NOT listen to me. He was really short-tempered and competitive, apparently, because he really wanted to be ahead of the other two horses (my host dad's and Keely's). My host dad wanted to go ahead of us because he wanted to take pictures, but his horse would not move. And my horse would RUN in front. My host dad eventually went ahead, but while we were stopped in this really tight crevice, my horse decided to run past my host dad. Awesome idea. My leg got trapped in between my host dad and his horse and my horse. It was a great experience. Then another time, when we were almost at the top, my horse decided to stop. And so naturally, the other horses stopped behind him. And then my horse lifted his hind legs and tried to kick the horse behind him. And I almost fell off!! But that was really cool LOL.
When we finally got to the top, I realized I had lost my lens cap :( Probably when my horse was acting crazy. Sad.. But at least it wasn't my camera. And I think I'm allergic to big animals because my throat started getting itchy again and it was getting kind of hard for me to breathe, and I kept coughing. The area between my chest and my throat hurt a lot, like there was something pressing against it and pressing into my body. Ouch. But it got better after I drank a lot of water and slept a little bit in the car. On our way home, we stopped by La Avelina, a famous restaurant known for their amazing chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream. It was so good.. Probably the best simple vanilla ice cream I've ever had. We got home around 7:30 because of traffic, and when we finally arrived, I was so exhausted that I couldn't do anything. Great day, great day. :)
Volcano?
Last weekend was probably the most exciting weekend I had. On Saturday, I was supposed to go to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador, with my host family, but my host dad had some work to do, and we had to pick up my host grandma, who is such an adorable little lady, from her son's house and drop her off at her niece's. I was kind of bummed because I really wanted to go to Guayaquil, but the day turned out to be cool.
After we dropped off the grandma, we met up with my host cousin's family to get some lunch. We went to a very typical restaurant where they sell typical Ecuadorian food. What, do you ask, is typical Ecuadorian food? Well, usually it's a lot of mote (type of corn), fried meat, and plátanos. We ordered 3 plates of fried pig skin with mote, a plate of fritada (fried pork) with potato pancakes and mote for me, and half a guinea pig for my host uncle. Sweet. And I got to try it!!! I took a picture of it, but accidentally erased it before I could upload it :( sadness. Guinea pig sounds really gross because they're so small and are like pets. But I don't like guinea pigs so I decided to have a piece. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! The skin was super chewy and felt like rubber in my mouth and the meat tasted kind of like fish - i don't know why. I don't know if I'd be able to eat it again, just because I know it's guinea pig. If they had just put a plate full of the meat w/o telling me what it was, I'd probably eat it. Hehe
Then after lunch, we went to the TeleferiQo in Quito, which is a place where you ride those cable cars up to the top of a mountain. But it was really cloudy, and we wouldn't have been able to see anything, so we decided to go to the amusement park right next to it instead called Vulqano. My host family told me that it used to be really big when it first opened, but as the instable weather started interfering with the park's business, less and less people started to go, and shops started to close down. They had to close down a lot of the rides, too, so now it's really small. But there are a few good rides that are still open. There was one that made me really sick; it's like the Viking Boat, but there are two "ships" that go opposite each other, and it also goes all the way around like when you swing a yo-yo. At one point, I thought I was going to fall out of my seat.
There's also another ride that's very similar to the Giant Drop at Six Flags Great America, but not as giant. It was alright. We also went on the Viking..which was very not exciting. There was this ride called Catapult where two people ride in this capsule ball connected to ropes and the machine pretty much just throws them around. It looked really intense.. and I wanted to go on it, but I didn't at the same time. So I didn't :) We also got to go on the bumper cars! It was really exciting because I got to ram into a lot of people that I didn't know. Hehehe
After Vulqano, we were supposed to go to the Centro Histórico de Quito (self-explanatory I think), but it started to rain, so by the time we got there, it was closed. Boo, because I really wanted to go. But I'll be living in the city for three weeks, so I still have time to explore. After being stuck in Quito traffic, which is probably worse than Chicago's I-90/94 traffic, we went home and just chilled :)
After we dropped off the grandma, we met up with my host cousin's family to get some lunch. We went to a very typical restaurant where they sell typical Ecuadorian food. What, do you ask, is typical Ecuadorian food? Well, usually it's a lot of mote (type of corn), fried meat, and plátanos. We ordered 3 plates of fried pig skin with mote, a plate of fritada (fried pork) with potato pancakes and mote for me, and half a guinea pig for my host uncle. Sweet. And I got to try it!!! I took a picture of it, but accidentally erased it before I could upload it :( sadness. Guinea pig sounds really gross because they're so small and are like pets. But I don't like guinea pigs so I decided to have a piece. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! The skin was super chewy and felt like rubber in my mouth and the meat tasted kind of like fish - i don't know why. I don't know if I'd be able to eat it again, just because I know it's guinea pig. If they had just put a plate full of the meat w/o telling me what it was, I'd probably eat it. Hehe
Then after lunch, we went to the TeleferiQo in Quito, which is a place where you ride those cable cars up to the top of a mountain. But it was really cloudy, and we wouldn't have been able to see anything, so we decided to go to the amusement park right next to it instead called Vulqano. My host family told me that it used to be really big when it first opened, but as the instable weather started interfering with the park's business, less and less people started to go, and shops started to close down. They had to close down a lot of the rides, too, so now it's really small. But there are a few good rides that are still open. There was one that made me really sick; it's like the Viking Boat, but there are two "ships" that go opposite each other, and it also goes all the way around like when you swing a yo-yo. At one point, I thought I was going to fall out of my seat.
There's also another ride that's very similar to the Giant Drop at Six Flags Great America, but not as giant. It was alright. We also went on the Viking..which was very not exciting. There was this ride called Catapult where two people ride in this capsule ball connected to ropes and the machine pretty much just throws them around. It looked really intense.. and I wanted to go on it, but I didn't at the same time. So I didn't :) We also got to go on the bumper cars! It was really exciting because I got to ram into a lot of people that I didn't know. Hehehe
After Vulqano, we were supposed to go to the Centro Histórico de Quito (self-explanatory I think), but it started to rain, so by the time we got there, it was closed. Boo, because I really wanted to go. But I'll be living in the city for three weeks, so I still have time to explore. After being stuck in Quito traffic, which is probably worse than Chicago's I-90/94 traffic, we went home and just chilled :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)