I couldn't think of an apt title for this blog post because it's such a flurry of Life, that words couldn't describe it. In short: I feel on top of the world.
This week, I gave my students their Mid-Term exam, and as I am in the process of grading them, I can't give the final word on how it went, but so far, so good! Can I just say that being on the opposite side of grades is weird. I had yet another one of those 'pinch myself'moments while I was grading Mid-Terms. It's just creepy.
This week also marked the departure of the coordinator at one of my teaching locations. Maria Augusta will be greatly missed; she was such a pleasure to see every day when I arrived to school. She handled everything that I and my fellow teachers needed, school-related or not. One of the teachers made her a cake and we all shared hugs. It was bittersweet.
In other teaching news, I have picked up an Intensive clas for the last 5 weeks of this teaching cycle. I am thrilled because 1) it gives me more work, so I feel that I'm actually working, and not just part-timing it; and 2) it gives me a bigger paycheck, which we all know I need. I will be teaching another 201-level class, so no extra planning will be needed, really. Sweet.
I also was approached by my neighbor, who asked if I would give him private English lessons. Um, yes! We'll see how it goes; we should start on Tuesday.
And I am also continuing my salsa-dancing lessons. I love these classes! I'm in the beginner's class, but it's still such a blast! I am a dancing toothpick.
For anyone interested in the weather here, Cuenca has been remaining true to its word for being a rainy city. Six straight days of rain, and I was ready to pull my hair out. Yet, Friday cleared up and Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. How perfect; just in time for the weekend. Saturday was perhaps one of those every-once-in-a-while-oh-my-gosh-this-day-is-perfect days. After my morning class, some friends and I went to Parque Paraiso for a picnic and lots of walking. The park was full of happy and friendly people (and a dog who opted to swim with the ducks and swans in the lake.) Later, I met with a local friend and had a fabulous gabfest (one of my favorite things to do.) By 8pm, the rain had returned, but it was okay because I had a full day of fun in the sun. I headed to my amiga's house to meet up and head out yet again to a cafe for dinner. We ended up at a gringo place, but the food was tasty, the environment was cozy (we ate cuddled up next to a crackling fireplace; perfect for my wet shoes and socks!) and we met a traveller from the Bay Area of California. We got very chatty, and we all shared our experiences (travelling and otherwise. Our new friend mentioned the waterfalls in nearby Giron; something to definitely plan a daytrip for.) It was a great ending to a great day. Not to sound too cheesy. Maybe just a little.
In other good news, my grandmother is set to come back home on Thursday. EXCELLENT. I see a Skype date in my future.
I also hope I see a new place to live in the future. Not that I'm not satisfied living where I am, but it's not super-comfortable. And I'm thinking of staying here longer than a year, so I want to feel more at home in the place where I'm living. We'll see.
I check in on Facebook periodically to remind myself that other people are doing super-awesome things while I am as well. It's a bit strange and funny to read about friends who are still at my college, especially the ones who are Seniors and pursuing Honors Theses and such (ah, good times...) Actually, I was recently contacted by my 8th grade History teacher to write a little something for her current/future students. Just a little blurb about when we graduated from the 8th grade and what we're up to now. Kind of an inspirational thing. I think it's a wonderful idea, and I think the kids back in my hometown need it (it's not the brightest and happiest place in the world nowadays.) I am also writing a testimony for the scholarship I was awarded a couple of years ago...the one that made my current situation possible. I have so much gratitude for all of the people who made this possible. Ah, I'm getting all emotional again!
So to finish off this post, I will conclude with my recent "Oh wow, I'm in Cuenca" moments...I am determined to try my second trial of patacon-making, I continue to see how kick-ass the women are here (a group of men in hard hats and boots, laying in the grass in a circle, chit-chatting while two women paved the road next to them...hmm...machismo much?), I am keeping my eyes on the skies for incoming rain showers, I am practicing my Cuencana slang, and I witnessed a random parade again in the street.
I saw a man standing on the corner this morning. "You look so happy standing there," I told him. "Life is good," he tells me. My reply: "Isn't it though?"
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Weekend Review
Another weekend in Cuenca, another Sunday reflecting on how
things are a-changing.
Friday included a fabulous potluck with some teachers from
the CEDEI. Everyone can cook very well! And since we’re all broke, it was a lot
of vegetarian food. On top of that, the potluck was held in the home of two of
the teachers (a couple,) and their house is absolutely gorgeous…they live in a
house separate from the owners, in which they have their bedroom, living room,
bathroom, and kitchen. The place is decorated with mementos from South America,
and there is a huge garden with avocado and lemon trees, spinach, and lovely
flowers. The owners live across the garden in their own house, and they have
three mop-headed dogs who are very sweet. Friday was also game day for some
football (which is what I call soccer now) and it was Ecuador (Cuenca) vs. Uruguay.
The dogs sported their Ecuador jerseys along with some of the other teachers. Guess
who won? Ecuador, of course! We watched the game on television and afterwards
as I was strolling down the streets with a fellow teacher, cars passed by
honking their horns and sporting Ecuador flags and shouting for the football
team. And I rooted along with them.
My friend and I stopped in one of my favorite cafés, where she got a coffee. I opted for some Colombian drink. It was non-alcoholic;
seemed more like a soy milk with cinnamon concoction, and I remembered it being
very tasty when my other friend ordered it a few weeks ago when I took a sip
from hers. But when I had this drink on Friday, five minutes later I felt
nauseated and dizzy and light-headed. The room was spinning and I felt gross,
and I had to run to the bathroom. This happened twice, and I finally put the
drink aside and went to a farmacia to
find some pills. I was out of sorts the rest of the night and got home and
plopped into bed at 10:30pm…but didn’t fall asleep until after 4:00am. I just
lay in bed hoping to fall asleep, although I was getting some cool visions for
future artwork (was that a side effect of the drink?)
I woke up at 6:30am to get ready to teach my Saturday class,
and things went well. They were being brats (as 13-year-old,s especially boys
do) but some experienced teachers gave me a pep talk during my break and I managed
to get their attention after that. Still learning the ways of a teacher, you
know.
After class I enjoyed a nice lunch with some teachers and
then we hit up the Mall del Rio, and discovered that this is where the ricos
hang out. It seemed reminiscent of malls in the States, although it was strange
to see a Subway and a KFC mixed in with the ceviche
places. We stopped by a visiting chocolate exhibit, which was pretty cool. A cuy made of chocolate…oh boy!
That night, I met with a new friend in Cuenca, and we passed
the time over dinner at a café, where we chatted about lots of things, all
fantastic! I eagerly await our next get-together!
There’s been a lot of rain this weekend, but today I met
with another friend (from Peru) who is also very kind. As I was waiting for her, some Ecuadorians and I chatted
in Spanish. They asked where I was from, and here I feel comfortable telling
the truth…soy de Filadelfia, Estados
Unidos. They were from Guayaquil (and one guy from Colombia) and they were
fascinated by me…a young girl travelling alone. ¿Sola? ¿¡Viaja sola?! After we talked, they needed a photo with the
gringa; I felt like a tourist
attraction…but it’s all good. I met with my friend, and I ordered a coffee
thinking it would help me stay alert, and it did, but even with milk, I still
am not keen on the taste of coffee. Oh well, no pasa nada. It did keep me awake though!
Later, a good teacher friend and I went to La Feria Libre, a
huge market that has pretty much anything you could want (or not want.) I
bought some plantains so that I could make some patacones, which turned out not horrible, but not great. I also
made some gazpacho which I am excited to
try. And I was thrilled to buy a nice big bag of mote! Finally; I’ve been in Ecuador for over a month and haven’t
eaten mote yet? What’s wrong with
me?!
The rest of the night is for typical Sunday night behavior:
a good book and lots of rest. Sounds good to me!Friday, October 11, 2013
Parque Paraiso
“¿Donde estoy?” I ask
the ice cream vendor. “Parque Paraíso.”
Paraíso. Paradise.
Paraíso. Paradise.
It lives up to its name.
I discovered this gem earlier this week. I had heard about
it a bit, but it wasn’t until I ventured out on my bike along one of the rivers
(I still don’t know the names of the
4 rivers!) that I stumbled upon this place. I was intrigued by a bike/walking
path along the water’s edge, so I followed it. I followed it and followed it
and followed it. And then I came into a clearing full of colorful playground
equipment (some of it still being installed) and wide open green areas. Ah,
green space in Cuenca! It was such a welcome sight after trudging through the
crazy city center, with its diesel fuel, dare-devil drivers, and honking taxis.
Parque Paraíso has trails for walking, jogging, biking,
whatever. The trails take you through the park and into a wooded area, and then
the path splits into a dirt trail for bicycles and a wooden walkway for those
on foot. There is a huge lake that has paddleboats sitting in it. Flowers pop up to add a colorful vibe. Signposts encourage people to clean up after their dogs, throw their
trash in the garbage bins, and to not disturb the plant life.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know I’ve been around Philly a lot, but at least I can breathe
there most of the time. In Cuenca, I feel that my lungs are getting used to
less oxygen, but they’re also being polluted by toxic fumes. In this fabulous
park though, I felt free.
The sound of the water rushing in the river, the yells of
children playing futbol (soccer),
the flock of birds cawing at each other; it was all so nice. This is a park
where people come to exercise, have picnics, photograph their grandchildren
while they sit on the giant rocks, or cuddle with their lover.
Almost every day this past week I visited this park, usually
before work. The more time I spent there, the better I felt. I was outside, I
was away from technology, I was alone (but in a good way) and I was at peace.
Paradise.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Dedication to mi padre
My father's birthday is tomorrow, October 9th. That's also a significant date in Ecuador's history (the port city of Guayaquil's independence.) What do you do for your old man when you're in a foreign country, mailing/shipping anything takes what seems like forever, and uh...you're broke?
I guess you try to Skype him and tell him how much you love him and thank him immensely for helping you reach for your dreams. I can't recall a time when he discouraged me from pursuing my interests, even when I declared myself an Art major in college. He was there to help me when I was flunking math, he was there to drive me to dance class (and go to my recitals) and he was there to stand there perplexed when I went through an awkward teenage phase. He took me to get my braces and afterwards took me to Boston Market. He repeatedly ok'd spur-of-the-moment sleepovers with my childhood friends. He caught me getting lip action in the first grade in his basement and didn't freak out (at least not in front of me.)
He's a wonderful, super-cool, incredible dad who sacrifices so much for me. I'm thankful that I can call him my dad, and I hope that I live up to his expectations for me. I miss him a lot, and I hope that he realizes that I wouldn't be where I am or doing what I'm doing if it weren't for him. Te amo, papa!
I guess you try to Skype him and tell him how much you love him and thank him immensely for helping you reach for your dreams. I can't recall a time when he discouraged me from pursuing my interests, even when I declared myself an Art major in college. He was there to help me when I was flunking math, he was there to drive me to dance class (and go to my recitals) and he was there to stand there perplexed when I went through an awkward teenage phase. He took me to get my braces and afterwards took me to Boston Market. He repeatedly ok'd spur-of-the-moment sleepovers with my childhood friends. He caught me getting lip action in the first grade in his basement and didn't freak out (at least not in front of me.)
He's a wonderful, super-cool, incredible dad who sacrifices so much for me. I'm thankful that I can call him my dad, and I hope that I live up to his expectations for me. I miss him a lot, and I hope that he realizes that I wouldn't be where I am or doing what I'm doing if it weren't for him. Te amo, papa!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Weekend Update
I feel that my weekend was time well spent in Cuenca. Even though I have this weird stomach bug thing, but hopefully that'll just go away on its own.
Saturday morning was spent teaching my Saturday 201 class. I had two chatty boys, so I teased them by asking them if they were flirting with each other, since this week's topic was "Love." I had my students write cute little love stories for me. Hahaha, cruel and unusual punishment, maybe. I felt a little icky in the stomach while teaching, but I felt better by the end of class. I met up with some other teachers/friends for lunch. On the way there, we passed a woman washing her clothes in the river and a display tram car. Cuenca is getting a new tram railway system, and it's becoming the talk of the town (at least among gringos.) I think a tram system for Cuenca is a good development, but not at the cost of hurting farmers and people who depend on the land for their income and food. But I suppose there's no turning back on this project now; French workers have moved into Cuenca to begin construction.
My friends and I lunched at Good Affinity, a vegetarian restaurant near my one friend's apartment. I heard good things about Good Affinity, and I am now a believer. It's fabulous, and all veggie-friendly. They give you generous portions for a decent price...empanadas verdes, bok choy, veggie spring rolls, soy, peppers, cauliflour, soup, soy milk, juice, and more round out the menu...it's Asian-fusion food. And the atmosphere is very chill, relaxing, and gave me good vibes. I'll be back. I got a decent lunch for $2.50.
After lunch, we headed to my friend's apartment, since she's finally settled in. She's living in "Gringolandia" where many expats live, so prices are pretty hiked up there. It's easy to see that her neighborhood is a bit more bucks-up than the city center. Her apartment is very nice, and she's next to the river, so the sound of rushing water is quite peaceful. We all spent some time chatting at her place before heading to the SUPERMAXI (for gringos and rich Ecuadorians) where I got my discount card, although I don't really buy much there (I prefer the local mercados and panaderias.)
After that, I went back home, where I proceeded to feel icky again til I went to bed. Womp. Sunday, I felt on-and-off all day (right now, I'm good.) I went for a bike ride in the morning, as is my daily grind, and I stumbled upon the Mall del Rio (where the really rich Ecuadorians go.) I didn't go in, since it was about 8:30am, but the place looks huge, and at least now I know I can bike there. I also found a really cool park, which I think is Parque Paraiso (Paradise Park!) and it had lots of paths and trails for running, jogging, walking, or biking, and it also had lots of playground equipment. A zipline! I think I found a route I can stick with! It runs alongside the river, which is also fun!
After that, I met up with some language exchange partners. A female studying English who is originally from Peru, and a guy studying English while working in Systems Engineering who is from Guayaquil, Ecuador. They were both really cool and we hit it off; we'll be meeting up again soon. The guy told me about a Venezuelan place that serves Venezuelan arepas...oh my gosh, I need to check that out! Might be where our next meet-up is!
Later that day, I went home to clean up my bike because it's gross and my housemate (a.k.a. "bike lifesaver") helped me out a lot. It took well over an hour to semi-clean up my chain and all that other stuff that I didn't know the names for...drive train, de-railer...so now it's lubed up and hopefully satisfactory. "A" for effort?
The rest of my Sunday is feeling chill (that has been the feeling all weekend, and for that I am extremely grateful.) I am lesson-planned for all of October, and I am getting into the next novel I'm reading (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) even though it took me 100 or so pages to get into it. I Skyped with my dad yesterday and today, and he's well. My grandmother is doing better and has been moved to a Rehabilitation Center, which is reassuring. He'll visit her this week, and hopefully I can Skype with her as well. Last night, my dad showed me his Halloween display, and I am missing Halloween a lot! But, my language partner who attends the University of Cuenca told me about a Halloween fiesta the English students are going to have, and it sounds like fun! So tonight, I relax, I thank The Great Mystery, and I pray that my ick has gone away!
Saturday morning was spent teaching my Saturday 201 class. I had two chatty boys, so I teased them by asking them if they were flirting with each other, since this week's topic was "Love." I had my students write cute little love stories for me. Hahaha, cruel and unusual punishment, maybe. I felt a little icky in the stomach while teaching, but I felt better by the end of class. I met up with some other teachers/friends for lunch. On the way there, we passed a woman washing her clothes in the river and a display tram car. Cuenca is getting a new tram railway system, and it's becoming the talk of the town (at least among gringos.) I think a tram system for Cuenca is a good development, but not at the cost of hurting farmers and people who depend on the land for their income and food. But I suppose there's no turning back on this project now; French workers have moved into Cuenca to begin construction.
My friends and I lunched at Good Affinity, a vegetarian restaurant near my one friend's apartment. I heard good things about Good Affinity, and I am now a believer. It's fabulous, and all veggie-friendly. They give you generous portions for a decent price...empanadas verdes, bok choy, veggie spring rolls, soy, peppers, cauliflour, soup, soy milk, juice, and more round out the menu...it's Asian-fusion food. And the atmosphere is very chill, relaxing, and gave me good vibes. I'll be back. I got a decent lunch for $2.50.
After lunch, we headed to my friend's apartment, since she's finally settled in. She's living in "Gringolandia" where many expats live, so prices are pretty hiked up there. It's easy to see that her neighborhood is a bit more bucks-up than the city center. Her apartment is very nice, and she's next to the river, so the sound of rushing water is quite peaceful. We all spent some time chatting at her place before heading to the SUPERMAXI (for gringos and rich Ecuadorians) where I got my discount card, although I don't really buy much there (I prefer the local mercados and panaderias.)
After that, I went back home, where I proceeded to feel icky again til I went to bed. Womp. Sunday, I felt on-and-off all day (right now, I'm good.) I went for a bike ride in the morning, as is my daily grind, and I stumbled upon the Mall del Rio (where the really rich Ecuadorians go.) I didn't go in, since it was about 8:30am, but the place looks huge, and at least now I know I can bike there. I also found a really cool park, which I think is Parque Paraiso (Paradise Park!) and it had lots of paths and trails for running, jogging, walking, or biking, and it also had lots of playground equipment. A zipline! I think I found a route I can stick with! It runs alongside the river, which is also fun!
After that, I met up with some language exchange partners. A female studying English who is originally from Peru, and a guy studying English while working in Systems Engineering who is from Guayaquil, Ecuador. They were both really cool and we hit it off; we'll be meeting up again soon. The guy told me about a Venezuelan place that serves Venezuelan arepas...oh my gosh, I need to check that out! Might be where our next meet-up is!
Later that day, I went home to clean up my bike because it's gross and my housemate (a.k.a. "bike lifesaver") helped me out a lot. It took well over an hour to semi-clean up my chain and all that other stuff that I didn't know the names for...drive train, de-railer...so now it's lubed up and hopefully satisfactory. "A" for effort?
The rest of my Sunday is feeling chill (that has been the feeling all weekend, and for that I am extremely grateful.) I am lesson-planned for all of October, and I am getting into the next novel I'm reading (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) even though it took me 100 or so pages to get into it. I Skyped with my dad yesterday and today, and he's well. My grandmother is doing better and has been moved to a Rehabilitation Center, which is reassuring. He'll visit her this week, and hopefully I can Skype with her as well. Last night, my dad showed me his Halloween display, and I am missing Halloween a lot! But, my language partner who attends the University of Cuenca told me about a Halloween fiesta the English students are going to have, and it sounds like fun! So tonight, I relax, I thank The Great Mystery, and I pray that my ick has gone away!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Two Weeks in a Nutshell
Ay, where has the time gone? Keeping up with a blog is tougher than one might think! Luckily for me, I have a nice, relaxing evening to retell how life in Cuenca has been going.
So...let's start with teaching. Do I love it? Yes. Although the seasoned teachers here think my outlook is so innocent and rosy. Hah, little do they know I'm used to having no income, so working for less than $10/hour is a welcome change in my life! I still absolutely love my 201 class that I teach Monday-Thursday. The other day I just did not want to go to work. So imagine my joy when I got into my 201 class and an hour and 15 minutes later, I didn't want to leave! That's when you know you have a rewarding job. Obviously, being an Art major in college (before adding a second major in Spanish,) my top priority wasn't a huge paycheck. I love this job...I teach some great kids, I learn more about myself in the process, and uh hello, I'm in ECUADOR. Thankfulness is overflowing my insides right now.
My Saturday 201 class (full of 13-year-olds) is actually pretty fun. Yeah, sometimes they're chatty (and then at other times oddly zombie-like,) but they're good kids, even if they are here against their will. They put forth effort for 4 hours on a Saturday morning, which is more than I can say for the kids in my neighborhood back home. It amazes me here how many parents want to send their children to English classes. These kids go to school in the mornings and afternoons, some have extracurricular activities, not to mention homework and other household chores, and then they come to English school in the evenings or weekends. And they're not super-horrible brats. I find that pretty remarkable.
The childrens class is still a struggle for me. I don't know if the girls just don't like me too much, or if they're painfully shy, or just...not trying. I gave them a quiz on Unit 1, and they scored a 73% and a 47%. So, I reviewed with them and gave them a re-take. Immediately before the re-take, I reviewed the exact verbs and grammar points that would be on the quiz. And they scored a 90% and a 30%. Hmm...there's a disconnect here somewhere...I'm meeting with one of the lead teachers on Monday (the ninos expert,) and I pray that this will help me. Because I feel like a baby chick that jumped from the coop and fell straight down onto the pavement. SPLAT! My only preference for next cycle: No Ninos Classes, Please.
On a lighter note, payday was on Wednesday, and oh my, it feels great to have some moolah in my pocket. I'm trying, really trying, to save money for a December trip to Peru, since there are almost no classes during that month for holiday. I really wish I could pick up some side jobs, but so far, it's been no dice.
I just realized that I said "for holiday." I picked up different sayings and such during my experiences with people from different parts of the world. In the States, that would be "for vacation."
Last weekend, I headed to the zoo with a couple of friends. We heard it would entail a lot of walking, but man oh man, I wasn't expecting the amount of hiking required for this zoo. I'm glad we opted to take a taxi, even if the driver did charge us $5 to get there. Once you get to the zoo, you're actually at the bottom of a mountain. You can spend 30 minutes trekking up the slopeside, or you can use a vehicle (in our case, the taxi.) Then you're at the actual entrance. Sort of. You walk up another little hill and then you get to the main office to buy your ticket. I passed for a joven, or youth (13-17 years old.) Discount, baby! Once we were in the zoo, it started to rain, which is typical Cuenca. We waited it out by eating our packed lunches and chit-chatting about our plans for Peru (I still have to do a lot of investigating into that.) Once the rains subsided, we headed out on our on way through the park.
Now, as sad as I feel for the animals in the zoo, I have to say that I liked seeing all of the animals. I don't like that they're locked up in very small spaces and that they are simply fed (as opposed to actually hunting or searching for their food.) Also, some animals were housed all alone in their exhibits (I don't like calling them that, but that's essentially what they are.) A positive thing about the zoo in Cuenca is that the animals in there are mostly native to the area. There were no rhinos or elephants or zebras or giraffes. But there were lions and tigrillos and bears. Oh my! And lots of birds and monkeys and of course llamas. There was also a puma habitat; what a majestic animal.
A highlight of the visit was the turtle habitat. Okay, I know what you're thinking: "Turtles? Really?" But this was epic. There were two turtles (probably male; I'm not sure how you can tell a turtle's gender.) They were battling over another turtle (the female?) This fight was something else, I tell you. The older turtle took out the younger turtle TWICE, flipping him over. The second time, the capsized turtle just lay there, and luckily a bystander jumped over the fence and put the turtle back on its feet. The female never seemed to mind any of this, by the way. There were also two other turtles getting it on, so I took a pornographic video of it.
So that was a fabulous weekend outing! That was on Saturday, and now it's Friday night, and in true Kait fashion, I am relaxing in my bed. Very cozy. Belly full of food and heart full of happy thoughts. How corny. Today was the first Friday of the month, which means First Friday Art at a local gallery. This month's exhibit was phenomenal...two different artists. One was a watercolorist, and his works were just incredible. He had such control over the medium, but he also experimented in his backgrounds with splatters and drips. The way the colors blended and bled together was so gorgeous, and I have mad respect for people who can do that with watercolor (especially since when I do watercolor, it's just a wad of soggy paper.) His subject matter included lots of hummingbirds, but also turtles (with attitude, I'm telling you, turtles here are INTENSE,) and plants and trees. And a fabulous pineapple! That was my personal favorite. The other artist was a photographer, and his photographs were so touching, especially when accompanied by his wife's poems. My favorite photograph was a portrait of an elderly woman smiling at the camera. Her faces was covered in deep, harsh wrinkles, but in true Ecuadorian fashion, there was a serene happiness to her face. The accompanying poem described how we can't let bad times and struggles keep us down, because we're worth more than that. How beautiful! I also really loved a photograph of an indigenous woman carrying a huge bundle of crops through a dim city street. Very moving.
Another cool thing about First Friday Art? Free food. Delicous free food (but doesn't food always taste more delicious when it's free?) Sorry, not to be greedy, but yeah, I pigged out. That explains the belly full of food I mentioned earlier. I also met some nice and interesting people at the gallery, as is customary in an art gallery. Mostly gringos such as myself, usually expats who are retiring here. They always have some good tips and tricks to share with me. And they're usually awfully insightful about things here. I love talking to people who can teach me something. Although I think everyone teaches us something in one way or another. On the walk back home, my friends and I came across a band playing traditional music in Parque Calderon. We pulled a gringo, and tried dancing to the music. It was a good time.
Wish I could say the same for my Spanish classes. I am really getting bored with them. I love that it's great conversation and speaking practice. Still, it's dull and slow. I lose focus after 45 minutes, and class is an hour and a half, so I struggle. We just sit there for the whole time and talk, and the topic usually gets old after a half hour or so. I think I need to ask my teacher if we can do more activites. I need to be more engaged. The good thing is that taking Spanish classes gives me some more insight into how my own students probably feel in class. So I try to not make my classes feel like my Spanish classes, heh heh. I think another thing is just that I'm so over being a student. It's been almost 20 years straight of being a student in school; I'm just tired of it. I think it's fair to take a break, eh?
Anyway, since it was Friday, that also meant salsa dancing lessons! Let me tell you, we all work up a sweat in that class. Today we worked on bachata, and the class is going to be split into 2 groups: beginners (me!) and intermediate students (lots of my friends.) I have a good time in salsa class. It's a really fun activity, and I'd love to learn enough to go to a salsa club and dance with some locals! Right now, it's me dancing along to the music with my teacher and the other students, all while the teacher shouts "shake your heeps, use your arms!"
Oh, and I almost forgot...I joined a conversation exchange website, and I'm getting in touch with lots of native Spanish-speakers. Some of them live in Cuenca, and I met with one of them on Monday. He's a 19-year-old student at the University of Cuenca, and he was very nice to talk to. We spoke mostly in Spanish, which was great practice for me. I suppose next time we should converse in English for him. I also plan to meet up with 2 more language partners this weekend!
It's nice to talk to the people who live and breathe Cuenca. As for the local Ecuadorians, they are a hard-working people, to say the least. And the women are TOUGH. They carry bundles on their backs, along with their babies in a sling, all while wearing shawls, skirts, sweaters, and little shoes. The people work from early in the morning to late at night, taking a break for a siesta, as is the culture here.
Tomorrow I teach my Saturday class in the morning. Then the plan is to meet up with some of my friends and head to a vegetarian restaurant I haven't tried yet and then head over to see my friend's new apartment, since she's finally all settled in. Looking forward to it.
So...let's start with teaching. Do I love it? Yes. Although the seasoned teachers here think my outlook is so innocent and rosy. Hah, little do they know I'm used to having no income, so working for less than $10/hour is a welcome change in my life! I still absolutely love my 201 class that I teach Monday-Thursday. The other day I just did not want to go to work. So imagine my joy when I got into my 201 class and an hour and 15 minutes later, I didn't want to leave! That's when you know you have a rewarding job. Obviously, being an Art major in college (before adding a second major in Spanish,) my top priority wasn't a huge paycheck. I love this job...I teach some great kids, I learn more about myself in the process, and uh hello, I'm in ECUADOR. Thankfulness is overflowing my insides right now.
My Saturday 201 class (full of 13-year-olds) is actually pretty fun. Yeah, sometimes they're chatty (and then at other times oddly zombie-like,) but they're good kids, even if they are here against their will. They put forth effort for 4 hours on a Saturday morning, which is more than I can say for the kids in my neighborhood back home. It amazes me here how many parents want to send their children to English classes. These kids go to school in the mornings and afternoons, some have extracurricular activities, not to mention homework and other household chores, and then they come to English school in the evenings or weekends. And they're not super-horrible brats. I find that pretty remarkable.
The childrens class is still a struggle for me. I don't know if the girls just don't like me too much, or if they're painfully shy, or just...not trying. I gave them a quiz on Unit 1, and they scored a 73% and a 47%. So, I reviewed with them and gave them a re-take. Immediately before the re-take, I reviewed the exact verbs and grammar points that would be on the quiz. And they scored a 90% and a 30%. Hmm...there's a disconnect here somewhere...I'm meeting with one of the lead teachers on Monday (the ninos expert,) and I pray that this will help me. Because I feel like a baby chick that jumped from the coop and fell straight down onto the pavement. SPLAT! My only preference for next cycle: No Ninos Classes, Please.
On a lighter note, payday was on Wednesday, and oh my, it feels great to have some moolah in my pocket. I'm trying, really trying, to save money for a December trip to Peru, since there are almost no classes during that month for holiday. I really wish I could pick up some side jobs, but so far, it's been no dice.
I just realized that I said "for holiday." I picked up different sayings and such during my experiences with people from different parts of the world. In the States, that would be "for vacation."
Last weekend, I headed to the zoo with a couple of friends. We heard it would entail a lot of walking, but man oh man, I wasn't expecting the amount of hiking required for this zoo. I'm glad we opted to take a taxi, even if the driver did charge us $5 to get there. Once you get to the zoo, you're actually at the bottom of a mountain. You can spend 30 minutes trekking up the slopeside, or you can use a vehicle (in our case, the taxi.) Then you're at the actual entrance. Sort of. You walk up another little hill and then you get to the main office to buy your ticket. I passed for a joven, or youth (13-17 years old.) Discount, baby! Once we were in the zoo, it started to rain, which is typical Cuenca. We waited it out by eating our packed lunches and chit-chatting about our plans for Peru (I still have to do a lot of investigating into that.) Once the rains subsided, we headed out on our on way through the park.
Now, as sad as I feel for the animals in the zoo, I have to say that I liked seeing all of the animals. I don't like that they're locked up in very small spaces and that they are simply fed (as opposed to actually hunting or searching for their food.) Also, some animals were housed all alone in their exhibits (I don't like calling them that, but that's essentially what they are.) A positive thing about the zoo in Cuenca is that the animals in there are mostly native to the area. There were no rhinos or elephants or zebras or giraffes. But there were lions and tigrillos and bears. Oh my! And lots of birds and monkeys and of course llamas. There was also a puma habitat; what a majestic animal.
A highlight of the visit was the turtle habitat. Okay, I know what you're thinking: "Turtles? Really?" But this was epic. There were two turtles (probably male; I'm not sure how you can tell a turtle's gender.) They were battling over another turtle (the female?) This fight was something else, I tell you. The older turtle took out the younger turtle TWICE, flipping him over. The second time, the capsized turtle just lay there, and luckily a bystander jumped over the fence and put the turtle back on its feet. The female never seemed to mind any of this, by the way. There were also two other turtles getting it on, so I took a pornographic video of it.
So that was a fabulous weekend outing! That was on Saturday, and now it's Friday night, and in true Kait fashion, I am relaxing in my bed. Very cozy. Belly full of food and heart full of happy thoughts. How corny. Today was the first Friday of the month, which means First Friday Art at a local gallery. This month's exhibit was phenomenal...two different artists. One was a watercolorist, and his works were just incredible. He had such control over the medium, but he also experimented in his backgrounds with splatters and drips. The way the colors blended and bled together was so gorgeous, and I have mad respect for people who can do that with watercolor (especially since when I do watercolor, it's just a wad of soggy paper.) His subject matter included lots of hummingbirds, but also turtles (with attitude, I'm telling you, turtles here are INTENSE,) and plants and trees. And a fabulous pineapple! That was my personal favorite. The other artist was a photographer, and his photographs were so touching, especially when accompanied by his wife's poems. My favorite photograph was a portrait of an elderly woman smiling at the camera. Her faces was covered in deep, harsh wrinkles, but in true Ecuadorian fashion, there was a serene happiness to her face. The accompanying poem described how we can't let bad times and struggles keep us down, because we're worth more than that. How beautiful! I also really loved a photograph of an indigenous woman carrying a huge bundle of crops through a dim city street. Very moving.
Another cool thing about First Friday Art? Free food. Delicous free food (but doesn't food always taste more delicious when it's free?) Sorry, not to be greedy, but yeah, I pigged out. That explains the belly full of food I mentioned earlier. I also met some nice and interesting people at the gallery, as is customary in an art gallery. Mostly gringos such as myself, usually expats who are retiring here. They always have some good tips and tricks to share with me. And they're usually awfully insightful about things here. I love talking to people who can teach me something. Although I think everyone teaches us something in one way or another. On the walk back home, my friends and I came across a band playing traditional music in Parque Calderon. We pulled a gringo, and tried dancing to the music. It was a good time.
Wish I could say the same for my Spanish classes. I am really getting bored with them. I love that it's great conversation and speaking practice. Still, it's dull and slow. I lose focus after 45 minutes, and class is an hour and a half, so I struggle. We just sit there for the whole time and talk, and the topic usually gets old after a half hour or so. I think I need to ask my teacher if we can do more activites. I need to be more engaged. The good thing is that taking Spanish classes gives me some more insight into how my own students probably feel in class. So I try to not make my classes feel like my Spanish classes, heh heh. I think another thing is just that I'm so over being a student. It's been almost 20 years straight of being a student in school; I'm just tired of it. I think it's fair to take a break, eh?
Anyway, since it was Friday, that also meant salsa dancing lessons! Let me tell you, we all work up a sweat in that class. Today we worked on bachata, and the class is going to be split into 2 groups: beginners (me!) and intermediate students (lots of my friends.) I have a good time in salsa class. It's a really fun activity, and I'd love to learn enough to go to a salsa club and dance with some locals! Right now, it's me dancing along to the music with my teacher and the other students, all while the teacher shouts "shake your heeps, use your arms!"
Oh, and I almost forgot...I joined a conversation exchange website, and I'm getting in touch with lots of native Spanish-speakers. Some of them live in Cuenca, and I met with one of them on Monday. He's a 19-year-old student at the University of Cuenca, and he was very nice to talk to. We spoke mostly in Spanish, which was great practice for me. I suppose next time we should converse in English for him. I also plan to meet up with 2 more language partners this weekend!
It's nice to talk to the people who live and breathe Cuenca. As for the local Ecuadorians, they are a hard-working people, to say the least. And the women are TOUGH. They carry bundles on their backs, along with their babies in a sling, all while wearing shawls, skirts, sweaters, and little shoes. The people work from early in the morning to late at night, taking a break for a siesta, as is the culture here.
Tomorrow I teach my Saturday class in the morning. Then the plan is to meet up with some of my friends and head to a vegetarian restaurant I haven't tried yet and then head over to see my friend's new apartment, since she's finally all settled in. Looking forward to it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)