New New New!

So sorry about the lack of update lately; things have been happening and time has been flying by so quickly. Where to begin…

New Year, new house, new teaching cycle, new adventures!

My New Years was spectacularly unexciting; I fell asleep before Midnight, as is my style. Even so, I did venture out that night to take in all of the sights that Cuenca had to offer. That included giant dummies and structures that different neighborhoods built in the streets to later set on fire. Also, it is customary for men and boys to dress as women, hold a rope across the street to block traffic, and demand money from stopped cars. This is actually an accepted stunt in Cuenca; the back-story is that the men are widows, asking for money from passersby to send their husbands to the afterlife. Everyone pretty much plays along with this, donating some monedas to the men/widows, although I did witness some motorists just speed through without paying. Other New Year’s traditions here include wearing yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve (for good luck), eating 12 grapes at Midnight, and running around the block with a suitcase (for good luck in travel.) Also, the giant dummies, or Años Viejos are burned in the street. Sometimes these dummies represent a family member to bring them good luck in the New Year; other times the dummies are popular characters such as the Hulk, Bart Simpson, or Spiderman. It's quite a sight to see all of these figures displayed along the sidewalks!

A few days after New Year’s, I said farewell to the Albright group; I hope to see them here again next January. This January just flew by without me realizing it. We’ve jumped into a new teaching cycle, and the second time around seems easier than the first. I've got two 102-level classes, one of which is full of 11 pre-teens. Let's just say a "Behavior Chart" had to be implemented. My Saturday class is a very chill 201-level class of 2 wonderful students. And I've got a 204-level of 3 students, one of which is an amateur magician! I'm really enjoying my job, and after some contemplation, I decided that I’m not ready to leave in June. I spoke to my boss about staying longer, and she approved. So the plan now is to stay until June 2015. There will most likely be a trip back to the USA between now and then, although I don’t know when. I’m happy, I’m working, and I’m in LATIN AMERICA. Why leave so soon?

2014 has been bringing wonderful things…I have embraced Christianity, and found that I have been more than welcomed into the community. I attend Sunday service every week with 2 good friends (and fellow teachers) and every week I learn something new and am enlightened more and more. An emotional prayer request was met with so much support I was brought to tears. A weekly Bible study has thrust me into even more discovery, and while it’s super-difficult for me (I attended several years of after-school Catholic education, but haven’t retained anything,) the study is great.

On top of that, I am in a new home! I am living with 2 fabulous teachers, one of whom is planning on staying here for the long-term. The house is huge, out of the city center (I wake up hearing birds, not traffic,) and it’s in a very nice neighborhood. It’s a healthy environment, with friends who genuinely care about me. Needless to say, I’m thrilled to be here. I am trying to use the new house as an incentive for my family to visit. I’d love, love, love for my mom or dad or sister or all of them to come here and see what makes me so passionate about Spanish and travelling. I want to take them around the centro, to eat an humita, to browse the mercados, to marvel at the view of the Andes that I still gasp at on a regular basis. To bring them to my class and have them see me in teaching action, to have them hear me converse in Spanish with the locals. To have them be proud of me for heading to South America to pursue a crazy dream.

Anyway, yesterday was the first Friday of the month, which meant First Friday Art. It’s become a tradition between my friend and I to hang out and then head to the monthly art exhibition. This month’s artist was a 21-year-old Cuencano (whom I almost hit up for his phone number.) His paintings were impressionist oils that depicted scenes of Cuenca (the rivers, bridges, and cropland.) They were gorgeous, and he had sold quite a few! To be so talented and successful at such a young age; jeez, where’s my sketchbook? It’s time to get to work!

Speaking of artistic pursuits, I met up with a good friend today for some lunch and ice cream and some good ol’ chitchat. She’s a writer, and we came up with the idea to email each other writing pieces every 2 weeks. We’ve both been lagging behind on our creative outbursts, and this will be nice, to hold each other accountable for producing something creative from time to time. This will help me develop some characters and ideas for the comic book my best friend and I want to create (we dream big!) And I can also use these writings to give me inspiration for sketches. If anything cool transpires from this, I’ll post it to the blog. And now that my goal is posted on the internet, I guess I have to follow through, eh?

Thanks for hanging in with me on this post; I know it was a long one, but a lot has happened, and once I get going it’s hard to stop. All good things, and until next time, ¡hasta luego!

Pase del Niño

December 24th…while my friends and family are running around, frantically worrying about getting last-minute gifts, I was gallivanting the blocks of Calle Simon Bolivar, taking in the colorful and bizarre splendor of the great parade, Pase del Niño.

The temperature hit almost 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but the thousands and thousands of people participating in the parade continued to dance and prance down the street. Children, dressed in elaborate costumes, rode on top of horses carrying saddlebag adorned with fruit, vegetables, candy, and meat. Adults donned unbelievable costumes and chased each other around, and groups performed indigenous dances for the spectators as marching bands played behind them.

The parade was incredible and beautiful, and sometimes pretty bizarre (I saw a sheep with tootsie roll pops tied around it.) The Pase del Niño started in the morning and continued for most of the afternoon, and it’s a tradition that is very important in Cuenca. In fact, people prepare all year for this event. While December 25^th may be the big day back home in the USA, here it’s all about the 24^th and the huge procession of kids and families holding Baby Jesus dolls. And you know what? I think I enjoyed just as much, if not more, than the frantic, freezing holidays in the States.

Oh Yeah, It's the Holidays

I love living here. Christmas is so chill. So much so, that sometimes I forget about it. In a good way though; what’s important here is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, not buying the perfect gift for your aunt that you see twice a year.

On Friday, a party was held for everyone at the school that I work at, so there were many people there that I didn’t know. It was really a nice get-together, in a beautiful venue. We were out of the city on a hacienda, with horses and lots of land, and fresh mountain air. There were games and dancing, and it was lots of fun. Nice to have off from work as well!

Saturday was the first day of summer here in the Southern Hemisphere (but they still put up snowman decorations for Christmas, go figure.) By coincidence, I went to Ingapirca with two friends on the day of the old Inca celebration to the sun god. Ingapirca is the site of Inca ruins, and we visited the old sites of the Inca King’s sleeping quarters, an ancient tomb, and the temple to the sun god. It was also cool to translate the tour guide’s Spanish into English for my friends.

Saturday night, I attended a little public concert/show that my friend’s Zumba group organized. They did a really good job! Women, men, and children dressed as angels, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the Three Wise Men. Others sang songs in Spanish. There were decorations, including a backdrop of stars and a little manger, gifts made of recycled and painted ice cream boxes, and a snowman made of reused plastic cups. I was reminded of the true meaning of Christmas, and I was proud of my English friend for singing songs in Spanish among a group of Cuencanos! ¡Buen trabajo!

The more I think about it, the more I want to extend my contract here…

December Update

Well, what a whirlwind! Even though the teaching cycle is over, I feel more busy than ever, but mostly in a good way (it’s no fun having too much free time to just wander aimlessly.)

I have picked up 4 tutorials for this break between cycles (although I think some of them might have to extend longer than that.) I work from 7am-12:30pm, and then again from 3-5pm. At first, I was nervous about starting work so early in the morning, but it’s really not that bad! It helps that I’m a morning person, but it’s nice to bang out those tutorials in the morning and then break for lunch. Then work from 3-5pm, and that’s a 15-hour tutorial, so it will last a little longer than a week. And lastly, it’s an extra paycheck.

I had a Skype interview with a program in South Korea to teach English. Wow! I am actually thinking of staying in Cuenca for a bit longer than June 2014, but the schools in South Korea have openings every month, so it’s not as if I have a deadline to get there. One thing at a time, I suppose.

I recently arrived back in Cuenca from a trip to Peru. It was wonderful, and I got some nice R&R. I also met some new friends and was able to just forget about everything for a few days. We all stayed in a beach house that was on a private section of beach in Ñuro, about a half hour from Mancora. The days were spent taking long strolls along the beach, collecting shells, finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series (fabulous) and chatting with friends. I was also sure to pick up the ceviche recipe that was prepared for us, so my friends could enjoy it back in Cuenca (although the fresh seafood of Peru’s coast will be hard to replicate.) There was also a dog there, Prince (although she was female,) with whom I fell in love with.

And now, I am back in Cuenca. I must say, I am happy to be back here. It just feels like home, and the people are so friendly and inviting. There is a sense of community here, and I can’t help but notice how important family is…I often see siblings or children and parents walking along the streets hand-in-hand or with their shoulders around each other. I love that.

With all of these explorations, I am forgetting that it is almost time for Christmas. It’s nice not to be in that holiday rush…in fact, I often just bask in sunshine! But the holiday decorations have been put up throughout the city, and while there may be a few Santa Clauses, it’s mostly floral motifs and nativity scenes. That’s a welcome change from back home.

Speaking of nativity scenes and Christmas, I am beginning to explore my faith more. As of right now, I don’t associate with a religion, but I do believe in a higher power. I have felt some sort of absence in my life lately, and it has been suggested that maybe I delve into religion. So, little by little, I am trying to discover how to fill the gap in my life. It’s overwhelming and will take a while, but I think this is a good thing.

Happiness to all! J

A Cuencan Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my gringo friends (even if I’m a bit late.) It’s still strange to be heading into the holiday season when the temperatures are in the 60s, there’s no forecast for snow, and I’m not being bombarded with advertisements urging me to buy! buy! buy! I have taken refuge from Black Friday, finally!

With most of the teachers at my school being from the USA, we all got together on Thursday for a Thanksgiving potluck. And with my lack of cooking skills, I opted to whip up a guacamole for the occasion. Okay, not very Thanksgiving-y, but it’s something I could manage. Guacamole is cheap, easy, and deelish!

And it pleased the others, even if it wasn’t as satisfying as the other dishes…vegetarian stuffing, honey-glazed carrots, several potato dishes (hey, it’s Ecuador AND Thanksgiving…carb it up!), roasted vegetables, rice, fruit salad, a chicken, and a few other dishes. There was a Latin-American flavor with some tostones, my guacamole and market-bought tortilla de choclo, and some sweets from a panaderia. It was a very good day, and in true Thanksgiving fashion, we all ate up!

 

Besides the food, it was great to just be with good people. The vibe was friendly and warm (like the outside temperature.) A good time was had by all, and I am thankful for the two ladies who hosted the get-together.

As I count my blessings, I realize what great friends I have here. Especially the group of friends I’ve got helping me through some rough spots. As I face these difficulties, I have become aware that there is a hole in my life…what it’s supposed to be filled with, I’m not entirely sure, but I am beginning to embrace and explore faith. We’ll see how this goes.

Be thankful for what you have, because you always have more than someone else. The good times are great, but they don’t last, so cherish the moment and don’t be shattered when it ends. Same with the bad moments; they don’t last forever, and it’s almost never as bad as we make it out to be. Anyway, the bad moments usually end up taking us somewhere…and sometimes that somewhere can be a very good place.

A Day Out of the City

What better way to spend a sunny warm Sunday than to explore the nearby towns of Gualaceo and Chordeleg with two amigas?

That is exactly what I did this past Sunday. Gualaceo and Chordeleg were only a short and cheap bus ride away from the rush and noise of Cuenca. My friends and I boarded the bus in the early afternoon, and after an hour and sixty-five cents, we arrived in the sleepy little town of Gualaceo. This town is known for its shoe retailers; and we definitely saw tons of shoes for sale. Sneakers, boots, sandals, high heels, anything. Too bad I’m perhaps the only girl in the world who is not amazed by shoes (could be the summer I spent working at a shoe store as well!)

We explored the central plaza, which was reminiscent of a mini Parque Calderon, minus all of the trees. This plaza was bathed in sunlight that warmed the townspeople who were out and about for a Sunday excursion. A fountain stood in the center of the plaza, and the periphery was lined with old-looking colonial buildings (cafes, shops, etc.) My friend commented that it looked very old-style Mexican western movie, but I really have no prior knowledge, so I took her word for it.

We slipped into a church for a little bit, and I marveled at the difference between Latin American crucifixes and those of the USA. Lots of blood; they’re not afraid of depicting the story of Jesus’ crucifixion here. I asked a gentleman in the church who was depicted in the church’s main stained-glass window, and learned that it was the church’s patron, Santiago de Gualaceo. Or is it Saint Iago de Gualaceo?

After the church, we headed up a steep hill to get to the mercado. A woman in a bakery told us it was 5 blocks away. We just kept walking and walking, stopping and asking if we were near the market, and people just kept telling us it was a few more blocks. Well, eventually, we got there, and had a fabulous view of the mountains and the town below. That’s how Ecuadorians do 5 blocks! J

In the market, we saw tons of fresh produce, fish, and meat. We noted that it was once again mostly women doing the work. We entered the food court, where I purchased some typical Ecuadorian food…tortillas de choclo, an empanada de queso, and morocho. It was delicious…and each item cost 30 cents!

After lunch, we decided to catch the bus to continue our journey on to the next town, Chordeleg. Chordeleg is known for its silver jewelry and crafts, and upon arriving, we noticed that the streetlights here were decked out in gorgeous silver handiwork! Chordeleg is chock-full of joyerias (or jewelry shops) and the prices are actually very good. Despite all of the fabulous silver, I bought a beautiful white cotton dress to use as a cover-up for my future beach trip to the coast of Peru. My friend paired the dress with a colorful scarf, and I fell in love and just had to buy the pair for $19. I’m considering it a worthy investment.      

We spent the remainder of our afternoon bopping around town and enjoying the nice weather. Ecuador has been getting rather warm lately, and it’s a bit surreal to be heading into the Christmas season while baking in the sun! I feel that I should be freezing my butt off and marveling at snow for it to be Christmastime. Ah, the experiences of travelling…

All in all, my Sunday was terrific, and we’re thinking of heading back to Chordeleg (and the neighboring SigSig) in the future.

Let the Festivities Begin

It's the very beginning of November, and you know what that means.

 Oh my gosh, I've been in Cuenca for 2 months! Where did the time go? Not quite sure, but I know it was well spent. This weekend is very active for the entire city, as everyone observes Día de Todos Santos (Friday), Día de los Difuntos (Saturday), and Cuenca's independence from Spain (Sunday). And of course, the gringos and the very few Ecuadorians who celebrated Halloween on Thursday.

 My Halloween was very quiet; I was spent by Thursday night and turned in early. Lame, but whatever.

 Friday was Día de Todos Santos (All Saints Day) and the weekend festivities were in full swing. Parades, artisans, and food vendors lined the streets. Music could be heard in any plaza. Friday night, some friends and I headed out to see what the art vendors had to offer. We looked at Panama hats, woodwork, artists doing glass-blowing, and many other things (jewelry, toys, dolls, etc.) We also stopped into one of the many cathedrals in Cuenca (I recently learned that in the past, a person had to be Catholic to be declared a citizen of Cuenca!) The cathedral was actually very pretty, and even though I don't associate myself with any organized religion, I said a quick prayer in the pews. Then, I mingled with the crowd, who was being served free horchata and bread. I sat down next to an older woman named Rosaria, and we started chatting. She was extremely kind and so down-to-earth that I asked if I could take her photograph. She agreed, and her face just held so much experience, so many stories, I wanted to talk with her the rest of the night. But my friends were looking for me, and we continued on our way.

 Saturday, I took advantage of my totally free day (usually I have a Saturday morning class to teach.) Two friends and I took the bus from La Feria Libre to Girón, less than an hour away. The bus dropped us off in the city center, and we looked around for a way to get to the waterfalls. Surely there would be no waterfalls in the city center! We managed to get a ride to the entrance of the park in Girón, and after paying the $2.00 foreigner fee (Ecuadorians pay $1.00,) we began our journey. We walked to the first waterfall, El Chorro. It was gorgeous. A tall, thin gush of water that ended in a shallow pool accompanied by a sign reading NO NADAR (NO SWIMMING.) The view was spectacular and provided for some nice photographs. We sat in a dry spot and ate our picnic lunches, then explored a bit more. Too tired to make the one-hour hike to the second waterfall (the third waterfall is even farther away,) we began our descent down the mountain. It was more than 4km to the city center, and I can't do math, but it took about an hour and a half to lug ourselves down the mountain. On the way we met some animal friends, and we admired the mountain air (no diesel fumes here!) and the beautiful views of the countryside.

 And afterwards, I was dead. Not really sure how I'm even typing this right now, because I'm still dead. Kind of ironic that the past weekend was Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead.)

 Sunday consisted of biking around the streets and taking in the festivities. Parades, music, dancing, vendors selling art and clothes and other things…Cuenca had it all. But I’d had my fill; I headed back home and spent some downtime relaxing and reading a good book. Later on, I met up with a friend and we walked to Parque Calderon (the main park in the city center) to see if we could find some fireworks action. We got there and saw that the Old Cathedral was open, so we went in. The building itself is gorgeous on the outside, but on the inside it’s also a wonder for the eyes. Ornate and grand, we took a seat in the back row of pews and looked at a program booklet in Spanish. Once the priest started talking and the pews filled up, we figured we should sneak out before we were committed to staying the whole time; we wanted to see the action outside! We investigated about fireworks and were told by a police officer that the fireworks were “suspended” but he didn’t know why or for how long. Folks were setting up stands to sell canelazo, colada morada, and guaguas de pan, but it seemed that any party action was going to come much later on. My friend and I were both beat, so we decided to call it a night. I spent a leisurely evening curled up in a warm bed. A very chill ending to a very active weekend.