Saturday, November 28, 2009
Celebrate Good Times
This week was a really good week. Monday when I got back from Lima I came home to 21 yellow roses from my host mom and sister for my birthday. That night I went out to dinner with my family and of course the waitresses at the restaurant sang to me.
Thursday, all of my friends came back to celebrate Thanksgiving. My school rented out a place for us all to eat together. Most of the students came with their host families and all the staff from my school came of course. Each family brought two dishes. The directors of our program talked for a little bit, we told eachother what we were thankful for, and then we ate! The food was really great. After the lunch, one of the host dads played a couple songs on the accordian :) Then we had a dj and they played South American music, so we all danced. It was so fun, definitely a memorable Thanksgiving. I was really happy that I was able to celebrate the holiday, especially with the family I've made here in Ecuador.
That night, 8 of my friends came over to eat cheescake for my birthday. They brought me champagne and a couple other things. We had our drinks, then they sang to me and I blew out my candles. We ate and then went out to dance! I had a really good night with everyone, dancing until 3 am. It was definitely a fun birthday, being able to celebrate with Melinda in Lima, my host family and then all my friends here.
This coming week is my last week of the internship! This week I also need to finish the draft of the 20 page essay I have to write about the work I've done and the things I've seen and learned. One week from today, everyone will be back from our internships and we have another week to finish up the semester. I can't believe it's almost over already!!
Thursday, all of my friends came back to celebrate Thanksgiving. My school rented out a place for us all to eat together. Most of the students came with their host families and all the staff from my school came of course. Each family brought two dishes. The directors of our program talked for a little bit, we told eachother what we were thankful for, and then we ate! The food was really great. After the lunch, one of the host dads played a couple songs on the accordian :) Then we had a dj and they played South American music, so we all danced. It was so fun, definitely a memorable Thanksgiving. I was really happy that I was able to celebrate the holiday, especially with the family I've made here in Ecuador.
That night, 8 of my friends came over to eat cheescake for my birthday. They brought me champagne and a couple other things. We had our drinks, then they sang to me and I blew out my candles. We ate and then went out to dance! I had a really good night with everyone, dancing until 3 am. It was definitely a fun birthday, being able to celebrate with Melinda in Lima, my host family and then all my friends here.
This coming week is my last week of the internship! This week I also need to finish the draft of the 20 page essay I have to write about the work I've done and the things I've seen and learned. One week from today, everyone will be back from our internships and we have another week to finish up the semester. I can't believe it's almost over already!!
Lima
Last Thursday I went to Lima, Peru to visit my best friend from the U of M (Melinda). She is studying there for the semester at a Catholic university. The trip was really awesome but way too short. I got in Thursday night and had to leave Monday morning.
Friday I snuck into the university with Melinda so I could see what the school was like. The campus was really nice. Afterward we went to eat really good Peruvian food and walk around a little bit. That night we went to a bar with some of her friends from the program. Saturday we went to el Centro to see the president's palace and the church and the colonial part of the city which was really beautiful.
Unfortunately that day we met some guys who wanted to take us to get a famous Peruvian drink called Pisco Sour. We sat and talked with them and Melinda and I shared a drink. When we were ready to leave the manager brought us the bill of 380 soles (about $130). Melinda was in shock and we were both really mad. We decided we would pay about $30, leave and let the boys pay the rest because we hadn't ordered the drinks, seen the menu or drank much. So we tried to pay but the woman manager wouldn't let us leave. Things had been a little weird the whole time in the restaurant and at this point I knew it was a scam. The boys were working together with the owners. The boys try to bring in American or European girls who they think have money. The boys order drinks and the manager way over charges. Then they leave the bill to the girls and try to scare them into paying. Then the boys and the manager split the profits made off of the foreigners. But Melinda and I weren't going to let it happen because we knew what was going on. So we fought for an hour with them. About 6 people were yelling at us and arguing with us and when I walked forward saying that I wanted to talk to the police the woman pushed me back. Finally we left after paying part of the bill. It was really scary and I almost couldn't believe that it was happening to us. Lesson learned.
That night we went out to celebrate my birthday, which was really fun. Throughout the weekend, some Peruvians made comments to Melinda and I about our nationality. They all thought we were from Brazil which I thought was really funny. Sunday we went for a walk on the beach and later to a park that has water fountains that look really awesome because of the lights they put them with. Monday I had to get back to Quito! It was a really great trip and made me SUPER excited to travel with Melinda after the semester is over. We have one week in Ecuador together and then two weeks for Argentina. Two more weeks of school and then the adventure begins!
Friday I snuck into the university with Melinda so I could see what the school was like. The campus was really nice. Afterward we went to eat really good Peruvian food and walk around a little bit. That night we went to a bar with some of her friends from the program. Saturday we went to el Centro to see the president's palace and the church and the colonial part of the city which was really beautiful.
Unfortunately that day we met some guys who wanted to take us to get a famous Peruvian drink called Pisco Sour. We sat and talked with them and Melinda and I shared a drink. When we were ready to leave the manager brought us the bill of 380 soles (about $130). Melinda was in shock and we were both really mad. We decided we would pay about $30, leave and let the boys pay the rest because we hadn't ordered the drinks, seen the menu or drank much. So we tried to pay but the woman manager wouldn't let us leave. Things had been a little weird the whole time in the restaurant and at this point I knew it was a scam. The boys were working together with the owners. The boys try to bring in American or European girls who they think have money. The boys order drinks and the manager way over charges. Then they leave the bill to the girls and try to scare them into paying. Then the boys and the manager split the profits made off of the foreigners. But Melinda and I weren't going to let it happen because we knew what was going on. So we fought for an hour with them. About 6 people were yelling at us and arguing with us and when I walked forward saying that I wanted to talk to the police the woman pushed me back. Finally we left after paying part of the bill. It was really scary and I almost couldn't believe that it was happening to us. Lesson learned.
That night we went out to celebrate my birthday, which was really fun. Throughout the weekend, some Peruvians made comments to Melinda and I about our nationality. They all thought we were from Brazil which I thought was really funny. Sunday we went for a walk on the beach and later to a park that has water fountains that look really awesome because of the lights they put them with. Monday I had to get back to Quito! It was a really great trip and made me SUPER excited to travel with Melinda after the semester is over. We have one week in Ecuador together and then two weeks for Argentina. Two more weeks of school and then the adventure begins!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sin Electricidad
Last week Ecuador entered into a little bit of a crisis. Right now the country is in a season where it's supposed to be getting a lot of rain, every day or every other day. But since I got here 3 months ago it has only rained about 5 times and is sunny almost every single day. The entire country depends completely on hydroelectricity...and since it hasn't rained there isn't enough electricity. So every day for the past couple weeks, every part of the country goes without electricity for 5 hours. Different parts of each city get shut down at different times each day.
At first I thought it was just a temporary thing, didn't think much about it. But after I started talking to people I realized that this changes a lot of things for a lot of people. They predict that the country will go without electricity 5 hours everyday for another month at least. At first all the impacts didn't register for me but now I see that everyday companies are losing 5 hours of business and it is definitely hurting the workers, their families and the economy. Kids in school are without lights or computers everyday, hindering their learning. Every town is without stoplights. Quito is a city of about 2 million and when everyone is trying to get to work or get home from work, traffic is a disaster (especially with so many impatient drivers here). At night, it is extremely dangerous. There have already been a lot of wrecks, one really bad one near my house that involved a bus and 6 cars. The government is having to pay more to have police officers out 24/7 directing traffic. There are a lot more robberies and other crimes because entire parts of the city are completely dark. Not only are houses and businesses without electricity, but also hospitals. Those that don't have their own generators are also shut down each day for 5 hours.
I've asked about other sources of electricity and what I've been told is that Columbia and Peru MAY be willing to sell energy to us but that it's too expensive and the government can't afford it. So then I asked about alternative sources from Ecuador itself, but apparently these alternative sources are expensive too and the government has not invested in developing them.
So...we wait for rain!
At first I thought it was just a temporary thing, didn't think much about it. But after I started talking to people I realized that this changes a lot of things for a lot of people. They predict that the country will go without electricity 5 hours everyday for another month at least. At first all the impacts didn't register for me but now I see that everyday companies are losing 5 hours of business and it is definitely hurting the workers, their families and the economy. Kids in school are without lights or computers everyday, hindering their learning. Every town is without stoplights. Quito is a city of about 2 million and when everyone is trying to get to work or get home from work, traffic is a disaster (especially with so many impatient drivers here). At night, it is extremely dangerous. There have already been a lot of wrecks, one really bad one near my house that involved a bus and 6 cars. The government is having to pay more to have police officers out 24/7 directing traffic. There are a lot more robberies and other crimes because entire parts of the city are completely dark. Not only are houses and businesses without electricity, but also hospitals. Those that don't have their own generators are also shut down each day for 5 hours.
I've asked about other sources of electricity and what I've been told is that Columbia and Peru MAY be willing to sell energy to us but that it's too expensive and the government can't afford it. So then I asked about alternative sources from Ecuador itself, but apparently these alternative sources are expensive too and the government has not invested in developing them.
So...we wait for rain!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
La Fiesta de la Mama Negra
Saturday there was a really big festival en Ecuador in the town of Latacunga, about 2 hours south of Quito. La Fiesta de la Mama Negra originally started due to a volcano eruption. Near Latacunga is a volcano called Cotopaxi (I have pictures on my blog--I went there a few weeks back). The volcano errupted in the 1700's and destroyed the entire town. The "Virgin of Mercy" is the patron of the volcano. The volcano hasn't erupted since and the town celebrates this fiesta each year in order to thank and honor the Virgin of Mercy for that. There is a huge parade where everyone wears traditional indigenous dress which was really beautiful!!
Halloween at the Beach
As a few of you probably already know, my experience in Quinsapincha with the internship didn't work out. I ended up getting really sick and didn't feel very comfortable with my host family or the cooperative. After a few days of tears I decided that I needed to leave. It's just that I am here in Ecuador to work and to learn, and I couldn't be at my best there. Mentally and physically I wasn't healthy, so I knew that I couldn't make the most of the 6 weeks. I came back to Quito and am living back with my same host family, which I am really happy about. I found a new internship within a day or two. I am now working at Codesarrollo. It is a pretty big organization that does microfinance. It is really, really great for me because I get to learn from really intelligent people who know their work well and I also get to see the reality of what they are working with. I go out to the rural areas 4 days a week to talk to the clients who want loans or currently have loans. We see their homes, talk about their incomes, their expenses, why they need the loan, how they earn a living and finally see if they will be able to pay back. Some people want loans to put a cement roof on their house and put doors inside. Some want it to buy land and grow food or raise animals, others need more capital to buy a car for their business. It's really, really crazy when the clients tell how much they spend and earn. Most spend about $15 a month total for water, light and a phone. Some only have $5 cash to their name and the maximum is usually $100. Most of these people literally work to eat, in the most extreme sense. The one day that I'm in the office I am gathering info, working on the 20 page research report that will be due at the end of the internship.
Ecuador had a holiday last weekend called Dia de los Difuntos, where the people celebrate the lives of friends and family who have died. They eat special food (Colada Morada and Guaguas de Pan) and some go to the cemeteries. My friends and I went to the beach and spent Halloween and the holiday weekend there :)
Ecuador had a holiday last weekend called Dia de los Difuntos, where the people celebrate the lives of friends and family who have died. They eat special food (Colada Morada and Guaguas de Pan) and some go to the cemeteries. My friends and I went to the beach and spent Halloween and the holiday weekend there :)