82

the rain wont let up! it shouldnt still be raining in may but it seems like the rainy season just doesnt want to end and its still raining. heres a pic from the other night when we went out for the san isidro events and the streets were 'insoportables' so muddy!!

this past week i went to help another pc friend who invited me to help translate for a medical brigade. he lives in santo domingo where there live indigenous groups called the tsachilas (different than the quecha sierran communities). these groups use a local plant to paint their hair red (the men) and another local plant to paint their skin black with tattoos (that last around a week). they wear necklaces made out of seeds and skirts (rainbow colored for the women and blue/white for the men). they explained that when the spanish came their community suffered a lot from yellow fever and mumps? another disease im not sure which one. and they found out that putting the red plant (achote) on open wounds helped to cure these wounds and saved many people. since then they continue to this day coloring their hair this way in order to remember and give thanks to this plant and its healing powers. the necklaces because they are made out of seeds are a symbol of life for them and the tattoos are a form of protection keeping the bad energies out of their bodies. the rainbow colored skirts come from the symbolism of the rainbow as a representation of women something like that. it is all very interesting! (they also have their own language).

so the university of kentucky send their medical students and professionals to Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas every year to assist in medical brigades however many of the doctors do not speak spanish so thats where i helped. i helped in registration-general medicine-pediatrition-and physical therapy. it was very fun. the doctors said it was an incredible and unique experience for them because they faced diseases and problems that they have only seen in textbooks before which i thought was cool and interesting.

‘I never believed in herbs until one day I had a nasty stomach upset and my Ecuadorian wife pulled some ugly twigs and dried flowers out of a bag. She used them to brew a tea which was very soothing. Within half an hour my stomach was much better. Since then I have turned to this tea rather than modern remedies for stomach upsets.’ This is another thing I love here and points out a few things I will miss. One is going outside to the trees or plants for something to eat or make in the kitchen and another is the teas. I have also used the plants from my garden or a friends garden to cure an upset stomach or a sore throat or headache and because they are so fresh made from the actual leaves the are very delicious as well as a remedy. Where will I find these plants in the states??

97

‘a drinking tradition among the different classes is that at informal parties people will often break into small groups. There will usually be a bottle of beer or another beverage and one glass. People will take turns filling up the glass for each other. While not very hygienic this is a very strong bonding practice among many Ecuadorians.’ I also agree that this is a strong bonding practice: everyone drinks together and the same amount. However there is usually one person who is designated to ‘dar la vuelta’ or ‘give rounds.’ . . .!

this week (may 11-15) we celebrated the 'fiestas de san isidro' where the elected the reina (queen) of san isidro and there were bailes. everyone got dressed up. it was fun dancing as always! and with the whole town!!! in august they celebrate again and they say the bailes are even bigger and everyone dances in the street for 4 days straight! i missed last year because my friends came and we were traveling around other parts but im super excited to celebrate this year as my last final goodbye right before i leave!! in the picture 'alondra-belen-me-nerexi' my bffs here.. alondra is bruces mom (the blonde hair blue eyed boy and the one im going to leave luna with and nerexi is susanas sister and belen is belen!)

Leila-adriano-ambar-estefania! My first family here!! adriano will be 2 in april! hes crazy and runs around like a crazy person!!

friends at the waterfall!

adriano singing in the microphone!!

102

The other day cleaning my apartment I found the ‘culture shock- Ecuador guide’ that I had brought and read through before coming. It was funny reading through and seeing in print some of the things I lived everyday and other habits that I have caught onto and now also participate in and see as normal. I marked a few that I particularly liked and that were very relevant to me and my experience here. I will share some things I liked in the following blogs. (and sorry my computer doesnt want to use commas) .--- .--- .--- ‘one aspect of ecuadorian’s society which permeates all social levels is dancing. Ecuadorians love to dance as much as they like to eat. Most social funcions whether a baptism birthday party or dinner party are an excuse to celebrate life through dance. An old gringo (common Ecuadorian term for an American) friend of mine who has lived in Ecuador for nearly 30 years commented to me that dancing is ‘part of the package of being Ecuadorian.’ After attending hunders of festivities over the years I have noticed that Ecuadorians enjoy music and sway unconsciously to the rhythm of whatever is playing on the CD player. People of all ages can dance and there is no feeling of embarrassment or self-consciousness and no respite. It is a function as natural as breathing and it embraces everyone—even babies are brought along.’ . This may be what I miss the most. Where will I find places to dance cumbia salsa meringue regueton? How will I attend parties where there is no dancing? Or the music that I am so used to and love to listen to (and dance to). If we don’t go out dancing one day of the week (Saturday usually unless there is another fiesta or baile) we always talk amongst friends that ‘nos falta el baile’ theres something missing…how will we stand to wait a whole nother week without dancing? .

at many parties there is something called the 'hora loca' or 'crazy hour' where they put on certain songs that are very upbeat and well known they can be recent or dated doesnt matter. maskes are used with noise makers beads and sometimes people dressed up in crazy outfits. the idea of the 'hora loca' is to pick up the party a little if the people are starting to get a little tired or bored or kind of give them a little energy lift. at this party we all dressed up and started the party with the hora loca to get people up and dancing right off the bat. . . . the municipio has hired us (susana with her volunteer-moi) to teach workshops on recycling and using bottles and plastic bags in art. we are traveling a lot to bahia and giving these workshops to many womens groups around the area and soon will do the same in san isidro.

. . .

every month in the foundation we have a new charla and this month (after the hiv tests) we talked about violence against women and within the family as well as women's and children's rights and the rights for people with disabilities. . . . On top of a tour bus in cuenca..

. . HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

110

SAN ROQUE. im trying to get everything in before i leave. We took a trip to a friends farm for a night where we ate pan de yucca from the typical oven and made cheese and butter and all types of milk products. Heres a pic of the sunset the day we traveled out there.

. . Milking cows. (observing: i have attempted to milk cows before but the one time i tried the cow smacked me in the face with her tail so i kind of lost interest since she didnt seem to like it too much.. i should probably just suck it up and do it again one time before leaving)

. . milk mustaches!!

. . making butter!!

. . the beautiful views....

. . the mountains i will miss..

. the oven with the breadsss

. una rosa para mi mami!

117

trabajo: in the foundation we planned an HiV event and around 50 mothers took the test and then the next day we set up camp in the park and completed 70 other tests meaning around 120 residents of San isidro have taken the HiV test and have gained knowledge on what is HiV and how to protect onself. i personally was giving 'consejeria' which is the preparing of the person before they take the test by explaining to them all of the information possible on hiv and answering any questions, doubts or concerns they may have regarding. it felt good but i was sure tired after talking so much and saying the same thing 120 times (because it is personal-one on one- just incase they have a specific question that they might be too embarrassed to ask in front of others.

at the table giving the 'consejeria'

the group in the foundation

the next day in the park...

diversion: the entire week before easter is celebrated here and called 'semana santa'. actually that friday is more celebrated than easter sunday. what we do here in the family is have a big feast where each family brings a dish (no meat seafood yes..yay me!) considering that the family is huge; there was tons of food! and people! it was all delicious!!!!!!

'torta de choclo' corn cake... ?

'torta de cameron' shrimp cake with a topping of potatoes

dulces...

ensalada de frejol verde con huevo cocinado.. green bean salad with hard boiled eggs.

picante de yuca... cooked yuca with a salad of onion and other veggies

:D

:D were almost out of the rainy season...