south american adventure

explosive mad cows

2007-12-30T13:09:00.000-06:00

these things are called "vacas locas" or crazy cows. they are loaded with firecrackers. these two guys ran around under them like a chinese dragon while they were spurting fireworks. this was for a neighborhood party that my "grandma" here organized to celebrate Quito´s independence from Spain. such FUN!

circle time, good eyesight and dancing for two

2007-12-30T12:56:00.000-06:00

Meeting kids at a government-funded school...............

Dancing with a little girl at non-profit program for kids with disabilities, ...................

Helping provide eye glasses for those who cannot afford medical care.

jungle view, maytag and 40

2007-12-30T12:48:00.000-06:00

for the first time in my life, I washed clothes by hand on rocks. they really got clean! there is no need for the maytag man out here............

jungle view from my hut. the river was extraordinary.........

playing a card game called cuarenta (40) with a shaman. we played until the candle burned out.

monkey hats, questionable water and the far reach of the coca-cola corporation

2007-12-30T12:36:00.000-06:00

hiked to a remote village to visit and donate school supplies. there was standing water all over the place. I could not distinguish rain water from sewage water. there is no doubt it contributes to ill health. If anyone wants to do a project on irrigation, let me know!.......

these fun kids are wearing a hat made out of ... monkey skin! ..........................

we were over 2 hours away from running water... and they sold coke. it is EVERYWHERE.....

a lamb, a llama and a lick

2007-12-30T12:10:00.000-06:00

this little girl lived with her family at the top of the mountain. ................
the owner of the lamb tied a plastic bag around him to protect him from the cold. his "baaaa" was so cute!
.................
for my birthday last year some friends and I bought a llama for a community in south america through Heifer International. wonder if this is the llama? visit http://www.heifer.org/

a gorge, a volcanic lake, and a backpack ...with emily and tony...

2007-12-30T11:57:00.001-06:00

spent 4 days and 3 nights hiking in the spectacular andes mountains. we climbed up and down 6 mountains and played a rousing game of soccer with kids from a community on the top of a mountain. we lost our bet that we would win...so we bought them soda and a cookie. what FUN!

Rotary involvement...pointing, translating, the news and a giggle!

2007-10-18T15:58:00.000-06:00

Contributing to this community has been really amazing!

With Rotary, I have spoken at two meetings.* They asked us to volunteer with a project called "Yo quiero ver" (I want to see), part of which is a vision screening given by optomitrists to economically disadvantaged children. We served over 90 children a few Saturdays ago.

Pointing: My role was to get the kids out of the waiting room and point to the letters on the eye chart. Towards the end of the morning, my doctor got a call and said in Spanish, "Look, Ryan. You know what to do. If they cannot read below line 7, send them to the other doctor. If not, write 20/20 on the form." I ended up screening several children by myself! It was so fun interacting with the children and the parents as a pseudo eye doctor! I think they enjoyed my broken Spanish.

One moment made me realize just how lucky we are, though. I was having trouble understanding a child´s name, so I asked the mother to write it. She was illiterate and couldn´t write her own son´s name. We made do, though. Without embarrassment on either part, I think.

Translating: The club also asked Emily, a friend and fellow Scholar, and I to translate two grant applications from Spanish to English. I use the term "translate" very loosely because it took us 4 hours!

This weekend I will be translating from Spanish into English at a "Matching Grant Fair" here in Quito. Clubs from developed countries travel here to overview projects and clubs with which they may be interested in partnering. District 7690, do you know about this fair? I´ll try to get information for next year if you are interested.

The news: These Rotarians from Quito Sur also invited us to the opening of a new clinic for the poor. They converted a portion of the floor of their building to a medical center. Seven "rooms," no bigger than two cubicles, allow children and adults to receive dental, gynecological, pediatric and laboratory services. It costs $3 for a medical consultation.

The staff is working without luxury. The walls do not reach the tops of the ceiling at the moment (they are hoping for a 2nd floor), The rooms are tiny and one wall of the laboratory, is part of a wall that is similar to a garage door. There is a .5 inch space between the door and the floor. YET, The space and doctors are very professional, the equipment is state of the art, and everything seems sanitary.

The project was so innovative, cost-efficient and for the good of the community, it made the news. They mentioned our names on the news, even though we had no part in it´s construction. Another example of their generosity.

*A Giggle: In one speech, I got confused and tongue-tied and, instead of saying the equivalent of Rotary Friends, I said Rotary Birthdays... tee hee. I think they enjoyed that! Thank goodness my slip-up wasn´t vulgar!

Have a great day ! Rotarians around the world...keep up the great work!

Minga

2007-10-18T15:52:00.000-06:00

The indigenous culture here has an incredible custom called a minga. There is no exact translation into English, but it occurs when a community works together in a collective effort for the good of the whole community. People stop everything related to individual gain…to build a school, to clean the street, to help a neighbor. Mingas lessen isolation, enrich relationships and solidify the neighborhood. We North Americans are excellent at helping one another after a disaster, but when was the last time we structured our weekend around a pro-active community goal? I will be looking for ways to incorporate this idea when I return to the states. Perhaps we will work together...

Frogger !

2007-10-18T15:42:00.000-06:00

Remember the 1980’s video game Frogger? The player had to maneuver a frog across the street safely, weaving in and out of traffic and backtracking. Every day I feel as if I’m playing Frogger…with my own body. Pedestrians have no rights when crossing the street; we must yield to the cars, buses and taxis! Not too difficult in a place like Greensboro; however, in a city of over 2 million people, it is challenging, to say the least.

What if someone is hit by a car or bus? Nearby pedestrians attack the driver of the vehicle! They’ve been known to surround the car, shake it and even set fire to it! Each time someone dies the government paints a big blue heart on the street to commemorate his or her life. Unfortunately, there are traffic fatalities daily. Hopefully, the new administration will address this issue. In the meantime, I make sure I am well caffeinated before my morning walk!

New Year’s Eve…suitcases and grapes?

2007-10-18T15:41:00.000-06:00

Ever run around your neighborhood block at midnight on New Year’ s Eve carrying a suitcase? The tradition here is to fill your suitcase with symbols of what you would like to have more of in the new year; i.e. money, love, heath. The suitcase symbolizes a safe journey and safe travels through the year. Even the eighty-year-old woman I live with runs around the block with luggage!

For the midnight meal, each person receives twelve grapes. When all of the church bells ring strike at midnight, you must consume each grape…whole…in timing with the church bells. While swallowing each grape, you wish for something for the New Year. Imagine everyone at the table performing this custom simultaneously! Hmmm… I’ve already started to practice grape swallowing and am considering what to put in my suitcase…

having a great time...

2007-09-25T12:19:00.000-06:00

...exploring Quito, hiking a volcano, mark and emily at the top enjoying chocolate caliente...

Rotary Club : Quito Norte

2007-09-25T12:14:00.001-06:00

¡ my first speech in spanish, exchanging banners with the president and posing with my host counselor !

¡ photos, finally !

2007-09-21T13:31:00.000-06:00

Left: Fabiola, Chela and Blackie, the family

Center: volunteering at the ABEI (explanation to follow)

Right: climbing to the first refuge at the still-active volcano, Cotopaxi.

¿anti-corruption committee—is it for real?

2007-09-21T11:42:00.001-06:00

A local commercial: two little boys play soccer outside a stadium. They find tickets to the game that fell out of a man´s pocket. They consider using the tickets for themselves, but decide to return the tickets. Everyone smiles. The man goes into the game with his son. The two boys walk away with their arms around each other. Words appear on the screen: paid for by the anti-corruption campaign.

The government has decided to initiate an anti-corruption campaign aimed at children, because there is a lot of corruption here, Good idea, right? Unfortunately, I saw on the news last night that there is corruption in the anti-corruption committee—it seems that the boss gave himself a salary of $5-6 million US and similar amounts to his family. My family seemed a bit embarrassed about it, but we all know it happens in all countries...

¿ How much would you pay ?

2007-09-21T11:41:00.001-06:00

My professor and I were reading an article about the nobel prize winner who began micro-credit programs. We both think it´s a fantastic way to help families out of the poverty cycle. She says it´s particularly useful here in Ecuador because the interest rates for a bank loan begin at 37%. One must have collateral as well. Would you be able to take out a loan here?

skinny dogs = sick children

2007-09-21T11:39:00.000-06:00

On my commute to work one day, I walked past a skinny yellow dog lying in the middle of the sidewalk. Not curled up next to the building for warmth, not next to an owner and not in the gutter as if he had been hit by a car—but in the middle of a wide, pedestrian-filled sidewalk. His eyes were open and he was aware of where it was, but he seemed to have given up; he seemed to be waiting to die. It was one of the saddest sights I´ve seen.

Since then, I´ve noticed skinny dogs everywhere—emerging from underneath abandoned cars, searching through construction rubble for food, walking along the highway in search of roadkill. I´m not writing about this because I think Ecuadorians should spay or neuter their pets. Simply this: skinny dogs means that food is scarce. SCARCE. The dogs are not able to rummage through garbage for leftovers because there are no leftovers. There is simply not enough food for the people. In a community with more than one skinny dog, there are bound to be hungry, sickly children. Malnourished children are more prone to illness. If there is not enough money for food, there is not enough money for a doctor. A vicious cycle. Skinny dogs = sick children.

For the most part, US dogs have full trashcans through which to rummage and US dogs have the humane society to feed them. When was the last time you saw skinny, homeless dogs?

p.s. another twist: my family here doesn´t let the dog out because sometimes dogs get stolen for meals.

! elections ¡

2007-09-10T17:24:00.000-06:00

Very exciting election process is happening at the end of September. The citizens of Ecuador will elect a National Assembly. A few details: voting is obigatory from the 18th birthday. If sick or unable to go to the polls during election day, one must prove the absense was unavoidable to the Tribunal Supremo Electoral. If the TSE find the reason unacceptable, the person will be fined. There three ways to vote: standard, anular (a protest vote), and blanco (leave paper blank if uninterested in voting or if religion prohibits civic participation i.e., Jehovas Witnesses.) Candidates are divided by name of party, by number and color. The number and color allow those who are illiterate to vote. There are over 20 parties. After the election, several “exit polls” are conducted, therefore many people have an idea what the results are before the final results are announced. Results are announced a month later.

I heard recently on US radio that more US citizens voted for American Idol than in the last presidential election...I´m curious what would happen in the US if we all were obliged to vote. more later

first impressions

2007-09-10T17:23:00.000-06:00

Two incredibly hospitable sisters in their 60´s, Fabiola and Chela, welcomed me Monday evening with warm tea, delicious cheese and small conversations. They´ve given me the master bedroom and bath. The view from the window includes city lights and a gorgeous mountain. Fabiola cooks mouth-watering food from scratch each meal: mushroom soup, quinoa soup, talapia, bread with cheese spread and “papa” tortillas. Both sisters hug me when I wake up, when I leave for school, when I arrive home from school, and before bed. I could not ask for a more generous host family.

We celebrated their grandson´s eighth birthday on Wednesday. The kids loved the glow-in-the-dark toy I brought from the US. When the little girl turned out the lights to show it, she ran to everyone saying in a very spooky voice, ”¡ojos des gatos, ojos des gatos!” which translates to “Eyes of Cats.” I imagine it is similar to making ghost noises. The adults laughed at the english phrases they spoke with heavy accents, “sit down, excuse me, thank you.” Oh, and I understood a joke! Very intersting evening.

¿ cup o joe challenge ?

2007-08-09T10:53:00.001-06:00

One of the experiences I'm most looking forward to is the daily challenge of buying a coffee. In my native language, it poses no difficulty. However, I'm looking forward to learning "the style" of buying coffee in Quito. I'll scout for answers to some of these questions: Where does the line begin? Is there a line? Where's the menu and will I be able to read it? Will I be able to understand how much to give the barista? Is it acceptable to fumble for money in my purse at the counter or had I better have exact change ready? Do I tip? Do I talk to other customers as I wait? Is there a "to go" option? So much learning before 8 am... I love it! Stay tuned and travel respectfully...

purpose

2007-08-09T10:42:00.000-06:00

The purpose of this trip is to promote international understanding, goodwill and positive interactions between people of different cultures. I will live with my host family Fabiola and Chela and learning Spanish at la academia de español. While there I will make speeches (in Spanish!) at three or more Rotary Clubs. I'm sure I'll have many, many stories to tell. Stay tuned and travel wisely...