This past weekend was full of adventures…
More Water...
A couple of us spent Saturday exploring Cuenca further while actively dodging bombas. We were pretty successful. Within four hours we were only squirted three times and drenched when a teen in the back of a moving pickup dumped a massive cement bucket full of water on top of us. We have become much better at realizing when we need to cross streets and duck into little stores.
El fútbol...
On Saturday night my host family took me to the soccer game between Cuenca and Quito. As you may have guessed, soccer is easily the national sport. The streets were super crazy and my host mother took a hold of my hand and didn’t let it go until we entered the stadium. There were no security checks involving brush downs, just the presentation of your ticket and “Buenos dias”. The pre-game took forever! When each Cuenca player was announced, he was accompanied across the stage by a female model wearing stilettos. Not gonna lie, it was pretty entertaining to watch these poor women march up the stage stairs and cross the stage with all of this poise only to awkwardly and treacherously make their way down the stairs to pick up the next player. Silly shoes. Anyway, I was surprised by the super chill crowd. Yes, the people certainly had plenty to drink, but they didn’t get as riled up as I anticipated. My host mother explained that this was because a friendly rivalry exists between the two towns and there’s no need to get too upset. The crowd was decked out in red and yellow as those are Cuenca’s colors. When I was younger I would associate towns with colors because of Little League. But other then that, never. One section in the stadium was full of people cheering with torches! Unbelievable. Obviously, I was sitting in the boring section. Unfortunately, there were a few smokers around us and man can that ruin your enjoyment level. There was also a sweet display of fireworks and officials lit several mini hot air balloons and let them off into the sky. During the game this little girl about age 13 was selling beer. So weird to see. The game itself was pretty exciting simply because I was sitting next to my host family’s 12-yr-old granddaughter and holy cats does that girl get excited. The game ended with a tie and there was no shootout. When we exited the stadium several men were taking a leak into some hedges across the street.
Ingapirca...
On Sunday our group visited Ingapirca, Ecuador’s most important Incan archaeological ruins. The main attraction is the Temple of the Sun, a stone structure that was built without mortar! The stones were carved to fit together perfectly. Such precision. Its elliptical shape corresponds with the movement of the sun because the site was used for astronomy purposes. It was quite the sight to behold. Our guide took us on a beautiful hike around the countryside where one student from Manhattan saw a bull for the first time! Wowsers. It was so WONDERFUL to be surrounded by nature again. Cuenca is quaint and all, but this country girl is suffocating.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Deprivation… REALLY?!
Did I really refer to not having a hot shower as a deprivation? Disgusting. Wow, this whole having a maid thing must already be getting to me. As if I have a RIGHT to a hot shower. I do not have a right to a hot shower. It is a LUXURY. Good, glad I cleared that up.
Previous comments describing how I wanted to laugh at the the poor Pepsi man on the plane along with boasting about remaining pretty dry thus far totally joined forces to kick me in the butt when I encountered the deadliest Carnival weapon yet. Yesterday I was on my way to class after lunch and attempting to cross the street between waiting cars when the car I was going to squeeze in front of pulled up so that I couldn’t fit through. While thinking how uncool that was, I backed away only to be sprayed in the face and blinded with what felt like an entire can of FOAM. I kid you not. My face, hair, and t-shirt were absolutely covered in pink foam. Laughter erupted from my attackers in the car and then from everyone standing on the streets. I was only one block away from the town square so there were loads of people around. To add some icing to the pink cake… while scraping the foam off and trying to salvage what little dignity I had left, a water balloon exploded on my back. Too perfect. How did I respond? To be quite honest, this is totally something that would happen to me and while I was initially shocked and yeah, HUMILIATED, I’ve learned to accept that the only thing I can really do is shake my head and join in the LAUGHTER. Once again, in hindsight, I should have remained next to the car and flicked the foam back inside. However, they probably had more ammo so that plan would have backfired. But, I must emphasize that this really is just a tradition and of course it would make sense to hit the gringa since she is worth more points. I don’t want people thinking Cuencanos are jerk faces. They’re just REALLY into their Carnival. ☺
Previous comments describing how I wanted to laugh at the the poor Pepsi man on the plane along with boasting about remaining pretty dry thus far totally joined forces to kick me in the butt when I encountered the deadliest Carnival weapon yet. Yesterday I was on my way to class after lunch and attempting to cross the street between waiting cars when the car I was going to squeeze in front of pulled up so that I couldn’t fit through. While thinking how uncool that was, I backed away only to be sprayed in the face and blinded with what felt like an entire can of FOAM. I kid you not. My face, hair, and t-shirt were absolutely covered in pink foam. Laughter erupted from my attackers in the car and then from everyone standing on the streets. I was only one block away from the town square so there were loads of people around. To add some icing to the pink cake… while scraping the foam off and trying to salvage what little dignity I had left, a water balloon exploded on my back. Too perfect. How did I respond? To be quite honest, this is totally something that would happen to me and while I was initially shocked and yeah, HUMILIATED, I’ve learned to accept that the only thing I can really do is shake my head and join in the LAUGHTER. Once again, in hindsight, I should have remained next to the car and flicked the foam back inside. However, they probably had more ammo so that plan would have backfired. But, I must emphasize that this really is just a tradition and of course it would make sense to hit the gringa since she is worth more points. I don’t want people thinking Cuencanos are jerk faces. They’re just REALLY into their Carnival. ☺
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Get Your Squirt Gun
Cuenca is a VERY dangerous place this time of year. That’s right. At this very moment, Cuencanos are preparing for La Carnival, a celebration that involves puring one’s soul with water. Although this celebration doesn’t officially start for at least another week, the entire city started participating in a water fight weeks ago! You have no idea how DANGEROUS this makes my 15 minute walk to and from class. I first heard about La Carnival as we were entering Cuenca for the first time. While our instructor was explaining the craziness of it all someone totally chucked a water balloon at our bus! Welcome to Cuenca!
One must be very, very careful when maneuvering her way through the streets. Yesterday, one of my good friends was the victim of a drive-by shooting. She had no time to prepare herself when all of a sudden, a squirt gun poked itself out of a passing car, shooting cold water right at her face! Weapons come in many shapes and sizes and truly do appear out of nowhere. They include hoses, buckets of water, the innocent water bottle, and the oh so popular water balloon, also known as a bomba (bomb). As previously seen, water may come shooting at victims from passing cars, from up above on rooftops, or even at knee level where giggling assailants pop out from tiny shops to make sure you get swamped with water. No one is safe. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, you are a target.
Thankfully, I have only been hit once, on the back of my legs. Shocked, I turned around to see this adorable little boy swinging another water balloon in his hand and chasing down his next victim. Today another little boy totally picked me out from a line of people (I hear both people wearing suits and Gringos are worth more points, especially the blonde ones) and gave his mother a coy look. She burst into a massive grin, gave me a knowing look, and handed a water balloon to her son! I think “OH NO!” came out of my mouth as I attempted to escape. Lucky for me, the little tyke has to work on his aim. In hindsight, I wish I had let him hit me just to see his devilish face afterwards. Maybe that will be my initial reaction next time… or not.
But yesterday… oh yesterday. I left class only to enter the street and find myself at the foot of what appeared to be a gauntlet of school kids. The sidewalk was absolutely drenched and kids stood around smirking while trying to conceal their weapons. So I put on my “Don’t mess with me” face (yes, I really DO have one) and marched through only to come out dry. WOOHOO! Take that kids! HAHA! I find it hilarious that my only two assailants so far have pretty much been toddlers. However, if things get too ugly, I may have to invest in my own squirt gun. Only no squirting policeman as they are against the big water fight, claiming it’s too violent. Knowing me, I’ll probably have to serve time here in Cuenca after somehow managing to get an officer wet. Oh dear…
Oh, and I had a HOT shower this morning! WOOHOO! It’s amazing how a little bit of deprivation can make you so thankful.
One must be very, very careful when maneuvering her way through the streets. Yesterday, one of my good friends was the victim of a drive-by shooting. She had no time to prepare herself when all of a sudden, a squirt gun poked itself out of a passing car, shooting cold water right at her face! Weapons come in many shapes and sizes and truly do appear out of nowhere. They include hoses, buckets of water, the innocent water bottle, and the oh so popular water balloon, also known as a bomba (bomb). As previously seen, water may come shooting at victims from passing cars, from up above on rooftops, or even at knee level where giggling assailants pop out from tiny shops to make sure you get swamped with water. No one is safe. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, you are a target.
Thankfully, I have only been hit once, on the back of my legs. Shocked, I turned around to see this adorable little boy swinging another water balloon in his hand and chasing down his next victim. Today another little boy totally picked me out from a line of people (I hear both people wearing suits and Gringos are worth more points, especially the blonde ones) and gave his mother a coy look. She burst into a massive grin, gave me a knowing look, and handed a water balloon to her son! I think “OH NO!” came out of my mouth as I attempted to escape. Lucky for me, the little tyke has to work on his aim. In hindsight, I wish I had let him hit me just to see his devilish face afterwards. Maybe that will be my initial reaction next time… or not.
But yesterday… oh yesterday. I left class only to enter the street and find myself at the foot of what appeared to be a gauntlet of school kids. The sidewalk was absolutely drenched and kids stood around smirking while trying to conceal their weapons. So I put on my “Don’t mess with me” face (yes, I really DO have one) and marched through only to come out dry. WOOHOO! Take that kids! HAHA! I find it hilarious that my only two assailants so far have pretty much been toddlers. However, if things get too ugly, I may have to invest in my own squirt gun. Only no squirting policeman as they are against the big water fight, claiming it’s too violent. Knowing me, I’ll probably have to serve time here in Cuenca after somehow managing to get an officer wet. Oh dear…
Oh, and I had a HOT shower this morning! WOOHOO! It’s amazing how a little bit of deprivation can make you so thankful.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Mi Familia en Ecuador
So I totally didn’t prepare myself for what it would be like to meet my host family. Can you? Really? We arrived in Cuenca on Sunday after an eight-hour bus ride and waited in a room in our school to meet our families. We joked about how we felt like orphans and I really did feel like I’d just gotten off the orphan train/bus. Back in the day street kids would be shipped by train from New York out into the West where they would line up in some community gathering area and locals would come to check them out and decide whether or not they wanted to take a child home. Yeah, my knees were shaking and I was uber nervous. Granted, at least I knew I had a family, but dag yo. Anyway, my host mother was there to greet me and she patted my hand and said “Tranquila.” And just like that, we put my luggage in her SUV and drove off. Away from all of my new friends. Alone. With this woman who was going to be my host mother for the next four months… So yeah, I was internally FREAKING out. But like always, I spent way too much time and energy being nervous. Stupid nerves. Nerves are something I’ve decided to work on while here. When fear drives my life, I miss out on way too much. More about that some other time.
But yeah, my family. I walked into their house and was like, holy cats, I’ve seen this place before. And I really had. This past December I talked to the only girl from Luther who has done this particular program in Ecuador and she showed me some pics of her experiences. Turns out, I have her host family. Small world. The parents are super nice and patient with my much less than desirable Spanish skills. They are both in their sixties. The father works in a bank and the mother is a housewife. They also have a maid who lives with them. Needless to say, they are pretty wealthy. I have my own room with a television and my own bathroom. I know, pretty hotsy totsy. There is also a 28-yr-old who lives at home who is obsessed with cars! But he is cool and a big jokester. Today I asked him what he did for a job and he told me he hunted deer in the city every day. Then again, maybe that’s not what he said. HAHAHA! There are also two sons who are married and have their own homes. We hang out during meal times and immediately after dinner (8:15ish) they head for bed. The first night they said “Vamos a descansar” which I interpreted as, “We’re going to go chill and talk for awhile.” Or not. Definitely meant time for bed. I am grateful for their kindness. It takes some pretty special people to invite a complete stranger into their home to be a part of their family for four months. Pretty special indeed.
Other tidbits I have noticed about my family thus far:
• They drive a stick shift!
• They don’t wear seatbelts.
• They are VERY affectionate with one another. This is a cultural thing. Whenever one enters or leaves the room she must acknowledge EVERYONE. And no, this is not a simple wave of the hand accompanied with “Hola” or “Adios”. Nope. Woman touch right cheeks with both men and women and make a kissing sound while men shake hands with one another. Yup. Lots of affection. It will take some getting used to. But overall, I think I’m a fan. Makes you feel loved, or at least, acknowledged. And that is a GREAT thing.
But yeah, my family. I walked into their house and was like, holy cats, I’ve seen this place before. And I really had. This past December I talked to the only girl from Luther who has done this particular program in Ecuador and she showed me some pics of her experiences. Turns out, I have her host family. Small world. The parents are super nice and patient with my much less than desirable Spanish skills. They are both in their sixties. The father works in a bank and the mother is a housewife. They also have a maid who lives with them. Needless to say, they are pretty wealthy. I have my own room with a television and my own bathroom. I know, pretty hotsy totsy. There is also a 28-yr-old who lives at home who is obsessed with cars! But he is cool and a big jokester. Today I asked him what he did for a job and he told me he hunted deer in the city every day. Then again, maybe that’s not what he said. HAHAHA! There are also two sons who are married and have their own homes. We hang out during meal times and immediately after dinner (8:15ish) they head for bed. The first night they said “Vamos a descansar” which I interpreted as, “We’re going to go chill and talk for awhile.” Or not. Definitely meant time for bed. I am grateful for their kindness. It takes some pretty special people to invite a complete stranger into their home to be a part of their family for four months. Pretty special indeed.
Other tidbits I have noticed about my family thus far:
• They drive a stick shift!
• They don’t wear seatbelts.
• They are VERY affectionate with one another. This is a cultural thing. Whenever one enters or leaves the room she must acknowledge EVERYONE. And no, this is not a simple wave of the hand accompanied with “Hola” or “Adios”. Nope. Woman touch right cheeks with both men and women and make a kissing sound while men shake hands with one another. Yup. Lots of affection. It will take some getting used to. But overall, I think I’m a fan. Makes you feel loved, or at least, acknowledged. And that is a GREAT thing.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Here We Are
WOOHOO! We’re finally here! The flights to Miami and then on to Ecuador were super smooth. Thankfully fellow Luther friend Alison and I had seats next to each other which made traveling much less stressful. The highlight of flying had to be when an open Pepsi in the compartment above us came splashing down upon the man next to me. This would have been absolutely hilarious had the man not burst into a stream of profanity that I have not heard since my bus riding days. Hilarious quickly turned into fearing for my life and paying close attention whenever I had liquids in my hands. Unfortunately, this whole ordeal took place within the first five minutes of boarding, and the man was definitely Mr. Grumpy pants after that and attempted conversation was quickly shot down.
Oh goodness. So many things. This week has been a whirlwind! First off, I’ve experienced a significant amount of culture shock just from visiting with the other students on this trip. There are about 20 of us and we’re from every corner of the states. Anyway, while traveling around Quito and northern Ecuador…
•I straddled the EQUATOR, with one foot in the Southern hemisphere and the other in the Northern one… WAY cool!
•Got burned after spending half of an hour out in the fog and drizzle. Yes, Ecuador really IS that much closer to the sun.
•Fell in love with ANDEAN MUSIC after an indigenous family played their pipes for us. This totally reminded me think of Peter Pan and I got really excited. Only when I tried to blow into the pipe, I made no music and just became super light headed. Others were definitely more successful. Shoot. Maybe I can take lessons…
•Stood in a GUINEA PIG hut. They were so adorable and squeaky! The owner explained the importance of guinea pig to his income and how it is considered fine dining. A refusal to eat it would be an insult. On one particular menu it was $15! So yes, it’s inevitable, at some point, I will be trying it.
•Managed to get sick on Mexican food. No worries, the drugs quickly went to war in my stomach. Just makes me nervous for the rest of the stay…
•I’ve seen more DOGS than perhaps I’ve ever seen in my life. They are everywhere! They are super mangy and make it their business to mark their territory everywhere.
•Went on a SCAVENGER HUNT, which involved asking locals about their town (Otavalo). Here I discovered just how much Spanish I really don’t know. While that was frustrating, it was super fun (and intimidating) conversing with the locals. For the most part, citizens were really receptive of us and patient with our Spanish. They were more than willing to talk about their town, culture and politics! This really made me wonder how I would have responded to a minority in the US if I had been stopped on the streets of Manchester or Decorah to answer questions about the origin of my town’s name or what I thought about President Bush. Politics, income, weight (all topics that are pretty much taboo in the US except in one’s innermost circles)… Ecuadorians are pretty willing to speak about.
•Visited a ROSE plantation. Flowers are everywhere!
•Throwing TOILET PAPER into the trash instead of the toilet has almost become a routine.
•Stayed up late one night to watch an active VOLCANO belch out smoke and spew lava! This was definitely THE moment that I wanted to share with lots of people from back home. So whether you knew it or not, you were there in spirit, because I was thinking of you and how we probably would have camped out all night to watch this amazingness.
There’s my week in a nutshell. Sorry it's so smorgisboard. The Andes are absolutely majestic, especially when fog creeps in and around them. Maybe some day I'll be able to post some pics. Not that they will do the mountains justice. Alright, more later. Miss you! Paz.
Oh goodness. So many things. This week has been a whirlwind! First off, I’ve experienced a significant amount of culture shock just from visiting with the other students on this trip. There are about 20 of us and we’re from every corner of the states. Anyway, while traveling around Quito and northern Ecuador…
•I straddled the EQUATOR, with one foot in the Southern hemisphere and the other in the Northern one… WAY cool!
•Got burned after spending half of an hour out in the fog and drizzle. Yes, Ecuador really IS that much closer to the sun.
•Fell in love with ANDEAN MUSIC after an indigenous family played their pipes for us. This totally reminded me think of Peter Pan and I got really excited. Only when I tried to blow into the pipe, I made no music and just became super light headed. Others were definitely more successful. Shoot. Maybe I can take lessons…
•Stood in a GUINEA PIG hut. They were so adorable and squeaky! The owner explained the importance of guinea pig to his income and how it is considered fine dining. A refusal to eat it would be an insult. On one particular menu it was $15! So yes, it’s inevitable, at some point, I will be trying it.
•Managed to get sick on Mexican food. No worries, the drugs quickly went to war in my stomach. Just makes me nervous for the rest of the stay…
•I’ve seen more DOGS than perhaps I’ve ever seen in my life. They are everywhere! They are super mangy and make it their business to mark their territory everywhere.
•Went on a SCAVENGER HUNT, which involved asking locals about their town (Otavalo). Here I discovered just how much Spanish I really don’t know. While that was frustrating, it was super fun (and intimidating) conversing with the locals. For the most part, citizens were really receptive of us and patient with our Spanish. They were more than willing to talk about their town, culture and politics! This really made me wonder how I would have responded to a minority in the US if I had been stopped on the streets of Manchester or Decorah to answer questions about the origin of my town’s name or what I thought about President Bush. Politics, income, weight (all topics that are pretty much taboo in the US except in one’s innermost circles)… Ecuadorians are pretty willing to speak about.
•Visited a ROSE plantation. Flowers are everywhere!
•Throwing TOILET PAPER into the trash instead of the toilet has almost become a routine.
•Stayed up late one night to watch an active VOLCANO belch out smoke and spew lava! This was definitely THE moment that I wanted to share with lots of people from back home. So whether you knew it or not, you were there in spirit, because I was thinking of you and how we probably would have camped out all night to watch this amazingness.
There’s my week in a nutshell. Sorry it's so smorgisboard. The Andes are absolutely majestic, especially when fog creeps in and around them. Maybe some day I'll be able to post some pics. Not that they will do the mountains justice. Alright, more later. Miss you! Paz.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Ecuador Adventure and the Gift of Wonder
Wow... blogging... like I actually have anything important to say. Here's the deal: I really don't and I make no promises that this blog will be entertaining, enlightening, politically correct, or inspiring in any way. However, whenever any of my acquaintances take off on adventures I tell them I'm living vicariously through them. Tomorrow I am leaving for what will no doubt be my coolest adventure to date: studying in Cuenca, Ecuador. So, if you'd like, here's a chance to get a taste of Ecuador, guinea pig and all (I hear it's chewy). Guess we'll find out! WOOHOO!
Reckless Wonder? I'm currently reading The Ragamuffin Gospel, in which author Brennan Manning mentions Abraham Joshua Heschel, a rabbi who claimed "Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for WONDER, and He gave it to me" (89). Wow. What a sweet thing to ask for. Good call rabbi. Manning later includes the following prayer: "Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe my in every crevice of Your universe. Delight me to see how Your Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not His... Each day enrapture me with Your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all" (105). Pretty much, I couldn't stop smiling and nodding my head in agreement with this passage when I came across it. There is wonder all around us. One definitely doesn't need to travel to find it. Therefore, yeah, this blog will hopefully focus on the many things I find to be wondrous. And YOU should TOTALLY keep me updated on all of the wonder going on in your life. While in Ecuador I will be taking a break from Facebook as my self discipline is pretty weak and I get sucked into the newsfeed and then spend waaaaay too much time stalking everyone. Not that I don't want to keep in touch with you; I'd just prefer to do it via another way. This way I will spend less time on a computer and more time exploring! I will definitely be checking email though (berrka01@luther.edu).
Alright, time to calm down these butterflies. Here we go! Paz.
Reckless Wonder? I'm currently reading The Ragamuffin Gospel, in which author Brennan Manning mentions Abraham Joshua Heschel, a rabbi who claimed "Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for WONDER, and He gave it to me" (89). Wow. What a sweet thing to ask for. Good call rabbi. Manning later includes the following prayer: "Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe my in every crevice of Your universe. Delight me to see how Your Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not His... Each day enrapture me with Your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all" (105). Pretty much, I couldn't stop smiling and nodding my head in agreement with this passage when I came across it. There is wonder all around us. One definitely doesn't need to travel to find it. Therefore, yeah, this blog will hopefully focus on the many things I find to be wondrous. And YOU should TOTALLY keep me updated on all of the wonder going on in your life. While in Ecuador I will be taking a break from Facebook as my self discipline is pretty weak and I get sucked into the newsfeed and then spend waaaaay too much time stalking everyone. Not that I don't want to keep in touch with you; I'd just prefer to do it via another way. This way I will spend less time on a computer and more time exploring! I will definitely be checking email though (berrka01@luther.edu).
Alright, time to calm down these butterflies. Here we go! Paz.
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