Details of Malingua Pamba

I really don´t know where to start with this one. The past two weeks has had so much going on and I´ve thought about so much, so I think I´ll start with a random list of memories, thoughts and experiences.

1. I already shared with you the baptism I went to. Again, I want to reiterate to myself and you how thankful I am that I went and how thankful I am for William taking such good care of me throughout that day. I was nervous about going in the first place because I was worried I would have to stay all night (like 4 or even 7AM) with a bunch of drunk people while I was freezing my butt of and completely exhausted. That is why I was so excited to have gotten a ride back with William to get to bed at my normal hour.

2. For the past two weeks I´ve been getting up in the morning around 6AM and doing Yoga to the People podcasts in my room. It was a great way to get started in the morning, trying to focus on my time in this community, and keep myself stretched out. I had a hard time staying focused though at times and found myself thinking about what I would be doing at the gym in Napa if I were back at home...but it still felt great!

3. I finished all 8 or 9 murals, depending if you count a wall with painted words on it a mural or not. It was such a big project, much bigger than I´d expected, but I´m very glad for having the opportunity to do so. I really love painting and I liked having a project I could work on throughout my time there. It gave me a purpose and I enjoyed donig it. I felt bad that I didn´t get kids to help paint with me for the final two weeks, but they did do the majority of the work with Suzal there. All I was doing were the very small details and letters that took too much time and a very steady hand to complete. I am very proud of them and can´t wait to upload the finished pictures to show you!

4. While painting, which I did enjoy, I had a lot of time all by myself in the morning and even in the afternoon to just think. It was good but it was so much more fun with music. I definitely got homesick during that time and I think not having internet access really played a huge role in that! Luckily in the afternoon the little kids came and talked with me and watched me silently as I painted something very small and slowly.

5. Last weekend I went to Isinlivi, a very small village a 2.5 hour walk from MP, for the weekend where there is a beautiful hostal there called Lulu Llama. It too was a bit pricey ($18/night for the dorm) but it included breakfast and a 3 course dinner of creamed spinach soup, bean chili with rice and banana bread for dessert. While I was there, I read a LOT and then was disturbed when like 4 couples arrived who I started talking with. It was really interesting because they were all in their late 20s/early 30s and none of them all married. They are backpacking around South America and I realized I would LOVE to do that once I get a boyfriend and hopefully the opportunity to travel at that point in my life. It was a very relaxing stay and I read all in the morning before heading back to MP. The most memorable thing would definitely have to be the walk there and back though. I was told it is a fairly easy walk but I WAS EXHAUSTED! I left at 6AM with Blanca and Sonia from MP to get to Isinlivi for church at 8:30. They took me on all their shortcuts and one went right up a large mountain! OMG I couldn´t breathe whatsoever. They were laughing at me as I huffed and puffed my way up and I thought I was going to die. I tried to tell them how I actually am fairly in shape in the US at the gym, but I don´t think it showed as I barely made my way through hell to get through that "easy" walk. But once again the community showed how amazing they are when Blanca later told me she doesn´t usually go to Isinlivi on Sundays anymore to go to church but she went just to take me! I was shocked and tried to express my sincere gratitude for holding my hand as we walked slowly there (figuratively not literally hand-holding). And the excursion didn´t stop once I got to the hostal either. I mean yeah I did sit and read all day and the next morning, but I had to walk back on my own. I figured I´d take the road and it would be easy, or at least easier. And it started out easier. But the mist started coming in. I ran into these high schoolers on a motor bike who I talked to for a few minutes, and found them as intersting as the little kids because one of the boys would whisper to his friend to ask me something because he was too shy, just as some of the little kids do! They offered me a ride but stupid me and stupidly determined me, I said no because I wanted to walk back on my own. Well I ran into a rain storm, but didn´t want to wear my jacket because I wanted it to keep my back pack and all my electronics (ipod, camera and Kindle) dry. So I walked for an hour with an elderly woman with very few teeth in her mouth, in the pouring rain. When I finally made it back to MP, blessedly happy that I wouldn´t have to do that walk ever again if I didn´t want to, I showered and then laid in bed from like 5 to bedtime. I wore more clothes than I have yet to put on and Aurora was kind enough to deliver food to me in my bedroom (I hadn´t understood when Josafina, the grandmother, had knocked on my door to tell me to go to Aurora´s house for dinner and had thought she was just telling me she was going to Aurora´s...). I luckily didn´t get sick and warmed up eventually.

6. I taught some English words to Sonia, Blanca and Enma one night. It ended up with me just talking about life in California and the US. They asked me questions and I had fun answering them. One of the most memorable questions was when Sonia, the 14 year old, asked me if there was any poverty in the states. I was shocked and glad to shed some light on the truth of the situation in the US. I tried to explain that there are situations very similar to here in Ecuador: very rich people and super poor communities as well. I once again realized the stereotypes that are portrayed through the media that are not exactly completely true (yeah Hollywood isn´t really reality) of the states.

7. Last Saturday I took over for one of the teachers who wasn´t there for the colegio (high school). I taught 6 lessons of English! The week before I´d helped one of the teachers with 3 of his classes, but last weekend I had all my own classes. It was fun and not as intimidating as I´d expected. The problem I had was with wondering how effective my one day of help really was. I had no idea what they knew, what they were learning, if they had books for learning English, nada. I ended up working on a bunch of vocabulary (like just making lists on the board that they copies, probably not the most effective way to learn but I really didn´t know what to do with the few resources they have available and the limited time I had--50 minutes for one or two days). Then we worked with the very "to be" or "to have", depending on if I had worked with the class the week before or not. We then played a game where we through a paper ball around the room asking "Are you tall?" or "Are you a sister?" to practice speaking. I also made some stupid pictures of like 2 cows or a shirt that I passed around to everyone. Then they had to say "I have two cows" or whatever the picture was they had. Overall I think they enjoyed the switch up of having me there and I enjoyed working with them.

SO I could probably go on for pages about all that I´ve experienced. In the end, I am very grateful for the time I spent there. Looking back I almost wish I had spent more time there, but as I was there I could definitely feel the pull back to family, the states and civilization. Being out in cities now, like at this internet cafe with more modern people, is a huge change that I am enjoying as well. I hope the farm will offer me the chance to continue practicing my Spanish, but I guess I will find out tomorrow.

I don´t know when the next time will be that I have internet access, but I´ll try when I can! Off to the hostal to finish my book! XO