My parents brought me to the airport and to no one's surprise, both of my bags were too heavy. The first, by two pounds and the second, by one. In my defense, Erin and I had weighed my bags multiple times the previous night but the scale showed a different number every single time. So, in the middle of the airport, I opened my bags and started pulling stuff out. Since I didn't have a weight limit on my carry-on, most of it just went in there. In the end, I ended up sending a bottle of mouthwash and a sweater home with my parents - not bad, not bad at all.
As we walked to the first security checkpoint, I was feeling ALL the emotions. Don't get me wrong, I was really excited for my year to start, but I was also completely terrified. I put on a brave face as I hugged my parents goodbye and smiled while they walked away but as soon as I turned to see if they had left and I saw my dad across the airport making sure I got through okay, I completely lost it. TSA must have thought I was completely mental but I didn't care "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to."
To avoid making a scene and scaring the small children in front of me, I pulled myself together and made it through security. Both of my bags were pulled aside for inspection. My hiking backpack for "Cards Against Humanity" and my purse for a roll of quarters. Lame.
I arrived in Quito around 10:30 pm and made it through immigration and customs without a problem. Madre Cindy, one of the Center directors, was waiting outside of customs with a big smile and a sign with my name on it. As soon as I saw her, I was able to relax. I was introduced to Julia, a fellow volunteer who had arrived an hour earlier, and John, one of the orientation leaders. Madre Cindy bought us all a bottle of water and we waited for Janie (another volunteer) to arrive. Janie's plane had been delayed so Julia, John, and I brought our bags to the truck and waited until just after midnight. Once Janie had arrived, we took a 45 minute drive through the Andes mountains to the Center. Since it was so dark out, we couldn't see much but the lights were pretty and the roads were smooth.
By the time we got to the Center it was after 1:00 am so we did a quick tour of "the essentials" and went straight to bed. The Center is absolutely huge! Once I officially unpack I will post some pictures of my bedroom and the rest of the Center. Since our first day was Sunday, we had the whole day to rest and relax. Sundays we are on our own for food so I wandered down to the kitchen and grabbed what turned out to be a piece of apple pie. Breakfast of champions. There are three refrigerators fully stocked with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, etc. so we will never go hungry. After breakfast, the volunteers decided to explore a local market. We walked though aisle upon aisle of vibrantly colored scarfs, blankets, jackets, hats, trinkets, etc. The vendors were all very nice but it's a little overwhelming being approached by everyone. Also, being a tall, blonde, white woman makes it pretty hard to blend in.
The park was huge with multiple playgrounds, vendors, and families just out and about enjoying the day. The vendors were selling artwork, fresh fruit, jewelry, corn, etc. One of the things that's hard to see is the women selling candy. They are typically dressed in traditional clothing and they usually have a small child with them. Recently, child labor was banned in Ecuador which put a larger burden on the parents to support the family. We learned a little bit about the ripple effect this has had during orientation but I want to learn more before I can speak to it.
Once we finished exploring the first park, we walked about two miles to another one. This one was even bigger with multiple fields for soccer, volleyball, basketball, bike polo, and yes, CrossFit. What they were doing didn't really look like CrossFit but that's what the sign said so that's what I'll call it. We stopped to get some food and I bought a delicious empanada. When it was time to head home, it took us about 30 minutes to find the right bus but it was so nice outside that we didn't care too much. Many of the volunteers speak fluent Spanish and a few have even been here before with their high school or college so it's nice to have them leading the way.
Monday was the start of orientation. We gathered in "the round room" and discussed what it means to live in community. So far, everyone has been very nice and fun to be around but I'm sure at some point during the year, living in community will at times be frustrating so it was nice that we were able to set expectations early on.
After a few more discussions and ground rules, we were able to tour the rest of the Center where we will be teaching. The Center has two campuses, we live at the first one and the second one is downtown. Right below us is a bakery, salon, restaurant, and furniture store. All of these places help bring in income to the Center. The Center also makes toys, soap, chocolate, jewelry, clothes, metals, etc. Again, with the child labor laws changing lots of classes here have changed but I will explain more of that later.
As teachers, we have a resource room with lesson plans, books, school supplies, and anything else needed to teach. In the middle of campus is a dirt soccer field where a bunch of kids were running around having fun. We walked through the cafeteria which serves about 2,000 meals a day and everything smelled delicious.
After the tour we were given the option to relax for a bit or go to church. I decided to go to church and I'm so glad I did because it was really exciting seeing more of the families. During our tour of the Center, a little girl ran up to me and threw her arms around my legs giving me a big hug. She was literally the cutest thing ever. We ended up sitting in front of her family during church and at one point, I could feel her stroking my hair. I just laughed - there's not too many blonde women here. She ended up scooting in next to me on the bench and we exchanged smiles until the end of mass.
We were on our own for lunch again so I made a salad and cut up some fresh pineapple. After lunch we walked to the mall which is about three times bigger than Mayfair Mall. Anything you need, you can buy there. Later, we played a game of Monopoly and I won (miracles do happen!) Tonight is our first home cooked meal, it smells delicious and I'm excited to try it! There's so much more I will write about but for now, I will leave you with the view from my bedroom!
To avoid making a scene and scaring the small children in front of me, I pulled myself together and made it through security. Both of my bags were pulled aside for inspection. My hiking backpack for "Cards Against Humanity" and my purse for a roll of quarters. Lame.
(I still cannot believe this fit in the overhead compartment.)
Once I found my gate, I had about an hour to just relax. The flight from Milwaukee to Atlanta was just under two hours and the flight from Atlanta to Quito was just under five. I wasn't able to sleep on the plane but I did watch some good movies and ended up sitting near two girls who were also teaching in South America. One of the girls had been to the Working Boy's Center a few years ago - small world!
I arrived in Quito around 10:30 pm and made it through immigration and customs without a problem. Madre Cindy, one of the Center directors, was waiting outside of customs with a big smile and a sign with my name on it. As soon as I saw her, I was able to relax. I was introduced to Julia, a fellow volunteer who had arrived an hour earlier, and John, one of the orientation leaders. Madre Cindy bought us all a bottle of water and we waited for Janie (another volunteer) to arrive. Janie's plane had been delayed so Julia, John, and I brought our bags to the truck and waited until just after midnight. Once Janie had arrived, we took a 45 minute drive through the Andes mountains to the Center. Since it was so dark out, we couldn't see much but the lights were pretty and the roads were smooth.
By the time we got to the Center it was after 1:00 am so we did a quick tour of "the essentials" and went straight to bed. The Center is absolutely huge! Once I officially unpack I will post some pictures of my bedroom and the rest of the Center. Since our first day was Sunday, we had the whole day to rest and relax. Sundays we are on our own for food so I wandered down to the kitchen and grabbed what turned out to be a piece of apple pie. Breakfast of champions. There are three refrigerators fully stocked with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, etc. so we will never go hungry. After breakfast, the volunteers decided to explore a local market. We walked though aisle upon aisle of vibrantly colored scarfs, blankets, jackets, hats, trinkets, etc. The vendors were all very nice but it's a little overwhelming being approached by everyone. Also, being a tall, blonde, white woman makes it pretty hard to blend in.
(Photo credit to Ariana.)
Next, we decided to walk to a local park. The weather has been beautiful so far - sunny but not too warm. It's taking a little bit to adjust to the altitude. While I haven't had a headache yet, I'm completely winded walking up a flight of steps. Everyone says that's normal and to just take it slow until you get used to it.
(photo credit to Isa)
The park was huge with multiple playgrounds, vendors, and families just out and about enjoying the day. The vendors were selling artwork, fresh fruit, jewelry, corn, etc. One of the things that's hard to see is the women selling candy. They are typically dressed in traditional clothing and they usually have a small child with them. Recently, child labor was banned in Ecuador which put a larger burden on the parents to support the family. We learned a little bit about the ripple effect this has had during orientation but I want to learn more before I can speak to it.
Once we finished exploring the first park, we walked about two miles to another one. This one was even bigger with multiple fields for soccer, volleyball, basketball, bike polo, and yes, CrossFit. What they were doing didn't really look like CrossFit but that's what the sign said so that's what I'll call it. We stopped to get some food and I bought a delicious empanada. When it was time to head home, it took us about 30 minutes to find the right bus but it was so nice outside that we didn't care too much. Many of the volunteers speak fluent Spanish and a few have even been here before with their high school or college so it's nice to have them leading the way.
Monday was the start of orientation. We gathered in "the round room" and discussed what it means to live in community. So far, everyone has been very nice and fun to be around but I'm sure at some point during the year, living in community will at times be frustrating so it was nice that we were able to set expectations early on.
After a few more discussions and ground rules, we were able to tour the rest of the Center where we will be teaching. The Center has two campuses, we live at the first one and the second one is downtown. Right below us is a bakery, salon, restaurant, and furniture store. All of these places help bring in income to the Center. The Center also makes toys, soap, chocolate, jewelry, clothes, metals, etc. Again, with the child labor laws changing lots of classes here have changed but I will explain more of that later.
As teachers, we have a resource room with lesson plans, books, school supplies, and anything else needed to teach. In the middle of campus is a dirt soccer field where a bunch of kids were running around having fun. We walked through the cafeteria which serves about 2,000 meals a day and everything smelled delicious.
After the tour we were given the option to relax for a bit or go to church. I decided to go to church and I'm so glad I did because it was really exciting seeing more of the families. During our tour of the Center, a little girl ran up to me and threw her arms around my legs giving me a big hug. She was literally the cutest thing ever. We ended up sitting in front of her family during church and at one point, I could feel her stroking my hair. I just laughed - there's not too many blonde women here. She ended up scooting in next to me on the bench and we exchanged smiles until the end of mass.
We were on our own for lunch again so I made a salad and cut up some fresh pineapple. After lunch we walked to the mall which is about three times bigger than Mayfair Mall. Anything you need, you can buy there. Later, we played a game of Monopoly and I won (miracles do happen!) Tonight is our first home cooked meal, it smells delicious and I'm excited to try it! There's so much more I will write about but for now, I will leave you with the view from my bedroom!
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