Video Clips

This is the Rio Blanco in Banos, Ecuador-- so beautiful! The bridge that goes over Rio Blanco is the bridge we bungie jumped off of.



I took this video at a rural school we visited. The kids have a couple hours a week of "culture class", where they learn about their traditions as indigenous tribes. In this video, they are learning a traditional dance that is performed June 21-- the sun festival (the longest day of the year). The little boy distributing scarves represents the sun god.



This was during the Fiestas de Quito Independence parade. These women are performing a traditional dance from one of the Indigenous groups. It was a HUGE parade!



This is a goodbye message from 2 of my students. They are basically saying, we were in your sex ed class, we'll miss you, we love you, you always have our friendship!

Home!

I've been back in the USA for several days now. All my flights were calm, on-time, and carrying my luggage-- Milagro! (Miracle!) I am working on putting all my pictures online. I have only brushed the surface with the pictures I posted here, there are many more crazy adventures to see if you are interested or bored at work. I will let you know as soon as those are available.

So, the USA. 1.) Is not like Ecuador. 2.) Has changed a LOT since I left! I have not been updated on basic news items since August. I am watching old episodes of Daily Show with Jon Stewart to get a quick review on all I have missed.

They warned us about "reverse culture shock", or the readjustment phase upon returning to the US. I would say my biggest hurdle is returning to the monotony of daily life and re-involving myself in the things that I left. It is weird to go back to all the same people when you feel you've changed significantly. I also have more of an issue with the over-consumption that characterizes middle class America. Christmastime doesn't help. Today I went shopping and almost had a heart attack upon comparing Ecuadorian and American prices. Also I am pretty sure the lady in front of me spent like 95 dollars on a fake flower arrangement. Seems unnecessary.

Thanks for reading the blog over the past several months. It has been really fun to keep it updated and stay in contact with you all. I wonder how one becomes "a blogger"... one of those people that gets invited to events just so they can blog about it. I would like to just carry my laptop around and continually post about useless things.

My Research Paper

I am just finishing up a 25 page research thesis on the social and educational implications of adolescent sexuality in Muisne. I have had some people ask for a copy, which is grand. Except... it's all in Spanish. So if you speak Spanish or would like a copy regardless, let me know. I presented it orally today, and turn in the written work tomorrow.

And then I am done! I go back to the states in less than 48 hours. Scary. I'll post as soon as I get back.

A Bull Fight and Another Embarrassing Situation

I am only adding this picture to lighten the mood before showing bull fight pictures. PETA members and the faint of heart should not scroll down.



Post-fight.

This bull is about to be dealt his final blow.

So, the bull fight. Ryan and I went on Saturday (the last day of Quito’s independence celebration), which was a beautiful sunny day. When the sun comes out in the mountains on the Equator, it is also quite hot and you are likely to get dehydrated and sunburned, which still somehow surprises me. The fight is quite the classy occasion given what takes place. Everyone comes in cowboy hats and boots. I knew what was coming… Quito's bullfight is a pretty renowned occasion, and yes, they kill the bulls. There are 6 rounds-- 6 matadors for 6 different bulls. Whichever matador kills the bull in the most glorious fashion (basically gets the closest to being speared by bull horns) wins.

Round 1. Man, it was really hot. The opening procession was beautiful, all the matadors in their costumes. There are other matadors on armored horses that come out and spear the bull as well. It is really quite gruesome, but also beautiful in a medieval way.

Round 2. Started to not feel so great. Really, not great at all. Told Ryan. Started hearing only buzzing, started seeing only grey blobs. There was no escape, there were 1000 screaming bull fans and I was in the seat (of course) farthest from a door. I passed out, apparently unresponsive for at least 4 minutes. When I woke up I had 6 Ecuadorian firefighters and Red Cross workers around me. I started talking to them in Spanish! That is fluency! Everyone was staring… and this was an ARENA mind you. When I finally got up with the medics helping me to the shade, people cheered. I had strangers coming up to me the rest of the day, laughing because the foreigners always pass out.

I think it was a combination of dehydration, altitude sickness (I had just gotten back from the coast) and bull blood. I would just like to publicly thank Ryan for putting up with me. You can't take me anywhere. After intermission I went back and watched the last 2 bulls, actually kind of enjoying it. I felt sick the rest of the day but am much better now.

Sorry for the graphic pictures, it's hard to envision the situation without them!

More Muisne Pictures

Cows grazing on the beach.
My coworker Vicenta, me, and my wonderful Muisne host mom Anita. We are fishing!
Some of my favorite students. All teachers have them!
Drinking coconut water (una pipa), which is delicious, parasite free, and apparently quite good for you. In a hammock! I will miss island life.
Message to my friends and family!
Puppies! Janelle's host family's dog, Lulu, gave birth to 13 puppies. I almost stole them.
At a beach bonfire with some friends from church! Probably exactly the same thing I would be doing if I was at home! Some things don't change across cultures.
Some of my students invited me to hang out at the beach with them the day before I left Muisne. They are so amazing! This was definitely the most satisfying part of being a teacher.

Carl

I just read my e-mail and found out that Carl Warner, a longtime swim coach of mine, died on Friday.

So here I am, on an island in Ecuador. I cant even express how much of an influence Carl had on me in high school. He was there for so many early mornings, so many impossible hours of swimming and swimming. He always made me laugh when I thought I would just drown. He was there when Catie died-- before, during and after. I am in his facebook fanclub. He was there during my proudest moments. Even when he wasn't my coach anymore I would sneak over the other teams deck space to talk to him. He was always sick, we joked that one day he would just die during morning practice. I saw my swim coaches as often as my parents in high school. We always laughed together. I will really miss him.