Reading: Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
Alright, so here’s the first actual posting from south of the equator… I’ve been here for a little over two weeks now and am finally starting to settle in. The training center is just outside of Tumbaco, a suburb of Quito. My host family has been nothing but exceptional, especially when it comes to dealing with my pitiful use of Spanish and my fickle eating preferences. I’m living with a young married couple and their two daughters in a lovely apartment that includes a hot shower. The mother and younger brother of the wife live in the apartment above us and are hosting another trainee and we usually have family meals together and what not – an added luxury during these last few weeks.
Aside from that, most of our time as trainees is spent in classes. In addition to language training, book clubs, health precautions lectures and countless security briefings, we have started our own garden plots complete with an irrigation system and a small compost pile. We are also raising 80 chickens for our family appreciation day at the end of April. I believe that part of this project also includes slaughtering them – I’ll be back with thoughts on that topic when it actually happens.
Meals in Ecuador seem to be a very important aspect of the culture and it is strange to be in a household where the mothers eagerly wait on the rest of the family. Heather and I have, though, introduced them to guacamole (there’s an over abundance of prime avocados here) and cookies a la M&Ms, both of which were a big hit. I’m also finding some personal condolence for my lack of help around the home in washing my breakfast dishes every morning, as my family leaves for work just around the time that I wake up. Unfortunately, this has led my host mom to think that I simply don’t eat breakfast. It’s somewhat true by Ecuadorian standards, since I really only have fruit, coffee and fresh juice, which is more then sufficient.
Besides that, life in the suburbs is pretty quiet. However, I did end up at a karaoke bar with my host mom, her mom and two aunts last night. Besides the fact that these women were clearly the most talented in the establishment, it was great to be out with a group of strong, independent women in a society that has a presiding reputation of machismo. Not to get sentimental or anything, but I have been very fortunately to have grown up in a family of strong women who emphasized that value in my life as well. It seems that I have fallen into a similar environment here in Ecuador.
And on that note, I’m ending with a panoramic of Tumbaco from my terrace. Quito can been seen off in the distance on the right up in the mountain…
Alright, so here’s the first actual posting from south of the equator… I’ve been here for a little over two weeks now and am finally starting to settle in. The training center is just outside of Tumbaco, a suburb of Quito. My host family has been nothing but exceptional, especially when it comes to dealing with my pitiful use of Spanish and my fickle eating preferences. I’m living with a young married couple and their two daughters in a lovely apartment that includes a hot shower. The mother and younger brother of the wife live in the apartment above us and are hosting another trainee and we usually have family meals together and what not – an added luxury during these last few weeks.
Aside from that, most of our time as trainees is spent in classes. In addition to language training, book clubs, health precautions lectures and countless security briefings, we have started our own garden plots complete with an irrigation system and a small compost pile. We are also raising 80 chickens for our family appreciation day at the end of April. I believe that part of this project also includes slaughtering them – I’ll be back with thoughts on that topic when it actually happens.
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| Homemade M&M cookies |
Besides that, life in the suburbs is pretty quiet. However, I did end up at a karaoke bar with my host mom, her mom and two aunts last night. Besides the fact that these women were clearly the most talented in the establishment, it was great to be out with a group of strong, independent women in a society that has a presiding reputation of machismo. Not to get sentimental or anything, but I have been very fortunately to have grown up in a family of strong women who emphasized that value in my life as well. It seems that I have fallen into a similar environment here in Ecuador.
And on that note, I’m ending with a panoramic of Tumbaco from my terrace. Quito can been seen off in the distance on the right up in the mountain…
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| Tumbaco skyline |
Hot damn ;) Sounds like training life is going pretty well! And I feel the same sentimental and mushy way about having grown up in the society of awesome amazing women. Leaving that awesomeness really makes you appreciate it.
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