Where did October go?

Reading: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

It appears that I have forgotten that I have a blog this past month. While things are not always what they appear, I have certainly been negligent and we will leave it at that. But there that is not to say that things have not been going on during my hiatus. Here is a quick run through:

'Melo enjoying the view of her new domain from above

• I started a world map at the elementary school and made the mistake of buying oil-based paint. It has turned into a messier project than originally anticipated.
• I am now the owner of not one but two cats. Denali is less than thrilled about her new housemate, Carmelo or 'Melo for short. My neighbors and host family are in complete agreement. Apparently there are now death threats out on the two unless they start behaving themselves.

Alfalfa Pineapple Cucumber Lime Juice

Reading: The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

When I was a junior in high school I had a short stint where I worked at one of those health-freak juice and smoothie shops. I only worked there for a month and a half before quitting – but not without learning two very important things before hand.

Seriously, green tastes good.

• Having a boss that you respect and respects you makes all the difference in a work environment. 
• Green tastes good.

(I left the job for a paid internship on the 2004 Bush campaign, where I learned my next important life lesson:

• I am not cut out for the GOP.

I quit that job three weeks later and decided I was better suited for working outdoors and with horses.)

Today, we’re focusing on point number two: green tastes good. Seriously. All those bottled fruit drinks that look like someone blended spinach and is now selling it at an absurdly high price – so deliciously worth it. Who is a sucker for wheat grass shots? This girl. In fact, I think they taste sweet and flavorful. I like salads without dressings and am not afraid of swiss chard in liquid form.

A Pelar un Chancho

Reading: Land and Taxation edited by Nicolaus Tideman

A year ago, I wrote a post about the difficulties of giving up five years of being a vegetarian and embracing meat upon arriving in Ecuador (give or take a few months). Honestly, I’m not a very good meat eater. Living on my own allows me, as it did in the States, to cook as I please, which means that I have yet to buy meat in the market and still cannot tell you when a chicken breast is fully cooked. Granted, I now have random cravings for shawarma on the Malecón in Guayaquil, for a hamburger at La Cigale in Cuenca, or for a Peruvian civiche in Machala but aside from that life as an omnivore is not much different than life as a vegetarian. Except when I get invited to places.

In the honor of...

Reading: The Mountains of California by John Muir

The things that have gotten me through my first year in Ecuador: friends, family and books.

First, I want to say that I have really wonderful friends. One of the things that I learned very quickly when I came here is the cultural differences that surround friendships. In Ecuador, your family is often your source of friendships. In the States, your friends become your family.

Okay, that was sappy, I know. But seriously, I have really wonderful friends (and family). You all have sent me enough packages to the point that I haven't been without Trident Original gum since I got here last year. Plus, you've all put up with my sporadic communication and my occasional bitching, which has been more frequent of the late.

So, in one very tacky blog posting, I want to say muchisma gracias a todos.

Mangos, Marathons and Bailes! Must be Christmas?

Reading: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Okay, so for a hodge-podge of blogging, as I have no real way of weaving this into one cohesive post...

First, I've joined this folkloric dance group and we had a first competition and second performance... I have tons of pictures and I'm working on uploading videos, but youtube is so slow it's ridic... but here's one, minus the last two minutes (the women taping gave up the camera to join the dance... so it ended up in two parts)

Food Security

Reading: Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Upon arriving at pre-service training, the 21 sustainable ag volunteers that made up omnibus 105 were informed that we were the last group of ag vols in Ecuador, as the program was ending at the end of the year. The remaining ag vols would be dissolved into the health program under the veil of food security. (This would not be that much of an issue in the life of a volunteer, except for the fact that the communities requesting volunteers were rarely informed of this bureaucratic change of objectives.)

Regardless of the politics or effectiveness of this change, the 17 of us sust. ag vols plus the newest group of health volunteers spent this last week back in the Tumbaco training center for a debriefing on what exactly is food security and the newest objectives that we're now suppose to be meeting.

Kraft Quinoa y Queso

Reading: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Let me just start this off with the fact that up until coming to Ecuador, my life, in terms of food has been fantastic.

That is to say, I grew up with parents that are excellent cooks and raised on fresh produce with minimal junk food. Perhaps this factored into my college days, when I became a bona fide foodie. Most people talk about their college days of Ramen noodels and boxed mac & cheese...

Have you tried this weird animal yet?

Reading; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Good mornin' Mr. Iguana

I ate iguana. Enough said.

I guess a little back-story on this occurrence may be warranted, although I feel as if the statement alone is sufficient. Basically, people here, especially the guys love to play this game with me that should have the name “have you tried this weird animal yet?"

Most of the time, my answer is no, since animal in question is usually something like snake, zorro, squirrel, carbora, guinea pig, rabbit, iguana, etc. A few days ago, we were going through the motions of this game yet again and the point came up that I still have not had the pleasure of eating iguana. At the time, I really didn’t think much of the conversation. But last night when one of the little boys in Chimbo showed up at my door while a I was making dinner to tell me that his brother had gone out and shot me an iguana at the river and his mother was grilling it for me.

Receipe for PCV 4th of July

Reading: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Ingredients:

7 Americans
2+ Ecuadorians, English speaking adds to the flavor
1 beach on the Pacific Ocean thanks to Strix
1 haba de cervezas (Pilsener, of course)
1 watermelon, soaked in rum
several boxes of wine
a couple of pounds of beef to grill
freshly made guacamole
Oreos
Doritos

Tripe: An Ecuadorian Rendezvous

Reading: Harry Potter & the Half-Blooded Prince

Hornado, Ecuadorian roasted pig

I’m sure most of my faithful readers are dying to hear about my love life down here, since you always here these wonderful stories of Peace Corps romances and what now. However, I am here to say that it has been quite disappointing, aside from my lovely false novio, Nat, but we’ll get to him later.

It seems that guys down here are quite interested in the prospect of having an available gringa around yet they seem widely obliviously to any form of usefully courting techniques in spite of the massive amount of US media dumping that they’re exposed to. Thus, most seem to think that the most appropriate way to attract a girl’s attention is to hiss at her until she acknowledges you, at which they seize the opportunity to say as many degrading things they can think of as rapidly as possible. It must actually work for Ecuadorian ladies, but they can’t seem to figure out the need to revise their tactics for American women.

Confessions of a Former Vegetarian

Reading: Al Dente by Rafael Lugo

Butchering, Ecuadorian style

Aside from the plethora of cultural difference that living in Ecuador has provided, one of my biggest adjustments has been starting to eat meat again. I’m sure that most of you are thinking that Peace Corps volunteer plus former vegetarian can only mean one thing: animal loving tree-hugger. Now, I swear that although that could be applicable to some parts of my lifestyle, it isn’t the case with my dietary preferences. I really, honestly, truly just don’t care for the taste and texture of meat. Granted, the idea of eating muscle sort of weirds me out, but in the same way that flat feet do...

So when I left the States, I promised myself that I was going to really work at being less of a fussy eater. I wasn’t going to be bothered when food was served to me all touching and running together. I was going to deal with things being extra fried and the lack of fresh, raw vegetables. And more importantly, for integration sake, I was going to stomach meat for the next two years.

Things I Miss from the States

Reading: Let It Rot by Stu Campbell

Things I miss from the States:
· Coffee – all of the coffee grown here is simply exported. However, they love to drink café or Nestle’s instant coffee for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Needless to say I’m coping, but carefully rationing the last of my stash of Coffea coffee...
· Cooking – My host mother usually has dinner prepared for me before I get home from class and is very adamant that it’s perfectly fine for Heather and I to sit and wait for dinner to be served to us like the rest of the family does. We were able to make guacamole one evening, but now that’s simply prepared for us as well…

Livin' in the 'burbs

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.