First week as a Volunteer...

I have to say it has been better than the site visit, which was an awkward, long week. I am between being overwhelmed with the amount of time I have committed myself to and feeling very lucky for my site assignment.

In this entry, I will talk about the good things because, well for one, no one wants to hear me complain, and two, it’s not nice.

So things I am lucky for…(Sorry, less pictures this time…it is hard to convince people that you are not a tourist when you take photos of everything…)

1. My site is gorgeous, which I know I have mentioned. I have already begun to take my view out my bedroom for granted. But when riding around on the rural mountain roads, there is no forgetting where I am. Today I had a random thought…”I am doing yoga in the Andes”…sweet…

2. The weather will only get better…right now it rains every afternoon and is foggy and chilly at night. But April is the rainiest month and “summer” comes soon which means “dry & windy”…and then I get to play with irrigation :)

3. I finally talked with my counterpart about the irrigation project. It sounds like I need to do a bit of research because they aren’t sure of who designed it or where the funding came from the first time around. It is an underground sprinkler system with a large concrete tank and a very long canal. An engineer did this for sure…but who??? The old volunteer is nowhere to be found on my quick internet searches. Hmm…international detective work…

4. The family I live with is a rather successful family. This is a plus and minus when working for the Peace Corps, I have decided. For example…I went to baptism party and was the most underdressed person (seriously it was at a banquet hall, DJ, catered meal, centerpieces…the whole bit). When I packed for two years to be a “Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer,” my nicest clothes didn’t come with. And when everybody in the family has a good education, they wonder what I can do that they can’t…and they are right…not much. So all I can do is be my little American self and try not to make a bad impression. I also worry about separating myself from those that I really should be helping.

5. The pluses to this are daily free internet access (probably wireless before too long), a nice room and mattress, a vehicle in the family, a washing machine, and hot water. However, I will be here for only three months, which means my next apartment will most likely be a step down, but I look forward to my own space.

6. This family also has a sweet garden. Tuesday we planted barley, and their garden is beautiful, organic, and I know I will learn a lot from it. There are so many different fruits, veggies, and plants in Ecuador it is tough to learn them all. They have guinea pigs, chickens, and just bought two pigs on Thursday.

7. My counterpart seems to know every person in the province; this could help in many ways. And I believe I will get good language instruction from this family. He also has a good understanding of the Peace Corp’s purpose, understanding that I am not here to hand out charitable donations, but to help the community be sustainable…

8. My host sisters are awesome, beautiful girls, and I have no doubt they will make sure I am aware of the fun goings-on in town. I went to a parade the oldest sister was in, it was pretty incredible... Except for the old man who dumped water on my back from the balcony above…I think he was aiming for the kids climbing on his truck…I think…Maybe it was good I forgot my camera.

9. I will be sitting in on some more advanced English classes next week, which is perfect because my Spanish is still iffy and I can probably help a bit when they all speak a little English! And I can learn something about how to teach English as a second language. Even though I have recently emphasized to my counterpart that I am not a teacher and don’t want that to become my full time job, I wouldn’t mind teaching those that want to be taught. And it is nice to have something scheduled even if it is only a couple hours once or twice a week.

10. I am close to volunteers that I like!!! This is a biggie…already in the first week they have come in handy for complaining sessions, random meetups & lunches, funny stories, or stories that make me feel lucky.

11. My mom has already bought tickets to visit!! Yay!! And tickets for me to come home for Christmas!! Double Yay!! I like having this on my calendar…it makes time seem relevant again.