Snow day!!! Minus the snow...

Well it has been a couple weeks since I updated my blog. And today is the perfect day to do something about that. I was all prepared to meet up with an awesome lady who is teaching me about Agriculture. She is an Agronomist with the Ministario de Agricultura. I was going to go with her today but she didn’t show up this morning (not sure why...it did rain for a bit). We were supposed to go plant some seeds and talk to some farmers. On top of that my counterpart is sick and hasn’t left bed except for a brief lunch. So I have a snow day! Minus the snow...

So I am taking this opportunity to take it easy and catch up of random things. I made zucchini bread (test batch), washed sheets and towels (please don’t rain, please don’t rain), testing myself on some Spanish grammar, making posters for my English classes, and updating my blog (of course).

I have gotten rather busy recently. I am teaching 2nd-7th graders in the mornings. This is a wide variety of ages and abilities, but they are all basically at the same level of English. I am mostly teaching songs to the younger ones, because asking them to write is like pulling teeth. In the States, tou couldn’t have gotten me to sing in front of anybody but here, it is like…Ahh…what the hell… “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes...” Truthfully, I am enjoying this a bit. In the last two weeks, I have already met so many students and when I walk down the street I get little hugs instead of weird looks. And it keeps me busy enough to not go crazy.



I also have to do some surveys for Peace Corps (and the community and me). Zucchini bread is my way of getting people to open their doors to me. On top of that I was able to show my family that I do like to cook (I have offered to help in the kitchen, but feel like my host mom doesn't want me to). I went from being called a nickname that means “woman who doesn’t like to cook” (I think it was something like “carishina”), to being able to magically make tasty bread out zucchini. The only magical part is that the first batch was good and that I didn’t screw up baking at almost 9,000 ft.

My Spanish is progressing…teaching English helps. It’s kind of like mini-tests and reminders of the basics which help. And I have learned such useful phrases as “Sit down”, “Be quiet”, “Stop it”, “One at a time”, and “Raise your hand”.

I have also started my seed beds. I have lettuce, zucchini, cabbage, onions, cilantro, and radishes all sprouting. The sad part is that they will probably have to be replanted before I can move, so I may have to start over later.



I am very ready to move. For many things I want to start, I have to keep saying…in 6 weeks. I can’t wait to cook and clean a place of my own, listen to my own music without headphones, plant and care for my own garden and possibly get a pet. But the weeks fly, so it will be here soon.

Oh I should mention...Volcano Tungurahua is being a rather large pain in the ass by spitting ash and causing several small "tremblors". I am not in any danger here but do happen to be downwind and we are occasionally getting the nasty ash. Peace Corps has forbidden us from certain towns and roads.

This photo is of Chimborazo from just outside Guaranda. Chimborazo is a dormant/extinct volcano and the closest earthly point to the sun and furthest from the center of earth (random facts)! You can see a little ash in the air from the Volcano Tungurahua.