Fellow Stories

The excitement is wearing off

Elizabeth Ollila

2017-11-11

The excitement is wearing off, and Ecuador has become my new normal. I am no longer new at work, I have begun to get annoyed at my family here (just like you do with your family:)), I know our routine, bus rides to class are less scary (although I doubt I will ever be fully...

Thoughts on “To Hell With Good Intentions” by Ivan Illich

Phuong Nguyen

2017-11-10

In response to Ivan Illich’s address to CIASP in 1968, titled “To Hell with Good Intentions," a speech made to a group of volunteers about to embark on a service trip to Mexico. He basically tells them they are not wanted, that they are insulting the host country they are trying to help, and could...

9-5

Alexandra Moreno

2017-11-10

I also made this video for closing seminar. This is what my job consisted of before we got electricity.  Enjoy https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byqk5Jq6dVlXSGtDWFVOTXdyU28

Family Matters

Alexandra Moreno

2017-11-10

I made this video a while back for closing seminar. I didn’t really see the value in sharing it back then but the more I think about it, it can’t hurt to show you a little preview of what my life looks like. Enjoy [vc_video link=’https://youtu.be/NJ_zGnQvS94′]

Three Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty Eight Point Two Five

Erik Oline

2017-11-10

Well, this has been a long time coming. I apologize for not writing lately, I decide to apply to Colorado College just for “fun”, so I have been channeling all my writing energy into several essays for the application. But now that is said and done, so I can return to my peevish ranting of...

Song Music Piece Thingy

2017-11-10

The harmony begins, differentiating the song from a vast sea of chords. These lyrically enumerated notes flood, formulating the niceties of music in overlapping strides. Layer after layer blankets the melody, each sheet attributing complexity, spirit and personality on the previous. Instruments struck seemingly in disunity clutch ever more desperately to the crucible of their...

Jingle Bells

Alexandra Moreno

2017-11-10

Yesterday, 93.9 WLIT-FM, also known as 93.9 My FM Chicago, started playing Christmas music. I learned this after watching my brother’s Snapchat story, which featured the caption “They’re playing Christmas music already???” I fumbled around on my cheap Nokia EcuaPhone FM settings to get 93.9 but when I got there, all I heard static. In...

Where I am From, Where I am Going.

Kara Esplin

2017-11-09

    Yesterday during our first Regional Reconnect our Team Leader, Belkis, lead us in an interesting exercise. Our task was to write a poem. A poem about where we come from. She provided a few guidelines and told us to pull inspiration from foods, sights, sounds, smells, sayings, and people from our past.      Belkis brought up the...

Daily Routine

Emma Boe

2017-11-09

Hi again,  As you might be curious to know what my everyday routine looks like here in Pune, I thought I’d share that with you.  (Unfortunately I don’t have either a scanner or computer at the moment, so you’ll have to enjoy my glorious artwork through iPad-taken photographs.)   

Getting Stronger

Sadie Troup

2017-11-09

               I’m just gonna start this off by saying that October was an emotional and physical whirlwind. I probably experienced some of the most uncomfortable physical sensations I’ve had yet during my time abroad, mostly due to catching parasites (twice!) and having a lovely intestinal infection. But to be...

Random Friendship

Christopher Maloney

2017-11-09

I had just left circus class and I was walking out of Yachay’s cultural center. To my left I noticed a guy around my age carrying something that looked 3D printed. I get really excited about new ideas and technology so, without thinking, I blurted out “Is that 3D printed?” (in Spanish of course). I...

La Idioma de La Vida

Toluwani Roberts

2017-11-08

I’m in a “complicated relationship” with language. I studied Spanish in school for six years. Yet when I arrived in country, I struggled to find the words to communicate with my first host family, my Spanish teachers, and my second (now permanent) host family. For example, Instead of saying “tengo hambre” (I’m hungry, or literally,...