Fellow Stories

My first machete

Trevor Porter

2011-11-11

I awoke to my first morning at the Jumandi Caverns to roosters. Lots of roosters. If I was surprised then, I should have saved it for when I walked out the door. My family was gathering to go to a minga, or a communal meeting for work, and I was going, too. In order to...

Every Day, A Silent Hike

Andre Olden

2011-11-11

Each morning, I’m awoken to the sound of my host mother’s voice just outside my door, “venga al desayuno, Andrecito.” (Come to breakfast, Andrecito.) (Well, initially I’m awoken to the sound of roosters crowing outside my window at 4am, but that’s beside the point.) Before me, there is usually a breakfast quite uncharacteristic of what...

Lightning, Bugs, and Lightning Bugs

Tessalyn Morrison

2011-11-11

Nothing cheers you up after a day of dropping thermometers, dealing with screaming feverish children, and language misunderstandings like big, huge bugs and giant rainstorms. In all seriousness…nothing does. Sometimes I feel like I am living on the Discovery channel. Even in my own house you can see the mile-long lines of ants carrying leaves,...

Home/Family

Lily Ellenberg

2011-11-11

Lessons in being human: The beautiful girl from Coca

Kirin Gupta

2011-11-11

I knew Cynthia for twenty minutes. And that will be it. But it was enough. Swaying with inherent elegance at 5’9’’, thin as a rail, and darker than midnight, she was wearing lavender the night I saw her. She stepped into the seat next to me on a cramped Jumandy bus on my way home from classes...

Finding Family

Priyanka Rao

2011-11-11

Day Two on the ELA Sumaco tour with the entire class of 24 students, driver and conductor of the bus, Mary and Patricia of the National Parks Association, and Rocío (my boss), Luis, and me.  I started out very discouraged at my ignorance, but I’ts taken me a day to acclimatize to the point where...

Snapshots

Abigail Hindson

2011-11-11

The following are three anecdotes—“snapshots” of my life, if you will—about my past week in Tena, Ecuador; they include an everyday bus ride, a rainy adventure, and an epiphany I had walking down the street one evening. I saw the blue-and-white bus in the distance, and crossed the road to catch it.  There isn’t a...

Split Personality

Mitchell Mankin

2011-11-10

There are two people living in my body.  One of them is writing to you now.  He’s constantly thinking, turning an analytical eye to important and decidedly not important things.  He’s often told that he thinks too much, which is true.  The other doesn’t have that luxury.  His mind is absorbed entirely by trying to...

Almost Ecuadorian

Taylor Lawson

2011-11-09

Before leaving the United States, one of my directors told me, “You can pass for Ecuadorian, so you’ll have fewer problems.” Once we all got into the country, we began discussing how to blend in when going around the city. I absorbed these lessons like a sponge, and started observing and copying as instructed. I...

We’re Everywhere…

Lily Ellenberg

2011-11-09

The last thing I expected was bagels. I never imagined the heaven of a brunch of Jewish comfort food. But indeed I had the opportunity, along with two other Jewish fellows, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with the Jewish community in Quito. To get into the synagogue we had to bring copies of...

Adapting to a new life

Michael Winfield

2011-11-09

Oh Ecuador, am i feeling high! I have only been here about two months now, and my mind set has already changed. I might sound cliche but, being here in Ecuador made me appreciate what I have at home. I also remind myself that I am so blessed to have this opportunity at my age. I have to remind...

Take a leap

Trevor Porter

2011-11-08

The first week I spent with Ruku Kausai at the Jumandy Caverns was amazing, and a great precursor of what I hope my sixth months will be like. Although I didn’t work much that week, I was able to observe the going on-s of the people and the caverns. During the week I helped out...