2012-12-13
Every morning I eat breakfast (my favorite breakfast thus far has been the pancakes, french fries, rice and guinea pig combination) with this view. That’s the volcano Mt. Imbabura. It’s visible from pretty much everywhere in Pijal. This is the home of the “Sumak Pacha” tourism organization, which I work for. It is also...
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2012-12-11
One morning my host mother in Nizag and I were eating breakfast when I noticed the unusual abundance of eggs in the kitchen. Eggs, at $0.15 each, are expensive for my family. For this reason we eat eggs only occasionally. So I asked my host mom how we got them. My host mom bought the...
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2012-12-11
I was at school one day, working with the other English teacher. We in between classes, and had some time to hang out and talk for a bit. While we were talking, a girl no more than seven years old came up to us and asked for 10 cents. She has done this before, and...
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2012-12-11
I find that when I actively look for something amazing, interesting, or out of the ordinary to happen in my life I come up short. My actions remind me of the saying, “a watched kettle does not boil.” There are so many beautiful and wondrous things to glimpse, learn, and understand here in Brazil it’s sometimes hard to get...
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2012-12-11
After our cohort’s first training seminar I was sick. It wasn’t anything serious, but nevertheless I decided that once I got back to Lençóis I would take it easy for a little while. I have been taking jiu jitsu classes for about a month now. I just bought a jiu jitsu kimono from Salvador before...
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2012-12-07
Having spent two months in Los Bancos, I have come to a time of analysis and reflection. This experience has thrown so many new and unexpected situations at me daily, that only until recently have I felt qualified to categorize events, reflect on similar aspects, and make certain comparisons. To bring life to these reflections...
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2012-12-05
As I gradually make my way from my dreams to consciousness I become aware of a noise. I realize it’s my phone telling me it’s 6 AM. Ugh. Time to get the day started. I stay in bed a little longer, listening to the sounds of the village waking itself up. The sound of women pounding grain...
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