(me, very happy the day after Carnaval looking at the aftermath on the walls in Peguche)
Hey everybody! This blog post is going to be more of a list of resources and references for both you guys and myself of the future when I’m starting to miss my life in Ecuador, but I also wanna post an update. So this is a 2 in 1 kind of deal. A thing has started to happen where I’m missing my family from home but also dreading the thought of leaving my host family, and it’s not a fun place to be at because it leaves me wishing for a moment that isn’t here, while also wanting to appreciate what I still have yet to experience. I’m trying to center these next two months around just being with my host family, and not thinking so much about what I should or shouldn’t be doing. I’m also trying to work on being calm in the silences and not creating an awkward energy when there doesn’t have to be one. I think that is something I still have to work on, and I’m actually very excited about it because all it really requires of me is to be present and sit in the kitchen with my family while we’re all doing our own things, which reminds me a whole lot of how life was in the U.S.. I’ve also been thinking a lot about culture shock and how it’s going to hit me when I get back. I feel like here my goals had a lot of meaning and it kept me from worrying about things that don’t actually matter. I’m really hoping that that will stick with me, because it’s made me happier. Global Citizen Year really does a good job of creating a life changing year and it inevitably fills you with a sense of purpose. I hope I can find that same sense of purpose in myself at home.
But anyway… onto the fun videos and stuff!
I’m going to divide this up into different types of cultural aspects that I have gathered from my family, team and site development leaders (shouts out Gabi and Eli), and other people I’ve come across in my life here.
MY LIFE IN AGATO
This is a video I created to show my life in the sierra of Ecuador. I wanted to properly portray my time in Agato so that you guys could see how my life actually is, so here ya go!
INDIGENOUS MUSIC
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwqm_kVhX9o’]
Yarina: Super famous band in the sierra. Probably the most classic you could get with what we listen to at my house.
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H9DHlGd0-M’]
Charijayac: Nos vemos en la próxima vida. This song makes Yuyak cry (it also makes me cry)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZLi2k8teK8
Kaya Cachimuel. This one makes me cry too.
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp3N5TpgzD0′]
Kaya Cachimuel. This has a beautiful music video and is more upbeat.
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvKyUWBPu8s’]
Sanai: Solterito
DANCE
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4qZsgwtw3o’]
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMK0nmw7ykg’]
This shows the typical dance of Otavalo.
NEWS / LOCAL EVENTS
https://www.facebook.com/Pakarinka/
If you want to learn more about what my host mom and dad do, this is the place to look!
https://www.facebook.com/elcomerciocom/
This was recommended to me by our new site development leader, Eli! It’s Ecuadorian news (all in Spanish, but good for people who are trying to practice 🙂 )
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010848617748
Pawkar Raymi is an indigenous festival to honor the florecimiento of this time of the year. If you wanna learn more about it this is a cool place to look because it is specifically about Pawkar Raymi in my community in Agate (also recommended by Eli)
YOUTUBE CHANNELS (shouts out to Gabi once again for these)
https://www.youtube.com/user/enchufetv
Kinda like the Buzzfeed of Youtube but for Ecuadorians
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-FnZO45zaSmvGiyTsL2hA
A youtuber from Ibarra
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDustinLuke/featured
A guy named Dustin Luke who is from the U.S. but films his videos in Spanish (another good one for practicing Spanish!)
Okay, so that’s pretty much it. I hope this maybe gives you guys a better idea of how my life looks here, at least in regards to what music I listen to, what dances I get to see my mom practice, and the different cultural events I have gone to throughout my time here. It seemed like the easiest way to make my life accessible to everybody, so I hope you guys find something here that you enjoy. Catch you all soon (59 days) and I hope everybody is doing well and feeling good! Love you,
Sadie.
