Maggots. Machetes. Rum.

My life here in the jungle is just about at the halfway point, which I find very hard to believe. Just yesterday it was October, no? The more I think back on this year, the more I realize how much I did and how amazing it has been...I started off in Jamaica playing trivial pursuit in the rain with my family, spent some time in California with some friends and extended family, then graduated college (i guess thats a big one), spent a few weeks in Israel, worked in Costa Rica--with a quick weekend to Nicaragua thrown in--came home, applied to grad school, packed up my bags, and moved to the jungle. Honestly, is this real life?? How lucky can a girl be..?!

Things here are moving along fine, although it feels much less like a vacation and much more like real life...which is what I wanted in the first place, right? I am officially the teaching coordinator, and for the month of December, I was basically the project manager as well. This included: creating and administering end of term exams for the kids (headache #1), making sure the volunteers were happy (headache #2), planning activities for christmas week and next term (headache #3) and keeping the house standing (headaches #4-243254235). That last one might sound easy, but I promise you, a house in the middle of nowhere in the jungle is a project all on its own. I am learning so much and I feel like I am very self sufficient now, which is awesome. However, things like cleaning maggots out of a fridge (a fun task from last night) do not ever need to be repeated.

The exams for the kiddos went well, and was actually really nice and reaffirmined why I am here. I do NOT want to be a teacher, ever ever ever, but now I know that I can do it, and that with some patience and love, kids can be pretty cool.

Things you should all appreciate/Things I used to take for granted and never will again:
cold milk
olive oil
ice
AAA and jumper cables
bug free ______ (fill in the blank however you wish, i promise it will be accurate)
electricity
hot water
tap water

Things you don´t know that you are missing:
machetes
$2 huge delish meals
beautiful, incredible, amazing nature--everywhere
waking up to a symphony of birds instead of car horns
knowing your community members/hospitality (or is this just the cynical new yorker in me?)

I had a haircut the other day, courtesy of friend and volunteer Sirah. She is a hairdresser back home, so it was totally legit. And she did my nails too, so I sort of resemble a girl again. The jungle has not completely taken over...yet.

Spending Christmas eve at a little fiesta in Puyo tonight...(coincedentally there will be Chinese food there)... and tomorrow I will wake up, open some presents under my first ever christmas tree, eat a small christmas dinner, and relax. This is the first year that I dont get a winter/christmas vacation, but we are happy and healthy, so what more do I really need?
Vacation would be nice though...I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and a few trips planned in my head. Actually, if anyone wants to head south between January and June...or everr... let me know. I´m starting to plan some fun adventures. Come with!

December has not had many volunteers, but we have some new faces coming next week, so things should be busy at the house. There is no school but we are planning some workshops and games, and then hopefully a day or two off for new years. It is very strange being away from home during the holiday season, even with my new family here...and I miss you all more than you know.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a very, very happy new year. Wishing everyone nothing but the best, sending warm thoughts, and hoping for only good things in 2011.


BESOS Y AMOR!!! :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I just wanted to wish everyone at home a very happy thanksgiving. I am super dooper bummed out that I´m not able to make it home for the holidays...especially this one, which is my favorite. We are going to make a bug yummy dinner and teach all the Brits how it´s done...but it obviously wont be the same, and i´ll definitely be bummed out. For those of you who have been talking about ¨calling me soon,¨ Thursday would be a great day to give me a ring! I´ll be thinking of home all day.

All else is well...did a mini jungle trek Fri-Sat and got muddy and hiked to a waterfall...beautiful views and fun to hang out with everyone. Its a busy time at the house with end of term exams coming up, and trying to get the children ready. Lots of changes too, with most people leaving on Friday :( However, as of December I am officially the Teaching Coordinator, which is really nice. Promotions are fun!

Not too much else to share...I finally bought a new camera, which is exciting--ive just been stealing everyone elses pictures until now. Hopefully that means I can post some of my own soon too. I hope that everyone is happy at home. Please keep me updated!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Two Months and Counting

It has come to my attention that I am not updating my blog enough for some people´s liking. All I can say is this: YOU move to the jungle and try to find reliable, fast, easy internet connections. OR better yet, give me a call. My cell number is on an earlier post, and I do really really love getting calls. Use skype, its really cheap.

Anyway, hello! Life in Ecuador is moving along just fine, with a few road bumps mixed in here and there, of course. After all, this is Latin America. Ecuador loves its fiesta days, and very frecuently, school is cancelled with no notice, and for seemingly no reason. For example, I once arrived to teach, only to discover that it was ¨flag day.¨ This means exactly what it sounds like...the children drew pictures of the Ecuadorian flag, then went home. Productive. (It is very interesting to compare the culture of education that we have at home, in the western world, versus how education is viewed around the world).

So two weeks ago (i think?) there was no class on Friday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. It is rare to get so much time off for teaching, so a bunch of us decided to use the time to travel a bit and see more of Ecuador. We wanted to go to the coast to relax and take it easy on the beach.

FAIL.

Thursday night we took an overnight bus to Guayaquil (city, big, nothing special). Had a few hours to kill so we napped in a park and walked and walked and walked around the city. Then we took a bus to Monañita, a small beach town. It was a bit trashy and loud (think reggae and techno music blasting from, I am not kidding, about 9am until 7am). The first night we had fun walking on the beach, dancing, eating a yummy dinner, and relaxing. The next day we had an amazing breakfast and then hung out on the beach. Let me add that it was grey and rainy and chilly the entire time, but we tried to make the best of it. We started to take a walk over some rocks far down on the beach, and about halfway to the end point I started feeling a bit nauseous. My friend Shira also stopped walking at about that same time and said she felt the same. We decided to walk back to the hostel and take a quick nap, feel better, and head out for dinner and drinks. Instead, we got back to the hostel just in time for us both to be sick, and then proceeded to be violently ill for the next 14 hours or so. I did not leave my little room for over 20 hours, and only got out of bed to be sick. I will not go into any more detail than that, but lets just say that the term ¨horrendous food poisoning¨ sort of covers how I felt. Remember, this was all after an amazing dinner and breakfast, and all 5 of us on the trip ate the same thing. So we dont really know what happened, but it was not fun. On the upside, I ate white rice and bread only for the next 4 days, and definitely lost a few pounds. Silver lining, I guess.

The next day, halloween, we felt well enough to get on a 30 minute bus ride and went to a much quieter, prettier, relaxed hostel in a different town. I spent most of the time lying down in bed and playing cards, but it was beautiful and calm and a good place to recover. It took a while, but I am finally feeling back to 100%.

and that was my vacation.

These next few weeks are lots of teaching and preparing for the end of year exams for the children. There is a TON of work to be done, but things are good and i´m very happy and busy. Also, as of December 1st I should be promoted to the Teaching Coordinator of the Program. This will add a bunch more responsibilities...and a pàycheck...so overall I am quite pleased with this change. Lots of people are leaving in the next few weeks, which is really upsetting and will change the dynamics of the house a lot...but hopefully cool new people will be coming in soon, and things will keep running smoothly.

We have lots of fun in the house...for example, the other night we had the Puro Puyo Olympics (puro puyo is a type of alcohol that I can only relate to moonshine. It is probably about 101% alcohol). There are currently 4 boys and 4 girls in the house, so we paired up in teams and held various events, such as an egg toss, sumo wrestling, wheelbarrow racing, ping pong ball relay races, trivia questions, etc. We also did this in costume...Adam and I, my teammate, were pirates, and there were also superheros and Greek Trojans. The puro puyo came into play between each activity, when we had to take a drink.
This is what happens when you get bored in the jungle...you make your own fun!!

As promised, some pictures:










This is our beast of a car that I drive. Thats me in the backround working on a leaking radiator under the hood, and the little girl is one of my students.


Our house, outside and part of the inside.

















me and some volunteers working on an art project for the schools, in the office of our house.









The coordinators! Thats Jessie, me, Jeremy, and a creepy picture of Adam.













If you want to read a bit more, Jess and I wrote a blog post for the October Newsletter for Great Aves, our organization. Go to www.youvolunteer.org to check it out, its pretty short.

Love and kisses!

Did you know that cockroaches can fly?

Hola, shalom, and hello to everyone!

I'm finally feeling like i'm really settled in, and that this is actually my new home for a while. I've spent a great deal of time in Latin America, but having so long in one place, and really getting to know the locals and this one little area of the world is quite a different experience. I teach until the afternoon on Fridays, and the last bus back to my house leaves Puyo at 8pm, so our weekends do not give us very much time to explore. This has obvious downsides...ie not being able to travel very much, or very far. On the other hand, we spend a lot of time hanging out together at the house, which is really nice and definitely helps my wallet! I do hope to do more travel...Ecuador is amazing and has so much to offer and tons to see...but for now, it is nice to really get settled in one place.

There are seven of us in the house now, five of us teaching and two working on the community development piece. Next week two more teachers come...its going to be a full house again! This means that Jess and I will be teaching less and observing and supervising more. It is definitely nice to have more helping hands and fresh ideas...its hard teaching so much, and in Spanish!! But its also a bit weird...I feel like these are my kids, and my classes...its odd to sort of be giving that up, especially when we are finally getting to know each other better and set up stronger relationships. Some of the kiddos are crazy though and hard to manage, and to actually have a day off once in a while does sound nice.

My birthday last week was lovely, albeit a bit strange to be away from home. My new little family here in Ecuador made it really nice though, and I had a good time ringing in my 23rd year. I spent the morning teaching at what is probably my easiest and calmest school, and after classes I discovered some of the cutest, most perfect, most adorable puppies to ever be created. Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time playing and cuddling them, and attempting to purchase/steal one. I am still hot on the pursuit, and am secretly hoping to bring one home when I go back tomorrow to teach again. I spent some time that afternoon dozing and reading in a hammock, and receiving phone calls from the northern hemisphere. Thanks to everyone who called me, its so amazingly nice to get calls from loved ones back at home. It really made my day. Then I was cooked a delicious Mexican-ish dinner, followed by some drinks, card games—we play a LOT of card games here—and general merriment. My friends also surprised me by turning on “in the jungle” and performing a dance for me, wearing nothing but leaves. I guess theres nothing quite like a birthday in the jungle.

We spent Saturday and Sunday doing a jungle trek with local guides who are students of ours at the adult english class. We trekked for a few hours each day, stopping to swim in some waterfalls and rivers, to pick and eat papayas and lemons, and to check out some cool snakes and other crawlies. Its a lot nicer to see insects outside, as opposed to your house, I can tell you that for sure. Spent the night camping out ...I always love roasting marshmallows and chatting around a fire, and this was no exception. We slept out under the stars...it was horribly uncomfortable and I kept thinking of my family sleeping that very same night at a Sheraton in Boston to celebrate MY birthday...but it was a good time all around. I was eaten alive by many creatures...I never in a million years thought that I would ever hate ants more than tarantulas, but I really really did for those two days. Your priorities change while living in the jungle! It was a challenging hike and we all returned muddy and sweaty and exhausted, but it was a really nice weekend.

What else is there to share....damn I was about to say that I finally found the question mark key on this computer...because I HAVE successfully used it in the past...but it just disappeared again. sad.

I am learning to drive stick...or manual, for those of you non americans who get confused when I say that. I’m very proud...still a bit shaky of course—literally—but ive put in probably close to 60 kilometers or so, maybe more, and im feeling confident that I will get better. Our truck is an absolute beast but I am learning to tame her. Terry, I look forward to trying to drive your car again when I get home, and we can see if i’ve really learned anything!

I have a new kitten named Medusa. She is tiny and, for the most part, cute. No one really wants her around, especially our other animals, but she is growing on me and makes pretty good and entertaining company. I think that I am slightly allergic to cats, but I choose to ignore that.

I am becomming a lot more self sufficient while living out here. You have to be creative and flexible, and need to rely on yourself and your wits a lot more. Ive learned so many little things and am learning to think much quicker on my feet...when you dont have a lot of resources, you need to manage somehow. Its still a learning process, but I should come back able to understand what i'm seeing under the hood of a car, how to change a gas tank, fix a generator, short wires and refuse them together, siphon gas from a car, cook meals with a great deal of improvization and great lack of ingredients...and thats just what ive been doing so far!! Im also hoping to learn to play poker, chess, and the guitar, and perfect the deceptive and seemingly simple art of cooking white rice--so much harder than it looks!! We've managed to make rice thats both mushy and crunchy all at once...and I even turned it a spectacular shade of purple once. Anyway, I hope to come home with lots of new tricks up my sleeve.

I miss you all loads. Is it a pretty fall? Step on an extra crunchy leaf for me! (ill step on an extra crunchy bug for you in return...)

Pity Party, Table for One

This has not been my week, and I am unfortunately wearing my cranky pants.
Wednesday evenings we teach an adult english class in El Triunfo, the town closest to our house. Oftentimes we then stay in town for a bit, to have a beer or watch the boys play soccer with some locals. So this week we were there until about 10pm, and when we got home, I noticed that a lot of my things were missing. While we were out, someone came into my room, probably through the window, and stole lots of my things...including my camera, my ipod, some shoes and clothes, and then a bit more randomly, my new big bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. This, remember, is the body wash that I traveled 5 hours to Quito to buy, since they dont really use it in this country, and I could only find it in the city. I also think that they got my small bag of jewelry, and who knows what else. I lost all of my pictures on the camera too, since I planned to back them up at the end of every month...ie this weekend. Of course. So all of the silly pictures of me standing at the equator, and pictures that I took with volunteers who have already left Ecuador...all gone. SO im really really mad, and I have to travel to a city so I can buy a new camera, and I'm just angry about the whole situation. Our house is in the middle of nowhere, it feels so safe and nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the project. My friends had valuable stuff lying all around and nothing else was touched...they were obviously only in my room. The only other person who has stuff missing is Jess, and we share a room. They took one pair of her pants, and again, her shampoo and conditioner. I guess they really wanted a shower?
Anyway, i'm safe, I have my passport and wallet, and my peanut butter, thank god, and no one was home when they came. All good things. It sucks but could have been a lot worse.
I was also pretty sick last week with a wicked cold and cough. We went to Baños last weekend, a town about 1.5 hours from Puyo. It has hot springs, gorgeous mountain scenery, and lots of adventure activities. I wasnt able to go on the bike ride that my friends did since I was dying in bed hacking up a lung, but at night I went to the hot springs, and just walked around town and enjoyed the sun and beautifulness. The town is also known for its spas...I figure that its waaayyyy too early in the game for me to be spoiling myself, but the $20 one hour full body massages, $25 hour hot stone massages, and other volcanic mud wraps and other delicious activities will definitely happen at some point while im here. I know I said that i'll be fundraising for the organization soon, but I'm also fundraising for the 'buy rachel a new camera and ipod' and 'buy rachel massages' campaigns.

There have been some highlights and interesting moments this week too. On the way home from our weekend in Banos on Sunday night we stopped to see what the crowd of people were doing in El Triunfo. Turns out that they have cockfights a couple times a month. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have officially witnessed my first cockfight. It was quite the experience and I did not care for it...although neither chicken died, and apparently it was a relatively mild fight. We apparently missed the much more exciting fight right before it, where a chicken lost his eye and then was killed. So thank god for that...such a horrible 'sport.' Its interesting though, I saw more money passed around during the fight--for bets--then ive ever seen in that community before.

Also, as many of you probably know, yesterday there was some crazy government showdowns in Quito and Guayaquil. Thanks for all of the messages and concerns, I am perefectly safe in the jungle and far from any big cities. I wont get into all of the politics here, but its really interesting...definitely check it out online and read up about whats going on. I think that I have a crazy effect on Latin American politics (coup in Honduras last year, anyone?), but im safe and its all very interesting. I was going to go to a city to buy a new camera this weekend but decided to wait until I know that everything is safe. Otherwise i'm not really affected by the riots or protests that were taking place, other than a few stores being closed in Puyo yesterday. Due to the strikes of the police and military, people in quito and guayaquil were looting stores and going crazy since there was no one to keep control. None of that in the towns near me, but some stores closed anyway just to be safe. Actually, then the police station in Puyo closed, so I couldnt file a police report about the robbery.

Never a dull moment in Latin America, theres always something.
Spending the weekend hanging at the house, getting work stuff organized, and maybe hunting down a thief with a machete. There was no class today so we have a 3 day weekend, which is really nice and greatly appreciated.
I realized that I have no idea whats happening at home...the only time ive had any news is this week, but just to check on whats going on here in Ecuador. If there are ever any interesting news stories pass them on to me, I would love to know whats happeneing.

Hope everyone is happy and healthy.
Happy October :)

So you CAN stand in two places at once!!

Hola amigos y familia!!
I am spending the weekend in Quito with my friend Jess, the other teaching coordinator. We needed to buy some things and had to get out of the jungle to do so. I enjoy my job, but its always nice to escape for a little bit.
Friday was one of the longest days of my life. Jess and I taught at a school that has a grand total of 8 students...they were really well behaved, the lessons went great, and minus the fact that the kids were eating bugs for lunch--im not kidding, apparently they are currently in season--it went really well. We get in our car to drive into town to catch the bus to Quito, and not surprisingly, the car wouldnt start. We tried all of the tricks that we´ve learned...by May I will be a fantastic mechanic...but nothing worked. Nick, our boss, suggested that we take the car battery to the oil company located nearby...the closest people to us. We hoped that they could recharge the battery for us. I dont know how many of you have ever carried a car battery before...for over 30 minutes, and up a hill...but i do NOT reccomend it. It was boiling hot, we were already exhausted from a week of teaching, and the battery was, if i have to guess, approximately one million pounds. We finally made it to the oil company, and the very nice men gave us cold water, cookies, and a mechanic! He drove us...and the battery, which did NOT need to be carried at all...back to the car. So 3 and a half hours after the car wouldnt start, covered in battery acid, sweat, and mud, we were on our way! We made it to Quito after a 4 and a half hour bus ride, for half of which we were shoved in a tiny seat behind the driver. It was an adventure, to say the least.
Then yesterday was really nice. We did the obligatory trip to Mitad del Mundo, or literally translated, the Center of the World. ie the equator, hence the name of this country. It was totally cheesy but we got into the spirit of things, took silly pictures, and jumped around from one hemisphere to the next. Lots of fun and hilarity. Spent the rest of the day relaxing, walking around, eating some YUMMY indian food, and shopping a bit. It was so nice having some girl time. Heading back to the house in about an hour to gear up for another full week of teaching.

Our program is currently at 8 schools, yet we are down to Jess, myself, and one volunteer invovled in the teaching program. So we teach every day, Monday through Friday, and usually on our own. We are really short on volunteers and money, which is rough...im going to start fundraising soon so get excited!!! yayyyyy fundraising!! If anyone wants to come spend some time living and working here with us, let me know. Its tiring but really rewarding and fun, and they really could use the help.

Im going to post pictures soon, and i´ll explain more about what im doing and what my days are like. Just some quick notes now though--I survived my first tarantula sighting, and then the next day, a baby tarantula. They really are fuzzy and about the size of my hand. Really good times. I live with two dogs and a cat, and im in love with living with dogs again. Theyre fantastic company and make a great addition to my home. When I arrived at the house there were 10 volunteers, and now were down to 4. Later this week it will be 5, and then hopefully short term volunteers will be coming in soon. The brits and aussies have left and now we americans have taken over, and its much quieter. Nice to clean up after and cook for less people, but we miss having all of the boys around. What else what else? The weather has been pretty good, im switching rooms soon so jess and i will have our own space and i can finally unpack my bags, and i have clean laundry waiting for me in back in Puyo so i´m thrilled about that.
Again, I will be starting some fundraising campaigns soon so please be on the lookout. I know you´re all excited about that. And as soon as I can, i´ll get up some pictures.
Anything interesting going on in the world? I wouldnt know...

besos y mucho amor!

Civilization...for a day!

Hi again! I am in Puyo, which is the closest ¨city¨ to where I live...about an hour and a half from the house. A bunch of us came in yesterday to see off some of the crew who left last night and this morning, and then we spent the night. This is where I will have internet access...including skype!..and the ability to buy things. Otherwise there is a small town along the way, where we can get small things like water, eggs, fruit, etc, but even that is about 20minutes by car. On the bright side..literally...the night skies and stars are absolutely incredble. We have a generator and thus, electricity for a few hours at night, but otherwise, its sunlight or candles and flashlights.

And I have a cell phone! I can´t really use it to make long distance calls, but I can receive calls any time from all of you!! If you are calling from the states, dial 011-593-(0)828-228-42. I dont think that you need that zero, but if you cant get through, try it. If you are calling from a country other than the US, its the same, but take out the 011 and put in your country´s exit code. So call me--preferably after 1pm my time (one hour earlier than NY) because during the week im usually teaching in the mornings.

I also enjoy mail and packages... you can send things to:
Rachel Klein
Correo Central
Puyo
Pastaza
Ecuador

NOTHING perishable or valuable, as it could take 3-4 weeks before it gets sorted and into my hands. And please let me know if you send anything, so I know to check. :-)

My days have been starting around 6am, or if im lucky, some days closer to 630. The car has not been cooperating (ie starting), and we live at the bottom of quite an impressive hill on a rocky road. If the car doesnt start, we have to walk up this hill (as the website calls it, ¨an energetic 20 minute walk¨ to then catch a bus or grab a ride from the locals. We ususally start teaching around 8am, and it can take up to 40minutes by car to get there. The school day ends around 12:30 and then we can head back to the house, hang out in the hammocks, read, play cards, nap, and then make lesson plans. We alternate cooking and cleaning and other things that need to get done. Supposedly the car should be running better this week, but I´ll believe that when I see it.

sending lots of love!

Hello from the Jungle!

Hi everyone!! I am finally starting to settle into my new home here in the jungle...there will definitely be a major adjustment period, but overall, I am quite happy. They were absolutely not kidding about the bugs...oh my. I won't get into details, as some of you may be reading this while eating. I'll just say EWW. But I will be a tougher person after these next few months, I can tell you that for sure.
Jungle life is interesting...sometimes there is hot water, sometimes theres cold water, and sometimes theres no water. Sometimes the car starts, sometimes only after a running push, and some days it dies about an hour from home. Or never starts at all. Sometimes the bus comes, sometimes not.
I'm sensing a theme here. But the people are fantastic, i've laughed a lot, Ecuador is absolutely beautiful, and I think i'll be just fine.
I'm still getting oriented to the work...this week i've mainly been teaching at various schools, and making lesson plans and gathering documents and worksheets. The texbooks...which interestingly enough come from the oil company...have not arrived yet, so we have been winging it a bit. And teaching for a few hours a day, in spanish, is exhausting. Its a learning process...some of the students can barely read and write in Spanish, so its interesting to try to teach them English. More on that later on, I need time to think about what that really means. The main idea is that to get into college, students need to speak English. That alone has some interesting implications...but also, how many really use it, or go to college...bare with me, I cant figure out where the question mark key is on this computer. Anyway, I have a lot more to learn. Its also SO frustrating how long it takes to get anything done. The car issues alone make us pull our hair out, but lack of communication and resources is a major issue too. We make it work, but I am gearing up for lots of challenging days. Im staying positive though...its all in good fun, and for a great cause.
The program also has a community development piece, which is really cool. I hope to get more involved with that, but for now, I need to focus on my job, and getting the semester started.
I have been told about...and offered...fried bugs. I think that I am pretty cuturally sensitive, but that shit was nasty. I declined. I practiced driving stick on our beast of a truck on a rocky road, and actually succeeded a bit. I have already taken a tumble on said rocky road and banged up my knee. I have soaked in hot springs, eaten lots of canned tuna fish, gained three new pets...two dogs and one cat, met lots of fabulous people, taught classes...and thats week one.
There is a group of awesome british guys here, but they are leaving this week, which is a bummer. I give up feminism for this period of my life...having boys in the jungle is very, very handy.
Ill keep everyone updated. For you Jews, happy Rosh Hashana. Eat some apples and honey for me.

BESOS!!!

Hello from Quito!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I arrived safely to Quito. I´ve spent the day wandering around the city...its a nice change from the Central American capitals i´m used to. Everything is bright and colorful, the people are amazingly friendly, there are churches and colonial buildings galore...all in all, a very cute place. I only have one day here, and the high altitude is making my head spin a bit...i´m just taking it easy and enjoying the scene. So far, so good, and tomorrow I meet up with some of the other volunteers and coordinators in a small town along the way to where I will be living. It will be nice to finally meet some of the people I will be living and working with, and on Sunday, I arrive to the house. For now, i´m enjoying the fact that i´m still a part of civilization. After this weekend...who knows?!

Love and hugs to everyone!!

To the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle...

So here I sit, enjoying consistent electricity, air conditioning, pure tap water, and other joys of home that may soon be considered luxuries. As of 1:35pm tomorrow...a mere 23 hours away...Contintental Airlines will be whisking me away to what is probably going to become my greatest adventure yet.
Once I'm settled in I'll have more information for everyone...including a phone number and mailing address, but for now, check out http://www.youvolunteer.org/. It gives a really nice overview and has some pictures, so take a look. Please send me e-mails and keep in touch...i'm not sure how frequently I'll have internet access, but I'll try to do the same.
As of now, my greatest and only concern is figuring out how to pack up my life into a backpack that seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Once--or if-- that mammoth and seemingly impossible task is completed, I just have to wrap my head around the fact that it's September already. THEN I can go on my merry way.
I'm spending two nights and one day in Quito, then a 5 hour bus ride to Puyo, the closest town to where I will be living. I'm meeting up with some volunteers and coordinators who are already there, and then i'll finally arrive at my new home some time Saturday in the late afternoon.

Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes and happy thoughts. Here's hoping for an exciting and fun experience in the Amazon of Ecuador.

Stay tuned, and i'll see everyone next summer!

Another trip comes to an end...

I feel like I just got back to Costa Rica--and I CANNOT for the life of me understand how it is already August...but here I am, procrastinating and putting off packing before heading to the airport in the morning.
This trip was great...very different from anything I have done before, since I was here to work, but I still enjoyed myself. We've had a busy final 2 weeks here...last weekend we went to EARTH University (which I talked about last year) where the students stayed on farms and we learned about agriculture, sustainable development, etc etc. And I always love chiling with pigs and cows and goats, so good fun. And I saw the farmer who I stayed with last year, which was really nice, and he told me that the tree's my friends and I planted are growing quite well. Awesome.

The last week the students were finally able to implement their capacity building projects...each group got to apply for a small budget to use towards enhancing some area of their organization. One group was able to purchase supplies for disabled adults who put on educational performances through music and dance, another created a volunteer handbook AND a curriculum for an english-education program...the ministry of education may accept and use it in the future, which is amazing! One group that works with the elderly was able to provide a lot more materials for one of their programs and create a more solid foundation for its implementation. The last group, working with at risk children, used an art activity to discuss important themes and ideas, and left the organization with supplies, so that they can replicate it. There is a lot more that they were able to accomplish, and that was just a VERY basic overview, but i'm tired and need to pack--suffice to say that it was a really nice culmination of everything they have done. After working really hard and putting in tons of effort, it was really nice for the students to see everything come together and feel like they really had an impact. It's amazing what can be accomplished in such a short amoutn of time!

Friday morning at 6am our bus left for Nicaragua! The rainy season had knocked out a bridge or part of the highway or something...not quite sure...but whatever it was, it added a 2-hour detour to our trip. So 11 hours later, we finally disembarked in Granada. I was there last year--it's an adorable colonial town with really interesting architecture, its suuuper cheap, and I was not staying in a cheap hostel, but a lovely hotel. All good things. So pepto bismol ready on my nightstand, Julie and I spent some time wandering around and eating dinner. followed by purchasing what looked like a nice bottle of Chilean cabernet sauvignon. FAIL. It had already turned to something tasting very much like vinegar. oh, well. we just went to sleep, ready for a busy day on Saturday.
The purpose of this trip was to hook up with a group called Global Potential, started up by a woman who used to be a TA for Lori (the professor leading this trip). They work on leadership skills, among other things, with urban youth in Boston and New York. Part of the year and a half long program involves an international experience in Haiti or the DR, and this year, they added Nicaragua. The students get to do "internships" and community service abroad, and then take the experiences back home with them and continue with GP for another 10 months. It's a really cool program. In Haiti and the Dominican they have had Open Space Dialogues, where they bring youth from both countries together to talk about various issues, such as stereotypes, poverty, education, etc. They hope to do this one day with Costa Rican and Nicaraguan youth, which would be really cool. Check out the global potential website for more details if youre interested, I could go on for a while.
Our students went to visit these youth, along with locals from the community. They live in a little rural (VERY rural) community about 2.5 hours from Granada, so off we went on Saturday morning. Once we were about 10K away, we discovered that the rest of the way was a narrow, windy, rocky dirt road, and our big coach bus would not be able to make it. Awesome. I cannot describe the scene that then took place, it is one of those moments that just does not translate well on paper. We knew we needed to find alternate transportation...and after about 30 seconds, so did all of the locals in the area. Guess they all wanted to help the gringos...and make a few bucks. We all stayed on the bus while Lori and our bus driver went to figure things out...there were options involving rickshaws, pick-up trucks, minivans, taxi's, and less realistically, horses and bikes...we ended up finding a guy with an empty school bus (?) who was willing to take us all for a decent price. It was quite the adventure...and there is NO way our big bus would have made it on that road.
We spent a few hours doing some team-building activities that our students led, and then we gave a bunch of community members and GP students a ride to another village near Granada, so we had more time to chat with them. On the way, we also had a mini-lecture from a woman who talked to us about gender roles in their community, and in her village in particular. She is incredible...the first woman from her area to continue on to get higher education. She shared a lot with us about the current situation, which is improving but still pretty sad. And for our social worker/feminist/psychologist/sociology crowd, it was especially moving. Unfortunately, we didnt get to spend too much time with them due to our limited about of time, but it was still a really interesting experience.
The roads were fixed so our ride back to Costa Rica only took about 9 hours, and now I just cannot believe that it's my last night here! It's been quite the experience.

Pura Vida. Next stop...BOSTON!!! Then NY for a while to get my life in order and hopefully see lots of friends and family. Then the real adventure begins in Ecuador!!!

ayyy dios mio. what a life i lead.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

hola :)
I hear that everyone is enjoying the heat on the East Coast...I guess this is my payback for last year, when I was on the beach while you all shoveled snow. It´s actually been a little bit warmer and sunnier these past 2 days, but it always manages to rain at some point.
The resort at Punta Leona was nice, and we enjoyed just chilling out and having some time to take it easy. (Kate, I had my avocado and chips on the beach and missed you enormously)! We did have to run for cover a few times, but the weather sort of cooperated.
Julie is a Yoga instructer so she´s led 2 classes thus far, one was at Punta Leona, so thats been really nice.
Also, a raccoon grabbed my finger thinking that it was food. good times. I love bonding with nature. (true story. details in person).
Now we´re back to work for the week, with lots to get done. Just wanted to say hello!

xoxo besos!

Where Does The Time Go??

Per usual, I feel like the time is just flying by! I can´t believe that it´s already the middle of July!!
So far, so good, and I am settled in quite nicely. My days are pretty busy but tasks differ, and the students, my professor, and fellow teaching assistant are all awesome and really fun to work with. In the mornings I usually accompany one group to their service learning placement, either to observe or to do some translation and clarification if there is a need. So far I have been to about half, and will hopefully hit all of them this coming week, and next. I´ve helped out at the municipality where our students are working with Costa Rican high school students who want to learn more english, and will ultimately create a database with the University of Costa Rica, to help assist the teachers. I´ve also gone to an organization called Un Hogar Para Ser Feliz (A Place/Home to be Happy), which works to assist physically disabled and/or mentally handicapped adults. It´s been really interesting, the projects are awesome. And its nice to be on the other side of these trips, as opposed to the one doing all of the direct service. As Julie (the other TA) nicely put it, we get to ¨get our hands in the pot¨ and be involved where needed, but without the full committment or expectations. And its really nice to watch the students brainstorm and problem solve for themselves, with just a little prodding and input from me. And I get to see so many cool nonprofits and NGOs, which is always fun and eye opening for me.
There have also been lectures on some interesting topics, such as healthcare in costa rica, economic and social development, mental health, and related issues.
We do other activities geared towards cultural awareness too--and some just for fun! Last weekend we went to Volcan Poas, which is beautiful, and the coffee plantation that I visited last time. SO delicious, SO much caffeine, SO much money spent on coffee. but worth every penny...!
Sunday was not so cultural, as I went to watch the last game of the world cup with a bunch of my students, and we ended up going to a Fridays! But it was fun...we had a good time, ate tons of food, and it was a nice, non educational way to get to hang with and get to know more people in the group.
Today we went to EBAIS, the main public health institute that has clinics all over Costa Rica. It was interesting, we got to see a clinic and talk to a doctor there, and it complimented some of the health-related lectures really nicely.
This weekend we are going to Punta Leona, a beach in Guanacaste. I am so excited to chill out and do nothing...we just hope that there is finally some sunshine!! Keep your fingers crossed for nice weather and no rain!

Thats it on my end...looking forward to having some time in New York (and Boston for a few days) in August. But for now, I´m enjoying my second home!

Desert to Rainforest, Hummus to Rice

Who says you can't go home again??!
After 3 flights (NY to Boston, Boston to Miami, Miami to San Jose) and zero hours of sleep, I finally made it back to Costa Rica! The students all seem great and really excited to get started, which is a good vibe to start the trip with. Dropped them all of at their various home-stays and then, at long last, I arrived at the door of my casa. Such an adorable reunion with my hostmom, and soon after, her daughter and grandkids. It really felt like coming home.
It's still a bit strange and surreal to be back in my neighborhood and school, it feels like I could have just been here yesterday. Very different experience to be here to work as opposed to study, and with different people, but i'm getting back into the swing of things. It will take me some time to adjust, but it's great to be back!
Had an early dinner with my professor, Lori, and the other TA, Julie, and I was proud that I was able to find my way around and navigate like an old pro. Sleep deprivation soon caught up to me and I fell asleep at 9:30...but I guess thats a good thing, I needed to be fresh for today.
We had a full day of orientation for the students, and they're starting to get situated and ready for spanish classes and their service learning. All in all, we're off to a good start.
One note is that I do have internet in my house now...it seems to be a bit shaky and sporadic, but nevertheless, I should be relatively accessible. S0 e-mail and skype away!
Other than my continuously saying things in hebrew, and the fact that it has been POURING, I'm very happy. I'm used to the perfect weather of Costa Rica, and this rainy season business is no joke. I know that its important for the environment and rain forest and ecosystem and blah blah blah, but I want to be dry!! When I was studying abroad everyone back at home was shoveling snow while I was at the beach...and now all of you are at the beach, enjoying the sun, and I'm watching thunderstorms. I much prefer the first option!!
So to sum up: the program looks good, my tan is fading, my belly is full of rice, beans, pineapple, etc etc, and I am settling in nicely.
Costa Rica 2009 friends: it is SO weird to see all of your houses, eat at vishnu (but its still SO GOOD), pass signs for Zapote, and generally be here without you all, and in rain rain rain. All of you need to come back and play with me!!!

Back on the Road!!

Hello again!
I am back to what I do best...packing up and giving my passport lots of love. After graduating in May and supposedly entering the "real world," I decided that getting a job, applying to grad school, and generally being a responsible adult just wasn't for me (yet...). I'm sure that doesn't come as a shock to anyone.
Soooo off to Israel I went for a lovely 5 weeks. The first two weeks were with a program, which was a cheap way to get back to the Holy Land. It was not at all what I expected, and the goal was to teach me about (and then make me become) orthodox. No success on their part, but I met some great people, learned a lot, and had a good time. I spent the next three weeks traveling around and visiting friends, which was really nice and fun and HOT. I had plans to make it to Egypt but did not succeed...however, I did spend a day in Petra, Jordan, which was really amazing and interesting.
While I was there, a bunch of people asked me if I was keeping up a blog again, which was really sweet and flattering...I didn't think anyone except my mom actually cared or read it! So that's why I'm keeping this up again...back by popular demand :)
After a long 12 hour flight back to NY, helped along by some xanax, I made it home safely on July 1st. I have a few days at home, and on the 6th, I am headed back to Costa Rica!
I will be there for one month, working as a Teaching Assistant for my professor from Northeastern. I am SO excited to get back, although it will be really weird to be without my friends from my study abroad experience in Costa Rica. We are working with the same organization, so I am very familiar with the area and the people, and I get to live with the same host family, which I am most excited about!! It will be a fast switch from hummus overload to rice and beans overload, but I think I can handle it.
The trip is the same model as the one that I went on when I went to Mexico in a few summers ago. The students study language and do service learning at various organizations in Costa Rica. They also have lectures, field trips, and some time to travel as well. It looks like it will be a great program, and I'm so excited to get started. There has been so much work and preparation before we leave over the past few months that I am ready to actually get to Costa Rica and put everything into action.
The past 5 weeks have all been focused on learning and practicing Hebrew as much as possible, so I have completely mixed up or forgotten all of my Spanish. Hopefully it will all come back after a few days, but my brain definitely has been getting a work out.
After Costa Rica, I get to spend a few days in Boston, then I have the rest of August to hang out at home before...drumroll please...moving to Ecuador for 8 months! That's right...I am buying a one way ticket and shipping off to South America to live in the Amazon Jungle teaching kids. I will be the Assistant Coordinator of a program that works to bring education to children in this area of Ecuador. More information on that as the time gets closer, but suffice to say that I have a crazy, fun, exciting year coming up! In between all of this I will have to find time to apply to grad school and prepare for real person-hood. But I won't rush that process.
SO. That's me. Whats up with all of you? Please keep in touch!

Happy 4th of July. Lots of love to everyone.