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!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
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!
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
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!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
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!!!
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!!!
Friday, September 3, 2010
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!!
Love and hugs to everyone!!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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!
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!
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