Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving)

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the US. This holiday is not celebrated in Ecuador, but as an English teacher and cultural ambassador, it is an invaluable opportunity to share a piece of life in the United States. 

 

At the university, I work a total of 20 hours per week. 10 of those hours are spent assisting professors in their classrooms in the morning, 4 hours are dedicated to writing practice with students over email, and the remaining 6 hours are afternoon speaking practice. I get to plan and design the speaking practice classes, and I try to involve as many games as possible to get students to practice speaking and reinforce what they have learned in the morning classes. The students are from all different levels at a time, which can be a challenge to accommodate, but so far it has been a really good mix of conversations. Holiday weeks have been my favorite teaching weeks so far because there are so many theme games and activities online. Yesterday, I got to teach about the traditions of Thanksgiving through Bingo and Would You Rather? The word of the week was gravy, the students could not pronounce it and did not understand what it is. The students were also awed by pictures of the balloons from the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

 

The Fulbright Program hosts a Thanksgiving feast every year in Quito. I had planned to attend, but after the two close calls with death by car, I was a little wary of travelling. Carlos had also come home from the hospital for the last time the day before, and it just felt like too much was going on to leave for a few days. I am hoping after a week or two of normal routine, I will be more willing to travel.

 

Since I decided not to go, my sweet host mom decided we would have a mini-Thanksgiving meal here. We had chicken (since a turkey is very big and usually eaten for Christmas), potatoes, choclo (corn), salad, craisins, cranberry juice, and blackberry cobbler for dessert.

My Thanksgiving dinner

The blackberry cobbler I made for dessert

 

We invited family, my tutor, and friends of Carlos who have also become my friends. It is never easy to be away from family on major holidays, but I am truly thankful for these Ecuadorian friends who would come to spend my holiday with me and learn more about my culture. They have really become my family here, and have made the transition to life abroad so much easier. Even though it is a new holiday for them, I think the concept of giving thanks really resonated, especially after the last few weeks. As Carlos said at the end of the meal, it is always a good day to give thanks to God. 

 

 

All in all, it was a great night with great food and friends, and I am still so touched that so many people would come to support me. I am really settling into life here, and growing to love these people so much.

More transit mishaps

As I mentioned in the last post, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the US election. On Friday, November 11th, I was unable to sleep because I was worried about my country and thinking about what to say both to Ecuadorians and in my blog. Around 1 am, my host mom comes and bangs on my door shouting, “My son is in the hospital! He was hit by a car! Come with me please!”

 

I jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, and tried to comfort Bertha enough to drive as we went to the hospital. I realized later I’d forgotten to take out my retainer. We got to the emergency room and they let her go back to the room where he was, and I waited outside because I obviously was not related. When I say outside, I mean literally outside. Guards blocked the entrance to the building, I suppose to keep people out of the way of the doctors and emergency personnel. But there was a waiting room inside the building full of chairs with maybe only a couple of people occupying them. Everyone else waited outside sitting on the sidewalk or on plastic chairs under a little roof, like a bus stop. It’s usually in the 50’s here at night, and everyone was bundled up with blankets, coats, and hats. I wasn’t worried about me because I am young and healthy and had a sweatshirt, but it made me angry to see children and elderly people waiting out in the cold, possibly for hours, when there were perfectly good chairs inside and out of the way. I still don’t understand it.

 

I stood outside and looked through a window for any signs of Bertha or Carlos. Eventually she came out and said he was stable and doing alright. Then she said we needed to go to a pharmacy to buy medicine that the doctors needed. I had heard that this was part of the Ecuadorian healthcare system, where patients buy medicine and tools needed for the procedure. On the one hand, the patient knows they are not being overcharged for medical care and they know exactly what their money is going towards. However, you see the flaws in the system when you accompany a terrified and grief-stricken mother driving through the streets at 2 am looking for an open pharmacy. Finally, we found an open one, but she had to bang on the door to get them to open up. I can’t help but think, what if he had been in critical condition and desperately needed that medicine to live?

 

We got back to the emergency room with the medicine but Bertha made me wait in the car out of the cold. I was still within sight of the hospital, and prayed for another hour for my brother, the people waiting outside, and their loved ones inside. Around 3 am, Bertha came out and said he was stable and doing well and that she would feel better if she took me home so I could sleep. I really did not think I would be able to, but I did sleep for five hours. Bertha came home around 10 o’clock the next morning and we had breakfast, cleaned the house, and did laundry to get rid of every trace from the night before. After all the scans, he only had a broken arm and was scraped up pretty badly on his left side. 

 

All things considering, he was very lucky. He had had a tough med school test the day before, and went out to celebrate with friends afterward. He had not had a drink in about a month and a half, and he got drunk very quickly. He also had a fight with one of the friends he was with, and they separated, which was unusual. Apparently he was trying to cross a street and was the victim of a hit and run accident. The police found him and took him to the hospital. Bertha had woken up around 12:30 am and started calling Carlos, since that was when he had planned to come home. She called and called but he did not answer. The phone had died, but when he got the hospital, the doctor charged the phone and answered Bertha’s call. He said the owner of this phone had been hit by a car and was in the hospital, and after learning that he was her son, told her to come to the emergency room. Basically every parent’s worst nightmare of a phone call.

 

Bertha said when she first got there, the doctors asked him what hurt and he said my 7thvertebrae! (since he had just taken a test on that). Then, he started speaking in English, and the doctors were confused and asked him why since no one was speaking English. He said he had to call his sister. That made them worry, since he was an only child and they told him that. He explained that there was a girl living with them who spoke English and he needed to call her, she was his sister. So, I am not sure why he felt like he needed to call me in English, but we definitely bonded that night. Before I knew any of that, I had sent him a message wishing that my brother would get better soon. Ever since then, we have called each other ñaño and ñaña, which is how little kids here say hermano and hermana, brother and sister.

 

 

That started two weeks of being in and out of the hospital. Since both bones in his forearm were broken, they decided to operate to fix it, just to be safe. He was able to come home some while they waited for the tools needed for the surgery to arrive. When he was in the hospital, we always went for visiting hours and were able to play cards and Jenga with him and other friends who visited. The hospital room was always so hot and sticky feeling, in direct contract to my cold and sterile associations with hospitals. However, the care by the doctors and nurses was excellent. Carlos finally had surgery and all is well. He is so glad to be home in his own bed and with more sources of entertainment. Things are finally returning to normal around here, and we are hoping for no more scares like this.

Feriado (Holiday)

The week after Fulbright orientation was a short week because November 2nd is Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead) and November 3rd is Cuencan Independence Day. Since this year those days landed on a Wednesday and Thursday, the government proclaimed Friday a national holiday as well.  

 

For Dia de los Difuntos, families normally go to the cemetery to visit loved ones who have passed on. They bring flowers and other decorations to places on the graves, and sometimes the favorite food of the deceased. The traditional drink is colada morada, which is purple and tastes like a warm berry smoothie, and the food is guaguas de pan, bread in the shape of a baby. The day before Dia de los Difuntos, we went to one of the main squares in Loja where women had set up booths along one side of the plaza to sell colada morada and guaguas de pan. I really liked both of these, but no one could tell me exactly why the bread is in the shape of a baby, but I found this article on the subject:

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/02/500105108/bread-babies-and-purple-drink-ecuador-s-spin-on-day-of-the-deceased?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=202702

 

However, the deceased grandparents of my host family reside in urns in the living room, so we did not go to the cemetery that day. Instead, aunts, uncles, and cousins came over to pay their respects and bring flowers, and we ate lunch together. Some relatives also brought homemade colada morada and guaguas de pan. That afternoon, after the heat of the day, we went to the park and played basketball with my 9 and 11-year old host cousins, which was a lot of fun. It helps that I am the tallest person around here.

 

Día de los Difuntos

Guagua de pan and colada morada

 

Saturday, November 5th is the festival day in Latacunga, where one of the ETAs is placed. We decided we were all going to go visit her, see Latacunga, and take part in the festival called La Mama Negra. I flew into Quito on Friday night, and then four of us were going to drive the two hours to Latacunga on Saturday morning before the festival. Unfortunately, we never made it. One of the Fulbright researchers grew up mostly in Quito, and her parents still live there. She had access to a car that day, so we were going to save on time and busfare and drive down. We left at 6 am, it was a beautiful morning and we were excited to go. We got to the south side of Quito, and we hit bad traffic. We thought it was a police check where we had to show license and registration. But it was just a wreck in front of us, and we started to move again. Suddenly, the car in front of us slammed on their brakes, we slammed on our breaks and veered to the left, just barely clipping the car in front of us. However, now we were slightly in the opposite lane, and though there was no car there at the moment, a car traveling the opposite way hit our left headlight and scraped the car a second later. Lastly, the car behind us rear-ended us.

 

Thankfully, no one was hurt in any of the four cars involved. The car in front of us and the car that hit the side did not even stop. But the most damage came from the rear-ending, so we pulled over to a gas station to talk with the police and insurance. This all happened around 7:15 am, and we stayed in the gas station until about 10:30 am. Since it was covered by insurance, the car was towed. We then went back to Quito and had a huge American brunch, and took a siesta. We were all fine, just a little shaken. Afterwards, we wandered around Quito and then had dinner at a restaurant with a stunning view of the city. I also met another Fulbright researcher who just happens to be from Franklin, TN. Small world!

Our view of Quito while eating dinner

 

Even though it was not what we had planned, I got to spend a nice low-key weekend in Quito with some of the other Fulbrighters, and it was overall a very good weekend. It did, however, make me appreciate life a little more and has made me a little more hesitant to travel. But, as a wise fellow-traveler told me, God knows exactly when, where, and how I am going to die, and there is nothing I can do to either hasten or delay that day. So, do not fear and might as well travel.

 

The following Tuesday was US Election day. I have put a lot of thought into what I’m going to say about this, so here goes. People here ask me what I think about the results of the election and I tell them the truth: I genuinely did not think it would turn out this way and I am very sad. I grieve that so many of my friends do not feel safe in their homes and in their country as a direct result of this election. I am angry that a man who stands for so many things that I oppose will represent me and my country in the world. I am enraged as a woman that he seems to have no respect for us. I could go on, but I won’t.

 

A large part of my job right now is to create cross-cultural understanding, break down barriers, and improve relations between countries at the ground level. This goes against much of the president elect’s platform. However, I could not ask to be in a better position to contradict and fight that platform. My job is to dispel rumors about the US, to teach people about real American culture and not what they see on the Simpsons, and to show people how kind, hardworking, and dedicated Americans truly are. This is not an easy task, and now I feel like the tables have turned and I will be fighting an uphill battle, but I believe there is hope.

 

Most of my students are worried about the outcome of the election. They dream of studying and working in the US and are worried that now they will not be able to get visas. A lot of students have family or friends who live in the States and are worried about their safety. One student asked me if Trump is Hitler. A few male students actually seem to like him and admire his power, money, success, and the ability to do the impossible.

 

I took this as a good opportunity to teach American Civics. I showed them how Trump did not win the popular vote and I told them about the Electoral College and how it was designed to give a voice to everyone, even minorities. I talked about our three branches of government and the concept of checks and balances. Most importantly, I told them that the President of the United States does not have absolute power, and this is our saving grace. This is a hard concept for them to understand since their president has virtually unchecked power. Unlike in Ecuador, it is very hard for our president to change the Constitution, or do whatever he wants.

 

 

I am not pleased with the result of the election, but I hope that our traditions of democracy, peaceful succession, and balance of power will prevail. No one knows for certain what will happen in January, but here in Ecuador I will continue to strive to live in a way that reflects the best of my country and promotes peace and cooperation between cultures and nations.

Fulbright Orientation

The last month has been full of adventures. On October 27-28, we had Fulbright orientation and training in Quito. I flew in early on the 26th, and got to spend some quality time with the Browns, missionaries from Inca Link where I interned with two years ago. It is so nice having an extensive and strong support network in a new country. That night, several Fulbrighters got together for dinner to celebrate Haley’s birthday, the ETA in placed in Quito.

Dinner to celebrate Haley's birthday

 

On Thursday the 27th, we had a series of lectures about Ecuadorian culture and current events and issues in the country that we should know about. All of the Fulbright ETAs and researchers were together for this part. It is really fun getting to know all of the Ecuadorian Fulbright grantees. I am considering publishing my notes from this day in another blog post because it was all very interesting. For lunch, we were joined by members of the Fulbright board and Ecuadorian students who are applying for Fulbright scholarships to attend graduate school in the United States. We also celebrated the Fulbright Program’s 70th birthday, and Fulbright Ecuador’s 60th birthday with a giant cake.

Happy Birthday, Fulbright!

 

On Friday the 28th, the Fulbrighters took a field trip to Papallacta, a small town with thermal hot springs outside of Quito. We got to know the other grantees better while relaxing in the pools. 

Our hike before getting in the pools

 

Waterfall on the hike

Chilling poolside

Papallacta thermal hot springs

 

That night, several of us went to support a former Fulbrighter, Megan, on the opening night of her photo exhibition as the culmination of her grant. During her Fulbright grant, she studied the intersection of preserving culture and preserving the environment. She taught members of the Waorani tribe to take pictures, and gave them cameras to document their lives. The Waorani tribe lived secluded from the outside world until as recently as the 1950’s, and tradition still dictates many parts of their daily life. The Waorani live on a reserve in Yasuní National Park, which is also on a huge oil reserve. Several years ago, they wanted foreign investors to invest in the land so that they would not have to sell to oil companies for economic reasons, and therefore protect the jungle environment. This plan did not entirely work, and now the Waoroni are more concerned than ever with caring for their environment. Now that they have contact with the outside world, technology is gradually creeping into Waorani life, including using guns to hunt and wearing digital watches. The Fulbright project included celebrating the old tribal traditions that existed in harmony with the jungle environment. For example, hunting with a traditional blow-gun instead of a gun discourages overhunting and prevents wiping out species. Waorani tribe members were given cameras to document how their families and tribes live, and the photos were put on exhibit in Quito. Since we attended the opening night, members of the tribe in their traditional dress presented at the beginning of the event and even performed traditional songs and dances.

Standing outside the exhibit

 

 

On Saturday, orientation was officially over, but some of the ETAs and I went to Otavalo, a small town outside of Quito known for its huge indigenous market. We spent the day shopping and bargaining, and then spent the night in Otavalo in a hostel owned by one of the Fulbright tutors. While at dinner, we were surprised by a musical performance of a group from Otavalo. They all played so many different instruments and sang so well together. One of the men even made bird calls with his mouth to simulate the birds in the jungle. We were so enthralled by their performance that we went up and talked to them afterwards, and bought a couple of CDs. They graciously talked to us and let us take a picture with them, and were very interested to hear what we were doing in Ecuador.

Our picture with the band