Forget the tofu, I will take the mystery meat.

Monday June 28, 2010

Today was spent working on our PACA project, a four part presentation. First, was a map of our community noting all the important places. Second, we had to talk about the 24 hour life of an Ecuadorian man, woman and child. The third part was FREESOP, an acronym for Family, Religion, Education, Economy, Salud (health), organizations and politics. The last part was similar to the previous, but also went into internal funds and external funds. This project was to help us get a better understanding of the resources around our communities that we can utilize. This project was an example of what we will have to do once we are finished with our training and in our sites (where we will be working for the next two years).
I finally (last volunteer to do so) called home. I felt like a bad son because all the other trainees have called home several times, and some are in almost daily contact with their parental units.
My response for when I was asked why I have not called my parents was simple, “I don’t want to get yelled at for wasting time.” For those of you who know my loving parents, this is not a surprising response. They love me and are very supportive of my adventure. However, they want me to live it up and not waste money calling them all the time. They say it’s because they want me to be out having fun, but the real reason is because now that I am gone they are going to go on all these fun and elegant vacations with Catherine to faraway lands (hopefully to a safer places this time!).

Anyways, when I got home I somehow ended up teaching my host brother guitar. He is a great student who listens to all my instructions and is very patient while I look up every other word in my dictionary to explain his errors or what that part of the guitar is.
After killing an hour of time, I was expecting to learn a new trade myself, hand washing clothes. However, Carlota came running into the house explaining that she had to whip up a quick dinner and then we had to go to the fireworks! These people love fireworks, a lot. Fine with me, what guy doesn’t enjoy watching stuff go up in flames while risking his own life (over exaggeration… sort of)?

Washing clothes will have to wait for yet, another day.

We went to a different park than the rodeo for the fireworks show, one that I had only driven by, and we took our place atop a cement structure five feet tall with very steep sides. Why go into all the detail about the structure you might be asking? Because not long after we arrived, all the boys 13 and under began a very unsafe yet entertaining game of “King of the hill.” Globally, boys are the same. I must admit, after almost being knocked over several times I almost wanted to join in and show them whose boss.
Finally the announcer came on and introduced the pre-show band. A few minutes into their first song, lights out. Darkness swept over the crowd of excited people like a blanket. However the panic that I expected, never occurred and neither did the “boo’s.” Everyone just stood around waiting for the show to get back on track. After about 20 minutes or so, the mortar rounds started up and the show began.

Fast forwarding to the good stuff about an hour later after the first firework show…

VACA LOCA!
Recipe time folks! Take one person (usually a guy, probably borracho) and have him carry over his head the frame of a cow for about 10-15 minutes. Wait, I am forgetting something… Oh yeah! Attach a crap load of fireworks, bottle rockets, whizzers, bangers and every other kind of pyrotechnics available, light it up and stand back, and enjoy!

“If no one perishes during the month long festival, it wasn’t that good.”- Local saying

Another boring day in the Peace Corps. time for bed.


June 29th, 2010

Presented our projects, hooray! Got more of your tax dollars to buy food, pay rent and buy cheap beer, hooray!

Hopefully learning to wash clothes, boring.

Scratch that.

Literally as I was writing that sentence my host brother informed me that there is a bull riding event tonight. Guess I will have to smell for another day.

Chao!