The past few days in Ecuador have been utterly magical, not because of the sights, smells, foods, or sounds (though they are absolutely lovely), but because of a liberation of spirit. It seems that, unknowingly, I have been craving adventure. And now, having it, a new, wild, vibrant, hungry soul has been unleashed.
There is a greater sense of urgency to indulge, embrace, and explore my youth. The need to discover, to taste, and to learn is overwhelming. I feel truly. Happy.
Siga no mas is a phrase commonly used in Ecuador. And it means something to the effect of, "Come in. You're welcome. There is no need to keep waiting."
Well, if you insist. Yo voy.
Friday
Worked in the Subcentro El Dorado. It's the usual. Taking blood pressure, height, weight, temperature, paperwork. Until Nurse Nancy comes out with her gray cooler and announces that we're going to la escuela para vacunar los ninos.
Crap.
My previous experiences with vaccinating 100 children against Hepatitis B (for free!) was enough for me to know what was coming. Only this time, instead of relatively cool, calm, collected 11 year olds, we were going to be working with Kindergardeners.
What ensued what just as I had imagined: kids screaming for their lives, running away as the Nurse and her gray cooler approach their classroom. Other children run after me, nervously inquiring, "Which classes are you going to do, miss?" If they've been spared for the day, they run away, gleefully shrieking at their good fortune. If I am the bearer of bad news, they run away, shrieking.
It's as I imagined, only this time, because the vaccination is against Tetanus and because the kids are so much smaller, the shots need to go in their rear ends. Which means yours truly became a chair for the kids to bend over on, offering their tender behinds to the Nurse. This also meant that I was in charge of restraining several children--they are stronger than they look. I guess fear for your life will do that to you. (Note: the boys had a lot more trouble with the shots than the girls...)
We finish, and I survived, having only been bitten once. Out of kindness I gave my hand to a small child to hold during the shot. Next thing I know, they shoved my hand in their mouth and bit down. Hard.
Friday Night
It is Mateo's birthday. He is turning 4. Viviana made lasagna for the occasion (from scratch)! The dinner is a romantic one, with candles; we joke about it. You see, the candles are a necessity because for the past few weeks, the electricity has been cut off each day for a 4 hour period. This is because it hasn't rained very much lately (I balk at this statement...it rains every day here) and as such the power plant cannot generate enough energy to light up the city 24 hours a day. It is their way of solving a problem...in truth, I admire it.
Mateo receives: new shoes, new clothes, Ben 10 toys, a toy airplane, and an ice cream cake!
Saturday Morning
Jennifer's school is having some sort of futbol tournament, with each of the classes competing against each other. I elect to go with the family, and proceed to be very, very confused. Wilfrido and Mateo go to la farmacia because the little one has come down with a fever (too much excitement at his birthday party, I suppose). So I am left alone, with Jennifer and about 1000 other children and their families (no exaggeration). There is a procession of sorts, and election of a beauty queen (?) and the competition starts. It turns out Jennifer's class isn't playing today, we've just come for the "Opening Ceremony".
Saturday Afternoon
We take a hike along a trail that follows el rio Puyo. It's lovely and, thinking of it now, it's what I expected the trail to be like through the jungle. I laugh at my silliness now. The kids swim in the river, we emerge from the trail and eat a traditional dish from Puyo called the volquetero. It is plantain chips with tuna, tomatoes, onions, and other things I can't remember. Yes, the dish has the same name as the truck with which I hitchhiked in Pitirischa. It means "dump truck" because the dish is just literally a pile of food. Like it's been dumped. Get it?
Saturday Evening
The kids are bored and keep asking me what I'm doing on the computer. Having listened to some Louis Armstrong earlier that day, inspiration strikes and I play a youtube video of "Hello Dolly" for them. They love it. So, we continue on with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly (in Singin' in the Rain), Ray Charles, and Audrey Hepburn. If you didn't know, I LOVE OLD MOVIES/MUSICALS, so this was great fun for me (and for them). Jennifer and I even cut the rug to Tony Bennett.
Sunday Morning
Starts off with an early church service which I don't understand at all. And then back at the house for a breakfast of encebollado. It is basically, tuna soup. The sheer amount of tuna I have had in the last few days is astounding.
Sunday Afternoon
The family works hard at putting up a Christmas tree. Believe it or not, the Torreses are a bit late on this, as Christmas decorations have been up for weeks now. It is very weird, since usually, in America, we wait until after Thanksgiving to start with the ornaments and lights. But here, right after Dia de Los Muertos...it's time.
I decide to stay home today while the family goes out for lunch. Alone time is precious and I engage in absolutely magical conversations with Taylor Debevec and Anita Prasad. I am so, so happy despite having the most uneventful day yet in Ecuador.
Sunday Evening
Dinner. is. canned. tuna.
This aggression will not stand! Or, at least, I like to think so. But I eat anyway, surprisingly noting the bright flavor of lime in the mix. It is refreshing. We have a juice of Taxo fruit today and while I slowly sip, trying to place this new flavor (there nothing more exciting to me than trying some new food for the first time) the rest of the family tilt their heads back and chug like they're playing flip-cup as if their lives depended on it. I quickly learn why.
Taxo is extremely acidic. To make the juice, the fruit is blended with milk. Acid + dairy = curdle. Ew.
Mateo is still sick and finds it funny to cough and sneeze without covering his mouth. I joked yesterday in Spanish: "Gracias por ducharme." Which, means (I think), "Thanks for the shower." The kids quickly learn my joke and repeat it throughout dinner after one of Mateo's coughing episodes. I suspect he does this on purpose just so that Jennifer can say the joke. I am proud because finally, an inkling of my endearing wit, sarcasm, and charm has shone through.
After dinner, Wilfrido and Viviana drag up one of the couches to the second floor hallway. I am confused until Vivi, satisfied with the arrangement, tells me to come, sit, and use the internet. I am strangely touched by this effort on their part. The internet connection upstairs (in my room) is much weaker than downstairs or in the hallway, but I often feel like I need to stay in my room to avoid being a distraction to the kids as they do their homework. So, for the past few weeks, I have been sitting/laying in awkward positions on the floor by my door to get what precious few bars I can. Now, I can blog from the comfort of my very own couch in a prime internet spot. Score!
And that, friends/lovers/family, has been the past magical/mundane (however you see it) three days for me.
P.S. Many of you have been inquiring how I am able to post so often from the jungle. To clarify: Puyo is a city on the outer edge of the jungle. This is the house I am staying in.
It has wireless internet. Yes, it is very nice. The family had it built a year ago. I feel like I am cheating a little bit. But what is not pictured is the vast emptiness surrounding the house and the small shack-like dwellings in the distance. It is an oddity on the outskirts of a relatively small town.
But rest assured, yes, I have been to the actual jungle. And yes, for the 8 hours I'm away from this palace every day, I am in a jungle town.
who says cut the rug anymore??!?!
ReplyDeleteI had a theme going, okay?
ReplyDelete