Before I write anything else, I have something to fess up to. I feel awful having to admit this, but I have recently realized that Rodrigo’s (my padre's) name might not really be Rodrigo? Not in a creepy Hollywood-thriller “dun, dun, dun” sort of way. But still a bit of a nightmare nonetheless. I’ll explain…
It started about a week ago when my madre kept talking to me about this man named “Galo” during dinner. I was a little confused as to why but thought he was just some friend of the family whose life story she thought I might want to know absolutely everything about. Plus, he seemed like a pretty interesting guy so I didn’t mind at all.
Then the other day she was telling me about how she was glad Galo was coming for dinner. I was so excited that I was actually going to get to meet this mysterious Galo guy after hearing so much about him.
That night, I headed downstairs around dinner-time to see if I could help out at all. Aware of my cooking skills (or lack of cooking skills), my madre and sisters just asked me to stay and chat as usual, which I was happy to do because Rodrigo had showed up and it was fun to catch up with him as he hadn’t been around all week. All the while, I was wondering when the guest of honor was going to arrive.
Dinner-time came, but “Galo” never did. Or at least I thought he hadn’t until my sister Sandi asked someone named ReGALO to pass the ensalada. I watched in horror, as confusion turned to shock, then to a lot of embarrassment, while “Rodrigo” passed the salad down the table. Moral of the story: I am a terrible hija.
Luckily, I don’t think I’ve actually ever called him by name (or by what I thought was his name) to his face, but who knows! Goodness gracious. I guess it just goes to show how confused I spend most of my days here immersed/lost in Spanish pretty much 24/7. Who knows what else I have misunderstood so far…
On a more exciting note, my family is taking me somewhere tonight. I’m not exactly sure where, and even if I thought I was sure I don’t think I would trust myself (or that you would believe me either). But I’ll be sure to let you know after the fact… :)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
¿¡Hay Más Para Subir?! y Más y Más y Más.....
Enough about classes, school, tests, and all of that boring (but okay, maybe important and kind of the reason I am here) stuff! Believe it or not, even with a teacher who goes by “Professor Homework” I do get to do more than just study my Quito-life away. A lot more!
I have had so many great experiences so far during my short time here. There is so much that I absolutely need to do and see that I have no idea how I am going to fit it all in! But I must say, things are off to a pretty good start.
This past weekend was full of making plans, breaking plans, and loving where the new ones led. Saturday was our first full free day in Quito, and of course we were not about to let it go to waste. We had all sorts of great ideas about what we wanted to do…
And then it rained. And rained and rained. The rain fell all day long, and with it our plans fell through as well.
Still, we decided we couldn’t let the rain stop us from taking full advantage of our first weekend here. Plan B: visit the nearby markets (covered of course) where we could check out the work of the local artisans. I had way too much fun looking at all of the jewelry and other crafts. I have decided that I must have been Ecuadorian in a past life, as every piece of jewelry I saw seemed to be made just for me. I would’ve bought out the entire market if I could have but decided to hold off on buying anything, let alone everything, until next time at least.
Sunday a bunch of the people from my program decided to head to the park and play some soccer, banking on the weather cutting us a break…which it did! The other people in the park however did not. The park we went to is called el parque Carolina and is absolutely ginormous! But somehow not ginormous enough to fit all of the people who wanted to play soccer. Every inch of the park seemed to be taken up with a soccer game, and there were at least 50 going on at once, probably more. A little bummed at our luck, we decided the day was too beautiful to waste and found an empty basketball court. After watching a little basketball, a couple of my friends and I decided to check out la Basilica.
La Basilica is the largest church in all of Ecuador, and we had heard it’s definitely something you have got to see while you are here. The church was absolutely beautiful from the outside and none of us could resist taking way too many pictures. I was already more than satisfied when I found out that you could not only go inside, but could also climb all the way up the huge towers for only 2 bucks! I was excited, but had no idea what was ahead of us.
The staircase leading up the first tower was definitely not what I expected. The staircase was small, dark, cramped, and dirty. It was so bizarre to think that it could possibly be inside of the overwhelmingly beautiful and intricate building I had just awed over. Still, we climbed excitedly for what seemed like forever until we reached the next level. There were a number of levels that you could stop at along the way where you could take pictures both inside and of the view of Quito outside.
With the first two levels reached by stairs, we were then led across a wood-plank bridge to a ladder-like staircase that definitely would not have flown in the US. It was at this point that I realized the climb wasn’t going to be quite as easy as I had expected.
With each level, reaching the next got more and more difficult and it felt like we were constantly being tested on just how far we were willing to go to get to the top. Each time, the ladder got steeper, the rungs further apart, and my heartbeat faster. Not to mention most of these ladders were outside as well, circling around the tower. I wish there was a way to describe it all that would truly get across just how terrifying it was. Had my hands not been shaking too much to do anything but keep putting one foot in front of the other, I would’ve taken pictures, but not a chance. There are a few in the pictures I posted, none of course that do it justice, so you will just have to take my word for it.
Anyways, against my better judgement and despite the Basilica’s apparent wish to keep anyone from making it to the end, I reached the top (which by the way didn’t even have a real floor to reward you with…only a grated metal covering that was anything but reassuring). Beyond that, I even crawled out onto one of the ledges (too terrified to even breathe at this point of course) to take some pictures (okay, maybe just one picture) before scrambling back inside. Overall, it was an awesome experience with some incredible pictures to be taken too and I’m so glad that I was able to do it.
I have had so many great experiences so far during my short time here. There is so much that I absolutely need to do and see that I have no idea how I am going to fit it all in! But I must say, things are off to a pretty good start.
This past weekend was full of making plans, breaking plans, and loving where the new ones led. Saturday was our first full free day in Quito, and of course we were not about to let it go to waste. We had all sorts of great ideas about what we wanted to do…
And then it rained. And rained and rained. The rain fell all day long, and with it our plans fell through as well.
Still, we decided we couldn’t let the rain stop us from taking full advantage of our first weekend here. Plan B: visit the nearby markets (covered of course) where we could check out the work of the local artisans. I had way too much fun looking at all of the jewelry and other crafts. I have decided that I must have been Ecuadorian in a past life, as every piece of jewelry I saw seemed to be made just for me. I would’ve bought out the entire market if I could have but decided to hold off on buying anything, let alone everything, until next time at least.
Sunday a bunch of the people from my program decided to head to the park and play some soccer, banking on the weather cutting us a break…which it did! The other people in the park however did not. The park we went to is called el parque Carolina and is absolutely ginormous! But somehow not ginormous enough to fit all of the people who wanted to play soccer. Every inch of the park seemed to be taken up with a soccer game, and there were at least 50 going on at once, probably more. A little bummed at our luck, we decided the day was too beautiful to waste and found an empty basketball court. After watching a little basketball, a couple of my friends and I decided to check out la Basilica.
La Basilica is the largest church in all of Ecuador, and we had heard it’s definitely something you have got to see while you are here. The church was absolutely beautiful from the outside and none of us could resist taking way too many pictures. I was already more than satisfied when I found out that you could not only go inside, but could also climb all the way up the huge towers for only 2 bucks! I was excited, but had no idea what was ahead of us.
The staircase leading up the first tower was definitely not what I expected. The staircase was small, dark, cramped, and dirty. It was so bizarre to think that it could possibly be inside of the overwhelmingly beautiful and intricate building I had just awed over. Still, we climbed excitedly for what seemed like forever until we reached the next level. There were a number of levels that you could stop at along the way where you could take pictures both inside and of the view of Quito outside.
With the first two levels reached by stairs, we were then led across a wood-plank bridge to a ladder-like staircase that definitely would not have flown in the US. It was at this point that I realized the climb wasn’t going to be quite as easy as I had expected.
With each level, reaching the next got more and more difficult and it felt like we were constantly being tested on just how far we were willing to go to get to the top. Each time, the ladder got steeper, the rungs further apart, and my heartbeat faster. Not to mention most of these ladders were outside as well, circling around the tower. I wish there was a way to describe it all that would truly get across just how terrifying it was. Had my hands not been shaking too much to do anything but keep putting one foot in front of the other, I would’ve taken pictures, but not a chance. There are a few in the pictures I posted, none of course that do it justice, so you will just have to take my word for it.
Anyways, against my better judgement and despite the Basilica’s apparent wish to keep anyone from making it to the end, I reached the top (which by the way didn’t even have a real floor to reward you with…only a grated metal covering that was anything but reassuring). Beyond that, I even crawled out onto one of the ledges (too terrified to even breathe at this point of course) to take some pictures (okay, maybe just one picture) before scrambling back inside. Overall, it was an awesome experience with some incredible pictures to be taken too and I’m so glad that I was able to do it.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Los Autobuses, la Escuela, y Mucho Tráfico! (Oh my?!)
Hola!
I can’t believe a week has gone by since my last post… Things here have been so so busy, and it’s nice to finally have a break to look back and share it with you all.
Last Monday was our first day of classes. I had to get up at 6 (yes, as in A.M.), as Rodrigo was going to take me to catch the bus by 7. Luckily my stop is only one street away, but the ride takes at least 30 minutes, often closer to 45 depending on traffic. Even though it’s one of the longest bus rides of everyone in the program, I have kind of started to enjoy the long ride (prime place for people watching as well as last-minute cramming). It can get pretty crowded at times and if I’m stuck standing (or constantly trying to keep myself from falling over) while the bus bounces through the roads and around sharp turns, it can makes things even more interesting.
Speaking of roads, traffic here is NUTS. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before (well, other than in Kenya…but Matatus are certainly in a league of their own). I’m not sure what their road laws are (if any), but they are certainly not enforced and so drivers are absolutely ridiculous. Friday I was waiting to catch a bus and I watched in horror as one of the workers from the bus jumped out to direct the driver through a stopped-up intersection (as all intersections seem to constantly be here, especially during rush hour). He was running through traffic, waving his hands, paying no attention to the oncoming traffic, which was paying no attention to him either, and he got hit straight-on by a car. He somehow landed on his feet, stood there for a second, obviously a little dazed, and jumped right back on the bus he had successfully gotten through the intersection and they went on their way. No one else paused for even a moment either. Except for me who stood there with my mouth gaping open. All I know is, I could never imagine driving like the people here. Or with them for that matter.
Anyways, as I was saying Rodrigo took me on the bus (and home) my first three days of class until I got the hang of doing it on my own...or thought I had the hang of it at least, as today was the very first time I actually got off at the correct stop by myself. Not that my lack of bus-taking skills would surprise any of you… Luckily, there are other people from my program who are often on the same bus and who have picked up on this as well, so they try to help me out.
School is still school, even in a country as awesome as Ecuador, although my classes are set up a little differently than they would be at OSU. We only take one class at a time (rather than 3 or 4) and they cram each class into 3 weeks (as opposed to the usual 10). It’s nice to only have to focus on one class, but at the same time it is insane how quickly we move through everything. We’re already almost halfway through our textbook and I’ve only had 6 days of class! We had our first midterm on Friday and will have a midterm (or final) every week from here on out. I’ve been learning a lot, but it has been a lot of work as well. Apparently they are actually expecting us to study while we’re “studying" abroad? Who would’ve thunk it?!
I think the best (or at times the worst) part of the classes here is that there are only 6 people in each one, so we are constantly forced to participate - not to mention stay awake. My teacher is AWESOME. He is this little tiny Ecuadorian man named Mario (or Profesor Tarea –“professor homework” – as he calls himself) and he is absolutely hilarious. Despite the stress of trying to cram in all of the information each day, he still finds time to make things fun and keep us laughing.
Well, that’s all I have time for now. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back on here later tonight or tomorrow and talk more about everything. I have pictures too, so cross your fingers for me and maybe they will finish loading one of these days.
I can’t believe a week has gone by since my last post… Things here have been so so busy, and it’s nice to finally have a break to look back and share it with you all.
Last Monday was our first day of classes. I had to get up at 6 (yes, as in A.M.), as Rodrigo was going to take me to catch the bus by 7. Luckily my stop is only one street away, but the ride takes at least 30 minutes, often closer to 45 depending on traffic. Even though it’s one of the longest bus rides of everyone in the program, I have kind of started to enjoy the long ride (prime place for people watching as well as last-minute cramming). It can get pretty crowded at times and if I’m stuck standing (or constantly trying to keep myself from falling over) while the bus bounces through the roads and around sharp turns, it can makes things even more interesting.
Speaking of roads, traffic here is NUTS. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before (well, other than in Kenya…but Matatus are certainly in a league of their own). I’m not sure what their road laws are (if any), but they are certainly not enforced and so drivers are absolutely ridiculous. Friday I was waiting to catch a bus and I watched in horror as one of the workers from the bus jumped out to direct the driver through a stopped-up intersection (as all intersections seem to constantly be here, especially during rush hour). He was running through traffic, waving his hands, paying no attention to the oncoming traffic, which was paying no attention to him either, and he got hit straight-on by a car. He somehow landed on his feet, stood there for a second, obviously a little dazed, and jumped right back on the bus he had successfully gotten through the intersection and they went on their way. No one else paused for even a moment either. Except for me who stood there with my mouth gaping open. All I know is, I could never imagine driving like the people here. Or with them for that matter.
Anyways, as I was saying Rodrigo took me on the bus (and home) my first three days of class until I got the hang of doing it on my own...or thought I had the hang of it at least, as today was the very first time I actually got off at the correct stop by myself. Not that my lack of bus-taking skills would surprise any of you… Luckily, there are other people from my program who are often on the same bus and who have picked up on this as well, so they try to help me out.
School is still school, even in a country as awesome as Ecuador, although my classes are set up a little differently than they would be at OSU. We only take one class at a time (rather than 3 or 4) and they cram each class into 3 weeks (as opposed to the usual 10). It’s nice to only have to focus on one class, but at the same time it is insane how quickly we move through everything. We’re already almost halfway through our textbook and I’ve only had 6 days of class! We had our first midterm on Friday and will have a midterm (or final) every week from here on out. I’ve been learning a lot, but it has been a lot of work as well. Apparently they are actually expecting us to study while we’re “studying" abroad? Who would’ve thunk it?!
I think the best (or at times the worst) part of the classes here is that there are only 6 people in each one, so we are constantly forced to participate - not to mention stay awake. My teacher is AWESOME. He is this little tiny Ecuadorian man named Mario (or Profesor Tarea –“professor homework” – as he calls himself) and he is absolutely hilarious. Despite the stress of trying to cram in all of the information each day, he still finds time to make things fun and keep us laughing.
Well, that’s all I have time for now. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back on here later tonight or tomorrow and talk more about everything. I have pictures too, so cross your fingers for me and maybe they will finish loading one of these days.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Demasiados nombres!!
I really can’t believe I have only spent 2 full days in Quito. Between all of the people I have been meeting, all of the new things I have seen, and trying to adjust to life in Ecuador, I feel like I have been going nonstop, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have absolutely loved every second of it.
Yesterday was my first full day here and to be honest, I was a little nervous when I woke up. I had no idea how things worked…whether I should get up early or sleep in…and then once I was up I had no idea what I was supposed to do from there. I debated hiding out in my room until someone came to get me but decided instead to explore the house and see if anyone else was up and just kind of go from there.
Luckily, I walked downstairs to find coffee and muchas frutas waiting for me. My madre was the only one up so far and it was nice to get to talk to her, as we didn’t have much of a chance to my first night here. She is so sweet and I feel so lucky to have such a great family to live with while I’m here.
From there I went for a run, of course keeping in mind all of the “safety suggestions” stressed by my dad (don’t worry, I was extremely careful). Unfortunately, we live on a ridiculous incline like nothing I’ve ever seen in little old Ohio, so battling hills on top of the high altitude, I was absolutely dominated. Still, it was worth it to be able to explore more of my neighborhood and just enjoy the warm sun and beautiful landscape.
No matter how many times I look out of my window, I still can’t get over how beautiful it is here. From the tall buildings of the city in one direction to the overwhelming view of the mountains looming over it all, it is absolutely incredible. Hopefully I will be able to put some pictures up soon.
Yesterday, I also was able to meet more of my family. It turns out that I do in fact have another sister (and brother-in-law and little nephew as well)! Unfortunately, I’m not off to a great sisterly start as I have absolutely no idea what any of their names are… I know that probably sounds awful, but they speak so quickly! Hopefully I’ll find out before too long… And hopefully I don't have any more family members out there, as I'm not sure how many more names I'll be able to keep track of.
I also met my madre’s boyfriend, Rodrigo. Rodrigo is awesome. He is so sweet and has such a peaceful Ecuadorian way about him. Plus, for whatever reason I understand almost everything he says. We talked about music (which he absolutely loves) and swapped tons of stories. It was so nice to actually be able to hold a conversation for once rather than “Sí”-ing and smiling my way out of things. Needless to say, Rodrigo rocks.
On that note, this chica is going to bed. I hope all is well in los Estados Unidos! I’ll try and send some sunshine Ohio’s way. :)
Yesterday was my first full day here and to be honest, I was a little nervous when I woke up. I had no idea how things worked…whether I should get up early or sleep in…and then once I was up I had no idea what I was supposed to do from there. I debated hiding out in my room until someone came to get me but decided instead to explore the house and see if anyone else was up and just kind of go from there.
Luckily, I walked downstairs to find coffee and muchas frutas waiting for me. My madre was the only one up so far and it was nice to get to talk to her, as we didn’t have much of a chance to my first night here. She is so sweet and I feel so lucky to have such a great family to live with while I’m here.
From there I went for a run, of course keeping in mind all of the “safety suggestions” stressed by my dad (don’t worry, I was extremely careful). Unfortunately, we live on a ridiculous incline like nothing I’ve ever seen in little old Ohio, so battling hills on top of the high altitude, I was absolutely dominated. Still, it was worth it to be able to explore more of my neighborhood and just enjoy the warm sun and beautiful landscape.
No matter how many times I look out of my window, I still can’t get over how beautiful it is here. From the tall buildings of the city in one direction to the overwhelming view of the mountains looming over it all, it is absolutely incredible. Hopefully I will be able to put some pictures up soon.
Yesterday, I also was able to meet more of my family. It turns out that I do in fact have another sister (and brother-in-law and little nephew as well)! Unfortunately, I’m not off to a great sisterly start as I have absolutely no idea what any of their names are… I know that probably sounds awful, but they speak so quickly! Hopefully I’ll find out before too long… And hopefully I don't have any more family members out there, as I'm not sure how many more names I'll be able to keep track of.
I also met my madre’s boyfriend, Rodrigo. Rodrigo is awesome. He is so sweet and has such a peaceful Ecuadorian way about him. Plus, for whatever reason I understand almost everything he says. We talked about music (which he absolutely loves) and swapped tons of stories. It was so nice to actually be able to hold a conversation for once rather than “Sí”-ing and smiling my way out of things. Needless to say, Rodrigo rocks.
On that note, this chica is going to bed. I hope all is well in los Estados Unidos! I’ll try and send some sunshine Ohio’s way. :)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
so far so AWESOME
HOLA from Ecuador!!!
I made it...and have no treacherous airport horror story to share. My layover involved NO frantic bus rides lost in London; I didn't lose my credit card; I didn't have to set up camp in the freezing cold airport all alone; I didn't even have to desperately beg my way onto the flight. All in all, I'd say things went a little better than last year's debacle. Thank goodness. :)
I got in earlier tonight and was greeted at the airport by 2 of my new sisters, Janeth and Sandra. They're both about my age (29 and 22) and made me feel totally comfortable right away. We took the taxi to the house (seriously less than 10 blocks away) where they introduced me to the rest of my new Ecuadorian family.
I was surprised by how incredibly nervous I was when I first stepped in the door, but it didn't last more than 2 seconds as I walked in and was immediately welcomed by my mom's big bright smile and outstretched arms. From then, I knew I had absolutely no reason to worry. Things only got better when I heard the most adorable giggle from under the table behind her and saw the cute little face of my little 3 year old nephew Marco Antonio peeking out. It took some coercing to get him to come out from his hiding spot, and even more to get him to talk, but now that he's warmed up to me I can’t get him to stop and I’m in love already. I met his father (my brother) Ricardo and his wife Leslee as well. I think they said there is another sister, but I have yet to see her and based on my Spanish skills I could very possibly be wrong.
From there, they showed me around the house and brought me to my new room where I dropped my huge bags that by then felt like they couldn't possibly weigh more. I unpacked and did my best to chat with Janeth and Sandra. I definitely gave a lot of blank stares, dished out plenty of awkward silences, and probably made even less sense to them than they did to me when I actually was able to try and say something. Even though I was totally stressed the entire time, trying to translate what they were saying, coming up with a response, and then trying to figure out how to say it in Spanish, they were so patient and understanding with me no matter how much I struggled. Luckily we could fall back on laughter. And there was plenty of that.
Well, I’m off to bed to try and get some sleep, which may be a little more difficult than usual as my mind is going a mile a minute right now. I’m too excited for tomorrow…I’m not sure what to expect, but I couldn’t have a greater feeling about whatever it is.
I made it...and have no treacherous airport horror story to share. My layover involved NO frantic bus rides lost in London; I didn't lose my credit card; I didn't have to set up camp in the freezing cold airport all alone; I didn't even have to desperately beg my way onto the flight. All in all, I'd say things went a little better than last year's debacle. Thank goodness. :)
I got in earlier tonight and was greeted at the airport by 2 of my new sisters, Janeth and Sandra. They're both about my age (29 and 22) and made me feel totally comfortable right away. We took the taxi to the house (seriously less than 10 blocks away) where they introduced me to the rest of my new Ecuadorian family.
I was surprised by how incredibly nervous I was when I first stepped in the door, but it didn't last more than 2 seconds as I walked in and was immediately welcomed by my mom's big bright smile and outstretched arms. From then, I knew I had absolutely no reason to worry. Things only got better when I heard the most adorable giggle from under the table behind her and saw the cute little face of my little 3 year old nephew Marco Antonio peeking out. It took some coercing to get him to come out from his hiding spot, and even more to get him to talk, but now that he's warmed up to me I can’t get him to stop and I’m in love already. I met his father (my brother) Ricardo and his wife Leslee as well. I think they said there is another sister, but I have yet to see her and based on my Spanish skills I could very possibly be wrong.
From there, they showed me around the house and brought me to my new room where I dropped my huge bags that by then felt like they couldn't possibly weigh more. I unpacked and did my best to chat with Janeth and Sandra. I definitely gave a lot of blank stares, dished out plenty of awkward silences, and probably made even less sense to them than they did to me when I actually was able to try and say something. Even though I was totally stressed the entire time, trying to translate what they were saying, coming up with a response, and then trying to figure out how to say it in Spanish, they were so patient and understanding with me no matter how much I struggled. Luckily we could fall back on laughter. And there was plenty of that.
Well, I’m off to bed to try and get some sleep, which may be a little more difficult than usual as my mind is going a mile a minute right now. I’m too excited for tomorrow…I’m not sure what to expect, but I couldn’t have a greater feeling about whatever it is.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
One last post...
Okay...so a lot of people have been asking when I'm going to finish this thing up. And to be honest, life has been really crazy and I never seem to have time to do, well, anything. So I've decided to write one last post with a couple highlights and the rest of my pictures.
Just about every person I've talked to since I've been back has asked me what the best part of my trip was. And hands down, it was all of the kids I met. I know I've said it, but not enough...the kids were absolutely amazing. Just hearing them laugh and seeing them play together like any other kids would...I don't know. After hearing about what some have them had been through, even the smallest smile was so incredible to me. Throughout my time there, I learned each of their stories. And with every story I heard I found myself even more overwhelmed and inspired by how beautiful each child was. I wish I had time to tell you about each one of them, but unfortunately pictures will have to do.
Beyond the kids, there were of course so many other amazing things I was able to experience that I also will never forget. I got to spend Christmas Eve at another nearby orphanage (with almost 200 children) and had a ball playing with the children all day, finding myself amazed when something as simple as new shoes for each of them was all they needed for Christmas to put the biggest smiles on their faces. I even got to play basketball (or more like get my **tusch kicked --haha happy grampa? -- trying to play basketball) against some local people, and although I pretty much made a fool of myself, I felt too excited that they had actually wanted me to join them to care (not to mention, I did make a basket :)). I got to see the countryside and how thanks to the generosity of many and the work of Father John, people’s lives are being changed by access to clean water, something I of course have always taken for granted. I got to go to church and sing and dance in the aisles with everyone, leaving feeling like for once no one cared that I was white or “mazungo,” we were just there to pray (and party). As scary or inconvenient as it may have been, I got to be there to see the post-election trouble first-hand, and more importantly see how it affected those trying to go on with their lives despite it. Most unforgettably, I got to visit a slum where I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of suffering and destitution, but even more so by the bright smiles and the amazing resilience of the people, as they faced the struggles of each day and found happiness despite the adversity. But most importantly of all, I got to spend three weeks far outside of my comfort zone and everything I knew, and got to meet amazing people, every single one of whom opened my eyes to something else I had never thought of and a way of life I otherwise never would have really understood.
I can’t even begin to say how lucky I feel to have had this opportunity. Looking back on it all, I don’t think I could have possibly had a better experience. I know that this amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the help of so many people, and for that I am so grateful – to everyone I met there, everyone who helped me get there (yes, I guess that would include the Heathrow airport), and especially to everyone back home who supported me through all of this (and even worried themselves sick…). It has really made me realize how lucky I am to have so many amazing people in my life, even those who were only there for three weeks.
As I finish, I wish I could explain how much this trip meant to me. But all I can say is that it has truly changed my life. The way that I see certain things, the way that I think about my life, it really will never be the same. And for that, I feel so blessed.
Oh, and for the many who have joked “where to next?”…unfortunately for my parents’ sanity, I’m headed out again in March -- El Salvador, here I come! (Followed by an eventual trip back to Kenya of course. :) )
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Life at the Orphanage
As weird as I feel writing these entries such a long time after I experienced all this, I've been overwhelmed by people asking me to keep writing about everything. So for the few of you who may still be reading this, I'll try to get through everything in the next week or so.
The day after the wedding was my first day at the orphanage. As bummed as I was to be moving out of the hostel and away from Ian and his family, Esther, and Becki and Lara, I was SOOO excited to get there and get started.
We drove to the orphanage first thing in the morning. We were greeted by an extremely energetic woman. It wasn't until 15 minutes of talking with her that I realized she was actually Jane. This is going to sound ridiculous, but for some reason from reading the information Jane had sent me before my trip about the orphanage, I was under the impression that she was Swedish (I know, that sounds crazy...but I did). Well, it turned out Jane was very much Kenyan and very much not Swedish. And most importantly a lot of fun.
She took me upstairs to introduce me to all of the kids, but they were all sleeping (yes, all 12 at the same time!). There were 7 all lined up on the bed and the rest scattered around the room. They all seemed so sweet and perfect. I remember thinking it was going to end up being a lot easier than I had thought. But it wasn't long after they had all woken up I realized they had had me way fooled. :)
Luckily, before they woke up I had time to unpack, get settled and meet the other two volunteers (Ngozi and Kate) who were also staying there, as well as the 3 women who worked there full-time (Janet, Irene, and Faith). They all kind of filled me in on how things work there and showed me around the rest of the orphanage.
The orphanage was actually Jane and her family's home. There was one very large room upstairs where the kids spent almost all of the day, except when they were playing outside. They slept there, ate there, played there, did EVERYTHING there. That meant we were in there all the time as well. I expected to go kind of crazy being couped up in the same room all day every day, but that wasn't the case at all. I soon learned I wouldn't have time to go crazy. From the moment naptime was over until it was time for them to go to bed for the night, we didn't stop once. There was always a diaper to change, a mouth to feed, someone crying, and someone wanting to play with you all at the same time. It was always hectic but I was ALWAYS loving it! :)
I expected things might calm down a bit once I had gotten the hang of things, but I was definitely wrong as every day that followed was crazier than the one before. Generally, each day went pretty much the same. We woke up each morning by about 7 to an alarm clock of crying babies. And were always welcomed by the same smell of more diapers than should ever be closed in the same room. We usually spent a couple hours taking care of that and then bathing all 12 (4 or 5 at a time) and getting them dressed for the day. After that it was time to feed them. Believe it or not, feeding time was harder than any bathing or diaper changing we had to do. It was really a struggle to get a lot of them to eat, especially those that hadn't been at the orphanage for that long, as their diets before hadn't been much, if anything at all. On top of that, we each always had 2 or 3 to feed at once. Needless to say, feeding times were generally the most stressful part of the day. However the most rewarding too. It probably sounds kind of odd, but I always felt so great (even proud) whenever I got one of the kids to finish all of their food.
After the morning routine, with the kids clean, full, and happy, we were able to break for a quick breakfast. After that, we would spend the rest of the day having fun and playing games with the kids, with the occasional feedings and diaper changings of course. As much fun as it sounds (and actually was) it was also a lot of work. There were days (actually, most days) when we would be so busy that it would be 10 at night before we realized we hadn't even stopped for dinner. As stressful as it might sound, every second of it was still a blast. Okay, maybe there were a few seconds in there with some unpleasant diapers (sorry...too much information? :) ) but other than that I just played all day long! So even though I was exhausted by the end of every day (and somehow just as exhausted each morning) I was always having way too much fun to care.
Well that's all I have time for right now... I promise more pictures and more about the kids next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
