seeing things and wondering and thinking...

¡Hola a todos!

Well this is month four and many things have changed. Among them I´ve been visiting communities and seeing the way some work...and the way some don´t. I´ve seen the impact that forces such as lumber companies and oil compaines and even tourism has had on the people of rural communites, and how all of these outside entities have effected the culture and ways of life of these people. It may seem like a harsh comparison but I often think of American Indians and I can see how things begin to fall into itself, how things begin to dissapear, how people have now choice but to begin on outsiders for the things they once only depended on nature for, like food, clean water, medicine, etc. I have to admit that it is all a bit disheartening. It seems to me that I´m not any different, in the effect I or others like me eventually have on certain group of, specifically t hose in very rural areas like indeginous populations. It has only been in perhaps the last fifty or so years that outsiders have began to enter very rural areas, bribing them with thousands of dollars to remove recources that would make the locals unable to sustain themselves the way they knew how; resources that they couldn´t realize would take decades to be replenished by nature, resources that would still be absent long after the money was long spent.

Of course this is probably an over-simplification of some of the things I see, some of the things that nag at my concious. I´ll have to wait and see. In the meantime it doesn´t look like I´ll be moving out to a community. Many things involved with this also. Quite a dissapointment considering that was the original description of what and where I´d be living. Ah...

Hope everyone is doing well.....take care

crys

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Compost

So this is me making organic compost with a community. It was pouring most of the time, and that night I proceeded to get "gripe" lol. And I got two pretty cool blisters from all of my machete wielding lol. I think that as long as I´m here, a machete is a must buy!!!!

So tomorrow is a new week and hopefully things will go smoothly.... Hope all is well back home. From what I hear a lot is going on, keep me up to date....I love chisme now days lol...

crys

Month2/4

So here I am at the beginning of my fourth month in Ecua-land and second in my site. Things aren´t going exactly as I had hoped. I´m still having a difficult time trying to negotiate my time in office and make clear why I´m here, not as an employee. But that is proving to be difficult and a bit frustrating. But cool news is, last ight I was talking to a fellow volunteer and there might be an opportunity to go "adentro" which just means into the jungle, next week. But its not for sure at this point, but any glimmer of getting to do something hands-on is worth getting excited over. Now I just have to figure out what to tell my org if I do get to go.

Other than that there isn´t a whole lot to report. I´m still here and kicking lol. Oh and I talked to this carpenter that has his shop right on my street, and he´s going to sell me wood, and told me to work at his shop and he´d help me build a bookshelf (which I´ll be using for my clothes). So I´m looking forward to that. And mom, I´m just gathering tips for our future business venture together :-) If I´m not too tired I´m planning on starting today on the walk home...hopefully it turns out alright, and if not...oh well.

Well there really isn´t much else to say. I miss you guys and hope to hear from you all soon...

crys

Climbing trees

cacao pruning pose.

searching

Hello all,

Well today is mother’s day and I’m thinking about everyone that I know that’s a mom. I’m at the beginning of my second full week here in my site. Things have been interesting so far. Many things are a challenge. Among those things: figuring what and where I eat lunch and dinner, where I’m going to wash clothes, figuring out how to budget my money and trying to look into the future and wonder how things will come to fruition.

So thus far I’ve been working in an office. Not terribly exciting. I know this. But this week I go out with the engineer guy who knows about these communities and I hope I can talk to them, the community members and figure out how I can help them in a more direct, hands on way. Porque trabajando en una oficina—no vale! But hopefully that will change soon.

But I also have other projects. For one I have a ton of PC stuff to fill out and mail by Friday, and I’m supposed to give a class to adults and children on water and the environment. Aside from this I have other things that I want to do. Example you ask? Sure: I plan on building a shelf for my clothes out of bamboo, which hopefully I can cut with a machete when I get out to these communities this week lol. It’s a personal goal lol. Also figuring out how to turn on the stove at the house I’m living at. I need to learn the bus system, and how to explain to certain people the importance of civil service and the idea of and importance of a liberal arts education. I need to improve my Spanish which has proven more difficult than I originally thought it would be. Turns out most everyone I speak to—their just glad that we can communicate well and not have to struggle with things. They say that it’s really great for being a gringa lol and that its fine that way. But it’s really not fine.

There’s much that I want to do and tons I have to learn. Still some things are disillusioning. But I’m here and I’m making the most of it. I love that it rains so often, even if that means getting soaked sometimes.

I hope things are well wherever you might be reading this from. You all are in my thoughts.

Con cariño,
cristal