Jordan in Ecuador

Buenos Días,

I have successfully concluded my second week as a Peace Corps Trainee, and during that time, I’ve learned a few things (dress for all 4 seasons, because they will most likely all occur within the space of one day; don´t throw toilet paper in the toilet, throw it in the nearby wastebasket), and I’ve also done some new things, too. There’s something new every day…here’s a quick rundown of some of my newfound skills and experiences:

- On our first day of language class, my group and I walked around town drawing a map with relevant sites and resources. The best way to get to know a place: walk it! My group is pictured above, Hannah, Angela, and Corey: Team Tabacundo.

- Trying new foods: The latest includes choclo (similar to corn on the cob, spread with a spicy ají sauce), sambo (a type of soup made with a melon-like vegetable), salted pig skin (yum), and a whole fish (yes, head to tail, and the waitress had to tell us how to cut and eat it)

- “To Build a Fire” – Tabacundan-style: Take some sticks of wood and pile them in the street. Get some old notebooks, tear them up, and stuff the leaves into the pile. Strike a match or three to get it started. Sprinkle with gasoline periodically to ensure the flames continue.

- Stashing money and valuables in odd places on my body. For security reasons, we’re advised to carry valuables in more than one place, so that if we were to get pickpocketed, say, we’d still have some money in our sock. For women, keeping valuables in your pecho (i.e., your bra) is recommended. By the end of the safety session, we had stuffed our cellphones, money, gold earrings, some bananas, and some other odds and ends into our theoretical pechos.

- Washing clothes by hand on a piedra (stone). Mamá María learned me how to do this. Shockingly, she was able to get some stains out of my clothes that I thought were permanent, thereby converting me to the wash-by-hand method…for now, at least. Other clothing items she helped me with she said, This isn’t dirty. So I guess I’m now supposed to wear clothes until they smell and have visible stains on them, which is fine by me.

- Dancing through the streets of Tabacundo, celebrating the fiesta of San Pedro (patron saint of the town). I wore the men’s zamarros, chaps made of animal fur, and got a lot of compliments on how well I dance for a gringa (the term “gringo” is not considered derogatory here; it’s used commonly and may even be a term of affection). Pictures are attached!

- Played a game of basketball with some local Tabacundeñas. My group got whipped, but thankfully we have the excuse that we are still adjusting to the altitude…

- Fourth of July celebration with Team Tabacundo and our host families – included making pizzas and roasting marshmallows for s´mores, something new to our Ecuadorian friends. Happy Belated Fourth of July!!!

It’s been an interesting two weeks of training, with classes here in Tabacundo as well as general group meetings with all 66 of us. More updates are on the way, and feel free to leave comments or e-mail me and let me know what you’re up to! Hugs to all!