Happy Holidays from Ecuador

Well, I am so thrilled because I am about to embark on a mini-quest around Ecuador with some pleasant company from the States. I will be leaving soon to go pick up Dan at the Guayaquil airport. He will be visiting for about 2 ½ weeks, and I can’t wait for him to visit my community. I know he is nervous about the language barrier but I think he will be happily surprised to find out that communication extends beyond words. You can tell so much through facial expressions, body language, pointing, drawing, interpretive dancing…it just requires some creativity. We have many exciting things planned for the rest of the month, and I am excited that December 12^th has finally arrived.

Due to upcoming traveling, I will not have many opportunities to use the Internet and blog. I promise to post pictures upon my return and tol reveal the wonders of the Galapagos Islands!

I would like to take the time to wish all you dear people a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I will miss having the trees dusted in snow (or even cold weather for that fact) to paint the city into a pretty white Christmas scene, but I know this holiday season will be one never to forget.

I hope you all have a beautiful and restful holiday. God Bless.

Love,

Alea

First World Aids Day in Honorato Vasquez brought to you by Talia

World AIDS day march…draining but worthwhile project!

• Clowns, whistles, banners (that my youth group and I stayed up painting until late hours of the night), posters, the school band, the high school students and teachers, elementary school students, the health center, the police, the mayor, the beauty queen formed my grand day of events to raise awareness about HIV.
• There were several setbacks while planning the march but I am happy to report that somehow everything fell together…at parts things felt like they were on the brim of falling apart with the energy of 250 kids intensifying but with the assistance of my great Ecuadorian friends, we pulled it back together.
  

My youth group's beautiful World Aids Day banner Everyone loved wearing the little red ribbons
Clowns to entertain the kidsThe kids are so adorable in their school uniformsIt turned out to be a very sunny day but my neighbor friend Arnaldo rode his tricycle through the parade carrying jugs of agua on the flatbed to pass out to the kids marching in the parade.

Lessons learned:

• Think twice about passing out whistles at any future kid events
• When planning an event, having a back-up plan is not enough. It is highly recommended to have a Plan B, a Plan C and maybe even a Plan D when organizing an event …it is hard to get people to follow through with commitments.

The high school band After the march, I invited all the participants to an exhibition in the elementary school with mini-workshops continuing with the World Aids Day theme.The best part about the day was when I heard kids telling their parents as they were being picked up, everything they had learned from the exhibition...very rewarding experience that made me feel like all the work was worthwhile.

My wonderful group who helped me put the event together

After the march, I was asked by another high school to give some more health workshops and to replicate the Aids presentation. I spent the last couple of weeks testing out my skills, and I have to say I was surprised to find out how much I enjoyed the classroom setting. (maybe I will get my M-R-S license and become a teacher when I return to the States, you never know)

(PS. Have I already mentioned how my community gave me the name Talia? For some reason, Alea was simply too difficult to pronounce and adding the letter T to the front end of my name transformed it into something they recognized. (Thanks to the beautiful and well known singer singer named Thalia)

Chronicles of November

Well, November proved to be very busy, and I am happy to say that I started to get worn out. I feel like it is a sign that my work is finally starting to pick up and my community has started to trust that I can be a hard worker and can contribute to community projects. The next post will include pictures from my big World Aids Day event!

To fastward a little bit, when my World AIDS exhibition was over, I headed to Salinas...Miami beach look alike, to unwind. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Bendeck, (parents of my fellow PC friend) we stayed in a condo with an ocean-front view.

In Salinas we decided to stay in and cook. Chrissy, Geoff and Hannah, other PC volunteers, turned out to be quite the gourmet chefs.Another dance party in town center combined with a celebration for my friend’s birthday…I danced so much, they gave me a music CD as a prize (the dancing isn’t by choice…I don’t get a chance to sit down.)

Continuing with the celebrations, we celebrated my little hooligan of a host brother’s First Communion this weekend..(As much as he terrorizes my things and torments my living space, I have to say I actually thought he looked quite adorable with his Dad’s navy blue necktie, hair freshly cut and gelled for his big day. I have to admit, I found myself feeling like his proud older sister…. )

The entire family came to watch as Joselo proclaimed his faith and participated in his very first communion. All the young girls were dressed in mini-bride dresses and the boys were sporting their finest dress clothes. After the ceremony, we returned to my host family’s house for a big feast to celebrate Joselo’s accomplishments. (Sunday morning, I awoke to high pitch squeals coming from the 3 chickens my host mom was killing for this particular feast. Apparently, it is quiet the honor to have a chicken killed in your name, and this specific day, my host family killed 3. Let’s just say they were a little proud of Joselo.)

Ecua-family

Joselo’s cousin who helped keep me entertained during the long church ceremony.

Besides staying surprisingly busy this November, another Thanksgiving has come and gone. This year, however, was my first Thanksgiving spent away from home and without my dearly loved family. So, thousands of miles away from home, I decided to make the best of my situation. I had been invited to spend the holiday at the U.S. Consulate’s home in Guayaquil. It was nice to gather with other fellow Peace Corps volunteers and to eat good traditional American cooking. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the feast that we were about to devour. We ate turkey, stuffing!, garlic mashed potatoes and even cranberry sauce (which had to be imported from the States). The Consulate’s spectacular home came complete with a personal volleyball court, an outdoor pool, a magnificent patio along with an in home maid and chef. I wasn’t use to all the pampering.

What was really touching about the night was when we went around in a circle and shared what we were thankful for. It wasn’t a time of mono-tone cheesy responses but rather a time of heartfelt genuine comments that were shared amongst the group that made me tear-up several times. I feel blessed for this opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps…what a challenging but rewarding experience. I am grateful for my incredible family in the States (who loves me in spite of all my quirks and outlandish adventures), and for my great family here in Ecuador (who has welcomed me into their home like a daughter of their own).
I am also sincerely grateful for all of you! My friends mean the world to me and continue to be a great support and encouragement. You are the best.

What about you? What are YOU thankful for?

The natural beauty of this wondrous country continues to amaze me