No more political jingles

President Rafael Correa ( I just liked his hat in this photo)

No more…. honking cars with megaphones spewing out political jingles…random street parties/ campaigns with loud music…traffic backed up for miles with cars waiting to receive free bleach, fertilizer and bumper stickers….houses painted with bright colored political slogans…building walls plastered with campaign posters….yes, it was an exciting yet tiresome time, and it has finally come to an end.

Sunday was Election Day. The campaigns started very early this year. In the beginning everything was fun and interesting, and I was intrigued by the way Ecuador conducts campaigns. Many of the candidates made house-to-house visits and even special trips out to my rural community. (A little different approach when everyone of age is required to vote.)

However, just like in the U.S., by the time Election Day comes, everyone has been bombarded by so much political propaganda that it is a relief when all the hype is over.

I do have to say though; I saw the most progress made on certain government projects that have been idle for months, like street construction, during the campaigns. I just hope that development continues, and we don’t have to wait for the next election season.

Rafael Correa was re-elected as president. Ecuador has had over 10 presidents in the last 10 years but Correa is changing that streak. My local government will also remain the same. The mayor is very popular in my community and will continue to serve for another term. So, no major changes in my area.

Viva Manabi!

Ulysses Syndrome

I have my mid-service medical exams this week. Where has the time gone? I have been in Ecuador for almost an entire year?!? Wow, hard to believe. I don’t know when exactly it happened, but it did happen just like past volunteers told me it would. I feel like a member of the community now, instead of a ridiculously tall gringa walking spectacle who is trying to fit in.

Ulysses Syndrome: Only those who have gone through it realize how painful that first stage is in the process of integration to a new country. (The syndrome is usually applied to immigrants, but I feel it also applies to foreigners/volunteers living abroad for an extended period of time.)

"Immigrants themselves can't understand why they so often feel tired, irritable and depressed. This is part of the Ulysses Syndrome, which was described for the first time by psychiatrist Joseba Achotegui from the Universidad de Barcelona. It comprises loneliness, as family and friends were left behind; fear, because of the uncertain future, and survival, struggle that takes over all other priorities.

Immigrants have to cope with different kinds of psychological conflicts when they realize that they need to learn a new language, understand the culture, create a new support system and make adjustments to their identity."

These symptoms were definitely applicable for the beginning stages of my service but as of now, I feel like I have surpassed most of those hurtles.

I am loving Ecuador more and more these days.

Say hello to my little happy heart

Corazon Feliz

My medical supplies finally arrived! My fridge is now filled with glucose and cholesterol tests, I have boxes packed with stethescopes, glucometers, scales and other medical supplies. I am so excited!

After doing extensive interviews in my 6 communities to find out what the communities health needs were, I found out that one of the number one causes of mortality here is due to heart disease. There is a very high percentage of people that have hypertension and diabetes.

Therefore, I am going to implement a “Corazon Feliz,” Happy Heart, program. I will be teaching 2-3 volunteers/facilitators from each of the communities how to take blood pressure and configure BMI (Body Mass Index). Accompanying the blood pressure training, I will be training the volunteers on nutrition, causes and symptoms of heart diseases, easy ways to implement physical activity into their everyday lives and other important health themes that pertain to the prevention of heart diseases.

These volunteers will then go back to their communities to teach about these health topics. I am hoping the project will be more sustainable by training the volunteers and having them lead the workshops instead of me just directly teaching to the communities. The program will be 6 months, and I am excited to get everything started. I’ll keep you posted!

My partners in crime, Sarah and Kristen who are other PC volunteers implementing the Corazon Feliz program in their communities

Hodgepodge of what I have been up to….

Spending time with the girls. We celebrated my World Teach friend, Irena’s, birthday Ecuadorian style by going out dancing. Traveling by canoe

Summer camp for the kids in my community. The summer camp was focused on building self-esteem and self-empowerment. My favorite session was when we had someone from my community dress up as a mago, wizard/magician. He told them to close their eyes and to imagine all their dreams. The children drew pictures of their hopes and dreams, and then the mago passed a wand over their heads and granted all their dreams. All the kids were glowing that day and had such big aspirations. To finish off our summer camp, we had a party for all the parents to come see all the kids work. The kids were so proud. We had made puppets, and these two adorable boys put on a fabulous show. It was good experience working with the kids, even if I was completely exhausted after every session.

My PC friend Chris came up to the coast to visit me with his friends from the States. The boys made a scrumptious calamari dinner. I beg to differ with the Ecuadorians who say men don’t belong in the kitchen. Mira estes chicos que son expertos en la cocnina. Close up of the fresh squid

Semana Santa

To the cross I look,
To the cross I claim,
Of its offering I do drink,
Of its work I do sing,
All in my savior,
Both bruised and crushed,
Show them that God is love,
And God is just.

At the cross you beckon me,
Draw me gently to my knees,
And I am lost for words,
So lost in love,
I am sweetly broken,
Holy surrender

What a priceless gift,
Undeserved life,
Have I been given,
Through Christ crucified,
You’ve called me out of death,
You called me into life,
And I was under your wrath,
Through the cross I’m reconciled.

At the cross you beckon me,
Draw me gently to my knees,
And I am lost for words,
So lost in love,
I am sweetly broken,
Holy surrender

And all the cost I must confess,
How wondrous your redeeming love,
How great is your faithfulness.

At the cross you beckon me,
Draw me gently to my knees,
And I am lost for words,
So lost in love,
I am sweetly broken,
Holy surrender

-Jeremy Riddle

Last night I walked the “Via de Crucis.” Following hundreds of people from my village in the dark, singing hymns, carrying candles and remembering the walk that Jesus took before he was crucified.

A group of people from town were dressed in robes, and one in particular was dressed in white cloths with a crown of thorns placed on his head. We had Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus and the two criminals who carried their crosses next to Jesus present in the procession. It was a very moving reenactment.

The singing voices were elevated up into the sky and carried away by the gentle breeze, and the warm glow of the candles created an intimate ambiance. The procession continued until the town center where the scene of Christ’s crucifixion was replayed. People knelt in the streets while the Priest prayed and read scriptures from the Bible.

I have heard and read the story of Jesus’ death many times before but something about this night was very humbling.

After being asked about some of the American Easter traditions, I decided to introduce my host family to Easter egg dying. It proved to be a little more difficult since the eggs are dark brown here but it was fun non-the-less. Later we had a mini egg hunt, and then I told them the story about the Easter bunny. They couldn’t quite understand some of traditions we have, (especially considering most of them are based off the beginning of spring, which does not exist here) but they enjoyed they still enjoyed the culture exchange.

I enjoyed bringing some of the American Easter customs here, and I enjoyed taking part in the Semana Santa celebrations of Ecuador. The processions here brought my focus back to the true meaning of Easter.

“May peace be with you.”

Happy Birthday to one incredible father

Feliz cumpleaños Dad!

I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. Thanks for teaching me to be bold and courageous. Sending you lots of birthday hugs!! Miss and love you!

Guest Blog: Our Ecuadorian Escapade

Adventure- simply put, this is the one adjective I would choose to describe the trip my husband, Matt, and I took to visit Alea. All the guidebook reading I had done did little to prepare me for our trip off the beaten tourist track. Yet moving beyond the pages of the tourist guidebooks is precisely what makes a trip to visit Alea so wonderful- besides the fact that Alea is just an all-around awesome person whom we should all want to visit no matter which crazy part of the world she chooses to make home.

Remember way back (say, in October 2008) when Alea posted a blog entitled “Reasons to visit your favorite PC volunteer in Ecuador”? Well, I thought I’d report back to all you blog readers on how such a visit actually went for two of us who’ve made that journey. So, here it goes…

1. You don’t have to worry about currency change- true, but make sure you have a good deal of cash on hand at all times. Arriving at the beach in San Jacinto after a two hour taxi ride from Portoviejo, we (Alea included) were surprised to learn that we were two hours from the nearest ATM (guess where it was). The hotel we were staying at treated credit cards like FPOs (foreign plastic objects) so we were left to scrimp and save for the next day and a half.

2. Experience big lizards and giant tortoises up close and personal- the iguana park in Guayaquil really is something to be seen. It’s just plain weird to see so many prehistoric lizards wandering around freely. We all wondered what keeps them in the park since there’s nothing to prevent them from leaving. As for giant tortoises, that’ll have to wait for a future trip to the Galapagos.

3. Beautiful snowcapped volcanoes- maybe these exist at some other time of the year but I never saw anything that even closely resembled snow on our trip. The best we got was being sprayed with soapy colored foam during Carnival.

4. Become familiar with delicious costal food!- Sorry Alea, but this might be a bit of an overstatement. The mangos and coconuts growing in your yard were delicious. As for coastal? Well, Matt’s from south Louisiana and had never met a fish he didn’t like until he came to Ecuador.

5. We can “banarse”(bathe/swim) in the river that trails through my community/ Horseback riding up to the waterfalls near my house- while we didn’t venture into the river, some members of Alea’s youth group took us on a trek through the jungle to a waterfall that was great for swimming. Where are those horses you speak of Alea? We got the mud and water “death march” instead (just kidding).

6. Beach trip- wow, all I can say about the beach is OMG! There was no better place for us to get a feel for Carnival in South America. Huge street parties, dancing through the night, getting doused with ice water and beer. What more could you ask for? I can now check Carnival in South America off my lifetime to-do list.

7. You can experience the breathtaking views of Ecuador from the back of a camioneta (truck)- just be sure Alea actually knows how far you’ll be going before you hop in the truck. We wound up going on a three hour 4-wheeling adventure. Without sunscreen, Matt and Alea were slowly beginning to resemble lobsters. Need I mention, Alea was still in her pajamas!

8. You can say you stood on the equator at “La Mitad del Mundo”- I think all would agree that it’s a cheesy tourist spot but when else will you get the opportunity to have one foot in each hemisphere?

9. You can bargain for colorful jewelry, ornate rugs and indigenous artwork in the largest outdoor market in South America, Otavlo- Okay so most guys (including Matt) will probably not be uber-thrilled with spending the day shopping but there really is no better way to get all your souvenir/Christmas shopping done in one spot for so cheap. Plus, the bus ride there and back is pretty amazing at $3 r/t for seeing the countryside. Just be sure to pack the Dramamine for all those mountain switchbacks.

10. Me!- Spending time with Alea (who we will forevermore lovingly refer to as T’Alia) truly was the best part of the trip. She is an excellent hostess and tour guide, not to mention interpreter.

So what are you waiting for? Come join Alea’s exclusive club of Visiting Adventurers.

-Signed (with love),
Ariana Landry