Hello all,
Well it's officially 2012. Incredible. So much has happened in the past few weeks and months and year I can't even fathom it. I think New Year's is my favorite holiday because it forces us to evaluate the entire past year and look towards the future. I love that! So much has happened in the past year. I fell in love with Shadow (well, that was a little more than a year ago...but close enough!), I graduated from college (again!), I was accepted into the Peace Corps...and I moved to Ecuador. What a roller coaster ride my life has been.
Despite the fact that I'm thousands of miles from the people I love the most in this entire world, I had a great Christmas and New Year's celebration with fellow PCV's and Ecuadorians. Jordan (my PCV neighbor) and I had a Christmas cookie decorating party on the roof at our apartments and made DOZENS and DOZENS of cut-out sugar cookies for our friends to decorate. We made tons of homemade icing of different colors and, of course, sprinkles!!! A bunch of my CEPAM co-workers came, some Ecua-friends, and our host family, and fellow PCV's. Everyone loved it so much and I took tons of pics. I also made Buckeyes (Hello, Ohio!!!!!!!) and they were a HUGE hit!!! I still am snacking on a plate of them...hehehe...
For Christmas I went to Riobamba to visit Orrin and some PCV's in the sierra (it's about 5 hrs from Guayaquil, my homeee). It was an awesome trip! Orrin is the best host ever and he had bunches of fun, relaxing things for us to do. We saw the Christmas lights in the park, ate cevichochos (my favorite Sierran snack!), went to a live animal market (I have tons of pics!!!), cooked DELICIOUS food, drank too much beer (started at 10am on Christmas morning...Merry Christmas, everyone!!!), and climbed freaking Chimborazo. Jesus, it was crazy!!! Chimbo (as we now call it since we're buds - lol) is an inactive volcano here in the Andes Mountains known as being the furthest point from the center of the Earth and the highest point in all of Ecuador at an altitude of about 21,000 feet. We went up to the second refuge and it was absolutely one of the most incredible things I've ever done in my entire life. I actually cried when we got up there because it was so overwhelmingly breathtaking and I just wished Shadow could've been there by my side. When he comes to Ecuador we're DEFINITELY gonna climb it!!! No doubt. It was totally incredible and I'll post pics on my photo page eventually - I'm slacking on that, as usual!!! Ugh...
Anyway, then for New Years I took a wonderful trip with Anna (my best friend here!!!!) to her site in another province of Ecuador then from there we went to a farm in El Carmen which is a teeny village amongst miles and miles of plantain trees (a type of banana). Her host mother's parents live there, so we stayed with them and the whole family for 3 days. We took a tour of the farm (I have tons of pics, of course...), saw a cock fight (it wasn't really legit, just a demonstration because the family fights cocks...), set off fireworks, danced salsa all night long on New Years Eve, drank way too much, ate delicious food, took lots of bucket showers with rain water in an outdoor shed, burned a life-sized man to celebrate New Years, laughed at drunken men, found refuge under the mosquito net at night, yelled at each other to communicate under the rain pouring on a tin roof all night long...etc, etc, etc. It was nuts. Such a good time. There aren't even words to describe it but I'm trying my best...I could write a book...
Anyway, I'm back to work today at CEPAM!!! It's the first official day back to the grind and I hope it goes well. Vamos a ver. I wanted to let all of you know that I have officially started a 365 project!!!!! It's the photo project where I'll take and upload a photo everyday of the year and post it to this website with a description and whatnot. I think it will be really awesome and will help me to remember cool things that I've done and to share them with everyone. The website is:
www.365project.org/sheburnsbright/365
That should take you right there and you can check out my pics as I go through the year!!! I'm so excited about this!!! :) :) :)
Well take care and keep in touch!!!
Don't forget....
my e-mail address is everlys1561@gmail.com...
my photo site is www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright
and my new 365 photo project is www.365project.org/sheburnsbright/365
Those are tons of ways to keep track of me and see what crazy adventures I'm having...
Much, much love from Sur America,
Sarita
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Hello, world...here are some of my recent realizations...
Hey all,
Well here I am, almost 2 weeks after my most recent post when I was sicksicksick. I'm now feeling better, but let me tell you, this Guayaquil heat is UNBEARABLE. I'm not kidding. There are two seasons here: winter and summer. However, those titles are deceiving. During "winter" it actually gets HOTTER instead of COLDER (which my North-American-Midwestern-programmed brain thinks is just totally illogical...it's winter and I'm getting a tan?????? WHAT???)...and it rains, apparently. Which makes is humid. Basically my body is rebelling because it's December 13th and I'm suffering from heat-related maladies which has never ever happened in December as long as I have lived. I have no energy. I have no desire to do anything PC related. My head hurts. My stomach hurts. I have no appetite. Ughh. Anyway...asi es la vida...
So things are getting all geared up for Christmas around these parts (around ALL parts, I'm sure...). I have a party at my counterpart foundation this coming week...and a family/family friends party this Saturday night starting at 9:30pm "hasta el cuerpo aguanta" (until the body can't handle any more - Spanish is hilarious...I'm sure they'll be too much sangria served there, too...ahhhhhh...) so that will be exciting! The girls and I are doing a little crafty exchange too. It shold be fun. I have a bunch of gifts to make/buy, however, which I'm sort of dreading. These "secreto amigo" things (like a Secret Santa gift exchange) are making me crazy because I'm not good at getting stuff for people I don't know very well. : / Oh well. It's all good in da' hood.
On a more profound note, I've realized something today. It was something I've always known but I really just had a moment of clarity and understanding that was really powerful. Living here in this dirty, insanely hot city has really and truly made me appreciate running water. I know it may sound stupid and obvious, but whatever, I'm going to explain this anyway....
After a long, stressful, hot day (with a sweaty, sticky run thrown in there, as well), there is not one thing better than bathing with running water. I don't even care that it's a cold shower (which is a luxury that I have taken for granted my whole entire life). As a matter of fact, sometimes these cold showers make me remember that I'm alive!!!! They kick the air right out of my lungs, make me shiver, and make my teeth chatter, but darn it, I'm alive!!!!! What a wonderful thing. A couple weekends ago I didn't have running water for a day. No big deal, right? Yeah, it really wasn't a big deal, to be honest. A lot of my fellow PCV friends have to walk to fetch their water - this is a reality for sooo many people (not just PCV's, obviously). I mean, I've taken a bucket shower at my best PCV friend's house and it was actually a pretty neat experience. A different way of doing things. - Is it weird that I'm talking this in-depth about my bathing experiences??? lol - But anyway...the moral of this story is that I appreciate my icy cold shower here in this sticky, hot, dirty city. Period.
This coming year (OMG - 2012 is SO close!!!!) I plan to start a photo-blog thing. It's called "The 365 Project" (or something similar to that) and the basis of it is that I'll take a photo every single day for the entire year and upload it for everyone to see. There's also space to describe it and whatnot. I think it's a SUPER cool idea (some of my friends are already doing it, actually), it's another way for me to document my first year of service, and it'll be another awesome way for you guys to keep informed of my crazy life. How's that sound??? :) :) :) I'm super pumped. I'll update you all with the link when 2012 rolls around and I get started. :)
Well, I suppose that's enough for now. I hope you're all doing well!!!! I'm sending TONS of love and positivity through the miles, I promise. Can you feel it?? Feel free to e-mail me (everlys1561@gmail.com) to keep me posted about your lives. I feel like my blog is so one-sided and selfish sometimes...I just ramble about myself to people who I hope are reading because they care about me, but for all I know it could be a bunch of strangers....I don't know.....I'm rambling. Anyway, much love and positivity. Besos!!!
P.S. So it's almost 10pm and the garbage truck is going around town. I hear it because a few days ago it started playing ice-cream truck music REALLY loudly as it drives around town. So confusing. Ice cream or garbage?? Take your pick. LOL I'm gonna take a video of it someday because it seriously makes me laugh every single night.......
Well here I am, almost 2 weeks after my most recent post when I was sicksicksick. I'm now feeling better, but let me tell you, this Guayaquil heat is UNBEARABLE. I'm not kidding. There are two seasons here: winter and summer. However, those titles are deceiving. During "winter" it actually gets HOTTER instead of COLDER (which my North-American-Midwestern-programmed brain thinks is just totally illogical...it's winter and I'm getting a tan?????? WHAT???)...and it rains, apparently. Which makes is humid. Basically my body is rebelling because it's December 13th and I'm suffering from heat-related maladies which has never ever happened in December as long as I have lived. I have no energy. I have no desire to do anything PC related. My head hurts. My stomach hurts. I have no appetite. Ughh. Anyway...asi es la vida...
So things are getting all geared up for Christmas around these parts (around ALL parts, I'm sure...). I have a party at my counterpart foundation this coming week...and a family/family friends party this Saturday night starting at 9:30pm "hasta el cuerpo aguanta" (until the body can't handle any more - Spanish is hilarious...I'm sure they'll be too much sangria served there, too...ahhhhhh...) so that will be exciting! The girls and I are doing a little crafty exchange too. It shold be fun. I have a bunch of gifts to make/buy, however, which I'm sort of dreading. These "secreto amigo" things (like a Secret Santa gift exchange) are making me crazy because I'm not good at getting stuff for people I don't know very well. : / Oh well. It's all good in da' hood.
On a more profound note, I've realized something today. It was something I've always known but I really just had a moment of clarity and understanding that was really powerful. Living here in this dirty, insanely hot city has really and truly made me appreciate running water. I know it may sound stupid and obvious, but whatever, I'm going to explain this anyway....
After a long, stressful, hot day (with a sweaty, sticky run thrown in there, as well), there is not one thing better than bathing with running water. I don't even care that it's a cold shower (which is a luxury that I have taken for granted my whole entire life). As a matter of fact, sometimes these cold showers make me remember that I'm alive!!!! They kick the air right out of my lungs, make me shiver, and make my teeth chatter, but darn it, I'm alive!!!!! What a wonderful thing. A couple weekends ago I didn't have running water for a day. No big deal, right? Yeah, it really wasn't a big deal, to be honest. A lot of my fellow PCV friends have to walk to fetch their water - this is a reality for sooo many people (not just PCV's, obviously). I mean, I've taken a bucket shower at my best PCV friend's house and it was actually a pretty neat experience. A different way of doing things. - Is it weird that I'm talking this in-depth about my bathing experiences??? lol - But anyway...the moral of this story is that I appreciate my icy cold shower here in this sticky, hot, dirty city. Period.
This coming year (OMG - 2012 is SO close!!!!) I plan to start a photo-blog thing. It's called "The 365 Project" (or something similar to that) and the basis of it is that I'll take a photo every single day for the entire year and upload it for everyone to see. There's also space to describe it and whatnot. I think it's a SUPER cool idea (some of my friends are already doing it, actually), it's another way for me to document my first year of service, and it'll be another awesome way for you guys to keep informed of my crazy life. How's that sound??? :) :) :) I'm super pumped. I'll update you all with the link when 2012 rolls around and I get started. :)
Well, I suppose that's enough for now. I hope you're all doing well!!!! I'm sending TONS of love and positivity through the miles, I promise. Can you feel it?? Feel free to e-mail me (everlys1561@gmail.com) to keep me posted about your lives. I feel like my blog is so one-sided and selfish sometimes...I just ramble about myself to people who I hope are reading because they care about me, but for all I know it could be a bunch of strangers....I don't know.....I'm rambling. Anyway, much love and positivity. Besos!!!
P.S. So it's almost 10pm and the garbage truck is going around town. I hear it because a few days ago it started playing ice-cream truck music REALLY loudly as it drives around town. So confusing. Ice cream or garbage?? Take your pick. LOL I'm gonna take a video of it someday because it seriously makes me laugh every single night.......
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Sick...again....
So here we go again, sick sick sick. Woke up at 4am with the worst fever of my life. Threw up this morning. Exhausted now. Just want someone to take care of me...ugh. Luckily Jordan and my host family have taken awesome care of me! And, of course, Nurse Kelly. Man, she is just a doll. Thanks everyone!!!! Hopefully I'll be up and at 'em sooner than later...
Being sick here has got to be one of the scariest and worst feelings I've experienced ever in my life. Other than the fear that is always included in what I like to call "daily life." Fear and sickness. They're terrible.
I would give anything to be laying on the couch at my parent's house in Ohio...with some crackers, clean water, tea, a big warm blanket, my dumb dog, being doted on by my two wonderful parents. I really have taken that for granted my whole life...including when I lived at college, a hour way from home. My mom would drop anything to come take care of me and was always a phone call away (a CHEAP phone call - lol). Not to mention my awesome boyfriend who has come over to my apartment on numerous occasions to make me toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. He ever brought me a little Bonsai tree once, to make me feel better. It worked. Now we're so far away and I feel so helpless. Luckily, as I said, I do have other volunteers close and my hose family wants nothing more than for me to be healthy and happy. I'm a lucky girl.
I feel like sickness can make or break a volunteer, and I know it has before. It's just an awful feeling to be sick in a strange, unfamiliar, lonely place. Ugh. Awful. Totally awful.
I would like to take the time to send my complete and utter love and positive thoughts to the Vogt family in central Ohio. I have been thinking of Nick constantly and I can't even explain my feelings of total compassion for the entire Vogt family, especially Nick. This whole situation breaks my heart every time that I think about it, so I can't even imagine how they feel. I haven't even brought myself to read the Advocate article or the blog about him because I will just completely lose it. I even have dreams about him. I am so sorry. I pray that he will be okay and that he will continue to follow his dreams and do what makes him happy. I love you, Vogt family. And, of course, I love you, Nick!!! <3 <3 <3
Anyway, I'm gonna go rest. I'm just exhausted. However - other news first! I moved into my new apartment today! I am so thrilled, despite my illness that has me down and out. This is the cutest apt ever imagined and I can't wait to feel better and get settled in. Of course I also need to post pics to my photo page (www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright) but I'm totally behind on doing that. :( :( :( UGH. Just not enough hours in the day. I also need to go to the ATM and buy a shower curtain. No curtain, no shower! Uh ohhhh...
Much love,
Sarita
Being sick here has got to be one of the scariest and worst feelings I've experienced ever in my life. Other than the fear that is always included in what I like to call "daily life." Fear and sickness. They're terrible.
I would give anything to be laying on the couch at my parent's house in Ohio...with some crackers, clean water, tea, a big warm blanket, my dumb dog, being doted on by my two wonderful parents. I really have taken that for granted my whole life...including when I lived at college, a hour way from home. My mom would drop anything to come take care of me and was always a phone call away (a CHEAP phone call - lol). Not to mention my awesome boyfriend who has come over to my apartment on numerous occasions to make me toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. He ever brought me a little Bonsai tree once, to make me feel better. It worked. Now we're so far away and I feel so helpless. Luckily, as I said, I do have other volunteers close and my hose family wants nothing more than for me to be healthy and happy. I'm a lucky girl.
I feel like sickness can make or break a volunteer, and I know it has before. It's just an awful feeling to be sick in a strange, unfamiliar, lonely place. Ugh. Awful. Totally awful.
I would like to take the time to send my complete and utter love and positive thoughts to the Vogt family in central Ohio. I have been thinking of Nick constantly and I can't even explain my feelings of total compassion for the entire Vogt family, especially Nick. This whole situation breaks my heart every time that I think about it, so I can't even imagine how they feel. I haven't even brought myself to read the Advocate article or the blog about him because I will just completely lose it. I even have dreams about him. I am so sorry. I pray that he will be okay and that he will continue to follow his dreams and do what makes him happy. I love you, Vogt family. And, of course, I love you, Nick!!! <3 <3 <3
Anyway, I'm gonna go rest. I'm just exhausted. However - other news first! I moved into my new apartment today! I am so thrilled, despite my illness that has me down and out. This is the cutest apt ever imagined and I can't wait to feel better and get settled in. Of course I also need to post pics to my photo page (www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright) but I'm totally behind on doing that. :( :( :( UGH. Just not enough hours in the day. I also need to go to the ATM and buy a shower curtain. No curtain, no shower! Uh ohhhh...
Much love,
Sarita
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Allergic to Mangos?????,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Hello world!
I hope all is well in North America! I'm living it up down here in Sur America, doin' my thing, you know. I just got back from Reconnect in Quito a couple days ago. It was a week long conference type thing at the PC Training Center for the purpose of "reconnecting" with us after our first 3 months of service. It was really nice to see the other fantastic volunteers from my Omnibus (106, baby!!!), to hang with the awesome host family I lived with during my first 3 months here, eat the amazing Sierra food again, etc, etc.
My host family in Tumbaco is incredible! They wanted to decorate for Christmas with me so we did that on Thursday. I have tons of pics that I'll be sharing on my photobucket (www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright) ASAP. They are just so sweet. Mama made me a little Christmas decoration to put in my new apt where I'll be moving ya mismo (I hope!). They let me put the Christmas tree-topper on. They made my favorite Ecuadorian meals. Mayrita made me a really pretty pair of earrings. We laughed and reminisced for hours. It was just what I needed. I really feel like a part of their family which is such a wonderful feeling. It really is. Thanks, Mora family!!! I love you! I'll send pics soon!
Of course being back in Tumbaco was also awesome! I ate cevichochos daily (I'm going to make them here in Guayaquil soon!!!), went to the delish panaderias, walked the Ciclovia, remembered how hard it is to keep my feet clean there (hello, dusty roads!!!), and drank too much at Bodegon (now called Donde John's???!!!...what???). Yeah. All of those things really reminded me of training and how my first impressions of Ecuador compare to my daily life here. Tumbaco and Guayaquil are like 2 different lives, really. And my life back home is much different than both of my lives here. It's really fascinating.
Funny story. After my lips swelled, itched, pussed, and irritated me beyond belief, I talked to one of the PC Doctors about my concern...she told he I have herpes!!! OMG EW. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??? Gross. She gave me some cream and told me to talk to her in a few days. A few days later I just got worse...and more worried...what is wrong with me???? Talked to her again & she wrote me a prescription for allergy tablets and cream. Allergies??? I never have allergies...??? AHHH! I went to get the prescriptions and the pharmacist wanted to charge me $25. But I'm broke! Called the Doc to ask if they're trying to over charge me. She then asked me a very random question..."Sarah, I have a question for you...have you been eating mangos lately??" OMG, YES!!!!!!!! I HAVE been eating mangos lately because during one of my runs last week, I ran by this man who was picking mangos from a tree near his tienda and he threw one to me (yes, just like Rocky in Rocky I!!! It was SO cool...)...then after my run he gave me an entire bag of them...which I ate all of them in like 3 days before my trip to Quito. I am SO allergic to mangos, it's not even funny. Gross!!!! At least it's not herpes though, right? LOL What a life I lead...
Anyway, I still feel gross from my trip and my mango reaction, so I think I'm gonna head to my bed for a nap. I need to go to the Mercado Caraguay but I'm just faltaring on energy right now. I'm uploading some new pics to my photobucket, so please check them out!!! Feel free to comment and whatnot!!!! And it's a public page so share with your friends!!!!! www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright
Much love. And watch out for the mangos...apparently us Ohioans don't have bodily resistance to their crazy acidity!!!!
I hope all is well in North America! I'm living it up down here in Sur America, doin' my thing, you know. I just got back from Reconnect in Quito a couple days ago. It was a week long conference type thing at the PC Training Center for the purpose of "reconnecting" with us after our first 3 months of service. It was really nice to see the other fantastic volunteers from my Omnibus (106, baby!!!), to hang with the awesome host family I lived with during my first 3 months here, eat the amazing Sierra food again, etc, etc.
My host family in Tumbaco is incredible! They wanted to decorate for Christmas with me so we did that on Thursday. I have tons of pics that I'll be sharing on my photobucket (www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright) ASAP. They are just so sweet. Mama made me a little Christmas decoration to put in my new apt where I'll be moving ya mismo (I hope!). They let me put the Christmas tree-topper on. They made my favorite Ecuadorian meals. Mayrita made me a really pretty pair of earrings. We laughed and reminisced for hours. It was just what I needed. I really feel like a part of their family which is such a wonderful feeling. It really is. Thanks, Mora family!!! I love you! I'll send pics soon!
Of course being back in Tumbaco was also awesome! I ate cevichochos daily (I'm going to make them here in Guayaquil soon!!!), went to the delish panaderias, walked the Ciclovia, remembered how hard it is to keep my feet clean there (hello, dusty roads!!!), and drank too much at Bodegon (now called Donde John's???!!!...what???). Yeah. All of those things really reminded me of training and how my first impressions of Ecuador compare to my daily life here. Tumbaco and Guayaquil are like 2 different lives, really. And my life back home is much different than both of my lives here. It's really fascinating.
Funny story. After my lips swelled, itched, pussed, and irritated me beyond belief, I talked to one of the PC Doctors about my concern...she told he I have herpes!!! OMG EW. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??? Gross. She gave me some cream and told me to talk to her in a few days. A few days later I just got worse...and more worried...what is wrong with me???? Talked to her again & she wrote me a prescription for allergy tablets and cream. Allergies??? I never have allergies...??? AHHH! I went to get the prescriptions and the pharmacist wanted to charge me $25. But I'm broke! Called the Doc to ask if they're trying to over charge me. She then asked me a very random question..."Sarah, I have a question for you...have you been eating mangos lately??" OMG, YES!!!!!!!! I HAVE been eating mangos lately because during one of my runs last week, I ran by this man who was picking mangos from a tree near his tienda and he threw one to me (yes, just like Rocky in Rocky I!!! It was SO cool...)...then after my run he gave me an entire bag of them...which I ate all of them in like 3 days before my trip to Quito. I am SO allergic to mangos, it's not even funny. Gross!!!! At least it's not herpes though, right? LOL What a life I lead...
Anyway, I still feel gross from my trip and my mango reaction, so I think I'm gonna head to my bed for a nap. I need to go to the Mercado Caraguay but I'm just faltaring on energy right now. I'm uploading some new pics to my photobucket, so please check them out!!! Feel free to comment and whatnot!!!! And it's a public page so share with your friends!!!!! www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright
Much love. And watch out for the mangos...apparently us Ohioans don't have bodily resistance to their crazy acidity!!!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Newssssss!!!
This is going to be a super short post because I've been on this computer more today than I have in my entire 5 months living here. I've been working on my Reconnect presentation for next week in Tumbaco and have been browsing around online which I never EVER do. It was nice for a while but now my eyes are just killing me and I need to shut this machine off and store it away in my closet for it to collect dust for a few weeks. Ugh.
Anyway, things have been good for the most part. I went to Chone and Bahia last week for the feriado (national holiday). The holiday here was El Dia de los Difuntos (it's like Day of the Dead, I'm sure most of you have heard of that...) and the whole country basically shuts down and travels/parties/celebrates for 3 week days and then, of course, the weekend. That left 5 wonderful days for me to travel all over tarnation and spend time with Anna, my bestest friend!!! We had SOOO many adventures but I'm too exhausted to recount all of them. I do have a super detailed journal that I'm keeping, though, also, so maybe someday when I'm looking for things to talk about I can retell all of our adventures. Well at least some of them...hehehe. Heheehe...ok...moving on...
Anyway, the point of this post (It does have a point! I promise!) is to let all of you know that I have a PHOTO PAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since I don't have facebook anymore I've decided to start a photo-sharing website since no one knows what's going on in my life, where I live, where I go, what I do, etc. That is, in fact, one thing I miss about facebook. The sharing of photos and experiences. But, trust me, facebook-less life has been beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful. I've decided to use photobucket.com to share my pics because it has few restrictions and limits of album size, amounts of photos, etc.
The link to my page is: www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright
(Yes, it's like my name for this blog!!! I'm so clever...have I ever told you guys what that means, anyway? Maybe some other time I'll contar the story...hehe)
I have only uploaded 1 album to the site but it's pretty cool. It's pics from my first weeks in Ecuador and although I already uploaded some of them onto facebook I wanted to add them to the photobucket to "start from scratch" and whatnot. I'll SLOWLY but SURELY be uploading pics to new albums and whatnot. I have TONS AND LOAD of pics to add, but please be patient. I don't get online a lot and when I do the internet is slow which doesn't make for good photo uploading situations. The photo page is public so share it with your friends (okay, maybe when I get cooler pics on it??...)...you can also comment on the pics sort of like facebook so please do!!!...oh, and Peace Corps Omni 10ers...please share this page with our fellow PCV's, would you? There are some great pics of you guys in the album and, as I said, more pics will be coming eventually. Keep your eyes peeled.
I hope you enjoy the pics! Please e-mail me (everlys1561@gmail.com) with questions, comments, encouragement, etc.
MUCH love from Ecuador.
Besos xoxo
Sarita
Anyway, things have been good for the most part. I went to Chone and Bahia last week for the feriado (national holiday). The holiday here was El Dia de los Difuntos (it's like Day of the Dead, I'm sure most of you have heard of that...) and the whole country basically shuts down and travels/parties/celebrates for 3 week days and then, of course, the weekend. That left 5 wonderful days for me to travel all over tarnation and spend time with Anna, my bestest friend!!! We had SOOO many adventures but I'm too exhausted to recount all of them. I do have a super detailed journal that I'm keeping, though, also, so maybe someday when I'm looking for things to talk about I can retell all of our adventures. Well at least some of them...hehehe. Heheehe...ok...moving on...
Anyway, the point of this post (It does have a point! I promise!) is to let all of you know that I have a PHOTO PAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since I don't have facebook anymore I've decided to start a photo-sharing website since no one knows what's going on in my life, where I live, where I go, what I do, etc. That is, in fact, one thing I miss about facebook. The sharing of photos and experiences. But, trust me, facebook-less life has been beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful. I've decided to use photobucket.com to share my pics because it has few restrictions and limits of album size, amounts of photos, etc.
The link to my page is: www.photobucket.com/sheburnsbright
(Yes, it's like my name for this blog!!! I'm so clever...have I ever told you guys what that means, anyway? Maybe some other time I'll contar the story...hehe)
I have only uploaded 1 album to the site but it's pretty cool. It's pics from my first weeks in Ecuador and although I already uploaded some of them onto facebook I wanted to add them to the photobucket to "start from scratch" and whatnot. I'll SLOWLY but SURELY be uploading pics to new albums and whatnot. I have TONS AND LOAD of pics to add, but please be patient. I don't get online a lot and when I do the internet is slow which doesn't make for good photo uploading situations. The photo page is public so share it with your friends (okay, maybe when I get cooler pics on it??...)...you can also comment on the pics sort of like facebook so please do!!!...oh, and Peace Corps Omni 10ers...please share this page with our fellow PCV's, would you? There are some great pics of you guys in the album and, as I said, more pics will be coming eventually. Keep your eyes peeled.
I hope you enjoy the pics! Please e-mail me (everlys1561@gmail.com) with questions, comments, encouragement, etc.
MUCH love from Ecuador.
Besos xoxo
Sarita
Monday, October 24, 2011
I like my gringas...burnt to a crisp...
Super stressed, don´t want to talk about it. Anyway...
I went to the beach this weekend!!! Hello, Playas, Ecuador! It was nice to meet you, por fin. You are beautiful and weird and wonderful just like the majority of the other Ecuadorian oddities I encounter on a daily basis. Who knew that a 2 hour, $2.75 bus ride could´ve been just what I needed to relax. (Ugh, I´m so high-strung in this city...but I´m so irritated about it that I can´t even think about it or I might explode, literally...)
Anyway...the beach. Thank the Lord. Salt water, huge waves, beers at 11am..., random vendors selling sunglasses, dresses/clothes/shorts, encebollado on the beach, crickets made out of palm leaves, yanno, the usual. OH - and the sun. There was a lot of sun. Despite our repeated application of ¨bloqueador¨ (sun screen...)...we got FRIED. Absolutely and 100% fried. I almost had to call Peace Corps Nurse Kelly at 10pm when a compañera (Sarita!!!) got violently ill. It was just ridiculous how burnt we got. I can´t lay on my back or stomach. I take ibuprophen 4 times a day (yes, this coming from the weird girl who refuses to take medication...), I´ve applied 3 various kinds of aloe-based lotions/creams/gels repeatedly...it´s just insane. I hurt all over. It´s so dumb. My tattoos hate me (although, I must admit, they are the ONLY part of my body that I covered with sunscreen because I love them so much!) We could barely wake up to go with Bridge for her AIDS support group workshop in the morning because we were just SICK from the sun. So silly. Apparently living on the equator has it´s quirks...as if we didn´t know that before. I guess we just got another really painful lesson in equator-living......
Ahh, well, I had a nice weekend despite my serious burns.
OH ANOTHER CRAZY STORY.......
Checked my mail Thursday and YAY I got a letter from my brother Zak (thanks, Stinky Bubba!!!) and my Uncle Toby (thanks, Tobs!!) and a slip advising me that I have a package to pick up from my MAMA BEAR!!!!!!! Please, let me grace you all with the story.......
1.) I took the slip to the normal package pick-up window and am directed to the other part of the post office, around the corner
2.) I go there
3.) The guard at the door informs me that I need 2 copies (2? No idea why...) of my ¨cedula¨ (identification) and passport in order to enter the building
4.) I go make copies across the street and return to the guard...he signs some papers illegibly and unlocks the dumb secure door to let me upstairs
5.) I go upstairs, take a number, sit around and watch Sarah open amazing packages from her super awesome family (she got her packages with no problem because they were under 4 kilos...that is like the Peace Corps recommendation but my mom is just so cool that she can´t follow the rules....lolol, thanks mama!)
6.) Finally the guards let me cut in front of a bunch of people (I think...)...and I give my slips of paper to a young Ecuadorian lad sitting behind a glass window...he types some stuff in a computer and directs me to the customer service desk (yes, they actually have those here...se llama ¨servicio al cliente¨)
7.) I take another number, sit around some more, eat a Reese Cup from the good ol´ USA and lick the wrapper...(thanks, Sarah´s family!!!!!!), por fin I talk to the lady at the desk...she tells me that I have to accept the package and the ¨impuestos¨ (taxes) involved so I do that...
8.) She then tells me that the taxes are $70...
9.) I almost puke but compose myself just in time...
10). She also proceeds to tell me that I can´t pay at the post office, but instead I have to go to the bank (ANY bank...cualquiera...) to pay the money directly into the post office´s account (what??????)...so despite the fact that I´m a broke Peace Corps Volunteer, I go to the bank with all my jolly papers...
11.) I get my money out of the ATM and head to a bank where we proceed to wait in a line for 30 minutes (banks are ALWAYS ALWAYS packed full here...alwaysss)
12.) After joking with Sarah about how this probably isn´t even going to be a fruitful bank trip because I probably don´t have the correct papers...and after discussing a colon irrigation system with a strange man...IN ENGLISH...we get to the front desk at the bank and it´s our turn!!! YAY!!!
13.) That´s when I hear the following line: ¨Umm, you need another paper. We can´t process the payment with these ones...¨
14.) CHUZO!!!!!! Umm.......crud.........so we head back to the post office (I´m almost in tears at this point...)
15.) I talk to another bank worker and he tells me that I need to come back Monday because I have to wait 48 hours after the package was accepted to even print out the paper I need for the payment (wish I would´ve known that in the first place...thanks...)
16.) So I go home, explain this dumb story to anyone and everyone who will listen...and Ryan and I go back to the post office today (Monday, just like the guy told me) so get my package, por fin...HOWEVER, the nice bank man tells me that no one sent in a copy of my passport and cedula to Customs on Thursday when I went initially...
17.) He said he´d send it right away (ya mismo...)....and the punch line of the story??? I have to go back tomorrow............and repeat steps 1 - 12........
OMG, shoot me.
(*NOTE: I hope this post doesn´t discourage anyone from sending me packages!!!! There are only Customs issues like those mentioned above if they are over 4 pounds, that´s all. Mom just thought she was above the international mail rules. LOL Please feel free to send me anything! I have gotten several things/envelopes/packages/letters with no problems. My e-mail address is in the previous blog post and if you e-mail me I will send you my mailing address. Thank you for understanding...and following the rules so I don´t have to pay $70, 4 hours of my life, and lots of grey hairs just to pick up a packageee....)
I hope this gives everyone a little peek into my life. LOL Okay, so these things don´t happen everyday and they are perhaps not a fair representation of what I deal with...but this is it for me. This is that I have done in the past few days...
I´m living the dream, man. I´m enduring paradise...enduring paradise!!!!!
I love you, Guayaquil. I really do.
OMG - BY THE WAY - Happy 1 YEAR anniversary to Shadow and I today. This has been the craziest, most eventful, wonderful, insane, stressful, exciting, hardest, most profound, and satisfying year of my entire life. Thank you, Sugar. You are the best. I love you with all my heart. Come visit me now, dang it!!!! Come and keep me sane in this crazy place. I adore you. Un montón de besos...
I went to the beach this weekend!!! Hello, Playas, Ecuador! It was nice to meet you, por fin. You are beautiful and weird and wonderful just like the majority of the other Ecuadorian oddities I encounter on a daily basis. Who knew that a 2 hour, $2.75 bus ride could´ve been just what I needed to relax. (Ugh, I´m so high-strung in this city...but I´m so irritated about it that I can´t even think about it or I might explode, literally...)
Anyway...the beach. Thank the Lord. Salt water, huge waves, beers at 11am..., random vendors selling sunglasses, dresses/clothes/shorts, encebollado on the beach, crickets made out of palm leaves, yanno, the usual. OH - and the sun. There was a lot of sun. Despite our repeated application of ¨bloqueador¨ (sun screen...)...we got FRIED. Absolutely and 100% fried. I almost had to call Peace Corps Nurse Kelly at 10pm when a compañera (Sarita!!!) got violently ill. It was just ridiculous how burnt we got. I can´t lay on my back or stomach. I take ibuprophen 4 times a day (yes, this coming from the weird girl who refuses to take medication...), I´ve applied 3 various kinds of aloe-based lotions/creams/gels repeatedly...it´s just insane. I hurt all over. It´s so dumb. My tattoos hate me (although, I must admit, they are the ONLY part of my body that I covered with sunscreen because I love them so much!) We could barely wake up to go with Bridge for her AIDS support group workshop in the morning because we were just SICK from the sun. So silly. Apparently living on the equator has it´s quirks...as if we didn´t know that before. I guess we just got another really painful lesson in equator-living......
Ahh, well, I had a nice weekend despite my serious burns.
OH ANOTHER CRAZY STORY.......
Checked my mail Thursday and YAY I got a letter from my brother Zak (thanks, Stinky Bubba!!!) and my Uncle Toby (thanks, Tobs!!) and a slip advising me that I have a package to pick up from my MAMA BEAR!!!!!!! Please, let me grace you all with the story.......
1.) I took the slip to the normal package pick-up window and am directed to the other part of the post office, around the corner
2.) I go there
3.) The guard at the door informs me that I need 2 copies (2? No idea why...) of my ¨cedula¨ (identification) and passport in order to enter the building
4.) I go make copies across the street and return to the guard...he signs some papers illegibly and unlocks the dumb secure door to let me upstairs
5.) I go upstairs, take a number, sit around and watch Sarah open amazing packages from her super awesome family (she got her packages with no problem because they were under 4 kilos...that is like the Peace Corps recommendation but my mom is just so cool that she can´t follow the rules....lolol, thanks mama!)
6.) Finally the guards let me cut in front of a bunch of people (I think...)...and I give my slips of paper to a young Ecuadorian lad sitting behind a glass window...he types some stuff in a computer and directs me to the customer service desk (yes, they actually have those here...se llama ¨servicio al cliente¨)
7.) I take another number, sit around some more, eat a Reese Cup from the good ol´ USA and lick the wrapper...(thanks, Sarah´s family!!!!!!), por fin I talk to the lady at the desk...she tells me that I have to accept the package and the ¨impuestos¨ (taxes) involved so I do that...
8.) She then tells me that the taxes are $70...
9.) I almost puke but compose myself just in time...
10). She also proceeds to tell me that I can´t pay at the post office, but instead I have to go to the bank (ANY bank...cualquiera...) to pay the money directly into the post office´s account (what??????)...so despite the fact that I´m a broke Peace Corps Volunteer, I go to the bank with all my jolly papers...
11.) I get my money out of the ATM and head to a bank where we proceed to wait in a line for 30 minutes (banks are ALWAYS ALWAYS packed full here...alwaysss)
12.) After joking with Sarah about how this probably isn´t even going to be a fruitful bank trip because I probably don´t have the correct papers...and after discussing a colon irrigation system with a strange man...IN ENGLISH...we get to the front desk at the bank and it´s our turn!!! YAY!!!
13.) That´s when I hear the following line: ¨Umm, you need another paper. We can´t process the payment with these ones...¨
14.) CHUZO!!!!!! Umm.......crud.........so we head back to the post office (I´m almost in tears at this point...)
15.) I talk to another bank worker and he tells me that I need to come back Monday because I have to wait 48 hours after the package was accepted to even print out the paper I need for the payment (wish I would´ve known that in the first place...thanks...)
16.) So I go home, explain this dumb story to anyone and everyone who will listen...and Ryan and I go back to the post office today (Monday, just like the guy told me) so get my package, por fin...HOWEVER, the nice bank man tells me that no one sent in a copy of my passport and cedula to Customs on Thursday when I went initially...
17.) He said he´d send it right away (ya mismo...)....and the punch line of the story??? I have to go back tomorrow............and repeat steps 1 - 12........
OMG, shoot me.
(*NOTE: I hope this post doesn´t discourage anyone from sending me packages!!!! There are only Customs issues like those mentioned above if they are over 4 pounds, that´s all. Mom just thought she was above the international mail rules. LOL Please feel free to send me anything! I have gotten several things/envelopes/packages/letters with no problems. My e-mail address is in the previous blog post and if you e-mail me I will send you my mailing address. Thank you for understanding...and following the rules so I don´t have to pay $70, 4 hours of my life, and lots of grey hairs just to pick up a packageee....)
I hope this gives everyone a little peek into my life. LOL Okay, so these things don´t happen everyday and they are perhaps not a fair representation of what I deal with...but this is it for me. This is that I have done in the past few days...
I´m living the dream, man. I´m enduring paradise...enduring paradise!!!!!
I love you, Guayaquil. I really do.
OMG - BY THE WAY - Happy 1 YEAR anniversary to Shadow and I today. This has been the craziest, most eventful, wonderful, insane, stressful, exciting, hardest, most profound, and satisfying year of my entire life. Thank you, Sugar. You are the best. I love you with all my heart. Come visit me now, dang it!!!! Come and keep me sane in this crazy place. I adore you. Un montón de besos...
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Today is...my 2nd month of service in Guayaquil!!!!!! WOWZER!
I´m alive, I promise!! I really am! I´m still kicking here in Guayaquil, livin´ the big city life as well as I can. Poco a poco I´m getting to know the city and its ins and outs. It´s a different world here compared to where I come from and por eso sometimes I feel a little loca.
I´m trying to make friends here. So far the workers in a local sanduche place have graced me with their friendship! They make the best Ecua-style vegetarian sandwiches around. And for only $1!!! Alright, my Peace Corps budget can handle that. The bartenders at Black Coffee (yes, that´s really the name of the bar...) have taken a liking to Sarah and I. We never say no to free beers and tequila shots...even on the occasional Tuesday night. :) It´s these simple things that keep me going and make me feel comfortable in my new life here.
Wanna hear a scary bus story? No? Ah well...too bad!...
So yesterday on my way home from Bridget´s house I waited about 20 minutes for a bus (the 129) on this street corner...a few of them passed but didn´t stop because they were ¨full¨ of people. Aka: no room for the lonely gringa. Anyway, finally one stopped and I hopped on, having to stand in a cramped area near the front (Ecuadorians are very small/short...and they are accomodated very comfortably in the city buses here which are tinyyy...). So I´m not really paying attention because I have a large landmark to guide my journey (the Mall del Sur which is right by my house). I thought this large landmark would be sufficient to catch my attention....
However, we began to embark on an unfamiliar road, no mall in site. At every stop a handful of people got off. The bus was emptying slowly. It´s also on it´s way to night fall which sometimes makes me nervous in my new surroundings. The only things in my view were dilapidated houses, dirt roads, rocky sidewalks, people walking too quickly, with worried, heads down...where am I?? Then the bus stops. The last few people get off. The driver turns the engine off. I am worried. ¨Disculpe, señor...¨ Apparently we had passed the mall and I didn´t even notice. Chuta!!!! So I explained to him my dilemma and he kindly offered to drive me back to the mall. Duh, gringa. Ugh. He left the bus and I´m now officially afraid of every person walking by who gazes up at me. The lonely gringa in the empty bus. Out of her element. Another bus 129 pulls up and I switch over to that one making a point to ask the driver if he´ll pass by the mall. It´s now dark dark dark and I´m later than I thought. But...asi es la vida. I was never so happy to see that silly Mall del Sur and I hopped off the bus as fast as my legs could carry me. It´s amazing how comforting familiar settings are...seeing the ¨malabaristas¨ (fire jugglers) under the bridge twirling their balls of flames has never felt so much like home. Scurrying across the streets in front of dangerously insane bus drivers never felt so good. Hearing the gross cat calls of inappropriate men has never sounded so sweet!!!!!! Ha! Oh, Guayaquil...
BREAKING NEWS: Tal vez (that means ¨perhaps¨...sorry, Spanish words are just cooler sometimes!!) some of you have noticed that I have recently deactivated my facebook. This decision was based off of the following (to put it simply...): It has been rather difficult to find my balance between my life here and my life there, in the U.S. I know that may sound silly, but it really has proven to be a challenge for me. I want to establish myself and my comfort zone here but it´s hard when I´m always trying to communicate with those in my life back home...ahhh, confusion. It´s just already an emotional/mental stress and struggle at times to be here and living my relationships and friendships through facebook just proved to be too difficult as of right now. I may ¨reactivate¨ it at some point, but only when I´m more comfortable with it. I´m sure a load of Peace Corps Volunteers are struggling with these same technology-based issues...it´s not as easy as you´d think, for those of you at home. Technology is a blessing in some ways, but it´s also very burdensome and stressful in others. I know you all can somewhat relate or at least understand what I´m saying, so I´m gonna hop off this soapbox...
Anyway, I´ll try to do better with updating my blog since I promised all of you that I´d update it WAY MORE than I am updating it currently. :)
If any of you have questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, e-mail me at everlys1561@gmail.com!!! My blog and my gmail are the only two internet-based modes of communications. I´m seriously considering starting a photo page (Picasa? Flickr? Not sure...) in order to keep all of you updated (since I obvi won´t have fbook albums to update anymore...) However, I´ll keep you posted!
Also, if any of our mutual facebook friends are asking what happened to me, please ¨no sea malito¨ (LOL Sorry...dumb Spanish talk again) please send my blog link, e-mail address, and/or skype name (sarah.everly156) to them, will you?? And if you´d like to write me an old-fashioned snail-mail or send any packages (creamy peanut butter, Reese Cups and Peanut Butter M&M´s would be greatly appreciated.....) please e-mail me and I´ll forward you my address.
So yesterday on my way home from Bridget´s house I waited about 20 minutes for a bus (the 129) on this street corner...a few of them passed but didn´t stop because they were ¨full¨ of people. Aka: no room for the lonely gringa. Anyway, finally one stopped and I hopped on, having to stand in a cramped area near the front (Ecuadorians are very small/short...and they are accomodated very comfortably in the city buses here which are tinyyy...). So I´m not really paying attention because I have a large landmark to guide my journey (the Mall del Sur which is right by my house). I thought this large landmark would be sufficient to catch my attention....
However, we began to embark on an unfamiliar road, no mall in site. At every stop a handful of people got off. The bus was emptying slowly. It´s also on it´s way to night fall which sometimes makes me nervous in my new surroundings. The only things in my view were dilapidated houses, dirt roads, rocky sidewalks, people walking too quickly, with worried, heads down...where am I?? Then the bus stops. The last few people get off. The driver turns the engine off. I am worried. ¨Disculpe, señor...¨ Apparently we had passed the mall and I didn´t even notice. Chuta!!!! So I explained to him my dilemma and he kindly offered to drive me back to the mall. Duh, gringa. Ugh. He left the bus and I´m now officially afraid of every person walking by who gazes up at me. The lonely gringa in the empty bus. Out of her element. Another bus 129 pulls up and I switch over to that one making a point to ask the driver if he´ll pass by the mall. It´s now dark dark dark and I´m later than I thought. But...asi es la vida. I was never so happy to see that silly Mall del Sur and I hopped off the bus as fast as my legs could carry me. It´s amazing how comforting familiar settings are...seeing the ¨malabaristas¨ (fire jugglers) under the bridge twirling their balls of flames has never felt so much like home. Scurrying across the streets in front of dangerously insane bus drivers never felt so good. Hearing the gross cat calls of inappropriate men has never sounded so sweet!!!!!! Ha! Oh, Guayaquil...
BREAKING NEWS: Tal vez (that means ¨perhaps¨...sorry, Spanish words are just cooler sometimes!!) some of you have noticed that I have recently deactivated my facebook. This decision was based off of the following (to put it simply...): It has been rather difficult to find my balance between my life here and my life there, in the U.S. I know that may sound silly, but it really has proven to be a challenge for me. I want to establish myself and my comfort zone here but it´s hard when I´m always trying to communicate with those in my life back home...ahhh, confusion. It´s just already an emotional/mental stress and struggle at times to be here and living my relationships and friendships through facebook just proved to be too difficult as of right now. I may ¨reactivate¨ it at some point, but only when I´m more comfortable with it. I´m sure a load of Peace Corps Volunteers are struggling with these same technology-based issues...it´s not as easy as you´d think, for those of you at home. Technology is a blessing in some ways, but it´s also very burdensome and stressful in others. I know you all can somewhat relate or at least understand what I´m saying, so I´m gonna hop off this soapbox...
Anyway, I´ll try to do better with updating my blog since I promised all of you that I´d update it WAY MORE than I am updating it currently. :)
If any of you have questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, e-mail me at everlys1561@gmail.com!!! My blog and my gmail are the only two internet-based modes of communications. I´m seriously considering starting a photo page (Picasa? Flickr? Not sure...) in order to keep all of you updated (since I obvi won´t have fbook albums to update anymore...) However, I´ll keep you posted!
Also, if any of our mutual facebook friends are asking what happened to me, please ¨no sea malito¨ (LOL Sorry...dumb Spanish talk again) please send my blog link, e-mail address, and/or skype name (sarah.everly156) to them, will you?? And if you´d like to write me an old-fashioned snail-mail or send any packages (creamy peanut butter, Reese Cups and Peanut Butter M&M´s would be greatly appreciated.....) please e-mail me and I´ll forward you my address.
Thanks for reading my dumb blog. Please don´t worry about me, I´m ok. I´m gonna go save the world now.....
Paz, amor y Ecuador,
Sarita Altita
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