Just a quick hello

Hello! I have an almost nasty cold so I decided to spend an hour or so in front of the computer instead of exploring the city like I usually spend my afternoons. (Specifically I have been on a quest to find a long sleeve tan dress shirt that cost less than $15, no luck yet. Most of the clothes are really expensive here because it's imported, and I'm generally not brave enough to go into the stores that have clothes made in  Ecuador). 

Like I mentioned on Facebook I got to go to the Middle of the World as it's called on Sunday. It was an okay trip, too expensive for my taste, and since I was sick and it was at least 90 degrees I was just sleepy the whole time. I have no regrets that I went though! I did not flush toilets on opposite sides of the equator but I did see a basin of water drain on each side as well as right on the equator (no funnel, it goes straight down). Also, we tryed walking on the equator, it was really hard! I don't understand the science behind it, but it's pretty cool.

I've been trying to find something fun to do after my volunteer work ends and before my study abroad group arrives. My last day of work is Friday the 8th, I'm kicked out of my host family on the 10th, and my group arrives on the 13th, late in the day. I really really want to go to the jungle but I haven't had the time/patience to find a trip that fits my dates. Anyone want to look for me? :) There are dozens of travel organizations, but they generally don't have the dates posted.  It's Carnaval here in Quito on the 11th and 12th, so I don't know if that makes it easier or harder to find something, but I do know I want to be doing something because apparently the city shuts down and is quite boring. 

I really am curious as to who reads my blogs/what you think/questions/advice, anything! I probably won't have the time to reply but I really love contact. And I wanna know who reads my blogs :) So please, I'd love to read any comment you have! Oh and, to all of you who love proper spelling (Alennah), I have been too lazy to figure out how to set the spell check to English and my spelling is terrible, so please don't be too hard on me :)

The most beautiful sound

Before my trip, if you had asked me what my favorite sound in the world was, I would have confidently said the sound of children's laughter. Now, that has changed a little, as I have found the purest and most joyful noise.

I have been helping out at a school for kids who are deaf or blind. It's a little different than I anticipated, but that is partially because I chose to stay in one classroom to get to know the same kids instead of switching around. There are classes for very small blind children, a class for slightly older blind children who also have disabilities, and classes for children who are deaf, and then my class where they needed the most help. I have been with six older children/teenagers who are deaf and also have cognitive disabilites. Cristhian, Lesly, Stefano, Klever, Patricio, and Alba, with an age range of 8-16.

Cristhian is the oldest and his disabilities are the least visable, and he's my buddy. We started off a little rough, he just didn't seem to want anything to do with me...all the other kids hugged me, smiled at me and would find ways to voluntarily interact with me. Cristian on the other hand is a typical teenager, not a child, he wasn't going to be instant friends with this random foreigner, let alone touch me or try and communicate. It was really weird for me at first, it's usually so easy to get kids to like you, I hated his apathetic attitude towards me. (Looking back, I was quite selfish). I didn't know how to deal with him, I didn't know how to get him to at least accept me, I generally hang out with small children. As I got to know him by watching, I realized I needed to stop thinking of him as a kid. No, he can't do academic work like most 16 year olds, but he still wants to be treated like and adult, or rather be my equal. That has been my mentality, and it has been great. Instead of (attempting to) ask him dumb questions to interact with him, I genuinely ask him for help (and man do I need it!). We play checkers and the dot game and I don't go easy on him. Also, we cheat if someone is too slow :) Our thing this past week has been to point and pretend there is something interesting than laugh when the other person turns to look. It's fun but Thursday I genuinely wanted to point out the guinea pigs running around the garden but he didn't believe me. He helps a lot with the other kids, especially Alba...

Albita is a beautiful beautiful girl, and she always looks so joyful. But the absolute only thing she likes to do is bother other people. Shaking the table, pulling ears, drawing on their paper, touching them, it never ends. Usually if the teacher isn't around Cristhian with go and sit by her because she doesn't even try to bug him, she knows he won't let it get to him. Her mom is a very sweet women who sometimes spends her whole day at the school and usually kisses me four times a day. I love how Alba "talks" to everyone. Sometimes she'll take my hand, bring me to a stanger and just started making noises and hand gestures pointing at me, showing how excited she is to have a friend. It's very sweet. I love Alba, but she definitly is tough to work with.

Not the best picture of either of us, but this is me and Pato

Patricio is also a chaos started, but usually he his motivation is trying to be apart of the group or wants something someone else has. The poor boy is significantly smaller and younger than the others and desperatly wants to be their friends. He can be the hardest to get to work, Alba will just sit and smile and "talk" when you're trying to get her to do something, it's not stress inducing. But Patricio, for the smallest things will scream and run away, it really wears on your patience when it's such a big deal for the tiniest things. There have been many times I was trying to get his attention to show him something cool but he thought I was mking him work or something so he just screamed at me and ran away. On the flip side though, he can be the sweested boy ever if he wants to. When he takes my hand and smiles at me it melts my heart. His affection is so much more valuable to me than most children's because I know just how hard it is to win him over. I am so grateful for the times his sweet side comes out.

Stefano is also very emotional, usually for the best, he's a hugger.  He gets so so so happy and enthusiastic when you give him praise. He does pretty well academically in comparison to his classmates, so he gets a lot of it.There is of course a "but," he is so crushed by negative feedback. One day our teacher was going to be busy all day so he and the other two more mature students spent thier day with a professor who is blind. So yes, the blind leading the deaf, from what I have seen that is definetly worse than the old saying the blind leading the blind. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but the teacher got very angry with Stephano and he still is talking about it with so much emotion and ends up crying. He is a good kid, loves everyone. He and Alba are both very affectionate, so everyone (including them) says that they are in love. Stefano also spends most of recess with Patricio, which is very kind of him. He is one of the three who can read and write a little, although its mostly copying things from the board.

The most academically advanced is Lesly. She really has a strong drive to  learn and do things well.  She reminds me of all the wonderful qualities in my cousin Cassie, although I can't quite figure out excatly why she makes me think of her. Lesly never ever cause or participates in trouble, is friendly to everyone and really trys so hard to do everything correctly and throughly. She is very uncomfortable when the others are misbehaving, but doesn't (yet) step in like Cristhian. I believe that as she matures and grows, she'll change and become a very strong leader who will help teach and model good behavior to the other kids. Like Cassie, she has gorgeous, long, thick hair.

Klever! This is our classroom

Last but not least we have Klever. I feel like I know him the least of all the kids, but he does make me smile a lot. He frequently trys to talk to me in signs and I never have any idea what he's saying. I always feel like he's telling me something like "haha look at that what are they doing? That's not how you do it, silly silly silly." Klever lives at the school during the week and over all is pretty mellow.

My "favorite" kid who is  blind, Adonis. Picture taken candidly by Cristhian

Sometimes I help with the blind kids across the hall, the day this picture was taken was quite a disater but a great adventure. Of the four kids, three cryed, two hurt themselves, and overall they were just very unhappy with out their  "Profe! Profe! Profe!" (Think mom mom mom mom mom). Although I think I'd rather be alone with these kids than mine! Twice now I've been put in a room with them and a blind man with an accordian to "sing." The second the door shut the kids went CRAZY. When I finally had a little bit of control (thank you Cristhian) and started a song the blind mand kept stopping the song to correct the words I was singing...but THEY'RE DEAF! T'was quite an adventure...

During recreo I hang out with 4 of the smallest deaf kids (or course). We usually play checkers. Here are three of them being crazy for the camera...

The kids at this school, especially these four niñitos changed my mind as to what the most beautiful sound in the world is...The laughter of deaf children. It is the purest and happiest sound you will ever hear. Joyful uninhibited and oh so loud! I had a great time one Friday with my kids, experiencing just how good it feels to laugh like they do. I really love them so much, and they have taught me so many important life lessons.

Please, brighten your day, and laugh with out changing it. Laugh when you want, don't try and control it, let the joy escape you, and then maybe you will get a glimpse of what the most beautiful sound in the world is.

A Picture Tour

Hello! Congratulations, if you are reading this it means you are subscribed to my blog. Your reward is getting to read the rough draft with not so great pictures early. I really wanted to give some sort of visual to those who love me the most :) but its not quite "share on Facebook" ready. Last Saturday, I walked the way I do everyday and took pictures of all the things that really stand out to me. I realized there are a lot! (So far) this post is less than a third of the pictures I took, and I only took pictures for the first 20 minute or so walking portion of my commute).

I love this little uprooted tree, just lying in the sidewalk. I really hope it doesn't get taken away. This guy would tell me when I was home those first few days when I was always lost.

(PICTURE)
My little tree.

I love love love this. I don't care who you are, what your political beliefs are...there is no way you can oppose this. To be in poverty is not a crime, and we cannot treat those who are as if they are criminals. Love this graffiti.

This is a cute daycare, there is also one by my work.
This is another favorite of mine, can you see the glass on top of the walls? It's so pretty in the morning (madrugada). 'll try to retake the picture in the morning one sunny day. This was the first building I saw like this, naiive me thought it was a joke or decorative. I do think people are a little over prepared for crime in their buildings, but everytime I've ask someone about break ins, they aren't concerned and the only thing they say to worry about is walking alone at night (obviously). Isn't that just common sense for all cities? But the glass is creative and pretty, and I just love that it's on businesses as well (like the daycare yoou just saw).

Very close to my "glass house" there is some beautiful art, aka graffiti. I just love the eyes, so cool.

Some more graffiti, there are a lot about women's rights.

Some little plants. My first day here I saw them being planted, they're so nice. Right after them is another little patch like this, but these ones are all trampled and dying.

This one makes me laugh, are they actually serious? I feel like probably not because there is so much other graffiti that is clearly a joke.

These things are all so close together, lots to see in the first few minutes of my walk. This is an example of how different the sidewalks are here. This is the worst spot I encounter, but they really are quite dangerous if you're not watching your feet. The worst is that the driveways are lower than the sidewalk so you frequently need to take a few steps down and then a few steps up. And do you like the pretty building?

I know I've been saying this about everything, but I love this plant! I touch it everyday, it's so fat and squishy looking.

Just a pretty little garden in front of a dentist office.

And right across the corner we have some more graffiti, this is what tells me it's time to turn.
I'm pretty sure "choros" is chores, but it's not in my little book (I'm really hating this dictionary) so its just a guess. It loosely translates to "in this hour I kill chores." I could be completely off with "chores," maybe it's actually something super offensive.

I love the pájaro outside of this paperlria,  I've been there three times, I bought a journal here for 95 cents.

Here it is again! I've seen it 4 or 5 times through out the city

Beautiful! I love that I get to see this gorgeous scenery on my walk, I didn't go out of my way at all to take this picture. This picture really doesn't do it justice.

Okay, I will at some point make this pretty (possibly not until May!) but I will add more pictures of my walk sooner than that. Thakn you for bearing with me as I don't have much time to make everything top notch quality!

My biggest threat...

Transportation!

With all the risky things I've had to eat, obviously illness isn't a huge threat to my time here. I haven't yet felt threatened by other people (although the only time I was out at night was with a guy), I'm not going to go crazy because of poor living conditions, overall I feel safe and comfortable. Except when I need to cross the street. I was not expecting such intense transportation here!

People don't obey the lights here, if it's still red but the other lights are yellow, they go. Or if they're just in a hurry. And the honking....I cannot figure it out. I've just sat and watched the streets trying to figure out what everyone is honking at and I honestly think people just honk when they're bored. They honk when going through an intersection (because no one stops at stop signs), they honk at stopped buses, they honk at everything. It took me a while to figure this one out, but taxis also honk at me when I'm walking telling me that they are empty. Crossing the street is really scary, and there aren't always crosswalks. At first I would try and find a mother with her young child to follow across the street, if their going it must be safe, but they have been far to risky for my taste! Today I was waiting to cross near a mom and her three year old, who was sticking her foot out in the road about a foot away from the zooming cars. Sometimes she'd pull her foot in at the last second and giggle but most times she'd just leave it there and same something like "didn't get me!" (I think).

Generally, I take this bus type thing. It is a bus, but it has its own lane in the road and little stations for stops. I think it's a good way to do public transportation, the stops are faster and more frequent than is plausible for subway type things. Only problem is how crazy crazy packed they are. When the bus pulls up to the station, the doors literally are busting open with people's bodies squished in the door. Each day I am amazed at home many people can fit into such a small space, and each day I experience just how close you have to be to strangers to fit that many people in. I did get to sit down once...but otherwise I stand there with about 6 people somehow touching me. At first, I held onto the handles to maintain my stability...that's what you're supposed to do, right? I soon learned this was a very bad idea. These handles aren't firmly attached in one place, and so I had a good three feet to slide around with the handle...not good. Now I just hold the bars that the handles are attached to, like everyone else.

I generally scream tourist by wearing my backpack backwards on my chest in the bus. Most people do it so that it doesn't get stolen, but I do it because otherwise my lunch gets all mushed. (The most important thing I keep in my backpack is my map, which is generally clutched in my hands anyway). Some of the locals do this too, but it seems like a bad idea to me, its just advertising that you have something important in there. Anyone with more experience than I have any input? I had hardly ever taken public transportation before this, and I've never lived in a city where walking on busy streets is so common.

Taxi's are so cheap here! Minimum fare is $1, and I'm not really sure how things are calculated after that, but it's cheap. I took a taxi on Thursday to practice before I actually needed to. I was in the car for about 20 minutes and it cost me $2.52. I'm sure a lot of it is that gas is cheaper here, I saw $1.46 a gallon earlier today. There are also typical buses but they scare me quite a lot. I see people jumping out of them all the time when the bus is moving twice as fast as I'm walking. And I think you have to flag them down, which is intimidating. I saw the cutest little girl today, about 7, flag one down, run towards it, and hop on before it was fully stopped. Such a different life!

Okay, this post feels a little sloppy to me but my back is hurting from this crappy chair in an internet cafe and I want to see more of the beautiful sun. I'm glad I found this cafe though, its much faster than the one I was at yesterday, 20 cents cheaper an hour, and its running Windows 8 (!!) as opposed to Vista! If you didn't see my Facebook status, I would love suggestions for games like tic tac toe to teach my new 17 year old friend. I don't think he can really read though. He loves the dot/square game, and I loved that he was finally interacting with me! I want to teach him something new, that he's never played before. Thanks for reading friends! I don't have any plans for the weekend yet, so maybe you'll hear more from me. Mon-Wed is harder though with my Spanish classes. 

Quito!

Hola! I have made it to Quito safely and everything is going great! But really, nothing has gone wrong and I'm loving it. The city is beautiful, warm, and huge of course. I walk to a bus type thing every morning squeeze into it to go to my "work." So far, I've been hanging out with a small group of teenagers who are deaf and also have cognitive disabilities. Hardly any communication yet, but it's still great! After my time there, I take the bus back to the same spot (which is such a relief, one less area of the city to remember), and then I get lost on my way to my Spanish classes. My lessons are Mon-Wed for 2 hours and all 1:1. Its been a tad boring with review (present tense irregulars for those who know what I'm talking about), but I really like my maestra and am overall very happy with them.

I have had a ton of delicious food and most of it is stuff that should have made my American stomach sick, but all is well! For example...
-apples (although they were from the US...?)
-salad
-berry smoothie
-juice made with water from who knows where
-pork/pork skin (I think)
-watermelon
-and I've brushed my teeth with the water

My host family is fairly wealthy, and they are Christians. The girl is 16 and knows far more about American media than I do...she is obsessed with Glee. Her English is astonishing, mostly because she truly wants to learn, and she completely immerses herself in it. The house is very nice, warm shower,  big room to myself, full kitchen, shiny wood floors and two cute little dogs.

Again, everything is going great...hopefully this post gave those of you who are curious a good picture of what I'm up to! I am so excited to improve my Spanish, and so glad I get to spend four months in South America. Thank you for all the encouragement!