Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sunday Night
9:15pm, an earthquake! It shook our 6th floor apartment softly, rocking the bed and alerting me that there was an earthquake. My host-mom became terribly frightened and began moving around in a slight panic. My host sister (Gaby) and I didn’t pay too much attention to it.
“Guapolo: A Mixed Celebration”
This past Saturday night, I joined a few friends and went to a local indigenous festival mixed with Catholic tradition. Held in the bottom of a valley a few minutes from my house, Guapolo is one of the ferias I have heard so much about—a feria is a local indigenous celebrations mixed with Catholic celebrations. Guapolo was a festival honoring the Virgin Mary.
We took a taxi as far as we could before being let out a ways before the festival. Walking down the hill into the valley, we could hear music playing from a live band and could see hundreds of people dancing and milling.
Arriving to the bottom of the valley, there were hundreds of people congregated right outside a beautifully lit white church and a stage up front. A live band was playing Ecuadorian music and people were watching, dancing, and drinking. There were people dressed in costumes, varying from clown suits (complete with papier-mâché masks), people dressed in animal type costumes (a full fur suit—like big foot), and other type of costumes.
To the left of our entrance, right next to the church, was a bonfire that was being attended to by little kids about 7-12 years of age. A pile of eucalyptus tree branches had been made and kids were throwing the branches onto the nearby fire. As we made our way to the bonfire through the throng of people, fireworks began to go off near the stage. The types of fireworks that produce golden sparks and spin around were being thrown around the crowd!
After making it safely away from the fireworks and to the bonfire, we watched as a large structure made out of wood (it looked a bit like 4 ladders put into square form) came out into the middle of the audience. A picture of the Virgin Mary was on each side and from the structure began to spew fireworks again, showering all nearby audience members with sparks!! People were cheering and dancing around the fireworks and they continued to go off for a couple minutes.
After awhile of watching the festivities, we made our way back up the mountain, stopping shortly in a bar that had live music. Although we left around 12am from the festival, I understand most people stayed, partying early into the hours of the morning (7am)!
“Bodybuilding—South American Style”
On Saturday afternoon, I accompanied my trainer from the gym and his friend to the South American Bodybuilding competition. It was held in a public gymnasium in downtown Quito and was quite full. The competition started at 4pm and had weight classes from 65-100 kilos in 5 kilos increments. The male part of the competition included a short “dance routine”—a short 45 sec. piece of music accompanied by dancing/flexing action to show off their body. Hilariously, many of the men used slow, love music (Celine Dion, Eric Clapton, Pussycat Dolls)! At the end of the 45 sec. performance of the last participant in that weight class, they would all come out together and stand in a line flexing specific muscles.
Although women did compete, there were only 2 groups of them and they were classed according to height not weight. They came out various times, in different “wear” each time—something along the lines of a bathing suit with sparkles. Some of the women were too muscular (so I thought, as an audience member and non-bodybuilder). Some however, looked fantastic and I hope they preserve themselves at that stage and don’t go any further!
Although not something I take very seriously, it was quite interesting to see the bodybuilders compete. What they can make a human body achieve was quite astonishing and left me in awe of my own.
“Bienvenidos to Pontifica Universidad Catolica Ecuador (PUCE)”
Yesterday evening, we had the official welcome function from PUCE and it was a hoot! Arriving around 7—the invitations said 7, but this is a polychronic culture after all—we settled into the “cocktail dress” event. After a short introduction from the President of the college, we were called by our affiliated organizations through which we came to PUCE and received an embroidered hat and backpack with PUCE’s name. And then the wine began. The waiters who were serving us gave us each a glass of wine (red or white) to begin the night and then the wine kept coming! A few appetizers were passed around (ceviche, empanadas, and shish kabobs). However, the amount of food couldn’t rival the amount of alcohol being given away and glass after glass, the waiters kept filling up our glasses.
After everyone started dancing and loosening up, Cuba Libres came out as well! This function was hilarious in the fact that it was just an excuse to drink an outrageous amount of alcohol and the entire faculty to see the students as such. I can definitely say that I was drunk at the end of the function, out on the dance floor not caring about much. When the function ended around 11:30pm, most of the students headed down to the Mariscal and continued to dance the night away until 2 or 3am.
After everyone started dancing and loosening up, Cuba Libres came out as well! This function was hilarious in the fact that it was just an excuse to drink an outrageous amount of alcohol and the entire faculty to see the students as such. I can definitely say that I was drunk at the end of the function, out on the dance floor not caring about much. When the function ended around 11:30pm, most of the students headed down to the Mariscal and continued to dance the night away until 2 or 3am.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Beautiful Experiences
As I am sure we all would agree, human beings love beautiful experiences. Whether the experience arises from a walk in the woods, in the serenity and peace of nature, a satisfying sleep complete with wonderful dreams, or a great dinner with family and friends, that completes a different part of ones soul, beautiful experiences are something we are open for.
When I go to the local gym, I take the same route from my house. It pulls me about 3 blocks away from the apartment and then onto a main street. As with all main streets, there are usually people selling gum, candies, and other sweets alongside the road and walking between the cars to sell such things when the cars are stopped. On most of the days I walk along this main street, there is a little girl selling gum along the sidewalk. She sits with her legs in a box, the gum on top, and is propped up against a wall along the sidewalk. She looks to be about 3 years old (although I would guess she is about 5--malnourished). On the way to and from the gym, we exchange smiles and waves and I continue on my way.
However, on this day, about half to the gym, I realized I had forgotten my ID card and decided to turn around. Approaching the little girl, she caught my eye and gave a shy smile. As I walked closer to her, gym clothes on, and water bottle in hand, I decided to stop and sit with her.
As I kneeled to sit with her, I saw how dirty her face was and how it appeared she probably hadn´t had a shower in days. She smiled at me shyly and I noticed she was losing her baby teeth in the top row. I offered her water and smiling at me, she took a sip. As we sat there together and I spoke to her in Spanish, I noticed a woman across the street on an ¨island¨ dividing two streets. She was selling goodies as well and had 2 younger girls with her, who appeared to be about 2 and 4. The little girl told me that the woman was her mother and the 2 little girls her sisters. While the mother sold goodies, her 2 sisters were playing amongst each other.
The little girl was amazingly sweet and very shy. At one point, I took off her hat to show her a caterpillar that had made its way onto it. She smiled shyly as I shook it off. After sitting with her for about 20 minutes (enough time to fall in love) I crossed the street to where her sisters and her mom were. Approaching the mother, I smiled and told her how wonderful her children were. She smiled thanking me, revealing no upper teeth. I asked the age of her children and she said 1, 3, and that she had forgotten the age of the one against the wall. Before leaving, I offered a sip of my water to her and her daughters which they gladly took.
After leaving the little girl and her family, I was touched by how beautiful the experience was that I had just had. Although this family had barely nothing, they still smiled freely and happily. The little girl left quite a mark on me that day.
Today on my way to the gym was the first time I have seen her since that day. She was sitting under the shade of the trees with 4 other small children and 3 women. I didn´t recognize her as I approached the group, but as I got closer and passed, a little hand rose from the group, with a bright smile.
Another beautiful experience occurred today.
When I go to the local gym, I take the same route from my house. It pulls me about 3 blocks away from the apartment and then onto a main street. As with all main streets, there are usually people selling gum, candies, and other sweets alongside the road and walking between the cars to sell such things when the cars are stopped. On most of the days I walk along this main street, there is a little girl selling gum along the sidewalk. She sits with her legs in a box, the gum on top, and is propped up against a wall along the sidewalk. She looks to be about 3 years old (although I would guess she is about 5--malnourished). On the way to and from the gym, we exchange smiles and waves and I continue on my way.
However, on this day, about half to the gym, I realized I had forgotten my ID card and decided to turn around. Approaching the little girl, she caught my eye and gave a shy smile. As I walked closer to her, gym clothes on, and water bottle in hand, I decided to stop and sit with her.
As I kneeled to sit with her, I saw how dirty her face was and how it appeared she probably hadn´t had a shower in days. She smiled at me shyly and I noticed she was losing her baby teeth in the top row. I offered her water and smiling at me, she took a sip. As we sat there together and I spoke to her in Spanish, I noticed a woman across the street on an ¨island¨ dividing two streets. She was selling goodies as well and had 2 younger girls with her, who appeared to be about 2 and 4. The little girl told me that the woman was her mother and the 2 little girls her sisters. While the mother sold goodies, her 2 sisters were playing amongst each other.
The little girl was amazingly sweet and very shy. At one point, I took off her hat to show her a caterpillar that had made its way onto it. She smiled shyly as I shook it off. After sitting with her for about 20 minutes (enough time to fall in love) I crossed the street to where her sisters and her mom were. Approaching the mother, I smiled and told her how wonderful her children were. She smiled thanking me, revealing no upper teeth. I asked the age of her children and she said 1, 3, and that she had forgotten the age of the one against the wall. Before leaving, I offered a sip of my water to her and her daughters which they gladly took.
After leaving the little girl and her family, I was touched by how beautiful the experience was that I had just had. Although this family had barely nothing, they still smiled freely and happily. The little girl left quite a mark on me that day.
Today on my way to the gym was the first time I have seen her since that day. She was sitting under the shade of the trees with 4 other small children and 3 women. I didn´t recognize her as I approached the group, but as I got closer and passed, a little hand rose from the group, with a bright smile.
Another beautiful experience occurred today.
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