As the new year approaches, I've been hearing Pablo (from our host family) talk a lot about what colors to wear and what colors not to wear, especially when the midnight clock strikes twelve on New Year's Day.
Yellow--if you want financial prosperity in the new year, you should wear a yellow shirt. Many women, I am told but have no way of confirming this, also wear yellow underwear.
Red--to have lots of love in the new year, you should wear a red shirt and/or wear red underwear.
Blue and White--if you want peace and harmony in the new year, you should wear a blue shirt.
Black and Dark Purple--These are the two colors to be avoided because that's what you wear when family dies. If you wear one of these colors, someone in your family will die in the new year.
Other New Year's traditions/superstitions:
If you want to travel a lot in the new year, at midnight you should run around the block with a suitcase.
To fulfill all of your dreams in the new year you should eat twelve grapes (one for each month).
If you put a dollar bill (or any other denomination of paper money) in your shoe, you will have financial prosperity in the new year.
Probably the most celebrated New Year's tradition is that of the Año Viejo muñeco (doll/effigy of the old year). Pablo has been busily constructing two huge figures out of bamboo, wood scraps, plastic scraps, cardboard, tape and paper mâché. His effigies this year will represent the rival soccer teams Barcelona and (his team) EMELEC. The idea of the Año Viejo tradition is that you make an effigy representing someone that you love or that you hate, and then you burn the effigy to welcome the New Year. The idea is that you burn the bad of the old year and start the new with a blank slate. If you create an effigy of someone you love, it is an honor for them to be burned and it's supposed to bring that person good luck in the next year. Many in this town will line one of the main streets with their creations, and before burning them they will "beat all of the bad" out of them. Then everyone burns their effigies together, followed by a big party in a downtown park. Happy New Year!
Recent Family Picture
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
The Gingerbread House (Luisa)
A week before Christmas Ashanti told us she wanted to make a gingerbread house. We had never made a gingerbread house from scratch, we had always bought a pre-made gingerbread house from the farmer's market and just decorated it. But we decided it would be fun to try. We found a recipe on line but thought that it was too small to share with everybody so we decided to do a one and a half recipe. So we went to the store and bought the stuff to make it.
The Sunday before Christmas we made the dough and then put it in the fridge to set. And then on Wednesday, Christmas Eve, we rolled out the dough, cut the pieces and put it in the oven. As we took the pieces out of the oven and set them out to cool some of the bigger pieces broke but we knew that we could just use frosting to fix them later. Then we made the frosting. We put in the eggs and powdered sugar and mixed it up. But we decided it was too hard. So we put in a few more eggs but then it was too soft so we put in some more sugar also. Then we put it in baggies and put it in the fridge.
On Christmas Day we decided the gingerbread walls weren't dry enough and Ashanti decided she didn't want to work on the project anymore so Magdalena and I used frosting on a few to glue them together. Later that day we decided that they weren't going to harden just sitting out so we put them back in the oven. We took them out of the oven and they were harder so we thought it was going to be fine. We let them set again until Friday and we went to glue them together and one of the roof parts broke. So we glued the roof back together and put together the walls. They stayed up fine. But later that day as we were getting ready to put the roof on we realized that the walls were starting to fall over. So we put a wooden skewer to hold them up. We decided that the roof was too big and heavy and wasn't going to stay on the house so we decided to decorate it separately and not put it on. We decorated the house with the help of our friend Diana and set it out for people to see and to eat. And we figured out why people usually make houses in a smaller size rather than bigger.
The Sunday before Christmas we made the dough and then put it in the fridge to set. And then on Wednesday, Christmas Eve, we rolled out the dough, cut the pieces and put it in the oven. As we took the pieces out of the oven and set them out to cool some of the bigger pieces broke but we knew that we could just use frosting to fix them later. Then we made the frosting. We put in the eggs and powdered sugar and mixed it up. But we decided it was too hard. So we put in a few more eggs but then it was too soft so we put in some more sugar also. Then we put it in baggies and put it in the fridge.
On Christmas Day we decided the gingerbread walls weren't dry enough and Ashanti decided she didn't want to work on the project anymore so Magdalena and I used frosting on a few to glue them together. Later that day we decided that they weren't going to harden just sitting out so we put them back in the oven. We took them out of the oven and they were harder so we thought it was going to be fine. We let them set again until Friday and we went to glue them together and one of the roof parts broke. So we glued the roof back together and put together the walls. They stayed up fine. But later that day as we were getting ready to put the roof on we realized that the walls were starting to fall over. So we put a wooden skewer to hold them up. We decided that the roof was too big and heavy and wasn't going to stay on the house so we decided to decorate it separately and not put it on. We decorated the house with the help of our friend Diana and set it out for people to see and to eat. And we figured out why people usually make houses in a smaller size rather than bigger.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Sports in Ecuador (Kent)
As in many countries around the world, soccer (fútbol) is the number one sport in Ecuador. The second most popular sport is probably basketball, and both males and females play. The third most popular sport would probably be volleyball, although it is mostly played by men in a 3 on 3 games with a soccer ball instead of a volleyball. All towns have their own soccer field/stadium, basketball courts/gymnasium, and a volleyball court. Although our town is only about 5,000 people, it has a large soccer stadium, a large gymnasium, and various parks with volleyball courts and basketball/soccer combination courts. Other recreational activities that are popular with locals on our island are skateboarding, surfing, body boarding, snorkeling, aerobics, running/jogging, and walking.
As far as popularity, however, soccer is much, much, much, much more popular than anything else. Males and females of all ages wear soccer jerseys, although many more men and boys play soccer than girls. Organized soccer starts young for boys, and you can see them walking the streets in packs after practices/games all dressed up with matching jerseys, shorts and socks, just like the professionals.
Ecuador's professional league has 12 teams and is of a pretty high caliber. The next caliber higher would be the European leagues, which are seen as the best in the world. Similar to baseball in the United States, there are professional "minor leagues" for soccer. Besides the 12 "A" league teams, there is a "B" league and a "C" league. What's different in Ecuador, however, is that a team can get promoted or demoted from one league to another when the season is over. The two worst teams in the "A" league get demoted to the "B" league, and the two best teams in the "B" league get to move up to the "A" league. The same happens with the B and the C leagues. There is even a "South American" cup where all the professional teams from all of the South American leagues play in a tournament to see who is the best.
It is common to see flags, banners, murals and even whole buildings promoting people's favorite professional soccer teams. (see pictures) The closest and most familiar big city to the Galápagos Islands is Guayaquil, which is Ecuador's biggest city. There are also a number of people from the island who have lived or studied in Guayaquil. So, it is no surprise that the two most popular teams on the island are from Guayaquil.
These two teams are "Barcelona" and "EMELEC." I've asked people around here why there is a team named Barcelona in Ecuador, and no one is quite sure. It probably has to do with the fact that it is a very popular team in Spain. "EMELEC" is the Ecuadoran electric company and also has a professional basketball team as well. Barcelona is yellow and EMELEC is blue. They are often the two best teams in Ecuador and they are very fierce rivals. When either team is playing, nearly everyone in town has the TV on. Restaurants, bars, stores and shops all have it on, and many draw large crowds on those nights. One small shop regularly has 30-40 people bunched outside on the sidewalk and street all glued to the TV. You can tell whenever there is a goal because you can hear cheering throughout town.
EMELEC and Barcelona were in the 2 game finals this year, and they were last year as well. EMELEC won last year and as the days led up to this year's finals, more and more banners and jerseys were seen around town. On the days of the finals, lots and lots of people were sporting their team's jersey. The rivalry is so intense that during the tournament the fans from both Guayaquil teams can't even be in the stadium during the same time or else fights will break out. So, the first game of the finals was held at the Barcelona stadium, and only Barcelona fans were allowed in. The EMELEC stadium, however was also full of EMELEC fans watching the game on the big screen. The second game was at the EMELEC stadium and only EMELEC fans were allowed in, and the Barcelona fans watched on the big screen TVs in their stadium. I asked my host brother Pablo how they keep the opposing team's fans from entering the stadium. He said that to be allowed entry into the stadium, you have to be wearing that team's jersey. No fans from the other team would want to be seen in the other team's jersey.
The first game of the finals was in the Barcelona stadium, and it ended as a 1-1 tie. EMELEC actually was leading most of the game, and Barcelona scored late in the game. Because EMELEC had no fans at the game, it was actually seen as a victory to tie Barcelona on their home field and it gave them an advantage heading into the game at the EMELEC stadium. Although I didn't watch much of the other games, I didn't want to miss the final game on Sunday, December 20. I camped out with Pablo in the living room to watch the game, both clad in EMELEC blue. I decided to root for EMELEC for several very important reasons: 1) I like the color blue much more than the color yellow, and 2) I like to root for the team that has the smaller fan base.
There were two brothers in the starting line-up, one that played for EMELEC and one that played for Barcelona, and they actually had to guard each other in the game. Within the first minutes, the Barcelona brother fouled the EMELEC brother and received a yellow (warning) card. Then, still early in the first half, the Barcelona brother fouled his brother again. This time it was much harder and the EMELEC brother had to be carried off the field in a stretcher. This resulted in a red card, which meant that he was not only ejected from the game, but Barcelona had to play the rest of the game with 10 players instead of 11. The police had to surround and escort the Barcelona brother off the field so as to protect him from the EMELEC fans.
Between the home field advantage and having one more player on the field, it is not surprising that EMELEC won the game pretty soundly, 3-0. They now have the bragging rights of being the best team in the country. Although I did not go out on the town to see the celebrations, I could hear the shouting and the honking from our house. Pablo and his daughter Ashanti were jumping for joy and shouting as well when the game was done. He took various pictures of the TV screen showing the score and the celebrations and immediately posted them on Facebook for all to see EMELEC, Ecuador's 2014 professional soccer champions.
As far as popularity, however, soccer is much, much, much, much more popular than anything else. Males and females of all ages wear soccer jerseys, although many more men and boys play soccer than girls. Organized soccer starts young for boys, and you can see them walking the streets in packs after practices/games all dressed up with matching jerseys, shorts and socks, just like the professionals.
Ecuador's professional league has 12 teams and is of a pretty high caliber. The next caliber higher would be the European leagues, which are seen as the best in the world. Similar to baseball in the United States, there are professional "minor leagues" for soccer. Besides the 12 "A" league teams, there is a "B" league and a "C" league. What's different in Ecuador, however, is that a team can get promoted or demoted from one league to another when the season is over. The two worst teams in the "A" league get demoted to the "B" league, and the two best teams in the "B" league get to move up to the "A" league. The same happens with the B and the C leagues. There is even a "South American" cup where all the professional teams from all of the South American leagues play in a tournament to see who is the best.
It is common to see flags, banners, murals and even whole buildings promoting people's favorite professional soccer teams. (see pictures) The closest and most familiar big city to the Galápagos Islands is Guayaquil, which is Ecuador's biggest city. There are also a number of people from the island who have lived or studied in Guayaquil. So, it is no surprise that the two most popular teams on the island are from Guayaquil.
These two teams are "Barcelona" and "EMELEC." I've asked people around here why there is a team named Barcelona in Ecuador, and no one is quite sure. It probably has to do with the fact that it is a very popular team in Spain. "EMELEC" is the Ecuadoran electric company and also has a professional basketball team as well. Barcelona is yellow and EMELEC is blue. They are often the two best teams in Ecuador and they are very fierce rivals. When either team is playing, nearly everyone in town has the TV on. Restaurants, bars, stores and shops all have it on, and many draw large crowds on those nights. One small shop regularly has 30-40 people bunched outside on the sidewalk and street all glued to the TV. You can tell whenever there is a goal because you can hear cheering throughout town.
EMELEC and Barcelona were in the 2 game finals this year, and they were last year as well. EMELEC won last year and as the days led up to this year's finals, more and more banners and jerseys were seen around town. On the days of the finals, lots and lots of people were sporting their team's jersey. The rivalry is so intense that during the tournament the fans from both Guayaquil teams can't even be in the stadium during the same time or else fights will break out. So, the first game of the finals was held at the Barcelona stadium, and only Barcelona fans were allowed in. The EMELEC stadium, however was also full of EMELEC fans watching the game on the big screen. The second game was at the EMELEC stadium and only EMELEC fans were allowed in, and the Barcelona fans watched on the big screen TVs in their stadium. I asked my host brother Pablo how they keep the opposing team's fans from entering the stadium. He said that to be allowed entry into the stadium, you have to be wearing that team's jersey. No fans from the other team would want to be seen in the other team's jersey.
The first game of the finals was in the Barcelona stadium, and it ended as a 1-1 tie. EMELEC actually was leading most of the game, and Barcelona scored late in the game. Because EMELEC had no fans at the game, it was actually seen as a victory to tie Barcelona on their home field and it gave them an advantage heading into the game at the EMELEC stadium. Although I didn't watch much of the other games, I didn't want to miss the final game on Sunday, December 20. I camped out with Pablo in the living room to watch the game, both clad in EMELEC blue. I decided to root for EMELEC for several very important reasons: 1) I like the color blue much more than the color yellow, and 2) I like to root for the team that has the smaller fan base.
There were two brothers in the starting line-up, one that played for EMELEC and one that played for Barcelona, and they actually had to guard each other in the game. Within the first minutes, the Barcelona brother fouled the EMELEC brother and received a yellow (warning) card. Then, still early in the first half, the Barcelona brother fouled his brother again. This time it was much harder and the EMELEC brother had to be carried off the field in a stretcher. This resulted in a red card, which meant that he was not only ejected from the game, but Barcelona had to play the rest of the game with 10 players instead of 11. The police had to surround and escort the Barcelona brother off the field so as to protect him from the EMELEC fans.
Between the home field advantage and having one more player on the field, it is not surprising that EMELEC won the game pretty soundly, 3-0. They now have the bragging rights of being the best team in the country. Although I did not go out on the town to see the celebrations, I could hear the shouting and the honking from our house. Pablo and his daughter Ashanti were jumping for joy and shouting as well when the game was done. He took various pictures of the TV screen showing the score and the celebrations and immediately posted them on Facebook for all to see EMELEC, Ecuador's 2014 professional soccer champions.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Mennonites have more fun! And other comparisons... (Teresa)
Recently, as we left church after our third mass of the week, Magdalena said "I don't get Catholics; at least Mennonites have fun at church!" After some laughter, I had to delve more into that comment. Magdalena explained further, "we have social time, there are ways for others to be involved in the worship service, we don't listen to one man talk the whole time, we have good singing, and we have things for children to do like children's time and Sunday school." It has been a challenge for Magdalena, and all of us, for this Catholic parish to be our primary worshipping community during these 3 1/2 months. But I'm glad for her to experience a different way of doing church. It's also helpful for all of us to realize what we appreciate about Faith Mennonite our home church!
Comparisons of here and home have been a big part of our experience away, thus far. We aim to be open to new ways and ideas, but we can't help but compare and contrast the cultures and the differences between our "sabbatical life" and our "normal life." The good thing is, we are finding plenty that we really enjoy here, and at the same time plenty that we miss from home. For instance, we certainly love spending lots of time outdoors and in nature, always planning the next warm weather adventure, like kayaking, snorkeling, or bicycling. But, Magdalena has also been talking quite a bit about snow to us and to local folks. She might be romanticizing it a bit, but she really has missed Indiana fall and now winter. Recently the girls and I realized that we were all feeling as if we are waiting for fall to come, then we realize it's not coming, and we missed it! The four seasons seem to be in our bones.
It has been very special to get to know this very small island and population. No matter what event we go to, we are recognized and we have people to talk with, often children or teachers from the preschool. Last weekend went to a party (the "Wild Baptism Party"!) in an area of town that we hadn't been to before. I was nervous, assuming that Kent would be playing in the band, and the girls and I would stand around not knowing what to do. It was a delight when we stepped out of the taxi and immediately saw a few children playing on the street that we know from the preschool and who were excited to greet us. Later a mom was excited to meet the "musician family" who had taught her son so many fun songs that he now sings at home. Her son (a five year old) immediately began singing one of our songs, Diez Deditos (Ten Little Fingers), and she joined right in singing with him!
It's also been lots of fun to share more of daily life with our daughters. At our best, we can really bring out good things in each other! (And when we're not at our best, there are learnings to be embraced, right?!) Recently, when we did our bike ride together, Luisa was passing me on a long, steep incline, leaving me at the back of our group. As she slowly passed, she spurred me on, "it's not such a bad hill, you got it girl!!" That gave me a laugh and an extra boost of energy. Similarly, Magdalena kept me going when she and I needed to paddle hard in our kayak last Saturday. At one point, I was groaning with the sense that we weren't making any headway against the current. She responded with a hearty, "calm down, Mom, and keep paddling!" We soon found ourselves moving ahead and into to calmer waters. Great lessons from my daughters on keeping on with the hard task at hand!!
Obviously, when I compare "normal life" to "sabbatical life" there's really no comparison; it's like comparing apples to papayas! But I have to say that I absolutely love having fewer responsibilities: not having to answer any telephones; doing an embarrassingly small amount of housework; no committee meetings to attend; and generally having a very small circle of involvements. And it's delightful having plenty of time and space to do as I please: sit and watch the sunset; take a walk as the sun sets; take frequent naps; read novels; write; walk slowly (I think I've slowed my general pace since we've been here); waste time without feeling (too) guilty; drink coffee slowly; study Spanish grammar; watch people and other animals; or go on another adventure with my family!
And, as we compare, we think ahead to the next phase of our year away. There are a number of reasons we are glad to have had our Galapagos time as the first part of our year. It's been fairly structured since we are working through a volunteer organization, and are living with a host family. This structure has helped all of us in the process of learning and adapting to the culture and language. This was a good place for our girls to take Spanish lessons, especially for Luisa to jump start her learning. This will be the most expensive part of our trip because of the extra costs of island life; when most everything must be imported, food and supplies are generally twice the cost on the mainland. We are definitely looking forward to lower costs in Peru and the Ecuadoran mainland. Also, now that we are preparing to go to Lima, we realize what a shock it will be to go from the tranquil island life to the big city! (Two weeks there will likely be enough before heading to smaller cities.) It has been wonderful for our girls to have so much freedom here, and for all of us to easily walk from place to place.
Comparisons. Apples to papayas, cross-country skiing to snorkeling, small city of Goshen to small island town San Cristobal, Goshen Mennonites to Ecuadoran Catholics. Can't really compare! But....we do....and discover lovely experiences all around.
Comparisons of here and home have been a big part of our experience away, thus far. We aim to be open to new ways and ideas, but we can't help but compare and contrast the cultures and the differences between our "sabbatical life" and our "normal life." The good thing is, we are finding plenty that we really enjoy here, and at the same time plenty that we miss from home. For instance, we certainly love spending lots of time outdoors and in nature, always planning the next warm weather adventure, like kayaking, snorkeling, or bicycling. But, Magdalena has also been talking quite a bit about snow to us and to local folks. She might be romanticizing it a bit, but she really has missed Indiana fall and now winter. Recently the girls and I realized that we were all feeling as if we are waiting for fall to come, then we realize it's not coming, and we missed it! The four seasons seem to be in our bones.
It has been very special to get to know this very small island and population. No matter what event we go to, we are recognized and we have people to talk with, often children or teachers from the preschool. Last weekend went to a party (the "Wild Baptism Party"!) in an area of town that we hadn't been to before. I was nervous, assuming that Kent would be playing in the band, and the girls and I would stand around not knowing what to do. It was a delight when we stepped out of the taxi and immediately saw a few children playing on the street that we know from the preschool and who were excited to greet us. Later a mom was excited to meet the "musician family" who had taught her son so many fun songs that he now sings at home. Her son (a five year old) immediately began singing one of our songs, Diez Deditos (Ten Little Fingers), and she joined right in singing with him!
It's also been lots of fun to share more of daily life with our daughters. At our best, we can really bring out good things in each other! (And when we're not at our best, there are learnings to be embraced, right?!) Recently, when we did our bike ride together, Luisa was passing me on a long, steep incline, leaving me at the back of our group. As she slowly passed, she spurred me on, "it's not such a bad hill, you got it girl!!" That gave me a laugh and an extra boost of energy. Similarly, Magdalena kept me going when she and I needed to paddle hard in our kayak last Saturday. At one point, I was groaning with the sense that we weren't making any headway against the current. She responded with a hearty, "calm down, Mom, and keep paddling!" We soon found ourselves moving ahead and into to calmer waters. Great lessons from my daughters on keeping on with the hard task at hand!!
Obviously, when I compare "normal life" to "sabbatical life" there's really no comparison; it's like comparing apples to papayas! But I have to say that I absolutely love having fewer responsibilities: not having to answer any telephones; doing an embarrassingly small amount of housework; no committee meetings to attend; and generally having a very small circle of involvements. And it's delightful having plenty of time and space to do as I please: sit and watch the sunset; take a walk as the sun sets; take frequent naps; read novels; write; walk slowly (I think I've slowed my general pace since we've been here); waste time without feeling (too) guilty; drink coffee slowly; study Spanish grammar; watch people and other animals; or go on another adventure with my family!
And, as we compare, we think ahead to the next phase of our year away. There are a number of reasons we are glad to have had our Galapagos time as the first part of our year. It's been fairly structured since we are working through a volunteer organization, and are living with a host family. This structure has helped all of us in the process of learning and adapting to the culture and language. This was a good place for our girls to take Spanish lessons, especially for Luisa to jump start her learning. This will be the most expensive part of our trip because of the extra costs of island life; when most everything must be imported, food and supplies are generally twice the cost on the mainland. We are definitely looking forward to lower costs in Peru and the Ecuadoran mainland. Also, now that we are preparing to go to Lima, we realize what a shock it will be to go from the tranquil island life to the big city! (Two weeks there will likely be enough before heading to smaller cities.) It has been wonderful for our girls to have so much freedom here, and for all of us to easily walk from place to place.
Comparisons. Apples to papayas, cross-country skiing to snorkeling, small city of Goshen to small island town San Cristobal, Goshen Mennonites to Ecuadoran Catholics. Can't really compare! But....we do....and discover lovely experiences all around.
Christmas party at school (Magdalena)
On the Tuesday before Christmas we had our Christmas program that we had been preparing for with the kids for weeks. Each class had their own song (from somewhere around the world) and the whole school sang Feliz Navidad and Navidad (Jingle Bells tune) together. The day before we were supposed to have a big dress rehearsal with costumes, but since the stage didn't arrive until 10 and it didn't get finished until 11 we didn't have much time left so they didn't use their full costumes.
We arrived at the school after 8 on the big day because the program was supposed to start 9. The whole performance area was very decorated and each classroom had lots of decorations of their own. The head teacher told us that she, her husband, another teacher and her husband had all stayed there until 2 o'clock in the morning decorating. But it looked great! Kent and Luisa went around giving out the gifts that we had made for the teachers (a CD with all the songs we had sung with them and a book with the lyrics). And the 4-year-old teachers (no, the teachers weren't 4) gave us a present. Then we waited around for the program to start.
The program started long after 9, probably 9:30 and it started with one of the teachers singing a Christmas song karaoke style, which is how they like to sing. Then the kids did their songs. We started off with "Ho Ho Ho," a song from the US that has a simple circle dance that one of the kindergarten classes did. After that was "Campana Sobre Campana," a Latin American Christmas Carol that one of the 3-year-old classes did with motions. Next was a simple African song, "Sing Noel," that a 3-year-old class did with a simple little dance. Then "Zumba Zumba," a song from Spain that my dad normally does in the US in English; a kindergarten class did this song with a simple circle dance. Next was "Mi Burrito Sabanero," a Latin American Christmas Carol that a 3-year-old class did with motions. Then was "Noche De Paz" (Silent Night), which a 4-year-old class did with motions. After that was "La Piñata," a Mexican song that one of the kindergarten classes did a circle dance with. Then the last class did "Paz Y Libertad" which isn't a Christmas song but it was nice anyway; a 4-year-old class did this with scarves. Then our family sang "Joy To the World" a Capella and we finished with "Navidad" and "Feliz Navidad."
After the program all the kids headed to their classrooms along with their parents. We were invited by one of the teachers to go to her classroom but the head teacher also told us that each teacher was expecting us. So we went to the first room and ate some fish balls and chicken balls with sauce and she gave us a present from all the kindergarten teachers. Then we went to the next room where they were having a whole meal with big pieces of meat and lots of rice and the teacher wanted to give us all a meal but we insisted on only taking two meals. Then we went to the next classroom where they were having a birthday party along with a Christmas party and they gave us pop and candy. Then, in the next room, we had pop and we were given a basket of candy. And the next room was also having a full meal so we got two more meals and another basket of candy with balloons. And the next classroom we got cake and jell-o and pop. And the next room we got more cake and more pop. And by the time we got to the last room, their party was done and all the kids and all the parents had already left but he teacher had saved us some cake and had a present for us. We talked with her for a little bit and then we went back to the performance area and helped to clean up.
I got a cardboard box and started picking up all the trash. Some people we taking the covers off the chairs and stacking them. Others were taking down the tents that had saved us when it rained. And others were taking apart the stage and the decorations. With the help from the volunteers and teachers we finished around 1. Then we went to the school office and wondered if we would have to take a taxi home because of all the presents and food we had been given but we managed to carry it all. And when we got home we showed our host family what we had been given and they were very impressed.
We arrived at the school after 8 on the big day because the program was supposed to start 9. The whole performance area was very decorated and each classroom had lots of decorations of their own. The head teacher told us that she, her husband, another teacher and her husband had all stayed there until 2 o'clock in the morning decorating. But it looked great! Kent and Luisa went around giving out the gifts that we had made for the teachers (a CD with all the songs we had sung with them and a book with the lyrics). And the 4-year-old teachers (no, the teachers weren't 4) gave us a present. Then we waited around for the program to start.
The program started long after 9, probably 9:30 and it started with one of the teachers singing a Christmas song karaoke style, which is how they like to sing. Then the kids did their songs. We started off with "Ho Ho Ho," a song from the US that has a simple circle dance that one of the kindergarten classes did. After that was "Campana Sobre Campana," a Latin American Christmas Carol that one of the 3-year-old classes did with motions. Next was a simple African song, "Sing Noel," that a 3-year-old class did with a simple little dance. Then "Zumba Zumba," a song from Spain that my dad normally does in the US in English; a kindergarten class did this song with a simple circle dance. Next was "Mi Burrito Sabanero," a Latin American Christmas Carol that a 3-year-old class did with motions. Then was "Noche De Paz" (Silent Night), which a 4-year-old class did with motions. After that was "La Piñata," a Mexican song that one of the kindergarten classes did a circle dance with. Then the last class did "Paz Y Libertad" which isn't a Christmas song but it was nice anyway; a 4-year-old class did this with scarves. Then our family sang "Joy To the World" a Capella and we finished with "Navidad" and "Feliz Navidad."
After the program all the kids headed to their classrooms along with their parents. We were invited by one of the teachers to go to her classroom but the head teacher also told us that each teacher was expecting us. So we went to the first room and ate some fish balls and chicken balls with sauce and she gave us a present from all the kindergarten teachers. Then we went to the next room where they were having a whole meal with big pieces of meat and lots of rice and the teacher wanted to give us all a meal but we insisted on only taking two meals. Then we went to the next classroom where they were having a birthday party along with a Christmas party and they gave us pop and candy. Then, in the next room, we had pop and we were given a basket of candy. And the next room was also having a full meal so we got two more meals and another basket of candy with balloons. And the next classroom we got cake and jell-o and pop. And the next room we got more cake and more pop. And by the time we got to the last room, their party was done and all the kids and all the parents had already left but he teacher had saved us some cake and had a present for us. We talked with her for a little bit and then we went back to the performance area and helped to clean up.
I got a cardboard box and started picking up all the trash. Some people we taking the covers off the chairs and stacking them. Others were taking down the tents that had saved us when it rained. And others were taking apart the stage and the decorations. With the help from the volunteers and teachers we finished around 1. Then we went to the school office and wondered if we would have to take a taxi home because of all the presents and food we had been given but we managed to carry it all. And when we got home we showed our host family what we had been given and they were very impressed.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Merry Christmas Eve (Teresa)
"The Christmas story is not about how blessed it is to be givers but about how essential it is to see ourselves as receivers. We prefer to think of ourselves as givers—powerful, competent, self-sufficient, capable people whose goodness motivates us to employ some of our power, competence and gifts to benefit the less fortunate. Which is a direct contradiction of the biblical account of the first Christmas. There we are portrayed not as the givers we wish we were but as the receivers we are."
(From: William Willimon in The Christian Century)
Dear friends and family who continue to follow our sabbatical adventures,
I share this quote with you because it is especially meaningful to me during this year of receiving SO MUCH! We are learning to more truly be "the receivers we are." May we all be open and delighted to receive the Peace of Christ today and every day.
Merry Christmas Eve, and abrazos fuertes (big hugs) from our family to yours!
(From: William Willimon in The Christian Century)
Dear friends and family who continue to follow our sabbatical adventures,
I share this quote with you because it is especially meaningful to me during this year of receiving SO MUCH! We are learning to more truly be "the receivers we are." May we all be open and delighted to receive the Peace of Christ today and every day.
Merry Christmas Eve, and abrazos fuertes (big hugs) from our family to yours!
Monday, December 22, 2014
The Wild Baptism Party (Kent)
December 20 was a day I was looking forward to for several weeks. "Grupo Kjuyay," the indigenous band I've been playing with, had a "post-baptism party gig," and they invited me to play with them! I felt very honored to be included, even though they wanted me to play the electronic drum set. Getting ready for this gig meant we practiced 3-4 times a week the last couple of weeks. The majority of men in the group hail from the indigenous mountain community of Salasaca, which has a very tight knit community on our island. One of the band members, Manuel, was to be the godfather of this baby.
Practices are usually at 7:00 p.m. (which means starting sometime before 8:00 p.m.) and are held at the Salasaca community center, not too far from our house. It took me several weeks of hearing a kena (Andean flute) in the distance before I got the courage to interrupt their practice and introduce myself. I'm sure I was the first gringo to ever approach them during a practice and I know that I was a curious and odd sight. Out of nowhere comes this tall (by indigenous standards I am tall) white guy with a backpack that has a ukelele (which hadn't seen before), a recorder, 2 kenas and a charango (small Andean string instrument). . . and of course a nose flute. They got a kick out of the things I kept pulling out of my backpack. I asked if anyone gave churango or kena lessons. They invited me to their practices, but also wanted someone to teach them how to play bass. I've probably played with them at least 10-12 times in the past 2 months. I've played a combination of charango, electric bass, guitar and the electronic drum set. One night, when not many people showed up, they taught me how to play "The Sound of Silence" on the kena.
Having someone play the electronic drum set for the baptism gig was important to them because they wanted their music to be dance music. Although I play a variety of percussion instruments and have experimented a bit on the acoustic drum set, I have never considered myself a drummer. However, everything is relative, and it was apparent that my limited experience with the drums was more than anyone else had. It also helped that I've played with some pretty great drummers during the pasts 30 years, and have learned a lot from watching and playing with them. Last week they said that I was the best drummer they've ever had! I have felt very welcomed by these musicians and a sense that even though we come from very different cultures, we are all part of some sort of "world musician club." The fact that my main instrument groups are strings, simple winds (recorders, nose flute) and percussion also made me feel at home because those are exactly the same instrument groups that they play.
Most of the guys in "Grupo Kjuyay" are multi-instrumentalists as well. The group is very fluid. Although there were usually 5-6 people at practice, the pool of people in the group is more like 10. Every evening there seemed to be a different combination of guys, and what instruments each person played was based on who was present and what was needed at the time. Sometimes we practiced with a (very loud) sound system and sometimes we had an acoustic set-up. If there was a sound system, I would play either drum set or electric bass. If we had the acoustic set-up, I would play the guitar or the charango. All the guys floated from one instrument to another depending on our set-up and personnel. Twice the police came to tell the band to turn down the volume (practices are always held outside).
The guys in the band told me that the gig would start around 9:00 p.m. and that there would lots of food, dancing and drinking. The idea was that we would play until 2:00 a.m. or until people were too drunk to do anything, which I thought was an exaggeration. Our whole family was invited and we were told to come hungry. Our host family also told us some things about the Salasaca parties as well. They said that they are very generous with their food and can be pushy with offering beer.
On the night of the party our family was picked up at 9:15 p.m. by one of the band members who's also a taxi driver. We arrived at the party, which was held at the baby's family's house, which actually included two buildings, neither of which was finished. There was a larger house and a smaller building, both of which were pretty simple cinder block buildings without the final smooth cement coating and paint job. We were welcomed by Manuel, the band member/god father, who invited Luisa and me to sit with him, the other godfather and about 10 others in the small building. Magdalena and Teresa sat in the small dirt courtyard, along with others. Folks visited with each other in their native language, Quechua, but were also happy to visit with us in Spanish. Manuel and his wife were wearing traditional indigenous clothing, as were some others. For men this means a special white pants and shirt set with a black poncho on top. For women, it's a traditional white blouse, black wrap-around skirt, colorful belt, and special jewelry.
First course was a large bowl of delicious chicken soup, including a large piece of chicken. Second course was a large plate of rice, potato salad (potatoes, apples, carrots and peas), and an even larger piece of chicken. I watched to see if others were finishing their chicken plate because it was way more than I could eat. I was relieved to see that people were being handed "take home bags." (The leftover chicken would be enough to feed our household the next day for supper.) Small shots of wine were served with the meal, but the cold beer didn't appear until towards the end of the meal. I have never been a beer drinker. Actually, I have never been a drinker. As a late teen/young adult it was for moral reasons, but as I got older, I realized that I didn't like the taste and I didn't have a need to drink, even though I was not morally opposed to it. I don't normally have a problem being with other drinkers as long as they are not pushy with their alcohol. I was offered a bottle of Pilsener beer (the primary beer in Ecuador) at supper and I declined, even though it offended the server. I did have a little shot of wine, though.
Around 10:00 p.m. we started playing music. An older guy invited Teresa to the dirt dance floor, and soon a few others joined. Full crates of beer bottles emerged. People were pouring beer into small cups and were offering it all around. Manuel's role as godfather trumped his playing in the band. One of his responsibilities was to make sure everyone was drinking, especially the people in the band. There were no breaks in our set list because the rhythm keeps going in between songs. So, Manuel would come along with a beer bottle and a cup and make each of us drink a whole cup full, even if that meant pouring beer into our mouths while we played. I refused as many times as I could. Once I told him to put the cup onto the floor for me, where I knew it would get knocked over. The more people drank, the more dancing there was and the more animated it got.
Teresa and the girls headed home around 11:00. The band played until around 11:15-11:30. We stopped and started putting instruments into our cases. The next thing on the agenda was more drinking and more dancing--this time with a DJ and recorded music. I tried to be a wall flower, but soon I was pushed onto the dance floor and one of the band members made me dance with his wife. "It's our custom!" he said. People came up to my dance partner and made her drink, even though she tried to refuse. She didn't look very happy; I'm not sure if because she had to dance with this tall white stranger or if she didn't want to drink. I was forced to take a cup, and when they weren't looking, I dumped it on the ground. But that didn't always work, especially with Manuel. "Come on! Just a little drink! It's our custom!"
The pushiness with the beer was making me rather uneasy. It seemed like the goal of this party was to make everyone drunk. Even so, I miraculously escaped only consuming a total of two small plastic cups of beer the whole evening. I thought it was a good time to leave, so I started saying good bye to the band guys. Manuel said that I couldn't go yet because we still had more playing to do. So, I went out to the street away from the dance floor, which had 20-30 people. The street was lined with 30-50 spectators and/or party goers. Sometime after midnight, they cut the huge cake and offered it to everyone in the vicinity. As long as I was in the street and out of the "dance/party zone," I seemed to be safe from beer pushers. Then the most drunk guy of the party came up to me and motioned me to drink. I wasn't sure if he was deaf or was just so drunk that he couldn't speak. He just made lots of motions and acted very disapprovingly when I turned down his drink offer. He then attempted to pour my cup of beer back into his bottle, spilling most of it onto himself.
After I ate my cake, two guys who were sitting in chairs not too far from the dance floor gestured for me to sit with them. They offered me some beer, but were not pushy. They seemed more interested in conversation, which I welcomed. These guys were brothers who were neighbors of the "party house," but were not part of the Salasaca community. One of them said that he was the president of the neighborhood association. At least that's what I thought he said. It was very hard to hear and to talk with the extremely loud dance music. By the end of the evening I had unknowingly yelled myself hoarse. The brothers said that the party would probably go until 6:00 a.m., but that many people would continue to drink throughout the day.
At about 12:45 a.m. it was time to play music again. Things were not as organized as before. The singing was really off pitch and I had to work hard at keeping everyone together tempo-wise. There were 3 drunk spectators standing directly in front of me. They were either cheering me on or simply staring at me. The bathroom was right next to us, and there was a very steady stream (no pun intended) of people going in and out of the bathroom. The men usually did not close the door. One man was taking too long, so another man walked in and peed in the tub. One man couldn't even wait to go into the bathroom so he peed on the wall. By the way it smelled around there, I don't think he was the first.
The more drunk people got, the more uncomfortable I became. When our set was done around 1:15, I was ready to leave. Luckily, when I told Manuel I was leaving, he seemed to understand. He said some very kind things to me like how happy he was that I was there and had played with the band. He also realized that he was too drunk to drive me home. I was more than happy to walk home. No one was fit to drive and the party was going as strong as ever.
In reflecting on this experience with other locals, it was clear that this kind of party is the norm in the Salasaca community. Although their "party culture" is one thing that I don't understand and was very uncomfortable for me, I have really enjoyed playing music with these guys. They have been very welcoming to me and eager to exchange musical knowledge. They are very talented musicians who take their music seriously and are passionate about keeping their music alive.
Practices are usually at 7:00 p.m. (which means starting sometime before 8:00 p.m.) and are held at the Salasaca community center, not too far from our house. It took me several weeks of hearing a kena (Andean flute) in the distance before I got the courage to interrupt their practice and introduce myself. I'm sure I was the first gringo to ever approach them during a practice and I know that I was a curious and odd sight. Out of nowhere comes this tall (by indigenous standards I am tall) white guy with a backpack that has a ukelele (which hadn't seen before), a recorder, 2 kenas and a charango (small Andean string instrument). . . and of course a nose flute. They got a kick out of the things I kept pulling out of my backpack. I asked if anyone gave churango or kena lessons. They invited me to their practices, but also wanted someone to teach them how to play bass. I've probably played with them at least 10-12 times in the past 2 months. I've played a combination of charango, electric bass, guitar and the electronic drum set. One night, when not many people showed up, they taught me how to play "The Sound of Silence" on the kena.
Having someone play the electronic drum set for the baptism gig was important to them because they wanted their music to be dance music. Although I play a variety of percussion instruments and have experimented a bit on the acoustic drum set, I have never considered myself a drummer. However, everything is relative, and it was apparent that my limited experience with the drums was more than anyone else had. It also helped that I've played with some pretty great drummers during the pasts 30 years, and have learned a lot from watching and playing with them. Last week they said that I was the best drummer they've ever had! I have felt very welcomed by these musicians and a sense that even though we come from very different cultures, we are all part of some sort of "world musician club." The fact that my main instrument groups are strings, simple winds (recorders, nose flute) and percussion also made me feel at home because those are exactly the same instrument groups that they play.
Most of the guys in "Grupo Kjuyay" are multi-instrumentalists as well. The group is very fluid. Although there were usually 5-6 people at practice, the pool of people in the group is more like 10. Every evening there seemed to be a different combination of guys, and what instruments each person played was based on who was present and what was needed at the time. Sometimes we practiced with a (very loud) sound system and sometimes we had an acoustic set-up. If there was a sound system, I would play either drum set or electric bass. If we had the acoustic set-up, I would play the guitar or the charango. All the guys floated from one instrument to another depending on our set-up and personnel. Twice the police came to tell the band to turn down the volume (practices are always held outside).
The guys in the band told me that the gig would start around 9:00 p.m. and that there would lots of food, dancing and drinking. The idea was that we would play until 2:00 a.m. or until people were too drunk to do anything, which I thought was an exaggeration. Our whole family was invited and we were told to come hungry. Our host family also told us some things about the Salasaca parties as well. They said that they are very generous with their food and can be pushy with offering beer.
On the night of the party our family was picked up at 9:15 p.m. by one of the band members who's also a taxi driver. We arrived at the party, which was held at the baby's family's house, which actually included two buildings, neither of which was finished. There was a larger house and a smaller building, both of which were pretty simple cinder block buildings without the final smooth cement coating and paint job. We were welcomed by Manuel, the band member/god father, who invited Luisa and me to sit with him, the other godfather and about 10 others in the small building. Magdalena and Teresa sat in the small dirt courtyard, along with others. Folks visited with each other in their native language, Quechua, but were also happy to visit with us in Spanish. Manuel and his wife were wearing traditional indigenous clothing, as were some others. For men this means a special white pants and shirt set with a black poncho on top. For women, it's a traditional white blouse, black wrap-around skirt, colorful belt, and special jewelry.
First course was a large bowl of delicious chicken soup, including a large piece of chicken. Second course was a large plate of rice, potato salad (potatoes, apples, carrots and peas), and an even larger piece of chicken. I watched to see if others were finishing their chicken plate because it was way more than I could eat. I was relieved to see that people were being handed "take home bags." (The leftover chicken would be enough to feed our household the next day for supper.) Small shots of wine were served with the meal, but the cold beer didn't appear until towards the end of the meal. I have never been a beer drinker. Actually, I have never been a drinker. As a late teen/young adult it was for moral reasons, but as I got older, I realized that I didn't like the taste and I didn't have a need to drink, even though I was not morally opposed to it. I don't normally have a problem being with other drinkers as long as they are not pushy with their alcohol. I was offered a bottle of Pilsener beer (the primary beer in Ecuador) at supper and I declined, even though it offended the server. I did have a little shot of wine, though.
Around 10:00 p.m. we started playing music. An older guy invited Teresa to the dirt dance floor, and soon a few others joined. Full crates of beer bottles emerged. People were pouring beer into small cups and were offering it all around. Manuel's role as godfather trumped his playing in the band. One of his responsibilities was to make sure everyone was drinking, especially the people in the band. There were no breaks in our set list because the rhythm keeps going in between songs. So, Manuel would come along with a beer bottle and a cup and make each of us drink a whole cup full, even if that meant pouring beer into our mouths while we played. I refused as many times as I could. Once I told him to put the cup onto the floor for me, where I knew it would get knocked over. The more people drank, the more dancing there was and the more animated it got.
Teresa and the girls headed home around 11:00. The band played until around 11:15-11:30. We stopped and started putting instruments into our cases. The next thing on the agenda was more drinking and more dancing--this time with a DJ and recorded music. I tried to be a wall flower, but soon I was pushed onto the dance floor and one of the band members made me dance with his wife. "It's our custom!" he said. People came up to my dance partner and made her drink, even though she tried to refuse. She didn't look very happy; I'm not sure if because she had to dance with this tall white stranger or if she didn't want to drink. I was forced to take a cup, and when they weren't looking, I dumped it on the ground. But that didn't always work, especially with Manuel. "Come on! Just a little drink! It's our custom!"
The pushiness with the beer was making me rather uneasy. It seemed like the goal of this party was to make everyone drunk. Even so, I miraculously escaped only consuming a total of two small plastic cups of beer the whole evening. I thought it was a good time to leave, so I started saying good bye to the band guys. Manuel said that I couldn't go yet because we still had more playing to do. So, I went out to the street away from the dance floor, which had 20-30 people. The street was lined with 30-50 spectators and/or party goers. Sometime after midnight, they cut the huge cake and offered it to everyone in the vicinity. As long as I was in the street and out of the "dance/party zone," I seemed to be safe from beer pushers. Then the most drunk guy of the party came up to me and motioned me to drink. I wasn't sure if he was deaf or was just so drunk that he couldn't speak. He just made lots of motions and acted very disapprovingly when I turned down his drink offer. He then attempted to pour my cup of beer back into his bottle, spilling most of it onto himself.
After I ate my cake, two guys who were sitting in chairs not too far from the dance floor gestured for me to sit with them. They offered me some beer, but were not pushy. They seemed more interested in conversation, which I welcomed. These guys were brothers who were neighbors of the "party house," but were not part of the Salasaca community. One of them said that he was the president of the neighborhood association. At least that's what I thought he said. It was very hard to hear and to talk with the extremely loud dance music. By the end of the evening I had unknowingly yelled myself hoarse. The brothers said that the party would probably go until 6:00 a.m., but that many people would continue to drink throughout the day.
At about 12:45 a.m. it was time to play music again. Things were not as organized as before. The singing was really off pitch and I had to work hard at keeping everyone together tempo-wise. There were 3 drunk spectators standing directly in front of me. They were either cheering me on or simply staring at me. The bathroom was right next to us, and there was a very steady stream (no pun intended) of people going in and out of the bathroom. The men usually did not close the door. One man was taking too long, so another man walked in and peed in the tub. One man couldn't even wait to go into the bathroom so he peed on the wall. By the way it smelled around there, I don't think he was the first.
The more drunk people got, the more uncomfortable I became. When our set was done around 1:15, I was ready to leave. Luckily, when I told Manuel I was leaving, he seemed to understand. He said some very kind things to me like how happy he was that I was there and had played with the band. He also realized that he was too drunk to drive me home. I was more than happy to walk home. No one was fit to drive and the party was going as strong as ever.
In reflecting on this experience with other locals, it was clear that this kind of party is the norm in the Salasaca community. Although their "party culture" is one thing that I don't understand and was very uncomfortable for me, I have really enjoyed playing music with these guys. They have been very welcoming to me and eager to exchange musical knowledge. They are very talented musicians who take their music seriously and are passionate about keeping their music alive.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Kayaking (Magdalena)
On Saturday morning we four went kayaking. We got to the rental place after 9 and we got the kayaks. The guy there told us that we only needed to pay $10 per kayak per hour instead of $15 because we have been here so long, and are volunteers. Once we were out on the water we didn't really know where to go because if you leave the bay the ocean gets rough. So we went to the one end of the bay and then came back and went to the other end. We saw probably 10 blue footed boobies near the end of the bay and then we started to get sucked out and had to work really hard to get back. Then we went to the middle of the bay again and then it had been a little over an hour and we paddled to one of the beaches and got out. When we were getting out of the kayaks the waves splashed our backs a lot. After we returned the kayaks and such, we went downtown and got popsicles.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Tradition of Las Novenas (Teresa)
The nine evenings of "Las Novenas" are celebrated here and throughout Latin America. This tradition, with some similarities to the Las Posadas tradition in Mexico (that we experienced in south Texas), is a reenactment of the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph in their search for lodging. Each evening a mass is held, children are chosen to portray the Christmas story characters, and then the children (dressed as Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, etc.) lead the procession from the church to the location of the party. As the group processes a priest leads the group in singing Christmas carols. Before the party begins, Mary and Joseph place the baby Jesus in the nativity, and then all enjoy hot chocolate, sandwiches, and bags of candies (for children).
Each evening local businesses take turns hosting the Holy Family and the party for the community. Banks, schools, stores, public services, all join in to host these festivities. This hosting is called "El Pase del Niño" (Passing of the Child) as they actually pass a baby Jesus doll from place to place each evening. The idea being that every place and every person must be prepared for the arrival of Jesus.
Our family was involved in "Las Novenas" for two evenings in a row. Ashanti was asked to be Mary, and Luisa asked to be a shepherdess for both nights; last night's party was hosted by the bank where Ashanti's aunt works, and tonight's hosted by the electric company where Pablo and Yolanda work. There is much beauty in this tradition and the sense of communal preparations for the arrival of Jesus. It's also lots of fun for the whole family, unless the fighting for candy gets out of hand! Because we're so accustomed to keeping church traditions separate from the secular realm, the idea of businesses "Passing the Child" and hosting a church party is foreign to us. But since the culture here is still predominately Catholic (though this is changing) this combination seems to work. At the same time I've heard some critics among local residents, pointing out that some folks only show up at church once a year, when their organization is hosting the party for Las Novenas. Yes, there are always complex issues to think about. And yes, we join in preparing our hearts and homes for the coming of Emmanuel, God with us, in every part of life!
Each evening local businesses take turns hosting the Holy Family and the party for the community. Banks, schools, stores, public services, all join in to host these festivities. This hosting is called "El Pase del Niño" (Passing of the Child) as they actually pass a baby Jesus doll from place to place each evening. The idea being that every place and every person must be prepared for the arrival of Jesus.
Our family was involved in "Las Novenas" for two evenings in a row. Ashanti was asked to be Mary, and Luisa asked to be a shepherdess for both nights; last night's party was hosted by the bank where Ashanti's aunt works, and tonight's hosted by the electric company where Pablo and Yolanda work. There is much beauty in this tradition and the sense of communal preparations for the arrival of Jesus. It's also lots of fun for the whole family, unless the fighting for candy gets out of hand! Because we're so accustomed to keeping church traditions separate from the secular realm, the idea of businesses "Passing the Child" and hosting a church party is foreign to us. But since the culture here is still predominately Catholic (though this is changing) this combination seems to work. At the same time I've heard some critics among local residents, pointing out that some folks only show up at church once a year, when their organization is hosting the party for Las Novenas. Yes, there are always complex issues to think about. And yes, we join in preparing our hearts and homes for the coming of Emmanuel, God with us, in every part of life!
Our Schedule For Our Last Weeks, Holiday Weeks, On The Island (Magdalena)
Monday, Dec. 15--Kent had indigenous band practice and the police came because they were too loud at 10pm.
Tuesday, Dec. 16--Kent had indigenous band practice and the police came because they were too loud at 8:45pm (which is when nobody is sleeping).
Wednesday, Dec. 17--Our family went to the Novenas (see separate description) mass at 7pm. Ashanti was Mary and Luisa was a shepardess because it was being hosted by the bank that Ashanti's aunt works for. After the mass everyone went to the bank where there was a long line of kids and teens waiting for the candy, sandwiches and hot chocolate.
Thursday, Dec. 18--Kent has indigenous band practice in the evening. The rest of us will go to the Novenas mass where Ashanti will be Mary again because it's being hosted by the electric company which her dad and grandma work for. After the mass we will all walk to the electric company for candy, sandwiches and hot chocolate.
Friday, Dec. 19--At the office there will be a class for the volunteers on how to make empanadas at 9am which Magdalena and Luisa will skip class for and Kent and Teresa will meet them after class is done. In the evening Kent will have indigenous band practice.
Saturday, Dec. 20--At 6pm the whole household will go to the mass which includes Ashanti's first communion and confirmation. Aterward Kent and the indigenous band will play at a baby's baptism party until the wee hours of the morning.
Sunday, Dec. 21--Either Saturday or Sunday morning our family will go kayaking.
Monday, Dec. 22--In the morning the entire preschool will have their dress rehearsal for their Christmas concert. At 8pm we will have a Christmas concert in front of the CD store that we recorded at. The owner insisted we perform for his 5-year-old daughter and her friends.
Tuesday, Dec. 23--In the morning the preschool will have their Christmas party that includes the concert that we've been helping them prepare for. This is the last day of school before Christmas and all the schools will have parties and performances. In the evening all of the volunteers in our program will be treated to a Christmas meal in a restaurant.
Wednesday, Dec. 24--Christmas Eve! We will have a big dinner all together at home and then probably go to a mass.
Thursday, Dec. 25--Christmas! We don't have any plans but we will probably be doing normal Christmas stuff like playing outside in the snow, having stockings hung on the fireplace and singing hymns.
Friday, Dec. 26--We will go to a workshop at the office to make paper mâché dummies that we will then burn in the downtown on New Year's Eve. (This project will continue until we've finished our "muñecos.") We will make them look like someone real and then write their will, which needs to rhyme. We've been told that people display their dummies and wills outside their houses a few days ahead to get judged. The winner gets a $500 award.
Wednesday, Dec. 31--New Year's Eve! The whole town will gather downtown to burn their dummies after giving them a beating. The meaning of the beating and burning tradition is to burn and beat everything bad that happened in the old year, and start the new year with a clean slate.
Thursday, Jan. 1--New Year's Day!
Friday, Jan. 2--We boogie on out of this joint.
Tuesday, Dec. 16--Kent had indigenous band practice and the police came because they were too loud at 8:45pm (which is when nobody is sleeping).
Wednesday, Dec. 17--Our family went to the Novenas (see separate description) mass at 7pm. Ashanti was Mary and Luisa was a shepardess because it was being hosted by the bank that Ashanti's aunt works for. After the mass everyone went to the bank where there was a long line of kids and teens waiting for the candy, sandwiches and hot chocolate.
Thursday, Dec. 18--Kent has indigenous band practice in the evening. The rest of us will go to the Novenas mass where Ashanti will be Mary again because it's being hosted by the electric company which her dad and grandma work for. After the mass we will all walk to the electric company for candy, sandwiches and hot chocolate.
Friday, Dec. 19--At the office there will be a class for the volunteers on how to make empanadas at 9am which Magdalena and Luisa will skip class for and Kent and Teresa will meet them after class is done. In the evening Kent will have indigenous band practice.
Saturday, Dec. 20--At 6pm the whole household will go to the mass which includes Ashanti's first communion and confirmation. Aterward Kent and the indigenous band will play at a baby's baptism party until the wee hours of the morning.
Sunday, Dec. 21--Either Saturday or Sunday morning our family will go kayaking.
Monday, Dec. 22--In the morning the entire preschool will have their dress rehearsal for their Christmas concert. At 8pm we will have a Christmas concert in front of the CD store that we recorded at. The owner insisted we perform for his 5-year-old daughter and her friends.
Tuesday, Dec. 23--In the morning the preschool will have their Christmas party that includes the concert that we've been helping them prepare for. This is the last day of school before Christmas and all the schools will have parties and performances. In the evening all of the volunteers in our program will be treated to a Christmas meal in a restaurant.
Wednesday, Dec. 24--Christmas Eve! We will have a big dinner all together at home and then probably go to a mass.
Thursday, Dec. 25--Christmas! We don't have any plans but we will probably be doing normal Christmas stuff like playing outside in the snow, having stockings hung on the fireplace and singing hymns.
Friday, Dec. 26--We will go to a workshop at the office to make paper mâché dummies that we will then burn in the downtown on New Year's Eve. (This project will continue until we've finished our "muñecos.") We will make them look like someone real and then write their will, which needs to rhyme. We've been told that people display their dummies and wills outside their houses a few days ahead to get judged. The winner gets a $500 award.
Wednesday, Dec. 31--New Year's Eve! The whole town will gather downtown to burn their dummies after giving them a beating. The meaning of the beating and burning tradition is to burn and beat everything bad that happened in the old year, and start the new year with a clean slate.
Thursday, Jan. 1--New Year's Day!
Friday, Jan. 2--We boogie on out of this joint.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Biking to El Junco (Luisa)
Yesterday morning we left the house at 8:30 and went to the Malecon to a bike shop to rent bikes to bike up to El Junco, the crater lake. When we got to the shop it wasn't open yet so we walked along the Malecon to see if there were any other places to rent bikes. As we were walking along we found one store that rents bikes but they only had one bike. So we decided that we would just go back to the other store and wait for it to open. On our way back we realized that we only had ten dollars and that wasn't enough so daddy went back to the house to get more money. When we got back to the store they were just starting to open up so we picked out bikes and helmets and when daddy got back with the money we paid and started up.
After about 10-15 minutes I heard "Oh shoot" from behind me and knew that mama got hurt so I turned around and went back a little ways to where she was. Sure enough her chain had fallen off and she put it back on but in the process she cut her thumb. Magdalena and daddy came back also and by then mama said she felt lightheaded. So she drank some water and rested. After about five minutes she wasn't feeling better so she told us just to continue on with out her and she would stay and rest more.
We biked for about five more minutes and then realized that mama was coming up so we stopped and waited for her. When she caught up to us we started up again all together. After a little while it started raining and I was worried that we weren't going to make it to El Junco. But when we got to the cemetery close to El Progreso it stopped raining so we took a break and had a snack. Then it was time to get back on our bikes and keep riding. Pretty soon we were in El Progreso and we stopped at a little store to get drinks because by then our water was almost gone, then back to the bikes again.
After a total of about four hours of going up we were at El Junco. When we got there we were so excited because it was extremely clear and we were able to see the wind mills, which we had seen a sign for there but had never been able to see because of fog. When we got to the top we were able to see the whole lake! So we walked down the other side to get a closer look. Unfortunately by the time we got down to the bottom a cloud had covered the lake and we could only see half of it. So we walked back up to the top again and of course then it was clear again. We walked back down to our bikes, had a snack, and got back on our bikes to go back down.
It took us about 15 minutes to get back to El Progreso and when we got there we went to a look out over the island. Since it was a clear day we were able to see all of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, 5 fingers, and Kicker Rock. Then we were back on our bikes and coasting back to town. When we got back to the bike shop it was a little after 2:00. So we walked home, ate lunch, and took showers. We were all really tired afterwards but we all thought it was worth it also.
After about 10-15 minutes I heard "Oh shoot" from behind me and knew that mama got hurt so I turned around and went back a little ways to where she was. Sure enough her chain had fallen off and she put it back on but in the process she cut her thumb. Magdalena and daddy came back also and by then mama said she felt lightheaded. So she drank some water and rested. After about five minutes she wasn't feeling better so she told us just to continue on with out her and she would stay and rest more.
We biked for about five more minutes and then realized that mama was coming up so we stopped and waited for her. When she caught up to us we started up again all together. After a little while it started raining and I was worried that we weren't going to make it to El Junco. But when we got to the cemetery close to El Progreso it stopped raining so we took a break and had a snack. Then it was time to get back on our bikes and keep riding. Pretty soon we were in El Progreso and we stopped at a little store to get drinks because by then our water was almost gone, then back to the bikes again.
After a total of about four hours of going up we were at El Junco. When we got there we were so excited because it was extremely clear and we were able to see the wind mills, which we had seen a sign for there but had never been able to see because of fog. When we got to the top we were able to see the whole lake! So we walked down the other side to get a closer look. Unfortunately by the time we got down to the bottom a cloud had covered the lake and we could only see half of it. So we walked back up to the top again and of course then it was clear again. We walked back down to our bikes, had a snack, and got back on our bikes to go back down.
It took us about 15 minutes to get back to El Progreso and when we got there we went to a look out over the island. Since it was a clear day we were able to see all of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, 5 fingers, and Kicker Rock. Then we were back on our bikes and coasting back to town. When we got back to the bike shop it was a little after 2:00. So we walked home, ate lunch, and took showers. We were all really tired afterwards but we all thought it was worth it also.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Kent's Speaking Problems (Magdalena)
A couple weeks after we had returned from our trip to Isabela, my dad was talking about all the "stupid tourists" that were there. He was talking about the French couple that had put volcanic rocks in their backpack after being told not to and about the Russian family who pushed a sea turtle while snorkeling and who also petted an iguana. We were then talking with our host family about a punishment that there should be for tourists that mess with the wildlife. My dad's idea was that the tourists should pet a really spiny sea urchin or impregnate a cactus. The word for impregnate in Spanish is embaraza and the word for hug is abraza. He meant to say they should hug the cactus. And now Ashanti won't let him forget it. :D
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Kent's Trip to Leon Dormido/Kicker Rock
On Sunday, December 7, most of my family and some of our host family were going to the highlands to go horseback riding. I did not want to go horseback riding, so I scheduled a snorkeling trip to Kicker Rock (also known as "Leon Dormido" which in Spanish means "sleeping lion"). We had gone once with our host family in their fishing boat, but we had decided that the waters were too rough and murky to snorkel. I wanted to return there so that I could go snorkeling with sharks, which is the main attraction there. Sunday morning our family got a call from the horse farm saying that it had been raining a lot in the hills, and there was a lot of mud on the trails. So much so that they were worried that the horses might slip. The horse trip was cancelled, but the snorkeling trip was still on. I tried to convince Magdalena to go, but she wanted to stay at home.
This would be my fourth (and last) snorkeling trip where I paid money for someone to take us out to a place where we wouldn't otherwise be able to go. Most of the time I/we walk to La Loberia (Sea Lion Beach) and go snorkeling there. When the tide is low, it's pretty great snorkeling. Snorkeling is my current favorite "sport" and I have the goal of snorkeling as many times as I can during our last month here. Luisa is into it too. During the last week the two of us have walked the mile + to La Loberia just to snorkel.
On this particular trip, our snorkeling boat had just 5 passengers, the captain, the first mate, and our Galapagos National Park certified tour guide. Leon Dormido trips usually include another location as well, and ours was a beach called "Playa Manglecito" (Little Mangrove Beach). At the beach we could hike, tan, hang out, or go snorkeling. After a brief hike to explore the beach, I headed to the water with my snorkeling gear. The snorkeling was similar to La Loberia. It was shallow with lots of rocks covered with marine algae and plants, which both the fish and turtles like. What made this "snorkel" special was that I saw a beautiful hawksbill turtle. The most common sea turtle to see in the waters around San Cristobal is the green sea turtle. This was only the second time that I saw a hawksbill turtle close up. It has a orangish-brownish shell, and is smaller than the green turtles. I also saw some large, (1 1/2-2 feet long) colorful tropical fish. Some were orange and others were multi-colored with a shimmery florescent sort of sparkle. For both large fish and sea turtles, my strategy is to follow them at a safe distance until I either lose them, I see something else interesting, or I simply am ready to move onto something else.
Lunch often seems to taste better on snorkeling trips. I probably snorkeled 45 minutes or so, which takes more energy than I realize. On the boat we ate a delicious lunch of fried fish (wahoo), sweet plantain, rice and salad. After lunch we headed to Leon Dormido, which we could see already from our beach. From a distance and at the right angle, the rock does indeed look like a sleeping lion. Leon Dormido is actually small when you consider it to be an island, but is humungous when you think of it terms of a rock that is jutting out of the middle of the ocean. When the sun shines on Kicker Rock, it almost sparkles. Made of lava rock, it has many large white spots--due to the vast number of sea birds that nest there and poop on it--which is typical of all the coastal Galapagos rock formations.
Close up, Leon Dormido is quite impressive. It actually has two sections, which are separated by about 50-75 feet. It looks as if God took a steak knife and cut the rock into two sections. It was near this space that we were dropped off. Unlike my other snorkeling adventures, this one was in deep water. After jumping off the boat and into the ocean, I looked around to see nothing but water. However, after getting adjusted to my surroundings and as we approached the space between the two rocks, we started seeing good-sized fish and then Galapagos sharks! All the sharks in the Galapagos waters are said to be not dangerous to humans. The Galapagos sharks can get up to 12 feet long, but most of the ones we saw were probably no longer than 8 ft. Looking below me, I could see at least 10 sharks at once, gracefully swimming at least 6-10 feet below me. They didn't seem to be phased by our group at all. At one point, directly below us were two large eagle rays!
Besides the sharks and rays, we were also greeted by fish of all sizes, shapes and colors. Under water, the surface of Leon Dormido is teaming with life. Sea urchins in crevices, sea stars, corals, water plants, fish . . . Leon Dormido's under water surfaces are a living mural. As we swam besides the walls, the "mural" changed. It was the most diverse snorkeling I've experienced yet. At one point we hovered above a school of thousands of silver-black fish. One guy in our group was very good at diving deep. He'd dive right down through the middle of them and they would part for him. The hole would then close up, and soon after he'd pop right through the fish, who would again part for him. At another time something dove down out of nowhere. It was a diving blue-footed booby. I've often seen them flying over head and then dive straight into the water, but this was the first time I got to see what it looked like below water. The booby went down some 20-30 feet below the surface.
Towards the end of our time in the water, my hands were numb and I was getting tired. But at the same time, I didn't want to get out of the water. It's such a magical place below the water's surface and I could swim around the under water walls of Leon Dormido again and again and still see new things. Writing about it helps preserve the memory of such an incredible experience.
This would be my fourth (and last) snorkeling trip where I paid money for someone to take us out to a place where we wouldn't otherwise be able to go. Most of the time I/we walk to La Loberia (Sea Lion Beach) and go snorkeling there. When the tide is low, it's pretty great snorkeling. Snorkeling is my current favorite "sport" and I have the goal of snorkeling as many times as I can during our last month here. Luisa is into it too. During the last week the two of us have walked the mile + to La Loberia just to snorkel.
On this particular trip, our snorkeling boat had just 5 passengers, the captain, the first mate, and our Galapagos National Park certified tour guide. Leon Dormido trips usually include another location as well, and ours was a beach called "Playa Manglecito" (Little Mangrove Beach). At the beach we could hike, tan, hang out, or go snorkeling. After a brief hike to explore the beach, I headed to the water with my snorkeling gear. The snorkeling was similar to La Loberia. It was shallow with lots of rocks covered with marine algae and plants, which both the fish and turtles like. What made this "snorkel" special was that I saw a beautiful hawksbill turtle. The most common sea turtle to see in the waters around San Cristobal is the green sea turtle. This was only the second time that I saw a hawksbill turtle close up. It has a orangish-brownish shell, and is smaller than the green turtles. I also saw some large, (1 1/2-2 feet long) colorful tropical fish. Some were orange and others were multi-colored with a shimmery florescent sort of sparkle. For both large fish and sea turtles, my strategy is to follow them at a safe distance until I either lose them, I see something else interesting, or I simply am ready to move onto something else.
Lunch often seems to taste better on snorkeling trips. I probably snorkeled 45 minutes or so, which takes more energy than I realize. On the boat we ate a delicious lunch of fried fish (wahoo), sweet plantain, rice and salad. After lunch we headed to Leon Dormido, which we could see already from our beach. From a distance and at the right angle, the rock does indeed look like a sleeping lion. Leon Dormido is actually small when you consider it to be an island, but is humungous when you think of it terms of a rock that is jutting out of the middle of the ocean. When the sun shines on Kicker Rock, it almost sparkles. Made of lava rock, it has many large white spots--due to the vast number of sea birds that nest there and poop on it--which is typical of all the coastal Galapagos rock formations.
Close up, Leon Dormido is quite impressive. It actually has two sections, which are separated by about 50-75 feet. It looks as if God took a steak knife and cut the rock into two sections. It was near this space that we were dropped off. Unlike my other snorkeling adventures, this one was in deep water. After jumping off the boat and into the ocean, I looked around to see nothing but water. However, after getting adjusted to my surroundings and as we approached the space between the two rocks, we started seeing good-sized fish and then Galapagos sharks! All the sharks in the Galapagos waters are said to be not dangerous to humans. The Galapagos sharks can get up to 12 feet long, but most of the ones we saw were probably no longer than 8 ft. Looking below me, I could see at least 10 sharks at once, gracefully swimming at least 6-10 feet below me. They didn't seem to be phased by our group at all. At one point, directly below us were two large eagle rays!
Besides the sharks and rays, we were also greeted by fish of all sizes, shapes and colors. Under water, the surface of Leon Dormido is teaming with life. Sea urchins in crevices, sea stars, corals, water plants, fish . . . Leon Dormido's under water surfaces are a living mural. As we swam besides the walls, the "mural" changed. It was the most diverse snorkeling I've experienced yet. At one point we hovered above a school of thousands of silver-black fish. One guy in our group was very good at diving deep. He'd dive right down through the middle of them and they would part for him. The hole would then close up, and soon after he'd pop right through the fish, who would again part for him. At another time something dove down out of nowhere. It was a diving blue-footed booby. I've often seen them flying over head and then dive straight into the water, but this was the first time I got to see what it looked like below water. The booby went down some 20-30 feet below the surface.
Towards the end of our time in the water, my hands were numb and I was getting tired. But at the same time, I didn't want to get out of the water. It's such a magical place below the water's surface and I could swim around the under water walls of Leon Dormido again and again and still see new things. Writing about it helps preserve the memory of such an incredible experience.
What's next? (Teresa)
Some of you have asked....and the time has come to look ahead. I've thoroughly enjoyed these months on the island, living (for the most part) in the moment, and having a much simplified schedule. (The sun and surf are great, too!) These aspects are some of what I was craving for this sabbatical time. But, the time always comes when we have to do some planning for the future, and so I've been working on the details of our upcoming months in Peru (January through May).
It is hard to believe that we only have 3 1/2 weeks remaining here on San Cristobal. It's especially hard to get through my head that it is nearly time for Christmas and a new year! Without cold weather, and in a place where the temperature is increasing in this time of the year, my body and mind just aren't feeling Christmas-y. The fact that we are singing Christmas songs every day with the children helps to orient me. We four are all looking forward to experiencing Christmas and New Years traditions here.
Soon after, on January 2, it will be time to say "goodbye" to this unique place and new friends.....and we'll fly back to the Ecuador mainland, and then board a bus in Guayaquil to go all of the way to Lima, Peru, a 26 hour ride, more or less (most likely more!). The deadline we want to meet in Lima is to arrive in time for the annual South American Suzuki Festival. And because of the lovely ways that God provides for us......through the connections of church family....we will have lodging in Lima in a house owned by a Mennonite Brethren church.
The new, revised schedule for the remaining months is as follows....and as always, is subject to adjustments!
Jan 2: flight from San Cristobal to Guayaquil, spend two nights
Jan 4-5: bus from Guayaquil to Lima
Jan 6-17: Suzuki Festival and sight-seeing in Lima
Jan 18: bus to La Merced, northeast of Lima, where the mountains and rainforest meet
Jan 18-Feb 20: teaching music in a municipal summer program for children; staying with friends of friends in a one floor apartment (noon meals shared, others on our own)
Feb 21-23: travel back to Lima and then to Cusco (by plane)
Feb 23-end of May: near Cusco at La Promesa, a Mennonite school; helping with a new music program, teaching/tutoring English; Magdalena and Luisa will attend school; housing isn't confirmed yet
Late May-late June: return to Ecuador; visit the Ross Richer family in the Amazon region
Late June: return to the good ole USA
It is hard to believe that we only have 3 1/2 weeks remaining here on San Cristobal. It's especially hard to get through my head that it is nearly time for Christmas and a new year! Without cold weather, and in a place where the temperature is increasing in this time of the year, my body and mind just aren't feeling Christmas-y. The fact that we are singing Christmas songs every day with the children helps to orient me. We four are all looking forward to experiencing Christmas and New Years traditions here.
Soon after, on January 2, it will be time to say "goodbye" to this unique place and new friends.....and we'll fly back to the Ecuador mainland, and then board a bus in Guayaquil to go all of the way to Lima, Peru, a 26 hour ride, more or less (most likely more!). The deadline we want to meet in Lima is to arrive in time for the annual South American Suzuki Festival. And because of the lovely ways that God provides for us......through the connections of church family....we will have lodging in Lima in a house owned by a Mennonite Brethren church.
The new, revised schedule for the remaining months is as follows....and as always, is subject to adjustments!
Jan 2: flight from San Cristobal to Guayaquil, spend two nights
Jan 4-5: bus from Guayaquil to Lima
Jan 6-17: Suzuki Festival and sight-seeing in Lima
Jan 18: bus to La Merced, northeast of Lima, where the mountains and rainforest meet
Jan 18-Feb 20: teaching music in a municipal summer program for children; staying with friends of friends in a one floor apartment (noon meals shared, others on our own)
Feb 21-23: travel back to Lima and then to Cusco (by plane)
Feb 23-end of May: near Cusco at La Promesa, a Mennonite school; helping with a new music program, teaching/tutoring English; Magdalena and Luisa will attend school; housing isn't confirmed yet
Late May-late June: return to Ecuador; visit the Ross Richer family in the Amazon region
Late June: return to the good ole USA
A song in the grocery store (Teresa)
Often when we are trying to locate a particular item we go from store to store asking and looking around. Most stores are quite small, the size of a small convenience store, but somehow carry a surprising variety of items. If we check enough stores we'll eventually find the item we need -- a water bottle, mozerella, or hair conditioner.
One day recently I was looking around for fresh papaya and wandered into a grocery store I hadn't visited before. After not seeing any fresh produce I looked around, curious as to what canned fruits they carry. As I looked over the shelves, I heard a low voice and the tune of a familiar preschool song. I looked around, but saw no one; the song must've been in my head. I continued to look around the store and again heard a clear, soft voice singing, "pon, pon, pon, pon, pon-y, pon, pon el dedito el la manita." (Translation: put, put, put, put, put-y, put, put your little finger in your little hand). What a sweet voice; it was not in my head but I still couldn't locate it.
I walked up to the counter to pay for a few items, and the owner greeted me with a smile. He motioned to his young son who was on the floor behind the counter, also smiling. The father explained that his son had identified me as his music teacher. At this point the boy was too shy to sing but now I knew whose sweet voice I had heard earlier. What a delight to hear "our" songs being enjoyed beyond the classroom!
One day recently I was looking around for fresh papaya and wandered into a grocery store I hadn't visited before. After not seeing any fresh produce I looked around, curious as to what canned fruits they carry. As I looked over the shelves, I heard a low voice and the tune of a familiar preschool song. I looked around, but saw no one; the song must've been in my head. I continued to look around the store and again heard a clear, soft voice singing, "pon, pon, pon, pon, pon-y, pon, pon el dedito el la manita." (Translation: put, put, put, put, put-y, put, put your little finger in your little hand). What a sweet voice; it was not in my head but I still couldn't locate it.
I walked up to the counter to pay for a few items, and the owner greeted me with a smile. He motioned to his young son who was on the floor behind the counter, also smiling. The father explained that his son had identified me as his music teacher. At this point the boy was too shy to sing but now I knew whose sweet voice I had heard earlier. What a delight to hear "our" songs being enjoyed beyond the classroom!
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Las Loritas, The Parrots (Teresa)
Yes, we have parrots in our house. They are in the form of Luisa and Ashanti, who are very similar in their love of talking....on and on....about most anything....especially when they are supposed to be eating! Luisa first earned this nickname at the dinner table a few weeks ago once she became comfortable enough with Spanish to begin joking, teasing, and generally having a good conversational time. Our housekeeper was the first to call her "La Lorita" but we all thought it very appropriate so it stuck. Soon, Luisa and Ashanti were engaging in continuous dialogue and banter, such that that they are together known as "Las Loritas"! (Sure wish we had the wifi capacity to post videos!) Parents are entertained, but also have begun to set some deadlines for eating.....like "whomever is the last to finish the meal gets to wash all of the dishes," and there are lots to wash with this big group!
Christmas is in the air (Magdalena)
With Christmas being just a few weeks away we are preparing both at school and at home. At school we have started singing Christmas songs. Each class has their own song that will be shared at the Christmas program. We also have two Christmas songs that the whole preschool will sing together: Feliz Navidad (bilingual) and Hoy es Navidad (a version of Jingle Bells in Spanish). A few of the songs that we are singing are new to our family including Campana Sobre Campana and Mi Burrito Sabanero (both Ecuadorean/Latin Amercian). These songs are each sung by three year old classes. Campana Sobre Campana is about Christmas bells, bells in Bethlehem, and singing angels. Mi Burrito Sabanero is about a donkey that carries a child to see baby Jesus, about the long way to Bethlehem, and singing with a guitar while the donkey keeps trotting. (For fun, google this song to listen to many versions and remixes! It's very catchy!) We made jingle bell bracelets to go along with the songs and they work well. Every class will have some kind of hat that the teachers or parents will make to go along with their song. Also every classroom has a Christmas tree (most are full sized) and most rooms have lots of decorations such as Santa heads, candy canes and other American-looking stuff.
Last week Luisa and I helped Ashanti and Yolanda decorate the tree at our house. They had so many ornaments that we kept thinking we were done but then they would bring another box. We didn't end up putting them all on. Also Yolanda loves Christmas decorations so we got all of the decorations out and put most of the on the coffee table in the middle of the living room. The table is big but is full of decor. Every house has a tree in their front window and ours even has music. There are lots of Christmas lights downtown and stars on the light posts. Today Kassandra and Isabel made sugar cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen and bells. (We helped, too.) There is no snow here but I think Santa will still come.
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