The Big Day of Site Assignment July 13th 2011

Tom and I Sporting our sites

The day that we had all been waiting for finally came, site assignment day. A day filled with many emotions, although many were obviously rattled about the selection process I tried to keep my mind open to all the possibilities. Although in the back of my mind, I really wanted to be somewhere on the coast near the ocean. That was my ideal, an area that had some nice waves to surf, since I was spoiled in March while I was here on travel in Canoa. However, I wasn’t nervous or rattled about any of the possibilities, except one. That one possibility was to be living in an area like Santo Domingo. A location in the transition zone. I just felt that life in an area like Santo Domingo would be pretty rough, since it was extremely humid, city with a lot of pollution, cloudy (meaning the sun never came out), and flat. In a country of amazing landscapes and coast line. It was a little less than remarkable.

Then the moment came. We found the facilitators outside all lined up with a gigantic Ecuador map made of flowers on the field that we used for soccer. One by one we headed out to our locations. Then my moment came, “ Sean Maloney Ventanas” I found myself standing after norma one of my favorite language facilitators brought me to the map. Standing there I looked over and checked out where my site was located, it was directly in line with Santo Domingo in the transition zone. As a volunteer, you are asked to service where they believe you will be most effective. After seeing fellow volunteers along the coast line, or near high sierra areas. I was a bit disappointed in the selection that I had received. I truly felt like the one area that I couldn’t be happy in I was selected to volunteer in. The day proceed in a strange manner as we received our site profiles to read and understand who would be our counterpart and what would be our job descriptions. As luck would have it, the forms I received were completely illegible. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. There I sat, looking around as everyone else was enjoying the excitement of receiving their site information. I was sitting there with no information about whether or not my site was like Santo Domingo. I had no information I what my site would be like. I tried pretty hard not to show my disappointment, and maintain my cool. I treated it to be just another test of patience in the long lists of tests of patience we as Peace Corps volunteers must face.

To be honest, It was hard to try and maintain an optimistic view. But I let this be a lesson to never let your emotions get the best of you without reason. There really was no reason to be upset, well there was, but you never know what your gonna get. Life really is like that box of chocolates as Gump said. That night I packed my things and made the long trip to what I believed would be my mini Santo Domingo, because that’s basically how everyone described it to me.
Next post will reveal the results.

Fourth of AMERICA DAY

Four of July….Yes we are celebrating America DAY

So Fourth of july, was a pretty epic day for us volunteers. We had large quantities of our favorite American dishes and a day chalk full of good ol American sports. We even had a broken arm, luckily its wasn’t mine, but it was a bit of a letdown. But my buddy Will, who I spend much time saying silly bro quotes to, took it like a champ. Besides that our Health section took the 1^st place in a bunch of stuff and second place in the final of the football match against the older peace corps volunteers. Things were very disorganized, but I feel that’s just more of the Peace Corps training, through you into situations that you have to think upon your feet and make work because many times there is little to no structure. We had more practice giving charlas, and it has definitely been a great feeling. It’s incredible the lack of knowledge that people have about certain subjects. Every charla I give I begin to understand and value more and more the education that I have received in my life. More and more I want to pass that onto other people.

Side note: Humitas are soooo delicious. My family made them this week and I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on them my whole life. It was nice to see my family working in the kitchen, but in the same token reminded me of home. It was a interesting mix of sad and happy emotions. Everyday I see the positive aspects of a large family here in Ecuador and the comparison to the United States where as with my extended family it is definitely important.

Recently, Bought Pina and Papaya, in a ridiculous quantity for 3 bucks…..so awesome, but even greater was heading into the market and having the older lady who makes this awesome roast pork call me over and give me a free dish since I remarked how much I liked it.

Recieving Mail

Hey Everybody Updated!,

So here is my address if you would like to send me letters, trail mix, moleskin journals or anything really that your heart desires. Try to keep it under 4 lbs, por favor. Id love to recieve letters and write people letters as well. For any value that you have to declare just put $0.

Send mail to:

Sean Maloney

CASILLA 12-01-214 BABAHOYO-LOS RIOS Ecuador

Thanks everybody

Mercados

Spìces Fish

Fishes Fresh morning cow

Love the fruit variety

Tumbaco has a pretty awesome Sunday market. My host family took me there the first weekend here in Ecuador, and I have been finding myself there almost every Sunday. There are great meals for super cheap prices. There is also such a great variety in the amounts of fruits, vegetables, and random things as well. There is also an older woman who makes roasted pork every weekend, and it might be one of the best foods I have tasted while being here so far. We had it for a family fiesta, and I decided to ask what work goes into the making of her delicious pork. I found out she spend 6-7 hours cooking it, and that is what brings out that melt in your mouth taste. It’s incredible the amount of fruit. I bought two huge pineapples and papayas and it cost me 3 dolares. I was later informed I was ripped off, but I mean even so that’s an amazing find. Avacados, yea 5 for a dollar, incredible. I find myself making avocado and turkey sandwiches a lot. I really like the food here.

Tech Trip

Jungle Soccer in Puerto Quito, Nutrition Charla con Mothers in Santo Domingo

Limbo among PCTs, Leaf parasol

SANTA DOMINGO

Recently we took a week long tech trip that lasted through the week of 6/27/2011. On our trip we practiced giving health charlas in various locations and practiced doing encuestas as well. We travelled to Santo Domingo, which I wasn’t a huge fan of since it was extremely humid, and it was the first time I had ever seen an entire city covered in moss and mold. The air was thick with black suet. It reminded me of many places I had visited in the past in Central America since it was an explosion of sensory information. Hundreds of people in the streets, tons of tiendas selling the same things, and each had their own boombox playing some reggaeton/salsa mix. It was a lot to take in. However, it was extremely interesting. We ate in a local market which was awesome, although I was a bit worried about eating the fish…I gave it a shot. It was delicious even though I had no idea what it was/or if the water was clean to make it. I didn’t get diarrhea so I guess it was. There was a great avena/ naranjilla bebida that was delicious, I didn’t know that it was avena/naranjilla until I asked, and in great fashion the lady serving us asked if I liked it and wanted another cup free of charge. I gladly accepted.

Puerto Quito Maldonado

This was our next stop on our tech trip to give some more charlas, and meet up with a volunteer who was finishing up her two years there. It was a pretty amazing site. It was gorgeous and had all the basic amenities. Through our time there the town had a festival. We met the mayor in the town as well as checked out an aerobics class that one of the volunteers was hosting every night 5 days a week. It was awesome to see that was one of her secondary projects. The experience really stuck home the variability among sites here in Ecuador.

Puerto Quito

The end of the week we spent in a finca outside of the small town of Puerto Quito. It was a beautiful set of land, where they had pigs, cows, bunnies, ginni pigs and just about every fruit and vegetable you could think out. There we learned how to harvest Bananas, milk cows, and majority of the processes that go into maintaining a finca. We also learned of the many the issues that fincas face in Ecuador. However, the finca were we staying at did a good job of not becoming a part of the monocrop craze, which apparently is a huge problem here. Many fincas mono crop and if a plague comes that targets that specific crop they lose their main, if not only, source of income.

Cultural Trip

Playing with the kids of Mascarilla

Bottle Dancing

Scenery of Mascarilla and roof puppies

The view is that great, nice looks TAM and TOM

Our first cultural trip was of the weekend of June 18^th, we headed to a small town in the north known as Mascarilla. The towns name has origins in Kichwa, and the carilla means strong, so then the name of the town means more strong in reference to the men of the Afro-ecuatorian community. We travelled about 4 hours north of Quito and stay in the community for a the weekend. The weather was extremely hot, but refreshingly not as humid as I would have anticipated. During the day, after of the community members taught us about the history of Afro-Ecuadorians in Ecuador, specifically how their ancestors were Slaves who were on their way to a coastal city, when their ship crashed in a storm and only 4 survived and from these four ancestors came majority of the population of the Afro-Ecuadorians. We then participated in some traditions of the community, such as mask making and various dances. There was one dance that was particularly cool, as they like my host family, put a bottle half filled with water on top of their heads and started dancing, while in the same instance balancing the bottle. Our host even was able to do some push ups with the bottle on her head. Talk about impressive. That night after finding our host families for the night, we played soccer in their little indoor cement court. It was incredible how good the kids were. Their level of skills was insane. The other volunteers and I found ourselves playing futbol against the 14 year olds in the community. They were incredible. It was interesting to note as well that the traditional sickness known as Mal de ojo is believed here as well. It reminded me of the lectures that I had in Guatemala. It also really drove hope the importance and impact of these traditional enfermedades and their cures are to small communities. I know that balancing the traditions of my future community and my perspectives will be a challenge, but also an interesting chance to learn more about such a critical portion of the lives of my community members.

ILLALO

L: Awesome pic R: Pic with Cara n Kristine

Tourist shots

L: The Group R: Ryan in struggle town

The awesome view of tumbaco

One weekend we went up to climb illalo, it was a gorgeous view. Check out some of the sweet pics .

At the end of our 6 hour hike we ate empanadas....it was amazing

06/12/2011

Tested our abilities to go out into communities and interview people about health issues in their communities. Done in Puembo. I found the experience very interesting since we had to develop our own questions that would develop a broad understanding of the community issues.

On that weekend my host father also took me to check out his job, which is as an assistant futbol coach. We headed to the town of San Martin, and checked out his team which was in a U14 league. The level of talent of the jovenes on his team was insane. I believe they definitely could have beaten my high school soccer team. It was crazy to watch younger kids with such finely tuned soccer skills. It was like watching a professional team. I wasn’t surprised to learn that those kids were all in a league for teenagers aspiring to become professionals. The experience was also really cool since Marcelo’s team played against the number ranked team. All of which seemed like they must have been 19 years old. Marcelo informed me that since majority of those players are from the coast its not uncommon that they don’t know how old they actually are. After the game Marcelo and I stopped off at the second largest Mall in Ecuador known as San Luis. It was gigantic, bigger than any mall I have seen in NY, and maybe King of Prussia is bigger. Oh yea for my soccer buddies, they fields the kids played on were incredible.

Top--The Field

Middle--Marcelo watching the game

Bottom--14 yr olds that are crazy good at soccer

Mi Familia Nueva

It was awesome to meet our new families for the first time. My little host brother Toni and my Host brother Carmen came to meet me at our family announcing. It was a little interesting the way it went because it felt a bit like the draft where the our coordinator would call out our name and then the family. Some of the reactions and ways that us gringos first interacted with family was pretty hilarious. All in good fun though. I was definitely nervious to meet the family I would be spending the next 11 weeks with. So Carmen, Toni and I hopped into a family friend’s car and they took me to my new home. Sitting in the back right seat, I smiled and waved eagerly to all we passed by. When we arrived at my new family’s home, I was shocked to see how well off they were considering my experience in Guatemala was a bit rougher. However, it was a pleasant shock, all though I know the experience will not be very realistic to my future site.

Above my Host brother Toni and I enjoying a market bfest

We then went to the KFC in the comerical centro to get lunch, yea I know I was expecting a bit of traditional food, but I was honored to go to KFC since it is pretty expensive here. In the centro, I met my older host brother Matteo who was really cool and worked that the Movistar outlet there. Later we headed to meet up with Marcelo my new host father. The family is super nice and very accommodating. The first weekend we spent our time traveling around Tumbaco, checking out the square and all there is. I also spent considerable time sharing stories and pictures of family member. Carmen showed me all her pictures of Toni from when he was kid until now, he is 7 years old. The next day we went to meet Marcelo’s mother, Maria, She was very kind and It was great to her here life story and that she had hosted volunteers in the past. It was cool to feel a part of and experience the history of Peace Corps through my abuela’s eyes. It was interesting to learn that my family also lived in Madrid for close to 14 years and just recently had returned to Ecuador. My experience with my host family has been awesome, most definitely an adjustment, however it has been very comfortable.

Toni testing his photo skills with my Host mom Carmen

So far I’ve taken a lot of time to just hang out with the family. Although we have long days I find it enjoyable to chat with them at the end of the day. I have found many things that Matteo and I connect over in terms of a love of soccer and reggae for one. We spent one night just watching some hip hop , rap and reggae videos of his favorite songs and we found many similarities between our music tastes. Music crosses all boundaries.


Toni Likes the music at the market

The second weekend my family held a large birthday/ celebration party for a few people. We all headed over to where my host grandmother lives, and there we took part hours of merry making. There were many traditions such as salsa dancing and dancing with a bottle filled with water and trying not to drop the bottle. It was awesome cultural jamz.

Marcelo n some market noms

Market Food

STAGING

Ok So for the first month of Peace Corps training I must say it has been very hard to keep up with the blog. However, I am going to try to be a bit more vigilant with updating you all.

Left-Photo with mom and dad before heading off for the PC VIDA

Middle-All my luggage

So where to begin, Its incredible that I have been here for a month already. Time really has passed by very quickly. I found something enjoyable to accomplish or do almost every day, but for now I will try to update you on the current events starting from staging up to half way through training.

Staging:

Staging was really exciting because it was finally the opportunity to chat with a bunch of the other volunteers that I would be spending the next 11 weeks with in Tumbaco. The day of staging I said my final good byes to ginger, and the puppies at home. Then my parents drove me to the staging in Philadelphia. We said our final good byes, then they sent me off with the other volunteers, although I knew dad wanted to come down, and chat up a storm with everyone that he could. I knew as they were going I was going to miss them very much since I had spent the last few months relaxing at home with them. It was really nice to have that time to spend with my parents and I felt very lucky to have had the opportunity to be a home at least for a little while. To me, family is extremely important and I know without my family I wouldn’t have the strength to pursue such a different path through life. And I think my time at home showed that to me. I am grateful and proud to have their support throughout everything I pursue.

Left- All the PCTs sleep deprived in the JFK

I think the excitement in Staging was also the fact that I was surrounded by likeminded yet different individuals, all with exciting and different stories. That was definitely something I missed about being at home, and out of college. I have found I really do enjoy meeting new people. The day was full of icebreakers and things of that nature. Then we headed off in the middle of the night to JFK airport for our flights to Ecuador. I wasn’t able to get much sleep before the flight so I was pretty exhausted, but I think the adrenaline kept me going. Our flight went from JFK to Miami and from Miami to Quito. It was interesting since I was seated next to another volunteer named Brian from South Carolina, who we nicknamed the Urban Cowboy. He pointed out to me as he was getting emotional that we may not see the great land or touch the soil of the US in a long while. It was interesting to see how emotional he was since it was his first time out of the country. It was a inspiring display of patriotism.

The day after our arrival we had many things to do including Spanish exams. I found out there are 62 people in our omnibus, a pretty large omnibus. The programs are Health, Youth and Families, and TEFL.

Left-- Tumbaco near the training center, its that beautiful

Right--Another photo from the walk home

How Fast time can fly

Hello to everyone,

So I swear I am going to post something very soon, I have many things to chat about and fill you all in on. I have been lacking internet so trying to keep up the blog has not been the easiest. I loving life right now in Tumbaco and will elaborate in the next few days.

Packing List

So after a long line of past volunteer blog searching and Peace Corps Wiki I bring you my official Peace Corps Packing list, yea I think I took too much stuff as well. The thing that makes it so hard to pack for Ecuador is the variety of climates, especially when I still don't know where I will be placed in Ecuador. The temperatures can vary greatly, but not only that I'm not backpacking Ecuador so I need to have clothes that are semi professional to fit the part of a respected community member. 2 back packs and one duffel bag later......


General Clothing
1 Bathing Suit
2 Pairs of nonripped jeans
1 LL Bean Sport Sweatshirt
1 omnitech longsleeve shirt
2 wool socks
1 exofficio omnishort
1 Exofficio travel pant
2 Travel shirts
2 Dress shirts
2 pairs Kakis
2 Caps
5 Exofficio underwear--- the most comfortable underwear ever
1 rainjacket
2 bandanas
5 regular boxers
12 socks
3 pairs of atheletic shorts
1 Eddie bauer baselayer
2 plain white Ts
3 Tshirts
1 Dress shoes
1 Flip flop
1 Soccer tuff shoe ( they double as running shoes....i hope)
1 running shoe
1 Keen hiker sandel

Facewash
Shampoo
Multivitamins
Acidophilus
nail clippers
tweezers
razors

Kindle
Ipod
Ear plugs
18 in 1 hemp soap
Bug Spray
Pacsafe travel safe
Flashdrive
Umbrella
Packable cup
Camera
Paracord......learned so many uses of this from my buddy jimmy
Netbook
Headlamp
Sol light Naglene
multitook
recorder
travel alarm clock
granola bars


Moleskin Journals
Daily Planner
Travel chess
Dice
Cards
Harry potter in spanish 2,3,4
Tennis Racquet
jump rope

Thats it. I hope its managable.

Hola, Buenas Tardes mis amigos, estoy en el proceso de la preparacion para mi vida nueva

After the long journey that is the Peace Corps Application and Selection process, countless frustrations, joys and many moments of not really knowing what might become of my chances. March this year brought around the answer I had been hoping for throughout my numerous months of waiting. I received an invitation to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer, and ironically at the time I received the invite, I was in the country I will being serving in a few days. The picture below, expresses my feelings at the time (trust me it was a long process, and I think my journey was bit irregular in many categories).

For myself, this is a the realization of an experience I have dreamed about since I was a boy. My father was a Peace Corps volunteer, so throughout my childhood I've listened to his stories, and I do believe that it helped spark my desire to see and understand the world...well that and The Indian Jones trilogy...(I don't consider that last movie apart of the greatest that made up my childhood...I mean really aliens Lucas.) Ok maybe without the pillaging and treasure hunting. Anyways.., I feel lucky to have grown up in the home with a RPCV father. It has definitely shaped many of my views and understandings of the people around me. At least, I believe it has helped me maintain an open mindedness toward other cultures and a desire to see and understand the world. I think my experiences in Guatemala, and traveling through Ecuador solo nearly two months ago has given me a little taste of what life in Latin America may be like. And I must say I enjoy it very much, from soccer to salsa there are many things that Latin America has to offer.

Now with the last few days of relaxing (packing, getting paperwork done--there is a heck of a lot to do in that little blue folder) at home flying by. I have been trying to just enjoy it all, catch as many hammock moments as I can. However, the weather in northeast pa has now been very cooperative thus far. There was a wonderful week of awesome weather, and now were back to the not-so wonderful rain and fog.

I've been enjoying the simple parts of home life: good food, comfortable bed, great food, relaxation, and grandma's food, oh and before I forget Puppies. Recently, we have had two new additions to the family in the form of adorable border collie/Golden retriever/ Australian Shepherd mixes. They are full of energy and are a constant source of entertainment. It's incredible the rate that they have grown over three months and the quantity of tricks they have been learning thus far.

From right to left in the Left picture: Chula y Guapo. Meanings of the their names: Cute and Handsome. That they truly are. Y el hombre en la foto a la derecha es mi, por supuesto sin barba




This is the first of what I hope to be many blogs into what my life abroad in Ecuador will shape up to be. I am also starting to investigate what goes into a blog look pretty. I consider myself a goofball majority of times and like to laugh so some things may seem random and nonsensical. Well, more than likely that describes myself pretty well, maybe directed randomness is better.