So things have been pretty good in September and I
feel sure this year will be the best for me.
Here are a few updates on certain things:
INTERNSHIP
On the Monday of our second week in Guayaquil/at UEES,
I reported to the main campus for 9am to join the arts students on going again
to some schools to talk about this play. I felt comfortable about it this time,
but then I saw Javier and Anna, the two people I spent my time with, were not
there today. I had kind of counted on partnering with them again, so got a tiny
bit nervous again. We got in a little van and headed not to Guayaquil but in
the opposite direction, up all the way through Samborondón until it eventually
becomes a poor area. So, no longer Samborondón I guess? I wasn’t given a proper
explanation of where we went but it looked like poorer disorganized area than
I’d seen yet, and it was a 40 minute ride so I was able to have a quick nap on
the way.
This time I was partnered with the guy who I thought
was a teacher last time; he looks like Antonio Banderas, but with long hair and
less like Antonio Banderas the more you look at him, so not sure where I’m going
with this description. Anyway we went to a class and started talking and I
could not understand these kids hardly at all. All speaking at once super-fast
in a lot of slang talk, I definitely suffered this time. In turn it seems like
they could not understand me when I spoke, even though no one else here has had
trouble with understanding my Spanish so far. So I ended up resorting to just
standing there while my partner did the talking, which really lowered my
confidence. We headed to another school, but I was feeling a bit uncomfortable
now. I was able to communicate a bit more in this next class of kids, but still
struggled at understanding each other.
After that, it was time for a break before we headed
to the next couple of schools. It was 11:30 now, which meant we would not be
back at UEES until 2:30pm. This is supposed to be a morning activity and I
should be back at Nizida’s for lunch before Spanish class at 2.40, so when one
of the girls said she was going back I decided to go with her. This girl, who’s
called Joanna and is heavily pregnant, was able to get us on a public bus that
drives down back to mainland Samborondón and UEES. I had no idea what was going
on as she asked people what bus to get and where from, everyone is shouting and
jumping on/off different buses, and I feel like I just want to get back to nice
Samborondón as soon as possible! Anyway we manage to get on a bus and during
our conversation she tells me about her marriage and that her baby is due next
month, all this she is just a year older than me. I also found myself having to
protect her from people who keep barging through everyone pushing and shoving,
so here I am like a knight in shining armour to this pregnant girl who I’ll
probably never see again. We got to UEES after about half an hour.
The next day was the actual performance of this play,
at the theatre Teatro Sanchez Aguilar in Entre Rios. Today, one of the French
girls Marine joined us so I was happy to hang around with her. We basically had
to usher these kids into their seats at the theatre, and then watched the play.
Maybe because the actors were shouting or singing most of the time, but I did
not really understand what was happening or what the story was. I think there
was about 5 different stories each about one lady being tricked by a Don John
type of character but I never understood the exact dialogue. I can’t say I was
bored, because there was singing and dancing, but it did start to drag on a bit
by the time it finished. It’s really strange how I could not understand them,
did not make sense.
Poster for the play.
After this play, my time with these arts students was
finished, there was nothing more to do now which was disappointing. Had this
really been an internship? I looked for a new placement, and ended up going to
Padre Damian, a care centre for patients who have previously suffered from
leprosy. I also had the pleasure of going with Julie, another Frenchie, so we
could both get lost together on the first day we went there. Also it was the
first time I took the public bus to Guayaquil, which I had feared slightly.
Having to jump on and off does give you a bit of adrenaline, and hey sometimes
the driver is polite enough to wait until everyone is off the bus before he
drives off. The time we spend at Padre Damian is quite relaxed, our main
purpose is to spend time with the patients there. That includes, for example, playing
dominoes, helping make food to give to them, even just conversing with them.
One fragile old lady told me she had been put there by God but that she does
not hate him for giving her leprosy, and that he also put me there. The centre
is run by an American nun named Annie. She is a nice eccentric lady (she shouts
a lot, but happy shouts, like hallelujahs).
CLASSES
During our first week, we assumed the class
Institutions In Society would be easy and relaxed since we did not really do
any work and it kept getting cancelled. But we were so wrong. This was
discovered upon our first lesson back in the second week, when the teacher
seemingly removed all friendliness from her system. She had sent us some pages
over the weekend to read about Yasuni, the national park which is being
destroyed to obtain its oil despite the threat to the wildlife and indigenous
people who live there. Most of us had a quick read through, some did not, but
we did not expect such a vicious interrogation and subsequent scolding on the
matter. There is also the matter of the teacher locking the door at 9pm, and
refusing to open it if anyone arrives later (although eventually she will). So
we left the class frightened, and got used to a pattern of being set tons of
readings which we had to read because we’d be tested on it in class. The
teacher is kind of like Professor Umbridge, as some people have likened her. Bearing
in mind we have internships in the morning,we tend to get to UEES in the
afternoon for Spanish classes, then we have a few hours after of free time
which should be spent reading 20 pages or so of Ecuadorian history. It probably
does not sound that bad but it’s a little tedious especially when you then have
this challenging class at night; some of the Frenchies were actually in tears
because of the stress of this reading work/tests.
The Spanish class is pretty easy though. Mostly read
Ecuadorian literature and then have to analyse them or something, and we have
started to read a book called Baldomera whicih we will have to write an essay
on, it’s actually pretty interesting. It’s set in Guayaquil and is about a
woman called Baldomera, a middle-aged woman straight out of the ghetto who
drinks all day and gets into fights with people. One chapter tells of a riot
that goes on and a guy accidentally crushes a baby, so Baldomera promptly cuts
his head off. I’m just saying it’s more interesting and entertaining than the
usual books that have to be studied for in classes.
So the usual schedule from Monday to Thursday is wake
up around 7:30/8, head to the internship for 9, back around 1, have an hour and
a half to eat, then to UEES for Spanish class and then I have about four hours
until the Institutions class. Those four hours vary, either I spend it in UEES
or I go back home as sometimes the food is not ready in time for earlier. This
is dangerous though, because with the heat and everything I end up having a nap
if I get back home around 4ish. Actually a lot of students do this, then we end
up rushing back to UEES in time for our night classes.
So, that means Thursday night is the night to party,
there is always a cheerful mood on Thursday evenings as we finish at UEES.
Karina, Angelike, and Don Andrea; the lovely ladies in charge of us!
INTERNATIONAL FAMILY
The international group is even closer now, and we
pretty much have a great time together every week.
On the way to this club, myself and the two
Australians Steve and Tiffany had our first argument with a taxi driver which
was bound to happen at somepoint. We took the cab off the street from
Samborondón to Guayaquil, to some shopping centre at the top of which this club
was located. The taxi driver tried charging 8 dollars, two more than the agreed
6 (which is already more expensive than it would be with the safe company we
usually use). So we just gave him the 6 and walked out the cab, and proceeded
to go into the wrong building where we thought the club was. So as we came out
again to go into the next building, we saw the taxi still there, the driver
glaring at us. But yeah nothing bad happened.
We have also become frequent locals at Beer House, the closest thing to a pub around here. But it's no pub, it's actually quite a noisy bar.
Cheers!
Handsome fellas.
With some of the Mexican ladies.
Other times I frequently chill at the Mexicans' place.
Djibril!
With Nancy and Mayte.
MR LOVERMAN
They call me Mr Loverman. Me and Solbi started a
relationship now, so that makes my time here even better. Also she is three
years older, how cool is that. She has been round to the house and Nizida has
been very friendly to her, again showing how lucky I am with this host mother
because I know other host families would have issues of having members of the
opposite sex visiting. Not sure how long it will last, but good to have fun for
a while at least. My man Djibril got himself a girlfriend too, one of the Mexicans. International love!
MEXICAN PARTY
Mexico's Independence Day is on September 16th, so Pepe and Karla hosted a Mexican party where
they cooked Mexican food and had Mexican music playing. It was also Victoria's 24th birthday. Good times!
Our lovely chef couple Pepe and Karla at work.
Happy birthday Victoria bro.
Awesome picture with my buddy Djibril!
A much needed haircut.
Me and Solbi :)
Me and Karla!
Ole ole!
This is a picture of strictly just Mexicans, together
celebrating the independence of their country. As you can see, I am also in
this picture, officially changing my nationality to Mexican.
Having a great time with my new buds
BEACH VISIT
One Sunday I went to Salinas for the day with Tiffany from Australia.
Salinas is beach town about two hours away, which also meant my first time
taking a travel bus from the bus station. When you enquire about what the times
are for buses, there is no such thing as receiving a polite response detailing
the prices and different times. Instead you basically get shouted at that there
is one right now go quickly now now go to the stop upstairs go! Next!
I was glad I had tiffany with me who had already
travelled from here before, so I had someone to guide me around this chaotic
bus terminal. Also, the buses have no toilets which made me worried. At least
it’s only two hours to Salinas, but this is going to be a problem for other
travels I want to do eventually which cover distances of 5 hours or more.
Anyway, I was really excited to get to the beach and swim in the pacific, but
it was quite disappointing. It was cloudy, windy, and a little chilly. It was
like we left Ecuador and went to the UK. We just ended up napping on the beach
and then went to eat then came back to Guayaquil. I didn't even take any
pictures.
