So you may be wondering...what do I do on Fridays? Maybe you're not, but I know at least my mom is. ;)
On Fridays I don't go to my field site, for a number of reasons. First, it appears that Fridays will be the best time for me to have my "one-on-one" with another missionary here. Our semester abroad program gives us a ton of support throughout our experience, and one way of doing this is by scheduling "one-on-one" time with our resident coordinator. The folks in charge of the program were very thoughtful and asked me if I would like to meet with another married woman, and I jumped at the chance. M is great, and so far my time with her has been so refreshing and helpful. So, we've been meeting on Friday mornings for things like coffee or walks in the park.
At noon I have supervision with my field instructor. Part of our social work field education includes mandatory supervision, which is basically a meeting with our field instructor to talk about our week in field. Our supervisor is there to get to know us as professionals, help us think through sticky situations, and evaluate our performance in the end. So, before lunch I walk over to the school where our field instructor is working for an hour long meeting. She never gives me answers, but it is super helpful to be able to talk with another more experienced professional about the things that come up in field.
In addition, Friday is the day that our Ecuador class meets. This class is just to help us understand the history, culture, and politics of Ecuador, so it's a lot of fun. Learning is very experiential, which means we take field trips and have guest speakers on occasion. I'm not taking this class for credit, so I just get to enjoy the field trips and learning about the country I'm calling home for now.
Finally, Friday is our day to skype with our field instructor back in the states. She likes to check in with the three of us senior social work students just to see how we're doing, how our field placements are coming along, etc. She is a wonderful lady and I actually do look forward to this time. It's also a great outlet to process things with the other two students, who are in a different field placement at an international school.
So that's how I end my week! Although the day is still fairly busy, it's a nice break from my long commute and the full days at my field site.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Feliz Dia de San Valentin!
Okay, so I'm a little behind with this blogging stuff...but long story short, I left my computer charger at my field site the other day and now I'm in my homestay. So, things have been a little bit crazy.
Anyway, I spent the majority of Valentine's Day at my field site, of course. As soon as I walked in the door, I was handed some paint and asked to turn a handful of girls into clowns for some Valentine's Day activity. After that, I spent the morning being treated to a variety of powerpoint presentations, skits, dances, songs, games, and more from all the girls at the house. Their talent is incredible! It was so fun to just sit back and watch them display their special talents. All the social workers and police officers were there, so we got to enjoy the show like one big family of women. So fun. After that we sang together and listened to a new song meant to empower women who have been trafficked. I'm able to eat lunch with the girls, which is wonderful because that means I get to enjoy a free hot meal every day. However, it can be tough to eat there because I'm not entirely sure if the food is prepared for gringos--meaning, all the produce needs to be cleaned correctly and the water must be pure or boiled, not just from the tap. So we'll see how that goes.
After lunch I had lots of time to do my workshop, which was about the United States. I talked about each region of the country and showed lots of pictures while answering the girls' many questions about my country. After that we talked a little bit about similarities and differences between the U.S. and Ecuador. Once I was finished with everything I had prepared, they wanted to hear American music. And to see me dance to American music. So, I put on some itunes and we had a gringa dance party. Overall, the day was really rewarding--I've connected with a number of the girls and some of them couldn't believe I wasn't coming back until Monday. In fact, I even stayed past five, when I'm supposed to leave!
That night I raced home to turn in my graduate school application and quickly change into a skirt for our classy dinner at the boys' apartment. The guys wanted to make us feel special, and they sure did! We encountered rose petals and candles on the stairs up to the apartment and were treated to a three course meal by five dapper young men. After dessert, the evening's entertainment was a choreographed dance by the guys. It was hysterical! They did such a great job of spoiling us for that night. Although of course, I would have loved it even more if it was my own husband who I was sharing a candlelight dinner with!
Anyway, I spent the majority of Valentine's Day at my field site, of course. As soon as I walked in the door, I was handed some paint and asked to turn a handful of girls into clowns for some Valentine's Day activity. After that, I spent the morning being treated to a variety of powerpoint presentations, skits, dances, songs, games, and more from all the girls at the house. Their talent is incredible! It was so fun to just sit back and watch them display their special talents. All the social workers and police officers were there, so we got to enjoy the show like one big family of women. So fun. After that we sang together and listened to a new song meant to empower women who have been trafficked. I'm able to eat lunch with the girls, which is wonderful because that means I get to enjoy a free hot meal every day. However, it can be tough to eat there because I'm not entirely sure if the food is prepared for gringos--meaning, all the produce needs to be cleaned correctly and the water must be pure or boiled, not just from the tap. So we'll see how that goes.After lunch I had lots of time to do my workshop, which was about the United States. I talked about each region of the country and showed lots of pictures while answering the girls' many questions about my country. After that we talked a little bit about similarities and differences between the U.S. and Ecuador. Once I was finished with everything I had prepared, they wanted to hear American music. And to see me dance to American music. So, I put on some itunes and we had a gringa dance party. Overall, the day was really rewarding--I've connected with a number of the girls and some of them couldn't believe I wasn't coming back until Monday. In fact, I even stayed past five, when I'm supposed to leave!
That night I raced home to turn in my graduate school application and quickly change into a skirt for our classy dinner at the boys' apartment. The guys wanted to make us feel special, and they sure did! We encountered rose petals and candles on the stairs up to the apartment and were treated to a three course meal by five dapper young men. After dessert, the evening's entertainment was a choreographed dance by the guys. It was hysterical! They did such a great job of spoiling us for that night. Although of course, I would have loved it even more if it was my own husband who I was sharing a candlelight dinner with!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Feliz Carnaval!
For the past few days Ecuador has been celebrating Carnaval, which is kind of a last hurrah before Lent starts. Because of the holiday, we've had Monday and Tuesday off from class/work and I am loving that. Yesterday we went to the country property of the grandparents of the Ecuadorian woman who coordinates our internships and homestays to celebrate and "play Carnaval".
The drive out there was a little long and precarious, as our old suburban's brakes overheated on the mountain roads. Of course we survived in the end though. On the way we enjoyed squirting foam at strangers on the sidewalk from the car. Once we got to the toll, we were so close to spraying a boy selling foam (people sell things on the streets everywhere in Ecuador) but a policeman subtly came over and foiled our plans. The Ecuadorians all are good-natured about it, and I bet they thought it was a little funny being sprayed by a suburban full of gringos.
Once there, we played some games and hung out in the sun (finally! It's so rainy these days) while the men cooked up our lunch. We enjoyed hamburgers, chips, watermelon, choclo, and lima beans for lunch. While we were finishing our food we sat lazily in the sun, talking and admiring the gorgeous view. Then all of a sudden, we were covered in water and foam! I think I already mentioned this, but in Ecuador Carnaval is celebrated by dumping buckets of water and spraying foam on everybody in the streets, including strangers. The women in the little country town were even hiding up on the roof of the grocery store, waiting to soak unsuspecting patrons. It's hilarious. So anyway, Carnaval began for us right after lunch. The funnest people to watch were our hosts--two older men probably in their sixties who have seen many Carnavals in their day. They are ruthless! If you're not deemed wet enough, the whole group comes after you, tackles you, and makes sure you're completely soaked (this happened to me). So much fun, yet so cold!
So that was Carnaval for us. Today is a free day, and I am definitely taking advantage. I've had a cough/cold that's been getting worse, so I'm trying as much as possible to rest before work tomorrow. Unfortunately it's not exactly going so well due to my long to-do list...
The drive out there was a little long and precarious, as our old suburban's brakes overheated on the mountain roads. Of course we survived in the end though. On the way we enjoyed squirting foam at strangers on the sidewalk from the car. Once we got to the toll, we were so close to spraying a boy selling foam (people sell things on the streets everywhere in Ecuador) but a policeman subtly came over and foiled our plans. The Ecuadorians all are good-natured about it, and I bet they thought it was a little funny being sprayed by a suburban full of gringos. 
Once there, we played some games and hung out in the sun (finally! It's so rainy these days) while the men cooked up our lunch. We enjoyed hamburgers, chips, watermelon, choclo, and lima beans for lunch. While we were finishing our food we sat lazily in the sun, talking and admiring the gorgeous view. Then all of a sudden, we were covered in water and foam! I think I already mentioned this, but in Ecuador Carnaval is celebrated by dumping buckets of water and spraying foam on everybody in the streets, including strangers. The women in the little country town were even hiding up on the roof of the grocery store, waiting to soak unsuspecting patrons. It's hilarious. So anyway, Carnaval began for us right after lunch. The funnest people to watch were our hosts--two older men probably in their sixties who have seen many Carnavals in their day. They are ruthless! If you're not deemed wet enough, the whole group comes after you, tackles you, and makes sure you're completely soaked (this happened to me). So much fun, yet so cold!
After a whole lot of Carnaval play, we decided to let ourselves dry in the sun and eventually change into dry clothes. Once that was done our amazing hosts served banana bread, coffee, and cookies and we all relaxed and chatted together. Once 6:00 rolled around we piled back into our cars for the beautiful drive home through the Andes mountains. I was reminded again of how intense the pollution can be here at times--if you drive with the windows open the fumes are sometimes pretty insane. So much so that the women who work the tolls all wear gas masks! It makes me wonder how the men, women, and children who sell things around the tolls manage to do it.
So that was Carnaval for us. Today is a free day, and I am definitely taking advantage. I've had a cough/cold that's been getting worse, so I'm trying as much as possible to rest before work tomorrow. Unfortunately it's not exactly going so well due to my long to-do list...
Friday, February 8, 2013
So it begins!
I have finally started my field placement! There's so much to say about it already...where to begin?
First of all, I want to be super careful about confidentiality here. That's a standard value of social work, but it's also extremely important due to the work I'm doing. So, at times I may have to be a little vague just to make sure I'm protecting my clients and not doing anything to harm the mission of my agency.
Basically, I am working in a group home for girls who are survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. My agency works with the police to conduct rescues of girls known to be underage working in discotecas, brothels, or elsewhere and then brings them to this home. They tend to stay there for about six months to a year before transitioning to another home or re-entering society on their own. These girls are all adolescents (some are very young, and no one is old enough to be a high school graduate) and a few have children of their own. That is all I feel comfortable saying about my service population on the Internet, but I think you get the idea. Security is pretty tight there (I have to identify myself with the police before I'm allowed through multiple gates) so this is clearly a pretty sensitive situation--with good reason.
I actually have quite a significant role at my agency. The environment is very structured in order to help the girls find some stability and to keep their minds off the extremely tough situations they have left. The social workers teach them life skills, social skills, and academic skills during their time at the home. The social worker has given me about two hours each afternoon to run a workshop for the girls. It can be about whatever I want, as long as I'm sensitive to their experiences. I've decided to start by sharing a little about the United States and my home culture, and hopefully this will start conversation about culture differences in general. I thought this would be a good way to acknowledge the fact that I am foreign and to help us appreciate our differences. The girls have already requested English lessons as well, so I will gladly be conducting some English workshops. These workshops are already a lot to prepare in English, so you can imagine how busy I am trying to do this in Spanish!
Today I came to the house with a group of missionaries that comes to minister to the girls twice a week. My agency is not Christian, but they do allow Christians to come play games with the girls and share a small Bible lesson. This is a bit tricky for me, because although I am Christian I am a professional, not a volunteer. I want to respect the culture of my agency, and this may involve not being so open with my faith. Stilll, this was a great way to start getting to know the girls. Some are very warm and welcoming, while others are tougher to get to know. Communicating in Spanish is obviously a huge challenge, as is maintaining appropriate boundaries with the girls. I very much want them to know how much I care about them, but I must maintain my status as a professional, not a friend. Still, I feel very welcomed at this agency and this would truly be my dream job in the states. Tomorrow I come back for another half day, and then on Wednesdays I will be working in the agency's office to experience administrative social work. On Thursday, I'll officially be working at the house full time. So there you have it! I'm overwhelmed, yet excited to do my best and serve these girls in any way that I can.
First of all, I want to be super careful about confidentiality here. That's a standard value of social work, but it's also extremely important due to the work I'm doing. So, at times I may have to be a little vague just to make sure I'm protecting my clients and not doing anything to harm the mission of my agency.
Basically, I am working in a group home for girls who are survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. My agency works with the police to conduct rescues of girls known to be underage working in discotecas, brothels, or elsewhere and then brings them to this home. They tend to stay there for about six months to a year before transitioning to another home or re-entering society on their own. These girls are all adolescents (some are very young, and no one is old enough to be a high school graduate) and a few have children of their own. That is all I feel comfortable saying about my service population on the Internet, but I think you get the idea. Security is pretty tight there (I have to identify myself with the police before I'm allowed through multiple gates) so this is clearly a pretty sensitive situation--with good reason.
I actually have quite a significant role at my agency. The environment is very structured in order to help the girls find some stability and to keep their minds off the extremely tough situations they have left. The social workers teach them life skills, social skills, and academic skills during their time at the home. The social worker has given me about two hours each afternoon to run a workshop for the girls. It can be about whatever I want, as long as I'm sensitive to their experiences. I've decided to start by sharing a little about the United States and my home culture, and hopefully this will start conversation about culture differences in general. I thought this would be a good way to acknowledge the fact that I am foreign and to help us appreciate our differences. The girls have already requested English lessons as well, so I will gladly be conducting some English workshops. These workshops are already a lot to prepare in English, so you can imagine how busy I am trying to do this in Spanish!
Today I came to the house with a group of missionaries that comes to minister to the girls twice a week. My agency is not Christian, but they do allow Christians to come play games with the girls and share a small Bible lesson. This is a bit tricky for me, because although I am Christian I am a professional, not a volunteer. I want to respect the culture of my agency, and this may involve not being so open with my faith. Stilll, this was a great way to start getting to know the girls. Some are very warm and welcoming, while others are tougher to get to know. Communicating in Spanish is obviously a huge challenge, as is maintaining appropriate boundaries with the girls. I very much want them to know how much I care about them, but I must maintain my status as a professional, not a friend. Still, I feel very welcomed at this agency and this would truly be my dream job in the states. Tomorrow I come back for another half day, and then on Wednesdays I will be working in the agency's office to experience administrative social work. On Thursday, I'll officially be working at the house full time. So there you have it! I'm overwhelmed, yet excited to do my best and serve these girls in any way that I can.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Another busy Saturday.
From Saturday, February 2...
Today we had breakfast at another missionary's house and shared our testimonies afterwards. I had never shared my testimony before and feel embarrassed about being open with people, so I was a little glad to get that over with. After that we went to the market at La Mariscal to see what kind of souvenir-type things they sell here. Five of the girls got piercings there--noses and lips. Don't worry, Mom and AJ, I'm still piercing free ;)
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| The girls getting their noses pierced. |
Last few days before...field!
Sunday was another busy, sunny day in Ecuador. Went to church in Spanish, this time with a larger group of brave souls from our program. After that, some of us went to lunch at a restaurant called Crepes and Waffles, which serves...you guessed it! Oh my goodness, I should not have discovered that place. Here is what I had for lunch:
Lunch was followed by a trip to the local Supermaxi (the supermarket down here), where I was quite surprised to find that a small bottle of olive oil can set you back $12 here, and peanut butter is at least $5.50. Yikes! You can buy at least two meals for $5.50. Some missionaries were hosting a super bowl party on their roof that night, but I decided to skip since I had a lot left to do that weekend. It was a good decision.
After that we caught lunch before Spanish class. I had locro de papas, which is a standard potato soup with avocado and cheese, along with a chicken sandwich. Both good, and most importantly, warm. That afternoon I had my last day of Spanish class, after which I raced home to cook community dinner for all the girls (sloppy joes, fries, and chocolate cake--and I read all the instructions in Spanish!). We had some more testimony time later before I fell into bed after a long, rainy day.
In case you can't tell, that's peach juice along with a waffle covered in coffee ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. Oh yeah. They serve healthier stuff too, but really--if you had this as an option, would you go for the vegetarian crepe?!
We had a great time eating our yummy crepes and waffles and getting to know two other missionaries from the jungle visiting Quito. One of them actually slept in my room over the weekend. They're a lot of fun and I can't wait to see them again when our group comes to the jungle for a visit.
Lunch was followed by a trip to the local Supermaxi (the supermarket down here), where I was quite surprised to find that a small bottle of olive oil can set you back $12 here, and peanut butter is at least $5.50. Yikes! You can buy at least two meals for $5.50. Some missionaries were hosting a super bowl party on their roof that night, but I decided to skip since I had a lot left to do that weekend. It was a good decision.
On Monday morning we saw the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace in Old Quito. It poured the whole time, so we were completely soaked. I had no idea what was going on, and the president wasn't even home at the time, but it was still quite a show. They do that every Monday apparently.
After that we caught lunch before Spanish class. I had locro de papas, which is a standard potato soup with avocado and cheese, along with a chicken sandwich. Both good, and most importantly, warm. That afternoon I had my last day of Spanish class, after which I raced home to cook community dinner for all the girls (sloppy joes, fries, and chocolate cake--and I read all the instructions in Spanish!). We had some more testimony time later before I fell into bed after a long, rainy day.
Tuesday was just a chill day, since I thought I was supposed to start my field placement but didn't. But I'm officially starting today! Can't wait to finally start on the reason why I'm here and catch up to my classmates in the states!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Carnaval celebrations and empanadas.
The last few days have been super busy. Thursday was a pretty average day, meaning we went to Spanish class and then came back for a community dinner, which included the guys. After we had all enjoyed some delicious taco salad, the guys disappeared for a minute and came back spraying us with giant cans of foam. Luckily we had all finished dinner, because the place was a mess! Everyone was covered in foam, as was our dining area. To Americans, this just sounds like a weird prank, but this is actually a very normal occurrence here in Ecuador during Carnaval. In the past, Ecuadorians used to launch water balloons at strangers in the streets and even poured buckets of water, gasoline, or urine on people at times. I've heard the country just goes crazy during this time. However, the city of Quito has really cracked down on some of the craziness, so stores here sell special foam (espuma) that is still fun but dries quicker. 
On Friday we had Spanish class at eight in the morning, which meant we had to leave the apartment at 7:15am--too early. After that we had a short break before Ecuador 250, which is our class about the history, culture, and politics of Ecuador. I'm auditing that class and am super excited for it. The class mostly consists of field trips and guest speakers. On our first day we discussed a bit of Ecuador's political history, which is very complicated and unstable. Ecuador has had about 86 changes of government and 17 new constitutions in the past 150 years. The military also has a habit of chasing presidents out of the country and at times declaring them mentally insane. Pretty exciting place to be!
That night we went to Old Quito for empanadas. I got squashed on the trole yet again--this time, I even have bruises on my back to prove it. Thankfully a nice Ecuadorian man noticed I was getting squashed against a metal bar and checked to see if I was okay, which led to us having a conversation throughout the entire ride. We eventually found out that we're both Christians, which made me enjoy his company even more.
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