Fresh fruit makes any day better

Usually Wednesdays are reserved for guest blogging, but as I’m sure you’ve come to realize by now, sometimes things don’t go exactly according to plan out here in Manna Daily Life world. Just me tonight :)

Today was a packed day for everyone around the house; survey computation, food runs, finance turnovers, website edits, Apoyo Escolar poster making, church visits to advertise upcoming english and exercise programs, new handbook writing, flyer designing, minga coordinating, language school (love you Dana); we all had our spoons in about 6 different bowls today. Every time I am in charge of venta runs, I’m absolutely amazed at how far our money goes. Here’s a glimpse into this morning’s purchases.

20 bananas
10 apples
5 peaches
3 papayas
10 mini plums
30 eggs
2 heads of broccoli
3 cucumbers
10 carrots
10 red/green peppers
10 aji peppers (similar to jalepenos)
2 mangos

grand total: $10.40...
is that not ridiculous?! As was so kindly pointed out to me tonight, we’re going to have a great time adjusting back to state-side prices after this year.

As some of you may know, we’re in the process of re-writing/re-designing the Manna website, giving her a little love and attention. Mark and Dunc have been persistently pushing for a Spanish language version of the site, and our first translated page is up! Really exciting stuff.
http://www.mannaproject.org/ecuador_es.asp

Also, I’ve been working on writing simplified explanations of all of our programs and the first version of the page is up as well! Check it out for a better understanding of what exactly it is that we’re doing down here, other than befriending dogs and baking cookies. http://www.mannaproject.org/ecuador_programs.asp. Pictures to come, clearly.

(random anecdote) Tonight marks a big step in house bonding, as all the other newbies were able to convince me to watch Donnie Darko. Ever since I saw that movie four years ago, I have had recurring nightmares in which the rabbit Frank watches me from the corner of my room. Serena and Jocelyn have been leaving little “notes” for me around the house (ie. IN MY CLOSET) from Frank in anticipation of tonight’s showing...I can’t tell you how sweet that’s been. I was surprised to find that I really did like the movie, and was even able to watch the parts I missed (while ichatting) later ALONE in my room. That’s huge. They're all pretty proud of me.

Until tomorrow,
Holly

(Dennis, one of our Apoyo Escolar students, playing in the abandoned altar to Mary)

So much time on their hands...

Tonight marked the last night of the two week small business course that Dunc and Eliah organized with the local Cooperativa, and we all tagged along to lend support and applause as the class presented their business plans.

As we sat down to await the first presentation, I found myself looking around the class at all the participants. Ranging from two stylish 20-something girls to a silver-haired man dressed in a dapper suit to a young couple who couldn't find a babysitter for the evening and thus brought along their 2 month old daughter, the class was an eclectic mix. And of course our two gringos were the cherry on top. (Eliah even borrowed a pair of Dunc's pants for a change from his hole-infested jeans!).

Each group presented their plans (a construction company and two papelerias (paper shops)) with a combination of pride and nerves to members of the Cooperativa, the local organization which stands as a potential lender in starting up the businesses. It was exciting to watch Dunc and Eliah and their respective teams put into action all that they'd learned in the past two weeks. After it was all over and the champagne toasting had finished, the boys had looks of semi-disbelief on their faces. Having spent four hours every day for the past two weeks in class, Dunc summed it up when he said "Well, now what are we going to do at night? Hang out?!". We're glad to have them back for dinners :)

Holly

(outside the local Cooperativa (The Hope and Progress of the Valley), co-sponsors of the class)

The Weekend Wonders

This morning, sometime circa 4:45am, Jocelyn and I started making a list of everything I have to daily life blog about after this weekend. No, we’re not insomniacs; the overnight bus we all hopped on Sunday night at 10pm had broken down somewhere in the Ecuadorian countryside, and we were all cuddled around, cranking at each other in garbled Spanglish and trying to focus on all the good that came from Cuenca. Which was a really easy task for Jos and I once we started. Thus follows the list I have to build from this week in the daily life blog.

1. 10 hour bus ride out to Cuenca, the first 2 hours of which were spent listening/watching/avoiding Big Mama’s House, dubbed in horrifically hysterical Spanish.
2. The incredible architecture of downtown Cuenca, especially the central church.

(church arch-ways)

3. The random break-dance off we came across taking place in a gazebo in the middle of Cuenca
4. The feisty (read: MEAN) little old Ecuadorian woman who became incredibly territorial while washing her clothes in the local river, ending in her running at us with a stick.

(right before she started using the stick as a weapon, photo taken from inside my purse...)

5. The Ecuadorian election which happened this weekend, deciding whether or not to pass the new constitution put forth by Corea. Voting in Ecuador is mandatory, thus everyone was traveling, voting, and conversing about it all weekend.
6. Cajas National Park. Incredible.

(one of over 230 lakes found in the park)

7. Our encounter with a self-declared ‘revolutionary’ dressed up as Che, who owned a restaurant called Che, and served us a very strange almuerzo (coupled with a few anti-Bush tirades)
8. The visit to the Panama Hat Museum, and subsequent purchasing of said hats.

(Holly, Jocelyn, Dana (NEWBIE!!), and Serena modeling our new wears)

Thanks for tuning in to yet another wild week down on the Equator!
Holly

Oops...

Greetings from Cuenca!

Don´t have enough time to write an actual update, but I realized this afternoon that in my haste to last minute pack on Thursday for our 10 hour over-night bus, I completely forgot about the daily life blog!

As much as I wanted to just blame it on S.W. (remember, Shifty Wireless?!), I really have no excuse. And seeing as how I´m sitting in an internet cafe next to Serena right now, there really is no way to post a daily picture either!

That said, expect a grand update come Monday. Extending the olive branch NOW :)

Holly

And They Started Rolling In...

(Today's guest blog comes from Seth Harlan, a second year Manna Ecuador PD and the authority on all things Spanish slang. In my opinion the best cook in the house (who else could pull off Mediterranean chicken in South America?), Seth is up for anything from mountain climbing to discotec dancing, knows more people in the community than anyone else, and has sweet talked his way into the heart of our local venta lady.)

"We woke up to another beautiful morning in Conocoto, the sun rising over the mountains and not as cloud in the sky. It was the first time in weeks that we could see the snowy peak of Cotopaxi from our rooftop. Today was going to be a good day with no need for raincoats or fleece jacket, or so I thought. It's funny that after a year in Ecuador, I still haven't learned that the only rule here is that anything goes and nothing is certain.

As we sat reading with kids in our homemade tent nicked named "la cueva" that Holly built for our apoyo escolar program, the light started to fade. At first I thought it was just the blankets blocking the sun, but like clockwork, 15 minutes before the program ended, the clouds rolled in, thunder cracked, and the rain started. After three straight days of pelting rain in the afternoons it can only mean one thing –no more flip flops, no more short sleeves… the dreaded rainy season has come!"

(la cueva packed with readers)

(Felix, Holly, and Mafe share reading duty)