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My Garden
Isn't beautiful. I plan on making a small scale tube irrigation system for it as an example for my community. Okay, so I've survived my first two weeks alone in site. It's crunch time, integration time. Time to make friends and build relationships and get stuff done.
So Cara, what have you done?
Ahh, yeah. Not much. I went to a bunch of markets and bought food, I painted a few rooms in my house, I bought a bike for way too much money, I started a vegetable garden, and I've started to make a home for myself.
Oh, you meant for the community, didn't you? Since I am a volunteer here and all that jazz.
Umm... not much. I made some graph paper one day at the school and I've attended a few meetings about the irrigation system I am to assist in installing (one of which was in Kichwa in which my clearly superior Spanish skills were of no use), I think I learned how to play that marble game the kids are always playing in the street (actually I just flick it when they tell me to and I have no idea whats going on), and I read a lot - mind you, not any of the 1001 books to read before you die,
Living Room
I painted two of the rooms in my house green. I don't know, but I feel like green is going to be a theme for the next two years of my life. but rather a whole bunch on irrigation and Spanish. Though I will conquer that list some day.
I think that it's important for people to realize that things here are going to move a whole lot slower than they might in the United States and that's okay. I'm totally down with taking it slow and enjoying my time here. That's not to say I'm not going to get anything done. There are 168 members of this farmers association that I am working with and it seems like almost nobody in my community has an irrigation system so there is soooo much potential (PE = mgh?). I feel as though I have a really tangible project here and that in the end of two years I'll be able to look at those farms and say I made that happen. But that's two years and its only been two weeks. So just enjoy the photos of my home for now and just wait while everything falls into place.
Which by the way, talk about making something from nothing (microcosm for my Peace Corps experience!). I spent less than $20 fixing up my house and making it livable. When I got
Other Half of my Living Room
Clearly there is more to be done. I left one wall a light green because I want to paint a mural there eventually, but let me integrate a little first. here I had a shower curtain as a curtain for one of my windows and nothing else. I wish I had before photos so you could see how much happier my home is now. I should be on one of those TV shows Renovation on a Dime or whatever.
I mean I'm not always successful. For example:
1.The electricity in my house. So I rigged up this sweet system with extension cords to provide electricity to all of the rooms of my house since I currently only have one outlet. I bought my first extension cord at the store for $3.50 and then I saw a similar cord in the market and I bought two more for $4. I thought I was such a bargainer. The first time I used one of the market cords, it melted. Now my house smells of plastic. Lesson learned.
2.Oh, and while I was painting I knocked one of the gallon buckets of paint over and spilled about half of it on the floor.
3.Additionally, I made this awesome cork board with all of these photos of home (see below) and a used about a mile of duct tape to hold it
Bicicleta
Check out my totally rad new ride. I bought it and some gear for $90 off some gringos that I had befriended about a month ago. Everyone in my communidad made fun of me and said it was only worth $65, but it is pretty good quality and I don't know if a $65 bike is as quality. My mom always says I'm naïve and she's probably right, but I'd like to think that I'm actually just generous and trusting. on the wall and as I was typing this blog entry out, I heard it fall off the wall (at least I got a photo of it while it was lookin' pretty). Ugh. Literally a mile of duct tape, and that stuff isn't cheap on a Peace Corps salary.
Its times like these I could get very angry, but instead I choose to laugh at how utterly ridiculous my life is right now. I mean really, this is crazy.
Two weeks gone. Two more years to go!
P.S. I don't know why but I'm going through this huge Bob Dylan kick right now. My friend gave me all of this recordings of his radio show: Theme Time Radio Hour and its probably the greatest thing in the entire world. Expect more references to his music in the future (see title). And while I'm at it allow me to share my favorite poem ever by Bob (its best if you imagine him saying it). I think there is a deeper meaning in it that I can relate to my Peace Corps experience, just give me some time to channel my 10th grade AP English skills to
Wall Decorations 1
The map all the way to the left is a map of my communidad. Then as we scroll to the right there are maps of my closest city: Riobamba, My Province: Chimborazo, and finally all of Ecuador. work something out or make something up. Until then...
Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Some poems rhyme
This one doesn't.
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