Days 3 and 4

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Day 3: Quito

For breakfast, we had an egg, two plantain balls stuffed with cheese, juice from an Ecuadorian fruit, and tea or coffee. Kim and I walked to ACLAS for the first time with Zully's daughter, who is also named Zully. She speaks English so she was able to talk to both of us easier and explain the route. The walk isn't too bad, about 20 minutes. At ACLAS, we had a short devotional and talked about some logistics of our assignments. Then we went on a walk through Quito to a market. There was so much produce! A wide variety of fruits and vegetables everywhere that were bright and colorful. It smelled sweet next to the fruit. There were also whole roasted pigs, chicken feet, and chicken heads as well as seafood. Then we walked back to ACLAS and then home. Kim and I worked on our blogs and then had lunch, which was some sort of meat (probably pork), potatoes, avocadoes, and the same juice from breakfast. The water filter in the fridge wasn't working, so Kim and I had filled up at ACLAS in the morning. After lunch, Kim and I went to the mall with our neighbors, Halie and Brianna. We walked around, got ice cream, and bought water. Then we went to ACLAS to rest for a bit and refill empty water bottles. When we got back home, we spent time relaxing on the balcony porch. Kim and I made a deck of cards out of paper because we didn't have any but we wanted to play a game. For dinner, we had humitas (like cornbread but not as dry and with cheese in the middle) which were very good, tea, and these cheesy cracker stick things. We talked for a while with Zully (daughter) after dinner. We were all pretty tired so we went to bed earlier. Also fun fact: the UV index was 11 this day!



Day 4: Latacunga

For breakfast, we had cantaloupe, papaya (I did not like this), tea, and a large chocolate croissant which was very good. We went with Anita (another of Zully's daughters), her husband, and her son to volunteer at a kids camp/VBS sort of thing. It was about an hour and a half away from our house. This area was more rural and there was more poverty. The houses were more run down and there were a lot more stray dogs. We helped prepare lunch for the kids, which was hotdogs with ketchup, mayo, and crushed potato chips on top, and soda. We tried to help out with their dances and games too but the kids didn't really want to talk to us. Then we had some food with the other volunteers (corn with larger kernels, small potatoes, and some sort of bean or legume that tasted like a potato). While Kim and I both thought this was lunch, it turns out it was not and we went to a restaurant to have lunch. We both got personal pizzas and it was very good! After we drove back, Kim and I both took naps. After we woke up, Mama went to the hospital because her boyfriend is not doing very well. So Kim and I had the house to ourselves for the evening. We played more cards and had a light dinner. The wifi stopped working so we could not work on a blog or contact family so we watched The Great British Baking Show that I had downloaded and then went to bed.



Relational Level Reflection:

Going into the trip, I only knew two people. After the day of traveling, and the various classes and activities we have done as a group so far, I feel like I know people better. Kim and I went to the mall with our neighbors, Halie and Brianna. We have about a 20-minute walk there so we were able to talk along the way and get to know each other better. When we break into smaller groups when walking around, I am with some different people every time. I feel more connected and I am starting to put names to faces.

In Ecuador, greetings and farewells are usually accompanied by a hug and a kiss on the cheek. This is not something I am used to. When we went out to lunch after volunteering, there were a bunch of people who were also there with us. When we left, they all said goodbye to me with a hug and kiss on the cheek, even though I had only just met them. This is different than what I am used to, but I think it helps to develop a sense of connection and community. It caught me off guard a little bit since I did not know them, but I did not feel uncomfortable since they did it with everyone. We were also told that this is common, so I was prepared for this interaction.

For these interactions, I am using CQ Knowledge to understand that Ecuadorians have different ways of greeting each other than in the states. I am using CQ Strategy to plan how I will adjust in these situations. With the knowledge that I have, I can adjust by also greeting and saying goodbye to people in the traditional manner here instead of assuming it will be the same as where I am from.

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