An Appreciation Post

11/17

Today I left work early so I could go to the immigration office in Quito to extend my tourist visa for another 90 days. I got to the office a bit before 3 and since they close at 4:30, I was cutting it close. I waited in line to get a payment slip and an application form (which I had already printed and filled out but apparently, they needed to give me a new one). I took these papers across the street to a bank in the El Jardin mall and waited in a concerningly long line where I commiserated with an impatient lady standing next to me and inadvertently stole a man’s pen (I borrowed it to fill out my new application form but then he left the line and never came back!). When I finally got to the window to pay the $150 fee, they told me I could only pay in cash, so I’m glad I had considered that possibility and brought enough with me. Back at the office I saw a lot of the same people who had been waiting at the bank, all of us with the same look of desperation and urgency in our eyes. Thankfully, my extension (which is a very unofficial looking slip of paper that says I can legally stay in Ecuador until February 24) was approved and I was walking out of there at 4:35. Afterwards, I met up with my friend Sarah from Messiah for some goodbye bubble tea. I’m grateful that our time in Ecuador overlapped even though it was just for a little while. Her program ends this week (week of 12/4) but the past few weeks she has been on trips out of Quito. We ordered thai bubble tea that came complete with liquid nitrogen for added effect. Since it was past dark when we finished, I took an Uber back to Alfredo’s. Sarah and I had just talked about appreciating quiet Uber drivers, so it was ironic that I ended up with the chattiest, quirkiest driver ever. He pulled up in what could be described as a kidnapper van (like one a stranger would offer candy to kids out of) and his GPS was set to speak in what I can only describe as a zombie voice. Despite this less than comforting start, he was friendly and told me about his time as a member of the national Ecuadorian boxing team. And of course, we eventually got around to the question I’m frequently asked by taxi/Didi/Uber drivers—"do I have a boyfriend?” I only forgive this invasion of privacy if they profusely compliment my Spanish.

11/18

I went to my friend Nikole’s house and her fellow English teacher Emi taught the group how to make gyozas, which are Japanese dumplings. They were delicious and it was sweet to have some girl time.

11/19

At church they had a sort of council meeting to discern their game plan for the next year. If you are a praying person, you might lift up two concerns: developing local leadership and economic self-sufficiency as congregation. Then I headed to the historic center and took a guided tour of the San Francisco Convent with the most engaged tour group ever (It was interesting to see old art, visit the choir loft during mass, and see the brewery where monks used to make beer, but not that interesting). It was a cold day, so for lunch I ordered soup and cashed in a free canelazo voucher I had been carrying around for weeks (canelazo is a hot drink that tastes kind of like hot spiced cider, except when they add alcohol to it, in which case it just tastes like alcohol). There was a large police presence in the historic center today; police officers on motorcycles were stopping and frisking men at random, presumably in search of weapons.

11/20

Work today was continuing to weed the corn/bean field and as I stood out there it dawned on me that I had never resonated so deeply with the phrase “it’s a tough row to hoe.” In the afternoon a group from the farm went to visit our friend Veronica, who is recovering from surgery, and took a card and some of the vegetables from the farm that she helped to grow.

11/21

It rained all night, meaning it was too muddy to keep hoeing, so we transplanted guarango seedlings instead.

11/22

I made a lemon sponge pie in preparation for Thanksgiving—I found it is possible to whip egg whites by hand until they form stiff peaks, but at the risk of your arm falling off.

11/23

I shared the pie at our mid-morning snack time and conversation around the kitchen table made me feel like it really was Thanksgiving. I learned some cool things about FBU’s history, such as it is the oldest existing foundation in Ecuador, two presidents have visited to commend their work, and Simon Bolívar, an important figure for Latin American independence, once spent the night on what is now FBU’s property. I called my family in the afternoon and was passed around the table along with dessert; it was so good to see everyone’s faces. In the afternoon, I went to Tabacundo to try a dish called hornado with my friend Patricio. It is pork with potato patties, mote (mushy white corn) and salad—it was really yummy! Tabacundo was having a holiday as well, in celebration of their particular Virgin Mary. At a market, I bought a massive pumpkin, pineapple, and green beans which I carried on the bus and down the lane to the farm in the rain in this week’s episode of Marianne refuses to take a taxi. I spent the rest of the evening cutting up, boiling, and pureeing the pumpkin. Antonio came the rescue and helped me with the cutting, but not before I sliced my finger—luckily, I had a sesame street band aid in my backpack.

11/24

Today I picked things up and put them down, moving our transplanted guarango to a less moist location. I headed to Quito in the afternoon.

11/25

I woke up early and met up with my friend Milena to attend an event at Nikole’s school. The event, called a kermes, was a combination of a parade/pep rally/track and field day/and theatrical performance. Each grade processed in dressed as a different superhero. There was food for sale, soccer games, a police dog show, and my favorite part was the Disney themed dance performances. Afterwards we went to Nikole’s boyfriend’s apartment for Friendsgiving! We prepared turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans almondine, mac and cheese, corn, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. We went around and shared what we are thankful for, and Milena made adorable cards for everyone. After we ate, I learned how to play a traditional Quito card game called cuarenta (forty) and we watched a movie. It got late, so I slept over at Nikole’s which confirmed that I’m mildly allergic to cats :/

11/26

Today I was wiped so I mostly rested. I made a rectangular pumpkin pie with Alfredo’s wife Maria Fernanda.

11/27

A new (to us) washing machine arrived for the volunteer house! Hallelujah!

11/29

Today we finished re-mounding dirt around the pea plants so they won’t fall over. Mid-morning snack was cevichocho, a mix of white beans, corn, plantain chips, onions and sauces, that I had been wanting to try! I visited Veronica again and went to her neighbor’s house to pick beans and peas. I hadn’t been clear about why I was helping to harvest so it was a touching surprise when they were a gift to share with folks at the farm :)

11/30

I woke up to my hands rebelling. My fingers have started bending and getting stuck in that position, I assume as a result of spending so much time with a hoe in my hand. It’s only a little painful but was quite disconcerting at first. My dad suggested that I’m gaining both “callouses and character” while here.

12/1

Today, the roofers started work on a building that used to be a medical clinic, in the hopes that in the future it will be a restaurant with additional lodging above it. In the evening, back in Quito, I went to a mall I was told had chocolate croissants, which I found and thoroughly enjoyed. Then I went to see the new Hunger Games movie. I was proud of myself for following along despite it being in Spanish. I didn’t like having to catch an Uber alone at 11pm, so I think in the future if I’m out that late I’ll take a buddy.

12/2

I attended another school event, this time at the school where Milena does her student teaching. The event was in celebration of the foundation of Quito, and there were dances, traditional games, and presentations of Quito folklore. It was a lovely time except for the blazing sun—I think this is the first time my hands have gotten sunburnt!

12/3

On the bus to church there was a woman wearing a purple bass pro shop baseball cap which amused me. After church I headed to the historic center again, walking past a very long line of people waiting to take the new Quito metro for the first time. I ate lunch on La Ronda, a picturesque street known for its restaurants. I tried my first empanada de viento (wind empanada—fried dough filled with cheese that you sprinkle with sugar) which was truly “mega” as the menu promised. Then I tried morocho, which is a warm milky beverage made with corn, cinnamon, and raisins (it’s better than it sounds!). I visited a museum in a convent with exhibits commemorating the life of Mariana de Jesus, a famous figure in Quito. She was a nun who took the idea of following Jesus’ example of sacrifice to the extreme, flagellating herself and sometimes even carrying a heaven wooden cross and putting on a crown of thorns. She died at 26; bad theology is dangerous.

12/4

It was very sunny, and my body was telling me that it was ready to not be hoeing corn anymore. Thankfully, tomorrow some reinforcements will be arriving to relieve us. In the evening I made some chicken soup using turnips from the garden and that helped me feel better.

12/5

In a welcome change of pace, I spent today raking. Vinicio showed me the nests where the ducks are laying eggs. I took advantage of the bonfire where scrap wood is being burned to make a banana boat. In the evening I made lavender lemon cookies with lavender and lemons from the farm.

From my visa extension to sweet friends and family to new foods and places to safety and health, I have a lot to be thankful for. When I’m feeling down, overwhelmed, or worn out, there always seems to be a kind word, distraction, fun phone call, or sweet treat that gets me through. I don’t always have an attitude of gratitude but I do truly receive grace upon grace.