Finding New Rhythms

10/25

We had an all-employee goodbye lunch for the Venezuelan volunteers. It was emotional to share memories we made with them over the past few months. I made a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing to share.

10/26

The Venezuelans’ last day at FBU. Susanne and I did a fun photo shoot around the farm, reflecting on all the changes they helped bring about. Throughout the afternoon people dropped by the house to say their goodbyes and Susanne made me one last arepa. And then they left and it was just me, Antonio, and the peeping frogs. Susanne, Gerardo, and Gilber are all now safely at home with their families.

10/27

It was a lot quieter during the workday, so I reentered my podcast era. When I went back to the house for lunch, I found that the living room lights didn’t turn on, and then the kitchen and bathroom and bedroom lights didn’t work either. Thus, I learned about the daily scheduled power outages put in place by the Ecuadorian government. A lot of Ecuador’s power comes from hydroelectric plants and since there has been a rain shortage this year, rationing electricity was deemed necessary. The outages occur for two hours every weekday at some point between 8am and 6pm and will hopefully stop by the end of November.

10/28

Today I explored the nearby town of Tabacundo. In the main plaza, there is a beautiful cathedral with a comically horrendous painting of hell. The weepers and gnashers of teeth each have a label explaining what landed them in the lake of fire; my favorites were “dancers” and “delicious.” When I got back to the farm I met Elsa, who was hired to help with cleaning, and her 9-year-old daughter Ailin. I had fun chatting with them and playing with Ailin in the afternoon. I now have some lovely drawings decorating my refrigerator. In the evening, I made brownies and moved my things over to the bedroom next door, which I can lock from the inside and has two beds instead of one. Then, before I went to bed, I attempted to hand wash my clothes (not my strong suit) and I blame the humidity this created in the bathroom for attracting the scorpion I accidentally crushed with my slippers. Now every time I enter the bathroom, I do a scorpion scan!

10/29

I made pancakes for breakfast and then headed to Quito. I took a bus to the Mennonite church for the first time, and it turned out to be super straightforward. Since I showed up early, I was asked to read a prayer. After church I tried tigrillo for lunch, which is mashed plantains with a fried egg and cheese on top (reminded me of Puerto Rican mofongo and Domincan mangu). Then I met up with two friends I also met via Bumble, Milena and Nikole, at the El Jardin mall. They are both English teachers, so it was fun to alternate languages. With them, I tried my first colada morada, which is a typical All Saint’s Day drink made from a mix of fruits that comes cold, room temp, or hot. It wasn’t my favorite due to the texture—it felt like drinking jelly. I did enjoy the guagua de pan (baby-shaped bread) that accompanied it! Then we walked through Carolina Park, where I learned of the existence of the gusanito (little caterpillar), an adorable trolley like you’d see at a fair that gives people rides around the park.

10/30

I started waking up earlier, so I have time to read in the mornings, which I’ve really been enjoying. I reorganized the kitchen and enjoyed some sour cream and onion chips (my favorite) I was pleasantly surprised to find in Tabacundo.

10/31

At lunchtime, the electricity cut out just as I was about to put food in the microwave and then it was equal parts sad and amusing to break the news to Patricio when he expectantly arrived at the house with his lunch a few minutes later. To celebrate Halloween, I watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

11/1

Today Veronica and I cleared the sticks and bramble that was lining the path from FBU’s entrance. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but it looked so much better! Veronica taught me how to make aguita de canela (cinnamon tea)—it’s just boiling cinnamon sticks and adding sugar, but I don’t think I would have thought to make it without her. In the evening I made some delicious guac with an avocado from one of FBU’s trees.

11/2--All Saints Day

In the afternoon I visited the town of Cayambe, which is a half an hour away from the farm. The main square and path to the cemetery was lined with food and flower vendors. I meandered my way through the cemetery, trying to be discrete as I gawked and took photos of people leaving flowers, doing repairs, eating, and singing at the graves of lost loved ones (one of the names on a headstone was Jorge Washington!). As I headed back to the bus stop, I found a place to try Cayambe’s trademark food—bizcochos (crispy pastries) which are served with a cheese stick and hot chocolate.

11/3

Veronica’s daughter and grandkids visited the farm, and we had a blast making banana chocolate chip muffins. The grandkids taught me some children’s games in Spanish, one of which is like patty cake but it’s called “chocolate” and the other consisted of pretending to be bunnies in the forest blissfully ignorant of an impending wolf attack. On the bus to Quito in the afternoon it was standing room only, which is unfortunate since I had a heavy backpack and bag and the journey consists of constant switchbacks. And people kept faking me out, standing up to grab something from the overhead or swiveling around in their seats as if to signal to their travel companions “this is our stop.” When I got to Alfredo’s I tried a colada morada that I liked much better than the first!

11/4

Today I visited the Teleférico, a cable car that takes you part way up the Pichincha Volcano. It reminded me of the ski lift at Knoebel’s, except at the top you have a breathtaking view of Quito and various volcanoes and mountains. Speaking of Knoebel’s, there is an amusement park at the base of the Teleférico where they have bumper cars (if you didn’t know, the Fitzkee side of the family is big into bumper cars)! After I descended, I walked 20 minutes up a steep grade to a bus stop to save $3 on a taxi. I ate a delicious lunch at an Indian restaurant (I had been craving Indian food), but unfortunately my stomach wasn’t too happy about it for the rest of the day. As I was in a store buying cloth napkins, I had a meaningful conversation with the store owner about the political and living situation in his home country of Syria. To finish the day, I visited an artisanal market and three parks: El Ejido, La Alameda, and Itchimbia.

11/5

After church, a missionary family who attends there gave me some invaluable advice on the visa process (If you’d like to read the family’s blog, here’s the link). Then I went to the City Museum, which shares the history of Quito from thousands of years ago to present. I traveled through the exhibits alongside a vociferous middle-aged Mexican man and his elderly mother and was happy to take some photos for them as neither appeared particularly technologically advanced. There was also a family from Spain at the museum and it made me realize how different my accent has become during my time here! For lupper, I tried a bolon, which is essentially tigrillo but with meat and in the form of a ball.

11/6

I headed out to find the office in Quito where I could be fingerprinted so I could later mail the fingerprint card to the FBI to request my federal background check. I only had $11.87 (and no debit card, and a credit card that I have yet to try to use) on me to pay for transportation and prices for a DiDi evidently skyrocket on a weekday after a holiday weekend, so I crammed onto a bus with 100 of my new closest friends and eventually found the fingerprinting place. Unfortunately, they told me I would have to come back tomorrow. Back on the bus I went, and I bought myself a snickers ice cream cone as consolation (working through the visa process requires eating a lot of ice cream). When I got back to the farm I found that Veronica had taken over the kitchen making a tilapia dinner! The tilapia was good…for fish (people continue to be appalled and incredulous that I don’t eat seafood).

11/7

This morning I did some cleaning in a Winnie the Pooh apron that it’s a crying shame I don’t have a picture of. The cleaning was in preparation for a visiting group of students, but they have unfortunately postponed their visit until January. I was given two new foods to try: an humita (Ecuadorian version of a tamale) and a guava (no not that guava, it’s a bean pod filled with a fruit with the texture of moist cotton). With pb&j in hand, I headed back to the fingerprinting place, and after spending 20 minutes in their waiting room (a dilapidated tent with a singular park bench and plastic chair), I got fingerprinted! I got a latte to celebrate at a Juan Valdez, which gives off Starbucks vibes but with better prices and better coffee. Then I went to the grocery store and shelled out $8.50 for a small bottle of stir fry sauce.

11/8

Today Vinicio’s family let me use their washing machine!!! My clothing smelled truly clean for the first time in a long time!

11/10

Today we weeded sunflowers, a rather laborious task. I harvested some arugula and learned we have a cedron (lemon verbena) tree I can pick leaves from to make tea.

11/11

Patricio’s two kiddos came to visit, and we picked blackberries and made juice and played frisbee. I went back to Cayambe to try to send my federal background check request through the DHL mailing service. The first time I gave the person helping me all the information only to find out that they need the name of the person who will sign for the parcel, and as I am not on a first name basis with any FBI employees, I walked away defeated. Then, my mom gave the great idea of sending it to Manheim instead, so with inflated hopes I went back. But then the system was down. I bought myself some ice cream with cheese on it (it’ a Colombian thing) which is definitely not as good as ice cream without cheese.

11/12

As I headed to the highway to catch a bus to Quito, I chatted with a security guard manning the newly completed security checkpoint put in place by the fancy people development that shares a lane with FBU. He was not the first person who, upon learning I am from Pennsylvania, said “oh, where the vampires are,” to which I respond “no, that’s Transylvania.” Speaking of PA, the bus movie on my way home in the evening took place in PA and made me a little homesick! This was the last Sunday Sarah could join me for church as her program is drawing to a close. I really enjoyed the service; there was a guest preacher from Colombia who was in town for a peace conference and the message made my Peace and Conflict Studies heart happy. Then I met up with Milena and Nikole again at Nikole’s house. I met her adorable cat Luciano, and thoroughly enjoyed my time with them that included McFlurries, starbursts, and pizza and some lovely conversation. Milena drew a picture for my fridge that will surely make the other kids jealous. I was finally able to send my background check application—three pieces of paper for the low low price of $37.52.

11/13

Today we harvested chinese cabbage, turnips, lettuce, and radishes from the garden! In the afternoon I went grocery shopping in Tabacundo—fruits and vegetables are super cheap but cereal is hard to come by. The bus driver remembered my stop from last time I took his bus and I doubt my fellow passengers will soon forget the crazy gringa on the bus lurching around with all her groceries.

11/15

Today we started weeding the beans we planted, which involves hoeing the rows to loosen up the soil/uproot the weeds. There are a lot of very long rows and no shade. Getting farm strong is not for the faint of heart!