Back to School

❝If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that 
goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language,
 that goes to his heart.❞

‒Nelson Mandela

photo from: www.ecuadorliving.com

the bare bones class room

 It has been on my list of things to do in life for quite some time-study Spanish and practice more.  Over 15 years ago, I took Spanish in High School but never got to use it much since then.  I thought the best way for me to learn was to go in head first.  I have been looking for awhile for an immersion course or a homestay option. I craved something different. Just my luck, I picked up a little flyer in a hostel to study at Intag Spanish School, a non-profit community development program located in Northern Ecuador. I paid both my host family and my teacher directly, which was a great feeling, knowing that they helped me and I helped them too. This link is a good read about another Spanish school to find out how the lives of these single mothers change when they become a part of FairServices, Martha´s Story.

Who knew that one week could open my eyes and my mind so much. I hopped on the bus to head into the Intag Valley, known for its cloud forests, deep valleys, and numerous wild rivers.  A high level of poverty (88%) makes the region amongst the poorest in Ecuador. A survey revealed that 72% of families had average earnings of $100 per month or less.

the little school 

It was raining of course, and the two hour bus ride was mesmerizing. I prayed for every ones safety. I was to get off at the tiny village of Pucara, a rural pueblo of 150 people. I was talking with the young guy next to me, missed my stop, and did not even realize it !  The bus stopped at the nearest biggest yet tiny town and all of a sudden, a young blond American girl rushed onto the bus and asked if I was Crystal. I replied and she said I missed my stop and she would assist me. She asked, ¨´Is that the only bag you have? Good.¨ I was grateful she was there to help because who would know where I would have ended up...deeper into the jungle, huh?

the village, it had two mini stores with just basic goods,
 nothing else except homes, and one school

The young gal said that my host mom was working at the bus office and would get off of work around 1:30 and I could hang around. I hung out at the tiny, bare boned library and sat on my one   medium sized backpack. I felt like I just joined the Peace Corps. Here I am, in a small rural, dirt lined village with a new world, lifestyle, and culture at my fingertips.  

let the wind flow through your hair,
photo from blacksheepinn.com

 My host moms name was Paulita and she had the sweetest smile in the world. Smiles are universal you know ! Later I found out, she was actually one year younger than I.   I walked with her to where her two children went to school. Sarah was seven and Jhurell was six. We sat with some girls, played with Barbies and watched the boys kick soccer balls at each other. Finally, we jumped in the back of the local ´transportation truck´and headed towards their village about 15 minutes away.

Paulita´s husband, Fernando, was away working all week doing construction but was home on the weekend to spend family time. Paulita worked several jobs yet managed to run the household really well ! The family lived in a simple, three bedroom house. No refrigerator but they did have a washing machine that they did use sometimes. Lots of animals, three cats, one dog, five chickens.  They kept things interesting as all the animals always seemed to sneak into the house and we would have to chase them out.  

home away from home for a week

Paulita also made the family and I three meals a day.  Breakfast at 7 was usually a combination of: fresh blended fruit juice, eggs, bread, tortas, and tea made from local plants. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day for South Americans. Lunch around 2 usually consisted of: rice, beans, veggies, more juice or tea, corn, mota,and a few times a piece of chicken. Dinner was later in the evening, around 7, and was a bit smaller in size and we usually had a fresh made veggie soup, avacoados, and popcorn. Paulita was a very healthy cook and I even learned a few nice recipes from her ! I told her that I did not like cooking but I loved to clean, so I usually helped with the dishes and around the house. 

My own bedroom was clean and simple. It was so dark and quiet in the village, I always slept very well. I did have to sleep under a mosquito net because those little critters could always find a way into the house at night. 

the kitchen

the backyard

 Life was simple here. It was awesome to spend time with a family and do my best to learn Spanish. Playing with the kiddos was also a highlight. I even attempted to teach them a few English words. They did not have alot of toys, as only special times of the year do children receive toys here (like Christmas or Easter). We would watch TV together, play cards, or play with the cats and dogs. 

The young girl would talk very fast and we built a cardboard house for the cat and decorated it with markers and such. The young boy and I liked to play with his toy truck and smash them into each other. The three of us would spend an hour or two every day picking seeds out of seed pods in the nearby organic garden, for no other reason than that there was not much else for us to do. They were happy. I was happy. So nice to get away from the garbage of technology and just play freely, use the creativity, and imagination of children to pass the hours away. 

It was really hard to say goodbye and their family left a special little place in my heart. My time spent here made me realize how special and important family really is.  Life is not about the things we own, the jobs that define us, or wasting time.  At the end of the day, we are all different, yet very much the same. We all desire health, happiness, a roof over our heads, good food in our bellies, to live live with joy and love.