Training

So last night I spent over an hour on my laptop writing a new blog post only to realize today that my jump drive does not work on the computers in the internet cafes here.
I´ve been in Ecuador for just over a week now and have been adjusting moderately well. Some days are better than others. Life here is just so different that sometimes the smallest things make me really upset. Overall, it´s great. I´m living with a host family in a small village of 800 just East of Cayambe. It gets cold at night but the views are spectacular. I definitely didn´t pack well at all and am kicking myself for it now. The food is tasty but does not sit well with my stomach. Training has been taking up most of my time but I still have time to hang out with my two brothers to watch dubbed movies, play futbol, and milk the cows. I miss everybody from home greatly and want to let you all know that I am happy and healthy.

Orientation in Miami

I made it!  Well, kind of.  I'm on my way to making it!  I arrived in Miami today around 11:30 am for a long day of orientation.  This is the first part of our five day staging event which is meant to 'orient trainees to Peace Corps and to the general demands of being a safe, healthy and effective volunteer.  It was great except that I had to wake up at 4 this morning to catch my flight and didn't fall asleep until after 2 last night.  At least I wasn't the only one.. there were several other trainees nodding off during orientation.  

Anyway, I met new friends!  Yay for me!  There's about 40 trainees or so in my group and only six of them are dudes.  Part of me feels sorry for them but not really.  There are also two married couples in my training class which is pretty neat.  I was really relieved when I finally met my training group face-to-face and they were all pretty normal, for the most part.  I'm excited to spend some more time with them before they start to really annoy me.  Off to Ecuador tomorrow!  I'm not sure when I will be able to get online again, but I'm sure I will have some great stories.

PS- Our staging director told us today "You guys are one beautiful training group.  I see many Ecuadorian husbands in this training groups' future."  Funny thing is, he was being serious.

Communication? Yes, please!

Was reading over some things and found out that there are internet cafes in Cayambe where I will be staying for the first two months.  Gnar!

Send me stuff!

Here's my address.  For the first two months at least.

Lindsay Toole , PCT

Cuerpo de Paz

Casilla 17-08-8624

Quito, Ecuador

South America

 

Mail takes about 7-10 days to reach the office in Quito from the U.S. therefore if you plan on sending me letters (Which I hope you do!)  Please number them so I know if I miss one. 

As for receiving packages, it is best if they are kept under 4.4 lbs. and mailed in a padded envelope.  Previous volunteers have reported that this procedure is the best way to avoid customs.  It’s very important that things be sent in padded envelopes to avoid being “accidently” opened and sifted through and/or taken.  Apparently packages over 4.4 lbs are expensive to retrieve from customs.

P.S. Quito is 9,300 feet above sea level.  Problems common in the first few days at a high altitude are headaches, indigestion, and shortness of breath.  Bring it on.

Ecuador on my Mind

Think of  Ray Charles but replace Georgia with Ecuador.  Yup, that’s me for the last 24 hours.. Ecuador on my mind.  Drove by Phillips today and thought the special was Peace Corps.  I was wrong.  It was Pork Chops. 

Anyway, have a lot to say today and I’m feeling pretty ambitious.  Here it goes… 

First things first, I found the perfect outfit for my arrival in Ecuador.  First impressions are everything and I have a great feeling about this ensemble. 

Secondly, I just got an email today from the Peace Corps informing me about the Big Hermanito/Big Hermanita Project available for Trainees.  As the email states

“The Big Hermanito Project will be a fun way for Peace Corps Trainees (PCT) and Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) to get to know each other prior to your arrival in country. As trainees prepare for the journey to Ecuador, it may help to know there´s a PCV who was once in their shoes and is ready to answer their questions and ease their minds. As such, Hermanitos will serve a mentoring function for incoming trainees joining our family.

Depending on volunteer participation in this initial run, each Hermanito (Volunteer) will be matched to one or two mentee trainees to support them in their transition to volunteer life. Shortly after arrival in country, mentors will be invited to meet the trainees at a barbeque at the training site and have their brains picked face to face.”

I think this is a great resource and having somebody to talk to who has been in my shoes will make the transition a lot easier.  Even if I don’t find my Hermanito to be very helpful, it will be a great way to meet a number of PCV who have already been in country for some time. 

Thirdly, after doing quite a bit of research (AKA facebook stalking), I came across some helpful blogs.  One of the girls in my training class actually just came back to the states from Madagascar where she was serving with the Peace Corps.  Whitney started training in June of 2008 and was sent home by March 2009 because of the political unrest happening in Madagascar.   With her Peace Corps experience in Madagascar cut short, she was given the opportunity to start over in Ecuador with the Omnibus 102 group.  (That is the name of our training class.  We are the 102 group to be invited to serve in Ecuador.)  She has been a huge help to our group since she can answer a lot of questions we have about packing, what to expect during training, etc. 

I also FB stalked another young lad named Ethan who started his PC training in Ecuador at the end of February of this year.  He is now sworn in as a PCV working with the Sustainable Agriculture program in Ecuador until May 2011.  Seeing his pictures and reading about what he is doing, feeling and eating (guinea pig) has also helped me prepare myself.  I always knew that my facebook skills would come in useful someday!

I also realized that I haven't given any background information on what I plan to be doing while in Ecuador.  I will be volunteering within the Community Health Project under the title of Health Extentionist. 

The community health project has three main components: child maternal health, reproductive health and rights, and prevention of tropical disease.  I will be working with at least one of these topics, if not all of them. One goal is to reduce death in children under five by reducing micronutrient deficiencies. In Ecuador, 14 percent of children under age 5 and 18 percent of children between 5 and 12 suffer from vitamin A deficiency. Seventy percent of children under age 5 and 60 percent of pregnant mothers in Ecuador have iron deficiencies. Volunteers also work to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) by training educators, youth workers, health workers, and parents in HIV/AIDS education.  

And lastly, some random facts about Ecuador:

• Ecuador is about the size of Colorado and is divided into 22 provinces, 10 in the Andean Highlands (Sierra), six in the Amazon Lowlands (Oriente), five in the Coastal Lowlands (Costa), and the Galápagos Islands, located about 600 miles west of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean.
  
• The Andes Mountains, with their snow capped volcanoes, divide the generally drier coastal plain from the moist, tropical Amazon Basin region. The wide variety of environmental conditions supports an equally wide variety of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else on earth. 
  
• The four main areas of Ecuador have different climates. Because the country is on the equator, the temperature depends on the altitude, not the season. There are only two seasons—rainy and dry.
• 
  

Finally Started Packing

This is what I have "packed" so far.  I know that not all of this is going to fit into my bags but just having a separate pile on my floor with things I might be bringing is a HUGE step for me.  Now I'm off to make a pile for jackets, shoes, toiletries and other miscellaneous items.  Exciting, I know.

Galapagos

Did you know...

Peace Corps Volunteers serve on the Galapagos Islands.

Something New and Fun!

I'm going to try to put up a new, interesting fact everyday about Ecuador/the Peace Corps/the whole experience.  You know, just to add some more reading fun for all my followers!  So here it is..

Did you know... The present currency of Ecuador is the U.S. dollar.

Unprepared

I'm thinking I should start pulling the items and clothes I want to bring with me to Ecuador.  The thought of trying to fit two years worth of stuff into two bags weighing no more than 50 pounds each is really frightening.  I realized after reading through the packing list that I don't own one pair of shorts that are long enough for me to bring to Ecuador.  This may be a problem.  I'm so broke and scared i'll be stuck wearing jeans everyday. 

On a different note, I had a great birthday yesterday.  Thanks to all who made my day special.  Time to get lost in some Jason Mraz and not think about packing anymore.  Take a listen if you know what's good for you. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKZQXnmbCxk

First set of goodbyes

Had a great weekend with some friends from school in Saratoga on Friday night and Lake George Saturday.  After saying goodbye to Jim and Carter, the reality set in that I although I may come home for a break and will always be open to having guests, there will be some great people that I will not be seeing over the next two years.