Wherever I May Roam: I feel happy, I feel happy...

I'm embarrassed that it's been over 2 months since I've posted anything. Ack. Thank you for all the love and support and concern as to why I haven't been writing. My limited e-mail time while living on the coast was largely consumed by various application I was working on in an effort to have something lined up when I got home, but additionally I'll admit that the prospect of updating the blog became a bit overwhelming. It seemed impossible to adequately articulate all that I was experiencing. Additionally it was hard for me to be away from home for the holidays for the first time, and I didn´t want to write anything less than my usual peppy self.

Many have asked me what exactly was I doing as a volunteer (many times I had to ask that myself) but this link is a good way to explain: http://whereleslie.blogspot.com/ I was in Estero del Platano with another Yanapuma volunteer, Leslie, and her friends put this site together for her in an effort to help her raise money so she can extend her stay. This site says better than I ever could exactly what we were trying to do there. While Leslie's focus was through the school and mine was through the artisan group, this objective was the same. (plus you'll see some excellent pictures of the community and a couple with me in them if you want to check it out.)

So, let me try to fill you in on the last two months. Christmas was surprisingly a pretty mellow holiday. There was a 3 hour church service starting at 9 on Christmas eve, then everyone went to the discoteca and danced all night...literally. I think I got home about 5 am. Año Viejo/Año Nuevo (old year, new year) was more interesting. The tradition is to build a life sized doll out of your old clothes and stuff it with dried palm leaves. On slips of paper you write personal statements about things that happened in the past year that you´d like to leave behind. These papers are stuffed inside the cloths of the doll. Then a testament is also written and pinned to the outside of the doll for all passer byers to read. This is more of a self inflicted roast. A few days before new years you start to see all these dolls in peoples yards. In many communities there are contests for the best doll. At midnight on new years eve, all the dolls are thrown into the street in front of their respective houses and lit on fire, representing the end of the old year and a new beginning for the new year. Many people also stick fireworks inside their dolls so that they randomly explode as they burn. As all these little bonfires of what appears to be burning bodies are aflame throughout the town, everyone goes around hugging and wishing each other happy new year. This gringa was saying happy birthday at first until a friend corrected her. I blame the beer. New Years also includes an all night dance fest at the discoteca but this time the whole town was there, and I mean everyone: all the family members that have come home for the holidays, babies, grandparents, everyone. I got home about 6:30 am but this time I can blame the tides, the water was too high to leave any sooner. :)

My family and I with my Año Viejo doll.

My doll, another doll and a drunk guy.

My doll and the other doll on fire (no drunk guy).

The first weekend in January I moved to a new host family. This was partly to spread the wealth around that we as volunteers bring to the community in our payments for room and board, and to get to know other family within the community. For me, it was also to get a little
perspective on my work with the artisan group. My first family was pretty heavily involved in a political situation within the group that I was trying to help resolve. Another perk was that my new home was located in the center part of town. My new family should have been a couple and their youngest son (24) but instead started out with only their son and his friend. One of their other sons living in Guayaquil had had surgery and the parents went out to help take care of him. My host father came back during my first week in the house, but my host mother wasn't able to return during my stay, so it was just me and the boys for a month.

My new family (Milton left and Michelle right) the night I let them do my hair and makeup.

I watched the inauguration from a little batido stand (it´s like a smoothie) in a neighboring town that´s bigger than mine. Notice the guy at the table in front of me getting a tattoo.