This week is my last week in Ecuador. I am really excited to be coming home, but that doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed my time here. I've learned so much, and even though I'm preparing to return to the US this week is still an adventure for me.
This week my clinic placement is in Cacha. Each day I travel from Riobamba to Cacha with five other students and the doctors who run the clinics. Our driver's name is Segundo. Segundo is the man! He works for Cachamsi and is such a great asset to the students. Today I saw Segundo help a nurse whose car had gotten stuck in a ditch. With just his strength, the materials he had in his car, and help from some of the male students he help this woman move her car. Not to mention that we were literally driving up a mountain when this happened. After the car was out of the ditch Segundo made sure the car was safe for her to continue driving, and then followed her in his truck up the mountain to the clinic. When I saw this I was reminded of how brothers and sisters care for each other. In his manly strength he helped her with no expectation of repayment. He saw it as his duty to be sure that she was safe and taken care of. I hope that there are many more men like Segundo in the world.
Today there were no doctors working in the clinics. There was a dentist and a nurse, so our clinic hours turned into a day of tourism with Segundo. He drove us around the mountains of Cacha and in a tour guide fashion explained to us the history of the land and people. He even allowed us to get out and take pictures when we wanted. One highlight of the day was seeing a field of Quinoa. We also went to another city named Colta where we paid 25cents to enter a park named "Colta Lagun" that was beautifully built complete with a playground and gazebo. It was really relaxing to sit in the grass at the park and enjoy the perfect sunny but cool weather. It was also fun to stand on the rope swing contraption on the playground and be pushed in circles until I was dizzy! After the park Segundo took us to the oldest church in Ecudaor which was built in the 1530s.
So, I know it seems like I haven't been working, but Monday was different. On Monday I shadowed a doctor in a four room clinic in Cacha. It was eye opening to witness the lack of resources in the clinic. I saw a dentist pull a mans tooth out and send him home with five IB Profen to manage the pain. I also saw an old lady burst into tears when she began talking about the fact that her husband died and that she lived alone. I thought about how having a counselor there would help her so much, but at the moment all she had was a nurse from Georgia with limited Spanish, two medical students with limited Spanish, and doctor with lots of patients who did not have time to really deal with this woman's depression. I wondered how long it had been since her husband died, where were her children, and how is she coping from day to day?
I only have two more days in the clinics here. I wonder what they will hold....stay tuned to find out!
Hasta Luego!
EP <3
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Day 13: Digno eres senor
Today I'd like to share with you what I'm working on when I'm not at the hospital or in class! You got it.....learning Spanish worship songs. Here's my first one....enjoy!
Days 15 and 16: Fuimos A Cuenca
This weekend nine students in my program decided to take a road trip to Cuenca. Cuenca is a six hour bus trip from Riobamba so when I was boarding the bus I was hoping that it was worth the travel time.
Cuenca is considered the cultural center of Ecuador, and according to my travel buddies it resembles Spain. When we arrived I could tell that we were not in Riobamba any more! The cobble stone streets and ornate buildings were so beautiful....it really looked like a movie scene. We all checked into a hostel for the weekend ( which was pretty creepy since the only hostel I was familiar with is the one in the old scary movie "Hostel") The hostel was relatively nice. I did however spray down the bed with lysol before I got in ...lol.
It seemed that our timing was perfect, because this weekend the people of Cuenca were celebrating "Corpus Cristy". There were lots of people in the public square, fireworks, music, and most of all lots and lots of sweets for sale. Friday night we had dinner at a restaurant called "Eucalyptus". It was a nice place with lots of tourists. I had ravioli and key lime pie...hmm hmmm good! After dinner we headed out to the square to join the party and after that we went to "coffee tree". Apparently Coffee Tree is a chain here in Ecuador, because I went to the same place my first night in Quito. A few of us were super tired and some where not, so I headed back to the hostel with the tired folks and got ready for day two,
Saturday I started my day at 7:30 am. Why I got up so early I don't know. Maybe I was uncomfortable in the bed at the hostel....or maybe my body was just used to getting up that early from the weekdays. Any way, I got dressed, got into the Word, and chilled on the top floor of the hostel which had hammocks and a guitar. Once everyone else was ready, we headed to breakfast at Cafe Austria. It was sooo nice. The atmosphere was relaxing and the food was great. It also had many tourist, and more black people than I had seen on my trip to Ecuador so far. After breakfast when went to the local market and I finally brought a dress! Its a burgundy sundress and I cannot wait to wear it. We also went to the hat museum of Cuenca and enjoyed trying on locally made hats. A few of us even bought hats.
Also on Saturday I saw the most ornate cathedral I've ever seen in person! I had seen churches like this in my art history book, but never in person. People were in the church praying, taking pictures, and admiring all at the same time. After admiring the church we headed to a restaurant overlooking one or the four rivers in Cuenca for a snack. I had some great nachos!
In the afternoon a few of us headed to a favorite restaurant of the locals to have coffee (or hot chocolate for me) and read. It was relaxing just to take time out to enjoy a good book, good company, and good hot chocolate. The book I started is called Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado. My travel buddy Peter bought the book from a book store in Cuenca that was owned by an American man who had retired to Cuenca with his wife. Evidently Cuenca is a very popular place for people to retire. At the table while we were discussing books, I made the comment that I don't read nearly enough. When I said that my travel buddy Owen said to me "but you read one of the best things you can read". That touched my heart so much, because I knew he had seen me reading my Bible that morning. He went on the tell me about a Chilean nun who was a wonderful poet and never read anything except the Bible. I was almost speechless in response to his encouragement.
For dinner Saturday we went to "Tres Estrellas". We were looking for a more traditional restaurant rather than a touristy spot, and we found it! It was a quaint and beautiful place with very friendly and personal service. I had a typical Ecuadorian meal of various barbecued meat and corn. While we were eating a musician came and played the guitar, and a flute like instrument for us. He even sang in addition to playing two instrument...I was majorly impressed. After dinner we headed back to the hostel to play cards and get ready for an early morning on Sunday.
Sunday we headed out at 9:00 am to Incaperca to see the Incan ruins. To our surprise today in Incaperca they were celebrating the festival of inti raymi, just as they were in Cacha last weekend. In Incaperca there seemed to be many more vendors and people...it was an amazing sight to see. We toured in ruins with a tour guide who gave the tour in Spanish. I was able understand a lot of what she was talking about, but honestly I was kind of uncomfortable and unfocused the whole time because it was raining and cold. After the tour was over we ate at a local restaurant for about $3.00 per person and then made our way to the buses to head back to Riobamba.
All in all, I say the 6 hour trip was worth it. A beautiful city, great food, great company, and great fun!
Hasta Manana,
EP<3
Cuenca is considered the cultural center of Ecuador, and according to my travel buddies it resembles Spain. When we arrived I could tell that we were not in Riobamba any more! The cobble stone streets and ornate buildings were so beautiful....it really looked like a movie scene. We all checked into a hostel for the weekend ( which was pretty creepy since the only hostel I was familiar with is the one in the old scary movie "Hostel") The hostel was relatively nice. I did however spray down the bed with lysol before I got in ...lol.
It seemed that our timing was perfect, because this weekend the people of Cuenca were celebrating "Corpus Cristy". There were lots of people in the public square, fireworks, music, and most of all lots and lots of sweets for sale. Friday night we had dinner at a restaurant called "Eucalyptus". It was a nice place with lots of tourists. I had ravioli and key lime pie...hmm hmmm good! After dinner we headed out to the square to join the party and after that we went to "coffee tree". Apparently Coffee Tree is a chain here in Ecuador, because I went to the same place my first night in Quito. A few of us were super tired and some where not, so I headed back to the hostel with the tired folks and got ready for day two,
Saturday I started my day at 7:30 am. Why I got up so early I don't know. Maybe I was uncomfortable in the bed at the hostel....or maybe my body was just used to getting up that early from the weekdays. Any way, I got dressed, got into the Word, and chilled on the top floor of the hostel which had hammocks and a guitar. Once everyone else was ready, we headed to breakfast at Cafe Austria. It was sooo nice. The atmosphere was relaxing and the food was great. It also had many tourist, and more black people than I had seen on my trip to Ecuador so far. After breakfast when went to the local market and I finally brought a dress! Its a burgundy sundress and I cannot wait to wear it. We also went to the hat museum of Cuenca and enjoyed trying on locally made hats. A few of us even bought hats.
Also on Saturday I saw the most ornate cathedral I've ever seen in person! I had seen churches like this in my art history book, but never in person. People were in the church praying, taking pictures, and admiring all at the same time. After admiring the church we headed to a restaurant overlooking one or the four rivers in Cuenca for a snack. I had some great nachos!
In the afternoon a few of us headed to a favorite restaurant of the locals to have coffee (or hot chocolate for me) and read. It was relaxing just to take time out to enjoy a good book, good company, and good hot chocolate. The book I started is called Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado. My travel buddy Peter bought the book from a book store in Cuenca that was owned by an American man who had retired to Cuenca with his wife. Evidently Cuenca is a very popular place for people to retire. At the table while we were discussing books, I made the comment that I don't read nearly enough. When I said that my travel buddy Owen said to me "but you read one of the best things you can read". That touched my heart so much, because I knew he had seen me reading my Bible that morning. He went on the tell me about a Chilean nun who was a wonderful poet and never read anything except the Bible. I was almost speechless in response to his encouragement.
For dinner Saturday we went to "Tres Estrellas". We were looking for a more traditional restaurant rather than a touristy spot, and we found it! It was a quaint and beautiful place with very friendly and personal service. I had a typical Ecuadorian meal of various barbecued meat and corn. While we were eating a musician came and played the guitar, and a flute like instrument for us. He even sang in addition to playing two instrument...I was majorly impressed. After dinner we headed back to the hostel to play cards and get ready for an early morning on Sunday.
Sunday we headed out at 9:00 am to Incaperca to see the Incan ruins. To our surprise today in Incaperca they were celebrating the festival of inti raymi, just as they were in Cacha last weekend. In Incaperca there seemed to be many more vendors and people...it was an amazing sight to see. We toured in ruins with a tour guide who gave the tour in Spanish. I was able understand a lot of what she was talking about, but honestly I was kind of uncomfortable and unfocused the whole time because it was raining and cold. After the tour was over we ate at a local restaurant for about $3.00 per person and then made our way to the buses to head back to Riobamba.
All in all, I say the 6 hour trip was worth it. A beautiful city, great food, great company, and great fun!
Hasta Manana,
EP<3
Friday, June 24, 2011
Day 14: Mi Familia...pt2
For today's entry I thought I would introduce you to the family I live with. I'm really grateful that I was placed with this family....I think they're a professional host family or something. They've made my stay here as smooth as possible, and they know lots about the program I'm in.
Hilda: Hilda is the woman of the house. In addition to having a career she takes care of the house. She usually cooks all of the meals and cleans on Saturday. She does have help from a lady who comes to clean everyday...but who can blame her? As many as 8 people live here at one time...I think I would need help too. Hilda is great at helping Adrienne and me practice our Spanish and keeping us on track with what we're suppose to be doing when we get plans confused. One thing I'll never forget about Hilda when I leave Ecuador is that when she knows you like something she makes it for you...and you don't even have to ask. For example, Adrienne told us all at dinner one night that she really likes basil. So, the next day at lunch Hilda gave Adrienne lots and lots of basil on her pasta at lunch.
Rodrigo: Rodrigo is the man of the house. He goes to work every day, and comes home for lunch and dinner. Sometimes he even makes me breakfast when Hilda has to leave early for work. Rodrigo likes to hear me sing and play the guitar, even when I'm singing in English and he can't understand me...lol. One thing I won't forget about Rodrigo is that when he comes home he usually greets Hilda with a very sweet hug and kiss. That little gesture fills the whole house with love.
Carmita: Carmita is Hilda and Rodrigo's daughter. She lives here with them, and ironically also spent some time living in North Carolina. Carmita always helps me figure out what I'm trying to say at the dinner table when I get my words all mixed up. One thing I won't forget about Carmita is that her nails are always so pretty.
Juan Jose: Juan Jose is Carmita's 11 year old son. He also helps me out when I don't know a word in Spanish. And, when the internet is not working Rodrigo always calls Juan Jose to fix it. One thing I won't forget about Juan Jose is that after every meal he says to Hilda "Thank you very much. It was very delicious." Its so refreshing to hear him honor his grandmother everyday without fail.
Angie: Angie is Carmita's 8 year old daughter. When I first arrived at the house she ran from me. Then for the first week we didn't really talk except for "hola". Then one day after dinner Adrienne and I were talking outside of our rooms and Angie came upstairs to join us. She didn't really say anything, she just looked at us. So, I invited her into my room to see all the "Cool" stuff I have. I gave her chocolate and tried to convince her to save it for the next day. Then we went over colors and her favorite subjects in school. One thing I won't forget about Angie is the way she greets her grandmother and grandfather with a big smile and a big hug.
Adrienne: Adrienne is my classmate from BU who is staying here with me. We never really talked during the past year, but now that we're in Ecuador together we have the chance to get to know each other. I'm so glad she's here, because we can help each other navigate this new place and new language. It's kind of like having a sister while I'm here.
There you have it....my Ecuadorian family!
Hasta Luego!
Hilda: Hilda is the woman of the house. In addition to having a career she takes care of the house. She usually cooks all of the meals and cleans on Saturday. She does have help from a lady who comes to clean everyday...but who can blame her? As many as 8 people live here at one time...I think I would need help too. Hilda is great at helping Adrienne and me practice our Spanish and keeping us on track with what we're suppose to be doing when we get plans confused. One thing I'll never forget about Hilda when I leave Ecuador is that when she knows you like something she makes it for you...and you don't even have to ask. For example, Adrienne told us all at dinner one night that she really likes basil. So, the next day at lunch Hilda gave Adrienne lots and lots of basil on her pasta at lunch.
Rodrigo: Rodrigo is the man of the house. He goes to work every day, and comes home for lunch and dinner. Sometimes he even makes me breakfast when Hilda has to leave early for work. Rodrigo likes to hear me sing and play the guitar, even when I'm singing in English and he can't understand me...lol. One thing I won't forget about Rodrigo is that when he comes home he usually greets Hilda with a very sweet hug and kiss. That little gesture fills the whole house with love.
Carmita: Carmita is Hilda and Rodrigo's daughter. She lives here with them, and ironically also spent some time living in North Carolina. Carmita always helps me figure out what I'm trying to say at the dinner table when I get my words all mixed up. One thing I won't forget about Carmita is that her nails are always so pretty.
Juan Jose: Juan Jose is Carmita's 11 year old son. He also helps me out when I don't know a word in Spanish. And, when the internet is not working Rodrigo always calls Juan Jose to fix it. One thing I won't forget about Juan Jose is that after every meal he says to Hilda "Thank you very much. It was very delicious." Its so refreshing to hear him honor his grandmother everyday without fail.
Angie: Angie is Carmita's 8 year old daughter. When I first arrived at the house she ran from me. Then for the first week we didn't really talk except for "hola". Then one day after dinner Adrienne and I were talking outside of our rooms and Angie came upstairs to join us. She didn't really say anything, she just looked at us. So, I invited her into my room to see all the "Cool" stuff I have. I gave her chocolate and tried to convince her to save it for the next day. Then we went over colors and her favorite subjects in school. One thing I won't forget about Angie is the way she greets her grandmother and grandfather with a big smile and a big hug.
Adrienne: Adrienne is my classmate from BU who is staying here with me. We never really talked during the past year, but now that we're in Ecuador together we have the chance to get to know each other. I'm so glad she's here, because we can help each other navigate this new place and new language. It's kind of like having a sister while I'm here.
There you have it....my Ecuadorian family!
Hasta Luego!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Day 12: La Broma
Today started off as an interesting day for me.....it was one of those days when its hard to focus for some reason. I don't know if you guys have those days, but I just wasn't feeling it. But, I pressed through and prayed my morning to get to the hospital to learn more and when I got there I realized the patient they were working with was a very serious patient. He was a 75 year old man and his son was in the room with him. The patient's legs were shaking, he had an oxygen mask because his oxygen saturation was low, his heart rate was fast, his blood pressure was low, and his lung x-ray showed a lot of infiltration. They also suspected he may have a tumor in his abdomen because they felt a huge mass. I knew he was very ill when the doctors asked me to close the door (which they never do) and they closed the curtain. Watching them take care of this patient was kind of disturbing. I saw one doctor draw blood without washing his hands before or after and with no gloves. I saw them completely undress the patient and have him pee in a container without asking him if it was okay if a woman was in the room. I didn't know if I should stay or leave. I saw them not talk to the son who was obviously very worried about his father. When I had sometime alone with the patient and his son, I introduced myself to the son and talked to him a little. I could just tell he wanted the doctors to give him some kind of information and he kept looking at me but I did not know how or if I should give him information about his father. I wondered if the patient courtesy we learn at BU should be the way medicine is practiced everywhere or is what I saw today acceptable because it is their culture's way of doing things.
After spending a lot of time with this very ill patient we rounded on other patients. After rounds were over at the nursing stations one of the doctors I had been following started talking to me in Spanish. I had already asked him to speak slowly so that I could understand, but he did not. As a matter of fact he laughed at me when I said "despacio por favor". So, he started asking me questions and I tried to understand and answer, but I just couldn't. After a while everyone around started laughing...and I realized that I had just been the butt of a joke due to the fact that I do not speak Spanish very well.
Now, how should I respond to this? It was very hurtful to be in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people who I had to trust to respect me despite my language limitations. At that moment I felt very disrespected. Sure, I wanted to laugh a long...you know keep my sense of humor...hahaha that's funny. I mean I'm sure they didn't say anything too bad and it probably was funny. But if I'm honest with myself it made me feel really bad that the doctors who were suppose to be teaching me were laughing at me. I really wanted to run home and cry...but I held back my tears and attempted to continue observing. My response: 1) Pray 2) forgive 3) move on.
Fortunately I was able to go home early because they were done seeing patients. So now I can enjoy the rest of my day! I think I will relax, prepare for class tonight, and enjoy meal times with my family. There are now two other students living in the same house as me. Of course there's Adrienne from BU and now there's another student from Korea who is a Tae Kwan Do instructor. Meal times with all of us trying to speak Spanish can be very fun!
Hasta Manana!
EP<3
After spending a lot of time with this very ill patient we rounded on other patients. After rounds were over at the nursing stations one of the doctors I had been following started talking to me in Spanish. I had already asked him to speak slowly so that I could understand, but he did not. As a matter of fact he laughed at me when I said "despacio por favor". So, he started asking me questions and I tried to understand and answer, but I just couldn't. After a while everyone around started laughing...and I realized that I had just been the butt of a joke due to the fact that I do not speak Spanish very well.
Now, how should I respond to this? It was very hurtful to be in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people who I had to trust to respect me despite my language limitations. At that moment I felt very disrespected. Sure, I wanted to laugh a long...you know keep my sense of humor...hahaha that's funny. I mean I'm sure they didn't say anything too bad and it probably was funny. But if I'm honest with myself it made me feel really bad that the doctors who were suppose to be teaching me were laughing at me. I really wanted to run home and cry...but I held back my tears and attempted to continue observing. My response: 1) Pray 2) forgive 3) move on.
Fortunately I was able to go home early because they were done seeing patients. So now I can enjoy the rest of my day! I think I will relax, prepare for class tonight, and enjoy meal times with my family. There are now two other students living in the same house as me. Of course there's Adrienne from BU and now there's another student from Korea who is a Tae Kwan Do instructor. Meal times with all of us trying to speak Spanish can be very fun!
Hasta Manana!
EP<3
Day 11: Yo Aprendo Mucho
Today I thought about just how much I am learning while I'm in Ecuador. In the clinics I am learning so much about patient care even though I cannot always understand what the doctors are saying. Not fully knowing the language forces me to use my other skills to learn about the patient. For example I can look at a patient to see how sick they really are. Noticing how they communicate with the doctors tells me if they have a neurological disorder or not. Seeing their general disposition tells me if the patient is severely ill or if they just have a health issue that needs to be fixed.
Today I shadowed in a different hospital than last week. This hospital seems to be more advanced. It has computers, elevators, real hospital beds instead of just iron frames, televisions in the rooms, and hand sanitizer dispensers. Today was really great for me because the doctor I was shadowing took time to explain things to me. For instance he told me all about a patient who had a stroke and as a result can not speak. This patient also has chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. He showed me the x-rays and ct scans of the man's lungs, thorax, and brain and pointed out to me the abnormalities on each one. He even reviewed with me how to read an EKG and recognize abnormalities. We also went over the blood gases in his lab work and talked about why the patient's blood pH was low. He explained the man's condition when he first came to the hospital and how he had improved due to treatment with antibiotics. This was all in Spanish by the way...and it felt so good to meet the challenge of learning medicine in another language.
I also learn a lot in my Spanish class in the evenings. The best part is that when I learn a new word or grammar rule in class I almost always have to use it at home or in the hospital or in the store or in the taxi. Today I learned Spanish adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. I think these words are just what I need to help me improve my formation of sentences. We also reviewed numbers, colors, dates, days, and months. Part of me wishes I could stay longer, because I know eventually I would become fluent...but the bigger part of me says "I'm really glad I'm going home soon. I miss it!"
Hasta Manana!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Day 10: La Fiesta de Inti raymi
Every year in June, the people of the Ecuadorian village Cacha gather together to celebrate their sun god. The students in the Cachamsi program ( the medical Spanish program I am in here in Ecuador) are always invited to take part in the ceremony.As a Christian, I really struggled with this. Should I even attend such a ceremony when I believe with all my heart there is no other god other than the God of the Bible and that nothing is to be worshiped besides Him? After thinking and praying I decided to go for 2 reasons. 1) I knew that this would be an opportunity to get to know the other students in the program since we would be traveling together. I'm only here for 3 weeks, and I didn't want to miss this opportunity to build relationships. 2) I wanted to see how the indigenous people of this village lived and what they believed. I knew that I wouldn't take part in the ceremony, but I wanted to be able to learn about the people.
So on Saturday night a bunch of students packed into a van and traveled 20 minutes and up a mountain to the village of Cacha. When we arrived it was around 8:30 pm and pitch black. From the mountain was the most beautiful sight....a city below with innumerable lights. The city below was Riobamba, where I live. I found it hard to believe that the city was so big, but so far I have only walked one street in the whole city.
After we put our things in the cabins we headed to the restaurant on the reservation to have tea and cookies and talk to each other. I spent my time talking with four other girls about our time in Ecuador and other travel plans. Afterwards we headed to our cabins to get a few hours of sleep. I am not kidding when I say that this was the worse night of sleep I've ever had. There was a chemical smell so pungent in the room that my nose didn't get used to it all night. I was even thankful when my nose got stuffy because I couldn't smell it. And it was soooo cold and I was on the top bunk which was wobbly...it was a rough night.
We were up at 4:45 am because the participants in the ceremony were going to do a purification washing around 5:00 am. I made it clear that I would not be washing myself...but this is when things got very interesting. To get to the springs we climbed down a mountain in the dark because it was before the sun came up. Besides concentrating very hard to keep from falling....I also noticed there was such beautiful land on the way to the spring. It was like a canyon, and you could see the vegetation on the mountain so well. One we reached the spring there was a shaman...he explained the ceremony in Spanish and proceeded to lead the participants in exercises. This is where I had to figure out what to do...Do I just stand here and risk being called out? Or do I do the exercises. I eventually decided to just sit down on the cliff while everyone else took part. As I observed what was going on...I had to pray. I prayed that my spirit would be protected. I prayed for the people there that they would know the truth, I prayed for the village of Cacha to be captured by the truth of Jesus Christ instead of a "zeal not according to knowledge". I was so burdened by what was happening...I prayed for God's presence to come and to override everything else that was happening. As I sat on the elevated cliff praying it was like I was looking over everyone who was there. I felt like a watchman (watchwoman) sent by God to care for the people.
As everyone was taking turns washing, the shaman began to ask people to introduce themselves. By this point he was standing beside me and I hear from his mouth..."Africana". When he said Africana I knew he was talking about me and I knew he thought I was from Africa and he wanted me to introduce myself. It was soooooo funny. So I introduced myself in Spanish and and said I was from the United States... the shaman was pretty surprised to hear that I was from the US and not Africa.
After the washing was all over, we all had to climb back up the mountain and I had de ja vu of altitude sickness. I had to take so many breaks to get up the mountain and I was breathing so hard...but I made it and I didn't get sick afterward. When we got back to our cabins, the same sky that was so beautiful with the lights last night was now covered with the whitest clouds. As a matter of fact it was as if we were standing in the clouds as we stood on top of the mountain.
Around 11:00 am the rest of the ceremony began to take place. Boy was I in for a surprise. I thought it was going to be like a party with people from the village I could observe and talk too. But the shaman showed up again. This time everyone stood in a circle and he began to make offerings. I started off in the circle observing, but when he started praying to the sun....I had to get out of there. I couldn't take it. So I went outside of the platform where the people where and began to pray again. This time as I was praying I wondered if anyone had ever shared the Gospel with the people of Cacha. I also marveled at the fact that people were willing to follow the words and directions of the shaman and open their spirits to something they had no idea about. I wondered if people where that apathetic about their spirit and did not understand that it is the only part of them that will live forever and should be handled with much care or if they were so open to spiritual things because they were searching for something more in life. I prayed for open doors to share the gospel, open hearts to receive it, and for God to open my mouth to share it.
By the time that was all over....I was so ready to leave. Seriously...I'm usually the type of person that can go with the flow and be patient, but I was just ready to go. We couldn't leave just yet because there was food to be served. So we ate and conversed with each other. Over conversation I realized that the drink they were serving was most likely a drink that is made using spit from the shaman....I promptly put it down and poured it out at my earliest convenience.
What an experience! Do I regret going? No, because the mountains and fields and clouds I saw were the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen. I gave God glory for his creation. Also I formed relationships with my peers that I would have missed out on otherwise...and who knows they may prove to be an open door. And, I learned about a culture that I will likely never see again after this trip, but they now have a place in my heart. Did I dislike what took place? Yes...watching people pray and dance before a sun god...while so many people reject the God who created them and loves them and has a purpose for their lives...was not a pleasant experience.
I guess when you are experiencing new cultures...religion is a part of that. So I am happy to have gained this experience. I think for the rest of my life and travels I will remember this day and think about what it means to love every nation of people but to also love the one true God.
Until tomorrow!
EP
<3
So on Saturday night a bunch of students packed into a van and traveled 20 minutes and up a mountain to the village of Cacha. When we arrived it was around 8:30 pm and pitch black. From the mountain was the most beautiful sight....a city below with innumerable lights. The city below was Riobamba, where I live. I found it hard to believe that the city was so big, but so far I have only walked one street in the whole city.
After we put our things in the cabins we headed to the restaurant on the reservation to have tea and cookies and talk to each other. I spent my time talking with four other girls about our time in Ecuador and other travel plans. Afterwards we headed to our cabins to get a few hours of sleep. I am not kidding when I say that this was the worse night of sleep I've ever had. There was a chemical smell so pungent in the room that my nose didn't get used to it all night. I was even thankful when my nose got stuffy because I couldn't smell it. And it was soooo cold and I was on the top bunk which was wobbly...it was a rough night.
We were up at 4:45 am because the participants in the ceremony were going to do a purification washing around 5:00 am. I made it clear that I would not be washing myself...but this is when things got very interesting. To get to the springs we climbed down a mountain in the dark because it was before the sun came up. Besides concentrating very hard to keep from falling....I also noticed there was such beautiful land on the way to the spring. It was like a canyon, and you could see the vegetation on the mountain so well. One we reached the spring there was a shaman...he explained the ceremony in Spanish and proceeded to lead the participants in exercises. This is where I had to figure out what to do...Do I just stand here and risk being called out? Or do I do the exercises. I eventually decided to just sit down on the cliff while everyone else took part. As I observed what was going on...I had to pray. I prayed that my spirit would be protected. I prayed for the people there that they would know the truth, I prayed for the village of Cacha to be captured by the truth of Jesus Christ instead of a "zeal not according to knowledge". I was so burdened by what was happening...I prayed for God's presence to come and to override everything else that was happening. As I sat on the elevated cliff praying it was like I was looking over everyone who was there. I felt like a watchman (watchwoman) sent by God to care for the people.
As everyone was taking turns washing, the shaman began to ask people to introduce themselves. By this point he was standing beside me and I hear from his mouth..."Africana". When he said Africana I knew he was talking about me and I knew he thought I was from Africa and he wanted me to introduce myself. It was soooooo funny. So I introduced myself in Spanish and and said I was from the United States... the shaman was pretty surprised to hear that I was from the US and not Africa.
After the washing was all over, we all had to climb back up the mountain and I had de ja vu of altitude sickness. I had to take so many breaks to get up the mountain and I was breathing so hard...but I made it and I didn't get sick afterward. When we got back to our cabins, the same sky that was so beautiful with the lights last night was now covered with the whitest clouds. As a matter of fact it was as if we were standing in the clouds as we stood on top of the mountain.
Around 11:00 am the rest of the ceremony began to take place. Boy was I in for a surprise. I thought it was going to be like a party with people from the village I could observe and talk too. But the shaman showed up again. This time everyone stood in a circle and he began to make offerings. I started off in the circle observing, but when he started praying to the sun....I had to get out of there. I couldn't take it. So I went outside of the platform where the people where and began to pray again. This time as I was praying I wondered if anyone had ever shared the Gospel with the people of Cacha. I also marveled at the fact that people were willing to follow the words and directions of the shaman and open their spirits to something they had no idea about. I wondered if people where that apathetic about their spirit and did not understand that it is the only part of them that will live forever and should be handled with much care or if they were so open to spiritual things because they were searching for something more in life. I prayed for open doors to share the gospel, open hearts to receive it, and for God to open my mouth to share it.
By the time that was all over....I was so ready to leave. Seriously...I'm usually the type of person that can go with the flow and be patient, but I was just ready to go. We couldn't leave just yet because there was food to be served. So we ate and conversed with each other. Over conversation I realized that the drink they were serving was most likely a drink that is made using spit from the shaman....I promptly put it down and poured it out at my earliest convenience.
What an experience! Do I regret going? No, because the mountains and fields and clouds I saw were the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen. I gave God glory for his creation. Also I formed relationships with my peers that I would have missed out on otherwise...and who knows they may prove to be an open door. And, I learned about a culture that I will likely never see again after this trip, but they now have a place in my heart. Did I dislike what took place? Yes...watching people pray and dance before a sun god...while so many people reject the God who created them and loves them and has a purpose for their lives...was not a pleasant experience.
I guess when you are experiencing new cultures...religion is a part of that. So I am happy to have gained this experience. I think for the rest of my life and travels I will remember this day and think about what it means to love every nation of people but to also love the one true God.
Until tomorrow!
EP
<3
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Day 9: Erica, Va Comer!
Experiencing different cultures, means experiencing different foods! I'm sooooo glad that the food in Ecuador is very tasty. I'll share my food experience by breaking it up into meals....
Desayuno (Breakfast): Everyday for breakfast Hilda or Rodrigo give me fresh fruit, bread, eggs, and juice. The fruit is always very fresh...like they just went and picked it themselves. There's always fruit available in the kitchen.We have papaya, watermelon, strawberries, many different types of bananas, different types of tomatoes, pineapple, oranges, and apples. The general rule is that people who are traveling should only eat fruits that need to be peeled because fruits that are washed with the tap water could cause diarrhea...So I've been a little afraid to try the strawberries. The fruit juice is also fresh and made from the same fruits they keep in the kitchen. Sometimes they add a cereal to the juice that you can't really taste. I think its suppose to add nutrients. So far I've had tomato juice (not like V8...its very tasty and sweet.), pineapple juice, and lemonade made with the cereal.
Almuerzo (Lunch): This is the largest meal of the day....which I'm still adjusting to. Everyday I get full before I finish all of my food. I've learned to say "Estoy llena" or "I'm full" very well. For lunch every day there is soup. The soups that Hilda makes are sooo delicious. I can't remember the names of any of them at the moment, but look out for pictures and names in the entries to come. After soup there is the main course. Usually there is some type of meat. My favorite so far has been "pollo con salsa de tomate". Along with the meat vegetables are served. Hilda makes a tomato and avocado salad that I really like. In fact I told her that I like avocado and she had put some on my plate for every meal! Also rice is served every day. One lunch I enjoyed was this past Wednesday when Hilda made "chiclas". They where chips made out of bananas....salted just perfectly. They were just what I needed as I was starting to miss the salt from my American diet. We've also had toasted maize...which is kind of like popcorn...but not really. And not that its super Ecuadorian...but they make great garlic bread. Its not the type you buy from the freezer section though. They mix the butter, garlic, and oregano and make it themselves.
Cena (dinner): Dinner is very light. It usually consist of tea and some type of bread. The first day I got here Hilda took me to another city to buy a very popular sweet bread that we had for dinner that night. My favorite dinner so far has been rice tortilla. It was kind of like a pancake made of rice and veggies with meat mixed in. It was excellent with a bit of ketchup (a trick I learned from their grandson, Juan Jose.) If you know me, you know I love hot tea. So I've really enjoyed having a cup of tea every night. I've had manzanilla con miel, peach tea, and horchata tea. The horchata tea is not like the sweet rice drink that I've had at Anna's Taqueria. Its more like an herbal tea that taste great with lemon and sugar.
My list of foods to try includes: Something from the panderia (bakery) that I walk pass every day on my way home for lunch. It smells sooooo good.
And fried chicken and baked beans from the fried chicken joint....its called "pollo horno" or "box chicken".
Hope I didn't make you too hungry!
EP<3
My list of foods to try includes: Something from the panderia (bakery) that I walk pass every day on my way home for lunch. It smells sooooo good.
And fried chicken and baked beans from the fried chicken joint....its called "pollo horno" or "box chicken".
Hope I didn't make you too hungry!
EP<3
Mi Cuarto
Why is there a pig in the entry entitled "mi cuarto"?
Because, yesterday I opened my curtains and this is what I saw across the street when I looked out of the window. I think the people across the street sell fresh meat. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I ate some of this pig today for lunch because Hilda went across the street to buy meat. Sorry Mr. Piggy...
This is my room. Sorry its kind of dark.
This is my desk and dresser and night stand. As you can see the family I live with owns a guitar! Cha-ching!!! I just found out today. AND even though I couldn't tune it without my electric tuner Adrienne, who is living with the same family as me and arrived today was able to tune it. Cha-ching again! And you guessed it, I am trying my best to learn to sing in Spanish and play the guitar. By the way...I'm super glad Adrienne is here. Its kind of like when two black people in an area that is not heavily populated with black people see each other....they wave and smile as if they were long lost friends. Its great to have another American here with me. I'm also happy that she's from BU and that I'll have the chance to get to know her better over the next two weeks!
My TV! I'm pretty sure I found the Ecuadorian version of Grey's Anatomy last night. It was called "Corazon Abierto". They even had a doctor who looked like Sloan!
Bye Bye for now!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Day 8:Los Descubrimientos
Today's entry won't be about the hospital or my Spanish class. Today I'm going to share with you what I have discovered about myself after being here for one week.
As I was preparing to come to Ecuador, I wondered why God wanted me to take this trip. Its not a mission trip and I'm alone, so why would he want me to be here in South America for 3 weeks? I don't know the complete answer to this question yet, but throughout this week God has shown me in his Word and in my circumstances somethings about who I am and who he wants me to be.
Some weeks before I left I remember thinking that I want to be a teacher one day. But there was a conflict for me. Although I want to be a teacher I didn't know what I was passionate enough about to teach. I wasn't even looking for an answer to this question, but as I shadowed in the hospital this week I got an answer. Observing a psychiatrist showed me that I am passionate enough about healing peoples hearts and minds, to teach other people to do the same. Also, as I listened to the doctors at the General Hospital in Riobamba share their ideas about how they can be a better hospital I realized that I care a lot about health care systems. Maybe one day I can teach hospitals around the world how to structure their program to maximize the healthcare of their patients. I also think I love the word of God and worshiping him with music so much, that I would also love to teach others to discover Him in both. As I thought about these things, I also thought that an excellent teacher must first be an excellent student. I don't think that there's a really clear line of when we leave the student season of our lives and enter the teaching season, because in different areas of life we are at different stages of development. My prayer is that God will give me the wisdom to understand the seasons of my life and show me when to be the student and when to be the teacher.
Another thing I learned about myself this week came from my study of 1 Kings in the Old Testament. In first Kings starting in chapter 12, God's people turned away from him to worship idol gods. It was like the kings of Israel and Judah refused to follow God, because they wanted to preserve their own will. In the midst of all of this disobedience God sent prophets to his people, to share with them the word of the Lord. Prophets like Elijah were sent to the people who would not follow God, and as a result the people did not like him very much. When I read this I realized the I, and many other people, have been called to be a prophetic voice to this world that refuses to follow God because they are afraid to give up their own will. What this means for my life, I don't know. But I do think that I have made this far to complicated for far too long. I know and have known for a long time what God wants to say to this world. He wants the world to know that he loves each and every person with extreme passion. He wants the world to know that although many people will tell you differently, there is only one way to truly know him. He wants the world to know that if they will love light instead of darkness that they will find true life in him.
Last night I watched Facing the Giants on You Tube. Seeing this movie at this exact time in my life was what I really needed. In this movie revival comes to a high school where the students were apathetic and obviously not engaged in their work, not submissive to their parents, and had defeated attitudes on the football team. Halfway through the movie and after many many struggles revival comes to the school. Revival means that there was new life. The students gave their hearts to Jesus, and as a result everything in their lives changed because their apathy was exchanged for determination to glorify God. In the movie we also see a man, whose name I can't even remember, praying for the students in the hallway of the school. I think he prayed for revival at that school for years before it came. If there is anything I learned from this movie, its that I will pray. I will pray and I will not stop praying for my school. I don't know if I will see revival in during my time at BU, but I will not stopping sowing the seeds of prayer until it comes and people turn their hearts from apathy, pluralism, idol gods, sin and anything else that is keeping them from God and turn their hearts to the God who loves him. I believe God will do mighty things through Boston University. It will be a school that touches the world with the hand of God and brings healing to many many people.
Yes, I could have made these discoveries in Boston or at home or anywhere else. But being in Ecuador has been kind of like a retreat for me. Away from the noise, to hear the voice of God. I can't wait to see what else he has to share with me while I'm here!
Hasta Luego!
As I was preparing to come to Ecuador, I wondered why God wanted me to take this trip. Its not a mission trip and I'm alone, so why would he want me to be here in South America for 3 weeks? I don't know the complete answer to this question yet, but throughout this week God has shown me in his Word and in my circumstances somethings about who I am and who he wants me to be.
Some weeks before I left I remember thinking that I want to be a teacher one day. But there was a conflict for me. Although I want to be a teacher I didn't know what I was passionate enough about to teach. I wasn't even looking for an answer to this question, but as I shadowed in the hospital this week I got an answer. Observing a psychiatrist showed me that I am passionate enough about healing peoples hearts and minds, to teach other people to do the same. Also, as I listened to the doctors at the General Hospital in Riobamba share their ideas about how they can be a better hospital I realized that I care a lot about health care systems. Maybe one day I can teach hospitals around the world how to structure their program to maximize the healthcare of their patients. I also think I love the word of God and worshiping him with music so much, that I would also love to teach others to discover Him in both. As I thought about these things, I also thought that an excellent teacher must first be an excellent student. I don't think that there's a really clear line of when we leave the student season of our lives and enter the teaching season, because in different areas of life we are at different stages of development. My prayer is that God will give me the wisdom to understand the seasons of my life and show me when to be the student and when to be the teacher.
Another thing I learned about myself this week came from my study of 1 Kings in the Old Testament. In first Kings starting in chapter 12, God's people turned away from him to worship idol gods. It was like the kings of Israel and Judah refused to follow God, because they wanted to preserve their own will. In the midst of all of this disobedience God sent prophets to his people, to share with them the word of the Lord. Prophets like Elijah were sent to the people who would not follow God, and as a result the people did not like him very much. When I read this I realized the I, and many other people, have been called to be a prophetic voice to this world that refuses to follow God because they are afraid to give up their own will. What this means for my life, I don't know. But I do think that I have made this far to complicated for far too long. I know and have known for a long time what God wants to say to this world. He wants the world to know that he loves each and every person with extreme passion. He wants the world to know that although many people will tell you differently, there is only one way to truly know him. He wants the world to know that if they will love light instead of darkness that they will find true life in him.
Last night I watched Facing the Giants on You Tube. Seeing this movie at this exact time in my life was what I really needed. In this movie revival comes to a high school where the students were apathetic and obviously not engaged in their work, not submissive to their parents, and had defeated attitudes on the football team. Halfway through the movie and after many many struggles revival comes to the school. Revival means that there was new life. The students gave their hearts to Jesus, and as a result everything in their lives changed because their apathy was exchanged for determination to glorify God. In the movie we also see a man, whose name I can't even remember, praying for the students in the hallway of the school. I think he prayed for revival at that school for years before it came. If there is anything I learned from this movie, its that I will pray. I will pray and I will not stop praying for my school. I don't know if I will see revival in during my time at BU, but I will not stopping sowing the seeds of prayer until it comes and people turn their hearts from apathy, pluralism, idol gods, sin and anything else that is keeping them from God and turn their hearts to the God who loves him. I believe God will do mighty things through Boston University. It will be a school that touches the world with the hand of God and brings healing to many many people.
Yes, I could have made these discoveries in Boston or at home or anywhere else. But being in Ecuador has been kind of like a retreat for me. Away from the noise, to hear the voice of God. I can't wait to see what else he has to share with me while I'm here!
Hasta Luego!
La Primera Semana
My cousin Aaron and I in NY. Do you think we look alike?
Just enjoying myself!
Me and the stock market bull.
My bathroom at Hotel Los Alpes.
( I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and I saw a spider in the bathtub. AHHHH!)
My travel buddy Peter's room.
Me and Caroline's room. I tried to get her in the picture, but the sun was too bright.
An image of Jesus in the hallway at Hotel Los Alpes. I'm not sure if he really looked like this, but I guess it will do.
A sitting room at the hotel.
Having breakfast.
Fransico worked at the hotel and spoke English very well.
Ok...if you look closely you'll see one of the many dogs that roam the streets of Riobamba. I tried to get a picture with out making the dog chase me, hence the distance between the dog and the camera.
The street where I live...10 de Augusto.
The beautiful trees in the park.
Emergency entrance at the hospital where I shadowed this week.
The hall way where patients visiting the clinic waited to be seen. This picture was taken around 7:45am. At 8:00am the hallway was most likely filled with people.
People waiting at the hospital lab to have tests.
The main lobby of the hospital. Most of the light is provided by the sun.
The main entrance of the hospital.
Sign pointing to the clinic for men.
The sign pointing to the clinic for women.
Dr. C's office and exam room.
Dr. C
My walk home for lunch. Around 12:30pm the streets are filled with people (especially children walking home from school to eat lunch) and taxis and other cars.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Day 7: La Psiquiatra
Yes! I finally feel like I'm getting into my groove in Ecuador. Today was another good day!
I started off my morning doing rounds at the hospital. Rounds at the General Hospital in Ecuador are far different than anything I ever expected. Most of the patient rooms are large rooms with six patients in each room. In addition to the patients, there were a lot of medical professionals rounding on each patient. At one point I counted 18 people including myself. There were like 6 attending physicians, 6 interns, there were nurses, and nursing students. And when people were late and joined the group they did it with a bang! They came in loudly greeting everyone regardless of who was talking. I was amazed! Besides thinking that so many people could be distracting, I noticed that the Hospital staff at this hospital was very close. They seemed to know each other well, and really value the opinions of other doctors.
The interns were responsible for presenting the patients. I can imagine how stressed the must have been presenting to so many older doctors. As a matter of fact I noticed that the intern who helped me out yesterday seemed to have a hard time with one of the doctors. Now I can't verify this, because I couldn't understand what they said to each other, but body language is universal and I could see that his countenance changed. I wanted so badly to say something to encourage him, but what would I say? So, I whispered a prayer for him.
While I was on rounds I made a goal for myself to understand the chief complaint of all of the patients. That did not happen. I understood some of them but not all. However, I was able to understand the order of the presentation of patients. Its the same exact order that we are taught in the United States, and just like our teachers expect us to use the same order every time, these interns were expected to use the same order every time. I also learned that another advantage of studying medical Spanish is that medicine is a language in itself. So there are some words that I know simply because I study medicine. For example, pancreatitis is the same in English and Spanish...just pronounced differently.
For the second part of my day I shadowed a psychiatrist. As I watched her listen to the patients and talk to them a passion arose in me. If I ever wanted to understand Spanish fully, it was then! I wanted to fully understand the patients' stories and empathize with them. One thing I noticed was that I could tell what the patient was suffering with before they even opened their mouth by their countenance. I could tell when someone was anxious, depressed, and I could even tell when there was a schizophrenic patient. There was one patient in particular who I wished I could just hug. She was a 22 year old medical student...just like me. And I realized that if it was not for the grace of God, I could have been in the same place as her. Depressed, lost, and lonely. I wished that I could tell her that Jesus had healing for her, and that she could run into his arms and feel safe and loved. Again since I couldn't talk, I prayed.
Well that's all for today! Tomorrow is Friday...and I'm very excited for the weekend to start! Look out for entries about my medical Spanish class and the food here in Riobamba!
Hasta Luego
EP<3
I started off my morning doing rounds at the hospital. Rounds at the General Hospital in Ecuador are far different than anything I ever expected. Most of the patient rooms are large rooms with six patients in each room. In addition to the patients, there were a lot of medical professionals rounding on each patient. At one point I counted 18 people including myself. There were like 6 attending physicians, 6 interns, there were nurses, and nursing students. And when people were late and joined the group they did it with a bang! They came in loudly greeting everyone regardless of who was talking. I was amazed! Besides thinking that so many people could be distracting, I noticed that the Hospital staff at this hospital was very close. They seemed to know each other well, and really value the opinions of other doctors.
The interns were responsible for presenting the patients. I can imagine how stressed the must have been presenting to so many older doctors. As a matter of fact I noticed that the intern who helped me out yesterday seemed to have a hard time with one of the doctors. Now I can't verify this, because I couldn't understand what they said to each other, but body language is universal and I could see that his countenance changed. I wanted so badly to say something to encourage him, but what would I say? So, I whispered a prayer for him.
While I was on rounds I made a goal for myself to understand the chief complaint of all of the patients. That did not happen. I understood some of them but not all. However, I was able to understand the order of the presentation of patients. Its the same exact order that we are taught in the United States, and just like our teachers expect us to use the same order every time, these interns were expected to use the same order every time. I also learned that another advantage of studying medical Spanish is that medicine is a language in itself. So there are some words that I know simply because I study medicine. For example, pancreatitis is the same in English and Spanish...just pronounced differently.
For the second part of my day I shadowed a psychiatrist. As I watched her listen to the patients and talk to them a passion arose in me. If I ever wanted to understand Spanish fully, it was then! I wanted to fully understand the patients' stories and empathize with them. One thing I noticed was that I could tell what the patient was suffering with before they even opened their mouth by their countenance. I could tell when someone was anxious, depressed, and I could even tell when there was a schizophrenic patient. There was one patient in particular who I wished I could just hug. She was a 22 year old medical student...just like me. And I realized that if it was not for the grace of God, I could have been in the same place as her. Depressed, lost, and lonely. I wished that I could tell her that Jesus had healing for her, and that she could run into his arms and feel safe and loved. Again since I couldn't talk, I prayed.
Well that's all for today! Tomorrow is Friday...and I'm very excited for the weekend to start! Look out for entries about my medical Spanish class and the food here in Riobamba!
Hasta Luego
EP<3
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Day 6: Una Dia Buena
Today was a good day! Physically I feel much better. I'm still a little short of breath when I exert myself by climbing stairs or walking fast, but my stomach is settled. I'm hoping it will get easier to breathe soon. I wanted to take another morning to rest, but I decided to go in to the hospital this morning. I was very scared and nervous because I didn't know if I could do it physically. I was also a little worried about how I would interact with the Doctors I would be shadowing. But after praying, I really felt like I should go. When I decided to go I prayed even harder!!! "Lord please give me strength" "Lord I don't want to go" "Lord help me" ......and so on and so forth.
So when I woke up this morning I did my best to make sure I was taking care of my body. I made sure I drank lots of fluid and ate well at breakfast, and I made sure I carried my medicine, a snack, and some water with me to the hospital. Can you say "prepared"! I also took a taxi instead of walking, so that I could conserve my energy.
I arrived at the hospital about 30 minutes early hoping to talk to Dr. C, but as I soon found out its not a custom to be early in this hospital. Everyone showed up at 8:00 am just like they were supposed to. Well, everyone except Dr. C. While I waited for him, I started talking to another Dr. who did rounds with him on Monday. As I kept asking her questions, unsure if she was annoyed or not, I discovered that she is a psychiatrist. Cha-ching!!! So I asked her if I could observe her tomorrow with Dr. C's permission.
After waiting a few more minutes, I noticed Dr. C still was not there so I joined in with the Doctors who were rounding with another attending physician who I did not know. It turns out he is a lung doctor, and is also very nice. Despite the fact that I could not understand most of what he was saying, he made the effort to talk to me in Spanish to explain the patients in a way that I could understand. He had a very inviting smile and joked often. This doctor, whose name I never asked, made me feel very comfortable. In addition to shadowing a very nice doctor one of the interns who was on rounds with us told me that he was learning English. He said that I could help him with English and he could help me with Spanish. Cha-ching again! Because of him and his Ipad that he was carrying around, I learned and understood so much more than I would have. I really appreciated his kindess. Not only did I learn Spanish on pulmonology rounds, but I also got to view radiographic images and actually understand what I was looking at and I saw a patient with tuberculosis who had clubbing ( a physical sign of lung disease) on his fingers and toes.
Once we finished with morning rounds, I finally found Dr. C. He did rounds on 2 patients, gave some instructions to the interns in Spanish, and promptly left. Of course I did not understand the instructions so I did not know where he was going or what I should do. Initially I decided to stay with the interns who began to do paperwork, but finally someone told me that Dr. C went to the outpatient clinic. So I found my way to his office to observe him there. I was a little uneasy because I didn't know if he was annoyed by me. After observing his work in the outpatient clinic it became clear that he was not annoyed with me and was also very nice and a great teacher.
In his office patients came and went so rapidly. During the visit, he asked them a few questions, examined them, gave them instructions on what to do next. There was no time to build a relationship with the patient. It seemed to be all about solving the problem at hand. During one appointment a nurse brought in another patient who was labeled as an emergency. Dr. C stopped examining his patient and did a full interview and exam on the emergency patient while the other patient and his family were still in the room. I was amazed!!!! That would never happen in the U.S. due to all of the privacy laws, but here it didn't seem to matter. Convinced that I need to stay in my place, I whispered "lo siento" to the family who was waiting and continued to observe. The coolest thing I experienced in the outpatient clinic was listening the carotid pulse of one patient. On the left side the pulse sounded like a flood was going through the artery due to an occlusion in his left carotid artery. On the right side it was normal. This is probably the clearest sound I've ever heard in my stethoscope, so it was very rewarding.
As you can probably guess, I was very excited after my morning at the hospital. I was also very tired. So I came home for the afternoon meal and napped and studied before my evening class.
Thanks to you guys for praying for me, and Thanks to God for answering those prayers!
Just in case you're interested here's a typical day for me:
6:30am :wake up
7:15am: breakfast "desayuno"
8:00 am-12:00pm: Shadowing at the hospital
12:00pm-2:00pm: Free time
2:00pm-2:45pm: afternoon meal "almuerzo"
2:45pm-4:30pm: Free time
5:00pm-7:00pm: Class
7:30pm-8:30pm: Free time
8:30pm-9:00pm: Evening meal "Cena"
9:00pm-11:00pm: Free time
Adios
EP<3
So when I woke up this morning I did my best to make sure I was taking care of my body. I made sure I drank lots of fluid and ate well at breakfast, and I made sure I carried my medicine, a snack, and some water with me to the hospital. Can you say "prepared"! I also took a taxi instead of walking, so that I could conserve my energy.
I arrived at the hospital about 30 minutes early hoping to talk to Dr. C, but as I soon found out its not a custom to be early in this hospital. Everyone showed up at 8:00 am just like they were supposed to. Well, everyone except Dr. C. While I waited for him, I started talking to another Dr. who did rounds with him on Monday. As I kept asking her questions, unsure if she was annoyed or not, I discovered that she is a psychiatrist. Cha-ching!!! So I asked her if I could observe her tomorrow with Dr. C's permission.
After waiting a few more minutes, I noticed Dr. C still was not there so I joined in with the Doctors who were rounding with another attending physician who I did not know. It turns out he is a lung doctor, and is also very nice. Despite the fact that I could not understand most of what he was saying, he made the effort to talk to me in Spanish to explain the patients in a way that I could understand. He had a very inviting smile and joked often. This doctor, whose name I never asked, made me feel very comfortable. In addition to shadowing a very nice doctor one of the interns who was on rounds with us told me that he was learning English. He said that I could help him with English and he could help me with Spanish. Cha-ching again! Because of him and his Ipad that he was carrying around, I learned and understood so much more than I would have. I really appreciated his kindess. Not only did I learn Spanish on pulmonology rounds, but I also got to view radiographic images and actually understand what I was looking at and I saw a patient with tuberculosis who had clubbing ( a physical sign of lung disease) on his fingers and toes.
Once we finished with morning rounds, I finally found Dr. C. He did rounds on 2 patients, gave some instructions to the interns in Spanish, and promptly left. Of course I did not understand the instructions so I did not know where he was going or what I should do. Initially I decided to stay with the interns who began to do paperwork, but finally someone told me that Dr. C went to the outpatient clinic. So I found my way to his office to observe him there. I was a little uneasy because I didn't know if he was annoyed by me. After observing his work in the outpatient clinic it became clear that he was not annoyed with me and was also very nice and a great teacher.
In his office patients came and went so rapidly. During the visit, he asked them a few questions, examined them, gave them instructions on what to do next. There was no time to build a relationship with the patient. It seemed to be all about solving the problem at hand. During one appointment a nurse brought in another patient who was labeled as an emergency. Dr. C stopped examining his patient and did a full interview and exam on the emergency patient while the other patient and his family were still in the room. I was amazed!!!! That would never happen in the U.S. due to all of the privacy laws, but here it didn't seem to matter. Convinced that I need to stay in my place, I whispered "lo siento" to the family who was waiting and continued to observe. The coolest thing I experienced in the outpatient clinic was listening the carotid pulse of one patient. On the left side the pulse sounded like a flood was going through the artery due to an occlusion in his left carotid artery. On the right side it was normal. This is probably the clearest sound I've ever heard in my stethoscope, so it was very rewarding.
As you can probably guess, I was very excited after my morning at the hospital. I was also very tired. So I came home for the afternoon meal and napped and studied before my evening class.
Thanks to you guys for praying for me, and Thanks to God for answering those prayers!
Just in case you're interested here's a typical day for me:
6:30am :wake up
7:15am: breakfast "desayuno"
8:00 am-12:00pm: Shadowing at the hospital
12:00pm-2:00pm: Free time
2:00pm-2:45pm: afternoon meal "almuerzo"
2:45pm-4:30pm: Free time
5:00pm-7:00pm: Class
7:30pm-8:30pm: Free time
8:30pm-9:00pm: Evening meal "Cena"
9:00pm-11:00pm: Free time
Adios
EP<3
Day 5: El nino en el parque
Today was something like a day of rest for me. Well, at least I took the morning off to give myself time to adjust to my new environment. I spent the morning praying and reading the Bible, and afterward I studied for my medical Spanish class and finished watching Mean Girls 2...It was so enjoyable.
When it was finally time to go to class I left a few minutes early to explore the city and find some salt and vinegar potato chips. I went to a store called Tia (kind of like Family Dollar) only to find that the only types of chips they sell here are Dorritos, anything sour cream and onion, small bags of cheetos, and chicharrones. There were no salt and vinegar potato chips!!! I settled for sour cream and onion ruffles and took them to the park across the street to enjoy them. There were so many people in the park, but among all the faces I noticed a little one. There was a little boy in the park who was probably six or seven years old. His face was dirty, and it looked as if he was trying to sell something or do something to make money. At first when he offered me whatever it was (I couldn't understand him) I said no thank you and continued eating my chips. The second time I saw him I was leaving the park and I couldn't help but notice him again. This time all I did was give him the rest of my ruffles. I wondered about this boy. Where were his parents? How poor is he? What could I give him that would help him? Later that night over the evening meal, I asked Hilda about the boy in my broken Spanish. She told me it was very common to see indigenous boys around the city. I guess its no different than home, when we see homeless people on the street or the sad faces of children on TV commercials. I wonder if I will see the boy in the park again.
My medical Spanish class is very small. Its made up of me and my teacher. I don't even know how to define the level I'm on, but judging from the material we are going over I'm probably at the beginner level. Even though I've taken so many Spanish classes over the years, I'm okay starting at the beginning level here because in this class we learn vocabulary and grammar rules relative to talking to patients. Its kind of like applying what I've already done, to something I don't know yet. So far I've learned the Spanish words for body parts and how to interview a patient about pain. Class is only 2 hours per day, but I do have to study. So I think my movie watching time will now be restricted to the weekends. Oh well!
Until day 6.....
EP<3
When it was finally time to go to class I left a few minutes early to explore the city and find some salt and vinegar potato chips. I went to a store called Tia (kind of like Family Dollar) only to find that the only types of chips they sell here are Dorritos, anything sour cream and onion, small bags of cheetos, and chicharrones. There were no salt and vinegar potato chips!!! I settled for sour cream and onion ruffles and took them to the park across the street to enjoy them. There were so many people in the park, but among all the faces I noticed a little one. There was a little boy in the park who was probably six or seven years old. His face was dirty, and it looked as if he was trying to sell something or do something to make money. At first when he offered me whatever it was (I couldn't understand him) I said no thank you and continued eating my chips. The second time I saw him I was leaving the park and I couldn't help but notice him again. This time all I did was give him the rest of my ruffles. I wondered about this boy. Where were his parents? How poor is he? What could I give him that would help him? Later that night over the evening meal, I asked Hilda about the boy in my broken Spanish. She told me it was very common to see indigenous boys around the city. I guess its no different than home, when we see homeless people on the street or the sad faces of children on TV commercials. I wonder if I will see the boy in the park again.
My medical Spanish class is very small. Its made up of me and my teacher. I don't even know how to define the level I'm on, but judging from the material we are going over I'm probably at the beginner level. Even though I've taken so many Spanish classes over the years, I'm okay starting at the beginning level here because in this class we learn vocabulary and grammar rules relative to talking to patients. Its kind of like applying what I've already done, to something I don't know yet. So far I've learned the Spanish words for body parts and how to interview a patient about pain. Class is only 2 hours per day, but I do have to study. So I think my movie watching time will now be restricted to the weekends. Oh well!
Until day 6.....
EP<3
Monday, June 13, 2011
Day 4 Estoy Enferma
Hola Amigos!
Today was my first day at the Hospital. I was suppose to shadow Doctor Juan Coloma. I was told that he was a internist, but his jacket said neurology and he kept asking the paitents if they had pain in their head, and he did a lot of neurological test. So...Im thinking he was a neurologist...or at least today he was. The patients we saw were very interesting, but I didnt get to enjoy it for long. After about an hour of doing rounds with Dr. Coloma and 3 other medical students [or residents, i dont know which) I got super weak and nauseous. I tried to sit down and rest, but everytime I stood back up It got worse. I didnt get to look at myself, but Im pretty sure I looked more toxic than some of the patients. I felt a lot of different ways about this. I felt embarassed that I could not make it through an hour of rounds without getting weak. I felt like an outsider, because I understood very little of what they were saying. I felt nervous....If I couldnt make it through today, how can I make it through tomorrow.
So after realizing that I needed to leave, because the patients and the visitors were obviously wondering who this sick girl was with the doctors, I told Dr. Coloma and caught a taxi home. Taxis here cost about one dollar...muy cheap..lol. But I didnt have change for a 20, so the driver stopped and got me change. He got me one 10 and two 5s. So I paid him 5 bucks for a 1 dollar ride and jumped in the bed to sleep for 4 hours.
I woke up feeling a little better, but still obviously weak. After spending time in the Bible and in prayer, I realized that God desires for me to be encouraged during this time. In Joshua 1.9 He told me not to be afraid or discouraged because he his with me wherever I go. In Jeremiah 1 he told me that he before I was born he called me to the nations. In Psalm 124 he told me that if I trust in him I will be like Mount Zion and I will not be moved. He also told me in Psalm 124 that he surrounds me like mountains surround a city. Mountains are relevant imagery for me right now, because in Ecuador there are so many big and beautiful mountains. They surround the cities in such a way that if you drive long enough you will find yourself between the mountains that you once viewed from a distance.
So, in the words of the song writer 'I feel like going on'. After I got myself together I went out to find some potato chips. Why....because I woke up craving salt and vinegar potato chips. I havent found them yet, but I did find doritos. They were great!
Now as I write, Im sitting at the program office, waiting to take my exam to see which spanish class I will be placed in. I finally got to meet other students in the program...none of whom look like me, but thats to be expected. Actually, no one in this whole city looks like me...lol. Im looking forward to getting to know the other students, and maybe even developing friendships while I am here.
Before I go, I will mention that Hilda had me walk to the hospital and to the program office. I was very scared. First of all because there are stray dogs all around, and second because I have no idea where Im going. But today Ive found walking around the city to be very rewarding. I get to see lots of shops and landmarks and I built a little self confidence in finding my way around, reading maps, and asking for directions in Spanish. So far, Im able to ask for directions, but its been difficult to understand the answer...Im sure Ill improve in time.
In case you were wondering....altitude sickness can result when people ascend to altitudes greater than 2400 meters. It happens because of the lower partial pressure of oxygen at high altitudes. Symptoms include lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, light headedness, insomnia, shortness of breath upon exertion, nose bleed, persistent rapid pulse, drowsiness, general malaise, peripheral edema, and diarrhea. Of which I have had lack of appetite, nausea, insomina at night, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, drowsiness during the day, and malaise. The treatment is to descend from the high altitude...lol. Im not doing that until July 2nd so I have to have an alternative treatment. I am taking a medicine prescribed to me in Boston called acetazolamide. My course of action for the next few days is to
1. Take the medicine
2. Take it easy
3. Talk to the program director and maybe forgo shadowing until I feel more acclamated
4. Pray and trust God for strength
Blessings!
Erica
PS if you are wondering about the punctuation in this entry, Im working at a keyboard....that seems to have a mind of its own when it comes ot quotes, question marks, and parentheses...sorry!
Today was my first day at the Hospital. I was suppose to shadow Doctor Juan Coloma. I was told that he was a internist, but his jacket said neurology and he kept asking the paitents if they had pain in their head, and he did a lot of neurological test. So...Im thinking he was a neurologist...or at least today he was. The patients we saw were very interesting, but I didnt get to enjoy it for long. After about an hour of doing rounds with Dr. Coloma and 3 other medical students [or residents, i dont know which) I got super weak and nauseous. I tried to sit down and rest, but everytime I stood back up It got worse. I didnt get to look at myself, but Im pretty sure I looked more toxic than some of the patients. I felt a lot of different ways about this. I felt embarassed that I could not make it through an hour of rounds without getting weak. I felt like an outsider, because I understood very little of what they were saying. I felt nervous....If I couldnt make it through today, how can I make it through tomorrow.
So after realizing that I needed to leave, because the patients and the visitors were obviously wondering who this sick girl was with the doctors, I told Dr. Coloma and caught a taxi home. Taxis here cost about one dollar...muy cheap..lol. But I didnt have change for a 20, so the driver stopped and got me change. He got me one 10 and two 5s. So I paid him 5 bucks for a 1 dollar ride and jumped in the bed to sleep for 4 hours.
I woke up feeling a little better, but still obviously weak. After spending time in the Bible and in prayer, I realized that God desires for me to be encouraged during this time. In Joshua 1.9 He told me not to be afraid or discouraged because he his with me wherever I go. In Jeremiah 1 he told me that he before I was born he called me to the nations. In Psalm 124 he told me that if I trust in him I will be like Mount Zion and I will not be moved. He also told me in Psalm 124 that he surrounds me like mountains surround a city. Mountains are relevant imagery for me right now, because in Ecuador there are so many big and beautiful mountains. They surround the cities in such a way that if you drive long enough you will find yourself between the mountains that you once viewed from a distance.
So, in the words of the song writer 'I feel like going on'. After I got myself together I went out to find some potato chips. Why....because I woke up craving salt and vinegar potato chips. I havent found them yet, but I did find doritos. They were great!
Now as I write, Im sitting at the program office, waiting to take my exam to see which spanish class I will be placed in. I finally got to meet other students in the program...none of whom look like me, but thats to be expected. Actually, no one in this whole city looks like me...lol. Im looking forward to getting to know the other students, and maybe even developing friendships while I am here.
Before I go, I will mention that Hilda had me walk to the hospital and to the program office. I was very scared. First of all because there are stray dogs all around, and second because I have no idea where Im going. But today Ive found walking around the city to be very rewarding. I get to see lots of shops and landmarks and I built a little self confidence in finding my way around, reading maps, and asking for directions in Spanish. So far, Im able to ask for directions, but its been difficult to understand the answer...Im sure Ill improve in time.
In case you were wondering....altitude sickness can result when people ascend to altitudes greater than 2400 meters. It happens because of the lower partial pressure of oxygen at high altitudes. Symptoms include lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, light headedness, insomnia, shortness of breath upon exertion, nose bleed, persistent rapid pulse, drowsiness, general malaise, peripheral edema, and diarrhea. Of which I have had lack of appetite, nausea, insomina at night, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, drowsiness during the day, and malaise. The treatment is to descend from the high altitude...lol. Im not doing that until July 2nd so I have to have an alternative treatment. I am taking a medicine prescribed to me in Boston called acetazolamide. My course of action for the next few days is to
1. Take the medicine
2. Take it easy
3. Talk to the program director and maybe forgo shadowing until I feel more acclamated
4. Pray and trust God for strength
Blessings!
Erica
PS if you are wondering about the punctuation in this entry, Im working at a keyboard....that seems to have a mind of its own when it comes ot quotes, question marks, and parentheses...sorry!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Day 3: Mi Familia
Before I start on day 3, I left out some notable things from day two:
1. Somewhere between Boston and Ecuador someone in the airport ate the chocolate I packed to give to my family! When I checked my bag there was only one piece of candy left in my bag of Ghirardelli Milk and Peanut Butter chocolates. I was amazed that someone actually went through my luggage, took my candy, shared it with his or her friends, and returned the almost empty bag...lol!
2. Okay so I didn't really believe that altitude sickness could happen to me...boy was I wrong! The first time I climbed the steps at my hotel I was carrying my luggage, so I used the heavy bag as an excuse for my tiredness. The second time I climbed the stairs I did not have any luggage, and when I reached the top I was panting! When I realized that my travel buddies and I were all physically exhausted and short of breath...I knew it was because of the high altitude. So, I gave in and took one of my altitude sickness pills. It got even more real for me when I woke up in the middle of the night and I could hardly breathe. I've never heard myself breathing so hard...it was like there wasn't enough air for me to fill my lungs...hence I took another pill. I found myself wishing I had my physiology syllabus so I could review what was actually going on in my body. Today I'm still a little tired...but I'm hoping to get acclimated to the altitude very soon.
Today, Jorge, the driver for Cachamsi picked us up from our hotel at 9:00am sharp. When he got there we were enjoying our breakfast, juevos fritos y tostada. Surprisingly, I also had coffee and it tasted pretty good. After breakfast we all packed into Jorge's car. My travelling buddies conversed with him in Spanish. I didn't really say much, but I did understand almost everything. Like I said, I was super tired. So, even though I slept for almost 10 hours last night, I slept for most of the 3 hour drive from Quito to Riobamba. It wasn't just any kind of sleep either, it was goooood sleep! For the little time that I was awake I did have the chance to see the beautiful hills and mountains of Ecuador, a few cows, and a young boy getting into the trunk of a car (I guess they ran out of room in the back seat!)
When we arrived at my family's home I was greeted warmly by the woman of the house, Hilda. The house is so beautiful and very big. I also met her son and his wife and their two children. Their son, who is probably 4, kept running away from me until I finally got him to give me a high five. Their daughter is 11 and is learning English at school. For the short time we were together, I helped her with English and she helped me with Spanish. I will meet two more kids who actually live here soon. I can't wait. I'm sure they are going to make my stay here so much fun!
I also had the chance to unpack today....whew, what a relief! I love my room. Its a nice size with a TV and DVD player, a big window, lots of storage space and lots of sun. I really couldn't ask for more during my stay in Ecuador.
Today I learned that in Ecuador lunch is a big meal, while dinner is a small meal. So, for lunch Hilda made a delicious soup called "Sopa de Verde" and chicken with a tomato salsa, fired bananas, and rice. She also made a juice from a type of tomato that is very sweet. If you know me, you know I can't eat alot in one sitting...so right now I am sooooo full!
Hilda also showed me her garden and her dogs. The dogs were so playful. They could almost jump mu height! When we opened the gate they just ran and ran. It looked like they were racing each other. From her garden I got to taste a fruit...I can't remember the name right now, but it was sweet and tangy and had a leafy covering.
My question for today has been...am I going to get traveler's diarrhea. Its so common among people who travel to Ecuador, that it seem inevitable. But Kenya prayed for me not to have any GI problems, so I'm believing that I will make it through my trip diarrhea free!
Adios for now!
EP <3
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Day 2: Estoy en el avion!
So, the super shuttle was suppose to pick me up at 1:30 am for my 6:00 am flight...it didn't.
It came around 2:30 am, but the driver did call me. To pass the time I sat in the lobby of my cousin's dorm and watched the infomercial for the Timeless Collection of Body and Soul Music...you know Luther Vandross, Al Greene, The Temptations, etc. I was almost sold...for 5 easy payments of $26.00 I could have 10 cds of classic love songs. I think I decided to you tube those bad boys instead. The funniest part was that the security guard was jamming to the music as well....I could tell he was like who is this young child listening to this old school music.
When the shuttle arrived, I tried my best to stay awake on the way to the airport. I failed horribly. The driver, who was an older man from Columbia was very nice. His name was Franklin. We were able to exchange some words in Spanish. For instance, I apologized to him when I left the door open, because I was so sleepy that I forgot to close it. I also met a little person on the ride to the airport who was on tour doing impressions of Lady Gaga and Brittney Spears. She was a cool lady.
When I arrived at the airport and went to the Copa airlines desk, I immediately felt the cultural difference. Suddenly most people were speaking Spanish instead of English. And as I talked to people in the airport and on the plane, it seemed easy for them to see that they should speak English to me. I don't know if it was my broken Spanish, or the questions I instinctively blurted out in English instead of taking the time to formulate the question in Spanish. Whatever the reason people knew that I didn't speak their language. As I reflected on this I realized that although I felt a little bit embarrassed by my limited Spanish speaking skills, it was good for me to feel like an outsider. It was good for me to place myself in an uncomfortable position so that I can learn from those around me and to identify with the people who travel to the United States from many different nations. Matthew 23:12 says "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." I believe coming to Ecuador, to a place where I am the outsider is a form of humbling myself. I mean, I barely know the language, I don't know the culture, I know nothing about traveling, and I'm too small to carry my heavy bags (lol...I just had to add that in). I'm deciding to be okay with these weaknesses in myself right now, and to watch God to awesome things while I'm here.
On the plane, I was so tickled by a little boy who had to be 4 or 5 years old. I saw his dad hand him the telephone, and the child said to his mom excitedly "Mama Estoy en el avion." It made me smile for two reasons. First, because he was so excited. Second, because I understood him! I also met an older black lady from Panama on the airplane. After we both woke up from our 5 to 6 hour slumber, she encouraged me to practice my Spanish, and to not be shy. This lady was impeccably dressed and kept up. Her hair was recently straightened with a Keratin treatment, her nails and toes were done, her make up was perfect, and she topped it off with a nice outfit and a louis v. bag. Walking around the airport in Panama, I noticed that all the ladies were so well dressed. Even the house keeping staff had on cute jeans and nicely done make up. After seeing this, I thought to myself...I can definitely do better...lol. I also noticed that when the flight attendants served us on the plane they always serve the women first even if they had to reach over the men. It was quite nice. I sat in between two men, and I always got served first!
After arriving in Quito...I was surprised by the heat. It was scorching!!!! I was prepared for 50 degree weather, but that's not what I got. The weather channels says it 73, but to me it feels like 93....can you say "una sorpresa"! A driver from the hotel picked us up from the airport with a sign that said "la familia perry". I felt so important. Getting to hotel was nice, the driver spoke Spanish to us and helped with the heavy bags. Hotel Los Alpes is everything I expected it to be. It is beautiful and peaceful and quaint. I'm staying in the family suite with my classmates Peter and Caroline. The only down point of the hotel was that I almost killed myself carrying my bags up 3 flights of stairs...I'm all better now though.
I only have a few more hours in Quito...who knows what they hold??? Maybe dinner in the city, maybe some live Ecuadorian music and great conversation with my traveling buddies...I say this is a successful day two of my journey!
EP<3
It came around 2:30 am, but the driver did call me. To pass the time I sat in the lobby of my cousin's dorm and watched the infomercial for the Timeless Collection of Body and Soul Music...you know Luther Vandross, Al Greene, The Temptations, etc. I was almost sold...for 5 easy payments of $26.00 I could have 10 cds of classic love songs. I think I decided to you tube those bad boys instead. The funniest part was that the security guard was jamming to the music as well....I could tell he was like who is this young child listening to this old school music.
When the shuttle arrived, I tried my best to stay awake on the way to the airport. I failed horribly. The driver, who was an older man from Columbia was very nice. His name was Franklin. We were able to exchange some words in Spanish. For instance, I apologized to him when I left the door open, because I was so sleepy that I forgot to close it. I also met a little person on the ride to the airport who was on tour doing impressions of Lady Gaga and Brittney Spears. She was a cool lady.
When I arrived at the airport and went to the Copa airlines desk, I immediately felt the cultural difference. Suddenly most people were speaking Spanish instead of English. And as I talked to people in the airport and on the plane, it seemed easy for them to see that they should speak English to me. I don't know if it was my broken Spanish, or the questions I instinctively blurted out in English instead of taking the time to formulate the question in Spanish. Whatever the reason people knew that I didn't speak their language. As I reflected on this I realized that although I felt a little bit embarrassed by my limited Spanish speaking skills, it was good for me to feel like an outsider. It was good for me to place myself in an uncomfortable position so that I can learn from those around me and to identify with the people who travel to the United States from many different nations. Matthew 23:12 says "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." I believe coming to Ecuador, to a place where I am the outsider is a form of humbling myself. I mean, I barely know the language, I don't know the culture, I know nothing about traveling, and I'm too small to carry my heavy bags (lol...I just had to add that in). I'm deciding to be okay with these weaknesses in myself right now, and to watch God to awesome things while I'm here.
On the plane, I was so tickled by a little boy who had to be 4 or 5 years old. I saw his dad hand him the telephone, and the child said to his mom excitedly "Mama Estoy en el avion." It made me smile for two reasons. First, because he was so excited. Second, because I understood him! I also met an older black lady from Panama on the airplane. After we both woke up from our 5 to 6 hour slumber, she encouraged me to practice my Spanish, and to not be shy. This lady was impeccably dressed and kept up. Her hair was recently straightened with a Keratin treatment, her nails and toes were done, her make up was perfect, and she topped it off with a nice outfit and a louis v. bag. Walking around the airport in Panama, I noticed that all the ladies were so well dressed. Even the house keeping staff had on cute jeans and nicely done make up. After seeing this, I thought to myself...I can definitely do better...lol. I also noticed that when the flight attendants served us on the plane they always serve the women first even if they had to reach over the men. It was quite nice. I sat in between two men, and I always got served first!
After arriving in Quito...I was surprised by the heat. It was scorching!!!! I was prepared for 50 degree weather, but that's not what I got. The weather channels says it 73, but to me it feels like 93....can you say "una sorpresa"! A driver from the hotel picked us up from the airport with a sign that said "la familia perry". I felt so important. Getting to hotel was nice, the driver spoke Spanish to us and helped with the heavy bags. Hotel Los Alpes is everything I expected it to be. It is beautiful and peaceful and quaint. I'm staying in the family suite with my classmates Peter and Caroline. The only down point of the hotel was that I almost killed myself carrying my bags up 3 flights of stairs...I'm all better now though.
I only have a few more hours in Quito...who knows what they hold??? Maybe dinner in the city, maybe some live Ecuadorian music and great conversation with my traveling buddies...I say this is a successful day two of my journey!
EP<3
Friday, June 10, 2011
Day 1: Nueva York
My excitement for my trip to Ecuador has been building for a while, and now finally I'm on my way!! Today I spent the day in New York with my cousin Aaron. Although I thought my adventures would only start when I landed in Ecuador....my day in New York has been great.
My day started with my awesome roommates driving me to the airport. I felt so blessed to have them....Don't tell anyone but, I think I shed a tear in the airport as I thought about all the love people showed me as I was preparing for this trip. So many people prayed for me and requested to hang out with me before I left...It was the much needed support I needed before taking this journey. My week of dinners, movies, conversations, and just chillin with the girls helped me feel less nervous about going to another country.
When I arrived in NY (By the way...yes I flew from Boston to NY. It was a 38 minute flight...don't judge me:) ) everything went smoothly. I went to baggage claim and retrieved my 51 and 50 pound bags and proceeded to the taxi stand. After about 5 minutes I fell asleep in the taxi. I tried my best to stay awake, but I must have been super tired. My taxi ended up costing $50.00.....yes $50. I don't think I've ever paid that much for a taxi....I had to wonder if the taxi driver got me on that one. No one will ever know accept him and God, as for me....I just had to go with the flow and pay it. Needless to say I will be taking super shuttle back to the airport in the morning for $25. I'll have to leave at 1:30am for a 6:00am flight, but for me that's better than paying 50 bucks.
When I finally got settled in my cousins dorm room we went for lunch at Texas BBQ...I was craving a burger and fries. It was so tasty. The next stop was J.Crew...now my cousin shops at this store. I never really considered it, because it just looks expensive. After going in there today...I may consider adding them to my list of shops...but it will have to be when there's a sale or when I am seriously getting paid. Union Park was next on our journey... I can really appreciate the number of parks in NY. Its a bustling city, but still there are these places of refuge with so many trees and flowers for the people to enjoy. The last stop before returning home was Battery Park. I got to see the statue of liberty from a distance and watch the street dancers do their thing. The interesting thing was that the dancers in NY and the dancers in Boston say the same things...."we're not gangsters" or "here's a whole bunch of black men running fast and not getting chased by the police." Had me wondering if they get trained by the same people or something. In the running for the highlight of my day is watching this baby run around in the fountains and Battery Park. He was sooooo cute, and his little legs and big belly put a huge smile on my face.
Finally, you find me here. Enjoying the air conditioned room...and anticipating what's to come in the days ahead.
EP<3
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