The view this morning

Nice. Today is QuitoFest (free music in a huge park) and the weather is perfect. Last night I met the new center volunteers (though I already knew three of them from LMU) and had a loud and loving reunion with the three volunteers from last year who are staying at the center again this year.

Meeting the new volunteers has confirmed that time has moved on, and though I loved being at the CMT I was almost too close to it to realize what was happening. By the time the year was up I had to pinch myself...wait, did that really just happen? Did I really do this? And now that I see the new volunteers one thing has become clear: that everything stood still for 11 months while I put aside the things that I thought made me Marian. I became an alternate version of myself, resembling me but removed from all those clues that would have previously reminded me, "oh yes, that is what Marian would do. She's still here." Now I feel almost as if I disappeared for a year only to find that time didn't wait for me to get back. Does that make sense? Don't worry, this is not an existential crisis. I'm just trying to share with you what goes on in my head as I prepare myself to participate in this new life.

And the new life looks like this. I live in an apartment with roommates and I cook dinner and do dishes, take the bus to and from work, I am alone sometimes, I go out to see friends and my bosses expect things of me (gasp!) just like any normal person. The truth is that this doesn't look much different from how my life has been in recent years. What's missing are my CMT kids. I don't want you to think I'm sad or that I regret not staying at the CMT. There were a lot of reasons not to stay there, but I miss my kids. I'm excited to try this new life as a teacher at a university, a certified this or that--I'm looking forward to it but it will not be the same. So I'll just have to get used to this and remain happy, thankful, engaged in the day to dayness of things.

Wow, that was a lot of thinking for a picture of the view from my apartment. Now it's time for another cup of coffee before I get ready for free music in the park. Much love,

M

Capítulo 2 begins

Sooo...it's weird to be back. I have to re-familiarize myself with Quito, speaking Spanish, and being "different." It's also strange to be in this city but not be at the CMT. I keep hoping that I'll run into one of my kids on the street and we'll have this wonderful surprise reunion. But I'm neither living nor working near the two CMT locations, so I doubt my dream reunion will come true.

Today I attended my first TEFL/TESL class. The course lasts for 4 weeks and in that time I have a number of observation hours, teaching hours, lesson plans and other assignments to complete. Each day I'll be in class for 4 hours, so the rest of my time can be dedicated to the assignments and planning, but I'm still a little nervous. What if my lessons suck? What if I stumble over my words? What if I lose control of the classroom? I am not looking forward to walking into someone's classroom and teaching their students while being observed by the authorities.

To distract myself from my worries I unpacked all my stuff and arranged it in my room. And then I took pictures in order to give you a little tour, so here goes...

First, the view from the outside. You'll notice the coat rack outside my door with my stuff on it.

Once inside you don't have to go far to find the head of the bed...

...or the foot of the bed.

Here is the door to the bathroom along with the foot of the bed.

And here we have the closet/shelves.

Looking outside the room (from the bed) more clothes are hanging on the door to the kitchen. Tim Gunn would be proud because I really made it work.

There you have it. It's been great to see my friends and enjoy some good ceviche, and I'm sure my nerves about the TEFL course will loosen up once the ball gets rolling. More photos of the apartment to come, so stay tuned.

Oh and thank you for a wonderful 2 months at home. You guys are the best.

love, Marian

Well I'm not quite there yet, but I didn't want you to forget about me

Hi, this is Marian and on Saturday I'll head to LA for one last week of fun before I go back to Ecuador for one more year of fun. I mean work.

Anyway, this is how I feel:

via farm4.static.flickr.com, whatever that means

Home

Ahhhh...I've been here a little over a week, enjoying a few things I missed:

Lake Tahoe

Dojo

Roasted Vegetables

Exchange Students

and of course The Family (photo unavailable) including my nephew, Jonah.

I miss my kids in Quito but I know I'll see them again, and that made leaving Ecuador much easier. I just realized I never posted the photos of the trip to the Miranda house on Fathers' day. Unfortunately, Papa Miranda was asleep the whole time because he'd worked the night shift. The bubbles I had brought were the main attraction of the day and a fantastic time was had by all.

Until next time,

M

El Futuro

I'm leaving Quito in one week exactly. I'm sad to leave, but my feelings are tempered by relief at a few things:

• I don't really have to say goodbye for long because I'm coming back in two months.
  
• I'm going home, and that's a relief.
• I get to eat all the food I've been craving...feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, dark leafy greens, good varieties of food (Indian, Mediterranean , Mexican...mmmm).
  

Wait a minute...coming back in two months? Yes, I got a job teaching English at the Centro de Educación Continua, a department of a well-known university in Quito, la Escuela Politecnica Nacional. Whenever I tell my Ecuadorian colleauges I got a job there they raise their eyebrows as if to say "wow I didn't know you were that smart," or something like that.

For the first month (September) I'll take a course to get my TEFL/TESL certificate (Teaching English as a Foriegn/Second Language) which should be transferrable around the world, including Pleasant Hill, CA (that's for you, mom and dad).

Then in mid-October I'll start teaching. I should have three classes a day, probably of a lower level because I'll be a new teacher. I'm not sure how the work will be, if I'll like it, if it'll be hard. But I wasn't sure about coming here to the Working Boys Center and I'd say it worked out pretty well. Amazingly, actually, so I've decided to relax and just let things happen to me (some advice offered me to a good Irish friend by the name of Ed).

I have an apartment set up with some friends: Sara, Elsa, and Will (a Puerto Rican, Ecuadorian, and a dude from Davis, CA). My room was once the "servant's quarters" so it's comically small. The head and foot of the bed each touch the walls, and to get to the bathroom you have to jump over the bed. Like whenever Mel Gibson and Danny Glover had to jump over the hoods of cars in Lethal Weapon--it's just like that.

But the fact that it has it's own bathroom is really nice, and the place is in a good area, has a washer and dryer, it's close to work and close to all other kinds of action in Quito.

So all is set to return to Quito, for how long I'm not sure. I guess until I'm ready to come home.

It's been difficult, up and down, fantastic, frightening, and quite grounding. I feel pretty removed from home, which was probably a good thing given the time, energy, and attention the kids here need. I've said it before and it's still true: I'm in love with my students. And though the love seems simple, I'm leaving the center with complicated feelings about child work, poverty, consumerism, education, and international volunteerism. And I've learned a lot about who I am, who I'm not, and what I can and can't do.

So that's that. My time at the center is nearly over and I'm happy about how things went. I'm ready to leave and will be ready to come back, and I feel so lucky that I get to live abroad like this. Hopefully I'll see most of you at home but if I don't, check back in September to hear about my Adventures in Ecuador, Capítulo 2.

love, Marian

Mini Bum

More bowling, a favorite among the kids. At first my second-graders were timid about it, gently rolling the ball down the lane until it came to rest just before the pins. "You have to put more force into it!" I told them. Pretty soon they were throwing it like MEN, little Incredible Hulks. They cheered for each other, they were patient when it wasn't their turn...they were just great (this is the class that amazed me with their gratitude during the Pizza Party). Unfortunately one boy didn't show up, and I learned later that his mom needed him to stay home to take care of a younger sibling (the kid is only eight years old and is on baby-sitting duty). I was distressed about that because we've been looking forward to this, so I'll try to make it up to him somehow.

Anyway, below is the evidence of a great time.

Here's Noé and the "power throw"

Billy was pretty nervous about this one

Winner for Best Smile: Elvis

What a goof.

Mr. Serious trying not to show excitement.

That's visiting former-volunteer Colleen in the back.

Someone else's camera has a picture of all of us together..will add that soon.

And another thing. When I told another group of boys what the name of this candy (one of them was selling it) translates to they went wild. They told me I could have a "tracero pequeño" whenever I want. ha ha...

love, M

Just for kicks

Here are some photos of late.

First up, making drums in Music class

Next, First Communion mass with the lovely Miranda girls (a few of us are going over to their house for Fathers' Day at the special request of Papa Miranda)

love, Mare