American Teacher in Ecuador

I had never expected to encounter so much wildlife in a beach party town in Ecuador.  But it was all around us.  Partly because we were down a dirt road a little ways out of town and the area used to be full of farms. First we have Little Burrito, from the previous post and his mom.  There were about 5 donkeys in the area. These are the street dogs that were probably attacking Burrito.  They were friendly enough with humans though.  A few of the breeds used to herd us into town, walking alongside and slightly behind, making sure the herd of humans stayed together.  Whenever one dog went into another's territory, there was barking and posturing, then they'd either make friends or fight.  We saw a few dogfights that were not pleasant.  A horse lived behind my room and I would hear him neighing sometimes, but they normally took him elsewhere to graze. There were chickens EVERYWHERE, and the one behind our cabanas started a...

Burrito and his mommy When we all arrived in Montanita and got settled in our little cabanas, within a few days we heard of the baby donkey in the area.  He was the cutest, sweetest little guy ever and we immediately fell in love with him.  He had some kind of nasty gash on his side and it hurt him.  He was holding his leg up so it wouldn't touch the ground.  It looked like it may have been from the street dogs.  So our horse breeder compadre, Sarah, and Steven took some soap and water and a rag and scissors to clean up the wound and trim off all the extra hair.     After the cleanup - I love this picture! Burrito was the talk of many an evening at the long dinner table.  We were all very concerned and even considered bringing him into Casa Cacique to keep him safe. Then he disappeared for awhile and we feared the worst.  We were worried that the dogs got him for good.  But one day, Misha, Lisa and I ventured on a...

Yusuf, Nicola - our wonderful trainer, Sarah, Steven, and Misha Graeme, Natalie, Delia, and Annie our Awesome Trainer As I waved through the taxi window to Steven, Natalie, Nicola and Andrea, who were standing outside Casa Cacique, I almost started to cry.  Being with the same 12 people (well, 11) for 5 weeks, eating every single meal, going out at night, supporting each other through lessons and input sessions and planning sessions, was a life changing experience.  Even when we fought over the printer and copier, resource books, tape and staplers, we were all on the same page. The last night, they threw a big party for us.  The students were invited which was really cool, to talk to them one on one outside of class.  There were gigantic speakers, a disco ball on the ground by the pool, bottles of rum and mixers, and food. Misha, Yusuf, Stephanie, and Natalie We started out ever so calmly, teachers on one side, students on the other, eating...

Not tomorrow but the next day will be our halfway point.  I feel like I was born here, these people are my family, and this is where I live forever.  I can't believe it's only been just over 2 weeks.  It's really weird. The workload is exactly what everyone says.  If you're thinking about doing this, don't take it lightly. We are in classes 6 1/2 hours a day (2 hours is either teaching or observing).  Then we work through our 3 hour break on lesson plans and assignments.  We work all weekend and try to take 1-2 hour breaks by walking into town.  Each lesson takes about 6 hours to prepare; assignments take about 12 hours.  We have 2 lessons to teach per week and one assignment given to work on over the weekend. Here is a picture of one of our fellow students prepared for the mosquitos on a mini break Saturday night.  Too bad the nylon white knee socks didn't show up too well. Sexxxxy There was a second trip to the Jungle Laundromat t...

I can't believe we've only been here a week.  It feels like I've known these people forever and that I've lived here for 10 years.  It's so weird! Our first Friday night we all decided to go out and have some drinks in town.  We started on Cocktail Alley, a row of little carts that serve drinks for about $3-4. The beginning of the night:  Cocktail Alley Clearly, the end of the night  Needless to say, not a lot got done on Saturday.  So I decided to take my laundry to get washed and dried.  A place just a block down the dirt road was recommended.  We have since named this "The Jungle Laundromat". Down this path, turn right, pass a cat and a chicken The guy who owns the place I guess, is super happy to see customers.  He carefully weighs everything on an old fashioned scale and charges you by the kilo.  Mine was $2.40 for a small bag.  They put perfume on your clothes at the end.  It's very strong b...

Thanks, Keely, for the post title!  I have arrived at Casa Cacique in Montanita, the site of my 5 week course for teaching English that I began today.  The program is put on by International House and the course will result in a CELTA certification, which is the most widely recognized and respected certification to teach English as a foreign language.  You would never know by this gate that you've arrived: This program is a residential program, meaning that students each have their own cabana, with a bathroom, as well as three prepared meals a day. When I got here Sunday evening, I was allowed to choose whichever cabana I wanted since most of the group were still on the shuttle bus from Guayaquil.  I asked Adolfo, the groundsman, for the quieter side and he pointed to the cabanas on the right.  So I walked into the cabana that was straight ahead of me, put my stuff down, and decided to stay without second-guessing my choice like I always do. My caba...

For months, I went back and forth, back and forth:   should I do this? Should I go teach English in another country?  Can I afford it?  Can I bear to leave my kitties for awhile?  What if I love it and never want to come back? I finally decided that since it's something I've wanted to do for years, and since all my stuff is in storage and my cats are getting settled at my mom's, now is the time.  So I'm doing it! Six months ago I was all set on Spain (too expensive). Four months ago I was going to Vietnam (too hot). Two months ago I settled on Ecuador because the low cost of living allows me to stay long enough to really experience the culture in a meaningful way. And because of this display I saw in Nordstom's: I think this was a sign from the Universe telling me to go for it. So I'm going for it! I leave Tuesday, August 5 and I'll be gone for 6 months. I will be going to a school in Montanita, Ecuador, to learn how to teach english as a ...