the obligatory "first impressions" post

the term "ali time" is a phrase coined by a good friend who knows me all too well. It refers to my expected productivity rate, taking into account all the qualities that make me, me (tendency towards procrastination, indecisive nature, disregard for deadlines, etc). it is not that i am careless or thoughtless, infact i brood constantly on things that i want to get done before they actually get done. also, it is not something i am proud of, and i do plan on making a resolution to change. my dream is that someday “ali time” will be synonymous with “record time”, defined as “extremely fast and efficient and reliable”. someday.

so, YES. i realize ive now been in ecuador for nearly three months and have failed to send even one measly email (facebook updates and money requests to mom aside). no worries though- in measurements of “ali time”, this update is pretty much on schedule, if not early.

there have been too many experiences in the last two months to make-up for in this short post. in the interest of keeping your attention, below is the “look at me! im in ecuador”, abridged version. vamos…

WT directors: AAAmazing! Peter´s favorite phrase defines him well. Kate is equally amazing and wonderful and helpful and knowledgeable. i am beyond fortunate to have their support here.
WT sept volunteer group: mostly fun carefree recent college grads living it poor before starting law school, med school, grad school.

training: one exhausting month in quito. Highlights include: john mason´s saftey talk (otherwise known as “all the ways you will die or come close while in ecuador”), spanish class with the sweetest woman eva, that fantastic chocolate cake-ry near spanish school, volunteer bonding (aww).

quito host family: Sarah and i stayed with Maria Rosa Espinoza, who besides having a wondefully dr.seussian-name is a woman as sweet as the afformentioned chocolate cake.

quito living quarters: Now that her two kids have both moved to Miami, Maria Rosa Espinoza has a comfortable three-bedroom gated apartment all to herself. If there is a safe part of town, she is in it. In any direction, you can admire her decorative horse paintings, horse photos, or horse sculptures. They are unavoidable.

food: breakfast and dinner is, without fail, bread, coffee and juice. Lunch is always soup, rice, potatoes, bread, side of meat, and (if youre lucky) a cabbage leaf. ive adopted the “no carb left behind” diet.

health: there was a week span in quito when i thought i was dying. im being more cautious now or maybe my body has adjusted to unwashed veggies. Only complaint now are the mosquitoes that adore me.

placement site: the past 6 weeks ive been living in guaranda, a provincial town in the andean highlands surrounded by seven brown mountains. despite being the capital of the Bolivar province, guaranda is home to a modest 20,000 people, both indigenous and mestizo populations.

Guaranda host family: mercedes león is as fabulous as her name. In this machismo culture, it is refreshing to have a powerful opinionated woman in my corner. Her husband, fabian escorza, is a very funny, un-machismo, loving father. he is an architect and most refer to him as “el architecto”. They have three grown children, two living in quito, and one down the road (also fabian) with his wife and adorable 2-year-old son (also fabian, but who insists on being called “lobo” or wolf, because he loves the little red riding hood). And i love him! he is my favorite part of guaranda. also, mercedes and fabian have a fourth child, little estellita, the most pampered pup in ecuador. she doesnt like me much. She hates lobo.

Guaranda home: beyond the ridiculously large medival-style double doors, is the most handsome house in guaranda. this one is just a rental until the new house, designed by “el architecto”, is finished in march. he shows me pictures constantly. It will be the most (only?) modern buliding in guaranda.

School: I work at the universidad de bolivar, ingles extensión program. The year-long course is open to the community. I began with two classes of 35 people rangi
ng in ages 10-60. After the first few weeks my classes have become smaller and more manageable. teaching sin curriculum and books is a challenge, but i think im starting to get the hang of it. And i have an apple from a student to prove it!

español: i suppose ive picked up a few phrases here and there, but i would hardly say my spanish has improved. maybe im being hard on myself. i do know the lyrics to all my favorite club songs. improvement!

Uh oh. This post is not short. It is also not so interesting. Now that ive got the logistics covered, can i start storytelling? also, if you are my friend, please send along your address to alicia.kagawa@gmail.com! That's right, your mailing address. I want to send you a letter or postcard, like in the olden days.

Support my RUN FOR ECUADOR!

Aloha friends!

I was recently accepted to be a volunteer for WorldTeach, a nonprofit organization based at Harvard University's Department of International Development which assigns volunteers to teach in developing countries. At the end of August 2009, I will be departing for Ecuador to teach and live and breathe and eat and learn for one year.

As you may know, Ecuador has undergone some painful economic transitions. Ecuador faces serious problem including a huge foreign debt, rising inflation, and increasing poverty and unemployment. Although educational reform is a top priority, the education system cannot meet the needs of the population.

While there are plenty of paid teaching positions throughout the world, many areas that need volunteers the most can not afford to pay for volunteers' basic accommodations. A year's living expense in Ecuador through WorldTeach is upwards of $5000. Because I am passionate about making a difference in this world I have already pledged a year of volunteer service, and my family and I have pledged $2500.

I need your help!

On July 26, I will be running in the San Francisco Marathon (that's 26.2 miles, son!). Support my "RUN FOR ECUADOR" by pledging $1 (or more)/mile! And YES- it IS tax-deductible!

HOW TO HELP:

1. PLEDGE- to donate $1/mile for "RUN FOR ECUADOR" on facebook causes: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/292449?m=f48ae294
2. RUN- with me in the SF Marathon (or half, or 5K) on July 25 and receive collect your own "RUN FOR ECUADOR" pledges.
   
3. SHARE- spread the word and pass the cause link along!
   

Your support will afford me the opportunity to help others, and together we can help improve education in Ecuador. Thank you all so very much for your consideration and for sharing this exciting experience with me.

<3 ali