open ended

i have two big things on my mind so this post will prolly be scattered.

This past weekend i spent hiking a beautiful volcano. We had to take 4x4 jeeps and such up as high as we could go and then hike the rest, pretty cool, kinda scary. Unfortunately the trip took a turn for the worse when one of the jeeps that was in my group had a break malfunction, losing control and hitting and killing a women who was crossing the path as we were passing through a mountain village. The village was ruthless and refused to let the car leave, wanted the driver of the car killed. Luckily the car got a way and the driver is now in the hospital to put off going into Ecuadorian prison- a horrible place you don't want to be, i've been told. Now it's a time of bribery and deals between the families of people involved and the police.

my stomach is sick thinking about it. When i was told about it by the coordinator of the trip, i was just asking about what about a trial? I honestly know little about my rights here, but i was told, if i get put in prision all that can happen is that there will be a lot of crying and bribery to get me out, and someone will visit me to make sure my Human Rights haven't been violated and that's about it.

I pain for this women, her family, and this poor driver.

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I also have an open ended question or thought. I'm not sure. It's one thing to read about it in your developing economy class back in Van Hise- but how do you handle getting the stats when you are sitting in quito? I guess it's different because you don't need the stats because you can see it... but still learning that 2 out of every 3 people in your country don't have the basic needs of health, food, education, and housing. Even more, sitting in my class i imagined every third person today to sit on the ground or leave the room...if my classroom was Ecuador, that 1/3 of the class would be dying of hunger. Physically dying- of hunger. These aren't people that you just read about, they are the people you see on your way to the bus station in the morning or they are the people you pass when you are traveling through the country side on the weekend. Just passing by.

When read and thought about this stuff before, i would think about how privileged i am- and all you can do is do the most you can with what you can utilize the opportunity you have. But still- how difficult it can be i think to really think about it. All that stuff you do and buy and waste and ask and whine and complain and want ...

It makes you want things to stop for two seconds so you can just say- HEY LOOK! LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE! WHAT ARE WE ALL DOING?!