“In the long history of humankind

(and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed"
-Charles Darwin


Time doesn't stop. No matter how difficult you may think things are, they will at some point be over.

And so it is, as my bitter sweet November comes to an end... tomorrow at 530am i will embark on a eight day long adventure playing Darwin on the Galapagos Islands.

Creatures I'm looking forward to seeing? The blue-footed Bobby and Penguins on the Equator.

Los Toros

Oh, the bulls.

I witnessed my first bull fight today. What an event! For only one week a year the Plaza de Los Toros opens up for an incredible crowd of proud Ecuadorians cheering on the best matadores in the world.

Maureen and I decided we had to go, its part of the culture, and a huge part of the Festivals of Quito that start next week. The past two days we have had back lash from our friends, American and Ecuadorians, who were completely against the event and what it stands for.

boo hoo we said. we're going. we want to see it.

So we went. There were a total of 6 bulls and 5 different styles of 'fighting' were shown.

The first bull came out. At the time, and for every bull, there are 5 men with pink cape type things to distract the bull and show off going into the middle and making the bull run through the cape. Then the first matador, killer, came out. He was a on a horse and was all fancy, he started the attack, BAMB, flashy sparkly spear in the bull's back. BAMM, second spear, BAMM BAMM BAMM...after at least 5 spears and 25 minutes later, the bull started to stager and all the 'pink cape guys' gather around it, flashing and flailing all at once their capes. The bull went back and forth back and forth with blood spurting out of its mouth for about 5 minutes. The bull then fell to its knees and then was shaking on the ground as one of the 'pink guys' came up with a dagger and jammed it through its brain once, the bull died, and once more for good measure.

I started bawling.

It was the most disgusting, horribly macho, sad, and agonizing thing I've ever seen.

The bull then got chained by the neck to the back of two big horses as he got pulled out of the ring.

The tears stopped once the bull left the ring. I was just so overwhelmed all of a sudden. It was all kind of cool when the bull was running around the rink and the matador was prancing around on a horse, but once the bull was just standing there and and the 6 'pink guys' surrounded him and taunted him to his slow death, it was just too much.

For the next 5..there were no tears...and i weirdly began to see the art of it. I'm still not for the killing, but one of the matadores, we'll call him the George Clooney of matadores, was actually amazing. He was suave, modest, not showy at all, had great technique, and when the bull finally fell, George patted the bull on the back, as if to say "you did good, bull."

It seemed he had a respect for the bull, there was a sense of honor- by both parties with the final dagger.

side note: The fighting style i saw is of spanish tradition, as many of the traditions during the Quito festivals are...thank you to the spanish colonization of the Americas.

With the stand filled with all ages, all chanting different cheers, whistling, 'shh'ing at times, and all wearing the traditional sombrero....it was an experience, and i weirdly enjoyed myself- though I'm not sure I'd ever go again.

um...

Pedro Lopez

Estimated Body Count: 300+
The Story: Pedro Lopez was also known as the “Monster of the Andes.” He would attack young girls in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. He would rape and kill them, burring their bodies throughout the countryside.
Capture: The main investigation began in 1980 when a flash flood uncovered the grave of one of his victims. Lopez was arrested after an attempted abduction went wrong, and the connection to the murders was later made. He then confessed his series of killings to the police, leading them to more bodies.
Punishment: Lopez’s cooperation with police helped to reduce his sentence to a mere sixteen years. Good behavior moved his release date up two years. He was released from prison in 1998, and his current whereabouts are unknown.

198.

is the number of 80s songs on my cd i bought for $1 on the bus today.

I can hear the drums and trumpets playing out side my window- the Festivals of Quito are coming!! Tomorrow I will be skipping out of school early and heading to the Stadium to see a bull fight. I've been told they can last for hours- as they go until the 3 runs of the bulls are finished signified with the killing of the bull.

sad. cultural. we'll see how it goes tomorrow...

...so what do teachers make?

12:32 am

As i research 15 volcanoes for my final tomorrow, i realize i have learned a shit ton about volcanoes in the past 6 months. I've hiked at least 6 and could tell you about the threats, dangers, types, and why when Yellowstone explodes more than half of the united states will be meters deep in ash.

pfff- i can do that...easy as pie

The days of the week i start class later, 1130am instead of 830am, i cringe as i walk to the bathroom to take a shower. I know there will be no hot water. We're out by 9am- 930 if you're lucky. So as I wait in vain for the ice cold water to get a hint of warmth, I mentally prepare myself to take on the frigged blast; and as I'm about to take that first step beneath the unforgiving wake up call, I can't help but think of the Buddhist Monks i saw on National Geographic who mediate for hours under ice cold waterfalls.

It makes me buck up for my 4 minute shower, but really I'm thinking- how in the WORLD they do it.

Super Spanish!

So have you noticed too- how when you're emerged in another language, your english sentence structure and expressions change slightly or get a little awkward? lol it cracks me up.. -Kathrin.

Oh Kathrin, how I've noticed it. I've been waiting for this point in my time abroad- the time when Spanish feels normal(ish). I have to admit, i did have this romanticized idea of coming home with Spanish feeling like a first language, and being 100% fluent (um, someone tell me where i got that idea?!), but where I'm at now feels pretty dang good.

I still find my self struggling with new topics when my stream of thoughts in spanish flowing out into words of spanish get interupted by thoughts in english that don't come out in either languague- but rather i'm confronted with a awkward pause and a...' o sea... sabes...me entiendes?" or like...you know...ya get me? For instance, as i tried to explain green bean casserole to my host mom i was left with blanks on how to say 'green beans,' 'casserole,' amongst other unfamilar words.

So maybe my grammar isn't perfect, I may stumble through some stories that I'm telling, people might not be able to catch my sarcasm all the time, and I may have to ask you to 'say that again...' but i'm happpy where I'm at. I can watch movies in spanish sin subtitles and understand it all, I can participate in dinner conversations without hesitating, and reading 30 pages in spanish has become almost as natural to me as reading in english.

My english has become spanglish almost at all times, throwing in spanish vocabulary either when i can't remember the word in english, or when the spanish word just describes it so much better. For instance, when I asked my dad for my sister's direction so i could write her a letter, i didn't think twice until he asked me "what do you want?" My sentence structure has changed, too, like when i told my mom my spanish 'has bettered'...uh.. ha mejorado was what i was thinking in my head.... or when i've started to use super as one of my favorite words. Super chevere..super frio...super emocionada....Super fun, super cool, super beautiful- who says that?

Now the real test of time will be if my family and friends back home notice a difference- cause i sure do.

aunque no sea para siempre

It's hard for me to believe. November 23rd. One month, to the day, until I'm back in the States. This weekend will be my last spent free falling through Quito, and the next four weeks i won't stop moving. Ten days in the Galapagos Islands, 3 days back to school to take my finals (um...), and then a week a half with my brother and dad traveling South through Ecuador and into Peru to dar la vuelta back to Quito.

I'm looking forward to it all: the non stop home stretch of 'getting-my-last-fill' of traveling through ecuador, having my family see this place I've made home, heading home, seeing the rest of my family, and Christmas.

But what a strange thought. I can see it now, after the high of Christmas cheer and festivities the 3 days im back...me- sitting in my house in Racine. How bitter sweet. It will be over, 7 months of working, studying, traveling, living, eating, breathing Latin America.

That picture of me in my house is so easy, but so difficult for me to imagine.

Fried onions

Fourth of July was an easy holiday to be out of the country for. It means warm weather, burgers, and fireworks. Check, Check, Check. Had that.

Thanksgiving...mmm- it's a little bit different, I'd have to say. From having class from 8-4, to running to the Super Maxi (please laugh at the name) across the street during your lunch over to fight over the last green beans in the store with the other 100 gringos doing last minute 'thanksgiving food' shopping. We found out pie filling doesn't exist here and pumpkin pie has some weird name here (i'm not convinced its the same thing yet), and sweet potatoes are either non existent or hard to come by (lets hope miss jen pulls through on that one).I struggled to find the ingredients for green bean casserole....and had to improvise with cream of asparagus and fried potato slivers for the topping (cross your fingers). An old man also asked us where we found our jellied cranberries in-can-form...i kindly pointed him in the right direction.

So after walking 20 minutes home from the bus stop in mansoon rains, my green beans are now almost baked and my outfit has been changed to classy- to accompany the excessive amount of cheap wine we bought for this evening.

Thanksgiving dinner- makeshift style- will go down tonight- and maybe a little salsa y raggeton dancing to follow.

I'm thankful my family is safe and sound in Wisconsin with the snow and the stellar packers; full with thanksgiving turkey (and duck and chicken?! say wha ma?!) and thankful i'm here enjoying the beautiful america latina for one more kick ass month(details to come...)

Happy Holidays.

On community

An interesting topic came up in my final (shut your mouth!) lecture of my social problems of Ecuador class. For the record its a pretty much a horribly depressing class...turns out over half of Ecuador is literally starving to death.

For the semester we focused on health, education, sanitation, poverty....and other equally important topics in a developing country- but the final lecture was the one that made my ears perk up.

How do we look at community? How do we look at a developing community? Conventionally, we look at a community in poverty or a community in trouble- and look at everything it needs. We look at all of its problems. Children are dropping out of school. There is a high unemployment rate. There is a high rate of crime. Half of the people are lacking a high school level education. Health coverage is thin or non existent.

Now how do we help this community after identifying the needs? We highlight all of the problems to get outside help, such as the government, to create programs and fix it all. Working mothers have problems returning to work after having children due to the lack of day cares and pre kindergarten education. The government should create new programs to help working mothers.

What does this manner of thinking lead to? The beneficiaries of the programs become passive with an attitude- of we are poor, we are uneducated, we have have a lot of problems in this neighborhood.

What if we changed our way of thinking? What if instead of identifying the problems of a community we looked at their strengths? We identified individual strengths of the people and worked to create programs connecting the community by their strengths. Building relationships to create change from the inside out.

Maria has skills in taking care of children. Tomas has carpentry skills. Jill is willing to organize a rummage sale.

So what if Jill just had a baby and wants to go back to work, Tomas is moving into a smaller house and has a lot things to sell, and Maria needs some work done on her house.

By blocking out the fact that Tomas is out of work because he has one leg, Jill is a underage mother, and Maria is in a situation of poverty.......and focusing on their strengths- look at the relations and connections within the community. We take a community that otherwise would be labeled solely in the terms of 'dysfunctional' and 'in need'- and highlight them as place of potential and create a network of relationships.

Sure this is just a simple example, but thinking on a big scale of neighbors starting businesses, sharing skills and organizing themselves, think of the change that can begin to take place from within.

I can think of a few other organizations and situations that i think could benefit from this way of thinking...but that's for another stream of consciousness.

I guess its all a matter of 'glass half full' / 'glass half empty' type of mentality- but really, what a change, yea?



A response to: Building Communites from the Inside Out by John Kretzmann and John Mcknight.

My brother- who will soon grace South America

COLOMBIA: Would you take the risk?

Splish Splash

My camera broke in Colombia- so photos will be scarce and stolen for the next 5 weeks.

Part of my study abroad program includes one trip worth $100.

Setting Colombia aside, I have yet to spend that amount of money on any weekend trip since I've been down here. My most expensive trip in Guatemala was a Q400 ($50) for 3 days on Lago de Atitlan- when i think i came home with Q100 in my pocket and $60 when i spent 4 days on the pacific coast of Ecuador in Montanita.

Our UW trip consisted of a 24 hour trip to Puerto Quito. A lot of people bitched how 100$ should go a heck of a lot further than only 24 hours doing nothing but staying in a lodge and hiking to a waterfall. I wasn't too worried since it was already paid for and their was nothing much we could do about it- i was just excited to swing in a hammock in a tank top and shorts sweating from humidity with a lemonade in my hand- a scene you would never find in Quito.

So how did they spend a 100$? On luxury. After traveling weekend after weekend for 6 months living of 5$ hostels; you forget what its like to be pampered. Personal cabanas with 5 individual beds, beds with down pillows and heavenly mattresses. Clean bathrooms with over sized fluffy white towels, shampoo, conditioner, soaps, lotions, toothbrushes, annnd toilet paper included. Delicious three course meals, hammocks, couches, clean chlorinated pool, direct TV....the list goes on.

It wasn't the Direct TV that made me happy, it was the bathroom with toilet paper and towels included.

The trip turned out to be enjoyed by all, even those who started it off a little bitter.

Favorite part? Hoping on top of a bus (chiva) 20 minutes down the road to start a 20 minute hike to a beautiful cascading waterfall into a beautiful green lagoon with warm(ish) water. The lagoon was enclosed by tall viney green rock walls and nothing but nature. I enjoyed myself climbing the walls, jumping into the pounding waterfall, and swimming in the crystal clear fresh water pool.

What the heck am i going to do when i get back to Wisconsin.

PORQUE ES PURO AMOR

FELIZ ANIVERSARIO a AIESEC El Salvador... because they have a special place in my heart!!

i give full approval to anyone considering doing a TN or CEED with these beautiful loves.

Sí, Señor- Bogotá, Colombia

POST

when i was younger, every summer i would spend a week or two at camp anokijig in up north Wisconsin. When i would come home i would be semi depressed for a good week or so - thinking about what had happened during the past week, wishing to go back, missing friends, and no one else really understanding you.

Thats how i feel right now after spending 5 days in Colombia.

I don't know how to exactly put it into words. It was one of those trips where you feel like you are on cloud 9 the entire time and everything exceeded your prior expectations.

After getting picked up from the airport in Bogota with a big warm welcome from a colombian friend of mine, Jennifer and I were brought to another friend of mines house were we stayed for the next five days.

for the next 5 days my Colombian friends went out of there way to make sure we had an amazing time. We kicked of the trip Wednesday night with drinks at Bogota Beer Company and then went to watch a concert in a Rock and Roll bar - Crabs- that might be one of the coolest bars I've ever been to. It was in a old house, each room having a different rock and roll theme- with the largest room having a concert. It was a great time.

The next days we spent our time touring the city, drinking Colombian Juan Valdez coffee (omg. so good.), visiting the historical center of the city, touring the house of Simon Bolivar, taking a ridiculously bumpy bus ride to an beautiful park to do some colombian style camping in the mountains, walking walking walking, eating eating eating, talking talking talking about anything and everything and just enjoying presence of the company we had for such a short 5 day trip.

I feel in love with it.

The city. It tops my favorite latin american city i've been to thus far. There is a grid system- streets were numbered and made sense, you don't fight or bargin with cab drivers- each cab has a very systematic way of paying and its universal in bogota, cabs felt safer- all having detailed information about themselves including blood type on the back of their seat, the city is green- there are TREES big trees and big parks everywhere, there was a recycling system, you can WALK AT NIGHT, the city is alive at night- not only in a 6 block square- but there are people walking around all over the city at night, you can take buses at night, i felt safe at night walking (i haven't felt that in 5 months), the people are really really nice people- i have seen this trend throughout latin america but it was even stronger in colombia- from a women behind me in line and McDonalds spending 5 minutes explaining to me what in the world was going on (turns out when you pay with a card they ask you how many payments you would like this transaction to be on....) and then when i still didn't get it- going to get her english speaking daughter who was sitting eating to explain it to me... to the couple who heard my colombian friend asking someone how many blocks it is to the train station and having them give us the best tips on how to get too a certain area of town the fastest and cheapest and this certain time of the day... to our camping neighbors who saved us with our horrible planning and lending us lighter fluid and a can opener and later letting us have a dance party by playing music form there car- they even shared their beer with us when our boxes of rum ran out (thats right i said boxes of rum)....the list goes on....

I could sit and ramble a heck of a lot more, but i swear its the people that make the experience...I didn't just fall in love with city, the food, the countryside- but i feel in love with the warmth of the people and i know i will return. 5 days was like a tease.

And yet when i returned home i had a 'reply email' waiting for me in my inbox in respose to my "i have arrived safe and sound in colombia email" i had sent telling me that bogota is probably much more dangerous than i know and that i should watch my back.

Even though i know it is out care- i don't know if that should make me feel angry, ignorant, or indifferent.

In one of the many deep 'campfire conversations' that were had last night - perspectives of countries,our fears of going to them, and the fears of our families and friends for us traveling to them- including colombia came up. I thought it was interesting to hear one of my Colombian friends ask the americans ...."well what about the states? what about the crazy massive school shootings that we see on the news that have happened?....thats scary!... i mean really bad things can happen anywhere..."

..."there is so much more to this country than the bad things that have happened in the past and in certain areas now..."

I wish people would let there blinders down and give it a chance.


When it's over, it's over.
This was one of the catch lines for axlds in mexico. You can never get the time back so you need to take advantage of every moment. Relationships continue- but the experience you had wont ever happen again- so don't dwell on things that didn't happen- but rather make things happen with the time you have.

When it's over, it's over. I hated that saying 8 months ago, and this weekend was the first time I've heard it since. I thought it was a bitter way to look at an experience, and even though it might have been true, i thought it left people with a sad feeling. Last night the phrase was brought back out- but it has changed now for me. I have a new appreciation for what it means and how i feel when i hear someone say it. I don't feel sad- but rather a sense that i have my feet on the ground, and I have to power to decide where my feet will take me.

And using your feet for walking, is a whole lot better i've come to find, than sitting.

PRE

Here it is ladies and gentlemen- The Pre- Colombia Post.

So I got some heat when i decided to live in Guatemala this summer, and though its been less so (prolly since I'm going for only 5 days) I am feeling it again for deciding to head north to the somewhat taboo travel destination of Colombia tomorrow.

I decided to lay it out there. Everything (well not evvveerything ) I've heard and thought about this country I've decided to take some time off of school for.

- "Colombia? Isn't that kind of dangerous?"
- "I've heard they have beautiful women there."
- "They got a half meter of hail in Bogotá this week!!"
- "Bogotá is super safe and secure- well its comparable to other major cities"
- " Don't they have a lot of drugs there?"
- Anything and everything miss Sarah has told me about her year in Colombia.
- "Don't go off on any weird drug excursions when you are there. Please Katy."
- "Colombia? How lucky! You're going to have a great time!"
-"be careful"
-I've heard the country is absolutely amazing. It has beautiful cities, beautiful (inside and out) people, beautiful landscapes, and its not as dangerous as everyone thinks.
-"Bogotá airport ain't no joke. You're going to get a serious search when you get there."
- I signed a UW contract saying that I would not, under any circumstance, enter Colombia while on my Quito- UW Madison Study Abroad Program. woops.
- I'm not scared. I'm super excited. I'm anxious- how i am anytime before i travel.
- In my head right now i'm imagining a mix between Guatemala City, and Quito. I'm imagining the metropolitan-ness of Quito: a bus system with stations, a lot of big buildings and pretty parks and clean areas, along side poverty; with Gaute: police with HUGE guns on every corner and in front of every business... and then of course that empty space in your mental picture due to the fact that you have no idea what it is really going to be like. Which is half the fun.


AHH! I'm going to be in Colombia tomorrow- and i'm pretty flip'n excited.

Usa protector solar

aahahsoohappy!

One of my favorite photos of all time with two of my most favorite people of all time.

Dear Katy,

How are you? I wish you are well, specially your health. Do you remember me? I was your last student in Academia Europea, in Guatemala City. I was studying conversation in that academy and you taught me for two times, two hours each time. I learned a lot, for example how to use the colors with the comparative and superlative form. (my book is redder than yours).

Now I have my email. I would like to communicate with you. How was your trip from Guatemala to your country? When are you going to come to Guatemala? Do you have a phone number? Next week, I am going to check my email, please write me.

Thank you very much for the classes.
Have a nice week.
Eugenia de Durán


I found out this summer i love to teach. I thought i just liked working with kids- but now i know there is a second aspect to it. I still enjoy working with children, but i also love teaching in general. Being able to share knowledge with another person and watch them improve and change is an amazing opportunity.

what is the point.

El presidente Rafael Correa prohibió la celebración de Halloween en los despachos públicos, alegando que se trata de una fiesta estadounidense contraria al nacionalismo ecuatoriano, informó hoy, lunes, la Secretaría de Comunicación.



Instead of worrying about prohibiting the celebration of Halloween Mr. President, why don't we worry about the kids with no shoes i see in the street every morning doing handstands in front of the cars to get change.

colombian kisses? uh....

hola kATY,

BUENO YA CON gERMAN ESTAMOS CUADRANDO TODO LO QUE VAMOS A HACER MIERCOLES JUEVES VIERNES SABADO, DOMINGO Y LUNES..... ASÌ QUE NO SE PREOCUPEN, Y NO HAY PROBLEMA LAS DOS SE PUEDEN QUEDAR EN MI CASA....

GERMAN VA A IR A AEROPUERTO A RECOGERLAS Y DESPUES NOS REUNIMOS TODOS PARA QUE CONOZCAN EL CENTRO DE LA CIUDAD, Y DESPUES VAMOS A MONSERRATE A TOMAR ALGO CALIENTE Y A DISFRUTAR D ELA VISTA D ELA CIUDAD...



.... gotta love having friends all over the world.... especially Colombian ones.