| |
Main
| June 2009 »
May 28, 2009
Extraordinary Experiences in Ecuador
 Joshua Johnson '11 - Before leaving on Sunday May 10th, I remember being asked, “How do you feel about going to Ecuador?” I responded by saying I felt happy, sad, excited, and nervous all at the same time – happy to be getting away from Indiana for a good portion of the summer, sad to be leaving my mother on Mother’s day, excited to be leaving the USA for the first time in my life, and nervous because I had no idea what to expect.
Saturday, May 16th, was a day of firsts for me. To start the day off, the group planned a trip to the "Telaferica," which is an air lift that takes us near the top of Pichincha, the tallest peak in South America. By the way, did I mention it was an active volcano peak as well? For most people, this would be a great experience; however, for someone who is afraid of heights, being some 13km above land is a tad bit frightening. But after a few minutes of intense praying and few words of encouragement, I was able to overcome this phobia. While on the mountain, I along with a handful of my peers decided to go horseback riding. This was the first time I had ever ridden a horse in my life, and I was doing it on top of a mountain. Needless to say, this was definitely an eye-opening experience.  Since the peak of Pichincha is so tall, it sits amidst the clouds; therefore, we wanted to try and hike to the top of the mountain so we could take a picture with our hands in the clouds. Unfortunately, after about an extra 45 minutes of hiking, we realized we were about a good 10-20 miles away from the top of the mountain. Thus we decided to take the loss and head back down the mountain. Later in the day the same handful decided to see Ecuador's professional soccer team, "La Liga" play. Before that game, I had only been to a couple of my best friend’s soccer games (in high school) and I definitely wasn't a big fan of soccer. The game was great and the experience was mind-blowing. I quickly found out that Ecuadorians are crazy about their soccer team. The score was tied 0-0 at halftime and was somewhat boring. However that quickly changed. I along with 3 other students from the program watched a "protest/demonstration" by some fans in one of the balconies in the stands. There were flares burning, chanting, and dancing, but unfortunately I was unable to make out what the cause of the rally was. After halftime I the action on the field picked up. "La Liga" scored a goal only to have it taken off the board because of an "offside’s" penalty. I noticed that when the team scored, everybody in the stands rushed towards the field and jumped on the fence that separated the audience from the field and started shaking it vigorously. Needless to say, I couldn't wait for my chance. It came about five minutes later when "La Liga" scored the first of 4 exciting goals. I, along with my “amigos,” rushed the fence and started shaking as hard as we could, while simultaneously trying to hold on for dear life. Climbing an active volcano, horseback riding, and attending my first professional soccer game, all outside of the United States – needless to say, Saturday was a great day.
May 26, 2009
DePauw Student Enjoying Ecuador Experience
Editor's Note: Wabash College and DePauw have been collaborating in the Modern Langauges Departments. There are two DePauw students participating in this year's Ecuador Program. This is a blog entry from one of those students. Carolyn Latta '12 - Hola! I am writing this journal with a group of Wabash students as we lounge around the lawn of the university in Quito in a break between classes. I keep picturing my first Spanish class in 8th grade, and thinking how cool it was that I knew how to say hello, goodbye, and I like_____. I had no idea that in 6 years, my summer job would be planning a service trip for DePauw and spending half my summer in Ecuador. The idea still hasn’t sunk in yet, and part of me hopes it never does. I love living with my host family – last Sunday we went way into the mountains to visit Incan ruins in a place called Tulipe. My family knew I love history, and we drove for an hour and a half through valleys and forests and I think we got lost along the way. The rock-covered pools were impressive, but what stuck with me more is how similar my host family is to my own. I share so many things in common with my host mom: we both love traveling, and have spent the entire two weeks talking about countries we’ve visited and places we dream of traveling to. Watching my host mom constantly bothering her husband as we flew around cars in muddy mountain roads made me laugh, thinking about how my own mom reacts when my brother and I drive. I’ve come to appreciate every day I get to spend in this beautiful country, and know that the month and a half I get to spend down here this summer is not nearly enough time to completely experience the culture of Ecuador.
The Differences in Two Quito Schools
Andrew Kapsalis '10 - (5-21-09) - For class today, we took a trip to two "colegios" that emphasized the difference between public and private schools here, while also allowing us to gain an opportunity to learn how to connect with the adolescents here in order to better teach them as in the second half of our trip. Colegios are schools in which students from around 5 years old (and sometimes younger) to 18 years old attend in order to gain similar knowledge as taught at those ages in the United States. Such subjects include Spanish literature, English (starting at the youngest ages), world histroy, psycology, mathematics, etc. Once they reach their 17th year, though, they typically decide what profession they want to ensue after their colegio. This will then limit their classes to a certain few, which is a more closed-minded approach than in the States. They do this though, because they choose their career before they attend university, whereas we choose at our university and can attend a grad. school as well. I have been told by a host family here that the American way of life is to work to live, but in Ecuador it is a tradition of living to work. I find this very interesting, and easily visible throughout the city of Quito as I have been able to observe it for two weeks now. At the first school, Colegio 24 de Mayo, we discovered the atmoshpere of a public school. The public schools in Ecuador are free to attend and have a huge student population. Here, we were able to sit in on senior presentations that are somewhat equivalent to oral comps at Wabash. They spend what seemed to be a huge chunk of time researching a topic, chile peppers in the one I attended, and had to devise a presentation to describe how they made their products from the chile peppers, what the backgrounds behind their products were, what the background behind their made up business was, and how they were going to advertise them and sell them (where they also had to choose prices to sell them at). Their presesntation was then assessed by three judges who gave them a grade at the end to say whether or not they passed and were allowed to graduate or not. All of the students in my group got the most amount of points possible (20) and jumped for joy once they received the news. It was awesome to watch and experience. The judges then asked the students what there plans were for their future professions, and those in my group all chose fields in the sciences and medicine. I found this to be really cool being that I am a science major and am on the same track they are. The second colegio, Liceo Internacional, was a private school in which the students must pay to attend. The amount per month varies between private shcools but average around 300 USD (their main currency is the dollar). This school is known for its ability to create bilingual students starting at the age of 3 with English classes. Our tour guide was a teacher from New Hampshire that had moved to Ecuador to teach English, as many of the students on the trip want to do. She also gave them her information so that they could get a hold of her when they graduate and are looking for a job. I thought that was amazing. She also took us to an area where students were presenting information on their hobbies. We were to go around and get them to talk in English to us, something that we will be doing the next 2 weeks of the trip. It was really cool to hear what some of the kids had to say: anywhere from making a guitar, making food, to sewing a soccer ball. I was highly intrigued and was glad to be able to experience something like this. Overall, I am extremely grateful that Wabash gives its students the opportunity to take such a trip. I have already learned a ton from cultural aspects, to speaking the language fluently, to living as the Ecuadorians do, and we still have two more weeks left. I can't wait to see what comes next, and I'm glad that I am able to share that experience with a bunch of friends that I have made from Wabash through this opportunity.
May 22, 2009
Ecuador Experience Couldn't Be Better
Victor Nava ’10 - In terms of immersion experiences, this trip to Ecuador has been one of the most insightful and unique cultural excursions that I have ever been on. Especially for someone of Latin American heritage, I was surprised to find out that I actually had very little knowledge of “Latino” culture and am now very determined to consolidate my identity as a Latin American and use some of the cultural knowledge I have gained here to guide some of my studies going into my last year at Wabash.  All fields that I have studied (Education, Rhetoric, Spanish, and English) have come together and gained a whole new meaning because of the people I’ve met and the places I’ve visited during the past two weeks. Though I could go on and on about each of these fields and how Ecuador has impacted them, I think it most appropriate to focus on the reason for embarking on this trip in the first place: Education.
Since arriving in Ecuador, all of the students have been taking an afternoon Spanish language class where they focus on fine-tuning their conversational technique, vocabulary, reading abilities, and writing style. I, on the other hand, was fortunate enough to be placed into a “Survey of Ecuadorian Education Methods and Philosophy” class because of my language background. On the very first day, I was introduced to new educational philosophers who formed the backbone of the Ecuadorian education system and how methods of teaching in Ecuador focus on the “four pillars of education” (something I hadn’t heard of before). In one week, I revisited all of my teaching methods knowledge and introduced some new perspectives that I probably wouldn’t have come across in an American education class. I honestly can’t wait for next week when I get the chance to actually work with Ecuadorian children at the “Centro de Informacion” in south Quito. (I guess I can put all of this method training in didactic teaching into practice then!) This week, my focus has shifted from methods and pedagogy to in-depth cultural studies and the role of indigenous populations on the Ecuadorian education system. In all honesty, I feel like this class is a perfect mirror of the Wabash liberal arts philosophy. Through interdisciplinary practice, my professor has incorporated history, cultural studies, education practice theory, Spanish/English, and rhetorical studies all into one class! More importantly, he has really shown me the role that culture plays in crafting education and the importance of maintaining a student’s identity regardless of the dominant school ideology. Though I studied multicultural education at Wabash, I am now studying the same material while living in a country that has basically made cultural studies a cornerstone of its educational philosophy. The authors I have read in class and the narratives that my professor tells me are a perfect complement to the role of multicultural education (or “intercultural education” as I have learned). In reflecting on my teaching philosophy, I have now decided to focus on identity formation and methods that best reflect a student’s culture and family background. In all honesty, all of the studying that I have done at Wabash has finally come together here in Ecuador to give me a clear picture of myself as an educator and the true role that I have in a social context. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome from such an immersion trip.
Host Family Took Away All My Fears
Alex Avtgis '11 - The first days of an immersion trip are easily the most difficult. Besides the cocktail mix of sleep deprivation and a horrendous flight, Wabash students always finds themselves fighting to catch up culturally. Americans are such a different breed of people that I needn’t spend time to explain every single way - a quick look at the way we eat, speak, and conduct ourselves does the trick. As such, we are forced with either crossing a substantial divide or not surviving in our new surroundings. I spent the entire plane ride thinking this way. Would we fit in? Could a pretty substantial number of 20-something year-old, boisterous, burger-toting and beer-drinking males (along with their accompanying pair of DePauw ladies) actually make the necessary changes to properly adjust? Even the word ‘adjustment’ sounded intimidating. As I left the plane, I was heaving through a slew of doubts. I don’t know how I could survive with an elementary level of Spanish, without my morning coffee, etc. With all the flips my stomach was doing, I´ll swear it was aerobatic. I’ll confess: as I was waiting in customs, I almost fainted. On top of the above, I had found out only minutes earlier that we would stay with host families the same (first) night. There would not be any cool down time in the safety of a confined hotel with my Wabash brothers; we were getting split up and heading (with host families guiding us) into our own private sections of a quiet, nighttime Quito. As Michael Jordan and I walked out the no-reentry gate, I caught sight of an elderly woman and man waving around a folder talking with Dr. Rogers. My stomach completed another exaggerated and painful flip - I literally had a ´gut feeling´- that was before I got close enough to notice my name clearly marked on the folder. As I got closer, I tried my hardest to avoid eye contact. She saw the pained look on my face; that’s all it took for her to excitedly flag me down and make a grand motion for a hug. ‘¡Hola, chico!’ From that moment on, my host family made it clear that I could make it through the entire month. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. In this blog, we are asked to gauge how much we benefit from the trip. I can’t really type how much I’ve grown; typing words would only cheapen the experience. I´ve experienced things which, only months before, I couldn’t fathom. I’ve eaten the native hamster, which tastes quite enjoyable when roasted. I´ve climbed the side of an active volcano. I’ve discussed (and argued) successfully with a native Spanish speaker (my host father) about a myriad of topics including, but not limited to, American hegemony, world politics, and philosophy. We´ve even had the chance to engage in some cherished conversations about morals, family, and religion. Now, reflecting from the comfort of days later, I am able to reflect on my prior fear. Every time I look in the mirror of my Ecuadorian ‘home’, I go as far as to wonder why it was that I had been scared; every time I face my reflection, I find a more mature Wabash man, complete with a deeper sense of self and understanding. I hate to cut this short but the library is shutting its computer lab. I promise to share more as soon as I have the chance. Goodbye!
Great Experience Visitin Quito Schools
Ryan Bowerman '11 - We’ve almost made it through our first two weeks of classes here in Quito, Ecuador and even though the time is flying by, I’m learning a lot every day. From the time that we got off of the plane on May 10, we have been completely immersed into the language and culture of Ecuador. Each morning we have class from 9-12 and then a long lunch break followed by another class from 2:30-5:30. For the first few days, our morning class time was mostly spent at the university, but since then we have had the opportunity to visit some really interesting places around the city. Two places that we have had the opportunity to visit that have been particularly interesting to me have been two very different schools. Last Friday we visited INEPE, a school for students from preschool to middle school, in South Quito. The bus ride alone was an adventure as it seemed like we had to drive uphill for an hour just to get to the school. Once we finally got there, it was obvious why a school needed to be founded in the area. Most of the students came from families that lived very close to the school and had very little money to spend to send their children to school in the city. All of the students seemed like they understood that they were very lucky to be getting a good education there. It really made me think that in the U.S. we often take our educational system for granted and how lucky we are to have it. Then on Tuesday this week we visited SINAMUNE, an educational project for students with disabilities. The school uses the arts, especially music, to educate its students who range in age from elementary school age kids to adults over forty years old. The unique system at the school provides opportunities for its students to achieve in many areas. We were able to see a performance by the school’s orchestra that has performed all over the world. Although some of the students that were participating were severely disabled, the music that the group was able to produce was astounding. One of the program directors, Pamela, from the university where we are studying said something that really stuck with me. She said “After seeing what these students are able to overcome, imagine what we could do with all of the opportunities that we often take for granted.” So far in this program, we are not only taking the opportunity to improve on our Spanish language skills, but we are also learning about educational systems from a whole new perspective. The opportunity to learn about other cultures and see things from a new perspective is something that can only be experienced through programs like this. I hope that I am able to take Pamela’s advice to heart and make the most of this priceless experience!
May 21, 2009
A Cultural Experience with My Host Family
Jake German ' 11 - I was fortunate enough to live with a family with a daughter who had a birthday the second day I was here in Quito, Ecuador. Her name is Ale and she just turned 19 years old. When going to a foreign country, I feel the travelers receive a well-rounded visit if they seek cultural experiences rather than tourist attractions. A birthday party in a foreign country is just the thing I was looking for. Ale invited 25 or so of her closest friends and relatives over to her house. Not only was this going to be a game-time scenario of conversational Spanish, it was going to be an exciting glimpse into the celebration of another year of life in Ecuador. I called my wing-man, Ryan Bowerman, to come over and offer support. The family prepared a traditional Ecuadorian dish called Ceviche. It was interesting to say the least. The type of Ceviche that we had was made with shrimp, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and lemon juice. We also had homemade popcorn and many types of fruit juices. All vegetables and fruit are fresh in Ecuador. My host family buys new fruits and vegetables everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also had Yuca, a vegetable similar to the potato. It was cut in strips and baked, served much like french fries. Then came the music. This was my first experience with salsa dancing. It was so much fun! Ale´s friends took me step by step through an entire song. I am not going to brag, but by the end of the night I could salsa pretty well. Next we played some card and board games in Spanish. This proved to be quite difficult considering one game was very similar to Charades. Some down time in between salsa and games gave me the opportunity to talk with her family members about the perception of the United States and our policies in Ecuador. We started comparing politics and Presidents. It was an eye-opening experience. At Wabash we try to encourage dialogue and understanding when differences arise. Well this night was a perfect example that not all perspectives and questions can be discussed and answered why still on campus at Wabash.
An Experience of a Lifetime
Evan Isaacs '10 - May 16, 2009 - Saturday was far and beyond the most invigorating and adventurous day we have spent in Quito. We met at the Teleferico, a lift that takes 6 people at a time up one of the largest mountains in Ecuador, Pinchicha. I honestly cannot explain in words how incredible the city of Quito looked from over 4,000 km above, but I can say that this awesome experience would not have even been possible without the gracious support from our tremendous alumni! Wabash men pride themselves in knowing after graduation they have conquered a strenuous endeavor, but as we all know, life only gets harder. This idea could not compare more to my experience on Pinchicha. When we strolled off the Teleferico I had no idea we could walk all around the mountain. After taking numerous pictures at the point where we got off of the Teleferico, we decided to hike. And when I say hike, I am not talking about some easy stroll through the park. I am talking about hiking up steep mountain sides where the altitude is so high passing out is not uncommon. Each step kept getting harder and harder as each gasp for air kept becoming more exhausting. This strenuous hike reminded me so much of Wabash, in the sense that each person in our group hiked together as one. It took a great deal of camaraderie just to walk the first 200 yards. After 30 minutes of hiking we came across horses for rent. For only $5 the horses took us around a portion of the mountain where we were able to see a small waterfall. They told us the ride would last around 25 minutes. When we hopped on the horses the people working there handed each of us a wool poncho and a cowboy hat. Being the down home American that I am, I passed up the hat but agreed to wear the poncho. I was wearing a red Wabash hat instead and thought is was appropriate to wear while riding a horse on one of the largest mountains in Ecuador. Towards the end of the ride I decided to get my horse running at a full sprint. It was exhilarating to say the least, and I am thankful that I had such I tight grip, otherwise, there was a good chance I would have fallen off. The top of the mountain stretched for miles, though, this was not obvious while we were hiking. Pinchicha played games with us during our entire trek. When we thought we had reached the top, there were three more peaks to climb first. After an exhausting trek up a really steep hill we finally decided to call it a day. We took pictures and sat on large bundles on grass stalks in an effort to catch our breath and just comprehend the breathtaking view of the mountain side and the HUGE city of Quito. On the way back three others and I discovered a choclo (corn) hut. They were selling choclo for only a dollar, and it was by far the best dollar I had spent all day. The kernels were huge and there were two different types of sauces we used on the choclo. One had a dark complexion and was pretty grainy, but was fantastic. The other was spicy. Mix the two sauces together and you have one heck of a sauce. Pinchicha was an incredible experience. For me personally, it also served as a conditioning test. Since I play football for the Little Giants I am expected to be in tip top shape during the year. But I think it is fair to say that this mountain kicked my butt. This was by far the sorest I have been in quite some time. With the steep mountain sides and high altitude, I believe if we (the football team) trained on top of that mountain even for a week, our cardio would be through the roof. All in all, this experience thus far has been one of the most impactful of my life. I am very grateful for even having this opportunity and I want to thank the college and alumni for ALWAYS offering its students educational experiences of a lifetime.
Host Family, Culture Already Make Impact
Ian Starnes '11 - Words truly cant express the positive impact the Ecuador trip has had on me. The experience of learning about a different culture and also learning more about myself has helped me to grow as an individual. Ecuador is absolutely breathtaking. The volcanic mountains, the bustling streets, the exotic cuisine, and city beat all help to make Quito, Ecuador (the capital city with 2.5 million people), an exciting place to study and be immersed in the culture. This past weekend I took a break from the chaotic city life and traveled with my host family to the countryside. My host family has been so welcoming and informational. Wabash and the Catholic school we are studying at did a phenomenal job of picking places for us to live while we are here. I feel safe and they are always going the extra mile to help me with my transition from all American gringo to an everyday citizen of Quito. On Sunday we traveled out of Quito to a beautiful lake in the countryside about an hour north of the city. We took out an old fashion rowboat and went to out into the middle of the lake, which sits at the base of an active volcano. It was amazing. While on the boat my host brother, who goes to school in Brazil, talked about the current Ecuadorian government and how democracy has helped to make Ecuador a safe South American destination. We then hoped back into the car and traveled to Otovalo, which is a small city mostly made up of indigenous peoples. Every Sunday they have a huge market where the natives sell hand made crafts and artwork. From here we hoped into the car and went to a small nature preserve where we sat beneath the shade of a tree and had a picnic. We enjoyed some traditional Ecuadorian dishes like chicken and rice, potatoes, and choclo (which is kind of like corn but is larger in size and better in taste). The picnic reminded me of how American society is so fast paced nowadays. In Ecuador a meal is a time to reflect and enjoy the company and food you are blessed with. I know when I am at Wabash; I run in and out of the Beta kitchen and eat as fast as I possibly can! We then hoped into the car and drove to Ibarra, or la ciudad blanca (white city) because many of the houses are all white and the streets are kept very clean. We went to mass at a small catholic church then strolled through the historic colonial city park. We then picked up a gallon of jugo de naranjilla ( a type of fruit drink) and headed back to Quito. In Ecuador, the people drink absurd amounts of fruit juice. The drive back through the mountains was enchanting. The roads down here wind in and out of these enormous rock structures and make for a really entertaining drive. In my short time here I have learned so much about the people, culture, and geography of South America. My Spanish skills have improved greatly and I have become more independent. The Ecuador program has allowed me to learn information that cannot be taught in the classroom. It has also allowed me to learn more about the world we live in.
|
