random ramblings

A big thank you to all my friends, family and blogstalkers that bought tickets for the Peace Corps Ecuador Gender and Development Committee raffle! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am excited to report that with your help, we raised over $12,000 which will provide more than 70 scholarships for Ecuadorian girls so that they can finish their high school educations. The funds raised will also support leadership camps as well as an important campaign to combat the increasing problem of trafficking and sexual exploitation of persons—particularly women and children. It was an amazing fundraising effort…with almost $1,000 coming in through a last minute push.

I wish I could say that someone I knew took home the grand prize of roundtrip tickets between the U.S. and Ecuador…but sorry, no dice. That prize went to Anne Nooney. But, Anne, if you’re reading this, please contact me! Let’s chat. : )

So, if you “didn’t get a chance/forgot/were to late/” to support our scholarship program through the raffle, you can ease your guilt through supporting another great project close to my heart: an Environmental Education guide for teachers that my hubby is writing (and I am providing critical moral support, editorial review and refreshing beverage delivery service while he works on it). It’s a great project…as the teachers here are desperate for these types of educational materials…and certainly the environmental ethic is lacking among large segments of the population here. He’s tailoring it towards the specific environmental challenges in the region, getting local teachers to review it and then will be providing training workshops to roll it out. Anyway, check it out support it with a donation, porfa!

Okay, enough of the ads. What have I been up to lately that I haven’t been too busy to blog…. Let’s see. The last few weeks I have been occupied with my work with the Gender and Development Committee. I had a lot of legwork leading up to the big raffle as well as dealing with budget and meeting planning issues for our little group. There were a few bumps along the way, but in the end, everything went swimmingly. My work with the committee has been one of the most rewarding parts of my Peace Corps Service. The group is great. Another VERY rewarding part of my experience, while I’m mentioning it, is my interaction with my World Wise Schools teacher and class at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio. The class has been learning about Ecuador…both studying on their own, and communicating with me through emails, letters, skype and even a Peace Corps sponsored phone call (we were one just a handful chosen worldwide to participate in the call). A cool experience for both all involved. A big public shout out of thanks to Mrs. Knipp for the awesome carepack!!! Awesome!

In other news, Jer and I snuck away for a (way too) short trip to the coast for a combo 4th of July/birthday/going away gathering for one of our PC Pals. BIG NEWS: I SAW A WHALE!!!! Yes, my friends, I went on a whale watching trip and actually SAW a whale. Not just one. I think I must have seen 50… or the same two whales 25 times…either way, it was SPECTACULAR! At one point they were only about 20 meters off the side of the boat. It was an awesome experience. I saw one do a huge jump/breach. Others seemed to be waving their flippers in the water like synchronized swimmers. It was mating season, so we saw lots of pairs swimming together and surfacing to spout their water at the same time. Okay, that description is less than eloquent, but I’m rushing to write this, so cut me some slack. We also went to Isla de la Plata, also known as the “poor person’s Galapagos” as you can see some of the same wildlife there as you can on the Galapagos, for about 1/10 the price. WE SAW BOOBIES!!! Blue-footed boobies, that is. And lots of frigate birds…sea turtles, a snake, some lizards… We went snorkeling off the island and saw brilliant Nemo-like fish as well as dozens of other unusual other-worldly looking sea creatures. It was a cool experience…just way too little time to spend in a place that took so long to get to…

So…speaking of places that take a long time to get to…I will be going to the Waorani village of Bameno this week. I don’t even want to think about how long this trip is going to take, or how many gray hairs I will get as a result of dealing with the logistics of this marathon trek. Let’s just say it is going to be by far my longest and deepest trip adentro yet. The Waorani Women’s Association is hosting another handicraft workshop... So, if this trip is anything like my last few trips adentro, I should have a 15-20 page blog entry...and will need another dye job. So, you’ll have to sit tight and wait till I get back…which won’t be until the 24th or so…to hear my latest exciting tale from the jungle. Wish me luck.