I Bought a Machete

Cold, wet, and rainy describe todays weather in Cuenca.  Not just morning showers, I'm talking hard, steady rain.  You know what that means?  No work.  Life here basically shuts down on rainy days.  Tools stay in the shed, meetings are cancelled, and life's obligations will wait until tomorrow.  So here I am, enjoying a diet coke and filling you in on my life's latest happenings.

I did.  I bought a machete.  For 3 reasons.1. I felt bad borrowing my landlord's every day.
2. I'm not sure when in my life I will legitimately have an excuse to buy one again.
3. It was only $5.00.


So that's been my work lately... chopping down the albeca (I have no idea what it is in English) in the school garden in the pueblo of Guayan.  Next on our agenda is to get the soil up to par so when we plant things, they will actually grow.  That means we need poopie... lots and lots of poopie.  Around here that is a cinch.  Everyone in Santa Ana has either cows, cuyes, rabbits, goats, sheep, or chickens.  I sent home flyers with each of the kids asking their family to support the school garden by bringing in at least one sack of ca-ca.  Sam... I bet if your teacher asked everyone in your class to bring in manure you would be the only one that could actually do it!!


I have also been experimenting more in the kitchen... My biggest accomplishment would have to be the calzones.  I made the dough, made the tomato sauce, and filled it with veggies since I don't have a fridge to keep meat or chicken.  They didn't even begin to compare to Mrs. Gallucci's pepperoni bread, but I thought they were pretty delicious.  I have also been making different pasta sauces and my first batch of cookies last night, which turned out paper thin... (thoughts/suggestions?)  I bought all the necessary ingredients to make banana bread but when I went to make it I realized I didn't have a cake pan, or anything to bake it in... oops.


The next couple weeks are going to be wild.  Next Tuesday I leave for Quito for Reconnect, where everyone in Omnibus 99 will be attending with a representative from their site for a 3 day workshop.  I will be leaving directly from Reconnect to MEET MOM AND DAD AT THE AIRPORT IN GUAYAQUIL!!!!  We will have to stay in Guayaquil through Monday because it happens to be election weekend where the people of Ecuador will be voting to adopt a new Constitution.  Peace Corps volunteers are required to stay out of political affairs and are forbidden from traveling during elections.  Another interesting fact about election weekend here is that there is a "dry law" for the weekend where it is illegal to sell or drink alcohol in public places.  Bummer, voting is so much more fun when you're sloshed.  


Twice a month, the Peace Corps office in Quito sends each volunteer a mail pouch with Newsweeks and relevant papers.  In my latest mail pouch, I received a letter that I wrote to myself during training.  It was an exercise they had us do just for fun, to write a letter to your future self asking questions and what not.  I told my future self to ask Mom and Dad to give Jack Jack a kiss for me but now that he lives back at the farm, Sue, would you take care of that for me?  Thanks!  


Hannah- That is so cool that you have a husky just like mine!  Snowflake is a great name.  I hope you are enjoying Kindergarten.


Sam and Morgan- I hope the 4th grade teachers aren't giving you too much homework.


Steph- I miss you.  Tell Shane I'm sorry about the Buckeyes, but maybe this year would be a good year to buy a navy and gold jersey... just a thought.


Ok thats all I have.  Miss you all.
Kelly