22nd day

While waiting for the bus in Cumbayá in the morning before volunteering, I started talking with a college-aged girl at the bus stop. I was telling her how I should make more Ecuadorian friends because all my friends in Ecuador are from the states. She gave me her number and she told me that we should hang out with her and her friends. I would have thought that was really strange back in the states, but I guess since I’m in Ecuador I’m more interesting. I’m not that interesting to Ecuadorians who go to USFQ because there’s hundreds of us. I’m excited to possibly hang out with an Ecuadorian who doesn’t go to my school.

I’ve heard that people from Ecuador are very friendly, but that you have to say the first word, and that seemed to work at the bus stop. I’ve just got to be more outgoing at first, and then there’s no effort needed after that.

I volunteered with the physical therapist, which was more interesting this time because there actually were patients. I switched the days I volunteer to ones that are busier for that reason. Even with more patients, it’s still not the most exciting because the patients are all over 60 and the physical therapist does a lot of magnetic, hot compresses, ultrasound, and massage treatments, which bore me when I’m not doing it. Physical therapy looks boring when you’re watching a half naked old man lying down while a physical therapist moves a wand around on his back. I can’t wait until I have the knowledge to make the decisions and work with a population I chose to work with as well. I volunteered with college students with permanent physical disabilities last semester with a physical therapist who got me involved a lot, which was so much fun, but this is different. Maybe after awhile I’ll be able to help more and understand more though, so I shouldn’t judge it yet. It’s also an opportunity to learn Spanish, even if the physical therapy isn’t that exciting.

Most days when I get home I get to chat with mi mamá. I love talking with mi mamá here. She is so open and willing to talk about anything. She makes it easy to understand her and never is inpatient with me. Thus far she’s my favorite person in Ecuador. She works hard, but still has time to talk and laugh with me. Sometimes she helps mi papá install windows, which is what he does all day. Most days, though, she cooks, watches mi hermanito, cleans, and feeds and cleans the chonchos. I sometimes feel bad though because the time she spends with me is away from her kids. Mi hermana seems a little jealous of the time I spend talking with her.