Friday, April 27, 2012

Ecuador day 2, getting settled

It's funny how I feel like everything is going so slowly. I know I've only been here two days, well two days-ish but I feel like everything is moving so slowly. I know to expect that in places like this. There is a ton of run around sometimes and lack of efficiency sometimes. Or maybe it's just my urgency and excitement to get started.
I will meet with the director of one orphanage next Tuesday, and possibly another this afternoon or on Monday. I also stopped into Cuenca Cruz Rojo (The Red Cross-Cuenca) to see if I might help out there occasionally when I'm not at the orphanages. I was able to talk a bit to a girl, who started showing me around and then had to run off on a call-sounds like they could use the help as well. I'm pretty excited about that. I'd love to able to put my medical background to work here as well. One of the orphanages also mentioned that they have a surgical clinic and wondered if I might be interested in spending some time in there helping out as well. I'm very excited to do that as I've been able to go to Mexico with a group and do cleft palate repairs. I loved it.
I did get a lot done today despite not feeling like I'm getting anything done. I think I'm just ready to jump right in even though I haven't even had time to completely unpack
Today I found an apartment. It's small, but it's very clean, in a quiet, safe neighborhood-or so I'm told. :) I do like it. It already feels like home. And I'm getting the hang of taxis and working on getting the hang of the buses.
I tried walking from my place to my brother's place last night and got hopelessly lost. It was fun. :) I figured I would just follow the river...well, turns out there are like 4 rivers. It was lovely though. Beautiful sky, mellow weather, and lush green all around. I thought I could get my bearings by watching the mountains but there are just too many and I don't know them yet. There it is again, the feeling like I've been here forever and should have it all figured out by now. Hahaha. I'll get there.
I've already learned the musts before I leave my apartment (weird, only been there one night and I already feel like I've been there a while): sunglasses for sure! My pale eyes can't handle it's intensity without them; a sweater and scarf-cause the weather changes instantly from hot to cold and everywhere in between--the only rain I've seen so far happens to have been when it was the sunniest; and my Spanish dictionary-I'm having fun reading the signs though and trying to figure out what they say. So much of Spanish is so close to English that if I know the context I can sometimes pick out words or phrases.
I'll keep you posted on things as the details I worked out.
Here a few pics of little apartment and the streets of Cuenca.















3 comments:

Melodi said...

That's a great little apartment. The town looks beautiful! I want to go there.

Heladitos said...

Got your package. The boys liked seeing the Thai Baht. Thanks. Enjoy your visit. I'll have to settle for visiting in my dreams. Keep posting for all us still at home.

nunya business said...

Your comment about Spanish being so close to English had me laughing. We always said, "If you don't know it, 'O' it." In other words, if you don't know the word in Spanish, just add an "o" to the end of the English word. There's about a 50-50 chance you'll be right. hahaha.