This morning when I was walking to work I saw a teenage boy riding his bike. He stopped on the road when he saw an old woman walking without shoes on and bent over probably in pain from Arthritis or from just being old. I kept walking and then saw him ride past me carrying the old lady on his handlebars. I was thinking about how I don't think that is anything I would ever see in the US, and definitely wasn't something I had seen before. That led me to start thinking of all of the "firsts" that I have witnessed since coming here. I then developed a long list, and thought I would share a few on the blog. Some are not meant for the internet (think: bugbites everywhere, lack of access to bathrooms, etc)
1. I have now seen two dead puppies. I also saw the mother dog carry her dead child in her mouth and then sleep with the dead puppy as a pillow. I also almost stepped on a dead puppy in the middle of the night on my way to the bathroom. I also saw my host mom put a dead puppy in a plastic bag and then throw it into the woods. All of these things were traumatic and not something I hope happens ever again.
2. I have pretended to be asleep twice when groups of people come from other communities and dance at our house for Inti Raymi. They then expect to receive food, hence pretending to not be there slash be asleep. I have also helped my host mom give many groups food. But only if they come before 9:00pm.
3. I have spent more than a month being woken up every morning by roosters. I have also spent more than a month getting up before 7am every day. Usually there is no sleeping at my house after 5:45am due to noise from both animals and people and the radio.
4. I have spent more than a month going to bed before 9:00pm every day. By that I mean I'm normally in bed by 8:30 because after we eat dinner there is nothing else to do. But after I'm in bed I read Divergent so I probably have stayed up passed 9:00pm. But I definitely haven't been awake passed 11:00pm since getting here.
5. I have taught kids who can speak to each other in Kichwa, their indigenous language, and know that I don't understand and therefore have a very easy time plotting against me.
6. I have gone an entire day without speaking any english at all, besides talking to myself.
7. I have danced for Inti Raymi twice with my community, Agualongo.
8. I have witnessed men get incredibly wasted and pass out or puke in front of their small children at Inti Raymi. Kind of traumatizing also but not as much as the dead puppies.
9. I have eaten rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread all in one meal.
10. I have eaten more potatoes in the last five weeks than I did over the course of the entire last year including Bolivia. I do not plan on eating potatoes for at least 6 months after July 29th.
11. I have sat there and smiled while people from my community are clearly talking about me in Kichwa and laughing. I don't think they are saying bad things, or at least I doubt it, but it is still really awkward. I'm looking forward to going back to being able to understand most of the time.
12. I have walked uphill both ways home and spent more than two hours most days walking in total. I guess that is how I am making up for all the potatoes.
13. I have gotten comfortable enough with my host family to get under the covers of their bed when we're watching TV, to make fun of the other people in my family, and to truly feel like I am more a part of the family than I am a guest. I am so incredibly excited to go home, have summer, see everybody etc but I know that it will be incredibly hard to leave my host family especially after another month with them.
I'm sure there are plenty of other firsts, but for now I can't think of them.
1. I have now seen two dead puppies. I also saw the mother dog carry her dead child in her mouth and then sleep with the dead puppy as a pillow. I also almost stepped on a dead puppy in the middle of the night on my way to the bathroom. I also saw my host mom put a dead puppy in a plastic bag and then throw it into the woods. All of these things were traumatic and not something I hope happens ever again.
2. I have pretended to be asleep twice when groups of people come from other communities and dance at our house for Inti Raymi. They then expect to receive food, hence pretending to not be there slash be asleep. I have also helped my host mom give many groups food. But only if they come before 9:00pm.
3. I have spent more than a month being woken up every morning by roosters. I have also spent more than a month getting up before 7am every day. Usually there is no sleeping at my house after 5:45am due to noise from both animals and people and the radio.
4. I have spent more than a month going to bed before 9:00pm every day. By that I mean I'm normally in bed by 8:30 because after we eat dinner there is nothing else to do. But after I'm in bed I read Divergent so I probably have stayed up passed 9:00pm. But I definitely haven't been awake passed 11:00pm since getting here.
5. I have taught kids who can speak to each other in Kichwa, their indigenous language, and know that I don't understand and therefore have a very easy time plotting against me.
6. I have gone an entire day without speaking any english at all, besides talking to myself.
7. I have danced for Inti Raymi twice with my community, Agualongo.
8. I have witnessed men get incredibly wasted and pass out or puke in front of their small children at Inti Raymi. Kind of traumatizing also but not as much as the dead puppies.
9. I have eaten rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread all in one meal.
10. I have eaten more potatoes in the last five weeks than I did over the course of the entire last year including Bolivia. I do not plan on eating potatoes for at least 6 months after July 29th.
11. I have sat there and smiled while people from my community are clearly talking about me in Kichwa and laughing. I don't think they are saying bad things, or at least I doubt it, but it is still really awkward. I'm looking forward to going back to being able to understand most of the time.
12. I have walked uphill both ways home and spent more than two hours most days walking in total. I guess that is how I am making up for all the potatoes.
13. I have gotten comfortable enough with my host family to get under the covers of their bed when we're watching TV, to make fun of the other people in my family, and to truly feel like I am more a part of the family than I am a guest. I am so incredibly excited to go home, have summer, see everybody etc but I know that it will be incredibly hard to leave my host family especially after another month with them.
I'm sure there are plenty of other firsts, but for now I can't think of them.
This is probably my favorite blog post you've done so far. It's so interesting; I live vicariously through you. I'm so excited you're getting so much out of this experience--and the fact that you've gone days without speaking English blows my mind! Can't wait to see you in less than a MONTH!! xo
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