It's not the end, it's all just beginning

The program is nearing the end. We just got back from Siempre Verde today and have been packing our suitcases for our flights tomorrow. The Centro had a nice celebration to thank us for the work we did. It was a lot of fun eating the Tiramisu they made for us and dancing too. We are pretty tired but I think most of us are ready to get back home.

Siempre Verde was a great end to the trip because it was a place to reflect and think, all while relaxing. Last night in reflections, we discussed what we have learned over the course of this program and even some changes we are going to make when we return to the United States. Bob brought up a good point that this is really isn't the end, this is actually just the beginning. This experience isn't over and a lot of reflection will be done when we are back in the United States. Some of the things we've learned, we probably won't realize until days, weeks, or even months after the program ends. 

Pictures

Siempre Verde

We leave for Siempre Verde tomorrow. There isn't a lot to do in Siempre Verde except to reflect, relax, and enjoy the company of everyone around. I think it will be good for all of us because it has been some busy few days. 

We finished our service component of the trip today. It was our last day of classes with the students. It was kind of sad to leave them because we have formed some bonds with the students we have spent the last week teaching. We took about 40-50 of the kids to Rio Pito yesterday. It was about an hour bus ride and then once we arrived, we had the choice of going on a variety of different walks. Most of us chose the 'gran aventura,' which was about an hour hike to a waterfall. The waterfall was amazing and real strong. The water was freezing because it comes from Cotopaxi, one of the highest mountains in Ecuador. We had the opportunity to walk behind the waterfall, which was quite an experience. I would post some pictures but I forgot to put my battery in my camera before we left. I had a camera, but no battery.

On Saturday, we went to Mindo. It is in the northern part of Ecuador, near the forest (not the rain forest). There, we got to go to a Butterfly exhibit and then ate a delicious meal of trout. The trout was fresh from the area. After lunch, we had the opportunity to go zip lining. I think for many of us, it was our first time going zip lining. It was pretty scary but we got a good view of the forest and Mindo. 

Sunday, we had to the opportunity to go to a soccer game. It was S.D. Quito versus Elemec. Elemec is from Guayaquil, so it makes the two teams rivals. It was a great cultural experience because the entire game the fans were singing and shouting. Soccer fans don't really compare to any sports' fans we have in the United States. S.D. Quito won, 1-0. We really enjoyed ourselves watching the game and eating some local stadium food, like empanadas. 

I just wanted to apologize for the lack of updates. The internet has been working off and on here. I know we don't have many more days left, but I will try and keep it updated as much as we can. You may not hear anything until Friday because Siempre Verde has no electricity, so there won't be any phone or internet access. 

The Service Begins...

Yesterday was our first day of service. We taught guitar, drums, math, english, theatre and art classes. They seemed to go very well but the difficulty we ran into is the language barrier. However, it is an opportunity to really improve and work on our spanish skills. It is interesting being the teacher because we have realized all that goes into teaching and it really isn't that easy. Usually the lesson plan that you work to prepare you don't even follow. Some of us prepared for a large class and only received four students. Part of teaching is definitely learning how to adjust your plans ont he spot. We are expecting more students today, so we will see how it goes!

Some of us went to the mall today and it seemed like we were in American for a little bit of time. You could definitely see the effects of globalization right here in Quito. We took the Trolle Bus which was an interesting experience. It only cost 25 cents to ride it. On the way home, it was so packed we could barely move to get out for our own stop. When we finally got back for a nice meal of lasagna. The food at the foundation is not bad, but it was nice to have a little taste of home.

Hello from Ecuador...

I just wanted to say hello to everyone. Everything is great here. We got back from San Clemente where we stayed the night with the indigenious families and then visited Otavalo. It's been two long days and we are all very exhausted.

Stay tuned for more updates and pictures.

July 12th

After an exciting, event-filled, and sometimes stressful week, we were all very ready for a day of relaxation! Sunday was designated a free day and we all took advantage of this in our own way. Many people chose to sleep in- a luxury that we haven't had lately- while others preferred to get an early start on the day to spend as he or she pleased. Visitors were allowed today so lots of guests came out to DePauw, bringing treats and news from home.

The warm summer evening was ideal for our barbecue and outdoor activities. John manned the grill while we played volleyball and a few brave ones tried out the slip-n-slide. Bob and his family joined us at the cookout and we met his niece, Allison, who will be joining us on the trip to Ecuador.

The later hours of the evening found us, the procrastinators, scanning the internet to find an article about Ecuador, an assignment Pablo gave as homework. For many people, it was early to bed, as we have another very busy and exciting week ahead of us!

-Rachel Rominger 

Oops I forgot to add July 7th

Tuesday July 7th

After waiting for what seemed like ETERNITY our first service project has finally come upon us.  We split into two groups, where one helped paint a family's shed, and the others, like myself, went to tidy up the DePauw Natrue Park. The initial task seemed simple: clear the inundation of cattails that have taken over the pond.  We were definitely in for a surprise when we learned that the only way to get rid of the roots was to get into the muddy, quicksand-like water. Initially we had fun splashing around and getting dirty (why not?) until we discovered the wrath of snakes, spiders and other creepy creatures. To our relief, we returned back to Montgomery to shower and get ready for dinner. After a delicious meal, we had are final discussion with Tim Good! We did our final mirror activity, columbian hypnosis and statue creations. You might want to ask your child for clarification of these odd, "torpe" ("awkward") team-building activities. FYI if your child comes home with shirts with beyond-the-hopes-of-clorox-stains, just blame it on the DePauw Natrue park pond!! 

Adíos

Maggie Cohen

The Bugs are Gone!

"los bichos de la cama." I feel like these short five words (bed bugs) have been the topic of most of my conversations on campus over the past several days.  If there were ever to be a modern version of the plague on college campuses, these cheeky, sly devils would be it.  Last night,

we, in our respective tribes, gathered in separate dormitories to wash all of our laundry thanks to the bed bugs themsleves.  Finally, after contiuous hours of laundry and between the hours of one and 3 o'clock in the morning, we all finished our laundry and got the chance to climb into our new beds for the night.  Morning, of course, came right around the corner, and we woke up early to do service at a farm entitled "Hope's Way."  It's is a place where kids, most of the time handicapped, can go to feel a sense of belonging, without having to worry about being different.  But today, kids from inner-city Indy came and our task was to provide them a good time.  We spent the day de-weeding gardens, rallying horses, and playing with the children.  Some of us also had the chance to witness a supposed Copperhead snake being manhandled by our

one and only Pablito.  Today's service was a lot of work, but we all had a good time.  Now that we've cleaned all our clothes and moved back into our regular rooms, I think it's safe to say that we all feel extremely happy to be done with this slightly overwhelming process of bed bugs.

-Patrick Ledwidge

July 7th and 9th

BLOGS ARE BACK! technically it is the very wee hours of Friday morning as we write this, so please excuse and overlook any errors or cynicism. Let's see... Today was day two of our Greencastle service opportunities.  We split up into two groups of energized, poisoned (with ivy), and bitten (by bichos de cama) volunteers.  The first group traveled to help a Greencastilian citizen with gardening her overgrown lawn and backyard.  We weeded, weeded, weeded, chopped some trees, and sweat.  But, it was still a rocking time.  The other group helped out at Hope's Way, an animal haven filled with goats, horses, pigs, chicken, llamas, cats, and dogs.  This shelter provides fun-filled days of activity for underprivileged and disabled children as well as adults for free. We weeded, pulled trees, and doctored a bleeding horse.  Jon and Zak learned how to happily trek around the acreage on a tractor.  The entire group will be returning to help with the kids tomorrow.  After getting back from our service work, the entire group ate and talked to Mr. Cohen, the swimming coach from DePauw.  Then we had a happy reflection time followed by a hectic rush to laundry machines all over Rector Village in order to rid ourselves of bed bugs.  We are still in the process of sterilization.  Wish us luck. Peace out.  -Katie and Liz

July 8th

We started our day with Spanish class, practicing our commands and learning more about the language so that we will be more prepared for our trip to Ecuador.  In the afternoon, the mayor of Greencastle spoke to us about the relationship between Greencastle citizens and DePauw students.  She encouraged us to continue our community service that the DePauw in Ecuador Program emphasizes, especially in the community.  After that, we participated in a hardcore game of Capture the Flag between the teams of Peru, Argentina, Columbia, and Venezuela.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner of mashed potato bowls and then went to play volleyball with other DePauw students who are at DePauw over the summer.  All in all, it was an awesome day.  -Megan May

July 4th, 5th, and 6th

Saturday July 4th

After a long week of fun and late getting to know each other, we finally got to sleep in, which was appreciated by all!  Unfortunately, we awoke to a rainy, cloudy, gray day, but luckily we still managed to enjoy the holiday.  Mid-afternoon we departed for Indianapolis for a quick, but exciting shopping experience downtown at Circle Center Mall.  While the girls enjoyed scavenging every store for the best deals, the boys found an oasis in the food court and actually had a good time!  We then trekked through the treacherous rain to Victory Field for the Indianapolis Indians Minor League Baseball game.  Much to our disappointment the game was canceled, but on the upside it provided an opportunity for some quality bonding time!  And we received free vouchers for another game later in the season!  We escaped the rain and decided returned to Greencastle for a fun and relaxing evening.  

Sunday July 5th

Today actually felt more like a holiday.  Many of us slept in once again, which was much needed after a long Fourth of July night.  We spent the majority of the day chilling with friends and catching up on laundry and cleaning (yes parents, we can take care of ourselves!).  Late afternoon, we celebrated the Fourth in a traditional style, with a cookout provided by our wonderful leaders!  Afterwards, we had some friendly competitions with eggs: an egg toss and an egg drop. Students rummaged through Montgomery in order to find the necessary materials for an egg drop from the third floor of the dormitory. (Some of the most popular materials included hot dog buns, plastic plates, and trash bag parachutes!) Reminiscent of our seventh grade science class, students watched with anticipation as their team members tested their innovative contraptions. After a chorus of "kerplunks" and "splats," we attended Greencastle's  fireworks, a spectacular show of red, white, and blue.  If your looking for the perfect 4th destination, Greencastle is sure to be an interesting, but exciting time!

Monday July 6th
Much to our despise, we had to very early (been college kids standards!) for class. However, we were very excited for the Blackstock Grill to be open in the HUB.  Finally, there was no PASTA to be seen!  The breakfast was delicious as pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, and omelets were served.  For lunch, we could choose anything we wanted, from grilled sandwiches to wraps, hamburgers and all!  Many of us are worried about gaining the freshman 15!  But, with how active we are there should be no issues!  In our tribes, we completed an intense scavenger hunt.  Racing back and forth, from building to building, we quickly realized that DePauw is actually a lot larger than it seems!   We all finished in one piece and were excited to receive points for our tribes!  After dinner, we met with Tim Good for an obnoxious, fun, and occasionally interesting time.  He is a DePauw theater professor that completed a series of seminars on "The Theater of the Opressed".  Other students will go more in-depth on this experience in the coming days.  

Hasta Luego! Adios!

Abbey Ginn

Pictures from the Past few Days

Updates

We have been SO SO busy! I wanted to apologize for not staying up to date on the blog. We will catch everyone up soon. The students have told me that some parents are asking about where are the blog posts. I'm glad to hear that because I know that people are actually visiting and reading the posts. I promise you that they will come. You will have a number of updates by tomorrow night. 

However, I'm not going to post without any giving you all a little information. On Tuesday, we started our service portion of the program. One group went to paint a mini-barn for a local Greencastle family, while the other group went to the Nature Park and pulled weeds in a pond. From what I've heard it was quite the experience and many came back extremely dirty. Tomorrow, we are going to continue doing service for another family in Greencastle and also at Hope's Horse Haven in Bainbridge. The students took their first test on Tuesday and they will most likely get those tests back tomorrow. Also, on Monday, there was a scavenger hunt that helped everyone to get to know the campus. At each place, there was some kind of obstacle that usually required everyone working together. I think it went well. This group definitely does not have a lack of competition. 

Well, look forward to updated posts. I hope everyone is enjoying the blog. Please enjoy some pictures from the past few days. 

PS... Be sure to ask your son or daughter about the water balloon toss and activities with eggs that took place on Sunday.

Tramposos!

Hola!
            This blog is going to be a bit different from the others. Although I am not known for my excellent knowledge of the Spanish Language, I am going to teach you parents one very important word that we have come to know very well.  But…this lesson will have to wait until after I tell you what we did this beautiful day in the HUGE town of Greencastle.  After we all dragged ourselves out of bed and had a breakfast of champions, we all went to Julian for class.  Now, today’s class was a bit different than the others because Pablo, our teacher, was so kind to give us a quiz.  I can’t speak for everyone, but let’s just say that I am ecstatic that this is not for a real grade!  When class was over we had some free time before pasta, otherwise know as lunch.  Pasta….and salad…. have become the only foods we know.  After lunch we had a guest speaker who talked about the different service opportunities on campus.  We also discussed our personal definitions of service and tied them in to what we would like to accomplish in Ecuador.  Then we had another competition between our tribes…a game of softball.  And this is where the word you have been waiting for comes in.  Before today Colombia, the tribe in which I belong, had not won a single competition.  A bit suspicious, no?  So the Columbian tribe learned a word in which to describe the other teams, Tramposos!  In English this word has the significance of….cheaters.  However, today the universe corrected itself and the best tribe won…Colombia…hehe.  Later tonight for our reflection, we had a guest speaker who did various activities with us which dealt with the Theatre of the Oppressed.  Through these activities, I feel that we became a much closer group, and learned that we were all here for eachother!  Chao!
 - Austin Livesay

Tax, Volleyball, and Movie Fun

It's been two days on the DePauw campus, and already, enormous amounts of bonding have taken place. Today we started out with our class, in which we played games conjugating common Spanish verbs. Following such an enjoyable class, we had our free time, our precious 'tiempo libre', in which we all went our separate ways, either exercising, playing cards, or calling friends and family. Then came lunch.... Since the Hub staff must cater to such a wide array of guests (including many soccer camp adolescents), the Ecuador team has been subjected to pasta, pasta, and more pasta...cada dia! (every day). When we were all finished with

lunch, the whole group trekked over to our classroom in Julian to speak with Jennie Coy and learn about the $500 stipend we were going to receive, and after much confusing 'tax talk', we completed the necessary forms. After the meeting, our group split into 'Las Tribus' (Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru) and played many games of volleyball. Venezuela and Colombia won. Dinner followed (more pasta, what a surprise!) and we encountered a change in our schedule. Instead of group reflection time and ice cream, we all gathered in a classroom to watch "Nine Queens" (an excellent choice by Pablo) in Spanish, with English subtitles. After such a fun-filled day, we were all exhausted, but ready for the journey to continue. 

--Kirsten Ysseldyke

What direction of the leadership compass are you?

After a first daunting, confusing, amazingly overwhelming, and pleasantly surprising first day, our second full day with the Ecuador program arrived with an almost unexpected ease. We've now known each other for roughly forty-eight hours and already we've almost completely lost that signature awkwardness and timidity that surrounds most strangers. Today, we learned who leads, who invents, who nurtures, and who plans as we were led by a speaker from DePauw. We ran and jumped and fought the wind in a head-to-head battle of ultimate frisbee. We simultaneously realized we all LOVE Sandro Barros. We attempted and succeeded in leading each other, blindfolded, through an obstacle course in Leis Hall and took baby steps in order to avoid cups in the obstacle course in Montgomery Hall. We stumbled over beds, climbed under chairs, and even ran into doors (I'll admit to that one!). Overall, we learned that we're learning to trust each other, and that we're all here to help each other. I can tell you first-hand.. it's an amazing feeling. ¡Qué chevre! 

-Kenzie Weeks

Here it is... Day one!

Alright, time for the first blog posts! I take it I am writing to a bunch of anxious parents, worried for their little blossom's lives. Well so far everyone is alive... physically. But mentally and spiritually everyone is striving as well! I am taken back on how much my peers love to speak in Spanish. Everyone seems to be excited to talk in a different language as well as be in a new surroundings. Last night, everyone signed away their right to speak English. Everyone has really bought into the system and we are all simutaneously learning mucho. Today was (for almost everyone, I assume) the first day of nothing but Spanish. It was the longest duration of Spanish speaking in my life. I had fun, but my mind is still getting used to thinking in a new language. On top of complete immersion, we played a game of soccer and had our first Spanish class. It should only get better from here.

-Paul Fesenmeier

Tip of the Day

"Always be aware of time; especially when or if you're allowed to be in

groups on your own."

-Nadya Reusche

Ecuador '08

Tip of the Day

"Tell everyone to take advantage of every opportunity that is offered to them. This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can learn a lot, make a ton of good friends, and see and do things you may never get the opportunity to do again. 

Also, I wish I knew that although speaking Spanish for five weeks is a challenge, I knew more than I thought I did. And it's really not that bad to take chances and make mistakes. In fact, that's the way you learn a lot of the things you wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn otherwise."

-Katherine Janowski

Ecuador '08

Tip of the Day

" If you're thinking of not doing something, do it."

-Sam Holley-Kline

Ecuador '08

Meet another student leader!

Name: Jon Funston

Major: Religion, Spanish Minor

Graduation Year: 2009

College Activities: Two-year soccer captain, College Mentors for Kids, Founder/ President of Best Buddies at Wabash

Countries Visited: Spain, Ecuador, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, Serbia, and Germany

What you are looking forward to most for the Ecuador 2009 program: I am looking forward to helping kids make the transition into college and share with them the country and culture that I have learned to appreciate and love.  

Answer about shorts in Ecuador

We've been getting a lot of questions asking about why on the packing list does it say that shorts are not appropriate for women in Ecuador. I thought I would make a post so that everyone can read the answer.

In Ecuador, people don’t really wear shorts. Even if people are going to work on a farm, they wear a button up shirt and pants. Women especially don’t wear shorts. We tell you to not bring shorts because when we are in Ecuador and we don’t want to call attention to ourselves as Americans. However, I bring a few pairs of gym shorts and like one pair of regular shorts. To be honest, you really won’t get the chance to wear them. It is cool during the day in Quito and real cold during the night so jeans are the way to go. In the other places we are going, you’ll find yourself wanting to wear pants there too because it stays cold, especially at night.

Tip of the Day

"Accept and embrace your discomforts. I did not have toilet paper. I ran out of Germ-X. I lost my suitcase in the airport. None of this mattered in the end! You are in Ecuador to learn from these people, listen to their stories, take in the atmosphere, and dance heart out with future college friends, the bus driver, even strangers! It is such a waste to dwell on petty American discomforts. I challenge you to be uncomfortable! This trip will become what you make of it. Live it up, my friends!"

-Jenna Buehler

Ecuador '08

Meet your next leader

Name: Emma Minx

Major: Kinesiology, Spanish Minor

College Activities: Panhellenic Director of Philanthropy and Service, Vice President of Kinesiology Club, Bonner Scholar, Softball

Countries Visited: Costa Rica, Ecuador

What I'm most looking forward to for the Ecuador 2009 program: Showing the new students how awesome DePauw is and exposing them to the opportunities DePauw has to offer. Oh, and having the best tribe ever, woo woo!

Tip of the Day

"One thing I would recommend is to bring more warm clothes! I only brought one jacket and one sweatshirt. I really wish I would have brought more. Oh, and definitely bring a water bottle to use." 

-Kelly Weber

Ecuador '08

Tip of the Day

"Tell everyone to really take advantage of the whole Spanish Immersion aspect of the program. In those five weeks of the program, my fluidity in speaking Spanish improved ten-fold. "

-Phil Pascua

Ecuador '08

Meet your first student leader!

Name: Carolyn Latta

Major: Undeclared, possibly history

Graduation Year: 2012

College Activities: Honor Scholar, WGRE, The Cauldron

Countries Visited: Countries in Asia and Europe, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Ecuador

What are looking forward to for the 2009 Ecuador program: Spending time with and getting to know 21 new awesome DePauw students.

Welcome!

We are in the third year of the DePauw in Ecuador program. We are looking forward to another great year! Throughout the course of the program, you may use this blog to follow the progress of the program. In the next few weeks, you will be able to read blog posts featuring the biographies of each student leader and even some tips from past participants. Please continue to check your emails and send us any questions you have. See you all soon!