Voting, Carnival, Valentine's Day surprise,

As some of you may know, Ecuador has just had their elections where they elected second term Rafael Correa. Through election season, I have learned a lot about the way Ecuador holds its elections. First, and perhaps most interesting, voting is obligatory in Ecador. This means that every citizen 18 and over HAS to vote (16-17 is optional). On voting day (Sunday), everyone must go to the polls in their area. There are tables that are assigned about 300 people by last name and sex. The voter goes to their table and receives four big pieces of paper that have the names and pictures (for those who don't read) of all the candidates. There were about 35 people running for president and just as many (if not more) political parties. The president must receive 51% of the popular vote. If he/she does not recieve 51% of the vote, another election is held in March between the top two candidates. Correa secured 68% of the vote, so another election was not necessary. After you vote you receive a card that states the year and that you completed your duty. Voting means chosing someting for every option; you can't leave anything blank. This voting card you need for everything. If you want to buy a car, open a bank account, etc. the tellers have to ask for your cedula (ID) and your voting card. I find this fascinating.

On Monday February 11, my host family and I went to Chota for Carnival. Carnival is a celebration of water, signifying life, for the beginning of lent. This means that everyone gets together and throws water, shoots foam, and covers each other in paint. It's a fun tradition and no one is spared. Unfortunately while in Chota I picked up something more than just paint and foam. On Wednesday, I woke up at 2 a.m. with a sharp pain in my stomach. I spent the day throwing up. I'll spare you the rest of the details, but I have been sick ever since. I am getting better each day though!

On Valentine's day I stayed home from training because I was still pretty sick. At about 11:30 p.m. I woke up to use the bathroom. I had a pretty bad headache and was falling back asleep when I heard this music getting louder and louder. I was pretty confused because everyone was sleeping when I got up. The music got so loud I thought, "What the heck is going on?" I remembered, my host dad has a music group. Then I had the thought, "Why are they practicing so late?" Pretty confused and a little angry at this point I hear my host mom say, "Go get Emily up!" Prepared for this I wait for my host sister to run into the room. She runs in and tells me to get up. When I ask her what is going on she says something I don't understand. So I get up and I see my host mother and sister standing at the main door. Outside the door is my host dad's group was playing love songs to my host mom (there was still 20 minutes of Valentine's Day left). When I get to the door my host mom says, "Serenade!" (Earlier that night she was telling me that Eric needed to come to my window and serenade me with his ukulele.) I would have prefered the serenade take place at, oh, 9:00? But I guess you don't get to choose a random act of love :)

"Love doesn’t sit there like a stone it has to be made like bread: re-made all the time, made new."

Much love,
Emily

How to Change Seats While Riding a Roller Coaster:

If being a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT) is like being on a three month roller coaster ride, than being a married PCT is like being on that same ride while sharing a seat. Sharing that seat comes with both its ups and downs (no pun actual intended, but let's keeping going and see what we get out of it).

As the ride starts you have someone to talk with, confided in, and if necessary hold your hand. As the drops and sharp curves come you do not scream as loud because you truly know you're not in to alone (and you don't want to hurt the other person’s ears). Somehow the ride starts to feel smoother but the seat you’re sharing starts to feel smaller because it truly meant for one. Your PCT husband, wife, partner starts to only notice half the ride, half the experience. Then you realize you too are only experiencing half the ride as well. You look behind you and other PCTs still have their hands up, screaming in the wind. You look ahead and see the weeks of track left with all its dips and curves but you are already starting to reflect on haw nice the ride was. Because you and your PCT partner have worked out a system, where you hold her stead on the drops because you like them and she doesn't, she pins you to the side of the seat to lessen the effect of the curves, and you both look forward but only to one side when going uphill. Don't get me wrong it is a pleasant ride but when you look back and see all those hands and hear all those screaming voices you realize you are missing part of the ride.

I use this long roller coaster metaphor mainly to prepare my family and friends for the latest news in our Ecuador service. I also wrote it to encourage of PCT couple to do what we are doing (if the similar conditions exist).

Em and I are now living in separate houses (no we are not separating). I am moving to a new host family. Although we love our host family and are doing really well in training, our Spanish is suffering from around each other 24/7. Neither of us understands enough of all the parts of speech to hold a long conversation with each other and we often revert back to using English. Monday-Friday; 7am-5pm we are around 25+ PCT (unmarried or single however you take it) who HAVE TO talk in Spanish all weekend and every night in Spanish and they just want to speak in their 1st language. I am currently on an English ban for two weeks (not listen or speaking any English) but I know that it is not enough. Emily and I have decided that we will live with separate host families during the rest of training so that our language skills will increase at the rate of other PCTs. Many married PCTs have a hard time learning a language at the speed of a single PCT. So we are trying to squash that.

To settle your fears here are a list of questions I thought you might ask if I were to tell you this in person:

1. Are you and Emily doing ok?

Yes, we could not be better and our love and support of each is at its strongest.

2. Did Peace Corps make you separate?

No, we talked with them about some language strategies and this was one of the options.

3. Are you far from each other?

No, only two blocks away and we see each other almost everyday

4. How/ who is the new host family?

The new family is great a little quiet and reserved but I am slowly breaking that shell

5. Can you visit each other?

Of Course, Em has the same family so I feel comfortable going over there and they know us as a couple and love us both. My new family was more than happy to hear that I was married and has welcomed Emily over whenever she wants. Ecuador is all about family and is sad to see a couple live a part but understands why we have chosen this option.

6. Why have you not called, Skyped, or emailed me?

Two reasons first is the lack of time. When living with Emily's family we both had internet, but very little time during the week we are up at 6am, in training from 8-5pm, family time from 6-8pm and in bed by 9pm. on the weekend that family keeps you busy with something 6am-9pm.
Now that I am with my new family I have lots of time. But problem number two I have no internet. So, I am spending a lot of time getting to re-know the Spanish language and myself lol.

If you have anymore questions or concerns please email me of comment. Emily and I are having a good time here and really want to grow in the language. As far as the metaphor goes just think of it as new seats on the ride a better, scarier view. But if we need support we just need to reach out to each other. Now that I am done being calm, I need to throw my hands up and scream into the wind.

Always
Eric Aiken

-" Life can be like a roller coaster...
And just when you think you've had enough,
and you’re ready to get off the ride and take the calm, easy merry-go round...
You change your mind, throw you hands in the air
and ride the roller coaster all over again.
That's exhilaration...that's living a bit on the edge...that's being ALIVE." (Unknown to me)

-Life is a roller coaster, but I feel a change. (Donny Most aka Ralph Malph of Happy Days)

curiouser and curiouser

Last weekend Eric and I did our first load of laundry. It was long overdue (we were running out of clean socks and underwear). I have to say after doing my first load of laundry I can see why Ecuador is where clothes go to die. Ecuadorians use what is called a piedra de lavar to wash clothes (see picture). After soaking the clothes for a day you rub the clothes with a bar of soap and scrub with a brush and on the stone. Then you use a cup and pour water on the clothes rubbing against the stone until all the soap is gone.  Then you ring the clothes out and hang them up to dry on the line. A lot more work than we are used to for a load of laundry!

Last Saturday our host sister invited us to play soccer and basketball.  Little did we know we were signing up for a whole day tournament of basketball and soccer! A few of the catholic churches in the area came for a tournament in a nearby city. We got up at 6:30 a.m. and left for the tournament at 7:00 a.m. We arrived in El Quinche at around 8. We all went to misa (mass) and then began playing the tournament. We didn’t end up playing soccer because they had a lot of people to play, but Eric and I both played basketball. 

     Being pretty tired, it was a good practice in language when we were not 100% alert. From here the day had an interesting turn in events. In the first game they told us they were giving the other team a 12 point lead to start because we were “too good”. I’m not exactly sure how they knew this, but somehow they were sure of it. We won the first game and waited to play the next team in the finals (there were only four teams). However, last minute, another team entered into the tournament (after the first round). There was some talk about this and it was finally decided that they would play the team that we beat. In the next round we played in the first finals. We again beat the team. We were pretty beat by the time the second finals came around. It was about 3:00 and the games were 40 minutes each and very tiring! We were about to start the game when the “officials” said that we could play in the second finals but Eric, myself and our other good player could not play. They said it wouldn’t be fair considering the other team was much younger than us and Eric and I are extraneros (foreigners). Considering we were only playing with five people, this didn’t give us many choices. Eventually they agreed to let us play, however, there was some tension between one of our players and a player on the opposing team. Being tired and not wanting a fight to break out, Eric and I decided it would be best to leave. Instead some people we came with played in our places. In the end our team lost the basketball finals and won the soccer championship. After our team was done taking pictures with our trophy (a huge rosary) we finally were able to go home.

The next day we got up early again to climb Ilalo (an old volano). See pictures.

Thus far it has been a great experience. I am curious to see what other adventures we will encounter.