A little bit more about my Job and Life

Palmar is a small town in which there are about 7 thousand people living, 2 tiny comedors ( which are like restaurants), an outdoor market and a few "stores" which are really people selling coke, instant coffee and eggs out of their living rooms. There are quite a few bars and two churches ( one is catholic and the other is evangelical something or other). While I may not be catholic, I am learning. I like to think of myself as a "Latina Catholic". I might not know Our Father in english but I can rattle off Padre Nuestro in spanish with the best.( My official counterpart is a korean nun).
Otherwise I really work directly with the youth in an organization called Neo- Juventud- Young people of Palmar with a vision for the future. There are about 50 or so kids directly involved with the group that currently operates several small buisnesses; a bakery, a buisness raising quails in order to sell the eggs ( soon we´ll be raising chickens too), and we are developing plans for a small-scale theater/cafe. Another one of our current projects is a community garden which we have just begun ( I got the honor of hauling bags of cow poop....ahhhh the life of peace corps!). Neo Juventud is active in keeping their community clean and giving weekly workshops on HIV/AIDS in order to get much need information out into their community and the surrounding campo. The province of Guayas has the highest HIV/AIDs infection rate in Ecuador. Many people just do not have access to important information on how to keep themselves safe. Also discrimination is rampant against those who are HIV positive-- hopefully with more knowledge= less discrimination and healthier choices.

The other big project in my community is reforestation/ conservation of the local Mangroves. I didn´t even know what the heck a Mangrove was until I arrived here in Palmar but trust me, they are awesome. They are one of the most interesting and important eco-systems in the world. The Mangrove forests grow in tropical climates and can live in the presence of saltwater. These trees live with their roots above the ground! (Crazy, right?) Mangroves or el Manglar (en Español) are home to a diverse array of species: fish, crustacions,birds, reptiles, microscopic animals and vegetation, insects, monkeys and even armadillos. There are several types of Mangroves-- which I´ll stick to the Latin cuz my translation into english is not gonna cut it: Rhuzophora mangle, Avicenia germinans, Leguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus. So, Mangroves= pretty much amazing.
Another part of my job is working with the Dispensario de Nuestro Señora Fatima ( the town clinic). I go out into the community, barrio to barrio, visiting women in their homes. I work with another woman and we discuss the importance of getting an annual pap smear, HIV test and recieving constant medical care (especially for pregnant/ new mothers.) Ecuadorian law mandates that all mothers and children can recieve free health care until the child turns 5 years old yet many women aren´t aware of this law and due to lack of resources don´t recieve proper medical care. So, three times a week I hit the sandy streets and knock on doors, tap on windows and call---" A ver...", Just your friendly neighborhood gringa, here to talk about pap smears.
So that is a pretty rough outline of my life here in Palmar. A couple things that catch me as strange are
- Being the only American. I live in my community and speak only Spanish. I was worried about feeling isolated but it´s actually pretty cool. Plus my spanish is way better for it. Not speaking english is the key to language learning as far as i can tell.

- It´s 2 hours and 2 buses to get to the nearest post-office where I get my mail.
- I work everyday. They told us P.Corps was a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year deal--- I remember thinking a distinct, "whatever". But it´s true.
- Wild packs of dogs. There are dog gangs here. The cushy american notion of the cuddly, tail-wagging canine is officially cultural.
- It´s a small town. Did I mention that? I thought I signed up for URBAN youth development. I am the unofficial town gringa. Which has its ups and downs. Like the cute elderly couple that sell bananas at the market who call me their niña and give me kisses whenever I pass by, or the tienda lady who gives me extra peppers when I buy eggs or the groups of school girls who run up and give me hugs. But I am the target of every stumbling, borracho man in the street. That sucks. But overall people have recieved me with open arms into their lives and community and I feel safe and welcome.
- But it gets better--- At night without a computer, internet, t.v. (not that i had one before cuz t.vs are lame), movies, a social life---- I cook from scratch, paint, write poems and stories and read lots of books. I run and do my own attempt at yoga... I do all the things I love doing without distraction. ( although thanks to the fam i have a portable dvd player and can watch MOVIES!!) THANKS FAMILY!!!!
Well---this is a HUGE rambling letter. This first few months have been saturated with newness, discoveries and change. Like any job/ life I know soon enough I will settle in and routine with find me and my life will become normalish. But for now--- I wake up and drink my coffee with joy. Each morning is exciting and I am grateful for this opportunity and am eager to soak it all in, work hard, get stuff done and GROW!