Hi guys!
So today was my second-to-last day here, as I leave tomorrow evening (but I'm trying not to think about that. I love it here). I spent this morning volunteering at the Casas orphanage next door, the one for healthy children about age 3-7.
Every week, they try and take the kids on a field trip. Today was field trip! The nuns had originally planned to take the kids to the local country club (Cuenca Tennis y Golf Club) to go swimming, but unfortunately the pool there was closed, so we ended up playing on the (very nice) playground at the club instead.
It's weird, the country club there looks like it could be placed in any somewhat wealthy suburb in the US--a few tennis courts, a sprawling golf course, a pool, and a playground. Yet on the way we passed a bunch of cows just randomly tethered to poles on the side of the road (that is actually pretty common here. It was so odd to see at first). It's interesting where the cultural differences and similarities lie.
On the playground, the kids soon learned that they could go much higher on the swings if I pulled them up by their feet than if they just swung themselves, so I spent quite a while pulling children up above my head and then releasing them in order have them swing as fast as possible. I think I pulled off a shoe or two, but that act got some awesome giggles.
After, Diana and a boy named Juan pulled me around to try out all the playground equipment. We went on teeter-totters and climbed through the jungle gym. I learned that those tube slides are definitely not built for people my height, because I kept hitting my head as I was going down (perhaps that's why they have the sign on the playground that says that it is only for children under the age of ten. I wonder).
After the playground, the kids had a snack--potato chips and this disgusting orange soda. It was so sickeningly sweet, it makes Fanta taste bitter. But the little kids liked it. We then went home, to go to our second shift. On the bus ride home, two kids fell asleep on top of me, but it was a nice feeling
My second shift today was in the OSSO orphanage, both in Casa Alegria and Casa Milagros. One of the boys, Martin, had just purchased a movie, so anyone who wanted to went to a small room to watch Captain America. (I was in the room, but didn't really get much out of the film, because it was all in Spanish, with no subtitles in either language.)
During the movie, Bryan (the deaf five-year-old boy) got a little distracted, so we ended up playing a few games with him in the room where the movie was showing--matching games and puzzles, both of which he is really good at. However, because he is deaf, he can be fairly loud without ever realizing it, and eventually it got quite distracting to the other kids, so we went to play outside.
First, he held my hand and pulled me around the grounds of the orphanage. We eventually ended up at the wheelchair swings, where he proceeded to have me push him on every swing. (He's not in a wheelchair, but the swings fit able-bodied kids as well).
After the movie finished, I went in to read to Cecilia some more, then had to feed the kids. Fortunately, I was not in charge of feeding Bryan, the boy who hates to eat, today. (He can be frustrating). Instead, I fed this boy named Martin (different Martin than the one with the movie. We have a ton of double names). He was pretty easy, but had a tendency to smile whenever I smiled, making it difficult to put food in his mouth. Therefore, I had to spend the entire time with my ridiculous not-really-a-frown (I physically can't frown) on my face in order to make it easy for me to feed him.
That was about it for tonight--I took my final Ecuadorean shower (the next shower I take won't burn or freeze me, and pretty soon I will be able to brush my teeth using tap water!), and am pretty much packed all the way.
Thanks for reading, guys. Love you all!
So today was my second-to-last day here, as I leave tomorrow evening (but I'm trying not to think about that. I love it here). I spent this morning volunteering at the Casas orphanage next door, the one for healthy children about age 3-7.
Every week, they try and take the kids on a field trip. Today was field trip! The nuns had originally planned to take the kids to the local country club (Cuenca Tennis y Golf Club) to go swimming, but unfortunately the pool there was closed, so we ended up playing on the (very nice) playground at the club instead.
It's weird, the country club there looks like it could be placed in any somewhat wealthy suburb in the US--a few tennis courts, a sprawling golf course, a pool, and a playground. Yet on the way we passed a bunch of cows just randomly tethered to poles on the side of the road (that is actually pretty common here. It was so odd to see at first). It's interesting where the cultural differences and similarities lie.
On the playground, the kids soon learned that they could go much higher on the swings if I pulled them up by their feet than if they just swung themselves, so I spent quite a while pulling children up above my head and then releasing them in order have them swing as fast as possible. I think I pulled off a shoe or two, but that act got some awesome giggles.
After, Diana and a boy named Juan pulled me around to try out all the playground equipment. We went on teeter-totters and climbed through the jungle gym. I learned that those tube slides are definitely not built for people my height, because I kept hitting my head as I was going down (perhaps that's why they have the sign on the playground that says that it is only for children under the age of ten. I wonder).
After the playground, the kids had a snack--potato chips and this disgusting orange soda. It was so sickeningly sweet, it makes Fanta taste bitter. But the little kids liked it. We then went home, to go to our second shift. On the bus ride home, two kids fell asleep on top of me, but it was a nice feeling
My second shift today was in the OSSO orphanage, both in Casa Alegria and Casa Milagros. One of the boys, Martin, had just purchased a movie, so anyone who wanted to went to a small room to watch Captain America. (I was in the room, but didn't really get much out of the film, because it was all in Spanish, with no subtitles in either language.)
During the movie, Bryan (the deaf five-year-old boy) got a little distracted, so we ended up playing a few games with him in the room where the movie was showing--matching games and puzzles, both of which he is really good at. However, because he is deaf, he can be fairly loud without ever realizing it, and eventually it got quite distracting to the other kids, so we went to play outside.
First, he held my hand and pulled me around the grounds of the orphanage. We eventually ended up at the wheelchair swings, where he proceeded to have me push him on every swing. (He's not in a wheelchair, but the swings fit able-bodied kids as well).
After the movie finished, I went in to read to Cecilia some more, then had to feed the kids. Fortunately, I was not in charge of feeding Bryan, the boy who hates to eat, today. (He can be frustrating). Instead, I fed this boy named Martin (different Martin than the one with the movie. We have a ton of double names). He was pretty easy, but had a tendency to smile whenever I smiled, making it difficult to put food in his mouth. Therefore, I had to spend the entire time with my ridiculous not-really-a-frown (I physically can't frown) on my face in order to make it easy for me to feed him.
That was about it for tonight--I took my final Ecuadorean shower (the next shower I take won't burn or freeze me, and pretty soon I will be able to brush my teeth using tap water!), and am pretty much packed all the way.
Thanks for reading, guys. Love you all!
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