wait anesam yurumak surustar

"Give me food please!" That's my newest Achuar phrase... what do you think? hahaha :) Well it's cool that they're confident that I can learn at least a little bit... and that I'm actually retaining bits and pieces! BUT, I think that's all it will be... small necesary phrases! :)

Well, the volunteer who has been in the nearest community (a forty minute walk) teaching kids at the school contracted malaria and is out for at least a month in Quito visiting doctors and being treated. The volunteer coordinator has now moved to try to start a new English program in another community (twenty five minutes by motorized canoe). So... I am the only English teaching volunteer left... which feels a bit isolating, but in true Kate fashion, I like it better. Now, it's not as bad as it may sound, I have the chance to speak English to the guests of the lodge and I'm in the easiest environment around. I'm living in staff quarters of the hotel in a wooden raised cabin/bungalow thingy (now sharing with a nice Achuar girl my age who is a housekeeper and one of only two women employees)! I eat meals, lunch and dinner (cause I don't get up for 6am breakfast of meat and rice) with the employees in a kind of what I imagine to be a military-esque atmosphere. There are two long table with benches... there are old chipped mugs and a large jug of "kool aid"... then the food gets put on a ledge and everyone grabs there metal plate. It usually (almost always) consists of a large pile of rice and some kind of small meat portion (more times than not chicken)... sometimes you get a soup (more random vegtable, meat combos... with like chicken feet and necks etc)... if you're lucky there is a sweet baked plantain, but more times than not it's yucca or the bland plantain... and if you're really lucky there's some semblance of lettuce or vegtable. That's every meal. They try to vary it as much as possible, but... let's just say there's only so many concoctions with the same meats, rice, once in a blue moon pasta, tuna (which I don't even like, but I eat happily here), yucca, and plantain! :) Now, I'm definitely NOT complaining... every man who works physically ten times as hard as I do everyday is surviving on the very same food and portions! There is no such thing as snacks or dessert for employees (not gonna lie... for those of you who know my eating habits... SUPER hard)! BUT, I have also learned some of the tricks already... I have been fortunate to make some friends in the kitchen (like the head chef for the guests... who eat like calamari, shrimp, pudding, fruit, etc)... and every once in a blue moon there's a special treat. Like one night the ham was going to go bad so we (like five young employees and me) got permission to make a pizza... it was SO good! And then, on valentine's day... there was BREAD! The first time I've had bread in almost a month... I've never been so happy to eat bread and drink coffee (also something I don't really like) in my life!!!!!!!! And then... there's the one brown nosing student who brought me a chocolate bar... or my friend the bartender who gifted me a cold beer (as EVERYTHING is super expensive here, due to it having to be flown in and all, that I don't ever buy it)... or then there was the one night with animal crackers and icing, that was truly amazing!
Who knew the little things in life could make your entire day or WEEK! :)
Did I mention there are two rats permanently living in my room and my clothes! Oh yes... and there was a boa constrictor found under my dwelling two mornings ago?! And we found a tiny baby cayman (crocodile like animal) on the path?! Or that today there was the most hilarious incident after lunch... there was some kind of "peanunt head" insect that supposedly is really dangerous if it bites you, so two of my friends decided they needed to capture it with a cereal box and random other items from the recyling bin?! It was huge and they were so scared... it was crazy! I'm sure I haven't even mentioned the bats that fly around like crazy every night... even into kitchens and cabins... I'm even starting to get used to them!
So a day in the life...
6am: Woken up by current roommate
7am: Woken up by alarm clock
7:30am: Finally get out of bed
8am: Class with two guides
9am: Class with housekeeping and kitchen staff
10am: Class with waitor and barkeeper
11 am: sometimes class
12pm: Lunch
1pm: Class with administrative assistants
2pm: Class with THE BOSS
3-5: Internet, Planning lessons, Talking with guests
5pm: Class with beginners (random)
6pm: Dinner
7pm: Class with matenience
8pm: Internet, Talking with guests
9-11pm: Chatting, Playing Cards, Watching Movies, Karokeing with young employees

All the while trying to observe my assignments in their natural setting (greetings and introductions in English at the river dock, presentation of menu in English, helping customers at bar in English, etc.) My classes are in a makeshift classroom in the Achuar men's staff quarters about a 5-10 minute walk on a boardwalk and then trail through the jungle from the lodge. It's cool that they're held there because the guys are more comfortable, they can't skip class cause I'm there, and I get an insider's view and invites into their everyday world (which can sometimes be a bit much) :)
Now, I don't have classes on Mondays and Fridays becasue those are the operations days where the whole schedule is up in the air due to guests' flights coming and going on those days. So generally speaking I have class five days a week... unless someone asks for extra or make up class and then I obviously oblige on those operations days as well. If not, I have been doing everything from canoe rides, to community visits, to washing kayaks, to playing soccer and volleyball, to just plain hanging out and reading a book or two!
I have to say that without these days to play catch up and enjoy my surroundings I think it would be a bit overwhelming, but as it is... it's pretty nice schedule and I feel super duper fortunate to be here experiencing all of this!
Just thought I'd give you a little better idea of the logistics and my day to day life as it's shaping up to be right now!
Hasta Luego!
Kate