Week 5 thoughts from Ecuador, 2011

  October 14

Mercado: CHECK!
[These items were pre-sold as a fundraiser for my time volunteering with Isla Urbana during 2011-2012 in Mexico City]

90 Manjar candies (sharing!)
5 bags coconut cookies (sharing!)
4 bars guayava-fruit (sharing!)

250 colored pencils (25 sets)
18 pairs coconut and horn earrings
10 hammocks
4 Nativity scenes
17 bracelets
23 keychains
And more :)

Note: I have three remaining hammocks, and many earring sets, keychains, and bracelets left. Support the cause! :)

Soon,
Rose

-
Last breakfast / ultimo desayuno en Ecuador:

Fruit salad - Papaya(!!), pineapple(!), apple.
Saltines, cheese I bought off some farmers, and honey
Orito (like a mini banana)
Carrot & orange juice(!!!) Jugo de zanahoria y naranja
I am blessed.
-
And I have an awesome home-cooked lunch on the stove!
-
Oooo and I ate half a Taxo. :)

---
October 13

[I fundraised for my trip to Mexico City by selling Ecuadorian crafts]

And how shall I explain these 20 bundles of pine colored pencils to US customs in Miami? Well, I'll say, It's all for a great cause! :)
Thanks so much for your support, all!

-
I -really- miss you guys.
I always hit a "extremely miss my friends & family" mode after one month of being abroad.
Looking forward to seeing you next week.
-
And how shall I explain these 20 bundles of pine colored pencils to US customs in Miami? Well, I'll say, It's all for a great cause! :)
Thanks so much for your support, all!
-
I -really- miss you guys.
I always hit a "extremely miss my friends & family" mode after one month of being abroad.
Looking forward to seeing you next week.

 

Week 4 thoughts from Ecuador, 2011

October 10
You keep telling me "But Rose, it's so tropical in Ecuador!" If by tropical you mean immensely dry, daily high of 70 but average of 60, goosebumps if I walk down to the main floor, and thunder storms most afternoons, sure, it's warm and tropical.

Read: I'm really sorry to be missing the lovely Oregon summer and fall. On the coast it was warmer but almost always overcast. Unfortunately I came during their cloudy season
-
I think I've found a cure for my tired muscles:
Ecuador Hotels Papallacta Hot Springs Ecuadorian Spa, Hotel in Ecuador

---
October 9
Thrilled to be serving with Isla Urbana in November - Its founder Enrique was recently featured in a video created by the Clinton Global Initiative in NYC. CHEERS!
-
Isla Urbana recently helped ambitious high school students install a rainwater harvesting system on their school - now the students have potable water, and the school saves on its water bill.
-
En Espanol - fantastic video of Isla Urbana installing rainwater harvesting systems on roofs of homes in rural Mexico. Let there be water!
Ve este peliqula de Isla Urbana instalando systemas de cosechear la lluvia de los techos rurales en Mexico. Ya hay AGUA!
-
My chill, green neighborhood-to-be in Mexico City (and eadquarters of Isla Urbana)
And there's a foot spa three doors down! From the looks of it, I bet a foot massage is $5. Hmmmm.

---
October 8
[While in Ecuador, my lovely grandmother Teresa passed away]

I miss my Grammy's smiley eyes, her silly heart, and solid hugs.
Family, my heart is with you. This morning I'm quietly sitting in Quito, and am with you in prayer and thought.

Love,
Miss Rose
-
CRAVING real American cookies. It hit me about three days ago.
Ecuador seems to have great croissants and decent wafers, but no real cookies!!! MOM, I return home Oct 16!---
October 6
The eerie creamy orange cloudforest enveloped us as we wound through the lush tropics of the Andes mountains. I hung my arm out the window, and instantly my hand chilled from the wind as condensation beaded and slowly dripped off my arm.
-While in the Andes I purchased a cacao fruit... hope to post its photo soon!\

Ecuadorian handicrafts: Check 'em out!

$10 - Thin scarf

$5 - Black horn + Brown coconut earrings

$5 - Seed keychains

$15 -  Coconut with silver inlay earrings +

 Necklace pendants

$10 - Giant pine coloring pencils

$10 -  Seed wrap bracelets

$10 -  Tiny seed earrings

On October 23 I'm delighted to return to Mexico, and devote 2 months to live in Mexico City to volunteer on a humanitarian relief project for  Isla Urbana, or Urban Island.  Please read the full story beneath the photos.

My fundraising goal is $700 so I can volunteer an additional two months.  To aid my fundraising efforts, you can make a direct donation through PayPal to me.

Your donation is a way for you to touch the poor and provide clean water to thirsty families by supporting my mission.

But what about awesome Ecuadorian handicrafts?

Sure!  You may as well receive some cool stuff while you are donating (think: Christmas gifts).

Free high-quality two person hammock to the person who orders the most items!  Please look through the following photos and let me know what you're interested in, and how many you want.

Email concise requests to me by October 12.  Do not comment on this post with your request.  I'm willing to mail orders for an extra $5 (not including the pencils.)

Minimum donation prices are listed in the photo description.

If you plan on seeing me for the PARTY on OCT 22, plan on paying me then.  Otherwise feel free to PayPal any time.  (See below re: party plans)

LOVE, and thank you for supporting me in this fantastic endeavor!

- Rose

----------------

WHY ISLA URBANA MATTERS

More than 8 million people in Mexico City have little or no access to running water.  

Mothers give birth in hospitals, and there is no water to wash the newborns with.  Families must pay for trucks to deliver large tanks of water to their homes, and although the government heavily subsidizes the cost, the need to cook and bathe with water in their home stretches budgets even thinner.
There is simply not enough water for everyone.  Despite piping in water from a hundred miles away (which daily consumes as much electricity as the entire city of London), many of the city's water pipes remain dry all year long.  What is there to do?

A small humanitarian organization has found a small-scale answer to this water scarcity, and I'm volunteering my time to further their noble mission.

Isla Urbana, or Urban Island, installs rainwater harvesting systems (RWH) on rooftops in the thirstiest of neighborhoods.  The principle is simple:  rain provides over 50% of a family's water needs through a simple system of gutters, a cistern, and filtration.  

Their website (in English!) explains in great detail how the rainwater harvesting revolution changes lives one house, one hospital, and one dry village at a time.  They hire and train local plumbers and purchase all supplies at local stores to support local economy.  Check out the video by BBC News on their home page for an informative overview of the process.

WHAT I’M GOING TO DO ABOUT IT

On October 23 I'm delighted to return to Mexico, and devote 4 months to live in Mexico City to volunteer for Isla Urbana.  The founder is a dear friend of mine whom I met in 2002.  I will have easy access to safe transportation and services.  Meals are cooked at the headquarters for a small fee.  I will be well cared for, and do my best to salsa dance frequently.

I plan to volunteer through the end of 2011.  The position is completely unpaid, and I must pay for lodging, food, transportation, etc.

I would love to stay and volunteer longer, but as you can imagine, my budget restrains me.  I have some remote work opportunities through an employer in the US, but it is not enough to sustain me while volunteering.

My fundraising goal is $700 so I can volunteer an additional two months.  Budget:  $350 per month.   $200/mo lodging, $75/mo food, $50/mo health and trip insurance, and $25/mo transportation and incidentals.  I will cover the cost of all additional adventures and entertainment :)

Here' s the plan:

Fundraise for my trip by offering amazing artisan works from Ecuador at a ridiculous price, allowing you to purchase exotic Christmas gifts for your friends and family.

Throw a HUGE party on October 22 in Salem, Oregon.  It's my birthday, going-away, and Christmas party ALL IN ONE!

Provide free Ecuadorian food and sweets, and plenty of Ecuadorian jewelry, textiles, and novelties for sale.  The jewelry is gorgeous, crafted from polished coconut, horn, silver, and seed.

Please look through the attached photos and let me know which items you are interested in, and in what quantity.   The prices are in the photo description.  Prices for nicer items are SUPER cheap and a larger donation is always welcome.  I’m willing to mail everything but the pencils if you toss in an extra $5 for S&H.  

Free high-quality two-person hammock to whomever orders the most items.

OCTOBER 22^ND EXTENDED FIESTA SCHEDULE:

- 3 pm: Extreme lawn bowling, extreme lawn croquet, and frisbee at the NW corner of Bush Park by the Bush House/Bush Barn.  Historic weather says 64 degrees.  Feel free to bring any games or finger food, and a bit of cash to donate to the cause.  Bring the family!  Near Mission & High St.

- 6 pm: Dinner at Venti's Bento (Teriyaki etc) family-friendly pub, meeting upstairs.  Bring the family!  And bring extra cash to donate to the cause.  

 325 Court St NE.

- 8 pm: House party downtown.  My very first one.  The venue is more than cool for a late night party; likely live music, I'm looking into buying a half-keg, plenty of social mixing, and general festivities.  Bring snacks, alcohol, and cash to donate to the cause.  667 15th St NE near North H.S.

Thank you for believing in me and for supporting me and this cause that affects so many on a global scale.

I love you one million!  See you in a few weeks!

Rosi

Week 3 thoughts from Ecuador, 2011

Oct 2
Content. Jungle treck yesterday and today. Fruit cannot be more fresh when harvested on spot with machete. Awesome to be with my friends again.

---
Oct 1
Raw sugar cane literally yanked from the ground and handed to me. Mmmmmmm.
With Eli and 50 middle school girls hiking through the jungle.

---
Sept 30
I continue my daily ritual in Manta: Yesterday I stood in the ocean as the sun set, held out my two fists, and extended my fingers one at a time as I thanked God for something that overwhelmingly blesses me.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I humbly thanked God for you, for the knowledge that I have so many wonderful friends back home who truly believe in me.
Thank you.
Love -

---
Sept 29
Supercontenta with mis friends por la costa - comida rica, pero no hay sun! (Spanglish)
-
Morocho!

Fashion rescue!

Your fashion advice needed TODAY!

In effort to fundraise for my upcoming volunteer trip to Mexico, I will be selling items from Ecuador for a great price.  I need to decide on about four products to bring back.  I can only buy at a cheap price if I buy in quantity.  Will you kindly look over the photos of jewelry, Nativities, scarves, and pine pencils?  It'd help me a whole lot.

PLEASE glance over these and tell me:
- Which three things you love and would buy for yourself or as a gift
- Which three things you would never buy
- If there are any I could charge a lot more for.  Group D is the key group - I will have a decent profit margin if I can sell these items at $15

It would be easiest if you could identify what you are describing either with the exact text description, or the four digit number ex "0019".

There are four sections:
a $5
b $5 or 10  (help me on pricing?)
c $10

d $10 or 15 (help me on pricing?)

Email me
LOVE!


=========================================================
$5
A

a 9983-5 Seed ER

a 0025-5 Coco simple ER

a 9983-5 Shell ER

a 9997-5 Woven // bamboo ER

a 9980-5 Wood ER

a 9999-5 Horn // coco ER

==================================================================
$5 or $10
B

b 9994-5or10 thin scarf

b 9941-5or10 Seed bracel0

==================================================================
$ 10
C

c 9984-10 Stone ER

c 0013-10 nut necklace

c 0022-10 Coco inlay Ring

c 0026-10 tiny seed ER

c 9934-10 Giant Pine color pencils

c 0037-10 wrap bracel

==================================================

$10 or $15
D

d 0001-10or15 Horn silver inlay ER

d 0006-10or15 Coco silver inlay ER

d 0054-10or15 Nativ Angel

d 9949-10or15 Nativity sm

d 9984-10or15 Pearl ER

Week 2 thoughts from Ecuador, 2011

It's interesting to observe how our personal values change -

This year for Christmas and my birthday, all I want is a SmartWool base layer, a fleece, and funds to sustain me on my humanitarian aid trip to Mexico City.  


And all my needs are met, and I am perfectly content.


--
Sept. 26
‎12 days in Ecuador and I've yet to wear my shorts. Humphhhh. I'm headed to the beach tomorrow!
-
Today I saw a medical specialist.  The bill?  $40.  And he says I'm perfectly fine.  Further reminder that everything looks different in Ecuador.


---
Sept. 23
MANTA: YA vengoooo! 27 Sept - 1 Oct. Reunimos en el heladeria El Flamingo atras de Mi Comisariato el Viernes 30 de Sept. a las 7:00 pm (lo confirmo la hora de la reunion mas tardecito). Contactame si quieres reunir aparte de ese - numero celular Movi es 083 850 864. Abrazos!
-
BTW: Yesterday I was nauseous and stayed in bed all day except to run to the toilet all morning and eat about 1c rice and five bites of chicken. I finally arose at 6pm, only to leave the house at 8pm to a formal house dinner. 
The first finger food to eat: gelatinous caviar and pate. I harnessed deep inner focus to not spit it out. 
At 1am I quietly stared at my friend and whispered that it was appropriate I go home and back to bed. He simply told everyone my back hurt (true). Apparently it was rude to leave before the honored Spaniards, but I was beyond caring about formalities.
Dinner was fantastic, company was interesting, and I was proud to follow all the academic, economic, and historic discussions throughout the evening. Except I became a bit lost when they spoke of a Spanish / French war. Spanish jargon is, at times, lost on me.

I am delighted to have been invited, and so glad I was actually coherent most of the evening.

Today I felt even better than normal. Alcohol poisoning? (Mojitos at the Cuban restaurant)

Midnight is bed time -


---
Sept. 22
The only thing worse than vomiting through one's nose while defecating is doing so while entirely alone in a foreign country.
I've been in bed the last 11 hours, and should be back on my feet tomorrow. And I had a friend helping me a few hours after the first disaster hit.
Note to Rose: Don't eat so much.
-
Tonight I go to an ultra fancy dinner and pretend I am perfectly well. Wish me luck. (Sigh)
-
This is life. I anticipate vomiting and all that comes with it when I travel. No fun, but I may as well be a realist and not be surprised when it hits.


---
Sept. 21
Por fin me gradué - en adición a Google Translate y Word Reference, estoy utilizando el diccionario Real Academia Española. Paso a paso...

---
Sept. 20
Papaygasmic. Profoundly decided, singularly the best papaya I've had in my life. There were tears in my eyes as I lustily inhaled this fruit's pink flesh. Last night was Guanabagastic. Oh America, why must you be so far from tropical fruit?
VIVA ECUADOOOOOOOOOR!
-
Martirio: Flor de Piel. I love discovering new life through music. The entire disc es una maravilla.

Early thoughts from Ecuador, 2011

---

Sept. 19

Just want you to know I'm thinking about you...
Love from Ecuador -

---

Sept. 16

I wake up slowly, drowsy, disoriented. I briefly wonder where I am. Then with any facial movement I painfully note the thick tube of boogers cemented to the lining of the entirety of both nostrils and remember, "Aaaaah, I am in Quito."

(The air is exceptionally dry here and promotes nasty nostrils. Fortunately I just remembered in 2009 I learned to line my nostrils with Vaseline or Neosporin before sleeping to prevent said malady. Tomorrow will be a better morning.)

I could tell you all about the wonderful fruit and good company and happy memories and coming plans... But this is just more pressing at the moment.  Travel isn't as glamorous as it seems.

-

I quietly watch the brilliantly green picaflor hummingbird and the large brown and cream doves play in the back yard as I dry the dishes from Blanquita's delicious freshly prepared lunch. I am blessed.

Locro de papas, ensalada de verduras con vinagre basalmico, corvina con ajo, arroz especial, y jugo de zanahorias y tangerina. Riquisisisisimio!

Blanquita is my friend's second mom, and the house help, and an excellent cook, and a wise woman full of grace.

---

Sept. 15

SOBREVIVÌ! Safe and overtired and happily on my way to bed in Quito, Ecuador after 34 hours of travel. Besitos -

---

Sept. 13

Checked in online for international flight. 

37 hours of travel. I'd be grateful for your prayers! Sanity, emotional calm, and centeredness. So far, I've packed my pillow, socks, underwear, and passport. I'm packing light. :) (late night packing tonight.)
I leave Salem at 12:00 noon Tuesday, and arrive in Quito 12:50 am THURSDAY.

My trip is fairly organized - 3 weeks in Quito and surrounding area with a friend, and one week backpacking the costal area where I lived during 2009. Please pray for my safety during this time.

Miami Beach. Feels like 96f, Thunderstorms. Guess where I have a 7 hour layover tomorrow? :)

I'M LEAVING-ONA JETPLANE-DON'TKNOW WHENI'LL BE BACKAGAIN. (August 22)

Second certified dive: Super success

Today Hiro and I took an afternoon dive at Redondo Beach south of Seattle in the Puget Sound. It was phenomenal.

After entering the water, I spent time working with my drysuit practicing the scenario that freaks me out the most. After figuring out how to move my body to avoid my previous errors, I felt much more in control and eager to set out exploring.

The small crabs were wandering all over the 10’ pebble and shell-covered sea floor, silvery perch flitted around us, and I was pretty happy. Everything changed as we hit 15’ and approached the tall, thick wood poles that supported a building pier at the water’s surface.

The first fascinating creature was a jellyfish, likely Lion’s Mane. What a graceful beaut she was! Giant (2’) starfish and sunstars of all colors wandered the floor and were climbing up the poles.

We descended to 30’. Sculpins, rockfish, and suckerfish wandered the bottom, a northern poacher fish showed its head, and graceful flowery white feathery plumose anemones covered a sunken metal box sheltering a giant red rock and a long-horned crab.

Near the end of our dive, Hiro motioned for me to pause and look up. The sun finally came out, and it the vis was so good that we were able to see sunbeams piercing through the surface and diffusing into the water. While we rested in gratitude and wonderment, perhaps 100 rockfish and perch were literally circling us, checking us out as we froze in place. THAT was nifty!

My air was down to 750, and it was time to surface. (We try to end the dive with a minimum of 500). We floated and chatted as the sun sank behind the hills, silhouetting fishermen as they busied themselves with their lines, children pointed at us and waved, and we deemed it a perfect dive.

I floated seemingly alone for a time, inflating my drysuit to its maximum and looking like a puffed up marshmallow, and restfully thanked God for a fantastic dive trip to Seattle. The sun slowly set, piercing through the clouds, reflecting off the water in a light honey color, and I was perfectly content.

I finally met both of my diving goals: I didn’t die, and I had fun. :)

THANKS, Norm, Blake, Hiro, Salem Scuba, et all for your support and empowerment in this adventure!

BTW: Best restaurant in Washington is the Jade Garden in Chinatown, Seattle. The Dim sum was great, but the experience of food presentation and service was certainly nothing I’ve ever experienced in all my travels. Check it out. The best food in Washington is located in the kitchens of my Italian relatives. :)

 

First certified dive: an awkward, interesting nightmare

August 30, 2011

Yesterday's dive was a nightmare; at night, in the dark, 46' under water, multiple panic attacks, a fair amount of tears and hyperventilation, and I only pushed through by yelling at myself and by clutching my dive buddy Hiro's hand - I was terrified I'd float straight to the surface like my first drysuit dive (feet first, rocketing strait up, no chance of parole.)

BUT we saw a GPO (Giant Pacific Octopus, largest octopus species in the world) with some empty crab shells from his dinner right outside his home, dungeness crab, red rock crab, Graceful Decorator crab (which had algae and iridescent kelp growing off their skinny long spider legs), alabaster nudibranch (SO GORGEOUS), iridescent kelp, perch, rock fish, sailfin sculpin, longhorned crab, three types of shrip (LOVE), hermit crab, and various types of five-legged and sunstar starfish. Sunstar have somewhere around 20 legs.

When we finally arrived to the surface, my ears were killing me and I was quietly sobbing. Overall, the dive was not worth it. Fortunately today's dive redeemed yesterday's...

BTW: We were in Alki Beach at Seacrest Park on the other side of the Seattle bay. It was so lovely to walk along the shoreline and pick blackberries while watching the sun set on Seattle.
 

Wedding at Santo Domingo

Mercado 20 de Noviembre

Fireworks for Dia de los Muertos

Something for everyone