Chardonae's Report

March 9, 2008

March 2008

Hola!

Do you know how amazing it feels to have a conversation with a Spanish-speaking person and actually understand most (if not all) of what they are saying?

My new host family is wonderful! I now have almost 2 months with them. We live with other family members in the same building. But, we are not all in the same house. My new home is actually like 3 homes in one. The brothers of my host dad and their families live downstairs and I live upstairs. My little cousins are always coming upstairs to visit me. They are sooo sweet!

About a month ago, we celebrated an Ecuadorian holiday called "Carnaval". This festival is celebrated for about 4 days. To my understanding, I would say this holiday is to go to beaches/pools and past time with your family/friends throwing water at each other. I spent the last day of "Carnaval" with my family and one of my school friends. We went somewhere in the mountains called "El Cerro". In "Cerro" we were able to mount horses, ride water bicycles in a lake, see ostriches and listen to live Ecuadorian entertainment. I had lots of fun!

Presently, I am on vacation from school until April. My school friends graduated last month and most of them left to start university in other Ecuadorian provinces. I spend some of my vacation days with the few friends I still have left here in Machala. I also spend some of my days with my exchange friends and the most of my time is spent with my new family.

A week ago, I returned from a Rotary trip to the Amazon Jungle. It was amazing! I took a 15 hour bus to Quito then a 30 minutes plane trip to Coca before taking a 3 hour canoe ride to the Amazon Jungle. We stayed at a place Yachana Lodge. Yachana Lodge uses the money that visitors pay to help with conserving the jungle and to help the poor people. In the mornings, we went to the Yachana High School to help out with things such as; making bracelets, building path ways, helping out with school inventory and sometimes even helping out in the kitchen. We also had free time to interact with the students. In the afternoons we took walks in the jungle or went up the river in a canoe and floated down with life vests. I had a lot of fun and someday I wish to return.

My new family is sooo loving! I am presently learning how to cook different Ecuadorian dishes from my aunt that lives downstairs. I can’t wait to return home in The Bahamas and cook for my family! I am sure that my Ecuadorian aunt will be very proud of me! Now that my returning flight is booked, I keep thinking of the 3 months that I have left here. It seems so far but yet sooo close…

Being an exchange student is extraordinary wonderful!

I can never express to Rotary how thankful I am for this opportunity to be here in such a wonderful country. But, nevertheless, I will try!

Muchisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisisimas gracias!

(That is how we say thanks-a-lot here in Ecuador when we really mean it!)

- Nae!