August 29, 2008

So, the spa opened officially on Monday. There are several details pending, well, like we’re still waiting on the rest of the curtains and still need some furniture, but it’s coming along nicely. We’ve had minimal clients until yesterday, when we had about 7 throughout the day, which is quite good so far I think. We still have to get some services up and running (there’s some glitch with the steamroom, but the sauna works just fine).

I had 2 clients yesterday, a tourist and a local (I get more of a cut for the tourists as the locals get a seriously discounted rate). The tourists were a NY family had just flown back from Isabela (mind you, most people take a boat, in fact, I didn’t even know Isabela had an airport, so they must be very comfortable in the pocket). The mother was one of those impossible to please types, but all in all, I think everyone was satisfied.

And here’s a strange thing, I now have a case of tennis elbow, in my RIGHT arm, which is NOT the arm I had it in last year. I hope to get some gua sha, even if it’s self treated, and maybe search to see if I have a trigger point, as after I treated a TP in my left arm, I never had the pain again.

I bought season 1 of The Wire to keep me occupied, only to find it would take about 20 hours to download the first 3 (of 13) episodes. I had no idea the files were so large, or maybe more to accurately, I had no idea the internet here was so slow compared to home. I tried to set it up to download overnight last night, and I couldn’t even get the internet to connect. That said, at least now I’m not paying for it, so you are free to send emails, it doesn’t cost me to reply online now or even from my blackberry! Woohoo!

And, as you may have guessed, yes, we had another despedida last night as Max is headed back to London via Quito today. Boy, it never ends. Here are a few pix of Max, Nina and me.


I’m still home alone, as my roommate is still in Quito for holiday, and will return this Sunday. It’s peaceful, and I’ve been getting in a lot of reading and beach time (even if it’s overcast!).

Finally, I think I’ve given up on the war of the ants…they win! What harm is a little extra protein in my cereal anyway? I draw the line at my toothbrush, but other than that, well, I’ve officially stopped fighting!

Monday, August 25, 2008 - I miss/I don't miss...

Another one leaves us as Emma headed to Quito on Saturday. This is definitely rough going, so many folks come and go. I guess that’s expected when I hang out with the English volunteers at Isabela’s house (fabulous local hostess who keeps inviting me by). I’m still looking for a place to meet folks who live here, rather than those just visiting. Isabela and her son have asked me to give English classes (this is quite common to be asked, however, the lessons only pay about $5/hr, hardly worth the commute alone). Besides, I hope to be doing the spa work, and drop the school. If that happens, I wouldn’t mind doing the private lessons on my own time, but as long as I’m at the school, I really don’t want to be bothered.
I plan to hang out more with folks from school this week (seeing some local sights and hopefully do some kayaking) but this requires more “work” because I have to constantly speak Spanish. That is a good and a bad thing. Sometimes it’s just plain exhausting! I will also hang out at the station more when I can, because many of those folks are more settled. It’s also fun to hang out by the beaches there and see the turtles. Very cool!
I’m also thinking of things that I miss and don’t miss while living here…

I miss…
· Speaking English with my friends
· Using credit cards (w/o a 22% fee)
· Take out-Delivery&fast food!
· (HIGH SPEED) Internet at home
· Turkey Hill ice cream, cheddar cheese!
· Flushing toilet paper
· Playing soccer with the girls
· Brushing my teeth with tap water
· Grocery stores with the food I want in them (and items that are not expired)
· A level of anonymity (I see my students, their parents or other teachers everywhere, even the beaches!)
· Other neighborhoods to explore
· Having more than 2 bar/pub options
· Knowing my way around to go to buy something or get a service.
· Sleeping w/o fear of mosquito bites!

I don’t miss…
· Having to work 9:30-5:30 M-F, and on Sun
· Pollution
· Crowded, smelly, delayed subways
· Hot, smelly, humid NYC summer (ask me again in December)
· The Laundromat (we have 2 washers and a dryer)
· Gym (haha, I really should be going here though)
· Shopping, in general, I don’t miss shopping.
· Expensive cabs
· Paying credit card bills
· Phone calls!
· Road rage
· Fast paced rushing all the time
· Paying for a commute to work (I get picked up in the school bus with the kids)

Things I particularly like about living in Puerto Ayora:
· Being able to walk or cycle just anywhere in town
· Going and just hanging out with the turtles at the Darwin Center, or the iguanas on the beaches
· Getting out of work at 1pm (ask me again after I start the spa)
· Going to the beach after work (ask me again after I start the spa)
· Watching the boys play futsal at Ingala park (I’ve recently been invited to play, but it’s a very fast and skilled game, and the boys play HARD!)
· Lots of magnificent opportunities to use my camera
· Dogs (this can be a good and bad thing…but generally, I LOVE dogs!)
· Learning Spanish
· People wanting to practice their English with me (learning a second language, especially English, is beneficial to those who want to be guides, which I’m told is a fairly prestigious and well compensated job here because of it). I have had lots of offers to teach private English lessons, however I want to keep my spare time open for spa work as private lessons only get about $5/hr, where the spa will be at least triple that, if not more.
· Meeting people I know on the streets, makes me feel welcome
· My students calling me “Profe” (short for profesora) or “Teacher”
· I have a “family” at Isabela and Carlos’ home (with Gabriella, Michalle, Matias and Javier). They hosts foreigners, especially volunteers, in their home, and since I visit some of my friends there, they’ve welcomed me in at any time (was just over last night watching Lost and Simpsons over some pizza). None of my friends have phones, so I typically just stop by when I’m out and about. Her house is also right by Ingala field, where the boys play futsal. I just discovered last night that my landlord and his wife lived in her house for 14 years! Everyone is connected here!

August 21, 2008 - Random thoughts #1...

BEACH: Ok, so I got my first sunburn since on the islands. It was very overcast yesterday while at the beach, and I guess I should have reapplied my #30 sunscreen, but I thought I was covered. Got a bit red, but hope that it turns bronceada (tan). Man, that sun is potent!

MORE SCHOOL FRUSTRATIONS: Ok, today was the the day that I was meant to give all my students (3 separate classes) their oral (speaking & listening) exams. So after telling my three 7th graders (two have been traveling with their family for three weeks or so...what do I do with that?!) for the past three days and that their test is at 7:15 am this morning, they were no shows. I was supposed to have them and two 8th graders present their research reports (which they all either copied and pasted from Wikipedia, and or used some other site and used freetranslation.com to complete), and while one student presented, the others were supposed to answer pre-prepared questions (which I painstakingly had to translate from their copy/paste jobs and get a note for our account so I could get copies for the students to complete--resources are at a bare minimum at the school). It was quite difficult to grade on only two presentations, as this was meant to be a GROUP presentation!

Anyway, after asking the director, she realized it was an "error in the exam schedule" and that I should give the exam to the missing three students tomorrow. I told her I prefer to give them zeros as they KNEW the exam was on today at 7:15am, and no one said anything to the contrary. Well, I guess I have to re-give it. So much for having ANY kind of authority in my classroom. This, I'm told, is par for the course at "the best school on the island" Tomás de Berlanga. I'd hate to see the worse school!

OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS: I keep thinking of the joke(s) about "why did the chicken cross the road?" as I see this happen several times a day, every single day, and I can't think of one decent reply! Sometimes, they're just running from the cruel kids who chase them, or the stray dogs, but nothing funny comes to mind...I'll keep you posted if I think of something witty.

I also think it's strange that the school bus rides around over-filled with kids, with the door open, and one of the teachers usually riding in the door way, and there is no emergency exit at the back (as I discovered one day when I had to ride back there).

I also realize, that some cab drivers don't like to go to Tomás, kind of like trying to get one from Manhattan to go to Queens! LOL

Ok, I'm off to check out the progress on the spa (meant to open this Monday) and the Darwin Center to try and find out what kind of bird that red billed and footed bird might be. I'm told it's not a Galápageño bird, so I'm dying to find how rare sighting it was!

Ciao for now!
T

August 17, 2008 Bartolome!

This was on the way to the island, even the journey was gorgous!

Sarah and Max, also Tomás de Berlanga volunteers, from England, along with Emma from Brussels (originally England) who is volunteering at another school. This is our "yacht" which actually had hot showers! Woohoo!

Wow, what a spectacular place this is.

This small island located just off Sullivan Bay east of Santiago. Bartolome, a desolate island with few plants is the most visited and most photographed island in the Galapagos. The island consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green, and glistening black volcanic formations.

Read more about it: http://www.galapagosonline.com/Islands/islands/Bartolome/Bartolome.html

Notice the submerged crater here, with Pinnacle Rock in the background, magnificant!

And how about this cactus (with the man-made boardwalk in the background)?

I must say, as good as my photos came out, it still doesn't do the place justice. I was still amazed at how blue the water came out in photos, but it's nothing compared to seeing it in person!

The vegetation is limited to plants that can survive on barren land. You'll see here 3 different plants, probably not much more than that on the whole island. Although, there are mangroves, which we weren't near.

Here is another crater of an inactive volcano.

As we traveled up higher, the view became more spectacular!

You must always get a pelican in action, wherever you may be.

And his is the first marine iguana I actually saw in the water!! He also posed for me!

This is the beach from which we snorkeled, and this is the place that I got to see my first white tipped reef shark, and penguins (which I also got to swim with!). I also had a sea turtle swim under me, in addition to thousands of schools of fish!

These are my first penguins, and how super cute are they? THey're only about 18" tall or so.

As it's tradition to get pictures of the pelicans, so is getting pictures of the sea lions (lobos)

The blue footed booby, and the masked booby, they were actually staring each other down.

I found the name, this is an Inca Finch, spotted on Daphne Mayor, and very rare as most years they cannot be seen at all!

Anyway, this post was a test, for some reason I can't seem to get the layout right with the pictures and words, but at least you can see all of it. Enjoy!

Teresa

August 16, 1008 Update

Ok, I know I promised these wouldn't be very frequent, but I'm dying here! After not watching TV for the first 3 weeks I was here, a disaster of catastrophic proportions has struck as we just lost cable on the entire island of Santa Cruz this last Thur, August 14 and are told it will be down 2-3 weeks as the island changes cable companies (apparently the didn't pay the cable bill, or were getting some bootleg signal, I don't know, but it's all quite scandalous) and just in time for the school break when I'll be home all alone while my roommate heads to Quito! What am I going to do with out the subtitled Friends and Two and a Half Men repeated episodes?! Could it be any worse!?

SHOPPING: Yes, one thing I hate is shopping and it seems that I have to do the food shopping nearly every day. One rare thing, I found jalapeño Pringles, and Budweiser, go figure! The reason to have to shop every day is because you may not find all you need on the first trip, so you have to keep going back in hopes "the boat came" and they got new stock. BARS: Can't remember if I mentioned there are really only 2 bars (Limón and Bonbo), and yet I only noticed that Bongo actually has Heinekin! The only other beer is Pilsener, but it cheaply goes for $2 or 2.50, while my vodka coke copa goes for a pricey $5.00.

SLEEPING: I may have already mentioned all the wildlife here, dogs, roosters, cats, and now our house has rats or mice, not sure which, but thankfully I am a pretty solid sleeper. One thing for sure here, you can't be a light sleeper on Galapagos!

Ok, going out to confirm my trip to Bartolome for tomorrow. You can expect those pictures shortly, and maybe more updates as I'll have only the internet to keep me occupied! LOL

August 12, 2008 Update

So I forgot to mention a few things in my first email. First, that I'm still trying to adapt to the shops being shut during siesta when I'm trying to shop for my lunch, I guess I should have remembered this from Spain. A cool thing is that I forgot to mention that had my first swim with a sea lion when in Floreana. He was so playful, he'd dive when I dove, and I'd do somersaults and he'd mimic me. It was so cool! At one point, I thought we were done playing, but she snuck up on me and jumped out of the water scaring the life out of me! Others got a laugh I'm sure. I also posted pictures of one that crept up on Alemanes beach last week (unusal at that location with Finch Bay Hotel tourists crowding the beach), just need to get time to put them up.

Here are some more photos (from oldest to most recent):
http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=1012412715120 (National Public Holiday party)
http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=1005770838345 (Random Moments 1)
http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=1004899601917 (Tomás de Berlanga)
http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=23528601308 (Hanna's Dinner Party)

http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=1005976482168 (10 de Agosto, Desfile de Día de Indepencia)

And my update:

PATRIOTISM: I also forgot to mention that Ecuador's President Correa came to San Cristóbol, and Suzy's husband, Kleiner got to meet him as the head of his union. The president also declared yesterday a Once-off National Public Holiday last minute to honor the introduction of the new constitutional framework (whatever that means). Unfortunately, it was declared so last minute, some teachers/students actually did show up to school. Fortunately, my roommates found out the night before, providing the occasion for a late night house party (I was awoken at midnight after only an hour of sleep with a beverage) and a beach day on Friday. Good times! August 10th was Ecuador's Independence Day, and no joke, the school has organized about 7 days of parade marching rehearsal (repaso) before that for the 7th graders and up to prepare for the festivities (and mind you, they don't play any instruments!). I can't tell you how tragically this disrupted my lesson planning as we rapidly approach our 4th unit exams next week. What a country!

MORE ON THE LIFE: It's funny how things work here, you can't get a pizza delivered, but you can have fresh vegetables and water delivered. The water truck comes by appointment to fill up our water jugs, and the veggie truck comes by on Fridays. Also, it's pretty cool that everything we need is basically w/in a 10-20 minute walk or a $1 cab ride.

SHOPPING: Well, as mentioned, siesta makes it hard to do my shopping after class, but what's worse, is that rarely do shops accept any bill larger than a $10, and sometimes not even that! Cash is going quickly as there is a 22% fee for using credit cards, so much for my lifeline!

THE FOOD: I'm still not settled in with the food...miss my certain things, like boneless/skinless chicken breast and what not. I finally found lunch meat (ham) and cheddar cheese, only to discover the cheese had gone off. Man, what a disappointment! Bananas, fresh from the tree are quite common, as is passion fruit. Fresh juices are quite popular, as you might imagine. I particularly like passion fruit and pineapple myself. The common food here is chicken and rice, as you can imagine (not sure if we're eating the neighbors pets or what though). Patecones (not sure the spelling) are fabulous, green plantains double fried and dipped in ketchup and mayo mixed with ahí...yummy! Pinchos (again, not sure the spelling) are just marinated grilled chicken on a skewer, but tastey and the only "on the go" food I can find as they BBQ them on the sidewalks around here. I do miss Wendy's! LOL


THE ANIMALS: I seemed to dwell on the more pest-like insects and neglected to mention all the cool turtles, iguanas, crabs, crickets, grashoppers (who are a bit kamakazi slamming themselves against all sorts of hard surfaces), etc. as seen in the photos. I still can't believe there are so many marine iguanas just hanging out on the side of the roads in some places. The land iguanas I believe are endangered, and aside from the one that greeted us in Baltra off our flight (where they've been introduced) and the Darwin Center, we've not seen any others. I also finally saw my first turtle in the wild (not on a farm) when hiking Cerro Mesa (the crater in the highlands above Cascajo). That said, the roosters crowing and the dogs barking (both, all day and night) are far more prevelant than any other animal here. A good night's sleep consists of minimal dog barking and rooster crowing and no new mosquito bites! LOL

THE GOSSIP here is astounding. I can't walk 2 blocks without running into a student (who incidentally call me teacher or profe (short for profesor/a) more than Teresa), teacher, parent or someone from the bar, and the gossip gets around like wildfire. Fortunately, my limited Spanish hasn't allowed for me to get into much trouble just yet. haha I saw a student's father (originally from NY in fact) when I was at Scuba Iguana checking in about my spa job. They're just everywhere!

THE COMMUNICATIONS: The phone service here, Porta (Movistar too, but most have Porta because apparently it's cheaper...) is practically useless. People just accept the fact that texts and calls won't go through. The cabinas are dear at $.25/min to the US, and as previously mentioned, my Porta SIM chip won't allow texts to Ireland and England. And get this, I don't have a mailing address, one must post letters/pkgs to me at Teresa Brink, General
Correo, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador. Then, I must be informed of it being sent so that I can go to collect it. Very informal, yet I'm told it works.

SAFETY: It is so safe around here too! There is the odd propositioning cab driver asking if I'm singler, who I lived with, etc. Of course I am clear to tell them I have roommates and a big, bad German Shepherd at the house! I can walk around alone and not be bothered. You can leave your bike on the street unlocked, and it will still be there when you come back (although recently I've heard of thefts). We live inside a gate with the landlord's boat workers at the house, so it seems pretty protected. Having said all that, I left my flash memory in the computer here, and someone stole it! My first time victimized here, and hopefully the last, eh? There's $25 down the drain, which is a LOT down here mind you!

SOCCER/EXERCISE: I also neglected to mention that I did play soccer with Suzy and the boys at El Rancho (a bar/pool/soccer field), but after the one time, my back and feet were in so much pain, I've not yet gone back. Meant since, but I hesitate to go alone, as it's way out of my element, and a pain to get to. Just as well as it's usually a sloppy muddy mess up there and the back has been bothering me because I've been neglecting my exercises. I do walk a LOT and ride the bike occasionally. Tortuga Bay is a good few miles return, so that's usually good for a work out, and the gym is only $1/day I'm told, but I have yet to go there.

SPA: I was informed the spa was supposed to have its inauguration Aug 16, and official opening on the 18th, but I found out on Sunday it will be delayed. I may end up working over the school break, so maybe earn a few needed dollars then. Wish me luck this works out! I'll also be posting pictures after the opening, hopefully it will open on time!

GOING AWAY PARTIES: Unfortunately, there are many friends, and friends of friends leaving, and it's hard to adjust...especially with the parties on school nights, particularly Mondays. Exhausted! Another one tomorrow. Hannah, one of the English volunteers at Tomás, had extended her stay by 2 weeks, so that was something anyway, but now she's leaving Thursday. After she's gone we'll need to get in a new roommate, hopefully a native Spanish speaker to force my new language communications. Fortunately 2 new Brits arrived, Sarah & Max, and they're here for 4 weeks, which is great, because I was unable to book a cruise (of the islands) for my week's break, so at least I'll have someone to hang out with as my one roommate goes back to England, and the other will be in Quito with her family.

Anyway, that's all the updates for now...hope everyone is well!

July 23, 2008 Update

Ok, so it's taken me a while to settle in, and to be honest, I am still getting used to the way of life around here. Some of you may already know, others may not have heard...I'm in the Galápagos Islands (Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz) teaching English and will be doing massage in what will be the first spa on the islands starting mid-August. I anticipate being here through January at the moment.

***IF YOU WANT BE REMOVED from this email distribution (believe me, with the price of internet access here being cheap at $1.60/hr and normally $3/hr, I won't be sending these often, especially with beach weather outside), please let me know and I won't be offended. Also indicate if you prefer that I send this to a different email address.

First, the big news, Lonesome George may be a papa soon, that's so exciting as if you know about him, you'd know his keepers have been trying for decades to get him to procreate and carry on the species, as he is the last of his kind. Read more: http://thebeagleproject.blogspot.com/2008/07/lonesome-george-not-so-lonesome.html. I'd like to think I brought him good luck by being here. hehe I attached a photo of him and one of his mates (not clear if it's the mother or not, as he has 2). Cross your fingers that all works out for him!
MY DAY: My day consists of me jumping on a school bus about 7:45am with the kids (imagine that, I don't recall EVER riding a school bus), arriving at Tomás de Berlanga about 8am to start my day. I have 7-8th graders (our 6-7th grades as their 1st grade is our kindergarten) and then a break before I teach 9-10th, then 11-12th graders. I am done by 12:15 and sometimes wait to take the bus back at 1pm or take a $2 cab back home for lunch. I sometimes go with friends to the cooking school for a nice lunch, but mostly, I just make a sandwich or something at home. I typically check the internet, do lesson plans, go for a hike, or to the beach, or other such stuff in the afternoon. There have been many home cooked group meals between my roommates and Suzy (the friend who offered me this opportunity).


GETTING AROUND: Suzy just sold her quadrone (a 4-wheel recreation vehicle like the ones that would be used in the desert), but believe it or not, and I must get a picture of this, we can fit 4 adults, or 3 adults and 2 small children on that thing for a trip to the beach! It's got some power too! Sadly, she's sold it, so we resort to the $1 cabs within Puerto Ayora or $5 to Cascajo (the highlands), where Suzy lives with husband Kleiner. Good news is, cabs are EVERYWHERE! They have white pick-up trucks for cabs, so if you need to get a bike or a fridge home, no pasa nada, throw it in the back!

TOMÁS DE BERLANGA (the School): http://www.fundacionscalesia.com/ Well, this was the hardest adjustment, because the school is very poorly organized, with limited resources, and nearly non-existent communication. It's set in a very wooded area, loaded with passion fruit (makes for yummy fresh juice!). I typically have 8, 6, 4 students respectively in my classes. This last week, I've just had 5, 3, 1 because many of the older kids went to Brazil on what I was told was NOT a school sponsored soccer trip. If the other students showed up to class, they weren't all that motivated to learn, so I held up most of the lessons, as it seems the school doesn't have any structure or curriculum to be concerned about. The kids are generally very good and advanced in English. Just trying to get them motivated is the challenge, as a few of them are lazy. I have the Governor's son in my first class, and the daughter and son of my dueño (landlord) one each in my 2 other classes. Most of the kids are from upper class families, as it's known to be the best school (and only bilingual school) on the island.

HOME: I have 2 roommates, one of which is leaving us as she quit the school and is getting her voluntary visa revoked so she has to leave, and we need to find another roommate now. It's too bad, she's quite a character, from Cambridge, UK, and has been living all over the world, including Peru, Brazil, Spain, Italy and I think she's moving on to Colombia in Feb. The other is from Quito, and who has pretty good English comprehension considering no formal lessons, and I like having to practice my Spanish in the house, however difficult it is!

THE WATER: Washing dishes with cold water also doesn't seem very sanitary, but again, what do you do? Not drinking the water is not bad, but it is a drag when we run out and forget to call the truck to come by and fill the jugs. The good news is, we not only have hot water showers, but we also have not one, but TWO washers and a dryer! Woohoo, better than in Queens! It is a bit disgusting to put the TP in the garbage rather than flush it...but what do you do, better than cleaning up a toilet clog, eh?

THE BUGS: mosquitos, ants, spiders, geckos, lizards, dogs, chickens, mosquitos, dogs, ants, dogs, bugs, dogs, spiders and mosquitos (you get the picture)...EVERYWHERE!!! Good advice, if a dog seems to be charging, you just fake picking up a rock to throw it, and it will run away. No rabies on the island, so that's good news. I have mosquito bites all over, I don't even know what it's like not to itch anymore...I just hope they don't scar!

THE SIGHTS: Been to a few sights including the Darwin Center (home of Lonesome George), Tortuga Bay (sight of sea turtles and powder fine white sand), Las Grietas (gorge), Alamanes beach and on a few hikes to Cerro Crocker (highest point on the island 864 meters), Cerro Mesa (an amazing crater), all of which I have photos that are or will be posted shortly on Facebook site as I've yet to figure out how to set up a blog (advice welcome). We went to Floreana at the weekend, and it was amazing. We did some snorkeling and saw loads of animals. Unfortunately, we weren't as lucky as 2 British volunteers to see the Orca whales when they went to Santa Fe. This is a rare sighting, we're told...but I still have about 6 months left, so fingers crossed!

Ok, that's all I can think of for now...must get going to eat dinner shortly...food isn't as scary as I thought, I'm actually not starving here! LOL

Hope all is well, and if you feel like it, please shoot me a note to update me on what's going on in your lives!

Teresa
+593 91508855 (seems I'm not able to text England, and seemingly Ireland as well...sad!)