The Market
Claire Wohlers
March 10, 2014
Ibarra (the city nearest to Zuleta) has, hands down, the most impressive food market I have ever seen. Taking up two sizable city blocks, the market is overflowing with colors and scents unlike any other. From meats, to cheeses, to fruits and veggies, to flours and dried legumes, to eateries, this market has it all....
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Learning to Teach
Claire Wohlers
February 3, 2014
Here in Zuleta, one of my jobs is working at a school. I teach a combination of English, P.E., and “danza”, which is a combination of dance and music, neither of which am I particularly qualified to teach. I usually end up teaching the hokey pokey or the macarena, because I teach first and second...
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Transport Me
Claire Wohlers
February 3, 2014
At home, I used to avoid the bus. I liked the people-watching, sure, but it was much more convenient driving or being driven. It would allow me to avoid walking the hills and sitting next to the inevitable cup of unidentified goo on the seat next to me. Here, I have uncovered a new love...
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Family
Claire Wohlers
January 24, 2014
Back at home, I know many many people who would describe their parents as mortifying and/or uncool to hangout with. Occasionally, I may even have been known to say this, even though I love hanging out with my parents. In the US, it is social convention for teenagers to hate their parents. To be seen...
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Living Day-to-Day
Claire Wohlers
November 19, 2013
Some days here are harder than others. Some days I cry at work, frustrated that the kids make fun of my Spanish or won’t listen to my lessons. Some days, my little brother scares me, and that sets me off in an angry rage of yelling in English. Some days, it’s simply that my dad...
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Claire Wohlers
October 18, 2013
I’m sure every Fellow (that wasn’t sleeping) can remember the presentation on Culture Shock㢠that Andy, team leader from Ecuador, gave one of the final days of Pre-Departure Training. A graph of the process of immersion on the board, an upside-down parabola. The honeymoon phase of cultural awe and giddiness, the slow but relentless awkward...
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Hola, Zuleta
Claire Wohlers
October 10, 2013
After a teary goodbye with my Quito host family about 2 weeks ago, I traveled to Imbabura with my cohort. I was met by my new family at the Ibarra Train Station, which, I was told was about 30 minutes from my house. I was greeted by my host mother, father, sister, cousin, supervisor, and...
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¡Estamos Perdido!
Claire Wohlers
September 5, 2013
Today, I got lost. Probably the most lost I’ve ever been. After Spanish classes today, we visited the United States Embassy for a security briefing and explanation of what the Foreign Service does here. During the security briefing, we were warned about the dangers of Quito. The taxis, the streets, the evenings, the buses; apparently...
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Bienvenidos a Quito
Claire Wohlers
September 4, 2013
“Bienvenidos a Quito and welcome to Ecuador,” the woman working at immigration told me, as she told every other person that walked by her window. But for me, I was being welcomed to my new home, Ecuador. Because our flight arrived at midnight, I had no choice but to submit to my body’s needs, immediately...
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Preparing to Leave Everything I Know
Claire Wohlers
July 19, 2013
40. 39. 38. 37. 36. 35. 34. 34 days until we leave everything we know for something completely new. Excited? Of course! Terrified? Out of my mind. I have a hard time even talking about August 21st for fear of the emotional spew-age (for lack of a better term) that will most likely follow. But,...
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