Feliz año nuevo

Hello my dear ones,

Yes, it is already 2017 and this will probably be one of my last blog entries from Ecuador. Here in Olon, I have simply succumbed to laziness when it comes to writing, and I have to admit that I have always found excuses for why I didn't have time to write a new post.

A lot has happened between my last report and today. Not only have we celebrated Halloween, Olonfest, Christmas, New Year, many birthdays, and two successful concerts. No, there have also been personal changes.

By now, I no longer walk through a foreign village as a blonde, a gringa, or a tourist. Now I walk through a small, beautiful village right by the sea (where I have the Wi-Fi password for almost every 5th house) and I am greeted by every local in a friendly, if not exuberant, manner. Sometimes I am even engaged in small talk or simply wished a Happy New Year.

New friendships have been formed, while others have come to an end. I have had my first discussions with my macho-like host father, who thinks he is bigger than God, and a proper music school structure has been established. I have surfed my first proper green wave, but I had to pay for it with two open knees and a scraped arm. I have managed to close my heart to each of my 9 students in their own way, and I have come to terms with the fact that sometimes violence is a solution. The constantly playing music is considered pleasant, and there are even certain favorite hits that are emerging. It is also no longer seen as bothersome that people don't talk at parties, that they don't look at each other while dancing, or that they always help themselves at friends' houses. In addition to a lot of "Ecci-wisdom," I have also learned that if you do too much physical activity (i.e. play soccer and surf on the same day), you get a fever, and that lice are the only animals on Earth that walk backwards.

The only Eccian habit that my body resists is watching television while eating. I still haven't managed to focus on the running channel, no matter how hard I tried. Either I am always too busy with my food, or it is actually the incredibly poor acting quality of the Ecuadorians that repels me more than attracts me.

In addition to all the personal experiences, over the past 3 months, I have also been able to get to know this wonderful country and its diversity better. Trips to Cuenca, Quito, Manabi, and the other MoG project in the tiny village of Shagal have made me love this country even more. But I don't want to give long speeches about that; I prefer to let the pictures speak.

As mentioned before, a lot of time has passed since my last update. At the end of November, after much back and forth, we finally attempted our first student concert, and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. In the end, more students showed up than expected, and it was nice to introduce the project to their parents. The Centro was half-filled with around 20 guests, and afterwards, there was a small get-together.

In early December, the highly anticipated Olonfest took place, with a beauty queen election, dance nights, a parade, and a final firework show with a loca vaca (crazy cow). Unfortunately, I was hit by a severe flu for the last 2 days, and I had to stay in bed with a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius.

Here, we didn't really experience the Advent season or the Christmas spirit, except for a few plastic trees and lights suddenly shining in all colors in front of the houses. Therefore, we didn't really feel the Christmas spirit and went surfing on Christmas Eve, just as a demonstration. Besides a shared Christmas dinner on the 24th, there was nothing out of the ordinary. We were woken up every day as usual by the garbage truck song, and we could go shopping and run errands as usual.

However, there was one highlight. We organized a Christmas concert with our students, which turned out to be a great success. The Centro was completely full, and even the village alcoholic was present, which shows that the project has sparked serious interest among the residents. The children and teenagers practiced various Christmas songs, and we formed a small choir. With plastic cup snowmen and candles, real Christmas atmosphere finally emerged, and after the concert, a small meal was served as usual.

On Christmas Eve itself, we played in a restaurant with the students in the morning and collected small donations for the project. This was also a beautiful and motivating moment for us teachers and Johnny, the project leader.

Lastly, we spent New Year's Eve in a classic way on the beach and watched the fireworks from there. At midnight, all the surfers rushed into the water as if stung by a tarantula, to catch the first wave of the year. Later, we went to Montañita, which was completely crowded with tourists, where we spent a cozy evening (hehe).

So, I hope I have made up for my laziness over the past 3 months, and I wish you all a wonderful start to the new year, health, and joy in life. Ecuador - ama la vida... as they say.

Very best wishes,

Henrike

Christmas choir

Christmas dinner with my family