Settling in, Volunteering, and Getting Ready for Teaching

I can't believe it's already been about 2 and half months since we've been here. The more that I roam the streets of Cuenca the more comfortable I get. I've started establishing a routine, getting up in the morning to volunteer, spending my afternoons exploring a new part of the city or reading by the Rio Tomebamba, and going to the market every Saturday to get my fruits and veggies for the week. While there are still times when I miss my family and friends, I'm definitely settling in. Cuenca is starting to feel a little more like home.

One of our favorite reading spots at the
Rio Tomebamba

Despite trying to make this city my home, I have had some fun being a tourist as well. Kaitlin and I visited a few hotspots, including Turi (the best spot to see all of Cuenca), El Museo de las Culturas Aborigenes, and the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno. Those experiences were really good in that they provided interesting information, especially the museums, but all that information felt out of context to me and I'm still struggling to connect some of the dots in terms of how that information plays into the local identity and history. I think in order for me to really get a grasp on Cuencana culture I need to visit the Museo Pumapungo, which has been recommended to me multiple times and is on top of my list, and read a history book about Cuenca. A friend of mine has generously lent me a great history book in Spanish, and I'm struggling through it because the Spanish level is a little too high for me and I have to look up word several times per page, but I hope to get through it within the next couple of weeks (or months).

Kaitlin and I at Turi, with a wonderful view of Cuenca
behind us

I've been volunteering at Instituto Jose de Calasanz for the past 3 weeks, and it has been an absolute blast so far. Calasanz is a school for people with a variety of physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities, and provides both traditional and workshop-oriented education to its students. The school has such a bright, happy environment, and all the teachers are so warm and welcoming to all the students and volunteers. Right now I help out in the sewing, ceramics, and painting workshops, but the school also offers baking and woodshop. I love working with the students on their projects and getting to know their personalities in the process. Some of the students have been with the school for a long time and have strong skills in their respective workshops. Even though I'm technically there to help out as necessary, I spend plenty of my time just learning, either from the workshop teacher or the students. In the sewing workshop the students are working on individual knitting projects, and since I have no prior knitting experience I sometimes have to ask a student to remind me how to do a basic knitting stitch. I prefer to think of my work with the students as collaborative instead of a one-way, I-help-them-when-they-need-me sort of relationship. That's what makes the work fun. Calasanz starts a choir and a band in October, and I'm really excited to see what the school's musical activities are like.

This week Kaitlin and I start teaching at CEDEI, and I'm nervous but also looking forward to it. I'm glad I started volunteering with Calasanz beforehand because it gave me the chance to work with wonderful teachers that serve as role models for how I want to be as a teacher: caring, open-minded, understanding, realistic, and supportive. It'll be a challenge getting used to and balancing my schedule but I'm up for the challenge. Wish me luck!

Chao chao for now!
JOSSEL FRANCO

This month in Cuenca has really been one for me to find a routine and really make myself at home. Getting accustomed to Cuenca is quite easier. In fact, it’s much, much easier than I thought it would be. We finally moved into our new apartment, and it is just past the river in “New Cuenca”. New Cuenca is a very modern and suburban, and many call it “Gringolandia”. Therefore, it has been easy to feel at home because of all of the modern shops, hospitals, and restaurants in the area. The houses around this area are beautiful and large, and each yard has a plethora of beautiful succulents and flowers, and I have been inspired by the beauty in this area. Since we only started volunteering this past Monday, we have had plenty of time on our hands, and like I said before I have taken this time as a period of making myself at home and finding a bit of a routine here in South America. For me, exercising is my form of therapy and making myself feel better and normal. It’s my form of sanity, and I have used it as natural medicine for years since I was a child. So a few weeks ago, I decided to find a gym in the area. The gyms here are not exactly inexpensive, but I decided to join for the month since I have so much free time. The gym I joined is pretty nice and in the Centro, so run about a mile to the gym, get a workout in, and then I run back home. It’s been a really nice way for me to keep busy when I’m not volunteering. Like I said earlier, we started volunteering at our separate sites, and I am very excited for the experience and fulfillment La Fundación el Arenal will give me. My first week volunteering has been really good for me. I have developed a relationship with the other teachers and the coordinators at the Fundación, and everyone is very open and loving, and they are all very close to each other. On Monday and Wednesday, we stayed after the kids left for a couple of hours and talked. Having a volunteer site has definitely helped in making me feel at home here. Furthermore, the children at the Fundación are very intrigued by me. They all keep asking me where I am from and how to pronounce my name, but they are all very excited to have a new face around, and I am happy to be that new face. The first week is apparently a bit slow, so we haven’t been doing much tutoring or teaching since the children have only begun their schooling, but we have been playing outside, watching movies, and drawing a lot. I have started to pick up the student’s individual personalities, and I will say, they are all very animated and unique. I cannot wait to get to know them better, and I have been working very hard to learn all of their names! I have still yet to figure out the bus systems here, but once I do I will easily be able to commute to and from home to la Fundación as it is only a couple of miles. Overall, all of this free time has been quite great for me. Moving to a new country is a bit emotionally overwhelming, even if you don’t realize the emotional toll it takes on you. I have taken this free time to get back into my healthy routine, get to know my neighborhood, and throw myself into my volunteering. It has been quite the whirlwind moving to Cuenca, and I think that I am starting to realize and process the fact that I live in a new country, and I like it. I feel as though I can do anything; I can live anywhere, and I can adapt to anything. A word of advice to any incoming Puente Scholars, take the time to get to know Cuenca. You may not meet a million friends right off of the bat, but it is easy to feel at home here. Find what makes you happy because I am sure they have it here, and dive on into it. Also, get to know the people you work/volunteer with. Everyone here is very welcoming, especially when you show interest in being their friend and neighbor. Home is wherever you make it, and your experience here will reflect your effort of becoming familiar. Two months down, ten-ish months to go!

First Impressions

Our view of Cuenca from right outside our TEFL classroom

I used to think that over a month in the same city would be enough time for the city’s magic to wear off a little bit, but in the 6 weeks that I’ve been in Cuenca, Ecuador my amazement has only grown. I still have plenty of “I can’t believe I’m here” moments. During a walk down the Rio Tomebamba or a drive out of El Centro I can’t help but think about how magnificent it is to be here in this beautiful, Andean city. The warm, welcoming culture has made my experience all the more worthwhile. My host family has taken me in as their own and have been supportive in whatever way they can. Being part of a family here has been crucial to learning how strong the family values are here, in a way that is similar to but distinct from the Mexican/Filipino family values I grew up with. The strangers that I’ve encountered have been welcoming as well. While I tend to blend in with my physical appearance, the moment I open my mouth people know I’m not from here. And still, I’ve only been received with patience and kindness as I learn to find my way around the city and culture. I’ve had friendly conversations with taxi drivers, street vendors, and store owners, and even made a friend of the old lady at the papeleria who helped me as I struggled to communicate what I was looking for and who trusted me enough to ask me to watch her store for a few minutes the following week. I know there are still things that I haven’t grasped about the culture here, and I aim to learn more about the local indigenous communities, local history, and national history in the next few weeks as I have a little downtime before I start teaching.

Day 1 of TEFL at La Casa de la Makana, where we learned
about how traditional Makana shawls are made

My first month here has been focused on just that, preparing me for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). The TEFL program was intense since I was thrown into teaching right at the start of the program. Fortunately, I had supportive instructors, intelligent TEFL peers, and participative students during evening teaching practice. I also had the opportunity to explore outside of the Cuenca as part of the program, including a visit to La Casa de la Makana in Gualaceo, an excursion to the Ingapirca ruins, a trip to Cajas National Park (which I personally was unable to participate in but is on my to-do list), and an English lesson service project out in Principal. What more could I ask for? I learned so much in the process, and even though I am far from perfecting my teaching (do you ever get close?)  I know I’m ready to get started. I am extraordinarily grateful for all the people I’ve met in the process: Kaitlin, my adventure buddy for the year; Mark and Bea, who constantly pushed us to improve; the other TEFLers, who I developed friendship within the midst of struggle; the students in my evening classes, who each greeted me individually at the start and end of each class with the good old, Cuencana cheek kiss (that took some getting used to) and who taught me about Ecuadorian culture as I was teaching them English; and all the others at CEDEI who provided support for my adjustment to Cuenca and the TEFL program. I’m excited to take on my official teaching position with CEDEI and meet more wonderful students and peers.

Katilin and I teaching a service project English lesson in Principal

I also look forward to doing a bit more exploring. Being here in Ecuador has brought out an adventurous side of me that I didn’t know I had. I always liked traveling, but I’ve been pushing the boundaries of my usually extra-cautious self, climbing over rocks at river banks in Principal and going on long hikes that never would have interested me beforehand.  Kaitlin and I went on a post-TEFL trip with her host family to Chimborazo, the volcano that’s the highest point in Ecuador. That was a challenge for me as I consider myself unathletic and a bit clumsy, but I’m proud of myself for not giving up and for pushing myself to go all the way to the lagoon despite my fear of falling (it was a tricky descent). While I will hesitate, I’m learning to not be content just watching on the sidelines. I don’t think I can fully enjoy Ecuador’s nature without taking a few small risks, and I’m learning I can do more than I thought I could.

I’ll learn plenty more about teaching, culture, and myself in the next few months as I get settled into the Cuencana lifestyle, so stay tuned! Thanks to Mark Raderstorg and Linda Armstrong for this wonderful opportunity.

Chao chao for now!
JOSSEL FRANCO

Kaitlin and I post-TEFL, climbing on a train car in Alausí on the way to Chimborazo

My first month in Ecuador was an absolute whirlwind. I cannot believe that I am here and will be staying for an entire year. I truly don’t think that it has hit me yet. Firstly, I am absolutely amazed and impressed with CEDEI so far, especially their TEFL program. I wasn’t aware of the fact that I would be literally chauffeured around Ecuador to all of its amazing, indigenous, and prized locations with guides, fellow classmates, and teachers. We toured around Guayaquil, Gualaceo, Cajas National Park, Ingapira, Chordeleg, and Principal. All of which were equally impressive and unlike anything I have ever seen. Secondly, I could not love my host family more. They have been supportive, friendly, welcoming, and helpful to me in every way possible. I feel right at home in this city, many thanks to their hospitality. They recently took Jossel and I on a family trip with them to Chimborazo, the largest mountain in Ecuador for a weekend. On the weekend trip back from Chimborazo to Cuenca, we stopped in Alausí where we rode a train through the Andes and stopped to see indigenous dancing and El Naríz del Diablo. Honestly, the first month here in Ecuador was no joke as far as being busy. I haven’t had a fully day free in a month, but I have enjoyed being busy. The TEFL program was difficult and time consuming, but it could not have been planned nor taught better. The teaching practice hours at night were difficult at first but with feedback, I feel fully confident to teach my own classes. Class time was centered around important theory but Mark and Bea did an amazing job at making sure that we were learning what we yearned for. The VISA process is a bit scattered and confusing, but Angie Marin at CEDEI has been SO helpful with the process, and everything will be handled by next week after a short trip to Guayaquil.

I am excited to be looking for a place to live with my newfound friend, Jossel. We have a free week before teaching to find a place to live, and it has been exciting to see what our options are. It will all feel real when we live on our own in Cuenca. I cannot wait to see what my life turns into as a full time Cuencana. In general, Cuenca is extremely welcoming, family-oriented, conservative, beautiful, busy yet quiet, and full of fresh ingredients small businesses. I love Cuenca so far and cannot wait to see what this year brings me. I want to end this short blog by giving a big “thank you” to Mark and Linda Raderstorf and the Puente Grant for getting me here. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity. More blogs to come!

SALUDOS A TODOS!

Kait Kuntz

Welcome to our new grantees, Kaitlin and Jossel!

My wife, Linda Armstrong and I are pleased to offer our Year Two grants to Kaitlin Kuntz, a graduate of Ohio State, and to Jossel Franco, a graduate of Augsburg University.  Kaitlin and Jossel arrived in Cuenca, Ecuador on July 10, 2018.  They both successfully competed the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program at CEDEI Language School on August 10, 2018.  They will be living, working and volunteering in Cuenca through June, 2019.  This blog will capture their experiences and impressions of their time in Cuenca.  Buena suerte, Kaitlin and Jossel!