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