I began this blog about a month ago and was never able to finish it until now. So enjoy the double blog entries in one day!
Well a month later I find myself coming back to my blog that I have unfortunately neglected for way too long. As time here in Ecuador continues it also seems to be speeding up and disappearing into oblivion. With our jam packed schedules and multiple obligations it has been difficult to find the time to just sit and think about what to write, so it is even more difficult to find time to actually write! But enough complaining, because really everyone is pressed for time it's just up to the person to prioritize and to take advantage of what they have. So onto the blog!
On Thanksgiving day I was able to talk to Mom for a bit which is always nice. But this phone call mom had a special request for me; “Mary, can you stop gushing so much in your blogs” she said with her I'm trying to be serious but still trying to keep things light, voice. I laughed at her because I knew that she had read the most recent blog in which all I did was “gush” about my feelings. It wasn't that mom didn't like to hear about how I was feeling, she just wanted me to “Paint me a picture of where you are."
This wasn't the first time that someone had asked me to “paint” a picture of Duran. Several people have written or emailed asking me to describe the scenery around me, to describe the sights, sounds and smells of Duran so that they could have a better image of where to place me. And so I've thought and thought about how to actually describe Duran, to paint a picture with words of what to me has become “the norm.”
The more I thought about this the less I could come up with, but allow me to try and attempt to describe Duran.
Gray. Cement. Garbage littered streets. Mud and dirt. Loud, big buses that spew toxic fumes and pollute the already heavily polluted air. Stray healthy looking dogs. Stray sickly looking dogs. Windows with steel bars. Roosters and chickens pecking at garbage hoping to find some sort of food. Children running by themselves with no parent or guardian in sight. Small stores the size of your bedroom that carry everything from rice and eggs to school supplies. More garbage. Large garbage fires that billow stench and black smoke. Lots of polvo (dirt or dust). Music that is so loud it pulses in your chest when you pass by a house. People shouting things across the street. Non paved roads. Rocky roads that are at times difficult to walk down without tripping. No trees. No grass. No nature.
But then I come home to a beautiful two story brick building with a large enclosed porch. Our drive way is surrounded by different trees and flowers and we are guarded by Oso the friendliest golden retriever mix you'll find in Ecuador. As I round the corner of our street I'm struck by the beauty of our house and complex, I'm struck by it's grandur and presence. And most recently I'm struck by the fact that whenever I see our house I feel that sense of peace and calm of being home. I come home to spacey Laura, loud and crude John, enthusiastic Steve and Julia the challenger. I couldn't have asked for a better house or housemates. Our bedrooms are small but cosy and our house is painted in warm yellows and makes me feel as if we are surrounded by sunlight. The layout of our house is open but the rooms all kind of run together. Our dinning and living room are one in the same and our kitchen is right in the middle, so while one of us is cooking the other is usually sitting at the table talking about their day. We are always together in a good way and most of the time we are laughing and enjoying each others company. Even during our hardest and most challenging conversations we can always come back to the center of it all, loving each other and holding each other accountable to the mission we signed up for in the beginning of the year.
Mom also asked me to describe the people who I spend my time with but I feel as if there is no way to describe them, you just have to get to know them. So mom, when you come down to visit, as soon as you get that passport, you can meet them in person and see how wonderful they really are.
