Finally, an update

Wow, it's been a while, huh?

Here's some pictures of my house, for those of you who are curious. It's awesome.

Bedroom

My kitchen--I should be getting a kitchen sink today!

My living room:

The bathroom's nothing special except that it's just mine and it's inside, both of which are really nice. There's theoretically an electric hot water heater on the shower, but the guy who was fixing up my house was pretty sure if I turned it on I'd short out my whole house and maybe also my counterpart's house, so I'm sticking with bucket baths for the moment.

In terms of actual news...

I've been pretty busy, actually. I've met with 4 different schools, all of which are going to have school gardens. They give the kids free lunch, so this'll help give them a source of veggies, since the government issues them rice and tuna fish (or something like that...). These will also be sort of test/demonstration plots, because we're also trying to help people start family gardens.

With all of that, and working with both the health center in San Lorenzo and the one in Marcopamba, which is part of what you could call the "greater San Lorenzo Metropolitan Area," I've got something going on most days of the week.

The canal project, which is supposed to be my primary project here, has been a little odd, because of politics. But we have a new directive group and our first work day is Tuesday, to start cleaning out the primary canal and finding leaks. There is a PL 480 grant (which is run by the Ecuadorian government but funded by the USDA) in beurocratic limbo that should fund some repairs and improvements to the canal, so we're probably going to have to go to Quito to try to figure out what's going on.

So with all that, I haven't had a lot of time to update, especially since while there is internet in my town, it's someone's 28.8k dialup connection and tends to make me crazy. Today I'm in Guaranda, which I've actually been to several times since last time I posted, but I've always had a list 10 miles long of things to do.

Also, for your entertainment, a list of things I miss about the United States (people of course not included). Next time you do/use one of these, appreciate it a little more for me!

Soymilk (although I just found some sort of weird powder stuff)

being able to get change easily (trying to get change for a $20 bill here is like pulling teeth)

hot showers

drinkable tap water

for all you Pasadena folks: Puebla Tacos, Pres Thai, Lucky Baldwin's

my bicycle (I could use one here, and may get one. I spent 1.5 hours walking to an hourlong meeting yesterday)

Clif Bars

Trader Joe's (for those of you in CA)

the Dabney House power tool collection

fast internet in my very own room! Or even (gasp) wireless!

OK all, have fun and write me letters!