Premier

Tonight was the premier of the third season of Mad Men, an AMC show that goes behind the scenes of an imaginary advertising agency on Madison Avenue beginning in 1960. It is now 1963 and much will change in the lives of these characters; while history tells us that much will happen this year- the first and second Beatles albums, the Birmingham bus boycotts, the end of the Mercury space program, the March on Washington, the deaths of Thich Quang Duc and President Kennedy- the lure of the program is the drama that unfolds as the characters experience and react to their changing world.

Right now, I feel like Don Draper and the other employees of Sterling Cooper will in this season of Mad Men- my world is changing from the comfortable life I have built since I left for college. However, unlike Don, Betty, Roger, and the rest, I have a bit of say in how my life will change. I chose to come to Ecuador, to work as a volunteer, and to engage directly with community development. I get a hand in the change that is coming.

Though I chose this path, there are a number of happenings I am missing to be here- my sister's return from a year abroad in Germany, the phone calls to my parents just to see what's going on, all of college football, spring baseball, and the two hours I got to spend with friends on Sunday nights watching The Real World and Mad Men. Additionally, there are new challenges that I wish I didn't have to combat- keeping up with friends and family solely through electronic media, living with 7 women and only 2 other men, and making lunch without peanut butter or tortillas. Still, this is the place I should be and this is the time to do it.

I am no professional actor or screenwriter, so I cannot aim to match the storytelling ability of the writers and actors of Mad Men; I can, however, share my experiences and reactions to what is sure to be a life changing experience. In that regard, the stage has been set- I've taken a crash course in Spanish, gain my bearings in my new city, met some of the community members, and helped in a summer camp for teens these past two weeks. Tomorrow, we, the 2009-'10 PDs, take over the show, starting our own summer camp for kids in the final weeks before school. The preparation has been done; now it's time for action.

The past three weeks

Three weeks after arriving in Quito, I finally got the opportunity to set down and establish roots in Ecuador: this past weekend, all 9 of the new PDs moved a minivan's worth of clothes, computers, books, and a cape into the Manna House in Conocoto. While we all appreciated our time in Quito (especially its convinience to many historical and cultural venues), the opportunity to communicate in our native language, choose what we eat, be with our new friends, and put down roots is something all of us appreciates. That certain tasks accompany the move (cooking, cleaning, bussing, taking over for the old PDs) make this time more exciting.

So what have we been doing all this time that it's only now, 3 weeks into our stay, that we're putting on the big kid pants? "Cultural immersion." Every morning we spent 4 hours in language school, working one-on-one with our Ecuadorian profesores on a range of topics, from the basic present tense (Chet y yo) to the development of the Mariscal (Erik), the neighborhood in Quito home to travelers, as well as our language school. [The Mariscal is affectionately known as "Gringolandia" by locals for its abundance of hostels, foreigners, bad Spanish, and overpriced everything.] Our afternoons were filled with almuerzo with our host families, a siesta (after 4 hours of learning a language while adjusting to altitude, it's much needed), and activities around the city or talks from the outgoing PDs about their work with Manna. Since the city is large and Manna has already done a lot, there is a lot to learn. As we begin our work, we've learn we don't know half of what we should. Fortunately, the outgoing PDs and Mark, the outgoing Country Director, are here this week to guide us.

Highlights of the past three weeks include:

• Yaka Water Museum- water & bubbles are great for kids aged 21-24
  
• Salsa lessons- taught by an hombre, with all the girls followed along closely
• Watching the MLB all-star game while helping a group of UK people win at trivia night
  
• Obtaining Ecuadorian IDs or censos
  
• Celebrating Chet's birthday with cake and Harry Potter- The Half-blood Prince
• Cooking lessons- how to make traditional Ecuadorian almuerzo and guacamole
• Networking at an talent show sponsored by an Ecuadorian non-profit, FEVI
  
• TeleferiQo- a gondola up Pinchincha, the volcano that forms the western boarder of Quito
• An afternoon in Parque la Carolina
• Celebrating Sarah's birthday at a Mexican restaurant owned by a former telenovela star
• Getting a classroom management talk from an Ecuadorian now teaching in Denver
• A trip with Luis, the director of the language school, for an almuerzo of cuy, better known in the states as guinea pig
  

Through these experiences and others, we've grown closer as a group as well as grown more confident in our ability to navigate what this city and country will throw at us.

Hasta luego,
Mike

Internet is expensive

I've made to Quito safe and sound. In the past week I had my first set of Spanish classes (and realized how much I'd lost), made it to the famous Beatles bar (aka Strawberry Fields), and battled my first "gripe" (flu). All in all, a pretty busy first week, although we are not done yet. Tonight we (all the new PDs and a couple of the old ones) are going to see Harry Potter! Yes! I don't know if there is a more American thing to do than that (except maybe talking loudly and complaining about how bad Ecuadorian food is [which it is]).

I hope to post more soon, but as my battery is dying and I'm supposed to meet up with to walk around the old city, I'm going to have to leave you with this short message.

Best,
mike

Layover

I am currently in the Bogota airport, sitting at a computer terminal. This is an update for those who may be wondering about my travels to Quito (Mom, Dad). Before I tell you too much about what is going on here, I wanted to bring you up to speed with what I have been doing the past week.

Tuesday morning, after running through the baggage check and security, I caught a plane to Miami to meet the rest of my group for a three-day training. The other PDs trickelled in throughout the day, and we took the evening to begin to get to know one another. On Wednesday, we had a formal introduction to the organization, learning about its foundation pillars and meeting the executive director and a board member. Then Thursday, the real for for the Ecuadorian PDs began. Unlike Nicaragua, Ecuador requires volunteers to have a visa before they enter the country. To do this, we had to go the Ecuadorian Counselet, in Miami. There we learned that we did no have the proper background checks: for some reason we needed Florida checks, even though nobody is originally from Florida. The difficult part is that the only way to get a Florida police records check is to be a Florida resident. After much driving, calling, and the great pursuasive skills of Mark (the country director), the woman at the counselet caved, and accepted the checks from our home states, telling us to come back tomorrow at 9:30 to sign for everything. We did this today, breathed signs of relief and headed to Miami International Airport to catch our flights.

Waiting in airports has never been a top to-do of mine, but it certianly has its perks. Given that we arrived at 11:30 am and my flight wasn't until 5 pm, I had plenty of time on my hands. Fortunately I was able to relax with fellow PDs Sarah and Krysta, have a last American meal of pizza, and make some last minute phone calls.

I still have a couple hours of travel left tonight- I leave Bogota at 9:30 pm and arrive in Quito at 11. Then I meet the family I'll be living with for three weeks and head to their house for the night. Tomorrow, all the PDs are getting together for a tour of the language school and a BBQ at the Manna house in Conocoto.

My half-hour is about up, so I just want to say thanks for all who are following- thank you for the interest, the prayers, and the funds to make this possible.

I hope this post is legible; we've been spending a lot of time getting to know one another in Ft. Lauderdale, and that, combined with the awkward keyboard, has made this a particulary difficult post to create.

Getting Ready

It's been a busy 4 weeks- totaling a car (stupid coyote), moving from Nashville back to Michigan, sorting through years of accumulated academic paraphernalia, celebrating matrimony, and raising money for the trip. At the same time, I've been getting to know my future coworkers better as we email back and forth regarding flight plans, recommendations about packing lists, and determining who is bringing which books and DVDs. Judging by their taste in books and films, it looks like we'll have a great group of PDs.

As fast as the past month has gone, I know the next couple of weeks in the states will go even faster. I have a nervous excitement about the trip. I am eager to get started with this experience, yet there are a number of things that have to get done before I can go- things like getting a physical, going to the dentist, gathering the necessary documents for a visa, and packing. Pretty soon, July 7 will arrive and I'll be off to Miami to meet everybody.

I want to extend thanks to McFadden's of Nashville, Marcie Allen & MAC Presents, Rick & Jenny Routson, Karl & Doris Gabrys, Karen Gabrys, Russell & Barbara Jones, Joe & Susan Rizzi, Scott & Cynthia Wirgau, Chuck & Sue Bares, Chuck Lowe, Kyle Southern, and Drs. Bares & Routson for their financial support. I also want to thank those of you who have been keeping me in your thoughts and prayers; I appreciate them, as does my mother.

-mike

Conference Call

I just finished up the first conference call with the 2009-10 Manna program directors (PDs); Mark, the outgoing country director; Bibi, the incoming country director; and Dana, a 2008-09 PD who will be with us until October. It was nice to hear everybody's voice, as well as get some useful information about Ecuador. It sounds like we're going to have a good year.

Points of interest for family and friends:
1. Don't send anything valuable in the mail. The higher the value of the package, the lower the likelihood it will actually be delivered to its destination. In Mark's year-plus in Ecuador, he's had success with his mail 80-90% of the time. Also, writing No Value on a package can save me (or any other recipient) from paying customs fees for anything coming into the country.
2. Phones. Manna provides the PDs with cell phones so they can call one another or other Ecuadorian numbers; the phones do not dial out. Instead, we have a Skype account from which we can call the United States landlines, cell phones, or other Skype users.
3. Visitors. Visitors are welcome and encouraged! The policy for visitors staying at the house for the upcoming year will be determined by us, the PDs when we get to Ecuador, but hostels can be very cheap, in the $7-$9/night range. I will let you know more about visiting when a policy is determined.
4. Language. To help me out with my Spanish, all the PDs will be spending the first three weeks enrolled in language school and staying in Ecuadorian homes. These days will immerse us in the language; hopefully some of it will stick.

I want to take this time to thank those who have supported my by sending donations into Manna- Nick & Janine Stafani, Jane Routson, Butch & Lea Shefsky, Edgar Lowe, and Brian & Mary Morrow. This trip can't happen without the generous support from friends and family.

mike

Welcome

Welcome to my blog about my upcoming trip to Ecuador. If you've found this, you are probably a friend or a benefactor, so thank you!

I hope to use this blog to keep those at home updated about what I'm doing with Manna throughout the year. I hope to include stories and pictures from my time in Quito. Additionally, I'll be keeping everybody up to date on my fundraising efforts, with pleas and requests for help throughout the year.