Homesickness

That's right I am going to write about homesickness. No- right now I am fine and have been the past few weeks. Sure, the first week here at my site was filled with mixed emotions and homesickness, but I've gotten over those. So why write about it? Well it is a common question from people here and at home. "Do you miss your family or being at home?"

Before I came here, even before I put my application into the Peace Corps, I knew that I would be stepping into a time machine, somewhat. The memories from home are going to be from a previous time and I will be changing. How does this pertain to homesickness? Well, for starters, it makes the idea of missing home make less sense. If I were to go home now, things would be pretty much the same. As more time goes by while I am here in Ecuador and that still remains the same, I'd be pretty damn upset. The inverse of that holds true, too. The more things change at home (for better or worse), I could get stuck asking myself, "I could have been there for that!" After that first week here, I just came to the conclusion that being homesick was just plain silly. It's a lose-lose situation if you think about it.

While listening to music doesn't really make me homesick, I've been finding it amusing how certain songs or albums stir up certain specific memories. TV on the Radio, taking the dogs on a walk on the beach in Long Branch. The Good Life, working with my brother. Or even an older one- Blink 182, going to Sea Girt for 7v7 summer soccer leagues with both my brothers and Tom Saal. I guess I am using my main form of entertainment here as a cure for homesickness. When I want to stir up certain positive images from home, I put on a certain song or album. With that said, if you want a great album to fall asleep to at night, get Spiritualized's album Pure Phase. Also, send me new music to help incorporate memories of Ecuador with certain songs!

 

Business Casual

Networking hasn't been the buzzword since college. I know, those days so far in the past. During college I shrugged off the responsibility of networking with the proper business people to land me the "proper" job. Look where it has gotten me. Living in a foreign country. Learning something new almost daily. And for the most part- enjoying life. So why do I mention networking, if life is full of sunshine and cheer? Well, for starters, I finally learned the real importance of the word. My new-found definition of the word is much different than what I thought it was.

Going to social events to get to know someone. Not networking, that's brown-nosing. Befriending a couple that run a hotel here in Atacames. When I came in with a bad cough, they offered me cough syrup. Eating breakfast regulary at one place where they give you an extra piece of bread in the morning. Maybe that's just customer satisfaction, but it's part of networking in my book. I guess you could consider these all parts of relationship building, but that is what my perception of what networking has come to signify. Establishing a meaningful web of people that help you through the day to day instead of people who can help you get a job sometime in the future- that's "networking."

Even if you don't think this is networking, realize the importance of some of the less personal relationships in your life. The little extra you receive from these relationships is enough to put a smile on your face.

 

Mi Vida Nueva - Parte II

Now for the exciting conclusion of this two-part blog entry. Given the vagueness of my job/site description, I will have to say that my main job is working with APROCA- Asociacion de Productores de Cacao de Atacames. For future reference I'll refer to this place as the center, it's easier and caters to my disdain of caps lock. First I would like to introduce you to my boss, Bruno:

 

Yeah, I get paid in paperclips. It's actually the currency down here in Ecuador. Aren't they worth more than US dollars now? Ok, that isn't really my boss, but I guess you could say he has seniority over me. That's the secretary/accountant's little son who is there everyday. Every 15 minutes or so he comes around and kicks the back of my leg. Other players in the center are Dick, but Ecuadorians can't pronounce the "ck" so it comes out as Dig. So I'll refer to him as Dig, saves me one letter. Dig might as well be my counterpart so far. This guy runs the center. Wihtout him, I do not know how an association of cacao growers would even function in Atacames. This guy plays the drums, piano, flute, electric guitar and whatever else you can play in a one-man band. He has me doing the not-so-bitch, bitch-work. I say "not-so" because it's tough work, and this guy was doing most of it by himself until I showed up. This work includes shoveling, sweeping, raking, lifting, packing and a whole laundry list of little jobs. Others that I see daily are Francisco, who is technically the secretary. He helps out a bit with the little jobs that I do when no one else is around. Veronica, Bruno's mother, is also there everyday. Other than those three, I would say there aren't that many more regulars in the center. There are random characters there each day, but I would guesstimate that no more than six people are there daily.
As for my counterpart, the person I'm supposed to be working alongside with, I have seen three days out of the many I've worked so far. I'm sure I will get to know him better as time goes on, but I find it amusing that he is my counterpart, not Dig. No big deal in the whole scheme of things. I'm working or at least helping in someway. As I keep saying to myself and other people, I have plenty of time to figure out what exactly it is I'm doing here. I guess to give you a little idea of the process of cacao and what the center does, here is a basic how-to:
Step 1 - Collection (Sorry no pictures, just pictures a wet garbage bag filled with crap)
Step 2 - Fermenting A 3 day process. It helps develop the aroma and flavor of the cacao:

 

Step 3 - Drying Another 3ish day process. Pretty much let the sun do its magic:

 

Super Marquesina - The better way to dry:

 

There are a few more little steps before the seeds get shipped off to get processed further (making chocolate), such as cleaning and refilling all the sacks. In a nutshell, that is what I am helping with for now. And remember the next time you take a bite out of the chocolate bar you are eating, ask yourself "Has Chris Gallup's feet been in the process of making this candy bar?"