my life on popcorn

The last month or so has been a bit crazy. Work has finally started to kick off. We had a few meetings with sugarcane producers already and several more lined up. I started to talk to the cooking class ladies about starting a small business and have received sufficient interest. Still at a loss for how to start a native plant nursery, but I have a few contacts that I will be working with in the near future, which should point me in the right direction.
Life alone has been a bit of an adjustment. I have never lived by myself before so it might be doubly strange. The house is coming along, just about a week ago I was loaned a fridge… it makes a lot of noise so I might put it outside, which is easier said than done since the electrical outlets are sparse. But, it has changed my mostly popcorn/nutritional yeast diet. Also, there is now electricity upstairs, so it’s all good-to-go for when someone/anyone comes to visit.
I still spend quite a bit of time with my host family, who treats me as one of their own. They did however trick me into eating donkey… but I’ll just chalk that one up to a cultural experience.
I experienced my first Latin American soccer game in Guyaquil about a week ago. It was intense. Cross-town rivals, it was a tie, which was probably a good thing. Guyaquil was pretty cool. I only saw a small part of it, but what I did see I liked more than Quito…. Of course the grass is always greener.
Still not homesick, just miss my family, mostly my little sis. She actually sounds like she is getting older, which may be due to the fact that she is indeed getting older, 6 months is a long time for a 5 year old. I just hope I don’t miss out on too much.

One thing I have been stuck on lately is that to get any work done I have to work with the people who are already more or less hard workers. It seems the poorer people of the community already have too much on their plates to take on the time consuming process of starting an organization to help bring them out of poverty… the universe’s sick catch 22.

Side note, one of the perks of having my very own house, is having my very own jehovah's witness' come to my door. This happened this morning, and where I would have come up with any excuse in the world to get rid of them back in the states, I think I agreed for them to come back and read the bible with me.... language practice. plus i've always meant to read it--important piece of literary fiction.