I can't believe I'm wrapping up week one in San Cristobal! It seems like I've been here for a few hours and for a few years all at the same time. The society, atmosphere, and culture here differs greatly than that of the United States. First of all, time is merely a suggestion. I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed this aspect of the culture, at least right now! Coming from what was probably the busiest year I've had and thus requiring total structure, it's going to take a while to adjust. Add to the situation that I'm a musician that has been trained to think that "early is on time and on time is late" only amplifies my frustrations. For example, the rehearsals I've had to prepare for my performance at the church in Saturday morning are supposed to be from 6-7pm, but rarely start before 6:45pm. That, however, is my only complaint! Of the entire island, only 3% contains human civilization; the remaining 97% is the National Park. That being said, I think all 2,000 people know each other. When I take a taxi home at night, I simply ask the driver to go to the house of Consquelo Gil. It's crazy. I think these factors are why family and comradery are such fundamental parts of the culture here. The community here also takes care of the struggling neighbors. For example, my family has an elderly male neighbor who has physical handicaps; he has one full-sized arm and struggles walking because his limp is so bad. He comes over every day for dinner to eat with us. All meals are family time. Everyone comes home for lunch and then goes back to work. It truly makes me feel as if I am a part of the family. I know I've said a little bit about my home and host family, but I'll go into more detail! The dad's name is Albert and the mom's name is Consquelo. They live in their 7 bedroom house with their 15 year old granddaughter, Carlita. From what I can tell, they both stay at home now. Our house is bigger than most. As I said, it has 7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, a combined dinning room/living room, and this patio/workspace area connect the two separate buildings that make up the house. Albert is like a giant teddy bear; he calls us all his daughters and tries so hard to carry on conversations with us all the time! Consquelo is pretty quiet, but she makes sure we always have whatever we need. She is also an INCREDIBLE cook. In the 18 meals I've had here, I've only disliked one. She makes homemade juice every day from fruits I've never heard of before that are delicious! In addition to the family, there are three other girls living here. Dominique and Michelle are sisters from Canada working in the conservation, and Sigrid is fro, Norway teaching Spanish in the school. Dominique and I were instant best friends! They're all leaving a month before me, but I'm hoping a few more people will come and stay here so I'm not alone! Everything here is very rural. It's not necessarily farmland, but it is very simple. Chickens, dogs, cats, and goats walk the streets. A dog even came into our house the other night and sat on the couch like he owned the place! There aren't many stores or restaurants, and the few that are here are right near the beach for the tourists. All people are extremely welcoming; everyone says hello when you're walking down the street. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk anywhere from my house; I'm finally starting to know my way around after getting lost a few times! Although there are a few luxuries, such as washers and dryers, TVs, and Internet, that really is it. My house, one of the more well-off houses, doesn't have air conditioning or hot water. Chairs everywhere are those plastic lawn chairs from back home. Life is just simple. The school system here is similar to that of the U.S. "Escuela" is the equivalent of K-5, and "collegio" is the equivalent of middle and high school. These are both provided by the state. "Universidad" is synonymous with college/university in the United States. There is one tiny university in San Cristobal, but many people go to Quito or Guayaquil on the mainland of Ecuador for college. From what I can tell, though, not many people from the Galápagos Islands go to college. The idea of conservation is very big on the islands. This is not only due to the history of plant and animal diversity here because of Darwin, but also because of the growing human population and the impact it is having on the environment. For example, about ten years ago San Cristobal was filled with palm trees, beautiful flowers, and large open spaces that could be used for farming. Today, this is not the case. There are many wild, tangly bushes that have been brought over and have become invasive species, ruining the natural vegetation. This is the same with animals; many marine animals are being killed off because of all of the garbage that is brought into the ocean through the El Niño currents. The people on the island want to preserve their land, but, just like anywhere, all of the money that should be going to conservation efforts simply go into the pockets of the politicians. That's where many of the volunteers from around the world come in. Through an organization called Projects Abroad, there are roughly 300 volunteers every year coming to the islands to enhance the conservation effort; that's what Dominique and Michelle are doing. This includes doing anything from counting marine iguanas to diving in the ocean for trash to cutting down blackberry bushes with machetes. They work alongside the locals to make San Cristobal a beautiful place to live and a sustainable environment for the plant and animal life. Overall, I am truly enjoying my time here thus far. The island is beautiful, the people are kind, and there is much to learn! Next week I will begin working with the high school band, assisting both basic instruction and the creation of a marching band. I'm very excited to see what adventures are ahead! |
The Trip of a Lifetime
I am travelling to the Galapagos Islands for eight weeks to teach music. There are very little "knowns" in this adventure. I simply know I'm teaching music to approximately thirty children, ages 6-15. Follow me throughout my experience in the blog below, or click the button for more information about how this experience got started.