SOOO......
I don't have time to write in a blog, or rather, it doesn't seem worth my time. I will still try to keep posting photos though, which you can see in the photos link, which takes you to Google's Picaso Gallery. If you want to hear what is going on, send me an e-mail, write a letter, call me, or come visit me.
Paz y Amor,
John
Friday, January 4, 2008
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
new pics
Just added new pics, have been starting chess clubs with the kids, went to Cuenca for halloween, spanish is coming along, Latacunga is good. Send me an e-mail or a letter and I'll get back to ya.
Monday, September 24, 2007
This one is for T.O.
Theresa, you will probably read this within the next couple weeks, and probably be the only one to read it. hehe. If anyone else should read this post, this is Theresa, well her blog anyways... http://como-esta-theresa.blogspot.com/.
Thanks for you comments, friend. I see you have a similar dilema here. May our work these next years produce some surpassingly great fruits. May the system of child labor in this world soon meet its end.
Thanks for you comments, friend. I see you have a similar dilema here. May our work these next years produce some surpassingly great fruits. May the system of child labor in this world soon meet its end.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
My Job Begins
So, some people have been wanting more posts...
I am trying to be a part of a program called World Wise Schools. It connects Peace Corps volunteers with teachers in the states for cultural exchanges. Mr. Dave Hovis, a social studies teacher in Winnetka and I are partnering up. I just sent him an e-mail with my thoughts, so I will copy them here.
Dave,
I hope that you can somehow communicate this different world to your students. We will continue to think about how we can help each other and whatnot. Let me know if I can do anything for you, if you want information, or if you have any questions or any feedback for me.
My Spanish, it is coming along alright, but it is so hard to learn another language. Slowly and surely it comes. I am in the process of looking for a Spanish tutor, I try to read in Spanish as much as I can, I got a Spanish Bible, and it is actually really cool. I am starting to do my journal entries in Spanish too, and I hope these all help me improve. But, it is really hard. For example, I spent all morning in a meeting today and didn't understand anything - sometimes I do, sometimes I don't understand. I felt so introverted, and people thought I was sad, but I just couldn't understand what they were saying. I have a different personality in this country because I cannot communicate the way that I want to.
Last Saturday I went to two of the schools that I will be working at. The kids there are from 8-18 years old. They go to school on Saturday because all during the week they have to go to work. They sell things on the streets, run bus routes, work construction. These kids have jobs because their families cannot afford to feed them, or they don't have a family. They have such a different life then we do in the states, and to them it is normal. It is so hard to know what to do with this situation here. On the bus routes, these precious kids will walk down the aisles in their ragged clothes, dirty fingernails and wind-burned faces selling candy. I only have two options when they stare me down with their blank faces and reach out their hand to sell me candy: to buy or not to buy, but I wish I had a third or fourth option. I wish I could provide them with a different childhood than the one they are experiencing. You cannot blame the parents, or the kids, or even Ecuadorian government or culture. It is just an institutional problem, a problem of the social system - it is an Injustice, but hard to explain. For example, some people make a living playing sports or acting in movies and get to live like royalty, while others make a living planting vegetables or making bricks, but cannot afford their daily bread.
So these are my thoughts now. I have been presented with my job, my allies, the work ahead, the institutional problems, the language barrier, and the children here in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. What will we do about it? How will we tangibly find a way to make a difference?
all for now,
John
I am trying to be a part of a program called World Wise Schools. It connects Peace Corps volunteers with teachers in the states for cultural exchanges. Mr. Dave Hovis, a social studies teacher in Winnetka and I are partnering up. I just sent him an e-mail with my thoughts, so I will copy them here.
Dave,
I hope that you can somehow communicate this different world to your students. We will continue to think about how we can help each other and whatnot. Let me know if I can do anything for you, if you want information, or if you have any questions or any feedback for me.
My Spanish, it is coming along alright, but it is so hard to learn another language. Slowly and surely it comes. I am in the process of looking for a Spanish tutor, I try to read in Spanish as much as I can, I got a Spanish Bible, and it is actually really cool. I am starting to do my journal entries in Spanish too, and I hope these all help me improve. But, it is really hard. For example, I spent all morning in a meeting today and didn't understand anything - sometimes I do, sometimes I don't understand. I felt so introverted, and people thought I was sad, but I just couldn't understand what they were saying. I have a different personality in this country because I cannot communicate the way that I want to.
Last Saturday I went to two of the schools that I will be working at. The kids there are from 8-18 years old. They go to school on Saturday because all during the week they have to go to work. They sell things on the streets, run bus routes, work construction. These kids have jobs because their families cannot afford to feed them, or they don't have a family. They have such a different life then we do in the states, and to them it is normal. It is so hard to know what to do with this situation here. On the bus routes, these precious kids will walk down the aisles in their ragged clothes, dirty fingernails and wind-burned faces selling candy. I only have two options when they stare me down with their blank faces and reach out their hand to sell me candy: to buy or not to buy, but I wish I had a third or fourth option. I wish I could provide them with a different childhood than the one they are experiencing. You cannot blame the parents, or the kids, or even Ecuadorian government or culture. It is just an institutional problem, a problem of the social system - it is an Injustice, but hard to explain. For example, some people make a living playing sports or acting in movies and get to live like royalty, while others make a living planting vegetables or making bricks, but cannot afford their daily bread.
So these are my thoughts now. I have been presented with my job, my allies, the work ahead, the institutional problems, the language barrier, and the children here in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. What will we do about it? How will we tangibly find a way to make a difference?
all for now,
John
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
¿How do we love?
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)...
"I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him."
"I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him."
NEW HOME
Here is my mailing address...
John Coleman
casilla 05-01-236
Latacunga, Cotopaxi
Ecuador, SA
and my phone number: 011-593-9-475-8532
John Coleman
casilla 05-01-236
Latacunga, Cotopaxi
Ecuador, SA
and my phone number: 011-593-9-475-8532
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
My placement!
I received my placement today! I am ready and prepared!
Province: Cotopaxi
City: Latacunga
Population: ~51,000
climate: 40-70 F year round
Employer: Diocesis de Latacunga
Quick Facts: Latacunga is in the middle of Ecuador and on the Pan-American Highway. 2 hours south of Quito by bus. I believe I will be the first Peace Corps Volunteer with this organization. I am close to Mt. Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world, and in the Andes.
Job Facts: Support and educate students and teachers in San Felipe's School district of 15 schools, work with Project SOY, which fights for children's rights (derechos de ninos) and against child labor, provide computer use training to youth, support and follow up with 450 scholarship students, train teachers in topics relating to Project SOY, Support a group of youth that have a radio program, help with the youth magazine, work with woman in income generating projects, help facilitate community banks.
Province: Cotopaxi
City: Latacunga
Population: ~51,000
climate: 40-70 F year round
Employer: Diocesis de Latacunga
Quick Facts: Latacunga is in the middle of Ecuador and on the Pan-American Highway. 2 hours south of Quito by bus. I believe I will be the first Peace Corps Volunteer with this organization. I am close to Mt. Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world, and in the Andes.
Job Facts: Support and educate students and teachers in San Felipe's School district of 15 schools, work with Project SOY, which fights for children's rights (derechos de ninos) and against child labor, provide computer use training to youth, support and follow up with 450 scholarship students, train teachers in topics relating to Project SOY, Support a group of youth that have a radio program, help with the youth magazine, work with woman in income generating projects, help facilitate community banks.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Baile de San Pedro en Tabacundo
This is a traditional Dance or Parade that happens for three day in Tabacundo, the city I am in. Many families get together to dance for drinks from the onlookers. It is in honor of San Pedro day. I got to dance in the streets two nights with a group of my friends. We played guitar and danced for hours.
La guerra en Cotacachi
This is the first of two videos of a traditional "war" in Cotacachi. Here you see the official Ecuadorian Police trying to control the rioting people. My sister says very dangerous, but it wasn´t too bad. It is more of a fight between the different parts of the city; they meet in the central park next to the catholic church, which every city here has.
La guerra en Cotacachi 2
These are the actual "fighters" as they marched down the street whistling and getting pumped up.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Ecuador
I am in Tabacundo. It is 15 minutes west of Cayambe, it is North of Quito, in the Mountains - which are AMAZING. My stomach has some adjusting to do to the food. Other than that, there is not cause for any worry of exotic diseases or viruses. I will spend 2 months here with a host family and try to learn as much spanish as I can. My family is great, the culture is fantastic and different, the food is great. This month is a festival and there are interesting parties and parades all throughout the streets at night. The locals here have a great sense of dress-style. They have these sweet hats and amazingly bright colors. My uncle plays guitar at church and teaches too; he is going to buy me one and give me lessons. My mom is a great cook and she takes care of me. My sister is 26; She has great friends here and takes me out at night to have fun. Last night we made a fire in the streets and it was great to meet all her friends. August 11 is her birthday and we are going to have a huge fiesta with other volunteers too. My room is amazing. Everyone speaks Spanish here and it is very difficult to find anyone that knows english, which is just fine with me.
The Peace Corps is incredibly prepared, equipped, ready, organized and professional. "El Cuerpo de Paz" as they say here, has walked along us volunteers from the moment I got off the plane in Ecuador. Previous volunteers met us at the airport and gave us a welcome bigger than I could have imagined. They have a well established and respected program here, in which they work with the Ecuadorian government to help meet the Millenium Development Goals. Change is slow, but we try to bring progress everywhere - one community at a time.
I have a local ecuadorian as my spanish facilitator, he helps me learn spanish along with the three other people that live in my town for training. I will meet up with three previous volunteers and a local Ecuadorian woman for other training in the areas of Youth Development.
Over and Out,
John
The Peace Corps is incredibly prepared, equipped, ready, organized and professional. "El Cuerpo de Paz" as they say here, has walked along us volunteers from the moment I got off the plane in Ecuador. Previous volunteers met us at the airport and gave us a welcome bigger than I could have imagined. They have a well established and respected program here, in which they work with the Ecuadorian government to help meet the Millenium Development Goals. Change is slow, but we try to bring progress everywhere - one community at a time.
I have a local ecuadorian as my spanish facilitator, he helps me learn spanish along with the three other people that live in my town for training. I will meet up with three previous volunteers and a local Ecuadorian woman for other training in the areas of Youth Development.
Over and Out,
John
Monday, May 7, 2007
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