Update!

Things in my life have been good here. I am now with 3 jobs...or 2 paying jobs and 1 volunteer gig. My 3rd job is working the mornings on Saturday and Sunday with a dog training company called Gresbur. There I do mostly administrative stuff, but I also get to play with the dogs as much as I want. I never thought that dog training would be such a fad here, but the class seems to grow every week!

I´m really looking forward to Sarah´s wedding. The time is just flying! I think now that I have found a steady rhythm here...or at least steady by MY standards, the weeks seem to pass without my noticing.

I spent this week running around getting supplies for the birth kits for the next Jungle Mama´s workshop which will be next week. Unfortunately I won´t be able to make it, but at least I know I am making a difference. And despite how frustrating it can be to argue for hours with people about prices and quantity and whatnot, I really like going out and doing the shopping for this. It´s strange that the one job I don´t get paid for is the one I feel the most passionate about. I wonder if that has anything to do with the psychology self-fulfillment theory...or whatever that was called.

Anyways, this week in Ecuador is Carnaval where everybody throws water and flour and eggs at each other. I´m not sure how I am going to like that considering I really hate having my hands dirty, but surely my next blog will be about that. That´s about it for now, things here have been pretty quiet and tranquil...and I am thankful for that!

Tristezas

I really love is the concept of "tristezas." I first heard it when I was listening to a comedy skit where a guy simply complained about everything in his life that bothered him. Ever since, I've been meaning to write my "tristezas" and get it all out of my system.

1- Whenever I am feeling depressed here, everyone always assumes its because of some man...95% of the time, it's NOT! I am not a type of women that's emotional well-being relies on the stability of a man in my life, thank you.

2- Just because I am a native English speaker does not mean that you should always use the same three English phrases you know every time you see me! They make no sense in a conversational context, and you wouldn't understand me if I answered anyways- so stop it!

3- I am not a native Spanish/Castellano speaker and I am hard of hearing, so I really appreciate it when people do not speak in slang and a million miles an hour so I can understand...If I can't understand you, you are only one step away from talking to yourself.

4- No is NO...it's just no and please stop asking

5- Don't whistle at me in the street. I know that these men are just dying for a woman's attention so they have resorted to this cave-man like strategy of mating calls...but, just as a point of clarification- it has never and will never work!

6- The guy in the club last night that told me to "bajate, bajate, bajate" when I wasn't even dancing-- you are a piece of asshole. I do not take commands like a dog, you are the only dog here.

7- All the people who manage to say the exactly wrong thing at exactly the wrong time...does it really pain you that much to take 5 seconds out of your life and think about what your about to say before it leaves your mouth? i.e...my boss who, after 6 months of working, says "Chuta, yo no sabía que tu me entiendas! (wow I didn't know you could understand me!)"

8- Being invited to sleep over a boyfriends house and then they stay up all night with their friends downstairs...if I wanted to sleep alone I would have done so comfortably in my own bed, then having the awkward morning where I wake up 5 hours before you and have to wake you up to let me the hell out so I can get on with my day.

9- When I'm web-chatting with my family from  home and everyone finds this the best time to ask me a million questions. I am really far from home and I rely on these brief encounters to keep me half-sane here...let me be!

10- I know it's tradition here to kiss on the cheek when you say hello/goodbye, but I also know that it is a cheek-to-cheek kiss. There should be NO lip action and my cheek should not have your saliva on it, and I'm not a stupid gringa that doesn't notice.

Feel free to add to my list, I know I will continue on with it and it really does feel better just to get it out.

"sentir tristeza es doloroso,no sentir nada es asqueroso"
(to feel sadness is painful, to feel nothing is disgusting)

Uninformed Activism

Activism is exploding across the globe. From the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, people are stepping up internationally to challenge social injustices and human rights violations. Now with the proposal of two bills: SOPA/PIPA, everyone is in a viral uproar about the infringement on their personal freedoms. But I wonder, how many of these concerned citizens have read the proposed bills? And moreover, does it matter if they are not informed on the content of the bills?

I guess every activist movement needs the "foot soldiers" so to say. These people make up the majority of the movement, creating noise and gaining publicity in numbers. Then there are the leaders of a movement who are the informed speakers and representatives. Most people during the Civil Rights Movement didn't know much about legalities, but their presence in the marches, sit-ins, etc. is what made the movement happen. However, without MLK Jr. and his scholarship and incredible ability to go from a room full of lawyers to a church and explain and defend personal civil liberties, the movement also wouldn't have happened. But we are in a time of an information "utopia." Anything you could want to know is available on the internet at our disposal. So, should we hold these activists accountable to be more knowledgeable about their cause before preaching across social media networks? At this point, do these viral "foot soldiers" help add momentum to the movement because of their sheer number, or are they dismantling it slowly with their uninformed demands? 

It can be dangerous to discourage those people who taking an activist stance for the first time with challenging them on their scholarship. Maybe we should just be happy that someone is taking interest and spreading the word. But couldn't it be just as dangerous if they are spreading our message using inappropriate arguments? In the presidential election, should we be challenging people to get to know the candidates, or should we just be happy people are taking action and voting? 

Personally, I do challenge those who are joining an activist movement to learn it inside and out. I think in this day and age, with the current availability of information sharing, it is imperative that people know what they are standing for and why. If I don't know what I am taking a stand on, how do I know I am fighting on the right side?

"The only way to have a life is to commit to it like crazy" -Angelina Jolie