A Day in the Life

So I think there is a rule that the minute you take a step out of your world you intantly get what you need the most when you arrive at your destination..

It´s a liitle suprising when you walk into an office in another country and find out that you have a chance to make a difference that you were bitching about not making a week before.  Then to try and express that in Spanish and English through an interpreter.  Cañ´t wait to learn this language so I won´t be limited to äsking people how much stuff costs and how they are..

It’s about time to go and I have been busy trying to remember everything I need to do and who I need to contact.

I did manage to see a few people before I leave but on the whole it’s been a little tough getting a hold of people and I struggle a little bit trying to remember who I should contact and who is busy enough that I just email. The list is a list and I have been trying to take care of it bit by bit.

Right now it’s call a shuttle for tommorow, repack my stuff and decide to bring one bag or two. But in the back of my mind I am thinking of different people and what I would like to talk to them about.

Also there is trying to set something up for when I get back.. Denver, the mountains, somewhere else. Trying to find a place is hard when you arn’t sure what your up to!

So I’m leaving it the way it is, going to Ecuador and then figuring it out!

I am going to Ecuador on Thursday for a month to learn Spanish and volunteer.  And yup, I am pretty dang psyched up for it.  the organization that I am going to participate with is here!  http://www.yanapuma.org/Quitovol.html

They have projects around Quito and Ecuador and fund these projects from thier Spanish School.  I am a wee bit nervous about the language as I still am coming up with french words when I try and remember the little spanish I know!

 But it’s a fleeting feeling and I feel confident that this will be a good adventure and a worthwhile use of my time.

I get on a plane at 7:00am from Denver and end up in Quito around 10:30pm..  Lots of time to refresh my memory and to get prepared for what lies ahead.

I can be reached through this blog for the next month or by email.  Yesterdayschild@gmail.com.

Please feel free to keep in touch as it will most likely be a relief to hear from peoples and write in English…  Got to get rid of that chicken scratch that I call writing in the next week.

                                         let me know where you are and what you are doing!

                                                                                          Jon

I am going to be staying at the grand lake lodge for two nights before it is sold!! Gotta go! It’s been almost a year since I have seen a bunch of people and two little kids that I miss a lot.

Not to mention two dogs who I took care of and want to run around the mountains a bit..

where are you?

Hi Jon,

I am glad to hear you liked the stuff Yanapuma is doing. I would be happy to set it all up for you with them if you let me know which program caught your interest, when you would like to start and until which date you would like to help out. You can pay them after arriving in Quito. Bank transfers are not needed.

I have asked around about accommodation and may be able to help you out on that too. There are basically two options:
– A friend of mine owns a nice apartment, including things like cable tv, dvd, a fully equiped kitchen and possibly internet. You will probably share the bathroom with somebody else (depending on the room he puts you in). costs a month will be $200,00 USD. You can pay him after you get here.
– I also have an apartment, but have been very lazy (I guess because of a lack of interest) in buying nice things to put in there. The place is equiped with a basic kitchen, a dining room, big terrace and you will share a bathroom with one other person (being me). It is a three bedroom apartment, I have one other flatmate. This option will cost you $140,00 USD a month.

Both of the apartments are in safe areas, close to shopping areas, parks and other nice things.

Please let me know as soon as possible which option you prefer, there are a few other people interested in staying in these places.
Saludos cordiales,

Martijn van Vreeden

I just got done with a volunteer stint working as an assistant to the creative director of the international folk art market and watched it all come together this weekend.

What I realized this weekend was what a cool idea it is..

You get a ton of artist that you find from countries such as Peru, China, and Haiti and bring them to Santa Fe to sell thier art.  simple, huh?

Then you get grants that cover a seminar that helps them understand the wholesale process and invite museum shops from the U.S. to come buy from these artist at wholesale through the market.  The Artists doesn’t have to deal with customs and the like..

So really instead of other people going to these people in their countries, buying the art, coming back to the good old U.S. and making a profit for themselves you have reversed the process.

The artist come here and charge U.S. prices for thier art and then get to take home the monet someone else would have been making.  Fricking brilliant..  and they have orders to fill for a few months from the wholesale orders..

                                                                        Go good guys(and women)