Arts, Festivals, and Friendships in Cayambe

The process of Making Stain Glass Hummingbird:

During my time in Ecuador, I got the opportunity to learn and create 4 different types of stained glass hummingbirds. I learned how to cut glass, wrap it in this copper foil, and glaze it together for the glass to bond. I had previously observed Carova (the artist I had been working with) create stained glass windows and I had the opportunity to learn from him firsthand how to create them, with his help.

Working together:

For four days, Cayambe and Ayora have been experiencing internet and power shortages in different sections of the cities. Luckily, my service placement still had both power and internet. I asked Carova and Sophia if I could use their internet connection to catch up on work, and they agreed. After completing my tasks of creating decorative magnets, I sat in my small workspace and began working on my homework assignments. Next to me, Sophia and her daughter-in-law were also busy creating decorative magnets. In my service placement they had always been kind and generous towards me, offering me food while I work, taking me to the hospital when I was sick, and even giving me time in the day to allow me to work on the homework assignment needed to be done. I am grateful for having to know these people and being able to be a part of their lives.

Festival Together:

In Cayambe, there were many parades and festivals happening all around the cities. These parades celebrated students, flowers, cultures, institutions, and many other people and things. Lauren and I were stationed here as part of our service placement, however we were at opposite ends of the city and while I was working with an artist she was working in a clinic, so we barely had the time to meet up. One day we decided to attend one of these festivals together. There I got to meet her host family and we spent the entire day together creating bonds and talking about everything we experienced during our time here. We were also able to stop and eat, where we got the opportunity to try guinea pig, a common dish here in Ecuador for the first time, which we found to be interesting and delicious and would recommend for others to try at least once. The time we had together felt so liberating and the experience we shared that day I would not replace.