For all things, there is a season

It has been two years since I first came to Ecuador, eighteen months since I moved here, four months since my last meaningful blog post. I don't know what to call the first two numbers, but I the word for the last one may be hibernation. If you are interested in reading about my life in Ecuador - inextricably wrapped up as it is in the lives of seven other people - the best place to do so is our daily blog, Open Hands and Dirty Feet. My most recent post there:

Neither Here Nor There

Men in Botswana holds hands to display their purely platonic friendship. In Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, cars drive on the left side of the road. In Nicaragua adios ("to God," literally) means hello and goodbye. In Louisiana, the southern gentry stand by their chairs whenever a lady arrives at or departs from a table. Travelers both seasoned and novice note these sorts of cultural quirks. Sometimes they are just that – quirks. Often, they point to deeper cultural currents.

In my travels, these quirks have always been amusing, and at times thought-provoking to me. While in Nashville last week, for example, my sister would physically push me away for walking too close to her on the sidewalk; an amusing notion, and one which in more thoughtful moments could lead to a discussion of the quintessentially North American need for personal space.

This trip back to the US, which I spent at a conference in DC and in MPI's first organization-wide conference in Nashville, was the first time I have paid more heed to those quirks in myself than in my surroundings. When in an uncomfortable formal situation, I used to find myself reverting unconsciously to my training as a southern gentleman; now, however, I find myself acting more like a polite Ecuadorian country boy. When I walk into a room it feels more natural to greet evry last person – the men with a not-too-firm handshake, the women with a single fake kiss on the cheek – than to slip in quietly, shake hands with those in close proximity, and nod in recognition to those who make eye contact from across the room. When I make physical contact with someone on the metro (a grave offense in the US, apparently) my immediate reaction is to say perdoname rather than excuse me. And man, driving in the US is boring.

I am back in Quito now, interviewing an excitingly strong group of applicants for next year's E-team. And instead of coming back with open questions about the differences between Ecuador and the US, I come wondering about how I fit into both – or neither. So Mom, if I stand up at the table whenever you do, but then attempt awkwardly to kiss you on the cheek, you'll know why.

Happy International Volunteer Day!

December 5th is International Volunteer Day - a day set aside by the United Nations since 1985 to celebrate volunteerism. On this day we pause to celebrate the many thousands of people who travel across the globe to serve the needs of their fellow man. International volunteers work side by side with local citizens in every corner of the world helping address every kind of need including the UN Millennium Development Goals. MPI is proud of the work we do in this field and proud to be part of the Building Bridges Coalition - a consortium of leading international volunteering organizations, colleges & universities, corporations and government agencies working collaboratively to double the number of volunteers serving abroad by 2010 while improving program quality and maximizing positive impacts in the communities where volunteers serve.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?: Have you had the privilege of participating in an international volunteer program? If so, help us raise awareness by writing a phrase or two on December 5th about why or how your experience was meaningful to you. If you have a regular Facebook, MySpace, BeGlobal or other personal blog presence, simply take 2 minutes and make your entry there. Or Twitter your friends to honor the day. Or send an e-mail to your friends about the benefits to you and those you served. Consider including a link back to our website (www.mannaproject.org) to create even further awareness. Together, we can build a better world

Happy International Volunteer Day!

Your friends at MPI

Kids these days

An article in the Huffington Post reminds our parents that while... "may listen to our iPods in public a little too much and fantasize over thin laptops," that our generation still has a lot of potential:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-hirabayashi/memo-to-our-parents-we-do_b_141911.html

More Galapagos Islands photos

Mostly 'cause I knew Mom would want to see them, and I wanted to experiment with Google Photo.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mark.c.hand/GalapagosIslands#

Shark-diving in volcanic craters

A slightly different kind of blog post on my recent trip to the Galapagos Islands. Start with the green marker and click away for pictures and descriptions.


View Larger Map

If you can't get this map to work here, try this link.