Holy Week

 This past week was Holy Week here in Cuenca and Thursday night started off the holiday weekend.  My host parents, Leo and I did the infamous tour of the “seven churches” of Cuenca (even though there are 52 in total) and Jacinto and Rebeca (host parents) read two phrases out of a prayer book at each church.  I was utterly amazed at how many people were on the streets walking with their families to visit the churches.  Everywhere we went was packed, in fact we couldn’t even get into two of the churches because they were so full- and these are BIG churches.  It was a really moving experience.

            Unlike in the United States, Good Friday is the biggest day of the holiday weekend here in Cuenca.  There were about 24 people who came over to our house on Friday to eat a dish called “Fanesca” (Fish Soup- but in our house you can chose with or without).  I was told that Friday is a day where family is suppose to join together and not be very active- just spend the afternoon calmly together conversing.  No music, dancing, drinking or celebrating because Jesus was dead.  I got lucky and was at least able to take a nap in the afternoon.  There were people in our house from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. when we left to go to the procession in town- a.k.a. mock funeral procession.  Again, I went with Leo and my host parents downtown to partake in the festivities.  I didn’t realize that it was going to be the strongest fake procession I would ever witness in my life.  We walked down the street with a mob of people along side of a vehicle that appeared to be a hearse.  From the inside there was a loud speaker that recited verses for the people in the streets to respond to.  Besides the verses, while we were walking all the people were singing a very drab song while carrying candles.  The procession went until the New Cathedral, where we then continued to watch the rest of the procession pass by.  Within the throng of people we saw not only the hearse, but also a large cross carrying “Jesus” and then the Virgin Mary following behind because the procession is called, “The Tears of Mary”.  Very powerful.   

            Saturday I spent the day with friends looking around at the different exhibits that artists had set up in a park in town. Of course this time of year in Cuenca it has to rain at least once a day, so eventually I ended up going home to spend the rest of the late afternoon reading.

            Today, which is Easter I have yet to leave the house.  Within the day I have had a normal breakfast, lunch, and lazy Sunday afternoon. 

 

Happy Easter- wherever you are.

Kiley                     

Happy Easter and More

This past Friday I went to a city near by named Azogues with my boss and my fellow intern Lupe (She’s studying to be a psychologist).  We were doing a home visit with a family where the child’s father is in the United States working illegally and the family is now separated, as the father has a new wife and child in the States. Consequently, the little boy is suffering in more ways than one. 

It is both interesting and sad for me to see the affects that immigration is having on the families here in Cuenca.  As I am spending my days searching prisons for updates on inmates, calling morgues as a last resort, and listening to mothers cry daily because they don’t know where their child is, I catch myself wondering why they do it?  However, I am now learning more about the answer to my question through the Political Economics of Latin America class that I am talking.

In an economy where the second leading resource of capital towards the GDP is the remittances coming from the United States, it is obvious that illegal immigration is supporting many families financially here in Cuenca.  Although I agree that we must protect our borders to some extent, I also feel that we should make it more available for illegal immigrants to become citizens if they are already in the States.  We are learning that without illegal immigrants taking the jobs that Americans don’t want, the American economy would be in a lot worse shape than it already is.  Believe it, or don’t.  Anyways- I won’t keep going on that because I don’t want to have a hundred comments from all of you.  However, know that I’d be willing at any time to have a conversation about the affects that immigration has both on Ecuador and on the United States.  After the ten-page paper I am writing about it I should be an expert.     

Besides interning at the House of Migrant and going to class I have also begun tutoring English for a ten-year-old boy named Mateo.  His mom is paying me to do it three times a week up until I leave here in August.  Oh, and if some of you didn’t know, I’m staying in Cuenca for summer.  Surprise.  Anyway, I started class with him on Monday and it is really fun.  Right now we are just completing basic review and studying vocabulary.  He’ll have homework for English class most of the time so I won’t have to do much preparing.

Well, this weekend is Easter and it should be an interesting one.  I have learned that here Good Friday is a much bigger day than the actual Easter Sunday.  Special food is prepared that is made only out of grains and rumor has it that a bunch of family is coming over to my house to eat it Friday afternoon.  Leo told me I should wake up early on Friday and help her prepare it.  After lunch then we will all walk together around Cuenca to seven different churches- it’s a tradition.  My friend Leah is living with my host mom’s sister, so at least I won’t be the only “gringa”.  I’ll let you all know how it goes and I’ll try to take pictures. 

 

Until then, I wish you all a Happy Easter.     

Kiley

P.s. I’m attaching a picture of little Sebastian wearing the hat I knitted for him.