Departures & Coming Attractions

It was a pretty low key weekend for us in the Valley. A few people were under the weather from either street food or the dinner that Erik and I cooked on Friday night (hopefully the former). We kicked off the weekend with a meeting about the future of the library. Topics included a classroom management discussion led by Lori, revising the disciplinary rules, and brainstorming ideas like creating a weekly story time hour. A few of us has planned on waking up early to go to Machachi for a parade and festival, but illness and my malfunctioning alarm clock transformed our day into lounging around the house. After a week of chasing kids around at camp and promoting our free health clinic for next week, I think a lazy Saturday was just what we needed.

On a more somber note, Seth Harlan, our veteran PD who has been working with Manna for the past two years is leaving us on Tuesday to go to the Galapagos before he heads back to the States for his brother's wedding. We're all really sad to see him go as we've spent the last month getting to know his outgoing, fun and extremely considerate personality during the Jovenes camp and as well as in the Teen Center. For example, just a few minutes ago Seth came down here and gave me a plastic spinning top, a Nalgene, a backpack, a couple ace bandages and... drumroll please... a folder that says "dog gone cute" on it. What a guy.

We spent his last Saturday out in Quito eating at La Fotonovela, a charming Mexican restaurant run by an enthusiastic ex-soap opera star and going out dancing with some of Seth's friends. There are a few positive items about Seth's departure: he's writing a guest blog for us this week, he'll be back next Thursday for a night and promised to go salsa-ing with us, AND most importantly, he has a return trip ticket for late October! Maybe some of the other old PDs will follow suit and come visit us soon too! (wink wink)

Seth receiving a celebratory drink

Lori gets one too!

Rather than getting a drink, Haley spills salsa on herself

Coming attractions for this week of blogging:

• First round of interviews of the '09-'10 PDs: Chester Polson, Sonia Patel, Haley Booe, Erik Swanson and me!
• Guest Blog from Seth Harlan
• A couple of birthdays
• More anecdotes from summer camp

Get Pumped!

- Jackie