Back in good old Scotland ...

Finally after getting thrown back into my Scottish life immediately when I stepped of the plane I find time to write about the weird thing about coming back and the plans we set up in Ecuador for working together.
Yes I am back and I got flooded with Scottish life, responsibilities and a huge amount of 3rd year uni work. I had no time to actually really reflect on what has just been happening in the last three months of my life. But on the plane already I was thinking about very daily issues like: where do I actually put the money in again when I step on a bus. When I went for dinner at my friend's house the night after I arrived I automatically leaned forward to kiss them on the cheek, but...I got the hint from their suprised look on their face just second before my mouth actually reached their cheek bones. This turned out not to be the last awkward situation I was supposed to land in. In the morning I went to the bank and I felt so stressed by all these very busy and nice looking people around me that were in a rush and did not seem to notice me, that I felt so tight together without being able to breath and the pressure of the tears coming up in my eyes.
It is not exactly that I want to go back but despite my friends that really tried to make me feel welcome at home, I did not feel understood. But then I met a friend who did something similar this summer. I had no idea what was happening to me but I just burst out in tears.
So that's about it, coming back. I think I am still not over it and I think I really start to miss my Ecuadorian family.

So, now about the project:
Margarita, Juan and I agreed that it would be a great help for them if I could look for enthusiastic an in a particular art skilled people that would like to work for Mano Amiga for a couple of months. They would need people with music, theatre, handicrafts, builders, plummers, agricultural knowledge, social work, psycholigical etc. skills. If you maybe have those on offer, know someone that would love to do something like that, just refer them to this site and me and we can have a chat about it. There are also a lot of other things on the go and needed and if you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to email me.
I promise, when I get my feet back on the ground I will start to update the blog and will give you some more information of what is going on over here and over there.
In the meanwhile I thank you for supporting us and hope you keep in touch. I am so grateful you have been here all the time.

Saying Adios… one of the hardest that I have ever done…

And yes, that is it already: 3months that flew by like nothing. 3 months full of challenges, sweat, smiles and laughter, tears and discussions and finally a huge circle of friends and two more mums and dads in Ecuador. Those 3 months were a rollercoaster, like life in general. But they were full of colors and not just black and white. Another time it was confirmed that life is not as easy as black and white, there are much more colors to it.
Last week Wednesday before I headed off to a couple of days nature, I was received at the Centre to say Goodbye. Finally we decided that it might be just a “See you soon”. And Juan is quite sure that I am just taking two years holidays to study and to return after that. For me it was a very hard moment and I tried to wipe my tears away. They all were so lovely and for one of the first times really honest, which was the biggest present to me. What really impressed me was that they wrote little notes and thanked me for the following: Thanks for always encouraging us in our capacities and always giving us the confidence in our own skills and abilities. Still when I think about this, I feel so touched and surprised. For me it is an amazing thing to leave them with… Thank you!
For them I prepared a presentation with the typical me jokes about our time together, with some photos to reflect on what we have done together and what I enjoyed with them most. I think everyone had a big smile on their face and a little tear in his/her eye at the end of it.

When I prepared the two folders as a description of my work in those three months last week, I finally realized what we have done together and that it is actually quite a lot and useful to them. While one is working, one is stuffed with experiences and impressions that it is difficult to see the whole picture sometimes. Today I see the whole picture and feel freer to go.

Everyone is asking me when I will be back and if I come back next year and I always have to say that I have no idea. I would like to come back but there are a lot of other things out there I like to learn and live. I absolutely got to appreciate the culture, nature, people and their way of thinking and being. I really fell in love with Ecuador and the diversity that one can find here. It is an absolutely amazing country that is incredibly tiny for all the things it offers.

I am so glad I climbed this mountain and I pushed myself with support of all of you so far although I had some fear…
But if a plant does not grow towards the light and always turn its head above, it would probably never flourish…

Thank you all so much for your support over the last year and especially the last months, support in being friends, writing encouraging emails when I hit a low, reading the Blog, looking at the pictures, giving advice and ideas and supporting financially some of the projects we did over here. Your help is hugely appreciated…
I am looking forward to see you all soon.

Muchísimas Gracias

Sabine