Playing Soccer with the Tias

These pictures are at an Iguana Park that I went to on a field trip in Guayaquil Ecuador. Iguanas live there wild in that city, and this is an Iguana Park where probably 70 or more iguanas live at. The city feeds them and then just locks the gate at night to keep them inside for people to see.

face painted by orphans

Guayaquil Ecuador Temple

 corn field passed each day to orphanage

 Iguana Tree -- Look hard and see all the Iguanas

 This is at the Iguana Park! I was having alot of fun with the pigeons :)

 small Ecuadorian vans

 countryside

 boy feeding iguanas

J I also started reading a wonderful human relations book called How To Win Friends and Influence People and it is so good!!!

3/13/11

Today was just amazing! I worked at the Special Needs Home for both shifts and had the best time playing soccer with the kids and workers- who we call 'Tias'. All of these particular kids are i wheelchairs, so as we play soccer, we grab a kid in a wheelchair and run away with them chasing the ball and competing with the other workers and volunteers. It was seriously one of the best days I had volunteering here because I was able to joke around with and really build friendships with the Tias by playing soccer.

Now, as you may know, soccer is pretty big down here. Alot of people are very competitive players, and there are soccer jersey stores found all around town. So naturally, the native Tias (meaning 'Aunt' in Spanish) were-- pretty good at kickin that ball around. One of the Tias who I work with alot was with a child pushing them around in the wheelchair, playing soccer with the rest of us... you know, just normal. I was actually running around switching from child to child since there were less workers than children. Now, we were getting a little more and more competitive little by little, and pretty soon, this particular tia got so into the game that she forgot about the kid in the wheelchair all together and was just goin after that ball! It was so funny. The best part was this: I was running with the ball and the child, and I tried to kick it in her goal. But she blocked it, started running and kicked it! I watch as the bouncy light ball flies through the air headed straight towards a little girls head... and smacks her straight in the face! We all gasped. The little girl looked startled at first, and then a second later she covered her face with her hand. We all started cracking up! The ball of course was not a real soccer ball, but a soft kid one containing a bunch of air. After that, I said in Spanish to all the Tias, "She gets another goal because she hit the little girl in the face!" And we were all laughing. After that as we continued to play I kept on telling her, "No en la cabeza!" (Not in the head) as i ran with the kids around her.

At night, I went out on the third sory of my house and looked out at the stars and the city all lit up with my friend. We live up on a hill that looks out onto the city and mountains, and is so beautiful. There is something about staring up at the beautiful night sky that clears your mind and brings you peace. I believe that the beauty of nature satisfies a certain need for happiness. It is definately most important to spend time outside meditating a few times a week. I know that by doing this, one can come to understand themselves better and will find more appreciation in the little things.