Literacy

...A life experience...

In my opinion, this was an experience that I certainly not going to forget because it has left us a great an unforgettable experience and that is to help other people, with this kind of programs we are supporting the Ecuador development in a very direct and beneficial way because a country without people with illiteracy is a country with a great future. That's why we and the other schools are taking part of this difficult task of removing the ignorance of many people and let them know that they also have the right to be heard and to be part of this country.

Although the organization of the program for youth and adults was not as good as we expected because some things were not so ready. However, we could take lot of benefit from this, I mean from new experiences and also that we met many people with lots different life stories that make us think on how fortunate we are to teach and learn at the same time.

I also realized that money or social position is not a factor to make friend or to learn from another person because they taught us something very good and nice and is to learn from our experiences and to appreciate all we have like aour family, education and also our possessions and even they do not have this its not a factor for them to became better person in the life...

At the beginning I had the opportunity to teach people who did not know anything even how to write theirs names. So I thought –what a shame how I can teach them– At first we started teaching them hoe to hold the pencil. Then we teach them the vowels and then the other letters. Now It's nice to see and hear these people reading and writing; because it is proof that this program was not wasted time.

Approximately in the middle of this literacy program I was in charge to teach children who were in the “leveling group” our mission was to help them to do their homework and study for tests.

In the end I found that I haven’t lost my time on Saturdays because I spend time with my friends and support people who really need it.

I'm sure the country will continue its development if we keep these programs and if we give a special opportunity to those who were never heard and now have a reason to fight for the education of future generations of Ecuador.

Soldier Boys

Part 2

Since Spencer and Dieter leave their training camps, a lot of things had happened…

Dieter was in his camp when the war started, he was obligated to fight and he liked that idea but there in the fight he discovered something very different; what he discovered was: that the essence of war was not to kill the other military side, it was to survive…

In the other side was Spencer who also learned a lot from his experience but his war was different on some aspects. He was not fighting others, he was combating drugs, prostitution etc because where he was existed a big social problem that make people get into that things.

It was Christmas eves when Spencer lives the war in the flesh. The Americans was fighting against the Germans, Dieters army. Dieter and Spencer where forced to dig their beds, better call foxholes; it was raining when the both armies started to cross fight Spencer was in the ground praying when he saw his friend falling to the ground with his face full of blood. There he understood that praying was not the solution to that war and he started to shoot at any movement he saw. He heard a scream and he felt very proud about that.

At the same night when the fire ends in both sides Spencer was thinking in his family, in the Christmas times in his friends, he wasn’t able to sleep about that. In that moment he heard some distant sound, like a young boy screaming it said “Shay-fu”. Spencer known it comes from a German. He heard that for almost one day after Sergeant Pappas decided to kill the boy instead of let him suffer freezing in the snow.

Spencer was walking in the direction of the youth when he finally saw him, it was a guy like Spencer, and he had been shot in the leg. It was Dieter, Spencer realized that he had been shot by him and that the best thing he can do was to kill Dieter and with that stop his suffering.

It was very difficult to Spencer he had though that more that five, in that moment Dieter take his rifle and shot Spencer who died in the act. There was the same finish to Dieter…

Comments on the ending..!!!

I never though that the end was going to be like that. I was expecting or maybe if I could change the end I prefer to write something like this…

The war gets over, only few boys get alive from that hell, Spencer who helps Dieter, returns to his house 2 months after that. Dieter made the same.

Twelve years after the war ends Spencer and Dieter see again. Dieter was very thankful about Spencer’s act. Since that moment they became friends and both realized that war does not make any positive change, and that it only cause suffer and more war…

The end

Soldier Boys

Short by: Dean Hughes

• About the author:

Dean Hughes is a prominent author of historical novels and children's books. He was born in Ogden, Utah in 1943, and grew up in very humble circumstances, I mean he was poor, but the reason I admire him is because when he was at high school he promised himself and his friends that he would be a writer.

Much of his writing is targeted to children and young adults (particularly sports-themed and World War II), although he is also well known to adult readers of LDS Fiction for his meticulously researched "Children of the Promise" and "Hearts of the Children" series, set in World War II and Vietnam War eras respectively.

He is one of the writers largely credited with the rapidly increasing quality of Mormon literature in recent years.

• So… what makes this book interesting…???

When I was at the English book store I was looking for a book that was slim and with big letters but I just saw the side of the book and I though “This book is for me”.
I think the title is not so interesting but the picture in the paste makes you think because there you can see to boys, one from Germany and other from USA. That is nothing compared to reading because is that kind of book that transport you to the moment or place where the action take place.

• Main characters:

The book is based in two main characters. Dieter Hedrick from Germany, he is fifteen he’s the kind of adolescent who wants to be older just to take his own decisions. He was part of the Hitler youth and his dream, if it is the word, is to be part of the “army” just to prove that he is brave and for impress everyone he knows.

Spencer Morgan, the third of five children in his family. He was sixteen when he joined the parachutes command. He is the second in his family to join the army and the reason is simple to show his courage and attract the attention of the girls.

• What’s the story about…???

The story it’s about two adolescents and its life in the army during the world war two, but what it’s more the one guy is from the opposite side or country from the other. The first one who is Dieter entered to the army to prove his allegiance and bravery at all cost, he felt very lucky when he meet Hitler personally but very upset when he saw his infancy friend died in front of his eyes just because he tries to escape from the camp where they where training for war.
The second but not less important is Spence, who drops out his Utah high school and entered airborne command. Once in the army he felt the scare produce by war but he never went back. He was in the paratroopers school when the final exam comes, they were training for that they the had to jump from an airplane Spence felt very scared but he just jumped from the airplane and land perfectly, then he made that for almost five more times.

But that’s not the end, the war is coming and the future is unknown for these two guys maybe the end of their lives is coming, there they just have to survive and to prove their bravery and courage…

• Comment of the book:

I have to accept that when I started reading the book I was really confused because the author use an informal vocabulary and there’s also words in German that make me confuse like wehrmacht…

Once I finished the first chapter I get totally involved in the story because it’s not the same of war that you see in movies; I mean it’s the story of two guys like me that like any adolescent want to prove something for the others or for themselves.

I liked something the mostly. There’s one part where a sergeant says to Spence that war is for stupid people and that the responsibility of an adolescent is to study and learn about life not to be fighting…

Lupinus...!!!

Here in Ecuador and in the countries located in the Andes like Peru and Bolivia you can see a very strange seed with a really awesome flavor; I’m talking about Lupinus; this small seed has an incredible nutritional percentage. It has more than 51% of proteins, nutrients etc.

It’s important to remember that if this seed is not well cultivated or clean it can produce a disease called anthracnose, so every time you want to eat lupinus make sure they are completely clean.

In the past the lupinus seeds were used for fertilization of the ground and to make special dishes or sauces.

Working with seeds...!!!

During English classes we worked with Lupinus seeds; I mean dry seeds, we used the ones that had anthracnose and the ones that were clean and good. I worked with my partner Juan Alban and we made some decorative flowers in a pot; we used basically both kinds of seeds.

First we used a foam flex balloon, silicon and a stick. My design was like one line of good seeds and the other bad seeds. It looks very creative and original because this kind of garnish you can use to decorate an ornamental plant or just to decorate the lounge.

Recipe...!!!

We also made a recipe; we made “Lupinus Ceviche” the ingredients were basically Lupinus, tomato juice, onion, tomato, salt, pepper and lemon. In my opinion, preparing this recipe was extremely easy, and the result was delicious, we also added “tostado” that it’s a seed that comes from the corn.

In the recipe I worked with Juan Alban, David Mayorga and Evelyn Molina, we made a great job and a delicious recipe, we decided to make it simple because when you use a lot of condiments or onion for example the result it’s not the same and the Lupinus losses its special flavor.

A big recommendation for the recipe: When you are ready to add the lupinus you first have to take the cover out for a better digestion.

Every group prepared delicious recipes; I saw that some of them used different kind of ingredients; one group used tuna and the result was delicious, its in your-self what ingredients you are going to use, remember everything mixed with Lupinus is delicious.

This kind of Work with Lupinus was a new experience because I had never seen Lupinus dry seeds, and also because it made us open our mind to create different things and to create a recipe to satisfy our hungry…XD

And like the TV said “Consume real food…”

"I love being connected with nature because in my way of thinking is one of the best forms to relax"

At least once I hear someone say; I hate staying just in Quito or in San Rafael… I can not understand to this kind of people, I mean that there is not only one place in Ecuador; there are a lot of places that you can visit during holidays or during vacations.

I have two favourite places in my list. The first one The Cotopaxi Volcano that is located in Cotopaxi province. It’s approximately at 5897 meters above sea level. I always am going there on vacations with my uncle and with my cousins, the last vacations were incredible because we had to cook all our food, make our camp, you know… in brief we just have to survive by our selves modes.

The first time that I went to the Cotopaxi volcano I was completely wrong in what was really that climate. My uncle told me to wear warm clothes but I preferred wearing comfortable and light clothes; I could not sleep all the night because I was getting frozen. That’s why I preferred to go out and sleep near the fire so I could get warm.

Sleep near the Cotopaxi volcano is incredible because in the night you can hear the sounds of the nature, and if you are lucky and the sky is completely clear you may see the stars, the moon. One night I saw some very strange lights in the sky; I was very scared because the same night I hear some noises near my sleep bag and I also felt a hand or something similar that was touching my carp; so I shouted a lot. I don’t have an explanation about that. It could be a joke from my uncle or not but I prefer not to think in that, you know, it make me feel rare and scared.

My second favourite place is not a volcano, it’s just a mountain, I don’t know exactly the name but everyone call it “Ontaneda”. It is located near Conocoto, and is one of the greater places in the valley obviously where you can practice downhill. I love being connected with nature because in my way of thinking is one of the best form to relax, to stop thinking in our problems and to breath clean air, not that polluted air that you breath in Quito.

For me bicycle is like my bible, and ontaneda is my church so every single Sunday I need to go there to practice my favourite sport: Downhill, I always am going there with my group of friends called Dh Avall. The people in Ontaneda are very nice and patient because they are always waiting until we go down the mountain. One thing that is important is to be respectful because we are the visitors there, so always say we hello to everyone.

So keep in mind this: If you want to visit another country first visit Ecuador, which is our house.