Otavalo, a small town, two hours north from Quito, is world known for its artisanal crafts such as textiles, musical instruments, jewelry, hats, and hammocks. The community is proud of its indigenous heritage, practices, language, and customs. María Virginia Farinango is one of those proud otavaleñas. She coauthored —with Laura Resau— an auto-biographical novel about the hardships of growing up in a society where many women, particularly indigenous young women, live as underpaid —if there were lucky— servants, nannies, cooks, and farm hands without any opportunity for an education, progress, or success. In The Queen of Water, —an SST assigned reading— we learned how Virginia overcame many obstacles and became who she wanted to be.
Considered by some critics as YA, The Queen of Water is an engrossing portrait of determination, grit, and resilience.
Virginia was kinds enough to receive us in her house where she has a counseling office —she is a trained therapist. In the backyard, she also grows Ecuadorian staples like corn. US students grow everywhere though!US media followed the publication of The Queen of Water with attention. As we did her presentation.It is an intellectual and emotional privilege to meet and hear an author you admire.I too wanted to be in the pic.Virginia’s talk gave us a lot to think about.
In neighboring Peguche, we learned about the creativity and skill it takes to produce textiles and musical instruments.
At El Gran Condor, textile creators revealed the secrets to their craft. Students were NOT caught off guard by the camera, they are just reacting to a faculty’s fine joke.Working hard or just spinning her yarn? We learned how the cochinilla bug can produce red dye for wool.“Don’t laugh, this is a serious ‘stache!!”Music to our ears!Have a bone to pick with me? Take it to the Instituto Otavaleño de Antropología, they will use it for the floor.
Otavalo is not shallow!
SST students can swing it.SST faculty are very, VERY supportive.Will the real Klever, please stand up? Please stand up?Dining at Pakari Tampo.Tillie gave a lesson in napkin folding arts and camera avoidance.They all learned how to make a napkin chicken.Success!The best SST Ecuador leadership team of ALL of 2024!!
