Ecuadorian Dinner

Buenos Dias,

Join us for a four-course, traditional Ecuadorian dinner!

Spanish!!

Hola!

I am really pleased with how Spanish is going.  As I mentioned earlier, I am doing two different programs (Rosetta Stone and Primsleur) and taking an adult ed. Spanish class in order to be as "fluent" as possible before going to Ecuador.  I will get so much more out of the experience if I can talk to and understand my host families and converse with all the amazing people we will likely meet on our journey.

It is amazing how well each Spanish program fits with the others.

Music

I spent many, many hours last week trying to figure out how to put music on a blog and finally figured it out.  I was stuck because, although everything else I was doing was right, I didn't know that both the music hosting websites I tried (Box.net and Filefactory) didn't allow direct linking.  I finally found one that does called Kiwi6 and I'm really excited because I can finally share my music!
I've been improvising and composing on the piano for around 7 years and am only just getting out in public.  My dream is to be a film composer and I'm still managing to squish a few hours a day of composing, even with all the fundraising and my other academics.
It would be awesome if I could use my musical passion and skills to fuel my fundraising goal so I am planning on really trying to get the word out about my music and hopefully get some good jobs playing for parties and weddings.
I am also making a Album/CD!  I've been kind of working on one for a while but It's hard when I lose interest in the music that I composed the month before.

Adios,
Clayton

Invasion of blond-headed relatives

Buenas Noches,

Brothers, cousins, friends, and I enjoying this wonderful winter.

For the past week, our neighborhood has been overrun by an army of little blond boys. My Aunt and Uncle came up from Virginia for a surprise visit this past week, bringing their four boys (add that to my family and you have 7 blond boys on the loose) and two dogs to enjoy the Maine weather. I took a bit of a break from fundraising and spent the week snowboarding, skiing and "dog-sledding." The dog-sledding involved harnessing their dogs, Moose and Bear, and having them pull us at exhilarating speeds to reach Uncle Matt and his pocket full of treats. Moose had to go before Bear because if Bear caught up, he would nip at Moose's ears and the sled ride would halt in a tangle of leashes and wrestling dogs.

Photo Flop

Hello,

I was just informed of an amusing/embarrassing mistake I made in my blog.  I was told that the beautiful picture I have as the banner to my site is actually a picture of Machu Picchu in Peru.  I just checked and sure enough, my informant was correct.  That's what I get for googling Ecuador panoramas and not paying close enough attention to the image info.
Darn!  I really liked that picture.
Hope I can find one just as good.

Previous photo

Clayton

Spanish

Buenas Tardes!

I am learning Spanish this year in preparation for Kroka and I'm really enjoying it.  I learned some Spanish last year but my incentive to learn a language was to get high school credit.  Now I am finding it so much easier and more fun because it is my own passion fueling the lessons and not simply another boring academic that I have to do (though, I still found it fun even then).
I have been doing Rosetta Stone for a few weeks and am listening to the audio of a program called Primsleur.  It's nice having two different teaching styles.  Rosetta Stone teaches through pictures and has no translations.  Primsleur teaches through conversations between characters with lots of translation.  I like both programs and they really back each other up nicely.
I am also taking an Adult Ed. Spanish class on Thursdays with my dad.
Hablo Espanol un poco!

Adios,
Claytonio

Full, 30% Scholarship!!!!

I just got contacted by Lisl Hofer, the Semester Teacher, with the news that I will get the full 30% scholarship on the tuition.  This is an immense relief because I was already calculating it into my fundraising plans and  it takes $4,000 off of the total cost of 14,750 which leaves me with 10,750 to raise.  There is also a couple hundred extra that I need for mountaineering boots, backpack and other expedition gear.

I am almost ready to send out my Appeal Letter.  I'm compiling a list of people to send it to, so if any of you wants to get on it you can shoot me an email. cloudharvest@gmail.com

Adios,

Clayton

Busy, busy, busy!

 Hello everyone,

I have a delightfully long fundraising to-do list, full of projects, people to contact, events to organize, and much more.  On one hand it is great to have so many ideas and ways to raise money but on the other hand my school studies and artistic passions are being squeezed into smaller and smaller bits of the day.  I am also having to sacrifice much enjoying of the winter wonderland. . . which is what I'm sacrificing right now, though I'll be taking a break when a friend arrives in a short while.
I am in quite the optimistic mood at the moment.  Maybe it's the swirling snow outside my window.  Or the warmth of our wood stove slipping between the floorboards to warm my feet.
I learned some exciting fundraising tricks at Ultimate Frisbee last night and I was informed of a really promising grant which gives money to young people to help them reach their dreams.

Clayton

I am accepted to Kroka!!!!

Hello!

I got the acceptance letter a few days ago which has lifted my mood considerably.  Every time I think about the adventures that lay ahead I get regenerated with excitement.  It helps me get through the days of grant essay writing and event organizing.
I just sent an email off to the UU Church Bulletin so that 130 more people have been informed of my project!

Things being planned:
An Ecuadorian dinner event for April.
Possibly a Kickstarter page.
A short, film about my fundraising project to put on channel 2 and Kickstarter.

I'll keep you updated.
Clayton

Call from Kroka

Hello all!
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.
My brothers and I were sick for the past week.  It was nice to have a quiet week for a change.
2011 is coming up.  I am going to be playing in New Years by the Bay at the Library at 6 and 8.  Hila was going to play the fiddle while I accompanied on the piano but she is sick and wont be well enough in time.  I am disappointed that Hila and I wont be performing together but I am also excited because this will be my biggest public performance as a soloist.  I'm going to be performing all my own compositions and nearly all will be improvisations.

I got the call from Kroka and talked for about a half an hour with Lisl Hofer who is the Semester Director for Kroka.  She asked a lot of questions about how I act in social situations and what my strengths are when I'm in a group or around difficult people.  They were hard questions and it was hard to think of examples but it went well and by the end she said that I was (unofficially) excepted.  I will have to visit their farm in New Hampshire sometime within the next month so that we can meet.  Lisl also said that if I come in January then I can meet the group of kids preparing to go on the Vermont Semester (a five month, 600 mile ski and canoe trip).
The questions about character and personality are a good sign because it means that they are really being careful to get a good group of kids together for this 4 month trip.  People with good group qualities that will help make the trip even more fun and rewarding.


Places I am selling my cards:
  Waterfall Arts (the sale is ending Dec. 31st)
  The Parent Gallery
  The Belfast Co-op (they are being sold individually)
  Community Chiropractics

This seems like enough for today's post so I'm going to leave it at that.
Merry Christmas,
Clayton

First Post

So here's my first post on my Ecuador Fundraising blog. I'll start out by sharing the newest, exciting event before I backtrack and explain whatever needs explaining.
I just got the call from Kroka! My phone interview is scheduled for this Wednesday and I am very excited.  I haven't been excepted yet but at least I no longer have those little voices whispering doubts as to whether my application had been lost in the mail or saying that I might have entered too late and wont be able to go.  It will be cool to talk to the people who run Kroka. They seem like really nice people.

After the phone interview will come a live interview (where we can interview them) and then I will be assured a place in the Ecuador semester.

Clayton