Nooooo!!

I have ten hours left in Quito and I don´t want to leave! I just got used to living here and now I have to go back to the real world??! This last blog is going to be extremely short because I have to scramble to get things done and see certain places since I am a horrible tourist. I really don´t believe in maps or making plans. I like to sort of just take off in a random direction and see where it takes me... :) I have a weird feeling today though...Of course I miss my family and my friends, but I don´t feel like I had enough time here. Three weeks was solely a taste of Ecuador. I never even had the time to leave Quito! But you know what that means...I am going to start planning my next trip abroad the second I land in the United States...hmmm where to next?

Dos días más...

I hate to beat up an old quote, but time really does fly...this Sunday I will be back in the United States..in St. Louis..in my house..in my room...when Ecuador was just starting to become my country and Quito my city..where there was my house and my room. I know I have only been here three weeks, but I do not know if I am ready to be drowned in all of the sounds of English convo. Sometimes it´s nice to walk around and not hear what everyone is saying, and to literally just enjoy your walk without interruption. But..to beat up on another old quote...all good things come to an end...lol okay I´m done. In all seriousness though, anyone reading this who has not had the chance to study abroad yet, I encourage you to hop on the next plane and go! The value you gain from trips abroad, even those as short as mine, is priceless. You will learn things that could never be taught in class, read in a book, or even taught by your parents. It´s self-empowerment, something you have to strive for...all by yourself. So ready...set...GO.

Rolling Stops

So I do not have much experience when it comes to public transportation and Quito is no exception. Joel and I decided to go to the mall after school today, and decided to take the bus since it only costs $0.25. What they don´t tell you is why it costs so little. Here is why. There are barely such things known as bus stops here. You have to stop fifty times on the way to your destination because people are hailing buses like they are taxis! Then, when you finally get close to your destination, you have to get up while the bus is still moving and tell the bus driver to stop....but he really does not even stop. He does a rolling stop and it is up to you to basically jump off! Unless you are lucky and happen to stop at a red light. I am still making my thirty minute journey up the mountain to my house everyday even though there is a bus...but I don´t know how I feel about jumping off a bus uphill, but in time and with practice I am sure I will get it!

Also, I cannot finish this blog without mentioning some things about my host family. I knew going into this that you cannot pick the family you get...it is sort of luck of the draw. Well..I wasn´t so lucky! We have been having some major communication issues because there is a huge generation gap between my host mom and I. She expects me to go to school, get lunch, then come home and stare at the ceiling. Now keep in mind she goes to bed at 8pm and wakes up at 5am. Now if I had her schedule..staring at the ceiling would not seem so bad BUT! I have made a lot of friends here and we have been enjoying what Quito has to offer in more aspects than one. I have been fortunate enough to travel with a smart group of people and we have yet to face major problems in Quito. The danger people speak of here sometimes makes me chuckle because I just want to say...you haven´t seen East St. Louis. ;)

Kentucky Fried...what!

So I have not been to KFC in I think five years..and let me tell you...they are everywhere in Quito. Yesterday was ¨el dia de los niños´´ which is basically mothers day for children. So we went to this three story KFC. Not exactly my idea of fun, but it was an interesting night to say the least. So while the kids are playing on this huge playground...I look out down on the streets and see tons of people pointing and looking up at the building we are sitting in...more people are stopping...mouths are dropping..and of course I cannot see what is going on since I am on the inside...NOT a good feeling! Next thing I know..I see smoke. I nudge my host father and say LOOK! and what does he say...oh yes lot´s of people down there! So no one is taking me seriously...then the police and fire department show up and the crowd is doubling. Finally my host grandmother was like vamos vamos! but no...we continue to sit there along with everyone else in the restaurant while the children continue playing...I am thinking..where on earth am I! A bad dream..it must be. So finally we leave and finally get to see what all the fuss was about. The ´´C´´ in KFC had caught on fire...so now its just Kentucky Fried. Hahahaha

The Life

I really think I am getting far too comfortable living the Equatoriano life and far too quickly! Yesterday I roamed around Quito for a few hours after my class ended. I stopped in another vegetarian restuarant which was suprisingly cheaper than the last one and had even better food! ah the life! I then went to a juice bar and got a fresh coconut drink made. It was a very relaxing day after a horrible day of class! Okay here is how it works here. Every week we rotate teachers. Last week, I loved my teacher. I felt very relaxed and she had a lot of patience even if it took ten times for me to pronounce the same word. The teacher I have this week is probably the most demanding teacher I have had my whole college career and it was only day one. She speaks extremely fast and pounds lessons into my head until she is sure I got it. Now I know I need this. I am only complaining because hey I am a college student. It´s what we do! Even though I still have a headache from yesterdays lesson and I am about to start a whole new day of Spanish lessons from hell...I am ready! I think...

All is right in the World

You know why? Because I just discovered there is an Internet cafe right next door to my school and it is only $0.80 an hour or something like that. Now I don´t feel so cut off from the world! haha. I will start uploading videos tomorrow because I have taken some really good videos with the Flip that Julie let me borrow! So Ecuador..where to start..where to begin? Well we can start with my long voyage I must take from my house to the school. My school is in the city center and my house is located conveniently at the top of a mountain. :) I have walked down the hill to school every morning and back up the hill to my house every evening and let me tell you...walking vertical IS NOT EASY. Up or down! This morning I decided to not be cheap and spend the whole $1.40 on the taxi ride to school..yes I said $1.40. And I think he actual over charged me! It should be closer to 1.00 or 1.25 but who is counting right? Yesterday, my friend Joel and I went out in search for a vegetarian restaurant and we found one! You know how we knew it was a vegetarian restaurant? It was called..¨Restaurante Vegetariana¨! From my experience thus far, Equatorianos like to make things simple, take things slow, and relax. I could not agree more with the lifestyle. Yesterday, we went on a field trip to ¨La mitad del mundo¨which is literally the Equator! How many people do you know that have visited the actual Equator?! And it was actually pretty cool outside..I dont know why I thought we were going to burn to a crisp. haha It was about an hour trip by metro then bus and only cost $0.50 total to get there. I am really afraid that I am getting used to these prices far too soon. I am going to expect to go to a restaurant in the United States and receive three course meals for two dollars. Can you make that happen please? Anyway..I have to type up this report about the history of tamales because I have a presentation about them today, but it´s not so bad because afterwards we get to make them! Hasta Luego ;)

Oh wow!

Now you don´t have to tell me..I know this is my third day here and I am just now getting around to writing a blog. But rememeber! It is not like there is a Starbucks on every corner and every casa has wifi! I was told that there would be a computer lab at my school with Internet which is true...but there is only one computer, which is not a problem, but you can see why it is hard to get on the Internet to blog. I have been in class since 8am this morning and am just now finishing up at 5pm. I am pretty sure my head is going to explode with all of the Spanish I have been learning, but I mean that in a good way! I have learned more in the three days of INTENSIVE Spanish than I have in the three years of Spanish in the United States...I am proud to say that I did indeed have a dream in Spanish last night. lol But that is all I have time for now...Hasta mañana!!

Oh and here is a short video of two of my new family members.