Exploramos!

I feel like I have so much to write about the last few days & the weekend. I have seen much more of the city, eaten a lot of food, drank gallons of coffee, & have just been very content in the life that seems to be shaping up in the beautiful city of Quito. The kids also have exams all week so we have half days & I get to read all day or look up places I want to visit with Carol (Carol is another UGA student teacher- have I already said that?). Yesterday I finished "The Leader Who is Hardly Known: Selfless Teaching from the Chinese Tradition" which is a great book Jesse told me about concerning teaching through experince & with the Tao as a guide for the leader/teacher. If you are interested in experiential education or being a leader that does not center learning around him/her self, then I highly recommend this book.

Now to the fun stuff. Last Thursday we (mi familia) went to Chiquita's Madre for her cumpleaños. Their famous torero (bullfighter) cousin (Jose Antonio...Picture here) was there so that was cool & they have a very kind, large family & they fed me & let me play with the youngest cousin, a cute 2 year old named Valentina. Anyone who knows me well probably already figured out that it was love at first sight between me & this real life Dora the Explorer look alike. I played a lot & she prayed a lot (en Español & Ingles).

The next day was Friday, so Carol, her brother (Juan Francisco), Suco (nickname for my blonde-headed cousin, Julian), & I went to a little bar in Mariscal (Gringo Landia) called Strawberry Fields. It was teeny tiny, lit by candles, & they played the Rolling Stones...so yeah, VERY gringo. We tried the Ecuadorian beer (La Cuba...no bueno. Tastes like Keystone) & eventually a good Pilesner at a Karaoke bar. All the beer is light here, so for the like of me & my fellow heavy beer lovers (Sam Lawther & Tyler Burns), it's meek. After Strawberry Fields we went to a discoteca & danced a little bit. My white self was quite intimidated so I mostly just sipped my drink & wished I had rythm, or at least could move without looking spastic. After that, we went to a Karaoke Bar for a minute & Suco sang 3 songs (Carol & I helped a little with Roxanne only because we knew how to pronounce the words). The Karaoke place was pretty different than most others I've been to (which would mean it's different than Walker's in Athens). Everyone sat down & the waiter would just pass  a mic around. After that (late night for me, I know!) we got a kabob from a street vender that had pollo, carne, y spicy mayo on it...it smelt sooo good & tasted better. Now I know you're not supposed to get food from a street vendor at 2 a.m., but oh my goodness, this was glorious & juicy & savory. Beside, how else am I supposed to build up my immunity after eating processed foods for the majority of my life?

This brings me to a portion of my blog I would like to dedicate to all of the amazing food I have been eating. I will never eat the same after being here & I hope to learn how to make some of the carbo-licious papas con queso (kind of like a crab cake made out of fried-ish mashed potatoes with this amazing creamy cheese they have down here), lots of great fruits, veggies, & grains that don't even exist in the U.S., & chicken con rice beyond measure. Honestly, I am eating more carbs in one day here than in two days at home. However, the fruits/veggies are all fresh & in season (not like those Wal-Mart strawberries in December) & the carbs are essential. I feel like I've lost a lot of weight, but I think it's only because we walk everywhere & my stomach still hasn't been able to handle all of the bacteria I'm consuming. But truly, the food is amazing, the coffee is rich, the milk....oh my goodness THE MILK! It's thick & creamy & I usually drink 2% in the states so this is like drinking this rich, cold , goodness right out of the cow. The dairy is probably my favorite. The yogurt is all drinkable yogurt (they eat it in their cereal), the cheese is so creamy (goat cheese texture, but swiss cheese-ish taste), & anything that is like whipped cream or caramel is so rich (rico!). I love it....so much.

I just wrote a lot, huh? I've really been enjoying myself, reading a lot, walking around the city a lot, etc. I have one more day I feel I should write about just so I'll remember how lovely it was (feel free to stop reading). Yesterday Carol, Fausat (another UGA student teacher), & I went to Centro de Historica. It was beautiful & is by far my favorite place I have been in the city thus far. It was beautiful, the architecture was very European, the churches & historical centers were huge & old, & there were a lot of informative statues. Oh, also $1.70 cappacuinos with cinnamon on top. We went to the Basilica which I included a picture of a walked about 75-80 blocks around this area from my house. On the way back it started storming so we had to rush back before dark/the street rivers knocked us over. It was a really bad storm, but I liked it. My feet & pants were soaked (& by soaked, I mean you could see through my linen pants I was wearing...another lesson learned). The weather here is insane though, so I should have expected it. It's true what they say, you experience every season in one day in Quito. Maybe not winter, but definitely Summer (it was 65 F yesterday before the storm!), Spring, & Fall (it rainsEVERY SINGLE DAY).

I won't keep you any longer, but thanks for reading!