The past two weeks have been a whirlwind and it feels like I have been here both for an eternity and for just a few days. I am becoming more accustomed to cultural norms and ways of living including, but not limited to:
flagging down taxis,
bartering at markets,
rarely having hot water,
Spanish sayings/phrases,
coffee being available 24/7,
rooftop views of the mountains and city,
all of the wonderful carbs - bread, rice, potatos,
paying MUCH less for most everything than in America,
and the Ecua-kiss (the way to greet people with a kiss on the cheek).
I am sure there are many more things that just seem so natural now that I cannot even think to include them here. Quito is a beautiful city with so much history that I have been slowly learning.
As school does not start until this upcoming Tuesday (September 3rd), my week days have been filled with teacher meetings, classroom preparation, and planning. I am definitely ready for the students to come and to get this whole student teaching adventure started! As I am living in the dorms, some of the high school boarding students have already moved in and things are starting to pick up here.
The weekends have been our free time to enjoy! Last weekend, my roommate and I went to Serano's, a scrumptious sandwich/coffee/gelato shop where we spent the afternoon talking and eating. We also were able to meet up with another friend and go to Mercado Artesenal, a local market not too far away. While everything is so cheap you get to learn the art of bartering (which I think is so fun!) and somehow money quickly leaves my hands in exchange for Ecuadorian mugs, alpaca blankets, turquoise rings, and coin purses. Last Sunday all of the new teachers at the school had a cookout at one of the family's houses in Tumbaco, Ecuador. They had a beautiful plot of land filled with avocado trees, an indoor swimming pool, and tennis and volleyball courts! We were living in luxury for the afternoon!
Yesterday I climbed Volcán Ilaló, a 10,450 foot volcano outside of Quito. It took us about 2 hours to summit before going down a valley and up another mountain and descending into a neighboring town. On the hike up, there are 12 crosses by the path and at the top there is a huge metal cross, overlooking the valley! I went with my cooperating teacher (Tricia), her husband, and her two sons. After this adventure we went into downtown, historic Quito where we ate a late lunch, toured the city, walked the plazas, and went into a small art exhibit. Her Ecuadorian husband knows so much history and legends from Quito so it was as if I had a personal tour guide all day!
This morning, Sunday, I successfully took 2 buses to get to La Fuente, a Spanish church, which I absolutely LOVED! I even followed along the sermon fairly well, which was a great success! As far as the rest of the afternoon goes, I will do some laundry, go slack-lining, and walk to a local cafe/bakery.
That's all for now, the next update will include a detailed description of how the first week of school went!
Thanks again for reading, and all your prayers are much appreciated!
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