My life as a teacher

Girls playing in their classroom during recess.
Two of my students in decimo, about the equivalent of 9th grade.

Muisne has held two community-wide peach marches in the month I have lived there. The purpose is to protest the sharp increase in drug use and violent crime over the last couple years, especially that which targets youth.

So, ironically, I did not get to upload any more photos in Quito. Its now Monday, I am back on la isla. I had a really fun weekend, too busy enjoying Quitos Independence celebration to get on the computer. Quito apparently has one of the best independence days of Latin America. It is one giant party... for 8 days!! We went to a HUGE kickoff parade this Saturday. We also bought tickets to see the bull fight next Saturday (this is my last week in Muisne!). Apparently the bull fight involves much blood, and by the end there are six dead animals. But honestly, when am I next going to see a bull fight?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am back in Quito for Thanksgiving. This is just a quick note to wish you all well. There is a huge feast today at 2 for all the students in my program and their host families. I am bringing the mashed potatoes, it was nice to spend all morning peeling potatoes just like I would have been in the States. I also got to talk to my family (cheaply!). I am sad I have to miss a slew of Lewis Family traditions like watching the dog show, eating chex mix and cheese ball, and putting up the Christmas tree. Alert to my family: DON´T PUT MY BABY ORNAMENT ON! Save it for me and I´ll put it on when I get back.

Thoughts needed for my host family here in Quito. My host mom´s ex-husband and the father of her 3 children is in the hospital and in really bad shape. He was drugged and assaulted 2 days ago while stopped at a stoplight. The robbers took his car, phone, wallet, everything, and beat him until they thought he was dead and left him in a ditch. He still hasn´t regained consciousness, though they are pretty sure he will live. My host mom is manning the phone at home (which is ringing off the hook) and my host siblings are at the hospital.
I will be in Quito all weekend enjoying the company of my friends in the short time we have left. I will definitely post pictures soon, because I actually have internet.

Pictures!!

This is my bed. For those who have never slept under a mosquito net... it is kind of like a lace cage.
We went to Mompiche, another nearby island, in this boat over the weekend. We were almost capsized at one point because the water was really rough. Like many many situations I confront in Ecuador, it was funny afterwards, but I assure you it was quite terrifying in the moment. Also, I just got an email from the consulate, the subject line reads: "WARNING: Piracy Concerns off the Coast of Ecuador." Oops. A little late.
Ryan, Janelle and I on our last night in Quito. We splurged on a nice meal before heading out into rural areas to work.
These 5 girls are like my fan club. They are 12-13, the youngest students I teach. The whiteboard has our thought of the day... "la violencia genera violencia" or "violence generates violence".
Here he is. Señor tarantula. In my sink. I haven´t seen him in a few days, but I am sure he is planning the next hand towel ambush.

I am off the island

I left the island for the first time in 3 weeks today! Right now I am in Atacambes, an hour and a half away. I needed to get money, and there are no banks closer than here. Yes, ladies and gents. I honestly just traveled an hour and a half to get money from an ATM. Feels good to encounter civilization again.

Latest health saga (abridged version)... I began my day with a hydrocortizone shot. I have a puffy, gross, rapidly spreading red rash on my left side. And my face is swollen. It is a contact allergy, so I guess I will be changing my sheets tonight. I swear I know the doctors as well as Janelle or Claire, who are doing their internships there. The nurses see me come into the ER and are like... really? again?

This weekend was amazingly fun. My friend Ryan came to visit from Cotacachi, about 10 hours away. 20 hours (total) by bus over the mountains..that is loyalty. We went to Mapichu, another closeby island, on Saturday by boat! There was a surfing competition, and the weather was sublime. Pure sunshine, blue water. It is winter, so sun is a rarity (sunburns not so rare). At night we relaxed on the beach and chatted about how weird it is going to be going back to the USA. Sunday morning me and Janelle trucked accross the island with mugs full of coffee for us and Ryan. Half was spilled by the time we got to his hotel, but it was worth it. Sunday morning coffee with your friends is such a luxury. We are planning a road trip this summer with the money we thought we would use in Ecuador, but did not because everything is dirt cheap.

Research. My student interviews are going well but I need more teachers and parents to talk to me. I hope my students are learning in my class. I know I cant change the machista culture where boyfriends have "the right" to touch their girlfriends however they want (<-- quote from 12 year old girl), the reported age of sexual initiation is 13 (average of over 30 responses), and I have students that think you get HIV from mosquitos... but I do hope someone gets something positive from it. The bell rings after class last week and I just feel like yelling, "OK, Lets not get pregnant this week!" to my students as they walked out.

Shout out to Keith (my friend Janelles husband). She told me you were reading!! We shall meet one day. Want to come on the road trip?

Wildlife

There is a giant tarantula living in my bathroom. It is the size of my hand. It started last weekend when I went to wash my face, and almost touched it as I reached for the faucet. I did not scream, I just walked away, slowly, slowly, turned off the light, and tried to forget about it. Well, actually I came back and took a video of it with my camera. Pictures to come, I promise. I tucked the mosquito net extra tight.

This morning, I washed my hands and went to dry them on the hand towel next to the sink. I saw one hairy leg. I looked around at the other side of the towel and there it was, hiding. Waiting to attack. This is war. I am contemplating the best way to kill it, as this is not a squishable-sized spider. I think machete is my best option.

I also had a run-in with a bull today. There are cows grazing, randomly and seemingly without owners, all over the island. I walked out of the school today, there was no one around. All of the sudden, a young bull (not fully mature) came running around the corner. It was seriously booking it right towards me! It probably got within 10 feet of me and veered to the right. Just kept running. It was one of those experiences where you just look around, realize that absolutely no one saw, and just laugh because it was so ridiculous and only you know about it.

My Island Weekend

Sick round 2 update (round 3?): I have some parasite issues. Oh, the things I have contracted down here. I am going to the lab to pick up my test results after lunch. At a certain point here in Ecuador, you lose all sense of privacy or shame. So walking to the hospital with my poo test in my back pocket really didnt bother me. This is one nasty bug. It only hurts at night, when I am in a resting position. And when I say hurts, I mean HURTS... like I honestly feel like something is gnawing at my intestines. Yum.

Things have been getting much better here in Muisne. I live right next to the evangelical church (the only non-catholic church) and met some really nice people there. Saturday night we went salsa dancing at Quilombo, an all salsa danceclub. EVERYONE goes dancing here. If you are between the ages of 18-100, you are at Quilombo on Saturday night. Unfortunately, I am still not good at salsa. But it is still fun to try, and people forgive me because I am a gringa, therefore permitted to make an ass of myself. Saturday and Sunday we spent all day laying on the beach. There was actually sun (rare in wintertime).

I am learning to navigate my teacher-role pretty well. My students are everywhere, this is a small island, with a big rumor mill. So I try to be careful with who I surround myself with and my actions all the time. I am a friend for my students, but I am also an example. For instance, drinking alcohol here seems to rarely be done in moderation. I should be careful of having a beer in my hand, since perception is everything. My personal life is very much on display for the community and the entire school. The most common questions I am asked are: Are you married? Do you have children? Why do women get married so late in the USA? Is love not important until later? Etc. My personal life is completely thrilling to my students.

My new host mom, Anita, is really awesome. We have really awesome conversations about politics, religion, etc. Very similar personalities.

New Family, Sick Round 2, and Teaching

I have a new family! It is a small and quiet household-- one woman (about 45 years old), and her father (roughly a million years old). She moved in with her elderly father when her mother died earlier this year. She is very soft-spoken and kind, reads a lot, takes care of her dad, and goes to bed early. The father doesn´t say much, but is hilarious when he does talk. Much, much more my style. The house is wonderful. I have a view of the bay, which boats cross all day and night taking people from the mainland to the island. Anita owns a small clothing shop which is directly below our house.

My new Mom is an amazing cook. Because of her dad´s health, she serves a lot of organic fruits and vegetables and goes easy on the oil. This is a rarity in Ecuador. Last night we drank organic hot chocolate, which her sister sends to her directly from a cocoa plantation in the country.

Unfortunately, I got sick.  My first night in my new house, I was embarrassed. I am trying to convince my host mom that it was not her cooking, I probably just swallowed some water brushing my teeth or something. It was seriously painful for 4-5 hours, but I got everything out and feel better.

Yesterday was also my first day teaching. The sex ed teacher that I am supposed to be working WITH (not for) did not show up. This is common, I feel like school is basically a giant babysitting service. Luckily I can think on my feet. My first class (9th graders, about 15 yrs old) went really well. The second (7th graders, 12 yrs old)... a little tougher. First we talked about why we were here, and established why it was important to learn about sex ed in the first place. It was very conversational, a lot of me asking for ideas on a topic and waiting for responses. At the end of class, I had everyone write their secret sex ed questions on little slips of paper and put them in a box. I don't think they have ever done anything like that, it is mostly just lecture on whatever the teacher knows. The questions are really interesting, kind of hilarious, and will give me direction for next class.

Things are looking up, I feel much better with my new living situation. Hopefully I will learn the vocab and information I need to teach better too.

One Week In

Happy election day! All the Americans on the island are getting together to watch CNN en espanol later. It isnt Anderson Cooper, sigh, but we will make do. We have gone to great lengths to locate the one TV on the island that actually has CNN-- its in a chicken restaurant. Mmm. I already voted. Hope you did too.

Wow, life here is hard. I cant tell if I am culture shocking, or just dont have the right attitude. I think I am trying pretty hard. The other four students here seem to be adjusting a lot easier. Then again, they dont have an insane host family (oh, the stories i cant even fit into this entry) and arent teaching sex ed to rambuncious teenagers. So maybe they have it a little easier. But I press on.

Home update... I am in the process of locating a new family. That is all I want to say. Maybe I can slip out in the dead of night or something.

Work life... I am working on my authoritativeness. And getting suggestions on how to handle the cat calls, the questions about my personal life, the "what is your number?"s. I really cant describe the classrooom atmosphere here... it is completely insane, out of control, no one has respect, everyone cheats on the exams and there is not much the teacher can do. I reviewed some students sex ed exams, and was vaguely appalled. One of the questions was "What is your opinion about abortion?" There is a correct answer to that question, it is not really opinion. In fact, I am convinced the sex ed classes spend at least 30% of the time talking about what abortion is, why it is wrong, etc. The students know more about abortion than they do about AIDS. After class, the teacher told me that it was her first year teaching, and she just discovered that she hated it. When I asked her if she was going to keep teaching, she said, "yes, of course".

POSITIVE TIME! I spent the whole weekend at the beach! And despite the fact I have never been so sunburnt in my life (SPF 45 fails on the equator), it was worth it. It is so beautiful. We made a bonfire last night. Sunday I found the evangelical church and belted at least two of the songs in English (the pastor said it was ok... I asked). Also, it is mango season, and they are delicious. And a student yesterday said she was really happy I was helping with her class. It is the little things.

Fourth post of the week?!

Man, I am on a small island on the equator and have still managed to post more this week than any other. That probably means I'm not adjusting or something, but whatever.

Yesterday I had a talk with my host mom. I made it very clear that:
1. I am mad.
2. I know you (or one of the 10 other people living here) are rummaging through my things and taking things without permission.
3. I am not a cash machine.
4. I will move out if this does not change right now.

I never got in touch with our housing director, which is fine because I can see how things go over the weekend and switch on Monday if I need to. I feel like I (now) have control over the situation, basically because of the money. Unfortunately, that is what most things come down to here. They are in a pretty dire financial situation. I am this family's income, it's so strange and wrong. Things have been better since that conversation. Ill keep you updated!

Besides that... we went dancing last night and it was really fun. I am eating tons of shrimp and platanos verdes (green plantains). I made friends with the Peace Corps volunteer here and she is showing me the ropes. My students always say hi to me on the street which makes me feel good, like maybe I belong a little. I am getting there?

Situation

Heres the deal, briefly... I am not sure I feel comfortable in my housing situation. I just get a weird vibe. They are going through my things, asking to borrow stuff. I might be missing money. I am going to work this out with our housing director and find some place else to stay i think. Its a pain. And a small island, so really awkward. But I was told by another gringo who has lived here many months (a yale student doing work on water purification here) to get out immediately. Ill let you know how that goes.

Update

Hello everyone-- I am in Muisne's only internet cafe. Quick update... Muisne is currently in a state of emergency for a series of violent crimes committed (mainly) against foreigners. So we are a red zone, which MSID did not know in time to redirect us to another internship site. They seem to think its safe enough for us to stay for the next few weeks. If it gets too dangerous I can only assume we will be brought back to Quito.

I wont go into details about the crimes, but they were very serious. On an island of 9000... scary. So, I am alive. Well. And have lots of locals taking care of me. Us 5 from MSID are sticking to the curfew and being really cautious. I live in a really safe part of town. Today the whole island had a peace march and wore white as a sign of reconciliation. It was a genuine Latin American rally experience, my first, how fun.

Yesterday was my first day working at the high school. So, anyone who has ever taught-- you know how scary your first day of teaching is. Try it when you are 2 years older than some kids, and are speaking your second language! So frightening. I am panicking, in my usual unassuming way. The plan is to teach sex ed for 12 hours a week and english for 8. My emphasis is sex ed, and Ive already had a student approach me privately to ask questions, so I feel good about garnering trust and making myself available in whatever way is needed.

When I am not teaching, I am starting a support group for pregnant women at the high school. This was suggested by the school's director. There are 6 pregnant students right now (total # students is 550), and many more that already have children. It was suggested that I take the pregnant women once a week to the hospital, since some of them aren't getting medical treatment, and meet to talk about parenting stuff every once in a while. Yes. Me. Talking about parenting stuff. Mostly I just hope to provide extra support in a system that doesn't really support these girls/women.

In summary... I feel like I am doing really important work here. I don't feel unsafe, though the state of emergency thing is worrisome. Your prayers and good wishes are much appreciated.

Leaving Quito

It's my last day in Quito! The Muisne crew (5 of us) leave tomorrow at 6 am. I'm excited for my island adventure but also really sad to leave my friends. FYI, Muisne has 1 internet cafe with 2 computers from 1993 that run on dial-up. Also, I'm not sure I have cell phone service. So... it could be 5 weeks until I post again!

I spent the majority of my weekend at home, being lazy. Saturday I helped my Ecuamom make colada morada and guaguas de pan-- 2 traditional dishes for Day of the Dead. Guaguas de pan are basically peices of bread in the shape of babies. Colada morada is the most delicious drink ever, basically 40 different spices and fruits all combined into purple heaven. I went for a long walk around my neighborhood and spent time with my neice and nephew. David is 9, Daniella is 12. We jammed to the Jonas Brothers while decorating our guaguas. Disney Channel has officially taken over the world.

Sunday my nieghbor Fernando cut my hair. Later the WHOLE family came over for lunch. My Ecuamom spent 8 HOURS making lunch, she literally did not leave the kitchen. And then she didn't even eat it with us because she was too busy serving everyone. Yay for the feminist movement.

DISCLAIMER: this is the scariest thing that has happened to me in Ecuador. If you don't want to worry, don't read it:

Saturday night me, Ryan and Emily took a taxi home from the discoteca. We had agreed on a price before getting in the car (like always). Anyway, he told us about 5 minutes into the ride that we were going to need to pay more than we agreed to. Um, NO. We argued with him for awhile. He dropped Emily and Ryan off, then started driving the wrong direction from my house. I told him to turn the car around... he didn't. I assured him he was going the wrong direction, he continued driving. I started screaming and told him, Senor, I am calling the police in 2 seconds. Then I told him what he actually wanted to hear: "I will pay whatever you want". He finally turned around and took me home. Basically I was held hostage for 2 minutes. It was really scary. I gave him a few choice expletives and threw a rock at his car as he drove off.

So that's my scary story. Anyway, I love you all! Hope I can keep in touch in Muisne.

My Visit to Muisne and Tour de Quito

A painting of Quito I saw in the park

The beach at Muisne
My favorite painted bull in Quito


Muisne

I visited Musine (my future home) on Friday! The island is great-- I have a family and a bed, a job, an ocean, and 4 friends going with me. So I have hope, despite the fact our visit/trip was kind of disastrous. Logistics in Ecuador are a nightmare. Musine is poor. Much poorer than I expected. It's definitely a 3rd world island and not a tropical paradise. So please destroy any notions that I'll be sipping pina coladas on the beach while attractive Ecuadorian men fan me. I met the director of the high school I'll be teaching at and he showed me around. The school has about 600 students. Like most schools in Ecuador, it has no resources-- it is basically just a series of concrete classrooms with desks.

I have a new family! The mom is about 35 years old, single with 2 little girls. They are an Afro-Ecuadorian family, like the majority of island residents. There was a lot of awkward silence during my visit. The house is nicer than most, but not luxurious and definately not as comfortable as my house in Quito. The windows don't have glass (it's hot) and there aren't really doors inside. So... basically there is a lace curtain between my room and the kitchen. That should be interesting privacy-wise. There are mosquito nets over all the beds. There is water during the day (for showers, toilets, etc) but not at night, and no hot water. No washer-dryer so I'll be hand washing my clothes. I shouldn't even be saying anything though, because I have friends moving to the Amazon who won't have electricity or running water for 5 weeks.

I move in 7 days. HUGE lifestyle changes-- work instead of school, no hot showers, smelling like sweat 24/7, dousing myself in sunscreen before leaving, malaria prevention meds. But hopefully it will be worth leaving the comforts of the city. The beach is gorgeous and huge (did you know cows graze on the beach here?). No tourist stuff. No cars, only bikes. Clean air. The ocean is always warm. Life is slow and people are friendly.

Sunday I walked around Quito with my host sister looking at an urban art exhibit-- a series of painted bulls dispersed throughout the city. It was very cultural. Monday was Monday. I had a terrible headache, so I took an ibuprofen. WRONG! I'm on a malaria medicine now, which reacts terribly with ibuprofen. Wish I remembered that earlier.

Random Items

Yesterday we visited a wealthy private school for my education class, to see the other side of the educational coin. It's a German-Ecuadorian (financially supported by the German government) tri-lingual K-12 school. And wow. It was the most beautiful, amazing school I have ever seen. Dad, I'm not exaggerating. It beats (almost) any prep school in the States. It's in the valley of Cumbaya, which is like the Beverly Hills of Quito. Pool, soccer fields, recreational areas, cafeterias, beautiful well-lit classrooms-- You name it, they've got it.
Tonight at 11:15 PM I'm headed to Muisne, my future island home which is 9 hours away. I'll ride the night bus until 8ish AM, take the boat to Muisne, then I have an interview with the High School's director. I'll probably spend only a couple hours looking around Muisne, then come back to Quito. It's quite unfortunate that I have to pay for two 9 hour bus trips for what will be a 15 minute interview. I don't even have a family lined up yet, so I can't meet them. Hm. Ecuadorian time (much like At Lee time for those of you who know what I'm referring to) gets frustrating.

Hopefully everyone can shake off the mid-program blues. We're kind of a depressing bunch lately. I almost punched a taxi driver last night on the way back from watching the debate. I may be white, spanish may be my second language, but I am NOT stupid. And I hate being ripped off.

Pictures from Guayaquil

My favorite painting at the museum of modern art.
Me, Katie and Ryan posing. I'm pretty sure I'm closing my eyes... the sun is ridiculously strong.
View from the waterfront park.
A piece at the museum of modern art-- hundreds of little toy soldiers.
A huge, gorgeous church we visited.
At a park in Guayaquil that is full of iguanas... they come there naturally. Really strange.
Not a lot of light... but a video of friends Ryan and Janelle dancing at the Beatles tribute concert in Guayas

I love the weekend

I've returned safely from another traveling adventure! My luck definitely turned around. We arrived in Guayaquil at 2 am and managed to find our hostel-- 6 dollars a night for a private room and bath. Amazing deal. Guayaquil is SO different than Quito, it's the economic hub and very Westernized. I'm glad we decided to go, and even happier we had only a group of 4 (the number of people that can fit in 1 taxi).

The roads are wide and lined with palm trees. There are tall buildings (no such thing in Quito), and Nestle seems to own everything. We went to a huge park overlooking the bay which had to have been modeled off of Navy Pier. Saturday, they were having an art exhibition, so we wandered around watching local artists paint. We also went to the museum of anthropology and modern art. The good thing about the city is you don't need any plans or money-- you just wander around the city and will encounter something free and fun to do. Saturday night we went to a Beatles tribute concert... surprisingly good. Ecuadorians love the Beatles. Later we found a bar featuring a Cuban guitar player and hung around.

Last week I went to the hospital for my chronic stomach issues, and the doctor prescribed me two medicines (no idea what either of them are, or what they're supposed to do). But I feel much better! Life is easier when you're not keeling over in pain after every meal.

Sunday I spent a rare, glorious day alone in my house. My host mom and sister were returning from a northern province. I got to cook my own meals! I went to the park to run, ALONE! I did things on my own time! I like the Ecuadorian familial bonding, but let's be honest... I'm still American, and I'm still an individual. I like my freedom. Introverts don't exist in Ecuador. I have to take advantage of being alone because it's either unsafe, rude, or impossible to be alone 98% of awake-time.

Guayaquil

Hi everyone! Bad week. I lost my cell phone, I left it in a Taxi on my way to the debate-watching party. It´s also been incredibly difficult to anything without something going wrong (writing a paper and losing it in cyberspace, getting lost on the way to a friends house, etc). I am oozing with bad luck right now.

BUT, I´m going to Guayaquil this weekend! We´re leaving right after class today (well, right after I buy a new cell phone). It´s a 8 hour bus ride, yuck, but hopefully worth it because this weekend is Guayaquil´s Independence day! So the whole city is one giant fiesta. Guayaquil is generally more unsafe than Quito, but we have a hostel, detailed instructions on which parts of the city to stay in, and a big map. That should help. I would definately regret it if I didn´t see Ecuador´s biggest city.

School is bad right now, so hopefully I´ll be able to study on the bus. Next weekend I have an interview in Muisne (my future island home), then in 2 weeks I move there. And I´ll start teaching health! No more schoolwork, just a full time internship.

I´ll let you know how my Guayaquil weekend turns out!

My Jump

Proof! Here is me jumping off the bridge. I was terrified!

My Crazy Week in Photos

Cute kids at the rural school we visited.

Message to my family and friends before the bridge-jump.

The sun coming up over the mountains in banos, ecuador.

Resting on the mountain after a long hike.

An indigenous girl practicing a traditional dance at a school we visited

Jumping for joy at the top of a really steep mountain we climbed in banos

My education class snapping a picture on our way to a rural school

Pre-bridge jump, wondering what we're getting ourselves into :)

Llamas, Bungee Jumping, and Volcanoes

Sorry I haven´t posted, life has been crazy! *** In case you don´t read to the end of this entry: I went bungee jumping off a bridge. Really.

Anyway--- Wednesday I left for a "field visit" with my education class. We went to experience what bilingual, rural schools are like. We visited 3 schools, all with different levels of poverty and materials. Here in Ecuador, a large portion of the population is indigenous. The majority of rural schools teach in both Kichwa (the native language) AND spanish. However, these rural schools have almost no materials or resources, little support from parents, and basically don´t provide a sufficient education. The trip was really interesting and eye-opening.

Wednesday night I stayed with an indigenous family in San Clemente. Wow. Their whole community is self-sustaining. They grow all their own food (yay fresh vegetables) and only use western medicine in extreme cases. It was amazing. I helped Laura (the mom) prepare the meals, and I fed the llamas, sheep, and guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are delicacy here in Ecuador. Yes, they eat them. That´s one cultural experience I´ll probably skip. I also slept on a bed with several llama-fur blankets to keep me toasty in the freezing mountain air.

I was only in Quito for several hours before leaving again. The city is way too polluted, busy, and unbeautiful to stick around on weekends. I prefer to travel. I went to Baños with some friends, which is about 4 hours south of Quito perched under an active (and on yellow alert for eruptions) volcano. It was, hands down, the most beautiful place I´ve ever been. Pictures to come. The attraction in Baños are the hot springs-- bodies of volcanic water, or water naturally heated by a volcano. They are supposedly really good for your health.

Speaking of health, there is a large possibility I am carrying some parasites in my digestive track. You probably don´t need the details on that one. It´s pretty common, especially if you half-ass boil the water like I did 12 days ago (big mistake). I just need to go to a doctor and get tested, and they will give me medicine if that is in fact the case. Mmmmm.

I would just like to reiterate that in baños, I bungee jumped off a bridge into a canyon. I have video and many photos to prove it. I really feel I have bragging rights on this one-- I bargained the price of a bungee jump down to 15 dollars in Ecuador then willfully threw myself off a bridge. It was terrifying, but really fun and exhilirating. I never thought I would do something like that, but life here is all about stepping outside the box and experiencing everything.

La Patria Ya Es De Todos!!

Hello from the sweetest internet cafe EVER. It's located in La Mariscal, aka "gringoland" because foreigners flock here. It has really cheap internet, good (safe) food, and cheap international calls. I'm sitting next to a pleasant British girl who is talking to her mom on Skype.

Ecuador has a new constitution! Sunday was voting day, and the country overwhelmingly approved constitution #20. This will hopefully be a step forward for the poor and disenfranchised, and not turn into some crazy Chavez-esque reign. Voting was so fun and a really important experience. It is WAY different here:

1.) Voting is mandatory. Obligatory. You must vote if you are between the ages of 18-65, there is no choice. After 65 it is optional. If you do not vote, you are fined 500 dollars (that is really a lot for the average ecuadorian family), you cannot travel in or out of the country for a year, and you cannot WORK in the country for a year. When you vote, you are given a card to prove to your employer that you voted. Basically its a really serious punishment, and everyone votes. You can vote null or blank if you don't have an opinion.

2.) The whole country is dry for 3 days before the vote. Dry, as in, NO alcohol consumption or sale! Its so that everyone votes with a clear mind, I guess? If you are caught with alcohol you get fined, put in jail for 11 days, and you lose your right to vote.

3.) You cannot campaign or duscuss the vote for 5 days before voting day. So the news pundits stopped talking about the vote on Wednesday.

4.) It is a really festive atmosphere. Its like a giant party for the whole country. It was actually kind of beautiful to see people excited about democracy. They weren't acting like it was a pain in the ass to vote, but something fun that actually impacts their lives. We definitely take our right to vote for granted in the USA. Outside the polling place, there are a zillion food vendors and music blares. Total fiesta.

So that was my voting experience. Results were in very quickly (small country) and when "si" won, my mom turned to me and said, "Our lives are going to be better. Maybe not for the very very rich, but my life will." Hope. Thats an important thing. Rafael Correa is only 38, but he gives hope to people traditionally disenfranchised-- indigenous, the poor, women, afroecuadorians. He is the first president to actually travel to villages and have town hall meetings (other presidents kept their distance from actual people, always a bad thing). Basically, I am happy that Ecuador has constitution number 20 and hope this one works out for them.

**"la patria ya es de todos" is the slogan for the new constitution, it means "the country (fatherland) belongs to us all"

Pictures!

School girls in traditional Quichua clothing, Cangahua, Ecuador.
"Si" on a mountainside- encouraging citizens to vote "yes" to the new Constitution
The historic center of Quito

A common view in Quito-- not too far from school.

I got sick.

I really feel like sick is an understatement. It's funny now, looking back. But it wasn't funny then-- I've never been so violently ill in my whole life. About 30 minutes after I posted the last blog entry (Tuesday), I projectile vomited into the dining room trashcan. Thus began my downfall.

By 5 pm, I had thrown up 4 times, only once actually in a toilet. Luckily I have good friends that let me lay on the bathroom floor for an hour when I couldn't move and took me home in a taxi. I literally crawled out of school. When I thew up in the taxi (in a bag, thank you), the driver tried to kick us out. My friend sophie screamed that we weren't getting out and he needed to take us to my house. By 7 pm, I could no longer walk. I was super dehydrated and everything that went in (pills, sips of water, etc) came right back up. By midnight I had thown up 9 times, and I told myself that I would go to the hospital to get some fluids if I threw up one more time.

Saved! I stopped throwing up and was able to keep a little water down. I didn't go to the hospital, thank goodness. I laid in bed the entire next day, ocassionally eating a couple saltines. You know how they say the human body is like, 98% water? Well, I think I was about 50% water. I'm on the up and up though. Slowly getting my hydration and strength back.

Pictures from various city viewpoints posted above!

Quito at night, school, and home life

Hello everyone! I had a pretty laidback weekend finishing my take home exam. Monday was rough, as Mondays tend to be. I was really tired and had more issues with my host mom.

She sent me on a guilt trip for leaving the house to write my papers (I needed internet sources and we don't have internet). I am a University student and school requires time, it is a priority right up there with family bonding and having fun. Plus, I do spend quite a lot of time with her. Saturday we played cards for 3 hours straight. Plus I cooked bread with her, cooked cinnamon rolls with her, watched tv with her, went to the supermarket/bank with her... basically did everything at home except write my papers for a few hours. She said, "You know, in the Latino family, we really like to spend to time together. Are you going to leave again tomorrow?" Sigh. I kind of wanted to cry. It sucks to put forth a lot of effort and leave feeling guilty. SOLUTION: do the best I can, spend time with my family, make compromises. BUT, draw lines and make sure I'm happy through it all!

Friday night we went to a discoteca, and I think my salsa is improving. Merengue I still don't understand. Reggeaton is really easy so it's my favorite. Me, Mike and Ryan were offered cocaine on the street. Someone screamed "COCAINA! COCAINE!" at us, like it was a hot dog or something. Um, pass? We also saw some guy get maced, he threw up and was stumbling around crying for at least 30 minutes. Oh Quito at night. My friend Sally was robbed by 7 teenagers, they took her wallet and keys, but she got her phone back. She seriously told someone with a knife, "please, can i have my phone?" and they gave it back. She is fine. You just have to laugh about it.

Sunday we had a big family get together over lunch. We went to an old hacienda that has been passed down through the generations. It became very obvious that my family is and always has been very wealthy. There was a 8 week old puppy, a barn full of guinea pigs (to eat), a fighting rooster, a dog that looked like a wolf, and a goat that tried to eat my shirt. I hung out with my host cousins, Dani (age 12) and David (age 8). Kids are universally more fun than adults. I learned how to thumb-war in Spanish.

I got a package from my parents, and life was awesome. Contents: tums, camera, swim cap and goggles, magazine, bisquick, maple syrup. Those are some of my favorite things. Now I have cap and goggles, so me and Mike are going to find a pool this week! Mike swims for UW Lacrosse. I'm going to start writing him workouts.

More pictures

a sheep mid-air... we see stuff like this all the time
me and sophie on the equator

waiting for the bus to go back to Quito (bet you can find the ecuatorian)
at a bar in Otavalo
walking around Otavalo