I have wanted to post a blog for a few weeks now about some of the politics that are happening in Ecuador and its neighbors! Its really interesting to observe politics from another country...especially because the US is involved.
As I mentioned in the email where I said that Hugo Chavez was here...the President of Ecuador was recently inaugurated as the President of UNASUR...which is an attempt by the countires of South AMerica to form a union like the EU. Well...of course Chavez has to cause drama like always! My teachers...and afterwards a few newspaper articles...filled me in on what is happening...
first a side note: Chavez is nuts! He announced that he is the next Simon Bolivar a few years back...now when he makes public speeches, he welcomes Bolivar or makes comments to him all the time...Bolivar died in 1830.
So the drama here lately has to do with FARC, Colombia, the US, and Venezuela (only because Chavez is sticking his nose where it does not belong!) About ten years ago, the United States opened a military base in Manta, a city on coast of Ecuador to help control narcotrafficking. The US and Ecuador agreed on a ten year contract. Before opening the base, Manta was a fairly poor city without much going on. Today it is a modern, beautiful city popular with tourists. The base cleaned up the city, gave people jobs, and turned Manta into the most important port in the country. The drug trade, although still somewhat of a problem here, was greatly reduced.
Politics here are interested...not quite corrupt but lets say, easily manipulated. Kinda like in the US, if the President and Congress are of the same party, it is much easier for the President to pass laws and so on. Here, the President can create laws by writing them or signing them and passing them on to Congress. If Congress does not reject them in 30 days, they are automatically passed. This is what happened with the agreement allowing the US create the base in Manta. Well...a few years back....it was discovered that the US also had a few smaller bases, more or less, where they were storing weapons and supplies. These bases, I am not sure that that is what they should be called but I cant recall the name, were supposedly constructed as refugees for internally displaced people who were affected by natural disasters (like the last volcanoe eruptions, etc). Someone in Congress who was of a different political party (there are about 150 here) than the president realized that these bases or sites were not located close to any of the towns affected by disasters and started an investigation. Angered by what he found out, he joined with a few other Congressmen and called for the President to close the US base...saying it was not legitimately approved by the Congress. The President agreed to close the base and did not renew the contract...I think sometime in the past 6 months or so it closed.
When the base closed here, the Colombian governement invited the US to move its troops there. It did not invite the US to construct a base, which would be considered soverign US territory, rather, it gave permission to the US to access 6 existing Colombian bases.
Colombia and Ecuador already had tense relations before this. A large section of the border region between Ecuador and Colombia is jungle. It is well known that near the edge of the border, FARC has various camps. Since the border in this region is not well guarded, FARC set up a few camps in the jungle in Ecuador as well. The Colombian government discovered these camps and found out that the 3rd most important FARC leader was camped in one of them, and sent troops into Ecuador and bombed the camps from air....but without first asking permission of the Ecuadorian government. As you can imagine, the governemnt here was not happy.
This incident is the base of some rumos that some of you may have heard that the Ecuadorian President has ties to FARC. When he chastized Colombia for bombing FARC troops in his country, those who do not support him began rumos that he was a supporter of FARC. Hugo Chavez got involved because he is Hugo Chavez....he criticized Colombia for invading Ecuador and for allowing American imperialism to continue in South America by allowing US troops to access its bases.
A few weeks back, when Chavez was here to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Ecuadors first declaration of independence, he used the opportunity to provoke Colombia some more...going as far to say that if Colombia wants a war, he will give it a war.
While Chavez is provoking war, a few other presidents want to invite Barack Obama to attend a meeting with UNASUR to discuss the situation...we will see howw that goes if it comes to pass! I will keep you updated!
Well I guess that is enough of a lesson for today! I hope you found it as interesting as I do and I hope I remembered and interpreted all of the details correctly! As for me, I am flying to Guayaquil (Ecuadors largest city located in the south of the country) this afternoon to attend an important Rotary Club event tomorrow. The President of Rotary International will be there and my counselor invited me to attend. Fortunately, there is also a student at my school who is from NYC but whose family lives in Guayaquil, so we are flying there together this afternoon...attending a really imporant soccer game (Emelec from Ecuador against a team from Venezuela) and spending the weekend with her family. I will take lots of pictures to share...hopefully I will get my internet working soon to post them! Until then...take care!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Banos and burglary!
Saludos,
I hope all is well with you all in the US! I am sorry I havent written in awhile...well actually I did write a nice long email that I was going to use as the base for this post about my adventures last weekend...then the internet froze up in the internet cafe where I was writing and I lost everything after about an hours worth of work...and still had to pay for it! Like I have said before...they charge for everything here!
So to recap...if I can remember!
Last weekend I traveled with another student, Mollie, to a small town called Banos, nestled in the mountains about 3.5 hours southeast of Quito. We took a trolley from our school to the brand new bus terminal about 45 minutes away in South Quito and then took a 3.5 hour bus ride to Banos. The town, whose name means "baths" (not just bathroom for those of you who recognize the word)...is known for its fresh water pools, full of mineral rich water that flows from the surrounding mountains and volcanoes. There is one hot (more like warm) water pool and various cold water pools. The town is full of tourists, Ecuadorian and foreign alike...and reminded me very much of the Asheville-Chimney Rock area.
After dinner Friday night (at an eclectic little restaurant that had some mediterrean dishes...I was missing humus and finally got some that sort of hit the spot!...the food here is good but there it is nice to have something to remind you of home from time to time), we were off to bed early--my first time staying in a hostal....and actually my first time traveling somewhere without a guide or travel companion that knew the area! The hostal was nice...private room with a hot shower....free internet and a fire pit in the lobby, all for only 9.50 for a night per person...I almost felt like a backpacker (the town was full of them).
Saturday morning we woke up early, scouted out some fresh bread and fruit for breakfast and then set out on our adventure--our goal was to ride the bikes we had rented for $5 all the way to Puyo, a town that sits on the border of the Amazon...61 kilometers (I think that is about 38 miles away). Along the journey, there are more waterfalls and beautiful sites than one can count. We set out, winding through the mountains until we arrived at the first waterfall. We took a cable car across a gorge and then hiked around a bit on the other side. After crossing a small bridge near the top of the waterfall...we paid a man 10 cents to let us use a trail that takes you closer to the water...I kinda snuck around the fence near the edge to capture a picture of the fall from the top when the man wasn't looking! We hiked around a bit more, admired the nature and the avocado, taxo, and plaintain plants and then ran into the Bodega de Los Contrabandistas del Aguardiente (The Cellar/Hideout of the Contrabands of Aguardiente)....a few kilometers up there once existed a sugar plantations. These contrabandistas would make Aguardiente--a sugar cane alcohol very typical in Ecuador--and transport and sell the moonshine when it was illegal.
We left this fall and continued on our journey..passing through the first tunnel--which was terrifying! It was a narrow tunnel carved into the mountain with no sidewalks...completely pitch black...full of bikers, buses, and large trucks. I felt really dumb when I realized I still had my sunglasses on and that perhaps taking them off would help the situation...which it did...but not by much!
The next fall we came to is more well known and also has a cable car. We took the cable car...which is 100 meters above the bottom of the gorge...over the top of the Manta de la Novia (Veil of the Novia) Cascade. It was beautiful! Here, we hiked around a bit until we found the casita (small house) where a mom and her son sell a few Ecuadorian specialities to passersby. We shared a grilled plaintain (delicious) and then paid her son a quarter to let us take pictures with Rafeal--his pet monkey. They had bought the monkey in the jungle and brought it back to their home in the mountains...although this is illegal it is the second mono (monkey) I have encountered.
We continued along on our bikes for quite some time until we reached the infamous Pailleon del Diable (Devil's Cauldron). After hiking downhill for about 10 minutes, we had a snack overlooking the beautiful river and admiring the forest...which I should mentioned was getting slightly more tropical as we biked further away from the mountains and towards the jungle. After paying a dollar, we were permitted to hike up a few minutes to actually see the cauldren. It was beautiful! This waterfall was huge! And so loud we could hardley hear one another. We viewed the amazing fall from the three balconies...trying to take pictures without soaking our cameras. We opted out of passing underneath the fall because everyone who did so was completely drenched. It was amazing! I got a decent picture of the face of the devil that appears naturally in the stone next to the fall...This place was truly beautiful.
We set off again on our bikes..winding through the mountains. Although my legs were burning and the seats of the bikes were anything but comfortable...we soldiered on! We passed by another spot where you can hike past 8 more waterfalls of various sizes, but we knew if we stopped we wouldn't make it to our destination.
As we got further away from Banos, the vegetation became greener and more tropical. I couldn't help but feel somewhat at peace and relaxed and also a bit sad. It amazed me how much the natural beauty I was witnessing made me think of those I loved and missed. There were parts of the day that made me think of many of you for different reasons, and I wished very much that you all could see what I was seeing through my eyes...or even better, experience it with me. It was bittersweet.
In the end, we made it nearly to our destination...but not quite! 55 km and about 8 hours after we set out on our journey...it was starting to get dark. We caught a bus back to banos...proud of what we accomplished!
After dinner and converstaion with some fellow travelers (three girls from Switzerland and a guy from LA...the majority of the foreigners I have met here are either from Germany, Switzerland, or the US) we went to bed hurting but happy! The next morning, we put on our bathing suits and set off for the mineral pools, but by 8:30 in the morning they were packed full! Luckily, we got our money back and instead wandered around town and tried a few of the towns specialities...candy!
We watched a man cut down stalks of sugarcane and then give them to his wife who fed them through a machine that compressed them and removed sugar water. It was so sweet I couldnt drink it and I don't understand how Ecuadorians enjoy it (it was like 95% sugar 5% water). We bought some hard taffy that the town is known for and a few other treats. A little note about the food culture here..while there are regional differences in food (more fish and plaintains in the coast, more potatoes and rice in the mountains)...any honest Ecuadorian will admit that the people here have a terrible sweet tooth like no other. I think because of this sweet tooth, they also love their salt because all the food is packed with one or the other. My new favorite, however, is Ahi. Ahi itself is a type of chili pepper, but the word also refers to the hot sauce made in a variety of manners from the pepper and served with every meal (right next to the sugar, of course). After trying a few sweets, we then spent an hour or two by the pool at a nearby hotel.
We caught the bus back, hoping for another 3.5 hour ride, but it ended up being much longer and more dramatic! First, it left a little late...then because Quito is higher in elevation moved a little slower....Two vendors entered the bus to sell candy (a normal practice here...vendors are allowed to get on the bus, try to sell their food or whatever they have and then usually get off a minute later), but usually vendors are women or children and they usually get off right away. These two black men, one in his late teens, early twenties, the other older--did not get off the bus. The older man stood in the back while the younger, standing in the front, gave some sad speech about how he is really hard working and does this on the side to help him get by...yadadada. I didnt trust the man in the back and kept an eye on him. I was especially suspicious when after about 10, 15 minutes they were still on the bus and he wasnt using the handrails but instead was standing with his hands above...in the overhead comparments about three rows behind us. I told Mollie to jump up quickly and see what he was doing...when she did, it turned out his hand was in her backpack...with all of the pockets opened. She asked him what he was doing well I told people in front the get the drivers assistant/ticket holder guy. They stopped the bus (luckily just as we were pulling up to a toll with police officers) and kicked them off. Luckily she didnt have anything important in her bag! To add to that drama, a bit later the bus was stopped because just moments before a car had flipped completely over in the road. I am assuming everyone inside was okay because when we finally passed by, a group of men were flipping it right side up.
In the end, I did not want to return home! My family here is sweet as can be, but nothing beats the beauty of the mountains and forests and waterfalls. I was not looking forward to classes or toward returning to a city, but return we did! Classes went well this week...I have much I want to write about my volunteer work with the kids and about the politics and culture I have been observing and studying...but this email is quite long so that will have to wait....for a preview----Hugo Chavez is starting drama and I was "cleaned" of bad energy by a medicine man who smoked, spit sugarcane alcohol, and blew fire at me and the other students....can't wait to tell you more!
Until next time, cuidate! Take Care!
I hope all is well with you all in the US! I am sorry I havent written in awhile...well actually I did write a nice long email that I was going to use as the base for this post about my adventures last weekend...then the internet froze up in the internet cafe where I was writing and I lost everything after about an hours worth of work...and still had to pay for it! Like I have said before...they charge for everything here!
So to recap...if I can remember!
Last weekend I traveled with another student, Mollie, to a small town called Banos, nestled in the mountains about 3.5 hours southeast of Quito. We took a trolley from our school to the brand new bus terminal about 45 minutes away in South Quito and then took a 3.5 hour bus ride to Banos. The town, whose name means "baths" (not just bathroom for those of you who recognize the word)...is known for its fresh water pools, full of mineral rich water that flows from the surrounding mountains and volcanoes. There is one hot (more like warm) water pool and various cold water pools. The town is full of tourists, Ecuadorian and foreign alike...and reminded me very much of the Asheville-Chimney Rock area.
After dinner Friday night (at an eclectic little restaurant that had some mediterrean dishes...I was missing humus and finally got some that sort of hit the spot!...the food here is good but there it is nice to have something to remind you of home from time to time), we were off to bed early--my first time staying in a hostal....and actually my first time traveling somewhere without a guide or travel companion that knew the area! The hostal was nice...private room with a hot shower....free internet and a fire pit in the lobby, all for only 9.50 for a night per person...I almost felt like a backpacker (the town was full of them).
Saturday morning we woke up early, scouted out some fresh bread and fruit for breakfast and then set out on our adventure--our goal was to ride the bikes we had rented for $5 all the way to Puyo, a town that sits on the border of the Amazon...61 kilometers (I think that is about 38 miles away). Along the journey, there are more waterfalls and beautiful sites than one can count. We set out, winding through the mountains until we arrived at the first waterfall. We took a cable car across a gorge and then hiked around a bit on the other side. After crossing a small bridge near the top of the waterfall...we paid a man 10 cents to let us use a trail that takes you closer to the water...I kinda snuck around the fence near the edge to capture a picture of the fall from the top when the man wasn't looking! We hiked around a bit more, admired the nature and the avocado, taxo, and plaintain plants and then ran into the Bodega de Los Contrabandistas del Aguardiente (The Cellar/Hideout of the Contrabands of Aguardiente)....a few kilometers up there once existed a sugar plantations. These contrabandistas would make Aguardiente--a sugar cane alcohol very typical in Ecuador--and transport and sell the moonshine when it was illegal.
We left this fall and continued on our journey..passing through the first tunnel--which was terrifying! It was a narrow tunnel carved into the mountain with no sidewalks...completely pitch black...full of bikers, buses, and large trucks. I felt really dumb when I realized I still had my sunglasses on and that perhaps taking them off would help the situation...which it did...but not by much!
The next fall we came to is more well known and also has a cable car. We took the cable car...which is 100 meters above the bottom of the gorge...over the top of the Manta de la Novia (Veil of the Novia) Cascade. It was beautiful! Here, we hiked around a bit until we found the casita (small house) where a mom and her son sell a few Ecuadorian specialities to passersby. We shared a grilled plaintain (delicious) and then paid her son a quarter to let us take pictures with Rafeal--his pet monkey. They had bought the monkey in the jungle and brought it back to their home in the mountains...although this is illegal it is the second mono (monkey) I have encountered.
We continued along on our bikes for quite some time until we reached the infamous Pailleon del Diable (Devil's Cauldron). After hiking downhill for about 10 minutes, we had a snack overlooking the beautiful river and admiring the forest...which I should mentioned was getting slightly more tropical as we biked further away from the mountains and towards the jungle. After paying a dollar, we were permitted to hike up a few minutes to actually see the cauldren. It was beautiful! This waterfall was huge! And so loud we could hardley hear one another. We viewed the amazing fall from the three balconies...trying to take pictures without soaking our cameras. We opted out of passing underneath the fall because everyone who did so was completely drenched. It was amazing! I got a decent picture of the face of the devil that appears naturally in the stone next to the fall...This place was truly beautiful.
We set off again on our bikes..winding through the mountains. Although my legs were burning and the seats of the bikes were anything but comfortable...we soldiered on! We passed by another spot where you can hike past 8 more waterfalls of various sizes, but we knew if we stopped we wouldn't make it to our destination.
As we got further away from Banos, the vegetation became greener and more tropical. I couldn't help but feel somewhat at peace and relaxed and also a bit sad. It amazed me how much the natural beauty I was witnessing made me think of those I loved and missed. There were parts of the day that made me think of many of you for different reasons, and I wished very much that you all could see what I was seeing through my eyes...or even better, experience it with me. It was bittersweet.
In the end, we made it nearly to our destination...but not quite! 55 km and about 8 hours after we set out on our journey...it was starting to get dark. We caught a bus back to banos...proud of what we accomplished!
After dinner and converstaion with some fellow travelers (three girls from Switzerland and a guy from LA...the majority of the foreigners I have met here are either from Germany, Switzerland, or the US) we went to bed hurting but happy! The next morning, we put on our bathing suits and set off for the mineral pools, but by 8:30 in the morning they were packed full! Luckily, we got our money back and instead wandered around town and tried a few of the towns specialities...candy!
We watched a man cut down stalks of sugarcane and then give them to his wife who fed them through a machine that compressed them and removed sugar water. It was so sweet I couldnt drink it and I don't understand how Ecuadorians enjoy it (it was like 95% sugar 5% water). We bought some hard taffy that the town is known for and a few other treats. A little note about the food culture here..while there are regional differences in food (more fish and plaintains in the coast, more potatoes and rice in the mountains)...any honest Ecuadorian will admit that the people here have a terrible sweet tooth like no other. I think because of this sweet tooth, they also love their salt because all the food is packed with one or the other. My new favorite, however, is Ahi. Ahi itself is a type of chili pepper, but the word also refers to the hot sauce made in a variety of manners from the pepper and served with every meal (right next to the sugar, of course). After trying a few sweets, we then spent an hour or two by the pool at a nearby hotel.
We caught the bus back, hoping for another 3.5 hour ride, but it ended up being much longer and more dramatic! First, it left a little late...then because Quito is higher in elevation moved a little slower....Two vendors entered the bus to sell candy (a normal practice here...vendors are allowed to get on the bus, try to sell their food or whatever they have and then usually get off a minute later), but usually vendors are women or children and they usually get off right away. These two black men, one in his late teens, early twenties, the other older--did not get off the bus. The older man stood in the back while the younger, standing in the front, gave some sad speech about how he is really hard working and does this on the side to help him get by...yadadada. I didnt trust the man in the back and kept an eye on him. I was especially suspicious when after about 10, 15 minutes they were still on the bus and he wasnt using the handrails but instead was standing with his hands above...in the overhead comparments about three rows behind us. I told Mollie to jump up quickly and see what he was doing...when she did, it turned out his hand was in her backpack...with all of the pockets opened. She asked him what he was doing well I told people in front the get the drivers assistant/ticket holder guy. They stopped the bus (luckily just as we were pulling up to a toll with police officers) and kicked them off. Luckily she didnt have anything important in her bag! To add to that drama, a bit later the bus was stopped because just moments before a car had flipped completely over in the road. I am assuming everyone inside was okay because when we finally passed by, a group of men were flipping it right side up.
In the end, I did not want to return home! My family here is sweet as can be, but nothing beats the beauty of the mountains and forests and waterfalls. I was not looking forward to classes or toward returning to a city, but return we did! Classes went well this week...I have much I want to write about my volunteer work with the kids and about the politics and culture I have been observing and studying...but this email is quite long so that will have to wait....for a preview----Hugo Chavez is starting drama and I was "cleaned" of bad energy by a medicine man who smoked, spit sugarcane alcohol, and blew fire at me and the other students....can't wait to tell you more!
Until next time, cuidate! Take Care!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Pictures
Click on the links to see all of my pictures so far!
Week 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2353003&id=12603504&l=da642c56af
Week 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2354871&id=12603504&l=b41410909b
Week 3:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2358676&id=12603504&l=0918640496
Week 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2353003&id=12603504&l=da642c56af
Week 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2354871&id=12603504&l=b41410909b
Week 3:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2358676&id=12603504&l=0918640496
Hola from Ecuador and a Lesson in Geography!
Hola and Saludos Friends and Family!
I hope all is well for you all in the good ole USA! Today is a holiday here in Ecuador so no work or school for anyone...jealous?
Last week was pretty full! I had my classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as usual. Tuesday and Thursday I volunteered and worked with the kids in the afternoon, but really I don't feel like it is enough! Its only a few hours and we just work on basic reading and math skills and then play outside for a bit. I am going to focus this week on designing some city beautification projects and figuring out who I need to speak with in the city to make them happen. I am thinking murals and maybe some sort of contest to design an anti-litering campaign (like a contest for kids to design posters that can be used by the government). School starts back in September so I have a little time to work on this one!
Wednesday I visited the Museo Banco Central (nothing to do with a bank though). It was interesting because it was full of relics and models of tools and other artifacts used by the various indigenous cultures around the country prior to the arrival of the Spaniards...the art, jewelry, pots, statues, etc look different and are made from different materials depending on the region of the country...which brings us to today's geography lession (briefly)...
(sorry if this is boring to some of you...BUT I am here as a Cultural Ambassador, not just a tourist!). Ecuador is known for its 4 very diverse regions. First, there is the Galapagos Islands, which I am dying to visit, but to do so is quite expensive (although cheaper for Ecuadorians than foreigners). To visit, you have to fly out of Guayaquil (the largest city in the country, a good 10 hour drive from Quito, I would have to fly). Once you reach the islands, you can take small cruises (small boats, not cruise ships like Carnival) on trips lasting anywhere from 4 days to a few weeks.
Next, is the Coast. This region is known for its beaches, food, and agriculture. There are a few popular places to surf, and I would love to spend a weekend just lying on the beach. In this region, they grow plantains, rice, and tons of fruit, and you can eat some of the best seafood you can imagine. I was actually at the beach this weekend spending time with my Host Rotarian and her family and saw a boat of fishermen pull up and take a fresh load of fish into the restaurants lining the beach--I had the best shrimp of my life (which says a lot becuase I am really picky with shrimp). I am starting to get sort of tired of soups though...throughout the entire country, soup is really popular...often with fish or chicken but occasionally with beef, bull penis, lamb intestines, plantains...depends on where you are (and how brave you are!). Since pretty much everything they eat here is either beef, pork, or deep fried (and the fact that I am EXTREMELY picky) I have been eating tons of soup and ceviche and fruit (although I do love an empanada or some fried chifles/plaintains from time to time too). I was a little suprised though to find out that the Coastal Region is the driest of the four regions, and many of the cities we passed through were extremely dusty and dirty. I don't think I could live there. Manta, the popular touristy and more luxiurous city right on the coast (huge port city too, most of the imports come through Manta) was very clean and moden...I'd love to visit there (or the nearby surfer beach called Mantanita...or little Manta).
While near the coast this weekend, my Host Rotarian did me a huge favor. I had mentioned the beaches where you can whale watch to her before we left, and on Saturday, she accompanied me (along with her nephew, a great nephew, and great niece) to Porto Cayo, about an hour and a half from Portoviejo (the more inland city where we spent the weekend...not one I would recommend you visit). From there, the younger nephew and niece and I paid for a boat tour that lasted about 1.5 hours to go watch whales! It was kind of overcast and I had heard that this year there had not been many whales so I was worried that we would be disappointed, but it was amazing! Bad news is that when I tried to take a picture of the first whales we saw, my camara died. We ended following around a group of about 4 whales...three males fighting over one female (its mating season...). One lost fairly early in the battle and went off but two battled for quite a bit! At first, we just saw their backs as they arched near the top of the water and swam along but finally we saw a few tails rise out of the water. Then one of the whales raised the top half of his body out of the water, turned a bit, and crashed back into the water! It was breathtaking! Then, the two males began really going at it! They turn on their side, lift their fins and slap them back down into the water. Near the end of our tour, the two males popped their heads out of the water a few times...it was really cool!
The next region is called the Sierra. The drive from the city to the Sierra is really pretty...as you move inland, things become less dusty and much more green. Almost like driving through a forest in the US, but with tropical trees...not quite a forest, not quite jungle. The mountains of Ecuador are actually the top part of the Andean Mountain range. I won't talk much about the mountains here because I think I have done a lot of that already (Quito is located in the Sierra...9,300 feet up, wedged in a valley). Many of the mountains of Ecuador are in fact volcanoes...some of which remain active...and some of the mountains and volcanoes are snow capped (and beautiful). I think this coming weekend I will travel to Cotopaxi...a snow capped volcanoe fairly close to Quito.
The next region is called the Oriente...here you find La Selva (the jungle). I don't know much about this region yet, other than that it is beautiful...full of animals and beautiful plants...that I might get Malaria if I don't take my pills...and that there is a particular indigenous community that will kill you if you try to enter because they want to maintain their indigenous lifestyles. I also learned in school that many of the indigenous cultures in this region have been and are exploited terribly by oil companies. Today, oil is Ecuador's primary export..supposedly the government is trying to do more to protect the jungle and restrict where oil companies can drill, but we all know how that story ends.... I will write more about the Oriente after I visit it in September.
So like I said before, today is a national holiday. It makes the 200th anniversary of the first declaration/battle for independence. Quito is referred to as "La Luz de America" or the light of America because it was the first city to declare independence from Europe. In the end, it was one of the last places to actually achieve independence, but it led the way for later independence movements. Unfortunately, I missed most of the festivities which occurred yesterday because we were traveling from Portoviejo (an 8 hour drive...Ecuador is not a large country, but travel anywhere takes a long time because the roads wind and weave through the mountains and the trek is slow!). Apparantely, every park and plaza yesterday had some sort of free concert, performance, or art display...I did here some fireworks as I returned home around 10 last night.
Today, I headed to the Historic Center after doing some laundry (which I wanted to point out because I think this is interesting too...pretty much everyone has a washer, but they don't always use it. On the contrary, very few have driers..so i wash my clothes in the washer and then hang them outside to dry...which reminds me...I better get them now before it gets dark and cold!). A friend from school and I were hoping to see what was happening in the Historic Center and visit a few museums (because we were told this whole week/month everything is open and free)...it turned out however that pretty much everything was closed. We did have some good luck though! This weekened, Presidents from around Latin America visited Ecuador to celebrate the independence. Also, the President (Corea) was inducted this morning as the Secretary General of UNASUR (United Nations of South America....UNASUR is a political and economic group of South American countries, created in 2008 and modeled after the EU...the political headquarters is in Quito. Just as my friend and I were finishing lunch in the Plaza Grande (where the President's Palace is located) and heading out to see if a museum we wanted to visit was open, we noticed a lot of activity on the corner of the street we were trying to cross. After battling police and members of the military, we finally got across and asked what was going on. Our timing was perject...just as we got across...a motor cade pulled up. A few secret servicemen jumped out and open the car door and out stepped Raul Castro. A minute later, another motorcade followed by two large buses. Out of the first...more security guards and assistants...out of the second...the President of Peru, Costa Rica...a cute prince from Spain, and then Hugo Chavez! We were seriously only about ten feet away from him. It was crazy! I snapped a quick photo of Chavez....I will pass it along later. After asking around a bit, we found out that a lot of people like Chavez a lot....It seems to be about half and half here. A lot of conservatives think the current Ecuadorian President is too young and the reason why there is high unemployment...these same folks admire Chavez for his style of governing. Another Rotary Scholar who spent 6 months in Venezuela said it is about 50/50 there as well. After the crowd cleared...we wandered a bit and found all the museums and churches were closed.
This is getting long...but one more quick note. I passed along in a previous email some favorite phrases and words used frequently here...I have another. Ecuadorians are EXTREMELY proud of their country and their history. You would be amazed by how much these people know about eveything...every church, street, plant, town, city, fruit, etc. One thing I love that they say...and I am not sure if it means anything to them or just to me, and maybe other Spanish speaking countries also say this, i do not know...is the verb "conocer. " It means to get to know or be familiar with, and I learned it in school many years ago. I was taught that you use this verb when you refer to knowing a person (literally it translates as "to know") but not when you are saying to know information. I like it because we don't use such a verb in the US in the way they do here. When we speak of the places we have visited or give recommendations to tourists, we say "you have to see" or "I saw" or maybe "I have been there" or "I have visited." Here they tell you that you need to "conocer" or you need to get to know this place or that place. To me, it shows more respect and admiration--you are not just seeing something, you become familiar with it. It maybe nothing, but I kind of like it! Its like telling someone to make sure they stop and smell the roses while they are passing through a place.
Well this has gotten quite long! I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! Thanks once again for emails and updates! Let me know if anyone wants to come visit and get to know Ecuador...flights should start getting a little cheaper in the next few months as the tourist season calms down!
Love you all!
I hope all is well for you all in the good ole USA! Today is a holiday here in Ecuador so no work or school for anyone...jealous?
Last week was pretty full! I had my classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as usual. Tuesday and Thursday I volunteered and worked with the kids in the afternoon, but really I don't feel like it is enough! Its only a few hours and we just work on basic reading and math skills and then play outside for a bit. I am going to focus this week on designing some city beautification projects and figuring out who I need to speak with in the city to make them happen. I am thinking murals and maybe some sort of contest to design an anti-litering campaign (like a contest for kids to design posters that can be used by the government). School starts back in September so I have a little time to work on this one!
Wednesday I visited the Museo Banco Central (nothing to do with a bank though). It was interesting because it was full of relics and models of tools and other artifacts used by the various indigenous cultures around the country prior to the arrival of the Spaniards...the art, jewelry, pots, statues, etc look different and are made from different materials depending on the region of the country...which brings us to today's geography lession (briefly)...
(sorry if this is boring to some of you...BUT I am here as a Cultural Ambassador, not just a tourist!). Ecuador is known for its 4 very diverse regions. First, there is the Galapagos Islands, which I am dying to visit, but to do so is quite expensive (although cheaper for Ecuadorians than foreigners). To visit, you have to fly out of Guayaquil (the largest city in the country, a good 10 hour drive from Quito, I would have to fly). Once you reach the islands, you can take small cruises (small boats, not cruise ships like Carnival) on trips lasting anywhere from 4 days to a few weeks.
Next, is the Coast. This region is known for its beaches, food, and agriculture. There are a few popular places to surf, and I would love to spend a weekend just lying on the beach. In this region, they grow plantains, rice, and tons of fruit, and you can eat some of the best seafood you can imagine. I was actually at the beach this weekend spending time with my Host Rotarian and her family and saw a boat of fishermen pull up and take a fresh load of fish into the restaurants lining the beach--I had the best shrimp of my life (which says a lot becuase I am really picky with shrimp). I am starting to get sort of tired of soups though...throughout the entire country, soup is really popular...often with fish or chicken but occasionally with beef, bull penis, lamb intestines, plantains...depends on where you are (and how brave you are!). Since pretty much everything they eat here is either beef, pork, or deep fried (and the fact that I am EXTREMELY picky) I have been eating tons of soup and ceviche and fruit (although I do love an empanada or some fried chifles/plaintains from time to time too). I was a little suprised though to find out that the Coastal Region is the driest of the four regions, and many of the cities we passed through were extremely dusty and dirty. I don't think I could live there. Manta, the popular touristy and more luxiurous city right on the coast (huge port city too, most of the imports come through Manta) was very clean and moden...I'd love to visit there (or the nearby surfer beach called Mantanita...or little Manta).
While near the coast this weekend, my Host Rotarian did me a huge favor. I had mentioned the beaches where you can whale watch to her before we left, and on Saturday, she accompanied me (along with her nephew, a great nephew, and great niece) to Porto Cayo, about an hour and a half from Portoviejo (the more inland city where we spent the weekend...not one I would recommend you visit). From there, the younger nephew and niece and I paid for a boat tour that lasted about 1.5 hours to go watch whales! It was kind of overcast and I had heard that this year there had not been many whales so I was worried that we would be disappointed, but it was amazing! Bad news is that when I tried to take a picture of the first whales we saw, my camara died. We ended following around a group of about 4 whales...three males fighting over one female (its mating season...). One lost fairly early in the battle and went off but two battled for quite a bit! At first, we just saw their backs as they arched near the top of the water and swam along but finally we saw a few tails rise out of the water. Then one of the whales raised the top half of his body out of the water, turned a bit, and crashed back into the water! It was breathtaking! Then, the two males began really going at it! They turn on their side, lift their fins and slap them back down into the water. Near the end of our tour, the two males popped their heads out of the water a few times...it was really cool!
The next region is called the Sierra. The drive from the city to the Sierra is really pretty...as you move inland, things become less dusty and much more green. Almost like driving through a forest in the US, but with tropical trees...not quite a forest, not quite jungle. The mountains of Ecuador are actually the top part of the Andean Mountain range. I won't talk much about the mountains here because I think I have done a lot of that already (Quito is located in the Sierra...9,300 feet up, wedged in a valley). Many of the mountains of Ecuador are in fact volcanoes...some of which remain active...and some of the mountains and volcanoes are snow capped (and beautiful). I think this coming weekend I will travel to Cotopaxi...a snow capped volcanoe fairly close to Quito.
The next region is called the Oriente...here you find La Selva (the jungle). I don't know much about this region yet, other than that it is beautiful...full of animals and beautiful plants...that I might get Malaria if I don't take my pills...and that there is a particular indigenous community that will kill you if you try to enter because they want to maintain their indigenous lifestyles. I also learned in school that many of the indigenous cultures in this region have been and are exploited terribly by oil companies. Today, oil is Ecuador's primary export..supposedly the government is trying to do more to protect the jungle and restrict where oil companies can drill, but we all know how that story ends.... I will write more about the Oriente after I visit it in September.
So like I said before, today is a national holiday. It makes the 200th anniversary of the first declaration/battle for independence. Quito is referred to as "La Luz de America" or the light of America because it was the first city to declare independence from Europe. In the end, it was one of the last places to actually achieve independence, but it led the way for later independence movements. Unfortunately, I missed most of the festivities which occurred yesterday because we were traveling from Portoviejo (an 8 hour drive...Ecuador is not a large country, but travel anywhere takes a long time because the roads wind and weave through the mountains and the trek is slow!). Apparantely, every park and plaza yesterday had some sort of free concert, performance, or art display...I did here some fireworks as I returned home around 10 last night.
Today, I headed to the Historic Center after doing some laundry (which I wanted to point out because I think this is interesting too...pretty much everyone has a washer, but they don't always use it. On the contrary, very few have driers..so i wash my clothes in the washer and then hang them outside to dry...which reminds me...I better get them now before it gets dark and cold!). A friend from school and I were hoping to see what was happening in the Historic Center and visit a few museums (because we were told this whole week/month everything is open and free)...it turned out however that pretty much everything was closed. We did have some good luck though! This weekened, Presidents from around Latin America visited Ecuador to celebrate the independence. Also, the President (Corea) was inducted this morning as the Secretary General of UNASUR (United Nations of South America....UNASUR is a political and economic group of South American countries, created in 2008 and modeled after the EU...the political headquarters is in Quito. Just as my friend and I were finishing lunch in the Plaza Grande (where the President's Palace is located) and heading out to see if a museum we wanted to visit was open, we noticed a lot of activity on the corner of the street we were trying to cross. After battling police and members of the military, we finally got across and asked what was going on. Our timing was perject...just as we got across...a motor cade pulled up. A few secret servicemen jumped out and open the car door and out stepped Raul Castro. A minute later, another motorcade followed by two large buses. Out of the first...more security guards and assistants...out of the second...the President of Peru, Costa Rica...a cute prince from Spain, and then Hugo Chavez! We were seriously only about ten feet away from him. It was crazy! I snapped a quick photo of Chavez....I will pass it along later. After asking around a bit, we found out that a lot of people like Chavez a lot....It seems to be about half and half here. A lot of conservatives think the current Ecuadorian President is too young and the reason why there is high unemployment...these same folks admire Chavez for his style of governing. Another Rotary Scholar who spent 6 months in Venezuela said it is about 50/50 there as well. After the crowd cleared...we wandered a bit and found all the museums and churches were closed.
This is getting long...but one more quick note. I passed along in a previous email some favorite phrases and words used frequently here...I have another. Ecuadorians are EXTREMELY proud of their country and their history. You would be amazed by how much these people know about eveything...every church, street, plant, town, city, fruit, etc. One thing I love that they say...and I am not sure if it means anything to them or just to me, and maybe other Spanish speaking countries also say this, i do not know...is the verb "conocer. " It means to get to know or be familiar with, and I learned it in school many years ago. I was taught that you use this verb when you refer to knowing a person (literally it translates as "to know") but not when you are saying to know information. I like it because we don't use such a verb in the US in the way they do here. When we speak of the places we have visited or give recommendations to tourists, we say "you have to see" or "I saw" or maybe "I have been there" or "I have visited." Here they tell you that you need to "conocer" or you need to get to know this place or that place. To me, it shows more respect and admiration--you are not just seeing something, you become familiar with it. It maybe nothing, but I kind of like it! Its like telling someone to make sure they stop and smell the roses while they are passing through a place.
Well this has gotten quite long! I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day! Thanks once again for emails and updates! Let me know if anyone wants to come visit and get to know Ecuador...flights should start getting a little cheaper in the next few months as the tourist season calms down!
Love you all!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Hola Friends and Family!
Sorry it has been a bit since I have written! I hope everyone is doing well up there in the USA (or oosa as they say it often here...). I certainly miss you all! Thanks for the emails and well wishes! It is great to hear from you all! So the last time I wrote was Sunday evening (I think) and it is already Thursday so I have lots to fill you all in...but I will try not to make it a history book like my last email! haha!
As I am sure I have written before, the way my school works is classes in the mornings and little field trips around Quito and the surrounding areas in the afternoons....except for on Tuesdays and Thursday when I volunteer instead.
Monday, we went to visit El Panecillo--a large statue of a virgen that overlooks Quito. It is relatively new...finished in the 1970s. It has a variety of names and can be seen from many parts of the city--the best part, in my opinion was the beautiful views of the Old City and North Quito from the front and of South Quito, a mostly residencial sector, behind it.
Our trip Wednesday was AMAZING! We went in the morning to the Teleferiqo, which is a gondolah ride to the top of a mountain, 4,100 meters (I think thats around 12,300 feet or so?!). The view is absolutely breath taking! From there, we climbed another few hundred feet up to have an even better view of Quito in front of us and mountains and volcanoes all around us. It is a site that I wish you all could see for yourselves because neither words nor pictures do it justice! It was a little cloudy in the distance, so the views of Cotopaxi, the big snow capped volcano fairly close by, were not so great...but the "hiking" was a good preparation for when I visit it in the next few weeks! It takes a little time to get used to the altitude! When I do get to Cotopaxi finally...you take a bus or car up part of the way and then walk up part of it...til you reach the snow, then if you are hardcore, you can rent equipment to climb to the top--not recommended for beginners like me!
Tuesday I began my volunteer work with the Fundacion Salesiano por los Ninos de la Calle (Salesian Foundation for the Children of the Street). Currently, six children live in this project site, but others spend the day there playing games, getting tutored, bathing, eating, etc. The facility is very nice, and is mostly staffed by volunteers like myself. On Tuesday there were about 12 kids total, I worked with the two youngest boys playing a memory game to help them learn their letters...I taught them how to do a high five and the youngest one gave me a giant hug and smooch (which I am learning he loves to do). Then I watched kids play while the parents of some of the children (not all of them really have parents) met with the staff because the staff is taking them to the coast for a few days the week after next. For the most part, these children are all really sweet, but they are constantly getting in fights and punching and kicking each other. They worst culprit Tuesday was the only girl there! Yesterday at school, I had my teacher teach me phrases to use with them (like sit down, be quiet, behave or else..., wait your turn, etc). Today, I help two of the slightly older children (around 9ish) with multiplication and grammar. Then another volunteer, a girl from Spain, begain to teach them English. It was really interesting learning how others learn your language. I got up and helped her teach the boys a few phrases and the different forms of the verb "to be." Before I left, I gave them each some honey and sesame covered peanuts and a big hug...a few of them remembered "good bye" which was nice!
Wednesday I had a little drama at the post office...well kinda a lot of drama...like on the verge of tears and happy that the jerk working there didn't understand the names I was calling him under my breath in English. Before I left the States, I collected books and some school supplies like crayons and paper and pencils to donate to the other organization I am working with...I ended up paying 150 bucks to ship three boxes. In Ecuador, you have to pay huge taxes based on the declared value of the goods shipped and the weight of the package except for on books...books are essentially free. The young guy working at the post office, in charge of cutting open the boxes, rummaging through your belongings and filling out the form declaring what is in the boxes, was such a pain! One box was a few coloring books, scraps of paper, scissors, etc. Another was all books except for one package of used colored pencils (thanks Caroline!), and the other was half crayons and half coloring books...maybe with a few books stuck in too. This kid told us that coloring books are not real books (even though this coloring books actually have a story written in them too) so I had to pay for those. In the box with half crayons (not even half...like four or five little boxes) and some books and coloring books, he said the crayons weigh more than the books/coloring books so I had to pay for that. Then he called over his boss to see if I have to pay for the colored pencils that were in the box of books. We begged him to be more helpful or to let me put all the books into two boxes and the random stuff in other and he said no--even though we told him over and over it was a donation. Finally, we got to the counter to figure out how much to pay and asked the woman there for help since it was a donation for children and she said that the post office is a business just like any other. Tomorrow, I am going to have to pay $103 to get these boxes from the post office! What a pain!
Other than that...things are great! I am enjoying my school...a little sad that the two girls I have befriended are both leaving this weekend, but hopefully more students will arrive soon!
So, I know this is getting long, but just for fun...
Things You See and Hear everywhere in Quito (or at least, that I have seen)...
Bakeries...on every corner and half way in between with the most delicious looking desserts ever! so tempting...there is one I run by that smells just like my Grandma's rolls...oh yummy!
Furniture Stores...a few on every block
Bras! I guess it is the fashion...especially for older women...to wear see through shirts!
Litter...people don't think twice about it!
People greeting each other with hugs and kisses--which I love!
Men singing...which i love too
Little stores selling DVDs cheap!
Soccer fans (duh)
People selling weird things like batteries, CD cases, remote controls, cigarettes, candy, clothes pins, etc on the street corners
Street performers performing at stop lights (juggling balls or knives!)
Car horns....cars rarely stop at stop signs...they just honk! and if you are too slow crossing the street or hesitate too long at a light, they honk again
Tons of fresh fruit all over! which i love too!
Tshirts with English phrases....probably not understood by those wearing them
the 80s style (bright tshirts, tight jeans, faux hawks, etc)
Dogs...but not very well taken care of....
American things I have seen: McDonalds, Papa Johns, KFC (everywhere), Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, Nestle (everywhere)
My favorite new words and phrases:
Que Chevere (kay chev-er-ay): How Great/Cool
Muy amable (moo-ee ah-ma-bleh): Literally, very nice...but when it is used, it means very kind of you...so whenever you buy something in a store or someone is of assistance to you...you hear Gracias, si muy amable, gracias.
Hasta la vista bebe: (no joke, my host parents have said it three times)
Hija/Hijo: literally means daughter/son but used frequently as a term of endearment
Things you never/rarely see:
Flip flops or casual sandals
Baby strollers (babies are just strapped to your back with a blanket)
Garbage cans on the street
Natural blondes
Starbucks (which I miss)
Diet Coca Cola (Coca Cola Light occasionally, Diet Pepsi never)
Turkey (I am dying for a turkey sandwich!)
Mimosas and good wine (occasionally something decent from Chile but kinda expensive)! and yes...I miss them both very much!
I guess thats its for now! Sorry it is so long! I miss you all and love you all very much! Send me updates on your lives too! Have a great day/night! Hugs and kisses!Courtney
Sorry it has been a bit since I have written! I hope everyone is doing well up there in the USA (or oosa as they say it often here...). I certainly miss you all! Thanks for the emails and well wishes! It is great to hear from you all! So the last time I wrote was Sunday evening (I think) and it is already Thursday so I have lots to fill you all in...but I will try not to make it a history book like my last email! haha!
As I am sure I have written before, the way my school works is classes in the mornings and little field trips around Quito and the surrounding areas in the afternoons....except for on Tuesdays and Thursday when I volunteer instead.
Monday, we went to visit El Panecillo--a large statue of a virgen that overlooks Quito. It is relatively new...finished in the 1970s. It has a variety of names and can be seen from many parts of the city--the best part, in my opinion was the beautiful views of the Old City and North Quito from the front and of South Quito, a mostly residencial sector, behind it.
Our trip Wednesday was AMAZING! We went in the morning to the Teleferiqo, which is a gondolah ride to the top of a mountain, 4,100 meters (I think thats around 12,300 feet or so?!). The view is absolutely breath taking! From there, we climbed another few hundred feet up to have an even better view of Quito in front of us and mountains and volcanoes all around us. It is a site that I wish you all could see for yourselves because neither words nor pictures do it justice! It was a little cloudy in the distance, so the views of Cotopaxi, the big snow capped volcano fairly close by, were not so great...but the "hiking" was a good preparation for when I visit it in the next few weeks! It takes a little time to get used to the altitude! When I do get to Cotopaxi finally...you take a bus or car up part of the way and then walk up part of it...til you reach the snow, then if you are hardcore, you can rent equipment to climb to the top--not recommended for beginners like me!
Tuesday I began my volunteer work with the Fundacion Salesiano por los Ninos de la Calle (Salesian Foundation for the Children of the Street). Currently, six children live in this project site, but others spend the day there playing games, getting tutored, bathing, eating, etc. The facility is very nice, and is mostly staffed by volunteers like myself. On Tuesday there were about 12 kids total, I worked with the two youngest boys playing a memory game to help them learn their letters...I taught them how to do a high five and the youngest one gave me a giant hug and smooch (which I am learning he loves to do). Then I watched kids play while the parents of some of the children (not all of them really have parents) met with the staff because the staff is taking them to the coast for a few days the week after next. For the most part, these children are all really sweet, but they are constantly getting in fights and punching and kicking each other. They worst culprit Tuesday was the only girl there! Yesterday at school, I had my teacher teach me phrases to use with them (like sit down, be quiet, behave or else..., wait your turn, etc). Today, I help two of the slightly older children (around 9ish) with multiplication and grammar. Then another volunteer, a girl from Spain, begain to teach them English. It was really interesting learning how others learn your language. I got up and helped her teach the boys a few phrases and the different forms of the verb "to be." Before I left, I gave them each some honey and sesame covered peanuts and a big hug...a few of them remembered "good bye" which was nice!
Wednesday I had a little drama at the post office...well kinda a lot of drama...like on the verge of tears and happy that the jerk working there didn't understand the names I was calling him under my breath in English. Before I left the States, I collected books and some school supplies like crayons and paper and pencils to donate to the other organization I am working with...I ended up paying 150 bucks to ship three boxes. In Ecuador, you have to pay huge taxes based on the declared value of the goods shipped and the weight of the package except for on books...books are essentially free. The young guy working at the post office, in charge of cutting open the boxes, rummaging through your belongings and filling out the form declaring what is in the boxes, was such a pain! One box was a few coloring books, scraps of paper, scissors, etc. Another was all books except for one package of used colored pencils (thanks Caroline!), and the other was half crayons and half coloring books...maybe with a few books stuck in too. This kid told us that coloring books are not real books (even though this coloring books actually have a story written in them too) so I had to pay for those. In the box with half crayons (not even half...like four or five little boxes) and some books and coloring books, he said the crayons weigh more than the books/coloring books so I had to pay for that. Then he called over his boss to see if I have to pay for the colored pencils that were in the box of books. We begged him to be more helpful or to let me put all the books into two boxes and the random stuff in other and he said no--even though we told him over and over it was a donation. Finally, we got to the counter to figure out how much to pay and asked the woman there for help since it was a donation for children and she said that the post office is a business just like any other. Tomorrow, I am going to have to pay $103 to get these boxes from the post office! What a pain!
Other than that...things are great! I am enjoying my school...a little sad that the two girls I have befriended are both leaving this weekend, but hopefully more students will arrive soon!
So, I know this is getting long, but just for fun...
Things You See and Hear everywhere in Quito (or at least, that I have seen)...
Bakeries...on every corner and half way in between with the most delicious looking desserts ever! so tempting...there is one I run by that smells just like my Grandma's rolls...oh yummy!
Furniture Stores...a few on every block
Bras! I guess it is the fashion...especially for older women...to wear see through shirts!
Litter...people don't think twice about it!
People greeting each other with hugs and kisses--which I love!
Men singing...which i love too
Little stores selling DVDs cheap!
Soccer fans (duh)
People selling weird things like batteries, CD cases, remote controls, cigarettes, candy, clothes pins, etc on the street corners
Street performers performing at stop lights (juggling balls or knives!)
Car horns....cars rarely stop at stop signs...they just honk! and if you are too slow crossing the street or hesitate too long at a light, they honk again
Tons of fresh fruit all over! which i love too!
Tshirts with English phrases....probably not understood by those wearing them
the 80s style (bright tshirts, tight jeans, faux hawks, etc)
Dogs...but not very well taken care of....
American things I have seen: McDonalds, Papa Johns, KFC (everywhere), Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, Nestle (everywhere)
My favorite new words and phrases:
Que Chevere (kay chev-er-ay): How Great/Cool
Muy amable (moo-ee ah-ma-bleh): Literally, very nice...but when it is used, it means very kind of you...so whenever you buy something in a store or someone is of assistance to you...you hear Gracias, si muy amable, gracias.
Hasta la vista bebe: (no joke, my host parents have said it three times)
Hija/Hijo: literally means daughter/son but used frequently as a term of endearment
Things you never/rarely see:
Flip flops or casual sandals
Baby strollers (babies are just strapped to your back with a blanket)
Garbage cans on the street
Natural blondes
Starbucks (which I miss)
Diet Coca Cola (Coca Cola Light occasionally, Diet Pepsi never)
Turkey (I am dying for a turkey sandwich!)
Mimosas and good wine (occasionally something decent from Chile but kinda expensive)! and yes...I miss them both very much!
I guess thats its for now! Sorry it is so long! I miss you all and love you all very much! Send me updates on your lives too! Have a great day/night! Hugs and kisses!Courtney
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