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