A New Room, Elections, Carnival, Weddings: Oh, My!

Try to be cuter Aucapiña Family, I dare you. 

Painting Day!
Joy and her uncle

So, upon arriving in Ecuador, Joy, Adrian, and their father have been nothing short of amazing to me in every sense of the word. The have welcomed me into their family, opened their home to me, and have included me in all aspects of their life. Originally, Joy and I shared her bedroom, because the house only had 3 finished bedrooms. I lived out of her room with her for about a month, and that fact alone exemplifies Joy's wonderful character.  Then, a few weekends ago, their father ("Papi") surprised me by bringing home paint to fix up a room downstairs. As you can see from the "before" picture, the room was really just a concrete storage room. That weekend, the whole family and I, including their uncle, painted the walls. The following week, a man came and installed a wooden floor, and the next week another man came to put in the trim around the room. Then, one day after work, I came home to the whole family waiting to surprise me with the finished room, complete with a bed, comforter, bureau, and bedside table. How did I ever get so lucky to meet such a wonderful family??

Before:                                                                                                  After:

Politics in Ecuador

If most of you were like me prior to moving to Cuenca, you know little to nothing about Ecuadorian politics and government. For those interested in learning, here is your brief politics lesson!

Currently, like the US, Ecuador is a democratic republic, and they elect a president every 4 years. Unlike the US, however, voting here is mandatory for people 18-65 years old, and optional for those 16-17 or above 65. Also unlike the US, they have a multi-party system here. In the recent election (February 17) there were something like 8 major candidates and 50 or more total candidates running for office. The system of voting is also a bit different. Because there was a presidential election here so recently, so I got a first-hand look at what the political campaigns are like and how the process of voting works.

Firstly, there is a law here (one that I think should be implemented in the US or at least something similar) that the campaign period extends only for one month prior to elections. During this month, there are parades, rallies, and political posters all around the city, as well as people driving their car with huge political advertisements, honking obnoxiously and at all hours of the day/night (a bit annoying when it was at 6am...). However, on the whole, I think it is a much better and incredibly less wasteful system of campaigning than what we have in the States. 

Political parade through the city center

Also here, because there is a multi-party system, there is no limit to how many candidates can run on the ballot. Thus, instead of having primary elections and then the final election, like in the States, they have one or two main elections. In the first main election, if a candidate wins 50% of the vote or 40% of the vote and 10% more than the next closest candidate, then that person is elected after the first round. With the exception of the current president, this scenario almost never happens, and there is almost always a second run-off election between the top 2 candidates.  In the second main election, simply the candidate with the most votes wins (no minimum percentage needed).

Rafael Correa, the current president of Ecuador

Rafael Correa, the current president of Ecuador, however, breaks this mold. He was the incumbent president on the recent ballot and was/is extremely popular.  He won in the recent election here by 55-60% of the votes, which is truly incredible, considering there were 8 major candidates.  The first time Correa ran for office, in 2009, he won with 52% of the vote, and it was the first time a president won after the first election since 1979.  In the recent election, he was highly favored to win, and his large-margin victory came as a surprise to almost no one. 

Correa is popular most notably for his investment in the country's poor. He expanded health care, improved schools, created better roads, and established monthly grants to poor families. In a country where 23% of the people are living in poverty and voting in mandatory, it comes as no surprise that he has a huge following of loyal supporters. Additionally, Correa also created a number of programs to aid disabled persons and ensure they are treated more equally. 

However, he has also significantly expanded presidential power and many people believe that he abuses his position as president and that there has been significant corruption during his time as president.  Additionally, Correa is not so popular with the US and Great Britain, either. Correa was a long time friend of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, and he and the US have had disagreements over the South American drug trade and oil exports. Also recently, Correa made international headlines when he defied Britain granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

It's Time for Carnival (read in the tone of Shakira's, "It's Time for Africa")

Carnival is the South American version of Mardi Gras, and it celebrates the last days of indulgence before lent. There are various "levels" of carnival, from crazy all-night parties in some countries to parades and festivals in others. In Cuenca, there was nothing too crazy, but there were several events in the city (dancing in the streets, concerts with traditional music, etc.) and a general air of celebration. Also, it's a tradition here to throw water balloons at people or hit them with water guns (game they call "playing Carnival") for the week or so leading up to Carnival. This is definitely a tradition I could do without.  I suppose it's because I'm a gringa, but I had the good luck of getting hit with water FIVE times. Twice when I was walking on the street by people in cars, twice by little kids who are frightening relentless, and once from a old lady who dumped a BUCKET of water on me. Yes, a bucket. To top it off, I was riding in the bed of a pick-up truck at the time, so I sat for the rest of the ride soaking wet and cold with the wind blowing in my face. It's mildly cute (but mainly annoying) if it's from a little kid and its a water balloon, but a BUCKET??? And from an old lady no less? After that little encounter, I was less-than-pleased with the water-throwing tradition of Carnival here. 

Looking like a crack head

However, my actual weekend of Carnival was great. First, Joy, Adrian, and I went over to their mom's house where we spent the entire day with their mom, aunt, and cousins for almuerzo (the word for "lunch," but here almuerzo is the most important meal of the day and is usually huge and comes with several courses) and dinner. Before almuerzo, Joy, Adrian, and I and all the cousins "played Carnival" in the street. And this was a no holds barred game: hoses, buckets, chasing, fighting, foam, confetti--the whole 9 yards. It was incredibly fun but also somewhat freezing by the end. We all came into the house absolutely drench and covered with foam and confetti, ready to change into dry clothes and enjoy some soup (always the first course of an almuerzo). 

Post-Battle Royal

Off to Jambeli!

Next, since everyone had off work/school for that Monday and Tuesday, we took a trip to Jambeli, an island off the coast of Ecuador near a city called Machala. The whole family was in tow: the dad, uncle, aunt, grandfather, Adrian, Joy, and myself. We set off at 5am, I sleep the entire way in the trunk of the car with Joy, and we arrive at Machala around 11am. While the high altitude of Cuenca is not always ideal for playing sports, man am I happy for the altitude when it comes to heat. The coast of Ecuador is HOT AS HELL. It was maybe 95* and humid when we got there, and I was immediately sweating and looking for small patches of shade to escape the heat. (Sorry for those reading this and are currently living in wintery, snow-covered places--I realize you will probably have no sympathy for me and this weather). 

Alas, we then set off for Jambeli in a little porter boat. It takes us to the island of Jambeli, which was almost identical to a Caribbean Island: fresh juice stands, tiki huts, open-aired restaurants, hammocks, palm trees. It was delightful. As an added bonus, the water was like a bath, just the absolute perfect temperature. We spent the whole day swimming, drinking the most delicious coconut juice I have ever tasted, and lying in the sun. 

on the boat on the way to Jambeli

lunch in a tiki hut restaurant

the whole fam-jam

the greatest place to nap

on our way home!

The only bad part of the experience was the terrible sunburn that we all received from our irresponsible decision to not use any sun screen. I payed the price for that one later. 

La Boda: An Account of a Gringa's Experience at an Ecuadorian Wedding

So, to repeat yet again, Cuencanan people are amazing--so welcoming, so inclusive. Exhibit A: the mother of one of my ninos student's. The same mother who invited me with her family to the national park Cajas, then invited me to the wedding of her niece. Mind you that I have a significant language barrier every time I talk with her, because she knows no English and is not nearly as adept as Joy at deciphering by Spanish. Alas, despite all the obvious reasons not to invite me--I know no one at the wedding, I barely speak their language, and I have never met the bride or groom--the mother invites me one month in advance, to make sure I'd have the night free. She tells me I need to wear a fancy dress and bring nothing but my appetite.

Here in lies problem #1: I have no dress fancy enough for a wedding and no high heals. Great. Luckily, Joy has a great, simple, black dress that she tells me I can wear. Boom. Now I just need shoes. Unfortunately, Joy wears size 5.5 and I ware size 7.5, so borrowing her shoes is not an option. Should be no problem though, she has plenty of friends and cousins and I'm sure I can find someone to lend shoes to me for a night (I absolutely didn't want to buy them, because all clothes and shoes here--unlike the food--are ridiculously expensive). However, after asking all 7 of Joy's friends, not ONE had about size 6. Her one friend wore size 4.5. I didn't know that was possible for a 23 year old girl. So, on to the next idea, ask the other American teacher who are here. Luckily, they all had normal human sized feet, but none had high heals that I could wear to a wedding.

Problem #2: The aftermath of my irresponsible decision at the beach was that I lived in pain for a day or 2 from the sunburn, but worse was that MY ENTIRE BODY started to peel. A few days prior to the wedding, I looked like I had some terrible skin disease. All down my arms, my back, my chest, my shoulders--everywhere. This meant Joy's dress was no longer at option. Luckily, another teacher and friend of mine had a long sleeved dress. How wonderful. It unfortunately wasn't as wedding-appropriate (a bit more "going out on a Saturday night") but what can you do?? It's all I had. 

Alas, the day of the wedding comes and I am wearing the wrong shoes, the wrong dress, and my hair looks awful cause Joy and I did it in 5 minutes (I was running late per usual). Ready to go. The family arrives and off we go. I soon discover that weddings in Ecuador are a lot like proms. Every person is dressed to the 9s: full length dresses, hair styled to perfection, nails perfectly painted, expensive jewelry gallor. I decide that I'm allowed to be under/inappropriately dressed because I can always pull the "gringa" card: Why does she look like she just woke up from a nap and then decided to go to a club before stopping in at this wedding? Well, she's a white girl. Ohhhh, yes I see. It all makes sense now. 

The family of my student and I (in the completely wrong attire)

The wedding itself, too, was just stunning. It must have cost upwards of $20,000 I'd guess. Everything was so beautiful, elegant, fancy, perfect--it was insane. And the experience as a whole was crazy/ awkward/ fun. Overall, quite similar to a wedding you'd go to in the states, aside from the music. Firstly, the food. Oh. my. god. It was honestly some of the most delicious food I have every tasted. It was 4 ridiculously delicious gourmet courses followed by a giant table of desserts--any sweet treat you fancy. Because I was a guest at the wedding, I restrained myself to only visiting the desert table once and getting a "modest" sampling of desserts. However, if it were a friend's wedding, I would have eaten every dessert on the table.  

The location of the ceremony

Inside

 Post-dinner, the maid of honor and best man gave their speeches, then it was time to dance. They served straight whiskey all night, with the catering people walking around with trays and replacing your glass every time you ran out. The music also was all Latin (no surprise there) and just about everyone at the wedding was up dancing. At one point, Gagnam Style came on, and I just about died of happiness. The bride and everyone on the dance floor broke out into the Gagnam Style dance. It was awesome. Then, we made a giant conga line and later there was a "happy hour," where they throw confetti, put lays on everyone, hand out masquerade masks and crazy head bands and everyone dances like crazy for a half hour or so. The dancing continued until 2:30 in the morning, where the family decided it was time to head home. Exhausted from dancing all night, I happily followed them to the car. It was a truly unique experience and one I won't soon forget.

The wedding party

Before Din-Din

Dance-o-rama. (Unfortunately I don't have great photos of 

thedance floor cause I was too busy getting my groove on...

aka butchering their style of dance).

A Long Overdue Post: A Brief Account of the Last Month

So it's been a while since my last post! Sorry bout it. I've been busy running around Cuenca... in both senses of "around" Cuenca. I've been exploring the city more, and I've gone outside the city a few times now. To summarize Cuenca and its surrounding area in two words: absolutely beautiful. Let's start with my adventures within the city.

El 6 de Enero Festival

El 6 de enero festival

El 6 de enero festival

So thanks to couchsurfing (again, for the win), Joy and I met up with two guys from Argentina who were passing through Cuenca. Couchsurfing is great because with it you can not only organize places to sleep in a new city, but also organize to meet up with a local--no couch required. (By the end of this blog, I'm going to sell every one of you on couchsurfing ;). It's called a "meet-up," and it's exactly how Joy and I met Ricardo and Vinicius, two best friends traveling together from Brazil.  We all met at a festival/parade in the city on el 6 de enero (the 6th of January) called Los Santos Inocentes (The Holy Innocents). It's a celebration traditional to Cuenca, where people dress up in crazy costumes and make really elaborate floats and parade around the city. It's a tradition, also, for men to cross-dress for the parade, not exactly sure why, but it was awesome.  Alas, my camera was on its last bit of battery life, so I could only take a few pictures, but it was really incredible. Crazy, too, that it was only on my 2nd day in Cuenca (I told you, this post is much overdue). The story that followed, however, was too funny not to share.

"Spanish?!? No, no, Portuguese."

Inca Ruins of Pumapungo

So, during the parade, I am using my extremely elementary Spanish (day 2 in Cuenca, remember) to chat with Ricardo and Vinicius.  I talked with the two of them for probably a half hour or more, and I learned that they were touring around the city the next day. Can I join you?? I still didn't know my way around and didn't want to do touristy-things alone. Of course! And we exchanged numbers. Fast forward to the next day around noon. I meet Ricardo and Vinicius in the city center (a half hour late because, naturally, I got lost trying to get to the most obvious landmark in the city... a giant park that is located in the literal center of the city. Only me). Alas, we finally meet up and begin walking around the city. We decide to head to the Inca Ruins of Pumapungo, an amazing Incan archeological site located right in the city.  As we're walking along, I am really impressed by Vinicius's Spanish; he speaks so fluently. So I say (in my shitty Spanish): "You speak Spanish so well! Does everyone from Brazil speak Portuguese and Spanish?" Immediately the two of them burst into laughter. "Spanish?!?" he says, "No, no, I can't speak Spanish. I only speak Portuguese." I nearly died.  My Spanish was so shitty that I literally couldn't differentiate the two different languages after talking with them for around an hour in all at this point. They both sound the same to me: confusing. It made for an entertaining story at least, and hey, who knows, maybe I'll return home knowing 2 new languages :) The three of us went on to have a delightful time playing on the ruins and sharing a "Span-engl-uese" conversation together.

Off to Yunguilla! 

Not a bad view...

Here's yet another fun one to attempt to pronounce by spelling alone. It's pronounced "young-gee-ya," and it's gorgeous.  I am lucky, once again, to know Joy and her family, because her uncle is a geologist (shout out, Bre), and he has to travel to all these amazing places to collect water and soil samples for his work. Great thing about it is that the family turns it into a trip, and I get to come along :) So, after Joy's dad and uncle pimp out the trunk of the truck with a mattress and some pillows, we were set for our ride into the mountains. Yunguilla is a small mountain town located just under an hour outside of Cuenca. Our first stop: some river in some valley of Yunguilla that is only accessible by one long, bumpy, windy road up and over a mountain. It's amazing to me that there are so many people who live here permanently. How they get water to some of these houses is beyond me. Regardless, it was stunning--the car ride and the destination. While Joy's dad and uncle do actual work, Joy, Adrian, and I go to the river and hang out and play in the sand.  It was simply splendid. Next, we headed up a different mountain that offers an amazing look-out over Yunguilla. Again, Joy's dad and uncle were actually doing work, and Joy and I were just playing and taking pictures. 

Our first stop

Pimped-out trunk of the truck

Yunguilla

Lost in Translation: An Invite to Cajas National Park

Off to see the llamas

The following weekend, I went on an adventure with the family of one of my students, Michelle.  She is a student in my ninos class, and she lives just a block or so away from Joy and Adrian's house. So, everyday on my way to work, I see her and her mother at the bus stop. The mother speaks no English, and her daughter is learning "Hi, my name is...", colors, classroom objects, and the like, so she is not much help as an interpreter. It's great, though, because I get to practice my Spanish, but sometimes our conversations are painful, and most of the time I am guessing what the mother is saying to me. Example A: the other day, the mother kept saying, "something I don't understand, something I don't understand el sábado." Sábado in Spanish is Saturday, so it's only natural that I assumed she was asking "What did you do on Saturday?" So, I tell her, "Oh, yes, Saturday was great. I went to a party with my friends and on Sunday I went to Yunguilla with my family here." She nods her head then keeps repeating "Saturday." I continue to be confused and chatting with her about things completely irrelevant to her question. Alas, we make it to the school where I work, and the secretary speaks English and Spanish. Thankfully, she interprets for me: "She's inviting you to join her family to tour around the city on Saturday. Are you free and would you like to come?" Yes, please! I am so sorry I was talking to you about the party I went to last weekend. How nice of you to invite me.

The church, which is active and
holds mass every Sunday

Along comes Saturday, and I meet my student and her mom in the park right next to (both) our houses. I'm thinking we're going for a tour around Cuenca, and I'm not really sure what to expect. But, when I get to their house, the mother asks if I have been to Cajas yet, a beautiful national park located just outside Cuenca.  It's famous for its mountains and lakes and is a huge hiking destination. No, but I would love to go! And off we went. Unfortunately, we didn't see the parts of Cajas that make Cajas famous, because for some reason it was $8.50 to park at the park that day (normally, it's free and $8.50 is quite expensive for Ecuadorian standards. For some perspective, taxis are $1.50 and the bus is $0.25). So, instead, we turned around and went to a church just outside the park, which was beautiful in it's own right. Nestled into the mountains and complete with a field of llamas. What's not to love?

Have you pet a llama today?

My student, Michelle, and me

At the fishing lagoon

Next, we went to a lagoon located next to a restaurant and went fishing. It was my first time fishing, but I realized quickly that I really hate it. Pulling animals out of the water by a hook painfully jabbed into their mouths and then watching them thrash and suffocate to death is not quite my cup of tea, but for whatever reason, I seemed to be the only person of the 4 of us (mother, father, Michelle, and I) who was able to catch any fish. The family wanted a total of 9 fish before we left, and somehow I caught 6 of the 9.  By the end, I stopped trying to catch them and just threw food into the water for the fish (much more my style) and let the other 3 catch the remaining 3 fish that they wanted.

With the fish in hand, we went into the restaurant that overlooks the lagoon where we were fishing. We got a delicious snack, and then headed back to Cuenca. I'm thinking that our day is about finished, but then the mother invites me to have dinner with her and her family. Of course :) Thank you! We drive back to the house and pick up her 2 sons, her "hijos," who she kept talking to me about. Her one son is 20 and her other son is 23, and she insisted that I meet them.  She kept telling me how they would both like me so much and that I needed to become friends with them. So, with the whole family and I in tow, we head off to dinner, to none other than Pizza Hut. However, this is not your American Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut in Ecuador is a shockingly expensive (more expensive than in the States), sit-down restaurant, with incredibly fancy pizzas. The dinner was delicious and really filling and her sons were both so nice. I struggled the whole time to communicate, but the family was nothing but friendly and patient with my crazy crappy-Spanish-speaking-gringa self.

Ta-Ta for Now. More to come later!

To top it all off, at the end of the day, instead of being frustrated with me for not speaking better Spanish, the parents just keep getting nicer and they invite me to another place. This time: the wedding of their niece. Yes, that's right, they invited me to a wedding. So, next Friday, I am off to an Ecuadorian wedding of a bride and groom whom I don't know, and I can't wait.  Stay tuned for that story. I have no idea what to expect.  

That's all for today. There's still so much more to write, but I think I've written enough for one post. Hopefully another post will be coming soon! (Ideally less than a month from now ;).

Frolicking, Birthday Celebrations, My Job, and Getting "Acquainted" with the City

So, this Thursday marked exactly 1 week in Ecuador! Even though it's only been a few days since my last post, again, many things have happened. Some great, some ridiculous, some adorable. Also, this is a random thought, but I realized that some of you may not know how to pronounce Cuenca. In case you'd like to pronounce it correctly in your head as you read this, its pronounced: ka-weng-ka. Fun fact for the day.

Hola, montañas. ¿Cómo están?

So I briefly mentioned this outing in my last post, but I didn't post any pictures. I think this trip is deserving of pictures. Last Saturday, my host dad invited me to come with him and his brother and father to his work, which is at a school in a really rural part of Ecuador.  It's easily a 45 minute drive out of the city, waaaayy up into the moutains. Adrian (my host brother) came with us, too.  My host dad and his brother needed to take measurements (?) in the school... from what I could gather from their Spanish explanation. So Adrian and I just wandered around and explored, and found a delightful spot to take a nap, since we were both tired from a late night of salsa-ing earlier that morning ;) 

Our prime napping spot

A family working in a field

The school where my host dad works

Feliz Cumpleaños, Kelsicita! 

As facebook tell us, my birthday was on Tuesday! I have turned the ripe age of 23, and I notice the greys coming in already. Feliz cumpleaños (for those who are Spanish illiterate, like me) means happy birthday :) Kelsicita is Joy's nick-name for me, putting a little Latin spin on my name to match my killer Latin dance moves, naturally. Also, as a friend pointed out, this is my second birthday in a row that I celebrated in South America! (However, last year on my birthday, a friend and I were stopped by Argentine firemen who emerged out of the brush to extinguish an illegal fire lit we in a national park... but that's a different story). Since my birthday this year fell on only my 5th day in Cuenca, I wasn't planning on doing anything all too special for it.  I was completely content to just hang at the house and not even acknowledge that it was my birthday. Joy, however, had different ideas.

Birthday Celebration #1: On Sunday, Joy, Adrian, and I met up with Mike, a friend of mine from Richmond who works and lives in Cuenca, too.  Here, Joy sneakily exchanged numbers with Mike, and thus began the planning of my (first) birthday celebration.   

Joy and I

Adrian, me, Joy, Mike & his girlfriend
for my surprise birthday dinner #1

On Monday night, Joy tells me that she has a meeting to go to at 8:00, would I want to come with her? Sure, why not. Got nothing better to do on a Monday night. So she, Adrian, and I go into the city.  The whole time I try to ask in my limited Spanish where we are going and who we are meeting.  Some people from couchsurfing, they tell me. Given their track record with couchsurfers, this was a totally plausible explanation. We go into the restaurant/bar, and there we find Mike and his girlfriend waiting for us. They surprised me and had table and everything reserved.  We all got drinks and food together and shared some hilarious conversation. It was delightful and so nice and thoughtful of Joy and Mike.

Cake to the face

Birthday Celebration #2: The next night (Tuesday) was my actual birthday, and I was more than happy to again just let it go unacknowledged. Especially with the dinner the night before, I thought that that would be it. But no, Joy continues to be adorable all the time. Joy invites her best friend, Gabby, over and the two of the cook an amazingly delicious dinner, cake and another dessert included. While they were in the kitchen, I was upstairs Skyping my parents, so I truly had no idea anything interesting was going on. Adrian knocks on my door and says, Can you come here for a second? I get off Skype and walk downstairs to find the whole family and Gabby around a table full of food and a candle lit.  After dinner, they even gave me the traditional Ecuador birthday greeting: cake in the face. It was hilarious and, again, so cute and thoughtful. Leave it to Joy. She was given a very appropriate name. 

Home-cooked birthday dinner

birthday presents!

Birthday Celebration #3: Yes, it continued. On Friday, it was another one a Joy's friend's birthdays, so she and Gabby planned a huge birthday lunch with all their friends. Lunch here is the big meal of the day. Joy and Gabby bought me a bottle of vodka, an obnoxiously huge plastic bottle to drink from, and Happy Birthday hats. They baked a cake and cooked a really delicious lunch. We spent the afternoon eating and drinking, and it was awesome. Of course, when it came time for cake, Tati (the other birthday girl) and I got cake in the face. 

Joy and her friends

Cake to the face round 2

So, do you just pretend like you have a job down there?? 

Well, for the record, yes, I am working and teaching down here in addition to many other shenanigans. CEDEI is one of the best language schools in Cuenca, and it's main school is in this beautiful, old, historic building right in the center of the city.  It's 4 floors all open-concept architecture with a glass atrium-like ceiling. Really pretty and cool looking. For my schedule, I work Monday through Thursday 3:00pm-7:00pm (ballin), since I found someone who wanted to take my 4-hour long Saturday class. Boom roasted. So, I am teaching 3 classes, 2 are ninos (children's) classes and one is an advanced writing tutorial, so I have quite a spread of skill levels.  My first class of the day is ninos low-beginner... aka they have never spoken a word of English.  Did I mention I don't speak Spanish? That makes for a fun teaching environment. I said "Hello!" on the first day, and they looked at me like I had 3 heads. But, it is pretty cool how much you can convey with elaborate hand gestures and repetition and pictures.  It took all of the first class to get down, "Hello, my name is. What's your name?", but hey, they're making progress!  I think this class will be the most rewarding at the end of the cycle, because any progress is huge progress. They are my biggest class, with 9 kids ages 9 to 12.  

My second ninos class is by far my favorite. They are high-beginners, so they know just enough English to be absolutely adorable.  The class is just 4 girls ages 9 to 11. They are all so animated and fun and they all love the games we play in class. Today, I actually ran 5 or so minutes over time, and after realizing, I told the girls it was time to go. In unison, they all go, "Noooooooo, don't make us." It was too cute.  My last class got tacked onto my schedule at the last minute, but I'm actually pretty excited about it. The class is a writing-intensive class for advanced students. I have 4 high school students, all about 16 years old.  They're all good students but aren't quite as animated as the little ones (shocker). However, as many of you know, I LOVE grammar and editing (but seriously, I do), and I have an annoyingly meticulous eye for grammar mistakes, so I really think I'll have a lot of fun with this class. Today we reviewed all the verb tenses.  Remember the good ol' days of future progressive, present perfect progressive, and past perfect? Throw some verb agreement exercises into the mix, and you've got yourself a real party. 

(One of these days I'll bring my camera to class and show you my students and the building. Sorry, no pictures for right now! But I'm sure my high-beginner girls will be all about posing for pictures... the high schoolers, maybe not so much). 

"Dónde... the fuck am I?!?!" On Getting Lost: Really, Really Lost

This time, I found myself up in the mountains far outside Cuenca in an abandoned bus yard amongst some cows... and not much else. Did I mention this was me attempting to get to work, near the city center?

So it probably comes to surprise to anyone that I managed to get myself EPICALLY lost the other day. I've gotten myself into quite a few pickles before, but man does this one take the cake.  My sense-of-direction gene must have gotten lost somewhere with my height gene, because I am severely lacking in both categories.

It all began when I had to go to the central CEDEI building for a meeting (there are 3 CEDEI buildings, each about a 10 minute bus ride apart). I work at the El Paseo location, and was just getting down the house-to-work bus route, when this centro-to-work route had to throw a kink in my plans. I am all proud of myself that I found the correct bus line, until I notice that I'm going in the wrong direction. But, I was out of quarters (you have to have change for the busses) and I had given myself an hour for a 10 minute commute, because I know I ALWAYS manage to get lost. So I figured, Why not take the long way to work? The busses drive in a loop, don't they? How much longer could it be to ride it the wrong way? I have an hour. I should be fine. Right??

So, I'm riding along, riding along and the bus is going in a giant loop around Cuenca. Perfect. I get to see the city, and I still have plenty of time before my class. Then, suddenly bus starts driving through the "slums," if you will, of Cuenca. It's not a place I want to get off the bus, but not only that, I have no idea where I am, so getting off the bus would hardly solve anything, except alert the people in these areas that not only am I a lone gringa, but I'm a lost, lone gringa who can't speak Spanish. So, I stay on the bus. It's bound to head back into the city soon, I kept telling myself. Any minute now...

I keep checking my watch. My 60-minute pocket of time is slowly closing. 20 minutes till my class now. We MUST be turning around soon. As I tell myself this, the city is suddenly lost behind me and the bus is trekking high into the mountains. Shit. Shit. Where the hell is this bus going?? Meanwhile, EVERYONE is getting off the bus, except me, of course. I keep sitting there looking hopefully out the window, wondering where Cuenca went. The bus driver keeps checking his mirror and starring at me, and I can tell he's thinking, Why doesn't this gringa get off the bus, already? Alas, the bus driver pulls into the bus yard, which is a virtually abandoned bus yard in the middle of NO WHERE. He tells me this is the end of the line and I need to get off. "Can I get a taxi from here?" I desperately ask in my awful Spanish. He just chuckles. I check my watch. Work in 15 minutes.

The end of the line for the bus route, as I have learned.

What's up, cow? Any idea how to
get back to Cuenca?

I pull out my phone to try and call anyone to help me. No service. Of course. Also, low battery. Excellent. I can't call a cab. I can't call anyone to let them know I'm not going to make it to work on time. My only option, the bus driver tells me, is to wait for the bus #3 to start it's route ALL the way back into the city. That would be at least an hour. Or, I could wait for a taxi that will never come. I stand on the side of the dirt road next to a grazing cow, and pray that a taxi will pass by. 10 minutes till class. Like a miracle, a taxi appears!! God knows what it was doing up in the mountains, but I run into the street and flag it down. I give the taxi driver the address of my school and he shakes his head. "I don't drive that far. That's all the way in the city," he tells me. But I'm not getting out.  I give him my best, PLEASE HELP ME face, and he agrees to drive me to the nearest town. MUCHAS GRACIAS! MUCHAS GRACIAS! He was awesome, like most Ecuadorians. Not only did he drive me to the nearest town for FREE, but he called a friend of his to come pick me up. He waited with me in the taxi till his friend arrived, and he gave the friend the directions of where to take me. The friend was in a huff because it was a 40 minutes away. Yes, FORTY MINUTES. You can get from one side of Cuenca to the other in about fifteen. A 40 minute ride is absurd by anyone's standards. But, the first taxi driver fights with him a bit and insists that he take me. Thank you, my savior. Alas, I say "Muchas gracias" to him about 12 more times, give him a hug, and I get into the second cab. Forty minutes later and 35 minutes late for work, I arrive at CEDEI.

I dash into the building, and see the building coordinator sitting looking confused. I say "Lo siento!" (I'm sorry) about 10 times and dash by her up to my class. My students were ANGELS. It's my beginner ninos class, and all 9 of them were quietly sitting in their seats, wondering where the hell their teacher was. The worst part: They don't speak English and my Spanish isn't nearly good enough to explain, "Sorry, I'm late. I got lost in the mountains. My bad." So, I did what any English teacher with a class full of non-English speaking students would do, I say "Lo siento, class!" and begin my lesson: "My name is Kelsey. What's your name?..." 

The first post! A Smattering of Thoughts

Hola y bienvenido a mi blog! I have been in Ecuador now for 4 days, and it's been nothing short of amazing. This is my first post, and a lot has happened in the past 4 days, so, as the title implies, you are getting a smattering of thoughts. I'm going to try to separate topics in my posts, so people can jump around to the ones that interest you, and you can breeze over the ones that don't. Enjoy :)

Cuenca! To give you a visual of
 where I am. ~6-8 hrs South of
Quito by bus.

"So, what the hell are you doing in Ecuador??" 

Ecudaor, Ecuador, Ecuador.  I decided to move to this country because I heard from several different people that the Ecuadorians are some of the most friendly and welcoming people in South America and that the country itself is one of the most beautiful--with every type of landscape: coastlines, mountains, jungle, farmland, rivers, you name it.  I hardly considered moving to any other country in SA, and basically decided on a whim without doing really any further research that Ecuador was where I wanted to be.  So far, I haven't regretted my impulse decision one iota.

For those who I haven't already told, you may ask, why did you want to move to South America in the first place? You had a perfectly good life in Kennett Square. Well, for one, I love to travel and I am always itching to begin a new adventure. Secondly, I just graduated from college in May and I wanted to take time off from school to see the world and experience living in another country before I go back to school and "real" life gets in the way of spontaneity. Lastly, I wanted to learn Spanish.  I currently have less than 20 Spanish phrases in my back pocket, and I have never studied Spanish formally in high school or college (yes, I was one of those people who studied French).  So, learning the language here will no doubt be challenging, frustrating, and exhausting, but above all I believe it will be one of the most rewarding achievements I can imagine.  I have always wanted to become fluent in another language, and I hope this experience brings me that much closer to my goal.

Ecuador: The People and Their Culture

Now, away from me and back to Ecuador. The people here really ARE amazing, and the country really IS beautiful.  I have yet to meet a single person here who hasn't been overly friendly to me or who hasn't gone out of their way to help me. This afternoon, for example, I was in the center of town and needed to catch a bus back to the house I'm staying at (more on that below). I was waiting and waiting and waiting, but bus #3 never came.  There was a man at the stop too waiting for a different line, so I ask him in my terrible (but rapidly improving!) Spanish, "Does bus 3 come to this stop?" "Si, si" he says, and begins talking to me while we wait. 15 minutes pass and still no bus #3. He then walks me to another bus stop and waits with me again. 15 more minutes. Still no bus #3.  The whole time we're having a hilarious conversation together with me speaking in my limited Spanish and with lots of hand symbols and he being patient with me as I struggle to convey anything.  It's funny how much you can convey with such a limited vocabulary. Alas, bus #3 still didn't arrive, so he flagged down a taxi for me, told the driver where to go, paid for the ride, and then was on his way. I can't even imagine an American person going so utterly out of their way to help a complete stranger--especially one who can't even really speak the language.

The city too, is just beautiful. Firstly, it is shockingly clean. The people of Cuenca take a lot of pride in their city, and it is evident when you walk around. The architecture is beautiful. Lots of old, intricate buildings. There is also a great variety of food, and its all so cheap and fresh! I ate a delicious vegetarian lunch today for $1.50. What could be better?? I can't wait to really explore the museums and more of the city here... and actually learn my way around.  Although, if I become too good at directions, how will I make new friends at the bus stop? Being lost has its perks.

View of the city. 

Cuenca at night, from a lookout.

The Wonderful World of Social Media

So, my experience thus far has been better than I could have ever imagined, almost entirely due to social media. Namely, facebook and couchsurfing. On facebook, I joined an Ecuador Expats group, which is basically a group for Americans living in Ecuador.  Before I left, I posted in the group just explaining that I was an 22 year old American living in Ecuador for the first time. Any suggestions, packing or otherwise? About 20 people respond to my post, offering really helpful information. Multiple people gave me their emails and contact information, and one family even offered to come pick me up from the airport when I arrived! So, within a few hours, I had several contacts in the city and a welcome committee at the airport. The American family was wonderful. The picked me up, brought me to their apartment, took me to lunch in the city, showed me around a huge market here, and got my phone activated and working (not as easy as it seems...).  They even offered to let me live with them until I was able to get settled.

However, I never ended up staying a night with them, because that same day (day 1 in Cuenca) an Ecuadorian girl that I had connected with through couchsurfing.org* told me to come meet her at her university, about a 15 minute walk from the American family's apartment. I was able to leave my bags with the family, and I met the Ecuadorian girl at her university. We got coffee together, and.... drum roll please, enter stage left: Joy.

(*For those who don't know what couchsurfing is, you should. But actually, it's this amazing community of people who offer their homes and/or company to travelers. It's free and an absolutely amazing way to meet local people and have an experience unlike any other when you travel.  I not only met Joy, who offered to host me in her home, but have also met and connected with several other Ecuadorians here who met me for coffee or invited me to come out to the bars with them. Truly a community unlike any other).

Oh Joy, It's Joy!

Joy is one of the most friendly, welcoming, amazing people I have ever met. She has lived in Cuenca her whole life and hosts couchsurfers all the time. She is 23 and lives with her brother, Adrian (24), and father (really normal here... no one really moves out with their parents until they're married). We are chatting away and it was so great to meet such a friendly face on my first day here. As a bonus, she studies English at her university and speaks very well, so I am able to help her with her English and she helps me with my Spanish. About 5 minutes into our conversation, I mention that I'd love to live with an Ecuadorian family so I can really learn about Ecuadorian culture and learn Spanish. Without a seconds hesitation, she goes, "Oh, you can live with us." "Really? For a long time?" "Yes, yes I'll have to ask my dad, but I'm sure it's fine." Like that, I not only had a (second) place to sleep tonight, but potentially a family to live with in Ecuador.

Joy and I at a bar in Cuenca

She walks to the American family's apartment with me, helps me with my bags, and we take a taxi together back to her house. She lives in a really beautiful house that's just north of the city center. I meet her brother and father, both of whom are so nice and friendly. Her brother speaks English fairly well, but he father doesn't speak any, so it's been a really funny and beneficial experience speaking with her dad. In her house, there were already 3 other couchsurfers from France who were cooking away in the kitchen. The French couchsurfers, her family, and I have a delicious and really funny tri-lingual dinner together since the French couchsurfers speak French and Spanish, I speak English and French, and Joy and her brother speak Spanish and English.

Adrian, me, and Joy

For yet another example of how wonderful Joy and her family are, just consider the sleeping arrangements of all of us in their home. Adrian (the brother) gave his room to the French couchsurfers, and he slept with his father.  Joy carried all my bags into her room and said, "Now, my room is your room." I insisted that I am more than happy to sleep on the couch downstairs, and she said, "No, no of course not. My bed is plenty big. We will both sleep here." Alas, after having known Joy and her family for no more than a few hours, she and I are sharing a room and bed, and it couldn't have been more normal or delightful (...she has a really comfortable bed).

Since the first night, the family has shared absolutely everything with me: their time, their food, and their company. The father even invited me to join him, his brother, and his father (Joy and Adrian's uncle and grandfather) to a trip to their father's work this weekend, which is a school high in the mountains around Cuenca. It was undoubtedly the most rural school I have ever seen (even more rural than some of the remote towns in Montana from the bike trip), but the mountains were absolutely beautiful. Plus, I got to see how rural Ecuadorians live (...lots of crops, livestock, and hard work).

To Vegan or Not to Vegan?

Well, this should really say to vegetarian or not vegetarian, but it didn't sound quite a catchy. Upon arriving here, I already knew I would not even attempt to maintain a vegan diet, because there is too much culture that is learned and shared through food.  The food here is also fresh and livestock is not artificially raised like it is in the States, so I do not have the same ethical qualms about eating it. Meat, however, I decided I would only eat if it was given to me or if it would be rude of me not to eat, but I wouldn't seek out meat or cook it on my own accord. Well, the "staying mostly vegetarian" thing didn't last long.  The first evening in Cuenca, the French girls cooked us a really delicious quinoa (!) and salmon dish and a chicken, mushrooms, and rice dish. So, I ate meat for the first time in a year and a half.  Since then, we've had meat for dinner here each night. So far just chicken or fish, which I am happy about. No red meat yet, which as many of you know, has never been may favorite, although I am sure that I will be eating it quite a few times here.  Eating meat again hasn't been as weird as I thought it would be, and the food the cook here is really really delicious. Lots and lots of rice, of course, lots of vegetables, and almost every meal is served with fresh, homemade juice (soooo good). Can't wait to keep trying new foods :)

Dinner at Joy's house on the first night in Cuenca,
with her father and the 3 French couchsurfers

Dance: The Universal Language

Salsa here is HUGE. Basically everyone can salsa and seemingly everyone loves to dance. Good news: I love to dance. Bad news: I can't dance salsa. Great news: Everyone loves to try and teach a gringa ("white girl") to dance salsa. Plus, as long as you move your hips, try to mimic the other person, and don't care if you look like an idiot, you can sort of pass as a salsa-er.  The best part, though, is that you don't need to speak the same language to have an amazing time dancing together.


Joy and Adrian took me and the French couchsurfers out to a bar and then to a salsa club on Friday night.  It was SO fun. Sorry American guys, but most of you just can't dance like Latino guys. Adrian was dancing with me first, showing me the basic moves of salsa and being patient with me when I stepped all over his feet. You couldn't really help but laugh. He showed me several different steps and soon we were dancing away to the music--spinning and shaking our hips all over the dance floor. Next, I met another Ecuadorian guy who showed me how to dance Merengue. He and I had a great time dancing together, and when the DJ played Will Smith, I showed him how Americans get down ;)

The group at a bar before salsa-ing

Outside the salsa bar, about to head
home. Joy, Adrian, the 3 French
couchsurfers, and me