Hi all!
How is everyone?! Ecuador is amazing. I live with a family of 6 (I also have a host brother, but he is rarely home, as he travels for work a lot) in an apartment in the middle of Quito. There are mountains everywhere, the most well known one being Pichinche, which I´m going to go up on a cable car thing on Saturday with my roomate from Madison, Mary (for those of you who don´t already know, Mary is in Ecuador with a different program, she´ll be here for about 5 weeks and then leaves to do field research and to study the Galapagos and other amazing things). A previous student of Mary´s family is going to bring us up, and then hike around with us. I guess she got hooked to Ecuador and couldn't leave, so now she´s working here! Well anyway, most of my family lives on the first floor of the apartment (including my host mom, dad, and two sisters, Paulina and Gabi). I live two flights up in another apartment with my host grandma or "abuelita," who likes to call me "muñeca" which means doll and I think is adorable. Her brother also lives in a room on the roof (I know it sounds a bit weird), but is in the house most of the time. Everyone is very sweet and very helpful. Also, surprisingly, the food is not much different, yet at least.
The first few days were kind of rough, as it was hard to sleep and I wasn't really ever hungry (I guess because of the altitude change?) It´s getting much better now though. So far I've been to a few family gatherings (they were very intimidating, especially the one on my first day here), which were interesting. Some cousins from Colombia visited my family the second day I was here, and were extremely amused when I told them that everyone tells me that if I try to go to Colombia, I´m going to die. They proceeded to tell me that they would have to bring me there sometime to prove all of those people wrong, haha. Sadly, I´ll probably never see them again. I also hung out with Paulina and her friends at the Cinemark one night, which is like a shopping place and theater. I saw the movie Enchanted and didn't really understand a single word, haha. (After a while of trying to understand Spanish, sometimes it´s easier just to ignore the speaking and watch what´s going on to figure out what´s happening, oops!!) Although my Spanish still is not near good enough, I can tell that I have improved so so much. It´s now much easier to understand when people speak fast or unexpectedly to me. It will be nice when it gets even better =)
Other than this, I haven´t been doing much but going to school orientations (for two days), where I learned about the culture and health and blah blah blah everything I've heard about eight times already. I wanted to fall asleep during pretty much all of it except for during a very surprising speech given by the chancellor about religion. Let´s just say he was extremely liberal, unlike about 98 percent of the people living in Quito. I´m willing to bet there were people listening that were offended by what he said, but I thought it was pretty fascinating (especially considering that it was coming from an Ecuadorian). He also told us numerous times how crazy Americans are and how we think way too much and how we have poisoned his mind in the US!! Hilarious man...
Today I´m at my first day of school. I don´t really need to be here until 2 30 on Mondays and Wednesdays, but I left my house at 7 45 this morning with my host sister Paulina, because I´m still afraid of the bus (sadly enough). My school is in a city called Cumbayá, which is about a 45 minute bus ride away from Quito (including the time it takes to change busses and whatnot). The busses are crazy but great. Cumbayá is down the mountain from Quito a ways, which requires the busses to drive down the edges of the mountain. Well, not drive, more like fly down the mountain. It feels like you´re going to go tumbling off the edge and fall miles and miles to the bottom, but the drivers know what they´re doing =) I´m kind of terrified of going back on my own today, as I´ve only done it twice with Paulina, and I still don´t really know where I need to go. Hopefully I´ll figure it out when I see certain landmarks. I´m relying on that for now. I guess the best way to learn is to just go do it right?!
I´m pretty pumped for my classes, I´m taking a couple Spanish classes that previous students have suggested, as well as a volcanology class (which supposedly goes on a lot of field trips... yay!! Hopefully we´ll get to go see the volcano that erupted about 80 miles from Quito the other day...), a class about the Galapagos Islands (which also goes on a field trip at the end of the semester for a week. I guess you learn soooo much on the trip =) and last but most certainly not least, a rock climbing backpacking like class. I can´t wait for this one. It´s not worth any credits, but I´m sure it will be amazing.
Well this is long already, so I´ll stop. I just have so much time before my class, I don´t know what else to do!! At least I brought a book =) Also, two things. First, if you know of anyone else who would like to get emails, please let me know or have them email me!! Also, if you do not want to receive these emails, please tell me, I promise, I won´t be hurt at all.
Well I hope everything is going well back in Wisconsin!! I miss you all!!
Love and hugs,
Jenna =)
