My host brother just got home last night from two weeks of visiting family in New Jersey. At breakfast today, he was talking about his experience and it was very interesting to hear his perspective on NYC and Times Square and how they compare to Quito. As a person who has no real desire to visit New York (other than Central Park) and is loving Quito, it was interesting to hear how he loved all the lights and the screens and thought that Quito was boring and lightyears behind because there was no area like that. He loved the hustle and bustle. I guess this difference is mostly just due to what we are accustomed to, but it was cool to get a foreigner's perspective on the whole thing.
It was also great that he brought back an entire suitcase full of American candy! Yummm, Reese's and Skittles...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
So its been quite some time...
But quite some time it has been!!
First off, I apologize for the long lapse between posts. The past two weeks have been pretty crazy with getting settled in to classes and balancing homework with fun. Also I will apologize in advance for the nature of this post that is the result of these many experiences. Please just bear with me as this will most likely be long and rambly.
Since my last post, several extraordinary and many just plain awesome things have happened. It has been a time of exploration but also introspection. I will try to recount it as best I can.
I guess I will start with school because after all that's what I'm down here for, right? (actually, if I get the boring stuff out of the way first, it gives you incentive to read the whole post ;) ) Classes are in full swing. My schedule is finalized and it shaping up to be a fairly easy semester. I can already feel my Spanish speaking abilities improve meaning that my conversations classes are having the proper effect. My poli sci and Iinternational Relations classes so far have been a decent amount of reading, but I am steadily improving in this area as well as I learn the vocabulary.
I did go through a semi-dark(er) period this week as the novelty of this whole adventure began to wear off and the reality of schoolwork set in. Whenever you are talking to people about their study abroad experiences, they always say "I loved every minute of it!" And while I have no doubts that looking back I will feel the exact same way, it is important to note that, while you are actually here, you don't love every minute. I spent 7 hours last Tuesday wading through 25 pages of reading about the Theory of Dependence (and quite frankly I'm still not exactly sure what I was reading...) By Wednesday afternoon I was just totally spent wasn't sure how worth it all the effort was. The conclusion I came to was that the next thing I need to work on is learning how to balance my learning and fun during the school week. Until now I really have just spent my school night studying or watching futbol or the Australian Open. This socializing, however, is much more difficult than when I am living in a dorm or in the fraternity. I no longer walk out of my room and have 30 people in the same building who want to do something spontaneous. I do have 2 friends who live about a 5 minute walk away and we have all sorta been feeling the same thing recently so hopefully together we will work through these issues. I have also been looking into finding somewhere to play Ultimate while I'm down here. I believe my school has a club that plays on Tuesday afternoon but I haven't yet been able to get into contact with anyone about more specifics. But that will come.
But enough of the boring stuff. Oh, what I have been doing the past two weekends...
Last weekend, my program planned a day trip to several fun sites north of Quito. The two highlights were the indigenous market at Otavalo and the Peguche waterfall. The former of these is just ridiculously huge. (I will attach some pictures at the bottom. I haven't yet figured out how to do the whole layout and get the picture where I want them and quite frankly it is too late right now for me to experiment.) There was a plaza the size of a city block just completely filled with people selling sweaters and hammocks and hats (who'da thunk it that Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador...) and art and jewelry and carvings and just about any artisan sort of thing you could thing of. There were amazing displays of fresh fruit as well as people frying fish whole. It truly was a remarkable experience to barter with the vendors and to see their handiwork. Personally I made off with a new ring, a coin pouch and a phenomenally hand-carved wooden box that will be perfect for storing cigars when i get back to the States. When I figure out what my living situation will be for next year I might go back and buy some really cool paintings and carving (Delts, if anyone with a lower badge than me is looking to have a sweet looking room in the house next year, pull me up and we'll work something out.) And also I'm sure than many a gift upon my return will be from here as well, so if you would like something let me know. After a great lunch of typical Ecuadorian food, we headed to Peguche which is about a 75 foot waterfall quaintly nestled back in the woods. With a little bit of exploring we got to chill at the very top of the falls and also found a second smaller one just a bit up river. After a fun filled day (in which I felt just a bit closer to home having crossed back into the northern hemisphere...) I returned home to watch a wonderful Colts game and crash. Sunday brought another trip to the historic center, this time with my host family. We were hoping to get a tour of the government palace but unfortunately they were all full. We still got to enjoy some places my first tour didn't make it to including the Museum of the City where my dad decided it would be fun to thwart the rules and guards by taking as many pictures of me as possible when they weren't looking. He enjoys doing funny things like that. Overall, it was a very nice weekend of still just getting acclimated and adapted.
This past weekend was my first extended trip out of the city. I went with my host family to my mother's parents house in Riobamba, a decent sized town about 3 hours south of Quito. Saturday was one of the biggest days of adventuring of my life. After a quick driving tour of the city with my brother, he, my dad, and I climbed into the car and drove to Volcan Chimborazo. Although it is no longer active, it does have quite a claim fame: the point on the Earth closest to the sun! Because our planet isn't perfectly spherical, Chimborazo's summit is actually farther from the center of the Earth than Everest's. We were able to drive to a refuge at about 48oom hike to the second refuge at 5000m and then hike a little more to about 5200m. For those of you not familiar with the metric system that is an altitude of roughly 17,000 feet, which, to put that in perspective, is over 2500 feet higher than any peak in the continental US. Lets just say I was very tired and short of breath upon our return to the second refuge for one of the greatest cups of hot chocolate I have ever had made with natural water from the mountain. After a great lunch back at the house, the whole family piled into cars and headed out to this small rural indigenous village where we got to see (actually it was more of an experience) another absolutely amazing natural phenomenon. Volcan Tungurahua is presently erupting and I got to see the lava spewing from the top as well as hear and feel its raw power. Everyone should experience a volconic eruption just as a reminder of how small we are in this world. Natural disasters that we see on the news do a decent job of this, of showing us how powerless we truly are, but to actually see and feel something as magnificent as I felt last night was just awe-inspiring. I know that this was a rare experience and it is one that I will remember and cherish for a long time. (Unfortunately, kind of..., we were not close enough to the volcano for me to get any good pictures of the lava. We were sorta on the back side so the spouts weren't huge, but it was still incredible.) This morning I just decided to hop in the car with some of the family having no idea where they were going (which I have found myself doing a lot of recently) and it turned into a fun adventure to some fabulous fruit markets and bread stores. That is something that I have really enjoyed recently, the spontaneity and randomness of my life here (yes, fresh fruit and bread too). I just do whatever, eat whatever, go wherever. It is a good life not really worrying about what is going to happen. Obviously I am doing these things in a controlled setting but it is still fun and it is a good lesson that I am hoping to translate to the rest of my life as well.
So there you have it. If you got to the end of this with both eye open you should go out and reward yourself. If you are in Cleveland, head to Presti's and enjoy a cream puff and hot chocolate for me.
I truly appreciate all the feedback I have been getting about this blog; keep it coming. I would love to hear from you guys too about the exciting things that are going on in your lives. Although my life may seem more interesting right now I know that there are fun things happening to each and every one of you. And if there aren't you should do something spontaneous. So drop me an email (eric.ahearn@gmail.com or ema25@case.edu) or add me on Skype (eric.ahearn).
Until next time (at which point I will hopefully be a little more tan from my first adventure to the beach!!) take care and keep well.
Peace and Love
(I'm sorry I can't figure out how to turn this one. I don't know why its sideways...)
First off, I apologize for the long lapse between posts. The past two weeks have been pretty crazy with getting settled in to classes and balancing homework with fun. Also I will apologize in advance for the nature of this post that is the result of these many experiences. Please just bear with me as this will most likely be long and rambly.
Since my last post, several extraordinary and many just plain awesome things have happened. It has been a time of exploration but also introspection. I will try to recount it as best I can.
I guess I will start with school because after all that's what I'm down here for, right? (actually, if I get the boring stuff out of the way first, it gives you incentive to read the whole post ;) ) Classes are in full swing. My schedule is finalized and it shaping up to be a fairly easy semester. I can already feel my Spanish speaking abilities improve meaning that my conversations classes are having the proper effect. My poli sci and Iinternational Relations classes so far have been a decent amount of reading, but I am steadily improving in this area as well as I learn the vocabulary.
I did go through a semi-dark(er) period this week as the novelty of this whole adventure began to wear off and the reality of schoolwork set in. Whenever you are talking to people about their study abroad experiences, they always say "I loved every minute of it!" And while I have no doubts that looking back I will feel the exact same way, it is important to note that, while you are actually here, you don't love every minute. I spent 7 hours last Tuesday wading through 25 pages of reading about the Theory of Dependence (and quite frankly I'm still not exactly sure what I was reading...) By Wednesday afternoon I was just totally spent wasn't sure how worth it all the effort was. The conclusion I came to was that the next thing I need to work on is learning how to balance my learning and fun during the school week. Until now I really have just spent my school night studying or watching futbol or the Australian Open. This socializing, however, is much more difficult than when I am living in a dorm or in the fraternity. I no longer walk out of my room and have 30 people in the same building who want to do something spontaneous. I do have 2 friends who live about a 5 minute walk away and we have all sorta been feeling the same thing recently so hopefully together we will work through these issues. I have also been looking into finding somewhere to play Ultimate while I'm down here. I believe my school has a club that plays on Tuesday afternoon but I haven't yet been able to get into contact with anyone about more specifics. But that will come.
But enough of the boring stuff. Oh, what I have been doing the past two weekends...
Last weekend, my program planned a day trip to several fun sites north of Quito. The two highlights were the indigenous market at Otavalo and the Peguche waterfall. The former of these is just ridiculously huge. (I will attach some pictures at the bottom. I haven't yet figured out how to do the whole layout and get the picture where I want them and quite frankly it is too late right now for me to experiment.) There was a plaza the size of a city block just completely filled with people selling sweaters and hammocks and hats (who'da thunk it that Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador...) and art and jewelry and carvings and just about any artisan sort of thing you could thing of. There were amazing displays of fresh fruit as well as people frying fish whole. It truly was a remarkable experience to barter with the vendors and to see their handiwork. Personally I made off with a new ring, a coin pouch and a phenomenally hand-carved wooden box that will be perfect for storing cigars when i get back to the States. When I figure out what my living situation will be for next year I might go back and buy some really cool paintings and carving (Delts, if anyone with a lower badge than me is looking to have a sweet looking room in the house next year, pull me up and we'll work something out.) And also I'm sure than many a gift upon my return will be from here as well, so if you would like something let me know. After a great lunch of typical Ecuadorian food, we headed to Peguche which is about a 75 foot waterfall quaintly nestled back in the woods. With a little bit of exploring we got to chill at the very top of the falls and also found a second smaller one just a bit up river. After a fun filled day (in which I felt just a bit closer to home having crossed back into the northern hemisphere...) I returned home to watch a wonderful Colts game and crash. Sunday brought another trip to the historic center, this time with my host family. We were hoping to get a tour of the government palace but unfortunately they were all full. We still got to enjoy some places my first tour didn't make it to including the Museum of the City where my dad decided it would be fun to thwart the rules and guards by taking as many pictures of me as possible when they weren't looking. He enjoys doing funny things like that. Overall, it was a very nice weekend of still just getting acclimated and adapted.
This past weekend was my first extended trip out of the city. I went with my host family to my mother's parents house in Riobamba, a decent sized town about 3 hours south of Quito. Saturday was one of the biggest days of adventuring of my life. After a quick driving tour of the city with my brother, he, my dad, and I climbed into the car and drove to Volcan Chimborazo. Although it is no longer active, it does have quite a claim fame: the point on the Earth closest to the sun! Because our planet isn't perfectly spherical, Chimborazo's summit is actually farther from the center of the Earth than Everest's. We were able to drive to a refuge at about 48oom hike to the second refuge at 5000m and then hike a little more to about 5200m. For those of you not familiar with the metric system that is an altitude of roughly 17,000 feet, which, to put that in perspective, is over 2500 feet higher than any peak in the continental US. Lets just say I was very tired and short of breath upon our return to the second refuge for one of the greatest cups of hot chocolate I have ever had made with natural water from the mountain. After a great lunch back at the house, the whole family piled into cars and headed out to this small rural indigenous village where we got to see (actually it was more of an experience) another absolutely amazing natural phenomenon. Volcan Tungurahua is presently erupting and I got to see the lava spewing from the top as well as hear and feel its raw power. Everyone should experience a volconic eruption just as a reminder of how small we are in this world. Natural disasters that we see on the news do a decent job of this, of showing us how powerless we truly are, but to actually see and feel something as magnificent as I felt last night was just awe-inspiring. I know that this was a rare experience and it is one that I will remember and cherish for a long time. (Unfortunately, kind of..., we were not close enough to the volcano for me to get any good pictures of the lava. We were sorta on the back side so the spouts weren't huge, but it was still incredible.) This morning I just decided to hop in the car with some of the family having no idea where they were going (which I have found myself doing a lot of recently) and it turned into a fun adventure to some fabulous fruit markets and bread stores. That is something that I have really enjoyed recently, the spontaneity and randomness of my life here (yes, fresh fruit and bread too). I just do whatever, eat whatever, go wherever. It is a good life not really worrying about what is going to happen. Obviously I am doing these things in a controlled setting but it is still fun and it is a good lesson that I am hoping to translate to the rest of my life as well.
So there you have it. If you got to the end of this with both eye open you should go out and reward yourself. If you are in Cleveland, head to Presti's and enjoy a cream puff and hot chocolate for me.
I truly appreciate all the feedback I have been getting about this blog; keep it coming. I would love to hear from you guys too about the exciting things that are going on in your lives. Although my life may seem more interesting right now I know that there are fun things happening to each and every one of you. And if there aren't you should do something spontaneous. So drop me an email (eric.ahearn@gmail.com or ema25@case.edu) or add me on Skype (eric.ahearn).
Until next time (at which point I will hopefully be a little more tan from my first adventure to the beach!!) take care and keep well.
Peace and Love
(I'm sorry I can't figure out how to turn this one. I don't know why its sideways...)Tuesday, January 12, 2010
La Hora Ecuatoriana
What a wonderful phrase
La Hora Ecuatoriana
Ain’t no passing craze
It means (almost) no worries
For the rest of your days
It’s our problem-free
Philosophy
La Hora Ecuatoriana
Someone asked me the other day what my favorite part about Ecuador has been so far. "Wow, that's a hard question" was the first thing that came to mind. But just a few seconds later, I had it. Not to discount the wonderful weather or the amazingly fresh fruits and vegetables at all, but the best part of my adventure thus far has been la hora ecuatoriana. Everyone around just knows and expects that Ecuadorians operate on their own time. You really aren't late for something unless you arrive at least two hours after it the appointed starting time. This translates to an amazingly relaxed environment. People aren't running around like chickens with their heads cut off from one engagement to the next (as I have the tendency to do...) but instead or relishing the moment that they are in and the people that they are in it with. To that end (and this is what really drove the point home to me this morning at school), there are very few clocks. I was searching for one in class today and it was no where to be found, and after thinking back on my classes so far, the same holds true. An American school has one in every room as well as up on the walls in the hallways. While at times the inpuctuality can be annoying for an American, learning to be patient and to relax a little more is something that I already know will be a positive lesson to come out of this adventure.
La Hora Ecuatoriana
Ain’t no passing craze
It means (almost) no worries
For the rest of your days
It’s our problem-free
Philosophy
La Hora Ecuatoriana
Someone asked me the other day what my favorite part about Ecuador has been so far. "Wow, that's a hard question" was the first thing that came to mind. But just a few seconds later, I had it. Not to discount the wonderful weather or the amazingly fresh fruits and vegetables at all, but the best part of my adventure thus far has been la hora ecuatoriana. Everyone around just knows and expects that Ecuadorians operate on their own time. You really aren't late for something unless you arrive at least two hours after it the appointed starting time. This translates to an amazingly relaxed environment. People aren't running around like chickens with their heads cut off from one engagement to the next (as I have the tendency to do...) but instead or relishing the moment that they are in and the people that they are in it with. To that end (and this is what really drove the point home to me this morning at school), there are very few clocks. I was searching for one in class today and it was no where to be found, and after thinking back on my classes so far, the same holds true. An American school has one in every room as well as up on the walls in the hallways. While at times the inpuctuality can be annoying for an American, learning to be patient and to relax a little more is something that I already know will be a positive lesson to come out of this adventure.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
So I have no idea why that thought never crossed my mind...
I have finished my first week of classes!! As I stated earlier, campus is beautiful. A few pictures are attached.
I was surprised by the amount of wealth at USFQ. I had been told that it was the school where all the better-off kids went but I was not expecting the abundance of designer apparel that I encountered. If I had any knowledge of this sort of thing I'd be able to name some of the labels but I don't want to make myself look like a complete moron.
Classes were pretty good. I started my first day (Wednesday) with Introduction to International Relations. I'm thinking that it should be an interesting class but I don't really know because I could barely hear the prof talking about what we would be talking about about. I know that we are starting with a unit on Revolutions and that I have a quiz on Monday. Next was my Spanish Conversation class which I know already will be very helpful. The prof's main goal is to introduce us to new vocabulary which is really what you need in order to succeed in a foreign language. Next was supposed to be a political science class called Theories of Development but the professor didn't show up. We waited 15 minutes and then followed the native students when the left.
Today was a little easier. French 101 in the morning. This is to what the title of this post is referring. My professor was speaking Spanish with a French accent. I have no idea why I never thought about that but it was kinda interesting. Luckily I was still able to understand everything and I think that class shouldn't be too dificult. Finally today I had Intro to Ecuadorian Culture which is gonna be another very useful class in which I will learn lots of practical stuff and also be forced to speak in front of people.
I know I told a lot of you that I was gonna be taking a culinary class. Unfortunately there was a prereq for the one I was signed up. Taking that class was an option but I would've had to be at school at 7:30 in the AM and that just wasn't gonna happen. As disappointed as I was to not be able to take it, this relieved a major stress just because I was very unsure about what to expect from the whole thing.
So overall, it shouldn't be too difficult of a semester academically which means that I will have plenty of time to experience the rest of the culture. This weekend is gonna be full of exploring the city. I already took a nice walk through one of the biggest parks in the city this afternoon and got some cool pictures. Tomorrow we get a tour of Old Town and I will probably take the Teleferico (a little ski lift sort of thing) up the volcano that border the city sometime this weekend, so expect some cool photos to come!
So to sum up, life is good, I am alive, and I am already feeling amazingly at home here. I felt a sense of pride when I was walking in the streets that this was quickly becoming another one of "my cities". I am very very happy here and know that it will only get better as I start to explore the rest of the country. I believe that a trip to the beach is in the works for next weekend...
Sorry to all of you fighting snow.
But not really...
I was surprised by the amount of wealth at USFQ. I had been told that it was the school where all the better-off kids went but I was not expecting the abundance of designer apparel that I encountered. If I had any knowledge of this sort of thing I'd be able to name some of the labels but I don't want to make myself look like a complete moron.
Classes were pretty good. I started my first day (Wednesday) with Introduction to International Relations. I'm thinking that it should be an interesting class but I don't really know because I could barely hear the prof talking about what we would be talking about about. I know that we are starting with a unit on Revolutions and that I have a quiz on Monday. Next was my Spanish Conversation class which I know already will be very helpful. The prof's main goal is to introduce us to new vocabulary which is really what you need in order to succeed in a foreign language. Next was supposed to be a political science class called Theories of Development but the professor didn't show up. We waited 15 minutes and then followed the native students when the left.
Today was a little easier. French 101 in the morning. This is to what the title of this post is referring. My professor was speaking Spanish with a French accent. I have no idea why I never thought about that but it was kinda interesting. Luckily I was still able to understand everything and I think that class shouldn't be too dificult. Finally today I had Intro to Ecuadorian Culture which is gonna be another very useful class in which I will learn lots of practical stuff and also be forced to speak in front of people.
I know I told a lot of you that I was gonna be taking a culinary class. Unfortunately there was a prereq for the one I was signed up. Taking that class was an option but I would've had to be at school at 7:30 in the AM and that just wasn't gonna happen. As disappointed as I was to not be able to take it, this relieved a major stress just because I was very unsure about what to expect from the whole thing.
So overall, it shouldn't be too difficult of a semester academically which means that I will have plenty of time to experience the rest of the culture. This weekend is gonna be full of exploring the city. I already took a nice walk through one of the biggest parks in the city this afternoon and got some cool pictures. Tomorrow we get a tour of Old Town and I will probably take the Teleferico (a little ski lift sort of thing) up the volcano that border the city sometime this weekend, so expect some cool photos to come!
So to sum up, life is good, I am alive, and I am already feeling amazingly at home here. I felt a sense of pride when I was walking in the streets that this was quickly becoming another one of "my cities". I am very very happy here and know that it will only get better as I start to explore the rest of the country. I believe that a trip to the beach is in the works for next weekend...
Sorry to all of you fighting snow.
But not really...
Monday, January 4, 2010
My First Impressions
So I've been here for two days and I've had a chance to sort of see the basics that will make up my life for the next couple months. These include my homestay, the office for IES, and la Universidad San Francisco de Quito where I'll be studying. I really had no idea what to expect out of any of these but the first impressions have been amazing.
I live with a family of three and a half. My parents are Gustavo and Paulina and there daughter Maria Paulina also lives in our house. Their son Fausto lives in the apartment attached to the house but he has an odd work schedule and basically lives on his own. There is a second son who is the oldest of the children but I've only met him once because he has his own place afuera de la casa. The house is great. Much of the residential areas are very much like you would expect in a large South American city. Everything is very close together and there aren't many yards. I was blown away the first morning upon seeing a huge volcano right outside my window. The bus station is right outside our door and the public transportation can take you just about anywhere (for cheap! Each bus in the city costs just $0.25). The IES office is about a 10 minute ride and USFQ is about 45 minutes and requires a change of bus. Gustavo y Paulina are immensely welcoming and helpful. The family functions in a very interesting way because everyone has different schedules (Gustavo works at a hospital and Maria Paulina is a student at another local university) so there aren't really family meals which isn't what I was expecting but I am coming around to it. Paulina basically cooks and you can eat whenever. On that note, the food is great. She makes a lot of soups and there are tons of local panaderias where you can buy a plethora of different fresh breads. The fruits and vegetables are also great because they are very fresh. I tried papaya for the first time yesterday and it wasn't bad. Sometimes I end up eating way to much because I don't exactly understand what they are asking me and then after I agree I have more food in front of me. So far my stomach and digestive tract are doing alright, a little diarrhea but nothing major. The only real drawback to my living situation is that the house is about 3 blocks from the end of the airport runway and I hear every plane that comes in to land. It isn't bad during the day, but at nights its a little annoying.
Sunday I spent the entire day at the IES office for an extensive orientation to just about everything I'll need to know for the semester in terms of academics, safety, security, health, etc... 8 straight hours of of Spanish was a lot to deal with on the first day but by the end of it I was could tell I had improved. The office itself is located in a newer part of town close to on the the biggest parks in the city. I haven't explored it yet but from the street I could see tons of people playing soccer and volleyball as well as a mountain biking course and tons of paved trails for walking and jogging. The center staff is phenomenal and the group of students also doing the Direct Enrollment program are great. I am the only guy out of 6 and am one of the worse Spanish speakers. Three of the girls have relatives in Latin America and are fluent already. I would say that I'm probably on par with the other two girls but I know that I am getting better everyday.
Today we had a half day of orienation at USFQ. First off, the campus is wonderful. It is located in a little valley to the east of Quito in a small town named Cumbaya (yes, I start singing the song everytime I think about it...) The bus ride is beautiful because you get the descend down the side of the valley and there are some fantastic views of the area. Campus is about a 3 minute walk from the bus stop and it is a very diverse place. The architecture ranges from the sort of cement block buildings that you usually see in poorer areas to awesome Spanish architecture and there is even a building that is in an Asian style. There are tons of open air gardens and walkways with sweet fauna and a little pond in the middle. Today was a little easier because much of the information (although it was the same as Sunday) was presented in English. However I still feel like today was good because I had to function on my own for the first time really and I was successful. Tomorrow is gonna be a low key day just chillin at the IES Office probably, but classes start Wednesday.
In general, the city (or at least what I've seen of it) is great. I know I haven't been to the rough parts and I know that they exist but for the most part it is much cleaner than I was expecting. You do see some crazy things though. Today on the bus to school a guy got on holding a live chicken. Also sometime when we are driving kids will walk out into the middle of a crosswalk at a red light and perform hoping for donations. Today I saw a girl juggling and several guys breathing fire. Just things you don't get to see everyday in the US. Also, the weather is great. I haven't checked for sure but I would guess that the temperature has been right around 70 degrees during the day (its a bit warmer at USFQ in the valley) and about 55 at night. Its funny to listen to the people say "Hace frio" knowing that back home people would kill for this kind of weather.
Well thats what I have for now. I promise I will have at least a few pictures in the next few days. My time thus far has been pretty structured but from now on I'm pretty much on my own and can take pictures at school and on the busses.
I hope everything is going well!
Paz y Amor
(P.S. As I spend more and more time here, its a safe bet that I will be throwing in more and more Spanish. Although it can be tiring now just having to be constantly thinking about what I'm hearing I know that pretty soon it is gonna be more natural than English. Just a fair warning.)
I live with a family of three and a half. My parents are Gustavo and Paulina and there daughter Maria Paulina also lives in our house. Their son Fausto lives in the apartment attached to the house but he has an odd work schedule and basically lives on his own. There is a second son who is the oldest of the children but I've only met him once because he has his own place afuera de la casa. The house is great. Much of the residential areas are very much like you would expect in a large South American city. Everything is very close together and there aren't many yards. I was blown away the first morning upon seeing a huge volcano right outside my window. The bus station is right outside our door and the public transportation can take you just about anywhere (for cheap! Each bus in the city costs just $0.25). The IES office is about a 10 minute ride and USFQ is about 45 minutes and requires a change of bus. Gustavo y Paulina are immensely welcoming and helpful. The family functions in a very interesting way because everyone has different schedules (Gustavo works at a hospital and Maria Paulina is a student at another local university) so there aren't really family meals which isn't what I was expecting but I am coming around to it. Paulina basically cooks and you can eat whenever. On that note, the food is great. She makes a lot of soups and there are tons of local panaderias where you can buy a plethora of different fresh breads. The fruits and vegetables are also great because they are very fresh. I tried papaya for the first time yesterday and it wasn't bad. Sometimes I end up eating way to much because I don't exactly understand what they are asking me and then after I agree I have more food in front of me. So far my stomach and digestive tract are doing alright, a little diarrhea but nothing major. The only real drawback to my living situation is that the house is about 3 blocks from the end of the airport runway and I hear every plane that comes in to land. It isn't bad during the day, but at nights its a little annoying.
Sunday I spent the entire day at the IES office for an extensive orientation to just about everything I'll need to know for the semester in terms of academics, safety, security, health, etc... 8 straight hours of of Spanish was a lot to deal with on the first day but by the end of it I was could tell I had improved. The office itself is located in a newer part of town close to on the the biggest parks in the city. I haven't explored it yet but from the street I could see tons of people playing soccer and volleyball as well as a mountain biking course and tons of paved trails for walking and jogging. The center staff is phenomenal and the group of students also doing the Direct Enrollment program are great. I am the only guy out of 6 and am one of the worse Spanish speakers. Three of the girls have relatives in Latin America and are fluent already. I would say that I'm probably on par with the other two girls but I know that I am getting better everyday.
Today we had a half day of orienation at USFQ. First off, the campus is wonderful. It is located in a little valley to the east of Quito in a small town named Cumbaya (yes, I start singing the song everytime I think about it...) The bus ride is beautiful because you get the descend down the side of the valley and there are some fantastic views of the area. Campus is about a 3 minute walk from the bus stop and it is a very diverse place. The architecture ranges from the sort of cement block buildings that you usually see in poorer areas to awesome Spanish architecture and there is even a building that is in an Asian style. There are tons of open air gardens and walkways with sweet fauna and a little pond in the middle. Today was a little easier because much of the information (although it was the same as Sunday) was presented in English. However I still feel like today was good because I had to function on my own for the first time really and I was successful. Tomorrow is gonna be a low key day just chillin at the IES Office probably, but classes start Wednesday.
In general, the city (or at least what I've seen of it) is great. I know I haven't been to the rough parts and I know that they exist but for the most part it is much cleaner than I was expecting. You do see some crazy things though. Today on the bus to school a guy got on holding a live chicken. Also sometime when we are driving kids will walk out into the middle of a crosswalk at a red light and perform hoping for donations. Today I saw a girl juggling and several guys breathing fire. Just things you don't get to see everyday in the US. Also, the weather is great. I haven't checked for sure but I would guess that the temperature has been right around 70 degrees during the day (its a bit warmer at USFQ in the valley) and about 55 at night. Its funny to listen to the people say "Hace frio" knowing that back home people would kill for this kind of weather.
Well thats what I have for now. I promise I will have at least a few pictures in the next few days. My time thus far has been pretty structured but from now on I'm pretty much on my own and can take pictures at school and on the busses.
I hope everything is going well!
Paz y Amor
(P.S. As I spend more and more time here, its a safe bet that I will be throwing in more and more Spanish. Although it can be tiring now just having to be constantly thinking about what I'm hearing I know that pretty soon it is gonna be more natural than English. Just a fair warning.)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Cuando llegues in Quito...
I have safely arrived in Quito!! Right now I am in the middle of an orientation session which is a a kick in the face with Spanish. I might be in a little over my head, but I am sure I will be able to make things work. Gotta get back to stuff but I just wanted to send a quick update.
Peace and Love
Peace and Love
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