It´s been too long

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to update this! Ecuador has been busy!! And I have been here for 3 months already, oh how time flies! Anyway... here´s life in Ecuador lately:

I started Spanish classes! I have them two days a week for two hours with a private teacher, and it has been really helpful. I can see an improvement, just takin it step by step.

Teaching is still going well, definitely hard sometimes, but there are special moments that make it all worth it. Here´s a story: last week on Thursday, one of my challenging third graders was especially challenging, hitting, pushing, running around the class, and I was quite frustrated with him. Then, on Friday, he was a completely different child, he sat well, he listened, he participated, he did his work, he even wanted to be my helper. After class, I told him, I´m so proud of you, you worked really hard today, and his face lit up into a huge smile, priceless.

I finally made it to the city center, after I lived here for two months. It’s the old part of town, and it is very charming and cute. The architecture is completely different from the new part; it feels like Europe.

At the beginning of November, we had a five day weekend, which was lovely.  Cami, Jonatan (our Swedish friend), and I went to the beach for three days with some other friends. It is quite an excursion getting there, first an 8 hour bus ride, then another 1.5 hour bus ride, then another half hour bus ride, whew! It was cloudy the whole time but still very beautiful. And Cami and I even braved a chilly morning to take a dip in the Pacific. The town we stayed in is only a few blocks long, but we still found plenty to do between walking around the town, up and down the beach, shopping on the street market, eating, and napping. Here are some pictures:

Cami and Jonatan, on the bus, ready to go!

Mmm fresh coconut

Cami and I with our friend, Sarah, from Austria.

I had a birthday here! On my birthday weekend, Cami and Jonatan gave me a birthday surprise! We went to Volqano Park, near the Pichincha volcano, and rode rides, played air hockey, and ate churros. It was very fun! On my actual birthday, we went to dinner with some friends, which was also nice. Overall, it was a very good birthday!

I found a church to go to! It’s an English speaking church, with lots of Americans, and it feels like I’m in America when I’m there, how strange, but very comforting and familiar.

Tomorrow I will celebrate Thanksgiving at a restaurant (after school, boo), which will be different, but at least I still get to eat turkey J

On Sunday, they have their national Censo (Census) here. And to collect all this information, they have middle and high school students go door to door. This means that everyone has to stay home, and absolutely everything is closed, there won´t be any taxis or buses either. Crazy!

Cami and I have been spending a good chunk of time at the market, and I have started to collect some lovely Christmas presents for you guys!!

Speaking of Christmas presents, very very soon (December 18 to be exact) I am coming home for two weeks for Christmas!! I can’t wait! I want to see as many of you as possible! I’ve started listening to Christmas music and dreaming of fireplaces and Christmas cookies and SNOW! They have started putting up Christmas trees in the malls and selling Christmas decorations in the stores, and it feels a bit like Christmas in July because it’s 70 degrees out.

Minnesota, I´ll see you soon!