Los Ladrónes

It's been an interesting couple of days complete with basketball, a robbery, canelasos, cooking lessons, scenic views and an education in Latin pick up lines and cat calls. I'll explain . . .

1. On Tuesday, a group of us took a trip to Parque Carolina where we got involved in a game of pickup basketball with dos Fernandos y un otra persona. It was fantastic. The altitude took it out of us, but it was great. Our new amigos, Fernando, Fernando, and the other guy (I can't remember his name) told us that they play every Tuesday and Thursday, which leads me to point number 2.

2. We returned on Thursday with as little as possible. I had 25 cents for the bus and mis llaves (my keys--got to try to use the Spanish as much as possible). We all put our stuff in Greg's mochila (backpack) and of course, the backpack was stolen from right below the basket, leaving us with no bus fare home, no keys to our houses, and leaving Greg without a camera. Well, we learned our lesson! Luckily, our friend Fernando lent us a dollar so that we could get home!

3. On Wednesday, a couple of us explored a bit of the night life with our fearless leader Andres, host hermano to Garrett. Andres doubles as an Ecuadorian body builder and member of the competitive Ecuadorian Vampire Warriors 2 National Team (apparently this is an online video game). Needless to say, he is a character. Andres introduced us to canelasos, which are warm, fruity drinks. They seem to be all the Ecuadorians drink.

4. Over our canelasos, Andres began to engage us in a conversation about gender relations and the differences in costumbres (customs) between North and South Americans. When I say "us" I am mainly referring to Garrett, seeing as Aislinn and I can mainly contribute such phrases as "Sí" and "No." We learned that in Ecuador, it is completely acceptable and flattering to call a woman "gordita" because almost none of the women are fat. Obviously, this would not fly in the United States. Though I contributed very little to the conversation, I understood most of it, which was exciting! One of the best parts about living in another country is engaging in cultural exchanges like these.

5. Greg and I took a cooking class. It was great! I now know how to make a sweet Ecuadorian dish!

6. Last night we took a tour of the city at night. Fui muy bonita! We took a ride to one of the highest points in the city and got a beautiful view.

There is so much more to share, but these are just some of the highlights. To get a little more serious for a minute, it has been very interesting for me to feel so incompetent. Not knowing the language can make me feel dumb at times, but it also encourages me to work harder and learn quickly. It has given me a great perspective and admiration for all of the immigrants that come to the United States and navigate all of our laws and customs. Que fuerte!

This weekend we're taking a trip to a beautiful island on the coast that is the "poor man's" Galapagos. I'm sure there will be many updates about that. Miss and love you all!