update

daddy requested an update so im taking time and sitting to do this. i keep putting it off because i know its gonna take a while becuase i keep putting it off...hah.

anyways. thursday i went to anthropology class but instead of going to class we went to an intercultural school in Pifo, about 45 minutes away from the University in Cumbaya. We finally got there and I wasnt too impressed with the outside of the buildings, I'm guessing the funding for this school (and many others in that town) isn't great.
But once inside, I had a completely different impression. This school is for children from age 3 - 18 and they all have incredible stories. When we got there the director gave an introduction and then 3 groups of kids gave presentations of dance to music from their part of the country (the country of Ecuador is divided into the coast, sierra, and oriente; each division has its own cultures and histories specific to its' area and geography). I was so impressed with these little kids doing these intricate dances and then they spoke to us in the languages of the cultures that their parents/grandparents came from and another one of them translated that language to spanish for us. I was so impressed.
Evidently all of the kids learn spanish, Quichua, french, english, and some other languages too (depending on what they choose and where they are from, ie: Shuar). The purpose of the school is to keep the cultures of the past alive and to continue the culture through the languages, practices, dances, etc. A lot of these cultures are dying becuase there is a lack of interest and effort put into this kind of education today - especially in the urban areas.
After the presentations, we were told to speak with some of the kids and a group of 3 little girls and 3 little boys came up to me. I couldnt tell you their names if my life depended on it but they were so willing to speak, in english, in quichua, in any language. They simply wanted to talk to me and learn about me and to show me everything about their school. On Wednesdays they have physical activities time, they have a garden with tons of medicinal flowers and plants, they plant lettuce and raspberries and such and watch them grow, they have rabbits, ducks, and other animals in a petting zoo area. They showed me the computer room and the kitchen. One girl told me all about her family (she has a cousin living in Cuba working as a nurse, her mom is also a nurse, her dad is a construction worker, she has 2 siblings, her younger brother goes to the school too.....JoJo, Grandaddy, are you getting all this?).
They were incredibly willing and so cute and it made me realize that this country, and all of the world basically, has so much more history than I could ever wrap my mind around. I mean, I can't even remember the United States history and these kids are learning the languages of their great great grandparents that lived in Ecuador before it was free, etc. You know? It's ridiculous!

Anyways, that night, mom & B got here. I went to the airport alone, which was a bit rough considering I didnt know really where to go but I figured it out. Basically, mom & B were the last 2 people off the plane haha. Go figure.
I was going to take them out that night to the Pobre Diablo but they didnt really feel like it so we just talked a bit and then I went out and they went to bed.
Friday morning we headed to the University to see the campus and where my classes are, etc. Katy's parents were also with us so it was like a tour haha We hung out by the lagoon for a while and then headed back here to Quito. We had lunch here at the house with Veronica and Maria Clara. It was probably the best lunch I have had since I've been here. I guess they pull out the good stuff for guests (anyone else wanna visit? haha just kidding)....we had pineapple juice to drink, which I hadn't had yet here, but it didn't disappoint, like anything ever does haha.
We were going to go to the Teleferiqo after that but it was cloudy and looked like it was about to rain and they were tired so they went and took a nap (I did too hah). That evening we went out to eat at a restaurant that Katy's ecua-mom picked out for us (we call her crazy pants). They didnt want to take our order at first and then we realized that crazy pants had ordered for us, some nasty soup concoction of everything that people eat in Ecuador put all together. It had fried plantanes on the top which everyone enjoyed. But the rest wasn't so great....
Saturday morning we were to go to the Teleferiqo but mom didnt feel so great so B and I headed over there on our own. When we reached the top we realized that the clouds weren't going away so we took some pictures and then headed back down to get mom.
We were supposed to go to some restuarant that Veronica had suggested to me and she said the taxi driver would know where it was. We get in the cab and get to this dead end street where there's 2 okay looking restuarants and I said, "ok. lets just eat here". It had a BEAUTIFUL view. I was really impressed. The food was good - mom was the only one to get Ecuadorian food tho - empanadas - and she liked them. Ate them all. I was impressed. B got a BLT (lame. haha).
We then headed to the Virgin de la Panecilla. We went up into her butt basically and when we reached the top we had another great view of Quito. I was impressed. Totally worth the $1 it cost to go up there!!!
We then went to the Basilica (for B, the religious guru/junkie) and walked around there for a bit. We also got a bit more than expected there because B had to pee and so we basically walked through the area where they were giving sunday school lessons (er, is that what it is for Catholics?) to find the outdoor bathroom haha
That evening, I took them to the Mariscol so be could get a Pilsner (la cerveza oficial de los ecuatorianos) and the 2 of them could have a shawarma. This restuarant is also a hookah bar, so that was interesting :)
Then to a 2 for 1 Canelazo bar so mom could try that. I think they enjoyed the canelazo, but mom's photography skills went downhill from there so.....haha just kidding :)

We came back and went to bed and then at 2:30 I headed to the hotel to get them to take them to the airport. I left them there around 3:30am (the check in didnt open until 4am so I left it up to B and her spanish) and heard later that they had arrived in Miami safe and sound.

All in all, I think it was a good trip. They didnt get to do much since we had only like 48 hours of real do stuff time but I did all I could think of that we could do here in the city and make it worthwhile. If they had been here longer we could have gone somewhere and they could have gotten used to the altitude, I think its gonna be super easy for me to breath in the states when I get back btw haha :)



Sunday during the day all I did was try to figure out how to graduate (which I am still in the process of doing....). Yesterday, class & then trying to find a summer job/figure out how to graduate haha. And today was Course Request so I guess I'm at least 1 step done with figuring out how to graduate....not that I really want to. What am I going to do then???? :(

Trying to make plans for spring break and the week before I leave. Everyone wants to go to Cuba over spring break (everyone whose family isnt going to be here) so I was going to do that...I guess....but not really because I didnt have the money.
But Jackie and Whitney talked to me this afternoon and informed me that they still want to do a Tour D' Ecuador if I'm still interested, which I AM! So, I think thats what the 3 of us are going to do, which will be cheaper than going to Cuba (and legal), but still cost money.
I think the week that I have before I leave I'm going to go to MachuPichu in Peru with Andrea if I have money at that point in my life...

Money...Graduation...Life. Man, why does reality ever have to come back into play???

Anywho, pictures to come...