fun fun fun!

Well my program for Friday the 24th after practicing the bass with my music group took an interesting turn becuase I made and unscheduled trip to San Martin to pass out invitations to people for the Unity Feast on Sunday with Fabiola and her sister Lucerita, Daniel and two girls who live in the area, Christine and Monica. After returning, the plan was to go to the PLaza de Ponchos and get a quick bite to eat before returning home. However, what we did not know was that there was an artistic presentation with dance, music and acrobatics in the park! So we got caught up in some wonderful traditional Ecuadorian art that intrigued me and amazed me and although I was tired I was caught up in every minute of it! (I have a few videos too, I hope they upload!)
On Saturday I was supposed to meet Fabi at the Radio Baha'i to do book four with Eduardo but he never showed up so I decided to hang out with my very hospitable neighbors, especially since my family went to Quito for the weekend. With my neighbors I traveled down to the market, visiting the animal market with its guinea pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, cows, donkeys, rabbits, whatever you could wish for! And then the fruit market, and clothes and traditional Ecuadorian touristic souvenirs and art. When we returned home we made some FABULOUS and fresh (picked by our own hands!) blackberry juice and I had my hair braided. The hospitality of my neighbors was evident in that they did not let me leave and have lunch or dinner on my own but insisted that I eat with them and watch a movie (everything is dubbed in Spaish, although this movie, which I am not sure of the name, I had watched before) and sleep over, which I dutifully promised that I would do the next day.
Which brings us to Sunday the 26th, Where I went down to the church with Mari (my neighbor in 6th grade) who is in the choir in the church at 7.00 and then back home for breakfast and a quick freshen up before getting down the the Radio Baha'i for a Unity Feast. IN the unity feast we had some lovley devotionals and then a review of all the classes (junior youth, children and Ruhi books) going on in the community and how we can expand them and invite more people, namely inspiring the participants themsleves to invite friends and family etc. And of course a wonderfully cooked meal of potatoes and beans with special large corn kernels that they roast called tostada, delicious!
I tried calling home after that since the time was right but unfortunately no one was there, so I tried Tad's and got to talk to Agapi for about a minute before I got cut off, enough to find out that my mom and Annie would be at Metamophosis the next day ( I forgot of course that 26-28 of October is a holiday in Greece!) So I returned back to my humble lodgings to relax a bit before playing some more with my neighbors and having dinner and a very close quarters sleepover! It was very funny, Nancy and I shared her bed (which is only really for one person) so we ended up spooning most of the night which was not bad becuase it did mean we were nice and warm!
And it was so comfortable that I did not wake up until 6.50 on Monday and the bus to school passes at 6.40! So I decided to walk to school since I did not have classes in the morning and chose the scenic route with lovely views of the Cotopaxi volcano and the forest around Otavalo. After school and more helping in the bar (as well as finding an untouched bag of fresh and hot bread that must have fallen out of the truck on my way to school) I made it home a bit early and called Metamorphosis to have a short but sweet conversation with my dear mother and sister who I am generally missing more as the time passes... And then there was more playing with Dagmar, Kendy, Kevin and Mari before Nancy got home and dinner with my family and a very welcome bed time!
ON Tuesday the 28th after school I have my usual children's fun time in Punyaro while Joselito does the junior youth class and we did a lot of coloring and playing traditional games which are fun but pretty different from what I did growing up! (It is so nice to see here that technology has not completely affected the kids as much as in our part of the world!)
After a five minute stop home after the class to pick up the bass, I was back down at the Radio Baha'i for band practice and we managed to complete the song and altough we still need practice are almost done with our program for the 22-23rd of November!
Wednesday was a special day, with few classes becuase the 30th is a marching day for students up until 9th grade and the 31st is a marching day for students from 9th through 12th grade. (which also means that there is no school either Thrusday or Friday!) and Sunday the 2nd is a day to honor the dead, when all the indigenous people visit the cemeteries and eat the favorite food of the dead and special bread dolls and rich thick colada morada. So in school there was a lot of practicing for the march and then a speial program for the 2nd of November with bread dolls and colada morada which was very good but unlike anything I had tasted before, with pieces of pineaplle and other fruit mixed up in it, which you drink warm or hot. When I got home there was more playing with my neighrbors and Kendy and Dagmar while Geoconda and Jose Luis (mom and dad) were at a reunion at the Radio Baha'i and we used our time to collect more blackberries and make more blackberry juice and also two popsicles! And again I was invited over for a sleepover and took up the invitation.
Which brings us to today, the 30th of October! I missed the marching becuase I started Ruhi book 5 for Junior youth classes with Claudia and Joselito. I am actually happy I did not go to see the march becuase it is soooo sunny today I wiould definitely have gotten burnt and been an unhappy camper later in the day! We are scheduled to meet again tomorrow to finish the first unit of the book and then I have planned to go down to Quito tomorrow afternoon to visit Uncle David! Although I have nothing planned for the rest of today, I am sure that my time will be filled to overflowing with games and food and fun with my family and neighbors and I also have a lot to look forward to this weekend which I can tell you more about once it comes to pass!!!
Love and hugs!

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