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Published: November 10th 2008
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The good news is I'm actually connected in my room. I try every night but it never works. There is the is wifi and I guess today my computer is facing just right cause I got one bar. The bad news is it takes about 10 mins to get to any page. I'm praying that I don't cough so that the bed doesn't move. Hopefully it will work when I try to publish this.
So, I've been trying to focus on the positive and a couple of good things have happened. Yesterday, the girl who lives with me asked me if I wanted to go to her project with her because there was a fiesta for their 20th anniversary. She didnt know if it was at las doce or las dos. So we went for las doce. We had no idea where to take the bus and we started walking. The streets here are so hilly and at this altitute, you really wonder if you are going to make it alive, wherever you are trying to go. After a LONG walk uphill, we finally found a bus. The project is in a pretty scary area of town. You get a little
nervous when you ask for directions and the locals tell you to be careful. Anyways, we finally made it and the fiesta was actually at las dos. So, they were still busy with the preparation. The people there were so nice. I met everybody and they all kissed me on the cheek (which reminds me of Belgium). The kids were all over us and they all wanted to know my name. As usual, I was pretty uncomfortable but very quickly I started playing with the kids. We created 2 teams to play basketball and my team kicked some ass. I made my 10yr old partner very proud. It seems like sports allow me to break the ice with the kids, especially when I have no idea what they are saying to me. We lended a hand to the women for the preparation and then they told us to sit down with them. I was very happy because again, 30 mins of basketball at 3000 meters of altitude kicked my butt.
There were about 10 of us and they insisted that we shared their food and wine. People here get really offended when you don't take what they give you, even
if you try to decline very politely. So I ate a tuna sandwich and drank from a cup that had to be 80 yrs old and prayed that I wouldn't get sick. What they call wine here is more like cider made of peaches. It was really good. The atmosphere was very relaxed and festive and everybody was laughing. Except for us, the two gringas because we had no idea what was so funny. Then, as always came the questions about Obama. They seemed fascinated by what I was saying, it was really weird but encouraging for my spanish. The parents started to arrive and again they were all very friendly and very polite and courteous. Very different from my project.
As every day in Quito, it started pouring and got really cold so we moved everything inside. They had hired a comic dude who was not that funny at all by U.S. standards but everyone was laughing really hard. It was like 100 people in a very small room. We were all sitting or standing on top of each other. Then they had some regional dancing and singing. It was so cold, and my roommate couldn't take it anymore.
And we left. I told them that I'd like to work there maybe twice a week and they were very excited. It was good to be around kids who behaved normally. Not fighting or screaming, just being kids. So, I'm pretty excited and I hope i can work there. It's very far away from the house but oh well.
Today, my roommate and I decided to go to La Mitad del Mundo, on the very Equator. We took the bus in the wrong direction. At some point, the guy asked us if we were going to get off and I said : no we are going to La Mitad del Mundo. He didnt say anything and gave me the look that says whatever stupid gringos. Thats when I realized that we were going back the way we came. We finally made it. It was very touristy. We took a few pictures with our feet on each side of the world. Then, we found a small museum run by scientists who explained to us that the Equator is actually in a different spot. So, much for our pictures. It was very interesting to learn that all the archelogical sites (pre-inca)
in and around Quito are perfectually lined up with the ecuador and the tropic lines. I want to go back and visit some of those. We went to another museum and then headed home.
Tonight, I realized that I haven't laughed in 3 weeks. It's very hard to laugh in a different language. I always miss the jokes. And people who don't speak very good english miss mine. I have become so significant about this whole thing, it's ridiculous.
So, that was my weekend. I'm traveling around with a 19yr old German. It's very interesting how easily people bound in situations where they don't have much choice. You find yourself being freinds with people you wouldn't even talk to in your normal environment.
I also got an email back from another orphanage I wrote to. And they said they would love to have me there to volunteer. So, I'm going to check it out this week. I'm not taking any spanish lessons this week. Vacation yayy. So, I'll have time to take care of a few things. My sunblock spilled in my bag today and all over my passport. Not good. I'm gonna have to check with
the embassy what I can do about it. I don't think the U.S immigration officers will like this even though it now smells very good.
Alright, ready for another week.
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