TJIF

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Since it´s Friday night and also the same night I write blogs, I know all of you reading are anxiously awaiting the publishing of this entry, so I´ll hurry along! I couldn´t think of anything more exciting than reading a blog on a Friday night...

Well, naturally, we´ll start with yesterday.


YESTERDAY (6-22)


Thursdays are nice because the only grade I teach is second. And they´re such an obidient class. Well, at least one of them is. Anyway, my very own country, USA, was playing Ghana in soccer at 9 I couldn´t even watch them! I kept eyeing the clock every so often calcuating how much time they´d been playing and how much time was left. Oh well, I thought to myself, there´s always reruns. So continued with class never putting my eye back on that clock. When I was done with all the English classes I had for the day, I went to my K-class to help out there. They were having music class at the time. Yes, Rev. Kozel, they have a music program! 😊 Though, I only got to see kindegartens, so it consisted of the professor playing his guitar to little songs that the kids sang along to. It was really sweet. Some would even get up and dance. I thought it was the cutest thing in the world! I´ll have to check out the older classes when they have music. I know I saw some kids earlier walk into school with recorders in hand, so I´ll have to see about that.

Once the bell rang to dismiss class, we heading home to La Colina de los Ceibos to eat yet another fabulous lunch made by Señora Maria. What an amazing cook! If only I could cook like that...

Oh wait, that´s right--now I do! Because once we done with lunch, Dora, Señorita Lupe (another teacher) and I all went to a cooking class! We were there from 2-6 that day! It totally wore me out. But it was delicious, and we had an excellent teacher because even as an American, I still understood everything! Next month we´ll be attending another class there. I can´t wait! My favorite dish we made was arroz con naranjas. (rice w/ oranges) ¡Que ricisimo!

We came back home and Dora and I decided to watch some TV together, and you wouldn´t believe what was when we flicked on that POWER button. Yup, you guessed it. Thank God for reruns because it was US vs. Ghana, beginning of the game! I watched in slience, reading the game in my head, and focusing hard. Ghana scores. US scores. Ghana scores again to win the game. Ghana gana...what a shame! Though from watching that game I wasn´t really ashamed of our team, I was just disappointed because we outplayed our oppents for the most part, though we just couldn´t put the ball in the back of the net!

Speaking of soccer, I got to play with the kids at school today, and we had a blast. Though we couldn´t play for long because with so many people it started to get really crazy and I was afraid someone was going to get hurt. So I called it quits and after explaining why, they didn´t seem to upset, but they wanted me to juggle for them. So they all formed a circle around me as I juggled amoungst them, careful not to kick someone in the head or anything like that. They counted out load and oohed and aahhed over the balls I played. Though I made my way over to the basketball net they have there and I juggled the ball down to my feet and volleyed it towards the net...and GOAL! I´ve never heard these kids scream louder. I´m their new favorite celebrity. I even got a hand cramp from signing my name so many times. It´s crazy fun here...crazy fun!

What a fun and tiring day...after our cooking course and after taking Señorita Lupe back to the school, we headed for home. The sun was setting and it was getting pretty dark and the nightlife was starting to appear here and there in Guayaquil. One thing that amazed me was that on every isolated street there was a game of soccer going on. Oh, how my feet itched to jump in play. But here it´s not just abnormal for a girl to play soccer, it´s considered bad. Girls don´t play "brutal" contact sports here. My only responce to that is, "sorry to hear that; maybe things will change for the better." It´s nice that at least I can juggle and practice with myself at the school, though I´d kill to play some real futbol with some Ecuadorians here! Maybe I will...

Tonight before I headed off to bed, I had some delicious chocolate milk with bread. Ecuador chocolate is to die for! I´m going to have to bring back A LOT!



TODAY (6-23)


Well, today I got to sleep in a little. It was quite nice to sleep, but the reasoning behind it wasn´t too nice at all. Señora Loyola is still feeling bad and now Dora has a full blown cold. I was fine until a couple hours ago when my throat starting hurting, but I hope it´s nothing. My tounge still hurts from yesterday´s cooking class when I burnt it on a cappachino and kept on burning it with everything else afterwards that I ate. I think the only 100% healthy person in this house would Señor Loyola. I guess men really are the stronger of the sexes. JUST KIDDING.

I slept until 8:30, which is three more hours, so after eating breakfast Dora dropped me off at the school and Señora Loyola stayed home to rest. Since the past couple days I´d been dressing really down in order to play soccer and show off a little, I decided that it was best to show my feminine side as well. So today I pulled out the heels, nice blouse, great Ecuadorian jewlery, and dusted myself in makeup for the day. Needless to say, there were impressed, haha.

Since I came in late today, school just seemed to fly on by. I came in time to teach one 4th grade class and the other 5th grade class. It was very fun.

When we got home, like usual, we ate our delicious lunch. After lunch I didn´t take a nap, though. I cleaned my room. I knew if I didn´t clean it today I´d get so bad that I wouldn´t ever want to clean it because I know how time consuming a filthy room is. I know all too well, just ask my parents. They always told me that it´s best to dirty your room so you don´t have to make work for yourself later and waste valuable time. But, me being me, what would I do? Yes, indeed; I would throw my clothes everywhere misplace all my belongs then take a whole weekend to clean my room. Not this time! My room is close to perfect right now. All it needs is HotDog.

I finished cleaning my room and waited for Dora to finish her lunch before we left to go sightseeing. First we went to the University of Guayaquil. There I bought a couple rings and several pairs of earrings for a very, very cheap price. Sometimes I feel like I´m the one ripping someone else off. It´s a weird feeling, but I´m happy to save the money. Inside the unviersity walls is where I saw the bush-head, and couldn´t help but show you all. It just cracks me up!

We left the school to go to the otherside of Guayaquil where I got to see Mall del Sur and Riocentro Sur. Basically exact replicas of Mall del Sol and Riocentro, but just...south, haha.

After returning home, I had my cup of coffee and bread before heading upstairs to write to all you lovely people. Though I´d like to ask for continued prayer for Señora Loyola as she still has not recovered from her sore throat and now is having problems with one of her eyes. Like I said, Dora caught a cold and just a few hours ago my throat started hurting. Let´s hope it´s nothing and it all blows over quickly.

And right now, at this very minute we´re watching the world champion salsa dancing, and I just witnessed a 71 year old woman dance a perfect salsa dance! It was amazing and I loved the routine so much! I hope they win!! Anyway, we´re going to go finish watching that, so that means I´ll talk to you all later. God bless.

Until next time,
Shir
<3

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Photos

ME
Just so you guys can witness, I haven´t changed much here and I don´t stick out at all. Ella es solomente Ecuadoriana y hable español perfecto. If they only knew...

Cocos
Don´t you wish our streets were lined with coconut trees instead of evergreens too?

Driving Over
With the setting sun in the background, I quickly snapped a shot of some houses in "rural" Guayaquil.

University of Guayaquil
It actually doesn´t have a name, but it has individual names for each specific school in the university. It was very, very different, but I liked it.

S-M-I-L-E!!
At least we know there´s someone out there who always has a smile on their face...no matter the weather! :)

Clearest View
This is the most clear I think I´ve ever seen a street in Guayaquil to be. Though if you look, the buildings are poor, the other cars on the road would never pass inspection at home, there are no lines on the roads, etc...

Comments

[George y Rosie]

Get Better, etcetera
We pray for you all to get over your colds and return to normal quickly! And yes, a great highlight of the evening to read your blog! Thinking you'll just have to start busting that stereotype and show them boys you can rock it like the rest of them. :) Perhaps should'a brought some videos along of you playing? Comment some more later - right now it's time to hop on a mattress... nitey-night cutie pie!

[anonymous]

be careful miss celebrity
Your head might swell so much it won't fit in the plane and you won't be able to come home. -- your guardian angels

[Peripherals Voice]

go ghana
haha, jk on the title. Though I havent liked the US team since back in the days of Alexi Lallas. I talked to my grandfather today, and he told me that the catholic church that he paid for and oversaw the building and dedication of is in Canal Ocho (if I have the spelling correct), and its in the province of Guayaquil itself. If you get the chance, you should go check it out with the Loyola family. I am getting better, although my ribs still hurt a whole lot, and my upper body is still largely covered in bruises, but I dont know...it doesnt seem as bad as I though it would. Plus, the hair on my head covers the lacerations there, and as for my chest...those are getting better, and I think that those cuts will probably fade soon actually. I feel like there is some redemption to it though, in the fact that I helped that woman out (understatement), but well...it still doesnt make laying down in bed any less painful. Oh well, chicks dig scars right? haha Well, I got to have dinner and talk at great length with the Minister of the Interior (again) as well as the President of Sudan himself! It was incredible. There is so much about that man that I didnt expect, and he certainly doesnt seem like the crazy butcher that the press and the world portrays him to be, although from what he has ordered and done, I still think he is. I hope you are enjoying yourself, and are staying safe and pain free (unlike me, although the nature of my job here isnt exactly safe, so oh well). I hope that you and everyone else in the loyola fam. gets better, and no that I am praying for you. Btw, what would be a good day and time to call, I called when it would've been around 9:45 ish in ecuador, and they said you werent there. Just let me know when you;ll be around, as I cant wait to talk to you. Its about time for me to head out for the day, as we have one more day of preparation before we head out to cover the whole Darfur region over a couple day period. Talk to you soon, my love. Love, David