Days 7 and 8

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Day 7: Quito

Today for breakfast we had grilled ham and cheese, tea, orange and banana juice, and an egg. At ACLAS we had another Spanish class and this one was more helpful for me because we worked on phrases, questions, and verbs that would be useful for us to know. We had about an hour's break to relax in the garden, then met as a whole group. We discussed how we felt after taking the trolley the day before. Some people felt uncomfortable and it was good to have time to process the situation since it was new to most of us. Then we gave presentations on different ethnic groups in Ecuador with our house partners. Some of us played games before going home for lunch. Mama was not home, but Marian, our maid, prepared meat, potato balls with cheese in them, fried plantains, avocadoes, tomatoes, and cold tea for us. While we were home, Mama and Santiago (her son) came home. This was the first time Kim and I met him, but it was a short interaction because we were about to leave. Afterward, 10 of us met to go bowling at Quicentro (the mall). It was $2.50 per person per game. We got ice cream (passion fruit) and hung out for a little longer before heading home. I skyped with my parents and one brother and it was good to talk to them. For dinner, we had quimbolitos, which is like a cake steamed in leaves and cheese empanadas with sugar on top. They were both really good! Zully and Anita were with us for dinner, then we all went to take Anita home. Kim and I watched The Great British Baking Show, then went to bed.



Day 8: Quito

For breakfast, we had apples, pears, plums, bananas, leftover empanadas, and tea. At ACLAS, we got information about our trip to Otavalo and time to ask questions. After about an hour of free time, half of us went to cooking class at Emily and Payton's house. There half of us learned how to make empanadas and the other half made soup with potatoes and avocadoes. Both were really good! We left and while the second group cooked, we talked and played games. Once we were all back, we had our week one reflection/debrief. It's crazy to think that we left a week ago! Kim and I went home and watched some more of The Great British Baking Show before eating dinner alone. We had white beans, rice, and a fried patty that had tomatoes, tuna, and some other stuff in it. We're not sure what it was but neither of us were crazy about it. We ended up talking for a while and it was really fun!



Individual Level Reflection:

When we went bowling, we were originally worried about figuring out our shoe size for bowling shoes. We had all met outside the stairs to the alley and were trying to figure it out, hoping we'd be able to communicate the correct sizes. When we walked in, I realized that no one was wearing bowling shoes. I am so used to them being a necessary part of bowling that it struck me as odd. There was even a lady bowling in tall heels! However, it was nice not to put on a different pair of shoes or worry about finding the correct size in another country. It was a bit of a relief. Even though we had a few people in our group who have pretty good Spanish, it still took a little bit to communicate what we wanted to get the correct price. It made me realize how dependent I am on other people here since I do not know Spanish, beyond a handful of words. While I have been aware of this on the entire trip, I noticed that I was relieved that I did not have to try to figure out how to communicate what I wanted to do. While I am trying to learn some Spanish, I feel comforted by the fact that I have people with me who can help with communications. It makes staying here less stressful and I am very grateful for the friends I have here who are helping me out every day. I have been using CQ Drive to try my best to expand my Spanish vocabulary and attempt to use it more daily. While I am nowhere near having full conversations yet, I am making an effort to connect more to my host family in this way when I can, even if it is something small.

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Comments

[Carolyn Mellinger]

Enjoying the blog
Your mom just gave me the blog information and I have been reading to get caught up. Your experiences are interesting to me and I am glad you are having these culturally broadening weeks and getting credit for it. We are well and busy but always happy to hear from you!