Thanksgiving Cuenca style!

Hey, sorry i haven't updated this since the last big thing in my life here in Cuenca. So when i went to go to Thanksgiving dinner with two other exchange students, Savannah- California, and Matt-Colorado, we went to San Carlos a restaurante for Gringos ( white expatriots from America). Going wasn't the only highlight for me, don't get me wrong just eating something to celebrate Thanksgiving was really nice, but just to show you how small this world is, before i left my mom told me about one of her friends (Roxanna) and she has a friend that was living in Cuenca and that i should try to find her, but the funny thing is met a lady that night that was from California, and i didn't really register that, that lady was the friend of my moms friend. I had no clue i was talking to her until my mom sent me an email saying i had met her, and her family that night. Other then that the food was as close as you could get to having the real dinner back home! Turkey, ham, stuffing, ect, but no pumpkin pie. Thats ok it was just nice having a Thanksgiving dinner with good friends! Here are some pic's of my version of thanksgiving!

Madrina Madness!!! & Halloween Hallows

Hola mis lectores ( my readers) this is what happened on halloween weekend here in Ecuador! First with the big special day for me and my family, the day i represented my Quimico clase ( chemistry class) as their Madrina. I had to get up early around 6 to get my hair done, ok that may sound like sleeping in to some but the fact that i went out with my sisters the previous night, and got home around 3:30 am, getting back up at six was kind of a pain to do. But it was no problem when i got to the beauty saloon to fall asleep in the  chair while i had my head poodle-a-fied! Once that was over, my mom rushed me back to my house to finish up getting ready, and then we rushed out the door to Catalinas for the show. The funny thing was i was worried that we weren't going to make it there in time, i was told to be there by 8, but i got there around 8:30-40, but the fact of the matter was that the show didn't start for another 2-3 hours later, thats Latin time for you. When finally the show started i walked out with my date ( an exchange student from France, he ended up being a French loser, but oh well) then walked up to our stage, with my whole school, their friends/family, and all of Cuenca, because the whole thing was filmed! No pressure! So once that was over there were lots of venders selling food outside, and trying to move in one general direction was quite a workout in six inch heals. But ala in all the day was one to remember, and will be part of many exchange memories!

As for Halloween this is all i have to say, i had my friend Savannah ( an exchange student from Cali) make my costume ( a hippy), but ended up sleeping at the Halloween party. Here Halloween is really an excuse to have a party, but at least i got an Ecuadorian hot dog out of it. No candy, no trick-or-treat, no Booooo's, just one cold, boring night! Oh well beggars can't be choosers ( thanks mom, now i understand the meaning of the saying)!

Manabi is the boom-a-bi

Hola readers, here is what happened last friday leaving for Manabi, the all exchange student trip. The kids in Cuenca traveled 8 hours to a small but beautiful beach called Manabi, we got to meet up with all the kids from our spanish camps, and meet all the rest of the exchange students that weren't there. 135 in total, the sun was out, the water was up, and the excitement was the only energy we ran on, since we had very little. Once we got all settled in our rooms we headed towards the dance floor ( its latin america, we dance as much as we eat and sleep) and hit some tunes, and some games. The game i was in was guy musical bodies, us girls had to dance around these guys and when the music stopped we had to cling onto them, only us because they had their hands behind their backs. I ended up losing but its was really fun playing! The week proceeded with going to a beach resort and swimming in the ocean, and taking a boat ride through this little bay to see all these birds sitting in the white dusted trees ( the trees were really green to start out with.) The only bad part about that day, besides getting ice cold water dumped on mi by a Brazilian, was that the el mar come mi zapatos ( the ocean ate my shoes!) Then there was beach volleyball the next day, along with riding this giant hotdog in the ocean, which all 8 kids riding it fell off. But i think the best part of the trip was taking this big hike up this road behind all the houses, and when you got to the top, well just look at the pictures, it will explain a thousand different words describing how beautiful the view was over the ocean.
Here take a look at some pics from Manabi!

15th birthday party done Ecuadorian style

Hola my readers,
   So i have written this blog over three times already, so here it goes for the third time, short and sweet! I went to the biggest party of my school ( Catalinas) with two of my best exchange friends Theresa, and Malina, both from EUROPE! We got our hair done at a saloon, finished getting ready back at the house and was out the door at 9:00, people didn't show up till 10:30- 11:00, thats what happens when you are on European time in South America! Bad timing , but beautiful place, the party was held at the private tennis club, twenty minutes away from my house. Everything was in the shade of baby blue, there were baby blue light, candles, lolly pops, and even the three birthday girls were wearing three different variations of baby blue dresses. I think the party hit the max of around 400 people, not bad for a birthday! The night was filled with, snacks, music, and most of all DANCING! Thats Ecuador for you, lots of dancing! Well until my next adventure

CHAO!

15th birthday party done Ecuadorian style

Hola my readers,
   So i have written this blog over three times already, so here it goes for the third time, short and sweet! I went to the biggest party of my school ( Catalinas) with two of my best exchange friends Theresa, and Malina, both from EUROPE! We got our hair done at a saloon, finished getting ready back at the house and was out the door at 9:00, people didn't show up till 10:30- 11:00, thats what happens when you are on European time in South America! Bad timing , but beautiful place, the party was held at the private tennis club, twenty minutes away from my house. Everything was in the shade of baby blue, there were baby blue light, candles, lolly pops, and even the three birthday girls were wearing three different variations of baby blue dresses. I think the party hit the max of around 400 people, not bad for a birthday! The night was filled with, snacks, music, and most of all DANCING! Thats Ecuador for you, lots of dancing! Well until my next adventure

CHAO!

Mi primero dia de Escuela!

To all of you who think that school is in engles is hard, try taking anatomia, quimica, math, y psicologia. If you can't understand any of the clases  listed, then you understand what i mean by taking school in another language es muy deficil ( its very hard.) My first day of school went something like this, i woke up at 6:00 a.m. put on my very beautiful uniforme, went downstairs, had my fresh cut up fruit and jugo de naranja ( orange juice,) got ready  for my dad and sister to take me to my first day of school. When i got there, well lets just say i was mentally, and physically lost, i changed grades and clases three times, plus i had nothing for my clase, just a piece of paper and a pen for the day. I had no list of supplies, no snake for break, and definitely no friends to help me try to understand, or tell me what i needed to do. As the day went on i met and got to tag along with some girls in my clase, and got a little help in what i needed to do; there is a God in that Catholic school, because i had some mercy when i felt like giving up. One observation i made is that even though its a very nice school, there is no heating in the freezerbox school, and you have to bring your own toilet paper and hand wipes. And at break, if you want a snack, you have to shove your way through a sea of Catalinas chicas, and practically throw your money at the snack lady. By fourth period you would do anything for food, and after 8 clases a day getting home to eat the biggest meal of the day is like heaven! Then when you are full you get to go take a ciesta( nap), most amazing thing, a ciesta! Other then the language barrier, that i must say may be slow i do get the courage to speak more, and i can tell i am understanding alot more. One month! How time flies, untill my next adventure.

Chao!

The first three weeks!

Hola, to all that are reading this, my first three weeks here have been a combination of excited, scared, nervous, and tranquila! I have had the pleasure of visiting with my family in our second house in the la valle ( or the valley 15 minutes outside cuenca.) Also trying the famous dish of cuenca (Cuy,) and no it does not taste like chicken. Then on to spanish camp in jambli, which is an island just off the coast of Machala. There i got to soak in the sun, sink my toes in warm sand ( major change from the cold weather of cuenca,) and sit and relax in a hammock talking to exchange students from all over the world. Then on to today, i started school at Catalinas, a private all girls catholic school ten minutes from my house, and there is where i felt the most lost. In the course of one day i moved three classes, and sat from 8:00-1:00 understanding nothing but a few words here and there. I made some friends, and we are going to the movies this friday to hangout , and to meet more people. I know it will be hard in the beginning, but i wish i could just jump to the part where at least i have some kind of clue what people are saying to me. Until my next adventure on my exchange

CHAO!!!