Wow! It's been a whole week since I last thought about the blog. Too busy to write.
The first school term will be over after my 7:00 AM class tomorrow (Monday) morning. My students had a final exam, which was not easy, but it was an opportunity for them and me to see what they have learned. I know that they all learned a lot--present perfect, past perfect, some modals, new vocabulary, etc. Perhaps I was a harder grader than I should have been. It's a learning process for me too. It will be easier the next term, which begins on January 9 as I do have the hang of things now. I will be teaching the next level: Advanced I and hope that all of my students, who just completed Intermediate II, will come back. I had one student whom I could not pass, which was very difficult for me (and him too). I spoke to him and offered to give him another final exam, which would require some real studying on his part. Between his schedule and mine, there was little time for him to do this, but he did and he passed. Yeah! He came to my house this afternoon (Sunday) and took the exam again in the dining room where I live.
Every day really is an adventure. Yesterday my friend with whom I have gotten together with a few times in the past, (a local Cuencana) invited me to go with her and her husband to Gualaceo, a little town about an hour from here. I am always taken aback when I leave Cuenca and see the countryside. Gualaceo is a beautiful little town, nestled in the mountains with lovely rivers that traverse the area. My friend and her husband have a very nice country house there, up a long, unbelievably rutted, very steep, narrow driveway of sorts. It was pouring outside (which is a typical occurrence almost every day), so it was like a river of stones and debris being washed down the so-called driveway, making the drive to the house quite scary for me. I had to close my eyes part of the way up as I did not believe that their car would make it, but it did. It was like paradise in this home in the mountains. After being there a while, we went into the town and ate the insides of a huge roasted pork with our fingers. I am not going to comment on how healthy or sanitary this meal was, but I think that I would know by now if it didn't agree with me. I am occasionally eating a little more adventurously and so far have not had any stomach issues. We then went to check on this couple's museum. Yes, they have their own museum, with thousands of artifacts, dating back hundreds of years. The artifacts have been collected by the husband's family for many years. It's unbelievable! On our way back to Cuenca, we had to stop as their was a parade in the street with many of the local people, wearing indigenous clothing, playing traditional music, a custom around Christmas time. This whole afternoon and evening could have been a paid tour for me, but I was simply with some very nice people whom I have met. Experiences like this are priceless.
Last, but not least, I just received a telephone call from Nancy, the woman with whom I stayed in Quito during the month of September. She had just picked up Sarah and Rachel at the airport and they were in her apartment. I spoke to them briefly. They seem exhausted, but fine. They had been traveling for more than 24 hours, on 3 different flights, but they are safely in Quito and I will be there tomorrow to begin an adventure in many parts of the country during the holiday season. Lots of good things to look forward to!
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