lunch with Javier and more.......

Javier, my dear Spanish teacher from Pittsfield, who is back here in Ecuador, took me out to lunch today.  What a treat!  We have so much fun together because there are so many wonderful memories & so much laughter.  I don´t know where we went, but it wasn´t nearby.  Since he now has a car, traveling there was easy, if you ignore the fact that being in a moving vehicle is muy peligroso (very dangerous).
We ate encebollado--a kind of fish stew/soup with lots of onions.  ¡Excelente!

I have completed my practice teaching, which I believe went well.  Below is a photo of the students, with their certificates from the practice teaching.  Will get feedback mañana.

Saturday I´m off to Cuenca.  Will be doing student placement testing on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday.  Teaching officially begins on Thursday.  My teaching hours will be 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM & 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday.  This is to accommodate people who are working and want to learn English, so have to go to school either before or after work.  My sleeping routine & hours have been turned upside down.  Am making it work!

today is my birthday!

My birthday present from my dear daughter, Rachel, is that she is helping me figure out how to put photos on my blog.  It's a WONDERFUL gift!!  The picture above on top above is of Nancy, whose home I am living in.  She bought me a birthday treat!

Cochasquí addendum

I neglected to say in the Cochasquí entry that the climb to the area where the pyramids are was more of an adventure than is typical because there happened to be a 4-wheeler road race along the cobbled, stony road that we climbed.  Normally there are pick-up trucks that people can jump into so that they don´t have to climb the whole way up there.  Not only were there no pick-up trucks, but we had to run for our lives to get out of the way when the 4-wheelers came zooming up the road.  I learned the word for 4-wheeler:  cuadron, which was not high on my list of new vocabulary, but one never knows when certain words will come in handy!

Cochasquí

Today I went with Nancy to see the pyramids in Cochasquí.  We took several buses & walked a great deal to get there.  Walking was hard (actually breathing was hard!) because it was uphill with a significant increase in altitude, but I did it!  Yeah!!  It was very interesting--pre-Inca.  We went on a tour with a guide, who of course spoke en español.  I didn´t understand as much as I would have liked, but got some of it & have to be patient with my comprehension.  This place seems to be a well-kept secret.  No one I know has been there & it´s not even in my Lonely Planet Guide Book.  The only other people with us on the tour were a local couple. 

In less than a week, I´ll be in Cuenca, my teaching & living destination.  Can´t wait!

cultura

On Tuesday night I went with Nancy to a wonderful art opening exhibition at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador.  The artwork was very interesting--all of brujas (witches), mostly black and white, but some red too.  The way the work was displayed was as interesting as the work itself.  There were also 2 brief dance performances, which added to the exhibit.

Yesterday, with my fellow teachers-to-be, went to the Guayasamin Museum.  So powerful!  What a magnificent place.  This famous Ecuadorian artist has captured, through his artwork, so much pain that so many people have experienced, especially, but not limited to, indigenous people of Ecuador & Latin America and others who have suffered through racism, bigotry, discrimination.  It can be felt throughout the museum.  I understood most of what the guide said, which is progress, as I find that my ability to understand what is said en español is trailing behind my ever-increasing speaking skills, but I´ll get there eventualamente.

dodge ball!

Just figured out how to describe what it's like being a pedestrian here.  It's like playing dodge ball & the pedestrians are NOT the ball.

el clima (the weather)

I´m not surprised that the weather REALLY changes from 1 second to the next, as that´s how it was when I was here before.  You just have to be prepared for almost anything at a moment´s notice.  It was sunny & gorgeous this morning & I thought that I should have put on more sunscreen, then with almost no warning, the skies opened & there was an incredible downpour.  That´s a bit of an exagerration, but not by much.  I won´t complain because there will be no snow to deal with this winter, which is fine by me.  ¡Just have to remember to always have with me:  sunscreen, a hat, an umbrella!