With Love from Quito

Thursday, July 3

Thursday was an interesting and very eventful night.

My quest for a used cell phone continued. I went to an outlet near the northern part of Quito because a local had told me you could get cheap phones there for like $30. Well, I got lost but I found a girl and she walked me over there. Needless to say, there were no cheap phones. However, it was very interesting to walk through the food court. I think I've seen more KFCs in Quito than I have in my whole life in the US. Although, I have to admit that the chicken in Ecuador is pretty damn good. The chinese food here is actually really healthy--emphasis on huge portions of vegetables and not as salty flavoring. The other "cool" factor is that you can get a T-Bone or Filet Mignon for $5 at a food court. Everything seems to be served with fries, which I'm not complaining about!

On my way back to the school for salsa lessons, I saw a DVD store. Well, I would use the "DVD" label lightly--not so much because the store didn't have DVDs as much as every single one was a bootleg. They had movies that haven't even come out on DVD yet, including Sex and the City. In general, you can get 3 for $5, but if you're a hardcore bargainer like myself you can get 4 for $6. Every single student at my school has amassed a pile of bootlegs to take back to the States.

The salsa lesson was so much fun! I didn't expect to sweat and laugh so much, but I was definitely panting for air by the end of the class. I don't consider myself rhythm-challenged, but the arm movements alone were hard to nail down--it's all in the shoulders, not in the upper body. For some reason, although I was wearing flats, I kept going on my tippy toes. Anyways, it was a lot of fun and I'm definitely nervous to go to a salsa club!

Later that night, I met up with a bunch of kids from school in Mariscal. One of the girls was returning back to the States the next day so it was a send-off. I met a lot of new people (basically, all medical students) and a local named Juan Pablo, who was a friend of a friend. We hung out in Plaza Foch at a bar and then roamed for the next hour for another bar. We ended up going to a bar that was Beatles-inspired (the bathroom theme was Yellow Submarine!). After, we headed to Juan Pablo's place to drink some more. There's a service in Quito where you can call at ungodly hours and have alcohol (and all the other unnecessary stuff, like food) delivered for a small fee. After drinking some more, we called it a night! I know this sounds very uneventful but it was just a night of relaxed drinking and conversation.

Friday, July 4

Totally forgot that it was the Fourth of July! Although I don't think remembering would have impacted my day in any way--I might have gone for American BBQ instead of splurging on Italian food.

I just kind of roamed around and went grocery shopping. Two noteworthy discoveries: best tamales ever (although expensive at $1.30/piece...I know, I am going to go into cardiac arrest when I get back to NY and its insane prices) and cheap internet cafe where you can make calls to the US for $.10/minute.

Saturday, July 5

By some miracle, I actually got up at 7am today. I was supposed to be at the school by 8:30am to go on a sightseeing tour to Otavalo, which is an artisan market. I'm a little bit late and it turns out that the trip was canceled!

After talking with my roommate, I found out you could take a 1.5 hour bus ride directly there for $2. I took the Trole down to Centro Historico which is where the bus terminal was at. On my way to buy a ticket, I came across a gold mine! If you're ever in Quito, the cheapest places to buy phones are the independent stands in Centro Historico. The vendors sold normally $60 phones for $40 without the 12% IVA tax. Now, this might bore you but I am going to go into a breakdown of cell phone providers because it's so convoluted in Ecuador. In case you are ever here, hopefully the except below will be helpful as most people aren't really knowledgeable about the topic.
There are essentially 3 providers in Ecuador: MoviStar, Porta, Alegro. Porta is the largest and most popular in the coast region whereas MoviStar is the hip provider that is most popular in the mountain region, which includes Quito. There are generally 5 different rates: calling a number of the same provider, calling a number of a different provider, calling a landline, calling internationally, and calling a "friend." The rates here are ridiculously high and the rates even differ depending on how much money you choose to put on your prepaid card. Overall, it is cheapest to call a cell phone of the same provider.
Most "young" people (and I use the term loosely) go with MoviStar. I don't think there's a particular reason why, but most ex-pats do the same as well.
So the big dilemma was to go with Porta or MoviStar. Although I am slightly obsessive about things such as this, there really are so many different things to consider. I decided to go with Porta instead--much to the irritation of my friends here. My reasons are as follows:
1.) Porta phones are generally cheaper than MoviStar--Porta's lowest is $40 while MoviStar's is $55.
2.) Porta has better coverage, particularly in the jungle.
3.) I could buy a pretty decent Porta phone for $45 and sell it back. I managed to locate a dinky $40 MoviStar phone, which I probably could not sell back when I leave Ecuador.

I think I made a wise and economical decision. My tone may seem defensive, but I have gotten a lot of crap for my Porta alliance so far and it's only been a day. However, I actually really like my LG and it has FM radio. I didn't even care when the girl was telling me about it, but now I am so excited to have music to run to!

So the big thing of the day was going to Otavalo, which is famous for its Saturday market. You can buy all the touristy souvenirs and such at a decent price. I was told the ride would take 1.5 hours, but it ended up taking 3! I actually the only passenger when we left the terminal and was pretty excited at the freedom and privacy. However, I soon learned that the buses like to pick-up people on their way to fill the bus to the point where I seriously considered an exit strategy WHEN the bus tipped over. The ride was nice, but way too long for me to recall any happy moments.

Otavalo was okay. It wasn't bad or anything, but it was exactly as I pictured it--stands in the streets selling pretty much the same things: bracelets, paintings, etc. It was actually really hard to bargain down to a good price. Normally, I'm pretty savvy at this type of thing, but when you have a non-Spanish speaking foreigner willing to pay close to the vender's starting price there's really no competition. I did get some good stuff but I'm definitely going to the Santa Clara market in Quito. I do have to say that the one thing I got really excited for was this really cool-looking guitar for my brother. It looked like a mini-guitar with gnarly carvings on the side, but it was way over-priced and I don't think my brother would ever play it.
I did get a Panama Fedora hat (finally!). It wasn't as authentic and unique as some of the hats I've seen the women wear here, but it suffices. I am still on a quest to find a poncho though!

It's close to 1am and I can't think of anything else to type. Tomorrow is laundry day and hopefully, sunny enough to go to Teleferiqo to get some pretty pictures.

As I write this, I hear people yelling and cars honking outside my window!

To recap, Copa Libertadores is essentially the World Cup of South America. This is essentially the first major football title that Ecuador has claimed in awhile (roughly 50 years). The first game was last Wednesday in Quito, which Liga won 4-2. The second and last game was tonight which Liga won again!

I went to school during the day as usual. I met some new people at school, but most of them were leaving since they had already been here about a month. I asked around and compiled a group of 2 girls and 2 boys to watch the La Liga game tonight in Mariscal--the tourist area that is full of bars and restaurants. The two girls ended up not going because it was raining. The plan was that I was supposed to get to Plaza Foch at 6:30pm to save a table for us. I knew that by 7pm, all the bars would definitely be packed with people who had reservations or just showed up. I got to Mariscal at 6:40pm and every single place was packed. I tried to look for the two guys but I gave up after 2 minutes because the place was just packed with people. I was literally running around trying to find another bar and get situated all the while looking for a Liga jersey. I had been toying with the idea of buying a real one for about $40, but that's about the amount of money I spend on food a week. Thus, I was on a quest to find a good knockoff. I was running out of time and I saw one that had most of the logos, but wasn't all that great. However, for $5 it was perfect!

I ended up at a place called Coffee & Toffee, which was a restaurant Robin and I tried to watch the first game at but left. Fortunately, I found a seat at the bar since I was alone. Off to the side, but in front of the TV was a table that a girl was sitting at. She was with a party that took up all the seats right in front of the TV so I was trying to ask her in Spanish if I could sit with her. A woman named Mery stepped in and started translating for me. We ended up getting the table and chatting over drinks/dinner before the game. She was a native Quitena massage therapist who had lived France and the US. She was explaining who the important players were and the words to the Ecuadorian soccer songs.

The game was pretty intense. Both teams scored in the first 15 minutes. Liga was the first to score and the restaurant almost collapsed with people cheering and going crazy. By the first half, it became 3-1 with Flumenense in the lead. The second half seemed to drag on forever with no goals. By this time, Mery had to leave but not before giving me her contact information (she has a house in Mindo--score!). While I was waiting for overtime, 2 girls of the large group in front of me started chatting with me. They asked if my jersey was legit and why I was cheering for Liga. I responded with, "Entonces prefieres me gusta Brasilia?" To which, they made a face. The translation is "Then would you rather I like Brazil?" I felt so sly and (for some odd reason) I followed-up with "porque mi novio es ecuatoriano," which means "because my boyfriend is Ecuadorian." Yeah, I don't know why either but somehow that made them feel I was one of them. The game went into overtime and still no one had scored. Finalmente, the game went into penalty shootout! Boy, was it intense! All I remember is standing on the couch and hanging off the ceiling while screaming my head off. When the Liga goalie blocked the last kick, I actually felt like I was flying because my feet sure as hell were not touching anything. It was so exciting!!

After the game, I started to head back towards Plaza Foch. Although I should have been going the opposite way, I wanted to head to where all the crazy fans were and start jumping up and down in the street. I did so for about 8 minutes, but left because people were really insane and the ground was covered with broken glass bottles. I did see some interesting things while I was there and some I'd rather not have witnessed--namely, an old grandfather peeing in the middle of the street.

I grabbed a cab and negotiated a fair price to head back home--throwing in a couple "Por favor!" and "Ay Dios Mio!". I knew it would take forever to leave Plaza Foch because people were swarming all over the streets so I kicked back and enjoyed the scenery. I did see an awesome knock-off that looked totally real, but I figured it was good luck to keep my jersey. At one point, the driver of the car in front of us hopped out of his car, ran to buy some liquor, and threw back a couple of shots before getting back into his car. Although people were thumping and shaking the taxi, I actually really enjoyed the experience. They saw me in my jersey and went crazy; I guess the sight of a "Chinita" with a Liga jersey is exciting!

On the drive back home, I realized how happy I was to be in Ecuador. It took a lot of energy and resources to get here, but I'm glad I'm here. There are still a lot of things up in the air--namely, finding a internship/volunteering experience--but I got to witness something historic and amazing during my stay here.

On another note, I thought I'd explain why I have not posted any pictures. In my sophomore year, I went to a concert and forgot my camera. Being without one, I was very aware of how we as a society have become camera-whores. Every single person around me was clawing the other to get a good picture, and you could tell the artist was really annoyed with a flash going off every other minute. I'm not saying taking pictures is a bad thing, but I know being obsessed with taking them to some degree takes away from the experience. It is so easy to become obsessed with taking pictures that the experience becomes focused on just that. For example, my trip to London was very brief. I remember going out every night and running through tourist areas trying to take as many pictures as possible. With such little time, I was so focused on taking a picture to remember by rather than taking in the experience of being at that place. My favorite museum moment was being in the British Museum's Reading Room. I took one picture and spent most of the time just soaking up the moment; it was fantastic.

Anyways, my point is that I am trying to take as few pictures as possible. I want to take a handful, but take in the experience so that I can describe it to people from memory. I figure that this way, I will remember the majority of my stay in Ecuador. Very Homer, right? Also, I hate carrying around my camera since it's bulky. I don't carry a purse except to school so it's never really been ideal to bring my camera.

Monday, June 30
Yesterday was my first day at Spanish school. I had planned on getting up early and going jogging before I had to be at school by 12pm. Well, I woke up at 12pm and was late getting there by an hour! I think the altitude is still affecting me because I sleep like 11 hours a night, which is pretty extreme--even for me.

The school has been really great. I went from having practically no plans to plans almost everyday thanks to the school. They have something going on everyday and it has been amazing. I am definitely not feeling as homesick. Actually, I really don't think I'm that homesick anymore. I have been really surprised by the amount of asian foreign students here. Most of the students at my school are asian and in medical school (my school has a medical volunteer program). I did meet two Australians though and they seem pretty cool. Their adventures have been freaking unbelievable! They have a world-pass, which is a basically a pass to fly all around the world with some guidelines. This is the second time they've traveled the world and have already been in Panama, Colombia, and USA and it's been 5 weeks!

My teacher is middle-aged woman named Maritza. She's a no-nonsense kind of lady, which I adore. We spent the first day figuring out what and how much I knew. Classes are four hours at a time, which is pretty intense, but the funny thing is that you take a break in the middle. The breaks are around 30 minutes but it basically ends whenever you come back--some guy even took an hour break.

When I got back, I really didn't get to sightsee. I was applying to organizations and responding to emails, which took forever.
Not much happened yesterday, but something interesting did happen on Sunday. I was walking down a busy street called Avenida Mariana de Jesus, which is a block away from where I live. I was looking for a restaurant that I had gone to with my roommates, but it was closed. While I was roaming around though, some guy called me "Chinita" and tried to grab me. I instinctively went to block him, but he was like 5 feet away from me so he was nowhere near me. At that moment, I thought I'd be freaked out but I was really relaxed yet annoyed. He was with like 6 six guys, but I still felt like kicking his ass and putting him in his place. I have a conversation all planned out in my head for the next time; see below for the dialogue (bear with me, I don't have the spanish language letters on my laptop so no accents, etc).

Man: Chinita!! (whistle, whistle)
Mina: Que me dices ahora? Escuchame. Primero, yo no soy china, estupido! Yo soy correa! Lo querrias si yo te llamas un brasileno? Brazileno! Te gusta?! Segundo, que haces? Tu necesitas para pensar de tus acciones. Eres patetico y no molesteme otra vez!

[Translation: What did you say to me right now? Firstly, I am not chinese, stupid! I am korean. How would you like it if I called you a Brazilian? Brazilian! How do you like it? Secondly, what are you doing? You need to think about your actions. You're pathetic and don't bother me again!]

Tuesday, July 1st

Second day of school. Uneventful but progress (Yo espero! = I hope!). I learned some Quichua today, which is an indigenous language that I have been dying to learn.
If you say "Ay-cha-chai" it means "It's cold!" I kept saying "Aychachai, wawa!," which means "It's cold, baby!" My teacher got a kick out of that.

I chatted more with the people at my school. Some even remembered my name and vice versa. I asked around to see if there'd be a program for the last La Liga game tomorrow in Copa Libertadores. I was hoping someone would offer/invite me to their own shindig, but no one had made plans yet. I think I am actually going to go to a bar in Mariscal by myself and grab some dinner. I feel comfortable enough to hang with the locals! My spanish is not in the best shape but I am better than a lot of the foreigners here (and I try... it took an English girl 7 minutes to understand the price of a Snickers bar all the while the rest of us foreigners are slightly amused at this). I am definitely buying a jersey before the game and showing my pride!

I was supposed to play a soccer game today through my school at 6:30pm. I was a little nervous because it was teachers versus students and the teachers seemed intense about soccer. I was trying to remember all the rules, particularly the infamous off-sides rule. I was forced to take the bus (I really enjoy the walk through La Parque Carolina) because I needed to eat dinner and come back within an hour. I got some pizza (salty but yummy) and when I got to the school, I found out that the soccer game was earlier. On my walk back home, I realized my math was wrong at that 17:30 was 5:30pm! Back to food, it's really fun being in a foreign place. Big-name chains have different menus in foreign countries. In Ecuador, Pizza Hut has a pizza with salchi pops, which basically means the crust is composed of pigs-in-a-blanket. I don't think if I'm explaining it right but you can go to the website if you want (www.pizzahut.com.ec). On my way home, I saw a KFC, Tony Romas, Burger King, McDonalds (two of them), Cinnabon, and Baskin Robbins all in the span of 4 blocks. What's strange is that I have really lost my appetite here. The food is amazing but I just have not been hungry. Today, I had a roll in the morning and a slice of pizza for dinner (mind you, the huge slices in NY are really only found in NY because everywhere else is a lot smaller). I need to fix that pronto!

Alright, well I am off to do my Spanish homework. I am excited for tomorrow because I have a full day (for the first time!). I am set on going running in the morning, an Ecuadorian cooking class and Spanish in the afternoon, and the Liga game at night.

For those of you who have made it to the end of this post, I thought I'd update you on my many quests in Ecuador. I finally bought a mirror. I am still searching for a watch (I really need one, I am late all the time) and used cell phone. Another quest is to trek it back to Quicentro (a huge mall) because there's an Apple store there. I want to see if things are cheaper there; I am disgusted how dirty my laptop is and have resigned myself to buying a case. My last quest, and the most important one, is to find work. I have applied to a lot of volunteering and interning places. Most are organizations for street children, but some are public policy places. I have heard back from a few but I am still waiting; I'm a little antsy because in two weeks, I only have a month left.

Saturday, June 28
Yesterday was the first time I used the Trole without any error--namely, I got on and off the right station. I left for Centro Historico in the afternoon. There are so many things I want to do there that it's kind of overwhelming. I decided that day I would just roam around the streets and get a feel for the area. It was so much fun! A lot of the places were closed, but the architecture of the area was just beautiful (I can't wait to visit a real hacienda). The streets were small and narrow--it kind of reminded me of what being at Europe would be like.
I visited Plaza Teatro, Iglesia de San Francisco, and other places I don't remember the names of. I didn't do much shopping and my quest to find an affordable watch continues. A funny incident that kept happening throughout the day is that people would point to me and say "Chinita!" Well, it happened with a lot of parents pointing me out to their kids. I kind of felt like a monument or something so that was interesting. I thought it was funny, but I was a little surprised considering I've seen a sizable amount of Asians in Quito, especially Chinese, but most have been males.
I learned a trick though. If you are ever in a foreign country and need to break a bill, you can go to banks or supermarkets. Supermarkets always have change and they are usually good about making sure they only accept legitimate bills. The other tip that my friend Sarah gave me was to keep a $20 bill in your bra. I didn't understand why it had to be a $20 until I got here. However, being here I completely understand because you can live off of a $20 for 3-4 days; hostels are like $6-8 a night, meals about $1.50, and taxis are $2 at the most.
I am still a little homesick (although I don't feel as depressed/lonely) so I decided to go back to Mariscal to a place called the G-Spot. It's a hamburger restaurant owned by an American--burgers are $1 and fries are $1! It took awhile to find it and when I was almost about to give up, I found it! The burger was delicious and absolutely hit the spot. A funny thing was while I was eating, a street child came in selling roses. She came up to me and was giving me the puppy eyes, but I was trying to communicate to her that I had no one to buy it for. Man, even in Quito, I am reminded of my singlehood and by a child no less!
On my way to an internet cafe after, I passed by Plaza Foch and saw that there was a gay parade of sorts. It wasn't so much a parade as it was a celebration in the square. There were men in cowboy hats dancing very provocatively (Lo Pinto--you would have fit right in!) and drag queens. It was a lot of fun to watch the crowd and the DJs pumping up the audience. I have to admit when I came across the parade, I was a bit startled and alarmed. From what my friend Sarah had told me, I expected Ecuador to be very conservative and I thought the celebration might stir up some anger or opposition. She told me never to wear shorts otherwise I'd be considered to be a slut and that I needed to dress somewhat nicely/appropriately otherwise people would take offense, i.e. no ripped jeans. However, Quito doesn't seem to be as conservative.

Sunday, June 29
Well, today I am vegging it out in my room. I stayed up late until 4am to download Jane Austen Book Club and the damn thing froze up on me again yet I started downloading an episode of Miami Ink today. I have a ton of administrative stuff to get done (updating finances, organizing an LSAT study schedule, etc). However, I really need to research organizations today so that I can hopefully start volunteering/interning by next week. Now that I think about it, today marks the end of my first week here. It's strange because I feel like I just got here, but I can't remember what I did my first days here.
Tomorrow, I start my Spanish language courses. I am really excited! I definitely feel more confident about my Spanish--I really have been able to get around without any problems and most people giving me directions are usually surprised by my vocabulary (myself included, who knew?).
Alright, well I am going to get some work done and then head out to dinner. A weird sidenote is that I love yogurt here. I can't really remember what the yogurt is like in the States, but I am just loving all the different types here. I think it's because the yogurt is more fruity.
Anyways, I should be getting a cell phone soon. I am waiting to be near my Spanish school so I can go to an outlet where you can buy phones for about $25 instead of the standard rate of $40 in town. When I do, I'll try and call.
Ciao!

Quito, Ecuador

My flight was actually a breeze. I popped an Ambien and was out for the entire 6 hour flight to Panama City, Panama. I spent an hour waiting for my next flight and it was another 1.5 hours to land in Quito, Ecuador. The one surprising thing was how much COPA airline fed us passengers. I'm used to JetBlue and their snacks, but I cannot remember the last time I was served a meal on a domestic flight. Even on my 1.5 hour flight to Quito, we got lunch.

I landed at 2pm on Monday (it seems so far away) and got to my apartment by 3:30pm. It took 20 minutes to communicate to the guard that I was supposed to meet my landlord/host's brother who would let me into the apartment. It wasn't that my Spanish was incomprehensible as much as it was that the guard had no idea who my landlord was. Lo and behold, my landlord showed up and I finally got into the apartment!

My room is pretty spacious and I have a bed, chair, and closet with drawers. I opted to have the bathroom that was furthest away (near the kitchen) so I could have one all to myself--totally worth it! The apartment is pretty spacious as well and I live with one other person in addition to my landlord/host. We all get along and it's a great dynamic. We can go out to dinner but then return to our own rooms for the rest of the night without it being awkward.

So I guess the easiest way to structure the post is a day-by-day breakdown....

Monday
I was so jetlagged! I didn't feel sick from the altitude, but I kept sleeping. It took me the next 9 hours to unpack because I kept napping. I think I was somewhat affected by the altitude though because I ate at 2pm and was not hungry for the rest of the day. I don't remember much, except that Chlorox wiping-down my room felt like running a marathon. Actually, the overwhelming memory was how homesick I was. I think it was perpetuated by the cold, rainy weather. My landlord sort of freaked me out with his warnings on safety. It resonated with the warnings of a friend of mine who had spent a summer abroad in Quito. I wasn't afraid of pickpocketers; in fact, I welcomed them over muggers! I dreaded being mugged because of the higher possibility of violence. A common tactic I heard is that they surround you and demand/yell. I know that doesn't sound highly dangerous but it's traumatizing to be surrounded!

Tuesday
Staying in my room and being homesick only made me feel more isolated and lonely. Even though I was so depressed, I got out and went to El Jardin, which is a mall near where I live and there's a huge supermarket inside called SuperMaxi. It was slightly disappointing and comforting to see so many American brands at the grocery store--Tide, Doritos, Hershey's, Herbal Essences, etc. Generally, the brand prices in Quito are about a dollar cheaper. After, I ran into my suitemate and he was telling my about Quito's famous $1.50 almuerzos, which are a lunch set of juice, rice/beans, meat, salad, soup, and dessert. He took me to one nearby and told me about the big La Liga game the next day. La Liga is an Ecuadorian team playing Brazil in the finals of Copa Libertadores, which is a championship soccer final in South America. After lunch, I got in touch with Robin through my friend Sarah who had spent a summer in Quito; they had both gone to Bowdoin College. I had asked for a bar recommendation because I was planning on showing up at a bar and watching the game with the locals. Instead, she invited me to watch it with her and her friends. I was so excited to have plans and at the prospect of making friends in Quito!

Wednesday
I watched the Euro Germany vs. Turkey semi-final with my suitemate. Germany beat Turkey and would play whoever won the Russia vs. Spain game to take the title. After, I left for Mariscal (the tourist area) to use an internet cafe while waiting to meet up with Robin at 7pm. Even though I have great wireless internet in the apartment, I needed to get out and become familiar with the city to cleanse myself of homesickness. I took a bus from El Jardin, but I ended up getting on one going the wrong way. The bus itself was an interesting experience. You pay $0.25 to a man near the entrance and then become engulfed by the swarms of people hanging on for dear life as the driver speeds down the road. It started to rain so I ran into a bank to get change for my $20. Ecuador uses American currency, but it is difficult to break a $20 and impossible to break anything larger. I didn't want to take the chance of the taxi driver claiming he didn't have enough cambio (change). It was a bit jarring to see the security guard walking around with a loaded AK47, but I guess I should be comforted that it's for my safety.
I took a cab to a famous internet cafe called Papaya Net. There were swarms of foreigners that I nearly wanted to kiss the floor! There was so many Americans around me that I wanted to jump for joy! I was so lonely that I secretly hoped one would just come up to me and chat. It didn't happen, but it felt good to be reminded I wasn't the only foreigner.
I met up with my friend Robin at Plaza Foch at a restaurant called Dragonfly. It was full with everyone trying to catch the game so we walked to the corner to a Vietnamese restaurant called Uncle Ho's. The interesting thing about Quito is that there is a plethora of international cuisine from Arabic to sushi. We ate dinner with her friend Julie and Julie's friend Nadia. Robin and I were so antsy to catch the game that we left the two girls at the restaurant to find a bar. It took awhile but we found a Mexican bar and chatted/shared a table with a girl from London. The game peaked pretty fast but Liga won 4-2. The last game is in Brazil on Wednesday and hopefully La Liga wins! This time I am dead-set on getting a jersey before the game!

Thursday
I woke up late and dashed to meet the program director at a Spanish school. I had arranged for a tour of the school because I wanted to make sure the very large expense of Spanish tutoring was money well spent. The tour was like 3 minutes because the building was so small, but I liked that it was basically a converted house--home away from home. I wanted to visit two other schools but it turned out that they were all partners and in the same building. After, I took the Trole (one of three types of buses in Quito) down to Mariscal to meet Robin. Thank goodness for the kind girls I met on the bus otherwise I would have missed my stop! I met with Robin and her co-worker Rebecca for a vegetarian Arabic almuerzo--que deliciosa! We were discussing possible research topics I could do for their organization ASELER, which helps Colombian refugees gain political asylum in Ecuador. We didn't come up with topics because I want to focus more on History and not so much on econometric-related research. They were a great resource though for organizations I could volunteer/intern at, which is what I am gravitating more towards rather than formal research. And, of course, they were great company to lunch with!
After that, I zoomed it back to Papaya Net to meet with Robin's Spanish tutor, Eduardo. He didn't speak English, but we had a nice chat. He was assessing my Spanish and I was assessing if I wanted to go with him instead of the school. I guess, in a way, he was the highlight of my day. I was really self-conscious about my Spanish but he said that I was a good speaker and could keep up/get around Quito, but I just needed to work on my preterite (past) tenses. Then I went to a cheaper internet cafe that Eduardo recommended to kill some time before dinner. I ended up going back home to relax and, for some reason unknown to logic, I thought it would be fun to rent a movie off of iTunes. It has been 2 days and Jane Austen Book Club is still loading!

Friday
I woke up in the afternoon and surfed the internet. It's kind of scary how dependent I am on my laptop these days. I didn't have anything planned so I thought I'd go back to the Spanish school to ask some questions and wander around the area. It was such a beautiful day I should have gone to the Teleferiqo (a cable car that goes on top of a mountain/hill where you get beautiful views of Quito), but the previous days had such crummy weather that I wanted to just relax today. After visiting the school, I wanted to go to the nearby MegaMaxi, which Rebecca said was the Target of Quito (Tar-jay, oh yeah!). On my way there, I stopped by Quicentro, which is another mall similar to El Jardin. MegaMaxi was a lot of fun, but not as amazing as Target (who has their own generic products--double points).
I went out to dinner with my suitemates. We went to a nearby place and had a $2.50 cena, which is a dinner set that is similar to the almuerzo. Later, I was supposed to go to a going-away party for Robin's building neighbor. She gave great directions, but I was as clueless as ever to find the building. The street was kind of dark and not all the buildings had the same order of numbering, if that makes sense. A lot of the buildings I've seen in Quito have official and informal numbers. After twenty/twenty-five minutes, I gave up and walked back home. So I'm back in my room writing this post.

Alright, it's 2am and Saturday. I hope you enjoy this and I will try to do a daily post.
Ciao!