No Pasa Nada

Hello, sorry for the lapse in blog entries but Ive been very busy getting used to my new living situation and trying to figure out which internet cafes are closest, fastest, cheapest, etc. Ahh the days of having internet at home at any time I want...actually this is much better for me because I can become a bit addicted to the internet when it is so convenient.

So let me tell you a little bit about my new Ecuadorian family. Magui (pronounced Maggie) is the mother and she is an amazing cook. She loves to explain in detail all about the way she has prepared the meal and what ingredients have gone into it. Im eating very well, meaning that I am always served a very large portion (it seems like its more than anyone else in the family...), but it is all extremely healthy. Magui prides herself in cooking very simply, using only fresh ingredients, many fruits, vegetables and whole grains. She also makes a point to tell me that she only uses "ajo y cebolla" (garlic and onion) to flavor her food--becuase she doesnt like her food "picante." She has definitely had her share of rough times in life, but has managed to maintain a very positive attitude and feels very blessed (and she gives all the credit to God). This is a picture of where my new room will be. Im still not in my room yet. They have to paint it and furnish it. It was supposed to be done by last Wednesday...I just remind myself that Im on Ecuadorian time and when they say it will be done on Wednesday that really means whenever in the near or far future that it happens to be ready. No pasa nada. Thats the way I see it. It will be ready when its ready. Im in Alexandras (Maggies daughter) room right now so I have a warm bed to sleep in and thats really all that matters. My new home is only a 10-20 minute walk from the hostel (the time depends on whether Im walking down the mountain or up it) so its good to still be close. Quito is stretched out along a narrow vally and I moved from one side of the valley directly to the opposite side.
So just when I thought that my birthday was over and the celebration was finished, my family decides to buy a cake and have a party for me. Above is a picture of Joanna, Allison and...at the moment the last name escapes me...sorry. Anyway, they are all Maguis grandchildren. Allison lives in the same house as I do and the other two girls (sisters) live next door with their parents.
On the far right is Magui, next to her is Sandra (who introduced me to the family) and next to her is Ashley. Ashley also lives in the house. Im so bad with names so I cant remember the last grandaghter on the left side. In the middle is the cake. They lit a candle (they only had the numbers 3 and 4, so in one week I gained 10 years), sang to me in Spanish and English and then told me to take a bite. I wasnt sure if I was misunderstanding what they were saying so I asked them to repeat it. "Yes take a bite!" they said. I felt so weird taking a bite directly from the cake, but I thought, hey why not, it must be an Ecuadorian tradition...

...So I took a bite and as I did they pushed my face into the cake. Thats the real Ecuadorian tradition! I was so surprised. I had icing in my nose and all over my face. It was really funny. Im so glad that my family feels that comfortable around me...

As far as other things go, Im still only teaching one student, but Ive made signs to hang in the universities so hopefully Ill be able to get those up soon. Every other day or so I go back to the hostel to hang out with people. Im torn between wanting to be around people my age who I can communicate with in ease and wanting to immerse myself completely in the language and culture of Ecaudor. Poco a poco...Im still in transition. My Spanish is improving, of course. Everyday I have to ask Allison to speak slowly--shes eight so she can get really excited about things and speak very quickly. The family is patient with me and they are more than willing to explain words and repeat entire stories or questions.

There have been a few misunderstandings, but nothing too major. The other day I was watching the news and I asked Magui if she liked the presidential candidate with the last name Correa (elections were last Sunday). She misunderstood and thought I was asking her if she liked to run (the spanish word for run is "correr"). She didnt seem surprised by the question and answered me as if I was really interested in her exercising habits. "Only a little," she answerd. "I get tired very easily." I didnt realize the misunderstanding until she started talking about running and walking and exercising in length. I decided to let it go and not point out the mistake. Whats so funny is that Magui is in her early 60s, stays at home most of the day and is not, lets say, the athletic type. So Im sure she thought it was a bit strange for me to ask if she likes to run...out of nowhere.

Well my friends (and family) thats about it. I look forward to hearing from you. Always feel free to comment--I love knowing who is reading this. Choa!