So, it's been a little over a week since my last post and not much as been going on. We don't have any more BCA trips until our Galapagos trip at the end of October, so it's been pretty chill around here.
I've been through almost an entire month of classes already, which is completely crazy for me. I feel like yesterday was the first day with all the students at the school... But, it's been about three weeks, which means that I've been in Ecuador for almost two months, which is even crazier....Tomorrow we'll have only 100 days left, which is a lot, but when you say it like, 12 weeks...not so much. December will be here before I know it.
So, classes are going ok. I like the classes that I don't have to take, so that's good. =] The two classes that I am required to take are two history classes (art history and Latin Am. history) and I'm no history buff. I've always disliked history, so having to take them in spanish is just making it all the more fun... =\ I also have a spanish grammer class which is really helpful because I've always had trouble with grammer and knowing when to use what form of which verb...spanish is hard. =] But I have male professor and I've never had a male spanish teacher, so I think the change is good.
My other class is Quichua, the Indigenous language of Ecuador. =] Today I was supposed to have that class, but the professor didn't show up, so we left. It was my only class of the day so I pretty much wasted 50 cents by taking the bus there and back, but Nikki, Haley and I had lunch at this really great Itallian place on campus. I had ''Lasagne Carne'' with garlic bread, which was heavenly. =] I'm still full.
BUT, Quichua...
I thought I would give you all a little taste of what this language is like....
¿Ima shutitak kanki? What is your name?
Ñukaka Chelseami kani. My name is Chelsea.
¿Maymantatak kanki? Where are you from?
Ñukaka Ohiomantami kani. I am from Ohio.
¿Imanallatak kanki? How are you?
Ñukaka shini shinallami kani. I'm doing ok. So-so.
¿Imatak kanki? What do you do?
Ñukaka español yachakukmi kani. I am a spanish student.
So, now you can go around and use Quichua...maybe. Let me know if you find a place where you can actually use it...I don't think I will ever speak Quichua once I get home. haha =] But, the class is interesting and fun.
Last weekend Nikki, Haley, Meghan and I were going to go see Grown Ups, but when we got there, the tickets were sold out already. So, we came back to my house, bought some microwave popcorn and watched Titanic on my laptop. It was a good night in with the girls. =]
On Saturday, I went with my friends Heather and Fernando to a paintball place, conveniently named, ''Paintball Place''. I'd never been paintballing before so I was a little nervous. We got there and got all suited up. It cost $10 for all of the gear PLUS 100 paintballs. We got a really sexy looking body suit that was padded on the back, chest, elbows and knees, a really sweet mask/helmet thing and the paintball gun.
There were two different fields to play in. One had a bunch of barriors made of wood, tires, dirt or cans and there was even a car in the middle. This was the ''less challenging'' course. Then there was the harder one. It was pretty much just a forrest. haha. It was like on the side of the mountain so it was hard enough trying to hide and find the other team to shoot them, but you had to keep your ballence and not die of exhaustion. Our suits were like ''hunter green'' so we blended pretty well. We played both fields a few times and I got hit quite a few times. Fernando was on the opposite team and he snuck up behind me in the forrest and shot me in the arm from behind. He was pretty close too, so I have a nice bruise there. I also got hit in the head AND the face on the ''easy'' field.
Here's a nice picture of my pink hair and my paint splattered face mask. =]
Don't I look legit? =]
After we played for about two hours, we had lunch. The employees at ''Paintball Place'' made us cheese burgers and they were amazing. After so much running around and squatting and shooting, I needed a good cheese burger to lift my spirits. =] I wasn't sore then, but the next day, I for sure felt it in my legs and back. It was a fun day. =]
Later that night, Haley and I went out and we saw the movie SALT which was really good, but it has one of those ''REALLY!!!??'' kind of endings...but still. I enjoyed it.
On Sunday, Haley, Heather, Fernando and I all went to church together. It was a good sermon. The one pastor pretty much just gave his testimony. Then after church, we all went out to eat with Fernando's family. They were so nice. He is the youngest of three boys. His oldest brother is married and has two little boys and his other brother is married to an american woman and they just had their first kid, a boy, who is only 3 months old. He was so precious. He was born premature, so he had an oxygen tank with him, but he was still adorable.
For lunch I had ''Llapingachos'', which is probably my favorite Ecuadorian food. =] I'm going to have to learn how to make them and attempt them once I'm back in the states. They're pretty much like mashed potatoes with cheese in the middle. I can't really describe them, but they're delicious. After we ate and chatted with the family for a bit, we walked around the restaurant's playground a bit. (the restaurant was outside and looked more like an outdoor wedding reception) We probably looked rediculous, 4 adults playing on the playground equiptment, but it was fun nonetheless. =] They had like a mini zip-line thing that we all took turns riding. It was a really nice place and I had a lot of fun. =]
Here's us with Fernando's mom:
She was so sweet. We were talking about things we miss about home and how we were going to miss Thanksgiving dinner and she invited us to have Thanksgiving dinner at her house with the family. Apparently they have a big diner every year and would love to have us over. It was so nice of her. And now we get to have thanksgiving dinner! =]
This upcoming weekend Nikki's cousin is having a ''birthday party'' so I'm planning on going to that and then on Saturday, Pan de Vida is having and event. They are going into the streets and handing out food and water to the homeless, so I'm planning on being a part of that as well.
I'll let you know how it all goes! =]
¡Chao!
World Traveler
1 comment:
sounds like a great time Chels!
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