Back to Quito!

I made it back to Quito, safe and sound. Stupid American Airlines made us sit on the tarmac for 2 hours before we left cause the water system was leaking or something. So that was frustrating, but it just made me extra relieved to finally get here. Mom took me to SFO at 4 in the morning which was very nice of her. Then I listened to my new David Sedaris audio book until we boarded. I managed to sleep some on the first flight which was nice and unexpected :). Then I hung out in Miami and got myself my last Starbucks coffee for a while and perused magazines without buying anything. Then I hung out on the plane for 2 hours before takeoff but I nearly finished the paperback I brought with me (Kitty Goes to Washington, a fun, supernatural mystery of sorts that takes place in Washington D.C.), and I was so happy I brought it! This flight did teach me that I have to brush up on my Sudoku skills though. I used to be able to solve any of them given a good amount of time but I nearly couldn't get through a medium level!

Now I'm hanging out at home and unpacking. I already put up one of my calendars :). I'm having a few issues with finding places for all my stuff! Opps. But I have a mountain of toiletries and a growing stack of books so I'm going to have to find some creative solutions.

Also I think I'm going to try to do some of my teaching prep so I can hang out with Andres when he gets back from work. He has to work tomorrow because it turns out vacation days aren't really vacation days at his job. Everyone got three days off over the holidays and now they have to go in 3 Saturdays to make up for them! Imagine. But his thesis is slowly making its way through the academic bureaucracy so hopefully he'll be able to defend it soon and perhaps get a job he enjoys a little more.

I will try to be better about posting on my blog these next months! I sort of fell off the posting wagon last time.

Love
Mona

Quick update with photos to come

I'm helping make ceviche and I had a lovely birthday!

I have a cold.

i have a cold which is annoying but minor. I taught this morning and I think I did a good job of being energetic anyways so I am proud of myself for that. I think I get colds more easily here because I don't have antibodies built up against the buggies because I didn't grow up here. My plans for the rest of the day are rest, eat lunch, go to work, rest, eat dinner, sleep.

I'm a natural!

Well maybe not a natural, but my first week of teaching went surprisingly well. I have a class of adults in the morning who are really good and motivated so that is lovely. I think they mostly like me, though they seem a little skeptical about my teaching abilities. In the afternoon I am scheduled for a sub period and I have subbed every day so far. It's been mostly good and only a little not good, so I count that as a success. I'm glad that I'm getting started and getting more experience because that, in turn, makes me feel more confident and relaxed. There are a lot of things to learn about the bureaucracy and procedure, but luckily there are a lot of people to ask. I haven't made any best friends yet, but people are nice and I have chatted with some people in the teachers' lounge. I miss my friends though. I wish I could just bring all the people I love with me wherever I go. But overall, things are going well and I am mostly feeling pretty good about it.

Cuyes!

So this is the video you're all dying to see, I know. When we went to Otavalo and Atuntaqui last weekend, we visited Andres' father's cousins. They farm and raise animals and we were able to meet some of their delightful cuyes (guinea pigs). I thought maybe it would be said because I like guinea pigs and these ones are destined for lunch, but then I thought, they don't have such a bad life. They live in large pens with their twenty closest friends and family and munch on greens all day. They seemed happy.

 

These are some cuyes playing in their pen. And below is me playing with some baby cuyes! Hurray!

See the pregnant one??

I couldn't resist :)

Upcoming

Also, when I have more time and I'm not frantically trying to plan lessons, I will show you some awesome videos of me with guinea pigs. Get excited.