No es posible escribir sobre todo que ha ocurrido desde mi ultimo blog. No puedo creer que es Octubre. Mis semanas han ido súper ocupadas. La pasantía saca mucha de mi energía y tiempo. Yo estoy enseñando 4 o 5 clases de francés con Jeanne, mi amiga de Francia. Yo ayudo, porque yo sé solamente un poquito francés. Los niños son adorables… por ejemplo, hoy uno de los chicos, de 6 o 7 anos, me dijo “Estas bonita, como una reina”. Algunos de los niños piensan que yo estoy una hippy porque de mis camisetas jaja. Hay algunos que aprenden rápidamente, y otros que no quieren prestar atención. Ser profesor es difícil.
En la tarde tengo mis clases de español, y Andean and Mercosur Markets (Comercio). En la clase de español, revisamos un poco, y también nuestra profesora nos enseña sobre las frases comunes aquí en Ecuador. Mi clase sobre comercio es en ingles, y mi profesor asistió la universidad de St. Rose en Albany NY! Yo estoy aprendiendo mucho sobre los países en Sudamérica, sobre su historia, presidentes etc. Yo estaré súper preparada para el modelo OEA, no puedo esperar. Después de mis clases, yo duermo porque de mis mañanas tempranas.
Hoy ha estado especial. Creo que todos saben sobre la situación en Ecuador. Jeanne, Hayley, Bree y yo estábamos a la pasantía cuando una de las profesoras nos dijo que la policía estaba en huelga. Yo no pensaba mucho sobre lo, pero pronto yo aprendía que ellos han bloqueado la puente entre Guayaquil y Samborondon. También no podíamos caminar en la ciudad porque sin la policía, hay mas robos, obviamente. Esperábamos hasta 2:30, cuando un coche llego para traernos a seguridad. Ahora, estoy en mi casa, mi fortaleza jaja. No puedo salir hasta es mas seguro. Si quieren saber mas sobre la situación aqui, Gooleala!
..... Translation!
It isn't possible to write all that has happened since my last blog. I can't believe it is October. My weeks have been super busy. The internship takes a lot of my time and energy. I am teaching 4 or 5 French classes a day with Jeanne, my friend from France. I help, because I only know a little French. The kids a aodorable... for example today one of the boys, 6 or 7 years old, told me "You are pretty, like a queen". Some of the kids think I am a hippy because of my clothes haha. There are some that learn quickly, and other that don't want to pay attention. Being a teaching is difficult.
In the afternoon I have my classes, Spanish and Andean and Mercpsur Markets. In Spanish class, we review a little, and also our teacher teaches us about common phrases here in Ecuador. My trade class is in English, my teacher attended St Rose University in Albany NY! I am learning so much in the class about South American countries, about their history, presidents etc. I will be very prepared for the Model OAS, I can't wait. After my classes, I sleep because of my early mornings.
Today has been special. I think that everybody knows about the situation in Ecuador. Jeanne, Hayley, Bree and I were at our internship when one of the teachers told us that the police were on strike. I didn't think that much of it, but soon I learned that they had blocked the bridge between Guayaquil and Samborondon, which is the suburb where I live. Also, we couldn't walk in the city because without police, there are more robberies, obviously. We waited until 2:30, when a car arrived to bring us to safety. Now I am at my house, my fortress haha. I can't really leave until it is safer. If you want to know more about the situation here, google it!
Also, we went to Cuenca this past weekend. It was amazing! There are pictures on facebook, go check them out =))
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Lo siento
I have been really bad at updating this/ keeping in touch with everyone... I am sorry. I deactivated my facebook for the time being so I can get 1 paper, 2 tests, and 2 presentations out of the way this coming week. The internet at my house has been down due to construction so I haven't even been able to do my homework. I am mildly freaking out. I am on campus with Shelby, who needs wireless as well. Nobody is here, seeing that it is Sunday, and we have to sit outside because nothing is open... but at least there is internet. And it is a lovely day to be outside anyway. So, apologies for lack of communicating, after this week, I will be able to breathe again. Until then, time to work!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Procrastination
Well, I should be doing homework right now. Yes, on a Friday night. I spent the day out and about, so now I have a lot to get done before the weekend. We were supposed to go to Baños this weekend, but we had a cultural seminar this morning about the ecology of Ecuador. We decided there wasn't enough time for the trip this weekend. Anyway, the seminar was quite interesting. Ecuador has found a unique way to deal with the environment. European nations, and hopefully others, will be giving Ecuador $$ to not drill for oil in Yasuni National Park, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, "one of the most biodiverse sites on earth". (http://www.lapress.org/articles.asp?item=1&art=6189) There is more to it than that, and you can read a short article about it in LatinamericaPress.
After the seminar, Clara, Kristi, Belinda and I went to do some shopping, eat out and get massages (they were so cheap and amazing!!) as recovery after our long week. We were out for a long time, and after that Bel and I went swimming in her lovely resort like pool (she lives in the Urbanizacion across from me). Now I am "doing homework", which so far has consisted of doing my Spanish homework, skyping with Jess, and blogging.
I decided to do Las Olympiadas, which are bimester long sporting events. They are every weekend, and Bel and I are going to play basketball! We find out how it works tomorrow morning. I think we will be put on teams because there are not enough international girls to make our own basketball team. I haven't played in so long, but I miss it a lot and I figure it is a good way to stay in shape. After that, we will be meeting everyone else 3 hours away in Montañita, a BEACH TOWN! I can't wait! We are staying there tomorrow night.
I should try to get more homework done tonight, so, that is all for now. Sorry I didn't do this in Spanish as well. Also, I keep meaning to write more about Ecuador itself, the people, the culture etc... soon I will! Another thing, as a side note, my family is wonderful! Sussy (self proclaimed Super Sussy, when I exclaimed over her wealth of knowledge about Ecuador) has information about everything and everywhere, which has come in handy countless times already. I don't get to see Wendy as much, as she is on call at the hospital. But I have had fun with her when I do, so I wish I did more! Shelby always has to drive me to or from school, but since he takes classes as well, I don't think he minds. We bonded over SNL videos the other night haha. My host parents are lovely as well.
Ok, buenas!! =)
After the seminar, Clara, Kristi, Belinda and I went to do some shopping, eat out and get massages (they were so cheap and amazing!!) as recovery after our long week. We were out for a long time, and after that Bel and I went swimming in her lovely resort like pool (she lives in the Urbanizacion across from me). Now I am "doing homework", which so far has consisted of doing my Spanish homework, skyping with Jess, and blogging.
I decided to do Las Olympiadas, which are bimester long sporting events. They are every weekend, and Bel and I are going to play basketball! We find out how it works tomorrow morning. I think we will be put on teams because there are not enough international girls to make our own basketball team. I haven't played in so long, but I miss it a lot and I figure it is a good way to stay in shape. After that, we will be meeting everyone else 3 hours away in Montañita, a BEACH TOWN! I can't wait! We are staying there tomorrow night.
I should try to get more homework done tonight, so, that is all for now. Sorry I didn't do this in Spanish as well. Also, I keep meaning to write more about Ecuador itself, the people, the culture etc... soon I will! Another thing, as a side note, my family is wonderful! Sussy (self proclaimed Super Sussy, when I exclaimed over her wealth of knowledge about Ecuador) has information about everything and everywhere, which has come in handy countless times already. I don't get to see Wendy as much, as she is on call at the hospital. But I have had fun with her when I do, so I wish I did more! Shelby always has to drive me to or from school, but since he takes classes as well, I don't think he minds. We bonded over SNL videos the other night haha. My host parents are lovely as well.
Ok, buenas!! =)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Una semana en Guayaquil
Lo siento que yo no escribí la semana pasada. Era muy ocupada. No puedo creer que hace solo 10 días en Ecuador… es increíble. Durante las semanas (lunes a jueves), tengo una pasantilla de 8 hasta 12:15, a Niños con Futuro. (http://www.ninosconfuturo.org) Es una escuela con mas o menos 260 niños. Los niños son adorables. Voy a enseñar una clase de francés a niños que tienen 5, 6, y 7 años. Yo no sé francés, pero Jeanne, mi amiga de Francia, necesita una ayudadora con su clase. ¡Aprenderé y enseñaré francés al mismo tiempo!
Después de la pasantilla, yo voy a mi casa, y como el almuerzo con mi familia. Usualmente es las 1:30. Es la comida mas importante del día. Narcisa hace un almuerzo fantástico cada día. También el almuerzo es de comida muy típico a Ecuador, con sopa, y arroz con pollo o pescado, con plátanos y jugo. No recuerdo los nombres de los almuerzos típicos, pero eventualmente puedo ponerlos aquí. Quiero aprender como cocinar, y Narcisa, y mi escuela (con clases extras) va a enseñarme. Después yo hago mi tarea o tengo una siesta.
A las 4:30, tengo mis clases. Tengo la clase de español, un descanso por una hora, y a las 7:30 tengo la clase “Andean and Mercosur Common Markets”. Me gustan mis clases. Hay mucho trabajo para las, pero no es muy difícil para hacerlo. Shelby esta terminado con clases a las 9 también, y vamos a la casa. Tenemos una cena ligera. Charlo con mi familia sobre el día, y después es necesario que yo vaya a la cama temprano, porque de mis mañanas tempranas.
Ahora es mi primer fin de semana en Ecuador. Tengo tres días de descanso y la diversión. Ayer fui al gimnasio con Kristi, Hayley, Belinda y Sarah. Después hice recados con Shelby, almorcé, y tome una siesta. A las 4, yo, Sussy, Kristi, Hayley, Belinda y Sarah fuimos al mercado. (no puedo recordar el nombre…. Ballia? No sé) Muchas gringas altas en un mercado llama mucha atención. Todos los hombres dijeron frases improcedentes etc. Afortunadamente, Sussy sabía el mercado y como negociar. Compramos relojes y jerseys de futbol. (Barcelona! =] )
Hoy necesito hacer mi tarea sobre las políticas comercias de Correa, y después, voy a ir a la piscina de Belinda con mis amigas para hacer una barbacoa. ¡Que chévere!
=]
Ok, en ingles.
Basically, I am sorry that I didn't write much last week. It was very busy, settling in and getting used to schedules/ how to get around. It amazes me that it has only been 10 days. Monday through Thursday, I have an internship at Niños con Futuro. (http://www.ninosconfuturo.org). It is a school made up of about 260 kids. It is privately funded by donations, and it consists of students from areas of poverty. The kids are absolutely adorable. I am teaching a French class with my friend Jeanne. Luckily, she is from France, and obviously knows French very well. She needed an assistant, so although I don't know French, I will learn as I go. It is very basic French, and we are teaching it to 5,6, and 7 year olds.
After the internship, I go home and eat with my family. Lunch is the largest and most important meal of the day. I love lunch here, not only because Narcisa makes amazing meals, but because it is something that we all eat together, talking and hanging out. Narcisa makes typical Ecuadorian meals, starting with a soup, then a meal consisting of a platano, rice, beans, chicken or fish. (And juice, yum!) I can't remember the names of of the meals at the moment, but I want to learn them. So eventually I will put them on here. After lunch I do my homework or nap. I now understand the concept of siesta. At home I couldn't really justify my naps, but here, it is because of the heat/ humidity! At least for me anyway.
I have class at 4:30. First is Spanish, then a break for about an hour, in which I go to the library. Next is Andean and Mercosur Common Markets. I get out around 9, as does Shelby which works out perfectly. We go home, and have a light dinner. I have to go to bed soon after because of my early mornings and long days.
While the weekdays are long, my weekends are as well. I have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off to relax, have fun, travel etc. Yesterday I went to the gym with Kristi, Sarah, Belinda and Hayley. It was so hot, and it has been a while since I have worked out. It was intense, but fun. I did some errands with Shelby after, then lunch and of course, a nap! Around 4 Sussy, Belinda, Kristi, Hayley, Sarah and I went to the "black market" in downtown Guayaquil. We attract a ton of attention as a pack of tall gringas... when we walked through literally every man had something to say, most of which we couldn't understand. Sussy could however, and filled us in later. It led to some good discussion about cultural differences. Thank goodness Sussy was with us. She knew how to bargain, and ended up getting us great prices on watches and soccer jerseys!! My family roots for Barcelona in Guayaquil, and I can't go against the family can I? I can't wait for a game!!!
Today we are going to Belinda's to have a barbecue by the pool. It is going to be a lovely day, just like every other day here in Guayaquil =]
Después de la pasantilla, yo voy a mi casa, y como el almuerzo con mi familia. Usualmente es las 1:30. Es la comida mas importante del día. Narcisa hace un almuerzo fantástico cada día. También el almuerzo es de comida muy típico a Ecuador, con sopa, y arroz con pollo o pescado, con plátanos y jugo. No recuerdo los nombres de los almuerzos típicos, pero eventualmente puedo ponerlos aquí. Quiero aprender como cocinar, y Narcisa, y mi escuela (con clases extras) va a enseñarme. Después yo hago mi tarea o tengo una siesta.
A las 4:30, tengo mis clases. Tengo la clase de español, un descanso por una hora, y a las 7:30 tengo la clase “Andean and Mercosur Common Markets”. Me gustan mis clases. Hay mucho trabajo para las, pero no es muy difícil para hacerlo. Shelby esta terminado con clases a las 9 también, y vamos a la casa. Tenemos una cena ligera. Charlo con mi familia sobre el día, y después es necesario que yo vaya a la cama temprano, porque de mis mañanas tempranas.
Ahora es mi primer fin de semana en Ecuador. Tengo tres días de descanso y la diversión. Ayer fui al gimnasio con Kristi, Hayley, Belinda y Sarah. Después hice recados con Shelby, almorcé, y tome una siesta. A las 4, yo, Sussy, Kristi, Hayley, Belinda y Sarah fuimos al mercado. (no puedo recordar el nombre…. Ballia? No sé) Muchas gringas altas en un mercado llama mucha atención. Todos los hombres dijeron frases improcedentes etc. Afortunadamente, Sussy sabía el mercado y como negociar. Compramos relojes y jerseys de futbol. (Barcelona! =] )
Hoy necesito hacer mi tarea sobre las políticas comercias de Correa, y después, voy a ir a la piscina de Belinda con mis amigas para hacer una barbacoa. ¡Que chévere!
=]
Ok, en ingles.
Basically, I am sorry that I didn't write much last week. It was very busy, settling in and getting used to schedules/ how to get around. It amazes me that it has only been 10 days. Monday through Thursday, I have an internship at Niños con Futuro. (http://www.ninosconfuturo.org). It is a school made up of about 260 kids. It is privately funded by donations, and it consists of students from areas of poverty. The kids are absolutely adorable. I am teaching a French class with my friend Jeanne. Luckily, she is from France, and obviously knows French very well. She needed an assistant, so although I don't know French, I will learn as I go. It is very basic French, and we are teaching it to 5,6, and 7 year olds.
After the internship, I go home and eat with my family. Lunch is the largest and most important meal of the day. I love lunch here, not only because Narcisa makes amazing meals, but because it is something that we all eat together, talking and hanging out. Narcisa makes typical Ecuadorian meals, starting with a soup, then a meal consisting of a platano, rice, beans, chicken or fish. (And juice, yum!) I can't remember the names of of the meals at the moment, but I want to learn them. So eventually I will put them on here. After lunch I do my homework or nap. I now understand the concept of siesta. At home I couldn't really justify my naps, but here, it is because of the heat/ humidity! At least for me anyway.
I have class at 4:30. First is Spanish, then a break for about an hour, in which I go to the library. Next is Andean and Mercosur Common Markets. I get out around 9, as does Shelby which works out perfectly. We go home, and have a light dinner. I have to go to bed soon after because of my early mornings and long days.
While the weekdays are long, my weekends are as well. I have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off to relax, have fun, travel etc. Yesterday I went to the gym with Kristi, Sarah, Belinda and Hayley. It was so hot, and it has been a while since I have worked out. It was intense, but fun. I did some errands with Shelby after, then lunch and of course, a nap! Around 4 Sussy, Belinda, Kristi, Hayley, Sarah and I went to the "black market" in downtown Guayaquil. We attract a ton of attention as a pack of tall gringas... when we walked through literally every man had something to say, most of which we couldn't understand. Sussy could however, and filled us in later. It led to some good discussion about cultural differences. Thank goodness Sussy was with us. She knew how to bargain, and ended up getting us great prices on watches and soccer jerseys!! My family roots for Barcelona in Guayaquil, and I can't go against the family can I? I can't wait for a game!!!
Today we are going to Belinda's to have a barbecue by the pool. It is going to be a lovely day, just like every other day here in Guayaquil =]
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Cansadaaa
I am too tired to try to do this in Spanish and English, so English it is, quick update.
We went all over Ecuador this week, starting in Quito, to Otavalo, back to Quito, to Riobamba, climbed part of Chimborazo today (at 15000 feet... veryyyy high) and now GUAYAQUIL!
We got to Guayaquil tonight! I met my host mother, father, one of my host sisters, and my host brother. They are very welcoming, I can tell it is going to be a good 4 months. =)
Tomorrow is the Guayaquil city tour with the group (I miss you guys already!), and then class 4-10!
Starting soon, my weeks are going to look like this:
Internship 9-1, class 4-10, Monday through Thursday. OFF Friday- Sunday though!
So what this means is that I will get pictures and posts up when I can, and also reply to emails etc when I can. I apologize in advance for delays... it will happen.
<3
We went all over Ecuador this week, starting in Quito, to Otavalo, back to Quito, to Riobamba, climbed part of Chimborazo today (at 15000 feet... veryyyy high) and now GUAYAQUIL!
We got to Guayaquil tonight! I met my host mother, father, one of my host sisters, and my host brother. They are very welcoming, I can tell it is going to be a good 4 months. =)
Tomorrow is the Guayaquil city tour with the group (I miss you guys already!), and then class 4-10!
Starting soon, my weeks are going to look like this:
Internship 9-1, class 4-10, Monday through Thursday. OFF Friday- Sunday though!
So what this means is that I will get pictures and posts up when I can, and also reply to emails etc when I can. I apologize in advance for delays... it will happen.
<3
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Hoy exploramos Quito. Primero fuimos a un museo del artista más famoso en Ecuador, Guayasamín. Él pintó cuadros con temas sobre la opresión, la injusticia etc. Después fuimos a la sección mayor de Quito, a las iglesias y Plaza Grande. Visitamos la Basílica, una iglesia enorme. También fuimos a una iglesia de los Jesuitas, con mucho oro en el interior. No recuerdo todo de la historia de los lugares, pero aprendí mucho. Anoche, mis amigas y yo comimos a un restaurante chino. Mañana iremos a Otavalo por un noche.
Today we explored Quito. First we went to the museum of the artist Guayasamin. He painted about oppression and injustice etc. I liked his work, it was different. After that we went to the old section of Quito. We visited the Basilica, an enormous church. We also went to a Jesuit church which had many tons of gold on the inside (16 I think?) It was quite a place. Lastly we went up to a saint overlooking the city. I think the name of it translates to "little prayer", but I can't remember what it was called in Spanish. Every place has a lot of history to it. For dinner, I went to dinner with some girls at a Chinese place. The food here is very cheap, my large meal was around $4.50. It is another earlier night. We travel to Otavalo tomorrow, and we are there for a night. There is a big market where we can buy a lots of local goods, which is exciting. It will be cold though, colder than Quito, which has surprisingly been chilly. It is because of the altitude (9000+ feet).
Today we explored Quito. First we went to the museum of the artist Guayasamin. He painted about oppression and injustice etc. I liked his work, it was different. After that we went to the old section of Quito. We visited the Basilica, an enormous church. We also went to a Jesuit church which had many tons of gold on the inside (16 I think?) It was quite a place. Lastly we went up to a saint overlooking the city. I think the name of it translates to "little prayer", but I can't remember what it was called in Spanish. Every place has a lot of history to it. For dinner, I went to dinner with some girls at a Chinese place. The food here is very cheap, my large meal was around $4.50. It is another earlier night. We travel to Otavalo tomorrow, and we are there for a night. There is a big market where we can buy a lots of local goods, which is exciting. It will be cold though, colder than Quito, which has surprisingly been chilly. It is because of the altitude (9000+ feet).
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Flights, Delays, New friends, Quito!
Voy a empezar mi blog en español porque, porque obviamente, estoy en Ecuador. Creo que si está leyendo este, sabe quien soy. Pero, por si acaso, me llamo Emma Mackey. Tengo veinte anos, y asisto la universidad de Nueva York en Plattsburgh. Mis carreras son Español y los Estudios Latinoamericanos. Por eso, hube decidido estudiar en Guayaquil Ecuador a La Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo (UEES) por un semestre. Voy a vivir con Salvador, Narcisa, Sussy, Wendy, and Salvador Cherrez cuando mis clases empiezan.
Yo llegue esta mañana en Guayaquil después de muchos retrasos en Albany. ¡Llegue a mi viaje a Ecuador con cinco minutos antes de despegar! Ahora, estoy en Quito para la orientación. Hay 57 otros estudiantes internacionales aquí, algunos de Australia, Suiza, Francia, Canadá, los Estados Unidos y mas. Muchos nombres para recordar…. Hoy exploramos Quito un poco, pero no hacemos mucho anoche. Todos necesitan dormir y preparar para un día grande mañana.
And now for my English version, with a bit more detail...
My name is Emma Mackey. I am 20 years old, and I attend SUNY Plattsburgh in upstate NY. I am studying in Guayaquil Ecuador this fall. It will benefit both my Spanish and Latin American studies major greatly. I will be living with Salvador, Narcisa, Sussy, Wendy, and Salvador Cherrez once my classes begin.
I left yesterday out of Albany, after 2 delays while inside the terminal and 1 on the runway. However, as a result I met Sean, who ironically is from about an hour-ish west of Plattsburgh. It was kind of like a Hollywood movie, when a girl is stressing out and a cute guy strikes up a conversation and distracts the damsel in distress. Haha. He is a very motivated, caring guy, my first friend of the trip! Goodbyes were said in NYC, but I'm sure we will stay in touch. I owe him a post card anyway.
Once in NYC, I had to get a taxi over to JFK from La Guardia. When all was said and done, I got to the gate for my flight to Ecuador at 11:25, boarded at 11:30pm. Phew!! I drifted in and out of consciousness on the way to Guayaquil. My carrier was LAN Ecuador, and it was a very good flight. HUGE plane, good food and such. Everyone clapped when it landed because it was so smooth. It arrived around 5:30am.
I spent about 5 hours in the airport in Guayaquil waiting for my flight to Quito. I met a reporter for a local AM radio station. His name is Jose Luis Medina Correa. He spoke very little English, so we were able to practice with each other with our non native languages.
The flight to Quito was over very quickly, and after waiting for some other students, I got to the hotel around 3pm (by the way, Ecuador is one hour behind home). There are many other international students here for orientation as well, 57 to be exact. The first two girls I met are from Australia, Bridget and Sara. Great accents! There is also Sophie from Switzerland, some students from Belgium, Kristi from SUNY Buffalo (!) and more. I can't remember everybody's names yet of course, but I will get there... maybe. We didn't do much tonight except explore a bit, and dinner with some girls. I like the city so far, and the hotel is quite nice.
I desperately need a good night's sleep, so I am off to bed. Big day tomorrow, and big week ahead. I don't know when I'll blog next, because we are fitting a lot in before we go back to Guayaquil and classes start!
Yo llegue esta mañana en Guayaquil después de muchos retrasos en Albany. ¡Llegue a mi viaje a Ecuador con cinco minutos antes de despegar! Ahora, estoy en Quito para la orientación. Hay 57 otros estudiantes internacionales aquí, algunos de Australia, Suiza, Francia, Canadá, los Estados Unidos y mas. Muchos nombres para recordar…. Hoy exploramos Quito un poco, pero no hacemos mucho anoche. Todos necesitan dormir y preparar para un día grande mañana.
And now for my English version, with a bit more detail...
My name is Emma Mackey. I am 20 years old, and I attend SUNY Plattsburgh in upstate NY. I am studying in Guayaquil Ecuador this fall. It will benefit both my Spanish and Latin American studies major greatly. I will be living with Salvador, Narcisa, Sussy, Wendy, and Salvador Cherrez once my classes begin.
I left yesterday out of Albany, after 2 delays while inside the terminal and 1 on the runway. However, as a result I met Sean, who ironically is from about an hour-ish west of Plattsburgh. It was kind of like a Hollywood movie, when a girl is stressing out and a cute guy strikes up a conversation and distracts the damsel in distress. Haha. He is a very motivated, caring guy, my first friend of the trip! Goodbyes were said in NYC, but I'm sure we will stay in touch. I owe him a post card anyway.
Once in NYC, I had to get a taxi over to JFK from La Guardia. When all was said and done, I got to the gate for my flight to Ecuador at 11:25, boarded at 11:30pm. Phew!! I drifted in and out of consciousness on the way to Guayaquil. My carrier was LAN Ecuador, and it was a very good flight. HUGE plane, good food and such. Everyone clapped when it landed because it was so smooth. It arrived around 5:30am.
I spent about 5 hours in the airport in Guayaquil waiting for my flight to Quito. I met a reporter for a local AM radio station. His name is Jose Luis Medina Correa. He spoke very little English, so we were able to practice with each other with our non native languages.
The flight to Quito was over very quickly, and after waiting for some other students, I got to the hotel around 3pm (by the way, Ecuador is one hour behind home). There are many other international students here for orientation as well, 57 to be exact. The first two girls I met are from Australia, Bridget and Sara. Great accents! There is also Sophie from Switzerland, some students from Belgium, Kristi from SUNY Buffalo (!) and more. I can't remember everybody's names yet of course, but I will get there... maybe. We didn't do much tonight except explore a bit, and dinner with some girls. I like the city so far, and the hotel is quite nice.
I desperately need a good night's sleep, so I am off to bed. Big day tomorrow, and big week ahead. I don't know when I'll blog next, because we are fitting a lot in before we go back to Guayaquil and classes start!
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