El 21 de Agosto

It has taken me a while to get my blog going, but I am finally settled.  I made it to Ecuador safely and am just starting to explore the city, language and culture.  So far, this has been a very humbling experience.  Between the language barrier and the culture shock, I have definitely found myself to be both insignificant and brave.

I am learning a completely new way of thinking and a new set of values.  For example, I have had to develop a new definition for what a "hot" shower is.  I have also started to master how to judge when cars will stop for you to cross the street and when they won't.  A good rule of thumb is that 98% of the time, they won't.

Yesterday was my first day of classes.  Luckily, my first class started at 1pm.  My host family took me to get a prepaid cell phone, and then we all stopped at a restaurant for lunch.  As Ecuadorian timing goes, my family didn't leave the restaurant until 12:40, in which we walked to the bus stop so that I could take my 20 minute bus ride.

I think my host parents' favorite thing to say to me is "tranquila" or "calm." I arrived to school 15 minutes late, got lost finding my class, got bad directions and then got even more lost on campus.  Around 1:40, I found my teacher, who happened to have forgotten that we had class today.  I was "más tranquila" after that.

A few days ago, the students from my OUS program and I went on a tour of the old historical district in Quito.  We saw the main plazas, tons of churches, museums etc.  My favorite part was climbing up La Basílica del Voto Nacional.  I'll post more photos, but here's a few for now:

 At La Basilica with the city behind me.

 One of the churches in Quito.

 My lunch: Locro de Papas (Potato soup) and Rosero (a traditional drink juice, fruit pieces and yogurt).

 The Church in La Basilica.

 At the top of La Basilica.

Celebrating my climb and view of the city.