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I apologize for not posting these last few days.  I have been very busy with school and such.  I'm loving all my classes so far and I truly looking forward to going to school everyday (minus the whole bus rides).  It's quite nice, my two favorite classes are on the same day, but this is also the day I have class from 11:30 to 4 with two five minute breaks (barely enough time to even get to my next class let alone grab something to eat, thank goodness Ecuadorians run on their own schedule so being late is almost acceptable!)
My second class today was canceled (I think).  The professora didn't show up for 20 minutes, so us being gringos said "Well, looks like class is canceled!" And so we left.  However, in Ecuador, since as I mentioned they have a very flexible time frame, we weren't sure if it was acceptable for us to leave (I've heard people just wait and sometimes the professor shows up a half hour late!).  So I am not entirely sure if class was canceled, but I decided I would get some lunch.
Last night we went out for Ladies Night again and we met some awesome chicos, some of whom actually worked at Cedar Park in Ohio!
I'm not sure if I'll be posting much in the upcoming days because I will be trekking through the rainforest! I'm beyond excited, except for the fact that I have to be at the airport at 6AM.  And today I had to go to the embassy to retrieve my passport at 8.  Let's just say all I can think about is sleeping right now.
Buenas Noches

Third Time's A Charm!

I went to the Embassy for the third time and I successfully handed over my papers.  Now I just have to return them and then go and get my identification card!
And million time's the charm with my piano lessons! I finally was able to register and schedule some lessons (both Classical and Jazz!).  And my classical teacher actually got her degree at the University of Louisville!  What a small world.  I'm excited to start playing again!
Tomorrow morning I'm hoping to go to another market to hopefully find the pants I've been looking for, fingers crossed!
I have a lot of homework tonight, not looking forward to doing it.  It's just so hard to get into the mood of working when I feel like I'm on vacation and when my bed is so comfortable!

What a Weekend!

On Saturday I went to Otavalo, which is a small and pretty town that has a famous market on Saturday mornings.  There were so many beautiful things, I wanted to buy everything.  However I was on a mission for a couple of things (pants, hat, jacket).  All the pants they had were not exactly what I was looking for and I didn't like them so I have decided I'll just go to the jungle in my cotton (I might try another market in Quito on Tuesday).  I then bought a wall tapestry/blanket thing and an Alpaca sweater. I also got a hat (originally I was told $25 but I walked away only spending $15!)  It was so much fun browsing the gorgeous market and haggling with the sellers.  We then got some lunch at a delicious ecuadorian place.  The food was so good and my chef special came with some sort of meat, potato cakes, papas con vapor (I think), avocado, plantain, and two eggs (all for 5.50!).  It was quite tasty.
After lunch we walked around while trying to hail a taxi.  We went up to Parque Condor.  It was so beautiful and had a wide variety of birds of prey, including two massive condors! They had a stage overlooking the town and mountains, one of the most beautiful views I have seen in my life!
Today I went to El Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World).  It's the point where they measured and deduced that the world was indeed round.  It was very touristy, but very fun. I took lots of pictures. (here's the link to my facebook album https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150553062093112.399465.519123111&type=3) hopefully you'll be able to access the album!
Anyways, I'm quite tired and have to wake up very early to hopefully finish my visa process.
Chao mis amigos!
P.S. I've come to love Hamburguesas de Rusty (one of the best hamburger places in Quito, and there's one right across from my university)!

Old Habits Die Hard

For example, I still often forget that one does not simply flush toilet paper down the toilet in Mordor, whoops I mean Ecuador. I do try my best to remember though. And you can always tell when you're at a popular places for gringos because by the end of the night the toilet is full and no longer flushing.
Tomorrow I go to Otavalo.  It's a huge street market two hours from Quito.  My main goals are rainforest pants, a raincoat, and a hat.  I'm also going to be looking out for some souvenirs! 
Every weekend I hear music blaring from somewhere.  I figured it was a restaurant or club that had dancing on the weekends or something.  However, I asked my host mother about it and she said it's coming from a house.  Currently they are playing "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing," who would have know I could just open my window on the weekends and it would be like I was in the US.  Also there is now a woman loudly singing along, que chévere! Oop now it's "Sweet Child of Mine."
Later!

Visas, who needs them

Went to the embassy today.  Waited for at least 15 minutes.  Was told I needed to register online again.  Waited a few minutes for a computer (pretty sure I accidently went before it was my turn, but that's what you get when you sit in a chair and relax, frustrated white girls steal yo spot).  The minute I got on the computer the whole system went down, so I just read some CNN news articles for about 30 minutes.  Took one minute to register and write down my NUT (still have no clue what exactly this is).  Was told I could once again return within five days.  However, since I didn't have to wait in line to finish registering my Visa I made it took school with a half hour to spare (in which I should have probably eaten something, but I decided to sit on some stairs and I ended up meeting a nice girl who was from Ecuador but goes to a university in Florida).  Oh, and my morning started off with my alarm not going off.
School was pretty normal.  But after my photography class got out, I had to do a couple of things, including getting my yellow fever shot.  It took and hour and half for one shot.  But I did meet another girl going on the trip as well.
I've taken a few pictures of USFQ but I tried to post one and it wouldn't load (I think my wifi signal is a little weak). I'll try another day!

A Dollar A Day To Cumbaya I Go!

Well today I went to register my Visa. Turns out we went to the wrong embassy. So I will try again tomorrow, because who doesn't love waking up early!
Also today I signed up to go to Tiputini next weekend! So this weekend I'll be going to Otavalo to get some jungle clothes.
Tonight is Ladies Night again. Pretty exited, because who doesn't love getting in for free and as many free drinks as you can get. However I will be calling it an early night (so don't fear for my safety/health) since I have to wake up early again tomorrow and I'm yawning as I write this.
I plan on taking pictures of USFQ tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have those up soon!
Hasta Luego.

Insert Clever Title

Tuesdays are my busiest days, but they are also the days with my favorite classes (ceramics, intro to Ecuadorian Culture, and Photography).  Today was the first day I didn't get a seat on the bus back to Quito, and let me tell you, those curvy hills do not make it easy to stay standing.  However, I did make it home before the rain this time!
Tonight I'm going to Trivia Night! We'll see how that goes.  I hear it's in English so that will be a nice change of pace for a bit.  I feel as if my Spanish is improving, if only little by little.  But I do have to say it's a bit difficult to take some classes in Spanish (French and Photography).  But my vocab is expanding, probably into things I won't really ever use again. But new words are new words!
I ventured out with my camera today (digital, not film) and I got home with it too! I will say I will be a bundle of nerves when I have to take my film camera to school.  If I get robbed that day I might actually fight back (totally kidding, but I would cry and ask them to spare me "a very old camera worth no money" and hope they believe me and/or take pity on me!)
Until later!

Mucha Lluivia

It rains a lot in Quito, but until today I had always been lucky enough to be indoors when the "tormentos" (storms) hit.  I was in my anthropology class and I could see the rain approaching over the mountains and all I kept thinking was, I need to get home! Thank goodness I bought an umbrella last week! I don't have a very long walk to my house, but it's a huge hill and all I could do was slowly ascend up the mountain and pray that my umbrella didn't break.  I thought to myself this morning, perhaps I shouldn't wear my Toms (which are probably one of the worst shoes to wear in the rain), but I decided to take the chance.  They are now completely soaked along with my leggings and sweater.
Classes today weren't bad.  Though I will say it is a bit difficult to learn another language (french) while the professor is speaking in a different language (spanish).  But I now know how to say the alphabet in french!
Choa!

Lazy Weekend

This weekend has been nice, a little dull, but I needed some sleep.  I've just been trying to figure out all my things for my classes (still not entirely sure how I buy books...).  I prepared my spongebob agenda and have downloaded some documents I need for classes.  Now I just need to start reading.  

It's a very odd feeling.  The weather and the first few days off made me feel as if I am on vacation, so it's proving to be a bit difficult to get back into school mode.  It almost feels wrong.

However, after being here a week I have come to appreciate the Bellarmine International Office.  While I may have felt a bit neglected while trying to figure out everything to study abroad, they really take care of their international students.  I'm pretty sure the internationals have a week long orientation and each get a peer mentor along with a BU roommate.  At USFQ you get a half day orientation which mostly just talks about safety and security.  There was a tour, which lasted about 30 minutes, and featured a lot of pointing.  And then you're just thrown into the university the next day, a university which is kind of known for being full of snobs (it is the most expensive university in the country).  But when there are over 150 internationals I assume it might be a bit difficult to be as hands on as Bellarmine.  However there was a meeting about Tiputini and I think I will be going either in January or March.  I still need to purchase clothes for that trip because apparently cotton is not good in the jungle and apparently all I ever really buy is cotton, or at least the clothes I brought all seem to be cotton.  I am greatly looking forward to the trip though!

Adios!

You have lovely eyes

My bus ride this morning was filled with interesting events.  First, when I was waiting for my second bus a man kept staring at me, and then began to serenade me until the bus came, which was a few minutes.  And mid-song a very young boy walked by and checked me out for an awkward amount of time.  Finally the bus arrived and I escaped my singing admirer.  Then as I departed from my bus a man trying to sell something, I'm not really sure what, said to me "you have lovely eyes." And then he got on the bus.
We had a presentation over Tiputini (check out this link, it looks amazing http://www.usfq.edu.ec/tiputini/Paginas/default.aspx). Hopefully I'll be going in January with some girls I met, or another time! I can't wait.
And then as I ascended the hill (it seems more like a mountain) that my host home is, a guy (who I think was a guard of some sort for a business) used his whistle to get my attention and then smiled and waved.  I waved back, but did not go over, much to his dismay.
So far it looks like it might be a quiet friday night, which I'm not too upset about.  I'm a bit tired from all this spanish!
Ciao!

Ladies Nights!

Last night was ladies night in the Mariscal (a area with lots of discotecas and bars).  From 8-11, girls get free drinks. It was a lot of fun and the music was, for the most part, pretty good.  Lots of American songs.  Quito radio stations play a lot of familiar songs, which is a nice little reminder of home.  Today "Sexy and I Know It" came on the radio and my host brother sang and danced to it, reminding me of another friend from home.  Today was very long.  I had ceramics (found out we won't be using a wheel, which I'm a little upset about), Intro to Ecuadorian Culture (there were a few familiar faces), and photography (thankfully one of the girls from my ceramics class was in there, otherwise I would have been the only gringa in two of my classes, which is a bit intimidating!).
All my classes seem to be figured out (minus my piano lessons, but hopefully that will get worked out tomorrow), it's just going to be difficult taking all my classes in Spanish, but that's the point, right?
Tonight I'm going to see the new Sherlock Holmes with emily and her friends.  And it's Ladies Night at the theatre so we get cheaper prices! I'm starting to enjoy being a girl in Quito, it comes with a few perks: free drinks, the busses generally stop for you (sometimes the money man even helps you out, after he stared awkwardly at me for a while....), those are all I can think of now, but so far it's been pretty nice.
Till next time!

First Night Out!

Tonight we went cosmic bowling.  It was lots of fun and I met a couple of Emily's friends and then one of her friends that I met this summer joined as well! Today was a day of firsts for sure.  My first bus.  My first day at my new university.  My first taxi.  I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable, but the thought of the bus is still scaring me.  We'll see if I can sleep tonight.  But I am hoping that arriving after rush hour will be better! So far I spent $2.25 today, and this included a bus ride and a taxi (I got to bowl for free because USFQ students get one free game for one person!).  The only downside today was when walking Emily, Melissa, Michelle, and I all got splashed by a car that drove through a huge puddle.  It splashed so much it hit our faces.
I start classes tomorrow and my first one is French 1 and then I have an andean anthropology class.  My other classes for the rest of the week are ceramics, photography, mountain geology, and introduction to ecuadorian culture.  I'm pretty excited.  And I finally have a full week of classes with my days beginning at 12 and ending at 4.
Also I hoping to start taking pictures soon, I just want to feel more comfortable with my surrounds.  Don't want to get mugged my first week!

My university can flush toilet paper! I think....

Today was my first day at USFQ.  It's a gorgeous campus, someone even said it looked like a villa.  When my host brother Fernando asked me how it was I replied with "mucho infomacion en un poco tiempo" (I was going for a lot of information in a little time, who knows if that's what that means).  I met many people, a lot are on programs that don't spend much time at the actual university or in Quito, but instead take some classes and then go to the Amazon or to the Galapagos.  Just my luck, I meet all the people who will rarely be here.  Today my host brother took me to school, but tomorrow I get to journey on my own, and let me say, I'm not quite sure I'm looking forward to that.  The buses here are a bit hectic.  There are lots of people  and the buses are a bit rough.  Lots of jolts and swaying.  I know eventually I will get used to it (I hope), but as of now, it's one of my biggest fears here in Ecuador! However since most of my classes are not in the morning, my busses should be a little less crowded.  We'll see how things go!
Also apparently I forgot to mention that my luggage arrived! I guess I was so busy being ecstatic that I forgot about everything else!
Hasta Luego!

A few things about Quito

Numero uno: very few toilets flush toilet paper
Numero dos: the Diet Coke or coca-cola light does not taste like the US diet coke, looks like I'll be kicking that habit!
Numero tres: there is lots and lots of traffic, so much so that there is a number system and certain numbers can only drive on certain days and for certain hours (tomorrow is mi familia's day to not drive)
Numero cuatro: The walls in most houses are very thin (it makes going to the bathroom kinda awkward)
Numero cinco: the juices are quite delicious (I'm pretty sure I've been drinking tomato juice for the past few days and I love it even though I hate tomatoes)
Numero seis: taxi's are cheap, but the price doubles at night
Numero: siete: some things are a lot cheaper in Quito, but then a lot of things are quite a bit more expensive
Numero ocho: the weather is a bit "loco" or crazy, in the morning it may be sunny and then all the sudden it's pouring rain. But the temperature is prefect!
So far, I'm falling in love with the city.  It's colorful, and vibrant.
I can't wait to visit my university tomorrow to see where I'll be studying for the next few months! So far I am taking a Ecuadorian Culture class, ceramics, and photography.  I'm hoping to add a rain forest ecology class as well!
I'm sure there are more things I wanted to say, but for now this will do.  Hopefully soon I'll be able to take some pictures and post them!

Telephone!

Today I finally got to meet up with Emily (a friend from my high school)! We went to Quicentro, a mall near my house.  I finally bought some shampoo and got a phone.  The phone was from one of Emily's friends and after a bit of trouble it was finally activated; I can now talk/text my fellow ecuadorians! The phone is pretty simple and reminds me a little of the first phone I had, alas though it does not have snake :( It's a but different from my iPhone, which I miss a lot.  My host brother drove me around today, we went to the hospital and a few other errands for his grandmother.  I saw a lot of precious stray dogs.  Every time I see the city, especial with the backdrop of the mountains/volcanos, I like it more and more.  Tomorrow I will actually go to my university and hopefully I'll finalize my schedule.  My spanish is coming along piece by piece, I even find myself translating in my head when I'm just thinking to myself.  Ciao mis amigos!

Wow

So I may have encountered a few problems and living with a host family definitely takes some getting used to, but Quito makes it worth it! I walked upstairs to meet the grandparents and from the porch/stairs there is a gorgeous view of the volcano/mountains.  The city itself is colorful and vibrant! I can't wait to start classes and get into the swing of things, I like knowing what I'm supposed to be doing, having a loose structure.  And hopefully I'll be getting my luggage in a few hours!

First Impressions

I made it, my luggage didn't (something about the plane having a weight limit and my bags were a few of the fortunate ones that got to enjoy Atlanta for an extra day). So far everyone has been great and very helpful.  Super tired, so I'll update more when I get the chance!

PreDeparture

It's 7am and I leave in an hour.  After a little bump in the road last night (my host family was informed I was coming in monday, not today), I will be picked up at the airport when I arrive in Quito.  I'm starting to get nervous, but even more excited!