So far my biggest challenge here in Ecuador is eating enough. By this, I do not mean that it is difficult for me to find food that I like. In fact, it is the exact opposite problem. Every meal I have had so far has been very good, but also very large and usually with two or three courses. Unfortunately, I am a very slow eater, and I usually do not eat a lot even when given the time I need. This means that at every meal I feel like I am barely putting a dent in the amount of food given to me, despite getting completely full. At restaurants or the academia, this is not too big of a problem because I do not worry about offending anyone when they see I have not finished my meal. However, at my host family's house I am always worried that they will think that I do not like their cooking. My host mother Lucia even commented on it one night when I simply could not finish the enormous pile of rice on my plate. I am hoping that she understood that I like her cooking and am always full, but I still worry that I have offended her.
My favorite part of my Spanish class today was probably playing pictionary with a pair of professors in order to expand our vocabulary. It was a great way to quickly translate a ton of words, and both the interesting drawings and answers meant that everyone was laughing almost the whole time. I also have to admit that I enjoyed being in a class with other students that also speak very little Spanish. I was afraid I would be placed in a class that was more advanced than I was prepared for, but I think this class allows me to reinforce the Spanish that I already have and become more conversational with it.
There were many things about our trip to Teleferico today that I will remember for a long time. Seeing a pair of large birds and hearing David talk about how much the land means to him were both great experiences. I also loved the cable-car rides and the interesting, meandering, conversations that took place in them. However, I think the event that I will remember the longest occurred as we were making our way back to the cable cars. The group I was with had stopped for a few moments to allow everyone to catch up before continuing on. Right before we left I looked back down the mountain, expecting to see the same grey mist that had blanket the landscape the whole time we had been there. Instead I could see another mountain across the valley and down to valley floor. The view was breathtaking. The rest of the group also saw that the clouds were breaking for the first time and stopped to look and take pictures. Eventually we spotted small waterfalls, a little homestead, and a portion of the city of Quito itself.
While people were taking pictures I decided to move to a different spot further up the trail at a little peak. From there I could see even more of the landscape. While I was there I admit I took a few steps off of the trail. When I did, the world was transformed. I could no longer see the wooden barrier, or the fence around the nearby research station. I could not see, and could barely hear, the rest of the group. A bush obscured the homestead on the valley floor, and a few stubborn clouds blocked out the city. All I could see was natural form of the Andean Mountains. For a few moments I stopped and tried to imagine a group of Native Americans marching through the valley, and declaring this a good place to settle. For another few moments I imagined I was a conquistador, marveling at the mountains and wondering how I would ever find a way down. That collection of moments is something that I hope remember forever. I also hope other people feel the same sensations when they visit Teleferico, and that Pichincha remains a place that can foster those experiences.
My favorite part of my Spanish class today was probably playing pictionary with a pair of professors in order to expand our vocabulary. It was a great way to quickly translate a ton of words, and both the interesting drawings and answers meant that everyone was laughing almost the whole time. I also have to admit that I enjoyed being in a class with other students that also speak very little Spanish. I was afraid I would be placed in a class that was more advanced than I was prepared for, but I think this class allows me to reinforce the Spanish that I already have and become more conversational with it.
There were many things about our trip to Teleferico today that I will remember for a long time. Seeing a pair of large birds and hearing David talk about how much the land means to him were both great experiences. I also loved the cable-car rides and the interesting, meandering, conversations that took place in them. However, I think the event that I will remember the longest occurred as we were making our way back to the cable cars. The group I was with had stopped for a few moments to allow everyone to catch up before continuing on. Right before we left I looked back down the mountain, expecting to see the same grey mist that had blanket the landscape the whole time we had been there. Instead I could see another mountain across the valley and down to valley floor. The view was breathtaking. The rest of the group also saw that the clouds were breaking for the first time and stopped to look and take pictures. Eventually we spotted small waterfalls, a little homestead, and a portion of the city of Quito itself.
While people were taking pictures I decided to move to a different spot further up the trail at a little peak. From there I could see even more of the landscape. While I was there I admit I took a few steps off of the trail. When I did, the world was transformed. I could no longer see the wooden barrier, or the fence around the nearby research station. I could not see, and could barely hear, the rest of the group. A bush obscured the homestead on the valley floor, and a few stubborn clouds blocked out the city. All I could see was natural form of the Andean Mountains. For a few moments I stopped and tried to imagine a group of Native Americans marching through the valley, and declaring this a good place to settle. For another few moments I imagined I was a conquistador, marveling at the mountains and wondering how I would ever find a way down. That collection of moments is something that I hope remember forever. I also hope other people feel the same sensations when they visit Teleferico, and that Pichincha remains a place that can foster those experiences.
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