The Honeymoon Is Ova!

So we are at 6 months in site. Finally. It seems like we’ve been talking about 6 months for.ev.er. I think part of that has to do with that our 6 month anniversary in Ecuador was in December. However, we got to our sites in August so that started the count down over again. So in talking to the folks in my Omnibus we are all feeling kinda tired, overwhelemed, a little on the burning to burned out side and just a little blue. We all thought that at 6 months that when we were all gung ho and ready to GO go GOOO!!!! Thinking that we were feeling the exact opposite of how we should be feeling only made us feel worse.

It wasn’t until I talked to a wonderful and wise PCV who is at the end of her service that was like…”Oh no, your not supposed to be excited…The Honeymoon is Over!” Wait, what? She explained that it is about this time that the PCV realizes that they are not at camp, that this isn’t a summer abroad or some conveniently shorter Peace Corps alternative program. This is the Peace Corps and you are going to be here for 27 months. This isn’t a project, this is your LIFE. It’s that reality check that has hit all of us, I think, and worn us out! I won’t speak for everyone, but I know there are a good number of us.

I felt relieved to hear this news personally. I didn’t feel so crazy anymore for feeling worn out. It all made sense now! When I wake up in my apartment (that I love!) I would look around as if to say “yep still here” and then getting dressed slowly like “off to the barrio…again…like everyday…” usually by the time I was in the barrio with ladies I’d be energized again, but day after day I would have that morning drag. I didn’t get it I love my apartment why the negative feeling…I love the work I’m doing why not be flying out of the door to go everyday? Now I get it. It’s the realization that I’m HERE for real. I’m not going anywhere. So if I want to work 6 days a week…go head…but this is my life….not a short term project. If I think…in my life …I would like to whisk away to the beach every now and then… I need to go ‘head and write that into the program…cause we’s gonna be here for awhile.

It gave me perspective and I think I have exhaled. Like today, took the day off to catch up on emails and blogs and get over this lingering cold I have had that isn’t going to go away until I sit still. So poco a poco I’m getting the memo. So I guess now the real work begins!? Lol Dios Mio what have I BEEN doing?

Thanksgiving Recap!!

Aaaaand were back…but just for a moment. November/December proved to be quite the whirlwind and now as I write this in the third week in January, I’m just now feeling like I have exhaled….only to start back up in Feburary…but you’ll have to read about that later. Right now I have to give you account of what went down in December…wait did I update on November?

Okay Maybe this will actually be a quick review of my faboo Thanksgiving. I can posts about Dramatic December next 

I wish I could remember Thanksgiving actually. All I remember fully is that I kept calling it an uncharacteristically fun weekend in Guayaquil. 2 of my friends from my language group came from the Campo and the Oriente to visit little ol me and we had a blast.

I think the festivities started Wed. There about 6 Guayquil volunteers so counting all of and our friends and significant others that came to visit, we already had the makings of a big family feel for the Thanksgiving.

So many reporting Thanksgiving to be their favorite holiday it was interesting. I like Thanksgiving for the fact that it’s a non religious holiday and therefore everyone celebrates it, at the same time, get together and shamelessly pig out. I however am not comfortable with the seedy history of Thanksgiving which you have to explain to your Ecuadorian affiliates that want to know why all the hooplah for this holiday they clearly don’t celebrate. All in all since most of the volunteers were serious about getting their celebration on, much effort was put into making sure we rung in the holiday in proper form.

I also work with the U.S. Consulate and The Colegio Americano which = more gringos who wanna get down in an good ol American Traditional way. For starters We were invited to a potluck dinner on Wednesday by the Consulate. Eeeek I’m expected cook something? Ah no worries I now have the dish I can always bring whenever faced with a potluck…Salad! Pam and I made giant salad that we put in two giant containers and took to every party we went through from Wednesday to Saturday. It was a very humanitarian Thanksgiving dinner, as the affiliates of the consulate brought food and the kids of the school where we had the event were able to eat and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. They even sang songs for us and did a little presentation in English. We all have had to do our little “Thank you for coming…” introduction speeches in Spanish since we got here, so we could totally relate to the stuttering nervous girls who were attempting to speak our native tongue. It was really really sweet.

We thought the evening would end there but the good times were flowing and we all hadn’t been together like that in forever, so we went back to a friend the house of a friend that works for the Consulate (translation is livin large and fabulous). He’s a former PCV (as so many foreign service people are) and understands how it is. So of course even though we know better, upon arriving to his house we are all but kissing the ground as we pet the carpet, marvel at how clean, how nice, how cool, how big etc it is. Conversations flowed effortlessly until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore.

For us that was just the intro to Thanksgiving day…the Real Holiday. First on the agenda (well after a fitting breakfast of left of pie, green beans and cake) we met at the Colegio Americano bright and early…but definitely not on time lol. I mean you try getting 8 girls together and out the door! Plus we had to take a cab which PCVs just don’t do if they don’t have too cause frankly we can’t afford it. So we had to organize that as well. The only reason time was even an issue was because I was supposed to be playin in the flag football game we were attending. Yeah that sooo did not happen. When we got there the Consulate vs the Teachers and Staff were duking it OUT. When I thought flag football I was thinking Powder Puff…This was more Capture the Flag meets Rugby and people were out for blood. I DID get a jersey with my name, but I was just a cheerleading on the (BLAZING HOT) sidelines. There was no way I was getting in that game, even if the sun as bien fuerte as it was.

I also realized since I am linked to both parties…to play for just one of the teams would have been choosing sides! I’m the Peace Corps! I’m all about the Peace! They were out there warring, so that’s how I reasoned with my teammates who wanted to throw me in the game. We had a nice time and met some new friends. Also, my fellow vols were able to put faces on the names of people I talk about in my daily life.

As if we didn’t already have enough dinners we were going to we were invited to a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner with the Consulate folks. This would have a been a no brainer and an easy “yes” however we had plans much later that night to attend our very one quaint little Peace Corps Volunteer potluck dinner in Porto Ondo (no clue how to spell that!) the site of a Natural Resources Volunteer in Omnibus 99 (i.e. she’s been here almost 2 years…). If we had cars…we could easily hop parties…but some of us had cookin to do for our potluck and we all had to get back together and hose ourselves off from sitting out in the blazin heat. (I guess one day I have to break down how the North and the South are two different worlds and how we PCVs live in the south and the people with money live in the North and how it’s totally baffling how we are gingas and don’t have money…)

So, Jen, Pam and myself were all about fittin in as much Thanksgiving grubbing as we could (that’s how the huge salad got incorporated as the fall back contribution to every party) while our other half needed to get home and actually make real delicious dishes such as carrot cake and cookies!!! Molly (one of the other Guayaquiñas) always split custody of our visitors so we decided, those who wanna go to the dinner can come with me. Those who can bake and actually want to sit still for a minute can go to the bakery home of Molls  Oh the only way this was EVEN an option though was one of the new guys in Homeland Security offered to give us a ride…SWEET! Alright I think we had about 2 hours between when we left the Colegio and when we needed to be ready….wwwweeelll since we all insisted on taking public transportation back south that pretty much ate up our two hours. So we were getting called to get picked up before we had even walked in more door for showers! They just don’t understand how we be livin! Anyway, we scrambled, ran ourselves crazy...ran around outside trying to find our ride (only getting ourselves just as sweaty as before our showers…but whatever!) but finally we were in a car with AC on our way back up north. The house of full of people and TOTALLY FABULOUS! That is what living abroad should look like. I mean marble pillars, pool right outside with a fountain, beautiful gigantic kitchen perfect for entertaining all the gringos in Guayaquil for Thanksgiving. I usually don’t even CARE about home furnishings and such, but Peace Corps will take you there, believe me.
Oh and OMG!! THE FOOD!?!?!?!? It got to be ridiculous. WE PIGGED OUT! It was completely insane and so much fun. It really felt like Thanksgiving. I just wish our families had been with us. We recapped fun moments of the football game, we were basically interviewed about the Peace Corps and just laughed and talked about life in general. It was a nice time for sure. Being in the Peace Corps people don’t really mind if you eat and run, and while we had been there a few hours it still felt a little rushed as we had to duck out to go to our NEXT dinner. We waddled out of the door to our next destination (by car! Que Suerte) with our Consulate friend (we weren’t sure how we were going to get to Porto Undo at first) we arrive (with Salad in hand of course) to the Very PeacE Corps Potluck. More Volunteers had come in town and everyone had contributed such delicious dishes. I don’t know how they did it. Pefect Carrot Cake, Baked Mac and Cheese (using Campo cheese! There is no Kraft here people..), Apple Pie, Ice Cream, Rice (but not plain white, you know mixed rice…) Cake, Oh Stuffing, I can’t even remember…It was soooo good and so fun. Jen, Pam and I were trippin. We were SOOOOO Stuffed but Kept.on.eating. It got to be insane, but if you can’t do it Thanksgiving, when can you!?
We played games and even had a coloring contest. We got some goods from Lisa (the 99 vol) I even got a guitar! So all in all it was a blast! After that I felt like, alright I survived a real family holiday away from my family. I of course was thinking of fam and friends that whole time…thinking this is fun, but if my fam/friends were here it would be even BETTER! But I still stayed in the moment and enjoyed myself.

Oh there is so much more to the Uncharactaristically fun weekend in Gquil that I haven’t even gotten too. Like the bday party we went to celebrating the life of once othe Colegio teachers. There was a bar crawl (that we missed since we had been shoppin in the Bahia all day …I don’t recommend it!) and a Chiva (read: double decker party bus) We sat on the roof, had noise makers and a cooler full of whatever you wanted! Pam opted to sit in the bus like a civilized human while Jen and I chose the roof lol. We also got prime spots sitting ON the cooler, making us the bartenders as well as the guests. We went ALLL over Guayaquil…the South AND the North and that is no short distance. We ended our journey in Urdesa at the fabulous apt of some of the teachers. WE made still MORE great new friends and danced that night away. I don’t know how we were even standing but we got home at some crazy hour in the morning. I never go out here cause I don’t feel safe, so it was just fun being out and feeling safe and being around friends.

Even after my guests left, and I swore I was going to take it easy on Sunday to recouperate from the those 4 days of hittin it hard. There was another surprise bday that needed to be celebrated…by hiking up waterfalls. I can’t even get into, it was so ridiculous and so fun. Waterfalls so steep you needed ropes to get up, and sketchy latters. There was cliff diving, rock sliding and good times all around. I lost my one and only sweater on the bus and we had to take an hour and half bus standing up on our way back…but it was so freakin fun. So all in all Thanksgiving “weekend” which really was Wed-Sun was actually way more fun than I anticipated. I also anticipated this to be a blog over my December…and it totally wasn’t  So stay tuned and thanks for following my crazy story telling…I guess I have a problem with tenses in Spanish AND English!

Country Mouse City Mouse

So the first time I left the city I went to visit my main chica Conks!
I was so excited to finally get some Campo Living.

Since I've been writing all night I'm now tired and I really wish I had written about this experience right afterward. Our lives are Night and Day! We are Truly Country Mouse, City Mouse. I don't even know how I remember that story! But after that trip I was like, man, our lives are polar opposites.

Her life is my original Peace Corps dream. I know have had to realize a new dream and I do love my life here but the Campo is so what I'm talkin about!

First a little just about this visit. It was so good seeing my girl! I'm so proud of her. She has done such a good job integrating and he Spanish is awesome. She was in the beginners group with me and she was just using verbs ad tenses I had neva heard. I was like you go girl! She lives with the cutest abuelaita and a fam that loves her to pieces. Before when she went to her site visit she was like there is no way I can live in that place. It was a cluster of houses with no privacy, some of the floors were dirt and it was just way campo, way outdoorsy and roughin it. Now she's talking aobut stayin with the family and just moving into a house that's attached to them! I thought that was really awesome and shows tremendous growth. I got to met her youth group, her counterpart, her wonderful family and neighbors. Oh my lord she lives in front of a huge vast bamboo forest!! ITS INCREDIBLE its so beautiful I would be out there aaalll the time. Her family owns that land too. We went to a fiesta until three at night and walked back in the woods and across a bridge that was a single piece of bamboo across to a creek with a bamboo handle bar. So scary but so fun. See this is why I need to have a camera when I travel. I cannot imagine walking N E where at night like that without a care in the world. It was great. We went to a soccer tournament game that was ooodles of fun. She has an aerobics class that she gives in the front yard of a family and all the ladies came and we had so much fun. The men of course were looking out of the windows commenting or making jokes to show off. Men. lol. Def didn't get out of there hammocks or put down the beers to come work. No. They were so funny too. Not like the men here. So let me just give it to you the Country Mouse/City Mouse Comparison list...since I keep making the references....

Let's see...
The Campo has a certain quiet that is sooooo wonderful. I long for quiet all the time. It's soooo loud, and active and even when its quiet at 3 am it's more of a city eerie quiet. Like is someone going to jump out of a bush and stab me? quiet. Usually though it's just loud loud loud noise noise noise. In the campo even when there is music or people talking, all the trees and grass and dirt just pad noise and it's tranquilo. Here one car passing by sounds like it's driving through my room and I'm on the 7th floor! But this concrete jungle echos and carries noise everywhere. So quiet....

Oh Greeeeen, green, green everywhere! And wide open spaces! It's so nice. Again it's just easy on the senses. Of course with Green comes the bugs though right? So that's the trade off there. I long for green though. I do go to the Malecon where there is water to try to touch nature, but it's nice when your back yard is a forest.

The people. I love campo people. You can speak to them, actually it's expected. You can say hi, wave, smile it's all allowed. Here in the mean streets, you get to speakin and smiling and in a block you would probably have a line of men drooling at your heels wanting to know what's up with tonight. No.thanks. It's SO hard not to look at people and smile. I mean I'm from Missouri! I hear its a very New York thing. Get your mean mug face, walk brisk and fast and don't make eye contact. That's why I didn't move there! It was so nice and friendly and of course everyone knows the nice new gringa and it was really refreshing to be able to put my guard down. Having your guard up around the clock is BEYOND exhausting right?

The trade off there though is that she can Never disappear. She was not feeling well and wanted to nap but he fam kept coming to the door to just talk, offer treats, all sweet things..but I know how tired I am and how serious I have gotten about my naps! If I was worried people were going to wake me up I probably couldn't sleep for one and if I was asleep I probably wouldn't be so pleasant waking up. When I go to my barrio, it's a good, day, bad day...whatever. I go, I leave, I come home, and I do what I want. Be it sleep, get up with a volunteer, go see a movie...whatever. I can disappear. I can separate my Peace Corps project life with my personal life. The Campo Vols do not have that luxury at all. Anything she does outside of her house the people she works with knows, he youth group knows everyone... So I try to think of that when I find myself longing for campo life...

Fast friends vs Site mates... in the small campo life it seems like since you integrate you make Ecuadorian friends easier. Here since you're in the city and can't even make eye contact, it's kinda hard to make new friends. However, we are set with a small cluster of Vols living in the same city. How easy is that? Sometimes all you need is someone who knows Exactly what you are talking about. So I'm sure that's something I take for granted to. Just knowing your in the same city as someone is helpful. I want some Ecuadorian friends too though...I'm sure it'll come. Just slower. Maybe when I start my dance classes...

Little things like walking around at night, not worrying about your safety, having a sweet familiy that cooks and loves you is all very sweet and what she has, but she can't get up at 7 at night and go to Pizza Hut like can when she's tired of the comida tipico aqui.

All in all we are totally having an opposite experience and they are just different. One is not better or worse than the other. She lives 4 hours away and the bus ride was easy and peaceful. Translation? We both can have the best of both worlds whenever we want. When she wants sushi, pizza hut and honking cars (she's used to the East Coast and actually likes the hustle and bustle...) she can get it...when I want a piece of that bamboo forest and to feel a love of a fam, I can get it! So in conclusion our lives here in Ecuador serve us up daily challenges, but really our lives are pretty sweet :)

Hasta Luego!

Break In Case of Emergency/Light at the End of The Tunnel Part Duex

A Month by Month Break Down of things I know I have to look forward to in order to make the hard days just pass away....

November- Por supuesto Thanksgiving
I knew Thanksgiving was going to be fun because one of the girls in Guayaquil stated early on she is very serious about her Thanksgiving so we were very serious about making this a fun one. As it's turning out, good friend PCVs are coming to town. Some of gringa connections are also having some fun activities. The US Consul and the American School are having Feasts and Flag Football! We are going to be eating non stop from Wednesday night to Sunday Morn, we are going to be playing out in the field and having fun time slumber parties. Nov has come with its challenges but what a great light to have at the end of the tunnel right?

December- Navidad! I thought this was going to bring my first group of visitors but it turns out that isn't possible. Which is okay cause it is still New Apartment Month. My first month of real privacy and freedom! Yay I never have to put on pants or a bra to go to the kitchen ANYMORE! ooops sorry TMI. Look people its HOT here! Also, I am excited about all the fun Christmas activities we are going to be doing in the barrio. Plus December is the LAST month of 2009! This has been such a crazy, different, off, zany year for everyone and now it's over. I remember Jan 2009 like it was yesterday. Time waits for no (wo)man, that's all I know. It's an exciting milestone

Then already it's 2010!!!
I look at 2010 as the "the long haul" If I make it through 2010 the rest of my service is a cake walk. It's really all about 2010. '09 was getting trained and getting acquainted. 2010 is about really getting into projects, making a life here in Guayaquil, getting my travel on and really just taking advantage of my time here...

2010 Lights-

January- New Years! My birthday! Reconnect-An event where we travel to a location and all of the PCVs get together and discuss their progress so far. Reconnect will really be a validate our time here thus far I think. Its a week long so it will be fun to have that break and see everyone.

February- I was giving myself time get adjusted before I dove into my hobbies. I'm so tired at the end of the day I didn't know how I would do it. But now that Reconnect is over and it's time for The Long Haul I'm about to get my Dance Dance Dance ON! Feb is when I'm going to start taking dance classes at this one place I found. I think the adult classes "tropical" dances (that's what they call it) but I think it's all the Latin based favorites, salsa, merengue, bachata and other stuff I can't pronounce. I'm still looking for a modern and maybe ballet class as well. Also, Jan/Feb is going to be when EYE start teaching dance and wellness classes!!!

January-April- Marks The duration of my classes I will be teaching where I get to work with the youth in the barrio. I think this is really going to brighten my days and give me a sense of purpose. I need to remember to still be getting my travel on! Oh I forgot to mention I also REALLY hope to be getting some tutoring at this point!

May - My mama is comin to see her baby!! I have also been invited to Miami for a very important bbday bash :) Maybe May will be a wooo-sah break month to exhale after my classes with the niños y jovenes.

June- Marks a year I've been in Ecuador what can be better than that?

July- Will probably do some fun 4th of July stuff will probably visit the new kids on the block that will be starting training and visit my Cayambe Family. (all this time, I'm still enjoying Everyday with the Mujeres, Improving my language, making good on some projects I have started and dancing it up!)

August- A YEAR of being an official PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER. We have our Mid Service event where we AALLL get together and I simply cannot wait for this! This is really going to be a grand moment for us. This is another real light at the end of the tunnel. I know it seems like so now we have another whooole year to go, but I KNOW after August time is going to really zip on by.

Sept-December- Apply what we learned at Mid Service (we get new ideas to implement from the PC staff during the event), Now is the time where I get to improve upon what I kinda messed up the year before. The Mujeres have event that they do every year. Well Sept of 2009 I was clueless and could barely speak. I'm hoping by Sept 2010 I can be real asset to the events such as Day of Nutrition in Oct, be instrumental in the Thanksgiving donations this year, and really contribute to the Navidad celebration now that I know what one looks like and how they get down! Really excited for a second go at these things :)

2011!! Already!

January- Family reunion in Orlando! My first officially planned US trip (we'll see about May '10) and of course New Years and 30th!! Birthday!

Feb-April- My last time teaching my classes gotta make it great!

okay so here's the deal. Right now I want to apply to be a co-trainer. Our co-trainers were awesome and fun and really added so much to our training experience. A Co-trainer is a volunteer who is currently serving in country who wraps up their service three months early to assist with a new incoming group. So remember those three months I had training in Cayambe? Well there were people that wrapped up their service early to be there with us. After we swore in, they left and returned to the US. IF I am able to be a co-trainer... Theeen...

May- is all about wrapping up my service officially!!

June-August- Will be training with a new Omnibus and COS ...Close OF Service. And then....just like that...the whole thing is over. Sad huh?

There are soooo many variables in all of that too.Peace Corps offers committees we can join, who knows the friends I'll meet, what opportunities that are going to rise. Something new pops up EVERYDAY with the Mujeres. Who knows who is going to be able to come to Ecuador and see lil ol me. Then there is just the new and strengthening of friendships here...the skys really the limit. This is just an outline skeleton of the most boring dull thing that can happen. Not too shabby! Anything added will only bring more excitement. So for the complete list of aforementioned reasons....my "super bad I can't do this anymore, I'm SERIOUSLY going to lose it on the next guy that hisses at me, tells me he loves me in poorly spoken English, or makes a kissy sound at me crap days"...are just bad days, because I know I have SO much to look forward too.

Peace and Blessings!!

Break In Case of Emergency Part I - Explanation

Peace Corps, a 27 month commitment. We all knew that when we singed up. True. However with all things, they are never what they seem. Also, when you apply saying, "Hey, I'm ready for something different, bring on the challenge!" Well that's pretty vague and it's just a notion. Oh and on top of that, "I really want to learn a new language!" as if just simply being in an area allows you to painlessly absorb vocabulary, ability to conjugate, comprehend and interpret words, and pick up on cultural subtleties. Bueno, needless to say there are some Challenges with a capital "C". I definitely was looking for a change of pace, wanting to partake in a different culture, learn a new language and, yes, be challenged :)

Well, there is technique that all of us PCVs have in common that we inevitably use from time to time and that is: when the going gets tough, the tough gets COUTING lol. Whether it's counting down the days to when a friend or family member is going to visit, counting down the days when you planned your next trip...which could be waiting at just at the other end of the week or the ubiquitous counting down your two years. I know I feel so SHAME even saying IT! But it happens everywhere, every volunteer everywhere does this countdown at some point.

Don't get me wrong, it's not about being eager to leave. Just when you think you can't take no mo' sometimes it puts things into perspective. So I made myself a Break In Case Of Emergency List...when I feel like the days are dragging on and I'm making no progress and I can't take not another DAY!! Wanna see it!?

First of all, I must have made it in September (after getting robbed...def a "how much longer am here?" moment lol) but now it's the middle of November and I can hardly keep up with time as it whizzes by!! I am VERY aware how short 2 years really is and I think that is why I CONTINUE to work 6 DAYS a week!! I can't stop myself. I so badly want to integrate, make a difference and soak up every second of my experience that I never stop go, go, GOING! I know this is going to be over before I know it and that's what I'm thinking most of the time. This is just for the days when someone has pulled your last card and you are "so over it!"

Every PCV knows to just have something to look forward to every month (sometimes ever week when it gets really tough) helps pass the challenging times. The old Light at The End of the Tunnel trick :) I'll break down what my months look like, but in an upcoming post so that it's not soooo long :)

Halloween

I have fallen so behind in blogs... I have ideas of stuff to write, but I'll never stop writing if I do them all. I wish you all were here for every moment! It's a daily adventure, comedy, drama series. Something I couldn't even write about you just had to be there. I'm sure a lot of it I still have yet to discover as usually the joke is on me.

One event I guess I can pick out is Halloween. Now while here in scary Guayaquil I feel older than ever. Not only am I just older than a lot of my Volunteer friends, but they seem to be WAY more fun than me too! lol. I know to anyone who knows me is like what? Not you J "where's the party at" Cov lol but it is SO true. All I think about when I'm in the loud busy streets getting hissed and kissed at my the men in the street, is my room and my bed. It's my perfect safe haven. I'm not sure if its fear or age or a deadly mixture of both :)

Either way my fun friends had been talking about Halloween aaaalll month. I kept saying don't care what we do, don't really want to do anything and I'm not spending a lot on a costume. I KNOW so grumpy old lady right!?!? Told ya! My poor new friends have to put up with me daily. Anyway. Long story short (too late!) We all were going to Cuenca to meet up with a bunch of Vols for a party but then we 102ers (the equivalent to the freshman class of Volunteers here in Ecuador) couldn't go because we are still in our first three months in our sites so that means no vacation days. Don't ask.

So I was like great i'm staying here, everyone that's wants to party is going somewhere else and everybody is happy. Wrong again! Another long story short. The Gquil folks got the spirit to kick it and friend new by got the word and felt the vibe and came ready to ppaarrtaaay. Now turns out Halloween weekend turned out to be one of my absolute worst as far as my Spirit goes, but that was just due to stress and not honoring myself. Besides that it was a fun time. I cannot go into all the drama and shenanigans that went on that Saturday and into Sunday trying to get costumes (ugghghghg) mega slumber parties and what not. But we went to a 3 story club that was just like being on the MetroVia when it's so crowded if you jump you wouldn't land back on the ground cause it's so stuffed. Sounds pretty undesirable huh? Yeah, maybe, but we had fun. I was a...well... I was "sporty" for Halloween. Didn't want to spend a dime so I wore my busted tennis shoes, my bright green knee socks, and my soccer shorts from the 4th of July futbol game in Cayambe, my selecion camiseta that every good Ecuadorian has and then I put those smudge marks under my eyes like football players do. Which makes no sense...but it just made me look Sportier... Whateves.

We had a major slumber party at my crib which is always fun. And then actually skipped town for the day, but I had a TON of stuff to do in the coming week and I REALLY I mean REALLY paid for it the whole week ugh. I was trying to not be such an old fogie (sp?) but hey if the shoe fits...I knew I was going to be paying for it too so I wasn't able to enjoy myself like I really wanted to. but it was good being around my girls so all in all it was a success. If pics of Halloween ever surface I'll add it to this blog.

The weekend AFTER Halloween, friends that are teachers at the Colegio Americano (the American School) had a big costume birthday bash the weekend after. The Theme was Heroes and Villians. Well "Generic Sporty Person" is no Hero! Again, I had that busy week that I was talking about and had no time to rethink a costume. I can always pull out "hippie" from my wardrobe...So I put on my Peace sign tank top my mom sent me (love it thanks mom!) my flare leg jeans...this sash from the Sierra and a scarf around my head. Now how do I make hippie a hero. I I was like I'll be Janis Joplin. But looking at me...it didn't really translate...I was looking more Jimi than Janis. So when people I asked what I was... I said I was the off spring off Janis (hero) and Jimi (hero) which makes me a super hero! Right? Looking at pictures I could have just been "Peace Personified" that's a hero if I ever have known one right?




Chao Gente!