To the middle of the world, and beyond!

So much has happened since I last wrote! It was quite the weekend. =)
Friday, my classmates and I realized that every week, you get a new teacher, and possibly new classmates as well, to better help with your learning process. We were a bit sad that we wouldn´t all be together this week. (Little did we realize we would get to stay together, as we found out this morning! But with a new profesor, Gonzalo.) We also got to try LOTS of different typical Ecuadorian fruits. It was so much fun (and so delicious!)
Later, Spencer (a guy in my program) and I went to our community service. The original plan was that he was going to work at Refugio de los suenos, and I was going to work at Tierra del Hombres, which is nearby. After visiting both places, I was told that I could actually work at either, and even though I was nervous and didn´t know what to do or decide, I ended up saying that I´d work at the same place as Spencer. It is a place for poor kids ages 8-18 to go when not in school, they have a small greenhouse, teach some carpentry, teach bakery, and have puzzles, games, and a basketball court. Today was so amazing, and made me really glad I made the choice I did. Upon getting there (after trekking up an amazingly steep hill, I´ll have to post a picture later to prove it) we were introduced to the kids. We were greeted with hugs and kids wanting us to pick them up. We started by helping them with some puzzles, then I started making bracelets with some girls and playing other games. The two hours absolutely flew by, and I´m so excited to be working there twice a week. =)
Friday evening was great. I stayed home with my host family, and played cards. My brother, Ferni, explained to me and his mom how the game ¨Cucharas¨(Spoons) works (in Spanish of course). The hilarious thing is that I understood, and she didn´t! By four equal cards, she thought that meant the suite, not the number, haha! So the best part of the evening was when she grabbed a spoon and we asked what she had and she said ¨Cuatro corazones¨(Four hearts)!
Saturday, I went to the market at Ejido Park with Marijanna and her host mom. We walked around the Mariscal, as well as the park. In the park, there were lots of artists selling their paintings, as well as people selling shawls, scarves, pants (like those Ethan has), and other Ecuadorian ¨trinkets¨. It was really cool to see, but I didn´t buy anything. Marijanna and I are waiting to go to Otavalo to do that. Their Saturday market has TONS of that stuff, and at cheaper prices (can anyone say bargaining?)
That evening, I was feeling a bit down. Homesickness on top of my tummy feeling weird (nothing unusual, just an unhappy stomach) made me kind of out of it at dinner. My host mom´s sister was over (and my brother Jaime had two cousins over to spend the night). Whenever I look a little down, my host parents are always like ¨Don´t be sad!¨and try really hard to engage me in conversation. That evening, it included her saying that I need an Ecuadorian boyfriend (mind you, this is not the first time she´s said this!) And led to her asking what kind of boys I like, ¨Negro, blanco, moreno...?¨(Black, white, dark...?) To which I of course responded ¨Todos!¨(All!) This got quite the laugh out of everyone, including my host dad. After dinner, my host mom wouldn´t let me just go back to my room. She insisted that I go with her and her sister to her room and all lie in her bed. This led to a sort of ¨girl talk¨. She asked me about my past boyfriends, what they were like, why we broke up (so hard to explain those things in a tongue not your own!) And then continued on to ask what age I like a guy to be (!). At first I thought I didn´t understand because it seemed like such an odd question to ask. When I finally realized she was asking what I thought she was, I couldn´t stop laughing! She didn´t understand why I thought it was so funny, and wouldn´t leave me alone till I answered! Eventually, I was able to pry myself away to go to bed (because I planned on getting up really early on Sunday).
Speaking of Sunday. Sunday (yesterday) is when Marijanna and I went to La Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world!). It was really a lot of fun. Hoping we were getting on the right buses, we got there in short order (and for super cheap, $6 for two people round trip!) Getting to the giant monument was pretty anti-climactic though (as I guessed it would be). The place is a very fake ¨colonial¨town, and reminded us greatly of Disneyland (think ¨It´s a small world after all¨). We did the touristy thing and took pictures on the line (which we knew wasn´t the REAL equator, the French don´t know what they´re talkin´about). What was really awesome about that park was going to the top of the monument and getting an awesome view of the surrounding area. We then went to La Plaza de Toros to see some traditional dances. Ecuadorian time got the better of us. We ended up sitting in the sun, listening to not so good music, and getting covered with this shaving cream-like substance that people love to spray, for two or three hours. (Needless to say we were both RED). We finally decided to leave and eat lunch, and I heard from Leo in my Spanish class that the dances started some time after that (darnit, oh well).
After lunch, we finally found Museo Solar Inti-Nan. This small outdoor museum was just northeast of the park. We had a personal guide (who spoke English, which made me glad, because I wanted to understand all she said!) She took us through the museum, talking about the equator, how the Incas knew this was the real spot (the French were 250 meters off), and showed us some experiments that proved it. This included letting water drain in the north, the south, and on the equator (it drained clockwise, counter-clockwise, and went striaght down, respectively) which was pretty cool. We also did a strength experiment where we tried to push down eachothers arms on the equator, and in the north (you´re weaker on the equator, it´s really cool). She also showed us how balancing an egg on a nail is easier on the equator (I did it too), and finally, trying to balance and walk down the equator line with your eyes closed. If you´re still, it´s easier to balance on the equator (I did a handstand to try that one!), but moving and balancing is harder. When I walked down the line with my eyes closed, I always ended up to one side. That´s because of the forces were pulling me to one side. It was so much fun! Our guide was awesome too, we ended up standing around and talking about circusy thing for like 10 minutes in the middle of our tour (and she gave me the name of a place where I can get juggling balls and other supplies for cheap!) It was amazing.
On the bus back to Quito, Marijanna and I assumed it would take us back to the station where we left from. We were so wrong! Suddenly, as we were looking out the window, Marijanna said ¨That´s the Basilica!¨ (which is SUPER far south... we live in the north of the city). We continued south, and ended up circling around close to the Panecillo, where the Virgen de Quito statue is. We kind of laughed nervously to ourselves, especially when we were the only two people left on the bus. We weren´t quite sure where it would go next. We got an amazing view of a snow-capped mountain with the sun setting light on it, which made the circuitous tour worth it, but realizing the sun was setting made us even more nervous (you really don´t want to be walking around after dark). When we figured that we were far north enough to risk getting off the bus to try and catch a taxi, it was getting dark. We jumped off the bus, having no idea how far we really were from home, and started walking down the street. We tried to hail taxis, but they were all full. As we kept walking, Marijanna asked ¨Are you ok with this?¨ to which I replied ¨In the back of my head, no.¨ Eventually, we got a taxi, and realized we weren´t terribly far from home. We got back to our homes around 7 or 7:30pm. Not too bad, considering we left La Mitad del Mundo at 5:15 and ended up taking the VERY scenic route!
This week, we have Spanish class for 5 hours everyday instead of 4 because next Monday and Tuesday there is no class. Why you ask? Carnaval of course!! The Pitzer kids and I are planning (hoping) to go to Gauranda for Carnaval (probably the most crazy and intense place to go in Ecuador! Think water balloons, eggs, and the like!) I´m really excited, and I´m starting to hang out with, and get along with the people in my group more. I feel less like an outsider. I´m also starting to talk to other students at the school as well. I´m really made to practice my Spanish when I´m talking to Leo, a guy in my class. He doesn´t speak English (just German) so Spanish is our only common language (and I feel guilty talking to Jan, the other guy in my class, in English because we´re leaving Leo out). I´m glad their both still in the same class as me (though we get another student tomorrow!). It´s nice to have some more time to get to know them, and be completely comfortable with the people I´m learning with. This week, we´re going to learn past tense, and are practicing comprehension with movies and music. (We started watching Maria Full of Grace today, I never got to see it when it was shown at Swat, and I was surprised at my comprehension of it today!)
A funny note to end on. When Spencer and I were on the bus to our community service, they were totally playing ¨A puro dolor¨ by Son by Four. (I have that cd!)
Pictures from the middle of the world coming VERY soon!