Devoted readers, I apologize for the amount of time between blogs. Believe it or not, we've become somewhat busy and have some wonderful Ecuadorian friends now!!!
Some major things that we've done in the last few weeks...
We had a long weekend at the start of October and were able to take a trip to the beautiful Pacific coast of Ecuador. We stayed at a hostel that was run by a lovely Swiss gal. She offered us breakfast every morning and pointed us in the direction of some amazing, AMAZING seafood. I was able to get my fix of garlic shrimp, calamari, scallops and fish. We took many long walks on the beach and AnnMarie discovered the key to finding and uncovering live sand dollars. Needless to say after discovering how to find their trails she uncovered and tormented no less than 50. The sand dollar community has her on their permanent most wanted list! The road back from the coast was beautiful during the day and provided a plethora of nerve racking turns and crazy passing. The bus took approximately 8 hours to get us back to our apartments, but it was a wonderful way to spend a weekend.
The long weeks since then were spent in a chilly Quito. Most mornings the temperature scratches 50 degrees as I'm walking to school, around 6:15. But on my way home the air feels closer to 80, mostly because of the thin air and the fact that Quito is the closest major city on earth to the sun. The actual closest point to the sun lies less than 100 miles south of Quito. The volcano Cotopaxi is the closest place on earth to the sun at noon. In mid October the sun stood exactly straight up causing us to loose our shadows for a few minutes. Fortunately when the sun is directly overhead AnnMarie and I are both an hour from finishing our day and have slightly less heat to deal with on our grueling walks back up the hill of Granda Centeno to our apartments. By 6 in the evening the sun is already down and we are wrapping ourselves in our amazingly warm Alpaca blankets. They are very thin and very light blankets made out of woven and dyed Alpaca fur. They are, however, surprisingly warm!!! We plan to bring a few back with us so if this sounds like something that any of you would be interested in having from Ecuador, just let us know. They run about $20 dollars for most gringos here, but due to our experience and knowledge of the market we've managed to buy the ones we already have for between $12 and $13 dollars, which I must say, is a steal!!!
I've successfully taught my first two chapters of English and administered my first test. I am teaching 3 classes. From 7 to 11 I teach two Advanced 1 classes and from 11 to 13 (1 o'clock) I teach Advanced 2. The classes are a handful sometimes, but last week I began to realize how much I'm helping them and it is wonderful to see them learning. 'Pronoonseeation' is still sometimes a problem, but they're learning! :) I enjoy teaching the younger ages (18-19 years) and think that my future may someday lead into teaching children. I know this will make my grandmas proud. So far I think I'm a pretty good teacher or I just have some gifted students. There were only 4 test scores under 80% in over 40 exams!
The major reason for our lack of posting can be pinpointed to one major factor. We have FRIENDS!!! A month ago when we were at church we ran into our friend Ashley. She lives and works in Shell and was in Quito for the weekend visiting. She was visiting grandchildren of the lady she lives with in Shell, Roberto and Mika. We were introduced after the service and ended up spending the day with them. We realized shortly after meeting them that they live a stones throw away from where our apartments are. I know a stones throw away is a vague expression. It depends on who's throwing the stone, wind speeds and the size of the stone. Under any conditions I think that I could throw a stone past where they live. We've been spending a majority of our free evenings with Roberto and Mika. Mika and AnnMarie spend much of their time together cooking or just chatting, while Roberto and I have found a common interest in playing video games. Mika is Roberto's younger sister and they've been living in Quito for a while and have been very willing to help us with our Spanish as well as becoming our second neighbor with a washer and dryer.
Two weeks ago at church, AnnMarie and I were able to showcase our musical gifts. We joined the EFC Choir when we arrived and had our first performance during the church services. Most of the songs we sang were typical worship songs, aside from the song 'Down by the River', which left the congregation shouting, "Una vez mas" (one more time). Between services we were also able to make our inaugural visit to Pan De Vida (Bread of Life). It is a house located behind the church that has their own service for the homeless and underprivileged families of Quito. Following the service, the congregation is invited to stay for a FREE lunch. We were only able to stay long enough to set up plates and make some juice before having to head back to sing for the second service. We hope to participate in the kitchen of Pan De Vida again soon and more frequently. I wish you all could've seen us in our hair-nets. It was a first for Michael... and quite the sight.
Another thing that has filled our evenings is our weekly Bible Reading on Thursday nights. Every Thursday we have an amazing potluck dinner (usually the BEST meal of the week) and do a Bible Reading after. This is different than a typical Bible Study. We start by answering two questions about ourselves... very random questions with no rhyme or reason usually. For example, last week was your favorite movie and why and what is one thing people think about you when they first meet you and then realize is wrong after getting to know you. After answering the questions we choose a book in the Bible (or one is already chosen) and take turns each reading a chapter. You read with a pen and underline things as you follow along. We generally have 2-3 Spanish readers and 3-4 English readers. It really adds something unique to the group to have people reading the word of God in another language. We don't stop and discuss things as we are reading, just read straight through. At the end of the book we take a few minutes to figure out 2-3 things out of everything we've underlined to share with the group. This usually turns into a much longer time of sharing and discussion. Then at the end of all, we pray together. Needless to say, Thursdays are definitely our favorite night of the week.
Now that we have some great new friends, not only do we have more evening activities, but we also have things to do on the weekend! Three weeks ago we were able to take a day trip to fulfill one of AnnMarie's Quito wishes. We traveled to the historic center of Quito with our friends and climbed the Basilica. It resembles closely the ancient cathedrals in Europe. It is a gigantic gothic structure that dwarfs the rest of its rivaling buildings. It features 3 major peaks. The first we experienced turned out to be somewhat of a lookout tower almost. It wasn't as high as the two clock pillars, but the trip to the top was quite the adventure. My familiarity with cathedrals is limited, but I have seen some in my traveling through Europe and studying in Humanities class my freshman year of college. However, I never knew that there was a significant gap between the roof of the interior and the exterior roof. It seemed very similar to an ancient attic with no windows, lights or security to stop you from falling aside from an one-eight inch thick rope placed on either side of a eerie wooden walkway. The walkway was similar to what I imagine "Walking the plank" would be like. There were unnerving sounds under our feet and insecurity the for the entire 200 foot journey between roofs, leading us to the base of the 'lookout' tower. Little did we know, another 30 feet up a, I guess it looked similar to a ladder, suspended with makeshift welded joints twisting its way up to the top. We encountered a British couple who we had to help muster up the courage to continue to the summit, but, being the adventurous people we are, we scampered to the top like the monkeys we are. The view was amazing, and was captured by the dozens of clicking digital cameras surveying the landscape. I hope AnnMarie can upload some of them for you to admire. We also climbed one of the clock towers, but since they were more or less enclosed, they weren't quite as impressive as our view from the minor watch tower that was completely open aside from small railing and pillars holding the roof from blowing away. It was a beautiful day trip. If any of you visit us here, it's a must for any tourist in Quito.
Another voyage south into the jungles of Ecuador again was our weekend plan a week ago. We ventured to Secua - the home of Roberto and Mika's parents. It was a long five day weekend so we were allowed to relax for a few days. There were a few other friends that joined us on our journey, who we felt much closer with after what turned out to be nearly a 20 hour round trip on the bus. Sucua was beautiful and full of new and wonderful experiences. As a group, we stayed next door to Roberto and Mika's church, in their parents house! We doubled the size of the youth group on Saturday and had a wonderful time on Sunday attending a church service purely in Spanish. After the service we went to the motocross track for the afternoon. It was amazing to see the racers flying fearlessly through the air. What was even more amazing were the little kids and their ability to compete on the same track and the larger motorcycles. It was quite the experience. We also had a wonderful barbecue down by the river after a rainy night. The food was splendid, as was the rope-swing and log suspended 20 feet up in a tree above the river. Don't worry, we were very safe and didn't do anything we didn't see anyone else do a few times first.
Now for a more serious update... We've been in contact with a few of you about AnnMarie's work visa dilemma. She is currently here on a tourist visa and was expecting to obtain a work visa from her employer. Unfortunately, this did not pan out. AnnMarie has now come to the conclusion that a work visa is out of the question. Her two options are going home at Christmas as planned and not returning to Ecuador or coming back to teach for January and February. She would need to return at the end of February as this is when her tourist visa expires. We have both been praying for God’s clear direction, guidance, and wisdom in this decision making. This decision needs to be made this week as her boss (very kindly and with much understanding) expressed that she needs to begin looking for a replacement teacher if in fact she is not returning after Christmas. Please pray for guidance for the decision making and peace after the decision has been made. We will update this weekend (I know that’s hard to believe...) once we know for sure what we are doing.
Until then, thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Michael and AnnMarie
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Prospect of Peacefulness
Dear readers,
We just thought it would be a good idea to send out another update. Thursday was a pretty crazy night. One of our friends, Jessica, texted us and said it was pretty bad about five blocks away from our apartments. Needless to say, we didn't go anywhere. Michael was with me in my apartment during the evening and we just kind of hung tight. I ended up finding a TV channel that I could watch online about what was going on. It made me feel a little better that we had an idea of where things were happening. The very surreal thing about watching the TV was that they actually had a camera man outside of the hospital and you could see everything. The army had come into the city and were taking over the police. The president was still stuck in the hospital so the army was trying to get him out and bring him back to his home in Centro Historico. Because of this there was shooting going on between the police and the army - all of which I was watching online. Not only that, but I could hear the gun shots out my window as well... very scary. The hospital is about 10 minutes driving from our apartments. The hospital is in the lower left hand corner. It says "Hospital de la Policia" and our apartments are directly to the right in the upper right hand corner on "Calle Antonio Granda Centeno" next to the green park area. You just need to move the map straight east.. hope you can find it! haha
View Larger Map
So because of the way things were going we were going to take my mattress and put it in Michael's apartment for the night so that I wouldn't need to sleep on the street side of our building just in case anything happened. However, after the army rescued Correa from the hospital and brought him back to his home everything went back to normal so we didn't have to move my mattress and we both slept safely in our own apartments. The government had closed school for Friday so I didn't have to go... poor Michael did. But now it's Saturday and things are just about as normal as they get here in Quito. Thank you all for your prayers!
Love, AnnMarie & Michael
We just thought it would be a good idea to send out another update. Thursday was a pretty crazy night. One of our friends, Jessica, texted us and said it was pretty bad about five blocks away from our apartments. Needless to say, we didn't go anywhere. Michael was with me in my apartment during the evening and we just kind of hung tight. I ended up finding a TV channel that I could watch online about what was going on. It made me feel a little better that we had an idea of where things were happening. The very surreal thing about watching the TV was that they actually had a camera man outside of the hospital and you could see everything. The army had come into the city and were taking over the police. The president was still stuck in the hospital so the army was trying to get him out and bring him back to his home in Centro Historico. Because of this there was shooting going on between the police and the army - all of which I was watching online. Not only that, but I could hear the gun shots out my window as well... very scary. The hospital is about 10 minutes driving from our apartments. The hospital is in the lower left hand corner. It says "Hospital de la Policia" and our apartments are directly to the right in the upper right hand corner on "Calle Antonio Granda Centeno" next to the green park area. You just need to move the map straight east.. hope you can find it! haha
View Larger Map
So because of the way things were going we were going to take my mattress and put it in Michael's apartment for the night so that I wouldn't need to sleep on the street side of our building just in case anything happened. However, after the army rescued Correa from the hospital and brought him back to his home everything went back to normal so we didn't have to move my mattress and we both slept safely in our own apartments. The government had closed school for Friday so I didn't have to go... poor Michael did. But now it's Saturday and things are just about as normal as they get here in Quito. Thank you all for your prayers!
Love, AnnMarie & Michael
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Breaking News
Family, friends and loved ones,
Today has been a day of craziness here in Quito. The military and policemen from around the country are rioting and protesting against President Correa. The president has made some cuts to the armed forces of Ecuador. They're losing benefits, potential bonuses and raises. It is in the constitution of Ecuador for the police never to have the ability to strike and protest. Their efforts have and are still being heard and we are now waiting to see what the response of the government will be. We ask for your prayers for Ecuador, for the people's businesses that are being looted, for the police who are no longer protecting the country, and the general population who no longer have that protection. We also ask for prayer that this doesn't last very long. These protests have gone on for weeks or just a few hours. As for now we will remain penned up in our apartment building, which is quite safe and out of the way for any protest scenes. We went shopping last weekend and have a large stock of groceries, good water and we are prepared to pray and enjoy each others company until this dispute is resolved. We love you all and will continue to keep you informed of the happenings here in Quito.
Here is a link to a news source providing mostly accurate information:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/30/ecuador.violence/index.html?iref=allsearch
All our love,
Michael and AnnMarie
Today has been a day of craziness here in Quito. The military and policemen from around the country are rioting and protesting against President Correa. The president has made some cuts to the armed forces of Ecuador. They're losing benefits, potential bonuses and raises. It is in the constitution of Ecuador for the police never to have the ability to strike and protest. Their efforts have and are still being heard and we are now waiting to see what the response of the government will be. We ask for your prayers for Ecuador, for the people's businesses that are being looted, for the police who are no longer protecting the country, and the general population who no longer have that protection. We also ask for prayer that this doesn't last very long. These protests have gone on for weeks or just a few hours. As for now we will remain penned up in our apartment building, which is quite safe and out of the way for any protest scenes. We went shopping last weekend and have a large stock of groceries, good water and we are prepared to pray and enjoy each others company until this dispute is resolved. We love you all and will continue to keep you informed of the happenings here in Quito.
Here is a link to a news source providing mostly accurate information:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/30/ecuador.violence/index.html?iref=allsearch
All our love,
Michael and AnnMarie
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Randomness..
Haha I just wanted to share with you how random and silly our life is down here... Here I am sitting across the table from Michael. I just finished skyping with my love, Jess.. and I ask Michael, "What are you doing over there?" No response... So I ask him again, and again, and again.. Finally... "You'll hear soon enough!!"
and.... on comes Britney Spears from iTunes...
what????? hahahaha all I can do is laugh...
I never know what to expect from him.
and.... on comes Britney Spears from iTunes...
what????? hahahaha all I can do is laugh...
I never know what to expect from him.
Defining Moments
Greetings distant readers! I hope you're still finding this blog enjoyable and something to look forward to seeing every week. Let me say that it's a highlight of mine attempting to recap the memories that seem so distant. Given, there are only 7 days between each post. It blows me away to see all the things that God can fit into my 168 hours.
This week was pretty normal. Just in case you're still unfamiliar with what some 'normal' things are that take place in Quito, here are a few. Taking buses to and from the University like a lemming, squished into the mob of commuters over-occupying every bus. Doing my best to dodge three lanes of oncoming traffic to escape to the safe(r) sidewalks. Breathing the minimal amounts of oxygen available at 9,000 feet elevation - not to mention what you do breathe in is mostly car fumes. The bonus to all of these crazy daily occurrences is the remarkable view out every window to the heavenly mountains above.
AnnMarie and I joined the EFC choir this sunday! I'm not sure if I will be showcasing my talents so well. For the first time in my life I have been placed in the bass section. (There are only two basses and four guys total.) Thankfully the walk to church is mostly downhill, so we aren't out of breath when we get there. The walk back to the apartments, however, is constantly quieter the further up the hill we get. I don't think getting into shape and used to the altitude is in the near future for us Minnesotans.
Now for the exciting news from the weekend! AnnMarie and I traveled to Shell this weekend. We went with the Waskoskys, a family we connected with through our friends at FBC (Michael's home church) in Fergus Falls. The drive took us past the base of Cotopaxi, a monstrous volcano south of Quito (the one AnnMarie has a view of from her classroom). We also were able to see the highest peak in South America on our drive, Chimborazo. The rest of the drive was a bit darker, which turns out might have been a good thing since our road was on the edge of mountains. The night hid the drop offs that would've been terrifying if we had been aware of them on our voyage through the mountains. On our way back the views were much more appreciated due to the safety of daylight.
In Shell we were able to do some volunteering and touring of the children's home, Casa de Fe (House of Faith). The current building houses over 40 toddlers and elementary aged children. The 9 infants live with one of the workers in her home because there is no room at the building. The complex is much too small to properly accommodate all the children and volunteers. Soon, their new home will be completed. Once they move in they will also be able to accept more children to live at the Casa de Fe. As of now, they have to turn children away. It is located on the outskirts of Shell with plenty of room for playing and living more comfortably. The new house was amazing to see! It is a two story building with huge rooms for living, learning and playing. There are brand new beds, bathrooms and safety waiting for all the children when they arrive in the next few months. AnnMarie and I were able to help with some painting and other finishing touches on the first floor. All the volunteers and staff were wonderful and a pleasure to work with.
The experience has opened our eyes to the future and possibility of working outside of Quito. While working AnnMarie said to me, "So, why don't we just stay here?" I replied with, "I was thinking the same thing!" This just goes to show the hand that God is placing in our lives. Both of us feel that this weekend was the first of many trips that we will be making to Shell throughout the duration of our stay in Ecuador. Please join us in praying for the 54 children currently housed in Casa de Fe. Many of them come from very rough families or were simply left behind because their families were unable to take care of them. We were able to interact for a couple hours with these children and those hours tugged on our hearts.
We feel blessed to be in Ecuador experiencing the mighty power of our great God. This weekend was what Pastor Ned might call a "defining moment" in my life. I saw the beauty the Lord has created, the work that He is doing, and a call to be a part of the His future plans in Ecuador. Again, I can't say this with enough thanks, we are so thankful for your prayers and know things wouldn't be going this smoothly without all of them. You are all very precious to us.
With love,
your gringos locos,
AnnMarie and Michael
This week was pretty normal. Just in case you're still unfamiliar with what some 'normal' things are that take place in Quito, here are a few. Taking buses to and from the University like a lemming, squished into the mob of commuters over-occupying every bus. Doing my best to dodge three lanes of oncoming traffic to escape to the safe(r) sidewalks. Breathing the minimal amounts of oxygen available at 9,000 feet elevation - not to mention what you do breathe in is mostly car fumes. The bonus to all of these crazy daily occurrences is the remarkable view out every window to the heavenly mountains above.
AnnMarie and I joined the EFC choir this sunday! I'm not sure if I will be showcasing my talents so well. For the first time in my life I have been placed in the bass section. (There are only two basses and four guys total.) Thankfully the walk to church is mostly downhill, so we aren't out of breath when we get there. The walk back to the apartments, however, is constantly quieter the further up the hill we get. I don't think getting into shape and used to the altitude is in the near future for us Minnesotans.
Now for the exciting news from the weekend! AnnMarie and I traveled to Shell this weekend. We went with the Waskoskys, a family we connected with through our friends at FBC (Michael's home church) in Fergus Falls. The drive took us past the base of Cotopaxi, a monstrous volcano south of Quito (the one AnnMarie has a view of from her classroom). We also were able to see the highest peak in South America on our drive, Chimborazo. The rest of the drive was a bit darker, which turns out might have been a good thing since our road was on the edge of mountains. The night hid the drop offs that would've been terrifying if we had been aware of them on our voyage through the mountains. On our way back the views were much more appreciated due to the safety of daylight.
In Shell we were able to do some volunteering and touring of the children's home, Casa de Fe (House of Faith). The current building houses over 40 toddlers and elementary aged children. The 9 infants live with one of the workers in her home because there is no room at the building. The complex is much too small to properly accommodate all the children and volunteers. Soon, their new home will be completed. Once they move in they will also be able to accept more children to live at the Casa de Fe. As of now, they have to turn children away. It is located on the outskirts of Shell with plenty of room for playing and living more comfortably. The new house was amazing to see! It is a two story building with huge rooms for living, learning and playing. There are brand new beds, bathrooms and safety waiting for all the children when they arrive in the next few months. AnnMarie and I were able to help with some painting and other finishing touches on the first floor. All the volunteers and staff were wonderful and a pleasure to work with.
The experience has opened our eyes to the future and possibility of working outside of Quito. While working AnnMarie said to me, "So, why don't we just stay here?" I replied with, "I was thinking the same thing!" This just goes to show the hand that God is placing in our lives. Both of us feel that this weekend was the first of many trips that we will be making to Shell throughout the duration of our stay in Ecuador. Please join us in praying for the 54 children currently housed in Casa de Fe. Many of them come from very rough families or were simply left behind because their families were unable to take care of them. We were able to interact for a couple hours with these children and those hours tugged on our hearts.
We feel blessed to be in Ecuador experiencing the mighty power of our great God. This weekend was what Pastor Ned might call a "defining moment" in my life. I saw the beauty the Lord has created, the work that He is doing, and a call to be a part of the His future plans in Ecuador. Again, I can't say this with enough thanks, we are so thankful for your prayers and know things wouldn't be going this smoothly without all of them. You are all very precious to us.
With love,
your gringos locos,
AnnMarie and Michael
Sunday, September 12, 2010
First Week Adventures
Well, our first full week here has come and gone. It has been filled with a mix of emotions. Michael started his learning to teach English class and taught his first lesson ever. He was very nervous the night before but after his observer said he did very well! I taught my first full week of preschool which was exciting, a little nerve-racking and draining all at the same time. I started with five 3 1/2 year olds in my class but was informed on the very first day that I had eight instead. Thankfully, one of my students was just trying it out and ended up going to a preschool where a family member worked. So I ended the week with seven children - all of whom were with me all day by the last two days of the week. One of my students just cried and cried the first, second, and part of the third day. He got attached to the teacher in the group above me because she was able to comfort him better speaking Spanish. But as the week went on, he transitioned to my group and we are all now a very happy group of seven 3 1/2 year olds!
We've successfully moved into our new apartments which are sooooooooo conveniently located! It takes us about 12 minutes to walk to church and it's about a 20 minute walk to my work. I definitely get a work out on the way there, as it's one down hill road and the rest are very steep uphill. We had a very interesting week. We arrived on Tuesday night very late so that evening consisted of just moving stuff in and going to bed. Upon our second night we realized we had no matches to start a fire (or our stove), and no silverware. That really limits how much one can eat. So we scrounged around for something to hold us over for two nights. Friday night was our first hot meal (with plastic utensils) of fettucini with alfredo sauce.... We could not have been happier about it. We were so giddy, it would have been a very funny sight to see.
Our week was filled with a lot of grocery shopping and finding things we needed for our apartments. It's mostly fun shopping when we find things that are very cheap :) But there are a lot of things from the states that would be so cheap but here they are EXTREMELY expensive. For example, peanut butter - $8, mini can of pringles - over $1, very small box of cereal - $7, and notebooks - $6. On the other hand.. here is a picture of some things we bought that were wonderfully priced:
Flowers - $2.50
Vase - $17
2 Baskets - $11
Strawberries - $.80
One of Michael's favorite things we did last week was our walk to the CCI mall where the ice rink is located. It is approximately half the length and width of a regulation sized rink. Also, the Ecuadorians participating were about half the size of usual hockey players. Everyone looked fairly uncomfortable on the ice which was awfully entertaining to watch...
Our Saturday evening was a perfect night. We made empanadas de morrocho, pasteles de yuca and our very first fire in my fire place. We used some of the wood Michael commandeered from the pile of tree trimmings across the street. It was a little difficult to start, but my big, trusty, outdoorsy gringo pulled through for me. :) We had a wonderful evening sitting by the light and warmth of the fire, eating our second hot meal of the week, and relaxing.
Tomorrow we'll be going to the Liga vs. Catolica game at 7:30. Please pray for our safety as we're not usually out much later than that as it gets dark at 6:30. So we'll definitely be taking a taxi home!
We're looking forward to the start of our second week here in Quito and are adjusting with ease. Thank you for all your prayers and support. I'll hopefully be adding pictures tonight and can email those out tonight as well. If you're reading this and didn't get my last set of pictures but want them, comment on this post with your email address and I will add you to the list.
Miss you all!
AnnMarie and Michael
We've successfully moved into our new apartments which are sooooooooo conveniently located! It takes us about 12 minutes to walk to church and it's about a 20 minute walk to my work. I definitely get a work out on the way there, as it's one down hill road and the rest are very steep uphill. We had a very interesting week. We arrived on Tuesday night very late so that evening consisted of just moving stuff in and going to bed. Upon our second night we realized we had no matches to start a fire (or our stove), and no silverware. That really limits how much one can eat. So we scrounged around for something to hold us over for two nights. Friday night was our first hot meal (with plastic utensils) of fettucini with alfredo sauce.... We could not have been happier about it. We were so giddy, it would have been a very funny sight to see.
Our week was filled with a lot of grocery shopping and finding things we needed for our apartments. It's mostly fun shopping when we find things that are very cheap :) But there are a lot of things from the states that would be so cheap but here they are EXTREMELY expensive. For example, peanut butter - $8, mini can of pringles - over $1, very small box of cereal - $7, and notebooks - $6. On the other hand.. here is a picture of some things we bought that were wonderfully priced:
Flowers - $2.50
Vase - $17
2 Baskets - $11
Strawberries - $.80
One of Michael's favorite things we did last week was our walk to the CCI mall where the ice rink is located. It is approximately half the length and width of a regulation sized rink. Also, the Ecuadorians participating were about half the size of usual hockey players. Everyone looked fairly uncomfortable on the ice which was awfully entertaining to watch...
Our Saturday evening was a perfect night. We made empanadas de morrocho, pasteles de yuca and our very first fire in my fire place. We used some of the wood Michael commandeered from the pile of tree trimmings across the street. It was a little difficult to start, but my big, trusty, outdoorsy gringo pulled through for me. :) We had a wonderful evening sitting by the light and warmth of the fire, eating our second hot meal of the week, and relaxing.
Tomorrow we'll be going to the Liga vs. Catolica game at 7:30. Please pray for our safety as we're not usually out much later than that as it gets dark at 6:30. So we'll definitely be taking a taxi home!
We're looking forward to the start of our second week here in Quito and are adjusting with ease. Thank you for all your prayers and support. I'll hopefully be adding pictures tonight and can email those out tonight as well. If you're reading this and didn't get my last set of pictures but want them, comment on this post with your email address and I will add you to the list.
Miss you all!
AnnMarie and Michael
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Birthday Celebration & Wayward Fireworks
Greetings loved one(s) and other curious readers,
It has been a bit crazy this week, thus I haven't been near a computer long enough to send out an update. Today is the Lord's day, a day of rest, so I've managed to find some free time.
AnnMarie and I found apartments yesterday and we will move in on the 7th (Tuesday). They are located near Quito Tenis (pronounced 10 ees), a very safe area of Quito. AnnMarie will be able to walk to work and I will have a 15 to 20 minute commute to my school in La Mariscal. We both start school tomorrow, I as a student, her as a teacher. My teaching starts in October. I am nervous about teaching but hopefully my certification course will help me out a lot! :) We have managed to get the basic transportation of Quito down pretty well. My communication is okay enough now to take a taxi to certain common locations. My school will be very close to a very popular town square and Gringo hang out, Plaza Foch or "Gringo Landia".
For AnnMarie's birthday, yesterday, we went to Mitad del Mundo. (Middle of the World) We found out how to shrink heads and their meanings and importance. They're a symbol of victory or a way to attain knowledge from wise dead. Also, we were able to see water spin two different directions down a drain as well as straight down. AnnMarie had a video from her last visit if you'd like proof. AnnMarie was able to balance an egg on a nail, I failed. It was her second time there though, in my defense. I was called superman by our tour guide. I'm not sure if its because I am the only +6 foot person he's seen in ages or the fact that I closely resemble Clark Kent. We had a GREAT lunch, tacos with amazingly fresh toppings. In the evening we met our new landlady to establish our apartment's specifications.
We then met up with AnnMarie's friend Ivan and a couple of his friends at Plaza Foch. We went to a great Hindu (Indian) Restaurant and watched fútbol. Ecuador beat Mexico 2-1! Great game. The grand finale of our evening was the Fiestas de Guapalo. The festival wasn't actually in honor of AnnMarie's 22nd birthday, but it fit in perfectly. Guapalo is an area of Quito at the bottom of a cliff of steep winding roads full of houses that seem to be super glued to the ground. The 25 minute hike down from were we parked proved to be a test of our endurance and acclamation to the altitude on the way back up. The festival featured a variety of large vague structures filled with an assortment of small fireworks that I imagine were made to be set off on the ground, as opposed to being suspended on bamboo poles 20 feet in the air. The intent of the crowd was to form a doughnut around the flaming structures and dance around it in a circle. We managed to make about 5 trips around the circle before feeling a bit violated and claustrophobic. The stage housed a full band in blue traditional bright blue suede suits making an extraordinarily large amount of noise. To kick off the celebration, large 4th of July type fireworks were lit in the midst of the hoards of people. Most of the fireworks, from about 20 feet away, went off well and made it into the air. Unfortunately a few were not as well manufactured and caused some large flares into the onlookers. As far as I know, everyone was alright, but I hope I’ll never have to hear AnnMarie scream like that again.
Today was the first day we've had the chance to sleep in. We went to EFC (English Fellowship Church), which is a 5 minute walk from our new apartments that we will be moving into. It is the church that AnnMarie attended when she was in Ecuador last spring, the pastor is Canadian. We stood up during the "Hello / Goodbye" time at the end of the service and introduced ourselves and said why we were in Quito. After the service a couple people came to talk with us. Paul was kind enough to inform me, after I told him how fútbol would have to take the place of hockey for me while in Quito, that there is in fact... get this... a HOCKEY RINK IN QUITO!!! I am now joking about becoming a Zamboni driver and getting a job at the one and only rink in Quito. The second member that greeted us is from Barnsville, Minnesota!!! Only about 25 minutes from Fergus Falls. "It is SUCH a small world" -AnnMarie Celiberti.
School supplies, kitchen utensils and one more phone are the last thing on our list of things we need to start our lives in Quito. We are very excited to be here. Hopefully the surreal feeling of actually being here will wear off soon so I stop having my head on a swivel everywhere I go. Once again, your prayers and the amazing help from the Lord have been our strength and comfort in our first week in Quito.
All our love,
Your favorite 22 year olds,
Michael and AnnMarie
It has been a bit crazy this week, thus I haven't been near a computer long enough to send out an update. Today is the Lord's day, a day of rest, so I've managed to find some free time.
AnnMarie and I found apartments yesterday and we will move in on the 7th (Tuesday). They are located near Quito Tenis (pronounced 10 ees), a very safe area of Quito. AnnMarie will be able to walk to work and I will have a 15 to 20 minute commute to my school in La Mariscal. We both start school tomorrow, I as a student, her as a teacher. My teaching starts in October. I am nervous about teaching but hopefully my certification course will help me out a lot! :) We have managed to get the basic transportation of Quito down pretty well. My communication is okay enough now to take a taxi to certain common locations. My school will be very close to a very popular town square and Gringo hang out, Plaza Foch or "Gringo Landia".
For AnnMarie's birthday, yesterday, we went to Mitad del Mundo. (Middle of the World) We found out how to shrink heads and their meanings and importance. They're a symbol of victory or a way to attain knowledge from wise dead. Also, we were able to see water spin two different directions down a drain as well as straight down. AnnMarie had a video from her last visit if you'd like proof. AnnMarie was able to balance an egg on a nail, I failed. It was her second time there though, in my defense. I was called superman by our tour guide. I'm not sure if its because I am the only +6 foot person he's seen in ages or the fact that I closely resemble Clark Kent. We had a GREAT lunch, tacos with amazingly fresh toppings. In the evening we met our new landlady to establish our apartment's specifications.
We then met up with AnnMarie's friend Ivan and a couple of his friends at Plaza Foch. We went to a great Hindu (Indian) Restaurant and watched fútbol. Ecuador beat Mexico 2-1! Great game. The grand finale of our evening was the Fiestas de Guapalo. The festival wasn't actually in honor of AnnMarie's 22nd birthday, but it fit in perfectly. Guapalo is an area of Quito at the bottom of a cliff of steep winding roads full of houses that seem to be super glued to the ground. The 25 minute hike down from were we parked proved to be a test of our endurance and acclamation to the altitude on the way back up. The festival featured a variety of large vague structures filled with an assortment of small fireworks that I imagine were made to be set off on the ground, as opposed to being suspended on bamboo poles 20 feet in the air. The intent of the crowd was to form a doughnut around the flaming structures and dance around it in a circle. We managed to make about 5 trips around the circle before feeling a bit violated and claustrophobic. The stage housed a full band in blue traditional bright blue suede suits making an extraordinarily large amount of noise. To kick off the celebration, large 4th of July type fireworks were lit in the midst of the hoards of people. Most of the fireworks, from about 20 feet away, went off well and made it into the air. Unfortunately a few were not as well manufactured and caused some large flares into the onlookers. As far as I know, everyone was alright, but I hope I’ll never have to hear AnnMarie scream like that again.
Today was the first day we've had the chance to sleep in. We went to EFC (English Fellowship Church), which is a 5 minute walk from our new apartments that we will be moving into. It is the church that AnnMarie attended when she was in Ecuador last spring, the pastor is Canadian. We stood up during the "Hello / Goodbye" time at the end of the service and introduced ourselves and said why we were in Quito. After the service a couple people came to talk with us. Paul was kind enough to inform me, after I told him how fútbol would have to take the place of hockey for me while in Quito, that there is in fact... get this... a HOCKEY RINK IN QUITO!!! I am now joking about becoming a Zamboni driver and getting a job at the one and only rink in Quito. The second member that greeted us is from Barnsville, Minnesota!!! Only about 25 minutes from Fergus Falls. "It is SUCH a small world" -AnnMarie Celiberti.
School supplies, kitchen utensils and one more phone are the last thing on our list of things we need to start our lives in Quito. We are very excited to be here. Hopefully the surreal feeling of actually being here will wear off soon so I stop having my head on a swivel everywhere I go. Once again, your prayers and the amazing help from the Lord have been our strength and comfort in our first week in Quito.
All our love,
Your favorite 22 year olds,
Michael and AnnMarie
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