Still Enjoying Ecuador.....

So I have vowed to continue posting to my blog about Ecuador because I would actually like to remember my two years here. I have been here about 5 weeks now, but it seems like I have been here forever. I am finally fully acclimatized to the altitude and have resumed going to the gym and yoga classes. However, I am really tired at night because I feel like teaching here consumes more energy than in the Bronx. I feel like I move around more and use more hand gestures and work a lot harder. Luckily, the kids are much easier to handle here and I hate to say more enjoyable on some level. The only thing that I cannot stand is the horrendous whining. My students whine about anything and everything. It is actually quite horrendous and annoying. Despite the whining, I still feel like I get a lot accomplished academically, which I think is great. Overall, I am having a pretty good time at Americano.

So what else do I enjoy about Ecuador? Well, the pace is a lot slower than NYC. I always felt that I was running around in NYC and never had time to think for myself. Here, I am starting to gain interests again. I want to knit more, learn to cook with Josh, and read. I no longer feel the intense clenching of my teeth on the way to the subway....... Instead, I ride a bus in the morning that is only a block from my house. The commute is not so bad because I am dropped off right in front of the school. Generally, my life is easier here and most importantly I am learning much more Spanish. I am taking classes 3 times a week with a wonderful private tutor. I do all of the homework and also try to practice with a neighbor from my apartment building. Unfortunately, he is in Argentina for 9 days working for his company.

In reference to my old job here is an article about teaching in the Bronx, NYC.

Article about Urban Teaching by Sarah Seltzer

Fiesta De Guapulo

 

 

So we have been in Quito for 3 weeks now and the city never ceases to amaze me. The weather is constantly beautiful and the people are wonderful and friendly. Josh and I spent the weekend hanging out and talking to people that we met at Melrose Place. Last night, we went to the Fiesta de Guapulo and it was really festive and fun. The night began with the soccer game Ecuador vs. El Salvador. Josh was brave enough to try the street food and gave me the courage to try it in the future. We drank beer and watched the game with some people from Americano and out friends from Cotopaxi sat in a different section. Although Ecuador won, the game was uneventful and there were no exciting fights. After the game we went a really nice bar called La Terrase and had a beer to begin the trek down the hill to Fiesta de Guapulo. After the bar we went Melrose Place for drinks with my friends from Americano. We then finally made it to the bottom of the hill for the Fiesta. The Fiesta was packed with all kinds of drunk people and dancers. The music was typical Andean with flutes and horns- so I thought it was hard to dance to. However, the best part of the fiesta was when the giant firecracker apparatus was set off in the middle of the crowd. It had many levels and everyone ran around it in a circle to celebrate the day that the Virgin appeared in Guapulo. Vivo Guapulo!

Here is a link to a video of the fiesta!

I am in Ecuador and Love It

So- to everyone who reads my blog........... Not that anyone does! I arrived in Quito, Ecuador on August 19th. My flight was on time and when I arrived in Atlanta- I initially met a girl who I thought was a teacher at Colegio Americano. She actually turned out to be from Amsterdam. Shortly thereafter, I met some fellow coworkers from Americano. The first person I met was Judy Williams, the head of the library. Secondly, I met Daria and Ben, who happen to live upstairs. Lastly, I met Julie Wilson, a former ballerina and teacher from New Hampshire. The flight itself proved to be smooth- no bumps or turbulent air. I arrived in Quito on time and was greeted by Andres Sanchez and a few other Ecuadorians that work at Colegio. I was then escorted to my Hotel Standard Suites. A few hours later Josh arrived and were both really tired.

The second day in Quito- Americano took us on a tour of the city. We saw various sections such as Old Town and Guapalo. We ended the tour at Il Panecillo- which is a huge statue of an angel that overlooks the city. My new friends Kyle and Renee purchased street food which was covered with some kind of fur. Luckily, they noticed the fur and did not eat it. At the end of the tour I was tired again because of altitude sickness. It has taken a while to adjust to the altitude here. The effects were excessive tiredness and dehydration. It has been about 2 weeks now and I am finally feeling better.

On Tuesday the 21st, Josh and I found an apartment in Guapalo. The neighborhood is beautiful and very artsy. We live on a side of a mountain with vistas that I could have never imagined. I immediately fell in love with the place. After we moved in, we had to go to Megamaxi, which is a huge store with everything you could possibly want. It actually tends to get a little overwhelming and annoying.

So now we have lived in our place for about a week and a half and I am loving it. We have not done much decorating but plan to in the weeks to come.