Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Here comes the moment..
when everyone says "Oh my goodness Hanna! SERiously? You are crazy!"
I cannot believe I am about to do this again, and honestly I am not sure that I am entirely ready.
I cannot believe I am about to do this again, and honestly I am not sure that I am entirely ready.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Only in Ecuador
I had the opportunity to see Erick and Efren again.
Last night Andres and I met up with them at the mall.
It was the first time in 5 months that I saw Erick in person and the first time in 5 months that I saw Efren at all.
You remember Erick and his best friend Efren right from that day we explored beach after beach?
The great thing about this meeting is that I was actually able to understand a good majority of what they were saying where as the time before I was so lost.
WE decided to get pizza together.
We all loaded into Efren's car.
On the way to the car I asked Erick all sorts of personal questions.
You know the catching up sorts.
We drove to Pizza Hut.
Pizza Hut was having a deal on carry away pizzas. Buy one and get one free.
We ordered our pizzas and sat there talking as we waited.
Erick and Efren told animated story after story.
I love seeing my friends laugh and joke.
Even if I get overwhelmed after a while by trying to understand.
WE got our pizzas and walked across the street to a gas station.
We bought a giant soda and the people working at the gas station let us sit at a table inside and eat our pizza.
I ate so much pizza.
In case you didn't know, Pizza is my weakness!!!!!
We sat there talking and joking and just catching up.
It is really funny because I understand a lot of Spanish that is spoken around me, but if a person looks directly at me and speaks to me I get so nervous that my brain just stops working.
I get so worried because I know they expect some kind of answer.
You know you are in Ecuador when a guy (who is not quite all there) walks into the gas station with a toy gun and no one freaks out even a little.
It looked real enough that if he was in the States the police would have been there within minutes.
He just walked around the gas station looking at things.
It was very interesting.
I was sad to see the night end, but I know we will have more good times together in the future.
Last night Andres and I met up with them at the mall.
It was the first time in 5 months that I saw Erick in person and the first time in 5 months that I saw Efren at all.
You remember Erick and his best friend Efren right from that day we explored beach after beach?
The great thing about this meeting is that I was actually able to understand a good majority of what they were saying where as the time before I was so lost.
WE decided to get pizza together.
We all loaded into Efren's car.
On the way to the car I asked Erick all sorts of personal questions.
You know the catching up sorts.
We drove to Pizza Hut.
Pizza Hut was having a deal on carry away pizzas. Buy one and get one free.
We ordered our pizzas and sat there talking as we waited.
Erick and Efren told animated story after story.
I love seeing my friends laugh and joke.
Even if I get overwhelmed after a while by trying to understand.
WE got our pizzas and walked across the street to a gas station.
We bought a giant soda and the people working at the gas station let us sit at a table inside and eat our pizza.
I ate so much pizza.
In case you didn't know, Pizza is my weakness!!!!!
We sat there talking and joking and just catching up.
It is really funny because I understand a lot of Spanish that is spoken around me, but if a person looks directly at me and speaks to me I get so nervous that my brain just stops working.
I get so worried because I know they expect some kind of answer.
You know you are in Ecuador when a guy (who is not quite all there) walks into the gas station with a toy gun and no one freaks out even a little.
It looked real enough that if he was in the States the police would have been there within minutes.
He just walked around the gas station looking at things.
It was very interesting.
I was sad to see the night end, but I know we will have more good times together in the future.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Today was a great Thanksgiving.
It was Andres's day off.
We decided to go get his passport for him even though we woke up later than hoped.
He was hesitant to take me with him to get it.
In order to get to the place you have to take a number of city buses.
Thus far I have traveled only via metra and longer distance buses.
The city buses are known to have thieves and the Lord only knows what else. (the reason I did not take my camera.)
It put Andres even more at ease when we were waiting for the first bus and we heard a gun shot nearby.
No one even seemed to take notice.
The buses really were not a problem.
We got to the needed building and had his passport within 30 minutes.
We went to a nearby shopping center and walked around.
We were able to get my anit-malarials at a pharmacy there.
We were able to get my anit-malarials at a pharmacy there.
Instead of paying $30 for a months worth, I paid less than $7!!!!!!!
What else did I do to celebrate my Thanksgiving?
Bless this perfect boy of mine!
We ate a ridiculous amount of pasta for lunch.
Sat in a book store and looked at art books.
Sat in a book store and looked at art books.
Watched Lord of the Rings together.
We sat in the hammock for a bit.
Wished on the first star we saw. [maybe A little sappy. I know.]
Then we finished off the night with street hamburgers and fruitilla (Strawberry) yogurt!
On the walk back to the house, with our hamburgers in hand, we told each other what we were thankful for.
It was a perfect day.
To top it all off, he and I both wore a yellow shirt today.
To all my friends and family out there, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I love you all!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
AHH
I made an effort to buy a camera before leaving the States and have managed to forget it or something crucial to its operation on all the important days.
Last Sunday and Monday Andres and I spent at the beach.
AFter church on Sunday morning he and I took the subway to the bus station which was a 40 min ride, then took a bus for 2 or so hours.
It was on the bus that I went to take a picture and realized that I had no memory card. AHHHHH!!
We stayed at the house of his Uncle.
His uncle has a house near the beach and was so excited to have us stay.
We got there and upon greeting the hosuehold, were ushered out the back door where his Uncle was grilling a ridiculous amount of food.
Steak, Chicken, Fresh whole Shrimp, and whole fish.
We were served the usual rice with some sort of bean dish and then a huge plate of meat was set there too.
I had a hard time gettig the hang of eatting whole shrimp. The whole removing the head and the shell and tail on the shrimp was hard.
I tried to be a lady about it by using my spoon and knife but had a terrible time.
Andres's Uncle walked over and without using words directed me to drop the silverwear and use my fingers.
I ate so much food.
I then met another Uncle and Aunt who arrived along with a handfull of cousins.
I was sitting at the table with some family and Andres went into the house for something and one of his cousins asked me if I spoke Spanish. I then replied with "No hablo Espanol."
Then they laughed and I corrected myself by saying "No hablo MUCHO Espanol."
then it all made sense to them. hahaha
Andres and I spent Monday at the beach, just he and I.
It was really nice.
We only spent a few hours there but by the time we got back to Andres's uncles house, I was as dark as Andres.
We were sad that we had to leave but we were exhausted.
Hopefully we will go to the beach again very soon and I will remember my camera and memory card. ha
Last Sunday and Monday Andres and I spent at the beach.
AFter church on Sunday morning he and I took the subway to the bus station which was a 40 min ride, then took a bus for 2 or so hours.
It was on the bus that I went to take a picture and realized that I had no memory card. AHHHHH!!
We stayed at the house of his Uncle.
His uncle has a house near the beach and was so excited to have us stay.
We got there and upon greeting the hosuehold, were ushered out the back door where his Uncle was grilling a ridiculous amount of food.
Steak, Chicken, Fresh whole Shrimp, and whole fish.
We were served the usual rice with some sort of bean dish and then a huge plate of meat was set there too.
I had a hard time gettig the hang of eatting whole shrimp. The whole removing the head and the shell and tail on the shrimp was hard.
I tried to be a lady about it by using my spoon and knife but had a terrible time.
Andres's Uncle walked over and without using words directed me to drop the silverwear and use my fingers.
I ate so much food.
I then met another Uncle and Aunt who arrived along with a handfull of cousins.
I was sitting at the table with some family and Andres went into the house for something and one of his cousins asked me if I spoke Spanish. I then replied with "No hablo Espanol."
Then they laughed and I corrected myself by saying "No hablo MUCHO Espanol."
then it all made sense to them. hahaha
Andres and I spent Monday at the beach, just he and I.
It was really nice.
We only spent a few hours there but by the time we got back to Andres's uncles house, I was as dark as Andres.
We were sad that we had to leave but we were exhausted.
Hopefully we will go to the beach again very soon and I will remember my camera and memory card. ha
Friday, November 11, 2011
Recording artist.
I had a cool experience the other day.
I took my mandolin with me to the music room where Marcel and Chicho were, naturally.
They were working on recording some things for a cd of a nearby church and asked me to play my mandolin for them.
Next thing I know I am playing parts of the song they were recording.
Then they ask me to record.
So I am set up with a mic and giant headphones and am asked to play over and over again.
It made me so nervous, but I am glad I did it.
It sounded so great.
I love that mandolin so much!!
Hopefully they do not ask me to sing. I would freak out!
I took my mandolin with me to the music room where Marcel and Chicho were, naturally.
They were working on recording some things for a cd of a nearby church and asked me to play my mandolin for them.
Next thing I know I am playing parts of the song they were recording.
Then they ask me to record.
So I am set up with a mic and giant headphones and am asked to play over and over again.
It made me so nervous, but I am glad I did it.
It sounded so great.
I love that mandolin so much!!
Hopefully they do not ask me to sing. I would freak out!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
How do you even begin to explain a language that makes no sense?
Last night I was sitting in the hammock with the mother of Andres and she was going over English phrases with me.
She would say "Sing" then "Cantar".
"Run"...."correr"...
and if she did not know a word in English she would say it in Spanish and I would try to translate it.
"cielo?"..
"sky."
Some things in English sentence structure make no sense.
Here is something that I did not know how to explain.
"I am going to worship God."
"I am going to pray to God."
Why do we say "Pray to God" and not also "worship to God"?
I did not know how to explain that one to her.
I need to figure out ways of explaining these things and soon.
Last night I also met the oldest Brother of Andres.
I had met his brother Josue and I am sharing a room with his twin sister.
I really love this family. They are so crazy which makes me feel right at home except that I only understand about half of what they are saying, especially when they start talking really really fast.
The good news is that my body seems to be having no trouble at all with any of the food yet.
One of my favorite things to eat here (and I will try to duplicate it in the States) are the street hamburgers.
There is a street vendor near the house here and you can get a hamburger with everything on it for $1.50.
These hamburgers are made of the meat, naturally.
Then it is topped with a slice of ham, some bacon, cheese, a fried egg, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, Onion, Mayo, ketchup and mustard.
It is without a doubt the best hamburger ever!
If you come to visit, I will buy you a hamburger and some yogurt.
The food served in the house is excellent as well.
We eat rice with every meal and a lot of it.
My family here (this is how I will refer to them now) learned quickly that I do not eat like an Ecuadorian and always give me much smaller helpings.
It is always the joke that they will point to a loaded plate of food and tell me that it is my plate. :]
I feel so well fed, and so loved.
Whenever the family is home I will walk into the room of Andres's parents and his Mom, Angela, will immediately make room for me to snuggle with her on the bed and watch tv with them.
I hope that soon my family can meet my family here.
That will be great!
I think I am going to take a nap now.
Maybe I will actually remember to take my camera places and share some pictures.
Last night I was sitting in the hammock with the mother of Andres and she was going over English phrases with me.
She would say "Sing" then "Cantar".
"Run"...."correr"...
and if she did not know a word in English she would say it in Spanish and I would try to translate it.
"cielo?"..
"sky."
Some things in English sentence structure make no sense.
Here is something that I did not know how to explain.
"I am going to worship God."
"I am going to pray to God."
Why do we say "Pray to God" and not also "worship to God"?
I did not know how to explain that one to her.
I need to figure out ways of explaining these things and soon.
Last night I also met the oldest Brother of Andres.
I had met his brother Josue and I am sharing a room with his twin sister.
I really love this family. They are so crazy which makes me feel right at home except that I only understand about half of what they are saying, especially when they start talking really really fast.
The good news is that my body seems to be having no trouble at all with any of the food yet.
One of my favorite things to eat here (and I will try to duplicate it in the States) are the street hamburgers.
There is a street vendor near the house here and you can get a hamburger with everything on it for $1.50.
These hamburgers are made of the meat, naturally.
Then it is topped with a slice of ham, some bacon, cheese, a fried egg, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, Onion, Mayo, ketchup and mustard.
It is without a doubt the best hamburger ever!
If you come to visit, I will buy you a hamburger and some yogurt.
The food served in the house is excellent as well.
We eat rice with every meal and a lot of it.
My family here (this is how I will refer to them now) learned quickly that I do not eat like an Ecuadorian and always give me much smaller helpings.
It is always the joke that they will point to a loaded plate of food and tell me that it is my plate. :]
I feel so well fed, and so loved.
Whenever the family is home I will walk into the room of Andres's parents and his Mom, Angela, will immediately make room for me to snuggle with her on the bed and watch tv with them.
I hope that soon my family can meet my family here.
That will be great!
I think I am going to take a nap now.
Maybe I will actually remember to take my camera places and share some pictures.
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