Happy Thanksgiving!

Yeah, I know this post is almost a week late. But I had a great Thanksgiving down south, and wanted to wish the same for you. On Thursday, I celebrated with a burrito and a few margaritas. I had a great time asking everyone I knew what they were thankful for. It gave me all sorts of warm fuzzies. I said I was thankful that I had so many people I care about that I'm drowning in all the emails I'm trying to write to folks back in the states. :) Thanks for that. On Saturday, myself, my friend's host family, and 10 other North Americans got together and cooked a gigantor traditional Thanksgiving meal, sprinkled with some Ecuadorian highlights like colada morada. It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend. And it was great to talk to the fam. not only once, but twice, in two days! The rest of you reading this should take notes, and give me a call sometime. Anyway, happy holidays to you all!

oh, and on Friday, I saw some honest to god shrunken heads at a museum in Cuenca. That was pretty trippy.

Photos, again.

1. Thanksgiving day burritos and margaritas with Megan.
2. Sarah and Shelby making their contributions to the hand turkey collage we created before eating waaaaaay too much.
3. My student, Anabelle, in the Loja independence parade, looking thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that I'm taking her picture.
4. My professor class. Rocio, me, Silvana, and Olinda standing outside our classroom. Ignore the other gringuita.
5. ...And what independence parade is complete without a giant picture of the Virgin Mary?

Beauty Queens, football, and the Virgin Mary

I had the most Ecuadorian weekend, and I feel I really need to share it with y'all. Friday night I went and had a beer with a couple of my students at a bar called "El Abuelo," the grandpa. I topped off the night by grabbing a bite to eat at a missionary cafe called "El Sendero," literally "The Path." I try not to go there often, because it's the only other place where I find Gringos in Loja, and they're all missionaries, which kinda gives me the creeps. Anyway, I woke up early to go watch a parade on Saturday, celebrating Loja's independence. All the Lojano high schools marched, and I saw a bunch of my students. All of the girls in the high school marching bands wear these high heeled knee high boots, and I can't imagine how they manage to walk and play instruments at the same time. The parade, of course, included scantily clad beauty queens walking through the rain. And only in Ecudaor are beauty queens directly preceeded by a giant picture of the Virgin Mary. After the parade, I went to watch the Ecuadorian national team get their ass handed to them in football against Peru. 5-1. Ouch. That night I attended a birthday party for my friend's host mom, which was awesome. A bunch of old ladies sat around chain smoking and drinking whisky while her two sons entertained them with live music. And of course, what weekend would be complete without a visit to church? On Sunday, I visited El Cisne with my host family. It is possibly the poorest city I've seen in Ecuador, with possibly the most beautiful church I've seen in Ecuador. Oh, the irony. Anyway, This post has gotten too long. I promise my next will be considerably shorter.

Stalin?

So, I have an ecua-uncle named Stalin. And his son? Stalin Junior. Yes, he is named after the Russian dictator. Which is apparently somewhat common, because I also have a student named Marco Stalin. Oh, Ecuador.

Jessamyn Rocks

Jessamyn wins the totally awesome friend award for being the first person to send me chocolate from the US! Jessamyn, you made my month...or my week, however long it takes me to polish off the delicious chocolates you gave me. Thank you thank you thank you.

More Photos

1. Hitching a ride back from Cajas.
2. Megan, my newly discovered soul mate.
3. Charlie, who isn't quite as cool as Megan.
4. I am the first person to take this photo...ever.

Side note: I just realized all the pics I'm posting are of me and other gringos. That's because I hate taking my camera out in front of Ecuadorians. It makes me feel like such a tourist. But in the next batch of photos, I will try to include some of my ecua-families and my students.

Photos

1. Sarah and I looking irresistible after wading through the waterfalls in Mindo. Note the totally awesome Christmas socks.
2. Mixing Kalimotxos (box wine and coke) after a day of hiking in Vilcabamba.
3. The lovely ladies of Loja. My coworkers at the Universidad Nacional de Loja.
4. Pete and I hiking in Cajas.
5. Parque Nacional de Cajas. Friggin' beautiful.

Peanut Butter!!!

Today, I found a lonely, dusty jar of Jif reduced fat peanut butter at the grocery store!!!! Wooooo!!!!

I'm back

My appologies for the long silence. I was sick as a dog for the last couple weeks. I ate some homemade yogurt that my host mom may or may not have prepared with a moldy papaya. Anyway, I had to rush out of my morning class to go vomit, then returned to finish the lesson. I spent the rest of the day vomiting everything. Then upcgraded from constant vomiting to constant diarrhea for several days. Just as I started feeling better, I got the flu for a week. Besides the occasional moments of self pity, I was in good spirits the entire time. And now I'm healthy enough to go to my salsa lessons, so life is good. I was also healthy enough to travel to Cuence for their independence day celebrations. I partied like a mad fool, and did some Christmas shopping. I bought an amazing painting of a village with a giant volcano and a train travelling through the sky, with giant apples falling from the train. It's a trip. Actually, I bought it as a housewarming gift for Peter and Jacqueline...but it's just so awesome I might have to keep it for myself. Sorry guys! It doesn't mean I don't love you both.