a couple surreal experiences

I keep meaning to blog about some of these stories, and then keep forgetting. So here they are in one lump sum. Some of the more surreal/adsurd highlights of Ecuador:

For our staff Christmas party at the instituto de idiomas, I was elected the princess of the instituto. I shit you not. I guess it's a common Christmas tradition to elect a prince and princess for a Christmas party. Anyway, after being told in my professor class that this was going to happen, I thought they were joking. Until one profe, Silvana, said with a completely straight face, "No Katerine, seriously. I have a tiara for you." I promptly stopped laughing, and politely wore the tiara and sash that were given to me. Yes, I am the proud owner of a beauty queen sash that says "Princesita de la Navidad."

I convinced a man to give me a baby chicken on the bus ride to the coast last week. He gets onto our bus with about 10 crates full of little baby chicks chirping away, and piles them on top of each other in the back of the bus, a few rows behind me. Before getting off, my friend Sarah and I decide that a baby chicken would be the perfect gift to give to our new Field Director, Katie, whom we hadn't met yet. So we offer to pay, do a little ecua-whining, and then he gave it to us for free! It was the cutest dang thing ever. Katie accepted it happily, and it now has a happy home with the other chickens at the eco lodge where we were staying.

I organized a skinny dipping party of about 15 or more English teachers on the coast this weekend. I felt proud to be referred to as the fearless leader of said mini-adventure. It was awesome.

I had a leg hair contest with my friend Joel. I haven't shaved my legs since October, and have been happily sporting the bikini-hairy legs combo. Anyway, our impartial judge decided Joel had harier legs, but I won the "best calves" consolation prize.

One of my professors told me last week that no one ever landed on the moon. I tried to have a reasoned debate about this, but, as you can imagine, it didn't go over well.

Man, I love this country.

If I had a superpower, it would be multi-tasking

I was shocked to realize today that we're already half way through January. Things have been monumentally busy, so I appologize for the absence of posts. Here's a quick laundry list of my activities:

1. Teaching. Back to the daily grind after a couple weeks off, and my kids are definitely keeping me on my toes.

2. Trying to volunteer. I have been trying for a while now to push my translation skills on a nonprofit environmental org here in Loja. They say they want my help, but actually making concrete plans just doesn't seem to happen here. Sigh.

3. Administrative BS. I've been helping my field director in Quito interview a new school here in Loja that wants a teacher from my org. It's been a pain, but my motivation for saying I'd help is to butter up my FD for when he leaves in July and I apply for his job. :)

4. Travel plans. I have a whole lotta time off in the next few months. I'm up to my elbows in travels plans. That sounds like I'm complaining. I'm not. From now through March I'm going to the beach, to Guaranda, to Chile, AND to Guatemala. Hell yes.

Viva Mexico!

I am back in Quito right now after about a week in Mexico with the fam. It was way fun, even though I spent a big chunk of time feeling under the weather. Anyway, here are the highlights:

1. Spending time with the padres, Peter and Jacqueline.
2. The food. Oh, man....the food.
3. The beer. 6 glorious days of drinking anything but Pilsener.
4. Spanish classes with a waaaay awesome teacher who was patient enough to spend 4 straight hours reviewing prepositions with me.
5. Ringing in the new year with Peter and Jacqueline by drinking 40s of Victoria and watching Jeopardy. God we're nerds.

Hope your holiday season was full of love and good cheer. I'm off to go catch my flight to Loja.