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September

The first week in September, I went on my first rotary trip to Salinas. In Salinas, I met over 60 other exchange students. I was immediately able to develop strong relationships with them as if they were my family. We spent the week in Salinas at a resort. This place was so beautiful; it was right on the beach with pools, buffet all-you-can-eat, basically I was living the life. The purpose of this trip was actually to learn Spanish so during the day we spent our time taking Spanish classes. However, being at the beach, I was sometimes distracted. After five days and four nights I had to say goodbye to people from countries all over the world that I had become so close to. It was very hard knowing that I would not see them for a while. However I know that the point of exchange is to meet Ecuadorians and not to spend too much time with other exchange students. The next weekend after having returned from Salinas, Xenia, the other exchange student in my city from Germany, and I, took a small bus by ourselves to Cuenca which is 3 1/2 hours away. Here we spent the night with a Rotarian. We came to Cuenca in order to register our visas. In doing so all by ourselves I was able to realize how mature I have really become. I have to do these things by myself now, I have no mommy to help me. We also spent the weekend in Cuenca and went to a small village outside of the city. Here we ate a delicious fish called Trucha. It was very good, and I ate the whole fish including the spine which was rather odd. After returning home, it meant back to school. Now, school is becoming more and more fun every day. My Spanish is improving drastically. I'm able to communicate well and have made very good friends including one in specific named Santiago. He and I spend much time together, playing soccer, hanging out, and going to parties. It is very fun with him; he's very kind and always invites me to eat but sometimes I feel bad because I don't ever pay. Several times a week my friends and I go to synthetic soccer fields in the city and we play soccer, I really enjoy this. It is because I am at times bored and exercise helps me keep my mind off of the homesickness. Exercise is really one of the important things that keeps me going. In school, specifically literature, we have begun to read a book called Pedro Paramo. It is a very difficult book because it is filled with metaphors, and it is the first Spanish book that I have read. I am able to understand a little, but hopefully by the end of this year I will be able to understand the book fully. On September 19th, my host dad had his birthday. Camilo, my host brother, and I, printed out a poster with some words of thanks and congratulations. We also had some pictures of us with my host dad, printed onto the poster. It felt good to see the smile on his face that morning when we handed him the poster, as if he were true family. On September 26th (which is also the birthday of my mother back home), Ecuador celebrates the day of the flag (Día de la Bandera). In school, we celebrated by marching around the building. The top students of the school, those with the best grades, carried the national, Lojano, and school flag around the courtyard. This was an interesting experience in that I have never marched like this before, not to mention we were required to do so with white gloves. I have joined the school marching band, and am playing the bombo. I don't actually know what it's called in English, but it's the big drum. I am super excited in that I love percussion. On November 18, marking Lojano independence, we will march together through the city, playing several traditional songs. In reference to food, I am now basically accustomed. One of my favorite things that I've eaten is guata, which is the stomach part of a pig mixed with rice and potatoes, it is very delicious. My host brother and I have spent two Sundays cooking dinner together; we made strawberry pancakes with bacon, they were delicious. In doing so I have spent much time with him and I'm able to talk to him and bond with him very well. Camilo, my host brother, and I, are becoming very close. In two weeks I will be going on another trip with the exchange students. I'm very excited for I'm able to communicate with them what I cannot with the other Ecuadorians: the fact that they are experiencing the same thing as I, helps me to cope. Time has been flying here in Ecuador and I'm really enjoying it. As I am accustoming myself to the school, growing stronger in my relationships with my friends and my host family, I'm starting to separate myself from what I left at home. This is a good thing, and it is marking the true beginning of my exchange as I know I'm becoming a true Ecuadorian.

Hope everything is going well at home

August

I have now spent two weeks in Ecuador. It feels like I have been living here for all my life. Upon arrival, I was greeted by my host parents with hugs and kisses. From that moment on I have slowly accustomed to living the life of an Ecuadorian. My house is very large, it is in the mountains where there are many animals such as cows, chickens, sheep, and others I really don't know what to call. This is a complete change for me but I'm loving it. My host parents are wonderful, my host brother is my best friend; an 18-year-old by the name of Camilo. He has led me to know  many other people in this small town of Loja. There are only 200,000 inhabitants and for this everyone knows each other and are mostly all friends. The first week I went to a Quinciñera as a Caballero which is where you accompany a girl and perform a dance at the beginning of the party. Tt was something new for me but I truly enjoyed dancing to the Latin American music. It felt very strange walking through the streets early on. I was the only light skinned person that I saw. Not only this but looks came from every person as if I were different. But, slowly and surely I have accustomed to that for I know that I really am different and change for people is always difficult. Ecuadorian food is very very different, there's much pig that we eat and the texture of it is like the tire of the car. I'm not very picky but let me tell you it takes some adjusting to eat Ecuadorian food. However, there is some good in it, especially the ceviche that you get with popcorn;  it's delicious. I have five dogs and a very large garden where there are chickens who's eggs we eat almost every morning. I have gone out with Camilo and his friends almost every night so far, it is a completely different culture. At parties we dance instead of at many American get-togethers where you just sit around and have a good time talking; we actually get up and do something, which I like a lot. School has started for me; it began on September 2 . The first day was a little rough because the language barrier is a very large barrier let me tell you. However due to my several years of practicing Spanish and preparation I think I have a very large advantage.I am able to communicate with everyone that I have met. This is one piece of advice for futures, preparation in the language was key. Back to school, it is very different. I have 18 people in my class and 36 people total in my grade. Compare this to 700 people back home. It may be strange but honestly everyone is much closer and we always hang out after school. Every day so far we have gone somewhere to get together, singing songs to the sound of someone playing guitar. Last night we went to the Feria which is a small theme park in my town. You ride roller coaster rides and things like that, it was extremely fun but sometimes can get a little dangerous because the rides aren't too safe. I have a maid that does the cooking and cleaning; she's an 18-year-old lady with a  1 year old son. Her name is Bachita, and she has the kindest heart I know. That is one thing I've learned about Loja:  the Lojanos are very nice people, everyone has accepted me with open arms, from my family to my friends, counselor, and other people I've met on this journey. Last Sunday we went to another village called Vilcabamba. this is where my host grandparents have a Finka(also known as a farm). There we went to spend time together with the family, play basketball, soccer, swim, and just enjoy time together. That is  something else about the Lojanos, they like to be together and just love on each other. Sometimes I wonder if in America, the many people I know that tend to be solitary are missing out.  I'm not sure. Near our house is a mountain, we took a skateboard without wheels and wrote it down the mountain. It was insane. Weather around here is pretty cool, it's usually about 60 degrees, up to 70, 75 during the day. It's actually perfect for me I love it. Loja, in terms of the city, is very small and the buildings are at times rundown, but everyone works together and is happy and has their markets and the such. So in reality you don't really notice that there's not that much money because people are happy. In fact, that happiness is the wealth that the Lojanos are portraying. That is what I have learned about Loja, Ecuador so far, that happiness cannot only come from money, it comes from relationships,and pride in what you do,and how you're living life. So far so good,  and I'm gonna keep on chugging along in Ecuador.
Chris