It's 7:30am and I'm wide awake. Probably because I went to bed super early last night but oh well.

Yesterday I went to my Spanish conversation class and the professor seems cool and it's going to be a lot of chatting, changed some around but still need to know if they'll transfer to MSU (Come on, Lyman Briggs, get on that!) and walked around everywhere. Met some girls from Kalamazoo College who are doing the same program Rob did 10 years ago. We walked around outside of campus to go find ice cream, couldn't find the right place so after walking about quarter mile extra down a huge hill, decided to trudge back up and go to another place. Ecuadorian ice cream is weird. Maybe I'm just used to mass amounts of sugar. Then we went to Valentina's house and had to walk up 2 mountains in her neighborhood. Watched Miss Congeniality (it took me until I went to Ecuador to watch that movie... pretty good). Then walked my friend Valerie home so by the time I got back, I was exhausted.

My host mom had two friends over just to chat. They talked SO FAST! It was interesting what they were talking about- pets, kids, grandkids, cleaning, and a few other topics. I was happy that I could follow along for the most part. At one point they were talking about a conejo which is a pet, and I thought it was a snake but it's a rabbit. But then again, makes me more confident that I know lots of vocab to know what rabbit is in Spanish.

Went to bed at 10, woke up at 7, probably will go back to bed. Today I have class and then need to get my Censo ( Still have no idea what that is, I think the ID card?) and then me and some others are going to explore Old Town Quito which I hear is beautiful. Hopefully will have some good photo opportunities since I haven't taken many yet. I'm just nervous to take my camera out with the chance it makes me look wealthy and then I get mugged. Could happen.

I've only been here for about 5 days and can already notice lots of differences in the culture and way things are here. Obviously the language is different, but it's surprising how many people know English and can use it because they studied or went somewhere in the US for some time. Some of the differences may be seen since I haven't spent much time in cities. Pollution is pretty bad, trucks emit black smoke from their tailpipes all the time. There's trash everywhere, even some weird bones or I think they're bones on the little walkway I go on daily. On crowded intersections, people try to sell whatever they can for a little bit of money. Fire dancers, candy sellers, cell phone case sellers, jugglers, window washers, etc. Not supposed to give them money because they could use it for drugs or something. Who knows. Everyday, I walk by this flower shop with all sorts of beautiful flowers. You can get 25 roses for a dollar. It's just on the side of the road, someone pulls up and buys them and is on their way. I have no idea if they sell very much, but they should. Most of the people who sell little items just look sad. Not sure if they are, but if they're selling 3 candy bars a day to make 30 cents, probably are a bit. They bring their kids along and have them sell things too. People here hardly ever smile. I guess they do when talking to others, and it's probably the same in the States.

I know I've seen more cultural differences but can't think of them right now. Sure I will throughout the semester. But hey to any of my Guatemala family who reads this- I keep seeing people standing in the back of pick-ups riding around! So jealous of them since that's the best way to travel!

Chao chao bacalao.