Lately

Hm. I don't know what I've been doing lately. Haven't traveled outside of Quito since my class trip. I went to a soccer (futbol) game and it was absolutely insane. Fireworks. Toilet paper thrown on the field. Fire extinguishers. Every crazy thing you can imagine, people had it. It was the quarter finals for the south american cup. They won that game, won the next one. Onto the finals! Should be quite exciting. I don't know anything about the game but I'll probably go.

My Spanish has really improved lately. Everyone who I talk to says it's really strong and I'm good at grammar and pronunciation and all that jazz. That's why I came here, I guess, so it's good that I'm finally getting to that point to communicate. Of course, when people talk too fast or mumble or use words I don't know it's difficult, but I'm definitely learning a lot.

My friend Jessie turned 21 and her parents came down from the states for a week. They rented a Chiva (party bus) which took us all around the city. So much fun!

I've been helping out at a school in Lumbisi which is a small, poor country town. We have English lessons and then recess. I don't know if the kids are actually learning anything or just regurgitate what we tell them and immediately forget it. But it's very fulfilling to go sometimes. The kids are really nice, well some of them. There are 3 bullies that are almost kicked out of the program, but they're also the ones who really want to learn English. So we have a special class for them so they don't interrupt the main class.

I've been hitting the party scene in Quito more. I go to the same 5 bars, do the same things, but it's always different with different people.

Lately it rains every single day from about 2-10pm. Oh, the best part? I left my raincoat in a computer lab. Sucks. So much. I loved that raincoat. I bought an umbrella but it's not the same. Now I have to buy a new winter coat because that was the outside layer of mine. UGHHHHHHHHH.

My friends and I got all dressed up as various Harry Potter characters and went to see the 7th movie. I'll admit, I didn't read the book. But the movie was phenomenal. So sad. Jumpy. But really good. Even better when we dressed up and the boys in my group battled in front of the movie theater.

My mom is coming to Ecuador on December 19th and then from the 22nd-26th we're going to the Galapagos Islands! Christmas and birthday in the Galapagos? Cannot wait.