Marriage Proposals, Music Videos, and Finding Your Zen

A little more Riobamba highlights:

First I would like to show the restaurant we ate at 3 or 4 times. I lost count. The host was a little eccentric, and liked to remind us that Simon Bolivar stayed here for 2 days, and because of that it was big deal. I am sure you can imagine how impressed we were.
Lesson 6: Always look your best, you never know when you will be asked to appear in an Ecuadorian music video.

I am very serious about this one. One of our own, Molly, was asked to appear in a music video. This leads to Awkward Moment #4: Watching Molly dance in the video, and wondering if you should be concerned as they walk farther away from the bus. Also, other Ole Miss students were asked by some Ecuas to pose for some photos. This is one of them:


Molly danced for a full 5 minutes. We had gotten out of the bus to pose for a picture that overlooked a city, when Molly was asked to make her music video debut. If TRL was still around I am sure, this would make the top 10 as the first ever Ecuadorian cross over. Molly really got into it, and this man who came up to Molly's stomach really sang a love song to her. Our guide, Juan Pablo was very encouraging.

Lesson # 7: Never underestimate the power of a 1980s-90s rock ballad. With help from our driver (see below), Willis, Haas and Matt were able to buy an unbelievable collection of rock ballads for $1.00. It really was a great deal, and included some famous songs like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Bette Davis Eyes."

These powerful songs, helped relieve the bordom of the countryside, and boosted our confidence when we were down. As it blared through the speakers we were able to help Willis get the bus moving again (see below) and it boosted our spirits.

Now, this is what I call team work.

This is a side note but Haas and Matt also taught Willis some popular American sayings.
For example, "I kill for fun." But when Willis said it, it sound more like this:

"High Keel Fhur Fhhun."

Haas also used some of the power ballads to help with his proposal to our lovely Spanish professor, Jaqueline.

Lesson # 8: Find your Zen.

According to Hunter and Charles, this is when you hit rock bottom, and you are relaxed and can finally go with the flow. For Hunter, he got deathly ill in Riobamba, and Charles lived in the worse possible house in Riobamba for 2 days before moving in with the rest of us. Other stuff had lead to these moments, but the aforementioned events was the last straw for them. Now, no matter what awful thing happens, they just take it in stride. So I started thinking, when will I find my Zen, but I think I came to Ecuador with my Zen. I have been Zen since day one, becaus of my previous life experiences and how I reflect on them. I mostly laugh. I also think it helped that I did a decent amount of research about the country to and realized that this summer was not going to be carefree one.

So tonight, I am in Puerto Lopez and I am going whale watching tomorrow. I can't wait to be able to get some of the pictures off my camera of me horseback riding, and I have had quite a few misadventures on my way to Puerto Lopez that you are going to love.

Keep reading, and I will keep writing.

Water Parties in Ecuador...No, really. I can´t make this stuff up.

Last time, I reviewed some of my misadventures after I left Quito, but of course I have more. I will resume with discussing the village that we stayed in one night.

They tried to teach about some of their cultural traditions, which included dancing. The picture below documents one of the most awkward moments in Hunter´s life. She just really didn´t want to get giggy with him, but it could have just been the music.

Sarah, on the other hand was quite a natural. Danced all night long.

After the mountain, we made it back to Riobamba where we had to go on a few more field trips. One included us having to look like lunch ladies, to see how Ecuadorian cereal bars are made. It was exhilirating.

Then we made a trip to the market in Guano. We ate delicious Cholas (bread filled with jam-they are famous for them) and then climbed a mini mountain-hill to ride the Teleferiqo. This might have been more dangerous then the jump. It was a little rinky-dinky, to say the least. And I might have had a mini freak out when we completely stopped in the middle without any warning, but it was cool.

But then Hunter was there to greet me at the end. I had to bribe him to take this picture with me.

Oh and I got a new host family in Riobamba. My host mother in Quito had called to insure that I was getting a good family, so sweet. But what was even sweeter was the fact that I didn´t stay along but with Hunter, Mary Alex, Addison and Charles! Hass was with us in the beginning but replaced by Charles later on because he needed a few more nights in Hotel Zeus. But before Haas left he taught us how to play poker, and my life will never be the same.

We played some excellent games of spades and took care of one another when we got sick. Besides Charles and I, every one got a 24 hour stomach virus. It began with Hunter, followed by Mary Alex, Sarah, then Addison, and finally poor Haas.

Of course we got to see some high class graffiti on the front of our house.

The Fam.

Ohohoh, and I almost forgot. When I joined Panhellenic I thought my days of having awkward and forced conversations with people I barely knew were over. I was mistaken. At the USFQ Riobamba campus we were asked by the Dean to do a sort of speed dating conversation thing to help his students with their English and us with our Spanish. It was really more to help them with there English. Every 10 minute 1 to 3 new students would come in sit in front of me. Their ages ranged from 13 to 22. They asked the same questions, and I usually gave the same answers. This lasted for almost 2 hours, and I was drained. Here are some of the questions:

in italics is what I felt like saying but didn´t

1. Do you like Ecuador? Yes. No, it is dirty and smells, and I don´t like that I eat rice for every meal and that the men whistle and say crude things to me when I walk down the street.

2. Who is your favorite team in the world cup? Brazil and USA. What kind of question is that I am from America, I like America.

So I am back in Quito, but don´t worry my misadventures have not ended. SF will be here in one week, and then the fun really begins.

¡Chao!

Brett didn´t tell us about this

What is this white stuff you see in the pictures below? Oh, this is snow, and lots of it. Yes, I am living in South America this summer, but this does not mean I only wear shorts, t-shirts and chacos. That is what I would be wearing if I was in Mississippi, but I am in a totally different world.

So I know I was going to tell you all about the great times I had out with locals, but it is going to have to wait. Today my post is dedicated to the one and only Brett Brynes. Brett is-was our study abroad advisor for our trip to Ecuador, but no one here in Ecuador is sure if he is still employed at the University of Mississippi.

Ecuador has had a lot of surprises, and some I think we could have done without if we would have been informed of what to expect from Brett. But then again Brett has never been to Ecuador, and I don´t know if he has even read a book about Ecuador. So here we go.

Lesson 5- Don´t take Brett´s word for it. You are going to need to do a little background research to where you are going, and ask other students who have been before you what to expect. For example, I bought a book about Ecuador and I thank God everyday that I am friends with Rachel Johnson, or I would have been totally unprepared for most of the stuff I have encountered in Ecuador.

We got all received a schedule at the end of May for the June Spanish session at USFQ. It was scarce in details. We knew we were going to Riobamba, but that was about it.

Last Wednesday, we got more details about our trip to Riobamba and Chimborazo. We were told to bring lots of warm clothes and hiking boots. We figured it couldn´t that bad. Oh, how we were mistaken. Chimborazo is the highest point in Ecuador and where you can find snow in June. Our schedule from May said a hike. When I think hike I think nature trails at Girl Scout camp. I was wrong. For me to climb up Chimborazo I would have to started training last year. So I was automatically against even attempting to hike this mountain. But then they told us we were going down hill, so I pumped myself up to make the journey from one refuge to the next, but once again our plans changed. It had snowed and the snow was beginning to melt so we could only go up. So I didn´t hesitate and joined the group as we started to hike. Every step I thought I was getting closer to having a heart attack. After 15 minutes, Mary Alex ask me if I want to go back because she is feeling sharp pains in her upper body. Hell YES!!! So we turn around. When we get back to our buses we find that 5 of the girls from St. John´s in Minnesota have opted out also. This makes me feel much better. They are having trouble with the altitude too. I no longer feel like such at wimp at 13,000 feet when I start to breath hard from walking too fast or climbing up a few flights of stairs. God is good.

Chimborazo is only after other misadventures. Our journey from Quito to Riobamba to Chimborazo and then back to Riobamba began last Thursday morning. When we loaded the bus with our guide, Juan Pablo and driver Willis.

I am going to end here. But will return to this cozy internet cafe tomorrow to continue the story of my most recent misadventures. Get ready to hear about our appearance in an Ecuadorian music video, new host families, and Hotel Zeus. I promise that you will laugh out loud.

¡Chao!

So when all my friends jump off a bridge...eventually I follow

¡Hola amigos!

So a lot has happened in the past week, but it is going to take more than one post to catch you up on my misadventures in Ecuador.

Lesson 4: When in Ecuador do all the things your mother told you never to do (or at least some of them).

What am I referring to here? Remember how we were always told to be a leader, and not to follow. For example, my mother always asked me when she was trying to prove one point or another, ¨If your friends jump off a bridge, would you do the same?¨ Well on Friday my answer was YES. This of course was not without much resistance.

Walt set up a special opportunity for all of us to jump off the Puente de La Gonzales Suarez.

So of course he has to go first.

For all my readers, this is just a random bridge in the middle of Quito that is about 120 feet high. No big deal. Before we got to the bridge, and probably after we had been there for an hour, I was still set on not jumping. I was just there for moral support and to observe. But soon enough I was a victim of pure pressure. This of course leads to Awkward Moment #3.

Awkward Moment #3: Is really just a combination of my awkwardness before I finally jump off the bridge.

First let´s look at two of the many ridic photos from the event.

I know, I think I look pretty good too. Real confident looking. I think the hardest/most awkward part was not getting into the harnesses or jumping, but climbing over the little barrier. That is what scared me the most.

So after climbing over, I put up a fight. We go through several countdowns, and everyone is trying to say encouraging words, but you know it is just not working for me. I am begging for someone to jump with me, but they are all telling me I have to do it myself. Then come the pep talks, especially from Haas.

Check it out:

He was really convincing and one of the main reasons I was able to overcome my fear and jump, but after this talk I still couldn´t do it. I had not overcome the fear. So I made Addison jump before me and promised to go next. So I had to awkwardly crawl back over the barrier, but now there were not only kids from Ole Miss watching me but also some people who had stopped their cars or had stopped when they were walking by to watch. I am very entertaining. I probably stood in my ready position for about 15 minutes being reassured that I would be okay. I feel like a wimp looking back on it but remember in mind I had not prepared for this moment, I was only going to watch the others jump. I had no plans all day of actually jumping myself. By now we had been there for almost two hours and everyone but me had jumped and loved it. So I climb back over, and I am still really nervous, and not going to do it. I plead and tell them I know I am lame but I don´t care. Everyone is a little impatient...okay a lot. Then I see Mary Alex´s face. I know that face. The one when she is really pissed and disappointed. I know she wouldn´t talk to be for a few days if I didn´t jump. That is when I knew I had to do it.

I let the guy in charge, El Gringo, hold my arms out and kinda just push and let go and then there I went. I flipped in the air, and then it was like I was on a huge swing, going from one side of the bridge to the other. I might I have said a few words that I should not mention here. I loved it and would do it again. But the second coolest thing to the jump was how supportive everyone was. I mean everyone. I know this is kinda sappy but the students from Ole Miss here really do care and look out from each other. They pushed me so hard to jump because they knew I would regret it, and they were right. I am so happy that I jumped.

This only cost me $15.00, and in my pocket I had exactly $15.00. It was meant to be.

I think I am going to jump off an even higher bridge sometime in July, but next time I am not going to waste time trying to talk myself out of it.

Next post: a night out with the locals.

¡Chao!

What are you wearing?

So the new love of my life is my professor, Jaqueline. She seems to surprise me, as well as the rest of the class today. Not only did she ask me what I was looking for in a man, but she also concluded that since we have not a lot of interesting stories to tell in the past few days that we are simply not going out on the town enough. This is funny because Jaqueline is a single, petite, middle aged woman, who does not drink at all. So we told her we would see what we could do and get back to her. I claimed it was the altitude preventing me from being more outgoing, and also because my mejor amiga, SF, is not here yet. That in julio I will have plenty of stories to tell. Promise.

Lesson #3 Just because you live in South America does not mean that you don´t have to wear clothes.

So yes, I am in a country that got its name from the Equator, but that does not mean it is 100 degrees everyday. You see I live in the mountains, and therefore the high everyday is a nice 65 degrees, and there is always a chance for rain or that the weather will change instantly and that it will be 75 degrees. At night it is chilly in the low 50s. So the key to success in Ecuador is layers. Once again Ole Miss study abroad was not helpful on making it clear that even when it is hot in Ecuador, unless you are on the coast, everyone is wearing long pants and long sleeves. Those traveling to Ecuador should bring pants (jeans/khakis) and maybe 3 pairs of shorts just in case. Also not too thick shirts, maybe a scarf or two, a few sweaters, one jacket (like a Northface shell or Patagonia fleece), one rain jacket ( I brought my Marmot) and an umbrella.

As for shoes: a pair of tennis shoes, chacos, sandals, and maybe one other pair.

For the post part I have worn chacos and tennis shoes, but today I wore a simple dress with a sweater and sandals. You will rarely see Ecuadorian toes. What do I mean by this? Well, I really don´t think they own any type of sandal shoe, everything is closed toe. So if you don´t mind getting a few stares here and there let the toes be free. I do.

Week Dos: Lesson and awkward moment #2

So I didn´t end up going to the beach. Hopwood called me and told me he thought I might die if I came alone. I would like to note here that Haas and Matthew began learning Spanish last week, traveled at night, and had no guide book what so ever, just kinda went for it. But I took there advice and I now have a TAME airline ticket now that I can use whenever I want to, but I haven´t decided where that will be quite yet.

This past weekend, I did a lot of family bonding with my host family which included a trip to the mall to eat at my brother-in-laws favorite place, El Corral. It is a Colombia fast food restaurant that serves the ¨best¨ hamburgers in Ecuador. He was right. They cook to the order, and it takes about 8 to 10 minutes for them to cook your hamburger after you order. I loved watching my host mother, Maya, pour BBQ sauce all over hers.

I also went to the market in Quito where I got to use my Spanish and bardering skills to buy a Hammock for $13 dollars (Amy and Morgan this will benefit you too), a cool t-shirt for my little sister, Madison for $4 and a coin purse with her favorite animal, a horse, for $1. I would have bought more, but SF I am waiting for you.

Lesson #2: Know your bathroom

In Ecuador, depending on where you are there may be a limit on the amount of toilet paper you can use and how much can go in the toilet. I am not making this up. Nobody told the the students from Ole Miss this before we came (thanks, Brett). I was lucky to have done a little research before hand. Sometimes you are given rations of toilet paper. For example, while I was in the bathroom at the mall I had to wave my hand under a machine that looked like a hand dryer and it gave me some toilet paper before I entered the actual stall. The plumbing is not the greatest in Ecuador and often there are no signs in the bathroom to tell you the proper procedure. A lot of trial and error.

Awkward Moment #2:

We were at the Virgin of Ecuador statue yesterday and Hunter N. and I had to go to the bathroom. So we make a little trek over to the out house, where Hunter goes to the boy side and I go to the girl side, where I am met by a small old woman who hands me some toilet paper.I had read about this in my books but hoped it wasn't true. So I get in the bathroom and take care of business. But I then look over to the waste basket to see that is where all the toilet paper is. Thus, I quickly grab the toilet paper that is not all wet from the toilet and toss it in the waste basket. Thank goodness I did because there is no power to the flush. While all of this is going on Hunter is caring on a nice conversation with the woman, but both of us had forgotten to read that it cost us $.10 to use the bathroom. She starts yelling at Hunter "Money!" Hunter ask me to spot him haha I give her a quarter and we make it out alive.

Altitude update: I have almost gotten used to it. Now I just have to get used to these crazy bus rides with out feeling like I am going to blow chunks.

¡Chao!

The First One is Dedicated to Miss Sarah-Fey

So internet is a little difficult here in Ecuador depending on where you are. I am currently at USFQ typing the first post for my blog because Sarah-Fey has threatened to disown me if I do not start one.

For right now I am only going to list a few of the lessons I have learned, and maybe discuss one or two of the awkward moments of my life thus far in Ecuador.

Lessons Learned:

1. You can never have enough quarters.

I know this might seem weird but you are going to need quarters for everything. Especially the bus. I came with $30 in quarters, and I could probably have came with more. In Ecuador, they hate to give you change. Colin Reid, called this their ¨cash crisis¨ and I am oh so thankful for Rojo telling me about how Peyton Smith brought lots of quarters, $1s, and $5s.

Awkward moment #1: So I am just doing a little shopping in the Mega Maxi, which is like at Target+ Kroger times 100. I go to the cash register and I have a total of $11.30 for some snacks, gum, and the latest 17 Magazine written in Spanish. So I take out a twenty and hand it to the nice young man. But this was my first mistake. I had not done the math in my head, so he is telling me over and over in Spanish that he wants me to give him another dollar and thirty cents so he can give me a ten back. I am trying to explain to him that I do not have thirty cents but only a quarter and a dime. This will not do. He seems to think that I am lying and making is life a lot more complicated to give me back change. This goes on for about 2 minutes and then finally a man behind me ask me if I speak English. I say yes, of course. He hands me $.05 and all my problems are solved.

So I guess the lesson is not only can you have enough quarters but you also need to have exact change for any moment in your life while in Ecuador.

Well, this is all for now because I have to go buy a plane ticket because I am going with two Frat stars, Haas Carter and Matthew Hopwood, to the beach this weekend. I am sure I will have much more to tell, and I promise to recap this past week of my life by Monday. What you have to look forward too: My host family, food, altitude, clothes, bathrooms, and taxi drivers.

Hasta Luega!