The Key Players

To make things easier, here´s a handy index of the who´s who in Quito these days:

Manuel - my host dad

Mayory - host mom

Alejandro - host bro

Manoly - host sis

Gustavo - host cousin, aka Pekerman (don´t ask), aka The Rockstar

Juan Pablo - host cousin, Gustavo´s bro, aka El Cantante (singer)

Raul - Alejo´s friend, aka Cara de niño (something along the lines of ¨Babyface¨)

Marco - friend, aka The Romantic

Cristina - my prof


It´s funny, my social circle here is basically the opposite of at Wellesley--almost all guys. I have girl friends from school, like my German friends and a couple girls from the States, but it looks like my friendships with people from school will be a bit more short-lived because most of the students here come for only a few weeks and then either go home, keep traveling, or do volunteer work in other locations. But we´ll see. I think a couple of the German gals are sticking around for longer, so that could be chill.

This weekend was busy but a lot of fun. Friday night I went to a discoteca with Alejandro, Gustavo, Juan Pablo, Marco, and a bunch of other friends. Gustavo is the lead singer in a rock band and they had a gig at the club. They mostly play covers and such. It was cool, though! And I finally got to practice my dancing, which has definitely improved.

Saturday I went to one of the main parks in Quito, La Carolina. It is freakin huuuge, there are tons of fields, tracks, equipment, even aerobics classes, which I definitely want to try soon. On the weekends practically everyone and their mom is there enjoying various activities. There are tons of soccer games going on as well. I went with the guys because they were going to play soccer and I wanted to visit the park for the first time and see what it´s all about, so I watched them play and read a little bit in the sun. Later that afternoon, Alejandro and I visited a museum featuring the art of Guayasamín, a very famous Ecuadorian painter who focused on indigenous people in his work. Many of his pieces are a bit haunting and filled with a sense of sadness, pain, and suffering. However, they´re beautiful and striking in a particular way because they are slightly abstract, although not to the point of unrecognizability (I can´t remember if that´s a real word or not--I may have made it up. But you get the point.)

Yesterday I visited La Mitad del Mundo--the Equator. First I toured the main monument and museum in the official location, so to speak, and then went to a different museum a little ways away that contains a more precise line--kind of weird how that works. Anyway, I got to do various experiments at this museum: I saw how water being drained spins clockwise in the southern hemisphere, counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, and goes straight down directly above the equator, I found out that it´s harder to walk in a straight line with your eyes closed directly over the equator as well as balance an egg on a nail, and that when you´re on or close to the equator you´re 2 pounds lighter. I also had a tour guide and got to see traditional indigenous homes and learn about many rituals and customs including head-shrinking (and I don´t mean what psychologists do for a living). All in all, a very educational experience, á la Wellesley. :)

I´ll try to post again before Friday because on Thursday or Friday I´m leaving for Guayaquíl (the biggest city in Ecuador) for 3 or 4 days with my fam to get to know the city and meet some of their extended family.

Ciao! xoxo