An update on #43....

#43 on my list was to go an entire year without buying bottled water.  And then I remembered.... I´ll be living in Ecuador for a month.  AKA the land of entirely unpotable water. So I´ve had to buy bottled water.

MISSION FAIIIIILLEEDD!!

But I´m telling myself that it´s for safety purposes... and I´m still using it to brush my teeth and everything (*fingers crossed*), aaaand I brought my water bottle, so I´m boiling water and stuff to use to.But still.  Bummer.

So. On Saturday afternoon, after my last post, our program director picked me up from the hostel, because my host family was impossible to get in touch with.  She and her friend drove me here, and rang the bell.  This lady (my host mom) answered it, CLEARLY shocked that there was a girl on her front stoop holding a backpack, and saying "HEYYY I think I´´ll crash here for a month, is that cool?"

I love miscommunications.

So they dropped me off, and Señora cleaned out a bedroom for me (have my own bathroom, which is sweeeet).  And then they left and came back, and left and came back, so I really haven´t spent much time with them at all.  So far, so good though.

And then on Sunday, we went on a tour of Quito with the group (there´s 10 of us from Vanderbilt here), and saw all of the old colonial buildings and shtuff.  We also went to this cathedral, where everything inside is gold plated.

Everything.

Covered in gold.

I honestly got really frustrated with this, as horrible as it sounds. Poverty runs rampant here (+40% below the UN poverty line, aka less than a dollar a day), and income disparities are so clearly visible. And yet, the government spends money to buy gold leaf for this church. BAHHHH!

That´s all.


And then when I got home that afternoon, I was locked out of my house for 2 hours.  But it was a really pretty night!! So not a huge deal.  And I stole the maid´s keys yesterday heh heh heh.

Yesterday was my first day at Cristo de Miravalle, the day care center I´m volunteering at.  They have about 100 kids, and 5 full time teachers.  I don´t think those ratios would ever fly at Next Generation.  But the kids are SO loving, and the atmosphere is pretty great.  I worked in the kitchen yesterday, cooking lunch, making snacks, washing dishes.  My back hurt when I got home.  I felt lame.  But at the same time, incredibly humbled: the normal cook does all that we did together by herself, every day.  These people are strong.  In every sense.

AND! Now it´s time to go to work again!

Besos!