El 10 de Agosto

So today was the 10th of August, which is apparently like Ecuador's independence day, or Quito's independence day, one of the two. However, they really don't celebrate like we celebrate the 4th of July in the U.S., but it was still a fun day. All of the schools on the island (and there are a lot, like 15 I think) parade down the street, and then everyone gets the day off. I got to march with my students down the street and everytime I would try and help them march and show them how, they would always laugh at me, so I just gave up. This was pretty much all of the celebration that went on, I was really hoping for a big BBQ or some sort of fiesta but nothing!!!

Long time no blog....sorry!

Ok, so what has happened since my last entry....well, all of last week was vacation week for my school so all I had to do was coach soccer from 8-10 in the morning, and then the rest of the day was free. There were some pro`s and con`s to that schedule; pro: I had a rather relaxed easy week, con: everyone else had to work when I didn`t so I was also getting pretty bored. I am really enjoying coaching soccer though, all the kids have a great time and I don`t have to constantly tell them to be quiet and sit down like I do in the classroom. I also caught my first stomach bug from a foriegn country last week...luckily I brought basically an entire pharmacy with me so it wasn`t much of a problem.
I went to Las Grietas and explored one of the lava tunnels that are on the island last week also. Las Grietas is absolutely beautiful. If you do not know what Las Grietas is, you should look it up! The water was blue and transparent, and you can just swim through these giant rock walls. Unfortunately there were a lot of people there when I went, so it was pretty crowded. I will definitely go back at a less popular time. The lava tunnels were pretty cool as well. It was a bit short I thought, but none the less still fun. I saw an owl hiding out in one of the little caves in the tunnel, got pretty close. That same day I also went with Ingun and Andres (the Norwegians) with Xavier (lives in the house) to the greenhouse where he works in the center of the island. Watered a bunch of plants....it was exhilerating! I have also found a really good trail to run. I run from the house to Tortuga Bay. The trail is about 3 miles long, and then if I run on the beach I can get about 5 miles in. Running in this humidity is no easy task though. I am lucky if I can get that 5 miles in.
Teaching is going well, other than the fact that I spend half my time just trying to get the kids to stop talking. For those that actually pay attention though, we are just flying through the lessons. I already moved on to verbs today, which was something I did not expect to do so soon. I really enjoy each and every class I teach though, even the loud ones.

Bongo Bongo and Tortuga

I went to a discoteca for the first time last night, so much fun!!! Danced into the early hours of the morning. Apparently that`s where everyone here goes on the weekends, and since there are only 2 or 3 on the island, it was pretty packed! The one we went to is called Bongo Bongo. It is only about a 10 minute walk from my house too...that`s one of the things I love about this island...everything is about a 10 minute walk from my house. Pretty much everyone either walks or rides bikes, no dealing with the bus, or a lot of cars.

I also went to Tortuga Bay yesterday with a couple of classes from the school I am teaching at. It is just as beautiful as everyone says it is. The sand is white and soft, the water is blue and warm....it is basically an oasis. Plus there are iguanas hanging around everywhere. It is about a mile walk from the house, and I know I am definitely going back tomorrow. I was a little preoccupied about 10 seven year olds to look after that seemed to really enjoy not listening to me. In there defense it was rather warm, and a long walk. I had to carry one of them half of the way becasue her feet were hurting.

Teaching and coaching is going well! I have 2 classes from hell and 2 pretty decent classes. I really like teaching all of them though. I can never let my gaurd down with them, as soon as I turn my back to write on the board they try to change seats, or they get up and go talk with one another...actually they do that whether or not my back is turned now that I think about it. What I find really cool though is that they always say "Hola Profe" to me whenever I see them on the street.

Ok, gotta go now. I am going to Las Grietas today, need to go get ready for that :) Hope this was sufficient posting for both James and Ted! 

Teach, beach, then soccer...perfect day!

So I started my teaching today...lets just say I was ambushed! It was my first time even going to the school so I had no idea what I was teaching, had no lessons planned...nada! I also had no idea how much English the students knew, so that was also a problem. The kids also loved the fact that I am a foreigner. As soon as I past out the post cards of Seattle, all hell broke loose! This was during the beginning of class too...so that was how the rest of the class went. They were loud, throwing stuff across the class, there were times when I had their attention, but I would say it was for about 50% of the time I was there. It was fun though. I now know what I am getting into and can make lesson plans that won`t collapse on me. The students I am teaching are about 10 to 12 years old.

Then.....I went to one of the beaches! So beautiful!!!! I will post the pictures when I find an internet cafe on the island. The water was a wonderful blue color like all oceans should be! There were finches, iguanas, crabs, and pelicans! They were all just basking in the sun. It was awesome!

After that I went and coached some soccer at the school that I am ´working with. It was a lot of fun. We played some 4 on 4 and included the 2 coaches. The other coach is about my age and asked if I wanted to play some turf soccer. We will see if I have the energy...need to work on those lesson plans. But all in all...couldnt have had a better first day to make me love these islands!

Coolest church I have ever seen...in the historical district of Quito.

My first blog!

Phew! So I made it to Quito without any problems which was nice. I found my luggage and met my host at the airport (which is incredibly small). Miami airport is basically an extension of Cuba by the way...just in case anyone travels through there expect everyone that works there to address you in Spanish before English. Thankfully I had 3 Ipod touches to keep me busy while I was waiting for my 6 hour layover to end. Quito is an interesting city...I can´t say that I love it, but there are some very beautiful parts in the city and there are some pretty sketchy parts to the city as well. My first full day here I went to the historical district of the city, and there are some of the most beautiful churches and houses! I also went to a place called ¨La Ronda, it was settled and built up by Spanish settlers so I here that it resembles Spain a lot. I have been keeping busy and eating a lot! My host person (Mercedes) has been cooking me every meal which usually consists of rice, beans, and some fruit. The fruits are delicious here! I will never look at an avocado the same way after tasting one here for the first time. Also, the juice here is freshly squeazed every time...it is so good! Ok...wish I could write more, but it is getting dark outside so I should get going. My next post will be from the Galapagos :)