B-B-Qed bananas...
Old Town style...
An uphill view of Old Town from the balcony of Casa Victoria...
La Iglesia de Santa Domingo (church) at dusk in Old Town...Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Pretty pictures Cass wanted to post
B-B-Qed bananas...Old Town style...An uphill view of Old Town from the balcony of Casa Victoria...La Iglesia de Santa Domingo (church) at dusk in Old Town...
Un poco mas picturas
Here are a couple more random pictures....
More glass on the walls...
More glass on the walls...
The classier option to glass...
More obstacles in the side walk...
A pretty one...
More places to buy a dirt bike!
The Humor in Realities: Part 2
We are part way through our second week of school. The humor is that I can no longer speak in Engish or Spanish!!! My head is a jumbled whirlpool of stimulated thought. There is no filter in place to ease the stimulation. Everything must be processed! Who knows, my life might depend on it. Crossing a street is like running a gauntlet of ego-centric baboons let loose to wreck havick on the city (or that at least this is the experiance so far). We are, although, learning to dance as man and machine (pedestrian and vehicle) as we absorb the rythem of, well, shall we say, LIFE! It is all becoming easier though as we are starting to think in Spanish, dodge the cars appropriatly, etc. The filter is working and easing the stress on the mind and body.
Liability- What is that? In the U.S. we live so safe, so clean, so out of "harms" way. Even in the "sketchiest" or "run-down" areas there is that rule-of-thumb: You are basicly safe from getting hurt because no one wants to get sued! Have you ever noticed a piece of broken glass on the side walk?! When you see it you instantly think, conscience or subconscience: "Broken glass = unsafe condition = danger = be careful = avoid me! "Be careful- Avoid me" is certaintly the idea when houses line their concrete walls with it. Glass, any kind of glass. You pick the color of glass, choose the once intact home of a refreshing beverage glass, choose the once functioning and utilized sheet of glass for a window, a table, a mirror or the shower. You will see it all! My favorite is the twisted colorful chards of broken bottles stuck intertwinded onto the wall. As the sun hits the artfull array of a security system/wall my mind wanders to the once joyeous occasion when that cola or beer was consued amoungst friends. I am quickly brought back to my senses as a car flys by honking a precautionary horn indicating, "I'm not stopping" and a whistle blows from a nearby "traffic cop."
Oh how we could go on... Quito is a huge city, yet the humor is dirt bikes are sold on practically every corner and are riden by quite a few as they navigate their way through the city...
Security guards (or youngsters with guns) are posted at almost every store or corner. It is not uncommen to walk a block and count 3-7 security guards. (Sorry I do not have a picture of them. I have not figured out a way to take one and get away with it... maybe Cass can bat her eyes and ask for a picture with one in each arm...) I am not sure if I should feel safer knowing there are security guards everywhere or more vulnerable to unseen dangers... She asked!!!! YES!!!!
For now, this is becoming life. This is our new oreintation to thinking and comparing. We are excited to be here and are being taught a lot about flexibility, what is "normal," comfort zones and about all the things we really take for granted in life.
Until next time,
Nothing But Love!
Liability- What is that? In the U.S. we live so safe, so clean, so out of "harms" way. Even in the "sketchiest" or "run-down" areas there is that rule-of-thumb: You are basicly safe from getting hurt because no one wants to get sued! Have you ever noticed a piece of broken glass on the side walk?! When you see it you instantly think, conscience or subconscience: "Broken glass = unsafe condition = danger = be careful = avoid me! "Be careful- Avoid me" is certaintly the idea when houses line their concrete walls with it. Glass, any kind of glass. You pick the color of glass, choose the once intact home of a refreshing beverage glass, choose the once functioning and utilized sheet of glass for a window, a table, a mirror or the shower. You will see it all! My favorite is the twisted colorful chards of broken bottles stuck intertwinded onto the wall. As the sun hits the artfull array of a security system/wall my mind wanders to the once joyeous occasion when that cola or beer was consued amoungst friends. I am quickly brought back to my senses as a car flys by honking a precautionary horn indicating, "I'm not stopping" and a whistle blows from a nearby "traffic cop."
All-in-all, it is better to return to my senses. The next step is always a doozy. Which leads me to my next topic. I have come to the assumption that Ecuadorians do not were sandles because it is utterly dangerous to do so. The sidewalks are uneven with exposed holes, potruding pieces of metal, steps, slopes and yes, even dog poo! 
(Sorry, I can not read how to rotate the picture)
You could cut, slice, rip, tear or get some crazy infection if you were not paying close attention to where you are walking... You will certainly have your foot stepped on at one time or another in the public transportaion system. Such is life I suppose. We still maintain the "American Mentaliy" that we are practically safe from anything. (Mom and Dad, do not worry. This is just a figure of speah. We are still REALLY safe!) :)
This is a picture of them burning the ¨trash¨ in the gutters...
(Sorry, I can not read how to rotate the picture)You could cut, slice, rip, tear or get some crazy infection if you were not paying close attention to where you are walking... You will certainly have your foot stepped on at one time or another in the public transportaion system. Such is life I suppose. We still maintain the "American Mentaliy" that we are practically safe from anything. (Mom and Dad, do not worry. This is just a figure of speah. We are still REALLY safe!) :)
This is a picture of them burning the ¨trash¨ in the gutters...Oh how we could go on... Quito is a huge city, yet the humor is dirt bikes are sold on practically every corner and are riden by quite a few as they navigate their way through the city...
Security guards (or youngsters with guns) are posted at almost every store or corner. It is not uncommen to walk a block and count 3-7 security guards. (Sorry I do not have a picture of them. I have not figured out a way to take one and get away with it... maybe Cass can bat her eyes and ask for a picture with one in each arm...) I am not sure if I should feel safer knowing there are security guards everywhere or more vulnerable to unseen dangers... She asked!!!! YES!!!!For now, this is becoming life. This is our new oreintation to thinking and comparing. We are excited to be here and are being taught a lot about flexibility, what is "normal," comfort zones and about all the things we really take for granted in life.
Until next time,
Nothing But Love!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
School update
Okay, so Jesse got to do his take on the realities here in Quito . . . now I get to update you all on our current statuses. . .
So, as you all know, part of our purpose of coming here to Ecuador was to participate in Spanish school. Our first week we attended a Spanish school called Andean Global Studies. This school was sufficient. We learned a little. Our teachers were nice. The distance was walkable. But it was just not what we had in mind. . . I think that it's somewhat drab atmosphere was contributing to my homesickness. . .I also think that I was just really missing my mommy and daddy. Also, there are just so many new things to take in and it all is a bit overwhelming. . . all also contributing. To kind of explain this city. . it really really long (from north to south) and skinny (from east to west). Well, the north part of town is called New Town, and the south part is called Old Historic Town. The old part is the pretty, traditional, unique part, and the new is the big dirty city part (it's not ALL dirty) our home is in the north as was our school. So unless we wanted to take a 30 minute bus ride we were feeling kinda stuck in the new part. Which we weren't super excited about.
So. . . .we found a new school in a different part of town, it's still in new town, but it's in a different part, and the school is BEAUTIFUL, and the teachers act like they REALLY enjoy being there. We are excited to be in this new environment. To start the first week there we have increased our schooling hours from 4 to 6 hours a day. Along with the step up in hours (Now it is Jesse writing) Cass has opted out of the "medical" course in evaluation of all the circumstances. The "medical" part to the school would have cost more and have taken her to some of the hospitals here in Quito which in reality are not much different than big hospitals in the States. This new school offers volunteer, "hands on," experiences that we do not have to pay for and gives her the personal involvement she was looking for here in Ecuador. We are excited about this new change.
(okay, it's Cass again). So along with this change in schools and environments, we also met some new friends here that are changing my homesick view of the world. Their names are Jon and Anna and they are friends of a friend of ours from the states (Amber Rader). They arrived here about three weeks ago and are staying for a year to work in this amazing house called Casa Victoria, check out the link on our page. The mission of the house is restoring homes, restoring lives. It's a Christian organization that is trying to impact the town of Quito with the love of Jesus. We also have the option of living at the house our last two weeks in Quito if we want to. . .we'll see, we also love our home family. So, that's the basic update. Life is looking up!! Not that it was really down. =) We are having fun!! Thanks for you thoughts and prayers!
NEW SCHOOL
OLD SCHOOL
Our new friends Jon and Anna
Us with our morning routine!!
So, as you all know, part of our purpose of coming here to Ecuador was to participate in Spanish school. Our first week we attended a Spanish school called Andean Global Studies. This school was sufficient. We learned a little. Our teachers were nice. The distance was walkable. But it was just not what we had in mind. . . I think that it's somewhat drab atmosphere was contributing to my homesickness. . .I also think that I was just really missing my mommy and daddy. Also, there are just so many new things to take in and it all is a bit overwhelming. . . all also contributing. To kind of explain this city. . it really really long (from north to south) and skinny (from east to west). Well, the north part of town is called New Town, and the south part is called Old Historic Town. The old part is the pretty, traditional, unique part, and the new is the big dirty city part (it's not ALL dirty) our home is in the north as was our school. So unless we wanted to take a 30 minute bus ride we were feeling kinda stuck in the new part. Which we weren't super excited about.
So. . . .we found a new school in a different part of town, it's still in new town, but it's in a different part, and the school is BEAUTIFUL, and the teachers act like they REALLY enjoy being there. We are excited to be in this new environment. To start the first week there we have increased our schooling hours from 4 to 6 hours a day. Along with the step up in hours (Now it is Jesse writing) Cass has opted out of the "medical" course in evaluation of all the circumstances. The "medical" part to the school would have cost more and have taken her to some of the hospitals here in Quito which in reality are not much different than big hospitals in the States. This new school offers volunteer, "hands on," experiences that we do not have to pay for and gives her the personal involvement she was looking for here in Ecuador. We are excited about this new change.
(okay, it's Cass again). So along with this change in schools and environments, we also met some new friends here that are changing my homesick view of the world. Their names are Jon and Anna and they are friends of a friend of ours from the states (Amber Rader). They arrived here about three weeks ago and are staying for a year to work in this amazing house called Casa Victoria, check out the link on our page. The mission of the house is restoring homes, restoring lives. It's a Christian organization that is trying to impact the town of Quito with the love of Jesus. We also have the option of living at the house our last two weeks in Quito if we want to. . .we'll see, we also love our home family. So, that's the basic update. Life is looking up!! Not that it was really down. =) We are having fun!! Thanks for you thoughts and prayers!
NEW SCHOOL
OLD SCHOOL
Our new friends Jon and Anna
Us with our morning routine!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Humor in Realities...
Cass has done a good job of updating the blog! However, I feel compeled to write my own to give some perspective that is often either missed or overemphasised. Hopefully with some humor you will enjoy the following...
First of all, everything on the computer is different! The keyboard puts characters on the screen that don't exist. Letters on the keyboard are rubbed clean, or should I say rubbed off- I don't think they are very clean! Everything on the screen is in spanish (go figure) and usually you can at least change the keyboard setting from spanish, german, japonese, etc. so that you can type how you are used to typing on a keyboard at home. All to say it takes a bit of effort and a little more time to type. So forgive akward characters or misspelled words - I CAN'T FIND IT ON THE KEYBOARD! .) (see, i cant even find the colon - AH, I just forund it hitting the wrong key!!! Ah yeah!)
Next, have you ever wondered what it is like to sleep on a runway on an airport, in a dog pound, with dreams that sound like car and home alarms or with a cloths pin on your nose..._+)(*)_+)(**&^%$#@!%^(__{}[]=-09\'";:/? I found the question mark sign! ??? Have you ever wondered what it is like to sleep in all the same conditions at one time? Yeah, me neither... but I have a good idea! The airport is about a mile away, dogs bark all night long(Cass likes whne the dogs suddenly bark at the gate when we walk by - it startles her a tad). The best is when you wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air... for some reason, when I can't breath through my nose (I am alergic to everything) and the air at +9,000 feet seem to leave me short of breath at times.
Now, we eat well. Plenty of food. Actually to much food but we want to be polite, so we eat, and eat,. and ... So let me tell you about our coffee. We are in the perfect growing region for coffee. Ecuador, they say grows great coffee. Listen to the following about the wonderful coffee we drink. I am still searching for that perfect, ah, that good cup of Joe. Actually, you can not find brewed coffee here. There are only Americanos (espresso with water) and they leave one still searching as well. (sorry, I have no video for you, I can't find the computer tower to plug in my carmera!)
Oh how I could go on! Running out of time. We got to go to class and they charge us a buck a hour at the internt cafe (papayanet.com).
Stay tuned for future "The Humor in Realities." Next time, we will look at pedestrian "land minds," city transportation, the common "security system," and much more!
Nothing But Love,
Jesse
ps- Brooke, Auntie Cass says her favorite food so far is a fruit called guanabana. Sorry, I don't know what it looks like. But it sure tastes good!
First of all, everything on the computer is different! The keyboard puts characters on the screen that don't exist. Letters on the keyboard are rubbed clean, or should I say rubbed off- I don't think they are very clean! Everything on the screen is in spanish (go figure) and usually you can at least change the keyboard setting from spanish, german, japonese, etc. so that you can type how you are used to typing on a keyboard at home. All to say it takes a bit of effort and a little more time to type. So forgive akward characters or misspelled words - I CAN'T FIND IT ON THE KEYBOARD! .) (see, i cant even find the colon - AH, I just forund it hitting the wrong key!!! Ah yeah!)
Next, have you ever wondered what it is like to sleep on a runway on an airport, in a dog pound, with dreams that sound like car and home alarms or with a cloths pin on your nose..._+)(*)_+)(**&^%$#@!%^(__{}[]=-09\'";:/? I found the question mark sign! ??? Have you ever wondered what it is like to sleep in all the same conditions at one time? Yeah, me neither... but I have a good idea! The airport is about a mile away, dogs bark all night long(Cass likes whne the dogs suddenly bark at the gate when we walk by - it startles her a tad). The best is when you wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air... for some reason, when I can't breath through my nose (I am alergic to everything) and the air at +9,000 feet seem to leave me short of breath at times.
Now, we eat well. Plenty of food. Actually to much food but we want to be polite, so we eat, and eat,. and ... So let me tell you about our coffee. We are in the perfect growing region for coffee. Ecuador, they say grows great coffee. Listen to the following about the wonderful coffee we drink. I am still searching for that perfect, ah, that good cup of Joe. Actually, you can not find brewed coffee here. There are only Americanos (espresso with water) and they leave one still searching as well. (sorry, I have no video for you, I can't find the computer tower to plug in my carmera!)
Oh how I could go on! Running out of time. We got to go to class and they charge us a buck a hour at the internt cafe (papayanet.com).
Stay tuned for future "The Humor in Realities." Next time, we will look at pedestrian "land minds," city transportation, the common "security system," and much more!
Nothing But Love,
Jesse
ps- Brooke, Auntie Cass says her favorite food so far is a fruit called guanabana. Sorry, I don't know what it looks like. But it sure tastes good!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Nuestros primer dia de clase
_Our first day of class_
Today is Monday and we just finished our first day of learning. Wow, are we exhasted. It takes sooooooo much effort and energy to speak, and especially think, in another language. Jesse's teacher is a man named Manuel, and Cass' teacher is a lady named Sylvia. They are both very nice. Although we thought that we were pretty good at Spanish, we tested beginner, especially me -Cass-. It is a little discouraging to be taught things that I have learned multiple times, but I need to get rid of my pride and believe that the teacher knows what she is doing. It is good practice just to be speaking in Spanish I guess. Que mas, que mas. . . we found a mall, acctually 3 of them, all sort of in walking distance from our home or school, -We walk a lot, at least an hour per day, this city is very big. Bigger than we expected. We also found 2 movie theaters, we might go see Handkock one day...
Our family is still wonderful. We played soccer with thier grandchildren this morning. They are young, but are very good. I was completely ou
t of breath at 9,300 ft. My excuse was the altitude and less oxygen!!
t of breath at 9,300 ft. My excuse was the altitude and less oxygen!!
Okay, we'll attempt more pictures... Love you all, and miss you --I'm a little homesick already, hopefully it passes--
The pictures with us in them are in "Old Town" Quito-the historical part. We had to take a trolle to get there. The whole experience was fun!! The one in the middle is a picture of Quito from the plane.
The two photos on the outside were taken in El Parque Metropolitonina, a HUGE park were there were tons of people walking, riding bikes, running, families having picnics. . .we really like it, the man in the picture is Marco, our Ecuadorian papa. The photo in the middle is of me with four of the many grandchildren. This picture was taken this morning during a futbol -soccer- break!!
Okay that's all for now, we don't have a phone that works yet, so we haven't called, Mom's and Dad's we hope to call soonish.
Nothin but love
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Estamos en Quito, Ecuador
That says we are in Quito, Ecuador. The journey was long, but pleasant. We've already met a handful of interesting people with stories that we will have to share when we return, it would take to long to write it all. Our family that we are staying with is sooooooo nice. In the house there is the Mama (Susana, and the Papa (Marco. During the week three of their gandchildren stay with them during the day, so we got to meet three of their grandaughters on Friday. Immediate bonds with all of the family! There is also another spanish student staying with them. She is from Japan and is also sooooo nice!! Today (Saturday, we took public transportation from our home to the "Old Town." Old town is know for it's colonia buildings, gorgeous churches, and traditional looks. We are enjoying it and are taking it all in slowly. Please pray for Jesse's sinuses. He has had a hard time breathing since the Sacramento airport and did not sleep so good last night. I think we are going to try loosing the wool blankets tonight to see if that helps. Trial and error.
Here are a few pictures from our day. We start school Monday, and will probably post again then.
Oh, and our Spanish is doing pretty darn good!!
Okay, we thought we were going to post some pics, but the combo of this slow computer and our camera being on the wrong setting is just not working. So, here is a pic of us at the internet cafe, with our camera on the right setting. More pics later!!
Here are a few pictures from our day. We start school Monday, and will probably post again then.
Oh, and our Spanish is doing pretty darn good!!
Okay, we thought we were going to post some pics, but the combo of this slow computer and our camera being on the wrong setting is just not working. So, here is a pic of us at the internet cafe, with our camera on the right setting. More pics later!!
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