And just to lie loose ends together, here's the full photo story of the dead rat at Galo Plaza.
February:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_1478.jpg
March:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_1597.jpg
April:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_1708.jpg
After the third picture, I thought it was gone, because I didn't see it for a while...but it turned out I was just being unobservant, as I found it one last time on my way home from school on Friday.
May:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2093.jpg
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Last Week and an Overview
I am sitting in the Houston airport as I write this, on a five-hour layover between my flight from Quito and my flight to Boston. I haven’t written anything in the last week because Alex was here and we kept ourselves busy – besides, I’ve already written about the tourist sites. After all, I’ve been to La Mitad del Mundo four times now, Pichincha twice, and the Panecillo three times. They don’t really change much, no matter how many times you check.
This week went by remarkably fast compared to those previous, probably because it was the last, and because I had company. Alex stayed in the house with me and mom, and mom was glad to have her. On Thursday night she made a big typical dinner for the two of us and we ate in the dining room, which is too fancy for everyday use. She cried as she toasted us over dinner, and cried again when I actually left this morning. I was too exhausted and wired at 4am to feel any emotion myself.
I went out with the girls last night for one last hurrah at Dragonfly. Braulio was supposed to come too, but he never showed, and we couldn’t contact him since he lost his cell phone again. I was home by 10 o’clock, and thankfully the new drivers I had downloaded that afternoon for the (in)famous antenna setup worked on mom’s laptop. As I was about to climb on the roof Friday afternoon and degeek everything, she offered to buy the antenna and everything off me so I wouldn’t have to take it back. I jumped at the chance, and only charged her the original price for the antenna itself and not any of the other parts, grateful not to have to pack it and drag it through the airport. Security isn’t fond of large suitcases full of mysterious electronic parts and wires.
~ Monday afternoon ~
The trip was uneventful; my first flight left about ten minutes late, and that was the only problem I had the entire day…which, given my five-hour layover in Houston, wasn’t a problem at all. I got into Boston right at ten, spent a horrified three dollars on a Smart Cart, and grabbed my checked bags. I tried to call Craig, but he wasn’t answering his phone. I sent him a text to say that I was in pickup, and he called me right back…turned out that, not having gotten used to my US phone yet, I had called his house several times by mistake instead of his cell.
We stopped for coffee, and then he let me drive the truck the rest of the way home. Driving is definitely one of the things I missed most while I was away. I’m going to be really glad to have my car back again.
This whole readjustment thing is interesting. I don’t think it’s going to be horrible or stressful like the dire warnings printed in my study-away handbook, but it’s definitely noticeable. Walking off my first flight through the huge concourses of the Houston airport, I had a non-stop mental commentary going on everything around me, from how unbelievably big the airport was to a funny spotted bus I saw out the window – painted entirely yellow, windows and all, with black leopard spots all over it. I stopped at the first Starbucks I passed for a coffee, and nearly had a heart attack at the price. Four dollars for a small coffee? I’m used to half that or less. I had lunch in a diner, where chicken fingers and orange juice came to almost thirteen dollars, and decided I was done eating in the ariport for the day.
Gas prices here are about $3.70 a gallon…I know, I know, you all know that, but it’s a shock to the one who’s used to seeing $1.40 for middle-grade, in a city that doesn’t even have low-grade. Diesel in Quito was $1.04 when I left.
So now that I’m home again, I can look at the trip overall and say that while it wasn’t exactly as I expected, it was a good experience. When you leave, everyone tells you, “The first few weeks will be hard while you adjust, but one you get used to it, you won’t want to leave!”
For me, it was almost the opposite. There was no culture shock when I got there, no frustrated weeks of being unable to understand what was going on around me and unable to communicate. I adjusted far better and faster than I thought I would, but it didn’t make me want to stay there. That phrase “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there” applies nicely. I’ve learned that as interesting as cities are, I don’t like city life. I’ve learned a lot of Spanish, which was of course the purpose of the whole trip, and probably one of my favorite parts: being able to communicate in another language. I’ve learned that it’s possible to communicate even when your language skills are limited. Overall, I’ve learned that while I love to travel, I need to have a place to come home to every now and then, to let the mental batteries recharge. Four months is a long time to be away from home.
One of these days, maybe in a year or two, I’ll go back to Quito again for a visit. My mom told me and Alex that anytime we’re coming back, all we have to do is call and we can stay with her. Until then she and I can keep in touch by mail (the paper variety; internet isn’t so reliable down there). So here I am – I have much better Spanish, some souvenirs, a lot of pictures, a nice tan, and more knowledge about myself. Really, what could be better?
To finish up, a bunch of pictures from the last two weeks…
A storm rolls into Quito:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2008.jpg
The antenna:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2010.jpg
Last party on my roof!
Marie and Edu:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2012.jpg
Liz:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2023.jpg
Alex arrives for our last week!
Liz and Alex in Nobar:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2032.jpg
Alex and me, Nobar:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2033.jpg
Liz and me, Nobar, the effects of Blue Curacao:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2034.jpg
Alex dances with an Ecuadorian, Nobar:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2035.jpg
Me and Alex, Inti Ñan solar museum (the real equator):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2037.jpg
I balanced the egg!
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2038.jpg
Marie on the Telefériqo:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2042.jpg
Hillside art on Pichincha:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2045.jpg
Marie, horrified at the “escape route:”
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2047.jpg
Marie escapes Pichincha!
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2048.jpg
Alex on the rock:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2052.jpg
Marie on the rock:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2055.jpg
Me on the rock (again):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2057.jpg
A storm rolls over Quito, but from a much cooler view:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2054.jpg
A cloudy day on Pichincha:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2058.jpg
Graffiti (means, “With petroleum and copper, Ecuador is poorer”):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2062.jpg
A trip to the Caracol for another earring:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2065.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2066.jpg
Our last Ladies’ Night at Bungalow, Wednesday:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2068.jpg
Fishface Alex:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2078.jpg
Fishface Liz:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2080.jpg
Alex and me:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2083.jpg
I laugh at Alex and Liz as they get really drunk:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2085.jpg
A lemon-turned-devil at Diablos, Thursday night:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2090.jpg
The dead-looking dog that hangs around 6 de Diciembre and Galo Plaza:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2092.jpg
Park by Los Sauces, used equally as a urinal and a spot to nap:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2094.jpg
Ecovía marker:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2095.jpg
My house:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2097.jpg
One last photo of my garden:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2100.jpg
A last geek moment before I leave - telephone tech support for mom’s computer. (The tech on the other end was Craig):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2106.jpg
Me, mom, and Alex, the night we dropped Alex off at the airport:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2124.jpg
Here in the US, we say to children that the Tooth Fairy comes and takes their teeth during the night and leaves money in exchange. We learned in the last day of class that in Ecuador, it’s not a fairy, but a rat. Joking around about waking up to find a rat in your bed stealing your teeth, we start imitating the Tooth Rat:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2125.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2126.jpg
Last night out, Marie, me, and Liz:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2130.jpg
What happens when a sewer grate goes missing? Well, stuff falls in the sewer. I’m just glad it wasn’t me:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2131.jpg
My last view of Quito, from the window of C0654:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2133.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2142.jpg
This week went by remarkably fast compared to those previous, probably because it was the last, and because I had company. Alex stayed in the house with me and mom, and mom was glad to have her. On Thursday night she made a big typical dinner for the two of us and we ate in the dining room, which is too fancy for everyday use. She cried as she toasted us over dinner, and cried again when I actually left this morning. I was too exhausted and wired at 4am to feel any emotion myself.
I went out with the girls last night for one last hurrah at Dragonfly. Braulio was supposed to come too, but he never showed, and we couldn’t contact him since he lost his cell phone again. I was home by 10 o’clock, and thankfully the new drivers I had downloaded that afternoon for the (in)famous antenna setup worked on mom’s laptop. As I was about to climb on the roof Friday afternoon and degeek everything, she offered to buy the antenna and everything off me so I wouldn’t have to take it back. I jumped at the chance, and only charged her the original price for the antenna itself and not any of the other parts, grateful not to have to pack it and drag it through the airport. Security isn’t fond of large suitcases full of mysterious electronic parts and wires.
~ Monday afternoon ~
The trip was uneventful; my first flight left about ten minutes late, and that was the only problem I had the entire day…which, given my five-hour layover in Houston, wasn’t a problem at all. I got into Boston right at ten, spent a horrified three dollars on a Smart Cart, and grabbed my checked bags. I tried to call Craig, but he wasn’t answering his phone. I sent him a text to say that I was in pickup, and he called me right back…turned out that, not having gotten used to my US phone yet, I had called his house several times by mistake instead of his cell.
We stopped for coffee, and then he let me drive the truck the rest of the way home. Driving is definitely one of the things I missed most while I was away. I’m going to be really glad to have my car back again.
This whole readjustment thing is interesting. I don’t think it’s going to be horrible or stressful like the dire warnings printed in my study-away handbook, but it’s definitely noticeable. Walking off my first flight through the huge concourses of the Houston airport, I had a non-stop mental commentary going on everything around me, from how unbelievably big the airport was to a funny spotted bus I saw out the window – painted entirely yellow, windows and all, with black leopard spots all over it. I stopped at the first Starbucks I passed for a coffee, and nearly had a heart attack at the price. Four dollars for a small coffee? I’m used to half that or less. I had lunch in a diner, where chicken fingers and orange juice came to almost thirteen dollars, and decided I was done eating in the ariport for the day.
Gas prices here are about $3.70 a gallon…I know, I know, you all know that, but it’s a shock to the one who’s used to seeing $1.40 for middle-grade, in a city that doesn’t even have low-grade. Diesel in Quito was $1.04 when I left.
So now that I’m home again, I can look at the trip overall and say that while it wasn’t exactly as I expected, it was a good experience. When you leave, everyone tells you, “The first few weeks will be hard while you adjust, but one you get used to it, you won’t want to leave!”
For me, it was almost the opposite. There was no culture shock when I got there, no frustrated weeks of being unable to understand what was going on around me and unable to communicate. I adjusted far better and faster than I thought I would, but it didn’t make me want to stay there. That phrase “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there” applies nicely. I’ve learned that as interesting as cities are, I don’t like city life. I’ve learned a lot of Spanish, which was of course the purpose of the whole trip, and probably one of my favorite parts: being able to communicate in another language. I’ve learned that it’s possible to communicate even when your language skills are limited. Overall, I’ve learned that while I love to travel, I need to have a place to come home to every now and then, to let the mental batteries recharge. Four months is a long time to be away from home.
One of these days, maybe in a year or two, I’ll go back to Quito again for a visit. My mom told me and Alex that anytime we’re coming back, all we have to do is call and we can stay with her. Until then she and I can keep in touch by mail (the paper variety; internet isn’t so reliable down there). So here I am – I have much better Spanish, some souvenirs, a lot of pictures, a nice tan, and more knowledge about myself. Really, what could be better?
To finish up, a bunch of pictures from the last two weeks…
A storm rolls into Quito:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2008.jpg
The antenna:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2010.jpg
Last party on my roof!
Marie and Edu:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2012.jpg
Liz:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2023.jpg
Alex arrives for our last week!
Liz and Alex in Nobar:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2032.jpg
Alex and me, Nobar:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2033.jpg
Liz and me, Nobar, the effects of Blue Curacao:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2034.jpg
Alex dances with an Ecuadorian, Nobar:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2035.jpg
Me and Alex, Inti Ñan solar museum (the real equator):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2037.jpg
I balanced the egg!
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2038.jpg
Marie on the Telefériqo:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2042.jpg
Hillside art on Pichincha:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2045.jpg
Marie, horrified at the “escape route:”
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2047.jpg
Marie escapes Pichincha!
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2048.jpg
Alex on the rock:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2052.jpg
Marie on the rock:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2055.jpg
Me on the rock (again):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2057.jpg
A storm rolls over Quito, but from a much cooler view:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2054.jpg
A cloudy day on Pichincha:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2058.jpg
Graffiti (means, “With petroleum and copper, Ecuador is poorer”):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2062.jpg
A trip to the Caracol for another earring:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2065.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2066.jpg
Our last Ladies’ Night at Bungalow, Wednesday:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2068.jpg
Fishface Alex:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2078.jpg
Fishface Liz:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2080.jpg
Alex and me:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2083.jpg
I laugh at Alex and Liz as they get really drunk:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2085.jpg
A lemon-turned-devil at Diablos, Thursday night:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2090.jpg
The dead-looking dog that hangs around 6 de Diciembre and Galo Plaza:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2092.jpg
Park by Los Sauces, used equally as a urinal and a spot to nap:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2094.jpg
Ecovía marker:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2095.jpg
My house:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2097.jpg
One last photo of my garden:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2100.jpg
A last geek moment before I leave - telephone tech support for mom’s computer. (The tech on the other end was Craig):
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2106.jpg
Me, mom, and Alex, the night we dropped Alex off at the airport:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2124.jpg
Here in the US, we say to children that the Tooth Fairy comes and takes their teeth during the night and leaves money in exchange. We learned in the last day of class that in Ecuador, it’s not a fairy, but a rat. Joking around about waking up to find a rat in your bed stealing your teeth, we start imitating the Tooth Rat:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2125.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2126.jpg
Last night out, Marie, me, and Liz:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2130.jpg
What happens when a sewer grate goes missing? Well, stuff falls in the sewer. I’m just glad it wasn’t me:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2131.jpg
My last view of Quito, from the window of C0654:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2133.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh276/keskipper/100_2142.jpg
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Living in Quito - It's Alarming
People in this city seem to be completely incompetent with their alarm systems, both in their cars and their houses. Car alarms are so common I barely even notice them anymore; there are several cars that park outside my house on a daily basis and set off their alarms on that same schedule. I’ve learned them all by sound (although not by sight; I haven’t bothered), so I hear a certain tone and length of chirp and go, “Yup, that car belongs here.”
More annoying than that are the car horns, although I think I’ve complained about that already. I know you’ve all heard about the gas trucks, so I won’t go there again. But even drivers who are just trying to get somewhere and not sell propane tanks seem to think that the best way to do it is to honk incessantly. It’s like the engine is somehow driven by the horn, and honking makes it run faster.
The most annoying of all, though, is the house and building alarms. They are instensely (alarmingly?) loud, and no one can seem to avoid setting them off on a regular basis. Three nights ago one went off in my neighborhood from midnight to about 8am; I can’t imagine why no one shut it off in those eight hours, but my lack of sleep can tell you with certainty that for whatever reason, they didn’t. The next night, the same alarm went off again, but thankfully it was shut off after less than twenty minutes.
This morning, and this is what’s prompting me to do all this bitching, two different alarms have gone off since I’ve been awake. The first one must have been right across the street, given the volume, and it sounded for ten minutes or so before being silenced. The one that’s currently annoying me started about an hour ago, but is different than the rest: it doesn’t go off constantly. It starts up, sounds for five or so seconds, then fades out (sounds like a Doppler effect almost), is silent for five or ten seconds, and then starts up again.
So my frustrated question is this: why have an alarm if you don’t know how to use the damn thing? It’s not like they draw any attention – note me, sitting here and getting annoyed instead of calling the police. The police undoubtedly wouldn’t care even if I did call. After all, they might not have the gas to get here. (Actually said to Liz’s dad; he called the police one night and was told that they had no gas, and that to get them out there, he would have to give them gas money. Having no choice, he did so.)
In other facets of city life, congratulations to Cari for being a self-defense hero last night. Liz and I went to Dragonfly, where we were waiting for Cari to show up. She came in about half an hour after we did, looking a little shaken. I asked what was wrong, and she said, "I almost just got robbed!"
"What happened?" Liz and I asked together.
"I couldn't find a taxi, so I was walking here," she explained. "I walked by these two guys, and then they came up to me, and one of them had a knife. I had my pepper spray, and I sprayed him in the eyes, but the other guy pushed me against the wall. I sprayed him too, and I thought he was going to kill me for spraying him, but he backed off and I ran."
Craig told me last night that Massachusetts attempted to make pepper spray illegal. What the hell is wrong with people?
More annoying than that are the car horns, although I think I’ve complained about that already. I know you’ve all heard about the gas trucks, so I won’t go there again. But even drivers who are just trying to get somewhere and not sell propane tanks seem to think that the best way to do it is to honk incessantly. It’s like the engine is somehow driven by the horn, and honking makes it run faster.
The most annoying of all, though, is the house and building alarms. They are instensely (alarmingly?) loud, and no one can seem to avoid setting them off on a regular basis. Three nights ago one went off in my neighborhood from midnight to about 8am; I can’t imagine why no one shut it off in those eight hours, but my lack of sleep can tell you with certainty that for whatever reason, they didn’t. The next night, the same alarm went off again, but thankfully it was shut off after less than twenty minutes.
This morning, and this is what’s prompting me to do all this bitching, two different alarms have gone off since I’ve been awake. The first one must have been right across the street, given the volume, and it sounded for ten minutes or so before being silenced. The one that’s currently annoying me started about an hour ago, but is different than the rest: it doesn’t go off constantly. It starts up, sounds for five or so seconds, then fades out (sounds like a Doppler effect almost), is silent for five or ten seconds, and then starts up again.
So my frustrated question is this: why have an alarm if you don’t know how to use the damn thing? It’s not like they draw any attention – note me, sitting here and getting annoyed instead of calling the police. The police undoubtedly wouldn’t care even if I did call. After all, they might not have the gas to get here. (Actually said to Liz’s dad; he called the police one night and was told that they had no gas, and that to get them out there, he would have to give them gas money. Having no choice, he did so.)
In other facets of city life, congratulations to Cari for being a self-defense hero last night. Liz and I went to Dragonfly, where we were waiting for Cari to show up. She came in about half an hour after we did, looking a little shaken. I asked what was wrong, and she said, "I almost just got robbed!"
"What happened?" Liz and I asked together.
"I couldn't find a taxi, so I was walking here," she explained. "I walked by these two guys, and then they came up to me, and one of them had a knife. I had my pepper spray, and I sprayed him in the eyes, but the other guy pushed me against the wall. I sprayed him too, and I thought he was going to kill me for spraying him, but he backed off and I ran."
Craig told me last night that Massachusetts attempted to make pepper spray illegal. What the hell is wrong with people?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
