Getting Settled...

Mis amores!

Since I left you last, the chaos has subsided (for the most part anyways), and I am finding a comfortable rhythm in my new life. And because I know you’re all dying to hear about it, especially you Riley Peters, aaand in an effort to procrastinate my Spanish paper a little longer (some things don’t change), here you have it. Happy reading!

Wednesday was our first full day off class. (I decided to skip Tuesday because it was more or less filled with rain and Ecuadorian bureaucracy, neither of which are exactly blog worthy.) My schedule is pretty simple; everyday it’s science in the morning and Spanish in the afternoon. But before I get ahead of myself, I suppose I should give you all little background. I always assume people know what I’m thinking when I explain things, which they rarely do, leaving the majority of my audience more than confused. If you’ve ever heard me tell a story, you can relate. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is my attempt at clarity…

The name of my program is “Ceiba Tropical Conservation” and it differs from other study abroad semesters in that it’s taught entirely by two UW professors and is actually pretty academically intensive. There are 21 students in my program, about 14 of whom go to UW and the rest are from other universities in the US. We are a pretty bizarre group - as can be expected when you throw together a bunch of science majors stoked to learn about plants, but these people already feel like family (and we haven’t even spent three weeks together in the Amazon with limited showers yet). Also, our profs Catherine and Joe are a couple, only enhancing the pseudo-family vibe. We are all enrolled in the same classes: Terrestrial Ecology followed by Marine Biology with a Conservation Biology curriculum woven throughout. We are spending the first month studying at USFQ before the field becomes our classroom, but while we’re here, we are required to take one Spanish class. After a taking a year off from my language studies, I still managed to test into “Advanzaba Intensiva”. My guessing skills would astound people. February marks the beginning of our travels – three weeks at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Yasuní national park followed by a few days in Quito and then three weeks studying at the GAIAS institute in the Galapagos Islands (which my mom told me was where Darwin came up with his theories about natural selection and evolution – who knew? J Just kidding mom! Love you!). To tie things up and actually have a chance to apply what we’ve learned, we spend the last month interning with an organization of our choice. Our work can be anything from animal protection/observation to environmental conservation to sustainable agriculture to environmental education and can be based anywhere in Ecuador! Now that we’re on the same page, about this at least, back to what I was saying…

I spend the morning, 9am-noon, in Cons Bio and the afternoon, 2-5pm, in Spanish (three hours a day because we’re cramming an entire semester into the one month before we leave USFQ). It makes for a long day, especially given my hour-long commute, but I’m actually sincerely enjoying it. During our two hour break, a few of my classmates and I usually venture into town to a small local restaurant where we can get a traditional three course meal for $2.50. Did I mention that I could get used to the cost of living here? (Minus my hairspray – that cost $10.) The rest of our break is usually passed basking in the sun next to the lagoon and sharing a few laughs. As our homework load has increased, this time reminds me of high school – everyone trying to eat and copy each other’s Spanish homework in 30 minutes at lunch. Señora Fox, if you’re reading this, I obviously never did that. I’m just speaking generally.

The lagoon in the middle of campus

The purple building is where I have Cons Bio

My Spanish class isn’t all that bad. We mostly just practice conversing and I really like our teacher. It’s next to impossible to slack off though, given that there are only 5 of us in the class (a change from my 300 person biochem lecture…). Our homework each night is to interview a member of our host family on a topic of Ecuadorian culture and learn three new words of either Spanish or Kichwa – the native language. This usually provides us with pretty good conversation material. Thus far, we have discussed the role and mentality of family in Ecuador and how it differs from the states, the differences between traditional and alternative medicines, and different Ecuadorian legends. I found our discussion about alternative medical practices and home remedies to be fascinating, reinforcing my belief that we medicalize everything in the U.S. and I know Taylor Lauzon would have really enjoyed this discussion. I’m receiving academic credit for my Spanish class, but on top of that it has been a fantastic bridge between my studies and my life here in Quito, giving me the tools to better communicate my thoughts and opinions and fostering a greater understanding of what is going on around me.

After class, there is a bar conveniently located across the street from the university called “The Catus” which has happy hour from 4-6. A 24oz Pilsner for 75 cents is a welcome reward at the end of the day.

Tyler (unable to take a normal photograph) & I at the  Cactus

You’ll be happy to hear, that despite my droning on about my academics, I’ve managed to establish a social life outside of the classroom. Are you surprised? Friday night was my first night out in Quito. About 12 of us met up and had dinner followed by our fair share of Pilsners on the upper balcony of a restaurant/cervezcera called Shwarma, and after a few games of “Circle of Death” I felt like I had done a thousand sit-ups – they are still getting used to my laugh as it’s more of an acquired taste… As the night wore on, our group about halved as some people went home and others to Steve’s favorite club – Bungalow 6 - in La Mariscal (or as my mom calls it, “Gringolandia”). Those of us left smoked hookah and chatted about everything and nothing and in excellent company I had one of those moments, like ‘damn, I am genuinely, really happy right now,’ and isn’t that the point of all this?

Saturday, our (entire) class met up at el Jardín Botánico in la Parque Carolina (that giant park near my house that I mentioned before) for an optional plant identification activity. Go ahead and pass judgment. Plants on a Saturday morning, I’d probably judge me too. But in reality, being able to apply something that you’ve learned is sweet no matter what it is. I’ve probably been taught how to identify and classify plants 27 different times (okay, like 4) but Saturday I was able to observe plants in their livelihood that until then I had only seen as examples in books – and to think that was only in Quito and I’m about to spend three weeks in the most biodiverse place, not in Ecuador, not in South America, but in the world. To say I’m jacked would be a severe understatement.

Afterwards, Joe and Cath took us to a restaurant called ‘Crepes & Waffles’ where everyone fell victim to gluttony and ate themselves into comas – Greta Chizek style. I’m not usually one of those weirdos who takes pictures of their food, but…whatever.

Nutella crepe with strawberries & bananas

That afternoon, a handful of us went to the artesian market in la Mariscal and wandered around for a few hours. Alex Rezazedeh, the jewelry is redic. This is a place I will definitely be returning to…

After catching the bus back from the foch, my classmates Jake, Will, and I grabbed a couple cervezas at Shwarma where Jake engaged in the world’s most awkward handshake with the manager/owner who has come to love us (I’m pretty sure we’re the only regular “gringos”). We talked about places we’ve been – them more so than me – and about all the cool shit we’re about to do. Jake spent last semester in Ghana and is an extremely animated storyteller with a great sense of humor. After we parted ways he (and his extremely limited Spanish language skills) attempted to withdraw money from a parking pass meter he assumed to be an ATM. After forcefully wedging his credit card where it didn’t belong and immediately regretting it, it seemed it had passed the point of no return. But 20 minutes, 5 people, and a system reboot later, his credit card came shooting out. All he managed to say was, “Soy una idiota.” He then failed to withdraw money from an actual ATM 5 minutes later for reasons his Spanish comprehension could provide no explanation. At that point he decided he should just go home.

Sunday, mi mamá, María Fernanda, and I went to “La Mitad del Mundo”. Literal translation, half of the world. The first of two equatorial museums, el Museo de Sitio Intiñan (walk of the sun), was private, and a guided tour provided a lot of information on the different indigenous groups of Ecuador and their respective histories. It was incredibly interesting and unbelievably beautiful. The tour was in Spanish but I was surprised to find that I understood about 90% of what she said. Granted there were a couple kids in our group so I’m sure it was pretty watered down, but my Spanish is improving nonetheless. Afterwards, because I’m a tourist, I stood in both the northern and southern hemispheres at once, straddling the equator (keep your comments to yourself Brandon Ihrcke/Riley Peters/Sean Statz/Waunakee Tornado). The second museum was home to the great monument pictured below. The sphere at the top is a globe tipped on its side…

Mi mama Betty, Maria Fernanda & I

Standing on the Equator

Sunday afternoon, because I haven’t left my entire Wisconsin self behind, a few friends and I met up at a bar in la Mariscal to have a few beers and watch the Packer game. There were a few other Packers’ fans and a handful of Giants’ fans and Joe Buck with a Spanish voice over sucks as bad as Joe Buck in English. The outcome was less than ideal (in case you haven’t heard) especially given that I had spent a solid amount of time trying to explain the NFL, playoffs, and how great the Packers were to my host mom. Even 3000 miles away, a loss still hurts. Then Steve got into a bar fight with a Danish Giants’ fan at an Irish-American Pub in Quito, Ecuador during the playoffs. Well, not really. But we thought it would make a good story…

Steve, Caitlin, & I 

The rest of the crew: Jake (terrified), Molly, & Lizzy

Okay, I really need to get to my Spanish paper. The only all-nighter I intend to pull this semester is to stalk a giant armadillo in the Amazon and watch the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean in the Galapagos…

Until I find the ambition or am in need of an excuse to avoid my homework again…

H