WE GOT A CAR!!!!!! While I was in Orlando, Wilson finally got us our car. We'd been looking and talking with dealerships and banks for a while, and now we finally have a car! It's a brand new, sand-colored Nissan Almera (I don't think they make those in the States), and it's an automatic! Wilson has been in heaven now that we can take our laundry or run to the grocery store so much more easily!!! Wilson bought several salsa and bachata CD's to play, and I made a CD of the Glee songs I have on my computer. We feel like 16 year olds all over again!!!!
Of course, I have no intention of driving any time soon. As Wilson said the other day, if you don't drive like a maniac and cut people off all the time, you're considered the bad driver. (Right after he said this, his statement was confirmed as a driver cut us off and then stared us down like we were idiots for staying inbetween the lines painted on the road!) Ha! But we'll see. I'm sure I'll get the desire to drive soon enough.
But, for now, I'm just happy to no longer have to dress according to which outfit was most comfortable for walking in the heat and least likely to target me on the bus as being a rich gringa. Ha! I even wore heels with my sundress last Saturday as Wilson took me to lunch!! :o)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
2nd and 3rd Jobs
So, I now have a 2nd job, and actually a 3rd job as well. :o) I have started tutoring English in the afternoons. Both of these tutoring jobs just kind of fell into my lap, but I'm really enjoying them.
On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, I tutor a 5 year old little girl named Priscilla, and she is the cutest thing in the world!!! Her mother is marrying an American guy and moving to Texas with him in August, so they want to get her as prepared as possible so she won't be too far behind when she starts school there. Mostly we just sing songs and play games. She's pretty hyper and her attention span is like 5 seconds long, but it's fun!
And then, my landlady asked me to tutor her 3 sons as well. So now on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, I walk over to their house and tutor. Her sons are ages 10, 11, and 15. They already know a good bit of English and they're excellent students, so we're able to do a lot of neat things. The youngest one, Alexander, is my little buddy. He walked me back to my apartment last Wednesday (our apartment is literally connected to their house, but he still wanted to walk me back). He shook Wilson's hand and checked out some of the new furniture his mom had recently given us. Ha!
It's actually really nice. Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming with school and tutoring, but it keeps me busy. Wilson starts back to school soon, and I need something to keep me from getting too lonely here at the house every afternoon. And, it's a nice little bit of extra money for us. Yay!
On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, I tutor a 5 year old little girl named Priscilla, and she is the cutest thing in the world!!! Her mother is marrying an American guy and moving to Texas with him in August, so they want to get her as prepared as possible so she won't be too far behind when she starts school there. Mostly we just sing songs and play games. She's pretty hyper and her attention span is like 5 seconds long, but it's fun!
And then, my landlady asked me to tutor her 3 sons as well. So now on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, I walk over to their house and tutor. Her sons are ages 10, 11, and 15. They already know a good bit of English and they're excellent students, so we're able to do a lot of neat things. The youngest one, Alexander, is my little buddy. He walked me back to my apartment last Wednesday (our apartment is literally connected to their house, but he still wanted to walk me back). He shook Wilson's hand and checked out some of the new furniture his mom had recently given us. Ha!
It's actually really nice. Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming with school and tutoring, but it keeps me busy. Wilson starts back to school soon, and I need something to keep me from getting too lonely here at the house every afternoon. And, it's a nice little bit of extra money for us. Yay!
Cheerleading Worlds! Go Ecuador!
So, at the end of April, I got to go with the cheerleaders from Colegio Americano to the Cheerleading Worlds competition in Orlando (at Disney World!!). It was actually two different competitions--one on Friday that was more "international" and then the one on Saturday/Sunday that was mostly American teams with a few international teams thrown in.On Friday, they had a parade of nations to start the competition. I felt like I was in the Olympics! Ha! I marched in proudly with my Ecuador jacket and blended right in. (Yeh right, I stuck out like a sore thumb, but I thought it was lots of fun!!!) :o) There were teams from all over--Chile, Guatamala, Scotland, Germ
any, Jamaica, Thailand, Japan, etc. It was really cool to see how cheerleading has spread all over. My parents were able to come down, and they seemed to enjoy it, too. They sat with a few parents from Sweden and enjoyed talking with them.
any, Jamaica, Thailand, Japan, etc. It was really cool to see how cheerleading has spread all over. My parents were able to come down, and they seemed to enjoy it, too. They sat with a few parents from Sweden and enjoyed talking with them.On Saturday, the competition was more a showcase of the US's top teams, and there were definitely some great squads there!!! In our division, we placed 10th as a team and 5th as a country. The top 3 teams were American, the next couple were Canadian, and a country like Ecuador just can't compete with those teams at this point. But, we were very proud of the girls because they did a GREAT job on Sunday!!!
And then, on Monday, we just enjoyed Disney. I went with most of the girls to several of the parks and road the rides/roller coasters. Definitely not my thing, but they had fun laughing at how scared I'd get. Ha!
It was really neat to go and see cheerleading from a different persective. As part of an international team, coming from a South American country, it was interesting to see how much fun cheerleading still is down here versus the insane competitive nature it's taken on in the States. Don't get me wrong, I do miss the level of competition I had from Georgia, but it's kind of refreshing to see how sweet and excited these girls are about the whole experience! Less pressur
e and more fun!
e and more fun!But boy was it hard to return! After missing 5 days of school, I had all kinds of work to do when I got back. I'm still getting caught up! Not to mention just the jolt back into reality after spending a week at Disney World! :o) But I'm so glad I went!
(This last picture is of me and the head coach, Pamela. I'm definitely squatting! Ha!)
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Update on Wilson
So, Wilson is now officially in medical school and will begin his first year on May 17! Yay!
Here in Ecuador, instead of having an MCAT or something, they have what they call pre-university classes that you must take and pass in order to get into med school. It consists of various classes that are each 3 weeks long and pretty intensive. Wilson started in February and just finished last week. He had to take chemistry, biology, physics, and anatomy as well as Spanish (like a composition class) and Study Techniques. His classes were from 1:30-7 Monday through Saturday. The grades are on a 1-10 scale, and you had to make an 8 in order to pass. If you pass every class, you may register for med school. Wilson was one of the top students in every class. (In other words, he was the biggest dork! He had read the first chapter of each book before he ever went to the first class!!! Ha!) Ironically, his hardest class was Spanish! After failing the midterm, we studied together a lot for that one, and he was one of 3 in his class of 65 to pass it! (Good thing his sweet wife could help him learn all about thesis statements and argumentative essays!) And, he had the highest grade in his class in both Anatomy and Biology!
Needless to say, I am so proud of him! He works so hard and studies so much because he really enjoys all of that stuff. (Bless his heart, he always tries to tell me about what he's learning and I could seriously care less about the endocrine system or the processes of the pancreas! But I try to be nice and listen since he listens endlessly about all the novels I read.) He's also still working occasionally with various orthopedic surgeons here in Guayaquil. He even got to attend an international conference this weekend for the Ecuadorian Orthopedics Association because he's real good friends with the Vice-President of the organization. He worked with a Canadian doctor who was here for the conference and heard presentations from doctors from England, Argentina, Chile, etc. I also benefited from this because I got to go to the dinner on Thursday night with him at the Hilton Colon hotel (dress, heels, jewelry, and all!!! Yay!). We sat with the Canadian doctor, and he was really nice. He and Wilson laughed about the culture shock of doing surgeries here after being so used to the technology and resources available in the US and Canada.
So, I guess we'll be staying here for a while. Wilson really is so happy to actually be living out his dream, and I am just so excited for him. So, please continue to keep him in your prayers as he begins his first year. We know it will be tough, but Wilson is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. I pray that his passion and hard work will help him to be very successful!
Here in Ecuador, instead of having an MCAT or something, they have what they call pre-university classes that you must take and pass in order to get into med school. It consists of various classes that are each 3 weeks long and pretty intensive. Wilson started in February and just finished last week. He had to take chemistry, biology, physics, and anatomy as well as Spanish (like a composition class) and Study Techniques. His classes were from 1:30-7 Monday through Saturday. The grades are on a 1-10 scale, and you had to make an 8 in order to pass. If you pass every class, you may register for med school. Wilson was one of the top students in every class. (In other words, he was the biggest dork! He had read the first chapter of each book before he ever went to the first class!!! Ha!) Ironically, his hardest class was Spanish! After failing the midterm, we studied together a lot for that one, and he was one of 3 in his class of 65 to pass it! (Good thing his sweet wife could help him learn all about thesis statements and argumentative essays!) And, he had the highest grade in his class in both Anatomy and Biology!
Needless to say, I am so proud of him! He works so hard and studies so much because he really enjoys all of that stuff. (Bless his heart, he always tries to tell me about what he's learning and I could seriously care less about the endocrine system or the processes of the pancreas! But I try to be nice and listen since he listens endlessly about all the novels I read.) He's also still working occasionally with various orthopedic surgeons here in Guayaquil. He even got to attend an international conference this weekend for the Ecuadorian Orthopedics Association because he's real good friends with the Vice-President of the organization. He worked with a Canadian doctor who was here for the conference and heard presentations from doctors from England, Argentina, Chile, etc. I also benefited from this because I got to go to the dinner on Thursday night with him at the Hilton Colon hotel (dress, heels, jewelry, and all!!! Yay!). We sat with the Canadian doctor, and he was really nice. He and Wilson laughed about the culture shock of doing surgeries here after being so used to the technology and resources available in the US and Canada.
So, I guess we'll be staying here for a while. Wilson really is so happy to actually be living out his dream, and I am just so excited for him. So, please continue to keep him in your prayers as he begins his first year. We know it will be tough, but Wilson is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. I pray that his passion and hard work will help him to be very successful!
Beach Trip with the Girls
Right before classes started back, I went with 3 other girls who teach at my school to the beach for the day. They all teach in the primary school, so I don't get to see them much. But, we had an absolutely wonderful, relaxing time. We met at the bus station at 8 in the morning, took a $2.50 bus to the beach, rented chairs and umbrellas for $2 each, hung out all day, had lunch at a restaurant on the beach, and then took a $2.50 bus back to Guayaquil around 6. I spent less than $20 for the whole thing. And it's all so convenient. The people who rent the umbrellas and all also sell drinks right there on the beach for you. And various vendors walk up and down the beach selling everything all day. The others bought fruit from the vendors, but I went for the icecream guy! :o)
But the sun is sooo strong!!! I had 30 spf sunscreen which I applied twice while we were there. I was only actually in the sun for about an hour the whole day--15 minutes out in the water, 1 hour back under the umbrella, 20 minutes walking around, 1 hour under the umbrella, etc.), and I still got burned!!!! One of my friends said they now make 100 spf, so maybe I'll try that next time. :o)
The girls I went with are lots of fun, too! Hannah is the one I do a Bible study with each week. She's married to an Ecuadorian named Wilson, too! Ha! Alicia is also married to an Ecuadorian guy, and they had their first child almost a year ago. This was actually her first trip by herself since the baby, so she certainly needed a little break! And Cat is from Canada and seems to be quite the traveler. She was in Mexico before moving here. She has traveled all over South America while living here and is such a cool person! We decided we should do that once a month or something! After only 2 weeks of school, I'm totally in need of a beach trip again for sure!!! :o)
But the sun is sooo strong!!! I had 30 spf sunscreen which I applied twice while we were there. I was only actually in the sun for about an hour the whole day--15 minutes out in the water, 1 hour back under the umbrella, 20 minutes walking around, 1 hour under the umbrella, etc.), and I still got burned!!!! One of my friends said they now make 100 spf, so maybe I'll try that next time. :o)
The girls I went with are lots of fun, too! Hannah is the one I do a Bible study with each week. She's married to an Ecuadorian named Wilson, too! Ha! Alicia is also married to an Ecuadorian guy, and they had their first child almost a year ago. This was actually her first trip by herself since the baby, so she certainly needed a little break! And Cat is from Canada and seems to be quite the traveler. She was in Mexico before moving here. She has traveled all over South America while living here and is such a cool person! We decided we should do that once a month or something! After only 2 weeks of school, I'm totally in need of a beach trip again for sure!!! :o)
I Never Thought I Was Organized Until I Moved to Ecuador...
So, I've been trying to write an update here for a few weeks, but with the start of the new school year, I've just been too busy. I returned to school for preplanning on March 22, and the students returned on April 5. And it has been a very interesting start for me. Here are a few of the highlights:
1. Schedules: I didn't actually find out what I was teaching until about 3 or 4 days before school started. I was at school a week and a half before they told anyone what classes they would teach. You'd think they'd have gotten that together before all the teachers returned. They kept telling us to hurry up and turn in our micro and macro plans for the year, but we didn't know what classes to plan for!
2. Changes: There's always a lack of communication at my school. And therefore, there are always changes that occur out of nowhere because no one gets told. For example, our schedules were changed 3 times once school started. Actually, this past Monday, I had students from one class enter my room, and I told them they didn't have my class until later in the day because the schedule had been changed Friday afternoon. They told me that it had been changed again that morning. About 10 minutes before the end of that class, I received my new schedule. Seriously? They tell the students about schedule changes before the teachers?! They also changed the lock on my classroom 3 or 4 days after the students came back and didn't tell me. It took me another 3 or 4 days to finally get someone to give me a new key. Aaahhhh!!!!!
3. Class Rosters: They don't actually give these to teachers either. After not having one for the first week, I went to ask if they had the official rosters ready or not. The secretaries looked at me like I was the strange one and said that yes, of course. Then they pointed me to a big stack of manila folders labeled by class. I just had to go through them and find mine for each of the classes I taught. Crazy me for thinking they would give them to us without us asking!
4. Students: My classes are quite overwhelming this year. I'm teaching 4 10th grade classes and 2 11th grade classes with a total of about 175 students. Grading papers is going to be a nightmare!!! The 10th grade classes are pretty tough, but I think I just need to be patient. So many of them are used to teachers who run a dictatorship, so when they come to my class they think they can go crazy. It's hard for them to learn the balance, so I've had to come down pretty hard on them. However, my 11th grade classes are really nice. They're the same students I had last year, so they already know my routine and how I do things.
5. Parents: One of my earlier posts talked about students who could take supletorios. Well, I have even still had to give additional supletorio exams this past week as students are still trying to pass from the year before. Which also means I have parents still coming to me. And since the school just lets them come whenever, they show up in my room unexpected quite often. I have had one mother come to my room everyday for the past week and a half. Then, on Thursday, she came 3 times! I actually had to get in her face and tell her to get out the last time. She still wouldn't leave, so I had to leave and go get someone to make her. I got so frustrated that I just started speaking English to her. Ha! She wouldn't stop talking and begging me to give her child a little gift of a few points (a few points for her daughter being 22 points). Yikes!
6. Heat: The heat really is getting to me. With no air conditioning in the classes and not really enough breeze from the windows or fans to keep 35 kids cool, I just drip with sweat all day. It's so gross! And it really wears me down actually. I'm sooo tired at the end of the day! But, Wilson and I are going to buy me an extra fan to just sit at my desk, so hopefully that will help!
So, all of that to say that I've had a crazy few weeks. It was definitely much easier to start the year back at Collins Hill. But, I remember that I thought it was kind of rough when I first started back in August, and I eventually got used to it and enjoyed my students. So, I just need to be patient. Wish me luck!
1. Schedules: I didn't actually find out what I was teaching until about 3 or 4 days before school started. I was at school a week and a half before they told anyone what classes they would teach. You'd think they'd have gotten that together before all the teachers returned. They kept telling us to hurry up and turn in our micro and macro plans for the year, but we didn't know what classes to plan for!
2. Changes: There's always a lack of communication at my school. And therefore, there are always changes that occur out of nowhere because no one gets told. For example, our schedules were changed 3 times once school started. Actually, this past Monday, I had students from one class enter my room, and I told them they didn't have my class until later in the day because the schedule had been changed Friday afternoon. They told me that it had been changed again that morning. About 10 minutes before the end of that class, I received my new schedule. Seriously? They tell the students about schedule changes before the teachers?! They also changed the lock on my classroom 3 or 4 days after the students came back and didn't tell me. It took me another 3 or 4 days to finally get someone to give me a new key. Aaahhhh!!!!!
3. Class Rosters: They don't actually give these to teachers either. After not having one for the first week, I went to ask if they had the official rosters ready or not. The secretaries looked at me like I was the strange one and said that yes, of course. Then they pointed me to a big stack of manila folders labeled by class. I just had to go through them and find mine for each of the classes I taught. Crazy me for thinking they would give them to us without us asking!
4. Students: My classes are quite overwhelming this year. I'm teaching 4 10th grade classes and 2 11th grade classes with a total of about 175 students. Grading papers is going to be a nightmare!!! The 10th grade classes are pretty tough, but I think I just need to be patient. So many of them are used to teachers who run a dictatorship, so when they come to my class they think they can go crazy. It's hard for them to learn the balance, so I've had to come down pretty hard on them. However, my 11th grade classes are really nice. They're the same students I had last year, so they already know my routine and how I do things.
5. Parents: One of my earlier posts talked about students who could take supletorios. Well, I have even still had to give additional supletorio exams this past week as students are still trying to pass from the year before. Which also means I have parents still coming to me. And since the school just lets them come whenever, they show up in my room unexpected quite often. I have had one mother come to my room everyday for the past week and a half. Then, on Thursday, she came 3 times! I actually had to get in her face and tell her to get out the last time. She still wouldn't leave, so I had to leave and go get someone to make her. I got so frustrated that I just started speaking English to her. Ha! She wouldn't stop talking and begging me to give her child a little gift of a few points (a few points for her daughter being 22 points). Yikes!
6. Heat: The heat really is getting to me. With no air conditioning in the classes and not really enough breeze from the windows or fans to keep 35 kids cool, I just drip with sweat all day. It's so gross! And it really wears me down actually. I'm sooo tired at the end of the day! But, Wilson and I are going to buy me an extra fan to just sit at my desk, so hopefully that will help!
So, all of that to say that I've had a crazy few weeks. It was definitely much easier to start the year back at Collins Hill. But, I remember that I thought it was kind of rough when I first started back in August, and I eventually got used to it and enjoyed my students. So, I just need to be patient. Wish me luck!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Home is Where the Heart Is
Well, after being in the States for 6 weeks, I'm now back in Ecuador, sweating as the fan tries to cool me down. And though I certainly loved being in Georgia again, I couldn't wait to come back home to Wilson. I actually feel like I learned a lot about the concept of "home" while I was there. When we first moved to Ecuador, I remember a conversation Wilson and I had:
Me (whining): Don't you miss being back home?
Wilson (confused): What do you mean?
Me: Don't you miss our house and your job and your friends and your car and all? You know, aren't you homesick?
Wilson (as if this was a simple answer): Well, you're my home, so since you're here, I feel at home.
Boy did I feel like a jerk! I certainly had not thought of it like that, but after being away from him and from our new home, I certainly agree with the expression "Home is where the heart is." My home is with Wilson, and so I couldn't wait to return here, even if it meant tripping over iguanas and living without air conditioning. :o)
But, I had a great time in Georgia! Eating at all my favorite places, having Christmas with my family, watching movies and dumb music videos with my brothers, going to Target with my sister-in-law, going to the Fox, having good hair days, spending the night with so many good friends, playing in the snow, having lunch with my grandmother, catching up with friends, having a surprise birthday party 3 months before my birthday (with an all-icing cake and all!), taking care of my mother after her surgery, visiting with former cheerleaders, and doing lots and lots of shopping!!!! I truly had a wonderful time!!!
And even though I will miss all of those good times, I couldn't wait to get back to my normal abnormal life. :o) I realized while I was in Georgia that I can't go back and everything be the same even if I wanted. My house has no furniture, CHHS has no positions available (nor does anyone else for that matter!), and everything's just a little different. So, I am now more excited to look ahead, to be in the present and the future instead of the past. My home is now wherever Wilson and I decide to live, and I'm very happy with that actually. (And, I think Wilson is, too. He had me a huge flower arrangement with about 14 roses waiting on me, and he's been just wonderful! I guess he's relieved and excited that I came back "home," too!) :o)
Me (whining): Don't you miss being back home?
Wilson (confused): What do you mean?
Me: Don't you miss our house and your job and your friends and your car and all? You know, aren't you homesick?
Wilson (as if this was a simple answer): Well, you're my home, so since you're here, I feel at home.
Boy did I feel like a jerk! I certainly had not thought of it like that, but after being away from him and from our new home, I certainly agree with the expression "Home is where the heart is." My home is with Wilson, and so I couldn't wait to return here, even if it meant tripping over iguanas and living without air conditioning. :o)
But, I had a great time in Georgia! Eating at all my favorite places, having Christmas with my family, watching movies and dumb music videos with my brothers, going to Target with my sister-in-law, going to the Fox, having good hair days, spending the night with so many good friends, playing in the snow, having lunch with my grandmother, catching up with friends, having a surprise birthday party 3 months before my birthday (with an all-icing cake and all!), taking care of my mother after her surgery, visiting with former cheerleaders, and doing lots and lots of shopping!!!! I truly had a wonderful time!!!
And even though I will miss all of those good times, I couldn't wait to get back to my normal abnormal life. :o) I realized while I was in Georgia that I can't go back and everything be the same even if I wanted. My house has no furniture, CHHS has no positions available (nor does anyone else for that matter!), and everything's just a little different. So, I am now more excited to look ahead, to be in the present and the future instead of the past. My home is now wherever Wilson and I decide to live, and I'm very happy with that actually. (And, I think Wilson is, too. He had me a huge flower arrangement with about 14 roses waiting on me, and he's been just wonderful! I guess he's relieved and excited that I came back "home," too!) :o)
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