Now, How Did We Get Here Again?

I don't think anyone will be surprised to know that I am having D-O-U-B-T-S about signing up for another year of teaching and living in Ecuador.

Part of the problem is me, I'm a chronic second guesser who always questions decisions I make. The other part of the problem is it's just that time of year, the crazy "school has got to let up soon or I will go bald pulling out all of my hair" time of year. Kids are starting to go wild because they can smell the three week vacation that is just around the corner, high school finals start tomorrow (exactly what is a middle school teacher doing writing a senior literature final? I have no idea what I'm doing here!), report cards are due soon, and I stupidly have assigned major projects/papers/presentations (the curse of the triple p) to be due this week.

Not to mention the weather...

Oh yes, the rainy season is almost upon us and we all know how well that went for me last year. By the end of February, the faint sound of a thunderclap would reduce me to tears.

For the past two weeks, I have repeatedly turned to Dave, a bewildered expression weighing on my normally cheerful face, and asked, "Now, how did we get here again? Why did we agree to stay?"

Today, I got my answer.

Dave had to have surgery on his knee this morning (an ecua-adventure worthy of its own post) due to a torn meniscus from all that crazy futbol playing. Throughout the day, we had friends--notice the plural form--call us at the clinic offering to translate for us, offering to sort out the billing for us, coming to pick us up after Dave's epidural finally wore off after five hours. People rearranged their day, stopped by after work, called to check in. We've had friends offer to make us dinner, to cover classes, to entertain my poor husband when his patience finally snaps at being cooped up for so long.

That's why we are staying here another year. Thanks for the reminder guys, I needed that.

Años Viejos, Pyromaniacs, and Fireworks...Oh My

I have to admit, it has been quite awhile since I have actually been awake to ring in the new year and say goodbye to the old. Dave and I have always been a bit more concerned about the eight hours of sleep necessary to enjoy life rather than seeing the ball drop. But this year...is different. It is 12:58 and the neighbor's hired band just started, there are rapid fire explosives (aka fireworks) going off in three minute intervals, and the car alarms throughout our block seem to be answering the loving call of said fireworks. There will be no eight hours to start off the year for the Richert's this time. Nothing about our experiences in Ecuador could be classified as typical, and New Year's Eve is proving to be no exception. The evening started out quite and low key, dinner at home with a movie. There were the occasional firework, but that isn't anything atypical. I was even contemplating continuing the tradition of snuggling into bed by 10:30. Before I called...

Christmas in Colombia (The post is better late than never...)

As promised, here is the Amazing Richert Christmas Adventure 2008, with special guest star, Sherry Silvers. Bogota, Columbia. As you can see...this city and I were obviously made for each other. Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops were on every block. Yes, the majority of the books were in Spanish which causes some slight difficulties, but I don't like to focus on those kind of details. I'm more of a cup half full kind of gal. Also, the city is bike crazy. There are hundreds of miles of bike lanes; we saw bike lanes throughout the city and even along the highway. They just created a bike/walking lane in the middle of the highway, incredible! They even close off some of the major streets every Sunday and holiday so people can ride their bikes through the main arteries of town without dealing with the potentially dangerous obstacle of cars. The city had me at hello. Dave found a wonderful place for us to stay that was right in the heart of the historic district of ...

Ecuadorian Fun Facts

D and I have been reading up like crazy, trying to prepare for our huge move to Ecuador. I have started to share little fun facts with my students each day about the customs and the food. I have found that the more disgusting the fact, the more the kids love it. Some of their favorite facts: * Guinea pig is considered a delicacy in Ecuador. It dates back to the time of the Inca's and is referred to as cuy. The Ecuadorians call it cuy because of the sound the guinea pig makes when it is roasted. * You never flush your toilet paper down the toilet in Ecuador, you place it in the trash cans next to the toilet. * Hot showers are a rarity, with many showers requiring you to connect the electrical heat wires inside of the shower stall yourself. This gives you about three minutes of hot water along with an electrical shock. * Animals that might be living with you include iguanas, bats, snakes, rats, various bizarre insects, and of course, guinea pigs. * The celebration beverage...

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