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Turkey Day Ecuadorian Style

First off, Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone reading this!

Despite all odds I had a great thanksgiving. It started off on a pretty sad note when we found out that even TGI Fridays doesn´t have a turkey and mashed potatoes meal until the christmas season. A little bit bummed but determined, we headed to Mi Comisariato in search of a turkey substitute. We came up with a pre-cooked chicken, a bag of potatoes, corn and beer. We mashed the potatoes (I did the mashing), and dumped in the corn. By the time we got to the chicken it was cold, but still tasted good. Although maybe lacking by US standards foodwise, I spent the time with good friends. Plus, the beer helped.

Needless to say, I´m very happy that I will be spending Thanksgiving day 2006 with my family in the states.

"Nos esta' saludando!"

Everything has been great as of late. My work at Luchadores has really picked up with the arrival of the two new PAs. They're having the hardest time getting accustomed to things in their new job of all the PAs that I've worked with so far. I think it's really a matter of attitude and preparedness. I don't think that they knew what to expect (perfectly normal) but instead of dealing with things, accepting them as they are and working around the system it seems that they spend a lot of time and energy trying to make things fit their way of thought. Too bad really, they'll probably learn the least here of all the PA students that have come.

As far as my job, their arrival has made everything much more interesting. Everyday is a new experience. I now spend a lot of time translating, and today finally translated an entire sex-ed talk to a group of 10-13 year olds. It was great, the kids were very well informed and had answers for most of our questions such as what is AIDS, how to prevent it and how to avoid pregnancy, etc. The PAs brought a banana and a box of condoms which the kids got a real kick out of. I think that we also taught the teachers a thing or too, judging from the initial look of surprise on their faces when they learned that you can use both condoms and other forms of contraception in unison.

Yesterday, I got a kick out of the docs reaction to what I imagine is a fairly common occurence in hospitals and clinics everywhere when the newborn that he had just finished examining started peeing all over everything. The father and I laughed as the doc exclaimed "Mira, nos esta saludando!" or more or less, "Look guys, he's waving!" All good fun, I'm looking forward to work tomorrow.

Ecuador by the Numbers (by Lizz)

4-Times we’ve seen Cuy (roasted Guinea Pig) for sale and Mike hasn’t eaten it

444-Number of stairs up Las Peñas for the best view of Guayaquil

2000AD-Year the Malacon in Guayaquil was constructed

900AD-Year Ingapirca was built

13-Bodies buried alive in a sacrificial tomb at Ingapirca

36-Number of hours we have spent riding buses in the last 7 days

6-Types of different transportation we’ve taken (bus, pirate ship, train, taxi, trolley, car)

2-Tourist sites claiming to be El Mitad del Mundo (Center of the World/Equator)

0-Actual number of sites exactly on the Equatorial Line (0´0´0)

$0.25c-Typical cost for a bottle of water

$0.50c-Asking price for 2 large pineapples

1.5 Lbs-Largest piece of meat Mike has ever eaten (a T-bone steak at least 1 1/2 inches thick!)

6-Dole banana plantations we’ve passed throughout the country

2-Times Lizz´s forehead has sunburned and peeled, despite wearing sunscreen

5-Hours riding on the roof of ¨El Nariz Del Diablo¨ train through the mountains

33 C-Degrees it is currently in Guayaquil (91 F)

9-Boys in one family we met in Otavalo...they also have 1 daughter

6:30AM-The earliest we’ve gotten up, in order to visit Otavalo market

7-Number of Catholic churches on one street in Quito, all built over historic Incan religious sites

50-(At least) the number of Chinese restaurants we’ve seen in Ecuador

1-Number of times we´ve eaten Chinese

5-Indigenous groups in Ecuador

2,800-Altitude in meters of Quito

6-Volcanos we passed

1-Volcanos Lizz actually saw

12-Number of students Mike´s host family has had over the years

1st-Mike´s rank amongst these students in terms of conversational and Spanish speaking ability (According to his host father)

6-Days Lizz has left in Ecuador :(