Quito, Studies, More Pics, 4th

Well...I am back in Quito and have had generally beautiful, rain-free days since I have been back. This is an important week at the school as several students are returning to the states and there are not many more than 6-7 students here. At any rate, we are having a 4th of July party and I will miss not being with my friends and family for the event. I have tried to explain the beauty of the fireworks in front of the Arch over the Mississippi, but I am not sure I conveyed it well.

My spanish is improving I think, but when I was talking to another student here, granted she has been here for 6 months, I really felt like I am far away from true fluency...but I guess that is the difficult question. I am able to communicate with virtually anyone here as long as it relates to things I know about or concepts that are normal to staying/living in another country. I have good days and bad days as well and I think that I need to refocus so that I can get a lot out of these last few weeks. I guess like always, the key is to practice, practice, practice...

OH YEA...since it is the 4th of July, guess who has to read the Declaration of Independence in Spanish for everyone...um...yea...me.

We went to the Guyasamin museum today which was kinda cool, and I think I appreciate his works more. There was one which at first glance was very strange but once I understood it, very profound. It was a painting of a face in the shape of a volcano with its mouth as the crater, the head on its side sort of, and it represented the volcanic eruptions of people who gossip. Interesting, no?

Tomorrow night is important because Ecuador plays Brasil for the South American Cup or something like that...it is about national pride and they normally are the bottom of the barrel team in South America. As you can imagin, everyone will be watching the soccer (futbol) game and I have come to enjoy watching the team as they have been regarded always as underdogs, but have played really well recently. ¡Ecuador! ¡Ecuador! Its the time of futbol and cuba libres...

Finally I am putting a few more pictures on from my trip to the Selva, aka rainforest. The one at the bottom is of the first part of the canyons... Studying indoors for all day leaves little opportunity for new pictures, but I will do my best!