Spanish class and runs in the park.

Happy Wednesday everyone! Life in Quito is still great. Yesterday we had our first official day of Spanish class, plus chapel at another missionary's house (he's also a professor for some of the study abroad classes). Spanish class is three hours long, plus it takes about 45 minutes to get there, so it takes up a lot of our day. I'm actually really enjoying the class; the professors are Christian and they're very good at what they do. There are only three of us in the advanced class, so it's pretty chill (but also not, because it's three hours long!). It's really interesting to learn the nuances of the language here; a lot of the words I learned in the U.S. either don't exist here or mean something else. Pronunciation is also different; I'm learning the various accents of Ecuador and what types of people they're associated with. It's a lot of fun. It'll be interesting to come back to El Paso and start speaking Ecuadorian Spanish with the Mexicans! Just to clarify, I'm not taking Spanish for credit here--I'm just going while I'm waiting to start my internship.

This morning I also felt pretty accomplished after going for a run in Parque La Carolina, a large park down the hill from us. I have to cross some pretty intimidating streets to get there, but I'm getting the hang of it. Jay walking is a way of life here. We were told to never assume anyone will stop at a stop sign, and even though pedestrians technically have the right of way, that's not really practiced here. When in doubt, I just follow the natives.

My Spanish professor was a bit worried when I told her I went running in Parque La Carolina early this morning, but in my experience it's not too dangerous. Of course, we're not allowed to go anywhere at night, unless it's in a taxi, but I run during the morning commute when the sun's out. Living as a foreigner in Ecuador means that you have to be extra aware of your surroundings and that you shouldn't carry anything that you don't absolutely need. Yes, I run with my iPod, but I'm always watching the people around me so I'm not caught off guard. Don't worry, Mom, I follow all the suggestions from our safety briefing (I'm using Army lingo because it's really convenient here ;).

Anyway, working out this far above sea level is actually kind of fun. I'm one of the lucky ones, so I don't get headaches or light headed or anything like that. My muscles just tire more easily, so I feel like I accomplished more. Between that, all the walking we do, and having to hold on to the trolley for dear life, I'm hoping to return to the states in pretty good shape!


I've included some pictures of the sunset from our roof. :)