last week of ecuador!

Before I go on to share on Ecuador.. I want to give you all a peek as to whats going on in my brain right now... So I just opened my iTunes and once it loaded, I immediately typed in "James Morrison" into the filter box. And I realized that... he is my immediate go to music. Meaning before I give myself a chance to think about what I'm really in the mood to listen to.... I type in Mr. Morrison..and listen to him until I am inspired to listen to something else! Does anyone else have an immediate "go to" on their itunes.. or is it just me? (Sometimes I ask questions on my blog & no one answers them...but I assume that when people read the question, they answer in their head.. so I'm happy)

Okay so BACK to Ecuador. Week 8.

A few weeks before our last week in Ecuador, our boss gave us the option to spend some time working with one of the projects that CARE Ecuador implements. Of course we jumped at the opportunity. So for our last week of Ecuador... we worked on the project Juntos Liderando (Lead Together) by helping faciliatate a vacational school for children in the town of Cayambe. The kids had mini classes (with topics ssuch as painting, exercise, town history, and sexuality), a lunch/snack, and free time everyday. We assisted the "teachers", helped prepare the food, and just generally bonded/played with the kids. I loved it! Loved it!
Let the pictures speak for themselves:

The teacher, explaining to the kids the history of their town (Cayambe)

The kids learning how to paint..

The teacher taught them a method where they painted a blob, and then blew the paint to create streaks.

The color quality in this picture isn't the greatest.. but focus on the kids!

Loved these little girls

And then we moved outside to play games.
(The little boy in the picture..was the most outgoing kid I have ever ever encountered.)

I let the girls use my camera to get this picture..

I've never seen such concentration when eating chips

The next day & back inside..

And finally.... on Friday we went out to eat with Alex (our "boss" when we were working on the Lead Together project)

The next day (Saturday) was our last day in Ecuador. We spent the day with our host family.. going out to eat, driving to parts of Quito we hadnt been before, and drinking coffee at a coffee shop. Much later that night (really early Sunday morning) we boarded a plane and headed back to the US!

I want to thank anyone who read this blog, anyone who encouraged me, and anyone who prayed for my summer.  This summer was an unbelivable learning experience... I learned about myself, I learned from God, and I learned about other people. And while this experience had its fair share of "challenging" moments.. I wouldn't trade the memories, risky adventures, Spanish conversations, twice-a-day bus rides, or weekend travels for anything in the world.

(PS- I'm absolutely terrible at "recapping" a trip.. so if you thought that was corny, or didn't really explain anything.. feel free to look through all my blog posts since I first left for Ecuador.. starting here

week 7 in ecaudor.

It feels so incredibly weird to blog about Ecuador.... from my laptop in the States. But here I go.. hopefully I can remember most of the important stuff!

Since we knew our time in Ecuador was ending shortly.. we wanted to make sure to capture a few shots of the people that greatly impacted our experience!

With Albita...Our Host Mom!

Marthy...Our Boss

For the rest of the "work week" I spent my time redesigning the CARE Ecuador website using this program called weebly.com. It is such an EASY program to use.. and that's exactly what they need at the office (since no one really has web development experience). Now the website can be updated more frequently than it has been in the past! 

On Saturday Sharada & I decided to spend the weekend doing stuff around Quito (since we had spent all of our other weekends traveling). So we hung out with the Vela kids (the other students she knows from her school that are spending their summer in Ecuador volunteering). We went to the Banco Central Museum of Quito (incredibly boring), walked around town, tasted the most amazing brownies ever..and finally headed to Centro Historico to watch a celebration that was recommended to us by the museum security guard. At the risk of wrongly explaining what they were really celebrating, I'll just quote the website.. ""Quito will boast a feast of cultural, civic and folkloric events both in the historic centre and nearby parishes, to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Quito Revolution. The Bicentennial celebrations started last year commemorating 200 years of the “First Cry for Independence” (August 10th, 2009) and will continue thru 2012, in memory of several crucial events that lead the independence processes of the country and the whole continent!"

To celebrate they staged a reenactment of the actual Quito Revolution. Except unlike boring reannactments that I used to watch in high school history... this one was a musical! The sang, danced AND acted It was absolutely amazing! AND it was free! Free, cultural event... how could you pass that up?

My pictures doesn't do justice.. but here they are.

Part of the stage & set.

The full stage... just as they started to perform.

Fireworks after the show

Look how amazing Centro Historico is at night!

Sunday, Sharada and I headed to Teleferiqo (a ski lift type deal that takes you to the top of a mountain so you can see all of Quito). We were pretty excited because everyone raves about it after they go... Well, all of our excitement was crushed when we got to the top of the mountain and could only see pure, thick fog.  

Oh well. We did try to make the best of it..and still walked a bit around the mountain. We found this church and these great crosses outside..  ( I love how the fog makes the crosses look)

And then we headed back.. where I took a few shots on the lift..

i know, i know.

I know, I know... I have been completly non existent on this blog since my 7th week in Ecuador.
But if you add: 4 short days at home, RA training, unpacked boxes, a messy room, meeting hundreds of first year students plus 5 hours of sleep per night... you get an Imani who has sadly neglected her blog.

I promise... the minute I get my room/classes/textbooks/everything in order.... I will update on how my last two weeks in Ecuador were AND how being back in the states has been.

PS- my TWENTY FIRST birthday is next week.
...kind of super excited about it.

UPDATE (on a few things i´m looking forward to)

last week I wrote this post on a few things i´m looking forward to do when I get back to the states.
And now I´m adding this..

14. Having a date at Barnes & Noble. Who´s coming you may ask? Well.... myself, my camera, my iPod, the  caffeinated beverage  I will purchase AND every interesting book I can find in the store. I am going to plant myself one of their comfortable arm chairs and staying there for hours.
Bliss

(PS- I had to look up how to spell "caffeinated"..Yup)
(PSx2- This post and personal date idea was inspired by Alyse´s most recent Tidbit Tuesday. )

a few quick things.

1. I return to the US of A in less than 3 days! I am so flipping excited.

2. I´ll update about my last week of Ecuador.. probably when I get to the states on Sunday/Monday. I´m just super busy with work right now.

3. My mom just informed me that my Aunt is going to be on the new Nate Berkus Show (the interior designer that is always on Oprah) and she got my mom and my sister 2 tickets. A limo is picking them up and they´re going to be in the audience of the show.  I AM SO JEALOUS. First off, I love seeing my aunt/uncle and my little cousins..especially since I have Ecuadorian gifts for them. Secondly: seriously, Nate Berkus?! I didnt even know he had a show.. but now that I do.. I want to be in the audience! Thirdly: I want to go in a limo Fourthly: I wanted to go to NYC before I leave for Syracuse..and I dont have time.
Boo. I guess I just have to wait until the next time  my Aunt is on a famous talk show and I´m in the country.. (Not likely.. I have no clue why she´s on in the first place)

Don´t let my last "thing" fool you.. I´m still in super high spirits to come HOME!
Ciao.

PS- Here´s a sneak peek at whats to come when I post about my last week of Ecuador..