A little about where I work...

For the past 3-4 weeks I've been working in Fundacíon Sor Dominga Bocca. It's basically a home for girls that have been abused physically and sexually from ages 3 to 17. It has been my assignment (along with Alex my classmate) to work with these girls and show them whatever we can from culture, to schooling, to their own city. Unfortunately, these girl are often unable to leave their home except for Sundays when they go to church and the park. Besides this, for the summer they are in the 3 story house that they sleep and eat in.

Cuenca!!

So this past weekend I went to Cuenca, about four hours away from Guayaquil. There were 18 of us girls a bus driver, tony, and Alvero (our tour guides). Everything was beautiful - the city, the landscapes, and the people. It was an ideal vacation spot. I'm not sure if I'd want to spend a long time there. There were a lot of natives and old school style things. It had the perfect mix of the old and the new it felt like. We visited markets, craft places, animal markets, and went on hikes!
There was a lot of driving and bumpy roads and walking, but in the end it was all worth it. My favorite part was on saturday morning when we climbed a mountain, I rock climbed to the top and saw alll of EVERYTHING. I was pretty much on top of the world. Sunday we did another hike for three hours and it was pretty awesome just to finish it. We ate lunch in a fairy tale forest that was awesome! Soo much happened. it was great!

When it rains, it pours...

So I´ve been here for about a week and a half and it´s amazing. The people here are so kind and friendly, and the city is perfect. The classes here are only in the morning and evening, so I started class Wednesday night. I only have one monday through thursday and then a four hour class on fridays. My internship starts monday from 8-12.
Alex moved in Monday night, she live upstairs from me and actually she´s good friends with Kellie Duggan!! It´s a small world isn´t it? My first Spanish class was awesome, my teacher´s funny and really good. When it was time to go home I got on the wrong bus home, and a girl that I didn´t know from my school said she´d just have her boyfriend drive me home from the opposite side of the city. I told her no, but she called him and he was at work. So I took the bus back to school and me and alex got on another wrong bus, but one of the girls on that one call her boyfriend and he drove us in the POURING rain... It was raining so much my street was flooded at the bottom of the hill probably up to my waist. They were sooo nice. They invited us to his beach house in Playas for some weekend. The people here are just so genuine, it´s great. I mean don´t get me wrong, there are some crazy´s and not good people. But for the most part everyone rocks.
The past few nights the International club has brought us out to go dancing, or just to a bar. They´re a really good group of people and they know how to have fun. I don´t have picture on this computer but check out my facebook album for some pictures of my friends and I.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029719&l=6e482&id=35204266#!/album.php?aid=2029876&id=35204266

Last night was Sebastian´s birthday so we had a party at his house. It´s cool how house parties here are more for everyone. You invite the oldest and the youngest. Usually only the college kids last all night, but it´s cool how everyone´s just comfortable with family.
Also ´when i talk to different students here they all say they love Guayaquil. It´s so surprising to me that everyone loves the place they grew up here, when in the states everyone wants out of their home, or town.
Just a couple of things... I hope everyone is well!!

Tres dias

So here I am al policentro just chillin. I've had a really relaxing few days. I've read and shopped and just hung out alot. Carmen and her daughters are really great. Gina speaks english really well, so it's kinda nice that she's there sometimes. Everything's great and I'm just waiting for orientation and classes to start monday. Another girl from siena is actually in the same organization with me and will be living in the home upstairs from me. I was really surprised, I guess she applied on her own. or maybe the school here has a typo about her school. I don't know, but my host said i'll be going to class with her. She won't be here till Monday though.
I better get going, tonight carmen is making chicken and pasta for dinner, and tomorrow i'm going to a movie with Gina and church at night I think.
Buenas Dias!!

My first 12 hours...

So I got to Ecuador early today. Estoy muy cansada y estresada. But I´m good. My second flight from Houston got delayed because of luggage, so I arrived late to Guayaquil. I met some very nice people on the plane though!! When I arrived I was picked up by my host and her grandaughter, who´s about 21. They brought me home in a cab. The city is sooo beautiful. colorful, nice buildings and houses. Old school nothing crazy. But everything has a fence. The drivers are crazy, they don´t use the lanes and just go... Like in NJ. I have my own room and it´s huge with my own bathroom. It´s kinda nicer than padua.
Carolyn, my host, made me breakfast that I´ve never had anything of but the fruit and it was great. My host´s daughter took me out into the city to run some errands with her, everyone´s very nice. I haven´t met anyone in the city that speaks any english though, so I´m kinda having a hard time. She took me to an internet cafe. and that´s my last 12 hours in Ecuador.
I hope everyone´s good!!!
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