Monday, September 27, 2010

Pictures of Cuenca and Hiking
























































Here are pictures from the Inca ruins and Hinking

Cuenca!!!!

So this pass weekend we had a trip to the little town of Cuenca. It was the best. It was cold and I know most of you are thinking cold. Well yes Cuenca sits in the Andes, all mountains so it was really cold. Cuenca is the thrid largets city in Ecuador and is famous because it was one of the places the Incas lived at and developed many homes that still stand today. In Cuenca their primary meat is guniea pig. I know it sounds crazy but thats hat they eat. They grill it and eat it. Not much meat on a guniea pig I must add. Cuenca is famous (as I stated before) is known for the Incas whom use to live in Cuenca. The Incas were great warriors having in control eventually Ecuador to Chile dates do vary of course. One thing about the Incas that stand out to me is how they bulid their homes. They would bulid them out of bricks by stacking them on top of each other untill they made a perfect fit. They did not use anything inbtween the bricks and today some of their runis still stand. You can see in my pictures how there is nothing inbetween the bricks. The also had a rock that was a moon counter (I believe that is what my tour guide said). You can see the holes in the rock and in 28 days the moon would had hit alll those spots in the rock. The Incas were a smart civilization that eventually fell to the Spanards.

Budgeting







So this blog I wanted to talk about something very important. Money!!! When you leave the country especially in Latin America you will find that a lot of things are cheaper than in the States. This is ture, however, when things are cheaper people tend to spend more than they realize. Before you leave the country have a budget, a set amount of money you are allowed to spend each month. I think it is important to allow more spending in your first month and last month. I say first month because you are in a new place and depending if you are going with a program you will most likely go on tours and historically sites where shopping is going to be the first thing on your mind. I also say more money in the last month because once it scomes time to leave you are going to go shopping crazy for family members at home. Also the airports may charge you more for extra luggage if you accumlated any. Some airports such as in Ecuador charge a 26 dollar service fee. They charge 400 dollars for each extra luggage for international flights, so knowing in advance the airport rules will help in advance on what it is going to cost to go home. Budget is important because it would be crazy to say you are not going to spend anything. You will find yourself gooing to the beach, hanging out with friends in a different city anything is possible when studying abroad. Always follow your budget trust it is easier said then done when your friends are all doing something and you know it is going to cut into your budget its sstill kind of herad to say no. Some of the international students are here with no money and in my opinion that is dangerous because anything can happen. Another IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind no matter where you are studying abroad at NEVER NEVER have too much money on you. I have a friend who is studying abroad here and she was robbed. She lost all her money. Keep credit cards at home. People think they are not going to get robbed but you have to keep in mind everything is unfamilar to you and what may look like a guy tripping and dropping his papers is really a distraction while his friend grabs your things. It can happen to you and you have to think like that at all times. Well this was just a lesson on budgeting and staying safe.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Picking a program
















Once you decide to study abroad there are many ways to go about it. I advise contacting your school international office before hand to see what options are open to you. You could go about studying abroad in so many different ways such as contacting the other school personally or find a study abroad program. In my case I chose a study abroad program by the name of KEI, Knowledge Exchange Institue. I chose this program for many reason one being they give you the option to go to a country based on your major. It alllows you to study abroad without lossing your reason for going to school. They also do excursion, so for instance when I arrived in Ecuador we spent a week going to Quito, Otavalo, and Riobamba. We also have planned trips throughout me staying here. For instance this weekend we are gong to Quenca. I say we because there are 60 international students from all over the world that decided to study here at UEES, Universidad Espritu Santo and at UEES they have us all meet that first week. Its very comforting because when you start school you realize its not that easy to make friends as in the States because you can't speak the language. You tend to get close with the other international students but one thing I say keep in mind is that you left to go to another country, so just keep in mind to sorround yourself around those people. Learn somethings from them, and you be suprise at what you learn. On the next blog I will talk about finacing your trip and budgeting throughout the whole trip. Untill then here is pictures of some of the other international students.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Meeting People
















Here are the pictures I promised of some of the nicest people I have encountered while here.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Meeting People

Despite the constent language barrier, the missing home, friends, and family, the daliy miscommunication, you meet some really great people. The people here in Ecuador are fun, nice, and respectful. I cannot sit here and say that everyone is like this but the majority of the people are just what I describe above. Eventhought my first priorty is school, I also came to learn about the people, the culture, and the way they live. They party alot every night is another night to meet someone new, to have a drink, to go to a salsa club. One thing I have noticed here is that friendships are conducted in person. Not on facebook, but actually getting together with your friends and doing something. I feel like that is something the United States need to adopt. Most of our fruendships, and conversations take place online. A friendship has more quality if you meet with your friends and enjoy each other company. I say that because I see it here all the timw. One thing that strikes me as a negative though is that everyone wants to speak English when they find out you are a native speaker in English. They want to practice their English just as bad as I want to practice my Spanish. I find myself in conversations that are half English and half Spanish. It is almost fustrating but then you just think about how exciting it is to master another language and to be able to communicate with a native speaker of that language. It is a very rewarding thing, atleast I am starting to see that as I hold very small conversations in Spanish. People here in Ecuador are party people I must say. It is not like the United States where the best nights to party is only on the weekend instead its every night you can go somewhere and party. There are no fights, no drama, just people dancing and having a good time. The more I go out the more people I meet and the more I tend to learn about their culture and their world. I cannot upload photos as of now but there will be more up soon.

Monday, September 13, 2010

My host family




Moving in and finally meeting your host family is an exciting but scary thing. I remember as we pulled up in the bus all the parents were waiting smiling. I remember forgetting about what my family looked like I was in a trance. One thing to keep in mind for those who may study abroad; your family is just as excited and nervous to meet you as you are. Do not go out for the first few days stay home and try to get to know your family because you will realize that the language barrier will make things really uncomfortable. My host family speaks good English and they speak it all the time. That may seem good but in the end it is hurting me so I urge my family to speak only spanish eventhough I know I will not understand anything. My host family is small I have a host mother and a host brother, oh and I cannot forget the dog. Your home is only what you make it. Remember you are in a different country nothing is going to be like home, or at least expect that nothing is going to be like home. Enjoying your time with your host family is the best way to understand the culture and values of what ever country you are in.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Reality of the Situation

I must say things have really gotten real. The touring attitude is over and now its time for the real thing. I have been at my new University going on the second week. I have been going through culture shock and to be honest it is horrible. It is very hard to comprehend that I am not going to get everything, that I am going to be confused most of the time. Even when I tell myself this it does not seem to sink into my head. Spanish class is the hardest. The class is nothing like in the states. Its no learning a foregin language out the book it is all speaking. Explianations are in Spanish, homework directions are in Spanish. I get so upset when I spend three hours on my Spanish homework and all of it is wrong. I get so upset when I am sitting in class and cannot form the question I need an answer to in Spanish. I get so upset when everyone around me can understand what the teacher is saying but me. I get so upset when the teacher I must say things have really gotten real. The touring attitude is over and now its time for the real thing. I have been at my new University going on the second week. I have been going through culture shock and to be honest it is horrible. It is very hard to comprehend that I am not going to get everything, that I am going to be confused most of the time. Even when I tell myself this it does not seem to sink into my head. Spanish class is the hardest. The class is nothing like in the states. Its no learning a foregin language out the book it is all speaking. Explianations are in Spanish, homework directions are in Spanish. I get so upset when I spend three hours on my Spanish homework and all of it is wrong. I get so upset when I am sitting in class and cannot form the question I need an answer to in Spanish. I get so upset when everyone around me can understand what the teacher is saying but me. I get so upset when the teacher has to go back, slow down, or repeat the whole thing just because I do not understand. I do not know what to do. I want to go home but I have to fight this out I have no choice. Things really have gotten real and I do not know what else to do that I am not already doing. I do not know if I am at my end. I have cried so much this pass week and today it is almost scary. I push a smile on my face and I try to blend in but the reality of the matter is studying abroad is hard, and challening. This is not intened to push anyone away from studying abroad this is just the reality of doing it. Know that things will seem so different and that things will not come so easy as they once did before. I am scared that I am going to fail I do not know what else to do but cry. I have been told it will get better wait it out but honestly how long am I gone have to wait before I can grasp the language, the grammer? How long is it going to take to understand my teacher? I hope this does not turn anyone away from studying abroad but only give a realization of the things ahead.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Prior to Arriving to our Families
















On our last few days of our excursions before we went to go meet our families UEES had some things planned for us. UEES is the abbreviations of the school I attend in Ecuador. We went on a boat ride in an active crater at some points you could see the water bubbling. There are two big islands in the middle of the crater. We were told it was because of the volcanic eruption hundred of years ago. Its amazing to see such landscape that was made from a volcanic eruption. On the day we meet our family we went to a llama farm. It was so cool believe it or not. I am from the city so even seeing a llama was very new for me. I was scared they would spit on me. They were a lot meaner in person. I was able to walk one, but he ended up walking me, well almost dragging me. They were a lot stronger than I thought. At this time I was so excited to meet my family. We had been doing all this touring for an entire week and I was just ready to unpack and relax, however when the bus pulled up to UEES all wants went away. I was so nervous, scared and the picture of what my family looked like just went out my head. We stepped off the bus in much confusion and chaos. Parents looking for their kids and vica versa. I remember a women tapping me on the shoulder and when I turned around it was not the lady I remember seeing. She thought I was somebody else, and then I seen my host brother. Relief was everywhere, but when I looked again I saw that my host mom was not with him. I started to worry. What if she was not excited, what if she did not care? All these questions filled up in my head, and when I got to my home my host mom was the sweetest person I ever met. She took my into her arms I just felt right at home.