Semester's End (CliffsNotes Version)

Hello all and a very Merry Christmas (or Felíz Navidad I guess I should say)!!

I have been horrible this month about posting, so I figure I will just list the highlights:

- We had some clear days in Ambato and I was thrilled that I could see three volcanoes from my classroom window. My usual Tungurahua, Chimborazo, and surprisingly the snow-capped Cotopaxi as well. Incredible!

-In my classes, we finished up the semester learning about professions, money, shopping, and a unit on Christmas vocab as well. They also did amazing class presentations, but I'll get to that later.

-Aubrey, Eden, and I went to the town of Salasaca with one of my students to buy some Christmas presents at a market. My student, Zoila, took us to a friend's house and we watched live musicians as we had some soup (which unfortunately gave me a stomach ache)...but it was quite the experience!

-I went to Quito to visit Andrea, and it was great to just catch up with her. We also went out to an amazing Mexican restaurant and I finished my Christmas shopping too.

-We had a Christmakkuh celebration at a Chinese restaurant in Ambato (definitely not the same as Chinese back home). All four of us Ambato vols were there, along with Dan's Ecuadorian girlfriend Carla, who could not be a sweeter person. We did Secret Santa and all exchanged gifts...I got a Santa snow globe!

-I went on a field trip with my afternoon class to Baños and it was such a blast! I actually went bungee jumping (!!!), we hiked to a waterfall, and we rode in the back of a truck the whole way home.

-Eden and I had our last day volunteering at the elementary school in Pillaro until January. The kids are just so adorable, and the administration gave us both backpacks with the school's name as a thank you.

-My classes learned Christmas Carols all week long...Rudolph, Let It Snow, Silent Night, Silver Bells, and Jingle Bells. They seemed to really enjoy it. Then they had their final presentations and I could not have more impressed with their effort. They had costumes, food, props...everything! One group did a scene from Shrek, another acted out an old Ambato legend, and another pretended to be Americans on their honeymoon in Ecuador, just to name a few. I could not stop laughing!

-My night class had a final Christmas dinner. They brought turkey, stuffing, rice, salad, eggnog, and dessert into the classroom. It was unbelievable. The most touching part of the evening was when they toasted me...they are all just so loving. Then we exchanged our Secret Santa presents, and my class all pitched in to get me a beautiful new leather tote bag to use next semester.

-Aubrey and I went out salsa dancing with our gym instructor and the rest of the gym crew, which was really fun. Though our instructor kept offering to buy us beer which seemed a bit counter-intuitive if you ask me.

-Eden left to go home to the States last Saturday, as Aubrey and I went on a field trip with my night class to the jungle. It was raining horribly when we got to Puyo, but we did still get to go on a neat jungle walk. Then the sun came out and we played basketball, soccer, and Aubrey and I learned how to play Ecua-volleyball, which they actually play with a soccer ball. Then we went to the most amazing tree house I have ever seen, which had an incredible view of where the jungle and the Andes meet. Then we went on a guided tour of a cave (scary) and I even got to see a monkey! Aubrey and I met up with Dan and Carla in Baños to go dancing that night, and Anita my Australian friend met up with us too.

-I had my last class on Monday and just handed back their final exams and taught them all some English slang (so funny!). Then on Tuesday I headed to Quito, spent the night at my old host mom's house, and flew back to the States on Wednesday afternoon. Dan, Eden, and I are all home for the holidays, and Aubrey is holding down the fort in Ecuador.

-I am currently home and it is so surreal! I really feel like I have never left...it just feels like I have had some strange Ecua-dream. But it has been so wonderful getting to see family and friends, and hopefully I will be ready to head back to Ecuador come January 3rd. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year!!!