Conversations from Week 2

(translated)

Dina: Erin, you can make the juice. Get that pitcher out of the fridge and then wash your hands really well.

Me: (looking at a pitcher with a suspicious floating brown blob) This pitcher?

Dina: Yes. Just stick your hands in there and play with it.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that it really looked more like a brain than a brown blob. “It looks like a brain!” I exclaimed, and Dina assured me that it really was fruit. A “tamarindo” I think. I finally did stick my hands in there and mushed up that brown, brainy, blob. A strainer and some sugar later, the juice was quite tasty.

Yesterday was my 2 week anniversary! It’s pretty amazing to think about what has happened these past 2 weeks… I arrived, my house was finished, I moved in, I’ve scoped out 2 churches and a bunch of different ministries, I’ve gotten to know my colleagues at school, made some new friends… J

We spent this past weekend at the beach. We had a school staff meeting, with all of the school personnel, at the Playas camp. It was a productive and fun weekend! OH the ocean was beautiful! I think the Pacific Ocean must be God’s bathtub. It was so warm!! My sunscreen worked well and I’m happy to announce that I was not burnt to a crisp in the Equatorial sun; although my shoulders are definitely not pasty white anymore. Let me give you a little list of 10 “Wow-I’m-in-Ecuador” moments…

1.

1. I’m getting some color!

2. I like to use my computer in my hammock on my back patio.

3. I’m eating plantain chips (platanos fritos y platons maduros= yum!).

4. I make juice with fruit and a blender- just finished off some strawberry juice.

5. I’ve eaten shrimp and rice for breakfast… TWICE.

6. I hung out of a full bus, like literally on that step that you use to get on, to go to the store.

7. I leave doors and windows wide open and don’t worry about bugs.

8. I enjoy cold showers every day.

9. I went to an Iguana Park, just a little plaza in the city that has tons of huge iguanas roaming around.

10. I ride in cars whose drivers think they are in a video game.

I’ll end with another recent conversation between Janna (picture) and myself.

Janna: Erin, do you want a MiniEgg? Someone brought them to me from Canada.

Me: Sure!

Janna: They have ants on them, but you just blow them off. You’re a missionary.

And sure enough, she handed me a chocolate Cadbury egg crawling with ants.

Janna: Blow!

And I blew. And I ate.

OTHER PICTURES: 1-Dina and I, 2-Shrimp breakfast on the beach, 3-My cabin and fellow teachers, 4- Willian and Janna