Campamento de Español (Spanish Camp)

For Spanish Camp Students from all over Ecuador traveled to Lago de Crystal. A beautiful retreat center horseback riding, a zipline over a pond, beautiful views(as you can see), and a ton of Español!!

These girls are from everywhere!! France, Belgium, Germany, etc. They are some of the sweetest girls you will ever meet!

This is addie and sarah!

Sarah and I went horseback riding in the mountains. Her horse was crazy so we had to switched halfway through...he just wanted to go super fast which was fine by me!

Yeah were crazy

This is Shawn. We flew from Philly to Miami together. He is from Delaware.

This night we had a Cuencanan festival. This is a picture with a vaca loca (crazy cow). I will have a link to the video soon. A guy strapped this thing on his back and skipped around everywhere as it exploded with legit fireworks. I think it should be called muchacho loco(crazy man). haha

Everyone got a Globa. We wrote our names on them and made a wish and let them float to the moon! It was really cool to watch them disappear into the sky

Let's just say poor Shawn's didn't make it to the moon and I don't think his wish is coming true anytime soon! haha

America & Germany!

Poor james haha I can see an eye

This is Wilson and I. He is from Cuenca and helped out with the camp.

These shoes are awesome!! There are Ecuadorian converse call Venus, very popular here. Wilsons are the black ones and mine the blue. I got them for $5 at a market, and Joi(my host sister) said I could of got them for cheaper if I didn't look so foreign.

This dog is super cute!!! He was at the Camp. Look at his light blue eyes!

First day of Escuela!!

My first day of school was just like any first day of school with the butterflies, and excitement. But never in my whole entire life have I dressed exactly like everyone else but have hundreds of eyes bluntly on me watching my every move! Everyone was very nice in my class. I made quick friends with the girls in my class and all of the middle school boys. I love the campus!! We enjoy (between classes)  being outside and I have lunch among the bolders in the nearby forest. When you get your class work done the teacher lets you go outside to soak up sunshine, play a game of soccer, or buy a snack at the snack bar. My favorite class is Math. I'm the star of that class because it is my best subject in the U.S. and the only one I understand in Ecuador. English class is not my favorite. I thought it would be, but I have got yelled at numerous times for speaking spanish. I can't help it!! The other 23 hours and 15 minutes of the day is soley me trying to speak in as much spanish as possible!! O how different it is from good ole Bald Eagle Area. ( My HighSchool in the US)

My First Letters!!

These are my first letters!! I read each probably a dozent times, especially when I was writing the responses. What joy recieving a letter brings! I have them hung up in my room and whenever I want to know what's going on in America and remember 2% maple syrup I read Kenny's. When I want a pick me upper and comfort I read Olivia's. Whenever I want to read a good letter, complete with the word of the Lord I read Kelly's. When I read my Mom's I'm reminded of how God blessed me with such an incredible woman. I miss my best friend the most, my Mom.

A day downtown Cuenca with Mami

Mami & I went downtown to purchase my uniform. It was around 9:30am and none of the stores were open to 10:00am. To waste time, she took me to the most beautiful hotel which is a  refurbished mansion from the early 1900's.

I couldn't help myself! It was the first time I played a piano in weeks! I also got a round of applause from the staff. "...I know a fine way, to treat a Steinway..." I Love a Piano by Irving Berlin

A typical Tuesday night

Ecuador is different in many ways, and one of my favorite is the commitment to get together as a family. At least once a week the Salazar side of the family gets together for a big dinner on Tuesday at Papar and Tila's house(Grandpa and Grandma). (My mami's side gets together Sunday) When I say family, I mean all cousins, uncles aunts, second cousins, and any boyfriends/girlfriends. For this dinner I attempted to make chocolate molten cakes. I have concluded that making them in a mini cupcake pan wasn't the best idea. They were little brownies but still a hit and were quickly gone. The strawberries you see were apart of a huge bag of strawberries I bought downtown for a dollar.

Joi's best friend Pedro. He is making powdered sugar for me by hand!

Finished Product!

Just a glimpse of the dinner party!

Dad this picture is for you. Yes they eat corn that is so overdone they eat it with a fork. The kernels are so chewy/hard they just pop off the cob. I am not complaining, it is just different and everytime we have it for dinner I accept one and eat it with a smile!

Yes Dad I did dye my hair=)

When I came up with the crazy idea to spend a year of my life in Ecuador, my dad graciously 

agreed on one condition I dye my hair to my natural color or darker. I tried to do it the night

before my departure but it turned bright yellow, and yes I arrived in Ecuador, meeting my family for the first time, with my hair like a BANANA!! That became a quick nickname.

My Mami is a hair dresser on the side!

Julians Toothbrush ... Just kidding

New Hair...Do you like it dad?

  

Mi Casa (My house)

                    JUST KIDDING!!!! 
                           HAHA
My house is better actually. Any artwork you see in these pictures was done by my insanely talented Mami.

Yes that painting in supposed to be crooked.

Mami hard at work with painting for Joi's new apartment in Quito. ( The capitol of Ecuador)

Mami´s Weapons

This is MY ROOM!! Mami designed it!

My study desk.

My bed!