The Semester Starts

First Day of School

Today starts my third week of classes at La Universidad San Francisco de Quito!  After two weeks I finally have a good handle on everything.  Here is a brief overview of my schedule:

Evolution – This class promises to be one of my favorites of the semester.  Nothing like some biology to get me up in the morning!  The teacher, Stella de la Torre, is excellent.  So far, I have really enjoyed it!

Hatha Yoga – This is my first class on Tuesday and Thursday and is a great way to start the day!

Andean History – With this class I’m looking forward to understanding my new home more completely.  There is a lot of reading; hopefully my academic Spanish improves or I am in for a long semester!

Jewelry Making – We are starting from the beginning, forging our silver and mixing it to make a silver-copper alloy, then going on to make our jewelry.  My theme: Michigan!

Language and Literature – This is a class strictly for exchange students.  We will be reading and discussing Hispanic short stories.

Pre-Columbian Art – This is another class I am taking in order to learn more about the rich history of Ecuador.  We are learning about both Andean and Mexican cultures.  Currently we are studying the Olmecs of Mexico.

I’ve stayed in Quito for the past two weeks because I want to have my schedule under control before I go off on any other adventures.   However, I did leave Quito last Sunday to go to Guallyabamba to the family’s new property in the country.  We watered the plants and harvested lemons and avocados before having a very meaty cookout.  It was nice to get out of the city!

This past weekend in Quito I did a lot of walking around and exploring, finding plenty of top-notch bakeries along the way.  On Saturday evening Alyssa and I went to an area called La Ronda (named for the main street, La Ronda), which is known for restaurants with live music, little artesian shops, and delicious street food.  Whitewashed buildings with beautiful iron balconies flank the narrow cobbled streets.  We walked up and down, people watching and going into the shops, where I eventually bought some fun new earrings.  The food was AMAZING!  We tried some of everything: pineapple pizza, chocolate covered strawberries, empanadas de morocho (small and crispy with mazorca grain inside), empanadas de viento (large and bready with cheese inside), and buñuelos (these are kind of like doughnut holes, and are served with honey syrup and a chunk of fresh mozzarella).  The empanadas and buñuelos were fried right there in front of us.  Let me tell you, they were good.  We have decided we will have to go to La Ronda regularly to eat our weekly quotas of grease and deliciousness.

In La Ronda