Today, Vanderbilt University kicks off the spring break season, arriving into Quito around 10 pm. This will be an exciting time for us, for now only do we get to show off our site to those from my alma mater, but we also will get a healthy dose of new people. The PDs spend so much time together that we have an unhealthy knowledge of one another. Hopefully, new faces will rejuvenate each of us to finish the next 5 months.
Additionally, the results of the first PD interview on the MPI Ecuador blog will be up shortly, featuring yours truly. Thanks to all those who submitted questions for me to answer.
Awaiting a dozen college students,
mike
Friday, March 5, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
New Years, Ecuador Style
Searching Google News for information about YasunÃ-ITT, the proposal by the Ecuadorian government to protect one of the most biodiverse places in the world by asking developed countries to pay the country to keep the oil in the ground.
Instead, I found this article, in the Boise International Travel Examiner about spending New Year's Eve in Ecuador. I the article has a great glossary of the things you are likely to see.
Below are some pictures of my New Year's Eve. I spent it in Conocoto with my friend Grace and her cousins (Grace is camera shy, so only her cousins made it into the photos.)
Me and Sam dancing with Michael Jackson.
Viejos- literally "the old ones"- are constructed at the end of the year. They are often important figures that reperesent the past year. This year, Michael Jackson, who's music can be heard almost everyday, was a common viejo.
Cousins Monica, Caro, Sam & Pakita and me in front of a viejo.
Post midnight, the viejos look like this.
To bring in the new year, the viejos are burned, allowing for a new year of new figures to arise.
Instead, I found this article, in the Boise International Travel Examiner about spending New Year's Eve in Ecuador. I the article has a great glossary of the things you are likely to see.
Below are some pictures of my New Year's Eve. I spent it in Conocoto with my friend Grace and her cousins (Grace is camera shy, so only her cousins made it into the photos.)
Me and Sam dancing with Michael Jackson.Viejos- literally "the old ones"- are constructed at the end of the year. They are often important figures that reperesent the past year. This year, Michael Jackson, who's music can be heard almost everyday, was a common viejo.
Cousins Monica, Caro, Sam & Pakita and me in front of a viejo. This viejo is dressed in the jersey of Liga Deportive Universidad de Quito, commonly know as Liga, one of the most popular teams in Quito. Liga just wrapped up a successful campaigns in the Recopa Sudamerica and Copa Sudamerica, two of the three premier tournaments on the continent.
Post midnight, the viejos look like this.To bring in the new year, the viejos are burned, allowing for a new year of new figures to arise.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Stuck Inside of Miami, with the Quito Blues Again
About a month ago, my family came to visit me for Christmas. We ended up having a wonderful time- going to hot springs, Christmas Eve service (in English!), and making a bbq chicken dinner (we're not fancy) on the 25th. But getting to that point too a lot of patience. You see, the padres thought they had a fool-proof plan: arrive from Detroit late on December 19, stay for 8 days, and leave early December 28. The only problem with this plan was that Ecuador wants passports to be good for 6 months past their return date, with theirs expiring in January. Call it the "if you gonna go to Ecuador, you need a passport valid for six months" rule.
The padres didn't know this, of course, until they were sitting in the Miami airport, waiting to board their flight to Quito Saturday afternoon. As the plane was boarding, they got the sad news that they would not be going to Ecuador that day; they needed new passports first. Fortunately, they were in Miami, one of 18 passport offices in the US (sorry to break it to you Mom, there is now one in Detroit). After a marathon session that included a hour and a half in the parking garage, they got their new passports Monday, and were able to secure a flight to Quito on Tuesday. Thus, their eight day trip was cut to five, which meant we had to cut some trips and cram the rest of everything into the remain days. All in all, it was a pretty good Christmas, as we were able to spend it together, checking out the library and cooking dinner together.
Inspirational songs for this post
"Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" by Bob Dylan
"If You're Gonna Play in Texas" by Alabama.
The padres didn't know this, of course, until they were sitting in the Miami airport, waiting to board their flight to Quito Saturday afternoon. As the plane was boarding, they got the sad news that they would not be going to Ecuador that day; they needed new passports first. Fortunately, they were in Miami, one of 18 passport offices in the US (sorry to break it to you Mom, there is now one in Detroit). After a marathon session that included a hour and a half in the parking garage, they got their new passports Monday, and were able to secure a flight to Quito on Tuesday. Thus, their eight day trip was cut to five, which meant we had to cut some trips and cram the rest of everything into the remain days. All in all, it was a pretty good Christmas, as we were able to spend it together, checking out the library and cooking dinner together.
Inspirational songs for this post
"Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" by Bob Dylan
"If You're Gonna Play in Texas" by Alabama.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Holiday transportation
As in New Years Day tradition, I took in the Rose Bowl Game. As we do not have a television, let alone cable, I trekked into Quito to watch Ohio State take on Oregon in Big Ten-Pac-10 battle that I've watched since I was 7 with my dad, so while I've seen little football this year, and I don't particularly like Ohio State, not watching wasn't much of an option.
I should mention that bus service on a holiday is not what is normally is- fewer buses running fewer routes, which can make for some interesting traveling. From the time I left my house, it took over an hour to get into the bus terminal, causing me to miss much of the first quarter. It was fortunate that traffic was light once I switched buses and got to the bar, so that minimized the that amount of game-time slipping away. I did, however, spot a great (?) bit of America on the Ecovia- a Jeff Gordon hat.
Once the game finished, I paid my tab and quickly made it back to the Ecovia, catching of of the last two of the night (at 8:20, how late of me!). We pulled into the bus terminal and exited through the emergency door, rather than the usual exits (all the other buses were parked in way of the platforms) and I caught the final bus from the terminal back to the valley. This would have been great if the bus then left; however, we waited 15 minutes for others to find their way to the bus before we left.
Moral of the story: if it's a holiday or the day after (I had similar problems last week on Dec. 26), don't rely on buses to go where you want them or to get you there quickly, it's just not in the cards.
I should mention that bus service on a holiday is not what is normally is- fewer buses running fewer routes, which can make for some interesting traveling. From the time I left my house, it took over an hour to get into the bus terminal, causing me to miss much of the first quarter. It was fortunate that traffic was light once I switched buses and got to the bar, so that minimized the that amount of game-time slipping away. I did, however, spot a great (?) bit of America on the Ecovia- a Jeff Gordon hat.
Once the game finished, I paid my tab and quickly made it back to the Ecovia, catching of of the last two of the night (at 8:20, how late of me!). We pulled into the bus terminal and exited through the emergency door, rather than the usual exits (all the other buses were parked in way of the platforms) and I caught the final bus from the terminal back to the valley. This would have been great if the bus then left; however, we waited 15 minutes for others to find their way to the bus before we left.
Moral of the story: if it's a holiday or the day after (I had similar problems last week on Dec. 26), don't rely on buses to go where you want them or to get you there quickly, it's just not in the cards.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Fantasy Football Champ!
Well, I did it.
I managed to not watch a single minute of NFL football, and still beat 7 others in fantasy football. While I chalk this up to beginner's luck (I didn't draft, the computer did), it's still thrilling to win. And as much as I hate to admit it, I did check progress of the final game of the night (Minnesota @ Carolina) to watch if the last player in the match-up (Adrian Peterson, RB, Minn.) could garner the 11+ points I needed him to win championship. And I was pretty nervous, as moments before FOX Sports updated me that Mr. Peterson had just caught a 63-yard pass, I typed, "so what did MIN do, pull their starters? all I need is for AP to get 8 yards," for all the league to see. The best part is I can laugh about it.
I owe thanks to James, Robel, and Colin, fellow alumni of Vanderbilt, for being in the league that kept me attached to America's favorite sport (baseball is still my past-time). Special thanks goes out to Robel for inspiring my team identity ("Robel = Detroit Lions of 2k9").
I managed to not watch a single minute of NFL football, and still beat 7 others in fantasy football. While I chalk this up to beginner's luck (I didn't draft, the computer did), it's still thrilling to win. And as much as I hate to admit it, I did check progress of the final game of the night (Minnesota @ Carolina) to watch if the last player in the match-up (Adrian Peterson, RB, Minn.) could garner the 11+ points I needed him to win championship. And I was pretty nervous, as moments before FOX Sports updated me that Mr. Peterson had just caught a 63-yard pass, I typed, "so what did MIN do, pull their starters? all I need is for AP to get 8 yards," for all the league to see. The best part is I can laugh about it.
I owe thanks to James, Robel, and Colin, fellow alumni of Vanderbilt, for being in the league that kept me attached to America's favorite sport (baseball is still my past-time). Special thanks goes out to Robel for inspiring my team identity ("Robel = Detroit Lions of 2k9").
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Fantasy Football
I got an email from a friend and former roommate in August asking if I'd be interested in fantasy football. While I love college football, the NFL has never been something that has interested me- there is way too much emphasis put onto it when there are so many other sporting events going on in the fall (like cross country!) Never the less, I joined, thinking it would be a good way to stay connected to James, Colin, and Robel while I spent a year abroad. I am happy to say, that today I am entering the playoffs as a number 1 seed, 4 games ahead of 2nd place, with an 11-2 record. This is completely unexpected, not just because I could care less about the NFL, but because I have seen a total of 35 minutes of football this year (split between 2 college football games) and 0 minutes of NFL. I've been away from all the ESPN Sports Center analysis; Fox, CBS, and NBC broadcasts; and newspapers which cover "American football".
With the playoffs starting, there is renewed pressure to figure out who to play. Luckily I found the the website helps with this (that could have been helpful in the previous 13 weeks), and I hope to make it to the championship game next week. I'll keep you posted.
With the playoffs starting, there is renewed pressure to figure out who to play. Luckily I found the the website helps with this (that could have been helpful in the previous 13 weeks), and I hope to make it to the championship game next week. I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
To quote Andy Williams, December is "the most wonderful time of the the year." Starting backwards, you have New Years Eve, proceeded by Christmas, Christmas Eve, my birthday*, the last day of Hanukkah*, and the first day of Hanukkah, all days that lead to general good cheer (*generally in that order). Well this year, we must tack on to the end of that list Feria de Quito, the 9-day festival celebrating the (re)founding of Quito on December 6, 1534.
The Feria de Quito, among other things, celebrates Quito's Spanish heritage, complete with a compliment of parades; chivas parties, occurring on large trucks with live music; and bull fights (more about that later). It's also a time to celebrate Ecuadorian culture, with local artisans touting panama hats and leather goods, available for sale in the markets and near the Plaza de Toros.
Another highlight of December is our Secret Snowflake. Similar to Secret Santa but with more irony (snowflakes in this equatorial sun?), we have all drawn names and sworn secrecy until the exchange Sunday. While a limit of $5 would stifle any gift attempts in the States, it has only spurred creativity, due to a penchant we all share for baked goods and the still-coolness of Ecuadorian markets. Shawn, Chet, and I all picked up our gifts Friday, leading to the most difficult part of me as I have to wait 6 more days to give my gift to a certain MPI hermano.
While I am not joining the seven other PDs going home for the holidays (the joys of a one-way ticket), I will have to opportunity to celebrate Christmas with my family here in Ecuador. This will be only the second time I'm not in Michigan to celebrate with extended family, and while I'll miss the snow and cold, I'm looking forward to showing off my new city to my mom, dad, and sister.
I hope to wish you and your family a wonderful December filled with family, friends, and, perhaps, a little reflection; after all, New Years resolutions are only a few weeks away (followed shortly there after by my second favorite month- February, when we break our New Years resolutions).
Besitos,
Mike
Song of the Post: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams
A version of this post appears on Open Hands and Dirty Feet, the MPI Ecuador blog.
The Feria de Quito, among other things, celebrates Quito's Spanish heritage, complete with a compliment of parades; chivas parties, occurring on large trucks with live music; and bull fights (more about that later). It's also a time to celebrate Ecuadorian culture, with local artisans touting panama hats and leather goods, available for sale in the markets and near the Plaza de Toros.
Another highlight of December is our Secret Snowflake. Similar to Secret Santa but with more irony (snowflakes in this equatorial sun?), we have all drawn names and sworn secrecy until the exchange Sunday. While a limit of $5 would stifle any gift attempts in the States, it has only spurred creativity, due to a penchant we all share for baked goods and the still-coolness of Ecuadorian markets. Shawn, Chet, and I all picked up our gifts Friday, leading to the most difficult part of me as I have to wait 6 more days to give my gift to a certain MPI hermano.
While I am not joining the seven other PDs going home for the holidays (the joys of a one-way ticket), I will have to opportunity to celebrate Christmas with my family here in Ecuador. This will be only the second time I'm not in Michigan to celebrate with extended family, and while I'll miss the snow and cold, I'm looking forward to showing off my new city to my mom, dad, and sister.
I hope to wish you and your family a wonderful December filled with family, friends, and, perhaps, a little reflection; after all, New Years resolutions are only a few weeks away (followed shortly there after by my second favorite month- February, when we break our New Years resolutions).
Besitos,
Mike
Song of the Post: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams
A version of this post appears on Open Hands and Dirty Feet, the MPI Ecuador blog.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)