The Week from you know where

As of yesterday...

So we got kicked out of the apartment and I began looking for the next perfect place. We finally found it, went to sign the papers on it and the owner sold it while we were waiting for her to show up. I now understand how it feels when someone looses a house that they really wanted.

In addition to all of this, Ryan's been sick. We're talking diarrhea since Sunday morning. I feel like I'm getting the flu and Chuki had an allergic reaction to something yesterday that scared me half to death. All of a sudden his eyes started to swell shut and his lips got like 3x the size they usually are and he broke out in hives all over his body. I was trying to take a nap but he was running around like a crazy dog trying to scratch his whole body at once, when I noticed and we rushed to the vet. Anyways, they gave his a shot of antihistamine, and he has 6 more pills to take over the next two days.

PLUS - the house is a mess, almost every dish is dirty, we have no clean clothes, we're out of water and all we have in the fridge is food for Chuki.

Sometimes being an adult is too much hard work. Who plays mom when everyone is sick?

As of today...

We've remedied some of these things. Ryan is feeling a lot better and Chuki isn't all swollen anymore. He is sleeping a lot because of the antihistamine, which is actually quite nice.

I took all of the towels to the lavanderia.

I went to the grocery and we now have a happy balance between people food and puppy food in the fridge.

We boiled water last night so we have 2 full jugs now.

The best part of it all is that Ryan has agreed to be in charge of the dishes... FOREVER! In order to understand what a huge blessing that is, you have to know how much I HATE doing dishes. I'd do just about anything else... clean up poop, hand scrub laundry, clean toilets, anything.

So all in all things are looking up. AND Maria Jose and I are going for a walk in Bellavista today to look for more great apartments with a beautiful view for under $500! Wish us luck.

MULUB,

Taylor

On and On and On and On

So yesterday, I continued the search for the perfect apartment! I saw 6 in total. All were dog friendly and all (but one) were in the area that we want to be in.

Two of them were these uber modern one bedroom (which they call suites here). We're talking brand new appliances and granite counter tops with stainless steel. Of course, they didnt have refrigerators (none of the apts do). They were both fine in size... not huge but not tiny. They might feel a little small when Chuki gets bigger. One had a patio, one didnt. Of course the one w the patio was a little bit further and the one w/o was across the street from Megamaxi!

I also saw a house, a very big house, that was converted into 3 apts. It was really big, had a weird layout and the owners lived downstairs. So that was out!

Then we saw a really nice 3 bedroom for really cheap but it was really far away... OUT.

The one that were leaning towards is about a 10 - 15 minute walk to Inlingua but closer towards Ryan's other classes. Its one bedroom but HUGE. It was a great long terrace with a beautiful view! A big kitchen and 3 bathrooms. Plus it has a laundry room of sorts with a doggy door that would be perfect for Chuki when we're gone. The only downside is it's a little more that we were looking to spend. Another thing... it has a pool and a sauna and a yard with a playground and a big bbq for everyone to use!

Entonces, we're hopefully going to make a decision today or tomorrow. And we'll let everyone know!

MULUB,

Taylor

Again

And again today, I saw two police officers (this time they were metropolitan police, yesterday they were national police. Gotta diversify!) buying pirated DVDs out of the trunk of the same car. Tomorrow I'm half expecting to find Correa on the street filling his crack-pipe.

-Ryan

Apartment Hunting

So we've begun the search. Today we'll see apt. number 3. The first was down the street from our house which was great. It's unfurnished, which we're beginning to think might be ok, especially if rent is a little cheaper. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath that's being remodeled right now. Pretty nice and dog friendly. Drawbacks... no oven and no refrigerator. So we'd have to purchase those. Plus we'd have to have them come down on the price.

The second was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. It was brand new, big and luxurious. 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, unfurnished. But we're talking granite and hard wood and built in storage units! It was too expensive to live in alone, so we'd need a roomie and it was only Schnauzer friendly, not Chuki friendly.

Today we'll see another at 10am and on Sunday we have an apt to see another at 12. I'm going to search the newspaper on Sunday morning and so we'll have a bunch more to see after that!

Wish us luck.

MULUB,

Taylor

Classic

Today on my way to work, I saw two police officers buying pirated DVDs from the trunk of a car. You stay classy.

-Ryan

Some Unfortunate News

Last night we we're rather awkwardly asked to leave our apartment under the premise that Chuki barks too much when we are away. There are a whole range of emotions flying around between Ryan and I, but that isn't the point of this post.

So, we're on the market again for a new place to live. We've been looking up in apartment building windows again and we'll probably try to set up some appointments for this weekend. Needless to say, Ryan's golden birthday will be spent not on a great mini-vacay but instead probably looking at one crappy apartment after another.

If anyone of our Quito mates that read this know of a place to live that is DOG FRIENDLY we would love to know! We're not expecting something as spacious or as convenient as this place is. But it will be nice to live completely on our own. Without this weird pressure/expectation/being treated like children of the family.

Anyways... that's what's new on our end. We're looking forward to being in a new place but not looking forward to all of the work it takes.

More importantly we need to figure out this barking thing with Chuki. I can imagine its pretty mind-numbing when a dog just barks and whines and barks and whines.

The craziest part is that last night they told us he barks every morning from 5am to 9am. Which is absurb, seeing that I have to get him out of bed at 5:45 for a walk and we don't leave till 6:45. But anyways... so we wanted to see how long he really barks for. So we set up the flip (courtesy of the lovely Miss Roslyn) on the table, turned it on, gave him a bone, and left. Now the flip recoded for 1 hour and 42 minutes and not a single bark was uttered by Chuki. Other dogs, yes, Chuki, no. So riddle me that.

Who the heck knows! But we'll be looking =) WOO HOO, not.

MULUB,

Taylor

PS. This is when I really miss simple things like Craigslist and Yelp and rent.com. Where you can just enter neatly into electronic fields all of things you are looking for and BOOM a super long list of possibilities. Oh the 3rd World... oh Ecuador.

Been a long time coming...

There's a lot of things I've missed being away from the States: March Madness, Spring, Tea Parties. But with absolute certainty, the thing that I am the most upset about missing is the introduction of this mofo:

The KFC Double Down. I mean, if this "sandwich" possesses a single fault I can't find it. Other than perhaps another chicken breast could be added, somewhere. Hell, maybe throw in a donut or something, too. Lord knows I'd be the last to complain.

First, McDonalds comes in with their McGriddle trying to be real cutting-edge. Ooooo, a sandwich made out of pancakes. BOOOORING!!! Call me when you're using fried chicken breasts.

"Hello, Ryan. It's the Colonel, we need to talk...".

This "sandwich" is everything that is right with America, and I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free. And I gladly stand up next to this "sandwich". God bless the USA.

After "do you smoke?" and "are you sexually active?", doctors are going to start asking, "Have you consumed a Double Down in the last 48 hours?". And well they should. I think the CDC might get involved as well.

There is KFC in Ecuador (Gus is better), but who knows if they'll carry this item. I certainly hope they do. If not, I guess it's back to boring old bread. Ho hum.

-Ryan

Congratulations Are in Order!

One of our dearest friends, Jenna, and her Mark got engaged! We are soo excited for the both of them. It's a little bittersweet being so far away at times like these. When we decided to move to Ecuador, I didn't think about missing things. I mean I knew I would miss things, like Chipotle and Trader Joes. But I didn't think about missing events. How could we have known, but since we've been gone Caders has been in the hospital, Toby has been in the hospital, my brother has been in the hospital, Adam is getting married and Jenna and Mark got engaged. I didn't think about missing things like this. Big things, life things, things I'd love to be there for.

But alas, if seeing the world and being content means missing some big life things, instead of being at home in a job that I hate and always yearning for more so that I could be there for them... well, the decision has been made.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the mobile life. For some reason, I love the fact that all of my possessions can be packed into 2 suitcases (or are in storage in my parents' basement). I've been thinking about all of the things that that means. We're an opportunity to present itself in Argentina or Colorado or Alaska, we could go. It wouldn't be hard. We could literally pack our bags (all 4 of them) and leave.

While I love everyone at home and it can tear me up at times to think about missing things, I know that, for me, this life, the mobile life, is the right decision. I see something new everyday, I explore someplace new every week, I eat new foods and I am learning a new language. Even the littlest task can be an adventure. This life here feeds a desire that is so essential to who I am.

But more than the sense of adventure and exploration and newness, when I am abroad I learn more about myself than when I am at home. Period. Fact. It's just how it is. Abroad stretches you, and challenges you, and surprises you, and teaches you about the world and about yourself.

I'm sad to be missing things at home. But I'm not sad enough to come home... anytime soon. And I hope, for myself, that the promise of abroad always outshines the comfort of home. So Congratulations Jenna and Mark! I wish I could be there to see the ring and to look through magazines with you, but I'm sure you'll manage and I'm sure I will too. That's what SKYPE is for after all, right?

MULUB,

Taylor

Christmas Break

Its official... WE'RE COMING HOME! We got confirmation of our flights yesterday! We get into Chicago at 3:55 on Wednesday, December 8!!! WOO HOO! We're really excited, in fact I haven't been this excited for a vacation in a REALLY long time. We'll be in the Rockford/Chicago area from the 8th until the 17th, although we'll be celebrating Bogdan Christmas with my family the 10-12th. Then on the 17th we're heading to Florida for vacation and then we're flying back to Quito on the 29th. Just in time to celebrate New Years Eve in Quito (maybe at the beach =)!

See you all in December!

MULUB,

Taylor

PS. For all of you curious, the Chukesters is staying home in Quito! If you want to meet him you'd best buy a ticket!

We're ready for Spring!!!

Hope you like the new do.... =)

Semana Santa

About 95% of the people that live in Quito are some form of Catholic. Thus making this Holy Week very Holy in the eyes of Quitenos. Ryan and I have a long weekend this weekend (Friday off) and so we're trying to make the most of the special cultural experiences that only Quito can offer at only this time of year.

We started off by going to the Guns N Roses concert. I think Ryan is going to blog about the concert later, so I won't say much. What I will say is that it could have never happened in America and there were fans there that had been waiting 20 years to see Guns live in Ecuador. Regardless, it was a VERY long night. We left after Gun's 1st encore and still didn't get home until well after 2am. It was nice to spend time with some of the other teachers and Danni, our boss, and Jhon, our spanish teacher and also Danni's fiance, outside of work. Hearing some of those songs live took me right to Highwood during my junior year of school, closing down the bars and fist pumping like we'd never have another night at Gabe's and/or Teddy's. T'was good.

Then today, we slept in! We slept until almost 10am, which is by far the latest we have slept in during the whole time we've been here. It was glorious! Of course Chukes still got up at 5:30 but he's learning to play on his own so it worked out just fine. Almost immediately after we got up we started getting ready to go to el centro for the parade. The parade goes through all of the historical district and it tries to re-create the Biblical good friday, over and over again. I'll post pictures as soon as I can but basically people build these big crosses and then take turns carrying them throughout the city, in the heat and usually barefoot. There were people dressed up like the Pharisees and also like monks or devotees (?). We're not quite sure what they were but their costumes were rather unfortunate for the American psyche. They wore the same outfit as Klan members except in purple. =(

There was a minor hiccup in the parade viewing. Everyone we talked to said the parade started in the morning. When I asked Jorge (the son in law of our landlords) he said it started at 10. Seeing we woke up at 10, we quickly got ready and headed down to el centro. When we got there we found our perfect spot on the hill of the basilica, right next to the water tent and with a perfect view. Then we asked a police officer what time the procession would come by and he told us 2:30-3. Mind you, this was at 10am. So we decided we should go home, get Chuki, and come back.

By the time we returned (at about 12:15) the procession had just started going past and lo-and-behold our perfect spot was gone. Anyways, we watched the procession, Chuki was petted by 100 million people it seemed and then we went to the cafe in the Basilica's plaza and had some refreshment. More petting, a little shade, followed by more petting.

We left the Basilica and headed towards MegaMaxi. Next to MegaMaxi there's a restaurant, Mi Cosina, that a lot of our students have told us they have the best fanesca. Now, what is fanesca, you might be wondering? It's a soup that Ecuadorians eat only during the Easter holiday season. Its hard to explain but its something like a chowder with lots of beans, corn, and choclos. Plus it has plantains and baby empenadas. Traditionally it comes with dried fish but now a days you can order without. So we went to Mi Cosina, waited in a line out the door and around the corner, took a seat outside (we had Chukes with us), and enjoyed. It was good and we decided we want to try a couple more places to see the varieties!!

Then we went to All Pets. Chuki's due for his next set of shots. We had to wait about an hour in the waiting room just to find out that we're two days early and we must come back on Sunday. So we got his flea protection and we'll go back on Sunday for the rest.

Then we came home, watched Blind Side (which I cried through the whole thing), ordered a pizza and went to bed. It was a very good day and we have another busy day planned for tomorrow!

MULUB,

Taylor