Las Galletas En La Esquina (The Cookies on the Corner)

Everyday, when the clock hits 10:30 AM, the time for a respite between classes, a sudden urge wells up from deep inside. An urge to splurge on something yummy. An addiction, yes, an addiction. An addiction that can only be counteracted by post-indulgence exercise, because it is an addiction I cannot mentally resist. An addiction whose foundation was laid many a year ago and is only now coming to full fruition. An addiction that friends and family will definitely understand. I cannot, however, accept blame. The culprit is a small tienda on the corner of my street that incessantly breathes flavor into the light breeze, warming and wafting through the vents and windows of my fifth floor classroom. The smell, the picture, the thought of just one more cookie is too too good. What can I do when the smell of fresh baked cookies and chocolate teases me for two hours straight. Tell me if you have a solution, because in the month I have been here I have come to accept that there is no solution but to indulge. A fresh baked cookie everyday is absolutely necessary thanks to Villa Colombia, the tienda that produces a steady supply of galletas en la esquina. The consequences of this addiction are a steady intake of carbs and a new nickname...goloso (sweet-toothed).

In the last two weeks much has happened. The weekend immediately following my last post I travelled to Mindo, an outdoorsy town nestled amidst cloud forests. It was a refreshing weekend that included many firsts aside from getting drenched without a spare pair of shoes:
1. Having a butterfly rest on my hand
2. Literally ziplining through the clouds
3. Hiking past waterfalls in the cloud forest
4. And eating fresh-baked brownies three days in a row!
(Just in case it is necessary to clarify I have definitely had brownies three days in a row, but never fresh-baked brownies three days in a row...highly recommend it.)

The following week ushered in one of my proudest school moments to date, successfully cooking Onion Bhajis (Indian Onion Fritters). Each Friday we have a different presentation we are asked to deliver, and this Friday, the 26th of September, each of us were asked to prepare a dish representative of our respective home country and give some background to our country and the dish we prepared. Devoid of access to the numerous Indian spices and slightly daunted by the idea of attempting a lavish dish, I decided to do my best to prepare an Indian appetizer. Jesse and I co-invaded our friend Peter's apartment and set to work on our deep-fried artery blockers, in effect, destroying any hopes Peter had of maintaining a pleasant smelling habitat. Fortunately, our guinea pigs at school the following day did not have to see or smell the operation that led to the production of Jesse's Chile Rellenos or my Onion Bhajis, but I would like to believe that, the fact that everything was finished was proof of a successful day in the kitchen!

The following Saturday, September 27th, our Ecuadorian friend (an indescribably nice girl) Maria Fernanda, took Peter, Leigh, Priyanka, and I on a splendid excursion to Papallacta. Lonely Planet describes this place as the perfect reward "after a sweaty jungle expedition or arduous hike." After my experience, however, I think it would be appropriate to add that it is also the perfect way to start a lazy Saturday. The soothing water of these natural hot springs was a timely treat for my twenty-two year old bones. All of us enjoyed moving from pool to pool spread out on different levels and even took part in the tradition of taking a frigid dip into the nearby river for photos (that I don't as yet have...sorrry). Peter, fitting to the Latin definition of machismo insisted that the water was not cold even as goosebumps began forming. Regardless, all of us enjoyed the tingly sensation one feels upon returning to warmer waters.

Aside from these happenings life has continued to be very busy with a variety of pursuits. I am happy to have become good friends with several of the other Rotary Scholars and all of us are thankful for having found a local Rotaract Club.
This club's activities seem very promising and we intend on attending meetings every two weeks, granted we are in Quito, to discuss relevant topics for our generation as well as assist them in achieving their major goal, the construction of a school about an hour outside of Quito. Work with Priyanka's Rotary Club is also looking good as this past weekend both of us had the opportunity to volunteer at a mobile clinic run by her club. I also finally began taking Salsa lessons last Thursday, went to another soccer game that was unreal (Liga - The Best Club Team in Quito vs. Boca Juniors - Potentially The Most Famous Club Team in South America),


watched the first set of presidential debates with a slew of other politically charged American students, visited the emotionally moving museum of Guayasamin, felt like I hit my second wind learning Spanish and am highly energized to keep it going and, as of now, updated my blog!!!