Where is the time going?...

I'm sorry I haven't wrote in a very long time.  This has just been one crazy week!  It was stressful but it was worth it in the end!  This week I have noticed how I used to react to things and how I should be acting.  I don't know if it's just because I am growing up or because I'm in a different place and my family is a great role model for me!  Monday was a Monday I had biology and we had Ernesto come and give us a presentation about amphibians.  Personally I'm not a huge amphibian person, especially when the first question he asked was how many of us used to catch them and play with frogs.  I was the only one who didn't raise my hand and then he said I was the girl he used to chase around with them.  By the end of the presentation he had me wanting to know more.  Did you know that the frogs are being eating in Cajas by the trout and that we lose species everyday.  Also frogs are helpful with filtering water.  When most of Ecuador gets their water supply from Cajas, people should be a little more concerned because without the frogs we are going to lose what water we have left.  Well thats enough of my biology lecture.  After biology we had our group meeting which went okay.  Then I had Spanish, this class is just a review for me so I try and make my conversations with the professor as interesting as possible.  Jeeze I sound more like my mom everyday, but if I end up anything as good of a person as my mom, I'll be pleased!  Tuesday we went to breakfast with my biology teacher and then we went to the zoo.  The zoo was nothing like the zoos in America.  I guess this one is recently opened.  First we had to walk up this mountain of gravel to even get to the entrance.  Then we had to go uphile the whole zoo and the path was not paved!  It was a muddy mess.  I was climbing up this mountain of mud grasping onto every tree I could find.  Our first stop was the spectacled bears, which my teacher had housed while they were in the process of building the zoo.  It was funny because she would call the bears by their name.  Our next animals were the llamas and the alpacas.  They were quite interesting animals.  Then we went into a door and there was another door separating us between peacocks and other birds.  The lady told me to go through the door and I thought she was kiding, there was no way that was safe.  I went through the door and the next thing you know I'm in the cage with peacoks and other birds.  I thought that was so cool!  Then we saw some deer, these were whitetail deer and I can obviously see them in the states but I got so much amusement out of watching bambi eat his grass.  The mail deer was in the process of creating new skin or more antlers or both I don't know didn't really understand that.  Then we made our way to the ducks and turtle.  They have a galapagos turtle in their zoo because it was rescued from Quayaquil.  They think it was hit by a car because the shell is all bent up and from the XRAYs.  The turtle is just a little disabled but is still able to function day to day.  Then we went in the cages with the monkeys and toucans.  It was so cool I was so close to the prettiest monkeys in the world.  The toucans were literally on top of us and were very friendly.  The last animal we saw was the lions.  We went up to where big daddy was and his name is simba, we found him laying on his back sunning and legs spread wide apart.  Then we saw his little cubs!  Well we were an hour later than when class should have got out and a half hour late to our next class.  It was okay I think because we just watched a movie about Brazil.  We got out of class a little early and went home for lunch, I had to be back at school at 3pm in order to go get our migration thing for our visas.  We were working on our Visa stuff this week which is why it has been crazy!  Not only had it been pouring we got a taxi with a driver who got lost and had no idea where it was, he was on the opposite side of the city.  Our coordinator was calling and trying to tell him where it was at.  An hour later we finally made it.  It took about five minutes for us to be finished.  Then I finally had received a letter saying I had a package ready to pick up.  It was the package from my mom!  I go there and they tell me there is some Ecuador law that a package can't be more than 4kilograms and worth less than $400, which I don't understand but I didn't want to get arrested in a foreign country so I listened to what I had to do.  I had to leave a copy of my passport and my phone number and they were going to call me in 48 hours because they had to check the codes.  The old couple behind me laughed and said oh I hope your sister didn't send you anything too important!  I was about ready to turn around and jack him one!  but what good would that do?  So I left peacefully :)  I walked home sadly and took a nap and watched the help and cried!  Wednesday was a new day!  I had biology and we got into an arguement because my teacher didn't understand why people hated Obamacare and there is another girl in my class who really likes obama and obamacare, boy was I arguing that day, they just don't think the same way I do.  After biology I had a little break and then I had spanish again.  We reviewed more verbs!  After biology I went home for lunch.  Of course it was a great week so far and a great week also has to have great food so for lunch we had yummy soup and shrimp on lettuce with rice.  This shrimp was a little different, it still had its head and tail on.  My parents told me to eat the whole thing last time but I couldn't.  So I cut off the ends and watched my parents put the whole shrimp in their mouth.  Luckily we had dessert.  I had to go back to school in the afternoon because we had a visit to the museo de Las Conceptas, which is basically a really strict convenant and none of the nuns are allowed to see the outside world, they never leave that building, what a life?  It was pouring so hard in Cuenca that day I had water up to my knees on my jeans.  After the museum visit, I had to go get an HIV test for my visa application.  I had to go to the red cross with a coordinator and two other girls.  The red cross was very third world country, at least when I had to do blood tests in the hospital it was a little cleaner and more United States standards.  Oh well after I went to SuperMaxi with some of the girls to stock up on treats.  After supermaxi I went home to work on homework and then was called in for dinner.  Thursday biology class was interesting especially because we only had two classes left after this one.  After Biology I went for a run by the river and it was beautiful!  Then I went home to watch bridesmaids and fell asleep while watching it.  then I was called in for lasagna!  My mom makes some really good lasagna, I told her I needed the receipe.  After lunch, I had to go back to the school because we had to go and get two of out passport copies notarized.  After the notary visit I went to Kims new house with Teresea.  Where she lives now, she has an awesome view of the entire city of Cuenca.  She also has a little balconony off her room and I got to play a little with these little kids,obviously I'm an early childhood major.  I went home to skype my mom about the insuranse problem.  So from my hospital bills of about $700, My insurance here cover only about 80% not including meals (which I didn't even eat) or anything like that.  So they will pay about $200.  So my mom had to call my stepmom and ask if my insurance back home would cover, because the coordinator told me if its over $500 most of the time insurance back home will cover it all.  But of course my dad has the cheapest crappiest insurance possible on me so it wont cover any of it.  Well that was my week.  It was finally friday and I workout in the morning and had a spanish test on friday, it was really easy.  After spanish I went home for lunch and then went to see if I could get my package since I didn't get a call Thursday.  My package was finally ready I had to go to a bank and pay $60 for fines because of the law and then I had to just pay $5 for taxes for the post office.  Then I got my package and was running home!  I got home and opened it up to find Birthday card, which cards are my favorite, and then brthday clothes, easy mac, microwave popcorn, and skittles! My mom had also bought splenda for my host mom for taking such good care of me while I was in the hospital etc.  I showed my mom all my stuff, she loved the clothes and she looked at the candy and said see thats why you think your fat.  Hahaha you have to know my family, I love them!   I think my moms are jealous of eachother.  After I had to take a quick shower before going back to CEDEI.  We had our Galapagos meeting about whats on our itenary.  I would tell you now but I'm going to wait till I actually do each activity.  After galapagos meeting we had dance class again with Danny!  We did belly dancing and salsa!  After dance class we were all relaxing and cooling down before going to dinner.  All of sudden three girls came in carry three platters of rice krispie formed sculptures and singing happy birthday!  It was so cool, one said los hombres and the other one was shapped like a cat!  MEOW!!! Damn those girls know me to well, It made me cry, I really misses my kitty!  After we went to La Vina, a really goood italiana restaurant.  I ordered this amazing ravioli fillef with spinach and ricotta covered in a cheese sauce.  Then we went to Fly a really cool bar and I split a Jar with Erin and we had a scredriver.  Then we went to a discotecca.  It was an early night.  Saturday we had to be at CEDEI at 8am for our trip to the Battle of Tarqui and Giron.  In Giron we got to see these beautiful waterfalls.  It was kinda scary because my Dad's nephew died last year falling off the path and it was very devasting for the community and my family.  I didn't want to get to close.  It was really cool though.  Then we went back down to eat lunch and this place makes the best hot chocolate ever and we all ordered one!  Then we went to where some of the girls were spending the night and swam there for awhile because it was warmer there than in Cuenca.  another girl and I arrived back to Cuenca and I was so tired.  I worked on my biology paper and my mom called and told me tol make my own dinner.  That was a first, so I warmed up some chicken and rice and cut up a tomatoe.  Then I was in bed around 10.  I woke up this morning and went for a run.  Then had breakfast with the family worked on my biology paper, took a nap, showered, and lunch was ready.  We had a traditional Cuenca meal, We had choclo (corn) pig ribs and some pasta with ham and chicken, we also had so really non salty soft cheese and some other cheese which had to be goat cheese, but I didn't care for it.  Then we had mangos and ice cream with some nasty steryofoam cookie thing.  I didn't eat it and my mom immediately knew I was sick.  I took a nap and woke up with terrible stomach pains.  I had a light dinner and tea with my mom and sister and then got sick.  My mom gave me so tea to try.  And now I am ready for bed hopefully I make it throught the night without getting sick again.  Chau!