Reverse Cultural Shock

Monday was a normal day and nothing too exciting happened.  Tuesday I went for a run before class.  After lunch I met a group at CEDEI and we went to Eduardo Vega's studio and workshop.  It was so cool!  We got to see him himself and his workshop.  He had beautiful pieces, it was so hard for me no to buy something.  I really liked a lot of his things.  The view from his house is also amazing.  After everyone made their purchases, we went to Turi, the look out point of Cuenca.  It was gorgeous.  Then Doc showed us a German bakery.  Bad life decision.  I bought a mora filled bismark and some pinneaple danish thing.  After Teresa, Zoe, and I went to happy hour and walked home.  Wednesday, my mom made a potatoe soup and then our main course was like a hamburger patty but filled with onions and peppers and tasted more like meatloaf, with a spanish rice.  We even had dessert yesterday!  We had a chocolate vanilla moist cake with cream.  After lunch I took a three hour siesta.  It was needed!  Today I went out to the CEDEI school for kids and I observed speech pathology the whole day.  It was a blast!  It was also all in Spanish and I understood it all, I didn't want to leave.  I also found out the store the parents of a child with Prader-willi syndrome own.  Ironically it is Godika Chocolate Factory, how ironic, I only go there everyday.  So I went in after lunch and she was upstairs in the house, so I just told them I would return tomorrow and that they didn't need to call her.  I am really excited to meet this family and help them in anyway that I can!  So I bought a ice cream and left.  Then I had a meeting about reverse culture shock.  They taught us a lot of different skills and how people are going to react to us, and how we should handle situations.  Basically it is going to be difficult no matter what.  Then we hung around and went to Tiestos for dinner!  It was so good, I see why it is the best restaurant in Cuenca.  The chef came out and talked to us all.  First bread came out with like 12 different sauces.  Then the chef recommended 3 different kinds of beef with sauces.  We got two different kinds of juices, one naranjilla and the other was frutilla and maraculla.  Our meet came out, one was steak with a cheese and bacon and mushroom sauce, the other had no sauce and medium rare, and the last one was steak with a blue cheese sauce.  I normally don't eat steak but I managed to eat two steaks!  We also has a bazillion sides; a cucumber salad, couscous, motte, rice, mini potatoes, and a few other.  That wasn't enough for our group they all ordered dessert.  I could not eat them because they all had nuts, so the chef brings out one of his homemade chocolate ice creams and it was the best ice cream I have ever had, he apologized for the nuts and he gave it to me for free.  Needless to say I will never forget a man who gives me free homemade chocolate, fudge ice cream!  Time for bed Chau!