Morning window view. This is really the only way to get the weather in Quito - look outside. The weather can change in an instant and the weather report isn't always so reliable, since the weather can be very different depending on where you are in the city. It's those microclimates!
Cloudy and overcast and looks like it will be cold and dreary today. I'd better go upstairs and grab a scarf.
Getting the car packed up for drop off. Nico's bag = green. Agustín's bag = white (we wondered if white would be a good idea, but it has stayed clean and is easy to wash and the white made him very very happy when he bought it). Kari's bag = blue (full of JUNK! Man, I need to travel more lightly - I rarely use anything in there but lug it to and from work every single blessed day). The other two bags are our lunch boxes - green Ikea for breakfast items and the blue CEC-EPN one for lunch. Today lunch will be a favorite of Andrés's (pot roast) but not of mine.
As we're leaving the sun came out! Oh, hello you beautiful star! I've missed you so much.
First one out of the house. This is usual. Nico often comes running down the stairs last. Funny thing is, Agus's bed is usually made and Nico's usually isn't. I don't really know what Nico does with his time in the morning.
Drop off. This morning we pick up Bati as he has "pico y placa" today so needs a ride into work. The boys are pretty psyched to see him so early in the morning.
Gorgeous view of Pichincha covered with snow. I love when the sun shines on the mountain.
This picture really doesn't do it justice.
Bati and I both try to get more pictures of Pichincha while Andrés battles that awful morning traffic - always worse on Fridays.
At work and I am sooooo excited to still be seeing the sun. No windows in my own office but I can come to the teacher's lounge in the morning and the sun shines right in. Some days I come in here and just sit like an iguana trying to soak up those precious rays.
Andrés needed a partner to accompany him to the bank. In this sunshine, I'll go anywhere! It's only a four-block walk, but the traffic is annoying.
Quick selfie on our walk. I can't get a good shot because it's so sunny and I'm afraid someone will come grab my phone away from me if I'm not careful.
Back at my desk, working on next week's workshop and demo lesson. Also passing grades to UTA.
Lunch time this week has been upstairs in the computer lab. Love looking out and seeing that the sun is STILL shining. This has seriously been the highlight of my day. I feel like a new person on days like these.
Around 2 pm a teacher came in frantic (in the photo below with a backpack on his back). Someone came into his room while he walked out for a second to get his students, and they stole his backpack, with his laptop in it. The thief (in a white shirt and tie below, talking to the secretaries) literally walked into the secluded area, acting like a student, then switched backpacks - left an empty one in its place and took the teacher's. This makes me absolutely sick. Basically, there are people who stand around, sit around and walk around all day long, pretending to be our students, then stake the place out and take any opportunity to steal anything they can.
The secretaries stopped him to ask him what they could do to help him, but he said he'd already been helped and was waiting.
Yeah. Waiting to rob the teacher.
Here he is, leaving the building with the teacher's laptop.
It's such a bummer, but also, we are constantly reminding the teachers NOT to leave their things unattended in the classrooms, even when their students are there. This kind of thing is happening too often. But, unfortunately, the teachers don't always listen. Just this morning Andrés had sent an email out with pictures of some rooms where teachers had left their books and bags and CD players out during the lunch break (11-12). It's no wonder we and our students get robbed.
Still, pretty sick that people in this country are so quick to steal and take advantage of others. It is something I feel like I can never reconcile - how people here can be so nice and polite and friendly and generous, yet also corrupt and thieving and ready to take advantage of anyone. I guess that's why culture is an enigma. It certainly cannot be explained easily.
Getting ready to go. Heard from the boys, who are at home alone after school. They want to play on their Kindles and phones. I actually texted them that it was OK, but apparently they didn't receive my text. When we got home they were desperate to play.
Some of the little clay creatures we made yesterday for Nico's mangrove diorama. The whole family got in on the action.
The hawk was back to eat his meal from yesterday.
This is the perfect day to go for a walk. It was 5 pm and that means that even if there is some sun, the wind will start picking up, and the wind is always cold. But I HAVE to go anyways. So I did.
So happy I made time for this. I really love this 3-km loop.
Final stretch - I can tell I am out of shape because the hills are absolutely killing my legs and knees. I feel like I might not make it. But I trucked on. There's no other way to build stamina than work through it. But it sure is painful in the meantime.
Got back and was happy to do dishes in the last sunlight of the day. 6 pm and it will be dark soon.
This rag from grandma is used often, but it has definitely seen better days.
Then the usual flurry of activity set in - dinner prep, complaints from the boys about having to wake up early tomorrow (their school has an event), dinner clean up, and then a few minutes to rest on the couch. My phone died and this was my last picture of the night - the boys joining me to rest for a bit on the couch and tell me about how much they do NOT want to wake up early tomorrow morning.
The bedtime routine remains consistent - around 9 pm (no evening showers tonight since they'll be taking them in the morning before school) Nico and I read from Harry Potter and Agus listens to music. Then "peluche talk" and bedtime.
Me, always trying to get some reading in but usually waking up a few minutes later and realizing it is is useless.
Hope you had a happy Friday!
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