Would you eat your pet if you were starving?

It`s Sunday night and we just now got our class assignments. What a gong show!!! We had a meeting today at 2:30, but arrived at the school and waited almost two hours before things even got started. Apparently there were computer problems and it was nearly impossible to get the class assignments printed out. I`m pretty excited about mine. Unfortunately, I`m only teaching adults (I like a mix), but am teaching two beginner-intermediate classes and an advanced writing class. I`m pretty excited about the writing composition class. I am a keener who loves writing essays and editing, so I think it will be a great class to teach. As well, there is no curriculum for that particular class, so I get to make it up! All I was told was that at the end, they have to know how to write a decent essay. Anyhow, we start tomorrow, and all my classes are at La Sucresal, which is a different school then El Centro, where most of the classes are taught. I haven`t actually been to the Sucresal, so I`m not even quite sure where it is!! I do have an address and a map, so I think I will be okay. As well, my classes are Monday to Thursday from 3pm to 6pm, which is a good chunk of time, and then on Saturday mornings for 4 hours, which I`m not too keen on, but it was either Saturday mornings or 7am classes everyday, so for those of you who have ever seen me in the morning, Saturdays are a better choice! Plus, it`s only for three months, and I am pretty sure next session I don`t have to do either.

Anyhow, I`ve moved into my new apartment with Hannah and Kristi, two other teachers. We are kind of taking over a small hostel, but as there are other travelers, it`s been a bit of a game of musical beds until everyone else leaves. Unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, two of the bedrooms we were going to be taking over are going to be occupied by the current occupants for at least the next few weeks. Welcome to Ecuador! It`s okay though, it`s nice to have a place to come home to at night, a place I can cook and relax in, and a place to unpack my books. Also, the view is absolutely stunning (I can never quite believe it when I look at it!!), and there`s a hammock I can read and relax in.

The other night a few of the teachers and I went to the market to try cuy, a local delicacy. We watched as they took the carcass, pushed it onto a stick, and roasted it over hot coals for about half an hour. I was thoroughly disgusted, and vowed not to eat it, as I watched the poor animal`s intestines dangling over the coals. Blah! But upon arriving home, with the cuy in a paper bag, I got braver, and decided I would try a bite. I was pleasantly surprised to realize it tasted like dark meat chicken, although a bit greasier. I ended up eating about five or six bites of it, and am very thankful I didn`t have any guinea pigs as pets when I was a child!

Bon provecho!

Emily