Hello Washingtonians!
Happy Belated Halloween! Happy Belated Thanksgiving Day! Merry Belated Christmas! Happy New Years!

I hope all of your holidays were just as fantastic as mine. Many have pasted since my last update in October, I will do my best to inform you on what has been happening in the world around me. First, I will start with the holidays. Second, I would like to update you on the Rotary trips. And finally, I will do my best to let you see into the emotions of a foreign exchange student. 

Happy Holidays! The first holiday to pass since the last update was not an American holiday, but an Ecuadorian.  October 31, day of the national symbol, this day in year 1900 Ecuador made the finally changes to the flag. Starting in 1809 till 1900, Ecuador tried out six different flags before they found their seventh, the flag they use today. Nothing special occurs on October 31, however in many schools they talk about the flags history and significance. I had the opportunity to read this history to all the kids in the six highest grades of my school (it was scary). As many of you, all of you, know October 31 is also Halloween.
Ecuador does not celebrate this holiday, however a few American owned discos had costume dances, but not many attended.
The following holiday is the following day, November 1, All Saint's Day. This day was not very acknowledged only because everyone was getting ready for November 2nd.
November 2 is Día de los Difuntos (commonly know as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the dead). In Spanish class we were mainly taught that everyone goes to the graves with flowers, candles, and music, and it's a happy time. In Ecuador there are some additional traditions. Guagua* de pan (direct English translation: child of bread) is given to the dead on this day and later eaten by the living. They are either of sugar or salt but both have clothes of frosting. It is in the shape of a child (boy or girl) because Children are said to be full of new life; the dead want new life. Also on this day, we gave the dead Colada Morada and then later drank it. Colada Morada is a punch (usually served hot) that serves can many people (for my school of 160 people, we made only 5 times the original recipe). Ingredients: blackberry, pineapple, strawberry, black flour (or cornstarch), oranges, Luisa grass, cedrón, cloves, sweet peppercorn, cinnamon sticks, sugar,  and Ecuadorian fruits that I am sure you can't find at home: mortiño, naranjillas, ishpingo, and babaco (my favorite word). It tasted really great!
Next on the calendar was Thanksgiving Day. This holiday is not recognized by Ecuador and many people don't even know it's purpose or history. However this day was not forgotten by any of the exchange students. All the American exchangers (and some Europeans) had their own dinners, either with or without their families. No matter how the meal turned out (burn or perfect) everyone loved having an American home-cooked meal again.
Next up was December 6, Independence day for Quito. Because it's the country's capital EVERYONE celebrated. Starting November 28 and ending on the sixth, Quito has annual bull fights. There are many emotions about this tradition. Many believe it is great entertainment, however others believe that this Spanish born traditional is ugly and horrible. Other traditions during "Quito days" (the same nine days as the bull fights) are to party every night, sleep in the morning and then go out partying again the following night. There are also huge concerts, the artists come from all of the world to preform. Also, there are buses with bands that you can dance on the roofs of, they're called chivas. However it is only December 6th that all businesses are closed.

The two following holidays are both American and Ecuadorian, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Though they are the same, they are celebrated differently. Christmas Eve is called Buena Noche, Good Night, It is during this night that everyone gets together and opens presents. Christmas Day usually includes a short church service, eating lunch with the family and maybe the grandparents, and then resting. The opinion that most of the exchangers have is that Christmas is not a big deal here.
The last holiday to have occurred was three days ago, New Years. Of all the holidays that Ecuador and America share, I believe this one to have the most differences. First, almost everyone wears yellow under garments, for happiness and lucky in the new year. Starting a week or two before New Year's, window displays turned only yellow, and not just plain yellow items, you could buy yellow underwear with your favorite soccer team's logo on it (not joking). Also, most houses starting a few days before New Year's displayed life size dolls made of fabric and paper outside. These "dolls" are called Viejo Año, old year. The overall idea is to make your viejo año old and ugly. At 12:00 all the viejo año "dolls" get burnt, a way of saying good bye to the old year (get it?). As soon as the whole body is engulfed in flames people jump over it three times for good luck in the new year. 7 minutes before the stroke of 12, you eat grapes. For every grape you eat you say a wish. They will come true as long as it's before 12, you can eat as many grades as you need. The usual champaign, fireworks, partying, dancing, and kissing your love one occurs too. 

For every one's calendars, the next holiday is Valentine's Day, till then no more updates on holidays. 

Next on my list of updates is: Rotary trips. These trips are designed for the exchange students to learn more about the country they are living in and to meet the other exchangers.

The first trip for me was October 17-20. The trip began with a ten hour bus ride threw the Andes to Portaviejo. When we arrived we had a large dinner, introduced ourselves(total there were about 120 exchangers in Ecuador), and had a dance party. The 18th, after breakfast and a photo shot, we had a almost three hour bus ride to the Canoa beach. Until Saturday, the 20th, we did everything people do at the beach. The wonderful thing about the beach in Ecuador is that the water is perfectly warm, the weather is never too windy, and you are always guaranteed to get a perfect tan or perfect burn (unless you use SPF 85+ like I did, I stayed the same color). Saturday after leaving the beach we drove up to Montecristi, the place where Panama Hats were created, for a few hours of shopping. After finding our new treasures we went back to Portaviejo for formal dinner. At this dinner there were speeches, dancing, performances, and elections for the trip's King and Queen. The next morning after many large cups of coffee, the Quito kids got back on the bus for the ten hour journey home.  

My second trip in Ecuador was a lot closer, only a 15 minute car ride. The night of December 13 everyone slept in very nice hotel near the center of Quito, before falling asleep we traveled to the Plaza de Indepedencía ( where Ecuador's "white house" stands) and the Plaza de San Francisco (just a large plaza with a church). This was a guided tour, so everyone could learn about the two plazas's histories. The 14th we traveled to the teleférico, a very high point on a volcano that allows you (on a clear day) to see all of Quito. From there we traveled to the Equator to learn some fun facts about latitude 0. For example, an egg can balance on the top of a screw when perfectly on the Equator. That night we stayed in the city of Cotacachi. The following day we learned how to use our green thumb (we planted trees) and showed the Rotarians that we know how to spend our green (we went shopping). The first shopping spot was an indigenous market, where bargaining is expected. The second was the town of Cotacachi, which is famous for it's leather products. That night we had our end-of-the-trip party, ending at 2:30 AM. The next day, after breakfast, everyone went home, it only was a half-hour bus ride!

Overall, the trips are lots of fun. They  allow all of us to miss a day or two of school and take a break from our host siblings. :) 

Finally, about the feelings and observations from an exchange student.

First off, receiving letters from home is like having your birthday and Christmas at the same time. The day I returned back to my house from the second trip I received a huge package from WA, an early Christmas present. It was so fun reading the stories, seeing pictures, listening to the CDs sent, and of course, eating the food.  December 18 I received my first two letters in the mail. I was so happy! It is a wonderful feeling having your host parents say

"you got mail", it's nothing like the AOL lady. When your parents say it, it is like they are really saying you are being thought of and missed back home. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

Second, after living with a family that is not your own for a few months, you really start to blend in. We have had our happy times, our sad times, and even mad times together. But overall I like my family and they really like me. However, I am probably moving soon. At first this idea was scary, but now I am OK with it, not excited but not against it. My host mother, on the other hand,  isn't the happiest about getting a new child to live here, she doesn't like not knowing how they will act like or what horrible habits they will have. I will keep you updated on this.

For your information, my family is doing great. In early December my dad went to the states for a trip (he liked teasing me about him being in my country and me being in his) and then took vacation time till just last week. He is very happy and rejuvenated. My host mom is doing OK, lately she has been tired with work but is looking forward to a weekend away in a few weeks. My host brother is happy as can be. No school! He and his band have been preforming every three weeks or so and is excited about maybe making a CD next month. As for the puppies, five of them have been given to good homes and the other is downstairs chewing on a shoe that it stole from my brother. Ika, the mother, has been sick, but is recovering quickly.

Finally I would like to inform everyone that being an exchanger is hard! While living here I have made tons of new friends, tryed lots of new things, and I am living a life with almost no responsibility. Yesterday one of my best friends here, an exchanger on the January to January program, left Ecuador and returned home. Talking to her at the airport got me thinking about what it will be like this summer when I return back to the USA. I have come to the conclusion that it will be really hard leaving here and starting back up with the life I use to live with responsibility and drama. However, I am excited to go home and see what the future brings, I am definitely not ready to leave yet, even if it is snowboard season back in Washington. 

I wish everyone the best in this new year and hope to hear from you soon.

With love,

Gabby 

PS. I have started a website with pictures and smaller, more frequent updates. Just go to http://gabbywright.multiply.com/

PSS. * a Quichua word