Novios!

School has been rough. Classes are getting harder now that I actually have tests and quizzes. This week was fairly uneventful. Except for one very terrible day. Thursday. I hope we shall never meet again. The day started off fine, got up, went to Jazz at 8:30 and then came Accounting, my hardest class. We had an open book and open note test and I'm pretty sure I didn't do so hot and I'm looking for a tutor. I've never gotten a tutor before so this is pretty serious business. Then came Econ, received a quiz back, again; not so hot. After class I went to the ATM to get some money and after trying many times at two different ATMs I soon realized my card was blocked. Being that I just paid for my very expensive Tiputini trip the day before I knew that was why, the bank had saw that I tried to take out over my limit and considered this "suspicious" activity. This seems like no problem to some but being that I'm in a foreign country with a phone that only works for in-country calls, this meant that I had to contact my mom through Facebook; in the middle of the day, when she probably (more like 100% positive) is at work. This problem needed to be solved the day of because at the time I had ZERO cash. After sending a few angry messages trying to get her attention from 2000 miles away, I walked away from the computer and hoped the internet would not fail me. 

That night we had also planned to go to a mandatory jazz concert for a class, costing a taxi ride there, the ticket, and a taxi ride home. After planning, hassling, and screaming I figured out how to get there. This included asking the 7 SNC girls to cover my money for the night (planning to pay them back) and also waking up and asking my host sister for money. After a few phone calls I figured everything out. We got to the concert hall after walking and looking for a taxi for 30 min only to find out that all the tickets for the concert were sold out. So we headed home. So not only did I spend about $5 on taxis, but this meant that we have to go to a concert this week. Adding to my already full week. 

The day was filled lots of crying on my side, I'd say a good 3 hours, just sitting in my room, crying. Ben knew what was going on and I even had to leave talking to him because I was so upset. Little did I know he told my mom what was going on and I knew she was waiting for my call. So I get on Skype with her, ball my eyes out not caring who in the house heard and head to bed. If all these things would have happened separately I think I could have handled it but just one thing after another and fighting with friends and being ignored and a bunch of other things just broke me. 

So Friday was the day of re-cooperation and letting things go. My ever amazing mom fixed my card and even got me to calm down the night before and checked in on me on Friday. I spent the night watching "The Life of Pi" (I'd recommend it!) and going to bed early. 

Saturday was wedding day! I woke up at 10 and everyone was ready to go... uh o... but Ani reassured me that I didn't have to be ready until 4 when her nephew would pick me up. So I took about 2.5 hours just to get ready just because I had the time and Andrew showed up right on time (unusual for an Ecuadorian). So I greeted him an the door and he introduced him self and all that nice to meet you stuff, in PERFECT English. Who is this man? and what did he do with Andrew? Turns out he was born in the States and has dual citizenship. His father is American and he went to college in Miami. When we arrived I found my host family and just took in my surroundings and relaxed. 

There was photo-booth and someone who lives in my building (not sure the relation) wanted me to go in it with her, so we got in line. Turns out she really didn't want to go in and just wanted me to take pictures with Andrew. Then I got this weird feeling... uh o... this feels like a date. He picked me up at my house and we arrived and the wedding alone; and now we were taking pictures together? We hung out and talked a bit, but only because he knew English. I even mentioned that I had a BF, multiple times, just to make sure. After it got a little darker we hit the dance floor and danced to many tunes I had never ever heard of before. Throughout the night I talked, danced, walked around, and just had an overall great time. 

Around 8 we got soup and there was a desert table that was delicious. Throughout the night I even danced alone just because I didn't care. People here do NOT know how to dance to the "YMCA" and I showed them all how to do it, whether they were looking or not. I came home around 11 and was overly happy with how NOT awkward the night was. After all I knew about 20 people out of when seemed like a million and just hung out with everyone anyways. 

Today I went over to Shanna's house to work on a presentation and missed the family lunch, but Ani brought me food home so I got to stuff my face after my 25 min walk home. At night my family and I watched "The Impossible. The movie about the family in the Tsunami. From my friends I heard that by the end they were balling their eyes out, I was not ready to do this in front of them but took the risk and watched it anyways. It was a great sad movie but I kept it together and not a single tear rolled down my face, I should get a award or something. 

This week I have only 4 days of class because I'm going to Tiputini in the Amazons Friday-Monday. And also my 8:30 class Tuesday and Thursday has been cancelled because the teacher has to go to Texas to re-new his Visa. It's going to be a busy week to make up for my 2 missing days but I'm super excited and things look promising.