Autointerview

In which the author is again interviewed...by herself.

Interviewer: So Les, it's Friday again. How was the week?

Leslie: Not too bad. We had so many shortened weeks in a row that these past couple normal weeks have been a little rough. But now we're a 2.5-day-week away from Thanksgiving break!

I: Right, Turkey Day's around the corner. Any plans?

L: I'm so glad you asked! I'll be hopping an 8-hour public bus to the beach for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty excited because I've heard the beach here is awesome, and because it's a chance to escape the city. Plus, I've never been west of Quito, so I'll get to experience another region of the country. Did I mention we're going to the OCEAN???

I: Yep, I think we caught that. So who's "we"?

L: I'm going with the girls from my Bible Study; basically most of the single women at school. And a couple of boyfriends for good measure. :) I mean, the boyfriends are attached to specific girls; not like, "a couple to share around". :)

I: You've been in Ecuador for about 3.5 months now. Is anything about the place starting to get on your nerves?

L: Well, let me begin with the qualifier that I LOVE living here. It's pretty easy. I mean, for a foreign country. Lots of things I really like...

I: I feel a "but" coming on.

L:...but, I'm about to go crazy over the STINKIN' CAR ALARMS!!! When I first arrived, a neighbor jokingly mentioned the car alarm as the national anthem of Ecuador. She was not kidding. Every morning. Every night. Every afternoon. I cannot for the life of me figure out the reason. Are they checking to be sure their alarms work? Do they abhor the silence? Are they not able to figure out how to prevent the alarm from going off? No clue. So far this remains the annoying mystery of Quito. If I ever find out the answer, I'll let you know.

I: How's the orphaned visitation going?

L: Great! This week I went for my second visit. We took the bus this time so that we can learn how to get their on our own. Busses here, as in many developing countries, are more an art than a science. You have to know where to wait for one (there are rarely marked bus stops) and where to ask to be let off. But it's much cheaper; the trip by bus is 25 cents; by taxi is about $3.50.

I: Were the babies as cute and squishy as your first visit?

L: Definitely. I worked mostly with the bigger babies this time, so I was more tired at the end. But it's also fun because they are starting to be able to respond. I love to cuddle the itty-bitty ones, but it's pretty hard to beat the feeling when a baby holds up her arms, asking you to hold her.

I: On Thursday evening you went to the high school play. How was it?

L: I was really pleasantly surprised! This was my first Alliance performance, and you know how high school plays can be; one doesn't hold one's breath. But I was impressed. It was funny. A lot of that humor comes from the multi-cultural makeup of the student body (and therefore of the actors). Sometimes they mixed Spanish in with the English script. The Asian kids purposefully switched their pronunciation of "r" and "l". The Hispanic kids hammed up their accents. At one point, one actor asks the other one, "How do you say 'parade' in Spanish?" The reply was, "I don't know....'parade-o'?" This line was met with uproarious laughter; hilarious because in the American-school-in-Ecuador, ex-pat, MK, TCK- filled auditorium, we all can relate far too well to this sort of grasping at linguistic straws. In all, it was a fun couple of hours. AND at intermission the sophomore class was raising money by selling STINKING AWESOME rice crispy treats and chewy, delicious molasses cookies. Mmm-hmmm.

I: Have you tried anything new recently?

L: Just today I cut up my first fresh pineapple.

I: Really? That seems like something you would have already tried. After all, you could do that in the U.S., and in China.

L: This is true. But, uh, nope. Maiden pineapple voyage was tonight.

I: How'd it go?

L: Not too bad. I ended with the feeling that perhaps a bit of instruction would have produced better results. But in spite of my distinct lack of pineapple-carving finesse, it still tasted good.

I: I know that you usually develop an intense craving or two when you live abroad. Has any particular desire risen to the surface yet?

L: Well, one of my roommates keeps getting packages from home that include a ridiculous twist on Cheetos, called Flaming Cheetos. They're so hot that they burn your mouth, but the worst part is that they're so maddeningly close to the real thing that it's torturous to refuse. So as a result, I've developed a pretty healthy (or perhaps more accurately, unhealthy) craving for crunchy Cheetos.

I: Wow, that must be rough. And yet you soldier on!

L: True. I come from tough stock. No Cheetos craving is going to get me down!!

I: (ahem) Well, that is most encouraging. I'm sure we all admire your...fortitude.

L: As well you should.

I: Anything else noteworthy before we close?

L: Yes, two things. First, it's annoying to me that, for whatever reason Blogger refuses to spell-check my posts. And secondly, it's almost "the holidays", which is the traditionally accepted time to start wishing you were able to be together with family. Of course, I've always been an early-bloomer in the area of missing family. So far it hasn't been too bad. But I'm sortof bracing myself for the onslaught.Therefore, may it be known that if anyone is bored and needs holiday plans, feel free to come visit me in Quito.

I: Ok. I'll pass on the news. Thanks for talking to me, Leslie. I hope you have a good weekend, and a good time at the beach.

L: Thanks! Over-n-out.