Picoflores y cumpleanos :)

I saw a picoflore at USFQ today!! (Translation: Katie saw a hummingbird while studying by the university's lake this afternoon. Twas very exciting.)

Also, feliz cumpleanos a mi hermanita <3
Since it's Kimi's bday, I also must admit, that since coming to Ecuador, I've become an America's Next Top Model junkie. Only, in Spanish...

Lluvia y cumpleanos

It’s not the rain that’ll get you, but the water on the streets. You know in the movies when people are standing on the side of the road and a car comes by and BOOM goes through a giant puddle and a tidal wave basically engulfs the person standing on the side of the road? Well, luckily for me, I remembered this image and was careful to skirt the side of the road on my way homer today. Today was our first taste of Quito downpour, although I’m sure that once the rainy season hits we’ll be quite used to it. Being in a dry valley between two mountains, Quito doesn’t get much rain suring the summer, and Cumbaya is pretty dry too (rain shadow effect and whatnot). Today however, it was difficult to hear in my last class over the sounds of the raindrops hitting the building. It was pretty intense.

The rainclouds have ominously been looming over us the past few days so it’s finally opened up and let it all out. I, of course, looked at my rain coat this morning, thought “I should bring that, it’s probably going to rain today” and promptly left it in my closet.

Traversing the rivers aka crossing the roads today was quite an adventure as I attempted to not drown or get soaked by the cars passing by (as well as the usual attempt at not getting hit by cars in general, but that’s basically anytime you’re near a street here). I spent the extra $0.25 to take a second bus home instead of walking the 6 blocks back. Normally it wouldn’t have bothered me (yay not freezing cold rain!) but I had all my books blah blah blah.

The other night we had either fog or really low clouds. I think it was fog after an afternoon downpour (not nearly as large compared to today). It was really cool to look out and have kinda that creepy misty feeling overlooking my neighborhood and nearby Quito. The city looked, dare I say it, calm?
The rain is a nice change of pace and just something different. Plus it makes the traffic slow down sorta.

us hiding in the bathroom very sneakily...
(L-R: Lolo/Lauren, Annie, Tina. Jordan's body, Tova, Sari)

In other news, we celebrated Gabe's birthday on Monday by hiding in his bathroom. We sneakily went over to his house after school and met his madre there. It was pretty fun to jump out at him and everything. For his birthday, Lauren and I raided SuperMaxi aka greatest store ever (just a regular supermarket, but those are so much fun) and bought him good ole Oreos and a box of milk (Ecuadorians are mad crazy about their boxed milk). And a very interesting magazine appropriately named "Muy Interesante" (Very Interesting). It had an article about zombies. We had to get it.

It's nice to just get together and do some basic things from home. Gabe's birthday wasn't anything special, but it was something we would do back in the states and every once in a while it's nice to escape the Ecuador craziness and just do something habitual and familiar, like sing happy birthday, blow out a candle, and ambush your friends in their own home.

The suprise birthday party :)

Clockwise around the table: Me, Alyson, Tova, Annie, Lolo, Gabe, Jordan, Sari