A Week's Worth of Random Thoughts and Comments

Wow, it’s only my second week here. It seems like it’s been so much longer. I guess that’s what you get when you allow yourself to miss home haha. By now you’ve probably figured out that my days are pretty much the same. I go to the lab in the morning, spend the day working on column chromatography and TLC plates, then come home to a lively household. It’s really nothing different. So, I will stop boring you with daily details. Instead, I’ll talk about random things that are out of the norm, at least for me lol. Anyway, Monday was my host mom’s birthday. I got home from the lab to find a house full of family and friends, loud music, and, of course, food. It seems like food is central to Latin American culture lol. It was a fun time. I met many new people, so that was fun. The party lasted well into the night. I had a fun time taking some pictures. J I can’t honestly say I felt in place at the party, but it wasn’t completely horrible lol. I don’t think I’ve seen such a lively bunch of middle-aged women in a long time. I think they had way more energy than I had; more rhythm too. But that’s to be expected. Don’t they say “white girl can’t dance”? lol… I’m living testimony to that one.
On the subject of food… I’ve never known people to eat so many sandwiches! I think sandwiches are breakfast and supper for most people, at least this is my experience. Not that they’re bad. In fact, I have gotten to where I crave the daggum things lol. I think it’s the cheese here. When the sandwich is toasted and the cheese is all melted… mmmmmm. I’m not sure what kind of cheese it is, perhaps some goat cheese? I don’t know. Whatever it is, I like it. Oh, Lojana pizza is amazing!!!!! So much better than the US. I think I might be spoiled! And authentic tamales are sooooo much better than the ones you get in most Mexican restaurants. I think it’s safe to say that the food is pretty good. Of course, there are the occasional meals that are, well, not the greatest. Like lunch on Tuesday – I had beans and franks and rice. That’s really what it boiled down to lol. But it was food, and I was hungry, so it sufficed. I’m sure there are more things in the future that I will try and either love or hate, so I’ll be sure to tell them to you.
I found out that a good salary here in Loja is around $10,000/year. Get up to $12,000-15,000 and you’re rolling in the money. I really can’t even fathom that! But then again, the cost of living is super cheap. For instance, a nice 3-bedroom apartment with a garage might cost $200/month, electricity bill and water bill combined is, at most, $30/month, and gas is cheap as well. There’s no central heat/air, so that saves money too. And food is extremely cheap. I got a 6-pack of Dasani bottled water (20 oz bottles) for just over $1. I think I could seriously see myself one day buying a house here as a vacation home or something. It’s really crazy!
Have I ever said how much I love hot showers? I didn’t really think about it before, but I haven’t had a good, steamy shower in 2 weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely thankful that I can take a shower and that the water is not freezing cold. It’s just weird the things you miss. I’m also thankful for the good septic systems in the US. I’m thankful that we can flush toilet paper, and not have to put it in the trash. That is the biggest thing I’ve had to get used to while being here. I’m sure you wanted to know all that lol… but you wouldn’t have gotten the big picture had I not included it.