Guaguas de pan entre otras cosas....

"Awwwww....you killed it!" my host sister cried out, as I ripped off a piece of my guagua de pan, the bread doll I was eating in observance of the upcoming Dia de los Meurtos and Dia de los Difuntos. Also known as "Day of the Dead" and "Day of the Souls", Ecuadorians celebrate these Catholic holidays by making sweet-bread dolls, or "guaguas de pan" (another Quichua term), which they then place in decorative baskets and sometimes deliver to the graves of loved ones who have passed away. However, they are also a dessert at the end of a meal that commemorates the event. In my case, we were enjoying these tasty treats with "colada morada", a delicious, thick drink concocted from various berries, including strawberries, blueberries, naranjilla, babaco and pineapple. The name literally translates to "strained dark purple", which refers to the color of this sweet beverage. "I did not," I insisted, as I dipped my guagua de pan into the colada morado. "It wasn't alive anyway," I assured her. She giggled at me as I popped the bread into my mouth and made a funny face at her, "Mmmm!" I exclaimed.


It wasn't long before my guagua de pan was all gone, my supply of colada morado was greatly depleted, and my stomach was full. "What flavor did you get?" my host brother inquired, as I sampled some of his chocolate-filled bread. "Hmm....I don't know. Something with berries I think!" It was delectable. A real treat. Of course, the full-blown celebrations take place next week, and I'm hoping to get out of Quito, along with millions of other Ecuadorians to celebrate the November 1st and 2nd holidays. This weekend, we celebrated with my host family and some extended family, enjoying a long afternoon filled with a three-course meal and a lovely sobremesa.

I was pleased that I could follow the conversation much better than last week. Already, I feel less intimidated by traveling on my own, and was able to use my emerging Spanish skills to catch a cab and meet a new friend close to downtown Quito on Saturday. She's a student teacher, just like me, and also happens to be from the Midwest. Seeing as she's been in Quito for almost two months already, it was helpful to have her navigate the streets and explore along with me. Our first stop was at one of Quito's numerous parks, La Parque del Ejido.

On the weekends, El Ejido is filled with vendors and artwork of all kinds. I am stunned by the variety of artwork available--everything from jewelry, to sculptures made out of bike chains, to elaborate life-like paintings, to blankets woven out of llama hair, to puppeteers. When we heard a Michael Jackson song blaring from the western side of the park, Lianna and I had to investigate. It was a puppeteer, deftly maneuvering the strings of a clown-like puppet. The slightest tug on the strings caused the puppet to dance wildly, with moves like Michael Jackson himself, in perfect time to the music. After enjoying the Michael Jackson magic, Lianna and I meandered on, enjoying the beauty of the art, the colors, the smells, and the feel of the golden sunshine warming our heads. There was no rush, no appointments, no work, work, work. We journeyed over to the busy La Plaza Foch and enjoyed an unhurried hour and a half at a coffee shop, comparing teaching and traveling stories. After a crazy first week of school, it was the perfect blend of rest, culture, and adventure to last me until next weekend, when I plan on taking a bus to Ecuador's beautiful coast for the long weekend....

Bienvenidos a Quito

The rain starts with just a few drops, then crescendos to an almost deafening roar. The sound is amplified by the establishment's tin roof; we are eating lunch at a traditional Ecuadorian restaurant called Taita Pedro in the valley of Cumbaya, not too far from Quito. "Taita" is the Quichua (indigenous Indian) word for "dad" or "father". I was honored to meet Taita Pedro himself, an 80-year old veteran who lived for 30 years in Maryland after fighting for the United States in the Korean War. He learned the art of cooking by peeling potatoes for the army and subsequently preparing crab meat for a restaurant near the bay.


Here in the restaurant that he pioneered,Taita Pedro himself takes part in the live entertainment; he shakes his maracas with much passion to compensate for the increasing sound of the deluge. The voice and maracas of Taita Pedro are accompanied by two incredibly talented guitarists, who serenade us with songs of Mexican origin. Their eyes light up and their bodies sway in time to rich melodies that they sing in deep voices filled with the emotion of the lyrics. Their fingers pick the guitar strings so quickly that my eyes are not able to follow the strumming. I cannot understand the meaning of the Spanish words that seem to tumble faster than the raindrops, but the music is enjoyable nonetheless. The rain is not surprising to me, nor is it surprising to anyone else. Almost every afternoon this time of year, foreboding, misty grey clouds silently slide over the western mountain peaks, and it's not long until the rain comes. To me, it joins in perfectly with the music.

The rain's arrival this afternoon hardly changes the atmosphere in the restaurant. Instead of a murmur of conversation, the Spanish chatter surrounding me heightens to a louder level to compensate for the downpour. I don't understand much of what is being said around me, but in some ways, the only thing that is unfamiliar about this scene is the language and the fact that I'm in rainy South America instead of snowy Minnesota. The love shown by the family as they greet one another--hugs and kisses, called "besos" or"besitos" are shared by all--is exactly the same love that I feel from my own family in the States, and the hours of conversation we enjoy remind me of enjoyable hours spent at my own grandpa's birthday party just a week before.

After the main course, I am treated to what has now become my favorite part of mealtimes in Ecuador--"sobremesa". It literally means "over the table", but this phrase refers to what occurs after the meal--conversation and enjoyment of each other's company. Now that it's Sunday, I've had the chance to experience sobremesa several times. The weekend has consisted largely of socializing over meals with family and friends, moving from one meal and sobremesa to the next. Everyone has been welcoming, gracious and kind to me, and no social appointment has lasted less than two hours at least. I find this change of pace relaxing so far, but, like the rain on the tin roof of Taita Pedro, I am sure my life in Quito will pick up speed quickly as I begin another teaching adventure at Colegio Americano tomorrow morning.....