Yesterday the Pitzer crew came over because my Ecuadorian mom made me a dinner for my birthday. It was really nice. She made chicken lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and an amazing Pastel de Bruno, which is one of the like 40 recipes she has in the SuperMaxi cookbook (just goes to show what a great cook she is!). She named it after her grandson Bruno because he loves it so much, and indeed it is great! It’s an orange cake that has chocolate frosting and walnuts all over it, delicious! Even poor Emily who had food poisoning from eating an empanada at the Liga game the night before had to try some.
My bro, Diego, and Bruno were also over to celebrate. Everyone sang happy birthday, it was so funny to hear both the Spanish and the English version being sang while my mom, clapped the entire time (she’s so cute).
The girls made me some cookies and gave me a trotugita shirt, to represent the awkwardness joke that we have among each other (LOVE it). Anina also made me a foil representation of a tortugita with a leash and all J My mom gave me flowers and some Ebel (the Latino version of MaryKay) brightening(?) lotion. Bruno and Maria Paulina gave a really pretty green necklace.
It was a lovely time, too bad I couldn’t go to GringoLandia to continue to celebrate with Anina, Jessica and Alex because my knee is hurt.
Oh yeah, my knee…
So on Thursday, my actual birthday, I went to go volunteer, for the first time, at La Fundación de Reina de Quito, which is a learning center for kids with Down syndrome. I spent 3 hours with the 5-6 yr old group and I helped out with all the activities, from cognitive skills work (like learning colors and shapes) to physical activities (learning to dance and crawling through hula-hoops), crafts and eating lunch. It was really fun but also hard and draining (especially when I was trying to work with little Gabby who refused to allow me to help her use the scissors correctly so she tried to stab me instead!). I had class right after so I had to take 3 buses back to USFQ. On my first bus I hurt my knee. It kinda felt like it popped out of its socket. It hurt a lot when it happened but it wasn’t a big deal until later that night (at the Liga game).
Yesterday, my mom took me to a family friend who’s a doctor and I got some pain meds. Fortunately, I’m feeling much better and can actually walk without limping now. Maybe tonight I’ll go out to GringoLandia.
My bro, Diego, and Bruno were also over to celebrate. Everyone sang happy birthday, it was so funny to hear both the Spanish and the English version being sang while my mom, clapped the entire time (she’s so cute).
The girls made me some cookies and gave me a trotugita shirt, to represent the awkwardness joke that we have among each other (LOVE it). Anina also made me a foil representation of a tortugita with a leash and all J My mom gave me flowers and some Ebel (the Latino version of MaryKay) brightening(?) lotion. Bruno and Maria Paulina gave a really pretty green necklace.
It was a lovely time, too bad I couldn’t go to GringoLandia to continue to celebrate with Anina, Jessica and Alex because my knee is hurt.
Oh yeah, my knee…
So on Thursday, my actual birthday, I went to go volunteer, for the first time, at La Fundación de Reina de Quito, which is a learning center for kids with Down syndrome. I spent 3 hours with the 5-6 yr old group and I helped out with all the activities, from cognitive skills work (like learning colors and shapes) to physical activities (learning to dance and crawling through hula-hoops), crafts and eating lunch. It was really fun but also hard and draining (especially when I was trying to work with little Gabby who refused to allow me to help her use the scissors correctly so she tried to stab me instead!). I had class right after so I had to take 3 buses back to USFQ. On my first bus I hurt my knee. It kinda felt like it popped out of its socket. It hurt a lot when it happened but it wasn’t a big deal until later that night (at the Liga game).
Yesterday, my mom took me to a family friend who’s a doctor and I got some pain meds. Fortunately, I’m feeling much better and can actually walk without limping now. Maybe tonight I’ll go out to GringoLandia.
