Today was my second day of my internship. I really like the lady I work with, Elba. Everyone seems nice (except this one guy named Nixon is a little grumpy, lol, go figure!) HOWEVER, today was kind of annoying cause I was told to show up at 8:20, came at 8:15 and waited till 8:40 for Elba, alone outside a locked building on a sketchy street. Joy. I love Ecuadorian time. After not eating for 5 hours we returned to the office where I ate the snack I brought. Then Elba asked me to stay for longer but I hadn´t brought a real lunch. Then she left me with a project to do, not realizing that the person I needed to help me was out to lunch. So I just called her and told her I was coming back tomorrow to do it (lol, the new assertive Addy!)

Anyway, I´m sure it will be fine. The org seems cool and the people seem cool so I´m sure it will fall into place. At this point I just kind of feel like an appendage along for the ride. Elba lets me come with her to all her meetings and stuff but I just sit and don´t talk. Maybe if I had time to prepare I could actually TALK during one of our presentations to school kids.

Speaking of which, the three schools I visited so far with Elba were in the South which is really poor. All of them are open air and you have to go outside to enter each classroom. The classrooms I saw had nothing but some desks and a chalkboard and one had a TV (which I think is why we got to use it.) The kids were doing marching (as in parade marching) and aerobic type excercises in the cement courtyard while we were there. I think it was gym class. Also, there are stray dogs IN the school, just wandering around. Yikes. In any case, it made me feel incredibly lucky for the schools we have in the U.S. There may be room for improvement but our educational system has got it right in that at least it is free for everyone. Here you have to pay for uniforms and supplies for school which is cost prohibitive for many families.

On that note, Ciao!