2.9.08

FTJ: 26-8-08

First, before I start, PICTURES. Yes, I have added pictures to many of the blog posts, so scroll down until you can find them. They're really cool. I'll be taking more in the future, but these are all the ones I have up to date, so you only have to look back at different posts today. You know I love you guys, because uploading these pictures is going to take forever.

Anyways, on with the post.

Today was very interesting. In the morning, Anita and I went to the central market of Ibarra. It seemed to me a lot like the Farmer's markets in the US, but only food and a lot more meat. (Hindsight: They sell farmer's market-type stuff, just in a section I didn't go to.) First, Anita and I entered a very big room that only had meat sellers. In one section, they were all selling chickens, and then I realized that the chickens still had their heads! It was very strange for me. (NOTE: Have you ever seen a chicken head without any feathers? It is disgusting.)

In another part of the market, we bought fruits and vegetables. Many of the people that were selling the fruits were Indigenous. I don't know why. It's possible that the Indigenous people live in the country where the only work is as a farmer, or perhaps the Indigenous people have always been farmers. I don't know.

Many children were working with their parents in the market. One girl asked us if we wanted to buy strawberries. Anita of course bought some. I think that the children are still on summer vacation. (NOTE: And circle gets the square.)

I am tall in a short country. I was always hitting my head on the market roof, and the roof is made of metal. It hurt a lot. Many people are surprised when they hear that I am only seventeen, because I'm so tall.

What is happening in my mind is very interesting. I have begun to think in Spanish, but in a very broken way. If the grammar and vocabulary is very easy, I think and Spanish, and then, in the next second, I say "What am I doing?" and I stop. And then Ithink "Why did I stop?" but the moment is lost and I think in English. However, it encourages me that I am beging to talk in Spanish in my head. (NOTE: It's how I think schizophrenia, or Multiple Identity Disorder, feels.)

I asked Anita what "Vote Yes" and "Vote No" mean. She explained it to me. The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, is trying to create a new Constitution for Ecuador. There are some good laws, Anita told me, like those for immigrants that gives them monetary credit. But the Constitution would also give a lot of powers to the president, and so Anita will vote "No." It is very interesting to see the political process in another country. In the US, no one would think of suggesting to talk about changing the Constitution. To us, the Constitution is sacred, from the Founding Fathers that could do nothing incorrect. The political process interests me, in the US and in Ecuador.

In the morning, I had told Anita that I wanted to go shopping. So she, instead of taking me to the Pizzeria, brought me to the house of a volunteer for AFS. The volunteer's daughter, Carla, went with me to go shopping. We went to buy many things. A chip for my cell phone, and so I have my own phone now, my first cell phone. I also bought tape to fix my journal, which has page falling out, and many DVDs. My brother told me that they sell DVDs for $1, and I didn't believe it. But I now have the first and third season of The X-Files, the first few episodes of Deathnote, Hellboy 2, The Mummy 3, for only fifteen dollars. It's incredible. I'm not going to have any money by the time this is over.

299 more days.

Again, thanks to the people who are commenting on the blog. I love you guys. And don't forget to check out the pictures!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jacob, I think you've given me some kind of bad luck, I have to write a journal in spanish for class now :(
Very nice pictures though thanks for uploading them. Post a picture of Anita and her store too, yeah?
M.

Black Rabbit said...

wah! jacob there's too much!!! (writing/text...) But I've read most of it! tis awesome!!!...perhaps you can make a video? *poke* *poke* have fun! more pics...they're all so awesome!!! X3

Sabrina