Lesson 4 -- How to Say No

Well this seems like a very easy lesson. No is no, the same in Spanish. I guess if you want to get more in depth you can say ¨no gracias¨or ¨no quiero¨or ¨no me molestes¨. (The last one for someone who is pestering you). However, saying it is not the problem, but having to do it many times over and over is what is hard. In Quito there are tons of people that want you to buy their chifles (fried banana chips), camisetas, cortaúñas, chicle, frutas, periódicos, lottery tickets, or whatever. They are on every major street and especially in any place a car has to slow down or stop such as street lights or bumps in the road or toll booths. They are on the buses and outside major buildings. On the buses, the people give you something for ¨free¨ for a few minutes after a little speal they do before the bus, they announce the cost. If you don’t want it, you just return it. I have not taken anything just because I don’t want to get into a situation where I have to buy it. And then, there are those that simply just ask for money. There are kids, really, really young, that everyday they do flips or juggle balls or do something else in the middle of the street to ask for money from people in cars. There are others who are disabled with signs who walk or hobble or somehow traverse the street asking people in cars for money. There are people who ask for money form you whenever you are about to buy something in a public, outdoor place. They will go up to you, nudge you to get your attention, and hold out their hand with their eyes looking right into you. These people vary from all ages and it is so hard to see any of them begging for money. I sometimes give my change, I wish I could help them all, but I can’t and I don’t. It is just so different to see this. I just imagine someone like my cousin James doing flips in the streets asking for money or see Grandpa selling chifles for 40 years. It’s hard to say no because you want to help because they are people just as much as I am. I could easily be them.

Lesson 5 – How to go to school

In Quito, from what I can tell, all the people that go to high school or lower have to wear some type of uniform. Each uniform is unique for each school, varying from jogging type suits to parochial type uniforms I had to wear in school. And note, it is not just for private schools, though I am not sure how the public-private schooling system works here. Also, the military and the police also wear special uniforms in the colleges. I was a bit jealous when I found out that the police and military in training get to eat in a special cafeteria where special food is served with wine and beer (you can’t get wine and beer in my cafeteria). I wonder what other privileges they have?

On another note, I probably won’t write much for a while. It is nearing very close to crunch time for me. I have 2 very early exams and one normal one. I have an exam on Mon already in my conversation class in which I have to make a presentation over a topic for about 30 minutes. I also will have 4 drawing due the following week after I get back from my 4 day university trip to their research station in the rainforest (I am not sure if they were thinking when they made this date). Thus, I will be really busy. However, if anyone out there has any ideas of some place that I can visit after my last exam on July 14, send me an email or write a comment on this page. (Oh, I am already considering Machu Picchu in Peru and know of the Galapagos)