By Bradley Rehak - Guest Blogger studying in Quito, Ecuador

Animals have a much larger role here in Ecuador, especially in the cities, than they do in the States (their primary role in the States being to taste delicious and go well with steak and other forms of sauce). In Quito, for example, goats ride around in the back of pickup trucks. I'm not sure at all what purpose this serves. But in my rather upper middle class neighborhood, I've seen it twice (the trucks were packed!). I'm still waiting to ask where they are going. My only guess is to the goat races, of whose existence I have little reason to believe in. But seeing as there are donkey races (which I unfortunately showed up too late for; a picture of the burro campeon had to suffice), I see no reason for there not to be a high-stakes goat-racing circuit as well.

Horses are also important in Quito; they serve primarily to deter soccer fans (hinchas) from rioting before, during, or after the games. The first time I saw them was at a game between a team from Quito, Liga, and a team from Guayaquil, Barcelona. As I was getting out of the cab I noticed two policewomen on horseback chasing around an obviously drunk man who was swinging his team's jersey at the horses. I'm pretty sure that the jersey wasn't even for one of the teams playing.

Dogs are a deterrent to crime as well. Soccer games feature a line of ten or twenty huge German Shepherds that hang out in front of the stadiums. Also, any family that can't afford a guard for their house will either buy or find on the street a dog to do the job. Usually they are situated on the roof, which strikes me as rather humorous, having never seen a dog on a roof in the States. But here, when I hear barking, I instinctively look up, and am almost always right.

Dogs also serve to wake me up on my way to school, as I always pass a huge-sounding dog that is kept in a garage that always notices me before I remember about it, and thus commences barking in a menacingly heavy voice and slamming itself against the inside of the metal garage door, thus causing it to ring as if it were ready to fall off of its hinges. Just as the dogs, animals are nearly everywhere here, and one must take care to avoid being frightened, attacked, or run over.

By Kent Truckor – Guest blogger studying in Valencia, Spain

Today I started my fifth week of classes. Looking at how things are going now I am glad I signed up for a longer duration in comparison to a month or two stay. Many of the students at the school come for 2 orthree weeks and then head back home. It may work ok for them, but I feel that I would have lost everything I learned within a couple of weeks of my return back home. This is not to say that I will have to practice and find ways to use Spanish upon my return otherwise, I will lose the language ability.

A new wave of students has come in today and it is kind of a weird position that I am in at this point. It seems as though I am sitting back and watching the world go by. I have seen quite a few faces at this point come and go, I don't mind it, it is just different.

This past weekend I went out with one of my flat mates and their friends. We went to their house and then the different bars and closed the night off at one of the clubs on the beach. In Spain, the night generally lasts longer than in the United States. Back home, a late night would be 3 or 4 AM. Here, it is normal to get home at 5 or 6 it seems, haha. I don't mind it, it was fun to go out and about and realize that many people feel that it is perfectly fine to be out until the sun rises. The city offers a magnitude of bars and eateries and many of which are very good.

This weekend also marked the beginning of the film festival in Valencia. Each year around the beginning of August through the beginning of September, they have a film festival of which they set up a giant screen outside near the Palacio de Musica and show a wide range of films from all sorts of countries. Whether it is free of not I have yet to find out because I arrived Saturday night after the film had started and the gates were closed so I watched it from outside the barriers, haha. The film was Stephen Spielberg's – Munich. I am a very big fan of Spielberg movies and it was the first time I saw the film, I was impressed with it and thought it was quality work. I also appreciate that Valencia has a little film festival. I think this is something well worth the time because the films slated to play are from a diverse background. I look forward to the films to come.

I have yet to go fishing, which is something high up on my list. This is my first time outside of North America and I think it would be a great experience to fish in another country. I am not expecting to catch a record-breaking fish (although I wouldn't complain if I did), the experience in itself is going to make it worth it. This is something that I know I definitely want to do in Valencia and if possible in other parts of Spain. All in all I feel that things are going well and it seems time goes fast as the weeks build.

By Bradley Rehak – Guest Blogger studying in Quito, Ecuador

As in most countries in South America (all of them, to my knowledge), the celebration of the last week before lent is huge in Ecuador. The beaches, of course, are a popular place to celebrate due to the almost always-warm weather; of course (let's be honest) the proximity in status to being naked is also a large draw. The beaches are generally packed with drunks and loud music being pumped from clubs, restaurants, hotel rooms, and cars. The other main part of the celebration are the water fights: it is entirely acceptable and expected that you drench any person you pass–with a balloon, a squirt gun, a bucket, a hose. You must be even more prepared to be attacked if you're an attractive girl or a foreigner, or God help you, a foreigner who is an attractive girl. My friends who went to the beach reported being chased down numerous streets by Ecuadorians eager to soak the gringos.

Where I went, however, water fights are banned. In Ambato, which hosts one of the largest celebrations in Ecuador, the water is replaced by a type of foam in a can, which is sold under the brand name Karioka. It is not altogether different from Silly String, but it´s not as solid as the former. Karioka is also illegal in Ambato, however one would never guess it. There are basically only two things one can do to avoid being sprayed with Karioka: drink beer or eat street food. And these must be done constantly. One runs the risk of acquiring a nasty traveler's diarrhea every time that one tries street food–the more so during Carnival because the food remains outside all day. One accepts the assurance of becoming inebriated rapidly by choosing the latter, as I did. To be entirely honest, I felt such action was thrust upon me, after I was sprayed twice–directly in the face–while leaning against a wall in a rather vacant side street, talking on the phone. There were only two groups that passed by me during this time.

It kind of stung, thus the beer.

By Kent Truckor – Guest blogger studying in Valencia, Spain

I have just concluded my fourth week of classes and 1/5 of my education here in Valencia Spain. I feel that I am learning more and more, or at least more and more is being thrown at me. Therefore, I figure if I can grasp a majority of what we are given, I will be doing well. I still find it difficult to comprehend what the Spanish people say. However, today I asked a woman where I could find a book for Catholic Mass in Spanish because I would like to comprehend what is going on in the mass. I am Catholic and mass has been a nice home base for me as I have settled in to Valencia. It is something from home, yet it is different because it is all in Spanish. Therefore I asked a woman from mass where I could find a missalete (the book for the mass) and I understood what she was talking about! This made me feel good about my progress because 4 weeks ago that would not have been the case.

I have been told that reading and watching movies are some of the best ways to learn a language and therefore I have been doing both in the last few weeks. I have made it a goal to read one short story a day and do the exercises that go along with it as well as watch one movie a day. So far so good, but I realize I have a long way to go when I watch the movies with Spanish subtitles, but everything takes work.

Today quite a few students from the school completed there stay here and are heading to their respective homes this weekend. It seems that many students come to the school for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. I have found that the majority of universities in Europe require some sort of second language capability upon entering the school by examination. This is much more stringent than what we are currently doing in the United States. From my time here, I have learned that I am in the definite minority only having a single language capability. The only other students I have met who are like this are Americans.

One of the main reasons I came here was to change that very thing about me. Although I may never be fluent in the language, I am working hard to be able to effectively communicate in the language of Spanish.

Since I have been here, I have learned much about the language as well as about peoples from Spain and other parts of the world. I know that I would not have received this outlook had I stayed in the United States and entered the workforce or grad school directly. I think I have said this before, but I will say it again. I am glad that I made this journey on my own. Had I came with other people from home I would have been like the majority of people here who go to class but then speak their native language outside of class with their friends. I did not want to do that and although you can usually find an English speaking person. I think it is better that I have somewhat isolated my self from English in this regard.

I will continue to push forward and work on learning the language. It is an uphill battle, but that is ok. I like the culture and the area, as time progresses I learn more and more, whether I realize it or not. Hopefully I am learning quite a bit subconsciously . Take care and enjoy the weekend!!

By Bradley Rehak – Guest blogger studying in Quito, Ecuador

The sun, in Ecuador, is very bright and powerful. This is also true of Quito. As unsurprising as this might be for some, the actuality of living here and the weather conditions relating to it are rather interesting.

To begin, Quito is situated at 2,800 meters above sea level (9,186 feet), making it the second highest capitol in the world—and almost twice as high as Denver. It's also extremely close to the Equator (about a 20 minute drive from here). The altitude and its concomitant tendency towards cold weather, and the equatorial location which encourages hot weather, results in a more or less constant battle between the two. In the morning and at night it can be quite cold here: last night I wished I had an extra t-shirt on to supplement my fleece and stocking cap while watching a soccer game. One the sun is out, however, it can be almost unbearably hot (even during the winter, the current season)—at least wearing jeans, which is absolutely necessary in the morning, presumably when one is heading to work or school. The shade has an extreme effect upon one's bodily temperature, as ten minutes out of the sun is sufficient to want to wear a jacket, while five in the sun is enough to want a swimsuit. I estimate that I go through this process of removing and putting on my fleece a minimum of 38 times per day.

The force of the sun is also quite amazing here. I may be from Iowa, but having lived in and visited such countries as Australia, Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt, I thought that I had an excellent notion of how to deal with the sun. So, almost two weeks ago now when I left for the park to play basketball for a couple of hours (minus sunscreen), I wasn't particularly worried. Two hours later I felt fine. It was only when I awoke the next morning that I noticed every part of my body that had been exposed to the sun was bright red. And it hurt.

I'm happy to say that I am now almost entirely pain-free. However, my arms continue to peel from that one and only day that I spent outside without sunscreen. I should also note that Ecuador is the only place where I have seen a sunscreen of SPF 100 for sale.

By Bradley Rehak – Guest blogger studying in Quito, Ecuador

It should come as no surprise, given the location as being outside the United States and Canada, that football—hereafter referred to as soccer—is incredibly popular in Ecuador. What defines incredibly popular? I don't have any statistics, so I will rely on a few examples. Every morning, afternoon, and evening, my house dad is watching soccer—or replays thereof (even if he watched the game the night before)—for hours on end. Roughly 50% of the people at the park on any given day wear soccer jerseys. A recent "friendly" game (meaning the results didn't count in league standings) I went to featured two hours worth of entertainment before the game, fireworks, etc. And every pick up game played at the park is for money, even if it's only a dollar.

Carolina Park is the best place to learn about sports in Quito, as any given day there are numerous soccer and basketball games being played, as well as skateboarding and rollerblading in the skate park, bicycle racing on a course that resembles nothing more than a track from Excitebike, tennis, etc. The soccer games are of course the most heated of events, with a constant stream of cursing audible at quite a distance away. The basketball games are largely for everyone who isn't in good enough shape, or isn't aggressive enough, to play soccer. I gravitate towards the basketball courts for a few reasons, despite the fact that I'm better at soccer: 1—I'm out of shape for such running, 2—I don't have any cleats and the games are played almost entirely on dirt fields, 3—I don't usually feel like getting dirty. Also, the basketball games just seem a lot friendlier.

Although running isn't vastly common here, one can always see people jogging around the bike path that circumnavigates the park. Biking isn't entirely common, either—I get the feeling that most bikers are of foreign origin, as they are generally appears so, and they wear shorts, which is uncommon for Ecuadorians here on even the hottest of days.

Most importantly of all when it comes to sports, people here really love their teams. When I attended the previously mentioned "friendly" games, I bought the jersey of a team from Guayaquil—because it was the only one I could see being sold, because it cost three dollars, and because 90% of the fans were wearing it. This team turned out to play, and lose to, my host dads team, Deportivo Quito. So when I got home, I was nearly turned out for wearing the wrong jersey, and then was congratulated for being the reason that Quito won. This didn't surprise me. However, I didn't expect the next day to have the sister-in-law of my host family to tell me that I should be ashamed for buying the jersey: she was only placated when I promised that I had bought it only as a gift.

By Kent Truckor – Guest blogger studying in Valencia, Spain

Just finished classes and reviewed the differences between Ser and Estar, so many words in Spanish and so little time! Yesterday we had off class for a holiday so I took to the city to explore more. I found that I can get just about anywhere I want to go on foot if I don't care how long it takes me, haha. I found a great park near the center of the city with a bunch of manicured gardens and fountains. However, it seems also that a lot of strange people like the park as well. So I didn't really sit there too long and probably would not head back after dark. Either way I figure it is all part of the fun of exploring the city. The center of the city has some great historic buildings that are pleasing to the eye. Many of which are now either museums or government buildings. I do much of my traveling on foot because it gives me the opportunity to go wherever I want and the time to take a good look at things (plus it is free that way as well!)

On the other hand, Valencia has an excellent transportation system with busses, taxis and the metro (the equivalent of a subway) All in all they seem to be very safe, although the first day of classes the metro had a terrible accident and 40 people died. This is something that has not been taken lightly and much has been done in the mean time to increase safety of the metro. I found out that the metro travels to many of the smaller pueblos outside of town. This is excellent for me because I continue to say that I am going to get outside of the city so that I can see some of the rural parts around Valencia. The city is nice, but for a country boy like me, I long to see what things are like outside of the city.

Another exciting thing that I found out is that you can fish for free down by the docks. I am a huge fishing fan/fisherman. I would not say that I am good, but I have a strong appreciation for the sport and the past time. This will be the first time I have fished in a sea. The largest body of water I have ever fished in is the Great Lakes which is awesome, but this will be a different experience all together. Now I just need to find a place where I can purchase a pole for a reasonable price! A majority of items around here are more expensive than at home with the exception for fruits and vegetables (which are amazing). This is due in large part to the Euro being stronger than the Dollar. However, no matter where one goes that can live reasonably if they just take the time to look around. For instance, I pack my lunches now for school, nothing more than Peanut Butter and Jelly and I can eat lunch for a week for around 4 Euros.

Now, I never said that it was fine dining, but my ambition is to have this experience while keeping a reasonable tab and I think this is something that I should be able to accomplish. The weather continues to be hot and humid, but I guess that is just how it goes living on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. I have become accustomed to it and will welcome the climate once September hits. All for now, I continue
to learn more about the culture and the people as days go on and I would like to think my Spanish is improving as well!

By Kent Truckor- Guest blogger studying in Valencia, Spain

Today I begin the fourth week at the school. I feel as if I have begun to settle in at my house and the school. I was received very warmly but it takes some time to adjust to new surroundings, or at least it does for me.

The past weekend was a good one. Friday night was very tranquil as I just hung out at the house, this was a good thing because it gave me an opportunity to review some of my work and relax. Saturday, I braved the world of shopping in Valencia as I went out looking for running shoes. Anyone beginner students of Spanish can tell you that things we take for granted such as shopping in our home countries as being something of ease all of a sudden becomes something to be feared when you are in a country that solely speaks a different language. The shoes are very expensive here and I initially bought a pair for 60 Euros, but then I found a pair for 30 Euros. Therefore, I searched through my dictionary to find the word return of which is "devolucion" and made my way back to the first store to return the shoes. Things ended up working well and I wound up with a decent pair of shoes at a reasonable price.

Although it is a scary thing, each time I leave a place of which I am forced to communicate in Spanish, not matter how the exchange goes, I feel proud of myself and my efforts. As of this morning I purchased a cell phone for my time here and effectively communicated with the sales woman for 15 minutes in order to communicate my wants and get a phone for my needs. Of course there were times when I didn't understand her and I think she knew this. But I was able to ask her questions and it went well – another step in the right direction.

This past weekend I also made it to the beach with some of my Turkish friends to watch the Fireworks. Every Saturday in July, Valencia has fireworks on the beach and it draws quite a crowd. It was a great experience to be out on the beach at midnight watching a fireworks performance with a group of friends, definitely will be a favorite memory. Next we went to some of the bars that have been constructed for the Americas Cup to be held here in 2007. If anyone is not aware of this as I wasn't initially – the Americas Cup is a very big deal and the fan fare that comes with it is in full swing a year before the actual event. I like the atmosphere, but that kind of atmosphere does not come cheap, as the drinks were very expensive – so I think I will be happy with the little cervecerias that dot the local streets. Tomorrow we do not have class on account of a holiday in Spain so it is my ambition to make it out to one of the little Pueblos tomorrow to go to this famous place for a certain drink. The place – Daniels and the drink is call horcheta. I will let you know how it goes – until then take care and enjoy!

By Bradley Rehak – Guest Blogger studying in Quito, Ecuador

This weekend was to be the trip of a lifetime to a certain extent: mountaineering with full gear on one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, Cotopaxi. Full gear in this case including harnesses, ropes, ice axes, and crampons (the spikes for the bottom of your boots)—just like the mountaineers use in the Everest Imax. I believed that two weeks living in Quito at 2,800 meters would be sufficient to adjust to the altitude and top the mountain. Well…

We b

egan our trip from the outfitters in Gringolandia, an area of Quito notoriously populated by foreigners and the concomitant hostels, internet cafes, bars and clubs. The drive to the mountain took about 3 hours, much of which was heading south through Quito itself, which seems to stretch on forever. We wound our way through Cotopai National Park on rather dodgy roads to the base on the mountain itself (which is the only attraction, really, and the only place where one can walk around). The parking lot was situated at about 4,500 meters and was the starting locale for the most difficult part of the climb: up to the mountain refuge at 4,800 meters. Most difficult only because we were each carrying a pack of 20 kilos, give or take 5 (the main climb is only with a liter of water and candy bars). We made the refuge, rested, and then climbed 100 meters or so to the glacier in the afternoon to practice using crampons and ice axes. Then went to bed.

About this time (7 pm) I developed a headache, which grew progressively worse as I tried to rest before the climb. I finally fell asleep, only to dream about the intense pain and my head exploding. I awoke around 10 (two hours before we were to get up for the climb) in severe pain. I tossed and turned, pressing against my skull which my fingertips to try, unsuccessfully, to ease the pain. I lay on my back, eyes shut and my stocking cap pulled over my face; every time that someone walked by my bunk—which was frequently—the light from their headlamps caused me sharp pain, even through the layers. My altitude sickness then developed into an intense and severe desire to throw up, as if I had taken 10 shots of tequila too many (one being the minimum to induce nausea for me). I took two ibuprofen and drank some coca tea, then slept, thus ending my climb.

Then rest of my group of 8 from the same company went on, however. Although (depending on your point of view) just as unsuccessfully: none made it closer than 200 meters from the summit at 5,897 meters. In all, of the 25 climbers or so to attempt the summit today, 2 made it. Questions abound: lack of conditioning? Proper gear? Mental focus? A yes could be given for each one. Altitude sickness, however, was the major factor, as most people turned back from a combination of lack of oxygen and extreme nausea. The lesson: even on an "easy" mountain, there remains much out of one's control.

By Kent Truckor – Guest Blogger studying in Valencia, Spain

It is Friday and I have finished my third week of classes at the school in Valencia. Currently we are working on vocab with food and parts of the body. I have heard it numerous times now that one of the keys to speaking Spanish is knowing as many verbs as you can because it seems the language revolves around them. I would agree with this and continue to try to learn new verbs each day. The only tricky part is that there are thousands to behold, haha. Either way, class is going well and this morning I got the opportunity to watch Lord of the Rings in Spanish. I love the movies and watched them in English back home so it was interesting to watch them in Spanish and consider it a type of "studying".

For this weekend, plans are yet to be determined. Valencia has an extensive amount of Museums of which I would like to visit a few. There is always the beach that clearly is a crowd favorite of the Valencians as well as the number of students and tourists here currently. In addition, there are numerous bars and restaurants to frequent for hunger or thirst. A mix of each of these makes for a good weekend in my eyes.

One of these weekends, I would like to escape the city and get out to the rural parts of Spain and some of the pueblos that lie outside the hustle and bustle of city life. I am from a very small rural community so living in a good size city is something new for me. I like it but yet I miss the slower pace of the country and the more relaxed atmosphere. Not to mention the beauty of the landscapes you can find in the country. I have heard that there are a few sites such as a great castle not far from the city by bus or train that I think it would be worth making the trek to so at some point this will have to be accomplished. As for now, exploring the city is something that will hold my interest for a while because there are many things to do and see.

All for now – will keep you posted on the events of the weekend and the success I have testing out my new language skills with people of the area!