A Thousand Words

Good old McDonalds! And a yummy McFlurry :)

I think they actually put broken glass on the tops of walls and fences to keep people from climbing up... that or they know it looks super cool and colorful!

I love random Ecuadorian chickens <3 br="">

           Since the last time I wrote, things have definitely gotten a little better. That Friday I got to spend time with one of my little brothers, Kenner. I saw him playing ball outside by himself, so I got Santiago, and we went outside and played with him. At first we just threw the ball around, but then we played categories. Whoever lost had to spell their name with their butt! It was a lot of fun, and I was glad to be able to spend time with Kenner.

 

            At night I went to Santiago’s Bible study, and it was so nice to hear him give a message to people crowded up around him in a little circle to listen. Then we spent the rest of the night playing computer games, which was pretty fun, and I actually won solitaire (it was nearly impossible, I swear).

            On Saturday I had lunch with my family, as I waited for Santy to be done class. Then later on we went to a party in Yunguilla, which is one of my favorite places here. However, I had just ate and felt sick because the driver was going really fast around every curve. And I can tell you, the entire ride was filled with curves. It made me so nauseous, so by the time I got there I didn’t want to do anything. I said hi to some people, and then Santy and I stayed outside talking and reminiscing about our childhoods because inside was too loud and hot.

            On Sunday I woke up extremely exhausted and missed church again. Apparently I was being asked about! Some of Santys’s friends and people from El Refugio were asking where I was. I ended up staying at my house the entire day, which is a first, but was so nice!

            Santy and I got all the ingredients together and cooked our first meatloaf. It actually turned out pretty delicious! While doing this, we spent a lot of time with my family. We talked and just hung out, which was wonderful. I took a lot of pictures of my little siblings, and as I played games on the computer, waiting for the meatloaf to finish, Rebeca put up her high chair to watch. Later on we watched the rest of “Rain Man”, which we had started the day before.

            Yesterday (Monday) was my second shopping day. We went to the big super market to get some more food, and I told myself I’d be healthier this time. However, JUST like in America, it’s way more expensive to be healthy!! It’s ridiculous that a McDonald’s meal costs so much less than a box of Granola bars in Ecuador. The boxes of granola bars that I bought were $4 a box, and there were only 6 small bars! However, I decided it was worth it to have a little less money and be a little healthier. So we bought a bunch of fruits and vegetables and granola bars. I also got a new flavor of Tango (like hard moon pies)- white chocolate and raspberry, my new favorite, and marshmallows.

            After a while of shopping Santy and I went to McDonald’s. We got cheeseburgers and French fries, and instead of a milk shake, I got an Oreo McFlurry, which was pretty good! Then we took two buses back to Calacali so it would be less crowded. While waiting for the second bus, we picked up a few movies. Yes, I bought them, and yes, they were like $1.50 each. We got “One Thousand Words”, “A Haunted House”, and “The Flight”. 

            Last night I watched the movie “One Thousand Words”. If you haven’t seen it, you should get it! It wasn’t just another funny Eddy Murphy movie, but it actually makes you think. As corny as it may sound, I actually started thinking at the end of the movie, “what would I really say if I only had one thousand words?” You’d be surprised at how quickly we use one thousand words and how most of the time they don’t really mean anything.

            When you think about how short life is in the grand scheme of things, you realize that you’ve taken so much for granted. I think we take our words and our actions for granted so much, and we forget that there’s a reason why we’re alive today. So I think I’m going to have to start thinking more carefully before words come out of my mouth… which actually isn’t too hard in Ecuador, seeing as Spanish isn’t my first language!

            If you only had one thousand words today, what would you say?