Hello from the Jungle!

Hi everyone!! I am finally starting to settle into my new home here in the jungle...there will definitely be a major adjustment period, but overall, I am quite happy. They were absolutely not kidding about the bugs...oh my. I won't get into details, as some of you may be reading this while eating. I'll just say EWW. But I will be a tougher person after these next few months, I can tell you that for sure.
Jungle life is interesting...sometimes there is hot water, sometimes theres cold water, and sometimes theres no water. Sometimes the car starts, sometimes only after a running push, and some days it dies about an hour from home. Or never starts at all. Sometimes the bus comes, sometimes not.
I'm sensing a theme here. But the people are fantastic, i've laughed a lot, Ecuador is absolutely beautiful, and I think i'll be just fine.
I'm still getting oriented to the work...this week i've mainly been teaching at various schools, and making lesson plans and gathering documents and worksheets. The texbooks...which interestingly enough come from the oil company...have not arrived yet, so we have been winging it a bit. And teaching for a few hours a day, in spanish, is exhausting. Its a learning process...some of the students can barely read and write in Spanish, so its interesting to try to teach them English. More on that later on, I need time to think about what that really means. The main idea is that to get into college, students need to speak English. That alone has some interesting implications...but also, how many really use it, or go to college...bare with me, I cant figure out where the question mark key is on this computer. Anyway, I have a lot more to learn. Its also SO frustrating how long it takes to get anything done. The car issues alone make us pull our hair out, but lack of communication and resources is a major issue too. We make it work, but I am gearing up for lots of challenging days. Im staying positive though...its all in good fun, and for a great cause.
The program also has a community development piece, which is really cool. I hope to get more involved with that, but for now, I need to focus on my job, and getting the semester started.
I have been told about...and offered...fried bugs. I think that I am pretty cuturally sensitive, but that shit was nasty. I declined. I practiced driving stick on our beast of a truck on a rocky road, and actually succeeded a bit. I have already taken a tumble on said rocky road and banged up my knee. I have soaked in hot springs, eaten lots of canned tuna fish, gained three new pets...two dogs and one cat, met lots of fabulous people, taught classes...and thats week one.
There is a group of awesome british guys here, but they are leaving this week, which is a bummer. I give up feminism for this period of my life...having boys in the jungle is very, very handy.
Ill keep everyone updated. For you Jews, happy Rosh Hashana. Eat some apples and honey for me.

BESOS!!!