to do

My mom's coming to visit next week for the holidays, and as with any guest, it's a catalyst for doing the things I've being putting off for awhile. This week (amidst the flurry of daily Christmas concerts at school) I need to accomplish the following:

1. Have my stove repaired so that Mom and I can do our holiday cooking. (I've been making due with an electric skillet as of late, which is fine when cooking for one, but not much more than that.)
2. Pick up my Christmas bonus gift card at school so I can go to Megamaxi and buy a toaster oven, new mugs, and new pillows.
3. Set up the Christmas tree. (This has been delayed due to the fact that fresh trees here are not placed in water EVER, and so I'm waiting until closer to Christmas in order to not burn down my house.)
4. The general cleaning of house, which falls to me as my bi-weekly housekeeper is traveling to visit her family. (I know you're all crying for me right now.)
5. Plan a Christmas menu that does not include turkey or ham, as I don't think I can squeeze either into the toaster oven I'm planning on purchasing (see #2.)
   

humbug

Forget this job searching business. I'm just going to marry Josh Groban instead.

(Josh, if you're reading, now is the time!)

tales from the usa

I'm in the States for the weekend, chasing possible job opportunities for next year. Yesterday I stepped off the plane here in Atlanta after some 12 hours of travel, and proceeded to the first Starbucks in the airport. (I've decided to be indulgently North American on this trip.) I ordered a small eggnog latte, and was immediately corrected by the girl taking my order. I forgot that Starbucks has their own sizing system, and that a small is actually a tall. Then I asked for my latte with skim milk, and was yet again reminded that at Starbucks, skim milk is called a skinny.

I guess I'm a bit out of the loop.

leftovers

Thanksgiving recap:

Turkey

Marjorie's cole slaw without and with the "addition" of red wine
(we had a little spill...)
Adriana's salad
Richard carving the turkey
making the gravy
a randomly-snapped shot of Leah

thanksgiving, ecua-style

I think being away from my family on Thanksgiving is more difficult than Christmas, and I suspect this is due to the fact that here in Ecuador the day passes without notice. Thanksgiving does not exist here. Yesterday, for all intents and purposes, was just another day--went to school, stayed late for musical rehearsal, went to the grocery, went out to an Italian restaurant for a friend's birthday. The school did provide a very nice semi-traditional lunch for all the staff, potluck-style, and the foreign hire teachers were responsible for the mashed potatoes. (Last year I spent a lot of time making the real deal, but cheated this year and bought the boxed instant potatoes--they dump them all into one big pot anyway.) Other than the school luncheon, no one really does anything to celebrate the day.

Today we have a half day, in honor of the North American holiday, Black Friday (kidding), and so my friends and I are gathering for a big traditional meal this evening. I'm making the turkey, dressing, and dessert (pumpkin cheesecake.) Finding the ingredients here is not always super easy, which is why I'm scrapping the traditional pie for a much-easier-to-make-cheesecake. The pumpkin puree itself is not easy to come by, and therefore I purchased some squash-like cubes in the grocery store yesterday which I cooked and pureed. I'm pretty sure it's not pumpkin, but any squash with enough cinnamon and nutmeg should do the trick. I fully expect this dinner to be much like my life here: a nod to the traditions I was raised with but with a slightly South American flavor.

glees (no glums)

My future husband was named one of People's Sexiest Men Alive. That's pretty much the highlight of my week.*

*It's been a pretty bad one.

i'm late!

A few days ago, I mentioned the idea of ecua-time in my post--meaning that everything and everyone here in Ecuador is perpetually late. I actually really like this, and here's why: I used to be perpetually late in the States, but here my being late actually translates to being on time. No one really expects you to show up at exactly the planned time, so being a little behind is perfectly fine. (We actually tend to set the time for events anywhere from 30 minutes to a full hour before we actually plan to begin.) And, if I'm running especially late, I can always blame it on ecua-time.