More news on Ecuador

"In a speech to soldiers from Quito's main barracks, President Correa said: "If you want to kill the president, here he is. Kill him, if you want to. Kill him if you are brave enough. "If you want to seize the barracks, if you want to leave citizens undefended, if you want to betray the mission of the police force, go ahead. But this government will do what has to be done. This president will not take a step back.""

Can you imagine the US President ever shouting this to the masses? It's pretty potent. I'd embed the video but I can't find an embed code on the website so you'll just have to go to the website to see him get beaned by tear gas. It's scary.


Also, I don't know why, but I find this funny:

"They are trying to oust President Correa. Wake up the people of the Bolivarian Alliance! Wake up the people of Unasur [Union of South American Nations]! Viva Correa!," Mr Chavez wrote in a message on Twitter.



South American dictators...on Twitter. What is the world coming to?

Luck?

So I got this email this afternoon from the US Embassy:

September 30, 2010

The U.S. Embassy in Quito would like to inform U.S. citizens visiting or residing in Ecuador that a large, nationwide strike by all levels of police, including military police, is developing at this time. As a result, airports in Guayaquil, Quito and other major cities are closed and major highways may also be closed going in and out of Quito, Guayaquil and other major cities.

Due to blockages of multiple roads and tire fires being set by police, the security situation has degraded significantly. American citizens are asked to stay in their homes or current location, if safe. American citizens with immediate travel plans may be forced to put them on hold until the situation improves.



...if the situation doesn't improve by Monday (which it probably will, but a girl can hope, right?) then I might get to stay a few more days in the US. LOVELY.

blonde hair = ho, apparently

So I work with this teacher who I have dubbed "Moderately Creepy Teacher" (MCT) because he is Moderately Creepy. He's never done anything overtly creepy, but....ok, well he did show me that stack of shirtless vacation photos that one time, and he did keep pointing to his wife in the photos and saying: "That's my dead wife." Most of the time he just sits a little too close and wears his shirts a bit too unbuttoned and is just...greasy. Also missing some teeth and overweight and did I mention in his 50s? Anyway.

Yesterday I went up to the school for the first time since the semester started to plan things with him. We were sitting in the teacher's lounge and there were two teachers there who I didn't recognize. One of the asked who I was. The other one said, with kind of a nudge nudge wink wink vibe about him:

"Oh, just another one of his compañeras." Which, you know, roughly translates as friend, but said a certain way...

"No!" I sputtered. "I'm a Peace Corps volunteer! We're giving an Agriculture class together!"

What I wanted to say was: "Okay, so, I get that ya'll think all gringas are like the sluttiest sluts who ever slutted, but SERIOUSLY? You think I'd bang THAT? Have you looked at me? Have you looked at him? Have you noted the age difference? And the missing teeth? Really? Really?"

I don't get it, man. I am so tired of being perceived a certain way solely because of stereotypes of my race.

OH and later MCT invited me to the beach with him and some of his friends. WHAT.

I need to get out of here.

So Much Hate

Guys. It is a festival today. You know what that means? That since early this morning there has been bad reggaton and indigenous music blasting so loudly that my walls and windows are literally shaking. I am wearing earplugs in my own house, and they only dim the music a little. I can't think. I can't write, or work, or study, or sleep. The streets are full of vendors and drunks. There's no escape. I am losing my mind.