oops...

Dear Blogging world,
Please forgive me for the lack of posting in the last month. Life has been crazy as usual. I've been teaching an average of 9 women per exercise class. I have been shaddowing a doctor at a rural clinic every Wednesday. Children's English has kept me on my toes, while test making for Adult English has given me a new respect for teachers. Life in the house is chaotic, as usual. I spent a week with Dave, who came to visit and experience life "Manna Style". And I've been a slacker at updating my blog. Please accept my apology with a few annecdotal stories and pictures from Dave's visit.
Much love,
Haley

Fútbol!! I played in my first soccer game (EVER) last weekend, and I still have bruises on my legs to prove it. The best part of the game was not being as tall as the goal, or getting schooled by intense Ecuadorian ballers (whoever told us this was a non-competitve league, was SORELY mistaken), but when I got a yellow card. Why, you ask? I wasn't too aggressive, I didn't talk back to the ref, and I didn't kick anyone. I picked up the ball. I bent over and picked up a soccer ball as it rolled towards me. Despite my lack of soccer skills (what can I say; I'm a basketball player), we tied 3-3 against the toughest team in the league.

Listening to small Ecuadorian children (ages 4-9) trying to pronounce English words continues to be something I look forward to week after week. I always get a kick out of the enthusiastic "APPLAY!!" One of my favorite stories from Children's English arose out of our alphabet lesson. We asked the niños to give us an example of an english word that starts with the letter. With every letter, we would get responses in spanish or with the wrong letter (for c, one kid yelled "HORSE".... maybe because "caballo" is horse in spanish? who knows). When we got to "W", every kid raised their hands. Sarah and I looked at each other and were excited that the kiddies knew a word. When we called on them, in a loud unison, they all screamed, "WHISKEY"!