I’m
not sure how well empanadas and anti-government chants go together, but La Acadamia
offers cooking classes every Thursday—which happened to be right before a huge
protest in downtown Quito. Of course I had to go check out all the commotion. I
only stood by as an observer, but the energy of the protest was strong. There
were medical students, mechanics, small business owners, feminist groups, young
and old all marching through the streets. I felt this was an interesting part
of Ecuadorian history, and I wanted to take photos. From my understanding, many
people are not happy with President Correa. He has been increasing the taxes on
imported products making electronics and clothes extremely expensive here. Many
people from Ecuador take weekend trips to Columbia to buy their school clothes
or iPhones. Politics interests me, but only to an extent; however, I’m happy to
have had this political experience.
Now
let’s talk about food. Cooking classes at La Acadamia are optional, and every
Thursday you bet I was there. For the first cooking class we learned how to
make Locro de Papas. It’s a creamy soup made with potatoes, cheese, and garlic.
Serve it up with some slices of avocados, tomatoes, onion, and platano, and you
have one of the best dishes in Ecuador.
In
another class we made empanadas. These were also quite simple, and they are
traditionally served with hot chocolate. Although it sounds boring, it’s not.
They throw a few chunks of white cheese into the hot chocolate, stir it up as
it melts, and drink it as is. At first I found this combination a little
strange, but it was really tasty.
All
in all, things have been going really well here. I’m feeling like a part of the
community, and I don’t feel so new and lost. I enjoy being able to navigate the
bus system and not feel intimidated by greedy taxi drivers. I also feel a
strong improvement in my Spanish. The other day somebody asked me if I am from
Venezuela. I can’t believe this study abroad experience will be coming to a
close soon.
Hugs. Chao.
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