I swear I'm actually going to school here...

Since I've gotten a couple inquiries about the state of my studies (and if they actually exist since all these posts have been about the fantastic places I've visited) I decided it was time to write about school.

This is ACLAS (Andean Center for Latin American Studies)

The entrance to ACLAS.  The door is locked and guarded 24/7, we have a couple different guards who work there who let us in.  Pictured is Mario, who is always cheerful.

It is a ~10 minute walk away from my house (5 minutes running).  For the first half of the program I had class from 2:30-6:00, this second half we have another hour of class every day, so we start at 1:30.  Classes are an hour long, with a break in between.  First half we had 3 classes with 15 minutes in between, now we have 4 hours with 10 minute breaks.

This is my classroom at ACLAS:

The left wall is about where the doorjam is.  It's a very small classroom.  There really isn't a good way to photograph it though...  Also, the TV has had a movie stuck in it since we arrived.  It still makes me giggle.

I have a whopping 3 people (including myself) in my class, so we get a lot of attention.  On the flip side, there is no option to not participate, or kind of not do your homework, but slide by anyway.  This does mean that I have zero problems with my participation portion of the grade.

The ACLAS building is beautiful, light, and open feeling.  We have a computer lab, an eating type hang out spot with a microwave, water cooler, hot water, and things for tea and coffee.  There is a courtyard area in the back with tables to sit at when it's not raining.  One week when things were really hot, we had my literature class out there in the sun and breeze.

Living room (kind of) area.  The courtyard is behind the camera.

Courtyard.  On sunny days there are umbrellas above the tables.

To the left is the computer lab, this is where the tea and coffee is.  To the right is my classroom and the courtyard.

I also volunteer (as part of the ACLAS program) at a senior center about 30 minutes from school, called Hogar Corazón de María.  (Hogar translates to 'home', Corazón de María is 'heart of María')

The entrance to Corazón de María

Inside Corazón de María.  It's a very open, light feeling area, the ceiling of the atrium is all windows.  Around the perimeter are the ladies' rooms, therapy rooms, dining room, etc.

I go two mornings a week for a couple hours, and myself and 2 other amigas work with the elderly people there.  We mostly stay in the occupational therapy room where they draw, paint, make collages, and do other art projects.  Wednesday is BINGO day, so we help them find the right numbers on their cards.  It is so much fun working with the ladies there, they are delightful and it feels amazing to see their faces light up when we walk in.  Many of the men and women who live there have no families, or their families can't afford to take care of them, so they lead kind of lonely lives, and it's so much fun to bring some happiness with us when we visit.

We helped paint flowers made out of egg cartons.  This is Alegría, she is one of the sweetest, most fun ladies I've meet at Corazón de María.

And now that I've proven I am actually taking classes here, I can get started on putting together a couple posts about this last weekend.  After the first cycle of classes ended, we took off for a long weekend of fun.  It was Carnaval, one of the biggest celebrations in Ecuador, and I spent the weekend dancing, jumping off waterfalls, watching parades (one of them from on top of a dumpster), having flour, water balloon, foam, and confetti fights, and learning to avoid cars driving by with their windows down for fear of a drive-by foaming.

Stay tuned.