gluttony: 1 of the 7 deadly sins

A wise, wise man once said, "Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture." So with that quote in mind, came the inspiration for today's blog.

Quick Bites (random observations):

• KFC is as abundant as Starbucks
• After dinner mints taste like cough drops
• Hot dogs are a favorite for the locals

Update:

Cereal has been located in the house. Fruit loops AND Frosted Flakes! Life. Is. Good.

Top 5 Foods that Tantalize the Taste Buds:

1. Jugo [juice]: I'm positive, there is none like it anywhere else! Pineapple, strawberries,

papaya, lemon, watermelon, tomate de arbol, passion fruit, you name it! All that and a

bag of chips for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

2. Fresas con chocolate: I had this treat my very first night in Cuenca. Five of the juiciest,

sweetest strawberries on a kaibob dipped in 3 different kinds of chocolate- for only $1.80!
3. Pescado [fish]: From the ocean to our lunch plates to our stomachs in less than 24 hours. No complaints here.
4. Aguacate [avocado]: Not only good in guac, but by itself... sprinkled with a bit lime juice

and topped with a few onions.
5. Tres Leche Torta: I'm not sure what's even in this cake (besides 3 types of milk) but it's,

"the sweetest thing since sugar," raves Kayla.

Restaurant Rendezvous (story time):

On Friday night, my family took me to my Cuenca's dad favorite eatery ...and I must admit, he

has exquisite taste. The meal started out with stove-top popped popcorn (not too usual for

down here). The popcorn was followed by french bread and butter, and then, a bit later, white

wine. Next, we ate empanadas (a fried dough pouch thing with meat and vegetables) as our appetizer. My 'dad' then ordered each of our meals, which consisted of meat topped with heavy gravy, rice, and papa fritas. While ordering, he asked me (or so I thought), "How do you like your meat cooked?" I responded, "Medium, please." The main course came out a few minutes later, and I was shocked. I guess my, "Medium, please," was the answer to the size of the piece of meat, not the 'done-ness'. My piece of meat was at least TWICE the size of everyone else's. It flanked the length/width of my entire plate. My family must have thought I was crazy when I ordered! Regardless, I didn't want to waste any meat (fortunately, it was really good), so I pretended like I was in an eating contest, taking huge bites, and trying not to think about my belt needing to be loosened. I could only finish 3/4ths of it, but that was a victory in itself. My family was very supportive through the whole process as well. After stuffing my face with the meat, we ended the meal on a high note: coffee and dessert. I, of course, was able to stomach a few bites- fresh strawberries, chocolate, and whipped cream as well as a rice, sugar, cake type thing... who could resist?! Bon appetite!

From this night came The Quote of the Week:

My Cuenca mom, who speaks little English, mistook the word "version" for "virgin"

"Your father is not a virgin. How do you think you got here?" she said. "No, Mom! I'm talking about his version [of the story]," responds Juan.

Our Stomachs Have Spoken (latest cravings):

• Me: Olive Garden and Indiana State Fair food
• Alex: a Turtle Mocha from Caribou Coffee
• Melissa: Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich with a strawberry milkshake
• Jason: "a real, american salad" and chocolate chip cookie dough
• Laura: mom's home cookin, Stir Crazy, and cake batter ice cream with Reese's from Coldstone
• Taylor: venti iced coffee from Starbucks, sushi, and mom's home cookin
• Kayla: "a super thick hamburger" with a spinach salad
• Jess: spaghetti and bread
• Jon: "meat, meat, meat... manly food only"

Now, to conclude, the usual, regular routine...

Kayla and I proudly supporting our Stars and Stripes in honor of the World Cup! GO USA!

View of Cuenca

When I took this picture, it was about 53.7 degrees outside. My Cuenca madre was wearing a big winter coat, heavy duty shoes, and a scarf... AND insisted that we get hot chocolate. I did not refuse, although I had ice cream earlier that day.

One day for class, we went to the fresh, local, semi-dirty/smelly, crowded market and practiced our spanish skills by buying all different types of fruit. We then ventured back to class and made fruit salad! Rico!

I'm convinced that Ecuador loves up-side down flowers

Our ten hour drive from Quito to Cuenca through the Andes consisted of back roads, dirt hills and steep valleys. This was our view from the bus most of the time.

LLL: A mi, cae el (translation: I fall/am falling, for him); prometidos (translation: lovers)

RFOTD: Neil Armstrong walked on the moon when he was 35(ish) years old

# of stray dogs that have chased Jon: 3.5

Hi-light of the week: Watching HOME ALONE. in SPANISH.

I know, I know. I cheated and watched it during the summer, but hey, it was on TV, practically begging me to watch it... and I learned an important life lesson: You can find a little bit of home (no pun intended), no matter where you go!

So... on that note, I'm gunna give you to the count of ten, to get your ugly, yellow, no-good keister off this blog before I pump your guts full of lead.

1.

2.

10!

Keep the change, ya filthy animal!