The Entry that Breaks my Heart

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

 - Dr. Seuss, as I'm sure you know

Finishing our last class: (l-r) Isabel, Mr. John, Andres, Mr. Carl, Marco, Mr. Raed, Daniel, Miss Nikki; 2nd row: Maya, Camila, Victoria

Out to celebrate at Romolus and Remus, authentic Italian Ecuadorian :)

This is the entry that I just don't want to write. This is the entry that, no matter how good of things I have to fill it with, will break my heart.

We are saying goodbye.


O por lo menos, we are saying hasta luego to this particular period of adventure, study, experience, and love in Ecuador.

(If you're thinking, love?! Where did I miss the love part?, just take a step back and let's realize that with every place and every relationship I was falling a little more in love with the whole experience.)

Our TESOL students came to class for the last time on Thursday, July 28, for roughly an hour and a half of instruction followed by nearly an hour of celebration. It's customary for the generous nature of Ecuadorian students to show their appreciation for their teachers and throw a little party al final. We knew they were cooking something up when they spent their Wednesday break in hushed whispers and Marco asked if it was possible to order a pizza to the Center. Come Thursday, Maya walked in with something in a glass dish that honestly looked more savory than sweet -- I kept eyeing the little green bits floating around in the pudding-like substance when she told me it was a lemon pie she had baked herself.

Each student walked in and dropped off a little contribution to the party at the back of the room and then proceeded to their seats, business as usual at the front of the class. After an interactive lesson on UFOs with Raed, he abruptly called the class to a halt and we switched gears. Marco waited for the pizzas he had ordered to walk in and then, as the mature figurehead of the group, gave a small speech thanking us for our time and the English learning experience we had all shared. I answered back to thank our students on behalf of all of us -- besides being a joy to teach, we never could have become certified TESOL teachers without them showing up to learn!

Maya's lemon pie turned out to be superb (the little green things were the peel of the green Ecuadorian lemons :), and Marco had ordered two types of pizza: "American" and Ecuadorian. American was...well, I think it had bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and some sort of spicy sausage. Ecuadorian had the appearance of a Hawaiian pizza, possibly without the pineapple, and was loaded with choclo, the large, white, chewy kernels of corn that appear in several Ecuadorian dishes.

As we ate and chatted, I fell naturally into Spanish conversation with our students. They turned to me, shocked. You speak Spanish!? Immediately followed by, all this time we thought you couldn't understand us...you knew what we were saying?! There was an entertaining satisfaction in turning the tables on them - I hadn't realized I was keeping my Spanish skills so well-hidden, I was just maintaining an English professionalism for the sake of TESOL! 

After stuffing ourselves on sweets and treats, and washing it down with either strawberry soda or the ever-present Coca Cola, we said goodbye to our lovely students as they trickled out the door and then we all hopped in a gigantic van and headed for the downtown shopping center for Italian food. Thanks to the fiesta with our students, I was full enough to order straight off of the dessert menu - did we know that there is a specific Nutella manufactured in Italy, and that one's the best? :) Our trilingual waiter accepted my Italian and Brianna and I were able to enjoy our first glasses of South American wine. That night, Brianna and I walked home together for the last time, and said goodbye before her early-morning departure for the Galapagos. 


For our last day of TESOL on Friday, we had a lot of down-time in between individual assessment meetings and skit preparations (if only I could upload personal videos, you might see how ridiculous ours was). John from California and I took off for an hour-and-a-half of galavanting around Quito in search of a flower bouquet for our trainer and coffee, coffee, coffee.


In my last assessment meeting, my trainer Elías and I spent some time ruminating over the possibility of me teaching literature in an Ecuadorian university (how grand!). He had nothing but good things to say and we explored future possibilities. Later, at our graduation celebration, we were presented with our letters of completion (to serve in the interim before our official certificates arrive). Besides listing our accomplishments in the course, my letter was nicely personalized into somewhat of a review or recommendation.

Nikki is a caring, engaging, and friendly person who consistently focused on improving her teaching practice...She showed clear understanding of EIF and PDP frameworks and combined them conveniently to increase her students learning...Her lessons included a variety of tasks that appealed to diverse learning styles. Nikki implemented useful and effective materials to support her students' learning. Also, in feedback sessions she was always able to identify the strengths of her lessons and came up with concrete action points. Overall, we feel that Nikki Bannister has the knowledge and skills of an effective reflective practitioner and an experienced ESL/EFL teacher.

:)

Due cope dello vino tinto e i tre amici bravi :) 

Artisan floristry in Quito

John swore these were naturally American roses, until I cleared the matter up with the shop owner (they're dyed)

Unbelievable arrangements!

John and I with our hard-sought bouquet for Shirley -- $10!!

Our graduation party!

(l-r) Jakob, Lindsay, Carl, Shirley, John, Elías, Kevin, John, y yo :)

When it was time to leave, I accompanied Lindsay for a couple hours of walking in the rain to buy her bus ticket back to Peru. I've never been so soaked in all my time in Quito - I got home and promptly hung up my clothes, which reduced me to workout pants and a twice-worn shirt...which is what I proceeded to party away the night in with my sister and her friends - I should say, my dear Ecuadorian friends!

Our Last Supper, only slightly less sacred

Nikicita ("Snoorky") con el Fe y la Andreita

con el Leni y la Majo :)

No better bunch of girls!

Me (a tired but happy mess) with mis chicos

Mis preciosas, la Paula y la Carla

Y todas las mujeres juntos :)

My last morning in Quito dawned overcast and fresh with an incoming hail and thunder storm. I enjoyed one last meal with my family and, most of all, I enjoyed the guitar that Fe (my sister's boyfriend and a beautiful person) had borrowed simply for me to have the chance to play a musical instrument before leaving Ecuador. He taught me the Argentinian Voy a Vos by the Babasonics (which I have proceeded to practice diligently) and we harmonized as he played Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah. Finally, it was time for Fe and la Andreita to take me to the airport. They sweetly parked and waited with me inside until it was time to separate myself through security. Their final hugs and sincere partings were my favorite of all my Ecuadorian goodbyes :)


From here, the rest is a convoluted tale of airport screenings, delays, overnight snoozes in a lobby chair in Miami, and re-encountering American rudeness (unfortunately). My heart ached as I looked around at everything familiar about home and realized like Dorothy, shocked, that I was truly no longer in Quito.


Since being home, I have barely readjusted to having a constantly-in-use cell phone and I have been seeking out Spanish interaction in every nook that I can find it. English falls hard on my ears one hundred percent of the time. 


I have enjoyed every part of this experience as fully as I am capable. There are exciting possibilities ahead, but for now I will be re-immersing, patiently with effort, to the upcoming school (read: work) year and the many facets of life in beautiful, blessed California. For everyone who's enjoyed this experience with me, thank you with all my heart for your support and for making it your experience as well.

I hope to spend some time with all of you soon. :)

Un abrazo fuerte,
Nikki Jade