In addition to taking classes in Ecuador I am also participating in a service learning internship. Two times a week I go to an area outside of Quito called Zambiza and volunteer at the Gaurdaria (daycare center) for the children of the families working in the local garbage transfer station pulling out recycled material. There so much I could say about my experience and all of the lessons that I have learned, but in this post I decided to type up and share a part of a journal entry from a particularly impactful morning working in the Gaurdaria.

These last few weeks have been crazy to say the least. It all began with preparations for a friend visiting Amsterdam from Whales. I was excited to have a friend from home visit. However, she just happened to be visiting the week before midterms. This forced me to work on assignments ahead of time so I could show her around the city. This first day, we walked to the Old Church where she winessed the Red Light District for the first time. It seems awful but I always find people's first reactions of the Red Light District incredibly fascinating.

I was walking to the bus in Athens and it was one of those shiver into your skin because the air is brisk, light ethereal, and possibilities endless lovely days.  I hadn’t had the first cup of coffee yet, so my mind was primed for observation barring reflection, open to though not actively seeking stimulation.  We saw a bird/part carcass, disemboweled wound open to the air – it was a small bird – on the sidewalk pavement.

3-28-15                                

As promised on my previous blog post, I have written a post pertaining to all of the interesting foods I have eaten in the past week! So, if you are dying to know, “What on earth could Adam have eaten in Shanghai in the last seven days?” I have a few answers…

RESTAURANT: Tock’s

ITEM: Poutine

Note: This post was originally published on March 7, but due to my inability to work computers, I accidentally deleted it.