Happier Thanksgiving!

So we ended up having a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner with friends here in Loja...turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes loaded with cream and butter, apple pie, and of course, a Chandi cheesecake! The next day we headed to a waterpark about an hour away and enjoyed a lovely day in the sun. Yes, Mom, I wore sunscreen, though I have the best tan ever for late November!! Nothing like going down a waterslide instead of fighting mall traffic.

And, I have a new addiction...mangoes. They´re in season here, so they´re cheap and SUPER yummy. And, it hasn´t rained in a couple of weeks, which means the dirt and dust are CRAZY. So, I´m covered in a layer of filth, and there´s no water because it hasn´t rained. Lovely.

I have managed to lead two semi-successful cake-baking classes with mom´s groups, which is cool. Yesterday we made a chocolate cake that didn´t want to leave the pan, and had a weird consistency (too much sugar, I think), and a carrot cake. Today we made strawberry cake and they learned how to decorate a cake on a chocolate cake I had made (to make sure my recipe wasn´t wacked, which it wasn´t). Friday I´ll lead another group with chocolate cake. Good thing I walk 10 miles a day or I´d be gaining weight like crazy! (well, tal vez not...we do share each cake with about 40 people!). Tomorrow we´re making Christmas decorations. I´m not sure how I became the expert in any of these things, but it´s fun working with the moms and teaching them new things. They were quite fascinated with my measuring spoons and cups...I don´t think any of them had ever seen them before, ratherless used them.

I think my first series of post-Christmas charlas will be about how to walk on a sidewalk without making others angry who may happen to want to walk faster than 1 mile per hour (i.e. gringos). It translates to their driving, too...as if I´m supposed to be able to know that the giant truck is going to turn if it has no turn signal...though he can see me standing there since the 2 cars in front of him did the same thing, and he keeps going. Traffic here annoys me. I think I´ll start a pedestrian-rights movement. However, with all the people on foot (walking 1 mph at best), the cars would never be able to go anywhere. Funny thing is, most of the people driving around town only needed to go 2 blocks, anyway (I walk a mile each way to work every day), but they drive to show that they own a car. Status symbol over exercise, I guess.

I suppose I´m done with my ranting for the evening. More to follow, I´m sure. :)