Sick as a dog

Well, I have arrived in Ecuador, but I have had no access to a computer since last Wednesday. Hence, why I have not been posting at all.

I am in an internet cafe in Cuenca at the moment, and feeling a lot better than I have the last few days, to say the least.

It´s the second day of my two and a half month stay in Ecuador, and I´m sick. I´m talking almost passing out twice from dehydration, throwing up ridiculously all night, and diarrhea. Not cool. That lasted for two days, and it was literally one of the worst experiences ever. We still haven´t figured out what it was that made me so sick, but now I´m paranoid, so I´m very careful with anything that I eat or drink. I also felt like such a loser because I was the first and only one to get sick (go figure), but everyone was very helpful and caring, so that made everything a lot better.

Other than that, I really have no other news. I´m getting used to my host family and my house, and today we are going on a city tour of Cuenca. I´m glad because I have no clue where I am right now. We´re walking in a group back to our houses for lunch. Thankfully, one of the girls I´m going to school with lives right around the corner from me, so we´re going to walk to school together.

I´ve taken a ton of pictures, but haven´t yet uploaded them to my laptop, so as soon as I get that up and running, and the wireless going, I will post some. They are pretty awesome. One of our hotels, actually a hacienda, was outside of a town with a volcano, Tungurahua, and it was spewing ash. That was a sight to see.

Dialects

So, I've recently come to realize that if I hang around a person long enough, I start talking like them. It's not something I do purposely; it just happens. I have some kind of predisposition to picking up people's dialects.

I first realized it a couple years ago when I starting religiously watching The Nanny with Fran Drescher. At that time, I was simultaneously becoming a huge fan of Barbra Streisand. Of course I listened to her music, but more importantly watched her films, thus picking up on her manner of speaking. Two Jewish women, one from Queens, the other from Brooklyn. Oy. There was no turning back.

I also have noticed that when I say any word with an "o" in it, it always turns into an "oooo," like I'm from Chicago or Minnesota or somewhere up there. That, I believe, started with Christine Ebersole, who is from Winnetka, north of Chicago. I've seen her on Broadway and in concert 3 times, and also have watched her in interviews. It was inevitable that I'd pick up on that.

In the last couple months, I've been hanging out a lot with two of my friends from the Cleveland area. I think out of all the dialects I have picked up on, I use this one the most. Although, I do become a Jewish New Yorker quite often.

Everyone's always asking me, "Where the hell are you FROM, Meagan?" You'd never be able to tell by the way I speak. I find it quite hilarious actually. I guess I'm a Jewish girl from New York, a Chicagoan/Minnesotan, and a Clevelander all rolled in to one. I can't wait to see what else I'm going to add to that list. Maybe British. I've always wanted to be British.

And on that note, check out this video and this quiz

Where am I going?

This sums up my thoughts EXACTLY at this moment.

Sicko

I just finished watching this absolutely brilliant documentary by Michael Moore. It should be required viewing for every single American. It not only reinforces my belief in the need for universal health care in the United States, but also my belief that the only person that can and will accomplish it is Hillary Clinton.

Rent it.

The Fighter

She was counted out, but refused to be knocked out. She stumbled, but stood right back up. She worked hard and never gave up.

I'm so proud. Thank you Texas, Rhode Island, and my fellow Ohioans.

Never count her out. The fight isn't over.