The PDs were sad to say goodbye to the Vanderbilt group of Spring Break 2014! They did a magnificent job of revamping the library and helping us to prepare for our library's 5th Anniversary Party. After their first day of Carnival chaos, the vols gave the stairwell leading up to our 3rd floor library a fresh coat of paint and began a (much needed) repair of tables in two of our English classes. On Tuesday they finished up painting some of their projects, giving exciting new details to a few of the more plain walls and tables in the library. In the afternoon they were able to sit in on classes and other programs to see how the library runs on a day-to-day basis.
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| Steve, Johnny, and Will working on the tables |
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| Sydney and Sarah adding a fresh coat of paint |
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| Sarah, Haley, Hannah, and Roo giving our English room a bright new look |
On Wednesday, Nick and I took the Vols to the Centro Historico in Quito to explore, climb to the top of the Basilica, and shop in one of the artisan markets.
We finished up the day with a Cuarenta (an Ecuadorian card game) tournament between the vols and some of our English students.
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| Vandy Vols 2014 in Centro Historico |
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| On the top of the world! (sort of) Hiking up the Teleferico |
On Thursday, the Vols got the opportunity to help out teaching English at the nearby university, ESPE.
They planned a lesson discussing the differences between college in the U.S. and here in Ecuador, they seemed to really enjoy meeting and chatting with locals their own age.
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| PD Carryn and Vol Tj helping out at the art table |
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| Sydney and Sarah helping out at the Manna table |
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| Sydney and Sarah jumping rope |
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| Holley and Haley in the sack race |
Friday was a busy day filled with a morning of hiking at the Teleferico in Quito and then preparation for the big day of festivities on Saturday! On the morning of the party we taught English at the library and then hurried around to prepare for the party. A stage was set, tents constructed, and a bouncy house for the kids inflated. The party started off well with lots of games, art crafts, food, and music. Unfortunately it began to rain in an hour but it did not dampen the spirit of the party and when the rained stopped a large dance party ensued. The Vols did a great job of joining in on games, helping with the art project, and getting to know the community it general!
More information about the 5th Anniversary Party to come!
