Odds and Ends...and how I got half a stadium's worth of soccer fans chanting my name...

First of all, I just got one of the best hair cuts of my life. Yes, my whole life. How much did I pay? 5 USD. I walked into this hole-in-the-wall salon tonight. The couch leather (or pleather) was peeling, "2012" was playing on the 10" TV screen, and cigarettes were cooling in an ashtray on the microwave. Enrique, 39, blue-haired (was bleach-blonde a couple days ago), and gorgeous, had me take a seat. He told me to trust him, and I did, after a few minutes. Because it only took him that long to figure out my hair. He knew exactly how I wanted it without even asking. It seemed so effortless.

So, after one of the worst days ever, worst because I took one of the most ridiculous finals in the history of college finals, all of a sudden I feel sane.

In a taxi on the way to get my haircut, I was listening to a talk show (in Spanish, of course). The host was interviewing an Ecuadorian Jew about Judaism. Fascinating, yet just a little awkward. It was interesting how the host was asking the Jewish guy why it's the year 5770 and not 2009. It got awkward when the topic of Jesus came up. The host was saying something along the lines of "I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're saying that for the Jews, Jesus is not the son of God?" The Jewish guy replied, "well, no." The host went on to say, "So, because most of the listeners of this show are, well, Catholic...ummm...so Jesus was a prophet then?" "Well, a teacher of sorts, yes." "So, what, in Judaism, is the equivalent figure of Jesus?" "Well, there isn't really...."

And on it went like that. I thought it was great to hear a relatively respectful discussion about religion on public radio in Ecuador. Especially, around an important holiday time for Jews and Christians alike. Yes, it was awkward, but it was a step. I think everybody learned a little somethin'.

FINALLY, I totally forgot to mention this around the time that Liga (one of the Quito teams/won the South American cup) won one of the final games. What I'm about to share with you, I can safely say was both my most glorious and most embarrassing moment.

Here goes...

So, all of us BU kids are leaving the Liga stadium, every emotional. We see this sea of people in front of us heading toward the exit. To our left is a twelve foot high dirt wall, so we decide to scale it to avoid the crowds. Everyone struggles a little but somehow manages to get to the top. Except me. Two things happened.

1) I was brought back to a very traumatic rocking climbing incident from earlier on this semester. I was the only one that failed and it was determined in my mind that I was indeed, the weakest link.

2) A uncontrollable fit of laughter overtook me.

Here I am trying to get up this wall by grabbing at roots. I'm smeared in dirt. My hands are black, my Liga jersey is blotched with soil. And to make this experience EPIC, hundreds upon hundreds of Ecuadorians have stopped in the middle of the road at this point to cheer me on. My friends recorded a video, and I'm trying to get my hands on it. So, every time I make progress the crowd explodes with cheers, and every time I slip the crowd gasps and feels my pain.

After about five minutes, there's no way I'm getting up there. My friend Garrett is yelling to me to grab his hand...I grab it but then I lose his grip. Eventually, my other friend Matt throws a big Liga flag down to me. With the flag in one hand and Garrett's hand in the other, FINALLY, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I get up, the crowd cheers and I roll around in dirt from joy. I think one of my friend's peed her pants from laughter.

I've always wanted an epically embarrassing moment, and now I have one to share with the world!