So, I bet you wish YOU had a three day weekend like we do in the USA, huh?

Au contraire, amigo mio!  Thanks to the Battle of Pichincha on May 24, the government reassigned the holiday to Friday so there IS a three day weekend (God bless you Ecuador!)  I had no idea about the holiday until one of my students asked me if we had class.  I scoffed and said, "YES!  Why WHOULDN'T we have class?" thinking they were being their usual selves and trying to skip out on Friday.   But, then I was told it was a holiday, that there was a festival, and that one of the university teachers had nicely changed her class from the evening to conflict with my morning class (because unless you're a prominent local or a gringo with a Ph.D. here---you kind of don't matter).  So, I told them I'd check into it.

I asked my colleagues about the holiday, festival, and class change.  They all knew and assumed the gringos had it on their calendar as well, but did not know some university classes were changed as well.  Some thought there might be a festival, but only because we asked and clearly that implied we knew something they didn't.  Some assumed students might still come to night class if we had it or to the activity (our first Friday Film), others thought not.  Some said the holiday lasted all weekend and everything would be closed, others said the city would be reopened by Saturday.  So, without concrete answers and based all on speculation, Emily and I canceled class.  Naturally, some students questioned our decision or didn't know why there was no class, others confirmed that they assumed it would be canceled since I mean, after all, it is this big holiday that everyone seems to know (and clearly not know) about.

Despite the run around, like most things Ecuadorian (or the "give an answer, even if it's wrong because saying nothing is just impolite not to help" mentality) tomorrow is a day off.  While you will enjoy Monday, I will be enjoying a leisurely Friday in my world.  I too am scrambling to get my errands done this week and smiling at the thought of a three day weekend.  So, worlds apart and reasons contrasted, here am I----along with you my USA counterparts---preparing to enjoy the a three day weekend.  Regardless of where we are in this world, that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.