Getting new glasses in Ecuador – know your Spanish alphabet

I’ve been wanting new glasses for a while now.  (Actually since my niece got some SUPER cool looking glasses).  About two months ago, I asked our Spanish teacher, Maribel, where she got hers.

She took us to the store (optica) and we spent a few minutes looking at frames.  I didn’t see any that I liked, but Maribel did.

She told us she was going to go back and get them the next week.

Well, last week, I asked her why she wasn’t wearing her new glasses yet.  She said that she hadn’t gotten them yet.

Jonathan and I had been trying to think of a gift we could give Maribel as a thank you for all she’s done for us over the last 8(!) weeks of Spanish classes.

We had our answer.

So, we took Maribel for a walk.  We didn’t tell her where we were going.

When we arrived at the glasses place, and told her we wanted to buy her new glasses, she was thrilled, embarrassed, shocked, pleased, and timid all at once.

While Maribel went for her eye exam, Jonathan went with her, and I looked at the frames.

Jonathan ended up getting an eye exam too!  (The exam was free.)

Jonathan missed a couple of the letters… not because he couldn’t see them, but because he mispronounced their names in Spanish.

**It was also funny when the doctor was filling out his form, she asked him “Edad?” (which means “Age?”), and Jonathan answered “United States”.

This time, I found a pair I liked.  So, we decided that I would have my eye exam while Maribel decided between two pairs of glasses.

Unfortunately, I had to wait to have my exam because I’d been wearing my contacts (apparently, I have to wait 3 days between wearing hard contacts and having an eye exam).

Maribel picked out her glasses, and was told they’d be ready in 3 days.

On Tuesday last week, we all went back.  Maribel got to pick up her glasses, and I got to have my eye exam and order my pair.

We got 3 eye exams and 2 pairs of glasses (one with transition lenses) for under $200.

Some days I really love Ecuador.

Here’s an interesting article on “Which is greener?  Contact Lenses or Glasses?” give it a read.

What do you think of my new specs?  Oh, and PS – those earrings I’m showing off are made from WATERMELON SEEDS!  Crazy.

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2. Visiting the Doctor in Quito, Ecuador
3. Weird Food: Eating Cuy (Guinea Pig) in Quito, Ecuador
4. Spanish Doesn’t Come Naturally, That’s For Sure
5. Arriving in Quito, Ecuador and checking in to our apartment

TAGS: Ecuador, eye doctor, eye exam, frames, glasses, quito, Spanish, spanish alphabet, Travel