One month down!

In 3 short days, I will be able to say I have now been living in Ecuador for a month! I cannot believe this wonderful experience is already a quarter of the way done. Time has been flying so fast, days packed with the internship, school, friends, and family leaves little time to sit back at look at what I have been learning about Ecuadorian culture, poverty, power, and politics in the process. Not to mention the exploration of my own values, beliefs, and going outside of my comfort zone on a daily basis. Today after work, my internship partner Nelly and I successfully ran across the entire street before the light turned green (hands glued together, adrenaline rushing as per usual), waved down the correct bus without it going past us, handed the driver our quarters, and took a seat near the front with sighs of relief and smiles of accomplishment. At the first stop along our way back to Samborondón, I found myself not even phased by the wave of men who hopped onboard, running up and down the isle trying to sell nuts, juices and candies to tired passengers before disappearing off the bus again. As the sun beat down a blistering 95 degrees on my shoulders for the fifteen-minute walk from the bus stop to my house, I found myself using all of my willpower to resist the multiple places to stop for ice cream along the way. I was greeted at home with a steaming hot bowl of soup, followed by a giant plate of rice and chicken. Talk about refreshing on a hot humid day, right? It wasn’t more than an hour and a half before I was back at the bus stop to head to the university for some studying and class, meeting a friend Karla halfway to buy our routine cookies that get us through Spanish class. A nice swim with friends after class and dinner and a soccer game on TV with my family completed my evening. After a month of days quite similar to this, I am starting to feel like I’ve got it all down- like maybe I’ve learned everything already and the rest of the trip will be a simple reiteration of what I’ve already accomplished. However, when I take a step back I realize that in fact I have been growing and changing a lot just from the smallest day-to-day accomplishments. Last night, my family and I sat at the dinner table talking for almost two hours as I explained the public and private college system in the United States, and we exchanged stories and insight as to how the school systems vary between Ecuador and the US. Two weeks ago, I couldn’t hold a simple conversation with my host dad, and the fact that my Spanish has been getting to the point it is at without even noticing is so encouraging. I can now call all of my kids at Fundación Cariño by name, and they are even eating for me! The fact as well that I am now confident in taking the public bus system alone through the largest city in Ecuador, whereas I would have been far too frightened to ever do this is Minneapolis, has proven to me that I am becoming a stronger, more independent person through this process. I smiled to myself walking home from class as I found myself surrounded by Koreans, Australians, Canadians, and Americans that I confidently call some of my best friends. Aside from these mini individual accomplishments, I am becoming more and more accustomed to some cultural differences between the US and Ecuador, and would like to share them with you! First of all, the way you greet people here is very different, and I love it! Women greet other women and men with a kiss on the right cheek, men greet women this way as well, and men greet other men with a firm handshake. A hug is additionally welcome in all circumstances! This gesture is also used every time you leave a group of people, and is done with friends, family, and when you first meet people. It is much more personal than a quick wave or nod of the head as you walk by. At first I felt awkward kissing people I barely knew on the cheek upon seeing them, but I have grown to love it. Acknowledging someone for more than a few seconds as you walk by has become something I am learning to do, and it is definitely something that adds to the more relational culture of Latin America. This aspect of friendliness and checking in with people when you see them, regardless of where you are going or how busy you are, is definitely something I’d like to carry with me back to the United States at the end of my trip. Another cultural difference is mealtime and its importance. Everyone in the family comes home for lunch, and although it is blazing hot outside, lunch always consists of a hot vegetable soup, rice, potatoes, and an entrée prepared with chicken. This is the largest meal of the day, and it is fun to check in with everyone midday and just spend time together. However, I have been struggling in the evenings, as dinner is more of a “snack” (at home I have about 3 snacks before dinner, so wow that’s a change!).  I have caught myself often making my own judgments the food here, “don’t they know all of this rice and starch isn’t healthy?” “Are they aware they would be much more comfortable if they didn’t eat a bowl of steaming hot soup when it was 100 degrees outside?” However, I have been learning that there isn’t a “right” culture, and my family could probably fire right back at me that all of my processed food snacking that occurs throughout the day in Minnesota isn’t exactly the best thing for me either. Everything here is prepared fresh, which is definitely a difference from home, and reflects the importance of instant gratification back home as opposed to the careful preparation and value placed on meals here. No, people aren’t eating all the time like they are at home, but when they do eat, it is always together, and a part of the day that is greatly looked forward to. One thing that I am really appreciating about this culture is the idea that not everything is on time, you are not always busy, you don’t buy more than you need, and life will go on.  We have been discussing a lot how one can assess the quality of life in a developing country, and although the global economy is causing a lot of changes, the value here is definitely placed higher on relationships than on anything else. Time spent with others is much more important than time spent at work, and for this many of the families do not live well-off or extravagantly by any means. It is something I very much admire, and will hopefully keep in my mind for the rest of my life. Wow, so much to write, but it goes to show I am indeed learning a lot, and in the three months to come I anticipate my eyes to be opened much, much further.