Weeks 12-13: The Essence of True Happiness…

Tuesday, November 20 – Monday, December 3

… is NOT money. NOR is it material possessions. These common sayings are often proclaimed by those who have never worried about meeting a basic necessity. I had also believed these things for much of my life, but wondered if I’d be as chipper without the money to buy new clothes, a variety of food, or to spend on entertainment and travel. However, my last few weeks in Ecuador clearly illustrate that happiness is not provided by money, but rather by the relationships we hold with those close to us.

As I mentioned last time, the time of Thanksgiving is always something I look forward to, and this year was no exception. In fact, it clearly outdid any of my previous Thanksgiving’s in size and scope as I gathered with my family of 150 consisting of fellow students and their families alike. And with every family bringing a dish, the quantity of food per person was unlike any Thanksgiving ever witnessed in the United States. No, this was Thanksgiving Ecuadorian-style, and you don’t want to mess with the Ecuadorians when it comes to food.

However, as I sat at the table with all the turkey, potato side-dishes, and chocolate cake that I could ever want, it was clear that these things had nothing to do with the grin on my face. As all 150 people took their turn with the mic to say a few words about what the day meant to them, I couldn’t have felt more at home. After being away from each other for nearly a month, we were all back together again, just like those families who drive hours in the light flurries to grandmom’s house to see each other for the first time in months. Yes, the food was excellent and the venue top-notch, but I would have been just as grateful if I had been served a plate of pure rice sitting in an abandoned building- as long as my new family was there to share it with me. It set the perfect stage for what was to come later in the weekend.

My Quito Family

On ‘Black Friday,’ instead of finding myself up at the crack of dawn to hit all the deals of Christmas shopping, I was on a bus with my friend Emma on my way into the jungle- the city of Tena to be exact. But this wasn’t to be your typical jungle adventure of river rafting and bird watching. Instead, we were on our way to visit another member of the family who wasn’t able to make it to the Thanksgiving celebration because of the distance (Tena is 6 hours from Quito, or 8 when you have to wait for the road to be cleared of a landslide like we did on Friday). Emily is working in a 100-person community of native Quichwas called San Jancinto. They still maintain many of their traditional cultural practices, including dances, music, and most importantly crafts.

Unfortunately, sources of work are very hard to come by in the area. There is the production of wood which is a strong source of employment, but admirably the people of this community refuse to dedicate themselves to this work at it is destroying their rainforest and environment. In the past, the community worked successfully in the cultivation of coffee beans and the price was relatively high. But in 2000, the country “dollarized,” changing over from the sucre to the US dollar. This was quite a difficult change for everyone in Ecuador working in agriculture, especially those in San Jancinto. The production of coffee was no longer worth their time.

Their houses were donated to them by the government, but are simple and without furniture besides their beds. All the food comes from the land they cultivate, but lacks in variety and therefore nutrition. Still, there is no more money to go around. For example, the community leader has started a community bank, but he told me that the families of the community are doing well to save $1 every month. Another example- we invited the host-sister of Emily to stay the night with us in our Tena hostel. That night, we also went out for pizza and the next morning for pancakes. At 16 years old, it was her first night staying away from her house and her first time trying these foods. There just isn’t any extra money to enjoy these luxuries of life.

However, this does not mean this people full of hope, energy, and kindness do not enjoy their life. Far from it. They welcomed us in to their community with a hospitality and generosity that small-town America could only dream of matching. Every person we met greeted us with a sincere smile and was eager to share their pride in their community. They planned a traditional session of music and dance- just for us- and later invited us to join them. And of course, as this is Ecuador, they fed us well. So why all this outreach just for a couple of Americans who come from a world miles away from theirs? Maybe it was because we were only the 3^rd and 4^th foreigners to ever visit the community. But more probable is that we shared something more genuine than physical surroundings or economic condition. We shared a happiness and an ability to enjoy life that didn’t depend on these things that money buys, but more importantly on the things that human interaction and relationships buys.

Please enjoy these pictures from the weekend. Only 4 weeks and 2 more posts remain for me in Ecuador. What a ride it is going to be!

Misaualli- where monkeys inhabit the town square

Week 11: The Outsider Effect

Tuesday, November 13 – Monday, November 19
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! While I’m jealous of all the feasting I’ll be missing out of, I’m happy to say that the MSIDers will be celebrating Thanksgiving on our own. On Thursday, nearly everybody will return to Quito from their internship sites to give thanks to everything we have been able to learn and experience here in Ecuador! I’ll be sure to send my leftovers back to you. It’s ironic that as one of the most family-orientated and inclusive America Holidays approaches, I have probably never felt so alone in my life. I realize that statement will probably be misinterpreted, so allow me to explain myself…

In my first posting in Yunguilla, I briefly wrote about my feelings of resistance and even rejection by a tight-knit community in a completely different culture. Now I have surpassed that stage of acclamation by building some quality relationships through sharing the work day together, living together, or camping together (see pictures below). So why the loneliness, you ask? Actually, what I speak of is not really loneliness, but more of unfulfillment. Going off the relationships I have built in the past, in this stage of the process I am accustomed to giving and gaining a fair amount of trust and confidence.

Instead, what I’ve encountered is a subtle sense of superiority by my work partners, an unwelcoming of my ideas, a difference of treatment from one-on-one situations to large group situations, and to top everything off, a new family that couldn’t be more unfit for my situation.

Starting with the work situation, things have not gone the way I anticipated them going before I arrived in Yunguilla. Granted, I really had no idea of what I would be doing, but at least I was told that I would be able to design my own work plan. Not really so. Every day, on the other hand, is planned out from start to finish, although the plan usually changes at the beginning of the day. And while weeding and planting gardens, building trails, and clearing out grass with the machete is warmly reminiscent of my childhood on a farm, it is not exactly the academically rich and developing work I was hoping for.

Moreover, at times I have felt slightly humiliated in my work. I really have no experience working with machete or building paths with a hoe. Instead of immediately teaching me the technique by our 20-year old supervisor, I will be allowed to struggle for a while, then quickly taught the style and expected to pick it up perfectly right away. More in a joking sense than in a serious one, but still a bit uncomfortable.

In Yunguilla, like most of the Ecuadorian countryside, they have a certain way of doing things and seem scared or resistant to change. My working partner Emily and I have run into this on different occasions. We really are never asked for our opinion on work related manners, and trying to interject a suggestion is usually met with “but this is the way we’ve always done it.” For example, Emily was helping to make envelopes out of recycled paper one day when she realized the technique was inefficient and was causing the envelopes to be misshaped. When she mentioned a simple modification that would have fixed the problem, she was rejected with the aforementioned response. It is especially frustrating since both of us have experience and knowledge that could be of use to the community- more so in the area of management and coordination that in agriculture- yet we have not even been approached about what skills we might have to offer. However, I still can say that I have enjoyed working outside and taking a break from the grind of an office.

The social phenomenon of Yunguilla is something I have yet to understand. I feel like I have developed some good friendships with members of the community- most of them my age- though working together, playing cards, camping, etc. Yet I will encounter these same people on the weekends down on the soccer field or the volleyball courts, this time in a larger, tight-night group of Yunguillans, and my presence is only acknowledged with a quick hello and maybe a quick joke. I’ll express my interest in playing volleyball but won’t be invited into a game because they don’t think I can play, even though I’ve never been given the chance.

On top of all this, I found myself moving to a new family on Sunday the 18th. It’s not that I didn’t like my old family; in fact I miss them already. The thing is that Yunguilla typically moves their volunteers to a new family every 3 weeks so they can become more familiar with the entire community. I, too, was excited about this opportunity, yet it created a bit of an awkward situation with my old family because I really could have decided to stay with them for the rest of my time.

My new family, from the couple days I have spend with them, is quite friendly yet I find it hard to feel at home. It is an older couple in their 70’s living solo and my mom is short of hearing while my dad is hard to understand due to his absence of teeth. While they seem to try hard to accommodate me, I find it very lonely when the conversation is so hard to come by.

I’m hoping a 4-day weekend away from Yuguilla will give me some renewed energy and perspective in closing out this journey.

Week 10: Tomorrow is Already Very Late

Tuesday, November 6 – Monday, November 12
In my writings, I typically try to bring a message that can be applied to all of our lives. In Ecuador, this has usually meant sifting through the many facets of cross-cultural relations and the complicated self-interpretation of cultural adaption to weave together a reflection. However, this week the message has jumped out at me from many different sources and even completely different continents. It is as simple message, and one that cannot wait for tomorrow to be heard. I hope you’re having a great day, and welcome to another week of Ecuadorian madness!

On Friday, I found myself on the Internet for the first time in over a week-and-a-half. Now, I don’t want to sound like an Internet-dependent when I say that was a long time for me, but it was my longest ‘drought’ in at least 5 years. It’s amazing the emotions that 2 work weeks of information can bring at one time. And while many messages from friends come as pleasant surprises and can leave one longing for home, it’s the unfortunate messages of bad news that not only leave you shocked and depressed, but can leave you longing even more for home, wanting to comfort those affected by the tragedy. From a close friend back in Minnesota, I was informed that one of her good high school friends had died tragically in a car accident. Although I had only met this person a few times before in my life, I felt the need and urge to be there for a close friend. Another close friend currently studying in India who was included in the email reminded us all that life is all too short and unpredictable to not take every chance to tell our friends and family that we love and care for them.

Later that afternoon, I was on my way to visit a friend at a different internship site in a town called Congahua. For the entire weekend, I was welcomed in by her family, who, despite their humble living situation, made every arrangement to ensure my comfort and enjoyment of my time with them. And while I was more than grateful for the meals they fed me and the bed they gave me, I was also feeling somewhat guilty at the same time- what right did I have to accept all these acts of kindness from people probably much less well-off than myself?

Jumping ahead to Sunday, I was fortunate to wrap up my time with the family by attending church service at their community Evangelical congregation. This was especially exciting in a predominately Catholic country and as I had only attended Catholic services up to this point. Surprisingly, the message with most impact came during the first 3 minutes of the service. The guitar player and lead singer read a beautiful passage with a similar message to that of my friend halfway around the globe. It read “mañana ya es muy tarde para…” (tomorrow already is very late to…) tell the people in our life that we love them, to give thanks for all that we have, and to do many of the other important things that matter in life. This touched me greatly, especially in light of events back home and reflection from a completely different part of the world. Through the power of God and the Holy Spirit, 3 separate worlds had been united under one simple reminder… why wait until tomorrow to do the important things that matter today? Live in the moment.

Back on the Yunguilla front, nothing new has really developed, as is to be expected in the simple life. Especially in light of the projects that many of my other friends are working on in their internships, it has been a bit of a disappointment how simple and non-academic the work here has been. Still, I keep reminding myself to live in the moment and learn as much as a can from this dynamically simple place.

I’ll leave you with some pictures of the weekend, which consisted in a double birthday party and more exploring of the beautiful, yet rainy, Ecuadorian countryside. See you in another week.

An Ecuadorian tradition at birthday parties

Another tradition- stuffing your face in the cake

Week 9: How the Simple Life Can Be So Complicated

Tuesday, October 30 – Monday, November 5

Greetings from a rainy, chilly Yunguilla. Although I’m sure it’s not quite as cold here as it is where you’re reading this. Well, I definitely was on with my prediction last week of having to make another adjustment as I moved out to the Ecuadorian countryside. Everything is different out here- the living conditions, the speed of life, the food, and the general atmosphere. This change has provided yet another roller-coaster of emotions from love to hate to belonging to longing and everything in-between, sometimes within a span of just minutes. The approach to life here in Yunguilla is so very simple, yet for me the adjustment to this style of life has been complicated.

My first day in Yunguilla is a great illustration of my new style of life. First, I was introduced to my new family- a humble and compassionately kind couple with 8 children, of which only 2 still live in the house. Another 4 live in Yunguilla or the neighboring community, and those who live in Quito come back on the weekends to visit. Their massive family speaks to the big-family mentality of los campensinos (people of the countryside) and their close proximity is typical of Ecuadorians. Nearly immediately I was served my first meal, a heaping plate of rice, potatoes, and a cabbage salad. Since that meal, not much has changed- I have eaten potatoes in some form for every meal (yes, even in the soup I eat for breakfast), and the quantities my family gives me has me thinking that I appeared underfed in arriving in Yunguilla (which definitely in not true).

After leaving the dinner table completely stuffed and barely able to walk, I was to wait for one of the community leaders to stop by so we could begin on some work for the afternoon. As I settled into my room, which is actually a section of the living room partially sectioned off by the only dresser in the entire house, it began to rain. I have learned this is a quite common occurrence in the afternoon in the cloud forest. Exhausted from an early morning, I decided to take a little nap, woke up to converse with my family for an hour before eating another healthy portion of food. To my surprise, I learned my family owned a television as we sat down in one of the two bedrooms to watch one of the infamous Ecuadorian TV ‘novelas’ (basically evening soap-operas). As 9 o’clock rolled around, I felt that usual wave of tiredness sweep over me and called it a day. The community leader never came.

And so is the life in Yunguilla. Work, while an important component to the daily life, does not take precedence over family, food, or having sufficient time to relax. Nearly everything that is used in daily life has been taken off the surrounding land and little is wasted. As my host-mother told me while we were eating our first lunch together, “Out here, we live simply and without worries. None of the distractions of the big cities are present here to threaten our safety or peace of mind.” Although I have been freaked out a few times by the sounds of chickens or pigeons scratching on the door or walking on the roof at night as I read, I would have to agree with her assessment. Learning to live in harmony with the land and forget the hassles of MY usual everyday life have been some of the main lessons from my first week.

While I anticipated being exposed to these lessons before even coming to Yunguilla, I didn’t anticipate feeling so confused by them. Three and a half years of college life, work-packed summers, and action-packed vacation time really had taken its toll. I had constantly been self-motivated to keep busy, but the lifestyle of Yunguilla had left me no choice but to slow down. A week and a half without Internet! Hit-and-miss cell phone service. Waking up every morning to sights like this out your window.

Easier said than done. Seriously!

Arriving in Yunguilla the week I did was actually excellent timing on my part (not like I had a choice). First of all, Friday was the widely celebrated Latin holiday of Día de los Difuntos (Muertos). Along with the holiday, Yunguilla held a little celebration of its own on Saturday night with dancing- Yunguilla style. I was glad to be around for the weekend as it was a great introduction to large family living, the people of Yunguilla, and adjusting to being extremely outnumbered by native Spanish-speakers who are comfortable with their way life. This latter point was the source of a lot of uncomfortable situations- not being included in circles of conversation, playfully being ridiculed as ‘gringo,’ not understanding jokes or just conversation in general, and having my accent made fun of- all of which I’m glad I went through and that I now realize are part of the acclimation process. There we times when I longed for the familiarity of United States culture, the ease of the English language, and the comfort of old friends. Yet over the last few days, I have noticeably gained more confidence in fitting into the community and the community has begun to see me more as a member rather than a tourist. It is a great feeling, especially in this community so focused on enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Still, in only a five week span, there is only so much one can do to engrain into the community. I will be careful not to expend too much energy worrying about this process in a place to which I may never return.

Backtracking to Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased), this holiday was quite the sight to behold. The tradition is that families will gather in the days before the holiday to make a drink called the ‘colada morada’ and a food called the ‘guaguas de pan’ (little bread loafs in the shape of babies). On the holiday, the family will eat this traditional food and visit the cemetery as a way to remember their deceased. We journeyed to Calacalí, the closest town to Yunguilla, where most of our family members were buried. The cemetery was packed with people in this town of no more than 15,000 people, all coming out to decorate their family’s gravesites, drink their colada morada, or even eat some ice cream being sold by one of the many vendors gendering around the graveyard. Surprisingly, the mood I felt was not somber or serious by any means, but rather more of a sense of obligation or tradition mixed with being carefree and happy.

Finally, a very enjoyable part of my weekend was accompanying my family or a half-day trip to the Río Verde and a wonderful waterfall where we enjoyed swimming in unwelcomingly cold water. Into three vans we packed a good 25 in number, which included 5 of the 8 children and a hefty number of grandchildren of my host-parents. Nothing out of the ordinary for them, but a lot for me to keep track of. Just like my first week in Yunguilla. Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day!

Weeks 7 & 8: An Ecuadorian Way of Conversation and Adios a Quito

Tuesday, October 16 – Monda,y October 29

¡Hola! Happy to be here for another week of sharing in this my final day in Quito for the next 5 weeks. Prepping to leave Quito has been quite a busy time; therefore this post covers my past two weeks of activity. The end of the ‘classes’ section of the academic program brought a few tests to take and essays to write over the past week. Additionally, it was a busy time hanging out with friends in Quito before we all go our separate ways tomorrow.

More than before, my social interactions during this time have been with Ecuadorians rather than my ‘gringo’ friends. In this sense, I have taken the opportunity to observe the fascinating aspects of Ecuadorian conversation and how it forms an important part of the Latin American culture. A few weeks ago, my Spanish professor informed our class about his perception of the priorities in conversation amongst the people here. In terms of topics of conversations, his order of popularity was as follows: 1) family, 2) food, 3) problems/issues, 4) recreation. Initially, I had a hard time believing an order like this could actually be observed or justified, but as I become more engrained into the Ecuadorian life, the culture-conversation connection is obvious.

Two Friday’s ago, I partook in what has been one of my favorite yet most simple experiences since being in the country. The host-brother of my good friend Emma, an MSID student, was truing 18 years old. Eighteen is the most important age in Ecuador, the 21 of the United States if you will, because it is the legal age to drive, vote, drink, and smoke, not to mention be considered an adult. Therefore, in true Ecuadorian style, their family was using the whole week to celebrate this momentous occasion with multiple parties and the like. Most important, though, was the surprise party that was being thrown on Friday night as more than 20 relatives were invited. I and one other friend of Emma’s had the privilege of attending as well. The night’s events not only revealed, though conversation, a cultural enlightenment of values, but were also a perfect example of the first two values in action- family and food.

Again, in true Ecuadorian fashion, the surprise party was supposed to begin at 7pm, but relatives didn’t start arriving until about 8 and the birthday boy finally showed up around 9:30. For the next 3 hours, though, spirited conversation, plenty of joking, lots of laughter, and an abundance of food defined the atmosphere. While my comprehension at times could not keep up with the rapid-fire of Spanish, I still felt like I understood more than just words.

And, of course, the big four topics all came up during the evening. First of all, how are the cousins? What about Grandma Margarita who couldn’t make it tonight? How have the children been enjoying the new school year? Even though it seemed like practically the entire family was in each other’s presence, there was no lack of family talk that night. Second, the food. How delicious is this rice! How did you ever prepare this? Third, there are always plenty of issues for Ecuadorians to talk about. Can you believe the results of the Asemblea Constituyente? Did you hear about those 8 accidents within a two hour span in Quito yesterday? Why would the government ever give in to let Santa Elena become its own providence? Finally, there’s the fun stuff: the soccer scene, travels, nightlife, and the likes.

Perhaps even more interesting, though, are the topics that are almost never discussed by Ecuadorians. In a country that is almost 95% Catholic on paper, the issue of religion is, for all intents and purposes, never discussed outside of the church walls. It is apparently a touchy subject for a lot of Ecuadorians who may be ashamed of not practicing a religion that asks for a weekly commitment to mass. Also rarely touched is the topic of work. It is very strange to her anybody talk about their career ambitions or daily work routine outside of the office, therefore marking a great difference between our way of conversation and theirs. For example, a few weeks ago my host-sister began a teaching job in 4^th grade, but when I asked my mother what subjects exactly she would be teaching, she literally had no idea.

Before even coming to Ecuador, I knew the Latin American culture was one focused on family, food, and enjoying the simple things in life. Now in coming here and actually being a part of the culture, I have seen how the ways of conversation amongst the people reflect their values in everyday life. It also becomes clear that the topics of conversation in America reflect our priorities. Sometimes, we are a culture that gets caught up in doing and doing without taking time out to enjoy some of the simpler things in life. I find it no surprise, therefore, that a lot of our conversation focuses around work and our busy daily lives.

Now, as I am preparing to leave Quito, my thoughts are most of excitement and anticipation. These two experiences will be so different that I am essentially ending one chapter of my life and starting another one. I have thoroughly enjoyed the city of Quito, but at the same time it is a major population center and therefore still hard to escape the go-go-go mentality even in this Latin America culture. Tomorrow, the readjustment process begins again. Please stay tuned.

Finally, I leave you with a few pictures from Mitad del Mundo, a popular tourist destination located, of course, on the equator. I traveled with Emma and her parents- the same wonderful family that hosted the birthday party. My travels over the past weekend also involved riding the only operating train in Ecuador which carves through the Andes and scales up the “Devil’s Nose.” With a 7 hour train ride and 10 hours in bus to get to and return from the train station, I was riding in some form of transportation for 17 hours during a 32 hour vacation! Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Your typical cheesy photo

Week 6: A Beachy Experience

Tuesday, October 9 – Monday, October 15

Hello good friends, another warm welcome to this week’s blog. I hope you had as much fun celebrating the Independence of Guayaquil as I did. I am learning that the people of Ecuador love take advantage of any special event or anniversary by celebrating. Guayaquil is the largest city of Ecuador, and on the 9^th of October it celebrated 183 years of independence. In fact, the whole country celebrated this occasion with a “feriado,” or national holiday, later in the week on Friday. Add a World Cup 2010 preliminary qualifying game with Venezuela and you have a weekend to remember. I did my part to celebrate, heading out to the coast with what seemed like the rest of the country. It was an experience that helped experience more of the beautiful diversity- and unfortunate realities- of the country.

The place of destination was Tonsupa, a small beach town located in the providence of Esmeraldas. The feel of the region was noticeably different from the mountainous Sierra region that I am accustomed to. Everything moved at a faster pace- even on the beach where things are normally more relaxed. Vendors would hassle you more here, restaurants would compete harder for your business, and taxi drivers with empty cars would stop to ask you if you needed a ride. Clearly, the allure of the beach and the holiday weekend contributed to this sense of urgency. Surprisingly enough, though, this was not a popular ‘gringo’ (the common word for white foreigner) destination. Usually a high level of activity indicates a large number of gringos, but in this case the tourist population was natives. All this may have contributed to an unusual tension that I felt throughout the weekend.

Despite the fast-paced environment, our group still found time to enjoy ourselves through many of the traditions that come with being at the beach. Fresh seafood and coconut drinks were everywhere you turned, and you could choose to take a nap or enjoy a beer in one of the countless hammocks lining the sand. Soccer and volleyball was also a popular activity for the natives, and I didn’t mind joining in. During the night, the beach cavanas, little huts stationed in the sand, pumped out the salsa and regatón music loud enough that the beats from neighboring cavanas were impossible to distinguish as people danced the night away. Best of all, very accommodating and warm ocean water welcomes you in to enjoy the waves crashing against your body.

However, that tension I was speaking about earlier unfortunately turned into a moment of fear and frustration on our second night. Two separate incidents of muggings in our group within a 7 hour span bring perspective to some harsh realities in a sometimes too-real paradise. I was present the second time when two young adolescents- one with a broken glass bottle and the other with part of a seatbelt- approached us as we were walking back to our apartment from the beach- about a 10 minute walk. Thankfully, no one was injured in our group, but it’s an experience that leaves lasting images in your mind and weakens your trust in fellow human beings.

The most interesting part of the experience, though, was observing the reactions of Ecuadorians to the muggings. This turns out to be such a common occurrence in the country that the response of people to my story was more of commonplace or even boredom rather that surprise or concern. When others in my group told their respective host-families, the reactions were similar. Some families even jokingly poked fun at my friends. A cultural difference indeed. Even more frustrating, though, was that the first- and maybe only- question that people would ask was if the robbers were ‘negros’ (blacks). Here the present- but often denied- racism of the blanco (white) and mestizo (indigenous and white mixed) shows its ugly head. The stereotype has roots in the fact that the providence of Esmeraldas has the highest concentration of negros in the country.

On a more positive note, I have solidified my internship site over the past week. I will be serving in Yunguilla, the community of 50 families I spoke of a few weeks ago. I honestly have no idea what my work will specifically consist of, but the important thing is that there are only 2 very small offices in the village with one computer (without internet). Therefore, it will be a work experience unlike any I have had, but most importantly, an experience in living outside of the fast-paced and information-cluttered world as I have known it. It should provide for some good stories to share with you all in the future!

Until that point, take care and enjoy every moment!

Week 5: A Handshake and a Kiss on the Cheek

Tuesday, October 2 – Monday, October 8

As the weeks pass here in Ecuador, the small yet profound cultural tendencies are beginning to have more of any impact on me and my global perspective. But first, very warm greetings to all of you as I hope you are having a fabulous day. The fact that I almost forgot to start off this post with salutations perfectly illustrates a simple lesson with great importance that has become clear to me over the past week. How often are we in such a hurry or have so many things of ‘substance’ to say that we forget to extend a welcome to those is our physical (or digital) presence? The importance of acknowledging the presence of someone cannot be underestimated.

In the Latin American and Ecuadorian culture, I had been told and causally observed the importance of salutations. However, in a series of visits to rural organizations as part of the ‘microfinance track’ of the academic program and in my other travels over the weekend, the act of greeting and initial conversation made a lasting impression in my mind. Throughout the daily course of life in this country, every encounter and departure with friends, family, or acquaintances involves the customary action of recognition. Between two females or a male and a female, this entails a soft hug and a simultaneous kiss on opposite cheeks. Between two males, the action is a firm handshake sometimes accompanied by a one-armed hug or pat-on-the-back.

In ‘our’ culture usually a wave or nod will do, especially in large groups. Not the case in Ecuador- at times during the past week we would be in meeting with 10 or more people when someone would walk in late, but instead of the meeting continuing without interruption, we would pause so that the individual could make their way around to greet every single person. Undoubtedly, this act sends the critical message to every person in the room that their presence is more important than whatever topic is being discussed.

Most times, the greeting is just the beginning of a longer process of acclimation and general concern over the well-being of a person. How are you doing? How’s the family? How are you handling this rainy, cold weather? (The rainy part is true, the cold part not so much…) One-word answers are generally not accepted here. I have a friend back in MN whom I wish I communicated with more because of his generally concern for a person’s state of being. It sure is a good feeling when someone is willing to take 5 minutes out of their day to listen to how your day is going with genuine concern.

This past Sunday evening, I found myself in Cotacachi, a rather small town in rural Ecuador, after returning from a five hour hike around the rim of a volcanic crater lake (see pictures below). The events that transpired that night bring light to and expand upon this aspect of Ecuadorian culture. As we returned from our excursion, I took the bit of downtime we had to explore around the town and buy some postcards. In the postcard shop, the clerk struck up a casual conversation with me that lasted for more than ½ hour. It turns out we had more in common than I would have ever expected, as she studied for two years in Richmond, VA, the city where I spent the past summer working. What’s more, she invited my friends and I over to her house after dinner!

She also recommended a great restaurant that proved to be the biggest surprise of the evening. When we entered the restaurant, there was only one other party there, but it was a group of about twenty. We came to find out that about half the group was from the US and the other half was indigenous families, and they were partaking in some kind of partnership or exchange program. After they had finished their meal, which was about halfway through ours, the music in the restaurant suddenly got louder and the whole group began to dance salsa. I must say that although the music was a little load, I was feeling the excitement as salsa has become an addiction of mine since visiting some of the salsatecos in Quito. After we finished our meal, we decided to get up and join the party, dancing and sharing in the fun for nearly 2 more hours. By this time, it was too late to go visit our new friend, but her simple friendliness and outreach had made an impact on me. It was clear Ecuadorians were a people who put conversation and valued time with others above their concerns for time and schedules. How else can you explain a group of 20 getting up after a meal and dancing for 2+ hours? Oh, and by the way, when we left the restaurant every person in our group personally gave each of the 20 the farewell custom.

Halfway around the Laguna Cuicocha

Another great highlight of the weekend was experiencing the famous outdoor market of Otavalo on Saturday. It is one of the greatest spectacles I have witnessed in Ecuador, as the night before the streets are completely empty, but by 6am the next morning, thousands upon thousands of indigenous vendors have filled the streets and plazas of the town with spectacular hand-made crafts. It is a testament to the great pride, tradition, and culture of an important ethnicity of Ecuadorian people. The picture below does not do the size of the market justice… it is probably 10 times this size!

Other fantastic sights within walking distance of Otavalo

Part of the indigenous family we stayed with as a part of our Microfinance Field Trip

With that, I wish you a very enjoyable rest of your day, and send you off with a handshake if you’re a gentleman or a kiss on the cheek if you’re a lady.

Week 4: Politics- The Same in Any Language

Tuesday, September 25 – Monday, October 1

Time is passing very quickly once again… already ¼ through with my time here in Ecuador. As I have mentioned in almost every past blog, Ecuador is beginning the monumental political process of drafting a new constitution through the election of an “Asemblea Constituyente” (Constitutional Assembly). Even though it is the country’s 19^th constitution, this is a major event in history for the people of Ecuador. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to observe the election of this assembly on Sunday and witness how another country holds their elections.

Perhaps the most interesting facet of Ecuador’s political system is the obligatory vote of all legal citizens, with the exception of a few select groups such as military personnel or those with a mobility-limiting illness. Coming from a country which celebrates a 50% voter turnout, I began to consider the consequences, both positive and negative, of the mandatory vote. Surly, it promotes more widespread citizen concern in government and state affairs, but I’m not sure if this is solely a phenomenon that occurs around the times of elections. Without a doubt, I have seen a definite passion from many Ecuadorians in their discussion of politics. In addition to this, it intuitively would force potential candidates to focus on issues that pertain to all demographics, not just those who vote in strong numbers. On the other hand, there are surly those citizens with an apathetic attitude towards politics whose vote would be uniformed, thus defying the underlying principle of democracy.

The other big point of discussion in Ecuador with the obligatory vote appears to be the right to vote of illiterate citizens. I may have stated in an earlier blog that the illiteracy rate in Ecuador is 80%; luckily I was misinformed on this statistic and it is actually 15%. Nonetheless, this topic of discussion is quite controversial, especially amongst my family. Those in opposition of this right claim than illiterates, because they cannot read, do not have the ability to become informed voters and hence have a negative impact on election results because of their ‘ignorance.’ Unfortunately, it seems that many middle- and upper-class families hold this viewpoint. From my perspective, the illiterate population has resources available to become informed voters such as the television and radio. Granted these may not always be the most objective sources, but I wonder how many other voters take advantage of printed candidate info, especially with 1000+ candidates to sift through in every providence.

Another quirky thing about Ecuador’s election process is the prohibition of the public sale of alcohol in the days leading up to the election. With the election held on Sunday, the ban started on Friday morning at 12:01am and lasted until Monday at noon. And with the ban, Quito seemed to turn into a ghost town during the evenings as streets usually filled with nightlifers were vacant. The logic behind the law: ensure all citizens are in a tranquil state of mind to consciously make decisions.

Before I go any further, here is a quick overview of how the Constitution Assembly and the elections are working. In total, there are 130 seats in the assembly- 24 filled by national candidates and the rest by providential candidates (Ecuador has 22 providences, and the number of candidates per providence logically depends on its population). Between the two levels, national and local, exist approximately 35 political parties and/or movements which are called ‘listas.’ Each ‘lista’ is identified by both a name and number and is only allowed to run the as many candidates as there are available seats on the national or local level (they can’t run 40 national candidates for the 24 seats). In January, the elected assembly will convene in a new building specifically constructed for the purpose of the assembly and begin to draft the new constitution. They will have 6 months to complete the project with the option of extending it another 3.

So now on to the actual voting process, which I observed as I accompanied my family to the polls on Sunday morning. In all reality, it wasn’t that much different than the US- in fact, for my family, it was a very quick process since they all voted ‘en plancha,’ meaning all for the same ‘lista.’ And the results? Lista 35, which is the Alianza Pais group sponsored by the current President Rafael Correa, won nearly 70% of the seats in the assembly. Most Ecuadorians I have talked to are positive about the results of the election, saying it signifies the people are asking for a change. Even more important is the anticipated change will happen peacefully, which few Latin American countries have been able to achieve. The reason people are so confident in a positive change is the fact that Alianza Pais is not a mainstream political party in Ecuador; instead it was formed to sponsor the presidential campaign of Correa. Moreover, the traditional powerhouse parties in Ecuador have started to lose support in a big way. In any case, when the constitution is all said and done, it will be interesting to see if the government will have the ability to actually implement and enforce the changes proposed by the constitution- a problem currently existing in Ecuador.

However, like in any country, with politics always comes controversy and never consensus. Ecuador is no exception, with a great illustration coming right from my home. My family couldn’t have been more frustrated by the election results, claiming it shows the ignorance of the people (going back to the illiterate argument). To me, it’s amazing how people coming from essentially the same socioeconomic class and set of beliefs can hold such different opinions about politics. Sometimes, we just have to be content and let politics run its own course, not letting it affect the way we live our lives. This does not change with culture or language.

Back in the academic world, all students are now undergoing the process of selecting our internship sites, where we will spend 5 weeks starting the last week of October. The intership will allow us to experience and observe many of the facets of development that we’ve been learning about in the classroom. Simultaneously, we will be doing research and writing our ‘monografía,’ a significant research paper that will serve as our final project. I, along with one of the other two males in the program, had the opportunity to visit a potential internship site on Friday. The village is called Yunguilla, and while it is located about 1.5 hours outside of Quito it is a completely different world. Approximately 40 families comprise this community, which operates a completely sustainable community development project with 90% participation from the inhabitants. Projects include a cheese and jelly production along with a tourism business operated through student partnerships in Quito. The landscape is absolutely amazing, which you can see by the pictures below. To me, more interesting than the scenery or the development projects would be the opportunity to live in a place where community is the most important aspect of life, not to mention completely isolated conditions from the modernized world. I will probably visit another site before making a decision on where I will work, and look forward to keeping you posted on my decision.

Most of the village is visible from here

One of the thrills of the transportation to Yunguilla- riding in the back of a truck!

Week 3: The Blight of Western Consumerism

Tuesday, September 18 – Monday, September 24

First of all, my apologies go out for not getting this blog up earlier. It is a testament to my new lifestyle, which usually consists of an uncontrollable feeling of tiredness which sweeps over me around 10 o’clock, making any sort of activity after this time nearly impossible. I think I underestimated the amount of energy and brainpower it takes to speak, listen to, write, and take classes in a foreign language. My college days of staying up until 2am without even blinking an eye are definitely over! In fact, my weekday routine is very reminiscing of my high school days: wake up early to get ready for school; sit in classes from about 9am – 4pm (without really too much movement in-between); return home to my family to do homework, eat dinner, and watch some television; and, of course, hit the hay early. Nine hours of sleep per night certainly has its perks!

Second, I’d like to send out a quick thank you to everybody for the happy birthday wishes. On the 18^th, I celebrated #22 and had a very enjoyable day!

Speaking of lifestyle, another theme that popped out at me over the past week was the way Western consumerism, driven of course by the United States, has impacted Ecuadorian culture in the bigger cities such as Quito and Guayquil. It is important to note that when I speak of this phenomenon, it does not apply to the greater Ecuadorian culture- I have been told and briefly witnessed the stark cultural differences that exist between urban and rural areas. Another important disclaimer to make is that when we talk about culture, the generalized statements we make surely do not imply to ever person participating in that dominant culture- there are always exceptions or varying degrees no matter the country.

Contrary to many assumptions that people may have about third-world (or developing) countries such as Ecuador, very modern cities do exist within them. Quito, with a population just short of 2 million, is a great example of such a city. For a city about 20 times as long as it is wide, the bus system is can be a bit confusing to the foreigner, but once known it is undeniably easier and more efficient to navigate than Minneapolis’ public transit system. State-of-the-art hotels, centros comerciales (malls), restaurants, and cars can bring you back for a moment to that familiar American luxury. The presence of multi-national corporations such as KFC, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, and Ralph Lauren, just to name a few, is having an effect on the way Ecuadorians consume. In fact, when walking through one of the centros comericales the other day, I felt like I was in Ridgedale, Maplewood Mall, or Mall of America with the number of American brand-name stores present.

Ecuador’s economic emphasis on privatization and free-markets over the past decades has led to the presence of a number of Ecuadorian-born corporate giants a well. For example, there are 4 major banks in Ecuador that control over 50% of the credit market yet only compose 8% of all banks in Ecuador. The result in a country with underdeveloped credit and banking regulations has been exploitation through unreasonably high interest rates, especially to the poorest of clients. Another example lies in SuperMaxi, Ecuador’s dominant supermarket chain. With this are other large retailers popping up, some argue that the infamous “Wal-Mart effect” is inevitable- meaning a lot of the small street-corner stores that make the marketplace unique will be put in jeopardy of going out of business.

Whether trends such as this are beneficial or detrimental to the economy is up for debate and not something to bore you with in this blog. However, what is interesting is how the trend of modernism, privatization, and free markets has impacted the lifestyle and culture of people living in areas of this consumerism influence. I can say this with at least some confidence because I can see how it impacts the values of my own host-family here in Ecuador. Again, I want to disclaimer that my following observations are meant to be just that- not criticisms on the way my family lives their life. In my preparation reading for living with a host family, I was given the precaution to be flexible with the set of values my family may hold and an overall more simple style of life that I was used to in America. Therefore, it has come as a surprise that the individual values held by my family have, in many ways, mirrored the values of many living in America or the rest of the ‘developed’ world.

What are these values? From my perspective, it can be a focus on consuming and owning material goods to give one’s self happiness. Or, if one gets caught in the cycle, consuming and producing can be done just for the sake of doing it. Sometimes, it’s putting things such as watching television, movies, or playing video games ahead of sharing time and conversation with family or friends. Lastly, it can be the accumulation of wealth for motives of feeling secure, powerful, or wealthy. In some way, everybody living in America or other parts of the ‘Westernized’ society has followed these values to some degree or another, not excluding me.

So how have I witnessed examples of these values here with my family in Ecuador? To start, my four-person family owns three vehicles in a city where the volume of traffic often makes it much more logical and efficient to take the bus. In my three weeks here, I’ve seen one of the cars only driven once, while the others are used more frequently. As I mentioned briefly in a previous blog, my brother is very much into racing 4-wheelers. After my father & I spent most of Saturday fixing his Susuki moto, he took it out to the rough terrain of the mountains on Sunday with a few of his friends. Before he left, I was asking him about some of the gear he was wearing. His moto: $10,000, friend’s moto: $20,000, racing boots: $500, and other gear: a couple more hundred. Finally, I would estimate that in my 3 weeks here I have watched more television than I did over the past 6 months combined (which isn’t saying much, since I rarely watch TV outside of the football and baseball season). In my house, the main TV is located in the kitchen, which also serves as the dining room. The actual dining room, which doesn’t have a TV, is usually coved with random papers and is only used for special occasions or guests. Same with the living room. When somebody is in the kitchen, the TV is always on, even as we share a meal. My host mom says it’s her companion or company, which is understandable when she’s cooking alone but hard to believe when 2 or 3 others are in the room together. Besides in the kitchen, I believe everybody has a TV in their room. The other day for dinner, I was excited to share a dinner with my brother who is usually never around in the evening (passing time with his girlfriend). Needless to say I was disappointed when my mom brought his plate of food up to his room, as I’m guessing he was occupied with watching motocross videos on his computer.

Why has this all been so strongly brought to my attention since my time in Ecuador? A big reason is the perspective I’ve been gaining from classes- some of which have focused on the ethics and philosophy of development strategies in developing countries. It’s one thing to hear about the impact of capitalism and neoliberal thinking on developing countries when you are in the United States where this lifestyle is already dominant. It’s another thing to hear a contra-capitalism perspective in a country where this style of system hasn’t exactly worked in the past. These new perspectives on development, combined with the observations of an increasingly consumerism-based culture, have caused me to ponder the following thoughts.

In our society, are we letting the role of material things replace the role of people in our life? What does it mean when a dinner with the family is replaced by a movie, or when the potential of conversation is deterred by the constant distraction of a television? When our focus is on consumption and money, how do we set our limits? When we can afford that 4^th car, we can always find a reason for needing it. Maybe we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, what is development and its impact on our societies? Surely, in Ecuador we would like a higher quality of life for those lacking the basic necessities of food, shelter, health care, and education. At the same time, do we want the ‘need’ for material things to replace our human need for interaction and true happiness? These are some questions I’ve been provoked to thinking about and I hope you would consider doing so as well.

I would like to wrap up by making it clear that by no means has the Ecuadorian culture been assimilated into that of the United States. I simply want to make the point that no culture, no matter how different, is not sheltered from the influences of other cultures. Ecuador is a completely different in many respects, and I will continue to elaborate upon this in future posts. In fact, one example of this occurred on Sunday the 23^rd, when I had the opportunity to participate in Quito’s Ciclopaseo with my father and sister. Every other Sunday in Quito, a route of roads from north to south is completely shut off to traffic so that cyclists can enjoy the open road and all the spectacles of the city. What better way to pass a Sunday than with friends, family, and fellow residents all enjoying the diversity of the city, its high volume of interaction and activity, and the beautiful views of the Andes. Even in a metropolitan area where it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, it is refreshing to know that so many Quitoians (not sure if that’s the proper term) take time to enjoy life and their city. Below are some photos from the journey.

On Friday the 21^st, I also got to experience another spectacle of Quito, the Telefériqo. It is a tram built up the side of the Mount Pinchincha and climbs over 1000 meters in just 10 minutes. From the top, we hiked about another 4 hours to the near summit of this mountain. The whole journey offers spectacular views of the city and of the surrounding landscape.

Week 2: Preguntas

Tuesday, September 11 – Monday, September 17

As is expected in any extreme cultural adaptation, an initial excitement and love for the culture is usually followed by unending and sometimes unanswerable questions. My second week in Ecuador definitely fit this generalization. In a country with so many aspects to be celebrated, it is hard to accept many of the ironies and realities that come about in daily life. This is what I found myself struggling with over the past week (not to mention the inevitable sickness that came over the weekend but is thankfully now gone).

Every day as I go through my normal progression of activities I am faced with these questions. As I walk to class every morning I pass by the same fruit stand, and every day the same 8 year old boy is there helping his mother. Why isn’t this boy in school, I ask? Then I start to piece together some of the things I have been learning- judging by his mother’s style of dress, he probably comes from an indigenous family. Like many other native peoples, they have probably resorted to abandoning their Andean culture in a small community to come to the bigger city for a better economic opportunity. Not until the last Ecuadorian constitution of 1998 were indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian peoples granted equal rights to the mestizo and blanco races of Ecuador. Nonetheless, the indigenous and black communities have faced oppression since 1492 and the ‘discovery’ of American by you-know-who. Their ancestors have been treated like animals, considered to have no soul and therefore inferior because their language, religion, and overall way of life was not ‘civilized.’ And so now you can begin to put the pieces into place… like 80% of all Ecuadorians, this mother is probably illiterate; therefore, lacking the savvy and foresight to put her son in school, especially since she needs help at the stand. And so now you can begin to see how one simple question has opening up a whole story of understanding- understanding of a history of a people’s hurt, oppression, and sadness, yet an unwillingness to give up their roots.

Just as I pass by the fruit stand, I encounter a short tree that’s been lopped off 2 feet from its base. The tree has been like this for the past 4 days now. Why doesn’t somebody clean it up? All the while I have been walking by spare litter, with an occasional heap shoved in a street corner somewhere. I must plug my nose as I pass by. Why doesn’t somebody clean it up? Now I’ve come to a rather busy street that I must cross, which is a complicated and usually dangerous activity in Quito. Here, the pedestrians have no rights so you must be opportune and sneaky in your strategies. As I slither my way behind a bus in one lane and a taxi in the other, I mistakenly inhale a mouthful of pollution. But it’s not just these two vehicles, it’s every one. Why doesn’t anybody care about the cleanliness of the air they’re breathing? And so now you can see how some questions cannot so easily be answered.

Finally I make my way onto the bus, which only slows to a crawl for me to hop on. I haven’t sat down but for one minute when two street venders pop on the bus, walking up and down the aisle with their breath mints & gum or daily newspapers. Why are they allowed to get on and off for free? I wonder how much they make selling a pack of mints for 25 cents. Later in the week I’m on a coach bus on the way out of town to a place called Baños. Surely there won’t be any interruptions on this ride like on the city buses. Well, actually there were more. There was the typical up-and-down the aisle display and yell technique along with a new bus selling strategy I had never seen before. At least three people employed what I would call the true salesmen strategy- pitching a product for at least 5 minutes, allowing the customer to explore and test the product, and finally complete the sale. There was the man I thought was a representative of the bus company by the way he introduced himself, but instead was selling magnetic bracelets of which he elaborated upon the health benefits for a good 15 minutes. I’d estimate 20 of the 40 people on the bus purchased one for $2. Another man took his time in the spotlight selling candies, but instead of speaking about their health benefits he was giving the captive audience a heartfelt testimony of the difficult living situations of his family. Is his being sincere? If so, how can I justify giving money to him and not the hundreds of other beggars and street children who have approached me? And so now you can start to see how it is hard to ask some of these questions. It’s easy to feel guilty refusing sales to three children- one selling shoe-shines for 25 cents and another mints for 5-on your walk to buy a $45 cell phone that you really don’t need.

My objective in asking these questions is not to criticize a country or its culture. It is just the opposite- to gain a better understanding and to learn the most from my experiences which is all I can ask for here in my time in Ecuador. In our classes, we’ve been talking a lot about a Western definition of development and the Western way of thinking. In our style of living, it is very popular to divide concepts into binaries where one half of the pair is good and the other is exactly the opposite. The lesson I’ve learned from this is to conceptualize every new question or concept I encounter not as good vs. bad, beneficial vs. detrimental, but with humility and an overarching goal of understanding. I’m finding it’s a refreshingly humiliating and enlightening way to view the world.

As I mentioned above, my weekend consisted of a trip to a town called Baños with some good friends from the program. Baños is a beautiful city set in the mountains and known for its natural hot spring baths, hiking and biking paths, rafting, or any other outdoor adventure you could desire. We did a little hiking, biking, and relaxing in the hot springs at night to relax. Here are the pictures to prove it. We’ll see you next week!

Bridge jumping! Although I didn't partake

Yep, I fell by the waterfall