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

Week 1: Ecuador- un país demaciado diverso y rico en su cultura

Ecuador! Finally I have arrived in this beautiful country so rich in its cultural, environmental, and political diversity. My first week has consisted of so many activities that I will not be able to completely capture in this entry. Nonetheless, my overall feelings have been as varied as Ecuador’s landscape- ranging from awe and disbelief at sights I could only previously imagine, to happiness and jubilation with time spent with my new family and fellow students, to being overwhelmed and wore out by living in a foreign environment and having to constantly speak, think, and understand in a new language.

Now that I am here, I find it interesting just how little is known about this country and the mega-diversity it boasts. Off the top of my head, here are a few fascinating facts about this country similar in size to Nevada:

· Altitudes in Ecuador range from 0 – 20,700 ft. above sea level.

· The country boasts three distinct regions: the hot and humid coast of the west, or “La Costa;” the variable and mountainous Andes in the center, or “La Sierra;” and the tropical and nearly uninhabitable rainforest of the east, or “El Orriente.”

· Ecuador has more species of plants, mammals, birds, amphibians, etc per square kilometer than any other country in the world.

· Ecuador is one of the only countries where the equator is easily accessible by humans.

· There are 34 official political parties or movements in Ecuador.

· In its history Ecuador holds 18 different constitutions. The process of drafting the 19^th will begin after elections on September 30.

Without a doubt, the most difficult yet at times most rewarding part of the experience so far has been the acclimation and use of Spanish in every activity. Even though I have studied the language for eight years and consider myself to have conversational skills, the task of concentrating on the language for 24 hours a day has been more draining than I expected. This aspect of the experience has made me realize just how much we as human beings rely on our language as we carry out our lives on a daily basis. I have already struggled on many occasions with not being able to express myself according to my own will with my family, professors, etc. Yet however frustrating the lack of comprehension can be at times, it is usually replaced with feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when I hold a successful conversation or understand a complicated set of instructions from a professor.

Being in Ecuador by itself is fantastic, but making it even more enjoyable are the aspects of MSID study abroad program in which I am partaking. While academic learning is a strength and objective of the program, it is clear that cultural integration and understanding is the fundamental focus of our time in Ecuador. All of our classes and activities are coordinated by Fundación de Cimas; therefore the 26 student s of the program have all of our classes together. All the staff of Cimas is extremely friendly and helpful in helping us get the most out of our experiences.

While there are many aspects to the MSID study abroad program that are fantastic, the part that I have enjoyed the most so far is living with a family. It is an amazing cultural experience and an excellent opportunity to better my language skills. The biography of my family is as follows: my father Carlos works as civil engineer for the government of Ecuador, my mom Facita is a stay-at-home housewife, my sister Karla is a 22-year old recent graduate of a local university’s culinary program, and my 20-year old brother Michael is a current student who enjoys racing 4-wheelers and motocross. The culture here is definitely one focused on touch and relationships, so it has been very easy to integrate into the lives of a family even with a partial language barrier and less than one week’s time.

With all the great things to my experience so far, it has been easy to forget why I am here to study in the first place. Ecuador is a developing country currently undergoing the controversial process of modernization and increasing consumption. Sometimes it is easy to forget this when walking through the streets of Quito and seeing men dressed in suits on their way to work and shopping centers dominated by American retailers. Quito is a modern city with a very well-off middle-upper to upper class, yet with the progressivism comes harsh conditions of poverty unrecognizable by US citizens. Trash often lines the streets and children as young as 8 years old beg for money or offer to shine your shoes just for a few cents.

These are the contrasts and the ironies we will have to face as we move forward in our discussion of development, its ethics, and its consequences- both good and bad. These are not easy issues to face, especially when one is living and breathing the supporting evidence to both sides of the argument on a daily basis. Yet I look forward to living out this debate through classes in life in a metropolitan commercial center and later when I begin a grassroots internship in a more rural and consequently much different environment in less than 2 months.

For now, I will leave you with some pictures taken during different excursions throughout the past week and weekend. The first stems from a city tour given to us by Cimas where we spent most of our time learning about Quito’s centro historic (historic center). In this the oldest part of town the streets are narrow but the plazas are large and magnificently crafted churches seem to appear at every corner.

The next is from a group trip organized by Cimas out to San Miguel de los Bancos, a small city located on the equator about 2 hours from Quito. Here we resided at an amazing resort, enjoying terrific amenities and amazing views of the Andean landscape. There were also many informative tours focusing on the biodiversity of the area and the unique forces created by being at the exact center of the earth.

The forces of the equator being demonstrated

Fernando, our much beloved guide!

The final is from other explorations in Quito- including an excursion up a large hill to a statue called the Virgin of Panesillo with magnificent overlooks of the city.

An exhibit of Andy Warhol in Quito... go figure!