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 19th 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.
1 comment:
Glad you made it bud! Sounds like a great experience thus far... keep working hard on the spanish!
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