“It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!”

Pitstop!

This past weekend, my host mom invited me to join her for a neighborhood picnic. It sounded like fun, so I told her I would go. Little did I know, I would be riding on the top of an open, double-decker tour bus, ducking under wires and dodging tree branches to get there (but that is an entirely different story). We ended up in a little city called “Sigsig,” where we stopped at a park for lunch. The sun was shining; but it wasn't too hot, and the sky was blue. It was a perfect day, and it was here that I met three very unique individuals that I will use this blog to describe.

No Name, mid 50s: I noticed a very tall, pale man sitting a few rows in front of me on the bus. Based on these two characteristics, I assumed he wasn't from Ecuador, but I didn’t question it. After arriving at the park, my host mom approached him and basically said, “This is Emily. She doesn't speak Spanish. Talk to her.” He started a conversation with me (in English) and I found out he is from Israel. His security-related job relocated him to Peru. At some point, he met his Ecuadorian wife and moved to Cuenca with her for 2 years. He then moved to the United States and bought a house in North Carolina. He lives there now, but he travels back to Ecuador often because he opened an alternative medicine clinic here, which just so happens to be right around the corner from my house. He told me he likes Cuenca better than anywhere else he has been because the people are so friendly and it is a beautiful city.

Jenny, 17: After talking to “No Name,” my host mom and I took a little walk. She wanted to take a picture of me, so I handed her my camera. She was trying to ask me something, but I didn't know the Spanish words she was using. A girl came up and said (in English), “She wants to know how to zoom in.” I thanked her, and she walked away. We ran into her again a couple minutes later, and she offered me some of her Doritos. We started talking, and I soon found out her English was flawless. I asked her where she was from. She told me she was from Cuenca, but she moved with her parents to Las Vegas for 10 years. She returned to Cuenca three years ago because her mom missed her family. Jenny was a typical teenager, complaining about her parents and how boring the picnic was. I told her I was going back to the United States in a couple of weeks and she begged me to take her with me. She absolutely loves the United States and is planning on moving back there in a few years.

Daniella and me!

Daniella, 10: We took a guided tour of Sigsig, which consisted of stops at a museum and another park that had artifacts from a group of indigenous people who used to live in the area. I noticed a little girl who was always at the front of the group. She took pictures of everything and occasionally asked questions. I smiled at her a few times, and she smiled back. At one point, my host mom asked her to say something to me in English, but she said she couldn't and ran away. However, at the end of the last tour, she came up to me, handed me some flowers, and said in English, “for you!” She sat next to me on the two and a half hour bus ride back to Cuenca, and we started talking. I found out she actually knew English pretty well. She talked to me in English, and I answered using the little Spanish I know.  I asked her how she learned English and she said at school and from her parents.  I was extremely impressed, especially when I thought about how few 10 year olds in the United States can speak another language.  I showed her the pictures on my camera that I had taken in the Galapagos, and she was absolutely amazed. I asked her who her favorite singer was and her eyes lit up as she said “Justin Bieber!” When she found out we were headed back to Cuenca, she got a sad look on her face. I asked her if she liked Cuenca and she told me she loved it, but she didn't want the tour to be over yet. She also said she'd like to visit the United States one day.

I never thought I would meet people who lead such interesting lives while living in Cuenca.... especially so many that only live with in a few blocks of my house!  I found it very interesting that all these people had different opinions about Ecuador (specifically Cuenca) and the United States. Some like Cuenca while others favor the United States; it really just depends on individual preferences.  I think my opinions mostly reflect Daniella's (except reverse).  While visiting Cuenca has been nice, I am more than ready to get back home to the United States!

The Emphasis on Beauty

In general, women in Cuenca are dressed very nicely and have their hair and makeup done.  We were told this before coming to Ecuador, but I was still shocked by the extent to which some women go. For example, my host sister works a lot and is typically wearing scrubs when I see her. However, when we go to the mall or supermarket she puts on her nicest clothes, her highest high heels, and a massive amount of makeup. The first time I saw her getting ready, I thought maybe I misunderstood where my host mom said we were going. Another example: one of the first things I noticed about my host mom was the fact that she changes her clothes at least five times a day; she seems to have a different outfit for everything. Their fixation on looks is certainly rubbing off on my host sister's six-year-old and three-year-old daughters. They are both obsessed with makeup. I know most little girls enjoy getting into their mom's makeup, but this is different... I have seen my host sister helping these girls apply makeup to go out.  I'm sorry, but a three-year-old wearing blush does not look natural. The second week in Cuenca, my host mom started asking me about makeup. “Do you ever wear makeup?” “No.” “Not even for your boyfriend?” “No.” “Not even when you go out?” “No.” I was slightly offended because I felt like she was implying I needed makeup to look “pretty.” The six-year-old is also constantly checking her hair and fixing her headbands. When I was six, I couldn't have cared less what my hair looked like! I still don't obsess over it, but I like to straighten it occasionally. Last weekend, I straightened my hair for the first time in Ecuador. My host mom called me upstairs for lunch and, having never seen me with straight hair before, stopped mid-sentence with a shocked look on her face when I sat down. I think she realized how ridiculous her reaction was because she started laughing. She apologized and told me I looked pretty. Back home, I get compliments on my curly hair a lot. Here, not a single person has said anything about it. Finally, the six year old in my family just got her very first pair of small heels and was proudly “click-clacking” around the dining room at dinner the other day. Regardless of if all Cuencan women are as obsessed with their looks as the ones in my family, more than half the women I pass walking to school on the cobblestone roads are wearing heels. I have tripped and almost fallen so many times in my tennis shoes; I don’t know how these women do it. It is interesting how there seems to be a very distinct definition of “beautiful” here (nice clothes, makeup, straight hair, heels, etc,) and how so many women (and young girls) try their hardest to fit that mold.

"Do you eat potatoes?"

A typical meal.

Vegetarian. Vegetariana. The words are almost identical, but their definitions are not. In the United States, a vegetarian does not eat any animals. In Ecuador, a “vegetariana” does not eat beef; however, it is not uncommon for her to eat chicken, pork, or fish. Not eating any meat in Ecuador has been slightly challenging at times. There have been a few instances where the chef has not known what to replace the meat with... Once it was 10 beans, while another time it was two slices of tomato. Then there are the people who just cannot comprehend what a vegetarian is. Two different people on two separate occasions said to me, “You're a vegetarian? Do you eat potatoes?” My host mom in Cuenca did not know I was a vegetarian prior to me moving in. Luckily, however, she understood... at least I thought. At lunch one day last week, she started telling me about a “strict vegetarian” that she had stay with her once. (There isn't even a Spanish word for “vegan”.)  She told me she never knew what to feed her. “No queso, no huevos, no leche!” Then she pulled out a chicken bouillon cube and told me the “strict vegetarian” wouldn't even eat those. It was then that I found out that all the “vegetarian” soups I had been eating had been made with chicken or beef bouillon cubes. In the United States, this would not be considered vegetarian. However, I didn't say anything to her to avoid feeling like an inconvenience. To be fair, my host mom has prepared me some delicious completely vegetarian meals and I appreciate her trying to give me a variety of food. Also, I have found one good vegetarian restaurant in Cuenca fairly close to the school that has items such as soy burgers on the menu. Overall, although I have had my fair share of less than satisfying meals, I have been able to manage as a vegetarian in Ecuador.

And yes, I eat potatoes.

Galapagos

Going to the Galapagos Islands was a once in a lifetime opportunity and an experience I will never forget.  The week we spent there was by far my favorite part of this entire trip.  We are extremely lucky to have been able to visit all of Ecuador's very unique ecosystem, including the Galapagos.  While I was packing the day before we left for the coast, my host mom came into my room to talk to me.  She picked up my snorkeling equipment with an amazed look on her face, like she had never seen anything like it before. She asked me if I was excited to go to the Galapagos.  I wanted to tell her that was a stupid question but just replied with a simple "sí!"  Then she told me she has never been to the Galapagos.  I asked her why and she told me it was because a trip there would cost way too much money.  Before she said that, I guess I assumed the Galapagos were a common vacationing spot for Ecuadorians, given the fact that it is so close.  When first arriving in the Galapagos, I was too overwhelmed by the crystal clear water and the bright blue skies to pay attention to the other tourists there.  However, I soon realized that English and German were the languages I heard most frequently.  After spending three weeks in Cuenca constantly surrounded by Spanish, I initially found the English to be refreshing.  But then I started thinking... why am I not hearing more Spanish?  On one of the island tours, I noticed a very small group of Ecuadorians taking a tour with a Spanish-speaking guide.  Every other tour I saw, however, consisted of English or German speakers, and almost all the tour guides spoke in English.  Hearing Germans and Ecuadorians converse in English was mind-blowing. I sat next to a German man on the flight back from the Galapagos who was looking at the pictures he took in the Galapagos on his iPad.  The flight attendant, who was Ecuadorian, complimented him on his pictures using words like "Nice!" and "Beautiful!" and the German responded in English.  It is interesting that the majority of the people that can afford to visit the Galapagos either speak English as a first language or as a second language, having learned it in school. This would suggest that people who are more "well-off" financially speak English and are the "winners" in globalization when it comes to global travel.  Part of the reason the cost of visiting the Galapagos is so high is to limit the amount of tourists. However, this inhibits the majority of the people from countries like Ecuador from visiting. While Ecuador does benefit from the money tourists spend visiting the Galapagos, the majority of its citizens (like my host family) end up as the "losers" in global travel.  It is sad to think that although the Galapagos are not too far from my host family, the closest they will probably ever get to the islands is by looking at pictures their host students bring back.

Counterfeiter?

The store that gave me problems...

One thing that is very convenient as an American tourist traveling in Ecuador is the currency; they use the US dollar here. We were warned before leaving that change is hard to come by and that it would be difficult to use anything larger than a ten dollar bill. Before leaving for Ecuador, I went to the bank and requested $400 dollars in fives and tens. Because of this, I didn't think I would have any problems with money. I was wrong.

Coming to Ecuador not knowing any Spanish was very difficult, so I was looking forward to starting school and learning the language. However, because I had so many irregular verbs thrown at me during the first week, I was extremely overwhelmed and felt like I wasn't learning anything. I decided it would be a good idea to buy some notecards so I could make flashcards of the irregular verb conjugations. I stopped in the office supply store that I pass on my way home from school. I picked up a pack of notecards and a stapler. The cashier rang up my order, and the total came to $2.41. I handed her a five dollar bill. She looked at it, then asked me if I had exact change. I didn't, so she pulled out one of those special markers that cashiers in the US use to check the validity of bills usually higher than $20. She used the marker twice to check my five dollar bill. She obviously wasn't satisfied with what she was seeing and called the manager over. The manager took my money and went upstairs. Meanwhile, the cashier helped the man that was in line behind me. He bought two pencils and paid using a $20 bill with no problem. Seeing that made me even more frustrated than I already was; I wondered if this problem I was having had to do with the fact that I'm a foreigner. After forcing me to stand there awkwardly for ten minutes, the manager returns with my money. Guess what.... it was real. I was upset no one apologized to me, but relieved to finally get out of there. A couple weeks after this incident, I went shopping for some souvenirs for my family. A ten dollar bill I tried paying with was rejected because of a tiny rip. This caused me to look back at what happened in the office supply store. In both instances, there were problems with the appearance of my money. Thinking about it, I think I finally realized what the problem might have been. The five dollar bill I was trying to pay with was old and grungy.  In America, using a bill like this is rarely a problem. Here, however, people seem to be afraid the money won't be accepted anywhere else and they will be stuck with money that is useless.  The solution seems simple: if everyone accepted older bills, there wouldn't be a problem!  This example, however, does show how counterfeiting is a problem in Ecuador. And while it is convenient they use the US dollar here, the issues dealing with the legitimacy of the money are not.

Cuy...

Before...

For dinner on Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), I went to my host aunt's house. Her and my host mom were preparing a typical Ecuadorian dish... one I never want to see be prepared again. This dish was cuy, aka guinea pig. Cuy is a delicacy here, often served on special occasions; it dates back to Incan times. I had seen cuy earlier in the trip, but at a restaurant after it was fully prepared. When I arrived at my aunt's house, she pulled out a dish wrapped in foil. I had been warned that the family would be eating cuy that night, but I was not prepared for what was under that foil. There were two guinea pigs with slits in the pale skin of their bellies, intestines (among other organs) spilling out. I immediately flashed back to dissection week in 11th grade biology. I must have made a face, because my host mom started laughing at me. She encouraged me to take pictures to show my family when I get home. After cooking for half an hour, the guinea pigs were taken out of the oven for seasoning. They were still very pale and, for lack of a better word, disturbing. Even more disturbing than their looks, however, was when my host mom picked up a piece semi-cooked cuy skin... and ate it! I shuddered, and she laughed agian. After being completely slathered in butter and other seasonings, the cuy went back into the oven. The timer went off an hour later. This time when my host aunt pulled out the cuy, they were fully cooked and

...and after!

ready to serve. As I sat down to dinner (with my plate full of vegetarian lasagna and salad), everyone looked excited to dig into their cuy. I was okay with it, until I heard my host sister next to me *crunching* on something... I didn't care to know what it was. The end of the dinner was the worst; everyone was *sucking* the last bits of meat off the bones. They all laughed as I sat there, obviously uncomfortable with the noises they were making. When the sucking was finished, I was able to have a good laugh with them. Through the other students my family has hosted, they have learned cuy is not a dish common to North Americans such as myself. They told me they are always amused by peoples reaction to cuy. They said many of their host students are hesitant to try cuy, but they absolutely love it when they do. I've been told it can be compared to really good chicken or rabbit meat. I'm sure the reaction of a vegetarian was especially amusing to my family. People sucking on chicken bones back home is gross to me, but the fact that they were sucking on the bones of an animal I had thought of as a pet my entire life was what made this experience so disgusting. I am glad I was able to participate in this Ecuadorian tradition... but I will not be sad if it never happens in my presence again.

Yield to Pedestrians? Qué?

At home in Ohio, I walk with my mom all the time. I enjoy it, so I was looking forward to walking to school here in Cuenca. Back in Quito, I learned how crazy the driving is by observing from the bus. But actually being out on the streets as a pedestrian is a whole different story. The common sense “yield to pedestrians” rule that is followed (for the most part) in the United States does not exist here. Everyone drives like they are on a mission. ONE time did someone stop his car and motion for me to cross the street. My walk to school in the morning is 30 -35 minutes, but I have to factor in at least an extra 5 minutes to account for the time it takes me to cross some streets. One intersection I have to walk through is impossible if you aren't intently paying attention. Even then, you still have to have impeccable timing. There are cars coming from 4 different directions; from two of these directions, the cars are coming from around corners. More than once, I have stepped off the curb only to have to hop back onto it quickly to avoid being hit by a car whipping around the  corner. It took me a week, but by watching others, I have finally mastered the “run halfway across – wait in the middle of the street – finish running across” approach at this intersection. To be honest, I think crossing some of the streets on my way to school is more exhausting than going up the 89 stairs that are also a part of my walk! “Cruce,” or “crossing,” signs are often found in school zones here. The idea is nice, but as I have noticed that cars are no more likely to stop for pedestrians here than anywhere else. There isn't really any police enforcement when it comes to traffic laws, which may contribute to the way people drive. While driving at night with my host mom, I have found stopping at red lights to be optional. “If there are no other cars around, why stop?” seems to be the mentality. Since being here, I have often wondered if there are driving schools in Ecuador, or if parents are responsible for teaching their children how to drive. Either way, something is working because I have yet to see a car accident. Ecuadorians are expected to drive the ways I have observed because it is the “norm.” What is normal for Ecuadorian pedestrians took me, as an American tourist, weeks to adjust to. Over the summer, my friend returned from studying abroad in Egypt. Within a few days of being in the United States, he posted a Facebook status about how driving is boring in the United States. I remember thinking to myself, “What is he talking about?! People are crazy drivers here!” While I'm not sure how the driving in Egypt compares to the driving in Ecuador, I am almost positive I will feel the same way upon returning to the United States.

"Start of Something New"

The first two weeks of the trip we were so busy traveling, there wasn't much time to miss home. However since moving in with my host family, things have slowed down, and I am starting to miss Ohio. My host family is: my mom Zaida, my father (whom I was never introduced to...), my 27 year old brother Felipe, my 29 year old sister Adriana, and her two kids, six year old Emilia and three year old Maeria Elisa. Around the house, there are constant reminders of home: Simpsons stuffed animals hanging on Felipe's bedroom door, Barney playing on the television, Disney princess toys everywhere, a High School Musical soundtrack.... there was even a copy of The Ecuador Reader sitting on the desk in my bedroom. Felipe and Adriana speak a little English, but only do so when it's absolutely necessary to communicate something to me. Emilia is learning English in school, but at this point really only knows the numbers. (Trust me, she knows them. I have heard her count to 10 in English MANY more times than I would have liked.) Therefore, when I heard her singing songs from High School Musical in English, I was very surprised. Adriana told me Emilia absolutely loves the movie, but has no idea what she is singing. A similar occurrence happened last Sunday morning. I was in the living room doing homework. A relative of the family (a cousin maybe, about 15 years old) and the father were in the other room doing laundry. The father turned on an American radio station. The first song that played was “Without You” by David Guetta. Now, I was missing my friends and family pretty badly at this point, and hearing this song made me think about them. The next song that played used to be one of my favorite songs, and the title was very appropriate for the moment: Relax, Take It Easy. I know it sounds silly, but it really did help me relax; it was comforting and familiar.  Next, Black Eyed Peas 'Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night” came on. I heard someone humming and singing along... I looked over to see it was my host dad, who was happily folding laundry. The fact that a house full of people who can hardly understand English listen to the same music that is popular back in the United States is a perfect example of globalization.  People in the United States don't know popular Ecuadorian tunes.  I don't think this necessarily represents cultural imperialism, however, because this particular radio station also plays Ecuadorian pop music. I think this is an example of two cultures merging, regardless of the language, over a catchy tune.  I also think many of the American cultural icons in my house represent the American culture merging with the Ecuadorian culture, rather than taking it over: the Simpsons isn't necessarily popular in Ecuador because it's an American TV show - it's popular because it's a funny show; Disney princess movies aren't only popular because they were produced in the United States - they're popular because they're good movies for little girls.  Traveling as an American in Ecuador and seeing these things is weird and unexpected at first, but the small things everywhere that remind me of home is quite comforting.

"Can You Hear Me Now?"

There were a lot of things I was looking forward to about coming to Ecuador. At the top of the list was escaping from technology. Although I don't have a cell phone here, I found out very quickly that avoiding them was going to be nearly impossible. On our first day in Ecuador, we took a tour of Quito, the capital.  I'm sure we looked like typical tourists, carrying our book bags and taking pictures of anything and everything.  Looking around, I noticed a group of school boys laughing at us. One pulled out his camera phone and started taking pictures of us... and made no attempt to be discreet about it. Later that day in a gift shop at the equator, the cashier's phone went off; it had a very obnoxious, poppy ringtone. Even though there were a quite a few customers in the shop, she proceeded to answer her phone and talk. I found that both surprising and rude. Later that week, there was a band playing in the restaurant at which we were eating lunch. After playing for about five minutes, the flute player walked out mid song to answer his cell phone.  A couple minutes later, he returned, picked up his flute, and continued playing... I couldn't help but laugh.  Finally, while we were on a bridge walk over the canopy in the Amazon, our tour guide was using his cell phone. He wasn't rude about it at all (we were all off having fun), but the fact that he was able to use a cell phone in the Amazon was just mind-blowing to me.  He later said the canopy bridges are where he gets the best reception.  It's ironic that with the spread of cell phones comes both a sense of interconnectedness and a sense of rude and annoying self-involvement. Regardless, the spread of cell phones to developing countries such as Ecuador is really quite amazing; the ability to pick up a phone in the Amazon and call a small, remote village many miles away is a convenience that was probably unimaginable 10 years ago.  Prior to cell phones, it could have taken days to relay a simple message between secluded villages. Because of this, cell phones are a perfect example globalization; they represent a shrinking of both time and space.  

Converse and a Poncho

Traveling for 3 weeks and having been in several different regions of Ecuador, I've found the clothing worn by Ecuadorians very interesting.  I didn't realize you can tell where a group is from based on the traditional clothes they are wearing.  For example, Ecuadorians from different tribes can be distinguished by their unique hats.  Many groups, such as the Otavalenos, have a very distinct way of dressing.  What surprised me even more, however, was the presence of American brands in Ecuador.  At the Saturday market in Otavalo, there are rows and rows of traditional Ecuadorian apparel. However, there were also stores that just sell brands such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and Aeropostale. “New York” and “California” are printed on some of the shirts which made me curious as to how many Ecuadorians could even locate these states on a map. There were also little booths selling apparel that is traditionally American, such as Converse (what I did my globalization paper on!).  One day, in a market, I saw a woman wearing traditional Ecuadorian clothes.  However, I noticed her socks, which were not completely covered by her skirt.  The sides, in big letters, said "U.S.A." and had pictures of an American flag.  This clearly represents cultural hybridization; the tradition indigenous clothing is being mixed with United States symbols.  In Cuenca on my way to school, I walk through a market that sells children's clothes, may of which have English words printed on them. Yesterday, my host sister's daughter was wearing a shirt that said something like “when you wish upon a star...” I was confused by this; no one in the family knows enough English to be able to translate that phrase. Today, her shirt also had English words on it: “mystic girl” and “free time.”  These words, accompanied by pictures of flowers, make no sense.  Ecuadorians seem to wear brand names such as Hollister and clothing with phrases in English because that is what's popular in the United States.  It also allows them to distance themselves from the indigenous image, which is not seen as "popular" or "cool."  Because the demand for clothing representing the "cool" North American image is so high, clothing with English seems to be readily available.  And even though many of the consumers of these clothes have little to no idea what the words on their clothing mean (like in the example with my host niece), they buy it to "fit in."  And when "fitting in" means that native South Americans are wearing more North American clothing instead of traditional clothing indigenous to their country, the only explanation is cultural imperialism.