Holly Johnson writes from Ecuador.
What’s up with ketchup in bags?
19 observations I have made about Ecuador after 2 months:
- Ecuador ROCKS!!! I recommend that everyone visit at least once in their life. This country has a wonderful mix of old and new, and it's very interesting to observe how traditions and modernism mix to form a society that at times feels like it's stuck in the middle of a culture war.
- Everyone here greets everyone else with a kiss. I can't even count how many people I've kissed since coming here...it's got to be in the hundreds. In fact, I have sometimes spent more time kissing everyone while entering or exiting a room than I actually spend in the room itself.
- You can't use bills over $10 anywhere really, unless it's some kind of chain restaurant from the US, and even then it's questionable. Pretty much you have to have fives and ones on you at all times or you can't pay for anything. It's really weird to know that you can't take a cab because you "have no money" even though you have a $20 in your pocket.
- We have thunderstorms every day. It will be sunny and 75 degrees outside in the morning and by 5 o'clock there's lightning and thunder. We've actually watched many storms come in during our afternoon classes (while paying attention to the lecture, of course!).
- Ecuadorians definitely have a smaller "personal bubble" than I'm used to. When standing in line, I'm not used to having someone stand so close that they’re touching me if we're the only ones in the line.
- If you are white, people automatically assume you can't speak Spanish. Or if you didn't hear something someone said and ask, "What was that?" (in Spanish) they automatically think you didn't understand them at all and proceed to try to tell you in English. This usually leads to more confusion.
- If you get a cold, heaven forbid, you will be put under 24-hour surveillance and your every move will be monitored to ensure that you don't get sicker. For example, I was forced to wear a scarf in 80-degree weather and one of my friends was told she couldn't take a shower so that her hair wouldn't be wet when she went outside. She owns a blow-dryer. My flip-flops have also been accused of making me sick. And no, it doesn't matter that I normally wear them when it rains or snows. They are the cause. There's no use in arguing.
- You can't refuse food. Sometimes, if you try to refuse food, they'll put it on your plate and tell you that "if you don't eat it your parents will think we're not feeding you because you're too thin." So I eat it… all of it. Luckily we only eat one meal a day together.
- The buses here don't have schedules. You have to quickly read the sometimes hand-written signs in the front window as it drives by to see if that's the one you're supposed to take. My group has decided to provide a bus schedule-making service for the city of Quito. It will be what we leave behind for this country… if only the routes were consistent…
- If you are over 5' 4" tall and/or have feet over size 8 (for women), then it's pretty much impossible to find shoes or clothes in your size. And don't be fooled by the stores with signs that say "Large sizes too!" because that just means "Larger sizes than the itsy-bitsy Ecuadorians we're used to, but still not big enough for you, you giant white girl."
- The prices of things here are very random (probably due to the fairly recent “dollarization” of this country). For example, a tube of Colgate toothpaste: 69 cents; shampoo: $5 a bottle; pretty much any kind of make-up: $15; and my favorite: a DVD with 8 of your favorite movies (all still in theaters) $1.50.
- Milk, ketchup, and mayonnaise come in bags. That's just weird.
- No one here is ever on time for anything. My classes start 15 minutes after the time it says they should start because the professors and half the students don't show up until then. I saw a sign once that said, "If Ecuadorians arrived on time for everything, the country would save 25 million dollars a year." If that's not incentive, I don't know what is.
- Being single in this country is like a flashing sign that says "Please fix me up with someone you know!" It's also the first question some people ask you (well, after your name). Right now I'm pretty sure my sister and her boyfriend are convinced I'm going to marry her boyfriend's brother. But if that doesn't work out, there's always my priest friend and if it comes down to it, I'm sure they could arrange something with the other random guys who come over to our house and later ask my mom "What did Holly think of me?" even though I didn't even talk to them…
- Ecuadorians love American music from the 80s and 90s. I have never heard the Backstreet Boys, Olivia Newton John, and David Bowie back to back until riding the buses here in Ecuador. And yes, they sing along to songs that I don't even know the words to.
- Walking across the street here is like playing the video game Frogger. I run for my life every day, dodging in and out of moving vehicles. That's pretty much my exercise.
- Almost everyone smokes. And it's not just in designated areas, they smoke in pretty much any building, elevator, bus, wherever…
- It is possible to go days without feeling like you're in a foreign country. There have been times when I go to McDonalds or Baskin-Robbins, listen to English music, and speak English the whole day. This is my least favorite part about the country and really it has to do with my choices mixed with a little bit of the strength of consumerism which I can do nothing about…
- Speed limits, seat belts, and general motor safety haven't yet reached this country. Lanes don't really mean anything. You can fit four lanes of cars on a two lane highway, just so you all know. Horns are used to say hi to other drivers, warn pedestrians that they will be hit if they continue walking, let other drivers know you aren't going to stop at the red light/stop sign/ intersection that is coming up, and of course, to express anger that other drivers didn't observe these "rules." Buses don't even attempt to make the ride smooth for the riders. I have fallen into many people because the bus will slam to a stop while I’m walking down the aisle. It's a good way to get to know people. :-)