In The Streets

When I arrived here in the dark two weeks ago today, one thing I knew for certain was that there was a cow in the middle of my street. Arriving in the dark was a little scary, since I could barely see my surroundings with the limited street lighting. 14 days of sunlight erased my worries and I have become very accustomed to the cows, dogs, motorcycles and other oddities of the streets.

Perritos. Most families in Cumbaya, the suburb of Quito where I am living, have one or more dogs as pets. Their concept of a pet is different than what I am accustomed to. Here, the dogs live outside and are never brought inside the house. All properties are gated with cement walls, so the only opportunity for the dogs to run into the street is when the garage door opens; the two dogs at my house take full advantage of the open garage door. Although there are tons of pet stores and dog food advertisements on every other billboard, I am yet to see my madre feed the dogs dog food. They are usually given left over stale bread or rice. The dogs inside property lines are cared for and definitely a part of the family, just in a different way than I am accustomed to. There are numerous dogs on the streets, most are skinny and beg whenever the opportunity presents itself. It's sad from a pre-veterinary perspective, but it's no oddity to Ecuadorians.
 

one of my host perros

(I want to bathe him so badly!)



Basura. Since there are so many dogs in the street, most garbage cans are not actual cans, but rather a metal basket raised on a pole or mounted on a cement wall. Bags of garbage are put into the raised baskets. I've been awoken many mornings by the "garbage trucks" driving through the neighborhood. Here, garbage is collected in an open bed, pick-up truck. A mega-phone speaker is attached to cab of the truck and the driver yells out that the truck is coming through the street to collect the garbage. There doesn't seem to be any schedule to this craziness and it's 10x louder than the garbage trucks at home. As dad joked, its similar to the scene in Monty Python & the Holy Grail where they come through the streets with a wheelbarrel collecting the dead; Ecuador is just a little more civilized.

Driving. I am a born and raised Jersey girl, and I definitely consider myself a Jersey driver, going fast on freeways, getting annoyed when I hit a red light and when I'm a pedestrian, I have the right of way. Ecuador has very few rules and regulations on driving; Jersey drivers don't even compare to the people on the road here. In Ecuador, the most expensive price I've seen for regular gas is $1.50 a gallon. Yes, $1.50 a gallon. Since gas is so cheap, Ecuadorians drive EVERYWHERE, creating a ton of traffic and putting too many cars on the road. With tons of cars, comes insane amounts of rule breaking with very little regulation from the policia. Most people go right through red lights, stop signs, although there, appear non-existent, and you WILL get run over if you try to cross the street and you don't have the green man walking signal.

Most people have a car, but the public transportation system here is widely used. My commute to school everyday involves a 5-minute, $1.00 taxi ride and then a 5-minute, $0.25 bus ride. The buses here cost 25 cents whether you're on them for 5 minutes or 2 hours! At first I was fearful of taking the taxis and buses (orientation did a good job of scaring us), but I'm glad to say I'm feeling really comfortable using them. I'm really proud of myself for figuring out a city transportation system in a foreign country that speaks another language. Coming from the beach of NJ and the cornfields of PA, that's quite an accomplishment.

I can't take credit for this pic,

I'd look like a real gringo if I photographed the buses



Glad I've learned some sense of Ecuadorian Street Smarts. I imagine I won't be dodging motorcyclists, buses and cars on the isolated islands of the Galapagos, but after conquering the streets of Quito I have another perspective on city life. Hopefully I won't incur any street injuries in my 2 more weeks here! Chao! :)

La Gringita

In the few days that I have been here I have been overwhelmed by the difference in culture and the amount that I have learned!

 

La Langua:

I learned Spanish all throughout high school but there is still so much to learn! I am learning a ton of new vocabulary and ways of expressing myself. I was taught Spanish as it is spoken in Spain, but everywhere that Spanish is spoken has different dialecs and uses different vocabulary. Ecuador's spanish is different from what I am accustomed to in that everything is made tiny by putting "-ito/-ita" on the ends of everything... como pocito, camino despacito, duermo solito.

 

The indigenous people are called Quechua ("qu-" is pronounced "ch-") and their language greatly influences the vocabulary used here in Ecuador. A LOT of the words used have a "ch" sound to them. I know "chaquete" to mean jacket, but here "chompa" is jacket; I know "boracharse" = to get drunk, here it's "chumarse"; I learned "gato" to mean cat, but here it is used to describe a person with blue or green eyes.

 

I also have never had to put a preposition before a name. Here, "el" or "la" is put before a person's name. I am referred to as "la Betany" (they can't pronounce the "th"). When you translate it into English, they are referring to me as "the Bethany", which sounds odd and is taking a little getting used to.

 

The natives refer to international people as "gringos", so I am considered "la gringita". Thankfully, I'm not as obvious as the blonde-haired, blue-eyed gringas, as most natives are short and fair skinned. One of the first things the kids asked their mom at dinner my first night was what color eyes I have. I quickly responded "cafes" and they all laughed realizing that I know that they were looking for signs that would show I'm a gringa. To most people first arriving to Ecuador, they would probably consider gringo a racist term, but in reality its simply a descriptive term of endearment, kind of like "sweetie" in the US doesn't mean you're candy. It is still nice to know that Karen introduces me to others as her "hija" (daughter), not "gringita".

 

Costumbres:

I was told in orientation, and have experienced numerous times, that Ecuadorians have no concern for personal space. Nicky, granted he is 5, often climbs over the sofa to sit on someone or leans his head against you when he is close enough to. When meeting or greeting someone, if they are a woman you kiss them on the cheek, and if they are a man you shake their hand. People are rarely seen alone; if you are seen walking by yourself, especially on campus, Ecuadorians think you are a loser and have no friends.

 

In the states, most girls go to the bathroom in groups. It's just a thing we do. Boys like to joke about it and you seldom see a girl going to the bathroom alone when in public. Here, even more so - even the guys go to the bathroom in groups! They are very collectivist and it is not unusual to see a group of guys go into the bathroom together.

 

If you pass someone in a building or on campus and don't say "buenas dias" (good day) or "que tal" (what's up/how's it going") it is considered rude. Everyone is very friendly and for the most part very welcoming. I have made a point to keep my head up and smile at people as I pass them.

 

La Comida:

So far la comida (food) has all been delicious and I have made a point of eating everything different that is put in front of me. My first breakfast consisted of a hot cheese sandwich, cut & peeled apple and instant coffee. Breakfast seems to be eggs or hot cheese sandwiches with fruit (sometimes with yogurt), coffee, jam, cheese and other breads, such as croissants.

 

Bread is a very big thing here and is on the table for all three meals. When I say "bread" I don't mean a French baguette or piece of toast, the bread here is more of a pastry-type; they are usually croissants or personal round, small loafs. There are "pandarias" (bread stores) on almost every corner with numerous baskets of fresh bread! Karen always has fresh bread in the kitchen and a variety of fresh fruit on the table.

 

Lunch: Lunch is not considered lunch unless there is soup. Lunch is the main meal of the day in Ecuador. The soup is followed by a meal comprised of a meat (chicken, pork, beef), rice (ALWAYS), and vegetables. The ongoing joke at orientation is that you will be served rice with every meal. I am yet to be served rice with breakfast, but some of my American friends have. Lunch is usually finished with dessert; of the two restaurants we've eaten at one served fruit salad and the other tres leches.

  

 

Potatoes are quite common, whether boiled, baked, in soup or cut like French fires; I've eaten a decent amount of papas. Fun fact: we learned that most indigenous women can differentiate 200-300 types of papas. They are very common in indigenous tribes and even with the local folk. 

 

Dinner is similar to lunch, but a smaller meal without the soup and is eaten much later than in the states; last night we didn't eat till 9pm! Again, there is always rice with whatever is being served, even if it's dinosaur shaped chicken fingers. I was so happy when Karen offered me ice cream last night for postre (dessert), I'm really missing my Turkey Hill Mint Chip :( Hot chocolate is offered almost every night for dessert and it is not uncommon to completely submerge a piece of bread into a cup of hot chocolate; Nicky has pan choloate all the time. I'm yet to try it since I'm not the biggest fan of soggy bread.

 

rice, ham & cheese wrapped in chicken breast,

BBQ chichen and tomato, carrot and cucumber salad



 

At least in the home, Ecuadorians really enjoy their salsa de tomate, or ketchup. They put it on almost everything! I'm accustomed to putting ketchup on the side of my plate in a little puddle, here they simply pour it on top of seasoned meat and tend to mix it into their rice.

 

I am yet to be offered alcohol, but JUICE is huge here. Fresh squeezed orange, watermelon, melon, a native orangey-tomato fruit and other fruit juices are present in every house and at every restaurant. They are all so fresh and delicious, but have a lot of pulp.

 

 

I have learned a crazy amount in only four days and know that I have so much more to learn! I hope that I start to appear like less of a gringita as I spend more time here. I imagine that I will integrate these differences into my daily habits, but only time can tell. Chao :)

Up In the Clouds

I was welcomed into Ecuador with a round of applause for the pilots (usually daddy kisses each of us and says "welcome to ______"). The new airport is situated closer to the mountains that surround the city, making for difficult landing conditions, and supposedly a few bad landings since its recent opening. Quito is famous for being the highest capital city in the world, sitting 9,350 feet above sea level, and sits in a basin created by beautiful mountains and volcanos. I have definitely felt a difference in altitude since getting off the plane, feeling dizzy at times and getting out of breath after going up a flight or two of stairs (I was in shape when I left) :/ Ecuador is known for its various ecosystems. During my orientations, the natives have said many times how you can dive on the coast in the morning, eat lunch in the mountains, and have dinner in the amazon! So far, I've accomplished breakfast, lunch and dinner in the mountains; I have a ways to go.

After getting through the longest immigration line I have ever waited in, I was introduced to my host madre, Karen, and my 20 year old host sister, Ani. They were very welcoming, especially with it being 11:45pm, and very happy that I speak Spanish; their last host student did not speak any! I also have a younger host sister, Giuliana (Guili), who is 9 years old, and a younger host brother, Nicolas (Nicky), who is 5 years old. At first the kids were really shy and polite (greeting me with handshakes and kisses) but now they have warmed up to the point where they hold my hand in the mall and snuggle when we watch movies :)

 

I had a fun-filled, exhausting weekend. I met most of Karen's family (well two of her four sibling's families) and spent almost the entire weekend with all 20 of them. To say the least, it was A LOT of  Spanish. I was grateful to be able to have a conversation in English today with other American students.

 

As if Quito wasn't high enough, we ascended 10,000 feet more on Saturday to visit Cotopaxi ("coat-o-pax-e") National Park. Cotopaxi is the world's second highest active volcano and to say that I felt the altitude change is an understatement! Cotopaxi sits at 19,347 feet above sea level. We were literally up in the clouds!

 

We drove through the park on a very bumpy dirt road that twisted, turned and curved for multiple miles until reaching the parking lot where we got out and "hiked" (more like a slow climb) up the volcano. Most of us only made it half way to the building up top; even the people who live in Quito had to stop every 100 feet or so of climbing to catch their breath. It was so cold that it was snowing! I was bundled in a heavy fleece, jeans, gloves, hat and scarf and it still took me a good hour to regain feeling in my toes when we returned to the car. Cotopaxi was beautiful and when you look at the mountain it looks as though lava is coming out from under the snow since the rock is red!

 

We drove down to the laguna in the park where we lasted for about 15 minutes out of the car since it was so cold and windy. When we returned to the cars, we ate rotisserie-like chicken, rice and papas on china plates; I found it very funny to be eating on china plates and so well out in the middle of nowhere. 



 

"climbing" Cotopaxi

 

Cotopaxi - notice the red rock and snow!

la laguna y las montanas

 

 

After Cotopaxi, we went to their Abuelita's (little grandma's) house for dinner. She threw food at us  once we walked in the door (spahetti with a marinara-type sauce with chicken) and was so happy that I spoke Spanish. Unfortunately, I found her the most difficult to understand since she speaks faster. I did know that she kept offering me hot chocolate after I finished my dinner, but I kept politely declining it since I'm not the biggest fan. Hot chocolate seems to be a common after-dinner drink.

 

On Sunday we drove back to Abuelita's where we picked up some cousins and 9 of us piled into a 4 door sedan. Totally illegal in the US, but I'm realizing there are very few rules here for driving. One IES student was picked up by her host family with the 9 month old baby buckled in the front seat - no car seat, just buckled; we were all stunned! Anyways, we piled into Karen's car and drove about 10 minutes to a small amusement park, Valqano Park, where everyone went on rides and played games. It was kind of on the level of the Fair Haven Fireman's Fair, but is there year round. After Volqano Park we returned to Abuelita's and then drove Karen's brother's family to the airport. They live in California (the wife and kids were born there), used to live in Quito, and now come back for the summers. It was nice to meet them over the weekend, especially because they spoke English. On the way back from the airport we stopped at the mall; it is gorgeous and huge! A lot of American stores, but more expensive than home.

 

On Friday and today (Monday) I've had orientation. Both days have been super long and boring, but the other kids in the program are all really nice and we have been finding a lot in common. It's really neat hearing about everyone's weekends and host families. Everyone's families are so different! One girl has an older couple in their 70s, another a couple in their 20s with a 9 month old baby, and another with a bunch of 20 year old siblings that speak fluent English! Some students in the program have never taken a Spanish class and are struggling with their families; I am so glad I can understand most of what's going on!

 

That's all for now! It's been a long 4 days and I am exhausted. I'm hoping I can rest up before our first trip this weekend! Chao :)

Trail Blazer

This morning I said goodbye to the beautiful United States of America and started my journey to Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for my 4 month long semester abroad. I am sad to leave behind my family, friends, Bucknell and my usual customs, but I am excited for the path that I am about to blaze in the book of Rue family travels.

I am very grateful that I am an experienced traveler, thanks to our crazy family vacations. The ambition to travel has been a part of our family since my parents met on their study abroad program in Germany, through IES, the same program provider I am going through! Little did they know they would be sending their daughter to another country through the same program provider that I am considered a "prodigy" of.

To keep track of our travels we have a magnetic map in the basement. We place magnets on the places that we have travelled to, whether it be individually or as a family. Last night my dad mentioned that Ecuador is the first country he is sending one of his children to that he will not be arriving to with them or has not visited first. Being that my Dad has been all over the world, I'm glad I've happened to find somewhere I can beat him to. I am blazing my own trail! I think that deserves a pink magnet on Ecuador and the Galapagos downstairs :)

I've made it safely to Houston. Saying goodbye to Mom and Dad at the security checkpoint this morning was very hard, but I find I am getting more and more excited to meet my host family and other program participants the closer I get to Ecuador. I hope that my Spanish is good enough that I don't sound like a complete fool when I first meet them. Hopefully my Spanish will have improved by the time I meet my second host family in the Galapagos.

Saying goodbye was one of the biggest challenges so far, aside from the luggage weight limit of 44 lbs. I was told by IES that I am only allowed to check 44 lbs when we go to the islands. My big bag this morning weighed in at 63 lbs. Woops. Hopefully I won't have to leave too much behind. I'm expecting "eternal spring" temperatures, so I did have to pack everything from jeans to shorts and sweaters to tanks... I promise I'm not making excuses :)

Hopefully the flight to Quito is as easy as the one to Houston. First class isn't bad, thanks Daddy! I'm not sure how I am going to keep in touch, but when I have wifi I plan to check facebook, email, instagram and hopefully I can write on here. Keep in touch friends! I promise I'll respond when technology allows me to! Te amo! Adios!

luggage!

(in total it weighed in around 90lbs, derp)