Ponte

8-7-11

I think I’m going to be more culture-shocked when I’m actually living in the United States instead of the other way around.  I didn’t have any problems adjusting to the new culture in Ecuador and actually fell in love with everything about it.  I had a great experience working with both the residents in Lumbisí and also the volunteers who came and went while I was there.  I think the people are amazing and I have definitely learned a lot from them (not the other way around this time!) I have been observant of the lifestyles that these good people have. 

The women are absolutely amazing and hard-working.  Whether they have work outside their homes or they stay home-they are always busy and working.  I was surprised to see how many hand-wash their clothing instead of using washing machines.  I see them washing outside with watering stations while using bowls of water to rinse their clothing.  They are also always cooking something on the stove- usually it is a soup that they whipped together or rice with some kind of vegetables steaming.  For those who own pigs (chanchos), they need to feed and wash their stalls every morning and evening.  I swear my host mom never took a break.  The one time I knew she was taking a nap during the day was on her birthday (good for her!!)

Other women own stores that sell home-grown fruit and what not.  There are so many stores on the street that are just like the Farmer’s Market- I loved buying the $0.05 bananas frequently.  :-)  Other older women I came into contact with were the most understanding women I’ve ever met.  They actually listen to you when you talk to them! (even if your Spanish speaking skills aren’t perfect)  It was fun talking to the woman who owns a store right next to the FEVI store (she was also there to help me with the students who were naughty for the English classes I taught in the beginning of June).  It’s also great interacting with my host “grandma” and Magdalena.  Those are women who are extremely hard-working, but also have a great sense of humor and personality.  I will never forget their laughs. 

Other interesting fact about the women in Ecuador is that they have no shame of breastfeeding in public. You can be sitting on the public bus and a woman will just start breast feeding right next to you.  They truly value the nutrition factor that breast feeding has for a newborn. 

Weirder things that I’m going to miss are the crazy bus rides.  I have gotten used to being flexible when busses don’t show up, when I have to stand holding on the railings for two hours as the bus whips past curves through the mountains.  Many people hate the bus system, while I on the other hand, love them because of how many convenient routes they have and how cheap they are.  I will miss good public transit in Michigan!

I think I now have a fear of dogs.  Haha.  I never did get used to all the wandering dogs in the street, and also how they all turn evil at night, chase and bark at you until you are out of “their” property.  It’s funny how my breathing is rapid when I walk down the street to where I live.  It is definitely a different world of dogs in Lumbisí.

I will miss seeing the women dressed in long skirts, high, thick socks, wearing knitted sweaters, carrying slings with heavy object on their backs.  I will miss their braided hair and unique-looking hats. 

Something else that I’ve fallen in love with in the town of Lumbisí is their way of Community-style life. They share a lot of things between families, such as a microwave, instead of everyone having to waste resources and money just to own their personal microwave.  This is just a small example of community-living.  They help each other out with watching little kids when parents work and what not as well.  If you ever have a problem, it is your family that you depend on.  

The community lifestyle kind of relates to the simplicity of living in Ecuador.  I’m not saying that their life is easier, because obviously it’s not.  But I’m talking about them not needing a lot to survive.  They possess what is necessary and the rest is love.  When I would walk past my grandmother washing clothes outside, she wouldn’t be bitter or complain about anything, but she would be concerned about how I was.  All she wanted to do was to just love on people. 

What amazed me in Ecuador is the simplicity of living. People just didn’t need much to survive, whether it be money or material things. I never felt like people had much responsibility, not meaning they didn’t have much to worry about, but they didn’t have many material things to worry about, like cars, insurance, buying things, etc. Relationships were most important to them. Family stuck together and helped each other out.   

The mountains/volcanoes in the distance always amazed me. I never got sick of having the fresh, crisp mountain air blowing through my hair. Being able to travel through a country that had pretty much everything in it was amazing.  What I mean by this is that Ecuador has lots of mountains, the coast, and rainforest, depending on which area you go to.

I loved being able to speak Spanish to anyone on the street. Now that I’m back to the States, it feels weird to be speaking English or that English is even the majority here. Now I actually have to work to find people to speak Spanish with.  By the end of my time there, I didn’t have to stress about what I was going to say in Spanish, which I’m thankful for.  I could walk past people, greet them, and talk to them about what was going on in their lives. I’m happy to have this experience working with the people in Ecuador, volunteering, practicing Spanish, and learning a ton about myself.  Thank you to everyone for supporting me!