So I realize the title I just wrote sounds a little more serious than what you are about to read, but it is a theme that has been running rampant in my life so I figured I'd give it a little recognition. Now, on to the good stuff...which I have to accredit to my friend Katherine, a fellow Fulbrighter and blogger who agreed I could steal this seeing as she has no intellectual property rights as of yet.
You Know You're In Ecuador When...
Milk comes in a bag.
You use Sacagawea dollar coins on the regular.
Trying to break a 20-dolar-bill requires strategic planning.
Marriage proposals aren't that big of a deal.
Finding an un-pirated taxi is a serious scavenger hunt.
You carry a little bit of toilet paper with you most everywhere.
You can travel through the Andes, cloud forest, banana fields and beach in one day.
You get on and off the bus wherever you damn well please.
A left on red is a perfectly legitimate driving move. In fact, you may get honks from behind if you don't.
A red light is really more of a driving suggestion.
You great and say goodbye to everyone (EVERYONE IN THE ROOM) with a kiss on the cheek or handshake. (love it!)
Your bra doubles as a back-up wallet.
You have pasta and rice and/or potatoes during the same meal.
Most government bureaucratic tasks (like getting your Ecuadorian censo/i.d.) take the better half of a day.
The packed bus keeps you from falling over when the driver slams on the brakes.
There is a clown doing magic tricks on your bus.
People stare if you go on a run in your neighborhood.
Volleyball is played with a soccer ball.
---- (the following are my additions) ----
You leave the house with sunscreen, a raincoat, sunglasses, and an umbrella. And most likely use all four.
You can get an almuerzo (lunch) complete with jugo, sopa, plato fuerte, y postre (juice, soup, main plate, dessert) for less than $2
Everyone between the ages of 10 and 100 has a boy/girlfriend or spouse and walk down the street flaunting it. (observation of a friend the first weekend here: "this whole country is in love!")
The dogs bark louder than the sirens.
Everyone runs to get on public transit like it's the last bus of the day, when the next one is about 2 minutes away.
You go to a fruit market and think you've been teleported to a different planet because of all the crazy spikes and colors decorating the fruit.
The only beer available is Pilsener, a drink equivalent to watered-down Corona.
You go through four locked doors to get inside your house.
Colorful laundry waves from every rooftop like it were the national flag.
Very opinionated political graffiti paints every wall in the city.
------
Ok, so now for some self-observations to prove that I really am growing as an individual despite possibly seeming like I just read, eat, go hiking, and go salsa dancing. You may have to read into these a bit to pick up on what I'm learning about myself, but it is there.
You Know You're Sara Brells When...
You regularly curse your "reverse-swallow tongue thrust" while struggling to pronounce all the R's in the Spanish language.
Every time you pass a street dog, you start scheming on ways to adopt it and take it back to the States.
You get a headache if you haven't had coffee by noon.
You procrastinate by watching Everwood.
Every intriguing experience, dilapidated building, and unique person inspires you to sit down and write.
Ecuadorian time (a.k.a. not ever 'on time') fits you perfectly. You're not sure how you should feel about this.
Love the feeling small, rural communities give you.
You're constantly torn between the life of an adventurer and of a home-maker, but are beginning to realize you need a place to call "home" to have some peace of mind.
You can't decide which direction to go with your project because you're the world's most indecisive person, and every option sounds great. (The downside of being an optimist.)
You have internal arguments about whether you prefer the mountains or the ocean, but either way recognize a need to be in rural areas.
You begin to accept that your interests are shifting more towards alternative forms of education than indigenous social movements...
...but you get excited about realizing the link between alternative education and indigenous social movements is environmental and cultural sustainability.
You enjoy that most of your days are spent alone, and that your schedule is totally in your own hands.
------
In short, I am discovering that from my future I want: a cozy place to make into my home in a rural area, complete with garden and dog (and horses, chickens, goats, river...); to feel connected to an intentional community; to start an alternative school that generates sustainable change; to feel I have the knowledge and skills and connections to live self-sufficiently; the freedom to write often; and the occasional opportunity to travel and explore and learn from other cultures.
Oh, and coffee. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, right?
(p.s. Sorry about the crazy spacing, can't figure out how to stop that...)
No comments:
Post a Comment