Not only am I brand new to the school (AKA a freshman again… hopefully don’t pack on another freshman 15), but I’m also brand new to the country… so I’m like a little Ecuadorian baby here. it’s reinvigorating, really. Makes me feel youthful again. So, for the plethora of blog-followers that I have, here are some things that I have picked up on about this stunning country I live in, known as Ecuador. They’ll be useful to know if you ever decide to come down here.
1 ONE 1
Ecuador is beautiful. Hermosa. Linda. Bella. Perfecta. I don’t have enough adjectives in English OR Spanish to describe what it’s like here. Where I’m from, I’m surrounded by mountains… so I didn’t think Ecuador would be much different. FALSE. Ecuador just creates this surreal, unparralled beauty with its mountains and volcanoes and green scenary surrounding mi casa. And every day, or well every school day, I take the bus to get to school; most people would think that a 1 hour (and yes, that is 1 way) trip to school everyday would be horrible. But I love it. Every day that I go to school, I get to gaze out of the window and watch as we descend downwards into the beautiful valley of Cumbayรก. Not to mention, on days where there aren’t many clouds, I can see Cotopaxi (a nearby volcano) from where I live… the raw beauty and all of the nature here is just so great. Can’t wait to go ride a mule up that volcano.
2 TWO 2
That phrase we have in America… our “personal bubble.” Well, here the personal bubble extends about 1 millimeter around your body. I think it’s funny, really. Makes me feel like everyone wants to be my friend because we’re already so (physically) close.
3 THREE 3
Going off of my number 2, the public transportation here… whoa. Well, I’m from Arizona, so the most public transportation I have been exposed to are the city bus (which I’ve gone on once in my life) and the Light Rail… which I’ve also only been on once in my life. Needless to say, my experience with public transportation is rather limited. BUT. I still think it’s pretty hectic here. The doors open and it is a free for all to get a seat… I’m talking like people doing flips over other people to try to get a seat (not really, but that would be pretty cool, let’s be honest). I’ve given up on trying to get a seat; instead, I just stand for most of the ride. But there are also 129,124 other people that stand with me because they can’t get a seat either. I propose a question for you, fellow reader: “How many people do you think can fit on one bus in Ecuador?” Whatever your answer is, add 15 more to that. You catching my drift yet?
4 FOUR 4
So I’m an avid eater… and I can definitely say that I’m a huge fan of the prices/portions of the food they have here. Not only is it rico (delicious), it also super affordable. I got a 3 course meal with a drink once for 4 bucks. I also think it’s funny that the KFCs here serve rice instead of mashed potatoes… but hey, I’m not complaining… I love me whatever carbs they serve me here.
5 FIVE 5
This probably belongs up there with 2 and 3, but too lazy to edit this seeing as my bedtime was an hour ago. I’m a huge fan of the whole kiss on the side of the cheek thing to greet/say farewell to someone. I go into a room full of people I don’t even know, and I leave with lipstick stains all over the right side of my cheek! I love how la gente (the people) here can make me feel so at home, even though I’m living on another hemisphere than the majority of my friends/family.
This place is stealing my heart away with the small things that are done here. Make it stop, or else I’m never going to want to go home! I wonder if I’m going to pick up all of these small habits… and when I go home, kiss my friends on the cheek everytime I see them. They’d probably get a kick out of that… or just get mad at me for breaking their personal bubble and stuff. ARGH AMERICAN HABITS. So anyway, this is my ECU 101 post, a crash course on some things I’ve picked up while residing in this beautiful country that I get to call mi nueva hogar– my new home!
