So first an overview of some interesting cultural aspects of Ecuador that I was not expecting:
1. They say that everything in South America is cheap... NOT completely TRUE! Some things here are incredibly inexpensive. For example, food. Dining in an Ecuadorian restaurant is ridiculously cheap compared to American dining. The dining-out culture is very different as well. People eat in restaurants if they need to eat and have no other option. Food is not the seductive and enchanting temptress in Ecuador that it is in the States. Ecuadorians generally don't put as much thought and time into preparing a tantalizing dish. They don't dream about food and drool over snacks. They just eat. A typical meal costs about $3 which includes soup, a main course with potatoes or rice and some sort of protein as well as freshly made fruit juice or coffee.
[Speaking of coffee, Ecuador actually produces its own coffee; however, it primarily exports most of its coffee and the people drink instant coffee like its their job. It's not that real coffee is expensive. Not in the least. For some reason they just prefer instant coffee. I will defend it in the case of Cafe con leche, which more often then not is a hot cup of milk which you scoop instant coffee into.]
[Speaking of coffee, Ecuador actually produces its own coffee; however, it primarily exports most of its coffee and the people drink instant coffee like its their job. It's not that real coffee is expensive. Not in the least. For some reason they just prefer instant coffee. I will defend it in the case of Cafe con leche, which more often then not is a hot cup of milk which you scoop instant coffee into.]
Generally anything made in Ecuador is cheap for Ecuadorians. Fresh produce, alpaca wool items, etc. Imported products are more expensive in Ecuador than they are in the States. Recently, Rafael Correa, president of Ecuador, instated a law that imposed high taxes on imported items in order to stimulate the internal economy and promote local business. This has done little to stimulate the economy. It is really just increasing poverty because the country doesn't have the production infrastructure to replace the products that experience extreme increases in price.
2. Ecuador has its own sense of time. Everything in Ecuador takes an EXTREMELY long time to do. This extends to almost all parts of the culture. For example, in the business world, paperwork takes forever, technicians take their own time and there's no guarantee that what they are fixing is done right. Lines are forever long, and often you have to take a number to get in line, but people usually skip you anyways. Ecuadorians themselves take their time doing everything. Especially when going from one place to another. We call this slow paced crawl "Ecuapace." Being stuck behind someone doing ecuapace is incredibly frustrating, considering that Americans have such a strict sense of time; "get to where you're going as quickly as possible so you can do as much as you possibly can while there." Although I do hate being stuck behind these people, I truly appreciate their sense of time and duty. They tend to take care of themselves in comfort. Why rush?
2. Ecuador has its own sense of time. Everything in Ecuador takes an EXTREMELY long time to do. This extends to almost all parts of the culture. For example, in the business world, paperwork takes forever, technicians take their own time and there's no guarantee that what they are fixing is done right. Lines are forever long, and often you have to take a number to get in line, but people usually skip you anyways. Ecuadorians themselves take their time doing everything. Especially when going from one place to another. We call this slow paced crawl "Ecuapace." Being stuck behind someone doing ecuapace is incredibly frustrating, considering that Americans have such a strict sense of time; "get to where you're going as quickly as possible so you can do as much as you possibly can while there." Although I do hate being stuck behind these people, I truly appreciate their sense of time and duty. They tend to take care of themselves in comfort. Why rush?
There are, however, only two instances in which an Ecuadorian will move quickly: getting on the bus or crossing the street. Cars always have right of way over pedestrians so if you need to cross the street you need to run. Also, traveling by bus or trolley is fundamental for many Ecuadorians because many do not have their own transportation.
3. Machismo is no joke! The most apparent evidence of this cultural phenomena is cat-calls. For example, in Quito, when I'm walking down the street, I'll get obnoxious hissing calls from men trying to get my attention, or men will shout out obnoxious names at me such as, but not limited to:
"preciosa, reinita, princesa, deliciosa, baby, sexy, amor, etc"
Better yet are the phrases that they say in English. In Guayaquil, all the men passing by Katie and Melisa and I said "I love you" in a really forced accent. In Otavalo, I got a couple manly "Good morning"s with some obnoxious winks. Especially when they are in packs, the banter can be ruthless. Women are often treated like meat, and I suspect that American women receive an awful lot because they believe we don't understand. By no means does that indicate that Ecuadorian woman don't receive equally awful catcalls, but American women are idolized and coveted because American culture and life is coveted. White skin here, in a predominantly mestizo culture, is idolized.
just a few observations thus far to share with my friends. many more to come!
3. Machismo is no joke! The most apparent evidence of this cultural phenomena is cat-calls. For example, in Quito, when I'm walking down the street, I'll get obnoxious hissing calls from men trying to get my attention, or men will shout out obnoxious names at me such as, but not limited to:
"preciosa, reinita, princesa, deliciosa, baby, sexy, amor, etc"
Better yet are the phrases that they say in English. In Guayaquil, all the men passing by Katie and Melisa and I said "I love you" in a really forced accent. In Otavalo, I got a couple manly "Good morning"s with some obnoxious winks. Especially when they are in packs, the banter can be ruthless. Women are often treated like meat, and I suspect that American women receive an awful lot because they believe we don't understand. By no means does that indicate that Ecuadorian woman don't receive equally awful catcalls, but American women are idolized and coveted because American culture and life is coveted. White skin here, in a predominantly mestizo culture, is idolized.
just a few observations thus far to share with my friends. many more to come!
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