Everything Ecuador

(L to R) My grandpa, grandma, older sister,
two cousins- 8 and 5

   It is official. I have made it past the first week of being an exchange student! Heck, I'm practically a pro by now (... Hardly...)! The first week has felt like an eternity, but I like to think it is because of my level of comfort here, I feel like I left one home and hopped right into another home. This is, essentially, my home now, but there was such a limited amount of awkwardness through that transition that I feel like I was practically born here!

   One of the first significant thing I learned about my dad was his love of Amy Winehouse. I almost jumped for joy. Though I love some Amy, I loved more the sheer fact that my dad and (I later found out) my sister and I have common music interests. For those of you who know me, you would know that music is my life line to life; the way I express opinions and feelings; my telephone to the world! To me, the shared interest in music is like sharing blood! Anyway, long story short, I instantly felt connected to my family.

   I realize I have done a poor job on giving updates on my first impressions, but as I am still encountering new things- it is not too late! Machala is the capitol of the Ecuadorian providence El Oro (meaning gold), so Machala is a good sized city, holding about 300,000 people. My friend Johnna asked me what it was going to be like being in a country filled with people who looked like me, well.... It is SO weird. I really didn't think being in a country full of my fellow Latinos was going to be all that weird to me, but I supposed the weirdness coincides with my comfort level. Culture is a binding thing and in the States, especially living near (I'll have you know I originally put IN instead of NEAR) Portland (which is 80% Caucasian), the bind is hardly ever made. I have found that friends who come from the Latin culture are friends that I have an unspoken language with. Now, I have a whole country of that unspoken understanding, minus the language part- I have yet to get that down. The one thing I will say is how funny it is when people assume I am from around here and speak to me. When I give that look- the one saying, "What?"- to establish that I am not from here, I get a look back that makes me think I am disgracing my race. But once I get the language down, I will be a Gringa no more!

   Driving here should be a sport. I have been here a week and seeing the kind of driving I have, I should have also witnessed about 100 car accidents- but no! The people are such dangerous drivers that they're SAFE! The wearing of seat belts isn't enforced, and speed limit is only half way monitored. Blinkers are replaced by horns honking and the flashing of your brights takes on a whole different meaning. Ecuadorians make it work though, they do.

   Ah, the food. That is yet another they make work here. Food here tastes SO good. Everything I eat! Even something as simple as a hot dog! Maybe I'm just Star Struck, but everything here is just so much better. My favorite foods so far include: Manestra- a lentil, bean, mystery deliciousness mix; This yellow rice that is baked for added crunchy texture- absolutely fantastic!; and Las Sopas- they eat a lot of soup here and so far I have had a Cauliflower creamy soup that amazing and another one. Either way, they were both delicious. As I said in my previous posts, Machala is famous for its bananas and banana trees are everywhere. Including, as pictured, right outside my back porch! Plantains are used often in Ecuadorian cooking, given it is such an available commodity. In the picture here, is a dish I had the other nice including shrimp and a paste of sorts (the orange) made out of plantains and, of course, rice!

  

A little bird made a nest
in a banana bunch

   And there you have it folks, my account Ecuador in it's first week! Today, I met all my fellow exchange students in the city. There are two of us from the US, and then one from: Austria, Germany, France, and Denmark. We took our Spanish test today and I have to admit, it was insanely hard. I wasn't expecting too be all that hard, but my oh my was it a struggle. In 5 months, we will all take the test again and if their isn't a significant improvement, they'll send us back home!

   Well that's it for now! I'll be going to Spanish camp next weekend and then I start the week after next. The ball is starting to pick up speed!

                   I love you guys,

                            Marlee