Two unbelievable months have flown by, and I have to say I am pretty darn proud of myself at how well I’ve adjusted to my new life here. You may think I should be an expert already in tacking homesickness, being an immigrant and a frequent traveler, but nothing beats home for me. I must say I was a wreck my first two weeks in Ecuador, not knowing how I will get through these coming six months living and working in a completely new country. However, I feel very settled in now, and I’d love to share some great advice I received from friends and family that helped me through it:
1. Don’t be afraid to talk: Overcoming the language barrier was possibly the hardest hurdle for me to cross, but in these past two months I’ve changed from being the timid, quiet girl who never spoke a word during lunch to the one that can now tell stories, speak out during staff meetings, and even laugh and crack jokes (in Spanish!) at my coworkers from time to time. How? I took baby steps. For example, I took advantage of every opportunity to say simple phrases like “Como estás? Or “Buenos Días!” whenever I can because I knew I could say them well, and it helps a lot that the locals would smile and respond to me as if I was fluent. It was also great practice to improve my accent and build confident in myself in Spanish, no matter how simple my words or phrases were. This helped me become more and more comfortable in the language, and I began adding more vocabulary, verbs and phrases as time went on. I spoke to everyone, about everything, at every opportunity I can, and I learned to shy away from my fear of making mistakes. When I realized I was improving in my Spanish, I got excited and studied and practice even more. Merely being in a foreign country does not automatically make you a fluent speaker of their language, contrary to many people’s belief. I’m far from being fluent and I’m still studying Spanish every day, and I never travel without my handy dandy pocket-size notebook where I’m constantly writing down words and phrases that I hear but don’t understand. This method has been a great and easy way to learn a language, and I’ve also been able to pick up a lot of local Ecuadorian phrases. I also took advantage of the resources around me. I’ve found an English tutorial center where I now teach weekly English classes and receive free one-on-one Spanish lessons afterwards. Overcoming the language barrier is definitely not easy (as I am still struggling at it at times) but it is extremely rewarding once you see improvement.
2. Let others know: the staff here has been so amazingly awesome in making me feel at home once they realized how lonely and homesick I felt in the beginning. If anything, I learned that sharing your homesick feelings with others is one of the first steps in overcoming it.
3. Get Involved: in anything. Interact with your neighbors. Explore the city. Find ways to meet more people. Talk to people. Ask for resources. I learned to crawl out of my shell and take advantage of every conversation I have, making connections with new friends I make, and even just being extra observant and open in general, (e.x. reading random posters on window walls advertising classes, concerts, etc). Once you make some friends and find your belonging in some place, you’ll feel so much more “at home.”
Aside from the language barrier, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I’ve adapted to the cultural differences here in Ecuador. Being an Anthropology major, I’ve been fascinated at studying the culture here. Below is a small list of cultural observations and differences I’ve noticed so far:
· Greetings: You greet every person you meet or pass by, even random strangers by saying Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening in Spanish. During meals in restaurants, it’s considered polite to say “Buen Provecho” to others when they are eating. When meeting friends (or friends of friends), it’s common to exchange a small kiss on the cheek as a polite way to say hi.
· Slower pace: Latin America, in general, work at a slower pace compared to the US. While it may be frustrating for those who always like to run by the clock, this cultural difference cannot be overlooked. At least here in Ecuador, I’ve learned that relationship-building is key to getting tons of things done here, and relationships take time. Ecuadorians are generally quite respectful to each other, and with respect comes time- quickening the pace (or rushing things through) at times just doesn’t seem too nice.
· Almuerzo, the grand meal of the day: Lunches here are considered the most important meal of the day. Consisted of three courses- a soup, large platter of food (always with rice), and a dessert, these Ecuadorian “almuerzos” will keep you full until late into the evening. Dinner is not too common, but breakfast is generally eaten. In many workplaces, people are permitted to go home for lunch and same goes for students as well.
· Music: is an enormous part of the culture. Even in various workplaces sometimes, the radio or stereo is turned on. Ecuadorians love to sing and dance, and even in the office here we haven’t passed a single day without some kind of music playing.
What has been the hardest aspect of the culture here for me? The constant annoying cat calls from men on the streets, but I do a great job ignoring them. It’s also been interesting to live in a “machismo” (male-dominant) society; men usually has the upper hand here and I’ve been reminding myself, as a woman, to adapt to this way of life. But all in all, Ecuador has been a really enjoyable experience so far, and the office is getting quite busy. Our annual Gala is coming up in two weeks, and we have tons of construction and health classes lined up also. Busy busy! Prepping for the Gala, passing out invitations, studying a training manual to prepare to teach a class (in Spanish!) on trash next week, doing surveys on families, taking photos, documenting progress of projects, rehearsing a small speech for the Gala, etc. These coming few weeks are going to be really exciting!
Stay tuned!
Alexandra Liu
In-country Ecuador Intern
Spring ‘11
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