Week One

I am glad to say that Saturday will mark a week since I have been home. I never knew what to expect when I returned home, I thought maybe I would be sad, I would be scared, I would be unmotivated. Some of these feelings I think I have felt. One thing I noticed is that I seem a little more scared about my surroundings more than normal. I think it has to do with me knowing how dangerous Ecuador was, and how I always had to look behind me, take certain taxis, wear certain things as not to seem rich so I would not get robbed. Now that I am home I have brought that attitude back with me. The area in which I live in is very new to me, so what I was use to I no longer know. This can be re-culture shock, but if it is I feel like it is not as life impacting as I thought it would be. I found out that one thing that seems to be helping me through this re-culture shock is trying to get back to the things you are use to. For example I already had a job interview and it has been less than a week. My family are always asking me questions about my experiences and that helps my transition because they actually care about what I went through and what happened. I've read the re-culture shock can be rough when no one wants to listen to your stories and look at your pictures, so I am glad that my family interested in what I went through. I am glad to be home and I feel like it was the perfect time for me to go home. One thing I will say is if you decide to study abroad and arrive back home take one day at a time. Do not try to see everybody or talk to everybody as soon as you get home. Use that day to relax and to spend time with your immediate family because it gives you time to think and just to collect your thoughts. Once again my experience in Ecuador will never be forgotten. I realize how much I have actually learned from being their now that I am home. I realize more about me and the society in which I live in. I realize that I can do much more in life if I could had study abroad for an academic school year. I realized that my life will never be the same.

Return Home

Well my fellow readers I am excited, nervous, and a little overwhelmed to be saying that I will be leaving Ecuador in two days! I will be returning home April 23, 2011. My experiences in Ecuador have changed and shaped me as an individual, and I am so glad I could share this with each and every one of you. I have spent eight months, an academic school year, in another country! I went outside my comfort zone, I learned about a different culture, I worked with some of the most famous people in Ecuador, but most of all I have grown and changed into a women that I never saw myself becoming. I am more aware of the blessings that I have, I am more aware of how many opportunities I have open to me, I am more aware of me, the person I am and the person I want to become. This study abroad experience helped me evolve and I feel like such a better person than I was a year ago. I feel wiser, I feel more mature, more independent, I feel good. I will continue to write when I return home because eventhough the trip is over not the experience, and I promised to share my experience with you. I will talk about adjusting back into your own culture after returning back from studying abroad, and how to get through reculture shock . I hope that all of you enjoyed, learned, and now want to study abroad from reading my blogs. Most of all I hope you are glad to had follwed me on my journey.

Staying Focus

This blog is more for those who are thinking about studying abroad. As my time is quickly coming to an end here in Ecuador I must say that staying focus is getting harder and harder to do. I have eighteen days left and every now and then I find my mind wondering off to what I am going to wear at the airport, or what I am going to take on the plane with me. Although these are all important things, I cannot allow my excitment about returning home after eight long months in another country with out seeing famly to cloud my thoughts. I still have classes finals and tests. I still need to enjoy the small things about Ecuador that sometimes I over look. I was sitting at the bus terminal watching a women that was carrying a large basket. A guy waves his hand in the air ever so slightly and she walks over. She gently puts the basket down and pulls a little clear bag, smaller than a sandwhich bag, out her apron. She begins to fill this little transparent bag up with corn, meat, onions, and chifles. An entire meal prepared in a small bag. Moments like these I willl not get back. Moments like these are special because things like that is when you realize you are in another country. You are wittnessing something many people cannot, you are doing something alot of people dream. As much as I complain about it being hundred degrees by ten in the morning I will miss the way the sun just lights up the sky. Yes I know its like that in the States but it is different here. The sun is so close and seems to be the light for everything. I smile at myself when I am drenched in sweat knowing that this sun here is in some way different than the sun at home. It is more personal. Once again the little things. So while it may become hard to stay focus coming towards the end of your study aborad experience remember the small things. I remember how at the beach you could do your shopping and never leave your beach towel or chair. You could get food, clothes, shoes, juice everything thats needed for the beach and more by sitting. That never happens at our beaches in the United States, so I will remember those little things as my time comes to an end. I will remember meeting people from all over the world and learning about different cultures, not just the Ecuadoreans culture. If my word has any influence, I tell you to go study abroad, go experience a life untold on televison, go experience a world that is completly different than what you know. It is the most enlighten experience one can have in their entire life. I know, I am experiencing it.

El Primer Canal del Ecuador Part II

As my internship/volunteership came to an end on friday I took with me a better understanding of what the day to day work of a reporter is about. My internship was only for a month, but I feel like I learned more in one month than I would had at a four month internship in the United States, only because I feel as if this experience was very practical from day one. I met so many great people including the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, two times! On my last day I had the opportunity to follow him around. It was the best experience I could ever ask for. One thing I am going to take from this experience is the lessons I learned from my reporter friends. Being a reporter is more than what you see on television. Sometimes it is about being a little insensitive to get the story. I say that because I remember one story we went to go cover; There was a couple whos baby was dieing because of the condition of the hospital and the parents had just found out and were crying, almost falling down to their knees. I wanted to hug them and comfront them but as a reporter there we were with the camaras and microphones in their faces asking questions. I felt really bad because I knew if it were me in their position I would not want all that attention, but I also had to realize really fast that I could not allow my emotions to control my actions. As a reporter it is my job to report on all things no matter how sad it is. I know, it sounds so cold hearted, but if our doctors got affected by every death they had we would not have any good doctors around. I also learned that patience is the key. Sometimes we would go places and have to wait three or four hours just to get a five mintue interview just to see twenty seconds to one mintue on the news. I was in disbelief at first. I was telling myself that we sat there for hours and this is all they are going to show, but when you see something on the news that you had a part of it does not matter how many seconds it is up. My intership family was the best. They took the time to explain things to me when I could not understand, they even took the time to help me improve my spanish. They allowed me to talk on the camara about real events, they showed faith in me and in return it made me stronger. I will never forget them for they really have changed my life and gave me some of my first experiences in reporting. I advise anyone that decides to go study abroad to take the opportunity to do an internship or a volunteership. Opportunities like the one I had does not come often so if presented with the opportunity please take it up. This has been a life changing experience for me. Some things I would like to list about my internship/vlounteership that I will never forget.

1. Meeting President Correa

2. Meeting the Mayor of Guayaquil

3. Going to press conferences

4. Being in a riot (a good riot)

5. Seeing a dead body

6. Climbing a mountain with hundereds of other people during the Tusnami

7. Salsa dancing in the office

8. Going to five different beaches in one day

9. Meeting some of the most people in television here in Guayaquil, Ecuador

10. Last but not least meeting an amazing group of people that eventually became my family.

FOOD

This has to be one of the best topics. I know you all are wondering what I am eating here in Ecuador. Well I am eating worms, roaches, and frogs. No, no, no only a joke. They do eat worms in the oriental part of Ecuador, but that is not my thing. Ecuador is divided into three major parts; the Coast (where I live), the Sierra, and the Andes. I have been to all these areas and within each area there is different food. Let me start in the Coast. Seafood!! Could you guess otherwise. Well on all the beaches seafood is popular and cheap. They catch it right from the water you are eating in front of. One typical dish is Ceviche. It is like a seafood soup. It is made with fish, shrimp, octapus, squid all together or just one of these ingredients. I do not prefer this dish but is is very popular. Platacones with cheese is a green platano that is fried and some chesse is put on top. It sound very simple, in fact it is but it is so good. Also menestra(a type of bean), rice and meat is a typical plate here. So good and fills you up. For one dollar fifty cents (some places) I think it is a great deal. If we go to the Sierra they are big on potatoes. Potatoes come with everything, and guess what I love it. Corn also is a big deal there. In the Andes they eat guinea pigs!! Yep it is true. It was kind of sad for me at first because in the United States we usually keep them as animals not food, but remember to keep in mind every culture is different. I was going to try some but decided it did not have enough meat on it. Like seriously those things have no meat. Out of all the three parts I think I love the Coast better just because seafood is cheap and so good. Oh one thing I forgot to mention, rice comes with EVERY meal. You will always have a half of plate of rice with anything you eat in all of ecuador. Rice for them is a daily part of their diet. After a while you get use to the rice, and eventually feel weird if you get something and it does not come with rice. Anyhow, I love this country food. Its better than the food in the states, in my opinion, because it does not contain chemicals it is all fresh. No matter if it comes from the sea or the ground it goes straight to the kitchen. That is something I love here. The food is something everyone shold be open-minded about because in every country, even state in the United States, food varies.

Culture Shock II

Yes my fellow readers, I am here to say culture shock is not just a one time thing as everybody think, including me. I have been going through another rollar coaster of emotions. I must say the second time is a little bit easier to deal with because you actually know what it is. I knew it was another attack of culture shock when the simple things that I should be accustomed to sent me up the wall. For example the closeness, or lack of space, when standing in line, or talking to someone. I almost lost my head just because I wanted my space. Why must people be so close here? Sometimes culture shock happens because something changes. I believe this could be due to my internship/volunteership. I love my internship, but it was somthing new and still is. I had to start catching the bus and here the bus is not a simple thing. You have to be protective of your things to be sure not to get robbed, you have to jump off the bus at your stop because they do not stop fully, they pick people up anywhere, there are bus stops but it does not matter if you are standing in the middle of the street they will stop and pick you up. With all of this in mind it really did something to me. Then not to long ago I had a accident on the bus that really had me scared to take the bus again, but catching the bus has to be easier than coming to another country for eight months right? Well I took the bus as usual to my internship and because these buses are very crowed there are always very few seats. Therefore, this young boy sits next to me, I say young because he seemed young, he automatically starts talking to me. It made me feel a little uncomfortable from the begining. I never actually said anything to him I just shook my head yes or no, or shurgged my shoulders. He then did something so unexpected and very shocking. He kissed my shoulder. I was so furious, but not knowing if he could have a weapon on him I said nothing, or did nothing. At that moment I wanted to hit him in his face. I felt like I lost all control over my body just because I could not say anything. He then put his hand on my thigh I then took my bookbag and slammed it down on my legs. He jerked his hand back and said nothing else to me. I was so mad I wanted to scream, but clearly being a foreign women on a bus full of Ecuadoreans was not the right place to go off on the guy. I thought I was fine after this whole ordeal, but the next day there he was again. Same boy, different time, and it scared me a little, to be honest. This time the bus was not full and when he tried to sit next to me I told him I wanted to sit by myself. He stayed sitting next to me, so I looked at him raised my voice a notch higher and repeated myself. Part of me was so scared, but the other part of me was so furious and serious. This of course did not help with my culture shock and sent me in an uproar and tears for a day. I share this story because things like this can happen to anyone while studying abroad and eventhough it scared me, and I did not want to take the bus anymore, going through experiences like these make you face your fears, makes you stronger, any may even put you back through culture shock. I got back on the bus the next day, I faced my fear and I have not seen him ever since. Going through anything during culture shock can make you act over emotional so I do believe that knowing the signs of culture shock can help you act rational in any situation. Somethings I noticed was increase cleaning; I wash my hands maybe twenty times a day (yes I still do), over emotional, normal cultural differences you already know about seem to mess with you more than normal. These are only somethings I started to notice, but not to mention, culture shock is different for everyone. It can hit at different times, and people handle it differently. I am sure all my fellow readers will be happy to know my second round of culture shock is starting to desipate. I will be normal soon only to return home and go through it again.

El Primer Canal del Ecuador

I know many of you are wondering what my title is about. Well this is the place I currently do my volunteer at. It is a private television station in Ecuador and has been around for atleast 50 years. This is by far the greatest experience I am having in Ecuador. I work with the reporters, going out on the street and getting activly involved. It is only my second day and I feel like family and a reporter. Today I met some of the most famous people in Television here in Ecuador. I was holding conversations, getting myself known, all in Spanish I must add. I am doing what I have been wanting to do for a very long time. One thing I do advise students if you feel like you want more of a practical experience in your major/career, going abroad would be a way to get. In the pass two days I have done so much practical work. The key is countries like Ecuador, Haiti, Africa, and many more need the help and apperciates the help. Good help is hard to come by in these countries, people are hard to trust, and believe it or not they love the international people. Also try to get involved as much as possible, show them you want to learn. That is the only way. I did that today with just being recorded and talking about my life, where I am from, what I study. It showed that I was fun to be around and that I love being there. They opened up to me, so I opened up to them. I am enjoying my vounteer position. I know that days will get harder but I am so proud of myself as of now. My first day we did three stories, but one really striked me. A 60 year old man hung himself in his house and his daughter found him. He was sick and I guess he became depressed and decided to end his life. Being right there in front of all this was shocking. Seeing the body being rolled out was even harder. I realize that as a reporter that although we may have feelings and care, our job is to get the story out. It is just like doctors, if they went into a depressive state everytime a patient died they all would be no good to our society. The crazy thing is we covered this story for over an hour and I only seen five minutes of it on the news. I guess that is how it works. You get what you can and its selected from there what makes it on television. I do know this (reporting) is something I want to do for the rest of my life or at least half of it. Ecuador has once did to me again. This country must want me to stay.