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.

The Experience

Throughout studying abroad so many things have happened to me. At the time they may not had been funny, but now they are. Somethings are serious and have impacted my life. So I have decided to make a list of things I will sure take back with me to the United States.

1. I got my finger bit by a taxi driver

2. I did not get let into a club that all my friends were in.

3. I got cussed out at the bus stop in Spanish for sitting there.

4. I thought I was lost when I was only five minutes from home.

5. I called my host brother friend Perro (dog) instead of Pedro(his name).

6. There was almost the over throw of the President on Sept. 30 2010 and the next day it was as if nothing happened.

7. It rainded for two hours and the rain came up to my knees. I thought I was in a flood but this is normal to Ecuador.

8. I had a one day boyfriend I did not even agree to having.

9. I learned that every day words such as huevos which is eggs can mean a males body part. Comer meaning to eat can me to have sex if not said in the right context.

10. I got the Mumps!

11. An international student passed away.

12. I had the best New Year ever in my life in Montanita. I burned big life size dolls, and brought it in on the Beach.

13. I stayed in my first hostal and word of the wise they are not the same as hotels. Bring what you need.

14. I got to perform in a dance concert.

15. I got to do a video for a foundation.

16. I have my internship at El Primer Canal del Ecuador a public television station and I will be working with the reporters. I am have way there.

17. Best of all my Spanish has improved I must say.

Self-doubt

Through out people lives I believe everybody goes through a little self-doubt. For me as the time comes closer for me to go home I am having these moments of self-doubt more and more. I question myself on what I have learned, or if I learned anything at all. I was told that people who are not doing anything never doubt themselves and that self-doubt comes with sucess. I believe that some of the greatest people doubted themseleves once or twice. I know that just because I doubt myself does not mean I do not believe in myself. I think the problem is when I think about what everyone else expects from me at home. What everyone expects from me at school. I try to tell myself that as long as I do what I want with my life I will exceed everyone expectations because I feel that mines are higher than what anybody expects. However, I still get those moments of doubt. The question is what to do when they hit because they will and they do often. I think in my case I work harder. If I feel like I am not learning anything I studying more, I practice my spanish more, I do what ever I can. I have to keep telling myself that I am my major concern. Sometimes I fear I am going to return back to the United States and everyone is going to want to know how much Spanish I learned. They are not going to want to know the things I learned on the way or how I have changed. I do not want to have to prove my ability to speak Spanish every time I turn around. I dare someone who is not my professors test my ability of speaking Spanish when they have no clue the hard work I put into this. I am so proud of myself and yet I feel like it is so much more I can achieve. However, good old self-doubt creeps up, but it is a part of life and I will push pass it as I have done every other time it has hit. I will not let it define me but push me to be a better person and fight for what I want. I do hope, however, that I make everyone proud and do something grand so that I can give back to those who have gotten me this far and will continue to push me. So self-doubt how I despise of you so much, yet I embrace you at the same time for you are my motivation.

Changed

The other day in Spanish class I was asked how have I changed since I arrived here in Ecuador. At first I could not answer my teacher, but as I thought about it I begun to see that the person that left the United States is not the same person returning back in April. I have seen so much here in Ecuador, that the way I view the world, yes the world, is totally different. One thing I have noticed that has changed is my way of thinking about different cultures, and the people that live in those different cultures. I use to be that person that would say "oh that Mexican is an immagrant", or I would say "they do not need to be in my country if they cannot speak the language." I was young, and uninformed back then. I could never think like that again. I understand that people, not just Mexicans, see the United States as a place for opportunity, hope, and prosperity. For those that has not had the chance to leave the United States does not understand the way other counrties view ours. We can be born poor and it not define us for the rest of our life, we can go to school with out having to be rich. Things we over look, people in other countries see them as blessings. I came to this country and did not know much Spanish, it seemed as if I did not know anything, to be honest. People attitude was not as mine was about people needing to know their language.They were understanding, some helped, and of course some walked away, or laughed at me. My point, however, is that my way of thinking has changed. For me I wanted this study abroad trip to be about learning Spanish. I did not know, think, or prepare myself for the affect this country has had on me. Anyone who thinks studying aborad is only about learning the language is wrong. It is about finding yourself, or learning about yourself. It is about learning about the people around you, it is about developing a sense for other cultures. It is about seeing outside the bubble we know as home. Studying abroad is about becoming a better person. I like to think I am a better person then before. So when I reflect on that question what has changed about me since I've arrived here in Ecuador I would have to say everything, and I am glad that I am this new person I know today.

Cultural Differences

I always talk about how things are so different and they are, but I really have not went into detail as to what besides the obvious. I want to talk about the Mothers, the women of Ecuador. As you noticed I said mothers before women, because their first priority is their kids. I know what you are thinking; so is every women's priority when they have kids, but do give me a minute to explain. Here in Ecuador the women stay at home, some quit their jobs as mine did to raise their kids, they clean, they cook, and they cater to everyone needs in the house. I am sure you are wondering what is wrong with that, well nothing until you are actually here to see how much the women/mothers do. My host mom for example she goes to school in the early mornings after taking the kids to school. She is learning English because her 15 year old daughter may go to the United States or Canada for college. She gets home from school only to start cleaning the seven bedroom and six bathroom home we live in. She starts washing clothes, by the way they do all washing of clothes by hand. She then starts lunch for me and her husband. When lunch is cooking and clothes are hanging up drying she starts to study for an examine that she seems to have everyday. Once I get home she brings me something to drink my food and sits down and talk to me. I always try to help but the mothers here in Ecuador like catering to their family their love ones. I feel bad sometimes because I wonder if she is happy, because she does this everyday. Now the kids are out from school and she has more work to do. The thing is here in Ecuador a women prefers to be home with her kids, whereas in the States even if a mother wanted to be home she couldn't because she has to work she has to pay bills. She most likely is a single parent. Here in Ecuador most families consist of a mom and dad. Things are done together; the man is working and paying all bills, the mother is working in the house and making sure her husband, and kids are well feed and have clean clothes. I never knew how much of a role these mothers had until my host mother left for a weekend. It seemed as if the house could not function and slowly it became more dirty and more out of order each day she was gone. Lucky it was for only a weekend. The women in the States are more independent can do it all by herself, and I am not saying it is not true for the women here but in most cases the women will depend on their husband. In that States women go on dates starting at sixteen most of us leave home around seventeen or eighteen, but here young teenage girls do not date at such a young age and if so it is watched. Usually the kids, boys or girls stay home until they get married or get enough money to leave but the usual age is around thirty that the kids eventually venture out and see the real world. these are all big cultural difference that can make a difference at how you approach people. For example if you like a guy he has to approach you. Knowing things like this can make your study abroad experience a lot easier to settle into. Although there are a lot of things about this country that is different from mine I still enjoy and respect it. That's the key word respect. I respect their culture and part of their culture will sure come back with me when I return back to the United States.

Sweet death...

An International student died Thursday. His name was Cody. As hard as it is for you to read this it is even just as harder to write this, but I feel like people should know. Cody was a nice boy I met him around October and he seemed cool. He talked about friends and family, why he came to Ecuador, how he got to Ecuador. Really the basic you go through when you are meeting someone for the first time that is traveling. This pass Thursday him and his girlfriend went to Banos, a place where a lot of us International students go. It like and activity driven place. One could do white water rafting, rock climbing, bridge jumping, almost any activity one could think of it is a possibility at Banos. Cody and his girlfriend decided to rent a 4-wheel drive and take it for a ride. It did not seem out of the norm for either one seeing as how Cody drove on these roads all the time, I recall from a conversation with him. The roads are dangerous and still needs a lot of work. It is a one way on each side a cliff on one side of you and mountains on the other side. As they were driving on this curvy dangerous street Cody could not make the turn and they fell off the cliff. His girlfriend rolled down the cliff and Cody, well he broke his neck and died instantly. I have tried over and over again to ask what went wrong. Was he drinking, or doing any drugs, but the answer was NO. He was just taking advantage of being here in Ecuador and taking advantage of things we all don't really get a chance to do in the States. For me I think it could had been either one of us. Anyone of these International students could had been their that night. I can understand that our parents worst fears are us leaving the country and coming back in a body bag. That is how his parents will most likely receive him unless they come and get his body themselves. My point is this, as international students we have a mind set that things like this won't happen to us, and we don't think the last time we said bye to our parents would be the last. We get here and all we tell ourselves is this is South America lets live it up. This is South America we need to have as much fun as possible. All of this is true, but we need to not lose sight of why we came here in the first place. Like I said Cody did not do anything wrong and I wish I did not have to tell this story but it is something that impacted me greatly on my study abroad trip that I must share. This is not to scare anyone thinking of studying abroad it is just to give a warning. When you go to another country you are tempted to do any and everything but do know that sweet death has not characteristics, or people picked out. It can happen to all of us. R.I.P CODY, YOU WILL BE MISSED 2011....

New Years in Ecuador

First off Feliz Nuevo Ano!!!!! My fellow readers I must say that this New Years is nothing anyone could ever experience in the states! I never seen this type of New Years party in my young life. I went to Montanita, my favorite beach/party town. I have a blog about Montanita if you need a refresher on such a great place. There is a tradition here in Ecuador that when bringing in the New Year they burn these life size dolls called Ano Viejo. When translated literally it means old year. They buy these dolls and dress them up and when it strikes midnight there are fires on the beach, on the streets with these dolls burning. It is a sight to see! There are all type of characters; Woody from Toy Story, Micheal Jackson, Simpson's, even presidents from the United States and Ecuador. Most people put fireworks in the dolls and when they go in the fire there is this big explosion of fireworks and dolls blowing up. I did not know what to do with myself, but enjoy bringing the New Year in on the Beach. One thing I found amazing beside the burning dolls was that there was maybe a group of 20 surfers that brought the New Year in surfing. It was the most liberating thing for me. Everyone did what made them happy and I could not do anything but respect that. I will never forget this New Year, for Ecuador is the only country that burns dolls for the New Year, to my knowledge. I can say I was apart of that. I cannot forget the people who run around two days before New Years dress live devils making this loud noise. Its kind of scary, but a tradition none the less. They do these little dances for the tourist its so funny! If you cannot find a reason to go study abroad let it be bringing in a new year in another country be one of your reasons.