the differences between there and here

And now for some light reading. There of course are many differences between the Ecuadorian culture and the Canadian culture, and also the US culture. When going to the farmers market, with is laid out much like that of Europe, with its old basic charm, you notice things like orange peels and and other peels on the ground and people spitting or taking a quick finger up the old nose to check out its status and then shake hands with you or handling your food. Western solution: (especially now that Ecuador has swine flu too,) bring out the hand sanitizer just after you deal with them, but so as they don't take offence to their rustic manners, just out of eye sight please. Let me tell you they have and grow almost everything the volcanic soil is rich and supports life abundantly. Right now in the market, is something that looks like the asian "lei chi", it is fresh and delicious. They have all these marvelous foods especially veggies but don't use them alot in their cooking. The main diet here is rice, potatoes, and meat. If you go to a restaurant they might include a token of veggie or salad. I could not live on the restaurant food here as my colon would bung up so bad I would need a rotor-router to help me out. Sorry, I digress yet again but colon health is very important to me and should be for you too, a clean colon is a happy colon, fiber fiber natures broom. After visiting the market and getting all that you need to make you supper, you might be a tad peckish. And this is where you might like to go to have a bit at the market fast food area. In Canada, this would be the food court and you would order whatever you like from burgers to sushi. However in these markets, you would have a sever choice restiction. I advise this for lunch. Jumping gato, or seco de carne or pollo. These are traditional dishes here. The first is eggs, rice, fried potato pattie, sausage and a showing of salad. The second is rice with meat or chicken in a sauce. They are both cheap, about a dollar and will fill you up. However, there is a local dish called "sopa de locro", that the cook may or may not take artistic license. I have had this soup, here in Banos and it was awsome. The other day I had it in Pelileo market and well..... Here's the story on that little bit.
Dane and I were hungry and so we went to the very busy market lunch area. We went to one of the busier places as to hopefully have good food. Sometimes when you don't speak the language it is a benifit because if they had successfully had told me what they were serving I might have had to protest. (We also chose not to go to the stall with the huge pig on a platter with a hot chile in it mouth, where the skin, ears and nose is considered a delicasy.) As mom always said, you just sit down and eat it and don't complain. So when Dane and I got our bowls of soup, that is what we did. But I do say mom didn't say I couldn't discribe to you what I ate. Okey dokey, in my bowl of light yellowish greenish broth there was floating bits of what might be best discribed as meat from the jungle that had visited a jewish church after a docking of several little boys. YUCK. So I stopped looking at it and ate some. I then looked at Dane's bowl, and in there floating in a lighter colored broth was the hind quarter of a cuy (guinea pig) with its claws still curled in protest. So we paid for our lunch, and walked away eating mandarines.
There are other differences that are in no way the same, far more successful really. They for the most part are not up for confrontation and this means that if there is a problem it is not usually a big deal and they almost always can be talked into doing what you want including the police.
A friend of mine was driving her friends car, when she was stopped at a road block, she quickly put on her seat belt, as this is the law, but the belt was not working and neither was the passengers, which is law here now. She then realized she had forgotten her license back at here place. So this is what she did, she opened her window and said to the police that she was really busy and didn't have time to stop right now but she was willing to take the policeman with her as she was going to her stops and he could ask all the questions he wanted while they were traveling doing her chores. He, wanting to be a helpful policeman got in and her first stop was her place to get her license, all the while she was asking how he was and how his family was and so on, polite small talk. At one point on their little journey, he actually asked her what he was doing in the car with her again????? He didn't even put on or care if he had his seat belt on. She eventually dropped him of where she found him and then politely said good-bye and continued on her way. True story folks. Can you imagine trying to pull that little ditty in Canada????
Now boyfriends are a different matter. We have had a great deal of growth in this area, let me tell you. At first, there was trouble. Rachelle did actually get attacked one night from a "friend". But with all her family training, and defence work she got away no problem. But of course she was very upset. Latin men as a rule, like to get away with as much as possible, that is no different than our boys really. But they do take it to the extreme. So girls take responsibility for yourself and don't do stupid things that you would normally never do in Canada, this is you warning when traveling here in SA. With the guidance of several of my Canadian and American spanish speaking girlfriends, they literally took Rob by the hand and sat down with boyfriend and told boyfriend what is what. The poor guy. It must have been like a firing squad. But I have to say he didn't listen one bit. I hate to say this but Rob's helpers were women and this is a macho culture, god bless their little cotton panties. I don't like saying this but I must...... white girls or guys are looked at a visa's out of Ecuador. Sorry, but it is true. The guy's also will treat the girls like crap unless the father sets them straight. So.... 2 weeks after the first talk, we didn't see alot of change and Rob went for a "private man to man talk" with him totally helped by Rachelle what to say in spanish. So she was in on it friends. When I saw Rob later after "the Talk", he still had his eyes popping and blood vessels sticking out of his head and neck. I understand Rob stopped expressing himself in spanish when he ran out of words and continued on in English until the little guy got the idea that "Daddy" was a big guy with anger management issues and not to f--k with his daughter. I guess later on, boyfriend phone Rachelle and was "Crying," complete with tears, and threatening to leave the city", and why was her dad so mad, and Rachelle calmly responded and said," Because he doesn't think that you are not being responsible or careful with me." Well, Rachelle got the point and for now so does stupid- head.
This is my second WARNING; those of you who would partake in intimacy with partners here in SA must understand this. You are a ticket out. Use condoms and you control and care for them. They will A) poke holes in them, B) not put them on properly so to break them ...intensionally, C) not use them because of all the reasons that you can imagine, D)here's the biggie, if you have them or buy them you are a slut or a whore and there fore do not deserve respect or proper treatment. I mean this girls. If you buy condoms here, remember you are in a catholic country and one of the messages from the pope was no condoms. You can get ridiculed for it and certainly the locals get ridiculed for purchasing them. But there are 40% of children here born out of wedlock, so there you go. We have had big growing pains there let me tell you. My advise always wear a condom!!!!, as one of you birth control choices. One of Rachelle's friends from the US, a guy, wanted you know what with one of Rachelle's Ecuadorian friends and he said we are just friends with benifits and later the girl almost became a stalker and TOLD him that when he gets back they will get married. That is the god's honest truth folks and the girl is a fairly forward thinker, but still. So there you go. Also, another "girl"friend of Rachelle was having "girl" problems and went to the doctor, with no results really. So she came to our family, and Rachelle took her to her Dr. in Shell. She is a very sexually active young lady and when she went to this DR an american MD working in the mission hospital had never had a pelvic exam or lab samples. Here the Ecuadorian MD's might want to do the exam to be sure and the patient will NOT allow that kind of exam but allow all kinds of sex or intimacy to take place. This backward way can ruin the reputation of the MD and therefore the patient not be cured of their issue. Anyway, Rachelle went in the office with her friend and with support of Rachelle and the DR's insistance did the pelvic and also took lab samples..... The young lady ended up on 4 different meds for her ailment or ailments. Disease is here and although I understand is one of the places with less Aids, it may be rampant but NEVER talked about. So BE CAREFUL folks.
I will carry on on the next entry on the strength of Banos.
Robin