Good news! I'm switching families. Finally made up my mind, and even though I dread the moment where I actually have to tell her that I'm moving out (my main excuse will be that I'm severely allergic to the dogs, which is true). I'm telling her tomorrow after school. I actually have two options - one family has a 25 year old son, and the other is just a mother and father. I'm leaning more towards the one with the son, even though initially I was uncomfortable with the idea, but they have internet. And I NEED internet, otherwise I will waste away with out it. The other family has no email contact given on this paper I received, so I assume they have no internet. Another good thing about the son being around is that I would probably get to meet more Ecuadorians that are closer to my own age, which would be really awesome - I can't just make more American friends while I'm here! The sheet of paper I was given even has a couple of reviews on it - it says that both families are excellent, and that the one I'm considering more is very nice, and they do many things, including going to the beach. The other family review though did mention good food. So I don't know. More decisions! Also I have to figure out where they live - the addresses are given, but I need to head to Google Maps or something.
Before I continue I must tell you all that I FINALLY HAD DESSERT TODAY. OMG. Granted, it was only a chocolate chip cookie, but it was delicious and I may or may not have scarfed it down. When I get back to the states I am going to eat dessert all the time. Also, the empanadas here are RIDICULOUSLY tasty. Mom, Dad, when you visit, we are going to get empanadas. They also have a huge thing for fresh fruit juice here, and it is delicious. I had fresh mango juice today with my empanada.
Anyways, I figured I'd tell you guys a little about Ecuador instead of ranting about stuff on here for once! As you probably all know, Ecuador is a third world country. They switched to the American dollar a little over ten years ago, and have a seriously chaotic political history (I think I mentioned this already in a previous post). The country is about the size of Colorado, yet is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world - for example, there are more bird species just in Ecuador than in North America alone. You can literally find new species of insects and plants every time you step into the rainforest. There are three major climatic zones here (which I mentioned before, I know): El Oriente, la Sierra, and La Costa. Obviously, because the equator is so warm and conducive to precipitation, there is the rainforest. The rainforest itself even produces 75% of its own rain! (It is very good at recycling!) What makes Ecuador so interesting and climatically diverse as well as biodiverse are the Andes mountains - they are tall enough that they effectively block any clouds and precipitation coming from the east over the Amazon (all the wind here is easterly), making the rainforest even more wet, yet also keeping moisture from the West coast of Ecuador. That is why the forest in Western Ecuador is called a dry forest - during the dry season, many trees actually lose their leaves. As soon as it starts to rain during the rainy season though, the forest explodes with greenery, flowers, and fruits. Another contribution to the dry forest is the Humboldt Current, which brings cold water near the Ecuadorian coast. Cold water is much less receptive to evaporation, so it doesn't rain nearly as much on this side of Ecuador as the other. Another unique thing about Ecuador is the cloud forests - we learned that the bigger the mountain, the more heat they retain, and the more slowly they get rid of this heat. For this reason, the tree/vegetation line on the Andes goes very far up the mountain, and this creates the famous cloud forests, and also the Andean páramo, which is a tundra-like landscape.
As you probably also know, Ecuador is extremely Catholic. They have very interesting celebrations here too - one of them is called "novenas." All nine days before "la Vespería" (Christmas Eve), the family gets together every single one of these nights to eat dinner together and celebrate. On Christmas Eve, they attend mass. They also have an interesting way of celebrating the New Year - instead of calling their celebrations, "Fiestas del Año Nuevo," they focus on "El Año Viejo," or the end of the current year. Children create giant paper dolls that depict things they didn't like about the year, or things they would like to change or better in the coming year, and then burn them. I suppose it is a lot like the U.S. - creating a clean slate for the New Year. Here they also celebrate Carnaval, but the type of celebration varies from town to town. In Quito, unfortunately, people like to have water fights, and they don't care who they get wet - even random strangers and passers-by. I'm pretty sure we are in the Amazon during this day, thank goodness. Another town though celebrates with flowers and fruit, and that sounds a heck of a lot nicer and more interesting! Easter, or la Pascua, and Holy Week, or La Semana Santa, are also extremely important here. I would love to attend an Easter mass just to see what it's like, but I don't know if I'll be able too! I think I'll be off doing my internship by then. They have this really interesting dish they eat during the Holy Week called Fanesca - I've heard that some people have nearly 40 different grains and things in this soup, among other things, and it very special. For Ecuadorians of Spanish or mestizo descent, it is important for Easter, but to the indigenous peoples of Ecuador, who also eat the dish, it is a celebration of the harvest and bounty. Here in Ecuador, they also have a day that is like El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) in Mexico. For the indigenous people, as for most people in Mexico, this day is to celebrate the life of dead loved ones and also celebrate that they are in a better place. In Ecuador, the family wakes really early, prepares all this food, and goes to the cemetery for the entire day, eating and drinking and celebrating near their loved ones graves. For people of Spanish or mestizo descent in Ecuador, it is oftentimes a more solemn affair, and people go to the cemetery during the day, with food, and attend a sort of mass or vigil at night in the church.
Just some random information - when greeting someone or meeting someone new, they kiss cheeks here like they do in France (but only one cheek not both haha!) Except if it's two guys, then they shake hands. People also live with their parents until they get married. There are some people that move out I'm sure, but it is more common to stay with the family.
Also, just want to give a shout-out to Connor and Brenna, hope you guys are having fun with your snow and chilly weather :D
