#ecuador on live

[arc-hus]

Culunco House, Tumbaco, Ecuador - AL BORDE

[meowmeowmessi]

now here comes brfootball and espnfc with their pessinaldo graphics captioned "BOTH cristiano ronaldo and lionel messi failed to scored their penalties in the euros and copa america 😱😱😱 sometimes even GOATS have an off day 😓"

[i-m-p-l-a-c-a-b-l-e]

Me pierdo en este mundo 😎😊♥️🌄☀️

[cricketcat9]

So the famous night blackout, causing such panic and freaking out happened to be...of 2 hours. 2 HOURS! from midnight to 2am. 🙄😁 It's going to happen again today, and probably for the next few days. My sleep schedule should improve.

I think some expats are not suited to the life here; loud and rude demands for precise schedule of anything will result in nothing; ffs go with the flow. Yesterday, I witnessed a grown-up man having a tantrum because his ice cream had some chocolate in it, was supposed to be stawberry only. He wanted to exchange it, " but I can't explanation it to her" *** His wife went to explain it to her*** , he did not get a new free ice cream, ranted about customer service until I got him a fucking new one with NO CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY ONLY, for the grand sum od $1.99

*** her - the ice-cream seller at KFC.

The dude lives here for 13 years. The level of Spanish required for the conversation with the seller exceeds his capability...

[totally-not-an-awkward-okapi]

Not sure if I’m submitting them to @spidersociety-rejects too, but I felt bad not also doing a page for good ol’ Birdeater.

[yardsards]

i think the issue with having an extremely inconsistent sleep schedule is not that your overall daily schedule will be out of wack (i am quite fine with changing schedules) but rather that all hours of the day are Schrodinger's Bedtime. like, going to bed just feels like An Option at all times and this leads to a lot of laying in bed almost dozing but not really sleeping

[woahajimes]

perhaps if i were to swallow a shotgun

[dennisexplorer2003]

Hi, I'm dennisexplorer2003, I wanted to talk to you about what happened to me in 2014, that day I was alone in my house and suddenly there was a big earthquake, I hid in a place that didn't affect me, but it only lasted a little bit, but still I was scared, thank God that nothing bad happened

[leonardomedina]

Story / Reel Cliente: Quality of Care Agencia: FRONTERA Director Creativo: David Pérez MacCollum Community Manager: Valentina Macías

[simonrriley]

“mom bought USA cupcakes, i can’t believe ………. happy birthday graves”

[saepiae]

sorry to old person post but the worst part about living alone is when you injure yourself ( in this case pulling my back) and you just have to sit there in pain on your own until you can bear it enough to do something abt it cause nobody can help you out

[arc-hus]

Casa Lasso,San José, Ecuador - RAMA estudio

[joelmorricone]

“WHY IS YOUR HITBOX THE SIZE OF AFRICA. wait is africa a country or a continent”

[jabondemanos]

WHY AM I GETTING THIS ADD. IS THIS RACIALLY MOTIVATED

[cricketcat9]

November

is for me a month of various anniversaries. 11 years ago I came to this town to sign papers and pay for the house I bought. I got the keys and “stayed for good” a few days later, on my birthday.

The house has its flaws; some I fixed (many by myself, like getting rid of colour brown and exposed brick EVERYWHERE) some I can’t, like insanely high ceilings, making a lightbulbs change or cobwebs removal a life-threatening endeavour. But, here I am… 💪🏼

[emilys-scstudyabroad]

Now

The air around me travels through my ears with a howl that reaches out to grab my curls and it claims them as their own. It makes its way through my jacket and whips my pants back and forth, encapsulating me. To my left I see it push waves of blue into the green walls that entrap it. I look to my right and see it ruffle endless rows of every shade of forest, and bellow towards the sky of white fluff.

I lift my arms, close my eyes, and inhale a breathe so deep it seems to recharge me. I feel I could jump right off and fly like a bird, and then I realize. I am a bird, and I already did. I open my eyes to a new world, the wind seems to calm my spirit, and a smile spreads from my soul to my cheeks.

So, how did I get this chance to fly and exactly where did the wind blow me?

& Then

It all started a year ago in my college apartment with an idea, which grew to an application for Study Abroad, and eventually manifested into a plane ticket. I hopped five hours from DC to Panama City and three hours later I was winding through the Andes mountains with a sweet stranger in Quito, Ecuador.

I am incredibly lucky to be able to afford this opportunity, and even luckier to be asked to share my story. I am mostly sharing to connect to two groups of people. First, I want to show other students that they too can fly, and what the view looks like in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. Second, I know my family and friends worry and miss me, I hope this will offer some peace of mind.

If the details are not important to you, feel free to skim like a picture book. Although, if you read, you will learn something about the Ecuadorian culture, the World outside the States, and me.

I have been in Quito now for one week. A week that flew by, but left me feeling secure and knowledgeable of my new place. In the mornings, I attended four orientations that provided information about the culture, surroundings, and future trips. The program squeezed in a tour of the University and the city of Quito throughout the week. Although, everyday at 2 PM, I was soaking up as much Spanish as I could until 5. This class wrapped up on Friday, giving me enough Spanish to navigate basic interactions.

The first couple days of Study Abroad is like the first six weeks of Freshman year all over again. Everyone is in an unfamiliar place and does not know anyone. You feel so free. I came into the program with an open mind, and quickly found the people I jived with the most.

These two bundles of light are named Lovisa and Owen. They are the only international kids in our program not from the states, and they continue to broaden my horizons and knowledge everyday. We spend our days exploring the city and food. They are also the photographers behind the amazing pictures you get to see (thank you:) of me. This is our favorite spot on campus, we often visit on class breaks. The terrace is outside of Diego's office, the University President. Diego and his guards know our smiles now, and allow us to soak up this view everyday.

If I could describe Ecuadorian culture in one way it would be, friendly. They will absolutely never let you go hungry and are always willing to help if they can. The Spanish language has two ways of saying "you" one is Tú (informal and used for friends) and Usted (formal and used for those older and more respected). This university has a policy of only using Tú, and putting everyone on the same level.

I would like to highlight one difference I notice about Ecuador and the States in each post, first up, power lines! I know its silly, but this is one of the first things I noticed riding the bus to class.

I mean have you ever seen this many wires connected to a pole?! This is a normal sight on a street corner. I was stunned.

My two biggest adventures of the week involved views from around 10,000 feet. I put my spurs up overlooking Quito, and if gamecocks could fly, I did so on the mountains surrounding Cotacachi. This is a lake in an active volcanic crater I had the pleasure of visiting, on Saturday. We made the most of our travels, visiting an indigenous market called Otovalo, where we shopped till we absolutely had to eat. Fortunately, we found this quaint spot and devoured some tamales, humitas, and horchata before our lake hike.

My favorite ways to experience a new culture are through food, walking, and recommendations from locals. To my advantage, I have an incredible host mother that makes sure I eat twice a day, have clean laundry, and provides me with the ultimate accommodations. She makes sure I know all the places to go and get to try all the unique recipes Ecuador has to offer (without cilantro, if ykyk!). If you are a student worried about staying with a host family, do not be!

I am an introvert that enjoys my simple routine and feels at home in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. This semester I took a leap of faith, and it turns out I have wings.

With Love From Ecuador,

Emily Sikora

P.S. thank you dad and mom, I couldn't do it without your love.