This Semana Santa (holy week) I took a trip with my host family to visit my host mom's cousins in Santo Domingo on the coast. I definitely learned a lot. The coast is like a different country than the sierra. It's much more hot and humid. The women wear skimpier clothing and strut when they walk. About 80% of women that we saw walking in the streets were pregnant. The coast is also a lot poorer than the sierra. It really looks like a third world country. The roads are not paved, and buildings are more like shanties, hurriedly thrown together with a tin roof to top it off. The cousins that we stayed with live in such a house. The gate around the yard is just made of sticks stuck in the ground. The house has cement walls, a tin roof and dirt floors. the kitchen table is under the roof that sticks out, but outside the walls. The chicken pen is literally 10 feet from the house. And the bathroom... lets say there was no toilet seat, the door was a burlap sack curtain, and it was less than clean. But the cousins were lovely. We sang karaoke on their laptop computer for hours while the adults drank beer. The next day, we went to visit another family friends' farm. They grow oranges, avocados, bananas and lots of yucca. Yucca is the root of the plant that the man is cutting with the machete in the picture. It grows on the coast and it is definitely a staple food here. We took pictures around the farm and caught up with their friends. It was hot and humid but it was a really nice day.
What I found interesting was the way my host family introduced me. I've discovered that even though greetings are very important for Ecuadorians (you must greet EVERY person with a kiss on the cheek when you walk into a room) introductions are not that important. I would greet each family member with an "hola" and a kiss on the cheek, but no one bothered to tell me their names and no one bothered to tell them my name. When they asked my host dad, Luis, if we were all his daughters he would smile and say yes. "Don't you have four daughters?" "Yes, Michelle doesn't like the heat on the coast so she stayed home. And this is Jessica my adopted daughter." And that's usually all the information they got. No one really explained to them that I'm from the states, that I'm here teaching English for a year, and I live with them. She's my adopted daughter was enough. I guess that's how they see me. I'm beginning to realize how sad it will be for them when I leave. I am their first volunteer. I wonder if they will host another once I leave.
I will definitely be sad to leave my "adoptive" family. My host family is the best thing I have here in Ecuador, and it will be extremely hard to say goodbye to them. But I will not be as sad to leave Ecuador. I'm ready. I feel like I've had enough cultural immersion and I'm ready to feel comfortable and safe again. I'm ready to drive (myself, in my parent's car) down familiar streets and drink dunkin donuts coffee and shop at Target. I'm grateful for this experience of getting to step outside of my comfort zone and experience another way of life. But going back to my comfort zone is going to feel so soft and cushy. I secretly can't wait.
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