The importance of being upside-down

Our time in Ecuador is already drawing to a close; I can hardly believe it. Now, I feel almost normal every time I get on the bus. I’ve gotten used to the 8pm dinners, the kiss on the cheek, and the inhuman quantity of soft rolls I consume. The lack of snacks and my paranoia about getting robbed have ceased to bother me. It’s strange how we have adapted to this new life, as if our time in the United States was another world or an old dream. I’ve discovered the remarkable capacity that we have to assimilate, and it’s something I will remember for the rest of my life. I know I will find myself in situations where everything is new and scary, and I will be able to think back to this time and know that I can get through pretty much anything.

            People say travel “expands your horizons,” but nobody can ever explain how or why. Well, it’s because everything is in the experience. It’s natural to live one way your whole life and think that it’s the only way to live. When you go abroad and see places like Carlos’s farm, you suddenly realize that the things you learn about in books and TV are real. People live without electricity and iPods, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Similarly, political characters in other countries are going to be different. I was lucky to visit a Social Security hospital, where I learned firsthand how people here receive universal healthcare. We don’t use this system in the US, but seeing it in front of my own eyes, concretely, made me realize that there are so many possibilities. Traveling allows you to see the great variety that exists in the world. Different languages are also a great example of this. I think it was fantastic that everyone got the opportunity to learn Spanish. Learning a new language has made me reevaluate English; now, I am a better speaker and writer in my first language. I also got to enjoy the distinct flavor of Spanish with its fresh perspectives. As frustrating as the subjunctive tense can be, it’s so fascinating that a language can be so subjective and personal. I’ve really learned the power of words.

            I think the grand idea here is that traveling has allowed me to reevaluate myself, my customs, and my ideas. I thought going abroad would only change my opinions about Ecuador, but it has also changed my opinions about everything I am already familiar with. For example, I never really noticed my economic status as much as I noticed it here. What I took away from this was the knowledge that I am really, really lucky, and I can be proud of myself for putting my luck to good use by trying to become a global citizen.

            It’s strange to think that I’ll be leaving this place that I’ve become so accustomed to. I won’t see my family again, or ride bus 5 to school every morning. I will forget details like the taste of tiramisu ice cream and the leaky ceiling at Amauta. What I hope will stay with me is my new sense of self. The biggest shame would be going home and instantly falling back into my old routine and comfortable frame of mind. This trip shook up my world, turning it inside out and upside-down. It may be uncomfortable, but I realized it’s okay to be upside down once in a while; that’s the only way you’ll see the world from a different perspective.

Day one in Quito. We've changed so much since then.

Haste makes waste

I've been whistled at by security. Seriously.

I realized during this trip how easy it is to make hasty generalizations. What made me think about this was the night we met some of Shelly’s brother’s friends. I was so used to the typical Ecuadorian guy by then, the kind who says “hola mami” while I walk by, in my ugly knee brace and hiking boots, an expression of tension on my face as I ponder how to cross the street. Anyone is a “mami” to them, and they’ll go to great lengths to let you know exactly what they think. I ignore them, but in the back of my mind I can’t help thinking how annoyingly machisto they are. So, it was with some wariness that I introduced myself to these Ecuadorian youths. However, I was pleasantly surprised. They were genuinely nice guys, and not at all creepy. They showed us around the city, bought us drinks, and chatted with us about music and culture in Cuenca. We made a pact to each speak the other’s language, provided that there was no poking fun at failed attempts to make sense. By the end of the night, I realized the mistake I had made by categorizing Cuencan men into one macho stereotype. I had lost weeks that could’ve been spent in the company of nice people like Shelly’s friends! Haste makes waste.

            It’s so easy to generalize, not only about people here, but about life back home as well. For example, many of us have noticed that Ecuadorian families are extremely tight-knit. Every night, we eat a snack of bread and tea before bed at exactly 8pm. It is expected of everyone to sit at the table to chat, share jokes and worries, and enjoy each other’s company at the end of a long day. For a while, I was so surprised by this custom that it was kind of unsettling. I thought that compared to this family, American families were cold and distant. As I got used to the different routine, I realized that it was just that: different. I overgeneralized, at the risk of thinking that family life back home is not nearly as good and could never measure up to the happiness and closeness of families in Ecuador (that idea is probably a generalization too, but I’ll let it go for the sake of making my point). I realized that the bond in my family is close, but it manifests itself in different ways. We may not eat together at a set time every day, but we still make time for each other. When I’m away at school, I try to text my sister or call my mom at least several times a week. I also go home every Sunday to do laundry and catch up. The pace of life in America is different, but that doesn’t mean that families are doomed to fall apart.

These are just two generalizations that I realized I had mistakenly made. Why is it so easy to make hasty assumptions while traveling? I think that when you’re abroad, you’re often suddenly confronted by stark contrasts in cultures. When at first you look at these contrasts, it’s easy to make assumptions on what life is like here and there. I think one of the most rewarding things about travel is getting the opportunity to reevaluate what you knew about yourself and others. After the initial surprise of cultural differences wears off, you can look deeper into your assumptions and understand that stereotyping is easy, but when you get the courage to look past this, you see a richer world.

"Ahh, yees" -Alex

 When you think of the Galapagos Islands, I bet your brain doesn’t conjure up images of dilapidated houses, rusty bikes, modern hotels and gift shops crammed with “I heart boobies” t-shirts. In a place known for its natural beauty and importance to science, the Galapagos are shockingly modernized.

The arrival of human beings on the islands contributed to much of the damage that had to be reversed. Farmers brought over non-native species that interrupted the natural ecosystem. However, without farmers, how could life be sustained? Stray dogs and cats were also problematic, as they hunt animals like marine iguanas and thus also interrupt ecosystems as introduced predators. The introduction of foreign vegetation was equally troublesome, as these species take over resources and force native plants into extinction. Besides foreign species, human behavior also poses a problem. Fishermen over-fished certain species to near extinction. Littering in land and water contaminated habitats. These are all problems that were more prominent in the past, but which new laws have attempted to resolve. There are now limitations on marine reserves so that fishing is strictly monitored. Stray cats and dogs are prohibited, as is littering and the introduction of foreign species. Our bags were checked numerous times for plant seeds or anything that might contaminate the islands. As for people themselves, our guide, Alex, explained to us that the government maintains strict surveillance over the flow of people in and out of the islands. The people who live there have either been living on the island for generations, or they have a work permit (mostly scientists and researchers). These strict regulations have been imposed to limit the amount of damage done to the islands.

If humans are such an issue to the islands, why aren’t they forced out? Tourism. Tourism has spurred the growth of industry in the islands, which in turn requires workers. People on the islands manage boat taxis, work at gift shops, restaurants and hotels, and offer services like guided tours or scuba diving. The growth of available services has made it easier to travel to the Galapagos, so the result was an even greater increase in tourism. Of course, globalization has played a part in this. The compression of time and space has made it easier than ever for people from all over to reach the Galapagos. Islands that were once untouched are now trod by thousands of curious, sun-burnt visitors in field pants (hmm) every year. What does this mean for the preservation of these precious habitats?

They always say that the most dangerous introduced species is humans. Despite the many regulations that try to control human impact, there are still problems. I definitely saw a handful of stray dogs, some litter, and some very non-green practices. The government claims to strictly monitor the flow of people and possible foreign species, but it isn’t very effective. Our bag searches consisted of someone opening up the bag, looking inside, and zipping it back up. If some evil teenage genius got tired of writing computer viruses and needed a new plan for destroying the world, he could easily toss some garlic mustard seeds on the island and revel in his brilliance. This probably wouldn’t happen, but it still seems like destruction by humans is imminent.

Personally, I’m not thrilled about the impact of human behavior, but what is the alternative? We could kick everyone off the islands and make a return to the purity of Darwin’s days, but what’s the point? Tourism may be ugly, but the beauty is that we get the chance to see this astonishing place. Closing off the islands would be the equivalent of buying a new pair of shoes and shoving them under your bed because you’re too afraid they’ll get dirty from wear. The paradox is that in our enthusiasm to see this wonder, we destroy it. I heard people complaining about the lost purity of the islands, and in my head I thought, well you are a part of it. I think that no amount of regulation can completely reduce human impact, but what they have done is an admirable effort. It’s up to each individual now to think about his own effect on the islands. As a tourist, you might not be helping the islands, but further destruction by behavior like littering can be easily avoided. If everyone takes responsibility of the islands, we can at least maintain the current state they are in. I enjoyed the islands immensely, and I would never want to take away that opportunity from neither people nor the wonderful species of the Galapagos themselves.

He has the right to live too!

         

It's a language epidemic! Run for your tongue!

The flying dutchmen

I was on an airplane returning from the Galapagos when I heard a German passenger talking to a Spanish flight attendant. The two of them were speaking English. I wondered at that moment about the power of English as a language. It has become a universal form of communication, allowing two people of totally different linguistic backgrounds to find common ground…in yet a third language! The Galapagos made this more pronounced, since it is a destination for people from places like China, Japan, Poland, Germany and Spain. It was incredible to be surrounded by such diversity in an island in the middle of nowhere. We ran into a tour group of Japanese people, whose guide lectured in English. Some of us met a German couple, with whom we were able to chat about Ecuador and politics. A group of us watched two Dutch twenty-somethings cliff diving, and afterwards they turned to my friend and exclaimed how awesome it was. All of these moments were made possible by a universal language.

It seems amazing that this has happened. When I was in France 10 years ago, nobody spoke English; now, it seems like bilingualism is a no-brainer. Some say that globalization is a recent phenomenon, and I think the rapid spread of English within the last 10 or 20 years has lent this idea credibility. People are trying to connect with each other not only to share experiences and ideas, but also for practical reasons in business and international relations. The entire world can communicate on common ground now, and those who can’t are at a huge disadvantage. My taxi driver was telling me how he lived in Connecticut for several years but had to return back home to Ecuador because the language barrier was too big; it was an impediment to his success.

While it is amazing that the world has almost unanimously agreed that schools everywhere need to start teaching English, it is also dangerous, especially for Americans. We are already too comfortable with the power of our language, and this comfort is evident in our education system that is extremely weak in foreign language instruction. Why bother learning another language if the world is accommodating us? This mentality is a huge mistake. I grew up in a bilingual household, and I can confidently say that it is an extremely enriching experience that I was lucky to have. It makes your brain work differently. Languages have character, and seeing the world through two different lenses opens your mind up to new interpretations. Not to mention, knowing a second language makes learning a third language easier. While globalization has allowed world- wide communication to become easier, it is also true that the infiltration of English into every corner of the globe has created the sort of cultural imperialism that is less of a detriment to other countries than it is to ours. Cultural imperialism suggests that characteristics of one country become dominant around the world, making it easier for countries to lose their individuality. In terms of speaking English, other countries are placing more importance on learning it without letting it become the dominant language. This isn’t so great for America, because other cultures are diversifying while we are stagnant.

What’s more, now that the Hispanic population in the US is growing, it is becoming ever more important to speak Spanish. America is heading towards a future of bilingualism, but the people aren’t ready for it. The benefits of speaking more than one language are clear, and the rest of the world has caught on faster than us. America’s next challenge is producing a nation of individuals that have a greater understanding of and appreciation for other languages.