March 2011
9 posts
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Consejo Para el Extranjero en Ecuador - Parte 1
Part 1: How to deal with being incessantly harassed on the street.
Do not be a woman.
If that is not a viable option for you… Do not be white. Note: This will not terminate the occurrences. It may however reduce the level of intensity from a 10 to a 9.5)
If that is not an viable option for you… Procure a burkha.
If you are not interested in living your public life as a...
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Guayaquil: Mi Compañero de Piso
The city is getting more interesting everyday. Ciudad Guayaquil is that new roommate you are forced to live with your first semester at college. We didn’t seem to have much in common, and he was noisy and messy and standoffish. Living with him was a necessary evil until I could find something better next semester. One that I could choose myself. But it turns out, sometimes he plays really...
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Un Primer Intento de Surfiar
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I tried surfing for the first time this past week. Unfortunately what started out as a nice, beginners-level ocean changed pretty quickly. The waves kept getting bigger and coming faster. Apparently before learning how to surf, you have to learn how to get yourself and your board under the waves that are coming at you on your way out. Having “Cruza la ola!” shouted at you over and...
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El Tsunami
I was awoken at 6:30 yesterday morning by a frantic call from my friend Luis warning me of what was coming. In my half-asleep mind, I didn’t really process it until about 15 minutes later the village church started making announcements on the loud speakers that everyone had to pack up their essential possessions and food and water and literally, make for the hills. Because isolated nature of...
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Carnaval
Carnaval in Ecuador feels a bit like if Spring Break had a baby with Halloween. There is a lot of children running around with squirt guns and throwing water balloons and eggs at you, lots of cans of colored foam getting sprayed in your hair, and parties all day and all night. This seems pretty standard for party holidays, like New Years of Saint Patrick’s Day, but what I find so interesting...
