Reality

I fear I have been painting the roses a bit too red of late. In fact I think I may have led a few of you to believe that Ecuador is nothing but roses (yes, roses are their 3^rd largest export and cost only $2.50 for 2 dozen here, but that is beside the point). My point is, that you, my friends, have failed by allowing me to get away with the past two sugary blogs without at least one sarcastic jibe towards the silliness of the whole matter.  I wrote about my love for a movie theater for god’s sake. Are you not American? Have you lost the ability to make fun of someone?  The fact is Ecuador is far from being all roses.

I have been here for three months, chump change in the grand scheme of things, but enough time to set up a daily routine, start acclimating to my new surroundings and develop opinions about what I see.  Now we all know I am an optimist. I dream big, live passionately and find the good in all people, sometimes to my own detriment. What you all don’t know is that I am also a realist. The realist in me is purely introverted and keeps me humble as well as serves to gently and continuously remind me that, although I might be having a good day, there are many people who are not. In the past I felt guilty about this and poured all my energy, fruitlessly, into trying to fix as many problems as I could. As I have learned more and more about the world, myself and human nature in general I have realized that I don’t have what it takes to change the world. What I do have is a gift for facilitating learning in those that I meet. So, although my calling may not be to change the world, I live everyday having faith in the fact that I have many opportunities to awaken the calling in someone who will, and that is enough for me.

That being said I have created a list of the top three realities that will most likely wilt the roses I have previously made blossom for some of you. DO NOT misconstrue any of this to think that I am having a hard time or doubts about coming, I am not. This is the reality of Ecuador and it would be extremely selfish of me to continue sharing stories of my own personal gains without including what underlies daily living here.

Number 1) Asi es la vida is not necessarily a good thing. Yes, at one point I said I liked that people don’t complain but then I realized why they don’t complain and have changed my mind. As of last week Ecuador was rated the third most corrupt country in all of the Americas, behind Venezuela and Paraguay. Although the measure itself may be questionable, corruption IS rampant here. Corruption can be as small as nepotism in the government to large debt inducing oil contracts. There is too much money in too few hands and the working people are the ones that suffer to a point of learned helplessness, i.e. not complaining. History tells us, especially the history of Ecuador who has had no president, except for the current one, last longer than two years, that this type of living by the masses leads to revolt. The signs of revolt are starting to show again with a few groups continuously protesting issues such as water privatization, the general lack of social services, and the influence of large drug and oil companies on the lands natural resources.

Number 2) Mucha gente...The urban cities are over populated and the rural areas are ignored. Transportation is horrendous, poverty is more than obvious and the average person struggles everyday to pay rent with most people working two to three jobs to survive. Yet somehow there is still a large portion of people that own iphones and Blackberries…interesting to say the least. Rules are written to maintain a certain level of living standards yet no one follows them nor is there a governing body large enough or void of corruption to enforce them.

Number 3) Muy Peligroso. Corruption plus poverty plus over population=dangerous situations. Simple Maslows Hierarchy of Needs here…if you don’t have what you need to live (food, clothing, water, shelter) you will find a way to get it. I have found out that when the Tienda lady closes shop early and Piedad has me lock myself into the house during the day something violent has happened in the neighborhood. Daily stories involving taxi drivers, robbers, ATM machines and guns are commonplace amongst my students and to ignore these, as some volunteers do, would be a grim mistake. You do not need be scared at a conscious level at all times but you sure as hell better have that stress in your unconscious or something is bound to happen to you. Learning to live with this has been one of the hardest things for me and has made me appreciate the United States even more.

So next time I write about falling in love with an Andean blackberry or how wonderful my life is, remember this list. And know that I purposefully did not write about each item in the detailed capacity that I am capable of as I didn’t want to put a damper on anyone's otherwise good day.

Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively, unless you can choose a challenge instead of a competence. --Eleanor Roosevelt