FAQ 3...

What Ecuadorians, especially the students at my school, asked me this week when we met:
Note: The other person talking/asking the question is in bold (English translations are italicized). My response is the normal text and translated to English aslo. Also, si means yes and no means no :)

1. Eres un estudiante de intercambio? You're an exchange student? Si, con Rotary. Yes, with Rotary. 
2. De cual país/de donde eres? Where are you from? Los Estados Unidos. The United States. Que parte? What part? New Hampshire. (A look of confusion). Cerca (Near) Boston. Oh Boston!
3. Hablas español? Do you speak Spanish? Un poco. A little bit.
4. Como te llamas? What is your name? Megan. Morgan? No. Meh-gahn. Megan. 
5. Cuando llegaste? When did you arrive? El sabado. Saturday. 
6. Te gusta Ecuador? Do you like Ecuador? Si, hasta aqui! Yes, so far so good. 
7. Dónde y cuándo llegaste eso? Where and when did you get this (points to my nose piercing)? Enero del este año, en Nuevo York. January of this year, in New York. 
8. Te gusta la comida aqui? Has probado el ceviche? Es muy rico! Do you like the food here? Have you tried the shrimp? It is delishious! Me gusta la comida, pero no he tenido el camarón todavía. I like the food, but I haven't had the shrimp yet.
9. Donde vives aquí? Where do you live here? En Machala. No lejos de aqui. In Machala. Not far from here. 
10. Quienes son tus padres? Who are your parents? Jorge Zaldua y Lorgia Gomez. Jorge and Lorgia. 
11. Que es tu apellido? What is your last name? Reid. (They have no clue.) Rye-eed. Ray-it? No, r,e, i, d. Reid. Reid? Si. (I'm thinking: Yes, that's how I pronounced it. Accents.)  
12. Como dormiste? How did you sleep? Bien. Well. 
13. Que países viajaste? What countries have you visited? México, Canadá, España, y yo he visitado Ecuador anteriormente. Mexico, Canada, Spain, and I have visited Ecuador previously.
14. ¿Ha visto o conoce a alguien famoso? Have you seen or do you know someone famous there (Boston)? No, las personas famosas casi todo viven en California o Nueva York. Y muchas personas conocen las famosas pero no estan amigos de ellos. No, the famous people all mostly live in California or New York. And many people know of the famous, but are not friends with them.
15. Te gusta este colegio? Do you like this school? Si, hasta aqui. Yes, so far. 
16. Te gusta who-stin baybur? Do you like who-stin baybear? Que? What? Who-stin baybur? Oh, Justin Bieber? Si! No me gusta. No, I don't like him. Haha. Oh, y one dirreccion? What about "One Direction"?  Escucho a unos de sus canciones, pero no me gusta ellos. Mis mejores amigas en los estados unidos les encantan! I listen to a few songs from them, but I don't really like them. My best friends in the U.S. love them!

Also, once the students discovered that I can sing, they started asking me to sing different American songs that are popular in Ecuador. I also helped a couple boys pronounce the lyrics to "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars so that they could sing it better, and now they are all coming to me for lyrics to a bunch of songs. It's kind of crazy, but at least they are interacting with me! 

New Food!

Empanada: An empanada is a bread or pastry that is stuffed with things like cheese, vegetables, fruits, meats, and other things, and then is fried (sometimes baked). The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. They make popular empanadas for each meal of the day. I have had a plain cheese empanada, but here in Ecuador (depending on the region) there are two really popular empanadas: the first is with rice, peas, corn, beef, and cheese. The second is the plantain empanada with the dough made from plantains and then filled with beef, cheese, or shrip.

Plantain: Plantains are a member of the banana family but are certainly different (see the chart below) and are unsuitable raw. They are used in so many dishes here, almost like we use the potato in America, it is usually fried or baked. Here in Ecuador they are called "verde" because their peels are usually green. Many Ecuadorians eat Plantain in some dish during the day- even if it's just fried plantain (mashed or chopped) as a side dish. I personally like the thin plantain chips that they sell at my school called chifles (they have many names) because they are salty and delish. There are also patacones which are thick plantain chips, and many soups with plantain. But seriously, come visit me and you will eat a bunch of plantains whether you know it or not. Did I mention that Machala is the Banana capital of the world? Well it is, and I get to go to the International Banana Festival soon! Cool, huh?

Plantains	Bananas
Starchy Used as a vegetable Longer than bananas Thicker skin Resemble green bananas, but may be green, yellow or black	Sweet Eaten as a fruit Shorter than plantains Thinner skin Color is green when not fully ripe, yellow when ripe

Bolon: Bolon de verde is the first breakfast food I had in Ecuador. Bolon is a slang term that means large ball, hence it's appearance. In English, people will say it's a dumpling instead of a "green plantain ball". It is made by boiling plantain and mashing it up, adding fresh cheese, chorizo and/or chicharrones and then forming the mixture into a ball and frying it. It is a popular breakfast/brunch dish but is also served as a snack or appetizer and can be stuffed with pork. Chicharrones in Ecuador are chunks of deep fried fatty pork meat, and chorizo is a type of pork sausage. 

Wikipedia has been very helpful when it comes to figuring out what it is that I'm eating! :)

But I found this amazing website with recipies and explanations about popular Ecuadorian food. It has been super helpful and it will be a great resource when I want to make some Ecuadorian food back home. 

Take a look if you're interested: http://laylita.com/recipes/ecuadorian-recipes/

I will add more food posts when I try more interesting/new food. Apparently the ceviche (shrimp) is the best here. I am not a seafood fan though, so although I want to try it, I'm not sure how well it will go.

Chao!

Start of Something New

Yes, I choose to title this post after a High School Musical song. And you can't judge me because it's relevent and it's catchy and Zac Efron is in it. So there.

My flight from Miami to Ecuador seemed to go on for far too long. First, I had to fill out the scary customs and passport check papers. I say scary because if you misinterpret what it's asking you and don't claim the right amounts/items or if you copy some passport information wrong, it can become a bigger ordeal than usual at the customs counter. And that is the last thing I ever want to happen to me, especially as an exchange student starting off in her new country. All I can say is, police-like authorities (when on-duty) make me very nervous and because of this I was meticulous with my papers, taking 45 minutes to complete them both. The dinner and drink cart came around an hour later and woke me up from an uncomfortable slumber. Airplane food is NOT tasty. The next hour dragged on as I tried to sleep and listen to music. With about an hour and a half remaining, I was getting antsy. The seatbelt sign had not been removed once, and at this point people got up anyways and formed a huge line for the bathroom. Now, I usually would hold my bladder and wait to go in the next airport because the airplane lavatories are gross and I don't like making the other people move for me, but there were 3 things wrong with waiting. 1) I didn't want to go at the airport and delay getting in the long line for customs and security when I knew my host family would be waiting. 2) There was still a full hour left in the flight. And 3) I had chugged a big bottle of water (the WHOLE thing) right before boarding the plane hours before. So by the time I stopped arguing with myself and decided to get it over with, there were 40 minutes left in the flight. I simply told the Cuban woman, "Necesito el bano" and asked the American if I could get past. After that lovely experience, I got back to my seat as the captain announced that electronics needed to be turned off for our descent. I put away my iPod and opened the shade of the small plane window to stare at the surrounding sky. Soon, land came into view, and mountains, and finally roadways and houses. The woman next to me was going crazy praising the lord as our view of the beautiful city of Guayaquil was closer. At first she was mumbling to herself, then she started to shout. Soon she had others on  the plane chanting and clapping with her as the plane touched down at the Guayaquil airport. "Gracias Señor, Hallelujah!" It was a memorable way to arrive.

I am lucky that I met that woman from Machala at the Miami airport because she let me cut a whole room-length of the customs line to stand with her. I got through without hassle, and then went to baggage claim which was a mess. Luggage was everywhere- I mean, NO organization whatsoever. It was like a treasure hunt; all of my suitcases were spread out on different sides of two different carousels behind everyone else's (of course). I paid 2 dollars for a luggage cart to manuver all of my stuff, and by the time I had found all 3 suitcases, a huge disorganized pile of people had gathered by the entrance of the last section of security where they scan all the suitcases. I was exhausted, at the back of the "line" and sweating like crazy in my blazer. After waiting for another 25 minutes to get through the security, I found myself walking out the double doors into the airport lobby where many people were waiting to welcome friends and family. I continued forward, searching the crowd to my left for any sign of my host family. Then, I saw my host mom, and relief washed over me. I heard my name and looked forward to see my host dad ahead to my left, taking pictures with his phone as I continued to make my way through around the ropes and towards where I saw my host mom coming towards me. I stopped pushing my luggage and came around to greet them. My host mom, Lorgia, came up and hugged me, saying "Hola Megan!". Then my host sister, Gaby, came to me for a hug. She was holding a sign that said "Bienvenida Megan!". Lastly, my host dad, Jorge, came and hugged me. In that moment, all I could say was "hola" "gracias" and "si". Once they were sure I was all set, we started to make our way out of the airport while Gaby explained to me in English that we would be staying with her tonight and that she was going to take a taxi to her appartment with my luggage. Apparently, Jorge had recently been in an accident with their car and the temporary one is small. (Gaby speaks English because she went on exchange to the US five years ago). The ride to Gaby's was short, and I was thankful because I lacked the energy necessary to try and understand what my host parents- who don't speak English- were saying. I simple sat there, taking in my surroundings and answering questions the best I could if they asked.

When we arrived, Gaby was waiting at the door to the stairs with my stuff. We all took a bag and lugged it up the 3 flights of stairs to her appartment. I felt bad because boy were they heavy and I only ended up breaking into my carry-ons that night. Once we got the bags to my room, I asked for the wifi password so I could FaceTime with my parents and let them know that I made it and was doing well. After I talked with my parents, I went with my host family for dinner not too far away at one of the common little restauraunts that occupy the main streets. We had empanadas but I only ate one because my stomach was still uneasy from the nerves of the day. During dinner, there were fireworks nearby, and as cliche as this is, I couldn't help but think that they were a sign that my year will be amazing and spontaneous and beautiful. If I got fireworks on the first night, imagine the other things that could possibly happen to me over the next ten months! After dinner, we stopped at a pharmacy for Lorgia and then returned to the appartment. I was glad when they understood how tired I was and let me go right into my room for the night. I flopped down on the bed wanting to journal about my day, but had no energy to do so. I did, however, give thought to the fact that my exchange had officially started. I was in a different country, with a host family, eating new food, speaking a different language, and experiencing a different culture. I fell asleep feeling happy with the start of my new life in Ecuador.

See you later

Saying goodbye to my family and friends is probably one of the hardest things I have experienced in a long time. Friday night, some family and friends came over to wish me well and give me their final words of advice before heading out the next morning. It was a little overwhelming, but I am glad that I got to see the people that mean the most to me before leaving for 10 months. It felt so strange, saying goodbye to people and thinking about how I wouldn't be seeing them soon- not when I wake up in the morning, not when I go to school, not during the holidays. It is the realization that 10 months is a long time to go without seeing someone who would normally be part of your everday life that hit me the night before. And I was stressing out about my luggage being overweight and wanting everything to go smoothly. 

I got two hours of sleep before waking up at 4am to get ready and leave for Boston airport with the family. We arrived and made our way to the check-in counter for American Airlines. We checked my two big bags (one of which was over-weight *sigh*) and made our way towards the security line. Mom tried to delay the goodbyes, because boarding wasn't until 8:50,  but my stomach was in nervous knots of anticipation and anxiety about getting through security and finding my gate and the rest of my travels so I wanted to get it over with. I hugged Mom, and started to sniffle, then I hugged my Dad and started to ball. Then I took a breather to get it under control. I hugged Tyler through more sobs, then Mom and Dad once more. Hesitating, I took my carry-on and made my way to security. Luckily, it was a simple security day; I didn't have to remove the liquids in my carry-on, my laptop, or my shoes on my feet. I was so grateful for that! I got through and grabbed my things. I turned and had a perfect view of my family on the other side of the security ropes. I was a hot mess after the tears and all, but I managed what I hope was a reassuring smile, a wave, and gave an I love you sign with my hand before using all my willpower to turn and walk around the corner to find my gate. "That's it," I thought, "I am officialy embarking on this journey." 

I found my gate in no time, sat down with relief and fixed my eye make-up. It didn't seem like a long time before I boarded the flight. Despite the pain of manuvering my carry-ons through the plane aisle and getting them in and out of overhead bins, the first flight went well. I tried to nap a little bit too. I arrived at the Miami airport on schedule and decided that I wanted to find my next gate first. I had to take the skytram from one end of the airport to the other. Once I found my gate, I went to the bathroom and reorganize my carry-on so that I didn't need to get into the overhead bin during the next flight. I then went to buy a water and something to eat. I asked for a chicken ceasar salad and realized back at my gate that they had given me a chicken salad sandwhich that did NOT taste good. But I didn't have much time to be upset because I went to put my stuff down at the gate when I notticed two Rotary Blazers behind me. I went and sat down next to two girls from the US who were on the same flight to Guayaquil. We talked about where we are from and what cities we are living in for the year. It was nice to know that there were others that were going through the same thing and would be there through customs before finding our host families. 

While we were talking, a woman across from me noticed my Ecuador flag patch on my blazer and asked me if I was from Ecuador. I explained that we were exchange students going to Ecuador through Rotary. She asked the girls and I what cities we were going to. When I told her I was living in Machala, she got excited and said she lives in Machala. She asked me who I would be living with and I told her the names of my host parents. She was even  more excited to tell me that she is a friend of my host family. "Es un mundo pequeño" she said. I agreed. Meanwhile, the other girls sat there not really knowing what we were saying. They were impressed with how I understood and talked with the woman all in Spanish. From then on, I ended up translating questions for the other girls and answers for the woman. 

Another two girls with Rotary blazers came to the gate and then it was time to get on the plane. We boarded together (even though we didn't have seats together) and it was nice to visit with them for as long as posible. I took my window seat next to a Cuban woman visiting Ecuador for the first time and an American who was visiting Ecuador for 3 days. We finally took off, and I silently said goodbye to the United States- my home and my comfort zone- as we ascended into the sky towards my new home and new country. 

"I will carry you with me 'till I see you again."- Carrie Underwood

FAQ 2...

2. Is there a big time difference between where you live (NH) and Ecuador? 

No, there's not. Ecuador is in the same time zone as NH which is UTC/GMT -5. However, Ecuador does not observe daylight savings time, so when NH moves the clock forward an hour between March and November, NH is one hour ahead of Ecuador during those months. The daylight savings time differences can make things really confusing when it comes to calculating time!

In case you're confused about the time thing (I was)...

Hope this helps a little!