Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

I experienced all kinds of Ecuadorian treats recently, and seeing as I had no real place to put them, here they are in a "special edition" blog post.

Why Ecuador is different than the United States of America:

1. One man's pet is another man's food. I ate cuy! Cuy, or guinea pig, is quite the treat here in Ecuador. The Valle de los Chillos (where I live) is famous for this meal of roasted rodent. One afternoon, I met up with Jenni (one of the summer volunteers) and Krysta to try what we've heard so much about.

2. Karaoke is not to be taken lightly. Upon arrival to my very first Ecuadorian Karaoke Bar, I noticed something was different. People weren't shouting out lyrics, people were not talking above the singing, there were no upbeat 90's rhythms to dance to, and there was absolutely no laughing to tune-deaf performers. Oh don't get me wrong, there were plenty of tune-deaf singers belting out their favorite spanish ballad (and every song sung was just that... a ballad with a synthesizer melody line), but there was no laughing. Karaoke is a way to serenade your sweetie in front of a quiet room of on-lookers. Four of us sang our version of Bohemian Rhapsody much to the dismay of our fellow karaoke-ers. I don't even know why it was in the song list, since most of the people in the bar looked at us as if we were punching their child. So next time you find yourself in Ecuador itching to sing Spice Girls, skip the karaoke bar... no fun to be had there.

3. Washing dishes is about appearance, not efficiancy. Hmmm... cold water and a tub of solid soap. Just how clean can a dish get anyway? This may be the cause for #4.

4. The definition of "normal" changes. Trips to the bathroom happen regularly, but most of us aren't regular. As gross as it sounds, our bowell movements are normal dinner conversation; we've come to realize that we have gotten so used to our angry digestive systems that we've forgotten what it's like to not have stomach cramps after a meal.

5. Cows don't belong on farms. They belong on soccer fields, in streets, in front of tiendas, walking along highways, etc. Some mornings they even greet you at your doorstep. Cows. I love them and I surely will miss getting that good morning wake up call of moo-ing outside of my window.