After walking into the kitchen this morning for breakfast, I was greeted by my host mother Marcela with "Feliz dia!". An Ecuadorian classmate had mentioned this holiday the other day but I did not expect it to be so officially celebrated - Literally "Happy Woman's Day", this international holiday recognizes (according to my host mother) all of the sacrifices and hard work of women...doing everything around the house, being a good mother, some work outside of the house, living up to societal expectations in terms of physical appearance...I asked if men ever complain because there is no day for them and was told that while one or two might complain, the majority know that "they probably don't deserve it".
Yes, March 8 is a very strange concept to me perhaps because I know so many deserving wonderful males (*cough*, Dad) in the United States. After living here in Ecuador for more than two months, I've come to recognize several cultural differences in the interactions and relationships between men and women. The mother role seems to be much more on a pedestal here than in the U.S. It could be because I am living in such a Catholic society and there are sculptures and paintings of the Virgin Mary all around, but there is a great, great appreciation for mothers here and I am very interested to see how Mother's Day here will compare. Traditional gender roles are very obvious here and women in the workplace is still a relatively new concept. "Machismo" is ever present as a concept suggesting that men in Latin America as a whole flaunt their power - and this is one of the root causes for the forwardness of males here, so I have learned. Don't let it seem that Ecuadorian men are horrible and don't deserve any credit - I have met deserving males and fathers here as well but Ecuadorian women would agree that, for all of the work and all that they sacrifice, they are very deserving of this day.
I had a wonderful weekend in the touristy town of Banos last weekend. I don't use the word "touristy" lightly - there was some kind of adventure/tour company in every other locale on almost every street! And they all wanted our attention and would let us know this by yelling all of their services..."Chiva tour, waterfall tour, rent bikes, ride horses, paragliding, repelling...!" It was definitely difficult to choose whose services to use and which company seemed best. After a little research we decided on a waterfall repelling trip (to our surprise, there was even practice and a wavier involved!) It was a very neat experience-for a few hours, we were deep in the trees and vines as we repelled down five waterfalls - and were amazed that our guide literally RAN down one of the longest waterfalls!
We also enjoyed two beautiful hikes (one to a high point overlooking the town and one to an incredible waterfall), watching the UNC VICTORY (from our hostal computer room), dancing to Latina music, karaoke, attempting to bike (and then being defeated by the rain), and conversation with new Ecuadorian friends.
In my Sociology (Social Problems of Ecuador) class on Tuesday, I was very intrigued to learn that only 5% of Ecuador has access to a computer and internet in their home. With this number, I realized how thankful I am to be able to connect with my family, friends (new and old) and I realized how much I had taken it for granted that my host-family allows me to use their internet. While I know I could live without the computer and internet, having access to Skype, Facebook, and email has undoubtedly reduced the possibility of having very much homesickness (What I mean to say is that while I am missing my family and friends LOTS, my life here can go on and I have enjoyed every bit without thinking all the time about what I am missing out on in Chapel Hill).
I have come to decide that, after a good day at the University, my day is GREAT if I see this view of the volcano Cotopaxi on my way home (which has only happened a few times, if it is really clear):
Tomorrow morning, I will head to the Amazon with a group of International students from my University as we visit the University's Biodiversity Station, Tiputini -- I expect to see plenty of unique plants and animals and hopefully to avoid mosquito bites! Expect a report when I get back - Cuidate! Take Care!
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