It has also been frustrating, crazy and stressful.
Learning to live in a new country isn't always easy, or even fun.
A new culture makes even familiar things feel strange.
It's easier to accept the big changes that you can see and measure.
But when it's little things, and little changes, it can be very hard to assimilate.
Here are five posts about the life here in Ecuador.
In Time is flexible when it floats I talk about the difference in time, the use of time and the way people see time in general.
It is one of the hardest things to accept for people coming from the Western Culture.
Beautiful songs by Jesús Adrian Romero - Gospel Friday Countdown is about the new songs I have learned to love here in Ecuador.
The music is such an important part of our lives and when we don't have it anymore but are obliged to listen to different music, it can really affect us.
In Chuntakurus in Tena, Ecuador I tackle Ecuadorian cuisine, which can be quite surprising from time to time.
It can be difficult to learn to like new flavors and enjoy the need food, even for the most adventurous traveller, but Ecuadorians have a way to make it extra hard from time to time.
There has been many kind of civil unrest during my years in Ecuador.
Luckily the political situation and economy is a lot more stable than when I first came here.
But in Tips to survive a strike in Ecuador I tell couple of anecdotes from the previous strikes and also how to best survive a strike in Ecuador.
Even in a foreign country, life is life, and we must live where we are put.
After a while, life isn't travelling anymore but you are living in a foreign country and that reality sets in.
You still have the same challenges that you had back home but now you get to add few more to everyday stress.
I hope you enjoyed the posts as much as I loved to write them and live through them!
I can not imagine living in a culture where time floats. As a westerner I am so clock oriented
ReplyDeleteIt is a huge difference, and can take years to get used to it. But it also can be very freeing.
DeleteMy neice is travelling around south america for a year, and it's making me really want to get travelling too!
ReplyDeleteI've always been intrigued by Ecuador, it seems like an amazing country, thanks for writing these fab posts
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an amazing place to visit and would be great to experince a culture so different to my own
ReplyDeleteGreat post, off to read the inked posts, thanks for sharing your experiences x
ReplyDeleteI understand how difficult it can be to settle in a new country, but somewhere like Ecuador must be even harder than Europe, where I did it. Fascinating though - I'll have to pop back and read some of those posts.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the degree of difference that adds up. Between European countries there isn't as much difference in culture, general lifestyle, history, way of life, view of the life, etc. Further you go, more different and difficult it gets.
DeleteWow it looks like you have some amazing and wonderful things around you - I'll have to read the other posts, I can imagine it is very different to how things are here. x
ReplyDeleteThat is true, Sarah-Louise, Ecuador has amazing and wonderful things all around. I hope you enjoyed the other posts!
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ReplyDeleteIt looks like such an amazing place to be, love your pictures
ReplyDeleteChuntakuru is one of the most exotic and disgusting things I've eaten, Mary Louise, and it was also suprisingly good. I have eaten them again after that but it's not something I enjoy ;) on regular basis. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed my blog and will be passing it on, that is a big compliment, thank you!
ReplyDeleteWould love to visit Ecuador, so will be bookmarking your blog to read later. I especially want to find out more about Ecuador music.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the bookmark! Here is a link to a post about Ecuadorian Traditional Music that I have in the blog http://ecuadorjoannansilmin.blogspot.com/2014/06/ecuadorian-traditional-music-wednesday.html Hope you enjoy it too!
DeleteLovely pictures. You make me want to visit Ecuador. I love that last quote. It's certainly something that's often on my mind - the need to find silence.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd have the courage to try and live in a different country. I'm not very brave when it comes to change!
ReplyDelete"It can be difficult to learn to like new flavors... but Ecuadorians have a way to make it extra hard from time to time." I LOVE your sense of humour - I too read the worm post and one question keeps bothering me: do you discard the head part with those scary jaws or do you just chow down the lot?
ReplyDeleteThanks to your dry humour and honesty this blog is among my favorite travel reads.
Thank you! That is a great compliment! I was not able to eat the head but most people consider it the best part here. Because of how crunchy it is. They actually eat them alive. The advice it to bite of the head or you'll get a tongue piercing besides the meal.
DeleteWow! It looks like a completely different world to me. Your post has opened my eyes to how different life can be for others around the world. Love the names of the months. I didn't know that before!
ReplyDeleteI can understand your thing that time floating is freeing. That is how I have lived my life since being made redundant in 2012. I haven't worn a watch in about 7 years. Which is odd as I have a THING about punctuality. I love all of your photos and must come back to this post in the future to read the posts you hook up with. Your photography is beautiful x
ReplyDeleteI don't wear a watch either. But unlike you I'm not very punctual, as a Finn I should be honor bound to be but it was so frustrating to wait people for at least an hour or more, that started to slip, and now I'm just like any other Ecuadorian here, lol
DeleteI would love to visit Ecuador. We haven't travelled around South America much and I would really like to soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm not hugely adventurous when it comes to travelling but your life sounds really interesting out there!
ReplyDeleteI would love to do more travelling, but it's not something that my husband is keen to do with young children. Hopefully one day we will do it. Your photographs all look amazing.
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