Just noting the obvious doesn’t cut it. When you limit yourself to what’s on the surface you miss the gems (or rotted roots) that lie beneath. To truly know a person or place you have to watch for the little things, because often times they give big clues about people and the context in which they live. On one end of the spectrum what we say, do and permit are windows into what we value or believe. On the other end, these things are nothing more than personal preferences or mundane realities.
This conviction has had a lot to do with how I’ve approached getting to know Ecuador. Little things of varying importance have caught my attention and started to crawl their way into the nook where affection and his cousin nostalgia intermix with my memories. In no particular order, here are the little things that have won me over about Ecuador.
1. The News in Sign Language
The first time I saw a sign language interpreter on Ecuadorian TV I freaked out. I was putting my hair in twists when from the corner of my eye I saw this small woman making gestures in the bottom left-hand corner of a Dove commercial. My first reaction was to be concerned. Why is this woman trapped at the bottom of the screen? A few seconds later I snapped out of my styling haze and couldn’t help but smile when I realized she was signing. The social inclusion geek in me swooned as the news aired with a sign language interpreter still in toe. Tenía que saber más (I had to know more).
With a little research I found the groundwork for integrating sign language interpreters into mass communication started with Ecuador passing the The Organic Law on Communication in 2013. In it, the law not only supports the right of persons with disability to access communication via sign language interpreters, but also translated subtitles and braille. According to this article, as of 2015 there are 10 Ecuadorian TV stations that have incorporated sign language interpreters into their news programming. Check out this accessible news summary from Ecuador TV:
Vacán, right? (Awesome, right?). Here’s hoping Ecuador’s commitment to social inclusion and disability rights continues.
2. Heavy Duty Fly Swatters
Next, I want to take a moment to introduce you to my friend. I call her Jolt after the marvel comic book character that goes by the same name.
She’s part tennis racket, part fly swatter, part bug zapper. Place her over the creepy crawler of your choice, mash the button on the handle and watch her work! She’s saved me from more spiders and mosquitos than I can count. Word on the street is she can also stun small rodents in a pinch. In other words, she’s the product of pure genius. Although I’ve only seen these in Ecuador, the company who makes the device is actually based in the US. Follow the link. You can thank me later :).
3. Public Breastfeeding
I don’t know if having kids are in my future, but if they are, public breastfeeding will very much on my list of things to do. While in the US you’ll hear debates and stories about women being criticized for breastfeeding in public, it’s a complete non-issue here.
Nursing covers get no love. In the waiting room, on the bus, sitting on the porch, chatting with a healthcare worker…if a woman starts to breastfeed in any of these scenarios no one blinks an eye. It’s just another everyday activity that a mother does with her child and I think it’s glorious.
4. The Nutrition Stoplight
If you look at almost any packaged product in Ecuador you’ll find a nutritional stoplight that breaks down the salt, fat and sugar content of the food inside. The different content levels correspond to the three colors of a stoplight with red being high, yellow being medium and low being green. The more red you see, the more you probably need to rethink how much of that product you should be eating.
The special labeling system was implemented by the Ministry of Health in 2014 in response to the rising burden of chronic health conditions and the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity. Food labels can be hard to read and the stoplight streamlines the process of what people should be looking for in a simple, intuitive manner.
Part of our job during the first three months at site is to do an assessment to understand the needs of the community. My assessment primary consists of a survey that includes questions about nutrition. When I hear participants mention their use of the nutritional stoplight to understand what they’re eating I do a happy dance inside.
5. The Nervous Hand Waggle
After soccer and running, people watching is my favorite sport. That makes picking up on nuanced gestures and body language of interest to me. Being nervous is one of those emotions that often elicits physical “tells”, whether that be tapping your foot, fidgeting your hands or flitting your eyes around the room. In the Sierra, the tell is the nervous hand waggle. Obviously not everyone does it, but catch someone talking about a sticky situation and every so often you’ll see a characteristic look of discomfort and a hand waggle to go with it. If I had to describe it, I’d say the gesture is closest to when you shake your hand out from a writing cramp or after you just touched something hot. In GIF speak, it’s this facial expression…
…coupled with someone’s hand swinging like this dog’s tail…
…which all adds up to it being the most endearing nervous habit you’ve ever seen.
6. Weekend Bus Rides
Yes, you read that correctly. While it’s not the quickest way to get from point A to point B, weekend bus rides have grown on me. With things being less crowded, you can generally find a seat and have a chance to take in the ambiance. Some days you get mobile vendors selling mouthwatering, homemade goods on the cheap. Other days you get a chuckle out of the bus driver who’s decided to decorate their rearview mirror with loud colored “fur” reminiscent of troll doll hair. Moveover, you’re almost certain to get a taste of Ecuador’s minor obsession with 80s music from the US. Just the other day I heard this gem playing on the bus radio.
Why wouldn’t you want to re-live a piece of Casey Kasum‘s music countdown every weekend? #80sbaby #softrock #dontjudge #myparentsmadeuslistenaskids #musicsobaditsgood
It’s been fun getting to know Ecuador’s quirks and unique qualities. By the end of service I imagine we’ll have moved from being acquaintances to good friends.
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