Presentation made by Loly Mitchell to CU meeting on March 13, 2003
Fun fact #1: Ecuador is in South America and on the Equator. What do you think the weather is like?
Fun fact #2: Were the native people of Ecuador-
a. Mayans
b. Incas
c. Aztecs
(See answer at end.)
Loly Mitchell, a Spanish teacher and past World on the Square exhibitor, began her talk with appreciation to Community Unity for the World on the Square fair as a way of showing foreigners they are welcome here.
A kiss, a hug and many thank yous
Loly said that even before she came here 17 years ago, she felt that "the United States of America is a blessed country. We are grateful to be here." She said that when they came there were not many Spanish speakers locally, but now there are many.
She described her "culture shock" by describing how Ecuadorians and many Latin Americans love to talk loud and they automatically kiss and hug people when they meet. "When we go to a party, you say goodbye to everybody before you leave. You will also hear us say 'thank you' many times. It is very important to say 'thank you.'"
You don't eat tortillas?
"We like American food," Loly commented; though she said Americans are surprised that in Ecuador they don't eat tacos or tortillas. "We eat potatoes and bread and at every meal we eat rice." The rice is grown in the wet areas of Ecuador. She also said they have lots of fruits that aren't available here.
Ecuador is on the equator, but the mountains provide spring weather all year around. They needed no winter or summer clothes. "We have flowers and fruit and vegetables all the time," Loly said. Except for tuna and peaches, it was "a luxury to eat food from a can!"
Volcanoes are always threatening
Loly showed pictures of the beautiful mountains around Ecuador's capital city, Quito. From Quito, you can see eight or nine, active, snow-capped volcanoes. She showed a picture of the volcano on which her family lives and the big explosion of ash that erupted from the top of it a few years ago.
Another photo showed one of the many churches whose walls and ceilings are covered with tons of gold.
Life and religion
Though Loly said she has always felt comfortable in Corydon, she said it was a little hard living in the US because people don't know about Ecuador. People asked her, "Do you speak Mexican?" She said her family is from the middle class, but she knows it is more difficult for people who come to the US with little education and very little money.
Loly's family was attracted to southern Indiana by their experience in Ecuador with a friend working in World Vision headquartered in Jeffersonville. "The only Americans we knew in Ecuador were missionaries," she commented. She said that in Ecuador there is a high percentage of Catholics and a few Protestants. She described how they were impressed to see people here who pray in restaurants before they eat.
Ecuador's people
The original population of Ecuador was Incas. Unfortunately, when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, they treated these Indians like animals. There still is discrimination today; though recently there are native people in the Ecuadorian government as diplomats and senators. Loly described how the Indians from the mountains are completely different from the Indians in the jungles. You can tell them apart because the Indians from the jungle have Asian features. Also the Indians in the mountains wear ponchos and other cold-weather clothes. The most famous Ecuadorian Indians are the Otovaleo. They are the musicians you see all over the world playing their flutes and stringed instruments. She described them as very talented, industrious, and educated. Many of them are artists. They are also distinguished by the fact that neither the men nor women cut their hair. Loly said there is also a small group of Indians by the ocean and some black people in one particular town.
Ecuador is known for its crafts, especially the masa pan figures. These are water and flour mixed like bread dough, then dyed and put together into colorful figures. Loly showed some typical masa pan pins made into tiny mother and child figures, two kinds of Ecuadorian parrots and a tortoise (representing the Galapagos Island tortoises, also part of Ecuador.) Villages in Ecuador specialize in making these figures, or in woodcarvings, or leather or gold crafts.
Though Ecuador has a stable, democratic government, it is in a difficult position. Sandwiched between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador often gets the criminals and rebels who are hiding from these two countries. Some rich Ecuadorians must pay these groups in order to avoid being kidnapped. Unfortunately, the economy is very bad now for many people in Ecuador. The country's currency is the US dollar, which makes it very easy for American tourists since they don't have to change money. There are also two American bases in Ecuador.
Fun fact #1 answer: Because of the mountains, Ecuador is not hot. It has year-round spring weather, except high in the mountains where there is snow all year.
Fun fact #2 answer: b. The Incas were native to Ecuador. (The Mayans are from Central America - the Yucatan, Honduras and Guatemala. The Aztecs originated in Mexico.)
Fun fact #1: Ecuador is in South America and on the Equator. What do you think the weather is like?
Fun fact #2: Were the native people of Ecuador-
a. Mayans
b. Incas
c. Aztecs
(See answer at end.)
Loly Mitchell, a Spanish teacher and past World on the Square exhibitor, began her talk with appreciation to Community Unity for the World on the Square fair as a way of showing foreigners they are welcome here.
A kiss, a hug and many thank yous
Loly said that even before she came here 17 years ago, she felt that "the United States of America is a blessed country. We are grateful to be here." She said that when they came there were not many Spanish speakers locally, but now there are many.
She described her "culture shock" by describing how Ecuadorians and many Latin Americans love to talk loud and they automatically kiss and hug people when they meet. "When we go to a party, you say goodbye to everybody before you leave. You will also hear us say 'thank you' many times. It is very important to say 'thank you.'"
You don't eat tortillas?
"We like American food," Loly commented; though she said Americans are surprised that in Ecuador they don't eat tacos or tortillas. "We eat potatoes and bread and at every meal we eat rice." The rice is grown in the wet areas of Ecuador. She also said they have lots of fruits that aren't available here.
Ecuador is on the equator, but the mountains provide spring weather all year around. They needed no winter or summer clothes. "We have flowers and fruit and vegetables all the time," Loly said. Except for tuna and peaches, it was "a luxury to eat food from a can!"
Volcanoes are always threatening
Loly showed pictures of the beautiful mountains around Ecuador's capital city, Quito. From Quito, you can see eight or nine, active, snow-capped volcanoes. She showed a picture of the volcano on which her family lives and the big explosion of ash that erupted from the top of it a few years ago.
Another photo showed one of the many churches whose walls and ceilings are covered with tons of gold.
Life and religion
Though Loly said she has always felt comfortable in Corydon, she said it was a little hard living in the US because people don't know about Ecuador. People asked her, "Do you speak Mexican?" She said her family is from the middle class, but she knows it is more difficult for people who come to the US with little education and very little money.
Loly's family was attracted to southern Indiana by their experience in Ecuador with a friend working in World Vision headquartered in Jeffersonville. "The only Americans we knew in Ecuador were missionaries," she commented. She said that in Ecuador there is a high percentage of Catholics and a few Protestants. She described how they were impressed to see people here who pray in restaurants before they eat.
Ecuador's people
The original population of Ecuador was Incas. Unfortunately, when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, they treated these Indians like animals. There still is discrimination today; though recently there are native people in the Ecuadorian government as diplomats and senators. Loly described how the Indians from the mountains are completely different from the Indians in the jungles. You can tell them apart because the Indians from the jungle have Asian features. Also the Indians in the mountains wear ponchos and other cold-weather clothes. The most famous Ecuadorian Indians are the Otovaleo. They are the musicians you see all over the world playing their flutes and stringed instruments. She described them as very talented, industrious, and educated. Many of them are artists. They are also distinguished by the fact that neither the men nor women cut their hair. Loly said there is also a small group of Indians by the ocean and some black people in one particular town.
Ecuador is known for its crafts, especially the masa pan figures. These are water and flour mixed like bread dough, then dyed and put together into colorful figures. Loly showed some typical masa pan pins made into tiny mother and child figures, two kinds of Ecuadorian parrots and a tortoise (representing the Galapagos Island tortoises, also part of Ecuador.) Villages in Ecuador specialize in making these figures, or in woodcarvings, or leather or gold crafts.
Though Ecuador has a stable, democratic government, it is in a difficult position. Sandwiched between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador often gets the criminals and rebels who are hiding from these two countries. Some rich Ecuadorians must pay these groups in order to avoid being kidnapped. Unfortunately, the economy is very bad now for many people in Ecuador. The country's currency is the US dollar, which makes it very easy for American tourists since they don't have to change money. There are also two American bases in Ecuador.
Fun fact #1 answer: Because of the mountains, Ecuador is not hot. It has year-round spring weather, except high in the mountains where there is snow all year.
Fun fact #2 answer: b. The Incas were native to Ecuador. (The Mayans are from Central America - the Yucatan, Honduras and Guatemala. The Aztecs originated in Mexico.)