Relational Reflection: Week 3

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In our pre-trip information session for Otavalo, Fernando told us that it is custom practice to bargain for lower prices at markets. This cultural practice of bargaining was not new for me because when I was younger my mother would take me to yard sales and thrift stores where I would watch her negotiate. She taught me how to bargain and I anticipated Ecuadorians to act like Jamaicans at the market, however they interacted differently. While Jamaicans often call their products loudly to draw a buyer’s attention, I observed that Ecuadorians were less aggressive in selling their merchandise. When I found some bracelets that I wanted to buy, I asked, “cuanto questa” and the owner replied one dollar each. Most of the vendors spoke English even when I tried to speak in Spanish, which made the communication easier. I checked the other prices at stands and found someone who was selling 12 bracelets for $2.50. I asked if they would accept one dollar and they replied $1.50 and I accepted. Even though I was familiar with bargaining, it took practice to become more confident and accustomed to negotiating with the vendors, who could be intimidating at times. As described in Livermore’s book, I prepared for my experience in Otavalo using CQ strategy, which is, “using our cultural understanding to plan for an interaction or project taking place in a different environment” (p. 138). I reviewed my Spanish by learning how to say “how much”, the numbers 1-20 and small talk phrases. In using CQ strategy for preparing to bargain in a foreign environment, I felt more comfortable and confident to operate more effectively.

On our last day in Quito, we learned how to salsa dance. This was the first time I was exposed to this side of Ecuadorian culture because I had not seen a lot of dancing in streets and our host family did not dance whenever they played music. The instructor was very helpful in teaching us elements of dancing that were important to salsa such as hip movement, feet placement and following the beat. Rather than explaining how to salsa with words, she often showed asked us to replicate her movements and clapped to the beat. She communicated with her body language, which allowed everyone to follow along

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