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Published: January 20th 2020
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I am half way through the trip, and it is beginning to feel like I have been here much longer, and it will be a long time until I arrive back home. I am still taking full advantage of opportunities to explore and adventure with Lindsey and my mama, but I today I experienced some anxiety tied to our explorations.
Last week, our group needed to take a form of public transportation called the Ecovia. This is a large bus that is usually jam packed. I was uncomfortable with this bus ride as my friends were pick pocketed and people were purposefully being very close to us. This was unnerving and very uncomfortable. However, I thought that I had processed the experience and moved on. Today, I needed to ride it again. Our mama knew that Lindsey and I were uncomfortable riding this bus because we are girls, we are white, and we have important belongings on us. However, Lindsey and I had the courage to say yes to riding it back home. It was just as full as the time we rode it last week. I kept my bag close and was very aware of the men around me.
However, it still gave me a lot of anxiety. I knew I could not show this to mama. So, I did some tricks to pass the time and to keep my mind off of how anxious I was riding the bus. I counted the seconds between each stop which helped a lot. I was so nervous when I first heard that we needed to ride this bus again. I almost did not think I would be able to get on. But I chose to promote confidence instead of anxiety to my mama, and the experience turned out okay.
This bus ride was our transportation back home from Cumbaya, which is a town in the valley, lower than Quito. Our mama wanted to show us around, get Ecuadorian food, and try some ice cream. At this point in the trip, I have felt relatively confident in my ability to try new foods and like them, and be up for whatever adventure my mama had for us. However, lunch took an unexpected turn for me. I asked my mama to help me order a typical Ecuadorian dish, that I assumed was a mix of different types of corn with an empanada.
However, what I got was the absolute opposite. I started eating the fried bits on my plate when I realized that what I was eating was unusually salty, crunchy, and hairy. I found out that it was fried pig skin. This absolutely turned my stomach upside down, and I did not know how I was going to finish that meal. I knew that I had to because my mama was eager to know how I liked it and she paid for it. I did not show any hesitation with the food, but inside, I wanted to throw it away and never eat pig again. I did finish the meal, but this was so hard for me. After seeing the treatment of farm animals here, and seeing pigs hang for meat along the streets, I could not believe I was just eating a plate of hairy pig skin. But I know that my mama cares a lot about if I like a certain food, and I know that cultural adaptation is important. I finished it, and quickly found an ice cream shop to change the taste in my mouth haha! This experience, on top of the unnerving bus ride made it a challenging day for me that I was not expecting. I felt confident in my adaptation to the culture, but I quickly learned that there was much more for me to learn and explore. CQ Action is when one is able to change one’s verbal and nonverbal behaviors in order to effectively adapt cross culturally (Livermore, 155). This ability really evaluates one’s progress in how well one communicates cross culturally, how well one is adapting, and how well one understands a context in which one is in (Livermore, 157). I feel this is relevant to my situation today because I thought I was confident in how well I had been adapting, and I let my guard down to being taken back by new experiences or trying new food. However, I quickly realized today that I need to evaluate my CQ Action and understand that it is not fully developed. I do know and have seen much more about this culture than I did a week and a half ago, but I could be thrown into a new experience or social interaction at any time. All of this will build my CQ Action and how well I communicate and approach situations here. I know that I have collected enough information to know that my mama greatly respects and appreciates me when I eat all of what is given, and if I clearly have a smile on my face and am enjoying a new adventure. Today I tried to nonverbally communicate to her that I was enjoying my time even if inside, I was anxious and not feeling that great physically and emotionally. I can read her nonverbal communication better, and have learned what she can pick up on from me! I think this is neat.
Looking back on the day, it was a more difficult one for me. However, I am grateful for the new food I tried and finished, the better experience I had on the bus, and for my mama taking the time and money to show us a new area near Quito that was beautiful and absolutely worth it! Although, I am not sure if I will ever eat pork again ?
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