tonite in the expat bar

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Don’t cry Americanos, Ecuador is trying hard to be your humble. So I’m in Quito for a while on a budget, without influential allies, with limited language skills so I have to put forth a little personal effort to transcend whatever cultural differences that I brought to Ecuador. Better to ideate similarities than differences, eh?

Then I was enjoying the privilege of a fine meal at a superb moderately priced restaurant, Adam’s Rib at Calama near Reina Victoria and I’m listening to the expats that hang out there whine because their custom deluxe extended cable package threatens to not carry NBCs English language coverage of the Olympics. Some old Americano geezers are really pissed—drinking at the bar and ranting about how unfair and crappy their situation is now that they won’t be watching Olympic drama unfold in NBCs English format.

So I walked home shaking my head at the spoiledness of the whiney-gringo barflies and go to my flat where I turned on Olympic coverage Ecuador style--and enjoyed it immensely. Ecuador's national hero came in second in the walking marathon! I can understand a little Spanish and sometimes can talk it up pretty good, and I certainly can absorb the essence of the Olympic competition in that the visuals tell most of the story anyway. Furthermore, I am privileged to be able to watch the events in the language of the realm and I realize that right now, 100s of 1000s of lesser privileged folks in this city and throughout the entire country have issues more relevant to living than the lack of NBCs coverage.

But whining, American-style is representative of what I would suggest is a more pervasive attitude problem that I have come to know as Ameri-centrism. That is American citizens and especially as travelers oftentimes view the rest of the world through the spoiled consumer lens as if they were home and having everything “just so.” And what a pity that the American consumer lifestyle may be aspired to as noted in the stylish dress, accessories, and actions of young metropolitan Ecuadorans, but I argue that the fetishization of too many goods and services has made many of my native country persons soft, spoiled, selfish, and stupid. So, while Ecuadorans enjoy the Games in Espanol with national pride in their 25 athletes on shared TVs, the grumpy old Americanos in the expat bar will grumble at the inconveniences of living rustically in a foreign country. While Ecuadorans still seem to possess a sense of community and frugality, I am embarrassed that some of my countrymen remain unconsciously Ameri-centric in a country where people try so hard to make life good.

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