Trying to update 3 weeks worth of events at one time is going to suck so much, but I'm trying to procrastinate on the essay that I have to turn in tomorrow, so I guess it's a lose-lose situation either way.. Let's see.
After the Amazon, we went back to Quito where we met our new families that Saturday. My host mom and her nephew came to pick me up; they seemed really nice so that was good. The first day was awkward, as usual. I have my own room but I have to share the bathroom with the whole family. There's a mom (Maggie), a younger sister (Daniela, 18), and an even younger brother (David, 15). I really can't remember anything we did that weekend, but I know we started classes on Monday. Getting around Quito is a little harder than it was in Los Chillos because all the buses look the same and there are so many of them!
But we all got used to it quickly and started sightseeing after class and such. Classes are pretty much just lecture format but from a bunch of different guest speakers who are professionals in their line of work. We've had a lot of really cool talks about shamanism, the indigenous movement, poverty, Afro-Ecuadorian history, precolonial history, U.S.-Ecuador relations and much more. As interesting as they all were, they were in Spanish and often hard to follow. But still, I learned a lot.
THIS IS A RANT NOW. DO NOT READ IF YOU GET ANNOYED BY RANTS. THIS IS PRETTY MUCH JUST FOR MY SAKE..
As I started getting used to the routine, I also got used to the family, which turned out to be a little more overbearing than I had expected. My Los Chillos family had been so great about giving me just enough freedom but a lot more family time. I had expected my Quito family to be the same way, if not more independent because they're in the city and most are more liberating. But it's the complete opposite with this host mom. She doesn't like when I go anywhere or when I'm not home. Even if we don't do anything at home because the kids are on the computer all day and night doing homework or just playing, she still doesn't like me leaving the house. It's really frustrating at times because I'm 20 and think that I am capable of sightseeing with my friends, but when she tells me not to come home late everyday (and I have been coming home at around 4 everyday), it just really irks me! After class, the girls like to maybe go to the artisan market in the Mariscal, which is about 30 minutes away, but I have to lie to my host mom that I have class late that day so she doesn't give me a 20 minute lecture why I shouldn't buy anything there. I learned that telling the truth in this case will cause me to literally go insane. I'm not allowed to go dancing at night because it's bad and I shouldn't stay out past 8, which I understand since the city can be really dangerous. But again, I am 20 and NOT alone ever; and there are guys in our group; and I can just take a taxi home. And I don't have the key to the house; every time someone needs to enter or leave, another person has to go all the way down to the front door to open it with the key. So literally I can't leave without someone letting me out. I'm like in jail or something. Just one more story and I'll be done.. One time, I went to this place called La Ronda, which is just a long street with a bunch of cafes, bars, karaokes, and stores. It's such a cool place to walk around at night because the lights are pretty and there's a lot of music on the street. We were also planning on going to a traditional modern fusion dance concert, so I would probably get home a little late. I told Daniela to tell Maggie, and she says that I should be home by 12. So with that in mind, we did our thing and ended up at a nice cafe to have some hot chocolate since it was freezing. We decide to leave around 11, and as I get into the taxi to go home, Maggie calls me. "Gina, where are you. It's 11 and I'm tired. You're making me wait for you." "Oh, I'm sorry. Daniela just told me to be home by 12, but I'm actually on my way." Click. ...Okay. So I get home and David lets me in. There Maggie is sitting at the kitchen table taking the kernels off corn cobs for tomorrow and there David is on Facebook just chilling. So I tell her that I'm going to sleep (because I thought everyone was just waiting for me) and go to my room.. But I'm actually not sleeping. But anyway. I finally hear them going to sleep at around 1:30. OKAY. Do NOT tell me that you're WAITING for me if you're not going to go to sleep when I get home! Seriously!!! That's not waiting up for me then! That's just sleeping late! Really. They are nice people, and she has good intentions, but I honestly think we just don't mix well. She's also racist.. She asked me if I knew what Chaulafong was because apparently it's a typical Chinese dish here. This was after I told her I'm Korean. She calls the indigenous people (the native people of Ecuador) "indios," which is kind of offensive. Like calling Chinese "chinks," etc. So her children say, "No mom. They're 'los indÃgenas.' 'Indios' are Indians from India." Maggie says, "No. Indians from India are called 'Hindus.'" .... Are you serious right now? Wow. I was so taken aback I couldn't say anything. Recently, the topic of my Korean heritage came up. And she thinks it's really funny when she makes up super racist Asian phrases. Not exaggerating: "Sushichongchifautoyota. Hahahahahaha." Me: .............. Smile. She may think that's funny and cute or whatever, but HECK no. Also, it's not okay to feed me when I don't want to eat. Please. I respect your traditions that you eat a 3-course dinner at 10:30pm, but I'm really not used to that and would rather just eat once at 6pm. But if I say that I'm not hungry, please believe me that I mean it and really DON'T want to eat. Also, if I say that I only want one piece of chicken and that will be okay for me, do not ask me 4 times if I'm sure I don't want another piece, because my answer has not changed within that 10 second period, and then give me a piece anyway. Fine, 2 pieces at 9pm I can do. Don't ask me again if I want another piece because I DON'T!!!! And then put it on my plate anyway, even though I said, "No, I don't want another piece because 2 is plenty and I'm getting full and it's really late." She seriously doesn't understand the concept of being full. Lastly, when I tell her that I'm sightseeing with my friends, she tells me that there's really nothing to see there so I shouldn't go. For example. My friends and I wanted to go to this inhabited crater that I will talk about later as well as the Middle of the World because they haven't been there. She says that it's really boring and I wouldn't have fun there so I shouldn't go. I tell her that the group is thinking about going to Mindo, which is a cloud forest like the one we went to on our excursion; the directors highly encouraged us to go because it's gorgeous up there. She says that it's not that pretty there and all there are are trees, waterfalls, flowers, and mountains. I shouldn't go because there's nothing good to see there. UM..... trees, waterfalls, nature.. THAT'S THE POINT?! Any artisan craft that she didn't make is really ugly and she can do better. I recently bought a tea tray that was painted by a Tigua painter (Tigua is an indigenous style of painting in the town of Tigua near Quilotoa), and she looked at it and said, "Hmm.. I paint better than that. That's not that pretty." .. Oh. Okay.... That's really respectful to the indigenous painters of that community. It's not even that she turns off the hot water, or doesn't give me good water or anything. She just really rubs me the wrong way. We are so not meant to be..
But anyway. I only have 3 more days here so I'm trying not to blow up on her.
