Look Familiar?

March 23, 2012

(Parental warning: Some of the pictures included with this post may be considered graphic.
Just sayin').

First, a little history about Ecuador (and I am quoting from Discovery Channel’s “Insight Guides/Ecuador” book):

“The first human beings who came to Ecuador were hunters and gatherers. The approximate time of their arrival is still debated among scholars, but it is certain that human beings have been in the Andes for 15,000 years... (or longer)....”the crucial question in Ecuador itself surrounds the gradual all-important transformation from hunting and gathering way of life to what archeologists call the ‘formative lifestyle”.

“Most archeologists believe that this transformation in the Americas occurred over a 2000-3000 year period, beginning around 3000 BC in the most advanced areas. To the great surprise of many archeologists, the earliest pottery and other evidence of formative cultures in the whole of South America has been found on the coast of Ecuador, from a culture known as Valdivia. The Valdivian culture stretched along the Ecuador coast....”

The Valdivian culture had “highly developed pottery, agricultural cultivation, and social organization firmly under its belt...”

In other words, around where we now live, and our coastal area frequently offers up spectacular treasures from the past, some of which are pictured on this post (Todd took these photos awhile ago of a Ecuadorian friend’s private collection). When found, none of this pottery is permitted to leave the country (thankfully).

I recently had an interesting discussion with a couple of Ecuadorian expats/Ecuador-bound friends of mine, and with their permission, sharing some of their comments here.

Texan Leigh Anne Hudson and family bought property in Ballenita and are in the process of moving here. We spent a fun week with them about a year ago, had a ball together, and we’re looking forward to their arrival.

Bob Barber currently lives in Florida, but has spent a lot of time in Ecuador and is married to an Ecuadorian. Bob daily posts great photos and comments on his “labor of love” blog called “Ecuador Photos”. Check it out.

The conversation started out about individual and cultural differences regarding body “modesty” issues and Bob asked a good question:

“How are Ecuadorians' ideas about modesty different from our own? I certainly haven't found Ecuadorians to be any less modest than Americans, quite the opposite in fact.”

To which Leigh-Anne and I had several responses/perspectives one of which was:

“Regarding Ecuadorian modesty, yes, think they are more conservative, but not modest about breast feeding in public, nor do men hesitate to relieve themselves in public (though they thoughtfully turn away from anyone standing nearby” (at least in our coastal area).”



Then Bob made this astute and funny observation:

“I have noticed some of what you said. Obviously nobody likes the men peeing in public. I have seen some graffiti in Spanish which calls the men who do this some awful names. So it is not like everybody accepts it, and it isn't everybody who does it by any means. I have also noticed the breast-feeding in public. One of my pictures I published I had to edit because there was a woman breastfeeding her baby in it. She wasn't at all bothered--she was smiling and waving to the camera. I didn't notice her when I took the picture because the picture was of a busy scene and something else was the subject. The funny thing is, my wife, who is Ecuadorian, is a little bit ashamed that people breast feed in public. She is not at all for it, which surprises me. I guess within Ecuadorian society, like ours, there are people with all kinds of belief systems.

However, I do find Ecuadorian culture overall (with the two exceptions that you nailed and maybe a few more, I'm thinking of how the viudas dress on New Year's Eve) to be conservative, especially in the sierra, where I have spent most of my time.

In fact, when I first went to Ecuador in 1998 I lived with a host family, and the first day I came down the stairs in my bare feet to eat breakfast, and they were horrified. Not amused, or curious, but horrified. So I put my shoes on, and ever since then I've paid close attention to how Ecuadorians dress and act in public. Ecuadorian society is more homogeneous than U.S. society, and if you are different, there is less understanding of those differences, there are few questions of the, "Oh, is that how you do it where you are from?" type, and just judgment, even if it is silent-- they think you don't understand the way things are supposed to be. Yes, I feel free to be my own person, but I do try to fit within the norms more or less. People are so conservative in the sierra that I am reluctant even to dress in tee-shirts sometimes. All the men wear suits or business casual in certain areas of Quito, and you can get labeled for something as simple as wearing a tee-shirt or shorts. I realize it is different on the coast, due to the climate and the culture. You know, sometimes with these things it is like the fable of the blind men and the elephant. We all have different experiences, and we can only go by what we have seen ourselves.”

Pretty sure most cultures
can relate to this



It is true that attitudes and dress are much more casual along the beach areas, and it is true that, at times, some folks from Quito and Cuenca consider coastal residents (I suppose us included) as uncouth, uncultured hicks. “Los Monos” is not an uncommon term to be applied to those who live along the shoreline.

And we are more casual here. The usual dress code in Montanita is a bathing suit, as pictured above, and hardly anyone is trying to make a fashion statement unless they look that good in a thong.

And same as Bob, I have refrained from taking photos of nursing women, (although I did briefly consider lurking around the north bound bus stop in Montanita to get a few snaps of men urinating in public for this post, but my better judgment decided against that idea)...Hell, you guys have it so easy!

 

At any rate, I don’t think the Valdivian culture had many hang ups about body modesty or functions if their talented pottery is any indication.