Casual Breakfast
If you´ve read my earlier blog about the reina pageant, then you know how sometimes being in this country feels like someone has a camera on you secretly at all times, and they are just waiting for the perfect time to jump out and laugh hyserically at the circumstances that you are faced with. Thus last Tuesday morning, I had one of the most hysterical ¨you´re on candid camera¨moments to date. On Tuesday, at 7:00 AM, I was invited to the mayor of Ibarra´s birthday breakfast.
Seriously. Not even kidding one bit. Basically my school is owned by the city government, and it actually is one of the nicest plots of land in the entire city. Tucked into the shoulder of the mountain, my school boasts ogtagonal buildings, a beautiful garden type landscape, and a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains. Could you think of a better place for a Tuesday morning 7AM reunion? Me neither.
Peeling my face off my pillow has been intense the past couple of weeks. I seem to be in my middle of New Hampshire winter slump even though it´s 90 degrees outside. Funny how your body just has cycles. Anyway I finally managed to wedge a spatula under my head at 6:30 so that I could make the 7:15 start time for the mayor´s breakfast. One of the interesting things about Ecuador is that you NEVER know what to expect. Thus I flipped a coin to decide between suit and time versus business casual. The back of my Sacagawea dollar said business cas so I threw on some khakies, a collared shirt and headed out.
I arrived to my school just in time to help set up the tent that would be set out on the lawn. After some quick finishing touches to my teaching plan, I sat and waited for the mayor to show up. He strolled in at 7:17, about sixty minutes early Ecuador Time, along with his entire cabinet.
These guys are pretty much the exact replica of a fraternity. In fact I wouldn´t be suprised if the last mayor sent the boys through hell week before turning the government over to them. They all have enough gel in the hair to stiffen a wet pasta noodle. Half of them wear gigantic, I am on the set of a 1980´s Miami drug movie, sunglasses (PS said glasses are not removed during breakfast). They all are decked out in pin stripe matching suits and exchange inside joke half grunts to resounding laughs from everyone else. The Ecuadorian Resovoir dogs and the white boy. Awesome.
Once the entire 15 person crew is on the grounds, they proceed to form a half circle on the lawn. I have immediately been sent to the movie set of West Side Story. Pretty soon one of them is going to frolic performing Michael Jackson Beat knife stabs. As I am admiring the absurdity of what is before my eyes, the ¨party planner¨starts jabbing me in the ribs.
The white girls have not yet arrived. Both the director of my program and Ally were scheduled to attend the breakfast as well. However, it was 7:30 and neither of them had showed up. People are mad and have no one to blame except the male speices, especially that of the blanco variety.
This reality is one of the most disturbing aspects of my Ecuadorian experience. Ecuadorian males could care less about spending time with a white male, unless he can bring them closer to white females. I have never really had problems making friendships with guys, as I can verse in the Big Three (sports, drinking, chicks) with the best of them. However, for Ecuador males, my only interesting aspect is my ability to connect people with white chicks. Thus almost every single one of my Ecuadorian friends is a female, which makes for exciting conversation about the Big One and a Half (hair\nails, boys). Such is the life we lead.
Anyway, I explained to the planner that I didn´t know where the chicks were, and then looked over my shoulder at my savior. Nope not the ladies, but a ten member mariachi band.
Stay Tuned.
Seriously. Not even kidding one bit. Basically my school is owned by the city government, and it actually is one of the nicest plots of land in the entire city. Tucked into the shoulder of the mountain, my school boasts ogtagonal buildings, a beautiful garden type landscape, and a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains. Could you think of a better place for a Tuesday morning 7AM reunion? Me neither.
Peeling my face off my pillow has been intense the past couple of weeks. I seem to be in my middle of New Hampshire winter slump even though it´s 90 degrees outside. Funny how your body just has cycles. Anyway I finally managed to wedge a spatula under my head at 6:30 so that I could make the 7:15 start time for the mayor´s breakfast. One of the interesting things about Ecuador is that you NEVER know what to expect. Thus I flipped a coin to decide between suit and time versus business casual. The back of my Sacagawea dollar said business cas so I threw on some khakies, a collared shirt and headed out.
I arrived to my school just in time to help set up the tent that would be set out on the lawn. After some quick finishing touches to my teaching plan, I sat and waited for the mayor to show up. He strolled in at 7:17, about sixty minutes early Ecuador Time, along with his entire cabinet.
These guys are pretty much the exact replica of a fraternity. In fact I wouldn´t be suprised if the last mayor sent the boys through hell week before turning the government over to them. They all have enough gel in the hair to stiffen a wet pasta noodle. Half of them wear gigantic, I am on the set of a 1980´s Miami drug movie, sunglasses (PS said glasses are not removed during breakfast). They all are decked out in pin stripe matching suits and exchange inside joke half grunts to resounding laughs from everyone else. The Ecuadorian Resovoir dogs and the white boy. Awesome.
Once the entire 15 person crew is on the grounds, they proceed to form a half circle on the lawn. I have immediately been sent to the movie set of West Side Story. Pretty soon one of them is going to frolic performing Michael Jackson Beat knife stabs. As I am admiring the absurdity of what is before my eyes, the ¨party planner¨starts jabbing me in the ribs.
The white girls have not yet arrived. Both the director of my program and Ally were scheduled to attend the breakfast as well. However, it was 7:30 and neither of them had showed up. People are mad and have no one to blame except the male speices, especially that of the blanco variety.
This reality is one of the most disturbing aspects of my Ecuadorian experience. Ecuadorian males could care less about spending time with a white male, unless he can bring them closer to white females. I have never really had problems making friendships with guys, as I can verse in the Big Three (sports, drinking, chicks) with the best of them. However, for Ecuador males, my only interesting aspect is my ability to connect people with white chicks. Thus almost every single one of my Ecuadorian friends is a female, which makes for exciting conversation about the Big One and a Half (hair\nails, boys). Such is the life we lead.
Anyway, I explained to the planner that I didn´t know where the chicks were, and then looked over my shoulder at my savior. Nope not the ladies, but a ten member mariachi band.
Stay Tuned.
posted by ecuadortraveler at 9:37 AM
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