Barrack and Roll!

Yesterday, we at MPIE spend one of the most historic days of our country's history well outside of its borders. Not only was the first African American U.S. president being sworn in, but the event marked the first real change in U.S. leadership during our politically conscious lives. The last time George W. Bush was not our president, I was 15 and way more preoccupied with tennis practice and geometry than foreign affairs and taxes. This particular shift, however, we have been following with scrutiny, from reading daily articles online to organizing and attending debate watching parties in Quito. Yesterday was significant in that we were all extremely aware of what this shift in power meant for us and for our country. 

Dunc, Serena, Dana, Eliah, Mark, and I were able to go to a gringo restaurant in the Mariscal to watch the swearing in ceremony. It was PACKED with Americans. Even though most of us didn't know each other, a sense of unity and pride pulsed throughout the room as we listened to the resonation of Aretha Franklin's "America the Beautiful" and watched politically significant figures from both parties walk the grounds of Washington together, side by side. 

I thought about how there must be pockets of U.S. ex-pats literally all around the world just like us, experiencing the same thing so far from home, and that even though I had no idea who or where these people were, we all have one thing in common. 

Coming from such an amazing country makes experiences abroad even more special than they would be otherwise, because we feel secure that no matter where we go or what we desire to see, America the Beautiful will still be there waiting for us when we choose to return. And that though things do change, the values that our country is built upon, and the people within it, remain steady. Because of this, the American dream stretches to all ends of the Earth as its citizens venture out to try to make a difference beyond its borders and to experience new and exciting things. 

If you know where you come from, you know where you have potential to go. I know for a fact that where I come from has directly influenced the things I have been able to do here in our little community south of the equator. Our programs and projects are a direct reflection of the ideals instilled in us by the United States, and by all of our supporters back home. Yup, that means you   : )

Hasta, 

J

Feliz Año Nuevo!!!

Happy 2009! I'm back in Ecuador after spending a few weeks in the States for X-mas and a week in Quito with my family. This blog was written partly in the states, and partly here- hence the discrepancies in timing  : )  

Some topics from my 2 week vacation in the great state of Texas...

1. Culture Shock!

Living in the U.S. we sometimes get offended by foreigner's perceptions of us. We think, "how horrible for others to generalize our huge, culturally diverse, melting pot of a country into simplified labels or characteristics such as 'excessive consumerism', 'instant gratification' and 'personal entitlement'. There is more to our country than that!" Unfortunately, this stereotype is pretty dead on compared to a large portion of the world. As I type this, I'm sitting in front of a VENDING MACHINE that sells iPods, digital cameras and palm pilots! With just a flick of the wrist and a basic credit card limit these $200 Sony headphones could be mine! A real upgrade from those cheap things the flight attendants pass out for free on the plane. Hmm, maybe I should impulsively invest in a pair before boarding in 10 minutes. After all, my flight IS a whole 2 hours... don't want to arrive in Miami with sore ears. 

I used to be immune to the ridiculosity of this semi-recent vending machine phenomenon. It has become commonplace for every major company to try its hardest to force its product into your mental unconscious, convincing you that you NEED said product to get on with your daily life. Whether it be the smallest MP3 player on the market, the cell phone with the newest feature (that will be outdated in 2 months), this season's Prada bag (even though last season's is still perfectly functional), or your 10th pair of Seven Jeans- so that you can wear the same thing as all of your friends (what ever happened to being an individual?), NONE of these things are needed to live a fun and fulfilling life. But we are made to think they are. We get used to being bombarded with messages of "BUY BUY BUY" from almost every aspect of our typical environment. I used to regard it as normal... but it's not. This is some strange country I'm vacationing in this Christmas!

2. Food!

My first impression getting off the plane in Miami 2 weeks ago: Americans are TALL!! And constantly eating. Waiting for my connecting flight to Dallas, a woman was sitting next to me scarfing a huge mayo-infested sandwich washed down with Lays potato chips, another woman was focused intently on licking the red sauce off her fingers from her personal sized pepperoni pizza, a teenage girl was guzzling her Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (yummm) and a boy was eagerly digging into his McDonald's value meal (which, at $3 still costs twice as much as a typical Ecuadorian almuerzo). That being said, I myself fall victim to the wonderfulness that is food in the U.S. In the States we are so lucky to have such an amazing selection of tasty treats available to us 24/7- if you have the money for it that is. 

Dunc and I share a passion for all things culinary- ask anyone in the Manna house, so the first time that the two of us had lunch in the kitchen of the Fulton residence was quite an experience. Everyone watched in horror as the two of us gleefully shoved anything and everything into our mouths as if discovering food for the first time. Meat, fudge, cheese, hummus, pasta salad, olives, chips & salsa, pesto, coffee cake, etc... There was no thought or order involved- just basic, primitive, animal instincts at work as my taste buds told my brain to tell my hands to keep going. It was completely out of my control. After 5 months of bananas and rice making up a significant portion of my diet, this was nothing short of paradise. 

3. A Lancaster Family Christmas

For those of you who aren't already familiar with our traditions, I'm going to take you on a journey through a typical Christmas with our family. The big family gathering takes place on Christmas Eve. We eat, talk, play Fireball Island or Loaded Questions, and celebrate our super cool Grandma's birthday (which falls on the 24th) with presents, witty cards, and one of my mom's amazing cake creations. Each year the evening begins by attending the Christmas Eve service at HPUMC, then heading back to the Fulton's for our annual dinner of freshly made tamales (Tex-Mex style!). While the tamales are being cooked, most are chatting over a glass of wine, except for me, Dunc, Tobin, and Kendra. The four of us eagerly hover over the chips, chili con queso, guacamole, and jalapeño jelly appetizers (yes, the food thing again) stuffing ourselves to such an extent that by the time dinner is ready, we are hardly what you would call hungry. 

Moving into the dining room, the conversation during dinner is unique. Best quote of the evening this year: "Christmas in our family is like a Woody Allen movie. Where else does the son-in-law say to the grandmother, 'You are the Michael Jackson of the family!'?" To which Uncle Duncan promptly replied, "Yeah, except Woody Allen movies are over after 2 hours." Badaboom. 

4. Pneumonia.

One unfortunate aspect of my 2 weeks in the States was my bout with pneumonia. Pneumonia?? Seriously? Who gets pneumonia anymore anyway... that disease is ancient. Luckily, we caught it early, and I was treated promptly with massive amounts of antibiotics after spending 6 hours in the ER the day after Christmas (yayyyyy). All in all, I was very lucky to be in the states when it happened and to get it taken care of quickly and effectively, but it was still a bummer to lose precious days of state-side fun due to being bedridden. Anyway, I'm 100% better now, special thanks to Aunt Kay and Grandma for taking care of me after my own parents left town! AND the hospital gave me a CD with the ultrasound of my organs and my chest X-rays! What a cool souvenir. Now I'll always be able to remember those days of painful breathing and zero energy. Dulce. 

Well, once again this blog kind of ran away with itself lengthwise. If you stuck around to the end (*coughMomAndDad*), hope you enjoyed it! Besitos de Quito!

J