Blog 10

My favorite part of Bella Vista was definitely walking and climbing through the water and waterfalls. I absolutely love being outside and in nature. It was so peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful. It was especially fun to be able to share the experience with some new friends. We have definitely all gotten quite close these last couple weeks. We push each other and encourage one another to make it up the waterfalls and mess around when we are freezing in the water. I would have loved to spend more time there, but I'm thankful we got the opportunity to spend the whole day there.

My biggest challenge was probably when we had to leave the waterfall and start heading back. It was difficult to not be sad to leave. I wish we could've just stayed there forever. I felt so alive and in the moment, where as when we are in class or whatnot, I don't always feel like we live in the moment and stay in the present. We think about what will happen next or have to be planning something. There was not a care in the world when we were there. It made it slightly hard to enjoy everything on the walk back with the same interest as the way there, but I just kept thinking about what I was doing at the very moment and being present. It definstely made the hike back happier.

My thinking about culture and communication has changed by opening my eyes to how closely they are connected. Before we came to Ecuador, I didn't think the two were so codependent on one another. You have to immerse yourself in the culture to be able to understand the communication and how their culture is so much different. It has definitely opened up my mind to new cultures and customs as well. I really hope that in this next week I will be able to communicate more effectively, as well as be open to the point where I don't find myself thinking something is weird or whatnot. I would like to not be ethnocentric at all, which I have found that I am getting to be less and less ethnocentric. Before this class, I had no idea that I was being judgmental about other cultures or customs. Now that I have a deeper understanding, it is much easier to be open minded and go with the flow.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meng - Blog 16

1. In Paige's Blog(#14), she mentioned that she used some nonverbal communication to communicate with teachers when they were cooking. It is an effective way of intercultural communication. I totally agree that sometimes, if you don't know how to express yourself, body language helps a lot, and it even works better than language. 2. In Blog12, Tyessa said that she feel not close with her host family, and usually, they don't communicate with each other too much, which makes she felt upset because she wants to get closer to them. In my points of view, it can be seen as an ineffective communication. I think in the process of communicating with people, sometimes you should learn to be proactive. Break the silence first, and take the initiative to communicate with others. If you are especially enthusiastic about other people, they will feel it. 3. An example of effective communication came from  Linsey. She talked about how the communication way changed ...
Read more
      I will admit that the thing I am looking forward to the most when I get back home is some good, processed, junk food. It seems strange, because I like the food in Ecuador, and am almost always willing to be adventurous and try new foods. But that sense of adventure is exactly the problem. I rarely feel as though I can just gulp down anything placed in front of me, secure in the knowledge of exactly what it is and what it will taste like. The classic foods from home will allow me to eat with that security intact, and that security is what I really miss.      I think the thing I will miss the most about Ecuador is the sense of adventure that I could feel every time I left the house, whether it was just to class at the academia or to some other attraction. I loved the feeling that I was going to see new sights, experience new things, and accomplish something impressive every day. The quote that struck me today, as we were le...
Read more

Blog post #15

1) what are you most excited about returning to in the US? What I am most looking forward to about heading home is the opportunity to share my experiences with others. I want to share the funny stories of my host family with my friends and family here in the U.S. so that they too can be exposed to some Ecuadorian culture. I am very much looking forward to returning home because I will use my experience of Ecuador to further think about what it is I want to do with my life. Not having a clear path for my profession is a challenge for me, but through using my travel experience to discover what my passions and interest are, I am always one step closer to knowing what it is I want to do with my life.   2) what will you miss the most about Ecuador? What I think I am going to miss most is the walk to school Carolina and I shared in the mornings and afternoons. In the two mile hike to school I saw mothers sending their kids off to the bus, adults off to work and busses ...
Read more