Police Riots in Ecuador

So I got to my university today and everyone was on their phones outside. Found out all classes are cancelled--we are staying at my university which is out of the city and guarded pretty well.

here are some links about what is going on.
NyTimes
BBC News
San Diego
CNN
NPR

I'm safe, but I am hearing rumors that the president has been kidnapped or injured. I do not really know--however Ecuadorians are not worried and it will probably be solved by tomorrow.

Semester on the Equator Week 3

Hola everyone, here is the third  video of my weekly blog!

 

You can find the videos on YouTube under the same name.

If you receive the Pell Grant--check out the Gilman Scholarship to help fund your study abroad experience:
http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program

Library Quietime--or Lack of

I am sitting on the floor of the library studying right now. Yeah--the floor. The library here is very different the the library at DePauw.

When you walk in--there are signs everywhere that say no talking and no cellphones. However, neither of the rules are followed as I can hear many people talking--some about school, but for the most part just chatting. Also, I hear people answering and talking on their cell phones (one just beeped next to me as someone got a text). As long as you are not talking loudly--they do not seem to care.

The library itself is barely two floors of books. With only 20 study stations on the first floor and 20 four person tables with another 20 study stations on the second floor--it get crowded pretty fast. This is not the first time I have sat on the floor as I study--with over 5,000 students here, it is pretty common to see. The university does not have a huge library (or any other study space) as students do not live on campus and all commute everyday.

And when you leave, you have to have a guard check your bag to make sure you are not stealing any books. Overdue books cost you a fine too. Oh and the computers... well they are Macs that have a few years on them and do not always work. Sometimes you will get on them and they will all stop working at once for some unknown reason. It can be frustrating at times. And the campus has wireless but it does not always work either--sometimes it goes in and out too.

It's not a terrible library, it has plenty of books that my friends and I have no trouble finding (even the Harry Potter books in English) it's just such a different atmosphere than I am used to studying in. I really do not have a quite place to study. My home is quite for the most part--but I live in a big city, so quite means you can still hear the cars going by, the neighbors talking next door, car alarms going off, and many types of sirens throughout the night.

Thankfully--I brought ear plugs to Ecuador! They are my savior as I cannot do homework with noise. And they are so stylish.

El Jardin Botánico

I went to the Botanical Gardens here in Quito this weekend. Yeah yeah yeah, I know what you are thinking--whatever--a bunch of flowers. Wrong--there is so little you know! Ecuador is a MEGADIVERSE country when it comes to the botany and animals here. There are the Galapagos Islands, the Coast, the Mountains, and the Amazon all in a country the size of the state of Colorado. This creates great diversity in the plants and animals found here.

Ecuador is the most diverse country in the world per square mile (or kilometer) in relation to species and plants. So the botanical gardens hosted a wide variety of plants that I had never seen before. Although that is the case, I am in Ecuador and it is not kept up as well as the Botanical Gardens in Washington D.C. for example.

Here are a few pictures from the garden.--p.s.--the flowers are HUGE here. Roses and flowers both bigger than both of your fists.

Video Blog Numero 2

Hola! Below is the my second video blog--enjoy!



Check out the Gilman Scholarship here:
http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program

taxes and then some

Last week I received a note to go the post office and pick up a package. After finally finding the post office I get there and I have to pay to pick up my package. Why? Because of taxes on imported items. If an item is considered a 'luxury' and not needed to live--then it gets taxes pretty heavy when it is imported. President Correa's economic policy reflects on buying items in the country rather then sending your money out of the country.

Myself and many others in my program packed little when we packed up for our semester here because we figured (and we were told by many people) that South America is cheap. No problem--pack what you need, buy what you want when you arrive. However, because everything that is imported is taxes (up to 30% depending on the item) prices here are just as much or more than they would be in the states.

A few examples:

• a sweater here is easily $30-$50 while you can get cheaper ones of the same quality for $20-30$ in the states
• Imported shampoo and conditioner is $15 here and and $8-$12 in the states
• SHOES--oh my gosh-- a pair of shoes at a Payless here can run from $40-$90 easily where in the states Payless usually does not run over $30 (all shoes here are expensive though)
• Converse sneakers are $90 here and $50 in the states

It was a disappointment when I arrived to see the prices, however, it has also made me more aware. Now when I shop, I look for the yellow, blue, and red spiral thumbprint that says the product was made in Ecuador--therefore making it the cheaper. It's like buying the store brand vs. the name brand. It's also interesting to see which companies have factories in Ecuador--some that are United States-ian (lay's chips, coca-cola) and therefore the same price as the Ecuador brand.

It makes you more aware as a consumer and I think do I want to save $1.00 or just pay it? A dollar, not that much--but here, that's my bus fare for two days. I could ride the bus more and just eat the cheaper and generally same food. But then again--ONE DOLLAR or thrity-five cents? I am getting hung up on less than a dollar? It makes me feel like a cheap United States-ian as I attempt to rip off the already impoverished and cheap country. I should feel lucky that I can buy a bottle of soda for .35 or a a piece of fruit for .10.

But instead, all I see are the higher prices and ways to save money like any college student would. It's a hard choice that I face everyday--take the $1.00 taxi and get there quicker or walk fifteen to twenty minutes instead. I can easily spend all the money I would like here and not save as much and be fine for the most part. Or realize how I spend my money and save the quarters and dimes as much as I can.

Video Blog Numero 1

Here is the first of my video blog series: Semester on the Equator. Part of the blog is to inform others about the Gilman scholarship opportunity to help fund their experiences abroad. The Gilman Scholarship is a federally funded scholarship to help those that receive a Pell Grant. To learn more about the scholarship head over here:

www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program

(You can also find the video on YouTube under 'Semester on the Equator').

Hope you enjoy the video--It's my first and I'm still learning all the tricks and whatnot so please be nice.