Do you NEED Spanish in Ecuador?

Ecuador is a Spanish speaking country, but can you get by if you do not know any Spanish?

Regardless of what you have heard, Ecuador is a Spanish speaking country.  Many locals do not speak English.  It is not expected of them to understand you.  Therefore,  It is essential to learn Spanish in order to experience "del buen vivir" (the good life) you seek.  Learning Spanish will help you communicate with native Ecuadorians and prevent being involved in awkward situations socially.  READ MORE  (links to Middleoftheworld.com for the full story)

Immersion VS. Invasion. The Ecuador Expat's most important choice.

Immersion versus Invasion.  That is the question. 

Gringo Invasion

 Do you come to Ecuador and abandon all of your lifelong traditions and cultural understandings, living amongst the locals like you were born here?  Or, do you come to Ecuador and hide amongst your own in your gated expat community, slowly assimilating into "Gringolandia"?

Such an important and trivial question requires calculated thought.  This question often raises thousands of other questions like:

• How fast can I learn Spanish in Ecuador?
• How do I learn about Ecuadorian Culture?
• Will I experience Culture Shock?
• Will I pay Gringo Prices in Ecuador?
• Ultimately, Will I be HAPPY in Ecuador?

I see this topic in discussion on many of the forums, groups, and chats associated with Living in Ecuador or Traveling to Ecuador, but often times I see more opinions than logical answers or even valuable opinionated insight.  People tend to want to live on one extreme or another.  Sounds a bit like politics doesn't it?

Some live for "total immersion", where they shun their entire culture and its existence, even developing a hatred for it.  Others live here for years and don't even take the time to learn how to say "Hola".  In my insightful opinion (at least I hope it is an insightful one) I believe both strategies ultimately lead to failure.

You see, No matter WHERE YOU GO, you ARE WHAT YOU ARE.  You can not escape it.  This is why total immersion will not work. 

You will miss the amenities you were accustomed to in your other world.  You will miss your family and it's traditions and customs.  You will even miss your drunk uncle.  If you choose the strategy of 100% immersion and denial of your gringo existence, the frustrations of "control alt deleting" many years of your settled ways will come back to haunt you.  You cannot simply come here and wash the Gringo or Yankee off of your body.  Believe it or not, most Native Ecuadorians would not expect you to either.

On the other hand, if you come to Ecuador and think you are going to start your own Little USA without contributing to the country, you are gravely mistaken.  I see the Chinese trying it right here from out my window, and they will fail also, if they don't learn the language and the customs.  The great news is that most of the Chinese I have met actually learned (or are trying to learn) Spanish.  I can not say the same for many of the gringos I have met.  Many of them are simply looking to huddle up with the other expats, search for English speaking dentists, doctors, lawyers, and everything else English to get anything accomplished.  That is fine and dandy when you just get here, but if you do not pick up the language and culture you will NOT survive more than 2 years.  You will find yourself lonely and in a state of depression mentally and financially from getting hit with those infamous "gringo prices".

So, with both strategies leaning to high chance of failure, WHAT DO YOU DO?

I propose that you meet in the middle.  Eat the hamburger at the restaurant that speaks English for dinner, but don't pass on the Yaguarlocro for lunch (More about Yaguarlocro here).  Buy that Rosetta Stone or take those Spanish Lessons, but don't forget what your family Christmas or Thanksgiving customs are.  Take a moment to make Ecuadorian friends and SHARE your customs with them as they will with you.  Ecuadorians do not bite, and despite what the State Department may tell you the majority of them are decent, intelligent, and happy to make friends.

I feel that if you approach Life in Ecuador with a strategy such as this, you will have a higher chance of being successful here.  All of the people I know who have made it here have made it through a conservative blend of invasion and immersion, and most of the people who have failed fell towards one extreme.

Carry this advice with a grain of salt, or like the golden ticket to enter Willy Wonka's factory.  I don't care.  But I assure you taking this perspective seriously will help in determining your quality of life here.

Mike
www.themiddleoftheworld.com
   

Researching Living in Ecuador Online? Here are some NON BIASED tips.

Packing up your bags and moving to another country, for whatever reason, can be a daunting task.  Many people spend numerous hours of their days towards making this decision, but is the research even accurate?

What is the crime rate of Ecuador?
Are their any Jobs in Ecuador?
What is the best place to live in Ecuador?
Can I drive there?
Do I need to learn Spanish?

Thousands of questions pump through your cerebrum, ricocheting throughout the depths of your mind as your fear and anxiety start to overwhelm you into possibly backing out, or making a decision without doing your due diligence. 

I am going to give you a few non biased tips on doing your online research so you can come to your own decision on whether Ecuador (or any other country if you happen to be researching elsewhere) is right for you.

Tips to researching Ecuador as your living or retirement destination:

1.  You can not just simply Google ¨Living in Ecuador¨ or ¨Retiring in Ecuador¨ and clicking the first page you see.

Companies pay heavily for you to click on their site after searching those keywords.  Although these companies are doing exactly what they are supposed to do (promote the country they are selling in a positive manner), you must realize they will most likely paint Ecuador to look like a masterpiece from the distance of behind your desktop, only for your to arrive, take a Real Estate Tour that you already paid for, and realize in your eyes it is more of a monet.  Please note I am not saying to avoid reading the information these companies put out.  I am merely suggestion to broaden your search more.

Instead of relying solely on organizations marketing Ecuador to help furnish your final opinion, try to find some blogs, facebook forums, and places such as the ExpatExchange.com or Expat-blog.com to connect with expats in Ecuador directly to get their personal feedback.  Be aware some of them may offer you more than just free advice, but also understand there are plenty of Expats here who have offerings that will genuinely help you.

2. When using Google to search for keywords related to Ecuador, format your search for the most recent results, or results written in the past year.  That way you do not get OUT OF DATE information which may hinder your research efforts.  Here is a screen shot I made showing you how to fine tune your Google search in Firefox.

3.  This one should be obvious, but I have to state it anyways because I have seen it happen many times.  TUNE OUT THE TROLLS.

Anyone who constantly posts negative content in the forums about Ecuador yet happens to live here for years, or anyone who thinks they know everything about Ecuador, but have never put their boots on Ecuadorian soil, are not good sources for research.  Someone who can not put together a cohesive sentence on the internet is also probably not a good source of information, and more likely someone who has forgotten to take their meds. 

Instead, if you are chatting in social networking communities find reputable people who are vouched for and give facts, or at least solid and well educated opinions about their life here.  If you want to know who some of these people are feel free to send me a request in my contact form which goes straight to my email.

4.   Include a 3 to 4 week trip (or as long as you possibly can) into your research efforts.

Book the flight and put your boots on the ground, using all the contacts you have established that you have confidence in to help you along your way.  Really get a feel for the country and how your life would be.  Go to the malls, grocery stores, mercados, a church, or whatever places you would normally need to go.  Don´t dedicate your whole trip here to touristic adventures because your real life here will not be all about chasing butterflies in Mindo or walking La Ronda in Centro Historico Quito.  You most likely will not be going on jungle Safari´s either so make sure you take time to research regular life activities. 

You will need to shop, eat, pay bills, and do regular routine tasks you had to do in your former life.  These routine tasks may be performed substantially different than what you are accustomed to in your home country so you must be aware of these changes, and determine whether you can adapt or not.


If I think of any more tips I will update this post, but I hope this gets you started on researching whether Ecuador is right for you.

Mike
www.themiddleoftheworld.com
  

Why NOT retire IN Quito Ecuador??

Ok so maybe living in the center of a city full of 2.5 million people doesn´t appeal to the average retiree or semiretirees looking at Ecuador as an option but WHY NOT?

Skyline of Beautiful Quito Ecuador.

As I stand here on the outside I see so many people passing through Quito within 3 days HELLBOUND for Cuenca or Cotocachi, and I am thinking... Why??

1.  Quito has the best hospital in the country in Hospital Metropolitano.  You are going to eventually get sick right?  Or maybe you would like to jump on the opportunity to save some money on that ¨Lifestyle Lift¨you wanted?

2.  Quito also has all of the amenities of any major world city which, believe it or not, you have become accustomed to having in your native developed country.  Right?

3.  Looking for culture?  Quito has the largest and most well preserved historical center in all of the Americans.  It is literally half the size of all of Cuenca population wise.  Quito also has many exciting day trip destinations for the active retiree within a few hours drive on well paved roads.  You can´t always hide in your new home, fenced in with electric wire can you? 

Ok, so maybe those three points alone will not persuade you to change your mind from buying or renting your quiet piece of the Ecuadorian pie smack dab in the middle of the city, but maybe you should be looking for your piece of the pie somewhere near Quito?  Oh my how sweet the pie is here in the Pinchincha Province.

To the EAST* (Thanks for the correction Journeyman Jack!):  Cumbaya, Tumbaco, Yariqui, Puembo, Quinche, and many other smaller suburbs and towns surround Quito and offer a quieter lifestyle within an hour of the city.  They also offer temperatures in the mid 70s to the mid 80s, Everyday.   

There is also Pomasqui and San Antonio to the north of the city, also featuring warm and dry weather, along with Valle de Los Chillos to the South.

in fact, Sprinkled in and within an hour to an hour and a half of Quito are many small towns that are all charming in their own way, and close enough to the city where it won´t be a hassle just to live daily life.  Not all of them are called Cotocachi either which is realistically more than 2 and half hours away from Quito.

So again I ask, Why not Quito?  It is the perfect base camp to find your dream retirement destination, and I can not put my finger on why their are not entire retirement enclaves scattered throughout the cities suburbs and city limits.  Maybe all the major publications (no names mentioned) have bypassed giving Quito its true praise due?  Even my Ecuadorian father in law of 81 years calls Cuenca a ¨Baby Quito¨.   

Well, Quito and all its secret gems are doing just fine without all the marketing dollars being pumped into it from the retirement publications.  How?  Well, because it is already a self sustaining city without the retirement community investing in it.  Whether or not you settle here, Quito will continue to grow with its rising working middle class and many American establishments that make you feel at home when you are away.  Its developing Yachay Technology Center will most definitely attract more international jobs, (including consulting) and wealth.  No one is slicing Quito´s suburbs up into ¨dream retirement homes¨(yet).  No one really needs too, their are already plenty of middle and upper class Ecuadorians laying their nest eggs there.

I am not knocking Cuenca, Salinas, or any of the smaller retirement destinations that Ecuador has to offer, but they are all knocking Quito all the time.  Its too dangerous, too dirty, too congested, too this and too that.  Not entirely true.  There are sections of the city and its suburbs that are safe, clean, and quiet also.  Ever heard of Tenis? Gonzales Suarez?  Amaguana? Guayllabamba? Probably not.  All you can google up of Quito without due diligence is Mariscal and the Centro Historico (which is which nice in areas also).

So what I am saying to all the retirees who are considering Ecuador is give Quito a shot.  Take it from someone who is 32 years old, not a Real Estate agent or investor, and has NO SKIN in the game whether or not you even retire here.  Check out QUITO before you make your decision.

Mike
www.themiddleoftheworld.com

Squashing the Controversy.

Hello all,

First of all, before I rant.  I want to thank all my readers for helping me reach over 6,000 page views.  I invite you all to subscribe to the mailing list so you can be up to date whenever I post.

Now, to squash the controversy.  I allowed a guest blogger to post their opinion of life in Quito on my blog.  When this blog was posted I got a few comments privately in regards to his slightly negative stance on life in Quito. 

I promised from day one that my blog would highlight the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY about what life can potentially be like for a gringo moving here.  It would not be fair for me to fall back on my promise and censor a guest blogger's opinion because it may have a negative impact on my business www.themiddleoftheworld.com .

Now I have to disclose I personally love Quito, this city is not for everyone.  My guest blogger has had some experiences that he felt he should share with other potential expats to this city.  Everyone will develop their own opinion of the city and some of those opinions will not paint a rosy Garden of Eden like picture of this growing metropolis.

I think the best thing anyone can do with ANY INFORMATION they read on the Internet about Quito or the rest of Ecuador is put it all in perspective that you are merely reading peoples opinions, marketing literature designed to persuade you to fall in love with the country, or literature designed to keep you away.  When deciding if Ecuador is right for you the best step is to first SCOUT the country on a 2 or 3 week visit to feel it out before deciding if this country is right for you.

Mike
www.themiddleoftheworld.com

Hoping for a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

 Hello all,

I would like to introduce William Perry, our first featured guest blogger for The Middle of the World.  He recently moved to Quito and will be practicing Psychology here helping Expats offering in person and virtual services.  You can learn more about him on his website www.online-therapy.biz


So it begins: 

Mike:
www.themiddleoftheworld.com

Hoping for a Second Chance to Make a First Impression:  

Ok, can we get back to the corn discussion above? Yes, the American model definitely looks more delectable – probably artificially designed that way, but whoever proved that that is bad for you? Don’t preservatives keep you alive longer? The Ecuadorian corn doesn’t look at all bad to me either, and frankly my tongue cannot discriminate between the two. But here’s the thing: When I am served corn in the U.S. it comes with soft butter and there is salt on the table. Here in Ecuador you have to ask for both and tolerate a look as if you’re from Mars. And no, I do not like cheese on my corn, or, for that matter, instant coffee anytime – the country’s latest craze.

This is not a service-oriented society. Not once have I not had to ask for something I shouldn’t have had to ask for (like silverware). I’ve eaten out every day for two months, and had good service about 20% of the time, mediocre service 70% of the time and just-walk-out service 10% of the time. You name it: Slow service, forgotten food, wrong food, the chef watching TV while you’re waiting to be fed, and waiting forever to pay an overpriced check for lousy food. And to make matters worse, for some reason every restaurant here thinks it enhances their atmosphere to have a blaring TV on.

I don’t even like corn very much, so like many foods here I only eat it because not much food that I like is readily available, or good. Corn is, according to Consumer Reports, 89% fiber and carbohydrate. With virtually no nutritional value, those two things will make you, along with the water in corn, feel a lot fuller than you are. Hence, you don’t eat much more food. Hence, lose weight. Don’t get me wrong – I am not a cornophobe – I just don’t think it’s a healthy staple. Nor soup. Nor potatoes. In the two months I’ve been here I feel like the Incredible Shrinking Man (free Big Mac if you can name the stars in that movie).

I have lost a lot of weight in the two months I’ve been here. And it’s not so complicated: The food sucks. Period. I’ve heard so many rationalizations but overall the food simply sucks. Unless you want to go to American style restaurants and pay American style prices. But I’m assuming you came here at least in part to get away from that. This is not a cultural issue. I’m talking about undercooked, overcooked, leather beef and eggs floating in grease. Hence I don’t eat much. I find myself eating because I “should,” not because I anticipate a good meal. Hence I lose weight. It is no more complicated than that. If you’re a soup-lover, however, this might be the home for you. Just don’t ask what’s in it.

Ok, so that’s just corn. Ecuador, or Quito in particular, is a lot more than corn. There are also potatoes. With everything. If I see another french fry I will retaliate with projectile vomit.

Now the disclaimer – I have only been here just over 2 months. I know very little and I have not had enough time to acclimate. I’m sure I will find a way to eat happily. I like the city of Quito and have already made a few friends here, so I don’t see the snobbery that Quito is often accused of. The weather is great – From 7am until 4pm. Then it gets cold. Very cold. There go my beloved walks in the evening. And if I don’t freeze to death I’ll get robbed, or so I hear.

Which brings us to safety. Face it folks, crime is everywhere and there are a few things you can do to prevent it. Especially since us gringos stand out more and everybody on this continent seems to think that we all carry gold coins in our pockets. Don’t wear jewelry (ANY). Don’t look lost, be aware of your surroundings, and don’t be drunk (yes, you can do it). Don’t go NEAR an ATM at night. If none of that works please just make them happy and give them your money, go home, get on your knees and say a prayer of gratitude. You still have your arms and legs (hopefully), and you’re not in Kansas anymore.

One further gripe: THIS PLACE IS NOT CHEAP. Don’t be mislead, like I was, by all these Internet forums and guidebooks. And especially not International Living. I live modestly and my expenses are pretty close to what I was paying in the U.S. I was counting on a much less-expensive experience. I was counting on being able to just write and not work for awhile. No way. And whatever you do, PLEASE don’t believe all those “Move to Ecuador and Live like a King” articles. You won’t, not unless you’re willing to give up most of what you like. And it won’t be king like at all. This is an expensive city, bottom line.

I’m learning that “manana” (“tomorrow”) means anywhere from 2 days to a week. I’m learning that when you smile at someone and say “Buenas Dias” you get a warm smile and greeting back. I’m learning that Juan Valdez makes the only good espresso in Quito and carries the best Tres Leches Cake I’ve ever had. I’m excited about exploring the city and getting to know it. I like the people, the culture, the parks, and (most of the time) the weather. I like that there is an actual opera here. I know that I know very little so far, and all this is no more than an initial impression from a total stranger only here for two months. I am determined to give this city a fair chance. I do see a lot of potential, gastronomical issues notwithstanding.

Dr. William I. Perry, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychologist and recent ex-pat to Quito, Ecuador

Quito Traffic "Que Bestia!"

I promised in the beginning I would keep it real, upfront, and honest throughout all of my blog posts.  So as promised I am here to tell you one of Quito's ugliest and most brutal realities.

THE TRAFFIC HERE SUCKS.

This is where you will spend a ton of your time if you live in Quito

I mean it is really bad.  Absolutely horrible.  This is being typed from the hands of a Los Angeles native driver, so that in it self should say a lot.  But seriously, my 10 mile commute is actually an hour and a half at a minimum. 

The miniature version of "streets" you find in certain sections of the city, plus the street lights that are green for a whole 1.8 seconds on major intersections, multiplied by the over abundance of mid sized and large SUV's here in Quito, only begins to describe this mess.  (massive run on sentence I know)

Everyday congestion in the city of Quito

If you must drive here, You will find these many little caveats or unwritten rules helpful:

• It is perfectly OK to be all the way in the right lane on a 3 lane road, then suddenly make a left turn without using your signal.  This works both ways. 
• It is also perfectly acceptable to park in the middle of the street to send a text message, make a phone call, or even get out to buy some street food.  
• If you own a motorcycle you are allowed to drive pretty much anywhere you can make your bike go, even down stairs.    
• Running a red light is perfectly OK after sunset or on Sunday, however the concept of what "Right on red" is has not caught on yet, even though it is actually legal here. 
• Buses are above the law and actually gain 50 points for every car they run into.  Blue buses have diplomatic immunity.
• People will beep at the people in front of them to go when the light is still red, even if it is a police officer in front of them.
• The space between the two lanes on the road is actually another lane, if your car can fit.   

By following these unwritten laws, you will survive driving here in Quito.  Good luck. 

  

Getting my Cedula.

Hello everyone.  It has been quite a while since I have posted.  Only because I have been extremely busy piecing together my new life here.  I finally got my Ecuadorian "Cedula" which is great, considering how complicated it can be to go through that process.  I was ready with my perfect "carpeta" with all my apostilled and translated documents they needed to properly process my Ecuadorian ID card.  Well, it turns out when I got my Visa, one of the required papers for my Cedula had my last name as "Bruner Ii" instead of "Bruner II", which made the whole process a nightmare.  The Registro Civil wouldn't take my paperwork and they made me go back to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores to have my name corrected.

When I got to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores they told me it was impossible to change it, then printed out an email they wrote internally stating this.  I had to go back to the Registro Civil with this paper, which proved to be helpful... for now.

So I keep shuffling through the endless lines getting passed back and forth to different cubicles and windows until finally I land in the area where they are supposed to take my photo for my ID card.  When I sit down with my approved paperwork, the lady decides to review the papers one more time.  Just my luck.  When she looks at my paperwork she notices that they put my middle name where my last name was supposed to be on the paperwork.  Not a big deal right?  OH YES.  Big deal here in Ecuador.  Every paper has to be perfect.  She told me she could not process my Cedula until this was fixed.  My face and eyes turned into an inferno and I nearly turned into the Human Torch hearing this.  I was close to exploding.  I looked at her computer screen and said, "Can't you just type it into your computer correctly?", in Spanish.  She responded "That is impossible" and rudely told me to go.  She must have really been proud of her position of authority.  I saw clearly on her computer screen she could type whatever name she wanted.  I realized it was pointless to fight so I went home in defeat, then went back the next day to the Registro Civil to fix the same stupid piece of paper again.

Turning Point:

When I arrived at the Registro Civil the next day, I had an epiphany.  When they made my original document they could not make my name "Bruner II" because their system was set up to automatically capitalize the first letter of each name and make every letter afterwards lower cased.  As a result, my name became "Bruner Ii".  With this discovery, I decided not only will I get my Cedula TODAY, but I will also teach the girl behind the counter a little trick so the next "II" that tries to enter this country won't have to go through the hell I went through.

It is simple actually.  In most fonts a capital I looks exactly like a lower case L, so my solution was to make my "II" by having the clerk on the other side type "Il".  It took a lot of convincing and humbling to the kind girl on the other side but she finally tried it and it worked like a charm.  She cracked a thankful smile and I was happy to make her day as she did mine.  She also corrected the other error on the document and returned it to me to submit again.

I returned to the Registro Civil with renewed vigor and energy, along with positive thoughts, which paid off dearly.  Not only was the document corrected right, but in the same morning the Registro Civil decided they no longer needed 1,000,000 pieces of paper to hand out a Cedula.  They were going "Paperless".  My paperwork (what was left of it) was finally approved and my photo was taken.  I was able to pick up my Cedula 3 days later.  It was a hard fought battle but I remain VICTORIOUS.  I would never wish my experience upon anyone, but I have also heard of worse experiences.  The moral of the story is, if you can afford it, get a facilitator to handle these type of matters on your behalf.

Wish me luck... My driver's license is next. 

The new Airport in Quito -Quiport

My father in law and I decided to take a trip to the new airport today just to see what it was all about.  I have heard a lot of rumors that the roads were horrible and that it would be a nightmare to get from the city to the airport so we decided to find out the truth.

We left the house in Mariscal at about 10:15 and found there was not much traffic leaving the city.  I do believe this is partially due to the fact that it is a Saturday so we didn't have to worry about the rush hour traffic we normally encounter. 

We were out of the city and through the tunnel Guayasamin in about 15 minutes which is amazing in itself.  We travelled through the normal weekend traffic you run into through Cumbaya and Tumbaco.  There was a slight bottle neck (5 minutes or so) over the bridge that crosses the river.  I can't remember the name of the river or the bridge but it is one lane each way so a bottleneck is understandable.  From my understanding they will be building a wider bridge soon.  Once we crossed the river it seemed like the roads were all brand new!



From here on out the HORRENDOUS traffic looked something like this all the way to the airport. 

 
As you can see the massive gridlock was very tough to navigate.  There was constant honking of horns and there must have been 12,000 cars trying to fight their way to the airport on this "unfinished" road.  If you can't sense the sarcasm in my keystrokes then I don't know what to tell you.

The road was smoother than a baby's bottom and traffic was NO WHERE in site.  Once again I will state this is a Saturday so normal rush hour does not apply, but I can't help to think of how horrible the traffic was in LA during the daytime on the weekend to get to LAX. 

It looks to me like the roads were freshly paved and ready to be heavily traveled by tourists and business people alike.  I will state for the 3rd time however, this was a Saturday morning.  We arrived at the the airport right around 11:00 give or take a few minutes.

Once we got there we decided to camp out with all the other curious bystanders and watch the planes land and take off at the new airport.  The boy got a kick out of that along with my father in law.

Looks like all is well at the new airport.  See you all soon!

Mike
www.themiddleoftheworld.com