This is my third year living in Quito. It's been a good three years, overall. And it's been filled with countless growth-opportunities (also known as: hardships, struggles, challenges, etc). Being from a country that was also colonized by the Spaniards (but with VERY different histories), I noticed right away that there was a lot about Ecuadorian culture that was very familiar to me.
There's great value placed on the concept and practice of saving face. Here, collectivism is the way of life, not individualism. The western preoccupation with being on time and being efficient with regards to time, is largely absent here. Relationships are the priority.
There's great value placed on the concept and practice of saving face. Here, collectivism is the way of life, not individualism. The western preoccupation with being on time and being efficient with regards to time, is largely absent here. Relationships are the priority.
Today I am grateful for the reminder to value relationships. I so often get focused on accomplishing tasks and checking off each item on the day's 'to-do list,' that relationships gets put on the back burner. It is not that I don't value relationships, it's just that in little moments I do find myself placing more importance on getting things done. And living here, I am thankful for the constant, ingrained reminder to value people, to value relationships.
Day 18 of Cultivating joy through 20 days of gratefulness.