The topic of “ethnocentrism,” looms large in my life and thoughts here in Ecuador. Daily, I struggle to rationalize my emotions and visceral responses to the culture shock I experience while traveling in South America. I try to take into consideration how my presence, as a citizen of the United States living temporarily in Ecuador, affects neocolonialism and globalization, and how these issues relate to ethnocentrism. Often, I find that my initial distaste for an experience or my original reaction to culture shock stems from deep-rooted ethnocentrism, that I’m uncomfortable to admit I have.
I find that I most often discover my ethnocentrism when I’m not looking for it, on issues that seem trivial. One that I face every day is the topic of fast food, or more broadly, “Ecuador time.”
In the United States, I drink coffee every day; it’s pretty much essential to my functioning. I’m accustomed to being able to hop into a café, order a black coffee, pay, and be on my way out in three minutes max. I practice the same routine with lunches, and afternoon snacks. I like to be able to take my food to go, either to rush onto the next item on my agenda or just to be “done” with that “errand.”
However, in Ecuador this pattern is impossible. When I order a coffee, it often is freshly brewed often. I wouldn’t complain about that, except then I’m obliged to sit at a table, where a waiter serves my drink to me in a ceramic mug. This commits me to staying put. Even harder for me to rationalize is the tradition of always paying after your meal, instead of when you order. This is true even at makeshift empanada stands I find on the way home from school. People loiter around the stands and chat while enjoying their empanadas, and pay when they have finished eating them.
The lack of “to-go” food is hard for me, probably because my culture has socialized me to be on the move always onto the next thing, and because I’m naturally a tad impatient. However, I find that once I recognize my impatience over waiting for my food or my check is due to ethnocentrism, and my belief that it’s better to be active and busy during the day, I find that I can take a breath and let it go. This experience is teaching me to be more patient, and take the time to just relax in the middle of what is sometimes a hectic day. The practice of taking a break is I believe healthy, but hard for my to implement for myself. Having these “mini-breaks” built into my day makes finding time to just be present and connect with the people that I’m with easier and more fulfilling.