Saturday, August 22, 2015

Ecuadorian slang, yo

For a class I had to make a list of all the slang used in Ecuador that I could. Some of it is pretty sweet.



Enjoy some Ecuatoriano goodness.


  • Cacho = “lie,” or “fib.” It is used in the sense of being sarcastic and then saying “oh just kidding!” So normally it’s used as a very light-hearted, funny way of exaggerating.
  • Chévere/cheverengue = Both of these terms means “cool,” “awesome,” “tight,” or any other English equivalent for stating your approval, admiration, or relaxed/fun demeanor. Everybody uses it.
  • Bacán= essentially the exact same as Chévere, but used only between friends. It is also viewed more as a “hippy” word.
  • Pelucones = slang for a rich person. Usually implies that they are snobby, or puffed up. Someone with a lot of money. If you pass by a rich neighborhood, you would say that a “bunch of pelucones” live there.
  • Shuta / Chuta / Chute = curse word. Used as a substitute for a much stronger curse word.
  • Achachay = word in Kichwa that means “cold,” but is used by everybody in Ecuador. If you’re cold, you say “Achachay!”
  • Arrarray = same as achachay, except ‘hot’ instead of ‘cold.’
  • La hora pico = rush hour. In the city, usually between 4pm and 7:30pm.
  • Katzo = another word for a type of beetle in Ecuador. Another Spanish word would be “escarabajo.” They are seasonal, and at certain times of the year they come out in droves. They can be cooked and eaten as well.
  • Caretucos = someone without shame. It’s used in a derogatory sense, denoting a prideful person or someone who is full of themselves.
  • Atracos = robbery. In Ecuador, if you get robbed or assaulted in any way, you were the victim of an “atraco.”
  • Yucca = a very offensive term used only to denote disdain or disrespect. The equivalent of flipping someone off with your middle finger. A young protestor shouted this at Ecuador’s president and he had him arrested. Yucca is also a vegetable.
  • Borrego = has two meanings: the more common term is drunk. If you’re ‘borrego,’ you’re drunk. The second meaning is what you call someone who agrees with everyone else without thinking. While writing this, there is a lot of civil unrest with people getting mad at the president. Citizens claim that the president’s cabinet is full of a bunch of borregos; that’s to say his cabinet is full of a bunch of people who do nothing but agree with him, no matter what.
  • Churros / zambos = this is what they call curls in your hair. My companion got a haircut, and a friend of ours exclaimed “Ay! Te quitaron tus churros!”
  • Achicharrar = to burn. This term is used only for people. In other words, if someone gets burned alive or burnt at the stake (which actually still happens) they use achicharrar. But if you burn a piece of wood or something else, it doesn’t apply.
  • Vago = lazy. Derived from the word “vagabundo,” Ecuadorians use this simpler term to denote someone as lazy or aimless.
  • Media naranja = refers to a girlfriend/boyfriend or husband/wife. Similar to when couples refer to their spouse as “my other half” or “my better half.” It’s a nickname that shows affection.
  • Costilla = wife. Costilla means rib. In Ecuador, this also refers to the scripture in genesis where God made woman out of Adam’s rib. So when you find your ‘rib,’ you find your wife.
  • Aventon = ride. As in, if you ask someone if they can give you a ride somewhere, you ask them for an “aventon.” Not a very common term, but used nonetheless.
  • Tuco = strong. This is pretty interchangeable with “fuerte.” Used amongst friends mostly.
  • Ñaño = brother or sister or close friend. This is an interesting one as it isn’t used very frequently. It denotes friendly endearment and closeness. If you aren’t really close with someone (emotionally) then you wouldn’t use this word. Mostly used between siblings, but can also be used between very close friends.
  • Amigovios = friends with benefits. I won’t go too much into detail here.
  • Vacile = this is the same as amigovios really, but connotes more of a one night stand.
  • Campana = spy guard, dirty guard, informant. Many neighborhoods have some sort of security guarding the entrances, and if a guard accepts payment to reveal critical information about the people he guards, Ecuadorians refer to him as a “campana,” or “a bell.”
  • Chapa = policeman. This is the english equivelant of calling a policeman a ‘cop.’
  • Chapa acostada = speed bump. Literally translated, this would be ‘lying down cop,’ and refers to the idea that speed bumps enforce your speed, just like a normal cop.
  • Gua gua = baby. This is another word in Kichwa, the native language of Ecuador. Most Ecuadorians know this term and use it frequently.
  • Pelado / Peladito = kid, youth. Literally, ‘pelado’ means peeled or bald, but Ecuadorians use it as calling someone a kid.
  • Farriar = to party. Virtually identical as ‘fejestar,but this is used much more commonly.
  • Zuko =  blonde.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Crater towns and sun gods

Last weekend I explored this giant crater with my work companion and a friend who worked with us in the self-reliance program. It was killer!


We also checked out this museum/temple dedicated to Inca culture. It's  called Templo del Sol because the Inca are big believers in the sun god. Behold.




Because we're so close to the equator, gravity is a little different so you can balance an egg on the head of a nail. And I did it! Our guide was not impressed.


Here's the crater. Super pretty. Used to be a volcano, but now people live here. 






Summer movie marathon

Here's a list of all the movies I've seen here in Ecuador.

Netflix
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man
Hancock
Abduction
Kung Fu Panda
Captain America: The First Avenger
The Bourne Supremacy
10 Things I Hate About You
Warm Bodies
Super 8
Meet the Mormons
Te Presento a Laura
Iron Man 2
Superman Returns
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
One for the Money
The Bourne Legacy
The Bourne Ultimatum
God's Not Dead
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
What If
Remember Me
Robin Hood
TEDTalks: Life Lessons & Confessions
Inception
The Time Traveler's Wife
What Dreams May Come
Waiting for Forever
9
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Kung Fu Panda 2
Rango
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Real Steel
The Bourne Identity
Cowboys and Aliens
Traitor
Coach Carter
Beautiful Creatures
The Hunger Games
Awakenings
Dear John
Killers
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
The Illusionist
Moneyball
RoboCop
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Superman II
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Juno
Back to the Future
Batman
Limitless

X-Men: Days of Future Past
The Truman Show
Pacific Rim
Here come's the Boom
The Amazing Spiderman
The Green Hornet
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Traveling (Bus rides, etc.)
Ocean's 13
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
Grown Ups Two
The Ultimate Gift
Pablo Escobar: Paradise Lost
Kill the Messenger
Guardians of the Galaxy (twice)
School of Rock
Lovely Bones
Let's be cops
Ghost Rider

Internet
The Adventures of Power
Life in a Day
Batman: Under the Red Hood
Batman: Gotham Knight
Justice League: Doom
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis
Justice League: War
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Mighty Ducks II
John Q
I.Q.
The Avengers Age of Ultron
Superman
Man of Steel
Iron Man 3
All the cut scenes to Batman: Arkham Origins
All the cut scenes to Batman: Arkham Knight
Grouplove documentary
Modest Mouse documentary
Lorde Documentary
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
The Last Starfighter

Theater
Mundo Jurasico (Jurassic World)
Hombre Hormiga (Antman)

Total: 99 Movies. 


Lessons learned:
Ecuadorian netflix  >  American netflix
Batman with spanish subtitles replaces 'Bruce Wayne' with 'Bruno Diaz'
NEVER watch Dear John because that movie will mess you UP.


But Scott, why???
Even after exploring all over Ecuador, we had a lot of downtime on this internship. We worked evenings, basically. So we'd do homework, take a field trip to some cool part of the city or elsewhere, work, then watch Ecuadorian Netflix. Which, by the way, has a WAY broader selection than American Netflix. Plus, now I'm like, way cultured.

puedo ir al baño

As mentioned in my last post, I went to Baños de Agua Santa to visit Luis, a friend who was one of my companions during my mission in Guatemala. It was beyond legit!!! Here are some pics.

I woke up to this view. Dope fog rolling through the dope mountains. Man I'm jealous of Luis.



Here's the city. It's actually super tiny - it's hidden way up in the mountains next to a giant Volcano called Tungurahua. It's a MEGA tourist attraction and with good reason, too. There is SO much to do there. 




Then we hiked like a billion stairs (think kung-fu panda) to this lookout point. Pretty sick.




This guy is awesome. We had tons of crazy adventures in Guatemala and I'm super glad I got the chance to visit him. 



On the bus on my way back to Quito.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Goonies never say bye

(or die.)

Goodbyes are just the worst. Their the worst for two big fatty reasons:

1. Goodbyes are awkward. I think there's this expectation that the more you care about someone, the more you have to be dramatic whenever they go somewhere for a while. Any not-being sad is confused with not-caring. And this is especially misleading when I believe that

2. Goodbyes don't exist. They're not real. They're fake, phony, non-existent. Call me an optimist or whatever you like, but really, goodbyes don't exist. Humans invented them. Any goodbye you've ever said ever is just a "nos vemos" or a "see you later" or a "peace out, mister trout" and you will be seeing them sooner or later. 

take this weekend for example:

I went to this magical place called 'Baños de Agua Santa' and met up with a mission companion I had in Guatemala. Guatemala. Like, what?? What are the odds that my internship placed me a bus ride away from where one of my friends I met in Guatemala lives???



















Here's a picture of Luis and I at a sulfur lake near Volcano Tecuamburro, after one of our service projects in Guatemala around 3 years ago. 

Now...


















Now here's us yesterday, in Ecuador, near Volcano Tungurahua. 

Clear evidence that goodbyes are just a bunch of malarky. And, that apparently I love volcanoes. 
Still not convinced? Here's some more evidence:



















Here's Elder Knutson and Elder Baquerizo on one of my last p-days (preparation days) on my mission in Guatemala's capital about 2 years ago. He was my last mission companion. And...















BOOM. Ismael and I about a month ago at his house here in Quito. Ecuadorians are dope. 

Clearly, when we said goodbye in Guatemala, it was actually just a "see ya later." I had noooo idea I was ever going to Ecuador when I was in Guatemala, but here I am! And I got to see these awesome friends of mine!! Slayer. 

As part of my religion, I believe in something called the plan of salvation. It's the belief that God has created a plan for all of us, His children, the end goal being eternal happiness and progression with all those we love the most. It's insanely beautiful doctrine. There are no goodbyes in God's plan for us. When a loved one passes away, it's nothing but a really long (if not excruciating) "nos vemos." Seeing my friends again here in Ecuador made our goodbyes in Guatemala pointless. I think that's what it'll be like when we see our loved ones again in the next life: However painful it is now, we'll look back on our mortal-time apart as little blips in the grand scheme of things and the goodbyes we said as pointless. 

Scott

more on the plan of salvation here:
http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation 

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Think Lord of the Rings meets Emperors New Groove.

first thing's first: listen to my band's new song whilst looking at the rest of these pictures.

https://greyglass.bandcamp.com/track/lioness

thanks.


Bueno! This weekend my companion and I hiked Rucu Pichincha, a volcano close to Quito. It was a gorgeous hike. Like, holy moly! Think Lord of the Rings meets Emperors New Groove. 



 


Hiking this trail 6 mile trail up an insane-o steep mountain was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision, so we were incredibly ill-prepared. As in, starving and freezing our BUNS off near the peak. Hence, the warming my hands in my pits pics. 




Ending altitude was 4696 meters = 15,406.8 feet = 2.9 miles.




mystery hawk






Saturday, June 20, 2015

my band's first single

Feel free to stop whatever you're doing and listen to this song! You can listen to if for free, then download it for a buck.
Have a dope day!

https://greyglass.bandcamp.com/track/mark-twain