Ten things I miss about Europe

As a follow-up of the list of ten things I enjoy about Ecuador, I wanted to write the counterbalancing post about the things I miss about Europe. I've moved so many times by now that, even though I still consider Lier as my hometown, I both miss Belgium and The Netherlands at times.

Here's an overview of (not so) random elements that I miss about the low lands:

1. My friends and family
The most obvious choice in this list - even though I have a lovely family in law here in Ecuador, I miss my family and my friends a lot. There is Skype, but with 7 hours of difference, it is often difficult to find a time to talk.

2. Buckwheat
I've been searching high and low for buckwheat flour - to no avail. I took some bags from the US when I traveled for TRB, and that has been satisfying my need for buckwheat crepes so far.

3. Decent eye care
As much as I appreciate the local health care, I think the eye care is awful. I have been visiting every possible optician around here to get the eye contacts that I need, but no one seems to be able to help me. They promise to call back but don't, or they give me the most stupid answer: "Oh, we just change your correction down so that you can use these contacts that we sell.". Well, uhm, maybe then I don't see anything?

4. A culture of playing music
I'm missing the culture of choirs and orchestras of Europe, and I haven't really found many musicians to work with. I'm limited with most of my instruments still in Europe, but I thought I would at least find a choir or something to keep me entertained.

5. Sauna
Saunas are by far not as popular here as in Europe. The gym where I go has a steambath, and I seem to be the only person using it every once in a while.

6. Established academic practices
While I enjoy the opportunity to develop new things here, it is sometimes frustrating that there are no rules and guidelines in academia at all. It all just seems to depend on the mood and available time of other people. Academia consists mostly of university-level teaching here, and research seems to be very undervalued. Many professors are full-time professor, but at the same time running their own consultancy firms (leaving no time for research).

7. Cat supplies
Anything imported can be hard to find here because of the importation limits from the government. Since fruit and veggies are abundant here, it does not affect me very much - but it does affect Mr. Pasha, who refuses to eat Ecuadorian cat food, and for whom we always need to be on the look-out for imported cat food that won't make him sick. Cat candy does not exist, and cat litter that makes good clumps is hard to find as well.

8. Environmental consciousness
Finding thrash cans that are aimed at recycling waste are not always available. Every single thing (even the copies from copy center) goes into a plastic bag. You are a better person if you have a gas-guzzling SUV or jeep. There's still a lot of work to be done in those terms here.

9. Cultural diversity
Europe's larger cities are melting pots of different cultures. Quito has more and more expats, but 98% of society is deeply rooted in the local culture. Being different (as in: having different political opinions, eating differently such as eating plant-based, not being a roman catholic) is frowned upon.

10. Festivals
Nothings beats Europe's festivals. That relaxed atmosphere of brotherhood through music is one of the things I will indulge in once I am back "home".

Ten things I enjoy about Ecuador

As I've now been working and living in Ecuador for 8 months, and have not been writing that much about Ecuador itself, I thought it was time to correct that by making an overview of 10 things I enjoy about Ecuador.

Here's the list:

1. I found a job in the same institution as my husband
Main attraction of the country: being able to find jobs in the same country, same city and even same institution. So far so good, and the two-body problem is solved!

2. Hiking
In terms of the great outdoors, Ecuador is a perfect destination. I haven't even visited the coast, the jungle, the Galapagos or anything more than 3 hours of driving away from Quito, but I've been greatly enjoying the many options for hiking and exploring around the city.

3. All the fruits
Fruit here is extraordinary, and I did write about all the fruits earlier. I keep seeing fruits that I haven't tried yet. Bananas are dirt cheap. Raspberries, my all-time favorite food, are at 2,30 USD for a package.

4. Finding an exercise schedule that works
I joined a local gym (way overdue), and I'm settling in with a schedule of working and working out that leaves me happy and energized. It was awfully expensive (like, 3 times more expensive than a fancy gym in Europe!), but worth the investment.

5. Hanging out in Quito's historical center
Quito has the world's largest historical center (not always equally well-preserved, but there is progress and you see how the center is getting revived these days). I enjoy walking around, buying eastern spices from a small vegetarian store, and seeing the activities.

6. The mild weather
I barely ever need a jacket (only when it rains), and especially the months September through January were sunny and generally very pleasant. The last 2 months have brought more rain, but it doesn't get cold at all. Unfortunately, our house gets really humid, but that seems to be the result of poor construction more than anything else.

7. Good healthcare
I've been sick and hospitalized already here, but the healthcare seems to be quite decent. Since I, as a foreigner, am susceptible to stomach bugs, I'm glad that so far I've been getting good treatment that got me back on my feet after a couple of days every time I caught something.

8. Opportunities for developing big projects
I'm freshly graduated from my PhD and I get the chance to build up a structural concrete lab. In Europe and North America, the labs exist (or are being phased out bit by bit), but since Ecuador is experiencing an economic boom, there are excellent opportunities to get involved in projects like the development of a lab.

9. Friendly people
Generally, Ecuadorian people are open (and certainly more open than Belgians), so it's easy to feel welcome as a foreigner. I'm still struggling with the language, so that has been holding me back, but I slowly start to build up some social life here.

10. Being able to have the same standard of living as in Europe
There's only a limited number of things that I can't find or buy here, and, however annoying, I haven't felt too limited by living here. Generally, I can live a life that is at the same standard as in Europe, although at a higher cost (which is something I did not expect).

Silver Linings: the Fruits of Ecuador

One way in which I am enjoying life in Ecuador, is by trying out all the exotic and rare fruits this country has to offer. Generally, there are the exotic fruits from the coast, that grow in the hot and humid climate of Ecuador's coast, and then there are the fruits from the highlands, which are very difficult to find in Europe, because of the unique combination of altitude and year-round mild climate that is so typical for the Andean highlands.

Tropical fruits

I only have this one to share (and it's not a rare fruit at all):



When I ordered coconut water, I didn't expect them to come and drop a coconut with a straw on my table...

And then I discovered that passion fruit is yellow here instead of black (still tastes equally delicious):



Fruits from the highlands

By no means this list is complete, but so far I've tried the following oddities:



Ovos - they are something like a sweet olive. Weird, to say the least.



The chirimoya or custard apple - maybe we had one that was overly ripe, but this thing was revoltingly sweet.



The "pepino dulce" or melon pear tastes like a mixture of melon and cucumber. Odd, and not something I'd recommend.



The "guanabana" or soursop is a delcious fruit that is used for smoothies. It takes quite some time and effort to clean the fruit which contains big seeds, but the flavor of this fruit is amazing.



The "naranjilla" or lulo is family of the tomato (nightshade family), looks like a little orange and tastes like a slightly bitter mashup version of rhubarb and lime. Might sound odd, tastes pretty refreshingly.



"Tuna" is the local prickly pear - and it tastes just a little less sweet than figs.



Tha "babaco" is a large fruit, that is rather sour, and works very well in smoothies.



The "salak" has snake skin, looks like garlic with a pit on the inside, and tastes in between green apples and chestnut.

That's all the oddities I've been sampling so far - and I'll post more when I come across them! Check out my #weridfruitsfromEcuador series on Instagram as well :)