Ten Cups of Tang

10/5/11

            For my media project in Ecuador, I have teamed up with Andrew and Alison. We have decided to explore gender roles in the Tsachilla community. Today we began our interviews.  Besides the language barrier, I would say the hardest part of the interview process, was the Tang. Everyone we interviewed insisted on making us Tang. I used to love Tang, but I’m not sure I do anymore. It was very hospitable of them, but I’ve used the bathroom four times tonight.

            Carolina was the first one we interviewed. We filmed her while she was washing clothes in the river (she had made us Tang when we arrived home and were preparing our questions.) It was difficult, because she is very shy and her Spanish is limited. We’ll have to interview Victor later, as there are never any men around in the afternoon.

            Next we went to Haley and Michele’s house to interview their host mother (Elena) and her ten-year-daughter Viviana. Elena is a very eloquent woman, and her interview went splendidly. When we told her we were researching the community of Los Naranjos, she even offered to change into her traditional Tsatchilla skirt for the  (video) interview.  Elena has six siblings, but does not want more children than the two daughters she has now.  She is set on their completing  not only high school (she only had six years of schooling,) but university as well.  I must add that currently Los Naranjos doesn’t have a high school, and it’s been a couple years since anyone from the community has attended a high school. Elena even sends Viviana to a school outside of Los Naranjos every day, because at the Tsatchilla school none of the teachers have college educations. It was truly a heart-warming interview.  It’s so wonderful to see such an empowered woman, in a community that our culture would consider to have very old-fashioned values.

            Elena’s determination that Viviana and Nicole (her youngest daughter) attend college intrigued me. No one in Los Naranjos is college educated.  Everyone seems so happy and content here. None of the many college educated adults I know appear  any more satisfied with life than the people I’ve met here. I know that I need a college education, because it’s what I need to be happy. I know it’s what I need to be happy, because of the material comforts and conversation levels I grew accustomed to during childhood. But if Viviana never grew up with a flushing toilet, why does she need one to be happy? If she never discussed literature with her parents, why does she need to to be happy? Perhaps I have misgauged the level of happiness here, or perhaps her mother feels that modern day society will not leave Los Naranjos blissfully isolated for much longer.  In my culture a college education seems to be necessary, but I can’t help but wonder if it truly is here.  Are they worse off because they are poorer? Or are they just living differently?

On a lighter note: if I’ve learned one thing about people in general today, it’s that all women, no matter where they’re from or what language they speak, giggle when you ask them where they met their husband.

You know what? I still freakin love Tang!

Love,

Katherine