Feb 20: Ecuador experience

One thing my Spanish teacher told me is that in this culture,  God is #1, family is #2, and then everything else.

On God as #1, I experienced this on my brief exploration into a Taoist group in Cuenca. Taoism is not a widely practiced eastern philosophy, at least where I am from. When I discovered from visiting a Chinese restaurant here that there was a Taoist group,  I fervently pursued it. They were reluctant at first to let the Gringo in. Finally they relented but if I took initiation 'classes.' So my first class (and last class) was a one on one with a fellow who wanted to educate me (bad sign) on the ways of the world and Tao. He used the $1 bill as an illustration, which is legal tender here. He was using dualistic language to describe a non dual philosophy. On the back of $1, he says there shows out of darkness comes light. That in order to do this, there is only one way "in God we trust." This was the first time for me to here mention of God, especially as an integral part of an eastern philosophy. Then he proceeded to layer in the Book of Revelations! I told him philosophicaly speaking,  I was agnostic. I kindly thanked him for his time and sharing how spirituality lives in him.

On family as #2, I experienced that first hand at the hostal I have been staying.  One of the big selling points of the hostal is that it's quiet or 'tranquilo.' Every time a new guest is given a tour to see the rooms, I hear 'tranquilo' this and 'tranquilo' that. Occasionally,  when a group of us might be up past 10pm talking out in the common space, Louis the owner will suggest we quiet down etc as it is sleeping time or 'muy tranquilo' time. That said,  family is #2. Whenever one of the owner's daughters wants to have a party (about once a month), they  have the party right in the middle of the 'tranquilo' hostal. When latins party, it is big time!  Live music, singing, fighting,  drinking...and all until 6am...all right outside paper thin walls of the rooms.  Most guests politely don't say much. The people who complain are the Americans. I complained the other day and the mother Dolores said "oh, those young people! Don't they just go wild sometimes?". It is like forget about the rest of the world (even your business), and have the party if the daughter wants it. I have to say though that I have been a grateful recipient of this Latin phenomena. My grandmother would spoil me rotten to the dismay of my mom. My mom would say that in my grandmother's eyes "Matt can do no wrong." Even when my grandmother discovered a photo of me smoking pot (which she was vehemently against), not a word was mentioned.