One of our training classes is called
Language and Culture. We assigned ourselves to different levels for the first
week (I assigned myself to beginner) and then had an interview with the
training managers to determine our actual level. I tested intermediate medium,
which is much better than I thought, but I need to be at intermediate high by
the end of training, so I still have work to do. The hardest part is that I
understand when others talk, I just cannot recall words in Spanish when trying
to explain something. But lucky for me, that’s what Language and Culture class
is for.
So our lesson this week was how to
bargain and buy things at the market. Each language level group split up and
went to a different market. We went to a free trade market just north of Quito
called Mercado Ofelia. It’s cheaper because everything is wholesale and direct
from the distributor/grower. We saw all the different fruits that are only in
Ecuador and we saw lots and lots of animal parts. There was one area with all
the meat that was indoors that smelled so strong, I almost lost my almuerzo.
There is also a large area with live animals to buy, including guinea pigs,
bunnies, and thousands of chickens. A guinea pig is about $8 and a chicken
about $12. The only thing I bought was some blackberries which my host mom used
for juice the next morning- it was soooo good. There is an Ecuadorian price and
a foreigner price for everything. For me, the “mora” (blackberries) cost $1 for
a pound, for my facilitator, they were $0.90. So I got them for $0.90 with his
help. I’m terrible at bargaining in English, much worse in Spanish. I’ll
probably just pay the gringa price when I’m on my own.
Awesome lesson. Good day. I’ll
definitely be shopping at the markets when I’m out on my own rather than the
stores (SuperMaxi and MegaMaxi) which are in the center of each city and much
more expensive, with less culture.
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