Emily Rusca
I'm a Cal student pretending to be a UMN Golden Gopher for the 08-09 academic year here in Ecuador. Last semester I spent 6 weeks "interning" as an English & PE teacher at a rural intercultural bilingual school (Kichwa/Spanish). That actually meant that I sometimes taught English and PE and spent most of my time helping cook the Education Ministry-provided lunch and teaching one set of grades for the entire day because another teacher couldn't make it. I was also living in an indigenous community on the side of Volcán Imbabura. This semester I'm working in the Consejo Nacional de las Mujeres (the government organ responsible for making sure that all laws and programs are equitable for women and promote women's empowerment) in International Relations. In the meantime, I try and travel as much as possible, because though Ecuador's tiny, it's got a LOT to offer.
Hometown: San Francisco Bay Area
School: University of California at Berkeley
Abroad Program: Minnesota Studies in International Development
Where I've Lived Abroad: Quito, Ecuador - Comunidad de San Clemente (Imbabura), Ecuador
Chulla Vida (Life at 0º Latitude)
Crank that salchipapa--Globalization gone terribly wrong.
19 Mar 2009
A few weeks ago I was in Chordeleg, a super small town outside of Cuenca, with a friend. We aren't ... read more
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Insider Tips
Ecuador
End that stomach pain without going to the doctor
When your intestines feel like they're going to explode because they're filled up with gas or you have nothing left inside of you after a long night of ... read more
17 Feb 2009
Ecuador
Quito weather: Don't trust the sky and always have an umbrella
I've been in Quito for four and a half of my six months here in Ecuador, and as an San Francisco-Bay Area native, I've been better prepared for ... read more
18 Feb 2009
Ecuador
"Gringo" isn't all that bad
The term "gringo," though invented as a derogatory term, doesn't always mean that an Ecuadorian hates you. Many host families are proud of their "gringitos" and use it actually ... read more
18 Feb 2009
Ecuador
Everything's an -ito (and not because it's small)
In Ecuador, almost everything anyone says ends up with the diminutive -ito or -ita at the end: cafecito, pancito, momentito, etc. When someone says, "aquicito nomás," that doesn't necessarily ... read more
18 Feb 2009
Ecuador
Churros are NOT dessert in Ecuador
I came home from my internship one day while living in a rural indigenous community on the side of Volcán Imbabura. My host mom told me she wanted me to ... read more
18 Feb 2009
Ecuador
Quesadillas: NOT the same as in Mexican restaurants
Quesadillas in Ecuador are not tortillas stuffed with cheese (and veggies and beans... yum). They're actually essentially a pastry, but they still do have a bit of cheese in ... read more
