It boils at about 90c in my apartment, and the vegetables never quite soften up. This is a consequence of living in one of the highest altitude cities in the world. Denver in the USA is know as the mile high city, but is pretty low altitude in comparison to Quito. The height above sea level here varies because the city sprawls across a valley. The Altitude is said to be about 9300 feet (2850 metres) in the central area, but go up to the suburbs on the valley sides and you will be closer to 10,000 feet up. If you were piloting a light aircraft at that height you would be required to use oxygen tanks for safety. You can go even higher. A main tourist attraction here is the Teleférico, a cable car ride up the side of Volcan Pichincha, to over 4,000 feet. Up there the air really is scarce. I felt sick and had to return to the city, but that was only a week after I arrived here, so I may not have fully acclimatised.
When you first arrive it can be a bit of a shock, your fitness drops considerably and a stroll to the shops can leave you feeling woozy and out of breath. You get used to it, somewhat. The body makes lots of changes to adapt, such as increasing your red blood cell count. For this reason, high altitude living is popular with some athletes, as it is thought that these physiological changes give a competitive advantage when competing back at low altitude. However, it is my impression that the body can’t fully adapt to the lack of air up here. I’ve started some fairly intensive batto-jutsu (Japanese sword training) classes. Although I expect to feel tired afterwards, the fatigue is much longer than anything I’ve experienced at ground level.
At least I'll be fit when I return to the UK at Christmas, thanks to all those extra blood cells.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Busy
This teaching lark is really easy to get stuck with. I have 26 hours of teaching this week, with preparation and travel, this is more than UK full time work. I don't need to work so much, but I keep getting asked to teach, and it pays quite well. In addition, my six month visa is more than half way through, so I need to find somebody to help with that, the more I work the more likely that is.
Hopefully things will settle down and I'll be able to get back to doing things I want to do. There'll be a better blog post soon.
Hopefully things will settle down and I'll be able to get back to doing things I want to do. There'll be a better blog post soon.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Crime in Quito
The whole business with the coup seems to have blown over pretty quickly, though there is technically still a state of emergency and apparently there are tanks driving around the city. President Correa held firm, until the day after the coup and then made some concessions to the revolting coppers. I now know that the ‘fireworks’ I heard last week were not people celebrating the end of the coup, it was actually the gunfire between the army and the police. A police officer on the side of the state was shot and killed by one of the revolting ones. Loco. One of my students went to work the next day and found a bullet in the wall of their office. The police had little respect here before and virtually none now.
Perhaps this is one reason that there is such a crime problem here in Quito. You can’t really walk around outdoors after dark, and being on the equator, the sun sets at about 6:30pm every day, all year round. If you do venture out there is a very real chance you will held-up at gun point. Some areas are safer, but only relatively so. My apartment block, like most here has 24-hour armed guards. So you are safe while you are home, but you need to take taxis for most journeys, if you can afford it. However, much of the crime here doesn’t involve any actual violence. The murder and serious assault rate is apparently only about one third of that in large cities in the USA. But the petty crime rate is astronomical.
Since the last blog I have started a new job and consequently become of those victims of petty crime here in Quito. Out of the blue I received a call on my mobile on Tuesday AM, asking me to an interview at a university. I had dropped a CV into the reception a few weeks ago, but had heard nothing up until now. They interviewed me Tuesday afternoon and I started on Wednesday, teaching an intensive English course. The university is considered the best in Ecuador by many; certainly it is the most research active. However, it is located outside the city and so I would have to take the Ecovia, the rapid public transit system.
The Ecovia is well known for petty crime, pickpocketing mainly, as it is so crowded. I’ve taken it before and had to keep moving to avoid pickpockets, sometimes other passengers notice them and warn you, sometimes you notice them yourself as they stand just too close to you, and sometimes they get lucky and nobody notices them. On a crowded bus it is impossible to fully protect yourself from pickpockets. There are so many hands and so many people brushing against you, every second of the journey. Any one of them could be your money leaving you.
Knowing how common pickpocketing was and how difficult it is to detect, I took as many precautions as possible when going to work at the university. I kept nothing in my pockets and my work bag was securely around my neck and at my front where I could see it. Still I was targeted as soon as I got on the Ecovia. She stood too close and when I moved she was standing next to me again. She wore business clothes but her left hand was covered in scares, this wasn’t right. I moved again and still somehow she is pressed against me. I kept checking my bag, my pockets; I couldn’t fathom what she was up to. Then the bus stops and she rushes off, followed by the tough guy accomplice, who I hadn’t noticed was with her until now.
With the door open I had room to check myself properly. There was a large gash in one side of my work bag, she had cut it with a scalpel. They had given up and left before taking anything, but in that confusing minute my bag had been badly damaged. Further inspection revealed another small cut in the opposite side of the bag. Presumably her first attempt before I tried to move away from her. At least it was just bag damage, of the six people from my training course who stayed in Ecuador, two have been robbed at gun-point so far.
So what else can I do? I had the bag in my sight and was watching her and still she cut it, twice. Even if I had noticed exactly what she was doing and challenged her, she was six inches away from me and had a scalpel in her hand. This week I’ve obtained two things, the university teaching job I came to find and the realisation that living in Quito is going to be more challenging than I anticipated.
Que será.
Perhaps this is one reason that there is such a crime problem here in Quito. You can’t really walk around outdoors after dark, and being on the equator, the sun sets at about 6:30pm every day, all year round. If you do venture out there is a very real chance you will held-up at gun point. Some areas are safer, but only relatively so. My apartment block, like most here has 24-hour armed guards. So you are safe while you are home, but you need to take taxis for most journeys, if you can afford it. However, much of the crime here doesn’t involve any actual violence. The murder and serious assault rate is apparently only about one third of that in large cities in the USA. But the petty crime rate is astronomical.
Since the last blog I have started a new job and consequently become of those victims of petty crime here in Quito. Out of the blue I received a call on my mobile on Tuesday AM, asking me to an interview at a university. I had dropped a CV into the reception a few weeks ago, but had heard nothing up until now. They interviewed me Tuesday afternoon and I started on Wednesday, teaching an intensive English course. The university is considered the best in Ecuador by many; certainly it is the most research active. However, it is located outside the city and so I would have to take the Ecovia, the rapid public transit system.
The Ecovia is well known for petty crime, pickpocketing mainly, as it is so crowded. I’ve taken it before and had to keep moving to avoid pickpockets, sometimes other passengers notice them and warn you, sometimes you notice them yourself as they stand just too close to you, and sometimes they get lucky and nobody notices them. On a crowded bus it is impossible to fully protect yourself from pickpockets. There are so many hands and so many people brushing against you, every second of the journey. Any one of them could be your money leaving you.
Knowing how common pickpocketing was and how difficult it is to detect, I took as many precautions as possible when going to work at the university. I kept nothing in my pockets and my work bag was securely around my neck and at my front where I could see it. Still I was targeted as soon as I got on the Ecovia. She stood too close and when I moved she was standing next to me again. She wore business clothes but her left hand was covered in scares, this wasn’t right. I moved again and still somehow she is pressed against me. I kept checking my bag, my pockets; I couldn’t fathom what she was up to. Then the bus stops and she rushes off, followed by the tough guy accomplice, who I hadn’t noticed was with her until now.
With the door open I had room to check myself properly. There was a large gash in one side of my work bag, she had cut it with a scalpel. They had given up and left before taking anything, but in that confusing minute my bag had been badly damaged. Further inspection revealed another small cut in the opposite side of the bag. Presumably her first attempt before I tried to move away from her. At least it was just bag damage, of the six people from my training course who stayed in Ecuador, two have been robbed at gun-point so far.
So what else can I do? I had the bag in my sight and was watching her and still she cut it, twice. Even if I had noticed exactly what she was doing and challenged her, she was six inches away from me and had a scalpel in her hand. This week I’ve obtained two things, the university teaching job I came to find and the realisation that living in Quito is going to be more challenging than I anticipated.
Que será.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Ooh, a coup
Something political happened today in Ecuador, but it isn’t clear quite what. The army has taken control of Quito airport which is in the middle of the city. But whether that is part of a coup, or to protect infrastructure for the government isn’t obvious. The head of the army has apparently sworn his allegiance to President Correa. But the police force is rebelling. My work was cancelled today due to the potential danger of travelling in the city, but otherwise where I am based, nothing seems any different, and that is only maybe four miles from Quito airport. There were rumours that the supermarket next door to my flat was being looted, but when I went to investigate, it was still open and trading cat food to old women as usual.
The issue seems to be mainly with the police force which is protesting against austerity cuts. At a demonstration the president challenged the rebels to try and kill him ´si me quieren matar, mátenme´. They didn’t kill him, but he did have tear gas fired at him by his own police officers. One Ecuadorian friend said that it is about the police loosing things like their free turkey at Christmas, presumably there is more to it than that. The main problem seems to be now that with the police force rebelling, the country is unprotected from crime. It is dangerous after dark as it is, a friend was held up with a gun thrust in his chest two days ago. It seems that if you walk around the streets after dark a weapon will be pulled against you. It is just getting dark now, so the night might bring some chaos. The police aren’t going to get much sympathy from the public. They are widely considered to be corrupt and self serving.
The politics here are similar to the rest of the southern continent, so people aren’t particularly surprised by a possible coup being underway. Ecuador is part of the ´marea rosa latinoamericana´, the pink tide of Latin American countries shifting to leftish politics. Indeed, several of Correa´s equivalents have seen similar coups in recent years. President Chavez in Venezuela held on to power after his, President Zelaya in Honduras was dumped out of the country still in his pyjamas.
The issue seems to be mainly with the police force which is protesting against austerity cuts. At a demonstration the president challenged the rebels to try and kill him ´si me quieren matar, mátenme´. They didn’t kill him, but he did have tear gas fired at him by his own police officers. One Ecuadorian friend said that it is about the police loosing things like their free turkey at Christmas, presumably there is more to it than that. The main problem seems to be now that with the police force rebelling, the country is unprotected from crime. It is dangerous after dark as it is, a friend was held up with a gun thrust in his chest two days ago. It seems that if you walk around the streets after dark a weapon will be pulled against you. It is just getting dark now, so the night might bring some chaos. The police aren’t going to get much sympathy from the public. They are widely considered to be corrupt and self serving.
The politics here are similar to the rest of the southern continent, so people aren’t particularly surprised by a possible coup being underway. Ecuador is part of the ´marea rosa latinoamericana´, the pink tide of Latin American countries shifting to leftish politics. Indeed, several of Correa´s equivalents have seen similar coups in recent years. President Chavez in Venezuela held on to power after his, President Zelaya in Honduras was dumped out of the country still in his pyjamas.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Baños
Baños is a small town about three hours by bus from Quito. Its name comes from its thermal baths, which are heated by Tungurahua, the volcano that the town sits on. Eruption is a real threat, and visitors are advised to briefly study the evacuation procedure upon arrival. There are also street signs pointing out the evacuation route. Despite the risk, the town attracts a lot of national and international tourists. We stayed over here at the weekend as a break from Quito, and found it a lovely place to visit. It is a real change from the hustle and constant but vague threat of robbery in the capital. We stayed in the very recommendable Hostal Transilvania.
The town draws people for two main reasons 1) the open air hot baths and 2) it is a stop off on route to the Amazon jungle. But there are also other quirks of interest here, such as stunning scenery with lots or waterfalls and their very own dangerous sport: puenting, some odd cross between a zip wire and bungee jumping. In the town, there is sugar cane on sale everywhere and also the melcocha, a nougat like substance made from the cane.
However, for me the most interesting part is the town museum, located in the cloisters of the Basilica. This is possibly the most unintentionally bizarre display of artefacts in the world, due in large part to its taxidermy collection.
The town draws people for two main reasons 1) the open air hot baths and 2) it is a stop off on route to the Amazon jungle. But there are also other quirks of interest here, such as stunning scenery with lots or waterfalls and their very own dangerous sport: puenting, some odd cross between a zip wire and bungee jumping. In the town, there is sugar cane on sale everywhere and also the melcocha, a nougat like substance made from the cane.
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| Cuy (guinea pig) on sale in the market |
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| Melcocha (sugar candy) makers at work |
However, for me the most interesting part is the town museum, located in the cloisters of the Basilica. This is possibly the most unintentionally bizarre display of artefacts in the world, due in large part to its taxidermy collection.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
First job
And so it just sort of happened, without knowing how, I had got a job. That seems to be how things work here. There isn't much of an application and interview system, just right time and place. Helen had agreed to do some teaching at a language school specialising in British English. They asked her if I would do a couple of hours next week, I could pop in to get the details on Monday. I turned up at 2:30 and was given my coming week’s schedule, my first class starting at 7:30. I only have about 10 hours per week of teaching time, but it’s enough to wreak havoc with my leisure time.
A language institute isn’t quite what I was after. But most of the work is in the evenings, so I can still look for some university based work. This also beefs up my teaching CV a bit, so is probably increasing my chance of finding an additional university job. I’ve heard that there is a desperate shortage of English teachers in China, 30,000 unfilled teaching posts at any one time. However, the market seems to be pretty buoyant in South America too, at least in Ecuador. Most, if not all of the CELTA trainees who stayed in Ecuador are now in teaching positions. The course only finished 11 days ago.
A language institute isn’t quite what I was after. But most of the work is in the evenings, so I can still look for some university based work. This also beefs up my teaching CV a bit, so is probably increasing my chance of finding an additional university job. I’ve heard that there is a desperate shortage of English teachers in China, 30,000 unfilled teaching posts at any one time. However, the market seems to be pretty buoyant in South America too, at least in Ecuador. Most, if not all of the CELTA trainees who stayed in Ecuador are now in teaching positions. The course only finished 11 days ago.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Quito
Quito has a fantastic climate. Located only 15 miles south of the Equator it has a lot of sunshine, but being high in the mountains, at aver 9,000 feet above sea level, it doesn’t get too hot and has a permanently spring like feel. We have been here for about six days, mainly looking for jobs. The plan was to move onto Cuenca or Loja next and distribute our CVs there. However, although we haven’t found work yet, there have been some positive signs. So at the moment, it is looking like Quito will end up being where we settle. One possibility for me is the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito. This is the top research university in the country, and is located in Cumbayá, a town just outside of Quito. Being at a lower altitude it gets somewhat warmer than Quito and has less rain. Although they have no English teaching vacancies at the moment, I may be able to teach a psychology course for them in the spring. This is dependent on enough students signing up to take a psychology course taught in English, and me obtaining a full work visa before then (my current 12-ix visa has only 4 months left on it).
In the meantime I need to continue looking for English teaching work, the procedure is quite simple, you just arrive somewhere and ask if they need teachers and leave a CV. It seemed ridiculous when I first heard this, but that really is how they do things here. As I've had no call backs from my initial trip out around the campuses, I probably need to try a few more. Though I'm getting out of the city for the weekend, to Baños.
In the meantime I need to continue looking for English teaching work, the procedure is quite simple, you just arrive somewhere and ask if they need teachers and leave a CV. It seemed ridiculous when I first heard this, but that really is how they do things here. As I've had no call backs from my initial trip out around the campuses, I probably need to try a few more. Though I'm getting out of the city for the weekend, to Baños.
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| View over Quito from Volcan Pichincha |
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About Me
- Graham
- I am a British academic who teaches and researches internationally. I have a PhD in Psychology from University College London and I'm an honorary research fellow of the University of Sheffield. During 2012-2013 I taught Psychology and conducted research at Chuo University in Tokyo. However, I am now based in Quito, Ecuador, where I am a professor of psychology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito.