Out of sync
With the rhythm of my own reactions
With the things that last
And the things that come apart
Personal space in Ecuador is confounding, outrageous and downright touchy. Everybody is always rubbing up against one another, whether it be on the bus, in line at the bank, or in the street.
Families of 10 or 15 individuals will often sleep together in the same bedroom, 3 or 4 persons to a bed, so theyīre used to living with little personal space.
Unlike the U.S. and Northern Europe where strangers tend to maintain a good amount of space between them in public areas, Ecuadorians take every opportunity to "inadvertently" rub against, caress, bump into, and make general physical contact with one another anytime, anywhere. Iīm still not sure if this is sexual or just social, or maybe itīs both.
A comical example is seeing how people stand in line at banks and other public places. Rather then stand within a couple feet of one another, they will often crowd up against each other, literally shoving their bodies into the person in front of them, for fear that someone will try to cut in line perhaps.
Oh, and standing in line at stores? Forget about it! Every time I step into a store to make a purchase or if I go into a phone store to make a call, it doesnīt matter if I got there first. As soon as another customer walks in, they will immediately demand attention from the business owner, completely disregarding my presence. I have literally had to argue with customers who have come in after me, practically shouting at them that I was first and that they have to wait. Standing politely in line in this country is not part of the culture. Itīs all about shoving, pushing and getting to the front first.
Ecuadorians do not give personal space at the internet cafe. Everytime I sit down to write e-mails or surf the web, a group of people will gather around and watch what Iīm doing. A couple of times I have had to tell them that itīs rude to watch over my shoulder when Iīm writing e-mail.
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