My name is Jula, and I’m 20 years old. I’m currently doing volunteer work in Ambato, Ecuador, at a place called Santa Marianita, which is an orphanage where I am supporting the tutors with their work. Before coming to Ecuador, I had hoped to make contacts with Ecuadorians outside of my work and host family, but I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect and how I could meet new people.
During our orientation seminar, our mentors shared an interesting comparison about friendships with us. They told us that Germans are like watermelons, tough to crack at first, but once you’re in, it’s easy to maintain the friendship. On the other hand, Ecuadorians are like peaches, easy to approach and get to know initially, but becoming close friends with them takes more effort. I have found this comparison to be quite accurate. Ecuadorians are incredibly open and friendly, often approaching people directly and showing interest in getting to know each other. And let’s be honest, they are especially interested in getting to know foreigners. That’s why it has been really easy for me and other volunteers who live in Ambato to meet new people. We have connected with a lot of people in places like clubs, bars, or through shared hobbies like salsa. I feel like making contacts here is way easier than I know it from my home country. People in Germany are more closed off in the beginning when they are meeting new people. However, I’ve noticed that while it’s simple to make initial connections in Ecuador, maintaining those friendships requires more effort. I have experienced that they are really open to meet up with you at first but most likely you won’t end up meeting each other. Before that, you will probably get ghosted or if you really do meet up it may stay at one meeting. But that’s just my experience. In general, it really depends on the individual. Not everyone is like this, and it also depends on what you do in different situations.
Additionally, navigating friendships can sometimes be challenging due to language barriers and cultural differences, especially in the beginning. That’s also why I think I couldn’t keep in touch with a few people I met.
Another thing that was very new for me is the value of friendships in Ecuador and what friends are doing together when they meet up. What I know from Germany is it is totally common to meet up with your friends almost every day just to hang out. Here, I feel like they see each other just in school or university. If they come together, it is mostly for drinking. And if they are not drinking, they are possibly driving around in their cars listening to music and talking.
But despite all of those new things and differences, I’ve built up a small but lovely circle of friends here in Ambato. For me this made my experience here in Ecuador even more special. I have gained a deeper insight than I could have gotten from just spending time with my host family. In general, it’s also just nice to build up a little life here and get to know new people. It also helped me to improve my Spanish a little;
I’m very happy about the people I’ve met and I’m sure that if you’re open to it, it’s super easy to meet new people in Ecuador!