GRIP, Internships Abroad First Time Foreigner

Manna Project International, Ecuador

In my first couple of weeks in Ecuador, I’ve experienced a lot of firsts and surprises. The country is beautiful and its rolling hills and unpredictable weather make it an exciting country to explore. I’ve been able to explore the markets and try fruits I’ve never encountered before as well as a new cuisine I never would have encountered otherwise. With a new country also comes new challenges. I’ve been taking Spanish for a couple of years at Penn but I was and am far from prepared to traverse this new country with the skills that I have. I’ve traveled to other countries where I have been unable to communicate before, but it is a totally different experience when you are living in a non-touristic city for 10 weeks. Many of the interns that I work with are native Spanish speakers or have been learning Spanish for many years. Thus, I tend to rely on them a lot and have difficulty trying to speak on my own. However, through Manna Project International, the NGO I work with, I am taking Spanish classes and working to improve my language skills. The teacher I work with has been great and taught us very practical words and phrases that we can use every day from transportation to important landmarks around the city. Furthermore, I hope that through being immersed in the culture and language of the country it will force me to practice my skills and reinforce the things I have learned.

I knew that language barriers would be a challenge that I would face but there have been other challenges that I did not realize I would face. These include community living with 12 other people and navigating scheduling, but by far, the most challenging was being so present as a foreigner. As an Asian American in Ecuador, I tend to get a lot of stares and comments based on my appearance. Most of them are harmless but it still brings a sense of discomfort to stick out so much from everyone else. Many people have asked me and other Asian interns if we were part of BTS and have even asked for pictures. I’ve never been regarded as such a spectacle. It has only added to the difficulty of being unable to speak Spanish and feeling like a foreigner. Wherever I go, I attract stares and it makes me apprehensive when I hear “Chino” or “Chinito” whispered or spoken around me. My whole life I’ve lived in diverse communities and have been fortunate enough to not feel estranged from those around me. But my time here has made me more aware of my culture and how I appear to other people. Most of my work is with younger kids and older adults though and it is interesting that they do not notice as much, so it can be a nice break from the attention. However, I try to take all experiences as ones of learning and am trying to understand the difference in culture and how it can help me grow. I still have 8 more weeks here and I am excited to see how my time here will not only develop my language skills but also my ability to handle new situations and adapt.