Advertising

When I’m traveling, there are several things I look for to get the pulse of the popular culture in a country. Among a few, for example, are the kind of street food that’s most popular, what’s stocked at the supermarkets, and the kind of advertising that is targeted at the general population.

Looking through images I had downloaded I found two examples of online advertising that had caught my attention because they are clues to what advertisers think will capture an Ecuadorean’s attention and imagination and get them to pull out their wallets.

I found both when checking my email account so these are targeted broadly, at people who use computers and have an email account. In terms of graphics they are nicely designed and wouldn’t stand out if I didn’t speak Spanish because it’s not the images but the text that startled me. In the one below, you can get a vague idea of its message by looking at it but I gasped when I read the copy, “Only a few men really know how to call out to women…be the envy of your (male) friends with the best catcalls”. Notice, in particular, the construction workers at the bottom of the ad.

Now, men who're reading this post may not quite get what’s so remarkable about this ad but if you’re a woman this ad is probably making you cringe. I’ve often wondered what on earth kind of reaction men who make rude comments at women on the street expect to get. Apparently, they just need to learn better ones to get the loving response of their dreams!

That kind of behavior does exist in Ecuador but it’s nothing compared to the constant stream you find in certain places--the streets of NYC, for example. I was actually surprised to see this ad aimed at Ecuadorean men, unless the demographic is teens who are driven by their out of control hormones! Going by this ad, machismo is alive and well and living in Ecuador. Right before I left I noticed an advertising campaign against machismo whose slogan is “Machismo is violence” so there’s certainly an awareness of the issue.

The appeal of the one above is more easily understood as the desire for money is fairly universal but I was still somewhat taken aback. The copy here reads: “ I invested only $200 and in 3 weeks it turned into $12,000. Today, after a few months I’ve made over $17,500.” The brilliance of this ad is that $200 is just about the right amount to tempt someone in Ecuador into investing. Large enough that it has value but small enough that once lost it won’t immediately persuade the investor to stop. I can only hope that no one is actually falling for these absurd claims. Turn $200 into $12,000 in 3 weeks. Yeah, right.

Pondering

Here are a few more examples of the beautiful architecture in Cuenca.

I’ve noticed in some of the blogs I read, about moving to Ecuador, that the packing stage carries some emotional weight, which I’m not experiencing yet. It may be that I’ve always found it hard to imbue objects with sentimental value or that my memories are so firmly entrenched within my mind that I know how easy they are to revisit. I do know that I will miss the serenity I feel whenever I sit by the lake and experience its stillness. But I know I will carry those moments with me wherever I go.

I guess places, people, and things are tied to experiences and to the feelings that accompanied those experiences. It is very fortunate that, in remembering, every part of that experience comes back to life to be enjoyed again. I look forward to making more memories in Ecuador.

This reminds me that though I first started traveling around 30 years ago, pretty much to a different country every year, it wasn’t until my trip to Ecuador three years ago that I brought a camera along for the very first time. I have no pictures of any of my travels, other than those taken by others. I felt that putting a camera between the world and myself did not allow me to fully experience what was right in front of me. I’ve never regretted that decision.

However, I brought a camera on that trip to Ecuador because I was traveling with my Mom and she wanted pictures of her family. Luckily, once I returned home I had already printed my favorite ones of her and her sisters when my hard drive died and all the pictures I had taken of Ecuador were lost—all of them, including some landscapes I really liked.

Now that I have this blog I find that I enjoy taking pictures to post and writing the little captions. But it is the sharing of them that I enjoy the most and once they are posted they too become a memory. I’m glad our brains are so good at remembering.

Bottoms Up!

The babies are here! This is the first set of ducklings at the lake this year.

There are seven of them and they are sticking close to their mom.

Look at that face!

Mom thinks it's time to go back in the water and the ducklings rush after her. Dad is on the lookout--gotta keep the family safe.

They spend quite a bit of time looking for food underwater. I never get tired of the sight of their little butts up in the air.

Spring Palette

These are the colors of spring by the lakeside, here in Pennsylvania.

I’ve been getting quite a few goldfinches at the bird feeder.

They too are part of the clean bright palette of spring--everything looks new and fresh. I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of this year’s fawns.

The house is rented. One step forward--just a few weeks to go until the move.

Oddly Familiar Sights

Looking through my pictures I found these images that were unusual to me yet became familiar after spending some time in Cuenca. Above is a slab of unsweetened chocolate, sold at Mercado 10 de Agosto and other places around town. It is most commonly used to make frothy hot chocolate. I was tempted to take some home just so I could continue gazing upon its marbled beauty!

Laundry hung out to dry on a clothesline is a familiar sight, as most people do not use clothes dryers. Sometimes you also see items strewn on shrubs to take advantage of a superior sunny exposure.

Indigenous ladies in their native costumes are a familiar sight around town. Their hats indicate the indigenous group to which they belong. This was the first time I saw this particularly stylish hat design.