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Una Canción

Son las 5 de la mañana, gallos cantan y campanas
desde temprano hay bailata y serenatas dan lugar
se rebela la amargura, se prohibe la mesura
se castiga si el espíritu no sale del hogar

Aaay la balanza se rompe
ya no hay que medir, ya no hay que pesar
ya no hay que fingir, ya no hay que callar

Inviten a los más ricos, a los pobres y mendigos
los nobles o insalubres, aquí no hay clase social
inviten a todos los santos, los diablos, los espantos
payasos, perros, gatos no se pueden demorar

“Fiesta popular, la comparsa, la orquesta, el castillo va a estallar”

“Fiesta Popular” de Swing Original Monks

English Translation
It’s 5 in the morning, roosters crow and bells
since early there is dancing and serenades give rise.
Bitterness rebels, moderation is forbidden;
it is punished if the spirit does not leave the home.

Aaay the balance breaks:
there is no need to measure, there is no need to weigh
no longer have to pretend, no longer have to be silent.

Invite the richest, the poor and beggars,
the noble or unhealthy, here there is no social class.
Invite all the saints, the devils, the frights –
clowns, dogs, cats cannot be delayed.

“Popular party, the troupe, the orchestra, the castle will explode!”

City Living & Culture

By the beginning of the 21st century, more than three-fifths of the Ecuadoran population had become urban dwellers, with most living in the two major cities, Guayaquil and Quito. Guayaquil is the largest city, the major port and commercial centre, and also the cultural centre of the Costa. Quito, apart from its governmental activities, has become an important regional headquarters for international organizations working in the Andes and has attracted a substantial tourist trade. Other cities are much smaller, but Esmeraldas, Manta, Portoviejo, and Machala are important coastal agricultural and trade centres, and Ambato and Cuenca are the largest and mostdynamic highland trade centres outside of Quito. [Encyclopedia Britannica]

Rural Life & Countryside

Ecuador is a country of great ethnic diversity and great contrasts of wealth and poverty (see People). People identify more with their region or village than with the country as a whole, although the government has attempted to nourish a sense of pan-Ecuadoran national identity. [Encyclopedia Britannica]

Nature & Environment

Because Ecuador lies on the Equator, most of the country, except the Sierra, experiences a humid tropical climate. The Oriente is influenced throughout the year by an unstable maritime tropical air mass, while the Costa is subject to greater variations associated with seasonal movements of the intertropical convergence zone and the cold Peru Current. [Encyclopedia Britannica]

Take IMEX[cursions] to your class. 🍏

Are you an instructor looking to bring one of the IMEX[cursion] experiences into your classroom? Our sample assignment, focused on Ecuador, presents useful ideas for structuring in-or-out of class activities that can be completed by students working in a variety of instructional modalities. 

customizable .docx format

Muchas gracias a nuestra amiga, Vilma Vargas en Cuenca por su asistencia con esta pagina.