Beginning with "buenos dias" or not

"Buenos dias"

It's just a simple greeting that means "good morning." But from this common phrase, one can learn a great deal about the Ecuadorian culture.

Imagine walking down the main street in whichever town you live in and greeting everybody you pass with a “good morning” (or afternoon or night, depending on the time of day). Whether or not you know the person, you exchange a friendly greeting.

I know that in the United States, this type of practice would probably draw a lot of blank faces and limited response from others on the street.

In Ecuador, it is actually offensive if you don’t greet people on the street. It is just considered the proper thing to do.

I really enjoy this, especially in the small town atmosphere because it creates a great sense of community. And for a gringo, it makes me feel welcome in the community even if they are just saying "hi" to be polite. I’ve actually grown so accustomed it that I’m offended when someone doesn’t respond to my saludo ("greeting").

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The only time time matters

For the most part, Ecuadorians do not operate on a time rigid schedule. Generally, it is expected that people arrive a few minutes late, even up to an hour. This is known as the "hora Ecuatoriana." [Though I would contend that it is the "hora Latina," the people here like to call it the “hora Ecuatoriana." We’ll stick with that.)

But the one instance it seems that the actual time matters in Ecuador is with the salutation. At noon, everybody switches over from the “buenos dias” to the “buenos tardes.” And once six o’clock hits, you get the “buenas noches.” It doesn’t matter if you think 6:00 should still be considered afternoon.

To the Ecuadorian, the afternoon ends at 6:00 and night begins. Night ends at midnight and there is another greeting for between midnight and 6:00 a.m. I haven’t really been out between these hours, so I don’t know what that term is. When I learn it, I shall blog about it.

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Respect, gotta respect

Spanish, as a language, places an emphasis on respect for people who deserve it. As many of you know, there are two verb forms for the second person: informal and formal.

There is also a formal and an informal way of greeting strangers on the street. If the person is older than you/demands respect, you always greet them with a “buenos dias” (or the correct temporal alternative). But, if it is a person younger than you, it is simply an “hola.”

Before I arrived in Ecuador for the Peace Corps, it was always my instinct to start all conversations with an “hola.” This got me into some trouble when I greeted my host family's abuelo (grandfather) and abuela (grandmother) with an “hola” on my first day. I have since learned my lesson and am very apprehensive to start any exchange with “hola.”

With my madre, for example, I always greet her with a “buenos dias” and she always responds with an “hola.” Even if she initiates the conversation with me, she will say “hola” and I will respond with “buenos dias.”

I still say "adios."