The Excitement of a Bank

So,

Ecuadorian banks are not like banks in America. Well, banks in Southwest Virginia that is. The bank I went to a few minutes ago was very similar to a DMV. You walk in, punch in some information on a computer, and you are given a number. When I got there, I received number C400. The tellers were on number C345. That meant there were 55 people in front of me! I ended up waiting about 45 minutes to see a teller.

Anyways...two interesting things. Most little shops, especially the internet cafés in Quito, won´t take bills larger than 1s! They won´t even change a $5 bill. So, I went to the ATM and it gave me two 20s and two 5s. I didn´t know what to tell the teller, so my host mom wrote out a conversation for me on a piece of paper. When I went to the window assigned to me, I kindly said, ¨Hola! Yo no hablo español,¨and then I handed the teller my money and instructions...haha. It was basically like one of those robberies where a person walks up to the bank window and hands the teller instructions on what to do...except my instructions said graçias with a big exclamation point at the bottom. It was a good time and the teller laughed because of the instructions and fact I wanted 50 one dollar bills.

The other interesting thing. People get really excited when they´re number is called. If you went to a bank and had to wait 45 minutes to see a teller...you would be excited too! Anyways, there was this shorter lady in a business suit who had on really high heels and she was sitting in the seat beside me waiting. Her number was called. She jumped up really quickly not noticing that the front of her foot was wrapped around the chair leg in front of us. She flattened out in front of the whole host of people waiting to see tellers. Everyone from Ecuador was like ,¨ahh!¨ and they ran to help her. I, on the other hand, had to keep my cackle inside. I think I was the only one laughing. I really need to learn not to laugh at inappropriate situations like that.

I don´t know what I´m going to do this afternoon. I may go to the Vivarium...it´s a museum with all kinds of live reptiles. On the other hand, I may go back and take a nap.

Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.