Versus.

In the past couple of months I have noticed many customs commonly practiced in Ecuador that are just not accepted in the good 'ole US of A. These things are neither good nor bad, just plain different. I have compiled a list of situations and how they would be handled in North America versus South America; for instance:

Taking farm animals on the bus or better yet, chaining them to the top of the bus. Have you ever seen a lamb hoisted 23 feet in the air by a rope?...because I have.
North: PETA at your front door.
South: 700% acceptable.

Professional firework shows every single night of the week, seriously.
North: Fire hazard.
South: Seems like a good investment.

Picking up hitchhikers.
North: Are you sure you would like to get sexually assaulted?
South: Generous.

Allowing taxi drivers that do not have legs and are drunk to drive around (true story, Winslow can attest to it).
North: Yeah right.
South: What is the big deal?

Burning trash on the top of your roof, that is if you don't just throw it in the street.
North: Al Gore will rip out your heart and then fly away in his private jet.
South: Not really concerned about air quality or open flames, because you know those propane tanks in everyone's kitchen could not explode at any minute.

If your baby goes to the bathroom (without wearing a diaper, there are not many diapers to be found) you just wipe it up with a blanket and then continue to wrap the baby up in the same blanket.
North: Two words - Family Services.
South: Just building ammunities.

Marching bands playing/marching down the street for no apparent reason.
North: Social rejects.
South: Lunch break.

Loud cheerful music coming from a truck driving slowly down the street.
North: At around noon, and it is the Ice Cream Man.
South: At six, seven, eight, and nine in the morning every single day, and it is the Garbage Man {it doesn't seem so pleasant at six in the morning}.

Singing the same song as loud as possible, over and over, outside of an apartment complex from 2am - 5am (for real...for 3 hours).
North: Against the Noise Ordinance, cops are on their way.
South: Go for it.

Owning 40 un-neutered dogs, stashing them on your 10 ft. x 10 ft. roof at night, and allowing them to bark non-stop.
North: Nasty letters from the HOA, and no friends.
South: We feel like making the North Americans suffer.

Waking up every morning to a Rooster, and then realizing that the Rooster is in your neighbor's 4th floor apartment.
North: Death by landlord, followed up by a news report on prime-time about your insanity.
South: How else are we going to get eggs unless we have an entire chicken coop in our apartment? Duh.