Hi! My name is Patricia Tiu, but I like to go by “Shay.” I am so excited to start sharing my journey here in Ecuador with you all! Before I begin telling about my life in Ecuador, I’d like to introduce myself a little bit.
I was born in the year 2001, which makes me 23 years old. I was born in the city of Washington, D.C., but when I was one year old, my family moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, which is my father’s hometown. While I was growing up, I was always fascinated by new cultures and languages, all thanks to my family. My grandpa is from the Phillipines, and I spent my childhood wanting to learn all I could about his life growing up in another country. I listened to his stories and asked so many questions. I still do research to learn more about his heritage! My mom, who studiued French in college, used to talk to me in French when I was in kindergarten. Because of her and my grandfather, I told my mom that my dream was to learn seven languages! That dream was the start of my interest in learning about new places and cultures.
In elementary school, my school had an “International Day” where people from different cultures around the world would come to our school and share with us new words, foods, traditions, clothing and so much more.
