Saturday October 6, 2012

Saturday October 6/12 update

I was in the shower around 9am and heard the doorbell ring.  It was a short ring so I was hoping it wasn’t Jorge.  I continued my shower as it did not ring again.  Although I had barely toweled off and I stuck my head out the window and, sure enough, there was Jorge’s red Mazda pickup.  I was surprised that he had waited, although not much time had elapsed.  I hollered down that I would be two minutes and hurriedly threw on my awful “home” clothes.

Jorge apologized profusely and said he had rang before hearing the noise from the water heater by the door which told him I was in the shower, so he waited.  Very intelligent man!  I gave him the DVD of Gabriela’s graduation and again he was very effusive in his thanks.   

I then asked Jorge if he would do me a favor and drive me to Paseo De Los Caneris so I could bring in that huge fan for repair.  He readily agreed.  On the drive there he told me about the projects he had under way, one of them 15 minutes out of town, and he also practiced some of his English.   For a fellow that hardly ever uses English, his pronunciation is darn good.    He showed me where his family plays volleyball every Sunday at 3pm near the Electrica Impresa traffic circle, a stone’s throw from their house.    He also told me of a celebration tonight with singing and dancing, etc about 3 blocks south of our police station.

He also said the family liked the Gringo who could dance so well at the graduation.  I was a little surprised at that because I think I only dance 2 long songs with the one relative that asked me to dance.  I am glad he wasn’t upset that I slipped out early because I couldn’t sit there any longer watching everyone else have all the fun.  I am really glad that he has become such a good friend.

We dropped off the fan and the electrician said it could possibly be done by Monday.   I think I will give him a week, Ecuador time.    I then went 2 doors over to Segundo’s place which was closed, but one of the rollshutters was open, so I shouted.   One of the daughters, Carmen, came out to tell me that he would be away until tomorrow.  Then Jorge drove me back home so I could finish my toilette and my chores.

I had a short nap before getting dressed to go to Joe’s.  The day had been threatening rain all day but I never did see any at all.

Joseph said they had booked in 67 people for their BBQ so they were going at their limit for giving proper service.   It was nice to see some folks like Lenny and Marcia that we had not seen in a while and feared the worst, but Lenny said they had been away for 5 weeks, that was all.   There were two more new French-Canadian gals that had come with Deborah March too but we didn’t get much chance to talk.

I was seated with my friends Chris and Bettye, and Brad and Cindy, in the wine room, along with John and Cathy and Robert.  This is a great group of people with differing, but awesome, senses of humour.  Everyone brought their appetites too and the food just kept coming, and coming, and coming.   And we kept eating, and eating, and eating.  I think I kept up to Chris this night in shoveling back the grub, but it was impossible not to enjoy the Beef Tenderloin, and the BBQ’d Pork, and the Beans, and the cubed potatoes, topped off by Banana Pudding (2 of those).  I am writing these words at 3:15am and I am still a hurting unit, definitely not helped by the over-consumption of beans.

I got home and changed jackets and went in search of a fiesta that Jorge said would be happening about 3 blocks south of the police station.  At intervals it seemed like I could hear people on a microphone and some loud music, but as soon as I would head in that direction the sound would go away.  I criss-crossed the whole neighborhood many times, to no avail, before heading back.  I stopped to watch a local feisty soccer match and the neighboring volleyball game before calling it a night.   I didn’t even bother to download any photos, we just piled into the sack at 11:30 but didn’t get much sleep with our protesting tummy tooting.

Checking my photos has been a nightmare.   I used my small camera for people shots and had left the flash operational even for the outside shots because it was so grey.  Big mistake.  The shots are all washed out and I have to do major corrections.  I can see I am working for about 50c an hour now.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Friday October 5, 2012

Friday October 5/12 update

I got a hold of Gabriela Beltran on the Facebook chat to find out what Jorge wanted last night.   I guess he wanted to see if I had a backup copy of the Grad video.   She was very pleased when I responded that I indeed have a backup copy (or can make one quickly).   I am assuming they damaged the original.

Jorge did stop by later with a blank DVD so I actually had the new copy made up within a couple of hours and sent Gabby a message to let her Dad know.

I waited for Segundo to call for me to help him go get some whiskey but it never came, and I don’t have his number.  That meant that I did not get the fan over to the electrician for repairs either.

I guess my wish has been granted for some rain with the commencement of thundershowers this afternoon.  We really do need some moisture.   It is still raining at 7pm and ALJazeerra Weather says we can expect it to continue for a bit.  

I wish Bella had been here to accompany me to listen to some country/bluegrass/reggae etc tonight.  I certainly didn’t want to go alone so I guess this is a movie night….

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Thursday October 4, 2012

Thursday October 4/12 update

I woke up at 3am, thinking of ways to do a sympathy card for Miguel and his family in the loss of his Dad, Victor.  I scoured my many photos since August to find any photos of Victor since he had visited, and participated, in the classes at the AAC.  I found seven shots and was really pleased to see that I had a really decent shot of him when we had our hot dog picnic at the park.  It is hard to believe that a month and a half later we would be saying goodbye to him.

The next problem was making sure my new PrintShop program would handle my old sympathy card template, which luckily it did.  Then I decided to go a step further and translate it all into Spanish with Google Translate which did a real decent job of it.

The printing of anything here with my HP know-it-all printer is always a challenge.  Even though you tell it you are using the A4 paper available here and not the letter-size from home, it still manages to foul up all the margins so a person just has to live with the outcome which is far from perfect.   I hope they like it regardless.  Printing envelopes is even worse and I have had to throw out so many botched printing jobs that I should send HP the bill for my next batch.   One thing for sure, my next printer will not be an HP!

I crawled back to bed about 7am and was up again at 9:30.   I barely got all my chores done before I had to rush my shower and catch the bus to AAC.  I arrived before the 1:30 deadline to meet Ron & Jolene & Tom for the walk with the family to the church about ten blocks, following the hearse.   Linda caught up with us later by taxi and there were also 2 other Gringo couple that attended the service.

The church has seen better days and there is evidence that they are looking to build a new one.  Miguel spent the whole service at the back door with his son, leaving his 3 brothers and 1 sister perform the family duties and speeches at the front.  Miguel’s said his wife did most of the organizing of the funeral and was now up front doing the singing.   Wow, she really has a good voice!

It wasn’t long before the church was standing room only and there were few dry eyes when the daughter gave her tearful eulogy of Victor.

The family had arranged for a couple of buses to carry anyone who wanted to go to the cemetery.   It seems that about ½ of the people came to the cemetery one way or another.  Again Miguel stayed at the back of the crowd while the brothers and sister wailed while the casket was opened before being deposited in its cubicle.  I was too far back to be absolutely certain, but it seemed there was a uniformed cemetery worker there to seal the coffin in its place.   There were annoying bugs everywhere in the cemetery, I don’t know why???  The rest of the city is virtually bug free.

As I was leaving, I paid my respects to Miguel and his Mom who were now even further away from the crowd.   I learned later that Miguel was leaving space for his siblings to grieve as he had already made his peace with his father and spent much quality time with Victor during his last days.

At 4 pm I was leaving the cemetery with the intention of taking a bus home but decided to drop down the hill to see the electrician about fixing our large floor fan.   He talked about coming over later, but too late for my plans so I told him I would drop back.  Then I stopped in at Segundo’s Picanteria De Los Canaris and ordered a meal, seco de pollo (chicken drumstick with lots of rice and veggies) for a whole $2.   Segundo himself showed up a little later and was happy to see me.  He really wants to brush up on his English so he is anxious for Bella’s return.  He was very complimentary about her nice manner of teaching him.  Then he mentioned he is not feeling well, with stomach ailments, etc, but he is really concerned about his wife who has a multitude of ailments, stomach, heart, head, etc.   The doctor has prescribed a shot of good whiskey per day so he wants me to help him buy some good premium whiskey tomorrow.   He is to call between 4 and 5.

I then slipped home to grab a jacket, and to feed the Boys before heading downtown to the California Kitchen to hear readings of the Writers In Transition group.   Two of our friends were easily the highlight of the evening:

Chris Peterson with “How the Fourth Grade changed my life”   http://youtu.be/z40sd6scjuM

And Manon Stevenson with a true story “Well, there was the time we borrowed the airplane”. 

http://youtu.be/cn1QEnvG_MY    We all felt sorry for the soft-spoken Manon who had to endure a never-ending car alarm outside for the entire duration of her story.  A call has gone out for a gun to be brought for next month’s readings to take care of this ear-splitting offender.     

As I was saying my goodbyes I got a call from Jorge Beltran and I am not certain what it was about.  I suspect it is a Thank You for the video and gift for Gabriela’s graduation but I’m not sure.   It is much harder to understand Spanish on the telephone when you can’t see the accompanying pantomimes usually necessary for comprehension.  I told him I would be home pretty much all day tomorrow so hopefully he will stop by.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Wednesday October 3, 2012

Wednesday October 3/12 update

I had been planning to go to AAC but then the group decided to cancel classes this week out of respect for Miguel and the passing of his Dad.   We emailed everyone to inform them of this decision but we couldn’t be certain everyone would read it in time.

Then Bella indicated a problem with a Coopera CD that needed a visit so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and go there and to AAC at 3pm to advise everyone of the cancellation of classes.

Then Chris phoned that he was at the Coral at Monay so I asked him to pop in, which he did.  Together we took the #16 to AAC and yes, Richard and Cathy showed up, and so did several kids.

There were lots of people coming and going next door at Miguel’s folks place and then Miguel himself came out to explain what happened to his Dad.  Victor was 72 years old, in failing health, and was taken to hospital last week.  X-rays and other tests could not confirm anything so an exploratory surgery was done.  Besides his kidney failure they had discovered that his appendix had burst and peritonitis had set in.  By then it really was all too late to even try dialysis or anything and he passed away yesterday morning.

Miguel’s Mom came by, looking very sad and a little lost, but she greeted us all anyway.

The service is already at 2pm tomorrow about 10 blocks from the school.   Everyone is meeting near the school for a walking procession to the church.

I went to Coopera and straightened out the CD problem and now we are trying to solve our problem with the Internet access via the bank card.  

I stopped in at Feria Libre and picked up a couple for new golf shirts for $8 each.  I also called little Juan, my language buddy, to see if he wanted to go to the soccer game tonight but he already had other plans.  

I figured the bus ride home would be delayed but I guess we were early enough that things weren’t developing yet around the stadium yet.   This cute little girl sat in front of me, smiling, singing, and playing peek-a-boo, and she looked just like my sister Yvette, but with the dark eyes of course.

I made myself a lovely tilapia supper in butter, white wine and lemon…   Mmmmmmm good!

Sorry, but the camera stayed in its holster again today.

WooHoo!!    Imagine my surprise to find I am the Featured Artist in the Fine Art America group Children Of The World!!!!!    http://fineartamerica.com/groups/children-of-the-world.html

That was today’s excitement.   .  Hugs to all.

Tuesday October 2, 2012

Tuesday October 2/12 update

Happy 70^th Birthday Leonie!!

I was awake early and decided at 5am to get up and try to catch some early morning shots with fog and sunrise if possible.  There was cloud this morning which negated the sunrise and the fog just wasn’t here this morning.  I had intended to catch the bus up to El Valle but the lack of fog made me decide to stick close to home.  I took 80 shots and did manage to get 8 shots of value, regardless….

Rosa was a ½ hour late and left after 3 hours work.  At least she claims to have reinstated her RUC status so we again above-board with the laws regarding payments to domestic workers.

I slipped out to Coral for a few minor groceries and ended up deciding to do something about our plants.  I came home with a few new ones and trashed some old ones that were on their last legs.   Hopefully we can find the right formula to keep these alive.   Is there a dirt cheap way to tell when they need water?   I know, stick your finger in the dirt….   Been there, done that.

We also heard from another potential volunteer for AAC so hopefully we will meet her tomorrow.

We just got the sad news that Miguel’s father has passed away.  I am going to miss him joining in at our classes.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Monday October 1, 2012

Monday October 1/12 update

Happy Birthday Germain and Becky!!!

I got up late today, did the chores and went to Coopera to do the banking.  Then I hopped the bus in time to meet a probable new teacher for AAC named Heidi Tessier.  She showed up with husband Phil, from Ottawa, and sons Keefe and Aidan.  

Class was a little hectic today but Heidi jumped in and taught the kids the BINGO song with the help of her boys.  Richard taught them a few more phrases and some arithmetic, then Cathy had the children make some strips out of plastic bags.  Next class the kids will make these into skipping ropes.

There was a locking cabinet on the premises, smaller than the one I had proposed, along with an open shelf unit so we can keep track of our supplies and stop some of the pilferage.  At least things are moving forward on that front.

We still haven’t seen Miguel for days now as he is concerned with his Dad who has had renal failure and has been in hospital for some time now.

I stopped in Feria Libre but couldn’t locate any red bananas so I figured I would check Coopera in the morning before Rosa arrives to clean house.  I did buy a couple of pairs of black socks and found another dozen videos in a video store.

Since it was late I decided to stop in at Big Kabudas for a burger fix and discussed a European tour that Jesus is thinking about.  I recommended the Cosmos tour we were on and gave him the rundown on that.   He was very thankful for the information. 

I went out to wait for the #15 to come by and finally after about 20 minutes one did show up, way back in the traffic where it embarked several students then roared right by the bus stop without stopping.  There are times it is a good thing I am not packing a gun!  I caught a taxi home reluctantly.

My camera did not even leave its holster all day.   I just wasn’t in the mood I guess.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.

Saturday-Sunday September 29-30, 2012

Saturday-Sunday September 29-30/12 update

It is 4am Sunday morning and I am beginning work on the blogs.  I downloaded my photos last night but decided to kick back and watch a movie rather than work on pictures.   I have all day today to do that.

Yesterday was a catch-up day on rest, again up early, but I would work for a couple of hours then crash for a couple of hours all day until it was time to leave for Joe’s.

Joe’s was having a Mexican night so I did not know what to expect.   Joseph said later that he hates doing Mexican food as it puts too much work on his plate.   But the food was tasty and got lots of compliments even though I prefer our own tacos much better (we use some sour cream too, and they didn't).

We were pleasantly surprised to see Greg and Leona back in Cuenca.  They have divested themselves of all their stuff in Belize and are glad to be out of that country.  They have had 5 friends killed there and decided they had better leave Dodge before they were next.  They were seated with Melinda & Bob, and Richard & Sheryle Verkley of the Hearts Of Gold Foundation.

My seatmates were Bruce and Carolya (the y is silent) from Montana who also have sold everything and moved here.  They are connected with Richard Verkley in business and precious metals dealings.   It is turning into a very small community here, all interconnected, and everyone is asking about Bella’s return.

There was an ad in GringoTree that the Hearts Of Gold Foundation is looking for more help.  So I have thrown my name in the hat since I now know them all, and they are all Canadians who are running it.   I am hoping to scale back my involvement with the Amigos Activity Center once we can get a proper rotation of teachers and volunteers established.

We received another teacher volunteer enquiry, last name Tessier, so I wonder if she is related perchance to cousin Mac’s wife from Minton.

At 7:30 I petered out and napped some more while my photos uploaded to DropBox for Joseph.

11am was time to get laundry underway and to do the chores and finish off the blogs.   I have lots of chores today since I now have to go into AAC tomorrow because of the new teacher enquiry.  I was hoping to take Monday off, but no rest for the wicked.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Friday September 28, 2012

Friday September 28/12 update

Didn’t get to bed until 2:30, so I just stayed in bed until 11:00 this morning, did the chores and then headed to AAC.  I really should have my camera in my hand at all times as there is just so much that we see that is interesting and different, on the buses, on the street, etc.

I arrived at AAC and we had a good complement of volunteers, even the two people who had to go to Colombia with Tom & Linda to get their residency permits from outside the country.  The four of them accompanied Gabriela Espinosa in a rented vehicle and, after some official bribes in Colombia, they now have their residency stamps.  This business about having to leave the country is still beyond my comprehension.

Today at AAC we had a magician named Rich, who I instantly recognized from Joe’s Secret Garden and at the Windhorse Book Exchange.   I was really amazed at his grasp of the Spanish language and how he kept the kids enraptured.  I told him we need to have someone like him every month as a special treat for the kids.   Photos don’t do the act justice so I took four videos and combined them.  Most of us really loved his bit with Louie the Cuy (guinea pig is a delicacy here).  Enjoy:

http://youtu.be/hmlAYsipBxk

Two other pieces of good news, Chris has ordered the projector so we should see that in a couple of weeks, and we found the missing crayons and pencils.   This really underscores the need for a secure cabinet for our stuff.

Yesterday I had bought some sausages, and I had asked for the spiciest so I cooked some up tonight.  They were not bad but they sure weren’t Smokies.   Some things we just can’t get here.

I took a photo of a restaurant advertising sandwich board advertising a ¼ chicken dinner for $3.50, and that includes an extra leg!   Can Swiss Chalet compete with that?

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Thursday September 27, 2012

Thursday September 27/12 update

OMG awake at 3am again and can’t sleep so may as well use the computer while it has some speed.  Trying to use it in the evening has become a joke.  Everybody in Ecuador must be on in the evening and it slows down so much that Gmail won’t even load properly.

My sister Yvette sent me this “Glee” karaoke recording of my sister Leonie accompanying our great-niece (turning 8 soon), Erin, in a song.  Erin is so amazing for such a young girl that I just had to share this.  Give it a listen:

http://glee.smule.com/song/solo/1310690

This morning was an informal meeting of our former Spanish class for conversational practice.  Nancee, Ray and myself met at Noel and Christina’s apartment for coffee and to try to use our Spanish, and avoid speaking English.  Gosh, Noel and Christine have such a lovely condo with great views, and they have decorated it with such great art.

We broke off to go for almuerzo lunch a couple of blocks up Solano called Kadaffa.  The lunch was delicious and is served by this wonderful Cuencano couple with the most precocious 3-year-old.   They are located in an old 4-storey wooden structure that was once owned by a rich family so they could survey their surrounding land.  It once had a magnificent 360 degree view but that has now been ruined by a Rosenthal Developments huge condo hi-rise next door.  The place is decorated with many Venetian-type masks though not nearly of the same quality.  We were taken on a tour upstairs where they allow friends, at no charge, to hold art and photographic exhibitions.   It is a very impressive place with wood floors and a spiral staircase..

We kept dodging passing rainstorms (yes, I know I asked for rain yesterday, but remember that I asked for them at night).  Anyway, we were very fortunate that we did not get soaked in any of our travels today.

We returned to Noel and Christine’s condo which has a view of a treed garden below that is infected with hummingbirds, and they have 2 feeders in their windows.   Naturally I took many, many photographs and had to delete most of them as they are out of focus.  Trying to guess the distance, and remain still, and capture them at the right moment takes a lot of patience and a little calisthenics, leaning over the kitchen counter to shoot through an open window.   Then I tried shooting right through the window and that is when I got my best shots.   I was actually surprised that I got as many decent shots as I did.  Anyway, Thank You Noel and Christine for your hospitality.

I caught the #15 back, and culled many of my hummer photos while we struggled through rush hour traffic.  I had 110 photos to sift through so that was the delay before anything gets posted tonight.  I only kept 52 of the many, many photos taken today.

I got off at Monay Mall and went in to Coral and spent $64 on groceries and booze.  Now we need company to help us drink the booze.   My rum bottle hasn’t been touched since January, so when are you coming to visit???

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Wednesday September 26, 2012

Wednesday September 26/12 update

OK, the photos are posted from yesterdays Night Photography Tour.

I was up at 4:30, going through the 109 photos, that I cut to 64 with a quick glance last night, and now have cut them down to 41 keepers after 6 hours of work.

I am certainly not displeased with the outcome from last night’s successful excursion.   I hope you like them.

I arrived at AAC along with Richard so we started the “class” ourselves.  The people kept drifting in, and we had a full house with parents and kids.  Thank God Richard is good at instructing and keeping the kids occupied.  Chris came in later and had treats for the kids as we closed down a little early.

There was an ad on GringoTree for free salsa lessons and I figured that would generate a turnout so I thought I would stop in and see what the catch was.  It started at 6pm so I walked all the way downtown and was still way early.   I bought 8 movies as my supply is getting low.   I saw something new today, a policeman actually giving a ticket to someone!  There were also two funky home side-by-side on Gran Colombia that always catch our eye so I took their pictures for your viewing pleasure.   A little further up is one of the Sacred Heart churches that I don’t get to see very often.

The salsa room is not far from the main cathedral and it is above a tour company office but the pitch I received was for Spanish lessons, 20 hours in a week, mornings or afternoons.  They are also 1 on 1 lessons so they can’t be cheap.  No price was mentioned.

I am pretty sure the GringoTree ad said the instructor had 25 years experience.  Well either of them must have begun in the womb because they were awfully young.  There was a group of about a dozen but I was happy to get out of there after the hour.

The river is already getting low again.  Please send a little rain our way, preferably at nights, OK??

I stopped across the street for 2 pieces of chicken, fries and her wonderful coconut drink, for a whole $2.90.

I am so beat I am going to crash at the earliest opportunity.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Tuesday September 25,2012

Tuesday September 25/12 update

I had every photographer complete a checklist which states any allergies, medications, as well as emergency and doctor contacts.  I figured I would just copy that to a memory stick and carry it with me in case of emergency.  I think there was only one who mentioned any medications.

I also got another addition today so now we have 18 photographers plus myself.

I have Bella diligently working to try to get the AAC an AAXA M2 Micro Projector so she can bring it back with her.   There are many available online but most won’t ship outside the USA.  The difference that can make to our activities at the AAC is immeasurable.

Our supper at La Vina was awesome and got great compliments.  There were minor screwups in the orders but it worked out for the best that there was an extra pizza lying around for latecomers from out-of-town.  We picked up an extra person but had one no-show due to stomach flu.

The bus arrived on Juan Jaramillo on time and we were off to Turi.  I felt like a schoolmaster counting heads at every turn but everyone was really great.   I had had a brainstorm during the night that I should use my timer for each shot to avoid any vibration from pushing the shutter button, because my tripod is a pretty flimsy one.   I checked with Paul Wolf and he concurred that it is a proper method, so I tried it all night.

Then we came down to go to Todos Santos and the Broken Bridge.  There was no place to park on the south side so the bus came in the skinny new road on the north side, dropped us off under the bridge and went to turn around somewhere.  Apparently he ran over a new tree lining the road three blocks down and got stuck in the surrounding dirt.  

Underway again we went to El Vergel and the Inca ruins for some nice shots.   Then Jorge the driver suggested going to the statue of the ironworker exploding out of the volcano so we went there.  Even though it wasn’t lit very well it did make for some interesting photographs.

Then we went up the hill to San Blas and got some beautiful rear and front shots before heading to San Francisco church.  Then we all walked to Parque Calderon and got shots of both cathedrals, however the old cathedral is 10 times more impressive at night.   The driver didn’t park where we told him and we had to wait on him again.

Then we headed up to San Sebastian which was poorly lit so we only managed one shot there.  Some of our tour people took cabs from there and we were down to about 9 photographers.   That is where the driver said the office was always calling to see where we were because our contract ended at 9pm and they wanted more money.  I reminded him, in no uncertain terms, that HE was the one who first quoted me for 5 hours and that was later confirmed by his office.   6:15 plus 5 hours meant 11:15, and it was only 10pm!!  Some of the group were willing to pack it in but others agreed with me that we paid for a tour and there were still 2 stops to go.  

So off we went to the north hill then the Catholic University for our last shots.   We walked one lady home who lived in that area then we returned to La Vina where the rest of them lived in the area.  As everyone left they kept giving me rave reviews about the restaurant and the tour.   They certainly got their $10 worth on the tour.   I told the driver that I would be speaking to the office tomorrow to sort out this mess.   Then Paul and I caught a cab home, I got out at Monay and was home by 11pm.

I located the confirming email I had sent to the bus company when we had made our telephone contract where I clearly stated the 5 hours.   I packaged that with some stern language about the embarrassment they caused me in front of everyone and demanded an apology.

I am very upset over this, mainly because our every intention was to use this bus and driver again.  The bus was luxurious and the driver was careful and the ride was so very comfortable.  I hope it sorts itself out.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com when I get them posted.  Hugs to all.

Monday September 24, 2012

Monday September 24/12 update

Well I have nailed down 17 people to come with me tomorrow night for the photo tour.   And this is with only one returnee from the last trip, so 16 new faces….   I guess the next trips will have to be out of town..

Then I nailed down the restaurant for tomorrow’s supper and she told me I will get my supper free every time I bring in large groups!   This is getting better all the time.   We are all to meet there by 5pm, although one lady from out of town will be late and skipping supper.

Then I nailed down the bus people so they will pick us up at the new restaurant at 6:15.  That was after 3 emails, 1 text, and 1 phone call with the aid of the lady in the restaurant.  They have confirmed the place, time, and that I will have the same driver that I spoke to when I found the bus.  Bonus!

I made it to AAC along with Chris, Christine, Cathy and Richard.  I guess Tom had emailed that Linda was sick and he had to wait for furniture deliveries.  Christine had brought along some things for the kids to color so we were off to a good start.  But, someone had been in the premises over the weekend, it looked like the community had a bingo game??!!  Then we couldn't find our pencils, crayons, etc.  We managed to find 2 more packages of pencil crayons so the kids had something to use.  Linda and Miguel were supposed to buy our security cabinet over the weekend but that obviously didn't happen and it certainly underscores the need for said cabinet!

Rain was threatening, no Miguel or Patricio, no parents, and a small group of kids, so we managed OK with the help of Mariuxi.   We found out later that Miguel was at the hospital with his Dad, who was having some problems.  We hope "Papa" comes through OK.

The kids are always fascinated with the camera and some are getting very adept at posing, then asking if they can take a shot too, so you can see some of the results.

I did get a better shot of Cathy today so you can all see that I am not kidding when I say she looks like Carol Bolick at McFarlane’s.  She sounds just like her too so it is really scary to hear that voice and have flashbacks of being back at work...  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

As soon as we began class the heavens opened for a good half hour, then tapered off to a steady light rain.  We certainly needed the moisture and a cleansing of the dust, etc.  On cue, when class was over, it stopped to allow me to catch a bus downtown.   We almost never see drunks here but this one inebriated young man got on the bus, sat in front and proceeded to pass out.  First he almost fell over into the aisle but a few people quickly righted him.  Then it was a comedy watching him slowly slide off the front of the seat into an impossible pretzel position, oblivious to the jerky movements of the bus or his fellow passengers.    I wonder what they will do with him when he gets to the end of the bus line??  My photo didn’t turn out, sorry.

After nailing down the restaurant as mentioned before, I caught the #3 bus just before it began to rain again.  This meant I was let off at Monay Mall and had to dig out the umbrella.  Now, yesterday I happened to take a shot of my measuring rock in the river showing how low it was, so today I got to see the vast difference just from a quick couple of hours of rain!   It seems to be up about a foot already.

I tried to stop in at the little restaurant across the street for a chicken dinner but she quickly said that was the one item she couldn’t provide tonight.   Darn,…. but I still had the option of going next door for that wonderful breaded chicken, so I did, and it was wonderful.

The Boys are sure good about eating everything I give them.  I was overdoing it by giving too many of Peso’s treats to Pancho, who is allergic to the chicken content, so I noted he has scratched himself raw on one side of the neck again.  No more treats for Mr. Pancho I’m afraid.

Bella alerted me to watch Dancing With The Stars tonight but that is just an exercise in frustration.  Our connection is so slow in the evenings there isn’t a prayer to catch any of it.

Friends, we are looking for donations to purchase a projector for the AAC that we can hook up to our laptops and easily amuse the kids.  There is a highly rated one called the AAXA M2 Micro Projector that we hope we can get for about $300+.  So far we should have raised about ½ of that amount.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Sunday September 23, 2012

Sunday September 23/12 update

I worked on photos until 12:30 last night and was up at 4am to continue again.  I finally got the previous night’s photos off to Joseph and then completed all 3 blogs.  Man, this is time-consuming stuff!!

I wandered down to Coopera to do the banking and then walked to Coral, which is a zoo on a Sunday, to try to find a whistle for a reasonable price.  Coral had nothing so I checked at Marathon sports but their whistles were way too expensive.   Then I tried checking in the neighborhood, but without success.   I managed to find the whistle I had bought for Bella so I will use that one to call everyone back to the bus on the photo shoot.

We have signed up 15 others for the Tuesday night photo shoot and possibly 2 more.  The new ad came out in GringoTree so we did get a couple of more enquiries. 

I kept playing with the photos I had taken of John and Barbie and came up with a few different versions that I hope they will like.   The price is right anyway.

Later I am just going to relax and watch a movie or two.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Saturday September 22, 2012

Saturday September 22/12 update

I had the first load of laundry running by 6am with all the bedding and towels and got cracking at the other chores.  I let the first load dry for a while since the clotheslines were full.  It is a good thing the first load dried by noon.  I then stuck in the second load and had a nap.  When the washing was done and hung up I had a second nap.

Joseph emailed that he managed to make room for Ed and Dick for supper tonight so I headed over on the #50 to see how it would operate with the new interchange on Las Americas.  The bus dropped me off a block away from Joe’s and it only took 33 minutes.  Not bad!

There was quite a gaggle of Canadians tonight, Mark and Karen (Edmonton), Truman and Marg (Vancouver), Mitri and Ed (Montreal), Cheryl and Lesley (Victoria) and Dick (Moncton).  Most of us were seated at the same table so we had some lively partisan conversations.  Most seemed to think that my suggestion of forming a Canadian Club would be a good idea.  Now I’m sorry I mentioned it.

Truman’s wife, Marg, said that the photo I took of her on her 75^th Birthday was the best photo ever taken of her, and she sent it to everybody she knew! 

Ed and Dick were very complimentary about their visit to the AAC and all the good we are doing there.  They were especially impressed with the way the kids all greeted us on their arrival.

Surprise news tonight, the bartenders John and Barbie announced that they were recently married, so I found it odd that Joe and Joseph did nothing to commemorate the occasion.  I was flattered that Barbie & John asked me to take their photo to use as their wedding photo.

The salad, Beef Wellington, and key lime pie were to die for tonight.  I made the mistake of having 2 salads and 2 Wellingtons, so I am hurting right now, but it is a good hurt.

We are up to 12 people for the photo trip Tuesday night and I should probably leave well enough alone but I will put a further ad in the GringoTree to try to get a few more procrastinators.  I think I only know 3 of the people coming….

A lazy day tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Friday September 21, 2012

Friday September 21/12 update

The Boys had taken over my bed so I slept in the recliner until 4am until the Boys found me there, so I slipped back upstairs to take control of my bedroom.  I didn’t sleep all that well but stayed in the sack until 10am and felt a little refreshed.

Right now I have enough people booked for the Night Photo Tour to break even, but have several others enquiring.  I will give it until tomorrow then put another ad in GringoTree to try to get the procrastinators.

I really did not feel like going today but had gotten an email that we were going to take the AAC kids to the park.  Not much else was mentioned so I dragged my butt on the bus and went to join the others.  It was threatening rain and sprinkled most of the time but nobody seemed to mind.  I didn’t even dig out my umbrella.  There was another “school” of kids at the park so it was a busy place but all the kids got along.  The kids were really enjoying the slides and the zip line with almost no rambunctiousness.  The rowdy boys disappeared down by the river so they weren’t a bother.   We managed OK even without Miguel and parents, but we had the kind assistance of two of the teens, Adriana and Mariuxi, who are really super.

Rick Smith from Calgary, owner of the Kookaburra Café, came by with a possible new recruit who is a former teacher named Frank.  I had been in correspondence with Frank who had replied to my GringoTree ad for teachers for the school.  I told Frank he had the first lesson on Monday so he had better get prepared.

Of course some of the kids clamor for a chance to take photos with the camera, so a few of the shots are theirs.  You will notice a couple of shots with a small boy in an orange shirt showing off.  This is Leandro, one of the original shy kids who wouldn’t smile or say Boo when we began the classes.  Now look at the smiles and the confidence in this little guy!  Those are the little paybacks for what we are doing.

Of course the sun came out just as we had to leave….

We got all the kids back to the school in one piece and I passed out the Canadian flag pins that Dick had given me yesterday.   They were thrilled.   Of course Juan, one of the rowdy boys, tried to pierce his ear with it!!  These macho Latino boys can be a handful.

I stopped at Feria Libre and picked up a dozen monster juicy Mandarins and a dozen large tomatoes.   I got a shot of a gaggle of young shoeshine boys operating on the front sidewalk.  I heard from a reliable source that many of these kids may be supporting themselves because their families can’t, and they have been dumped in the city to fend for themselves.  That is truly sad.

After this busy week I treated myself to some KFC at Monay Mall before heading home.   Can you imagine, they already have the huge Christmas Tree set up!!

I heard from Ed and Dick that they had tried for reservations at Joe’s but the place is sold out.   I sent a note to Joseph to please try to squeeze them in since they always have a couple of no-shows.  I hope it works.

Tomorrow I had better concentrate on laundry before heading to Joe’s.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Thursday September 20, 2012

Thursday September 20/12 update

I had a decent sleep and didn’t want to get out of bed but I promised to pick up Ed and Dick at 10am so I hustled and actually made it there at 9:30.  Ed kindly gave me 40 or so Canada pins so I can pass them out to the kids at Amigos.  He is also going to see if he can get the Govt to send me more, and maybe some photos…

We started out checking to see the times to see the crypt at Immaculate Conception but that wasn’t opening again until 10:30 so we decided to press on.  We went back south to Calle Larga and went to the west end passing through to 10 De Augusto Mercado. 

There is this antique shop that promised panoramic views from their rooftop so we went up (50c a person) and it was well worth the climb.  The roof had great view to the south so I got a nice panorama shot and we actually had a nice angle on the main cathedral too.

Continuing up that side street we saw an old-style barber shop that evoked many memories, then we came to this eclectic club that has a skull chandelier, very macabre.  Further up the street was that fun sculpture of the family climbing this pole.   The boys liked it as much as I do.  Next we headed to San Sebastian Square which was bathed in sunshine under a gorgeous blue sky.  Remember that the sky is usually ominous when I am in that area for some reason, but not today.  We had breakfast at the San Sebas Café which was awesome, and even better because Dick paid for it.  I introduced them to Reshma’s husband, another fellow Canadian that happened to be there.

Then we went across the street to the Museum of Modern Art which didn’t have much of a collection today but they did have interesting upper torsos of men and women all decorated differently with an electronic theme.  One pair of them was pretty funny with the torsos having electrical male and female plugs for genitals.

We walked along the side block and saw this artisan working with tin making artworks.  He was amazing, and he started to pull out press clippings about how he has been a craftsman for over 40 years, etc.  They sure know how to work with their hands in this country.

We peeked over the hill at Otorongo Plaza to confirm that unfortunately the hummingbird display is indeed gone, so we retraced our steps and went back to Calle Larga.  I took them into the Panama Hat Museum so they could see how they are woven, then steamed in metal or wooden forms into many shapes.  They were very impressed and had their photos taken wearing the hats.

I then showed them the various restaurants for shawarmas, the Coffee Tree, the Windhorse, the Sabor Latino, before going into the Carolina bookstore.  Then we briefly stopped into the Museum next to the Victoria Hotel then the CIDAP museum on the escalinata before heading to Todos Santos and the Broken Bridge.

Then we coasted down the Inca ruins at Pumapungo and went down to the aviary.  The door to the cage for the peacock was open but he wasn’t coming out to show off.   Too bad.  We wandered over to see the llamas and two of the girls who were relaxing on the grass.  They sure giggled at their photo.  Then we walked around the pond below the ruins before climbing up to get a view of the park below.

We stopped in at the Banco Central museum but we just sat down and decided against touring it.  Our feet were getting pretty tired.

We walked up to San Blas square and there we said our goodbyes for the day.  We were all pooped.  They are to sign up for the Beef Wellington meal at Joe’s on Saturday so we should see them again before they leave on Sunday.

Boy!  Almost 6 hours to complete the blogs today...   Good night!

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Tuesday-Wednesday September 18-19, 2012

Tuesday September 18/12 update

I was awake early again this morning so I got up, did the chores.  I was shocked to discover that the freezer was defrosting yet the light was on when I opened the fridge door.  And yet, I pushed the controls and it started right up again.  Very strange…. I’ll have to keep an eye on that.

Since I was up I decided to start work on the night photography tour for next week.  Even though I don’t have the supper details nailed down yet, I want to make this offer to the folks that came on the last tour first.

Our old Spanish class, at least some of us, got together with our old Spanish teacher, Christine, to practice Spanish conversation.  We did this from 4 until 6 at Nancee’s place which is way south near the Mall De Rio.  Her apartment has aneat collection of art and artifacts from her travels to many countries.   Then Christine, her husband Noel, and myself caught a #5 bus to near the stadium where I caught the #15.  As I neared the El Vergel/Inca ruins area I looked at my watch and decided to jump ship and sneak over to Big Kabuda’s for a burger fix.   I ordered my usual “Porky’s” burger and asked Jesus for some of that super hot spice he had.  I tried to be careful and dribbled the skinniest line across my bun and they had a look of horror on their faces.  I knew this stuff was supposed to be a few million BTU’s but I took one bite and that was enough to know why!   I then wisely took their advice to apply a new top layer on the burger.  That stuff is a Bunsen burner with only the tiniest speck on your tongue.  We should sell that stuff to put inside winter boots in Canada!   Cayenne pepper is a 2 compared to this stuff.

Jesus was mentioning wanting to go to Canada and having to drive to Columbia to get visas etc.  I asked him why, and he said that was the nearest official Canadian presence in South America.  I dug out the cards from my wallet for the people at the Canadian Embassy in Quito.   He didn’t know we had an embassy in Ecuador!   He slipped out to copy the cards at a nearby copy shop and was very thankful.

Then I went out and crossed the bridge to try to catch a bus and was rewarded when a #15 actually showed up.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Wednesday September 19/12 update

I had been contacted by a fellow from Canada by the name of Ed Nadeau (a possible long-lost relative) who was in town for a few days with a friend Dick Bissett.  Their wives were busy with other things so they came to Ecuador on their own.   I met them at their Hotel Milan near San Francisco square and we walked to the AAC class.  On the way we noticed the Santo Domingo church was open, so we stopped in.  That is another huge impressive church! 

We also were pleased to see that the new interchange at Avenida De Las Americas was now open and very busy with traffic already.   We also ran into Chris near there and joined him for the walk to AAC.  Then I spotted this fellow holding a red rooster so I asked if I could take his picture, so he posed.  The guys were positive this was a fighting cock for the ring.

At AAC we were surprised to see a keyboard in the classroom but were certain it belonged to Richard, our new recruit.  Richard & Cathy Lopez showed up shortly as did many of the children.  Ed and Dick were very impressed by the way the children greeted us and generally behaved in class.  Our class today was mostly run by Richard & Cathy, first teaching them some English phrases then teaching them “Feliz Navidad” with his keyboard.  That couple will be a great addition to the Center.  Cathy looks and sounds just like Carol Bolick at McFarlane’s

The two Canucks and I slipped out to Feria Libre.where I showed them the different areas with many varied articles for sale.  We didn’t go by the live animals but we did see live grubs for sale for the first time.  Yuk.

Then we crossed the street and caught a bus back downtown, close to their hotel.  They were looking for gifts to bring back home so I showed them the marvelous alpaca shawls at San Francisco market that we can buy for only $20 here.  They each bought one.  I went to another booth and bought 3 pairs of socks so I can retire my religious (holy) pairs….

I then went to check out an alternative restaurant for our night photography tour on Tuesday.  I still had not heard from the Kookaburra Café and I needed an outlet in case they didn’t pan out.   As I stepped back out onto the sidewalk I ran right into the architect Jorge Beltran and his lovely wife Martha.  They were very effusive about how much they liked the video I made for them of their daughter’s graduation from medical school. 

Then it was time to catch the #3 home, feed the Boys, make supper, and now check emails and do my blogs.

There was an email from the Kookaburra making demands but not offering anything concrete so I had to tell them Thanks, but no thanks.   Time has run out on them and I was very disappointed in their responses.

Tomorrow is another busy day as I have promised to tour Ed and Dick around town.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Monday September 17, 2012

Monday September 17/12 update

Happy Birthday to our granddaughter Katlyn!!

I was contacted by a fellow photographer from RedBubble to critique and work on a couple of photographs which took up a little time this morning, but I was flattered to be asked, and I relish the challenge.   One photo wasn’t very adaptable, but my favorite of hers was fun to play with.  See if you like the different versions (she wanted Black & White).   I had to do some straightening, cloning and lightening to get a good starting point.   See her work at http://www.redbubble.com/people/franceshelen

I headed to Amigos (AAC) this afternoon and was a little early so I went to see the new interchange at Las Americas and Gran Columbia which was supposed to be opening today.  NOT, so I have no idea when that is supposed to happen now.  

As I neared AAC I spotted two guys fixing turn signals on this huge bus so I took a chance on my poor Spanish to ask if they would be interested in driving for our proposed night photography tour.  It is a huge tour bus with 33 seats so that should do us just fine.  I suggested next Tuesday night and he said he was free.  He works for a company that has 2 similar buses so availability isn’t a problem.  I brought Miguel into the conversation just to make sure everybody was understanding each other.  I asked for a price for 5 hours and nearly fell over when he said $80!!  SOLD!!  He gave me the number for an English-speaker at their office so I called and booked it.  A half hour later I received a text on my cel phone confirming the time and place of pickup (hopefully at the Kookaburra) and I responded with a confirming email listing all the details, and the price.  

I asked Miguel if he wanted to join us as a guide and he may just do that.  I quickly emailed Rick at the Kookaburra to confirm they are able to do us a special supper prior to our tour.   Rick had indicated they probably could but that they would get back to me soon.  I can’t post my tour on GringoTree until I firm this up.

I arrived at AAC fully expecting to see sanded and painted desks as promised, but I had forgotten about Ecuador Time….  That meant we had no agenda today since Christine was going to have the kids painting different things on said desks.   Oh well, back to teaching them more English phrases, then to let them color for a while.  The kids arrived slowly but they kept coming, and coming, and soon we were scrambling for chairs.  We had a whack of new kids today which was pleasing to us that word is getting around.   Christine did take a few of the older kids to paint one desk and they did an amazing job!   We had 2 new volunteers today, Richard (music teacher) & Cathy (nurse) Lopez.  They got their feet wet today so they can begin to contribute some teaching on Wednesday.  I have another possible volunteer, who also happens to know Rick now, who may accompany Rick some day soon.

I left a little early for another appointment with one of the former teachers, a bilingual Ecuadorian who wanted to impart to me personally some of the culture differences that we may not be aware of and she wanted us to be there with our eyes open, and with our hands on our wallets.  It was informative, I’ll say that.

I hadn’t taken anything out for supper, intending to have hotdogs but the lure of the restaurant next door was too great.  I had a wonderful chicken empanada (really it was breaded) and it was so very delicious I definitely will ask for that again.  I bring my own black pepper.  It was only $1.50 with the juice I think.  Mmmmmmmm.

On GringoTree this evening was a posting about a Jerry Marbles having had a heart attack and his wife MaryAnn is looking for financial assistance.  I just met these people 2-3 weeks ago at Joe’s Secret Garden and have their personal business card right beside me.  Heaven knows this is another reminder to value and look after one’s health!!

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Sunday September 16, 2012

Sunday September 16/12 update

Ahhhhh, a day of rest, yet I was up at 7:30.   The sky was so blue and the sun was so bright, who could stay in bed???   So I did the chores and actually dug out my bike and went ride-about.

After a stop at Coopera to do my banking I continued on to Parque Paraiso.   Near the entrance to the park there were two fishermen throwing seines into the river and I actually saw one catch a fish!  I had my camera set to the 10-shots-per-second mode to try to catch the right action.

It was still early so there wasn’t much happening other than a juggler/clown entertaining a large group.  The families kept streaming in while I wandered about, pushing my bike.   I ran into a tall man who turned out to be originally from England who has lived in Toronto and the USA for a long time.   He intends to bring over his 90-year-old mother from England!

I amused myself watching the families and the amazing children.   They are so well behaved here, it is just a pleasure to watch them.  I recognized one family in a paddleboat and it took me a moment to put a name to his face, but it was Vicente, the nice young man who did our bathtub, dining room wall, and tile work.  He looks too young to have a wife and two children.   He waved and said “Hello Meeester Al”.  That is how I was addressed by all the workmen who worked on our house.

One oddity was to watch a mother duck with several brown ducklings, but one bright yellow one.  This was the typical ugly duckling in action here!

I had a great time watching one little girl chasing bubbles in the breeze, she was so cute.    And as I was leaving along the river I saw another fisherman trying his luck too.   I have many photos to wade through to find some decent ones.

Soccer games were everywhere as Sunday is family day around here and I managed to get a few shots of goals being scored.

As I was riding home by the new neighborhood police station I thought I would be brave and see if they wanted us to register as living in the area.  Yes, they were pleased to do that so they have all the information, just in case.  Then the policeman asked for my cel phone and he programmed in a speed dial to their emergency line.  I just have to hit the number 5, hit dial, and then I don’t even have to say a word, police will be dispatched to our address!!   Neat!!!

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Saturday September 15, 2012

Saturday September 15/12 update

This morning I emailed a couple of bus tour companies to try to get pricing for 4-5 hours for another evening photography tour.  I am hoping the total cost will be less than $300, but we shall see.

I did all my chores and then had a real nice hour and a half nap before getting ready to head to Joe’s Secret Garden for their fabulous Southern Fried Chicken.   I never ate a thing all day so I could arrive their with my feed bag on…   That worked.

I met a lot of new people tonight from Colorado, Texas, Florida and Georgia.   Joe’s is such a great place to meet new people in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

I kept getting asked if I had heard from Bella and how much they miss her at bridge.   My seatmate was Larry Selig from Texas whose wife Donna apparently has played bridge at Joe’s.   Many of our old Spanish class alumni were there tonight too.   Some of us are getting together to palaver in Spanish late Tuesday afternoon.   That should be interesting.

I asked the cab driver tonight to take a different route home, just to see how fast it was, along Avenida De Las Americas, all the way to Gonzalez Suarez, then to Rayoloma.  We hit most lights on the green so it really was rather quick.

Everyone is really looking forward to the opening on Monday of the Avenida De Las Americas and Gran Columbia underpass.  Then the city traffic patterns and bus routes can get back to normal.  The project was completed two months early, and below budget,… something that is completely unheard of here.  The detours we have endured since we returned here will be a thing of the past and my trips to the Amigos Center and Joe’s should be much quicker.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Friday September 14, 2012

Friday September 14/12 update

Got a note this morning that JD’s Private Transportation has closed down so that is the reason they have not responded to me.  Hopefully they can give me a recommendation for a competent, reliable driver with access to larger vehicles if necessary.

There was only Chris and I to handle the Amigos class today.  Linda was sick, Tom had to wait for a delivery and Miguel was nowhere to be found.  With the help of two of the teens, and Patricio, we muddled through it OK to keep the 28 kids occupied.  We concentrated on simple phrases and questions and tried to make it fun.  Even the shiest kids had no problem coming to the front of the class to repeat a phrase, knowing the reward was a bag of candy from Chris.

I let the kids take photos with my camera so the photos are mostly theirs.  

We kept the class to one hour and the kids were OK with that.   The one teen that speaks really decent English told us both that we are excellent teachers….   Yeah right!

I then had to kill a couple of hours so I spent them with Chris and Bettye before heading across Avenida De Las Americas to go to Michael and Cody Hamilton’s condo.  We were soon joined by Paul & Anita Wolf and we had a rousing night of conversation, mostly concentrated on photography.  Luckily the two ladies are also into photography and take part in excursions, so they weren’t bored with the talk. 

The Hamilton’s condo is furnished with an eclectic collection of things from their residences overseas, including Taiwan.  The walls are also adorned with many of Michael’s amazing photographs that we admire so much.  We left at 11pm and made it home, sharing a cab with Paul & Anita.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Thursday September 13, 2012

Thursday September 13/12 update

Oh, this is another of those days where I should have just stayed in bed.  I had a bad night, moving from upstairs to downstairs and back upstairs to avoid the Boys.  I love them, but cleaning up 3 separate pukes and then dealing with cat litter is not my idea of a picker-upper in the morning.

I had an appointment with a plumber for 8:30am, the husband of a Gringo facilitator that friends had used.  Bella’s toilet leaks at the bottom so the installation of a new wax ring was needed.  I didn’t want to tackle this myself in case I screwed it up because I could not see a shutoff for the toilet only, and I didn’t want to be without water in the whole house.   I figured it would be an hour job, four bolts and a water line to unhook and rehook.  This guy wanted $20 for that hour which is really excessive by Ecuadorian standards but I would have felt more comfortable.  

Well the guy never showed up, so I emailed them back to ask if they had a place on their website for testimonials from unhappy customers, to match our friends’ glowing recommendation.  No response, no apology either….

I looked things over and turned off the cold water shutoff for the sink.  Guess what??!!  That also shut off the water to the toilet!  So, after a few careful considerations I decided to give it a try myself.  At worst I could call somebody in anytime if I felt out of my depth.   I was in no hurry so I took almost all day to get done right.  I drained all the water, unhooked the water line, took off the tank, and then the base.   I compared the existing wax ring with my new one and they were virtually identical.  I cleaned up the whole area then I took the new wax ring box upstairs to use Google Translate to understand the Spanish instructions.   They were pretty much what I expected.

Now I don’t like playing with pressure pipes and I had not seen a toilet apart in 40 years, so it was daunting at first, but not insurmountable.   I took my sweet time about it, measuring my moves slowly, and actually put it all back together rather easily.   Look Ma, no leaks.

Another headache rose up this morning effectively scuttling our attempt to rescue the two teachers that summarily quit AAC before they started.   This was most unfortunate so now we are back to playing teacher with our dedicated core that began the group.  Dealing with volunteers is tricky and it doesn’t take too long to figure out who doesn’t fit in when they don't play nice.

Tomorrow we have AAC then I am invited out to a supper with Michael and Cody Hamilton, joined by Paul and Anita Wolf, photographers all.   I am sure we will be discussing some possible excursions.   I keep getting asked by complete strangers when we are having another photo trip, so it is time to get busy on that front.  The big problem is getting a reliable driver with access to different size vehicles to accommodate everyone.  I fully expect a huge response to another night tour.

That was today’s excitement.     Hugs to all.

Leaky toilet

I got it all apart and cleaned up the mess

Back together and it is like new.

Wednesday September 12, 2012

Wednesday September 12/12 update

Where does the time go?  By the time I check 5 emails, Facebook, then check and upload to 3 photo sites, the morning is completely gone.

We all showed up at the Amigos Activity Center (hereinafter referred to as AAC) close to 3 pm and the kids slowly streamed in.  Nobody had anything planned so we started with teaching them English words, then sentences, following the 100 Essential Spanish Words I found in an online Spanish course.  These kids are really bright and we really mingled today.   We sat amonst the kids and participated in the games.  The last portion of the class was spent with some animal photos and descriptions that Nancee had previously provided.  

We have so many ideas that can only be brought to fruition with cooperation, donations, and funding.   There will be a few more meetings over the next couple of weeks to iron out a few issues.

Some of the sights today:  a kid doing repairs to a canvas canopy of a moving vehicle, street meat ready for cooking, and they are redoing the outside wall of the Cemeterio.

On the way back I walked through the hundreds of booths set up at Feria Libre.  Rick Smith had let me taste a red banana he had just purchased there and it was so sweet and juicy that I had to get some.  I was also out of tomatoes so I hunted until I found these bananas being sold way in the parking lot.  A bunch of bananas and 6 tomatoes cost me $1.50.

I was only wearing that yellow Ecuador jersey I had purchased yesterday and it was getting pretty cool so I asked a lady in a nearby booth the price of a  fleece jacket.  I got it for $15 and was toasty warm all the way home.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Tuesday September 11, 2012

Tuesday September 11/12 update

I did my morning chores then headed to Coral to get a few groceries.  I managed to find some Peter Pan smooth Peanut butter so that went in my basket, and it was the most expensive thing I bought.  I found two packs of good looking sea bass filets so one is going to be supper tonight.  I got my usual head of heavy cabbage which is good for 5 lunches and it was only 37c!   A dozen mandarin oranges were 57c.  Fresh organic vegetables are very inexpensive here as this is a farming country.   We will never starve here.

Rosa is here on her off-rotation day because she skipped last week.   As a result we told her to come in 3 weeks again to get back on rotation.   However she came with the news that she cancelled her RUC because it was a major hassle for her to come downtown to pay it each month.  It appears she is able to make payments online but doesn’t know how.   Therefore we had a long discussion again about how that shifts a huge burden back to us and how her services would likely need to be terminated, no matter how much we like her.   She wants to skirt the IESS Benefits law but we cannot afford to take that risk.  We have offered to help her to learn how to make her RUC payments online so that everyone will be happy again.   She seemed quite pleased with that and will see about resurrecting her RUC because this will have a ripple effect with many of her customers.

I slipped out to recharge my bus card, just in case, and saw that Raoul’s place is really progressing, although it is still by a lot of manual labor. 

Walking back I saw a lady selling more Ecuador soccer shirts because there is a big game against Uruguay today.  She wanted $12 for a big Ecuador flag.  I asked how much for a large shirt and she said $8.  I said no, I can buy them near the stadium for $5.   She came down to $6 and I said no and started to walk away.  She grabbed my arm and said OK for $5, so I got another shirt.   I hung it in the front window as a show of support.   I just checked and it appeared that Ecaudor snuck away with a 1-1 tie so that is a good result for an away game.   We are getting closer to locking up a World Cup spot.   Go Ecuador!

I am getting some semi-positive feedback from the teachers we lost for the Amigos Activity Center but I think we are far from being out of the woods yet.   It is hard to mesh everyone's interpretations and expectations on how the Center should operate.  Some delicate diplomacy and some compromises are going to needed to salvage all this.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Monday September 10, 2012

Monday September 10/12 update

Last night the hamburgers at Bettye and Chris’ were scrumptious, and I even got to take one home.  I got to see the two lovely wall figurines that they now have installed at both ends of their couch in the living room.  They are a great addition and Bettye has very good taste.

I dallied a little too long and then found that all the buses that go to our area weren’t running near Feria Libre so I grabbed a #28 and soon realized it was not going downtown but headed straight south.   So I stayed on it until it neared Coral Centro where I was sure there would be taxis.  I easily hailed a yellow cab and instructed him to continue a few blocks to the Autopista and zoom down to our area.  That is a really quick way home.

Today I did some laundry and mulled over some options for the Amigos Activity Center in response to an email.  I spent 3 hours composing my thoughts and redrafted it many times before finally having the courage to send it.  It was extremely gratifying to know that we are all on the same page and feeling the same frustrations.   The founder, Miguel, has some grandiose plans that he surprised everyone with at the last meeting and that set off a firestorm of activity culminating in the loss of the two teachers we had painstakingly recruited.  None of us are happy campers over this and we are planning a sit-down with Miguel to establish some firm guidelines for continuing our volunteering.     Then maybe we can concentrate on getting our teachers back.

I walked to Coopera to get my weekly allowance and waited to catch the #16 across from the new Community Police Station which had their ribbon-cutting last Friday.   I am thinking that I should go register us there somehow so they will know who we are and where we live.

We arrived at the school not only to find no teachers, but no Miguel, so we had no interpreter if necessary.  One bright spot is that there were several used desks in the room.  Soon the children started coming in and went to the white board and started writing the months in both Spanish and English, getting most of them right.  They are such delightful kids and that is the reason we continue to help.  Believe me, just getting a smile from one of the shy little ones makes my day and melts my heart.  Then they played with my translator and thought that was pretty neat.   The kids piled into the old desks, three abreast, with no complaints whatever.  Linda and Tom brought an activity for the kids to complete and color while we all helped the kids out.  Christine conversed with Patricio about his plan to sand and paint the desks.  Christine’s idea of painting them all a base white color won the day, so that it can be an activity for the kids to decorate the desks later. 

Just as class was winding up, Miguel showed up so things lasted a lot longer.  Then Emilie (originally from Guelph) from Hearts Of Gold stopped by and gave us more ideas.   Then they wanted us to look at a place down the street that had more rooms, and maybe a yard available to us.  It needs a lot of work and it is hard to pin down Miguel on who is going to end up paying for all this.  He vaguely refers to the community people but we are not so sure.  

I took a few shot of various kids today, even street kids, and it is so heartwarming to hear their giggles when I show them their pictures.   Gotta love the Cuencanos. 

Emilie walked with me to Feria Libre where we each caught buses going different directions.  I found it hard to believe that she had never been on the grounds of Feria Libre and she was so surprised to see all the live animals for sale there.

I got off the bus at the Monay Mall and went to La Victoria to price out a projector for the school.   Emilie had thought that we might see one under $200 but the ones on display were closer to $600.  We feel now that a projector is the thing to get for the school because, even without Internet, we could hook up out laptops and play some previously downloaded material right on a blank wall.   That would make our lives so much easier.

Walking over our bridge I noted the river is as low as ever.  We really could use a good overnight rain.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.

Sunday September 9, 2012

Sunday September 9/12 update

I was up at 7:30 to do the chores and get cracking on the rest of the photos.  It didn’t take long to discover that the Internet was down.   I rebooted everything but that didn’t help.  I could see the ServiCable serviceman’s van was across the street so I figured he would notice the disruption soon.  After an hour there was still no Internet so I went across the road to talk to Javier.  Surprisingly he syas he doesn’t use the Internet at home so he was not aware of the outage.   He came over to check my computer and confirmed the problem was again on their end so he said he would look after it.  The outage lasted over 3 hours so I was very late getting everything done.

I am awaiting a Skype call from my mother at 3pm.  We haven’t seen each other in a few months so this will be a nice treat.  It makes us feel much closer this way.

Bettye and Chris just called to invite me for an early supper of hamburgers so I will take the chance on getting over there and hopefully be lucky enough to catch a bus to catch home.   

That was today’s excitement.    Hugs to all.

Saturday September 8, 2012

Saturday September 8/12 update

Had a bad sleep last night plus I left the door open so the boys joined me about 3am.

I was away by 7:30 to walk to Paul Wolf’s place north of the Hospital Del Rio to arrive by 8 pm.  He was ready so we backtracked to follow a creek down to the Tomebamba.  The sun was very bright for the most part which can make photography a lot trickier than a nice overcast day with few shadows.   We followed the Tomebamba until it merged with another of the 4 rivers at the east end of the city.  Along the way we happened across a pair of bovines and 3 very sick horses.   

Paul is a meticulous and knowledgeable photographer and I learn a lot from him.   We each have our interpretation of what we enjoy in a shot which is very good for diversity.   He mentioned that he met another photographer by the name of Mike Hamilton last week and he was most impressed with his work and would love to work with him.

We walked and walked until noon and we were both pretty pooped.  He decided to walk back along the Tomebamba pathways while I opted to slip north to Gonzalez Suarez and catch the #3 home to Monay.   My legs were like rubber already.

As I was coming out of that park a blond lady I had never met was entering and we said Hello.   Then she said “Oh, you are out taking pictures.   You aren’t Bella’s husband by any chance are you??”   The look on my face must have been priceless!  I finally managed to stammer that yes, I was in fact married to Bella.   This clairvoyant lady turns out to be Lulie, whom Bella had mentioned many times, probably from weaving?  Anyway, once my shock subsided we had a brief chat before I staggered up the hill to catch the bus.

I caught the bus to Monay and then ambled down the hill, stopping next door for lunch and juice again.  I was wrong on the price.  They are only charging me $1.25 without the soup!   Such a deal.

Then it was a wonderful nap time before I re-showered prior to heading to Joe’s Secret Garden.

I arrived at Joe’s before 5pm, ahead of all the guests and proceeded to take some ambience shots.  The menu was Chinese food and 28 folks signed up but 2 cancelled at the last moment.  I got shots of about half the guests before I had to leave.

While waiting for my taxi I saw Barry & Maxine Wilder (from Calgary) passing by so we had a chat.  They wave Hi to everyone (see photo).

I had to attend a gathering at Miriam and Fernando’s place downtown for a lovely potluck supper and some decadent desserts.  There were about 7 couples, many of whom I knew.  I was introduced to this new couple, guess who??? …Mike & Cody Hamilton, so we had a good chat about photography, and myself and Paul will hopefully join Mike on an outing soon.  They are a super nice couple, as was everyone at this get-together.  I had been requested by Fernando and Miriam to be a dance partner for a single lady friend of theirs so I had arrived with Bella’s blessing.   The single lady turned out to be Linda, a former bridge partner of Bella’s.  After the buffet they put on the music for a Motown theme which suited this evening just fine as it was 90% rock & roll.   I sure missed Bella for an evening such as this.   Hopefully these next 2 months will fly by quickly like the first month has gone.

That capped off a very long and busy day so that I had trouble climbing the stairs to my lair.  I managed to get the morning photos processed before hitting the sack and I was out like a light for 6 hours.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.