Friday November 2, 2012

Friday November 2/12  update #273

While waiting for my arrivals from Canada I heard some odd buzzing and looked out to see two planes/jets streaking back and forth in tandem across the sky.  From this distance it was tough to ascertain, but I am positive they are military judging from the payloads on the undercarriages.  I figure they are part of the Cuenca Anniversary celebrations happening this weekend.

Bella and Mavis arrived as expected around 1:30pm  and we set about the unpacking of 6 suitcases and 2 backpacks.  I can’t believe all the stuff they brought.  Our kitchen is now very well stocked with appliances and gadgets and spices, etc, although some items mysteriously never made it here.  Maybe the Customs guys like Hy’s Seasoning Salt too….

Bella took Mavis on a short walk in the neighborhood and it was comical how they witnessed a puppy vs rooster confrontation almost outside our front window.  A silly puppy was no match for the upset rooster!

I made a pasta supper and everybody settled down.   I spent 3 hours setting up Bella’s new laptop which was a bargain for about $380.  I get so frustrated with the newer versions of Windows where you can’t find anything any more.  I installed Firefox and Google Chrome so hopefully we never have to use Windows crap.

I have much to do with some of my old software that Bella brought along and not enough time.

Tomorrow promises to be very busy with the Anniversary celebrations in full swing.

We have now been in Cuenca officially for 1 year today….

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

Thursday November 1, 2012

Thursday November 1/12  update #272

Art, art, and even more art!!!   I spent the day beside the Rio Tomebamba, just below El Centro, going through all the artisan booths stretching from the Broken Bridge to Otorongo.   Much of the art is amazing and so well priced.   Some of the artisans are so very inventive and talented.   I managed to restrict myself to spending only $10 but I am looking for someone to loan me $300.    See the photos and you will know why!

I met lots of folks I know on my 4 hour odyssey and had lots of chats.   I even ran into Jay early on, and he was helping his landlady’s daughter, Gabriela, to find some paintings.   I mentioned I had seen some exhibited when passing on the bus, at the Broken Bridge and not far from the Electrica Empreza building.    I later went by the Broken Bridge and I am still drooling over one piece in particular….   Did I mention the need for $300????

I took lots of shots so please enjoy the wonderful art.

Oh, and I found out that we can find out about most happenings in town on the town’s website  http://www.cuenca.com.ec and then just click on any of the 3 Agenda flags ½ way down.   Someone actually managed to hand me the November book today.   When I had asked for it yesterday they had none at the iTur office.

About 8:15pm I thought we were having a military firefight behind us, it sounded like so much gunfire, and close…  I finally caught a glimpse of the last burst of fireworks from the Monay Mall area. 

The house is clean and I am now doing laundry to await my sweetheart’s arrival tomorrow after lunch.  Gosh, 3 months is a long time and I will be glad to have her back.

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

Wednesday October 31, 2012

Wednesday October 31/12  update #271

Today I made arrangements to meet Jay at 10am at El Vergel so we could explore a metalworkers exhibition in the area.  Jay managed to get there by taxi  and we found the museum but were dismayed to find out the exhibit did not open until 5pm!   So we had lunch and visited the many neat shops and marveled at some of their incredible talent and artistry.  We were quite surprised to be greeted in English, especially by ladies in ethnic costume at a store selling Peruvian clothing.  We had a few chuckles there with one fellow wearing a devil’s face balaclava and performing for us.

We got many shots around El Vergel and the Pumapungo Inca ruins.   They had the llamas tied up right on the ruins, no doubt acting as live lawnmowers.  I showed Jay where Big Kabuda’s Restaurant was, then we climbed the hill and toured the Banco Central Museum.

Jay had to go home and charge up his camera battery and I needed to pick up my hard-earned cookies from Carole Walter in Rio Sol.  Carole and Ray have a lovely townhouse in the back of Rio Sol and we spent a good hour looking at photos they had taken on a Rhine cruise.

I wound my way back home and threw the cookies in the freezer, changed my shoes and climbed the hill again to catch the #3 downtown. 

Jay and I met again at 4pm as there was supposed to be some All Saints Day celebrations at Parque Calderon.  Nothing much was happening so I started to show Jay the sights, like the mimes, and the Justice Building, and we also tried to find a spare battery for his camera without success.  We went by the San Francisco Market and decided to get off our feet and have some supper.  Jay bought the pizza at La Vina and we both enjoyed our meal and a beer and the few minutes rest for our aching feet.

We went back to Parque Calderon but there was still no action at all so we called it a day and went our respective ways.

Tonight is Hallowe’en of course but there are no goblins or ghosts running around here.

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

Tuesday October 30, 2012

Tuesday October 30/12  update #270

I was at Hearts Of Gold again this morning and we have now sold almost 30% of the tickets in our pre-sale.

While I was there I got a call from John, a fellow I had met at Parque Paraiso twice.   He had mentioned on Sunday that he had seen a poster about a Rodeo somewhere Nov 3, but couldn’t remember where.   He called to say he saw the poster at the Miraflores Super Maxi but couldn’t give me any more details…

I left my shift early because I had to be home for Rosa’s arrival for housecleaning.  I had a quick lunch and as soon as Rosa arrived, I caught the #15 to downtown hoping to catch the #28 to Super Maxi but it never seems to show up when we need it so I started walking.   It really wasn’t a long walk but it started to sprinkle, then rain, so I was thankful I had thought to put my mini-umbrella in my fanny pack.

I found the poster and didn’t like that the tickets were $20 for the Rodeo, nor that the times conflicted with our other Saturday plans.   Too bad!   I am sure it would be worth seeing.   However, by the time we leave Joe’s and get to party at Los Sauces for the Cuenca Independence celebrations, that will have to trump the Rodeo.

So I decided to do my grocery shopping at Super Maxi, something I haven’t done since Bella left.  I had a very short list but still spent $60 by picking up sundries that are hard to find anywhere else.   While I was there the heavens opened a couple of times and we could really hear the downpour bang on the roof.  I did my shopping leisurely while I waited for it to subside.   It was back to a sprinkle by the time I had to catch the cab home.

Rosa has been such a good worker and she said she still could use a couple of more customers so I told her I would give her a recommendation on GringoTree.   She is anxiously awaiting Bella’s return to help her set up Internet payments for her monthly RUC government payments.   It is too much of a hassle for Rosa to have to go to their offices to pay the monthly billing.

I am looking forward to having some corn on the cob for supper tonight, one of life's simple pleasures.
Blogspot is giving me fits lately.    When I upload my photos it continuously fouled up the order of them.  I see they are now solving that problem by not letting me upload ANY photos!!   Thanks again Google...

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   

Hunka hunka burnin' love, up the street from us

Yonder rodeo poster

Monday October 29, 2012

Monday October 29/12  update #269

I was requested by Emilie at Hearts Of Gold to show up if I had nothing better to do, so I did.  I had about an hour’s sleep so I was anxious to get up and about anyway.   I did the full morning shift, went to the Coopera near the Chamber of Commerce to do the banking.    I took several shots of the progress in Parque De La Madre which seems to be really moving along now.   I tried to have lunch at the Inca Bar, known for its burgers etc, but it was closed so I climbed the stairs and had a couple of spicy shawarmas for lunch.  What a treat!

As I was rushing to get back to the office I was stopped by a small older Ecuadorian who was asking if I was interested in renting an apartment or not, as he had two for rent in the Oro Verde Hotel complex.  I should have realized right then that I was talking to the “Captain”, a friend of Chris and Bettye’s.  He is 83 years old and had just returned from piloting a ship through the Mediterranean.   He is quite the character and he made a few predictions that I hope do not come true.

I got back for the afternoon shift but ended up just resting on the loveseat for 3 hours.   We had three of my friends buy tickets in the morning so we have sold about 20 of the available 71 seats before they go on public sale.    I have also agreed to return in the morning for 3 hours before I have to rush home to allow Rosa in the house for cleaning.

I popped by Raoul’s new house to say Hello.  That building is really progressing now.

I went next door for supper.  I was just too late and too tired to cook.   I barely had the energy to feed the Boys.

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

Sunday October 28, 2012

Sunday October 28/12  update #268

I was up every 2 hours trying to finish off the blogs from yesterday but Blogspot was having trouble uploading so I would go back to bed and try again every time I woke up.   Very frustrating.

With very little sleep I awoke with a headache so I just did the chores and went back to bed.   I sent an email to Jay from Montreal to see if he wanted to see the festivities at Parque Paraiso this afternoon and he agreed.  My headache continued so I took a couple of Tylenol and caught the bus.   Jay met me by the bridge and I helped him set up his fancy Olympus camera a little.

We wandered the park but were shocked that the festivities reported to run 10am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday were nowhere in evidence.   When I went by the park in the taxi last night around 9:30pm the place was still hopping.   We could hear fireworks and loud bangs until 12:30 am.   Regardless we enjoyed a pork dinner and meandered the length of the park enjoying the families having fun.    My headache still wasn’t gone so I wasn’t too much in photography mode today.

There were families enjoying themselves and a couple of comedians for entertainment, but other than that there was only the handsome cab waiting in readiness.

We saw the spray paint artist showing off in front of a crowd and Jay was fascinated.  When he heard he could buy the painting he just witnessed being created for $10, he had his wallet out immediately.

Jay and I caught a yellow cab home where he got to meet the Boys and see our lovely home.   Peso and Pancho were very affectionate to Jay and he took an immediate liking to them.

Then we walked up to Coral at the Monay Mall where I helped Jay locate a few minor items and I introduced him to Jorge, the grocery manager.   Neither of us were very hungry so we just opted for a brownie ice cream sundae. Mistake.  It was delicious, but ice cream is never good with a headache.    

I am sitting here and briefly heard carnival-type music so I looked out the window to see the amusement park on the hill is lit up and apparently operating.  It certainly is colourful.

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

Saturday October 27, 2012

Saturday October 27/12 update #267

I locked the Boys out and had a good sleep.   Even so, I had another 2 hour nap before heading west.

A stop was made to briefly watch Jorge and his buddies play volleyball.   I got some shots of them with a pretty dramatic sky in the background.   This is so very common to get these threatening skies but we rarely get any rain from them.   They have to go west to the Cajas before they open up most of the time.

From there I caught the bus over to Joe’s Secret Garden, where the sky was already clearing up and it was a lovely late afternoon.  I would rather take outdoor shots at Joe's any day of the week since indoor shots are so finicky.

Today was Fried Chicken Day so Joe’s had lots of bookings and they tried something different, two evening seatings.   Some people were supposed to get fed at 6:30 then a second bunch would take over the seating at 7:15.   There was a lot of grumbling over this, because the first group worried that they would be booted out early to make way for the late group.  Then the latecomers were worried about standing around waiting and eating too late.  Somehow Joseph made room so everyone could get seated and all the grumbling stopped.   The fried chicken was perfection again tonight, as was the apple peach cobbler for dessert.

I got to finally meet Jay Shink from Montreal tonight.  We had been corresponding by email for a long time since Jay discovered my blog.  What a nice man!   He even brought us some cat food and spices from Canada!  I know the two of us will be getting together soon and I’ll show him around town.   He will be here at least 6 months.   I introduced him to most of the other Canadians in attendance tonight, like Garth & Orilla, Joanne & Kevin, and Mark & Karen.

My seatmates for supper were another Canadian pair from Milton, Ontario, Frank and Rita Chin.  We are so fortunate to make the acquaintance of so many interesting people at Joe’s.

Carol Walter was celebrating her 80^th Birthday this night and she asked me to take a quick portrait of her to send to her friends.  She promised to bake me a huge batch of 35 cookies for my trouble.

Another lady from Montreal asked me to send her some photos too.   She is originally from Hungary and met another Hungarian lady this night.

The taxis were very slow getting to Joe's tonight so I got home rather late.

I have encountered many problems trying to upload the blogs since 3am….

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

Friday October 26, 2012

Friday October 26/12 update #266

Couldn’t sleep so I was up most of the night uploading photos.   I had set the alarm for 6:30 to be sure I would arrive at Hearts Of Gold (HOG) on time at 8am, and I must have just nodded off before it rang.

I arrived early and helped out making a poster for Emilie to sell little crocheted baby’s outfits that are made by one of Sheryle’s employees girls.   Sheryle even stopped in for a bit, just before lunch.

We are up to 13 tickets sold but expect most of the tickets to be gone Monday and Ruesday.   I sent out a broadcast email to most Cuenca friends and got favorable responses from many already.

I caught the #16 home from near the stadium because I had forgotten the return route home, in case I need to catch it again some day.

I had a quick nap on the terrace and early supper.  I had toyed with the idea of going to the Deportivo Cuenca futbol match against 2^nd ranked Quito tonight, but I just watched a couple of movies instead.   I will make it an early night tonight.   No photos today.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   

Thursday October 25, 2012

Thursday October 25/12 update #265

I woke up at 3am but forced myself to doze until 8:30.  It sure makes a difference when a person gets the proper rest.

I am enjoying the return of the water so much, even with the bonus of additional pressure, that I had another shower until the gas ran out.  It is a good thing that we always have an extra full tank on hand.

I hurriedly went through my chores and was dismayed that my efforts to set up a photography tour to Ona for Monday were for naught.  JD’s has let us down again.  Oh well, we will try again soon.

Today I headed to the Solano area, first to see a photography display at a Metals Museum supposedly on the corner of Solano and Diez De Agosto.  I checked all 4 corners and asked two Ecuadorians, both of whom spoke passable English, but they were no help.  I ended up walking up to the Kaddafa café and asked, and sure enough, it is upstairs where I took photos 4 weeks ago.  I never did see any sign saying this was a museum.  However my luck was holding true, it was closed until 3pm.

Unfortunately, my second item of business was to volunteer to sell Christmas Gala tickets at the Hearts Of Gold office across from Edificio La Fragata (where my Spanish teacher Christine, Bella’s bridge partner Yoshi, and H.O.G.’s Melinda all live).   My shift is from 2pm to 5:30 but they let me in early.  Emilie showed up at 2:20 and had to leave so I waited for Melinda who showed up around 2:40.   She showed me the ropes while she was waiting for three young English-speaking Ecuadorian volunteers for a 2:30 appointment.  These young ladies, one of whom who spoke flawless English because she lived in the USA until age 13, finally showed up at 4:30 claiming to have gotten lost.  These kind of volunteers are priceless so we discussed many ways of getting them, and their school, involved.

The day was very slow otherwise for me.   I only sold 2 entrance tickets, and 1 raffle ticket, all to myself…   I am now contracted to return tomorrow morning and Monday afternoon.

Then I walked all the way to Pumapungo to Big Kabuda’s for my burger fix.  Jesus and I had a good chat.   They are now open 7 days per week starting at 5pm.  Yippee!   We also discussed taking trips again.  He said he had checked Cosmos tours and will most likely take one of their tours.  I guess his wife has had 2 bouts with cancer so they know how precious their time is.   His wife actually looks better than I’ve ever seen her.

My next stop was to go to a university alumni concert at the Banco Central Auditorium for 8pm.  I was way early at 7pm but I suspected something was odd when there was a lineup starting and they had a box office open.   Hmmm, this was supposed to be a free concert, so I asked.  They said there was no music tonight, just a theatrical comedy concert.   So off I went again.

I was amazed when the #15 pulled up almost immediately at the bus stop and it was filling up.  I managed to get a seat before 2 stops, which was indeed fortunate because at the following stop the bus was jammed to the rafters.  I had hoped many would get off before my home stop but still more got on than those that got off.  At my stop I didn’t even try to barge my way out with my big backpack.   I just figured I would ride it to the top at El Valle and catch the next empty one back.

Well, one mile up the El Valle road the bus veers off onto a dirt road into the valley on the right!   We had taken the #15 many times during the day to El Valle and the bus had never veered from the main road so here we were, off on another adventure.  This bus swerved and careened on this back road then started climbing and climbing.  At every stop, many people disembarked.   I must have been the only one expecting a trip on the main road….  When he reached a point that I figured was about a block from the main road he made a quick announcement and everyone got off, leaving this bewildered Canuck shaking his head.   I walked up and asked him how I get back to Monay, he said to just sit down, so I did.   He didn’t even want 25c for the return trip.   Nice fellow.

Hmmm, brown coloured water again tonight…..

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

Wednesday October 24, 2012

Wednesday October 24/12 update #264

Still no water this morning at 6am.   I tried contacting Paul Wolf, my nearest friend near the Hospital Del Rio, to arrange to have a shower only to find that they have the same problem.   He sent me a news item in El Tiempo that says 60,000 homes were affected and that they restored the water after 48 hours, at 7pm and they would need about 3 hours to fill the reserve tanks.   Liars!!  Apparently they had a break in a water pipe from the treatment plant and repair efforts were hampered by rain and landslides in the trench.    It is amazing how much we depend on the water, showers, flushing toilets, drinking water, and mainly cleaning.  If we didn't have 1/2 a bottle of water we would be in deep trouble with the cats.

The neighbor next door was still doing their stupid pounding at 6:45am so I pound back on the wall to let them know it is not appreciated.

8:45am and we have dirty water but not with enough pressure to have a shower yet.   I am letting the water flow until it clears up and we get some pressure.   I was about to run over to Chris and Bettye’s across town for a shower because I couldn’t stand myself any more.  At least now, even a cold sponge bath is a welcome relief.

I have received the sad news that AAC is going to be closed down for a while, and maybe permanently.  All the founders are of the same opinion as me and have basically issued an ultimatum for more reliable physical and financial help from Miguel and the community or the school will not reopen.  Many of the dedicated volunteers are going back to the US or moving out of town so a fresh infusion of talent would definitely be required.  Many very dedicated people have put in a lot of time and money into AAC and we are truly sad to see this demise.

9:30am I had a quick nap until 11:15 then went to Coopera to get some cash to buy tickets to the Hearts Of Gold Gala.  It is an overcast, spitting rain, kind of day but it still felt good to be mobile.   I stopped in at the good video store but it had a sign “Regresso en 5 minutos” so I waited 20 minutes then kept going.

I went to Coral and picked up some cushions for my deck chair at a reasonable price (and they work great).  Then I picked up some cutlery and tried to find normal elastics without success.   I also ran into John and Kathy who take Spanish classes with Chris and Bettye.

When I got home there was enough water pressure to get hot water and it was running somewhat clearer so I tackled the dishes.  I know I am odd, but it actually felt good to be doing dishes.  I find it relaxing, except when the glass lid from the frying pan explodes next to me in the rinse water.  Luckily all the glass stayed in the water so it was an easy clean-up.

I had a great pork chop supper and did dishes again, then I showered.   I maust have been thrilled to have the water back because I did laundry as well.

My plan was to be done by 7:30 then catch the #3 downtown to a French music concert at Teatro Sucre.  The only #3 that came by drove right by me empty.  So I just headed back home, but not before spotting a place with movies on the corner by Coral.   I got 12 movies for $8.75, brand new..

So no photos today.  That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   

Tuesday October 23, 2012

Tuesday October 23/12 update #263

I was up until 2:30 watching a movie, since I wasn’t tired because of the long nap.   Then a neighbour (this is 2 days in a row now) decides to pound on something starting at 6:45am for about 5 minutes, just enough to wake up the whole neighbourhood..  I find myself getting more upset each time with the rudeness of Ecuadorians when it comes to noise.  One of the neighbor’s car alarms was going off all weekend until I was almost going bonkers.  They just seem to think it is tough titty for everyone else.

Still no water this morning so I checked with the restaurant next door and she confirmed it was a neighbourhood problem so she must be really in trouble!   I asked Michael Berger to check what is happening so he managed to contact Etapa and they have indicated that we should have water restored by this evening.  I sure hope so, or I won’t even sleep with myself!   I’ll have to go out and get a temporary hotel room with a shower.

I could watch them craning up the supports for the rollercoaster being assembled at the amusement park on the road to El Valle.  Any Health and Safety professional would just shake their head in disbelief at the way they do things here.  

Hearts Of Gold are holding a fundraiser Gala Night at Joe’s Secret Garden on December 6th and I have volunteered to help sell tickets for the 70 spots available.  I am booked to work Thursday pm and Friday am.

I heard the familiar sound of a hummingbird and I saw one perched in one of Tom Thumb’s favorite spots.  It took me a while to get the feeder filled, etc, but it is now on the windowsill with the big silk flower like usual so we are hoping to see our little buddy visiting us again.

I waited for the metal shelf guys to come and install the terrace shelf at 2pm.   Finally at 3pm I just walked over there and saw my shelf, made of aluminum, sitting on one of the work tables.  They called out the owner and he asked if they could install it tomorrow.  It is always manana in Ecuador!  I flatly said no, that the agreement was to install it today at 2pm and it was now past 3pm.  I asked if the shelf was completed and he said yes, so they just started gathering tools and we headed to the house.  It came in shorter than we originally requested but that was OK, I was just happy to get this up for the boys.  When they tried to screw it into the concrete wall they realized they needed more bracing underneath to make it sit flat so they had to run back to the shop for 4 small braces.  It really didn’t take too long and they were very nice.   They were also very curious about the Boys too.  Bella’s long rug that she had woven specifically for an 8” shelf fits perfectly.   So far it hasn’t slid off anywhere so I am hoping we don’t have to do anything to secure it to the aluminum.  We might need those picnic table clips.

The Boys have been sitting out there since it was put up so we know we have done the right thing.  Peso can really watch all the swallows scoot by, one after the other, and he is just riveted.

Then I spotted that gorgeous yellow bird again.   He was desperately trying to dislodge a dead leaf from a tree so he is certainly nesting close by.   It was funny to watch him look at all the angles and then try to yank it in different directions.  He was persistent on this stubborn leaf and he seems to have gotten his prize after all his hard work.

7pm and still no return of Tom Thumb, or our water supply, darn it.

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

Monday October 22, 2012

Monday October 22/12 update #262

Last night I went to brush my teeth and there was no water.    And the boys had taken over my bed so I spent an uncomfortable night on the couch.   This morning we have tap water but it full of sediment so I had to use the bottled water for my coffee.

I turned on the TV to watch some Spanish news while I ate some granola for breakfast and now we don’t catch a single channel.    No news, movies, music or sports.  I sent another email to Jorge Vidal stressing the situation and he responded that they hope to resolve this quickly.

Rommie and Charles are returning in early December and are looking for a 2 bedroom furnished place near El Centro with no stairs.   If anyone knows of anything, please let us know.

The water from the tap got even worse later on, really brown and ugly, so that I didn’t even want to rinse dishes with it.

I was off to Coopera for banking and to pick up eggs, vegetables and fruit.   I brought home 3 bags of stuff for just over $12.   It is so refreshing to see fruit right off the trees, fresh, and without fancy packaging to drive up costs.

Did I ever mention how much I love palm trees??   Only a few times??   What a glorious morning to be out and about in the fresh air.

On the way back I spoke to Raoul whose home is now almost closed in.  He says the construction is going well.  I seem to recall he hoped to have occupancy in September.

Once I unpacked that stuff, I headed to Coral for a few more items, carrying our wheelie basket.  It was nice to see the river back to normal level.    I crossed the road and then decided to cross back to be sure the metal guy was going to have my shelf for tomorrow.  I looked both ways like usual and started across.  In the corner of my left eye I caught movement and reared back and held my breath while this grey car missed me by half an inch!  If he had had an aerial he would have taken half my face off!   I don’t know how I didn’t see him initially.   All I can think of is that he roared around the corner without stopping.  Whoever it was didn’t brake, or swerve, or anything.   Maybe they didn’t even see me at all??  My life flashed before my eyes as one of my greatest fears almost came to fruition.  One little slip and end up in hospital, or dead, with nobody here to back me up.   That is a trifle scary.

Oh, the metal shop boss wasn’t there but one of his helpers was assuring me there would be no problem.

I filled the basket with another $18 worth of sundries from Coral and rolled home with the basket.  I unpacked the groceries and noted the Coral “guaranteed fresh” cabbage was dripping water.   I was going to chop it up anyway but decided to pierce it to the center first.  Water poured out of it for 20 seconds!   It appears they are learning North American tricks here.   I called my buddy Jorge from Coral, who I has seen earlier, and advised him of the situation.   He is the grocery manager so I wanted to be sure he was aware of this.

The water from the tap has begun to run really clear again at 11:30 but at about half pressure.   At 2pm the water is basically shut off again.

The weather patterns here have returned to normal with bright beautiful mornings then a short rain in mid-afternoon.

There was a beautiful yellow bird nearby today.  He wasn’t in a banana tree, just in case you were wondering….   I can hopefully count on Betty M. to identify it..??..

I hopped in bed for a nap and awoke almost 3 hours later.  Still no water… just a trickle from the kitchen tap, not enough to replenish a toilet flush upstairs.

That made cooking supper interesting so I was thankful we have some bottled water.  I made some tilapia in white wine, butter, lemon and onions.  Mmmmmmmm Good!!  I heated some of my frozen mashed potatoes and only used ½ of that so those 30 potatoes I peeled are good for 10 meals.  Then I boiled up a package of Ecuadorian veggies and beans that I had bought this morning at Coopera for 76c.  I had my doubts but they were absolutely wonderful and the package was also enough for 2 meals!   Bonus!!

I just got an email from a fellow from Montreal that had been corresponding with me over my blog.   Jay arrived 5 days ago and is going to Joe’s on Saturday and wanted to know if I was going…   Heck YES, it is Fried Chicken Saturday and I am not missing that!!  And Jay has actually brought us some cat food from Canada, can you believe that??   Some people are so thoughtful.

It is now after 9:30 and still no water....  I thought they would have it back on at suppertime but that didn't happen.   I sure hope it is on in the morning so I can shower, do the litter, etc.

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

Sunday October 21, 2012

Sunday October 21/12 update #261

It is amazing the feeling of relief I have today after resigning from AAC.  I feel like I have my life back to enjoy my days as I see fit, to walk, to ride, to travel, to plan, and to photograph.  It was the right decision at the right time.

I noticed they are installing an amusement park again on the mountain going to El Valle.  This park was there a year ago and we were quite surprised that it was temporary and was dismantled.

Today there is a large gathering at Manon’s and many people were invited.   I had intended to go early to help her set up but had to wait to Skype with Mom and Leonie, feed the boys, then it was raining, so I got away later than expected.  I was going to walk to Coopera but the rain began again so I walked to the bus stop and caught the #16.  As it passed Coopera, the Credit Union seemed to be closed so I did not get off, but continued to Feria Libre where it wasn’t raining.   I walked to the Coopera there, but it was closed too.

I was hoping to find a tienda to buy some wine to bring but everything was closed so I walked to the Super Maxi.   I picked up a bottle of rum for $6.46, a 3-litre Coke and Sprite for $2.73 and a drinking thermos for $5.45 and went to the checkout.  There he tells me they can’t sell liquor on Sunday…. So I just gave up and walked away.

The crowd at Manon’s included mostly familiar faces but there were a lot less people than I expected to see.  I met Bev who was born in Regina, and we were soon joined by another new couple, Rick & Ali from Vancouver.  I also had a chat with Mike and Cody Hamilton about setting up small photo trip, maybe to Ola?  One of the people who joined our last photo trip had bought that fish farm that Bella had been eyeing on the Internet.   They have invited us to come down sometime.   I’ll have to work on that.

Chris and Bettye, John and Kathy, Brad and Cindy, and many other friends were there.  Peter and his wife (sorry, forgot her name) sat with us for a while and announced they had just celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary.   Congrats.

I asked Chris how the morning party for the AAC went and was surprised to hear that he had not attended, and likely neither had Tom and Linda.  I hope Miguel was there, because at least he would know the reason why I was not there.  The frustration with Miguel has pervaded everyone so we are not sure what will become of AAC.

I only had one shot of Zhumir, a local drink one wit compared to flavoured lighter fluid, and I just kept adding mix because it was so strong. 

I left early and was home by 8pm.   I shared a taxi with Sterling, dropping him off at his apartment on Mariscal Lamar.  He says he is going to have another party on his rooftop patio in early December.

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

Saturday October 20, 2012

Saturday October 20/12 update #260

I spent most of the morning and afternoon confirming my decision to resign from AAC and trying to draft an email to the founding members accordingly.   While it was a heartbreaking decision it feels like an enormous weight has been lifted from my back.    I wish them well.

Then it was time to head to Joe’s.   I stopped at Feria Libre and tried again in vain to find the lady with the baby buns.   After a half hour of going up and down the aisles I just broke down and bought some cheese buns off a vendor.   I then delivered them to Manon’s place for tomorrow night’s soiree.

The supper at Joe’s was Duck a l’Orange which was good, but sparse.  The salad was delicious but small, then two of us at our table had very skimpy pieces of duck with very little meat and we were left hungry as they had no extras to give us.  The dessert was also very small so overall it was not very satisfying for the price.  Luckily we had entertaining and intelligent company at the table so it was a pleasant evening.

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

Friday October 19, 2012

Friday October 19/12 update #259

I spent all morning trying to put together a group of videos and powerpoint shows for AAC so we would have something to try on our new projector.   I confirmed with Chris first that he was not already preparing something.  I knew there was a great Travel Alberta commercial called “Remember to Breathe” that I could not find in any format except YouTube so I contacted them and they finally responded with an MP4 version for me.  I tried to find good Canadian videos as well and thought I had found a Government site with lots of videos but it turns out they are short, and huge….  And you have to apply for permission to download them.   Typical Canadian Government waste of time.

My satellite installer says my loss of many more channels is the result of the migrating Amazonas satellite and that he hopes to have a solution shortly.  Last night I was quite upset when ½ of my chosen few stations from Saturday now read “Scrambled” as well, and I now have no English news station at all! 

I made it over to AAC and started to set up for the projector, etc.   Surprise, surprise, Miguel popped in for 20 seconds to say Hello and was gone again.   Chris came with the projector and laptop and I supplied the internet stick with the content along with the speakers.

I warned the kids that we not tolerate anyone interfering with the projector.  Two brand new smart-ass boys decided to challenge us so they were summarily ejected.  That sure opened the eyes of the others that we were not prepared to put up with any nonsense during the show.  Oddly, Tom and Linda did not warn us they were not showing up but most of the rest came.  Someone decided to pass out milk and cookies during the show and I was not pleased with the constant interruptions and the inevitable spills everywhere.  Usually we save any food to the end, as a reward for good behaviour.

Needless to say, I am again reconsidering my involvement with AAC.  Miguel is never around and the male presence from the community has been lost somewhere.  Almost all the other volunteers have all missed a day this week without notifying anyone.   We almost never know who is going to show up and who is prepared to do what on any given day, even though it has always seemed to work itself out thus far, mostly because Richard is so keen to teach.  What will happen when he and Cathy leave the country in 2 weeks??    I keep hoping to get this organized somehow but we need direction from Miguel, funding, and more volunteers willing to lead activities.  I am going to sleep on this over the weekend again but when it ceases to be fun, and you begin to lose your cool, I think it is time to walk away.

I went next door for he chicken supper and ordered 2 pieces of chicken, firstly because I was hungry, and secondly to see what she would charge.  The supper was wonderful but I wasn’t too thrilled that she wanted $3 this time.   A day full of frustrations, what can I say….. 

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

Wednesday-Thursday October 17-18, 2012

Wednesday October 17/12 update #257

It was a threatening day but I was awake at 6:30 so I did a lot of photo work before heading over to AAC.  The heavens opened again right after the start of class so I was glad that I had retrieved my umbrella form Joe’s on Monday.

Class was brisk with Richard teaching some English for a bit then Linda had a cut and paste, then coloring activity so that kept the kids busy.  I find myself getting very short with the older boys who seem to have ADD and are disruptive to the class with their wanderings and constant demands.   We are going to have to figure out a way to keep them involved.

I wandered through Feria Libre trying to find the lady that sells the baby buns so I could buy a supply for an upcoming event but I couldn’t find her, and it was raining, so I just caught the bus home.

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

Thursday October 18/12 update #258

I had trouble getting motivated today but did manage to get over to Christine & Noel Magee’s to join Nancee Petersen for a Spanish conversation meeting.   When they get to talking about subjective verbs, preterites, future perfect and all that jazz, then my mind just shuts off and I go watch the hummingbirds…..

We went for lunch to Kadaffa on Solano again.  The owner is very nice and today’s almuerzo was lentil soup and pork chops and rice, with juice and dessert for $2.50.  I asked for a second pork chop and my bill was $3.00!   Where can you buy a pork chop for 50c??

The sky was threatening all around but I could see lightning to the north as we left so I didn’t want to dally too long before catching the bus.   I did stop at the two churches at the corner of Remigio Crespo which also has bonus views of Turi and the main cathedral.

I made it home before the rain really started and watched the swallows dancing in the sky.  The rain is sorely needed and it has really refreshed the river levels.   As the rain tapered off we got low cloud/fog on the tops of our mountains to the south which makes the view so pretty here.

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

Tuesday October 16, 2012

Tuesday October 16/12 update #256

I was up early as I had a few items on my agenda today.   First was a stop at Etapa to receive the latest communication from the Commercial manager regarding my request for a refund of the $40.80 charge to cancel their crappy service.   Naturally he just repeated that they fixed my service several times so there should have been no problem….  Duh….  So, again I reiterate to everyone, STAY AWAY FROM ETAPA.   If even one person signs up somewhere else I will cost them more than the lousy $40.80.  Consider that done.

From there I walked to the Windhorse Café Book/Movie Exchange and didn’t think I would find 8 movies to exchange for my batch but I actually found about a dozen so I had to make some choices.

During my walks today there were some pretty sights and dramatic skies to behold so the camera got a workout.   I even made a quick run-through of the CIDAP Museum.  We get a view of Parque De La Madre over the fence there and it appears things are moving along rapidly with the exception of the parkade.

There is a Tuesday 2 for 1 sale at Papa John’s Pizza so I went to see if I could get that promotion on their $4 personal size pizza…  No soap!  He said it started with the $12 medium sizes.   Bummer.

I stopped in the Fuji store for a second and saw that they can do a 12” x 20” photo on canvas for $20.70.  Such a deal!!

I got off the bus near the Monay Mall and walked down the hill because I was determined to scratch the last item off our renovation/construction list.  That is, namely, the ledge/shelf for the boys to sit on in the terrace window.  Bella has already woven them a nice 8” x 9’ rug to sit on, but when we installed the windows they needed to be set in much closer than expected so we were only left with a 4” ledge. 

So today I stopped in to see the woodworkers on the corner below the Mall.  I told them what I wanted but they couldn’t give me any ideas or straight answers so I went across the road to the metal workers.  There was a couple in the office yakking at the boss so I just wandered in the yard and got some ideas of options.  When the boss came free I showed him my ideas with the stock he had in the yard.  Then we jumped in his truck and he came over to view the ledge for himself and take some measurements.  I stressed the importance of it being non-rusting since it is exposed to the sun and rain.  We agreed on a 8” wide, 2cm high, and 9’ long stainless steel shelf , installed next Tuesday at 2pm, for $80.  Could you imagine what that would cost in Canada??  I had $45 left over from our construction budget so we are good to go.

I got home in time to make lunch just before Rosa came to do the housecleaning.   She was on time today.   Her work was interrupted by a broken hose on the vacuum so out came the snips, silicone sealant and finally duct tape….. 

I spent most of the afternoon going through all the channels on the Satellite TV.   I had received a cryptic email from our installer about some problem due to a migration of a satellite.  Maybe the problem was with folks who had to aim at a satellite to the west but, reception-wise, I was having no problem with my eastern satellite.   What I am having trouble with is that many of my favourite channels are now scrambled…. CNN, BBC, all the HBO, Max Prime, etc.   I have responded by email to Jorge Vidal for an explanation if possible.

I knew my bag of potatoes was getting on its last legs so I put on some rubber gloves and grabbed the peeler and went to work.  I never knew what a difference the rubber gloves would make.  Before I knew it I had peeled over 30 potatoes.  I boiled them up and made a lot of mashed potatoes, enough for 5 meals, and froze 4 servings.

As I was doing this the heavens opened and we are getting a very nice and welcome rain.

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

Monday October 15, 2012

Monday October 15/12 update #255

Chores and naps before heading to AAC.  We got a late notice that Linda was sick today so we were unsure what to expect.  We found out that Miguel is in the USA until Thursday.

Christine was here today with paper and paint supplies so the kids got right into it.   A couple of the girls, Tatiana and Natalie, definitely show some artistic talent! 

When we ran out of paper then Cathy got the kids again making the skipping ropes and the kids had a ball skipping outside, even the boys.  Everything was a bit hectic today but everyone had a good time.

As I was walking to the bus I heard from Chris that the new projector has arrived, yippee!!  He will check it out thoroughly before we decide to unveil it, possibly Friday…… 

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

Sunday October 14, 2012

Sunday October 14/12 update #254

I caught up on my rest today.  Got up for a short while, did the house chores then just went back to bed until about 1:30, and I’m still feeling tired.

I went out to do the banking and went by Raoul’s place which I see has not been made habitable by September like he had hoped.   Right now it looks like even the end of October could be a long shot.  He should have no trouble renting his apartments which are very small, but good enough for a single person.

Then I went to Coral and got very few groceries, mostly sundries.  I found some nice glass shelves for the bathrooms for only $7.33 each.   They most certainly would be at least a $30 item at home.  After supper I decided to tackle the installations even though neither box had any instructions.  It didn’t look like rocket science, as long as a person has the tools.  Anyway, they are a valuable addition to the bathrooms for those items that are too tall or awkward for the medicine cabinets.

Then, even though I have many other movies to watch, I decided on Hidalgo for some reason and thoroughly enjoyed viewing that again.

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

Raoul's house

New shelf for Bella's bathroom

New shelf for my bathroom

Saturday October 13, 2012

Saturday October 13/12 update #253

As I was on the bus to Joe’s today I remembered about Jorge Beltran’s volleyball group so I disembarked and went to watch for 15 minutes.  Yes, Jorge himself was playing in the white shirt with blue trim and doing very well too.  Generally he was the setter for the young fellow in the yellow Ecuador soccer shirt.  It is too bad they play so late or I would be happy to join in.

Our proposed menu at Joe’s today involved a distinct departure from the usual fare.

See the details of this cult movie here    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204640/

They had the main room set up for the movie and everyone was to arrive by 5:45 for the start of the movie.   I had never heard of this movie before but it was a load of laughs from beginning to end.    I will definitely be picking up this movie if I ever see it for sale.

There was a poster in the bar room that looked strikingly similar so I just had to check and, sure enough, Joe had promoted a show using the star of the movie, Leslie Jordan, in a similar role.

We met another couple from Saskatoon today as the Canadian contingent continues to grow here in Cuenca.  John and Barbie were conspicuously absent today and then I found out that Barbie had been sick and hospitalized.  We hope things are better soon for them.

The snacks prior to the movie were excellent, then the meal and desserts were polished off in no time. 

I was so bloated that I had to leave early and get home and into some comfortable clothes.   I was in such a hurry to leave that I forgot my umbrella there (it was raining when we arrived).

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

Friday October 12, 2012

Friday October 12/12 update #252

Boy, I had a good sleep for a change and wanted more, more……. But the Boys were hungry and the chores had to get done.

I checked on the new plants on the terrace and they seem to be surviving my transplantation, etc.  The last Limon plant we bought has easily overtaken the other two so we should have good sized lemons or limes by the time Bella returns.

I left early because I got an email from Etapa that they have a communication for me.  Since they haven’t credited our credit card for the $44.80 installation/cancellation fee I was not holding my breath.   Then I get there and they are closed.   Darn, I forgot it was a national holiday for Guayaquil Independence Day.  So I continued on to AAC and got there very early.  Almost all the volunteers showed up and Richard gave them some fun English instruction before we let them have a coloring activity.   The plan had been to go to the park if there was some male support from the community but that has definitely been lacking of late, even Miguel isn’t showing up.  We discussed closing down until we regained some of this promised support.

Linda and Tom brought bags of plain popcorn for everyone.  Towards the end, the community president pulled up with a carful, and his 12-year-old niece, Adriana, at the wheel!  Anyway there were many discussions and then Adriana’s Mother said she wanted to host an all-day party on Sunday the 21^st starting at 11am.  That made us all feel like we haven’t lost the community support.

Next I was rushing to the Moca Café to join the Deportiva Cuenca Soccer Fan Club and watch the World Cup elimination match between Ecuador and Chile.  When I got there wearing my #16 shirt, the score was already 1-0 for Chile.  But, once I started watching, Chile never got another sniff at our goal, and our #16 scored 2 of the 3 goals we put behind their keeper!  Take that you Chile peppers!!!

I munched on a really nice ham & cheese Panini and had a slice of orange cake for dessert.  Then I started to eat the popcorn I had dragged from AAC but it was pretty bland with no oil, butter or salt.  A lady from another table came to ask the owners, (Courtney Clark, one of those photogs from the last night tour) if she could have some popcorn too.  I had to explain that I had brought it with me and that she was welcome to have it all but I warned her it wasn’t very tasty.  She borrowed some salt and said thank you.   As she and her husband were leaving she said she was going to be singing Jazz at 8pm at the Nectar Café.  Since I had never been to the Nectar Café I thought I would give her a listen.

I got there early and was soon joined by a new couple, Paul and Kate, from Vancouver so we had a good chat.  Two other musicians, who seem to be the nucleus of the Jazz Society Of Cuenca, Jim Galla (USA) and Jorge Triana (Cuba) started to play at 7:30 but it was not the nice smooth jazz of Diana Krall that I like, but more the disjointed notes all over the place.  One tune they were supposedly playing was “These Boots Were Made For Walking” and I did not recognize a single note belonging to that particular tune.

When 8:15 rolled around I was preparing to leave, but then the singer, Vivian Slade, and hubby, Todd Burr, showed up.  It wasn’t long before she was up singing and I decided to video her performance.  This was much more interesting than the other form of Jazz.   You may have to turn your sound down a little:

http://youtu.be/nTAh9TzDT5g

I returned home to receive a lovely long note from Bella who now has only 12 working days left and is anxious to be “home” in Cuenca.  We are certainly looking forward to that!

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

Thursday October 11, 2012

Thursday October 11/12 - update #251

This morning I joined Emilie McBride of the Hearts Of Gold Foundation for a meeting with the Director of the El Arenal Foundation, Betty.  El Arenal is located a block behind AAC  and provides schooling and activities for the kids whose parents work in El Arenal / Feria Libre.  We found out they rent the premises for $1,000 a month but are supported in large part by a German Foundation that send them cash and workers.  Hearts Of Gold want me to help with photography projects as needed, and it sounds like I will be taking more shots here in December.

As we left by the Coopera along the river Emilie stopped in as they had live crabs on display.  Being an east-coast Canadian gal she was quite at home handling these creatures while I recoiled with my camera.  She bought a row of at least 6 crabs for $10.   Bon appétit Emilie.

It was still early on a beautiful sunny day so I decided to head downtown and grab a few shots.  There were hundreds of people about but I ended up taking my usual landscapes mostly.  I did get a 50c shoe shine, but gave him $1 because I took his picture.

There is no place I would rather be on a sunny day than hanging around Parque Calderon.  I stopped into the iTur office to ask about new new bus schedules and maps.   I managed to get 2 booklets but was disappointed to see they don’t have route maps like the old ones so I don’t know how much use they are going to be now…

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

Wednesday October 10, 2012

Wednesday October 10/12 update

I didn’t get to bed until almost 1am after watching two very good movies, Hunger Games and Get The Gringo.  Why I was up at 2am already is anybody’s guess.  I think I got another 3 hours rest between 6:30 and 9:30 but I really need a catch-up day somewhere.

Today I was off to AAC again and everyone pitched in to help Linda teach the kids to make neat Christmas decorations for the tree using the bottoms of plastic pop bottles.  The kids really got into it, especially when the paint and paint brushes came out.  I think my fingers will be blue for a week, so I can claim royal blood for a while.

We again had visitors from Hearts Of Gold, Emilie, the new chairperson, and Mark, a new volunteer who came with his two children, Finn and Tali.  Everyone got into the spirit of it all and had a good time.  Our resident bad boy, Juan, had to go one step further and make binoculars out of the rest of 2 water bottles.  We have to give him an A for inventiveness.

Emilie and I wandered over to Feria Libre where she was somewhat unfamiliar, even though she only lives a few blocks away.  She bought fruits and veggies and eggs and buns.   She insisted I try the buns so I bought a bag of these delicious baby buns, 26 of them in a bag for $1.  My waistline is going to hate her later since I can just see myself scarfing them down with peanut butter and jam…..

The #15 bus made the weirdest detour to avoid the stadium, due to a soccer match tonight.  He went west from Solano doubling back east by going up the hill to El Centro and then going down the entire length of Calle Larga.  I had thought of going to Big Kabudas for a burger but changed my mind when he bypassed it.

Instead I got off at Monay Mall and had KFC for supper.  I sat right near the 3 storey Christmas tree and then was treated to a comedy as a mall worker drafted the multiple security guards to crawl inside the tree to rotate it and position it better.  I swear that thing went around 720 degrees before they settled it.  Anyway, it was free entertainment…..

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

Tuesday October 9, 2012

Tuesday October 9/12 update

I slept on the couch for 3 hours because the boys had occupied my bed, but they found me so I headed upstairs but the followed me, so not much sleep was had after that.

I ended up downtown and was crossing the river to notice the rickety, rudimentary scaffolding being used to work on two adjacent bridges.   There is no Occupational Health and Safety issues in this country… whatever gets the job done….  I then took a few shots while sitting at Parque Calderon of the buildings, the shoe-shiners and the hustle and bustle.

I had managed to easily find the shop that sells these solar-powered dancing flowers.   We already have one in our front window and Jorge Beltran liked it so much that I decided to grab one for him, and another for us.  Two for $5 wasn’t bad.   I called Jorge and he popped over to pick it up at lunchtime.

I took the #50 down to our old neighborhood to see if the electrician was done repairing our house fan.  He said the brushes in the motor had broken down and he plugged it in to show me that it now runs as good as new.  The repair cost was another $5 from my pocket.  I managed to get it home using the bus.

There was a disturbing message on GringoTree about two missing American missionary women that had very little information.  I emailed them to find out where they have proper information posted.  Please see

https://www.facebook.com/WhereIsBre    There are very large hints of religious cult involvement, etc that just boggle the mind of any rational person.  I guess Ecuador is not immune from nutjobs either.  We hope these poor women are found safe and sound.

Man, I spent all afternoon working on uploading photos and preparing others, then had to get busy on this blog…

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

Monday October 8, 2012

Monday October 8/12 update

Up at 3am again, this is getting monotonous!   Work until 6 and then toss and turn until 9:30.  I half-wanted to skip doing groceries today but got off my keester  and at least went to Coral.

I ran into Jesus and his wife from Big Kabuda’s at Coral and chatted for a bit.   I was mainly after meat today and got a nice Lomo Fino (Filet Mignon) for $8.62 that I cut up into 4 hearty meals for later.   I was shocked that the pork tenderloin was 50% more expensive and totalled $16.80 but that made into 5 more delicious meals for later.   I cooked one small medallion to have with my salad for lunch and it was superb!

I then wandered off to AAC, not knowing what to expect and who would show up.  Richard and Cathy were off to Quito and Heidi said she was ready with some home-made play-dough for the kids.  We usually reserve Mondays as a day Christine will show up to do art with the kids but we never heard a peep and she didn’t show up.  Tom and Linda had some Christmas craft stuff but that will be held off until Wednesday.  Myself, Chris, Phil, Ron, Jolene, and Mariuxi rounded out the crew.  Heidi and her kids, Keefe and Aidan, led the kids in learning the hokey-pokey.   The kids were given the play-dough and we asked them to make an animal or two.  A couple of the kids were really good at it but the rest mostly did everything but.  The good thing is the kids were quite well-behaved today and things went well.

Miguel was to show up later but that didn’t happen either.

I had a meeting scheduled to help the Hearts Of Gold Foundation but that has now been delayed until Thursday, and even possibly next week now....

I was so bagged when I got home I only had hotdogs because I didn’t want to spend the time cooking anything fancier.

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

Sunday October 7, 2012

Sunday October 7/12 update

Not to blow my own horn or anything, but I really did upload 3 new outstanding photographic artworks yesterday that I feel are definitely worth a look:

http://al-bourassa.fineartamerica.com/

http://www.redbubble.com/people/alabca

I finished repairing the photos taken at Joe’s and started the upload at 6:30 then napped again until 9:30 before uploading the blogs.

It is with sadness that we report that our Uncle Henri Bourassa, brother of our mother, Yvonne Bourassa Hebert, passed away 4 hours short of his 99th Birthday last night at 8pm in Radville.
Henri was born October 7, 1913 to Charles Bourassa and Marie Fradette.
Here is my favorite photo of Henri (right) and my Dad, Horace, in better times.  Our sincere condolences to Adrienne, Rita and Jeanne and families.

Horace Bourassa and brother-in-law Henri Bourassa

I slipped out to Coopera for the banking and continued on to the traffic circle near the Electrica Empresa building to watch the Beltran family and friends play volleyball at 3pm.   I did not spot anyone I recognized so I called Jorge.   I guess I got my wires crossed, they play Saturdays at 3pm he said so I’ll have to watch them on my way to Joe’s some day.

Since my plans were now shot down I stopped at this fancy video store where the fellow makes his own copies, confirms by viewing that they are all in English, so I got 9 movies for $11, including some of those on my wish list.

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

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.