Cuenca Updates: Monday May 21, 2012

Monday May 21/12 update

Off to Spanish class this morning and we spent much of the class talking about idioms in the Spanish language versus the English language. Every language has them and they usually make little sense when literally translated. It made me smile when I recalled something my Dad said when we were driving once. There was this anorexic skinny young lady on the corner, and dad said “Elle n’a pas de graisse a vendre!” which loosely translated means “She has no fat to sell”. I have never ever heard that said by anyone else so it is a humorous remembrance of my wonderful father.

Nobody joined me for lunch at Sabor Latino today. I know that around 12:30 incoming jets usually pass almost overhead there so I was watching for one but I almost missed it as I was slurping my soup, just catching it before it went over the rooftops.

I saw a large computer software store so I poked around in there for a bit and bought 2 CD’s of photo editing software for $6.

Then I went shopping for runners. My little toes are almost popping out of my old tired runners so it is time for a change. I didn’t find the right combination at the first 6 places I stopped, hard to find a size 9 with a decent width, arch support and tread. I finally found a nice fitting pair at the San Francisco Mercado for $28 and put my elastic laces into the new pair. They are black this time, almost matching the dirty laces.

I just missed the #3 bus so I decided to head down Calle Larga and take a few shots of some of the places we keep talking about, like the Coffee Tree (where gringos gather daily), the book exchange at the Windhorse Café, and the Carolina Bookstore. I got the Chamber Of Commerce when I walked down the escalinata and across the Tomebamba, below Todos Santos church. I got a few shots of local colour before catching the #15 home. I took a couple more shots through the bus window of two entrances to the huge municipal cemetery, which I haven’t visited in ages.

Arriving in my room I could hear Tom Thumb chirping away and I barely got the window open before he was hovering in front of me, waiting, so I just held out the feeder and up he came to feed right from my hand. He has since done it five more times when I have opened the window at his urging. He’s getting to be as spoiled as our two boys. I am beginning to talk to him while he is feeding so maybe he will recognize my voice and I can call when his lunch is ready, lol.

Bella’s Mom just called and Bella’s brother Laurier has had a heart episode while camping in Duncan so he is due for an angioplasty very quickly and then should be good as new. A little prayer won’t hurt please.

Enjoy the pics. That was today’s excitement. Hugs to all.