Friday August 3, 2012

Friday August 3/12 update

Bella was off to try to meet with Juan at the Coopera Credit Union but he was off today so she missed him.  We had found out they will be at the Monay Mall  tomorrow and it became our plan to meet with him then.   Then Bella was off to play bridge in the west end in a gorgeous penthouse condo that faces northwest towards the Cajas.

It was such a beautiful sunny day I opted for shorts and a light top and headed downtown to meet Chris.  While waiting I got quite a few shots in the area of Parque Calderon.  There is a Provincial Azuay Government office on the corner of the Parque and I had read they were showing an exhibition of some artist’s “Anonymous” works.  From the second floor balcony I took a few more shots.

Then we wandered around and I showed Chris the new location for the California Kitchen.   George and Carol say they are completely booked for their Grand Opening tonight.   The new premises is stunning.

We had a quick lunch then slid down the hill to catch the #16 to check out a large hardware store near the Totems.  I did not find my humidifier but Chris did find the type of surge-protected power bars he was after.  We then had a quick thundershower which cooled things off quite a bit.

We caught a cab to near Chris’ apartment where we walked through the new underpass on Avenida Las Americas which should be opened in a couple of weeks.  It has some very impressive murals hand painted at the entrance and exits.  Once we got to Chris’ apartment he was kind enough to loan me a warm vest and some track pants.  I offered to buy them but he won’t sell them to me.   Maybe I will just keep forgetting to return them??

The purpose of our meeting today was to meet Chris’ usual Ecuadorian driver, Miguel, and another couple, and go to Miguel’s parent’s home near Feria Libre.  Miguel and his folks are looking to set up a classroom for neighborhood children and poor kids of parents working at Feria Libre.  They have a large empty room that they intend to furnish as needed and our involvement is to do the English interaction and instruction.  I have volunteered to bring in copies of the first chapter of our “Spanish Now” book as a starting point.  Miguel can seer that we will probably have to have 3 different age groups.   We set a time of 3pm on Monday for our first “class”.  When I asked him how many children to expect, he just said “30”.  I must admit this is much more daunting a task than I had envisioned.  It is daring and ambitious and I honestly don’t think I am going to be much use except as support staff.  I tend to look for any negative aspects so we can counteract them.  It will be interesting to see who takes charge on Monday but I think I have a pretty good idea already.

The kids loved to be on camera, and here is a video of the group we met today: http://youtu.be/N2D2LXUrYRA

From there we went back to pick of Bella and Bettye and Miguel drove us the Mangiore Restaurant near San Sebastian.  We all had a very delicious meal while we discussed the events for tomorrow.  Chris and Bettye and the other couple are joining Miguel for a trip to “The Judge’s” hacienda in the Jubones Desert area for lunch tomorrow, departing at 9am.  Bettye begged us to come along and I deferred to Bella for that decision because it is her last full day here, and we are booked for Joe’s Secret Garden for tomorrow night.  She agreed to go, deciding she would have to do her packing tonight instead of Saturday. 

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

Thursday August 2, 2012

Thursday August 2/12 update

We went to Joe’s Secret Garden for supper last night, where I am working for my supper by taking their photos for them.   The menu included Piri-Piri Chicken which everyone was enjoying immensely.  We met with Chris and Bettye and had a very enjoyable evening.  Maybe it was the rum punch I had, but I am certain I heard Bettye offer to feed me 6 days a week while Bella is away.  Oh and I think Chris was going to look after the cats too.  I’ll have it “made in the shade”.  After the meal, Bella was treated to Joe on the piano, with the entire crowd joining in to sing a belated Happy Birthday.   Joe had to tack on a little of “The Old Grey Mare Ain’t What She Used To Be” on the end.

And what a glorious sunny day we have today, made for walking….

Today Bella is off to the weaving store to knit and crochet for charity, and then she is back at Joe’s to play bridge.  All the people in Cuenca are sure going to miss Bella’s presence here as she has already made so many contributions to their well-being.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to grandson TYSON, who is 10 today!  We wish you many more, young man!

I went off this morning east of here, and passed this huge construction project beyong the townhouses behind our nearest Hospital IESS.  It appears to be 3 huge apartment complexes going up so that means a lot more people to tax our bus service.   I was headed to the Hospital Del Rio, to visit one of my Spanish class compatriots, Ray Holt, who had his 4^th hernia operation yesterday.  The doctor was just checking on him again when I arrived and Ray looked, and felt, fantastic.   Ray joked that maybe the pain medication was doing such a great job but he seemed totally normal to me.   He raved about the medical and dental service he has received in this country, everything absolutely first rate, including this new hospital he was in.   He was very interested to hear about the Assisted-Living place I had visited yesterday so he will review my blog when he gets out.

Following that I headed to El Centro to retrieve our gift for Gabriela Beltran’s graduation from medical school.  They were in the process of finishing it up and I was positively thrilled with the result.   That gringo that I met there yesterday said the mirror he had bought was too big to fit in the taxi, so the owner took it in his own vehicle, came in, and installed the mirror and refused to take any cash for the effort!   I will definitely be recommending this no-name place.   They are on Juan Jamarillo, just west of Borrero.

Bella had given me permission to buy a humidifier so I bused over to Kiwi again, grabbed a salesman and showed him the two identical units on display.  I told him to find me a new one in a box, because these two specimens look like they have been on that shelf for at least two years, completely dusty and grimy, simply gross.  Of course it took him 20 minutes to come back to tell me these were the only two in stock.  So I asked him to check with management to allow about a 15% discount.  After 10 minutes he came back and said they were already discounted…  But then he said they would get me a new one by Monday at the same price.   I can see this as becoming an ongoing saga.

I saw a Papeleria so I went in and got some more glue, mounting tape and crepe paper for $3.73.

Then I cabbed home with a fellow who had spent five years in New Jersey as a jeweler so he understood English pretty well and we tried a new route home via the autopista which had little traffic, no stops, and was very fast.

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

Wednesday August 1, 2012 Anos Dorados

Wednesday August 1/12 update

Catherine and Dwayne were selling their place next door in Okotoks.  Apparently they are going into an Okotoks condo.  I finally found it on MLS at

http://www.realtor.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?&PropertyId=12021937&PidKey=1069414688

They are selling for $489,900.   That could be good for us if they sell it for close to that!

Today was the last Spanish class but I had to skip it.   Bella was occupied at Coopera Credit Union at Feria Libre this morning so I took it upon myself to check out a new assisted-living facility in northwest El Centro.  It is called Anos Dorados, (the Golden Years) and the Administrator is a Spanish lady named James Larrea.  I really wanted to check out this place because I had met a lady who lives in the neighbourhood next to ours and whose husband is a resident here.  He has been here for 2 months now and they are very pleased with everything.  Basically you can get rooms, all with private baths, from a single @ $879/mo, up to sharing a large suite @ $1000 each, including the tax.  This includes all meals, laundry, outings, and basic medical supervision.  The only odd room was the exercise room which looked more like a ballet studio with bars along 3 walls and mirrors on the fourth.   For the money, it was quite a neat place.

Near there was a church I don’t recall photographing directly before.  I had seen the spire from different vantage points previously but had never pinpointed the location.  There was a service going on inside.

I decided to walk by the framing shop on the off chance that my gift would be ready, but no, it will be ready tomorrow.

Then I walked by a couple of flower shops to get some prices on wrist flowers and continued on to San Blas.  I stopped in at the cheap eatery and had a hamburger deluxe with ham and a huge slab of cheese, and fries for the princely sum of $1.50.

I have to work on all 3 blogs quickly and try to catch a nap before we head to Joe’s Secret Garden for supper tonight, where I am working for my supper by taking their photos for them.   I'm not bragging but I can see why Joseph loves my photos compared to those he gets from elsewhere which are all fuzzy and dark.

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

Tuesday July 31, 2012

Tuesday July 31/12 update

This is the anniversary of the Black Friday tornado in Edmonton.  One of my Edmonton contacts says the weather is almost a repeat this morning, so let's hope nothing comes of it.   Unless I am mistaken, this should be the 25th anniversary, and yet I can remember the events of that whole weekend so very clearly.
I am updating this with a photo just received from cousin Hector in Lloydminster that he says was taken about 9:30 last night.

July 30/12 9:30pm Lloydminster, AB

Bella is off to the Book Exchange then she is playing bridge this afternoon.

I went off by bus to Juan ElJuri, Kiwi and Mega Hierro near the airport to check out if anybody had wickless humidifiers.  Kiwi was the only one with humidifiers, with wicks, for $44.  The problem is getting proper replacement wicks later.  I think we may have to settle for those and make our own wicks out of sponge or something later.

Then I caught the bus back downtown and went into Papeleria Monsalves to get some cardstock heavy paper and to get some ink for that glutton HP printer.  At least she gave me a very good discount without too much prompting on my part.

I was walking past the new location for the California Kitchen (5-65 Luis Cordero) and I could see some workmen so I stopped in.  The new place is on the second floor and it is just gorgeous with the wood floors and all, plus they have a lot more room.  They have nice new bathrooms, but I thought the kitchen was awfully tiny and pretty warm even though there was no cooking happening!  

Next I stopped in to Sabor Latino for lunch.   I was all alone in there until I was joined at another table by an Ecuadorian Spanish teacher named Mariana and her Colombian girlfriend.  Then two Americans and a Brit came in too, so we had a real United Nations going on there.

When I got to the corner near the Windhorse Café I ran into James from JD’s with his whole family.  He says they have been super busy and John is finally back, so we will get together soon to plan another photo excursion.

Next stop was at Coral to get a large gift bag for Gabriela’s grad present and I also found some generic business card stock too.

It is really an exercise in frustration to print things here because the HP printers are just not cut out to do the size A4 paper they use here.  It sure creates a lot of wasted ink and paper just to line things up.

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

Sunday-Monday July 29-30, 2012

Sun July 29/12 update

Bella went to play bridge.  It was a dreary rainy day so I just stayed in watched whatever Olympics I could find.  I found a channel with a lot of different feeds, and no commentary other that the in-arena announcers.

Bella returned with the news that I have my first real paying gig for my photography!  Joseph at Joe’s Secret Garden is so enamored with my work shooting the patrons at every event we attend that he wants me there every time, with a free meal!!   My first paying gig, as Bella calls it!

WooHoo!!  I won’t starve while Bella is away, lol.  The truth is I actually can be pretty self-sufficient and am a pretty good cook, but Bella has to have food her way, so she cooks and I clean.  It is surprising that Bella is really learning to spice her food as that would have been unheard of before we came here.  Last night’s stew was four rings of fire out of five.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151100784486355&set=a.10150220507151355.350287.692591354&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf  shows my grandson Dawson (lower left) with his team getting Gold medals for roller hockey at the Alberta Summer games.   We are so proud of all our grandkids!!

Only one week before Bella leaves back for Canada.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.

Monday July 30/12 update

Today is Bella’s grocery day so she was making sure I had enough supplies of paper products and cat food for while she is away.   She looks after me so well.

I went to Spanish class then had a few errands to run.  First I checked out a picture framing shop on the way for an estimate ($19).  

Then I checked several jewelry stores, then the jewelry Mercado, for heavy link copper bracelets.  No luck.   My buddy Kevon from Edmonton was hoping they would be much cheaper here.  One of the merchants spoke a little English and he said copper isn’t used much for jewelry here and such a bracelet would be hard to find.   He didn’t seem to think that copper was expensive here?

Then I took my computer stick to the Fuji store to get my photo of the lion cub enlarged to 12”x16” for a whole $4.50.   I checked more jewelry stores on the way back to the framing place where I picked out a beautiful gold frame, blue mat and non-reflective glass and paid the actual $15 cost.  It will be ready Thursday.

Today was a typical Cuenca day weather-wise, with early fog, sun, then cloud and sun, threatening cloud and more sun, etc.  I can’t think of too many places I’d rather be in the sunshine.  We are truly fortunate to have landed here.

I know you may get tired of many shots of places like the main cathedral, but every day is different, including the skies, etc.   And I will never tire of shots of the people and the children here.  Bear with me please.

Yesterday we spotted another Sparkling Violetear hummer in front of our place but we are 99% sure it is not Tom.  This one is giving us a wide berth even though we have tried leaving the nectar, with the huge bait flower, on the windowsill unattended.  Maybe this one was just passing by on his migration as well as we haven’t heard nor seen him either today at all.

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