Loose thoughts about moving to Ecuador

Hola Readers:

Guaguas (pronounced "wa-was")  That's what kids are called in Ecuador.  I believe it is a Quechua word, not in my Espanol dictionary.  Think of the sound you make if you are going to say "watch" or "water".  The pronunciation is like the beginning of that word, repeated   "wa-was".  It seems it is an endearing way of referring to children. In Cuenca, it is used by everyone, across income, cultural and class differences. It seems when anyone uses it, the word is greeted by a small smile, as if the listener is recalling some endearing or comical thing a kid said or did.

I showed some pictures of  my young nietos  (grandchildren) to a Cuencana friend's 6 young grandchildren.  They sighed and murmured "guaguas" with this air of interest and contentment...and a big smile at me.  Very sweet.  So I will get to see my nietos in just a few weeks.  And my grown guaguas too!


Are you moving here?  A random thought about packing.  This is a small thing I always forget to mention: I love old t-shirts. You know the good quality ones that are really soft and friendly after a couple of years of wear.  Over the  many years that I was a gardener, it was common to see me out there in an old raggy t-shirt and jeans. No worry of stains or rips that can happen during garden work.  It did not matter to me if I was in the front flower garden or back, I was going for comfort.  Same for housework and other chores like cleaning the parrot cage or emptying the hot tub --- old t-shirts reigned.


What did I do when we decided to shed our way of life in Oregon and move to Ecuador? I knew that there would be no gardening, no parrot cage, no hot tub to clean....so I got rid of all of my used, ratty looking t-shirts.
  
So what do I miss now?  An old fav t-shirt to wear when I'm knocking around our apartment, re-potting a house plant or reading a good book.  The recommendation is this after talking with other ex-pats who came with only new clothes and miss having some worn, comfy clothes: bring a couple of the older things you love to wear just around the house.  

Informal dress occurs a lot in Ecuador. Business people dress up really nicely, like any metropolitan city, but the majority of people I see around the city are dressed very casually.   I think I'd describe my old clothes as "sub-informal" and "not for prime time". Consider keeping a couple of "sub-informal" items for private times. Just a thought.

Another thought: it is cooler here than you may expect.  Yes, there are beautiful days year around with afternoon temps of 70 degrees(F) (21 Celcius). But nights are rarely mild, often dropping to 35 degrees (F) (1.6 Celcius). It does not snow here. Frost is very rare.  But it not a balmy beach either. We are located high in the Andes mountains at 8500 ft alt (2591 meters) so Cuenca is cooler than most of Ecuador.  Go to the jungle or the coast and there are higher temps and higher humidity. That is where it is really tropical.


If you are coming to visit or to stay, pack sweaters, different weight jackets, a sweatshirt along with lighter wear -  you will benefit from dressing in layers so you can peel off as needed.


An elderly acquaintance came to live in Cuenca for a month.  She had packed tank tops, capris, sandals and flip flops along with one cardigan. No socks, no raincoat, no sweatshirt or warm sweater, no long pants.  She arrived during a 10 day streak of rainy, chilly weather.  She was cold and miserable but did not want to spend the money to buy warmer clothes. She thought because Cuenca is close to the equator, it would automatically be balmy.  To her credit, she did not complain much.


Although I have written this before, it is worth emphasizing - come prepared for 3 seasons of weather in one day. That's Cuenca! It is a wonderful city, muy lindo, full of many things to explore and enjoy. Researching what is needed to be comfortable is important to allow you to focus on the multitude of fun stuff.  I'm just sayin'......and even with lots of research and some visits, it is easy to forget some of these things. 


As you pack to move here, bring different weight coats, keep your sweaters, pack your tank tops and new clothes and a couple of old raggy t-shirts along with the newer things you pack.  You will be set for anything that comes down the valley.

Another thing to note:
If you move to Cuenca, you may have a more lively social life than you have had for some time. 

 Retirees have time to have lunch, chat over coffee, explore new places, go on picnics, etc.  The ex-pat community here is supportive, friendly, big on sharing ideas, recommending services, etc.  And its large enough to have variety and interest for most people. Most Cuencanos are kind,open,  friendly and enoy getting to know people from other lands. It is a very pleasant surprise to me that it has been very easy to meet people we enjoy so quickly after moving here last May. Our transition to living in a South American culture has been mostly smooth and quite delightful. 

                           Lunch (almuerzo) at mi amiga Maria Elena's home in Paute


A custom in Cuenca is to celebrate New Year's eve by burning some effigy.  To represent getting rid of your hostility at your boss or your anger at not getting that job you competed for. So hand painted masks and even whole figures are sold everywhere the week before Dec 31 for this purpose.  Here is a photo of some masks for sale:

The year 2011 draws to a close.  Have a safe, enjoyable New Year's celebration.
Sharon

A jumble of thoughts

Some shots Lenny took on 12/24 - sadly I have had the flu but got to see some of the activities through Len's photography. Above Neuvo Catedral(above) and Parque Calderon are always a center of buzzing activity when there is a festival.

People began gathering early for a festive day. There were horse rides, llama rides, and many other things to do.

Angels walked among the crowd and princesses and pirates were plentiful.

It is the end of the year and I'm pondering a few things: 

I spent 26 years as a mental health counselor in Portland, Or.  I worked with a lot of different types of people as they addressed their life stages: teens, older adults, twenty-somethings, 40's life assessment,health issues, career changes, relationship difficulties, etc.  I loved offering therapy and always felt honored that people trusted me and allowed me to sit with them while they sorted out whatever was going on.  I was also active in the community, belonged to a church, met with other therapists,volunteered at school functions. 

My point is that I was "out there" interacting with the world. Observing people was part of my living but I've always been curious about people, what choices people make, how do people trust, when do people feel fear, what makes a person fall in love.

As an adult, I lived a couple of years in the state of Washington, a few years in Berkeley, CA.  Also a few in Washington D.C. But the majority of my adult years were spent in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. Everywhere I go, I talk with people whether it is in line at Costco or across the therapy office. People are interesting and enjoy talking about themselves.  For me, it makes life more interesting.  A harsh punishment for me would be to put me in a room where I could not talk to anyone and I could not read anything.  Ahhhhhhhh, it makes me sweat to even think about that. 

Making and keeping friendships: I have some great friends in the US so this is not in any way dismissing them. You are wonderful and I miss you. Skype talks really help me feel connected to several friends and family members. My grandchildren talk via Skype, showing me a soccer trophy, a new art project, the latest sign language the youngest has learned. Technology is a terrific help to ex-pats who move away from their home country. Other friends write email which is wonderful to receive. Sadly, some people do let a friendship go, do not put any effort into connecting once you are out of sight.  But this is to be expected - it is part of life. Different people have different strengths and challenges.

Point 1:  Friendship and familial love - each is an interesting and beautiful thing.  A person can make a new friend in a new country without diminishing the love for the friend back at "home". Think of how a candle works.  You can light one and then start other candles all from that one light without diminishing the first candle's power. Friendship is like that. 

And love for one's family with all of their flaws and delights does not disappear just because a family member is living far away. Some people will deal by not making an effort to connect because of their own issues.  With email and visual phone calls like Skype, the distance seems less important. Many family members come through in new ways, forming new pathways in the relationship. Some people even report growing closer to a grown child or a parent after moving because the relationship now has importance placed on connecting as adult to adult. 

Point 2: What am I experiencing in Ecuador? The people here are exceptionally friendly. Many Cuencanos I've met tend to be open about emotions, generous-hearted, thoughtful, trusting and curious about people moving to Ecuador from other countries. They are feircly proud of their country. They love it if newcomers try to speak Espanol. Many of them open their home to foreign guests from time to time. It is a pleasant shock to be "adopted" by a loving Ecuadorian family. In my experience, people in the US, while they often are kind, would not be that open, generous and helpful so quickly with a stranger. Remember, I am just describing my experiences and response, not yours.

Point 3:  What feeling was I aware of in the US that does not seem prominent in Ecuador?  A pervasive fear. Today, many people in the US seem choked by fear. They are afraid of strangers. They are afraid of finances. They are afraid they'll lose their job or that they will not get a needed promotion.  They fear if they invite a stranger for dinner, their home will be cased for burglary or something bad will happen.  As I've said before, crime happens everywhere.  But what I'm noticing is that this city, Cuenca, does not operate on fear. The media and citizens do not have a constant focus on disasters. Television does not show over and over all day long people being afraid.  For some years now, citizens of the US have been bombarded several times per day about terror alerts or the latest tragedy.  Monitoring a "threat level" eveny day takes a toll on one's existence. It causes a person to run on stress which is not healthy for anyone. It seems that level of fear does not permeate the air of Cuenca.

A comfortable day to wander and watch people, Christmas 12/24/2011

Of course there is still crime.  Some crimes we have heard of here are frightening.  Taking specific precautions and being "street smart" will usually be enough to keep one safe here. Crime can occur anywhere. If you don't experience any crime, that is great.  But do you want fear to run your life and limit your choices?  It is a tough spot to be in.

Another thing many people are frightened about in the US is their health.  The cost of medical care in the US is prohibitive even if one has medical insurance.  Many people live constant fear of having a serious medical event.  They put off dental care or skip routine annual check ups because they cannot afford the costs, even if it is "just a co-pay".  If a child is inured playing sports or a fender bender means mom needs physical therapy - these events could add up to hundreds and hundreds of dollars.  Many people in the US are uninsured.  And those with insurance often have impossibly high deductible.  If the insured has to pay the first $1500 before his insurance company pays a cent, that amount can present an impossible barrier to normal health care needs.  For the uninsured,a medical event could ruin them financially, aousing them to have insurmountable debt that ruins their credit ratings and impacts the rest of their lives.  These things are overwhelming for many regular Americans. Some fear is warranted.

  

I am not sure when this shift took place in the United States - unemployment has been rising for some time, medical costs have been spiraling out of control for years. But it seems like it was during the Bush administration that fear became a commodity. After 9/11, the country was flooded by a smog of fear. Government spokespeople and the media began trading in fear. Suddenly reporters loved to tell the daily terrorist threat level and privacy disappeared.  Any citizen questioning if all the disclosure and homeland hyper-protection was wise  was suspected of being a threat.... but I don't want to get into politics. 

Where I'm heading with this is to encourage you to look at the role fear plays in your life, wherever you live.  Has that changed for you in the past dozen years? Is there a way to reduce that level of fear so that you can experience more joy on a daily basis while still being reasonable about safety issues?

A beautiful 12/24/2011 with weather to match. The pace of activities picked up with 8000 school children marching through the streets for a parade in their school uniforms. There is often great pride in neighborhoods. 

Are there one or two tiny changes you could make to make your daily life more fun? Can you experience the moment rather than living for the future?  It is a difficult thing for me to do but when I notice little things that give me pleasure, they are often simple free things.  For me, noticing the light at different times of day, hearing a birdsong and looking for its owner, re-potting a plant with my hands in the earth, listening to a brilliant piece of music are small free things that bring moments of joy. 

Take the next day or two to quietly notice what things bring you peace, pleasure, tranquility.  What eases your heart.  This is what I recommend rather than New Year's Resolutions.  Experience the journey in the daily moments for that is what makes up one's life.

Sharon

                                                  Tranquilo is a state of existence

Trip to Quito a success

Great news for us in our saga to get legal residency. We flew to Quito this week to complete the process of becoming residents of Ecuador on Len's pensioner visa. There were the usual snags but after 2 days in Quito and 7 months since we applied, we cleared the final hurdles. The actual cedulas will be delivered to our attorney's office in the next few days. Hooray.



We had a quick peek at Quito, the capital of Ecuador, which is over 9000 ft altitude, about 2 million people. It is also a world heritage city due to the Colonial architecture, among other reasons. It was founded by the Spaniards in the 1500's, making it the oldest capital in South America. We only stayed one night. Had no luck in locating a Thai or Chinese restaurant. Sigh... However, the little

b & b where we stayed (Traveler's Hostal) recommended a very good Indian restaurant across the street. That was a treat.And easy after hours of waiting, standing. I am delighted: very proud to be both a citizen of the United States and to be a legal resident of Ecuador.


So what else is going on? A couple of loose ends:

A blog reader asked ABOUT THE KNIFE pictured previously and again here:






For those of you who are curious, I copied some info on that knife for you. It is made in the USA by Dexter, called DuoGlide. The design is very comfortable, approved by arthritis foundation, as well as others. It won several awards. It comes in 4 sizes. The knives are spendy, as good knives tend to be but worth it if you have hand pain or wrist fatigue, fibromyalgia or arthritis. If you need to chop, slice, prep some food, this is much easier on your hand. Len and I are very careful with ours, treating it with respect and care. It has held its edge and performed very well for 3 years.



Here is some info from their ad: "Now you can cut, chop, or slice with greater comfort and less fatigue. With DuoGlide, we’ve combined our renowned blade technology with an ultra-soft, right-sized handle that can be gripped in several ways for more comfort and control. The result is precise control and reduced wrist, arm or hand discomfort. See “The NEW way to cut” in action. DuoGlide knives come in four models for all your cutting needs. NSF Certified."



dexterduoglide.com is the website, if you are interested.



I have not been blogging lately because I've been sewing like crazy.


I completed the quilt for my dear friend Cindy who loves snowmen:

I'm almost done with a beautiful wall hanging that is the scene around the manger.  It will be our main decoration this year.  I bought a tiny ceramic Christmas tree that holds a candle so the light shines through the decorations on the tree. 

I'm gearing up to have the days around Christmas/Hannukah busy because I will be missing family and friends particularly BIG at that time.

I love Cuenca and my new life in this exotic, 3rd world country for a hundred+ reasons. 

Here are 3 reasons it is hard to live in Ecuador:

Have a terrific week. Take a risk, hug a friend, kiss your dog - enjoy life!

Sharon

What is it like for me after 6 months of life in Cuenca?

In Portland, OR  4/2011  with my daughter Tenley who lives in Oregon with her husband and 3 yr old son.

 A few months before I moved to Ecuador, like...oh, last January, for instance, I was full of excitement and apprehension about moving to Ecuador.  How foreign would it be? How much would my husband and I stand out? How difficult would it feel to live in another continent, another country, another culture? Would there be hostility toward someone from the United States? Would there be a lot of crime? I had lot of excitement about having an overseas living experience, at last, something I'd dreamed about throughout my life.  And I had a LOT of anxiety about what was ahead in this adventure.

Well, life is made up of each plodding day we experience as we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night.  The journey we each create is what is important. That is made up of how we face each day.

My husband and I have been here 6 months now.  We each find Cuenca to be amazing in so many ways. We both love it here. It is beautiful, calm, friendly, interesting, just to name a few things we cherish.  The tropical fruits and vegetables are to die for. An avocado a day costing about 30 cents is not a bad habit to cultivate.  The intrigue of learning to blend in with a new culture is very challenging in a good way.  Every day, Lenny makes a delicious smoothie from different healthy fruits, many we had never heard of before. Babaco, guyanaba, taxo, and pitajaya to name a few.

Of course  there are things I still need to adjust to:  improve my ability to speak Espanol, increase my level of patience when things take much much MUCH longer here -  to name 2.  But generally it has been an easier transition than I had expected. I still feel excitement and an eagerness to greet each new day but my anxiety about many issues has dropped significantly.

Mi esposo, Lenny, has flourished here.  He grew up in Brooklyn so he loves going to little shops each day and speaking Espanol with the shop keepers.  He says it reminds him of the New York City of his childhood. So after living for 20 years in the suburbs in Oregon, he is in a city again, shopping each day for that day's needs, exploring new streets and tiny shops around each corner, meeting people everywhere he goes. By practicing his rudimentary Espanol daily and asking others to teach him a word, he is now able to communicate basics in his new language.

Lenny formed an IPad/IPod/IPhone Users Group which is flourishing

 Here is my take on the subject of Espanol, btw: Question: does one need to speak the language in order to thrive here?  Answer: Absolutely!  Even a little Espanol gains kinder, gentler encounters.  People light up when they hear you try to speak their language.  It seems only fair since we are in their country. We came as guests and elected to live in a Spanish-speaking culture so learning the language is a basic building block to having an enriched life experience. And you will feel more comfortable because you can communicate and understand what is going on around you. These are my opinions.  Yours may be different.

By walking every day 3-5 miles, Lenny has lost weight and trimmed down to a "fighting weight".

 By speaking to shop keepers whenever he can, he has improved/expanded/increased his knowledge of Espanol by a TON!  We take lessons 3 times per week. We delight in our Espanol teacher, Rebeca, who is a bundle of non-stop energy. She praises progress, encourages, nudges and we learn!

Len also enjoys meeting expats and touristas as he moves around the city.  Frequently people ask him for directions. In all of the days he has been here, he has only encountered a couple of negative comments and those were minor.

I also have met wonderful ex-pats, visitors and Cuencanas. The community of ex-pats is generally friendly and helpful, keeping an eye out for each other in times of personal duress. In this city, people are generally friendly, kind, courteous and love to hear that we are enthused about Cuenca and Ecuador in general. I mean exceptionally friendly and courteous.  In my first 61 years, I lived in Idaho, Washington, California, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Oregon.  I am an outgoing, friendly person.  I have met many people throughout my life who are interesting, helpful and kind.  I also have met my share of rude, self-centered, mean people.  Both types of people live all over the world, of course.  Yet, here in Cuenca I have experienced such an unusually high percentage of friendly, helpful people that it stands out for me.

So Lenny is adapting very well.  What about me?

Well, before we came I knew the hardest thing for me would be missing our 3 young grandchildren, our grown kids, extended family and friends.  And indeed, that IS the hardest thing.  Skype calls help tremendously.  Hearing a loved one's voice is reassuring but seeing your loved one right in their living room going about everyday life is a wonderful boost and feels more like an actual visit. I can see how each of the 3 young grandchild has grown. Each child can interact with me at their own level.

I retired early a short time before we moved here so adjusting to retirement is also new.  I LOVE it!  I have time to walk by the river, focus on a quilt for an entire day, meet up with people for lunch or hunt for a shop that sells tumeric. Many days Len and I head out to explore a slice of the city.  It is a terrific life.

I gave myself 6 mo to a year to become brave about going out in a foreign city alone without knowing the language or the territory.  I'm doing pretty well with that.  I go out alone 2 or 3 days each week just to test my Espanol with people I encounter and to do a little exploring and a bit of shopping.  At first, I went out with Lenny who knew enough Espanol to ask for needed items and ask the cost of things.  Now I can do that by myself. It is even starting to feel kind of normal.  I do not get so anxious when I'm surprised by a phrase.  I rarely feel like a deer frozen in the headlights if someone asks me a question. I know that continual study is required to master even basics of a new language.

Last week end, Len and I walked into Diez de Augosto, a large market in El Centro (the central part of the city) where local people are selling vegetables, meats, eggs, etc., in little open stalls.  I like to go there but this was the first time I shopped by myself, negotiating both language and charges while Len chatted with our friend Bill on another floor and tried not to be concerned. I did great!  Ecuador uses the US dollar so that part is easy.  Understanding how much each item is when I'm told in Espanol is a bit more challenging.  But I had fun. And I'll take longer next week.  I really like interacting with the indigenous people who work so hard (and live on so little).  Talk about a work ethic - WOW!

Another thing that strikes me is how much value is placed on family here.  It cannot be said enough when contrasted with how remote many US families tend to be: geographically, emotionally and even physically - not giving frequent hugs, for example.  Ecuadorians cannot understand why anyone would move here away from their family.  It simply would not be done by most Ecuadorians.  Each day, many many citizens close down shops midday and head home to have lunch with family.  Almuerzo (lunch time) is the main meal of the day and is about a 2 hour break - roughly 1-3 pm or so.

Another thing that takes some getting used to is that most stores do not open until 9:30 am.  Can you imagine Safeway or Kroeger's not opening until 9:30 each day?  It seems to be part of a more relaxed or tranquilo way of life Ecuadorian's enjoy. Yes, some people are up early rushing to work but many people begin their work day a little later than a lot of US citizens do. There is not the same push here to make every possible penny and quickly spend every penny to consume ever more "stuff" or cosas.

I have a time line in my head - a casual one- of when I plan to begin different tasks or mark some milestones on my way to being fully acclimated to this new culture.  So far, this gentle approach with myself is paying off in several ways.  Less pressure, less anxiety, enjoying things unfolding as I am ready to face each new challenge.

I have not learned my way around this "very easy to navigate" city.  Why?  Well, not driving is part of it. Street names that seem difficult to pronounce and hard to recall - both a language and a memory issue - factor in.  But learning this city is just about next on my agenda.  Street names are sticking in my head better and I can now pronounce Juan Jaramillo and Remegio Crespo well enough that taxi drivers understand me - progress!

Another challenge here for me has been that I am allergic to wheat (and barley and rye) so I eat gluten free.  It is not hard to do these days in the US.  Many convenient gluten free products and an increased understanding of celiac disease have made it an easier task in the US.  Here, although several non-gluten grains are grown & exported here (red quinoa, milo), it has been a struggle to find restaurants and merchants who understand the issues.  Consequently, we eat most meals at home, which is ok but a little limiting.  Locating items I need to bake breads made from other grains and cook gluten free meals has been a bit like hunting for a needle in a haystack. But I've been determined to succeed for my health. The positive side of this is that I am gathering resources for others who have similar needs.

And good news today: a new restaurant has opened that has gluten free items.  It is named Nectar and is located on Beningo Malo near Gran Columbia  It is vegetarian. Lunch costs $2.50 and includes fresh made juice, a main course with rice and vegetables and a tiny dessert. The owners are Greek and Ecuadorian and are showing all the signs of being great "inn keepers". I am SO excited there is another restaurant that understands the gluten free concept.  It joins El Maize, in my book, as a place to seek out.

 If others know of different Cuenca restaurants where the staff understand  "sin trigo" needs, please let me know.

So there is my 6 month update.  I love being here.  I have homesickness for family and friends. I miss some conveniences but all is outweighed by living this incredible "excellent life adventure".

Have a terrific week!
Luego,
Sharon

Layering the quilt and Pacific Sea Bass for dinner

Today's post comes as Cuenca,  in the Province of Azuay, is about to conclude 5 days of celebration of their 195 year independence from Quito (sort of like Idaho becoming a state separate from the Oregon Territory -which was in 1863). Many visitors, many people off work,crowded parks, stores closed, fireworks, a terrific arts and crafts festival  -  all were part of this week.

[NOTE: In today's post, I added some Espanol phrases to translate what I wrote (just before the phrase) in English.  Along with my budding skills in Espanol, I used Google Translate a lot so... forgive me, Rebe and mi amiga in Espana Sully. Maybe one year from now, I'll be able to translate correctly myself as I keep learning Espanol.]

This is the king size quilt top I'm working onand writing about today.  Notice the cat just can't seem to relax.   The heating pad is not on - she just loves to lie on it.


What a successful day for me today!  I got up early to clean the hardwood floor where I planned to lay out the king size quilt to be layered.  Next I spread out the batting and measured it.  It seemed huge at 124" x 118" (315 cm x 300 cm).  My quilt top is 101" x  101"   (256.5 cm x 256.5 cm) so a queen size batting would not be wide enough.  I trimmed the batting to be a few inches larger than the quilt top and marked the center.  Picked it up and laid it aside.  

My friends, Bernardita, Maria Elena and Rebeca arrived right on time to help me layer this huge quilt. Estefi could not come but promised to help on another layering.


Just before they arrived, it was time to mark the center of my backing that I had spliced together a bit on Monday.  I bought 8 1/2 yards of fabric but because of the width of the quilt top, I needed 9 yards.  So I got creative and spliced in an orange "racer stripe". With that and a couple of extra seams it was completed and ready to go.  I marked the center and laid it out on the floor. 
Fabric Note aside: I bought this fabric online from equilter and had it shipped to Florida and then on to us by the service Correos.  It takes a long time (2-4 weeks from Florida) but we have had good luck with things arriving. No duty is charged as long as the package is under a certain value and weight. We pay $5/pound on any package that arrives in Florida to come on to us.

Just then, my wonderful "quilt crew" arrived to help. Three wonderful women of Cuenca: Maria Elena, Rebeca and Bernardita worked hard and offered their opinions throughout the process, making it really fun. I love that each woman expresses her opinion and is not too shy to speak up if something did not make sense or did not seem right. One question Bernardita and her mother Maria Elena had was "why are you putting this beautiful fabric on the back of the quilt where it won't be seen.  I pointed out that it would make the "bedspread quilt" versatile as it would be a two sided "bedspread quilt", giving the bedroom a different look when flipped over.  They both understood and could see the advantage of that. 


So we got on the floor on hands and knees and each one of us had a corner/quarter to work to get it smooth, work out wrinkles and uneven spots, while keeping it centered. Everyone worked hard for about an hour. Even with windows open, it seemed very warm (mucho caliente), although it was not much over 70 degrees outside.  This step in creating a quilt is hard work, mucho MUCHO trabajo.




Bernardita is an architect so she took right to the process. I can see that she would be a great project manager because she quickly saw what was needed and grasped the whole process as well as individual parts.  She is also a very dear perfectionist so she kept us working to get every wrinkle out.   When we had all of the layering completed, there was one stubborn wrinkle that we worked and reworked without success.

 Finally I said sweetly   "Bernardita, if I were entering this quilt in an art festival, I'd keep working to resolve this.  But this is going on my bed so it does not have to be perfect.  This is just for our bed. (esto es solo para la cama).  And when I see that wrinkle, it will remind me of our time together today - its a good thing. (Y cuando veo que se arrugan, se me recordara de nuestro tiempo juntos hoy en dia - es una buena cosa.)     

Rebe and Maria Elena sighed, Bernardita understood and we decided it was "good enough"
lo suficientemente bueno, and will be gorgeous. My quilts are not made to be hung on a wall, generally.  They are made to be used and washed, enjoyed and hopefully cherished by the owner. I actually think a few imperfections do not detract and even show a slice of humanity in the creator. Like life - nothing is without flaws." (Translates roughly to"Mis colchas no estan hechas para ser colgado en una pared, en general. Estan hechos para ser utilizados y se lavo, disgrutado y espero apreciados por el proprietario.  De heco, creo algunas imperfecciones no restan, 3 incluso mostrar una porcion de la humanidad en el creador.  como la vida - no esta exenta de defectos.")    


Yes, I may be justifying not being a perfectionist, not creating perfect beauty, but that's my philosophy and I'm sticking to it. 


This was such a wonderful gift these 3 women gave me - to help with a project that is pretty impossible to do alone, crawling around on the hard floor, trying to get each part straight and smooth. (I hope translateGoogle got this right!  "Este fue un maravilloso regalo estas tres chicas me dio - para ayudar con un proyecto que es bastante imposible hacerlo solo, arrastrandose por el suelo duro, tratando deconsequir que cada parte recta y lisa". 
      
 SO MUCH easier with 4 of us!  (Google Translate: "Era mucho mas facil con quatro de nosotros!")                   


 Thank you thank you super GRACIAS, MIS AMIGAS!  You were generous with your time during a big festival week in Cuenca.  I appreciate your kindness.    Google translate says that's: Que Feuron muy generosos con su tiempo durante una semana de gran fiesta en Cuenca.  Le agradezco su amabilidad.        

I put the layered pinned quilt by my sewing machine to complete very soon. It was a job well done!  (Fue un trabajo bien hecho!)

I was really elated and really tired.  So the cat and I had a nice nap in the sunshine. I had sweet dreams. Tuve suenos dulces.

I worked on some other things the rest of the afternoon.

For dinner, Len bought fish - sea bass.  So I pulled a recipe out of "The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook" by Vanessa Maltin (available on Amazon).  Let me recommend this book highly. It has Italian, Asian and Mexican recipes. Mi esposo has raved about everything I have prepared from this book.  It gets 5 stars from both of us in a rating system of 1-5.

Try making the tomato-basil bisque sometime - out of this world!  And soups are usually not safe for those who eat gluten free so this is all good.

Tonight's meal was a fresh, delicious dinner.  I tried using a recipe for salmon on the sea bass.  Let me go on record as someone who does not love fish.  I avoid it whenever possible but I know it is good for me, low fat, has beneficial oils, etc.  So we are trying to eat fish more often. And Ecuador makes that easier because it has delicious offerings fresh from the Pacific Ocean. This fish was delicate and delicious. 

 Lenny cooking the fish

The recipe included coconut rice, which I love.  It called for coconut milk. Since I have not yet sawed/whacked a coconut apart to try making fresh milk,  I experimented by putting dry shredded (unsweetened) coconut into the blender.  I added enough coconut water (bottled) to make the 2 cups the recipe called for.  I blended/pulverized that for about 40 seconds, adding more coconut water when the mixture became very thick.  Then it was looking good and tasted great. Although this method created milk that was a bit gritty, it blended into the jasmine rice/broth to produce a delicious dish.  

 rice cooking in coconut milk/broth mixture

The recipe also includes making a fresh papaya-cilantro salsa to top the fish.  This was a huge hit with Lenny as well as me.

 Papaya-cilantro salsa

  I added an avocado salad to complete the meal.

Here is a picture of our dinner.

Tomorrow I'm going to explore some of the Festival of the Arts that is in full swing in Cuenca this week.
LG= Life is good in Cuenca.  I am full of joy.

Backing fabric, quilt top and Cuenca is glorious!

Today I am racing to sew all the pieces of my backing fabric together to layer this quilt.

The quilt top has been complete for 2 years.  it was close to queen size.  When we moved here, I decided I wanted it to be our king bed quilt so I added about 10" more borders (2 borders added) which made it cover the mattress/box springs edges that show here.

However, I've been using it just alone, not completed with batting and backing as a quilt should be.
I have 4 friends coming Wednesday to help me layer it, pin it and get all the wrinkles out so that I can at last quilt it.  The quilt is 101" x 101" before quilting and binding so it will finish out as a "BIG BOY" size in my book.

Cuenca continues to delight me.  We have had a number of social activities.  Last week a lovely couple took us out for lunch at a great place for a gluten free person, El Maize.  It was one of the best meals I've had in Ecuador, certainly the best lunch!  Every item on the plate was delicious. and there was no wheat flour in anything I had. Healthy for me and a great relief to be able to order and eat without worry.

I also visited Fiere Libre, a huge indigenous market, for the first time.  I bought a couple of plants.  A gorgeous 3 toned bougainvillea which I put outside on the "sorta patio"  I look at it with the other bright colored plants when I am sewing.  Against the clay color of the brick, the plants look gorgeous.

And I got a lovely small fan palm that is supposed to be a house plant and not get over 3 - 4 feet tall.

We were treated to a dessert/ tea/coffee at Bill and Dean's.  She made a flourless chocolate torte which was rich and delicious.  No gluten there!

I made a big dinner Friday night for our friends who are Cuencanos.  We had 8 aadults at the table and 3 ninos at a little breakfast bar.  I made India spiced chicken with rice and all the other things.  We finished with a limon' cake that was gluten free, my last mix from the United State. It was pretty tastey. .  The conversation was all in Espanol with either one of the two lovely young women(below) translating when I would get stuck understanding or expressing myself.  It is pretty tiring to me trying to follow a conversation but I am getting more all the time ...and thank goodness for context!  This family is are so lovely that the conversation is secondary.

Bernardita turned 31.  I made this wall hanging for the serious owl lover.

 At one point, Bernardita was translating for me and then turned to tell her mother who only speaks Espanol what we were discussing.  She got mixed up and said a couple of English words instead of Espanol.  That started a series of giggles, laughter to the point of tears that was wonderful to be part of.

Rebeca(in photo standing on the left below) translated to me that in Espanol when people laugh really hard, they get tears.  We all looked at each other and burst out laughing because of course that is universal, at least between South America and North America.  It was a great evening and a very successful dinner.  I feel so grateful to know this extended family who include us as if we are one of their own.

This is the group of women who will assemble the quilt in a couple of days.  I'll do the quilting myself on the machine. This "quilt party" will be the first for the Ecuadorian women who don't really sew and had never seen quilting in progress until they met me. Very cool!  Cheverey!!  They are great sports to help out in the layering process which will be on the hardwood floor and be hard on knees.

Cannot find a picture of the quilt backing fabric - next time.  It is a luscious paisley flannel - should be very cozy when the batting is added.

I had some great skype time with my kids and grandkids recently.  My youngest grandson, Blake, said "I love you gramma" for the first time.  it was such a delight...but I got off the phone and cried really hard because I was not there to hug him in person.  Blake clearly still knows who I am and enjoys the skype calls.

We have tenative news on our progress to getting residency finalized with a cedula in hand someday.  The attorneys who are a husband and wife couple, Grace and Nelson, notified us it was time to give them our passports to be sent to Quito for the inspection process that is required.  So we did and now we are living in a foreign country with the 90 day extension to our visa about to expire and we have no passports in our possession.  A little frightening if you think much about it but we decided not to.

We are told that in about 2 weeks, we should have our passports back and be able to fly to Quito later in November to meet the attorney's rep and spend one day getting the cedula all finalized.  Then we will be legal residents of Ecuador. As a pensioner, Len will be eligible for 50% back on airfare that originates in Cuenca, a 50% discount on the already cheap bus fare, and a decrease on utilities, which are amazingly low.

Ironically, our attorneys are to be on vacation for the next few weeks so we will be going to Quito after they return from vacation and get the next steps in order.  I must be making some progress on being "Cuenca like" because I felt it was not worth getting upset about.  So we continue to get settled but feel joy each day to be here.  There is also pain each day that we cannot be with loved ones as well.

back to sewing that pesky quilt backing.  Have a terrific week!

A Lovely Lively Day in Cuenca

           A view of the city, taken near Mall Del Rio

Thoughts about making friends and living in Cuenca:
Recently, I corresponded with a couple from Nashville, TN who are moving to Cuenca. They are here for a week to get things started.  It is their first visit.
We met them at a local cafe to talk and have coffee. Cafe Austria is frequented by expats and Cuencanos and has a pleasant sunny exposure for the intimate tables.  While we were at the cafe, in walked three other expats we know. Two of them live in our building but we rarely see them so it was nice to chat for awhile.

  When we parted ways, Len and I  walked to a farmacia we have come to appreciate for the owner who is both a pharmacist and a doctor. Most of the pharmacies here seem to have a doctor on staff who is also a pharmacist. This particular farmacia is tiny to the extreme but the prices are very competitive and the owner, Marta, is friendly to everyone who comes by. 

Lenny waited while I conversed with Marta in my very basic Espanol and Marta answered as if I was a native speaker (read: she said a lot of words and I got about every 6th one).  A woman was sitting in a chair waiting so Len struck up a conversation in Espanol with her. It turned out to be Marta's sister who tried to recruit Lenny to volunteer-teach English in her school. She suddenly sang a famous Latin American song, Besame, and was so proud she was singing it in English. Quite a sweet character.
    
Lenny and I continued our walk. A block later we ran into Santiago, our Spanish teacher's brother. We chatted with him for a brief time in Espanol.  He knows to talk in basic sentences so I can keep up. We invited him to join us for a casual meal next week when several members of his family will be over.

Three blocks farther on our route we met an Californian who attends Lenny's IPad Users Group. They exchanged a couple of tech ideas and we moved on.

Suddenly it was time for lunch. We met with an American couple, our amigos Dean and Bill who had invited us to celebrate her birthday. Tiesto's - we had been there once before. It is not cheap but it is a great experience and the food is excellent. The chef Juan is quite a showman, delivering each patron's main course himself with a dramatic flourish.  You really feel that he cooks each dish just for you and you are welcome in his casa. He invited Lenny into the kitchen to taste the birthday cake before it was delivered to Dean, the birthday girl.

It is amazing to see so many people we have met in just 5 months of living here in one random trip into El Centro (the older part of the city). Remember, Cuenca has the same population as the city of Portland proper (not Greater Portland) but because most people walk or take the bus it "lives" like a very small town. One could say it is very user friendly!


After lunch we walked across the Rio Tomebamba for an appointment at the Chamber of Commerce to consult with an attorney who is a legal counsel/attorney for the Chamber.  He is also our Espanol teacher's son.  He is the picture of professionalism. We were talking with him about the overly-lengthy process to get our residency/cedulas completed, to see if he has any suggestions.

The Cuenca attorneys we hired (and paid 80% up front) came very highly recommended by 3 people we respect.  The attorneys say the same thing every time we call them: "the application looks fine and it is out of our hands - it is just taking a long time for many people and we must all be patient".  When we talked with them yesterday, they reported that our "applications are in order and are in the office of the Director of Foreign Affairs and has been assigned a file number."  So someday...we will get the call to go to Quito to finalize the process but no one knows when.


We have been in Ecuador long enough to be patient to a degree but not long enough to accept fully how inefficient this system is.  But is it Ecuador, not the US, and we have chosen to live here... so enough about that.

OK, back to the happy stuff.   We are now hoping that we will have our residency and can visit the US in January. At the suggestion of my very wise friend, Cindy, I am seeing 1) how much Espanol I can learn and  2) how many quilt blocks I can complete before our visit.  Just a way to keep a positive focus in the glorious setting in which we are living.

By the way, I don't feel "homesick" for my kids/grandchildren/family/friends all of the time, every minute. But it is there, quietly behind the scenes, all the time.  Planning a trip to see everyone is a positive way to manage those feelings. Calling with Skype is very positive as well.

It's been only 5 months since we arrived.  We have things we need to be better at: Espanol, patience, remembering street names...but I feel we have adjusted to life  high in the Andes near the equator quite well.  I cannot say enough how wonderful it is to have such a resource as the group of ex-pats, many of whom offer assistance at the drop of a hat.  And I could go on and on about the kindness, generosity and warmth of many, many Ecuadorians.

So loved ones, expect to see us in January 2012, more likely.  I look forward to it!!  Know that we are safe and enjoying SO many aspects of our new life adventure. And I miss you!   All for now.  S.