Celebrate, Celebrate, Dance to the Music!

Oh man! Talk about time flying. It’s already been a week ago today that I spent the day in Quito getting my sedula and censo. I swear it feels like I was just there two days ago.

My attorney was Gabriela Espinosa. I arrived to her new office, where she relocated her staff in early August. Gabriela’s new address is 18 de Septiembre E7-26 y 6 de Diciembre office 82. Before I could even approach the building receptionist/security, a young man behind me introduced himself as Andreas and announced that he was Gabriela’s assistant. He speaks English very well. We made a short stop in Gabriela’s office, procured what files we needed and we were off and running. The censo was taken care of first. Andreas went ahead to meet with officials to be sure they would have my birth place in the computer, so the process would not be hampered when my turn came up to answer the questions on the form, since my place of birth was not likely to be already listed in the computer.

The next stage was the long process. Over 400 people with numbers ahead of ours. The waiting was going to be hours. Andreas disappeared for about forty minutes to take care of paper work unrelated to my case. When he returned we talked for about thirty minutes. With still over 200 numbers to go, I suggested we go across the street where there was an arena. The entire front of the arena was ensconced with one restaurant after another, with the vast majority of them in the fast food milieu. We stopped at a Chinese restaurant. I assumed it was a franchise, because we went up to the counter and had a choice of about eight different meals from which to choose, as they were displayed on the wall high above the counter. Andreas and I both went for the “Big Buddha”. We highly recommend it. Lot’s of variety of tantalizing, generous portions on the plate. The dinners were quite good by Ecuadorian standards of Chinese cuisine. We followed lunch with about a six block walk, anything to prevent us from having to return and sit any longer than was necessary. It wasn’t too long after our return that our number was called and the sedula business was taken care of.

Andreas did say that criminal records are now once again required by those seeking residency in Cuenca, but medical records continue not to be required as they once were.

We returned to Gabriela’s office. I signed a form giving them power of attorney, so they could pick up my sedula and send it to me with a routing number where I would need to pick the sedula up at the Cuenca Airport. Just take it for granted that you will have to call the law firm to determine when the sedula was forwarded to you and what the routing number is. I picked up my luggage and headed out of the office to discover that there was a monster storm raging outside. Then it began to hail heavily. Not golf ball size, but large enough and plentiful enough to encapsulate Quito in a sheet of white that reminded me of Chicago in March when one might find everything suddenly covered in an half an inch of snow. It was such a stunner, after such a beautiful day of sunny weather.

At the slightest hint of a slow-down in the rain, I realized I had to get about fifty feet from the front of the office building over to the corner to hail a cab. By the time I reached the corner the rain was mercilessly pounding down again, and the streets were so cover in water that I didn’t think any cab would come close enough to the curb for me to throw my luggage and myself into the taxi. Almost immediately, a cab stopped to pick me up. I was surprised, because the driver already had a female passenger sitting in the front seat with him. They both were cordial. We attempted some conversation, but the language gulf was too big.

The fifteen minute ride took fifty minutes to the airport. The streets were flooded something awful. I hadn’t seen flooding this pervasive since my monsoon days in Mumbai back in the 70’s. Of course, Mumbai had no storm sewers back then. Some shop keepers were using push-brooms to keep the water from flooding into their store entrances. For other shop keepers, it was a lost cause. Their sidewalk levels were lower than the street, and the water forged its way right into the stores. At times I saw children pounding around with their shoes in the hail, and attempting to pick it up just like kids would pick up snow in the states.

The flight was twenty minutes delayed. I arrived in Cuenca. There had been no rain, let alone a storm. Everything was Cuenca. Everything was tranquil.

I was now a resident of Ecuador, and more excitedly a genuine Cuencaneo. Mucho orgullosomente! My good friends Gil and Deborah Castle threw me, and Larry and Karen Schunk a celebration dinner in honor of the three of us just completing our residency process. With Deborah cooking one of her fabulous meals, we couldn’t have asked for a nicer evening. (Sorry D, P, S, and L back in the states. No photos of the celebration.) I’M A CUENCANO! VIVA CUENCA!

Beautiful Cuenca in Photographs

Ever since I arrived in Cuenca back in March of this year, I have at various times received emails from friends and family members wondering when I was going to take my camera out and begin to include photos of Cuenca with my posts. Well, I took my camera out more than a month ago. I have been taking photos from my balcony, and I have been practicing with my camera. I also was waiting for all the rain to stop along with the endless cloudy days. My one day of photo posts from my original excursion to Cuenca last summer happened to be on a cloudy, dreary day.

Now that we are enjoying more sunshine as of late, I can no longer use cloudy weather as an excuse for not using my camera. The truth of the matter is I just am not in the mood, nor wish to take the time to snap photos. Keep in mind too, that I am not vacationing in Cuenca. This is my home now, and living everyday life for me does not allow for frequent picture-taking.

I suppose after eighteen months of reading and seeing so many Cuenca links of articles and photos by bloggers; it’s like, gosh do we really need one more photo of the three domes of the New Cathedral, or whatever else captures someone’s fancy as worth another photo shot in Cuenca. I would not be at all surprised if Cuenca in the last two years has not on a per capita basis been more photographed than any other city in the world, particularly since it first had been ranked as the number one desirable city in the world for retirement.

I do want to thank those of you who either by post comments or emails appreciated my writing as being expressive in imagery to make you feel as if you were actually a part of the experience. That means far more to me than compliments on a good photograph. On the other hand, there are those like one good friend of mine, who said I had no idea how beautiful Cuenca is until I clicked on one of your links to another blog. I realize that many friends and relatives in the states who read my blog, may not take the time to read any of the other blogs. Therefore, the continuous repetition of photos to me may be novel to them if they haven’t looked elsewhere. I realize also that it is difficult to refer to specific links for photos of Cuenca, since you can find many fine photos on the various blogs, but unfortunately have to wade through various posts to see the photos.

Well, today a new blog was introduced on “South of Zero”. It is entitled, “Pachamama Spectrum of Treasures” by Ernie and Deborah Millard. It is excellent, with a very professionally done blend of beautiful high quality photos, short videos, and brief but poignant texts of what you are viewing that is comprehensive and awe-inspiring. How the Millards were able to accomplish all this from just a one week visit to Cuenca, I find amazing. If I were still a World Cultures and World Geography teacher, I would not hesitate to use “Pachamama Spectrum of Treasures” as a classroom resource tool.

So now those of you who need literal pictures of Cuenca to envision what I have frequently written about in my various posts, I highly recommend that you take a look at the Millard post of August 16th about Cuenca. You will find all the photos in one place, all in one post. That’s not to say I will never post photos, but it’s just not my priority among my interest of activities, nor among the things I need to get done right now. So take a look at the Millard's post and enjoy--really enjoy.

http://www.pachamama-spectrum-of-treasures.com/2011_08_01_archive.html

An Unpleasant Side of Cuenca

Every day is something new in Cuenca. That’s part of the excitement of my living here. Yesterday was no exception. I planned a low-key day of basically reading and responding to my emails, depressing myself with the financial news from back home, and preparing a post for my blog. For a little exercise, I would make my weekly trek over to Coopera. A walk that normally is about one mile round trip. Coopera is an excellent organic food cooperative, where I planned to pick up some meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Much of the remainder of the day was to be spent studying Spanish which I had promised my tutor I would do while he is out of town, and which at this moment is a promise I have yet to keep.

We have had four beautiful days of incredible weather. Sunday was sunny non-stop all day and very hot. Monday and Tuesday were mostly sunny and warm. It has been wonderful for the first time since I arrived in mid-March that I could actually eat my breakfast on my balcony. What a sense of freedom to open up all the windows and leave them open throughout the day without the worry of it being too cool, and where the feeling of the inside of my condo and the outside become as one. Today, Wednesday, has been cloudier, and a little cooler. Nonetheless, it’s another beautiful day. Cuenca has received all of its annual average precipitation by the end of June. July has involved less rain than the previous months, but much cloudiness, and both June and July were well below their average annual temperatures. I would like to believe we are on a new trend, but I also know that August and September are suppose to be our coldest months during the year in Cuenca. I hope I haven’t jinxed us with a good weather report, or lots of expats will be growling at me if things start getting cold again.

I digress. My day as usual would go much differently than I planned. I did not study Spanish, nor did I get this post done. One amigo called, soon was at my door and we went out for dinner, then while we were eating, an amiga called and joined us as well. I had absolutely no intentions of wanting to go into El Centro last evening, but she insisted. Little did I expect to find myself standing ten feet from Presidente Correa as he was leaving a meeting in the municipal building across from Parke Cauderon. No limo in which to ride for this president. Ecuador may not be a wealthy country economically, but that hasn’t stopped government officials from parading around like they are kings in countries far less affluent than Ecuador. I was duly impressed. Before entering his car, the Presidente and I sat down over coffee at Fruitiladas to discuss a very pressing problem in Ecuador, the epidemic of major graffiti over much of El Centro in the past month. (Well, the coffee conversation didn’t quite happen, but then again it depends upon your view of reality.) At any rate, I am now prepared to share with you my original post that did not get completed yesterday.

When I came to Cuenca from Quito in March, one of my comments was how little graffiti there was in Cuenca compared to Quito, and how thankful I was for that. I don’t know if it’s because school is out for two months and some, most likely teens, have too much time on their hands. However, the spread of graffiti has been a contagion, particularly the last couple of weeks. Calle Larga from one end to the other is mired in graffiti hardly without a building that hasn’t been sprayed. Paint has been sprayed on the walls along the river. Rich and Nancy pointed out in their post today, that even monumental sites like the New Cathedral have not been spared from the tagging.

I don’t know if South Americans have a different attitude toward graffiti than gringos. While I know discussing the problem with four Ecuadorians at different times in the past few days hardly makes for an accurate survey, none of them seemed concerned about the tagging, and basically shrugged their shoulders. Yet I know one thing the Cuenca taxi drivers want to comment about all the time is how beautiful and tranquil Cuenca is.

Among gringos, especially from the United States graffiti is not only viewed as an eye sore, but often and accurately is associated with gang activity. Areas sprayed in graffiti are usually viewed as more dangerous and personally unsafe. While Cuenca has little if any serious gang problems at this time, the perception can be harmful to Cuenca’s tourist trade, if tourists view the city as unsafe, which it is not, or if photos of everything tourists take are mired in graffiti. It also doesn’t make much sense to spend all the money that in recent years has been invested into the beautification and restoration of El Centro; the constant picking up of litter by city workers; and the washing, soaping, scrubbing, hosing down of public and some private squares every evening; what good is it if the positive efforts are cancelled out by a bunch of punks with nothing better to do than tag, or who wish to exhibit anti-social behavior.

I was walking along the river park just below El Centro where construction workers have completed new walkways and terraces with benches that allow strollers to sit and enjoy the beauty and sound of the Rio Tomebama. Yet at the same time, the walls that form the foundations for El Centro above the river basin have become degraded in places with sporadic tagging.

I am not a fan of graffiti art. I don’t find it all that attractive and usually it’s too cartoonish-looking for my tastes, but when the effort at art is done legitimately and with some oversight, I can tolerate it. I am not attempting to force my tastes upon others. In fact, as I was walking along the river on Sunday, two young man where spray-painting the wall along the area. One young man had about eight cans of paint spray. I assumed since they were actually working on something meant to be art and doing it in broad daylight, that they must have had some official’s permission.

Most tagging, however, is just an eyesore performed by people with no artistic talent, and with no concern with being artistic, just destructive. In fact, these taggers will not hesitate to spray over the more artistic graffiti, just to act out their negative energies. I watched one man out on Grand Columbia outside EL Centro repainting an entire wall, as he painted over the graffiti, and I couldn’t help but wonder if by morning the wall wouldn’t be tagged all over again. Even beautiful homes in some of the nicest neighborhoods, with nice clean and relatively new paint jobs find their outer walls spray-painted.

In Rich and Nancy’s post “Good Art and the Ugly” (August 2), they stated that some Ecuadorians had mentioned that city officials may be preparing to take actions against these hooligans, with possible fines by the parents and jail time by the perpetrators. I don’t believe this solution nary will make a difference in the recent prodigious proliferation of graffiti in the city. I would suggest to city officials that they investigate what some cities like New York City or Chicago have specifically done to minimize graffiti in their cities.

Generally, actions need to be taken to make spray paint less available to customers. Some cities have done a combination of the following: limit the number of stores that can sell spray paint, require that purchasers of spray paint be at least eighteen years of age, require the spray paint be kept behind the counter, require an identification with a recording of the purchaser and paint purchased in efforts to minimize cans falling into the hands of ill-intended violators of aesthetic destruction of the beautiful city of Cuenca.

I hope that this is an issue that the city officials and the chamber of commerce will take seriously, research seriously, and act swiftly before Cuenca is turned into the graffiti capital of the world. There, now maybe I'll get my Spanish homework done.

The Other Side of Cuenca

On April 3rd, I had posted “The Remembrances of Another Time Found in Cuenca”. The post was a reflection of how so many things in Cuenca were a reminder of what life was like growing up in the United States in the 1950’s. I continue to be astonished at the way things are done in Cuenca that harkens back to an earlier time in the United States.

My intent was to type a follow-up post the following week, but I became side-tracked with life’s demands and the writing of other post topics that served a greater sense of immediacy for me at the time. Therefore, the germination of that follow-up post has come to fruition today, and is entitled, “The Other Side of Cuenca”, which deals with a Cuencano society in which both tradition and modernity are currently coexisting side by side. I did not want to leave in the minds of Norte Americanos that Cuenca is simply some throw back to an earlier era. Much of Cuenca is as contemporary as anything that is found in the United States and Canada.

While El Centro is the historic district recognized and protected by UNESCO, and where outside alterations to the Spanish Renaissance architecture must be in keeping with that style; outside of many parts of El Centro is a very modern Cuenca of new homes generally done in both traditional and contemporary Spanish architectural styles. There is no doubt that this city of 500,000 people who have lived in low-lying structures in which the tallest buildings were generally no more than four floors in height, have seen the Cuenca landscape particularly over the last five years experience an enormous explosion in new high-rise condos and commercial office buildings. Even with this growth in high rise construction, there is little chance of Cuenca becoming a densely populated city of high rises. The tallest building is seventeen stories, and for the foreseeable future no building will be allowed to rise above fourteen stories. Along with the high rises, many townhouses are beginning to make their appearance on the housing scene as well

Even as high rise condos parallel near the Rio Tomebama and stretch westward along Calle Lasso and similar streets in the area. The high rises are either scattered among one and two story housing, or surrounded by low rising housing divisions. There are no blocks after blocks of high rises being built as can be found in cities like Chicago and New York City.

Like the urban sprawl in the United States over the last half a century, new housing tracks continue to spring up across the Cuenca valley with newer homes extending into the lower mountain sides. The South side of Cuenca is one of the most elegant areas of Cuenca, with a combination of low rise apartment buildings and attractive neighborhoods of homes most reminiscent of upper-middle class neighborhoods found in areas around Los Angeles or San Diego, or a Scottsdale, Arizona; where handsome homes are walled off in gated communities. Avenida Solano is the heart of the south side. It is a perfect example of a beautiful four lane street divided by a wide median green belt with bountiful trees which line the median as well as align along the curbsides of the avenue which extend for two to three miles until the street comes to a T when Solano reaches the Rio Yanuncay. Radiating from Solano are a myriad of gated communities of elegant homes nestled behind the walls. Solano is graced with wide sidewalks that are set-off from the curb by the grassy areas and trees that align the avenue. The walk along the shady tree boulevard of Solano can be a leisurely stroll that introduces one to a Cuenca quite different from El Centro. I met an expat lady who has lived with her husband in Cuenca for thirty years, and remembers when the south side of Cuenca was all farmland when they first arrived.

The new construction is found everywhere in the city, and so are the nice neighborhoods. Yet even in these areas one can find a herd of cows eating grass along a parkway, and the areas are further enhanced by the beauty of the rivers that run through many areas of Cuenca and the walkways along the banks of the rivers, only to be further enhanced by vaster green areas like Parke Madre, which lies across the Rio Tomebama and just below El Centro on the south side of the city, or on the east side of Cuenca where the very large, beautiful, and greatly appreciated Parke de El Paraiso is enjoyed by Cuencanos particularly on the weekends.

There is little industry in Cuenca, and that includes the eyesores that generally are concomitant with an industrial sector. Except for bus fumes, there is little in the way of pollution. Even the airport and the terminal bus station are located on the outskirts of Cuneca’s northeast side, thereby causing little infringement upon the city as a whole. As the cultural center of Ecuador, Cuenca is blessed with two major universities, which grace the central south sides of the city. Further to the east is Azuay University, a private institution; and more toward the central part of Cuenca, south of the Rio Tomebama lies Cuenca University, the public university. Both campuses are modern institutions of higher learning occupying traditional brick and mortar buildings in park-like settings.

I don’t wish to leave in your minds the impression that El Centro is old and everything outside of the historic district is new. In El Centro while there is a continual refurbishing of exterior structures in keeping with its historical context, there are also many interior renovations taking place that are very contemporary in replaced infrastructure like plumbing, electrical wiring, as well as in interior designs. Some of these homes and condos have been renovated while keeping the traditional layout of the interiors intact, while other renovations have taken the dramatic step of removing interior walls from smaller enclosed rooms to provide space with a modern open-concept and loft-style arrangements.

In turn, outside the historic district, one will find neighborhoods that have existed for long times. Indigenous neighborhoods range from more antiquated homes in semi-rural areas to areas that have a more densely populated feeling like in El Centro. Generally speaking, class lines in housing sub-divisions are not as well defined as in the states. It is not unusual to find an upscale new home constructed next to a Spartan older home, or next to a building much in need of repairs, or even next to an abandoned old wood and adobe building probably constructed in the 1800’s.

Intermingled among the various communities is the very large, enclosed, and attractive Mal del Rio, which can hold its own with the best designed malls in the states. Like malls back home, it features an endless variety of specialty shops, kiosks, cinemas, major play areas for children, video arcades are still prominently featured as well, and there is a massive food court with many Ecuadorian cuisine twists that cannot be found in food courts back home. What is missing from the mall are the large department stores that anchor most enclosed malls in the states. The one store that approximates a department store in Mal del Rio and which is the largest single store in the mall is the two storied, Corral, which would be a store more on the level of a “Target” back home.

Other smaller enclosed malls also exist, usually with few stores. One such mall is the Milenium Plaza on the southside with its stadium seated cinema complex, and a food court that dwarfs the handful of stores in the mall. There are also three malls that are anchored by Supermaxi, a modern upscale supermarket of which these malls are found one on the south side and the other on the west side of town. On the east side of town the third SuperMaxi occupies a mall space that includes Kiwi, which is the Ecuadorian equivalent of Home Depot in the states. The west side mall has the closest thing to a department store in Cuenca, which is called Sukasa, and while not as large as what one normally thinks in department store sizes in the states, it carries a merchandise line similar to Macy’s in price and quality. These smaller malls also have some unique specialty shops, once again these malls reflect upper-scale shopping that manifests the greater growth of affluence in Cuenca in recent years, and the fact that proportionately in population-size Cuenca has the largest middle class of any large city in Ecuador. The malls prove to be a great attraction, especially on the weekends. The food courts are jammed, and like in the states, the malls attract teens as a place to hang-out and be seen.

Automobiles continue to become a bigger problem with congestion. One taxi driver told me that one out of every three Cuencanos now have a car. Assuming that figure is accurate, there is no doubt that congestion during certain times of the day can make a ten minute ride from where I live about three miles from Parke Calderon into a slow crawl. There are no expressways in Cuenca, and I hope there never will be. There are a number of circles which make for interesting driving patterns, and with no traffic lights, pedestrians truly take their lives in their own hands in attempting to cross the streets in these areas. The most dangerous and challenging by far in my opinion is the Circle at Grand Columbia and Avenida de Americas. Supposedly an underpass is to be constructed at this site, but to date no construction work has begun.

Cuenca is rapidly developing an excellent reputation for health care, with a number of very fine up to date hospital facilities, and well trained doctors. Medical care is provided at a fraction of the cost in the United States. Nevertheless, there are still Cuencanos particularly among the indigenous population as well as some expats who prefer to frequent shamans for their medical care.

Finally, there are two strips in Cuenca. One strip is Calle Remigio Crespo, which runs east-west through the south side of town and is blessed with stores and numerous restaurants and up-scale bars. Chinese restaurants in particular are plentiful along Crespo. It is an area for evening and weekend leisure.

The other strip is Calle Larga on the south edge of El Centro with many restaurants, and a munificent bounty of bars--many of which seat only one dozen to two dozen patrons. A disco is also available, as well as an Indian restaurant karaoke bar. Music and large screen videos of futbal, rock-type concerts, or just luscious ladies in music videos on large screens are the form of entertainment in most bars used as distractions when people are caught in intermittent conversation.

Calle Larga has a large number of shawarma restaurants as a Pakistani area exists among the bars and restaurants. The Hookah is popular in the Pakistani bars and restaurants, with many young people who come to smoke more than to eat at these hangouts, as I am sure these young folks feel they are doing something risky and edgy.

Many young people can be found on Calle Larga in the evenings especially Thursday through the weekends, which includes many young gringos, since the area is filled with inexpensive hostels that cater to youth. There are always Norte Americanos, Europeans, and Australian youth who are just traveling through Cuenca, or most likely studying Spanish in one of the foreign language schools. While many people warn of personal safety concerns along the area at night; despite the occasional drunk on the street left over from the night before, who is usually an older guy, the area is relatively tame compared to comparable areas in other countries. Very young people can be found drinking in the bars. I have been told the drinking age is eighteen, while others have told me it is sixteen. I have the feeling from my observations that who gets served may be left more to the discretion of the bartenders. I have not witness young people abuse alcohol in these bars, the way they do in the states. Maybe the price of alcohol is too expensive for their wallets, but the binge drinking which has become quite a phenomenon across the United States does not appear from what I’ve observed to be anywhere near as prevalent here in Cuenca.

Ecuadorians I have talked to personally about drug abuse in Cuenca may not know the true situation. However, I am usually told there is illicit drug use, but it is not prevalent. That after what Columbia has gone through with its drug wars, Ecuadorians frown on drug use. On the other hand, I am told by some young people that they can get their hands on any drug they desire. The difference in drug abuse between Americans in the states and Ecuadorians may be more in degree than in kind. I would venture to further speculate that drug use may be proportionately somewhat less in Cuenca than in Guayaguil and Quito, due to the still lingering conservatism of Cuencano culture in contrast to the coastal cultures.

The traditional and the modern— I suggest as you read my April 3rd post and this post you may think I am describing parallel universes of reality. In my next post, I will consider the sociological implications of a culture in transition. That is if I don't get sidetracked again.

Telephoning in Ecuador: An Experience in Itself

Last summer when I spent a month in Cuenca, I chose not to purchase a telephone. After all I was only going to be in Cuenca for a month. I had email access from my rental, and there were always the cabinas on practically every block which allowed me to make calls and pay for them by the minute. However, I found not buying a phone was a mistake, because arrangements with new-found friends, and last minute rearrangements were difficult to accomplish when I was not in possession of a cell phone.

This year I bought a cell phone with the intent of using it for local calls, and I would depend upon Skype for International calls. I, to the best of my knowledge, can not recall any of the bloggers posting about the wonders (read that as horrors) of using telephones in Cuenca.

First, I am mystified at the number of telephone cabinas that dot almost every block of Cuenca. Why do they exist!? Why does anyone in Cuenca have a need for their use? I have never been in a city so ubiquitous with cell phone entiendas (stores), kiosks, or side-lines of cell phones than what I have seen in Cuenca. One would think by now that every Cuencano has at least a dozen cell phones each. I mean, who is buying all these phones, and for what are they using them?

I have a sneaky suspicion that there may be some religious significance to the purchase of all these cell phones. Maybe, Cuencanos buy phones in honor of their patron saint, and other saints with intercessory missions to fulfill. For example, "this is the cell phone I use when I'm taking a test in school, in honor of the saint who intercedes on my behalf when I am taking a test". Come to think of it, as a former teacher, that must be a popular saint in the U.S. as well, considering all the cell phones sneaks that would take place during test times.

There are two major telephone companies in Cuenca, which share most of the market of these multitudinous phones. Claro is the largest company,and MovieStar is a distant second. If you are not purchasing a land line in Cuenca, you purchase a mobile phone with minutes. As those minutes are used, you then need to find a business which can charge whatever amount you choose to place on your phone. You are then back in business, until your credits are consumed again. The minutes you buy are only good for a month. If they and the bonus minutes are not used by the end of the month, then you lose them. Unused minutes do not rollover to the next month like most American plans.

Second,interestingly enough I discovered that many expats were clueless about details of the telephone usage, or gave me conflicting information. Many expats were not sure about many of the features and how they are utilized on the phone. One expat, said, "Don't worry about it, if someone wants to get hold of you, they will." Others had no idea how to retrieve messages. One expat was surprised to learn from me that she had a calendar on her phone. Some expats claimed unused minutes rolled-over, while others disagreed. Other expats claimed if you run out of minutes you can not make calls, but you can receive calls. Not so, when I ran out of minutes, callers told me they had called me numerous times, but I did not respond. I was totally unaware of any calls. Some expats said, "The problem's with your phone. Go buy a new one."

Third, for most of us who speak little Spanish, the problem is further complicated by computerized voice messages that leave me in a daze. Usually the message in Espanol suddenly ends with Claro ending the call, and I have absolutely no idea what was said. Nada! Other times the message may be a lead-up to leaving a message to the intended recipient of the call. The message in Espanol ends, and I haven't been cutoff, not yet. There's a long pause; then maybe a human voice, possibly first in Spanish then in English if it's a bilingual Ecuadorian who deals with both Spanish and English speakers--the essence of which is "Leave a message"; then another long pause, a tone, and then my chance to leave a message. It took weeks for me to figure out how all this works, and to figure out how to retrieve messages.

The frustration is further aggravated by the fact that if I check more than ten times in a month to see how many minutes I have left in the month, I can no longer check without paying an extra fee each time I attempt to monitor my minutes. The worst is when I run out of minutes. Last week I had to wait twenty-four hours before I was in a position to access a store where I could recharge my phone. I simply go up to a cashier where phones can have additional minutes added, pay whatever amount I want added, and the minutes are automatically added to my phone number. The problem is as the month approaches its end, just how many minutes should I buy? If I buy too many, I lose the extra coinage at the end of the month. If I don't buy a sufficient amount of minutes, I'm forced to do so with the month almost over and the coinage is wiped clean again into Claro's pockets as a new month begins.

Interestingly enough, are the calls I receive particularly from my Ecuadorian friends, who are very vigilant about their allotment of available minutes. Their calls go something like this. "Jim, its (insert name), I will meet with you at 10:00 a.m." Me, I try to ask a question. Caller, "I can't answer that now, I'm almost out of minutes. See you at 10:00" Or, a text message, "Jim, where are you?", which means call me back at your expense.

Fourth, then of course, there is the holy corporate war between Claro and MovieStar. To call a MovieStar recipient while you are a Claro customer will cost you and arm and a leg. There are times when the calls just are not placed, with whatever explanation is given in Spanish. Some expats claim that if you buy bonus points, for example, on Claro when such offers are being made, the bonus points can not be used to call a MovieStar customer. Oh joy! Nobody explains any of these intricacies to you when you first buy a phone. You really are on your own to work through the labyrinth of Ecuadorian phone surrealism.

Two days in a roll I went solo to the Claro office, which thank God someone spoke English. I wanted to know why I have time left on my phone, but every time I attempt to place a call, the phone message reads, "Can only use in emergencies". The gentleman took out the chip and reinserted it, and it worked just fine. The next day, the same thing happened, I returned, and he did the same thing. He told me whenever the problem repeats itself in the future, just take off the back, remove the chip, and it will reboot itself. It's happened only once since, and it worked exactly as the Claro technician said it would. But why should I be having this problem in the first place!?

Fifth, an Ecuadorian friend has been after me to take out the twenty dollar a month plan. I hesitated for a few days, but decided I spend about that much anyway, and with the plan I won't have to worry about running short on minutes, or taking time to go to a business to recharge. The plan includes in the twenty dollars the 12.5 surcharge. I receive 150 minutes per month. I am able to have one primary caller for which I am charged one cent per minute. I am allowed ten additional favorite callers for four cents a minute. All other callers cost me twelve cents per minute. Now, a call to a MovieStar client will cost me twenty-three cents by the minute, about half of what it cost without the plan. I can also call numbers in the United States for forty-five cents a minute, which means except under the most dire of imminent emergencies, Skype has not lost that share of the market from me to Claro. All these are substantially less than the per minute charges without the plan. The twenty dollars is automatically deducted from my Ecuadorian bank account each month, so that means one less line in which I have to wait.

The favorites list is not cast in stone, and the numbers can be changed by me at anytime. However, there is an additional charge of $1.12 to initiate my primary caller, and six cents each for the initiating of my ten favorite callers. Therefore, those of you living in Cuenca who find I am quick to get off the phone with you, that will be a big clue that you didn't make my top eleven list. I also had to procure a new telephone number, which is 088 315 970. It seems when I purchased my phone, the number was placed in the name of the proprietor from whom I purchased my phone, since credit was charged to the phone number it didn't matter whose name the phone was in. However, once I bought a plan and the fee would be automatically withdrawn monthly from my account, I had to procure a new number that is in my name.

The new number also resulted in a new chip. We copied down on paper all my contacts and their numbers. It seems if you placed your contacts only on phone mode, than all the contacts disappear when you change chips. If the contacts are saved to the SIM card, then they can be downloaded to the new chips without being reinserted one by one. I have no idea how that download would work, and I hope I will never have to find out. I hope everything I wrote makes sense. My heads been swirling for months with this phone foolery.

I would never in a hundred years encourage anyone who does not speak Spanish to attempt converting to this plan on your own. A bilingual speaker is a must. I also went with someone (and I can't emphasize this enough) who was already familiar with the plan, and initially recommended it to me. The fast service may also have been the boon that resulted from having a bilingual intermediary who had relatives and friends working in the office as well.

I did have to sign my signature a total of eleven times. I requested of my intermediary that she inform the gentleman behind the counter that I charge $100.00 each time I sign my autograph, and he was up to $1,100. My intermediary chose to ignore my request. Everything was in Spanish, and I was completely at the mercy of the good faith of my bilingual friend and her experience in these matters. Nevertheless, I did learn later when I actually tried to read the contract that I signed a two year agreement. Something that my intermediary failed to mention. I have no idea if the contract could have been taken out on an annual basis, but my mobile phone contracts back home were always two year agreements as well.

I have tried to peruse through the text of the contract. I can make out 1/3rd to 1/2 of the text as my understanding of Spanish improves. I do believe it reads something to the effect that the contract is irrevocable, and any attempt on my part not to honor it during it duration will result either in the confiscation of all my worldly assets; or if the United States government gets to my assets first, then I will meet with immediate extermination by Claro. Imagine, and all because I wanted to make a phone call. Sure makes me wish for the good old days when all one did was pick up the phone, and a live operator said, "Number please", and you just had to give her the number.

Father's Day, 2011

Father’s Day 2011 may very well be my most memorable Father’s Day. It began with a very nice email from my eldest son, Marc, and a very appropriate and unexpected gift. Both were appreciated by me. In recent years with my sons in the military, and the three of us scattered across the globe, Father’s Day has been spent with my mother, as I would take her out to dinner. Such convolutions in what was once the natural social order of things is prevalent in contemporary American society. This year however, being far from home and family members; my friend, Martha Abril, invited me and another close friend of her's from Oakland, California to have dinner with her family. The day was in honor of Martha’s father and me, the only two fathers present.

We began with the usual introductions and sat for a time in the living room before we were invited to make our way to the dinner table. The living room walls were adorned with family photos. Martha’s parents have been married for fifty-four years. During our time together, I at times wondered what the patriarch and matriarch of the family may be thinking as their family is gathered and as the parents age in years. The memories of joy and sadness, and of successes and disappointments which make up all of our lives; the kind of memories that become more poignant in most families during special occasions like these. One photo of the elder Abrils when they were very young especially caught my eye. To be reminded of how young they had once been. He a handsome young man, and Martha’s mother a strikingly beautiful woman, as they formally posed in the traditional portrait style of that earlier period. The living room walls were resplendent with a kind of chronological history of the immediate family as they grew and aged and added new members.

Needless to say, dinner was delightful. Everything from soup to salad to the side dishes and the main entrée were delicious. It wasn’t the food, however, which made the day so memorable. It was the Abril family. Martha says that there are 3,000 Abrils in Ecuador with 90% of the family living in the Cuenca area. Imagine what their family reunions must be like?

Although I understood little of what was being discussed, and since Martha was the only bilingual speaker amongst us, but was generally preparing and delivering bowls and plates of food from the kitchen; there was little I could understand of the conversations swirling around me. Yet the family often made efforts to communicate with their two guests as best they could. It wasn’t the content of the conversation, but rather the dynamic way in which the family interacted. Martha’s cousin, appeared just in time for dinner, with his reddish complexion and hair, and what appeared to be an obvious infectious sense of humor. I immediately took a liking to him. He reminded me of a character actor like Mark Walberg's brother, who might be found playing a family member in an ethnic family setting. The kind of guy one could enjoy having a drink with at the local neighborhood bar.He and Martha’s two brothers enthusiastically carried much of the conversation.

The one brother, Wilson, must have been talking some politics, because Martha’s friend Jean is Chinese-American and better able than me to execute some Spanish, but was often lost to what Wilson was attempting to say. I did understand Wilson’s frequent references to Mao Tse Tung, Taiwan, and communism. What his interpretation of those personalities and events were, I have no idea.

The most amazing thing about the Abrils is how musical all of them are. Walter, the younger brother, is both a song writer and singer. He will be performing in the Dominican Republic next week, and later in Mexico. His sister, Martha, will be joining him to sing in Italy in October. This is a family with a great deal of affection for one another. The affection is exhibited in their interaction and encouragement of one another, and in the songs that Walter has written. We listened to recordings and viewed DVD’s, and heard a beautiful song of affection that Walter wrote about fifteen years ago to his father. He has written a song of similar vain to his mother, and the Abrils even have their own family anthem.

Martha has a strong and beautiful voice. She is a woman of great feeling and passion, and it is reflected in the songs that her brother writes and they choose to sing. Both are true romantics at heart. Martha’s niece, who is studying to be a medical doctor seemed less out-going than the other family members. However, when she sang the theme song from the movie, “The Titanic”, “My Heart Will Go On”; this was truly her song. I was amazed at the feeling that came forth from her as she sang the song in English. It was as if whatever feeling she was holding deep within her being, suddenly found its opportunity for full heart-felt expression.

All of the men in the family play guitars, but Wilson’s, artistic strength is found in his paintings, drawings, and sketches. The “Last Supper” on the dining room wall was formed by Wilson as he etched the molten copper. The real McCoy here, no sculpture made from a mode. He had a beautifully designed Oriental-styled ink drawing on the dining wall as well.

Last but not least were Martha’s children. Joshua is a handsome fourteen year old, who looks quite young for his age. He was the most reticent of the family members, and was usually the one family member least seen on the scene. However, when I noticed one of the traditional Andean multiple flute devices on display in the family living room, Joshua did not hesitate to play and demonstrate his talent.

Joshua’s eight year old sister, Amy, was definitely the scene stealer. She loves to dance, has a real stage presence, and just exudes the family tradition and love for music in all of its forms. I will be surprised if this pretty young lady does not have a future on stage.

I much appreciated Martha sharing her family and Father’s Day with me. The natural warmth of the family members, and the treatment by them of me, a stranger, as if I were a member of the family, and despite the language barriers, made for a special day for me. No one sat around watching T.V., or finding some other excuse to be engaged until it was time to leave. It did not appear that people were there simply out of family obligation. Having divorce forced upon me while my sons were of a very young age, my day at the Abrils was the kind of Father’s Day I had always assumed I would have with my own family. Some things are meant to be, and some things are not. This Father's Day, I will remember for a long time to come.

A Potpourri of Activities

The biggest celebration for me the past week was the completion of my son, Chris’ second tour of duty in Iraq, and his safe return to Hawaii to his wife of one year of which the two of them had the opportunity to spend a total of five weeks of their first year together. Now, they will have the opportunity to spend the second year of their marriage together before Chris may be faced with another combat deployment. Let the fun and games of married life begin.

I have been very pleased to receive the major part of my furniture this past week, and on time, I might add. These were the pieces of furniture, which were hand-made. The master and guest bedroom sets, the computer desk, the television furniture encasement, and the dining set. I did not mention by name the master craftsmen, who were responsible for their excellent and exceptional work in my last post, because I needed to talk to them first for their approval to mention their business by name, since much of their work also is done for retail furniture stores.

Once again, the beauty of custom-made, handcrafted furniture created at a high level of quality at a fraction of retail costs, and delivered by young workmen, who worked efficiently to put everything in place and then re-setup my television, cable box, and DVD player and their wires into the appropriate slots was much appreciated. As always, the men worked with that Cuencano attitude of respect both toward their work, with one another, and with me.

The name of the business is SOLMUEBLE. The business proprietors are Guilermo Solis and Johnny W. Solis. Transportation will be needed, since their business establishment is on the outskirts of Cuenca. The address is Cruce del Carmen via Sinincay KM 4 junto al PAI # 15. The business or factory is on the right side of the road. One has to watch very carefully once one enters the vicinity for SOLMUEBLE, which if I remember correctly is located on a curve.

There are three possible telephone numbers available by which contact can be made:

4032734 2877298 081139031

Needless to say, SOLMUEBLE comes highly recommended by me, and I thank Lourdes Isernaque, both for her friendship in making her artistic background, perspectives, and talents available to me at a busy time in her schedule when she was preparing for her trip back to the states, and for Lourdes bringing SOLMUEBLE to my attention.

I finally pulled out my Nikon camera, and began to use it a week ago. I still have much to learn and review in its use of the more complex features. However, I very much like and prefer it, over the Fuji Film Camera I had last summer. Once I get some décor items together, then I’ll share photos of my condo with family and friends. I also need to pull out my Kindle between now and the weekend and learn how to use it. There is a book I need to read within the next three weeks. I may have more to say about this particular book at a later date.

I’ve been quite busy lately, and the Spanish lessons are not succeeding as I had hoped. I hate to take a set pattern of classes, because my schedule is so erratic from day to day, and I hate to be locked into particular days and time slots. Just when I thought I had that problem resolved, things did not work out as I had hoped. Thank God for taxi drivers. They have been my biggest contributors to my interacting in Espanol.

I have been in Cuenca three months already. The time has gone tremendously fast for me. I find that I have a difficult time not only remembering what day or date of the week it is, but sometimes what month it is as well. One season is pretty much like the next with little variation. The students are just beginning to be released from school for their extended vacation period, and yet some of the trees particularly along the rivers are losing their leaves. Yet there is never a time in Cuenca when all the trees change to autumnal colors or when all the trees will be bare at the same time, as would be found with the Northern United States winters. The difference between day and night never varies more than a half an hour the year round in Cuenca. Therefore, some of the old benchmarks that designated the passing of the seasons and time back home have little relevance here.

Finally, I am still waiting to get my residency, which supposedly was to be resolved two months ago. Government bureaucracy and changes have been the big impediment to making progress on my residency status. Who knows when this impediment will be resolved--hopefully soon. My visa has expired, and I will have to go through the entire process again, if I need to leave Ecuador for an emergency back home. I also plan to return to the states for a visit in the next four to eight weeks, so I need my residency and passport.

My love affair with Cuenca continues to grow with each passing day. There is always much to observe and much to learn. What a fascinating city and marvelous people. What can I say, “VIVA CUENCA!”