I raised the question of health insurance in my last post. I have had quite a number of emails and a post from Americans who are either in transition to moving to Ecuador, planning a move to Ecuador, or are investigating a possible move to Ecuador and expressed to me their concern about health insurance. Now, I will share with you what I learned:
First, there was absolutely no response from expats to my post for advice on health insurance, so I will share with you what I learned through my own exploration. The lack of response from expats may have been due to the following reasons: To reiterate from my previous post, I spoke to at least a dozen expat couples and singles while I was in Cuenca last summer about health insurance. I do not recall one of them saying that they carried health insurance. The rationale given was that health care is of a high quality in Cuenca and so inexpensive compared to the states that there is no real need for health care insurance.
My concern for carrying health insurance is primarily to cover for catastrophic casualties, which even can become expensive in the Ecuadorian system. Imagine the cost from a serious accident or from a debilitating stroke, plus the cost involved with rehabilitation as well. The costs soon outweigh the $9,000.00 to $12,000.00 cost of Cobra for single and family plans that are saved by a pay-as-you-go for incurred expenses. No doubt much can be saved from year to year, if one is willing to take the risk. My biggest concern, since I am not eligible yet for Medicare, is being sure that I am covered while I am visiting in the United States.
Each of us have to decide how much risk with which we are willing to live, and whether our retirement income determines whether or not we can also afford to carry a health insurance policy. People living with minimal pensions and social security may have little choice but to pay-as-you-go, and if faced with a major medical catastrophe, may choose to simply file for bankruptcy. For people who have additional assets at risk, if hit with major medicals expenses, they may have greater concern for protecting their assets.
Keep in mind also that even those who qualify for Medicare and are paying into the system, will not be covered outside the United States, unless they are volunteers. You would probably have to delve into the small print to discover what constitutes volunteers. I would assume a volunteer would be someone like a Peace Corp volunteer, not someone like me who is voluntarily relocating to Cuenca. (Sorry, no smiley faces available.) However, Medicare will cover those eligible while they are traveling and visiting in the United States. I mention this because I had one email where the spouse thought he was covered by Medicare once they relocate to Ecuador, and only his younger wife would need health care coverage.
I also mentioned in my previous post that I had read that Ecuadorian health insurance companies may not be reliable in paying on big claims. I had hoped possibly some expats who have Ecuadorian policies might offer their insights on such policies. However, it may be that they have not invested in Ecuadorian insurance policies. Also all the expats I have met or have a nodding acquaintance with from reading their blogs have also been in Cuenca three years or less. I assume the expat community in Cuenca is a relatively new phenomenon, and may still be feeling their way around about insurance. Or if they have international or Ecuadorian policies have not had time to use them to verify their effectiveness and integrity.
Now, to get to what I have learned. I explored two international insurance companies, Bupa and Health Care International Global. Both are large international insurance companies that have been in existence for thirty or more years, and both deal with tens of millions of insured clients world-wide. Both companies are located in Great Britain. Bupa is the older company. Health Care International Global is not publicly-traded, which they claim leads to their profits being reinvested into the company.
Below you will find a comparison of a single policy between the two companies. If I go with either, I will choose Health Care International Global. It provides better coverage at less cost with a much lower deductible. My cost quote is based upon my age and a single cover policy. The company allowed for only a $2,000.00 deduction, and I chose for premium quote purposes a 10% co-pay. Both policies provide me with coverage when I am visiting in the United States. The premium with Health Care International can be canceled in writing fourteen days before it goes into effect. After that, it can’t be canceled or modified until the end of its first year.
Bupa offers more deduction choices without a co-pay, and is about $300.00 cheaper than Health Care International, but that is at a deduction rate of $8,500.00. Also Bupa appears to be more physician and hospital restricted. Health Care will cover any physician, hospital, or clinic that is licensed or accredited by the country in which you are residing or traveling at the time of medical attention. Bupa also disappointed me, because it failed to call me in a follow-up when I responded to an email, and also when I set up a time for appointment on their web page. (Keep in mine, that Great Britain is five hours ahead of us.) Also, when I found the page that was to list the providers in Ecuador, the page was blank except for the Bupa name and company logo. (The International site also directs you to Bupa, Latin America web page, but that site did not provide me with a medical providers list either.) I tried on three different occasions over two days, and always got the same result--no hospitals, clinics, or physicians listed.
Once I am eligible for Medicare, I can drop the international coverage. I can then procure catastrophic coverage for $900.00 to $1,200.00 that covers me regionally or just while I am in Ecuador. There are also short-term inexpensive traveling insurances, which requires greater investigation.
Procuring health insurance is a very personal decision; both companies offer other more expansive plans as well. I cannot sign up for Health Care International until thirty days before I want the policy to go into effect, so I have a little more than two weeks to make a final decision. There are many companies out there dealing with international insurance. Ultimately, each of us will have to do our own research, based upon our needs. I do hope, however, that today’s post provides a starting point for exploration and comparison. If you think you have found better insurance coverage for the dollar in the next two weeks; I’d appreciate it, if you would share with me whatever you have learned.
Health Care International Global
Your quotation for Individual Private Medical Insurance
Thank you for enquiring about cover under the Emergency + Worldwide Including USA, incorporating a claim deductible of US $2,000 with a 10% Co-Payment starting 14 March, 2011. We can confirm that the following premiums will apply for you and your family based on 1 adult aged between 61-65 years:
Plan Type Emergency + Worldwide Including USA Annual Premium US $2,582.51
Claim Deductible US $2,000 Semi Annual Premium N/A
Co-Payment 10% Quarterly Premium N/A
Dental Cover 1 members Monthly Premium N/A
PA Additional Cover US $50,000, 1 members at US $85 each
* The premium may differ slightly, depending on the exchange rates applicable at the time or if you are paying in a different currency to the plan's currency.
HealthCare International Medical Insurance Plans offer some of the most innovative and user friendly plan benefits currently available. By working closely with our underwriters, we have been able to include many benefits as standard that are often excluded by other international programs.
• In-Patient Hospital Treatment Accommodation
• Life-saving Organ Transplants
• Hospital Cash Benefit
• Daycare Surgery Treatment
• Road Ambulance Transportation
• Dread Chronic Diseases
• Emergency Medical Evacuation Medical Repatriation
• Repatriation of Mortal Remains
• Personal Accident Cover
Accidents do happen, so it's important to insure yourself and your family against any eventuality and with our Personal Accident programme, we will provide a cash payment which is yours to use in any way you like. You are automatically covered for US $25,000 as part of the benefits to all the medical plans (benefit not available for those under 18 years of age) with a maximum limit of up to US $125,000 per person.
With the consequences of being ill, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings, often proving to be a distressing experience, each of our plan's have been purposely designed to provide against not only for the financial worries you may often have to face but to meet those experiences associated with specialist treatments often excluded by other international plans.
http://www.healthcareinternational.com/home-international-insurance.php
Bupa Critical Care
Bupa Critical Care is specifically designed to cover major illnesses and injuries, with access to thousands of quality doctors.
Key Benefits
Bupa Critical Care only covers the following illnesses and medical needs (subject to the coverage limits detailed below):
Neurological illnesses, including cerebral vascular accidents $150,000
Cardiac surgery and angioplasty $150,000
Cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and reconstructive surgery $200,000
Severe trauma (polytrauma) including rehabilitation $150,000
Chronic renal insufficiency (dialysis) $100,000
Severe burns, including reconstructive surgery $300,000
Severe infectious disorders (septicemia) $150,000
Organ Transplant (per insured, per lifetime):
Transplant procedures (per diagnosis, per lifetime) $300,000
Heart $300,000
Heart/Lung $300,000
Lung $250,000
Pancreas $250,000
Pancreas/Kidney $300,000
Kidney $200,000
Liver $200,000
Bone marrow $250,000
Air ambulance (per insured, per year) $25,000
Plans & Premiums for cover starting on 14-Mar-2011
Product name James
Worldwide Medical Insurance
(USD 8,500.00 Deductible) USD 2,231.01
Worldwide Medical Plus
(USD 170.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Medicines and Equipment
(USD 80.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Wellbeing
(USD 0.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Evacuation
(USD 0.00 Deductible) USD 289.00
Annual Total USD 2,520.01
Annual Grand Total : USD 2,520.01
Bupa Plans & Premiums for cover starting on 14-Mar-2011
Product name James
Worldwide Medical Insurance
(USD 8,500.00 Deductible) USD 2,231.01
Worldwide Medical Plus
(USD 170.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Medicines and Equipment
(USD 80.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Wellbeing
(USD 0.00 Deductible) No Cover
Worldwide Evacuation
(USD 0.00 Deductible) USD 289.00
Annual Total USD 2,520.01
Annual Grand Total : USD 2,520.01
http://www.bupa-intl.com/
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Questions About Health Insurance???
When I was in Cuenca many expats that I spoke to did not carry any health insurance. The reasoning was that medical care costs are so low in Ecuador compared with the United States, that expats chose to pay out of their pockets for any expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses were viewed as more desirable than spending $9,000.00 to $12,000.00 annually for single or family plans in the U.S.A. I know from my conversations with expats in Cuenca that there have been surgeries which have cost $4,000.00 to $5,000.00--a fraction of what the expense would have been in the the United States. Yet, what if someone has a really serious accident or is diagnosed with cancer, where either incident might involve long-term care or rehabilitation? I would think that a $100,000 claim in the United States, for example, could still run $20,000.00 to $30,000.00 in Ecuador--not exactly a small piece of change.
Therefore, I am seeking a policy with a high deductible which not only covers me while in Ecuador, but also when I visit the United States until I am eligible for medicare. It is my understanding that when I am eligible for Medicare, that Medicare will not cover expenses outside the United States, unless one is a volunteer(however that is defined)in another country. However, Medicare would cover me while I am visiting in the states.
Connie Pombo recently had a post where she procured health insurance through Humana, but she mainly spoke of the insurance in its use for prescription drugs. Otherwise little detail was provided. Connie, if you are reading this, I would appreciate more information as your health insurance relates to hospitalization, out-patient, pre-existing conditions, etc. I attempted to email you, but then your email disappeared on me, and I couldn't find it again on wherever I initially saw it. When I tried to contact you by Facebook, your name would snap off every time I typed it into the message form. (Sorry Connie, I truly believe that somewhere out there among the constellations is a negative vibe between me and technology.) I also googled Humana in Ecuador, (which was the company mentioned by Connie). Currently I am waiting for some price estimates from some international insurance companies. I will share what I learn as I procure this information.
For those of you who are expats, I find the question of health insurance is rarely addressed in the blogs. I have received post comments and emails seeking information over this topic, so I know there is a great deal of interest out there over health insurance coverage in Ecuador. If anyone has a policy with a company you believe is trustworthy, we sure would appreciate some feedback either on your blog posts or via email to me. I have read accounts that Ecuadorian health insurance companies often will not pay on large claims. I have no idea how accurate that claim is. However, it is one reason of concern why I am looking at international insurance companies.
Therefore, I am seeking a policy with a high deductible which not only covers me while in Ecuador, but also when I visit the United States until I am eligible for medicare. It is my understanding that when I am eligible for Medicare, that Medicare will not cover expenses outside the United States, unless one is a volunteer(however that is defined)in another country. However, Medicare would cover me while I am visiting in the states.
Connie Pombo recently had a post where she procured health insurance through Humana, but she mainly spoke of the insurance in its use for prescription drugs. Otherwise little detail was provided. Connie, if you are reading this, I would appreciate more information as your health insurance relates to hospitalization, out-patient, pre-existing conditions, etc. I attempted to email you, but then your email disappeared on me, and I couldn't find it again on wherever I initially saw it. When I tried to contact you by Facebook, your name would snap off every time I typed it into the message form. (Sorry Connie, I truly believe that somewhere out there among the constellations is a negative vibe between me and technology.) I also googled Humana in Ecuador, (which was the company mentioned by Connie). Currently I am waiting for some price estimates from some international insurance companies. I will share what I learn as I procure this information.
For those of you who are expats, I find the question of health insurance is rarely addressed in the blogs. I have received post comments and emails seeking information over this topic, so I know there is a great deal of interest out there over health insurance coverage in Ecuador. If anyone has a policy with a company you believe is trustworthy, we sure would appreciate some feedback either on your blog posts or via email to me. I have read accounts that Ecuadorian health insurance companies often will not pay on large claims. I have no idea how accurate that claim is. However, it is one reason of concern why I am looking at international insurance companies.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Looking To The Future
Last Friday was my last day of teaching as the semester and my current career have come to a close. It was a good week. I appreciated the cake, cards, and congratulations from both students and colleagues. It was nice to end my career with a fine group of students. I wish my seniors well in their future endeavors. The fact that I taught many of them as freshman made the goodbyes more poignant. A number of them have matured over the four years, and its not often a teacher has the chance to witness his students' social and academic growth so directly. I hope in the process of my interaction with them, I instilled within my students a sense of curiosity beyond their own experiences, and a desire to travel and see the world. One thing is for sure, they all know where Ecuador and Cuenca is on a map. In fact, my retirement to Ecuador became quite a topic of conversation among staff and students, a number of teachers told me they had their students look up Ecuador and Cuenca in their map atlases. Not bad, considering I don't recall myself ever hearing of Cuenca until a year ago last Christmas season.
Meanwhile, I am now focused on the future. I have taken action to get all my paper work in order for my legal residency in Ecuador. I am working with Gabriela Espinosa, the attorney in Quito, who has come highly recommended by many expats. Although personnel in the Ecuadorian consulate in Washington tell me that visas are not yet being processed, I am told that the delay should not affect my time-table for returning to Ecuador. I tentatively intend to arrive in Quito on Monday, March 14th. I will spend a few days in Quito to finalize my residency requirements, and then arrive in Cuenca later in the week.
Well, on one hand, I am overwhelmingly excited about returning to Cuenca; on the other hand, I hope I have sufficient time to get everything accomplished. I am finding that the little things which don't show up in concrete form, like unloading my personal belongings, are very time consuming. Seeking out health insurance, dealing with the governmental offices, determining what will and will not be downloaded from my P.C. to my laptop, how to handle my finances and investments, notifying all the proper sources of address changes and cancellation of services, or scanning thousands of slides; these are only scratching the surface of things that need to be done, but don't process like an accomplishment the way an eventual empty apartment does.
For those of you who comment on problems and delays with Ecuadorian government and business bureaucracy, the Ecuadorians may have learned it from the United States. I was delayed for two weeks getting my social security information to the Ecuadorian Consulate, because of misinformation that was given to me twice from social security representatives, as I needed to procure my monthly income statement for authorization by the Ecuadorian consulate personnel. I have a friend who is 65, but is still working and has never applied for Medicare. Yet Medicare has been trying to collect hundreds of dollars in back payments for insurance for which my friend has never applied or used. It has been months of back and forth phone calls and letters between my friend and Medicare. The problem still has not been fully resolved. Medicare personnel tell him one thing and then do another. One would think with our government's advanced computer operations that such delays would be less likely than in a country like Ecuador where the computer operations are less sophisticated. At any rate, bureaucratic snafus and delays just seem to be a part of everyday modern life no matter where one lives.
I look forward to reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances, and making new friends and acquaintances as well. I read that you are having beautiful weather in Cuenca, I hope it will still be as nice in March. If anybody has any advice for me in my move, I am open to any suggestions.
Meanwhile, I am now focused on the future. I have taken action to get all my paper work in order for my legal residency in Ecuador. I am working with Gabriela Espinosa, the attorney in Quito, who has come highly recommended by many expats. Although personnel in the Ecuadorian consulate in Washington tell me that visas are not yet being processed, I am told that the delay should not affect my time-table for returning to Ecuador. I tentatively intend to arrive in Quito on Monday, March 14th. I will spend a few days in Quito to finalize my residency requirements, and then arrive in Cuenca later in the week.
Well, on one hand, I am overwhelmingly excited about returning to Cuenca; on the other hand, I hope I have sufficient time to get everything accomplished. I am finding that the little things which don't show up in concrete form, like unloading my personal belongings, are very time consuming. Seeking out health insurance, dealing with the governmental offices, determining what will and will not be downloaded from my P.C. to my laptop, how to handle my finances and investments, notifying all the proper sources of address changes and cancellation of services, or scanning thousands of slides; these are only scratching the surface of things that need to be done, but don't process like an accomplishment the way an eventual empty apartment does.
For those of you who comment on problems and delays with Ecuadorian government and business bureaucracy, the Ecuadorians may have learned it from the United States. I was delayed for two weeks getting my social security information to the Ecuadorian Consulate, because of misinformation that was given to me twice from social security representatives, as I needed to procure my monthly income statement for authorization by the Ecuadorian consulate personnel. I have a friend who is 65, but is still working and has never applied for Medicare. Yet Medicare has been trying to collect hundreds of dollars in back payments for insurance for which my friend has never applied or used. It has been months of back and forth phone calls and letters between my friend and Medicare. The problem still has not been fully resolved. Medicare personnel tell him one thing and then do another. One would think with our government's advanced computer operations that such delays would be less likely than in a country like Ecuador where the computer operations are less sophisticated. At any rate, bureaucratic snafus and delays just seem to be a part of everyday modern life no matter where one lives.
I look forward to reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances, and making new friends and acquaintances as well. I read that you are having beautiful weather in Cuenca, I hope it will still be as nice in March. If anybody has any advice for me in my move, I am open to any suggestions.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
You're Missing All The Fun!
Well, we have really been hit with one hellava snow storm here in Chicago, and people wonder why I want to leave Chicago for Cuenca. Might the following photos I took today of our snow storm be the reason? (Clarke from “Clarke and Brenda—Next Stage”) inspired me with his earlier post about how much he missed Northern Hemisphere winters, not. So here is my story and my photos:
A neighbor’s house
A neighbor walking near the neighborhood. Look at the neighbor in relationship to those utility poles. Can you believe it?
Driving to get some food and supplies.
There’s just no place to put all the snow.
Shoveling out my car.
Others were not so lucky.
It’s beautiful, but so is being on the coast with
Bob and Roxanne.
Aw shucks folks. I’m just jiving with you.
These are actually photos in Russian Siberia.
There was actually only two feet of snow in Chicago. See below:
FROM CHICAGO
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW
YEAR TO YOU ALL!
Actually there’s only about six inches of snow on the ground in Chicago.
There’s just no place to put all the snow.
Others were not so lucky.
It’s beautiful, but so is being on the coast with
Bob and Roxanne.
Aw shucks folks. I’m just jiving with you.
These are actually photos in Russian Siberia.
There was actually only two feet of snow in Chicago. See below:
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW
YEAR TO YOU ALL!
Actually there’s only about six inches of snow on the ground in Chicago.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Waiting for Cuenca
Hello everybody,
I know it's been awhile since I posted. Already it has been over three months since I returned from Ecuador. The reality is that except for a sporadic post on a friend or acquaintance's blog or an occasional email to a friend, life has been too hectic for me to do much blogging. I enjoyed recently spending a few days south of Baltimore with my eldest son, Marc. I celebrated with him, a few days early, his 26th birthday. Now, my younger son Chris has arrived for a two week leave before he returns to complete his second tour of duty in Iraq at the end of June/July of next year. His bride, Maria, flew in from Hawaii to be with Chris as well. They will then have the long stretch of not seeing each other again until next July.
I have spent months on an emotional roller-coaster of my own making as whether to return to Cuenca in March as I intended or to wait until next summer. In the end, all other considerations were discarded. I can't wait to return to Cuenca. I ache for Cuenca, and I will return in March. I have submitted my retirement, and will be officially retired as of January 14th. This next week I will contact Gabriela Espinosa in Quito and begin the process toward permanent residency. Between the impending holidays and then uprooting myself, the next few months promise to keep me busy. I now will get to experience that part of dislodging my old life for a new beginning, just as those of you who have gone to Cuenca before me have so vividly described in your own experiences.
In the meantime, while days sometimes pass before I get to read the blogs; I attempt to keep up with how friends and acquaintances are doing, and how they are adjusting to Cuenca. All of you are doing so many things and traveling all over the place, I'm afraid there won't be anyone left to travel with when I get there. All of you will have done it all. It's also weird watching the changes taking place with the expats, and not being a part of the change. Whether it's the new or rival expat meeting place to Zoes, new restaurants opening, El Presidente involved in macho psuedo-heroism, earth quakes rockin and rollin, or the many new expats who have arrived just since I left. The many new blogs that have appeared make it even more difficult to keep up with everybody. Yet I relish each new blog. To Posterdog, who edits the "South of Zero" blog, thanks so much for your service. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your daily posts, which really help me to sort through the blogs. You provide a valuable service to the expat community.
Brian and Shelly, thanks so much for your blog and friendship, I enjoy reading your everyday musings and trust that you had a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving.
Bob and Roxanne, always good to hear from you. Your Christmas for the kids on the coast sounds like it will be your best effort yet. Your renovation project is awesome, and it all looks as classy as your condo in Cuenca.
Rich and Nancy, sorry I haven't been in touch lately. However, I also know how much you go out of your way to help newbies like me get situated in Cuenca, and I forever will be grateful for your advise and incites even before I arrived. I look forward to seeing you both again.
Lourdes, it was about a week later that I learned about your hospitalization, and I found it ironic that you should experience this health problem so soon after you had emailed me about how you handled insurance when you are in the states. Yes, you were most fortunate that you were in Ecuador when your problem arose. I was most happy to see that you were soon out and about again in no time. Your recent involvement with the school in Turi is commendable. I know you will be a great asset to the school and the children.
Gil and Deborah,I am ecstatic that you have arrived in Ecuador. I look forward to reading all about you two getting settled in your new apartment, and hope the next four months fly by when I can join you again. Your apartment is magnificent, and I was awed by the beauty of that one solid wall of kitchen cabinets. Oh Gil, you've got to take me to my first experience with cuy.
Edd, I'm always learning from you, and as you know, I love your sense of humor. Congratulations on your weekly newspaper article. You and Cynthia, along with Lourdes, and Bob and Roxanne have truly inspired me to get very excited about having the opportunity to fashion the decor for my own place when I get back to Cuenca.
My amigo, Barry, keeps me in stitches with his emails. I hope, Barry, you're getting your networking problems resolved, and congratulations again on getting situated in your new diggs.
Lenny, this is the month that you and your wife arrive in Cuenca. Congratulations! Experience! Enjoy! I'll be looking forward to your blog, and if the two of you choose not to blog, then at least send me an email and let me know how you are doing.
Garth and Orilla, I trust you're still planning to relocate to Cuenca in the spring, and I will certainly look forward to seeing you both again as well.
For those of you who know Abbi (Abigail/Gail). She is home in Santa Barbara. She is still seriously contemplating moving to Cuenca, but will probably choose to live outside the city if she returns.
Yes, I very much miss you all including Freddi, and I hope the next four months will flash by until I can be back to Cuenca with all of you again, including the many new friends and acquaintances I will have the chance to meet as well.
I miss my walks and daily explorations, and I very much enjoyed Calvin Trillin's article in "Cuenca High Life." on "...a Travel Writer Revisits Cuenca to Take in the Charms of 'a Walking City'," (October 20, 2010). I would recommend the article to anyone who has yet to read it. See you all before long.
I know it's been awhile since I posted. Already it has been over three months since I returned from Ecuador. The reality is that except for a sporadic post on a friend or acquaintance's blog or an occasional email to a friend, life has been too hectic for me to do much blogging. I enjoyed recently spending a few days south of Baltimore with my eldest son, Marc. I celebrated with him, a few days early, his 26th birthday. Now, my younger son Chris has arrived for a two week leave before he returns to complete his second tour of duty in Iraq at the end of June/July of next year. His bride, Maria, flew in from Hawaii to be with Chris as well. They will then have the long stretch of not seeing each other again until next July.
I have spent months on an emotional roller-coaster of my own making as whether to return to Cuenca in March as I intended or to wait until next summer. In the end, all other considerations were discarded. I can't wait to return to Cuenca. I ache for Cuenca, and I will return in March. I have submitted my retirement, and will be officially retired as of January 14th. This next week I will contact Gabriela Espinosa in Quito and begin the process toward permanent residency. Between the impending holidays and then uprooting myself, the next few months promise to keep me busy. I now will get to experience that part of dislodging my old life for a new beginning, just as those of you who have gone to Cuenca before me have so vividly described in your own experiences.
In the meantime, while days sometimes pass before I get to read the blogs; I attempt to keep up with how friends and acquaintances are doing, and how they are adjusting to Cuenca. All of you are doing so many things and traveling all over the place, I'm afraid there won't be anyone left to travel with when I get there. All of you will have done it all. It's also weird watching the changes taking place with the expats, and not being a part of the change. Whether it's the new or rival expat meeting place to Zoes, new restaurants opening, El Presidente involved in macho psuedo-heroism, earth quakes rockin and rollin, or the many new expats who have arrived just since I left. The many new blogs that have appeared make it even more difficult to keep up with everybody. Yet I relish each new blog. To Posterdog, who edits the "South of Zero" blog, thanks so much for your service. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your daily posts, which really help me to sort through the blogs. You provide a valuable service to the expat community.
Brian and Shelly, thanks so much for your blog and friendship, I enjoy reading your everyday musings and trust that you had a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving.
Bob and Roxanne, always good to hear from you. Your Christmas for the kids on the coast sounds like it will be your best effort yet. Your renovation project is awesome, and it all looks as classy as your condo in Cuenca.
Rich and Nancy, sorry I haven't been in touch lately. However, I also know how much you go out of your way to help newbies like me get situated in Cuenca, and I forever will be grateful for your advise and incites even before I arrived. I look forward to seeing you both again.
Lourdes, it was about a week later that I learned about your hospitalization, and I found it ironic that you should experience this health problem so soon after you had emailed me about how you handled insurance when you are in the states. Yes, you were most fortunate that you were in Ecuador when your problem arose. I was most happy to see that you were soon out and about again in no time. Your recent involvement with the school in Turi is commendable. I know you will be a great asset to the school and the children.
Gil and Deborah,I am ecstatic that you have arrived in Ecuador. I look forward to reading all about you two getting settled in your new apartment, and hope the next four months fly by when I can join you again. Your apartment is magnificent, and I was awed by the beauty of that one solid wall of kitchen cabinets. Oh Gil, you've got to take me to my first experience with cuy.
Edd, I'm always learning from you, and as you know, I love your sense of humor. Congratulations on your weekly newspaper article. You and Cynthia, along with Lourdes, and Bob and Roxanne have truly inspired me to get very excited about having the opportunity to fashion the decor for my own place when I get back to Cuenca.
My amigo, Barry, keeps me in stitches with his emails. I hope, Barry, you're getting your networking problems resolved, and congratulations again on getting situated in your new diggs.
Lenny, this is the month that you and your wife arrive in Cuenca. Congratulations! Experience! Enjoy! I'll be looking forward to your blog, and if the two of you choose not to blog, then at least send me an email and let me know how you are doing.
Garth and Orilla, I trust you're still planning to relocate to Cuenca in the spring, and I will certainly look forward to seeing you both again as well.
For those of you who know Abbi (Abigail/Gail). She is home in Santa Barbara. She is still seriously contemplating moving to Cuenca, but will probably choose to live outside the city if she returns.
Yes, I very much miss you all including Freddi, and I hope the next four months will flash by until I can be back to Cuenca with all of you again, including the many new friends and acquaintances I will have the chance to meet as well.
I miss my walks and daily explorations, and I very much enjoyed Calvin Trillin's article in "Cuenca High Life." on "...a Travel Writer Revisits Cuenca to Take in the Charms of 'a Walking City'," (October 20, 2010). I would recommend the article to anyone who has yet to read it. See you all before long.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
New Beginnings Revisited
I published the following in my first post back on June 10th:
I discovered her by accident through a link on Yahoo, in which "International Living" listed Cuenca "Numeral Uno" among the ten best places for retirees to live. Of the ten cities listed, Cuenca most definitely caught my eye. Was it love at first site or just infatuation? As I researched this beautiful city, I fell more in love with her with each passing day. So now I begin a journey to find out if Cuenca is just a long-distance romance, or if for me, is she the real thing?
I am bewildered that I wrote the above only ten weeks ago. I feel as if I have lived a lifetime with all that has transpired in the last ten weeks. When I journeyed to Cuenca, it was to discover if she was as great and delightful as everyone indicated, or whether the perspectives presented by commercial outlets and even the bloggers were like most things in modern day life, little more than glorified marketing? It wasn't that I was looking for negative things or attempting to find excuses for justifying a no move option. I just could not believe anything in actuality could be that good. I'm still somewhat concern, because Cuenca was beyond what I could have imagined. Will I wake up one morning and discover that it was all just a deliriously delicious dream?
On the other hand, why look for problems were there are not any? What will be in life will be, and we all must follow our destinies before we can discover what they are. Cuenca is and appears to be my next chapter. You have probably read a number of the blogs if you are considering moving to Ecuador, and each will tell you the same thing. You must decide for yourself if it is the right move for you. You must know what it is you want out of life at this juncture, and to what degree Cuenca meets that criteria. I can only share with you why I have fallen in love with Cuenca. Maybe you will share many of the same experiences with similar responses, but you should visit at least for a month and maybe more than once to make that final decision.
One obvious attraction of living in Cuenca is the fact that the cost-of-living for most things is so inexpensive compared with living in the states. One could live decently on $15,000 to $20,000 a year. That kind of income won't allow for much in the way of extras and foreign vacations, but will certainly allow a more sustainable standard of living than comparatively in the United States. When I retire, assuming that the government can still honor its social security and pension payments, I will be able to live as well in Cuenca as I now live in the United States employed. I will be able to travel, enjoy nice meals in upper-scale restaurants as I choose, and I will still be able to save. No way would I be able to continue my currently employed lifestyle with the exorbitant costs of literally everything in Chicago.
The weather in Cuenca is also an attraction. As I've grown older, I no longer enjoy hot weather, particularly hot and humid weather. Muggy weather is not just uncomfortable, but it tires me out as well. Cuenca is spring-like with a narrow band of weather variations the year round. There are days or hours where the sun shines and it can feel like it's in the 80's without the humidity. Let the sun hide behind some clouds, and the temperature can feel ten or fifteen degrees cooler. In the coldest months of the year, temperatures can easily get down to single digits in the Chicago area, with moderate amounts of snow throughout the winter months, and with average daytime temperatures often in the 20's to 40's range. In Cuenca the daytime temperature highs are rarely below fifty degrees and when they slip into the 30's at night during their coldest periods, for Cuencanos that's cold. Having visited San Francisco and Monterey in the summer months, I never liked their weather. San Francisco frequently had fog that rolled in the mornings and the evenings. Fog quickly became tiresome, and treacherous for driving. Both cities with comparable weather to Cuenca, have two disadvantages that Cuenca does not have. Not being near the Equator, the warmth of the sun does not compensate for their cooler climates. Since both California cities are on the coast, there is a greater wind chill factor to consider, with which Cuenca does not have to contend. The result, Cuenca enjoys milder weather. Along with that mild weather comes the absolute delight of no pesky flies or mosquitoes. I frequently ate meals on the balcony, and did not need to concern myself with closing the sliding doors behind me. The inside becomes an extension of the outside on most days, where I am not isolated by heating and air conditioning.
Nothing is perfect. I found while I was visiting Cuenca more cloudiness and cooler nights than I would have preferred. However, I had to remind myself that these cloudy conditions in late July early August are the equivalent to Chicago's January weather. Not such a bad trade-off after all. Cuencano homes do not have central air, which definitely is not needed. Cuencano homes also have no central heating systems, which for most of the year are not needed either. However, there are some days when temperatures can get quite cold, particularly in the evening. I would recommend to anyone moving to Cuenca to get a highly energy efficient heater that can warm up 1,000 sq ft of living space quite quickly. I have no idea if such heaters are available in Cuenca. However, you can purchase them for about $400 in the states and you will have to pay an import tax of 35%, but in my opinion, it would be a wise investment. If you particularly should choose to live in older housing stock, the homes will be quite drafty and on the colder side. I have family members who have an electric heater called "Eden Pure", which they find to be excellent. "Eden Pure" (1-800-588-5615)is a quartz infrared portable heater, which heats evenly from ceiling to floor, does not dry the air, no fumes, and will not harm children or pets. (This is not a commercial, and no family members are associated with "Eden Pure". It's just an example of what's out there to do your heating job efficiently and at low cost.) I also am the type of person who does not like to wear layers of clothes when I am home, so an efficient heater that runs on a few cents a day in the states is a real plus to my way of thinking. During the night in Cuenca, I was always warm and toasty under the covers, but in the evening and if you are an early morning riser the right heater can take the edge off the cold air.
Today was a beautiful day in Chicago. The temperatures were in the mid-80's and with our dry spell, the humidity was not a factor. I looked up at the absolutely clear blue sky, and it reminded me of something else I miss about Cuenca. The sky for me in Cuenca always had a sense of presence in my day. It was as if I were in a large athletic arena and I was encapsulated within this sky dome surrounded by mountains, where often its programing of spectacular cloud formations and lighting effects would play out on the stage above me. Here in Chicago the sky looks so distant.
I am also looking forward to getting back to my newly made friends and acquaintances, which is another real plus about Cuenca. There are just enough expats scattered throughout Cuenca to have contacts with people from the states, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Those who choose to seek out contacts have ample opportunities to make acquaintances and friendships through activities like Friday night at Zoe's, introductions in Parque Calderon, gatherings at the English language bookstore, The Carolinas, etc. These expats are very giving of themselves and their time, and are a great resource for smooth transitions to a new city and adjustments in understanding the local culture. Yet the numbers of expats while these numbers will certainly grow are very small in relationship to the total population of Cuenca. Therefore, the expats are not threatening at this point to abrupt changes to Cuencano culture, or to reinforcing the easy choice of exclusively "hanging out with others like ourselves" syndrome that characterizes some expat communities in other countries, or ghettoizing ourselves in one neighborhood in the city. What I found most promising about the current expats with whom I have met and heard about is the fact that they generally are very well educated, most have been world travelers of one kind or another, and they have a great deal of stimulating thoughts and experiences to share. They not only bring an enhanced cosmopolitan touch to Cuenca, but also contribute to the Ecuadorian economy and social well-being; whether as consumers that support local retailers and services, or as entrepreneurs of new businesses, or as teachers in the universities, or as tutors to families in English, or as volunteers for many of the social needs of Cuencanos, or as initiators and planners for a Christmas party and needed gifts for kids on the coast. The list is endless of what expats can and do contribute to Cuenca. These in general are the kinds of people who are coming to Cuenca, and hopefully will be the kind of expats that will continue to populate Cuenca.
Which, of course, leads to another important factor about the expats. Most whom I have met have a desire to know more about Ecuadorian culture and to learn the language. I know I have been diligently practicing my Espanol since I returned to the states. I can see improvement. Even my student tutors have commented on my improvement. I make time for practice everyday to assure that I do not lose what I have learned and then challenge myself beyond that point. I started out with two student tutors who are native Spanish speakers, but increasingly more students who have had a year or two of Spanish in school want to get in on the act. Who knows before long I may have the entire classes speaking in Spanish.
Another very important factor is that the Ecuadorians themselves are such a welcoming and inviting people. When I hear expats talk about how living in Cuenca today is like living in the states back in the 40's or the 50's, they are generally referring to a less hectic life-style, the courtesy of the Ecuadorians, the work ethic that appears to take pride in what they do, their willingness to please, the laughing and smiling children, the family bonds, and most of all the ability to find contentment in the simple things in life. I don't want to spin an "Ozzie and Harriet" picture for you. There are many in the middle class who work long hours and have hectic lives as they have bought into the American dream of materialism foremost. About a quarter of the population of Ecuador is living outside Ecuador to earn enough money to send back home and to eventually purchase a home. The owning of a home in a society where cash must be paid for the home has become quite a status symbol for many Ecuadorians. The concern, however, becomes one of what happens to a traditional culture when its family life is interrupted by long absences of the fathers, particularly since a majority of the Ecuadorians living abroad are unable to bring their families with them? There is no doubt that the extended family still plays a larger role in Ecuadorian life than it does in the United States, which can help to compensate for absentee fathers. Nonetheless, it is not unusual for multiple brothers and cousins from the same family to all be abroad at the same time. On the other hand, many Ecuadorians like Americans from the United States, as a result of their contacts from living there or having relatives who live in the states. Ecuadorians identify the United States as the country which legally or not gave them the opportunity to improve their living standards, and those who lived abroad have developed some familiarity with the English language. Some of whom have become quite fluent in English.
Cuenca, in particular, offers itself as the cultural capital of Ecuador with two universities, its intellectual leadership, a multiplicity of museums, a very fine city orchestra, and the center for many of the arts and crafts of the people; as she is bespeckled in her jewels of Spanish Renaissance colonial facades, and is an ideal size for a city of 500,000 without the density of population that is found in most big cities in the world today. Cuenca has a low urban crime rate per capita when compared with not only larger Ecuadorian cities, but even more so with American cities. Cuenca proportionately offers the largest middle class of any sizable city in Ecuador. There is no begging to speak of, and not the homeless and shanty towns that can be found in many large cities in the world today. While expats are warned not to be out on the streets late at night, because as Anglos their appearance may attract the thief, I have in any city I have visited in the world always come and gone as I have wanted. I never during my month in Cuenca ever had any incident that even approached a need for a sense of fear. I walked in some neighborhoods that appeared not too likely to be the kind of neighborhoods I would want to walk about in the night, but I did walk the streets quite late at night. Anything can happen anywhere and I am not suggesting that you should not be cautious, but I feel safer in Cuenca than I would in most cities I have visited.
So what is the downside of Cuenca? Possibly I don't know what it is and have not heard about it yet. There is no doubt that if you do not want to learn Spanish that there are a sufficient number of Ecuadorians who are fluent in English, who can help you with the most important issues in relocating and settling in Cuenca. You can always get by on a little shop Spanish with a mix of Spanglish, but you will miss out on the best part of living abroad, which is to experience the people and the culture up close and personal. If you have never lived or traveled to other cultures before, where you are the minority; a move to Cuenca may be unnerving. If you come from a hot climate, Cuenca may be too cold for you, and if you come from a dry climate, Cuenca may be too wet for you. I have yet to weather the bureaucracy of Cuenca with its notorious delays, and its incessant need for multiple copies of every document imaginable. I am told to develop a stoic attitude about the waits and the frustrations of having to go elsewhere to get copies made; but a retired, slowed-down life-style allows for such inconveniences, and such incidences are not everyday occurrences. I am more concerned about being the victim of an auto accident as a rider or as a pedestrian, than I am worried about any crime. Cuencano driving is insane, but it does seem to have a logic of its own. I'm amazed I saw no accidents when in Cuenca, although I heard about a couple of them. The sidewalks are often in need of repair, and can be treacherous. It is not uncommon to walk along very narrow sidewalks that require people passing one another, for one of the parties to have to step out into frequently busy streets. Sometimes a piece of property jets out and absorbs what should have been the sidewalk, which once again requires walking in the street until the sidewalk picks up again. I recently had a friend who fell and injured her wrist, so walking does require a great deal of focus and attention. The political situation with the Ecuadorian government could become more risky, but that has not been unusual in modern Ecuadorian history, and what happens at the political level of a country does not always result in ruptured changes in ones personal life. Quite frankly, things are not so politically and economically stable here in the states right now either, so who is to say where the safer political climate may be at this time or in the near future?
These are all the imponderables in life. Every country I ever visited I enjoyed immensely, but Ecuador's Cuenca is the first where I have ever wanted to live. I only know that I am in love with Cuenca, that my relationship with her will change as all relationships do over time. I'm just gambling at this point in my life that she will be the best fit for me, and that through the ups and downs we will experience life together for as long as we are together.
I discovered her by accident through a link on Yahoo, in which "International Living" listed Cuenca "Numeral Uno" among the ten best places for retirees to live. Of the ten cities listed, Cuenca most definitely caught my eye. Was it love at first site or just infatuation? As I researched this beautiful city, I fell more in love with her with each passing day. So now I begin a journey to find out if Cuenca is just a long-distance romance, or if for me, is she the real thing?
I am bewildered that I wrote the above only ten weeks ago. I feel as if I have lived a lifetime with all that has transpired in the last ten weeks. When I journeyed to Cuenca, it was to discover if she was as great and delightful as everyone indicated, or whether the perspectives presented by commercial outlets and even the bloggers were like most things in modern day life, little more than glorified marketing? It wasn't that I was looking for negative things or attempting to find excuses for justifying a no move option. I just could not believe anything in actuality could be that good. I'm still somewhat concern, because Cuenca was beyond what I could have imagined. Will I wake up one morning and discover that it was all just a deliriously delicious dream?
On the other hand, why look for problems were there are not any? What will be in life will be, and we all must follow our destinies before we can discover what they are. Cuenca is and appears to be my next chapter. You have probably read a number of the blogs if you are considering moving to Ecuador, and each will tell you the same thing. You must decide for yourself if it is the right move for you. You must know what it is you want out of life at this juncture, and to what degree Cuenca meets that criteria. I can only share with you why I have fallen in love with Cuenca. Maybe you will share many of the same experiences with similar responses, but you should visit at least for a month and maybe more than once to make that final decision.
One obvious attraction of living in Cuenca is the fact that the cost-of-living for most things is so inexpensive compared with living in the states. One could live decently on $15,000 to $20,000 a year. That kind of income won't allow for much in the way of extras and foreign vacations, but will certainly allow a more sustainable standard of living than comparatively in the United States. When I retire, assuming that the government can still honor its social security and pension payments, I will be able to live as well in Cuenca as I now live in the United States employed. I will be able to travel, enjoy nice meals in upper-scale restaurants as I choose, and I will still be able to save. No way would I be able to continue my currently employed lifestyle with the exorbitant costs of literally everything in Chicago.
The weather in Cuenca is also an attraction. As I've grown older, I no longer enjoy hot weather, particularly hot and humid weather. Muggy weather is not just uncomfortable, but it tires me out as well. Cuenca is spring-like with a narrow band of weather variations the year round. There are days or hours where the sun shines and it can feel like it's in the 80's without the humidity. Let the sun hide behind some clouds, and the temperature can feel ten or fifteen degrees cooler. In the coldest months of the year, temperatures can easily get down to single digits in the Chicago area, with moderate amounts of snow throughout the winter months, and with average daytime temperatures often in the 20's to 40's range. In Cuenca the daytime temperature highs are rarely below fifty degrees and when they slip into the 30's at night during their coldest periods, for Cuencanos that's cold. Having visited San Francisco and Monterey in the summer months, I never liked their weather. San Francisco frequently had fog that rolled in the mornings and the evenings. Fog quickly became tiresome, and treacherous for driving. Both cities with comparable weather to Cuenca, have two disadvantages that Cuenca does not have. Not being near the Equator, the warmth of the sun does not compensate for their cooler climates. Since both California cities are on the coast, there is a greater wind chill factor to consider, with which Cuenca does not have to contend. The result, Cuenca enjoys milder weather. Along with that mild weather comes the absolute delight of no pesky flies or mosquitoes. I frequently ate meals on the balcony, and did not need to concern myself with closing the sliding doors behind me. The inside becomes an extension of the outside on most days, where I am not isolated by heating and air conditioning.
Nothing is perfect. I found while I was visiting Cuenca more cloudiness and cooler nights than I would have preferred. However, I had to remind myself that these cloudy conditions in late July early August are the equivalent to Chicago's January weather. Not such a bad trade-off after all. Cuencano homes do not have central air, which definitely is not needed. Cuencano homes also have no central heating systems, which for most of the year are not needed either. However, there are some days when temperatures can get quite cold, particularly in the evening. I would recommend to anyone moving to Cuenca to get a highly energy efficient heater that can warm up 1,000 sq ft of living space quite quickly. I have no idea if such heaters are available in Cuenca. However, you can purchase them for about $400 in the states and you will have to pay an import tax of 35%, but in my opinion, it would be a wise investment. If you particularly should choose to live in older housing stock, the homes will be quite drafty and on the colder side. I have family members who have an electric heater called "Eden Pure", which they find to be excellent. "Eden Pure" (1-800-588-5615)is a quartz infrared portable heater, which heats evenly from ceiling to floor, does not dry the air, no fumes, and will not harm children or pets. (This is not a commercial, and no family members are associated with "Eden Pure". It's just an example of what's out there to do your heating job efficiently and at low cost.) I also am the type of person who does not like to wear layers of clothes when I am home, so an efficient heater that runs on a few cents a day in the states is a real plus to my way of thinking. During the night in Cuenca, I was always warm and toasty under the covers, but in the evening and if you are an early morning riser the right heater can take the edge off the cold air.
Today was a beautiful day in Chicago. The temperatures were in the mid-80's and with our dry spell, the humidity was not a factor. I looked up at the absolutely clear blue sky, and it reminded me of something else I miss about Cuenca. The sky for me in Cuenca always had a sense of presence in my day. It was as if I were in a large athletic arena and I was encapsulated within this sky dome surrounded by mountains, where often its programing of spectacular cloud formations and lighting effects would play out on the stage above me. Here in Chicago the sky looks so distant.
I am also looking forward to getting back to my newly made friends and acquaintances, which is another real plus about Cuenca. There are just enough expats scattered throughout Cuenca to have contacts with people from the states, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Those who choose to seek out contacts have ample opportunities to make acquaintances and friendships through activities like Friday night at Zoe's, introductions in Parque Calderon, gatherings at the English language bookstore, The Carolinas, etc. These expats are very giving of themselves and their time, and are a great resource for smooth transitions to a new city and adjustments in understanding the local culture. Yet the numbers of expats while these numbers will certainly grow are very small in relationship to the total population of Cuenca. Therefore, the expats are not threatening at this point to abrupt changes to Cuencano culture, or to reinforcing the easy choice of exclusively "hanging out with others like ourselves" syndrome that characterizes some expat communities in other countries, or ghettoizing ourselves in one neighborhood in the city. What I found most promising about the current expats with whom I have met and heard about is the fact that they generally are very well educated, most have been world travelers of one kind or another, and they have a great deal of stimulating thoughts and experiences to share. They not only bring an enhanced cosmopolitan touch to Cuenca, but also contribute to the Ecuadorian economy and social well-being; whether as consumers that support local retailers and services, or as entrepreneurs of new businesses, or as teachers in the universities, or as tutors to families in English, or as volunteers for many of the social needs of Cuencanos, or as initiators and planners for a Christmas party and needed gifts for kids on the coast. The list is endless of what expats can and do contribute to Cuenca. These in general are the kinds of people who are coming to Cuenca, and hopefully will be the kind of expats that will continue to populate Cuenca.
Which, of course, leads to another important factor about the expats. Most whom I have met have a desire to know more about Ecuadorian culture and to learn the language. I know I have been diligently practicing my Espanol since I returned to the states. I can see improvement. Even my student tutors have commented on my improvement. I make time for practice everyday to assure that I do not lose what I have learned and then challenge myself beyond that point. I started out with two student tutors who are native Spanish speakers, but increasingly more students who have had a year or two of Spanish in school want to get in on the act. Who knows before long I may have the entire classes speaking in Spanish.
Another very important factor is that the Ecuadorians themselves are such a welcoming and inviting people. When I hear expats talk about how living in Cuenca today is like living in the states back in the 40's or the 50's, they are generally referring to a less hectic life-style, the courtesy of the Ecuadorians, the work ethic that appears to take pride in what they do, their willingness to please, the laughing and smiling children, the family bonds, and most of all the ability to find contentment in the simple things in life. I don't want to spin an "Ozzie and Harriet" picture for you. There are many in the middle class who work long hours and have hectic lives as they have bought into the American dream of materialism foremost. About a quarter of the population of Ecuador is living outside Ecuador to earn enough money to send back home and to eventually purchase a home. The owning of a home in a society where cash must be paid for the home has become quite a status symbol for many Ecuadorians. The concern, however, becomes one of what happens to a traditional culture when its family life is interrupted by long absences of the fathers, particularly since a majority of the Ecuadorians living abroad are unable to bring their families with them? There is no doubt that the extended family still plays a larger role in Ecuadorian life than it does in the United States, which can help to compensate for absentee fathers. Nonetheless, it is not unusual for multiple brothers and cousins from the same family to all be abroad at the same time. On the other hand, many Ecuadorians like Americans from the United States, as a result of their contacts from living there or having relatives who live in the states. Ecuadorians identify the United States as the country which legally or not gave them the opportunity to improve their living standards, and those who lived abroad have developed some familiarity with the English language. Some of whom have become quite fluent in English.
Cuenca, in particular, offers itself as the cultural capital of Ecuador with two universities, its intellectual leadership, a multiplicity of museums, a very fine city orchestra, and the center for many of the arts and crafts of the people; as she is bespeckled in her jewels of Spanish Renaissance colonial facades, and is an ideal size for a city of 500,000 without the density of population that is found in most big cities in the world today. Cuenca has a low urban crime rate per capita when compared with not only larger Ecuadorian cities, but even more so with American cities. Cuenca proportionately offers the largest middle class of any sizable city in Ecuador. There is no begging to speak of, and not the homeless and shanty towns that can be found in many large cities in the world today. While expats are warned not to be out on the streets late at night, because as Anglos their appearance may attract the thief, I have in any city I have visited in the world always come and gone as I have wanted. I never during my month in Cuenca ever had any incident that even approached a need for a sense of fear. I walked in some neighborhoods that appeared not too likely to be the kind of neighborhoods I would want to walk about in the night, but I did walk the streets quite late at night. Anything can happen anywhere and I am not suggesting that you should not be cautious, but I feel safer in Cuenca than I would in most cities I have visited.
So what is the downside of Cuenca? Possibly I don't know what it is and have not heard about it yet. There is no doubt that if you do not want to learn Spanish that there are a sufficient number of Ecuadorians who are fluent in English, who can help you with the most important issues in relocating and settling in Cuenca. You can always get by on a little shop Spanish with a mix of Spanglish, but you will miss out on the best part of living abroad, which is to experience the people and the culture up close and personal. If you have never lived or traveled to other cultures before, where you are the minority; a move to Cuenca may be unnerving. If you come from a hot climate, Cuenca may be too cold for you, and if you come from a dry climate, Cuenca may be too wet for you. I have yet to weather the bureaucracy of Cuenca with its notorious delays, and its incessant need for multiple copies of every document imaginable. I am told to develop a stoic attitude about the waits and the frustrations of having to go elsewhere to get copies made; but a retired, slowed-down life-style allows for such inconveniences, and such incidences are not everyday occurrences. I am more concerned about being the victim of an auto accident as a rider or as a pedestrian, than I am worried about any crime. Cuencano driving is insane, but it does seem to have a logic of its own. I'm amazed I saw no accidents when in Cuenca, although I heard about a couple of them. The sidewalks are often in need of repair, and can be treacherous. It is not uncommon to walk along very narrow sidewalks that require people passing one another, for one of the parties to have to step out into frequently busy streets. Sometimes a piece of property jets out and absorbs what should have been the sidewalk, which once again requires walking in the street until the sidewalk picks up again. I recently had a friend who fell and injured her wrist, so walking does require a great deal of focus and attention. The political situation with the Ecuadorian government could become more risky, but that has not been unusual in modern Ecuadorian history, and what happens at the political level of a country does not always result in ruptured changes in ones personal life. Quite frankly, things are not so politically and economically stable here in the states right now either, so who is to say where the safer political climate may be at this time or in the near future?
These are all the imponderables in life. Every country I ever visited I enjoyed immensely, but Ecuador's Cuenca is the first where I have ever wanted to live. I only know that I am in love with Cuenca, that my relationship with her will change as all relationships do over time. I'm just gambling at this point in my life that she will be the best fit for me, and that through the ups and downs we will experience life together for as long as we are together.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Keeping all the Balls in the Air!
Well, I'm at home and missing Cuenca. At least through reading the blog updates and the emails from friends in Cuenca, I don't feel a world away. Fortunately, this school year I discovered upon my return that I would be teaching government to seniors the first semester, and I am scheduled to teach economics to them the second semester. That means no freshman (There is most definitely a God!), and no World Civilization. I very much enjoy teaching World Civ, but I am ready for a change.
It's been very hot and humid all summer. A number of years have past since we've had a summer this hot, especially after the very cool summer of last year. Not to mention that the mosquitoes are thick as thieves, and I might stand a better chance of survival fighting off vampires. The blood suckers have not made my walks in the evening at all pleasant. We have had three years of incredible amounts of rain. If you think the rain from July 13th until August 9th while I was in Cuenca was too much, believe me it was nothing like the rain levels and thunder and lightning storms Chicago was experiencing. However, now the ten day forecast is indicating zero percent chance of rain for each of the next ten days, and its only rained twice since I arrived home. Possibly we are entering a new cycle of dry seasons, or possibly it is just a temporary respite. At least at the moment vegetation is still very green.
I have two new tutors for Spanish whether they want to be or not. One of my students is Puerto Rican and is very fluent, but oh how I had to slow him down. The other student is Mexican-American and is in the following period class. I get to re-practice my conversation with her. Having two students know the language provides me with the incentive to come up with something for conversation to practice everyday first thing after taking roll. It's also interesting to be in a position where I am dealing with students who know much more than me. I feel like a first grader who is trying to figure out one plus one, while talking with a student taking calculus.
This has been quite a year of learning, and of masterly keeping all the balls up in the air at the same time. Particularly, when one considers that I don't recall ever hearing of Cuenca until eight months ago. Little did I know the path of learning and discovery on which that journey was about to take me. Whether it was learning about Ecuador, figuring out the city once I arrived in Cuenca, putting the blog together, learning how to use a laptop, learning how to use a new camera, persevering through all the struggles of computer virus melt-downs and getting the "freakin" photos to post to the blog, and of course, learning Spanish. The easiest part for a guy who has never been good with names and faces was how well I learned and remembered so many of the acquaintances and friends I met and made while I was in Cuenca. So I'm still juggling, and adding another ball in the next few months of making definite decisions and plans, and then work through disinvesting myself of all my belongings, and the myriad of paper work that will have to be done in a relocation bid when that time comes. I've got to keep those balls in motion. (Rollin, rollin, rollin! Keep those doggies rollin, Rawhide!)
It's been very hot and humid all summer. A number of years have past since we've had a summer this hot, especially after the very cool summer of last year. Not to mention that the mosquitoes are thick as thieves, and I might stand a better chance of survival fighting off vampires. The blood suckers have not made my walks in the evening at all pleasant. We have had three years of incredible amounts of rain. If you think the rain from July 13th until August 9th while I was in Cuenca was too much, believe me it was nothing like the rain levels and thunder and lightning storms Chicago was experiencing. However, now the ten day forecast is indicating zero percent chance of rain for each of the next ten days, and its only rained twice since I arrived home. Possibly we are entering a new cycle of dry seasons, or possibly it is just a temporary respite. At least at the moment vegetation is still very green.
I have two new tutors for Spanish whether they want to be or not. One of my students is Puerto Rican and is very fluent, but oh how I had to slow him down. The other student is Mexican-American and is in the following period class. I get to re-practice my conversation with her. Having two students know the language provides me with the incentive to come up with something for conversation to practice everyday first thing after taking roll. It's also interesting to be in a position where I am dealing with students who know much more than me. I feel like a first grader who is trying to figure out one plus one, while talking with a student taking calculus.
This has been quite a year of learning, and of masterly keeping all the balls up in the air at the same time. Particularly, when one considers that I don't recall ever hearing of Cuenca until eight months ago. Little did I know the path of learning and discovery on which that journey was about to take me. Whether it was learning about Ecuador, figuring out the city once I arrived in Cuenca, putting the blog together, learning how to use a laptop, learning how to use a new camera, persevering through all the struggles of computer virus melt-downs and getting the "freakin" photos to post to the blog, and of course, learning Spanish. The easiest part for a guy who has never been good with names and faces was how well I learned and remembered so many of the acquaintances and friends I met and made while I was in Cuenca. So I'm still juggling, and adding another ball in the next few months of making definite decisions and plans, and then work through disinvesting myself of all my belongings, and the myriad of paper work that will have to be done in a relocation bid when that time comes. I've got to keep those balls in motion. (Rollin, rollin, rollin! Keep those doggies rollin, Rawhide!)
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