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Doña Carmen´s Birthday Party
Huge BBQ cookout on the terrace of Doña Fanny´s house to celebrate her mother´s 93rd birthday. Food galore!!Please permit me to use this Travel Blog entry to also send out Season´s Greetings to one and all! Here´s hoping that the holidays afforded you time with loved ones, enjoying the company of family and friends. In addition to regular internet contact with my many loved ones, I feel truly blessed to be a member of the Alandaluz family; and of several local families as well! I am seldom alone and never lonely!
Before I left Quito to return to the coast, I had the opportunity to visit with many Ecuadorian friends, old and new. You may remember that in my last blog I shared a photo of Keiru´s 5th birthday. The following week I shared in the celebration of Doña Carmen´s 93rd birthday. It was a joyful afternoon, filled with food and fun and family.
For Thanksgiving I was invited to a real American turkey dinner at the home of friends from my Colegio Americano days. Dean & Debbie also own land at Alandaluz, and we´ve kept in contact thru the years. At this delicious gathering I was also able reconnect with a former teaching colleague and an old friend, neither of whom I´d had
The Birthday Girl
Carmen is amazingly sharp and capable for her 93 years. She still cooks, cleans and has a wonderful sense of humor. The cake was a gift from me. touch with in almost 17 yrs!
I spent a few days in the valley of Tumbaco, just below Quito, with my dear friend Shana and her partner Maricarmen (and their adorable boxer Max). Shana and I are both Scrabble fiends so we crammed in as many games as possible (often 6 or 7 per day!). I´m hoping she´ll come down and visit me at the coast for some more heated wordswomanship.
I had a fun challenge in my final days in Quito...I was given a budget of $100 to "revitalize" the children´s playhouse at Alandaluz. It´s an adorable tree house, but it needed new toys and decorations....so I wandered around toy stores and art stores looking for durable, educational toys and games. I got some things at the Unicef shop, purchased some crayons and drawing paper, plastic tools and tea sets, musical instruments and puppets. Now when I see children playing in the tree house I feel happy to have contributed in some way.
En route back down to the beach, I spent a few days in Riobamba (3 hrs south of Quito). I had been invited to present a workshop for the language
Grand Opening of the Bakery
Silvia awaits the arrival of guests for the inauguration party of Panaderia La Calidad (Quality Bakery) teachers at the University there. It was a great experience, and they´ve invited me back in March to do observations of each teacher and present sample lessons. Some of the classes have 50-60 students, so I will try to employ some group work techniques as we did in Africa. I enjoyed diving back into the academic world, and I look forward to the new challenge being offered me.
How exciting it was to arrive at Alandaluz once again, knowing that my new house was waiting, complete with a new kitchen add-on. I was pleased with the work that had been completed in my absence -- even though it wasn´t exactly what had been planned and the work wasn´t quite completed. I must say that the longer I live here, I am learning to exercise more patience & and practice increased flexibility.
Just before leaving the coast in October, I made a commitment to two new friends. Silvia and Jose are jewelry artisans and handicraft vendors in Puerto Lopez, the town 15 km north of my house. When I tasted the amazing cake that Jose had prepared for Silvia´s birthday, he began to tell me of his
Me & Jose (the master baker)
Jose is an amazing pastry chef and baker! He has finally realized the dream of opening his own bakery. dream of opening a bakery. They drew up a business plan and I offered to loan them $1000, repayable at $50/month over 2 yrs. I even told them that if each payment was punctual, I would waive the interest. I´ve never done anything like a micro-finance before but I saw these hard-working people with a dream, and it would take so little to help them change their lives. WOW! It´s incredible what they´ve been able to accomplish in a short time with very little $$. Last week we offically "launched" their business with an inauguration party, including free samples. I invited many people I´ve met in the area, owners of hostels, restaurants, businesses. So far, all is going GREAT for Panaderia La Calidad, with sales mounting every day. Jose & Silvia seem to have a good entrepreneurial sense and the bakery is in an excellent location, for locals and tourists alike.
It´s been fun to reconnect with Beatriz and her family again. She is the director of the little school where I am the "madrina" (g-dmother). I was invited for their holiday party, complete with skits and dances. Of course I took a lot of pictures, and will
Nursery School Royal Court
At a tender young age they already start with the pageants. Yes, that is a Twister game board they are standing on! make copies for each family. This is a very poor coastal community; a camera is a novelty and many of the parents took the opportunity to have me photograph their babies, in addition to the school kids.
So, the title of this blog entry is Festivities & Challenges. I´ve written about many festivities, now for the challenges. Starting in Quito, when I had to renew my Tourist Visa, I´ve entered into the wacky world of EcuaAdministrivia. I have been sorting out the legalities of my cabaña ownership and what that will mean in terms of costs and income. I have been waiting and waiting on the final paperwork of my pick-up truck ownership (3 months now!) I am enmeshed in the molasses slow progress of municipal functionaries, notaries and lawyers as the official paperwork for my land title is processed...without which I cant begin the process of applying for my residency visa. It all requires utmost patience & acceptance, qualities which I´m gradually learning to integrate into day to day life in Latin America.
Although I enjoy doing the airport transfers from Manta (2 hrs north) to Alandaluz, I´ve been running myself ragged these past few
Holiday Princesses
The annual holiday party at the little school I adopted was an occasion for dress-up and runners-up. Selection of Miss Xmas and her court seemed to be a highlight of the festivities. weeks...not to mention the wear and tear on Morci. It is high season at the Inn for the holidays, and by accepting all the paid transfer opportunities I´ve been offered (not just to the airport but also to local beaches and tourist sites) I´ve found myself spending up to 6 hrs or more behind the wheel almost every day. This is NOT the lifestyle I envisioned. The coast road is beautiful, the people I meet are interesting, and I do enjoy driving....but I am realizing that I have to find a healthier equilibrium.
Getting the final work done on my house has been challenging as well -- I have had to chase down the carpenters, plumbers, electricians, tile-setters and drag them to my house and oversee their work. On one of my transfer drives, I returned with a new fridge and stove in the back of the truck. I have also bought a ceiling fan (it´s the hot season now!) and am working on them all installed.
When I was in Quito, imagining how my life would be back down on the coast, my dream had been to walk along the beach every morning. I set
A Living Nativity Scene
The children of the Alandaluz Ecology Club present a reenactment of the birth of Christ. Baby Jesus sure doesn´t look Ecuadorian! the goal of picking up several large rocks each day to line the path to my house. Many of the flights I´m meeting come in at 7 am, so I must be on the road by 5 am....there go the morning walks. I had hoped to dedicate at least an hour or two each day to writing, but I find that until I "nest" -- until my house is fully ready, I can´t settle in and just "be" -- there´s always something to "do".
SO -- my big challenge will be to come back from the US in March and redesign my time to create a rhythm that suits me better, physically & emotionally. This morning as I was sitting on my tiny balcony, I just held still for awhile--easing into the humming of the hummingbirds´ wings as they flitted among the fiery acacia blossoms. The sweet trill of birdsong punctuated the steady rolling of the waves, a backdrop which lulls me to sleep each night and greets me upon awakening. All the elements for peace & contentment surround me daily; the challenge will be to find that peace within myself so I can nestle into my idyllic
Welcome to my new home!!
Affectionately called "Cabaña de la Princesa" and soon to be renamed "Casa Mosaico". The bougainvilla are in full bloom!! surroundings.
Oh yeah, I adopted a little puppy! I named her Navi (since I found her on Navidad - Christmas day). She is living with my friend Beatriz and her family until I finish this crazy, hectic phase of my settling in. She has a wonderful home with them, and we´ll see in March if she´s destined to be my dog, or stay with that family. Within 5 minutes of when we founds her, an American man strolled by and I realized that he was Richard, the administrator of the archaeological museum that everyone was telling me I had to meet. It ends up he´s a former veterinarian and he gave Navi a quick looking over. We´ve gotten rid of her fleas (several baths) and she´s doing great. She´s probably about 3-4 months old, perhaps part Golden Retriever by the color of her coat. Her eyes are light green and stare right into my soul! She loves to give me kisses on my nose with her tiny pink tongue.
Enjoy the photos below -- they will take you on a tour through my house. I am ready to start receiving visitors as of April! In May
Step into to my casa!!
As you enter the front door, the wicker sofa/bed is to your right and the staircase and kitchen door are to your left. my Dad, his wife Maryanne and my sister Claire are planning to come. Will you be next? Your visits may be just what I need to finally relax and fully be present in my new life here!! Best wishes to all for a wonderful start to the New Year!! Jill
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Ron Schwert
non-member comment
One vote for Navi
I hope she is meant for you. In the Philippines, I had a dog I named Chaos. Says a lot for what my life was like at that point. Obviously not at all like your new life which I love hearing about. Happy new year to you too, Ron