April 2013
4 posts
Lesson #4: Ranti-Ranti (generosity + reciprocity).
4. Ranti-Ranti (generosity + reciprocity).
In Andean cosmovisión (a spiritual world view), one of the principal elements is ranti-ranti (something like generosity + reciprocity in Kichwa). People who have nothing will give you anything and everything; there is no fear that one will go without, because the assumption is always that anyone would do the same for them. Ranti-ranti is not an “I...
Lesson # 3: Gratitude.
3. Gratitude.
My experience with poverty – living in poverty in a way that was unfathomable to me before it became my reality – was freeing. This is not to romanticize poverty, nor to say that the conditions in which people are living in Ecuador and throughout the world – including in the US – are acceptable. However, for me, realizing what I was living without – and not missing – opened up an...
Lesson # 2: How to slaughter an animal.
2. How to slaughter an animal.
Also known as, try anything and everything. I was a vegetarian for 4 years while in grad school in New York City. For fun, take a moment to peruse menus of restaurants in my stomping grounds in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and you’ll quickly notice that not eating meat is not a problem; there are vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, raw, and other options galore....
The End of Ecuador: #1
I have been back in the US since the end of September 2012. I wrote some “lessons learned” in Ecuador on my flight home, but I have no idea where I put those notes. I have finally started to miss Ecuador - its beauty, the people, and even some of the food. So I think it’s good, actually, to begin fresh with this reflection on what I learned in Ecuador. There are ten lessons,...
July 2012
2 posts
There is no 4th of July in Ecuador
The 4th of July is just that here in Ecuador, the fourth day of the month of Julio. There are not hotdogs or hamburgers, no corn on the cob, no strawberries or blueberries, no beer, no fireworks, no parades, and not even a single fire-truck (the upstate New York town where my family celebrates the 4th every year brags upwards of 40 fire trucks every year). It is summer here in Quito, so it’s...
June 2012
1 post
Little Girl, Big Fear
I was exhausted, riding home on the bus after a long day at a conference. I had a seat, a lucky thing at 6 pm – the height of Quito’s insane rush hour traffic. The air was heavy and hot; I could have easily slept, only my fear of thieves kept me alert. After a few blocks, a mother and young girl boarded the bus and the daughter took the seat next to me. After a few minutes I became aware...
January 2012
1 post
November 2011
3 posts
Looking for the "Perfect Christmas Gift"? or...
Might I suggest an “Adopt a Tree, Save the Páramos” Tshirt? For only $8, you’ll contribute to a great program (see earlier blog or visit our webpage www.fundetecuador.org) AND get a lovely Tshirt with a super cool logo. Please contact me if you’re interested, I’ll be stateside around Christmas and can arrange hand delivery to almost anywhere in the Northeast, and...
Fairy Godmother (?!): Part 1
I’m not Catholic. I don’t even think I’m Christian. But, I’m going to be a Godmother. Or, I guess I already am. I’m not sure.
My Goddaughter, Nicole, is the daughter of the cousin of my compañero Rene. She’s 5 years old, adorable, and lives in Toacaso, a town about 1.5 hours to the south of Quito. Nicole has two older brothers and very sweet parents, William and Nancy. Her grandfather...
Adopt a Tree!
I started working with an NGO here in Ecuador in December of 2010 called Ñawpa-Kunan Yachay, or ÑAKUY. Ñawpa-Kunan Yachay is Kichwa for Past, Present Knowledge. The organization is based in Quito but mostly works in the province south of Quito, Cotopaxi, famous for its volcanoes. I started doing translations and writing grant proposals but quickly took on more responsibility and since have been...
May 2011
6 posts
The Refrigerator
I always took having a refrigerator for granted; a fridge was simply something that exists in every home. Period. This is not the case, however, here in Ecuador, and I have not had a fridge since I arrived in August. That is, until yesterday.
How does one live without a fridge, you might ask. Actually, quite easily. Seeing as I don´t eat meat in the United States, not buying meat is more...
AQ Blog - After the Vote →
Latin American Herald Tribune Article →
AQ Blog →
How to get a licence (when you already have one).
After nearly 9 months of living and working in Ecuador it has become necessary to get an Ecuadorean license. Why, might one ask, do I need an Ecuadorean license when I have a perfectly good one from the good ol´ US of A? Good question. Ok, yeah, I understand there could be different traffic rules or signs (there aren´t), or the government might want to reassure themselves that I am, in fact, a...
Easter in Ecuador: There is no bunny, but there...
Easter in a Catholic country is not a Sunday event with hats, patent leather shoes, egg hunts, and a bunny that magically visits every child leaving sweet treats and socks (or was that just the Easter bunny in the G-B home?). Instead, it is a week long event replete with yummy foods and full-fledged no-work holidays. Oh, and who knew there were enough movies (both with actors and animated) about...
February 2011
2 posts
Back from hiatus...
It’s been awhile! I’ve been incredibly busy… in the best possible sense of the word. In December I spent 10 wild days in Brazil and 10 wonderful days in NH, CT, and NY visiting family and friends. I moved into a new apartment just before I left and I have really been enjoying it. It’s 4 blocks from Quito’s largest park, La Carolina, 5 blocks from the mall (with a...
November 2010
1 post
El tiempo pasa volando! (or, time flies)
Apparently it has been almost two months since my last communiqué; my apologies to anyone who has been waiting anxiously, and you´re welcome to anyone who really hates blogs, but loves me or someone in my family enough to be guilted into reading this page. Anyway, I´ve been busy!
Since the first week of October I have spent approximately 7 days in my apartment in Quito, and the rest of the time...
October 2010
3 posts
In Defense of Democracy? Correa and the “Coup”
The Correa administration, the Ecuadorian public, and international actors have hailed yesterday’s defeated “coup” as a triumph of Ecuadorian democracy. However, it takes just a brief glance below the surface to see that Correa’s bullying of congress, shutting down of national media sources, and initiating violence with the military were, in fact, subversions of democratic practices.
Correa has...
Coya Raymi
Last weekend I went to Otavalo, about 2 hours north of Quito, to meet a young indigenous leader that I had been introduced to by another guy and to go to what I thought was a “cultural conference,” (not that I had any idea what a cultural conference entailed). Turns out the “conference” was actually 1 of the 4 largest indigenous holidays of the Andes, Coya Raymi. Coya...
September 2010
12 posts
Un día de mi vida en Quito
I am slowly getting a sort of daily routine down here in Quito. When I had Spanish classes, I was essentially at school from 8.30am until 1 or 2pm, and then I’d eat lunch, and then the day would practically be over (people finish work between 5 and 6pm here, period.). The last two weeks though I have had much more time to dedicate to work. I love waking up here in the morning; I open my...
La Laguna Quilotoa
La Laguna Quilotoa has been at the top of my “things to see and do in Ecuador” list since before I ever set foot in the country. However, it’s not super easy to get to and requires a couple of days, plus it’s a lot of hiking, so the perfect opportunity and/or traveling buddies hadn’t yet come around… until last Friday! Candice (an American) and I decided...
Lindo Mindo
Last week was the last of Spanish classes, and I feel like they went really well. I’m understanding more than ever before - close to 100% of what I hear - and I finally feel like I can say what I mean without having to get creative and find a way to express a similar idea but with words that I know. It’s so nice to feel like I can finally be completely myself and have my full...
Baños, the thermal springs, not the "baños"
Two weekends ago we took a bus 2.5 hours south to a small tourist town called Baños (we were four, another American woman, a French guy, a Swiss guy, and me). It’s a really interesting place in that it is very touristy - there are thermal baths, lots of other outdoor activities, a water park, etc. - but it was FILLED to the brim with almost exclusively Ecuadorian families on vacation. Our...
Las actividades
The first week and half have been filled with speaking Spanish and having fun - often at the same time. Because I’m at the language school for four hours each morning, I’m meeting lots of travelers (mostly from Europe), and there are all kind of amazing things - actividades - to do here in Ecuador. While it’s only been 10 days, it’s incredibly difficult to choose just a...
August 2010
3 posts
La Comida
So, because this blog must have a beginning, where better to start than with food? I love eating, and cooking, and grocery shopping, and pretty much anything else that has to do with la comida. As you may (or may not) know, I don´t eat meat (except for the game Uncle Kenny generously shares). However, a vegetarian way of life is nearly impossible in Ecuador, especially if one is living in an...
Preparations
I’ve been preparing for this trip for… well, at least a year. And it’s become at least a part-time job since last February. So, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I’m (as always) ready to go early, with more than two weeks left at home. This is, on most levels, excellent. This means I have more time to spend with Kris, my friends, and to visit family.
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