observations, humor, nonsense
I wanted to share some of my memories of when I lived in Ecuador (in 2010). It actually took a long time to chose the ones I like, even though I only lived there for 6 months. I was entirely too poor to take advantage of extensively travelling throughout the country like my fellow English…
Read MoreCuenca is a great city to not only visit, live and enjoy but it is also a great base camp to the surrounding areas. The most famous day trip from Cuenca has to be Cajas National Park and for good reason too. Athough it typically rains in the afternoon so go early; dress for cooler…
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Freebies: One of the nice things about Cuenca is there are many free events or places to visit at no cost. By popping into most restaurants or hotels you can discover a little booklet that tells you what is going on that month in the city. At Plaza de San Sebastian which is a very…
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Anyone who has been following me on the missing teacher or who knows my story, knows what a uphill road it has been back to teaching. After a few attempts to stay connected with the force-field known as education, I gave in trying to get through. So I pursued writing. I shifted my focus. And…
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Goodbye Chinese Sweet anger Draw me a curtain Give me a mask Push me off the stage The sour touch of your words Feel like dry leaves on my soul And bad milk in my bowl Goodbye Chinese Salty warmth Hold me back Shut my sight Wrap me in my ancestral blanket The savory touch…
Read MoreAnother crack at Spanish means a lot of things, including another crack at my self-confidence. I’ve started another Spanish class this week and so far it has been great. I’m surprised by what I do know and what I have remembered from my own studies. I also made the commitment to have fun. The stress…
Read MoreWhat is happening to Ecuador’s youth? It started with an advanced writing class I taught in which the students’ final work would be a research paper and presentation. I didn’t know what to expect from a particular student because she changed her topic at the last minute. Well it was damn enlightening. She talked about…
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On a teacher’s budget. . . I haven’t lived here that long but I wanted to put together a list of places to eat, like I did in Chiang Mai. And frankly, just a quick google search confirmed that there is not a good list out there. El Tunel on Honorato Vásquez is quite possibly…
Read MoreI am walking down the street when I hear: Konichiwa Ni hau Chino China Should I be offended? I know if a Caucasian person was walking down the street and a local Hawaiian yelled, “Eh haole” that would not be a good thing. Or maybe it’s more like when Brendan Fraser’s character from Blast from…
Read MoreI really do like my new place better than my old one but. But my landlady who is around 58 years old seems to enjoy yelling at her 70something husband. Apparently it is very common for Ecuadorian men to have a much younger wife. Of course the vice versa is unheard of. Now coming from…
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In high school, my brother (along with other students) were asked the question, “What makes Hawaii so special?” Everyone replied with the typical responses like the weather, the island’s beauty, whatever, but Larry replied, “If you took away the soft sand, the beautiful beaches, the warm sun, etc (enter eloquent words here), Hawaii would still…
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I blend. Oddly enough, I melt into the landscape of Cuenca Ecuador. Even though Ecuador is not known for having a large population of Asians I certainly do not draw the attention that my gringo friends do. And that suits me very fine. Because Caucasian women are so different here they catch the hungry eyes…
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The two times that I have been the most distraught since arriving here has been over the language. My inability to understand circumstances has catapulted the clichĂ© in over my head to new heights and demoralizing lows. These situations mimic things that have also happened to me in Thailand. It is not difficult to remember…
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An American I met last night asked if I noticed any similarities between Thailand and Ecuador. Having been here only 6 days I told her I had. I made the move from Chiang Mai to Cuenca because I wanted a change. I hadn’t been living in CM for very long, just under a year, but…
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Life, the Universe, and Lani 
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