Ecuador's President hasn't been making many friends within the media community lately, to the point that Anonymous currently has the country under attack. One of the crowning jewels showed up this morning on Wikipedia.
I can't print it. I won't even put up a picture. Just read the new name for Rafeal Correa on Wikipedia. If your version has no obscenities used as middle and last names under "Spanish naming conventions", then it's been caught. If not, well, this is a gem that insults both Correa and his mother.
I'm sharing because in the midst off all the political trash talking going on about the situation in the US, it really doesn't compare to what happens on the political scene. Also, can you imagine if this happened in the States?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
What Music Ecuadorian Kids Listen To These Days
One of the fun things about working with high school aged Ecuadorians is getting glimpses into the forces that are influencing them. The other day we had some work time in class and one of the kids asked if we could put on some music. I told them yes, but I didn't have any. Not to worry - Ecuador is one of the only countries I've lived in where people actually use the MP3 player feature on their phones. As the class shared the favorite pieces from their collections, I got to hear:
- Katy Perry - Firework & Teenage Dream
- Queen - We Are The Champions
- Lady Gaga - Poker Face
- The Village People - Y.M.C.A. (Although when I said, oh how appropriate since we are studying hotels, they were shocked. They didn't realize that a YMCA is a place you can stay. They thought it was a resort or disco).
- Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
- Taylor Swift - Romeo
- Kenny Loggins - Highway To The Danger Zone
- The Cranberries - Zombie
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Cuenca: A Home For America's Economic Refugees?
Americans visiting Cuenca used to talk about the climate, the culture, and the opportunities for new businesses in the city. Increasingly, they are talking about economics. Not local economics, but American economics. The idea is that they want to get out while the getting's good, and want to know if Cuenca's the right place to ride out America's imminent financial doom.
I've had a surprising number of conversations lately that focus on getting out of the US dollar and escaping the US economy. Many of the people quizzing me about my international life aren't planning to join me in the Freelance Kingdom - they are really just running. Running from the idea of retiring in debt, running from the idea of long-term unemployment, and running from the idea of losing it all, once and for all.
To be honest, these people inspire two emotions in me: Fear and Pity. The fear is rather contagious - the latest crew of American arrivals in Cuenca seem to be genuinely afraid of just about everything. Talk to them for a while and you, too, will start to wonder if tomorrow you will wake up to the wreckage of a midnight Armageddon. On the other hand, I really pity some of these people, because in their fearful mindset, they are shortening their lives by stressing themselves out something ridiculous.
It's not to say that all of their fears are groundless, or that Cuenca is necessarily a poor choice for waiting out the Greater Depression. Last time I checked, yes, the US economy still stank, and yes, the cost of living in Cuenca is significantly lower than a similar US lifestyle. However, cheaper does not always mean better for every situation, and cost of living isn't the only metric to use.
Cuenca's culture is very different from that of the United States. It can be warm and welcoming, but it can also seem very closed off due to a strong emphasis on family ties and last names. You need to speak Spanish or you will be stuck in the gringo community. The gringo community is okay, but it can seem to be very us vs. them for new arrivals vs. old Cuenca hands. Expect to make acquaintances readily and friends more slowly.
Many of the systems that people are used to in the US don't exist here. Yes, many economic refugees want to "leave America behind" in theory, but in practice they still expect there to be functional administrative systems that respond to their needs and complaints. Not so in Cuenca - most people here fend for themselves, and the complaints department is permanently closed. Noise complaints can be directed straight to your neighbor, thank you very much, and if you don't like your cable service, join the club. This "we don't care" attitude in service areas is a sharp departure from the US where sales clerks and phone agents jump to serve "the customer who is always right". After all, if you don't like it, you'll blog, tweet, and post youtube videos about it.
Only not in Cuenca. The technology barrier is high - only about 28% of Ecuadorians regularly access the web (meaning once a week or more) and high speed connections like those in the States just haven't arrived yet. Facebook has caught on pretty strongly, but blogs and Twitter are still marginal. Websites for businesses vary in quality. If you want information, word of mouth, newspaper, and radio are the top choices. Or picking up the phone and calling directly, something many Americans consider archaic.
So there are some pretty significant adjustments, and the economics aren't all fabulous. Most Americans in Cuenca aren't making a local income - it's all dependent on what they have going for them from the States. English teaching might net $250 - $500 per month as supplemental income, and there are a few restaurants owned by gringos, but other economic opportunities are limited. People who think they will come down and work for a local are sadly misguided - there are plenty of unemployed locals for local jobs!
And that's my two cents on the matter for the moment. Yes, Cuenca can be wonderful, and if you know what you're getting into, it might work for you as a new home or economic refuge. However, it's not mini-America, nor is it Mexico, and economic refugees looking for either had better look somewhere else!
I've had a surprising number of conversations lately that focus on getting out of the US dollar and escaping the US economy. Many of the people quizzing me about my international life aren't planning to join me in the Freelance Kingdom - they are really just running. Running from the idea of retiring in debt, running from the idea of long-term unemployment, and running from the idea of losing it all, once and for all.
To be honest, these people inspire two emotions in me: Fear and Pity. The fear is rather contagious - the latest crew of American arrivals in Cuenca seem to be genuinely afraid of just about everything. Talk to them for a while and you, too, will start to wonder if tomorrow you will wake up to the wreckage of a midnight Armageddon. On the other hand, I really pity some of these people, because in their fearful mindset, they are shortening their lives by stressing themselves out something ridiculous.
It's not to say that all of their fears are groundless, or that Cuenca is necessarily a poor choice for waiting out the Greater Depression. Last time I checked, yes, the US economy still stank, and yes, the cost of living in Cuenca is significantly lower than a similar US lifestyle. However, cheaper does not always mean better for every situation, and cost of living isn't the only metric to use.
Cuenca's culture is very different from that of the United States. It can be warm and welcoming, but it can also seem very closed off due to a strong emphasis on family ties and last names. You need to speak Spanish or you will be stuck in the gringo community. The gringo community is okay, but it can seem to be very us vs. them for new arrivals vs. old Cuenca hands. Expect to make acquaintances readily and friends more slowly.
Many of the systems that people are used to in the US don't exist here. Yes, many economic refugees want to "leave America behind" in theory, but in practice they still expect there to be functional administrative systems that respond to their needs and complaints. Not so in Cuenca - most people here fend for themselves, and the complaints department is permanently closed. Noise complaints can be directed straight to your neighbor, thank you very much, and if you don't like your cable service, join the club. This "we don't care" attitude in service areas is a sharp departure from the US where sales clerks and phone agents jump to serve "the customer who is always right". After all, if you don't like it, you'll blog, tweet, and post youtube videos about it.
Only not in Cuenca. The technology barrier is high - only about 28% of Ecuadorians regularly access the web (meaning once a week or more) and high speed connections like those in the States just haven't arrived yet. Facebook has caught on pretty strongly, but blogs and Twitter are still marginal. Websites for businesses vary in quality. If you want information, word of mouth, newspaper, and radio are the top choices. Or picking up the phone and calling directly, something many Americans consider archaic.
So there are some pretty significant adjustments, and the economics aren't all fabulous. Most Americans in Cuenca aren't making a local income - it's all dependent on what they have going for them from the States. English teaching might net $250 - $500 per month as supplemental income, and there are a few restaurants owned by gringos, but other economic opportunities are limited. People who think they will come down and work for a local are sadly misguided - there are plenty of unemployed locals for local jobs!
And that's my two cents on the matter for the moment. Yes, Cuenca can be wonderful, and if you know what you're getting into, it might work for you as a new home or economic refuge. However, it's not mini-America, nor is it Mexico, and economic refugees looking for either had better look somewhere else!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Freedom Is A State Of Mind
Independence Day overseas is always an adventure, because you know its supposed to be a holiday, but nobody else is taking the day off. While my family and friends back in the States are enjoying the sunny weather and a three day weekend, Cuencanos are enjoying the fifth straight hour of pouring rain and another workday. Yee-haw!
The question does sometimes come up as to whether I worry about my freedom living overseas. The short answer is no, not really. America isn't the only place you can live free and happy ... and to me, attaching freedom to a place diminishes the concept.
Freedom isn't a concept that can be fenced by borders. It's not even really a concept that can be fenced by facts. Was I more free in America, where an organized government efficiently collected taxes, monitored citizen activities, and regulated the snot out of being a small business owner? Or am I more free in Cuenca, where a highly inefficient government doesn't provide much more than basic services and the police can be readily bribed? (In a recent lesson on crime vocabulary, I mentioned a friend paying the police $10 to get out of a ticket. My students told me he overpaid - it should have been $5. "You foreigners run up the price of everything," harrumphed one of them, implying "my people" are ruining their freedom to drive like maniacs.)
Moving from the cops back to government, was I more free in America or when I was living in China? I didn't speak the language well and had no knowledge of the local laws. I know I got tons of exceptions from locals because they knew I didn't get it and it wasn't worth it to them to make an issue out of it ... but in America, there are no exceptions for me. If I speed, fail to register my car properly, don't follow my community covenant for recycling, or a hundred other small things, I'm in trouble.
So what is my freedom, really? Were my forefathers fighting for the right to watch reality TV on high-speed Internet connections in McMansions? I like to think they were fighting for the right to live on their own terms - the right to choose their futures, govern their destinies, and take their lives where the path led. It's not a place - it's a concept, a state of mind. Rainy skies, no fireworks, and miles from home, that's what I celebrate as my Independence Day.
The question does sometimes come up as to whether I worry about my freedom living overseas. The short answer is no, not really. America isn't the only place you can live free and happy ... and to me, attaching freedom to a place diminishes the concept.
Freedom isn't a concept that can be fenced by borders. It's not even really a concept that can be fenced by facts. Was I more free in America, where an organized government efficiently collected taxes, monitored citizen activities, and regulated the snot out of being a small business owner? Or am I more free in Cuenca, where a highly inefficient government doesn't provide much more than basic services and the police can be readily bribed? (In a recent lesson on crime vocabulary, I mentioned a friend paying the police $10 to get out of a ticket. My students told me he overpaid - it should have been $5. "You foreigners run up the price of everything," harrumphed one of them, implying "my people" are ruining their freedom to drive like maniacs.)
Moving from the cops back to government, was I more free in America or when I was living in China? I didn't speak the language well and had no knowledge of the local laws. I know I got tons of exceptions from locals because they knew I didn't get it and it wasn't worth it to them to make an issue out of it ... but in America, there are no exceptions for me. If I speed, fail to register my car properly, don't follow my community covenant for recycling, or a hundred other small things, I'm in trouble.
So what is my freedom, really? Were my forefathers fighting for the right to watch reality TV on high-speed Internet connections in McMansions? I like to think they were fighting for the right to live on their own terms - the right to choose their futures, govern their destinies, and take their lives where the path led. It's not a place - it's a concept, a state of mind. Rainy skies, no fireworks, and miles from home, that's what I celebrate as my Independence Day.
Now We're Mobile
Hey, quick administrative note -- I've set up to optimize the viewing of the blog on your favorite mobile device. This should make it easy for iPad owners, iPhones, and other "smart" mobile devices to visit me without a mega-jumble on the screen.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Readjusting To Life In Cuenca
After three weeks in the States, returning to Cuenca has been interesting. I loved, loved, loved being in America with the whole country being on the cusp of summer. Here we are on the cusp of what passes for winter, and the return from a land in bloom to a land where that's just not the season has been interesting.
Of course, the weather isn't the only difference between Cuenca and the States. One of my friends here asked me to do a comparison, so I spent a lot of my time in the States (since I had a lot of time in the car between North Carolina and Nebraska) reflecting on that. The differences jumped out from all sides, and not all of them bear repeating, but here are a few that have hit me going both ways.
Of course, the weather isn't the only difference between Cuenca and the States. One of my friends here asked me to do a comparison, so I spent a lot of my time in the States (since I had a lot of time in the car between North Carolina and Nebraska) reflecting on that. The differences jumped out from all sides, and not all of them bear repeating, but here are a few that have hit me going both ways.
- The cheek kiss thing: When I got to the States, I was totally set to kiss everyone on the cheek because that is just the Ecuadorian way. It's kind of hard to shut off once you get in the habit. Now that I'm back, it's hard to turn back on. I once again feel like people are invading my space when they lean in for a kiss, but based on the weirdness that ensues when you try to shake hands with someone trying to kiss you, I'll need to get over that fast.
- Punctuality: I had to get back in the groove of leaving for things on time in the States. Not so here in EC. Except for my classes, we're back in the land of approximates - around 2, sometime this evening. I kind of enjoyed the more scheduled life - I've apparently missed things that smack of routine. Cuenca's chaos is quaint, but not always conducive to getting things done.
- Shopping variety: I'll be honest, I just about cried when I walked into the Trader Joe's in Lincoln, NE. It's not the biggest, it's not the best ... but it has so much variety that is flat out lacking here. You go to the supermarket and it's pretty much this or that, and having been to the supermarket three times in the last three days, it's frustrating. There may be six brands, but there aren't six kinds. In the US there is more variety of kinds of things to buy, both in the food aisles and on the shelves in retail stores. If I want to buy only modal cotton clothes in the States, I can do it. If I want to do that in EC, well, it's this shirt or that shirt, take it or leave it, plus 22% tax on imported clothes.
- Height: In the US I'm average. Here I'm a giant, as being away and then back reminded me.
- Pricing: You know, a lot of people go on and on about the cheapness of Cuenca, and so I was expecting more sticker shock being in the States. The biggest was the $65 taxi I took in Chicago - here taxi rides average $2, and the airport might be a $5-$10 ride in Quito for about an equal distance. Yet on the other hand there were a lot of elements in the States that were very affordable compared to Cuenca. Textiles of all kinds were very affordable in the States (no $5 for 6 pairs of Hanes socks here!) and a decent meal out at night was still $20+ per person just like it is here. Hotels in Cuenca are cheaper, and gas is cheaper because of the government subsidies. Yet in other areas of life it's not that different, and quality/selection + 12% Cuenca sales tax definitely are pricing factors to consider, too.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Who's Dead?
Last night we watched the news that Osama bin Laden was dead. So did the rest of the world, if the Internet speed was any indication. It was an interesting moment, watching the nation celebrate without us expats at their side. I think my patriotism must be a bit lacking, too, because watching everybody go nuts in the streets my main thought was, "Sheesh, don't these people have to work tomorrow?" What can I say? It was after midnight, I was tired, and it's been a long ride finding Mr. Needle-in-a-Haystack.
When I woke up this morning, the President was dead.
At not yet 7 am, the phone rang. The frantic caller on the other end has no Internet at home and was desperate for an Internet touch-base. "Obama has been shot and killed!"
"No, it was Osama."
"They told me it was Obama! It just happened last night, you have to look."
"No, it was Osama."
"My girlfriend said Obama is dead! It's breaking news."
"No, no, no. Not Obama. OSAMA. OSAMA is dead."
"Are you sure?"
Massive growl of frustration. Power up computer. Hit the Internet. "Yes, I'm sure. Osama is dead, not Obama."
"Oh, well, thanks," Click.
Guess who was extra early to school today? GRRRRRRRrrrrrr.... OSAMA is dead!
When I woke up this morning, the President was dead.
At not yet 7 am, the phone rang. The frantic caller on the other end has no Internet at home and was desperate for an Internet touch-base. "Obama has been shot and killed!"
"No, it was Osama."
"They told me it was Obama! It just happened last night, you have to look."
"No, it was Osama."
"My girlfriend said Obama is dead! It's breaking news."
"No, no, no. Not Obama. OSAMA. OSAMA is dead."
"Are you sure?"
Massive growl of frustration. Power up computer. Hit the Internet. "Yes, I'm sure. Osama is dead, not Obama."
"Oh, well, thanks," Click.
Guess who was extra early to school today? GRRRRRRRrrrrrr.... OSAMA is dead!
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