ECUADORIOUS

I had an interview this morning for a transcription job. It's a US company, but the gal doing the hiring lives here, and she posted the job on GringoPost, which all the expats here use.  I was late for the interview, which I hate ! My taxi driver went to the wrong side of my building, and I had to call him and then ask Miriam--one of my favorite employees here--to tell him to please come to the entrance on the other side, but several minutes were lost in this process. And then, as we were on our way to El Centro--the Historic District, where the cafe for the interview was--there was a university protest going on, and we had to redirect! So I was like 12 minutes late! Argh! After 12 years working in transportation, being on time is just ingrained in my brain. The interview was awesome. It was like a flashback to the 80s. We met at 10:30 in Cafe del Parque, right next to a very popular park in Cuenca, the Parque Calderón. It was super low key--she was wearing a T-shirt! And she was s...

So, it's been almost 3 weeks since I arrived in Cuenca, and here are some of my observations and impressions so far:  The people are generous and kind and patient to a fault. I've only experienced one or two grumps since arriving, but nearly all have been lovely, even when they see the vieja y gorda gringa walking toward them with her translator app open. Same for the taxi drivers; they have all been kind and patient, though because I'm in a new building, almost no one seems to know where it is; as a result, I'm getting better at giving directions in Spanish. Returns are not as smooth a transition as they are at, say, Walmart. It's a bit of a lengthy process: You explain the problem with the product and show your receipt. They search carefully for the item(s) you are returning. Then they call another employee up to return your item(s) to the shelves. They then issue you a credit only--even if you paid cash--that you can use in the store at a later date. However, you...

  This mannequin is 8 feet tall. It scared the living crap out of me as I came around the corner. Someone is patiently waiting for snacks. That is the river and this is the view out my bedroom window. Somewhere in the  Centro histórico de Cuenca. . Salt and pepper shakers, anyone? The Plaza de San Francisco Barbies in hand-crocheted outfits. A dog takes a nap next to the meat counter in the  Mercado 10 de Agosto. Traditional Ecuadorian ladies sell their goods.

Sorry for the delay in posting! I've been getting settled into my new apartment, which meant several trips to different stores in search of household items--and lots of taxi rides. There is a store here that is similar to Walmart; it's called Coral, and there are a few of them around Cuenca. They are huge, and the one near me has two floors!  I bought a "sofa cama," or sleeper sofa there too, and they deliver on the spot. I paid at the register, and then the sofa was loaded into a small truck. I then rode with the delivery dude to my apartment, where this fat old gringa managed to hoist it up a flight of stairs and into my apartment. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. It needs pillows, but it looks nice.  Then there is SuperMaxi. It's like your neighborhood Krogers or Smiths. And ya know how in the US we have an entire row at the supermarket dedicated to potato chips? Well in Cuenca, they have one entirely dedicated to corn .  There are so many differen...

  It looks a little like a Blue Spruce but the leaves are soft. I love this mural. A family playing in the park on Mother's Day They've planted some fig trees along the river!