End of April: A super short blog update...

All -
I am well.
As is life, I have both wonderful and challenging events happening every day.

I apologize for being out of touch. My life has been extremely busy. I have two jobs... erm, had two jobs... I was actually "fired" from one job because they found out I was going to quit! (Read below)

My other job, Wall Street, is excellent. It is actually the best job I've ever had. More details are in my blog.

Speaking of my BLOG, I've finally been updating it! I've posted 9 new entries backdated from December 26 to February 4. Be sure to scroll back through the pages to catch the newer posts.

http://rosebark.blogspot.com/

I am editing 19 more blogs... Hopefully I will have another large batch ready in two weeks. I fell so far behind that I felt too overwhelmed to continue. But now that I only have one job... I have time to catch up on my blog!

If you would like details of what occurred at my former job, please read the email I sent you. I am not giving details of what occurred to the public nor any friends in Ecuador. En fin: We had disagreements about what they ought to honor in our verbal contract. Note to self: Never work on a verbal contract, ever, ever again. I was extremely disappointed to leave my students and colleagues. More details to come...

And what am I up to now, you ask? Well, my mum is coming here in less than a week! I'm headed to Quito on Friday to meet up with friends, Salsa dance, look into options for my visa, buy medication, and otherwise get out of Manta. (see blog.) I will pick her up in Quito on May 5, her birthday. Awesome.

I'll be back in Manta in two weeks.

And then I'm headed to Colombia. (It's about 90% certain.) I'll be traveling with two Argentinians and an American... More specifically, Cristian and Agustina, both Couch Surfers, and Laura Love, another CS member from Salem, Oregon!!! (I hope all the details work out.)

I have heard so many wonderful stories from gringos and Latinos about how wonderful Colombia is. People feel safer there than Manta. And everyone speaks of its immense beauty.

(GRANDMA: Don't read the next paragraphs! I love you!!!)

PLEASE DO NOT write me telling horror stories of kidnapping and otherwise negative news.
I don't believe it's any more dangerous than where I live. I live right next to a police station (thank god.)

Even still, last week two blocks from my house a man and woman were robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight. Many people saw it. Two weeks ago, four blocks from my house, a guy was shot outside a night club because a man saw him looking at his girlfriend. And last week two doctors were shot at the hospital because a family was mad that the doctors could not save the life of their relative.

So I'm not too concerned about what's in Colombia.

I love you so much.
Please do understand if I am not able to reply to your notes in a rapid manner. I'm doing my best to keep my head above water.

Love you so much -

Rosi

My Easter Sunday was spent back at the organic farm. I was training tomatoes in a greenhouse while talking to God about life. It was a good Easter.

Observations

I feel like I'm still in Salem.
Only the buildings are hella ugly and the people speak Spanish. And the wages and prices are far less.


Yeah, this is likely the ugliest town I have ever been to in my life. I cringe when the locals ask me "What do you think of Manta?" Uggggh. It is essentially a city of cracking, crumbling, tumbling cement buildings whose paint began to chip about ten years ago. Quito has colonial buildings which are gorgeous. As does about every other town in the world. And where are the artisans? You know, the locals selling their cheap tourist crap or their household trinkets for $0.50? They're not here. Sigh. I was seriously disappointed when I realized this.

Manta's economy is built on tuna. Tuna fish. And yet if you go to the store, a standard small can of tuna costs between $.90 and $1.10! About twice as in the States! You can buy fish at the market. I've not taken that risk yet. :)

It's easy to find a full lunch on the street for $3. And quite possible for $1.75. You will receive a glass of juice dilluted with water, a bowl of soup (ALWAYS yummy), and a plate of rice, meat, and patacones. Patacones are made from platanos, a type of banana you will find in the grocery store in the States that seems to have sort of square edges and can be quite large. Patacones are basically thick slices of platanos that have been squished to the size of a double-stuffed Oreo. They're quite bland.

We usually eat a large plate of rice, some patacones, and whatever else that's in the dish. I sure do miss french fries.

Speaking of Oreos -
Nestle is here.
Nestle is almost every product on every shelf. Monopoly to the max.
I have boycotted Nestle for about 6 years. It's usually not too difficult. In the US their food products might take up 5% of the shelves or less. Here it's about 85%.

Why the boycott? They have gone against the World Health Organization, UNICEF, World Alliance for Breastfeading Action, and the list goes on... This has been a known issue for more than 30 years.
How so? Uncounted infants have died or become severely diseased in third-world countries because of Nestle's propaganda. Nestle gives the formula to the mothers until they stop producing milk, then requires the mothers to buy it. The moms do not have enough money, prompting malnourishment. The formula itself is not equivalent to breast milk (as we all know), and the drinking water is contaminated, prompting many infant deaths.
Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott

So I'm fairly unhappy when I go shopping.
By the way, consider shopping ethically. Don't keep your faith at church. Shop with stores that respect life. Like Target. Not Walmart. Just please think about whose lives you are harming or helping before you choose the cheapest products.


We don't eat beans here. I assumed all Latin American countries ate beans. I suppose I thought so because I've traveled Mexico so very many times. I love beans. About six weeks into my stay I found a roadside restaurant that sells beans. And I was SO excited! AND I bought a to-go box of beans just because they were so amazing. (Only $0.50. What a steal!)

And know this - just because you live in Latin America, you don't necessarily eat burritos nor even tortillas. Ecuadorians do not eat tortillas. Confusing.

As you would assume, the cold/winter season in the US is during the same warm/"winter" season in Ecuador. Although I am roasting hot in the sweltering sun and humidity, they still call this winter! The rains will come soon, and the temperature will drop. As I understand from internet research, the temperature does not substantially drop. Ecuadorians say the summer "gets cold," but this is relative; they don't know what a "cold" day in March feels like in Oregon.


2/04/2009

From Wachovia to Wall Street

My last day working for Wachovia Securities was November 28, 2008.
My first day working on Wall Street was January 11, 2009.

I find it quite ironic.

Eh-hemmm. My first day working at Wall Street was January 11.

I went from retirement and securities to teaching English at Wall Street Institute (WS) in Manta, Ecuador.

My job is awesome.

I am paid $4/hr to teach English to high school students, bank executives, a chiropractor, a safety director at a wood mill, a retired 60 year old who wants to visit her kids in the US, and dozens of others who eagerly come to class.

WS is a franchised school of English which focuses on learning grammar more by interaction than by rigid book format. I do not have to prepare for class. I arrive, take out a book and box of activities, and follow the directions. It took a few weeks to understand the format, but now I don't stress at all about class.

I usually have 1-2 students per class. The students are awesome. I love the opportunity to give such individualized attention. But I've got an issue - I have no formal training in English grammar! It's quite humbling when my students who have only been studying for four months know what an auxiliary verb or the present perfect verb forms are, and I don't.


My signature trade: I give my students high-fives when they do something well. The first time I meet a student they look at me for a split second in complete disbelief, then burst into a smile as they "give me five." What a simple way to acknowledge successes!

And everyone loves receiving the Hi-5s... Especially the adults. I think it reminds them that they're also meant to have a blast when learning.


My supervisor's name is Ruth. She is Belgian and speaks Flemish. Top that! She is always giggling, happy to help, and has a silly - funny Dutch accent when she speaks either English or Spanish.

:) I am blessed.

En que mas puedo pedir?

I spend time with God every single day while I'm in (or at) the ocean. Without fail.

One evening I was on the tranquil ocean in a kayak at sunset with brilliant clouds all around, birds flying as though they were hovering only a foot above the water, friends behind me, and the Ecuadorian coastline stretching all around. I looked north and saw a partial rainbow.

I was silenced and invigorated.

En que mas puedo pedir?
What else could I possibly ask for?

There are a thousand glorious moments to be had each day, albeit many are not so picturesque.

I am tremendously blessed.
Truthfully, in that moment I acknowledged I wish to be married. I want to meet my life partner. I desire companionship. Yet in the present moment I am overwhelmed with the vibrant experience I am having in Ecuador.

Before I left the US, I remember feeling like my experience of God did not reflect what the Bible says it ought to be.

But now- It's like I somehow won this jackpot of blessings, a karma, that "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" An elusive moment realized.

(LOL) It's like God gave me a six week vacation as thanks for the years working on the video project ( www.projectdigno.org )
I know "it doesn't work like that," but I can't help but observe the irony.


I am truly a blessed woman of the Lord.

En que mas puedo pedir?

On Food and Money and Shampoo and Light Switches and Sand

On Food and Money

Since I've been here, I've eaten French, Japanese, Ecuadorian, Swiss, Argentinean, Mexican, Hungarian, American, and... other foods. And all of it has been excellent.

Down the street I can buy a three course lunch for $3.50. Further down the street it costs $1.75. For chicken, rice, fruit, and something else :)

I don't see credit or debit cards here, unless in a really nice restaurant or big grocery store. It's best to keep bills of $10 or less – your cab driver may not have change.

Budget from December 9 to January 1: $180 (+ $70 airfare)

Lodging on the beach, in the hacienda, in an elegant house, in the highlands, and in the hot spot downtown Quito: $0.00
(((Thank you, Couchsurfing and Pablo!)))

Food on the street, in gourmet restaurants: $100

Phone: $10.00

Transportation: Taxis and local buses: $20.00. Flight from Quito to Manta: $70.00

Sunscreen: $12


---

I haven't shampooed my hair in one week. Because I planned on a one night stay at a secluded beach... Then stayed a week. I'm an official beach bum. Yesterday I took a shower with soap and a wash cloth (I know! Such an OCD hygienic woman!). When I got out I touched my arm – how slick the skin felt! Then I realized my skin had been covered in salt, sand, and sunscreen for the last week, and it was less than silky smooth. The sacrifices I make!

----

The damn light switches are upside down. They drive me nuts.

---

My goal is to have sand in every orifice of my body every day. OK, perhaps just the nose, ears, and eyes. I've got a perfect track record so far!

A quick note - New home in Manta

All -
I want you to know that am safe and well and happy and so on and so forth...

I made it to Manta without a problem. When the plane lifted off in Quito I was laughing and crying at the same time... YAY!

I'm staying with Linda, the 64 year old. She's sweet, but talks altogether too much. Whew.

All is well. Tomorrow I will meet a school principal to look into job teaching opportunities - I met a guy named Walter through CouchSurfing, and he is kindly taking me to the school.


At sunset today I was practicing tightrope walking on the beach in a tank top. At about 9pm I got the goosebumps... Heh.
The water is tepid and lovely. I talked to the founder of a kitesurfing school today. We'll see if I take lessons. That would be awesome.

Dinner was $1.75. Big plate of rice and beans with grilled chicken and... get this... cow udder. Yes, I did eat it. It was a thin slice of meat, like a slice of ummm banana. The flavor was much better than the chicken (which was good!) If I didn't know it was cow udder, I would eat a whole lot more of it. Life is interesting.

Pooped.

Love you so much,

Rose

"Driving" in Manta

Definitions: Manta's Road System



Side "walks". Rephrased: Side "trips, splats, ankle rolls, government liabilities." It is not possible to hold a conversation uninterrupted while walking down the street - I am constantly steering a friend away from a sinkhole or otherwise random and quite dangerous obstacle.

Traffic Laws. Redefined: Traffic Lawlessness. There are often no lines painted in the road. People weave, drive down the middle, and brake without notice. They use a blinker when they feel like it, flip a U-turn whenever, and generally are hazardous. There are round-abouts. They pull into oncoming traffic on freeways and move over in just the knick of time. However - I've not seen an accident in the seven weeks I've been in Manta. Everyone is quite conscious of one another. Which makes all the difference.

Roads. Redefined: Cement areas with holes. And bumps. And more holes. And sometimes with a 4' pile of rubble in the middle of the road.

Drivers' Education. Redefined: Suicidal intent. I cringe when I see these kids trying to survive in the crazy streets.

Public Transport. Rephrased: Riding in the back of a camioneta (truck) heading around big curves at 50 mph. Around and over those holes. No seat belt. I LOVE it! Wind in your hair. And you get a workout from trying to hold onto the truck! All for $1! Really, I do love it. I take the camioneta between Linda's beach house and her house in Manta. We take these corners on the hills and can see the gorgeous blue sea as it twinkles in the sun. (repeat) I love it.

Right-of-way. Redefined: Pedestrians are in-the-way. Cars first. People second. It's like playing the video game Frogger. You sort of learn how to predict which car will move where and how fast.
Don't try and cross the street near the round-abouts. It is simply not possible to predict the cars. Don't be stupid! :)

Observations in Quito

There is no hot water handle. Or, when there is one, it does not function.

And all the toilets have funky buttons and handles like the ones I encountered in Europe. Interesting.

Windows are incredibly thin. You can hear car engines blocks away... Not to mention car alarms...

The temperature inside the house quickly fluctuates with the temperature outside. Fortunately there is not a huge variance in the cool Quiteno weather.

The roofs are ugly. You cannot see them from the ground, but when you are on the second floor of a nearby building you may find tires (usually strategically placed to hold down the metal sheeting constituting the roof), or refuse of any kind, or odd patch jobs including tar and a random material used as a sealant.

Small-ish cars. Thank God.

The damn car alarms. They literally run all day long. I wish the alarms had an auto-off after 15 minutes of obnoxious screaming. The owners do not take the time to turn the alarms off. Baaaagh! And when you are trying to sleep, the sound passes right through the thin windows...

Everything is lush and green. I'm in the tropics in a city of cement in the middle of December. Right. A palm tree outside my window for Christmas breakfast. Flowers abound. Right. It feels a bit surreal when I consider the month.

People warmly greet one another both when meeting friends and in passing on the street. It feels genuine.

Most people drink tap water. Others have a clunky, slow machine attached to their kitchen sink that whirrs and chugs as it fills your 10 oz water glass.

So many fruits I've never heard of... HOORAY!

No tank tops. Only tee shirts. When the weather is 80 outside. I don't really understand it. But the tees are a good idea, considering that the weather will drop to 60 and begin to rain in two hours (inevitably)

Invariable weather: Sunshine mid-morning with an average of 75. The temperature drops to 60 at 2pm, then it rains at 3. Clouds break, and the evenings return to a lovely 60 degrees.

Gas stoves. Uggggh. I've never forgotten the explosion in Mexico in 2003...

People wear practical shoes. Nice.

The airport is close and planes fly constantly overhead.

No one uses credit cards, unless for very large purchases.

Phone calls to the US are $0.06 / minute, and internet is $0.80 per hour. Awesome.

The city of Quito is a long valley. It resembles a skateboarding half-pipe. If you're on the third floor of any building you can look out and see one of the valley walls with houses and buildings sloshed up against it. I love it.

Cell phones are funded by purchasing $5 cards, not by monthly plans. And people always let their cards run out before buying a new one. Which means someone is always telling you that they couldn't call you back to cancel your meeting because they "ran out of credit." Annoying. It seems a rather irresponsible way to go about communicating with others.

Side"walks" are hazardous to your health. An elderly person could not get around town alone.

Street vendors are rare in comparison to Mexico. They seem to only be present in touristic places.

Locks. Locks. More locks. Ugggggh.

There is a security guard at the front door of almost every single establishment. I'm not used to this yet, nor do I understand it.

Unrefrigerated eggs. What is this???

Ciao -

Blanquita makes Pablo's amazing family empenadas...

Deliciousness.

1.  SMILE!  Then make a simple dough.  (I'm not certain what it is made of.  It seemed similar to pie crust - flour, butter, egg white, etc)
Roll it to the size of your hand.


2.  Mix cooked chicken, peas, carrots, and onions with spices.

3.  Place a spoonful of mix on half of the dough.





4.  Place slices of red pepper, pimiento olive, and boiled egg on top.


5.  Fold dough in half.  Twist edges.



6.  Lay in a flower lined pan.
7.  Bake until browned and crispy (about 40 minutes.)


8.  Thank Blanquita and Cristina and enjoy!

Contacting me...

Phone calls

We can talk by phone... cheap!

First – remember that we can talk on the internet for free, video included. Skype.com. My username is rosebark.

The cheap way to call me from your phone:

phonecardsavenue.com I've used them for several years and they are excellent. Just be sure to buy cards with at least three stars. If you buy less than $20, there is a $1 charge. But the cards do expire after a while.

In short – I have a cell phone. It is free for me to receive calls.

We have a three hour time difference.

I am awake at about 9 am every day (today I woke up at 7 and walked on the beach!)

··· I go to bed between 10 - 12 pm. Please try not to call after 8 pm your time. For your benefit! I´ll be a zombie if you call after 8 but still glad to talk.

My phone number is

011 // 593 // 8788 5144


Luv Rosita