The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community

Hmmmmmm,
I count at least 6 cops on the scene. Think they'll figger who it was? < Grin >

For a few months I lived right by where that accident happened on Sangurima y General Torres.

I started to avoid walking on Calle Sangurima because the sidewalks are very narrow in sections and the buses hug the curbs.

I read this article pertaining to Argentina the other day on El Universo website.

I couldnŽt find an English version to link until yesterday.

Cracked me up.

Here is some discouraging news for the peeps from this woman:

¿Qué cerebro necesitamos para el aprendizaje de idiomas?

R-  El cerebro es plástico durante toda la vida. Todo deja huella. Pero trabaja distinto según la edad. Hay cosas que hay que aprender muy pronto. El aprendizaje de idiomas, por ejemplo, requiere un cerebro “tierno”.

Translation:

What brain do we need in order to learn languages.?

The brain is plastic during all of oneŽs life.  Everything leaves a footprint. But it works different according to age. There are things that must me learned very early. Learning languages for example require a young brain. 


Conclusion:
The professor is not saying it canŽt be learned, only that it is hard as hell to do so for adults, if not impossible for some.

Of course, we really need a standarized test in the Cuenca expat community to measure our Spanish levels. That way a person can simply say something like I am 67 in converstaion 75 in reading and comprehension ect.

Another pedestrian killed and another driver flees. This time a 72 year old woman on Avenida de las Americas north of El Centro.

These things always seem to happen in bunches.

Nards Barley wrote:

Conclusion:
The professor is not saying it canŽt be learned, only that it is hard as hell to do so for adults, if not impossible for some.

I must have been born with an old brain, in language terms. Even in high school, I struggled with Latin and Spanish. Now I find that I can get the vocabulary in reading, but my grammar is terrible, and my listening/speaking skills are non-existent.

It is my biggest worry about moving there, since I seem to make so little progress. My hope is that immersion (and necessity) will save me when I get there. Otherwise, I fear it will be a short stay.

Bob

I am so enjoying these posts, lol!  Right now I'm depending on Google translator, which seems to be the most reliable one, as most online translators tend to mess up the grammar and stuff.  The best feature of this is you can type English, it immediately translates to Espanol, and you can click the little "speaker" to have it spoken aloud!  Do you think I be just a bit "weird" in Ecuador if I carry my laptop and let it speak for me!! ROFL!

Actually, I'm looking into lessons to help me prepare.  I want to at least make an effort to learn as much as I can.

Hey Laura.

We carry the iPhone with us and thru CLARO have Internet just about everywhere we go. We try our best and are learning but having the Googke translate at our fingertips pretty much all the time has been very, very helpful.

Just a thought. It would be much lighter and less conspicuous than the lap top!  😊

Mistymeaner wrote:

Hey Laura.

We carry the iPhone with us and thru CLARO have Internet just about everywhere we go. We try our best and are learning but having the Googke translate at our fingertips pretty much all the time has been very, very helpful.

Just a thought. It would be much lighter and less conspicuous than the lap top!  😊

Your right, it would!  Right now we have Androids, and still have a lot to learn of this CLARO internet, but I'm sure it's something we will have to figure out along the way.  Sounds like you've got a great plan!  Thanks for the advice!

I have tried several different Spanish courses with very slow progress. For example one was called Speak in a Week. its a 4 week course but week one took me about 3 months to master. 

Admittedly most of the courses were free or inexpensive. I finally bit the bullet and tried spending more money. First I bought Warren Hardys program because its advertized as being good for older leaners. A small improvement. The bought Rosetta Stone when Groupon was offering it. I had read mixed reviews. It is entirely in Spanish and never translates anything.

I'm surprised in how much quicker I'm learning. At first I used it with Google Translate opened in the back round to help me when I really couldn't figure out what the answer was. But now I'm catching onto their method and can figure out things from the clues in the pictures. For me it's fun because I've always liked figuring out puzzles.

The important thing is that I can tell it's working. I work with many Spanish speaking people and I use tp pick up a word or two here and there in their conversations. But in the few weeks since I started using Rosetta Stone I'm picking up MUCH more.

It's very encouraging because I have one of those old brains and was beginning to think there was no hope for me!  I've committed myself to at least 1 hour a day and am pleased with the progress I'm making.

Btw......I'm not affiliated with Rosetta Stone!

The frugal bloggers donŽt want you riding your bikes on the "walking trails".

We also see bicyclists on the walking trails along the river but the problem with that is if everyone starts riding their bike on the river trails there will not be any room for walkers and joggers. And the river paths get pretty packed on the weekends.

There has been more than adequate space for me the times I have ridden along this path.



There was recently a renovation of the sidewalks on Remigio Crespo that designates a portion for bicycles:


Not to mention, along the Tomebamba:

Yesterday, after reading this article, I decided to expand my horizons beyond the milk aisle, and see a bit of Cuenca.

First, however I first stopped at the renovated Parque de la Madre to look at the subterranean parking structure:



And more specifically the bicycle racks I had heard about:



There was actually a security guard booth just to the left of that, so you have to feel pretty good that your bike is safe.  I even saw a sign that said they will provide you a chain to lock to your bike inside the administrators office.

I asked the guard what hours are they keeping, and he said he is uncertain but Thurs, Fri Saturady there will be open 24 hours. Other days 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

I then went to see birds at parque Pumapungo. Here is the bird sanctuary from up high.



Then adjacent are some Inca ruins:

 

And vegetation and ponds:

CuencaŽs unofficial photo of the day: Woman grooming dog on top of roof.

Interesting that you mention the bird sanctuary. It took me at least a week to notice in Cuenca... no sounds of birds! The only birds I saw were pigeons in the parks. I was up on Turi Hill after about 10 days, and saw my first bird, other than pigeons and humming birds, and neither of them have much to say.
It just seems odd that in a country that is ranked as the number one in the world for bird watching , Cuenca has this lack of birds. I'm told it's primarily due to the lack of insects, thus the food source.
I can recollect in my work life the damn birds starting to raise a ruckus at like 3:00 am., well before sunrise, and cursing the creatures for interrupting my sleep, just before I had to rise. Now, I realize with Spring upon us here in The States, and the season of their mating calls, how much I'll miss them.
Another trade off.

Surprisingly enough, this seems to be a common practice (leaving the scene of an accident).  The bus companies claim they are not sure who is the driver...which, of course, defies belief.  The law requires preventive detention for an accident when a person is killed while the investigation is conducted.  And, in the realm of unintended consequences, this leads to an increase in hit and runs.

ZenSPIKE wrote:

I can recollect in my work life the damn birds starting to raise a ruckus at like 3:00 am., well before sunrise, and cursing the creatures for interrupting my sleep, just before I had to rise.

That still happens to me in Cuenca almost every day, during my perpetually unemployed period, thanks to these domestics fowls:

May edition of IL just came out with an excellent feature article written by an ex-pat living in Cuenca, all about the different neighborhoods in and around the city.  Must reading for anyone considering Ecuador in general and Cuenca in particular.  Article was written by a local expert contributing to this forum not named Nards Barley.  Hope Nards gets to read it and give us some feedback.

Of course IL was up to their old tricks, with a  half page ad announcing "A couple can live well in Ecuador on less than $900 a month."  The idea is to get you to spend $100 on a book that tells you how to do that, or to suggest spending even more to attend a conference to answer all your questions.  Of course you get all your questions answered except about scuba diving on this forum for free.

Mugtech,

Is this a paid subscription that you receive in the mail?

Speaking of IL, I wonder if our resident IL contributor--Mr. Said-- has stopped contributing on the Expat.com.  I look forward to seeing the youtube video of his appearance on ABCŽs Nightline in the coming weeks. That should be a boon for my web page hit count.

yes

Perhaps a boycott is taking place to protest my repeating info from IL on here for free, especially since I don't always give IL as my source of info. I recently heard that the only US dollar coin that is accepted in Ecuador is the one with the Native American who helped Lewis and Clark, that none of the Eisenhower or other presidential ones are accepted.  Of course this should not be a problem, for everyone should know to show up with plenty of small denomination bills and an ATM card.

State Department briefing today by Patrick Ventrell

MR. VENTRELL: Let me start here at the top.

So today in our Free the Press Campaign we'd like to highlight three journalists from Ecuador. The harsh personal attacks and attempts to discredit journalists such as Janet Hinostroza of Teleamazonas, and columnist for national daily Hoy; Martin Pallares, anchor of Ecuadoradio; and Miguel Rivadaneira, multimedia editor for leading national daily El Comercio, represent the challenges faced by private media in Ecuador, which operate in a climate of self-censorship.

The Inter-American Democratic Charter and other international agreements, to which Ecuador is a party, make clear that freedom of expression is an essential component of democracy. A robust, independent media law is necessary to create a public discussion of ideas regarding rule of law. We call on the Government of Ecuador to uphold freedom of the press as a vital component of a democratic society and to ensure that journalists can operate without fear or threat of retribution.

According to El Tiempo,

La periodista de Teleamazonas ha recibido amenazas tras denunciar supuestas irregularidades en la concesión de un crédito por 800.000 dólares entregado por el banco Cofiec, que está en manos públicas, a un ciudadano argentino.

Pallares y Rivadeneira, críticos con el Gobierno, han sido atacados públicamente por el presidente ecuatoriano, Rafael Correa, mientras que el segundo se enfrenta a una demanda judicial.

Translation:  The journalist of Teleamazonas has received threats after denouncing supposed irregularities in the concession of a 800,000 dollar credit delivered by the Bank Cofiec, which is in public hands, to an Argentinean  citizen.

Pallares y Rivadeneira, critics of the government, have been attacked publicly by the Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, while the second faces a lawsuit.

mugtech wrote:

Of course IL was up to their old tricks, with a  half page ad announcing "A couple can live well in Ecuador on less than $900 a month."  The idea is to get you to spend $100 on a book that tells you how to do that, or to suggest spending even more to attend a conference to answer all your questions.  Of course you get all your questions answered except about scuba diving on this forum for free.

LOL -- Actually, my mountain climbing question is doing no better. Oh well.

I can't understand why anyone would pay, in many cases fairly significant amounts of money, for info that is available free in so many places. I guess it's a case of 'a fool and his money ...'

Hmmmmm, fowl indeed!!
What's for dinner?
Like killing 2 birds with one stone, so to speak.
1) Free Dinner
2) Quiet Morning + more sleep

Don't know that you want to kill the bird with a stone.  Decapitation is the usual method.

I had my CAPS off...
oh, I understand.
Chainsaw?

Too expensive, try Paul Bunyan style

mugtech wrote:

Too expensive, try Paul Bunyan style

You do realize I'm from the  "Land of Paul Bunyan"

I was reviewing the differences between pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized milk. It turns out "leche de Vaca" produced by the government of Azuay is pasteurized rather than ultra-pasteurized. Of course must of us are used to drinking pasteurized milk in the states, while in Ecuador ultra-pasteurized is more common.

During standard pasteurization, manufacturers heat milk to a minimum of 161 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds. Ultra-pasteurization heats the milk to at least 280 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of two seconds.

According to this article pasteurization reduces the nutritional value of milk and ultra-pasteurization may further "degrade these nutrients".

And here is a good article on vitamins naturally found in milk. Some of the notable facts include the following:

Whole milk contains some vitamin A, however levels in semi skimmed and skimmed milks are much lower. This is because vitamin A is dissolved within the milk fat fraction which is removed to varying levels when producing lower fat milk products.

Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and is essential for healthy bones and teeth.

There is very little vitamin D in milk and in fact only trace amounts and in the UK milk is not fortified with vitamin D

Milk contains appreciable amounts of many of the B vitamins, and is particularly rich in vitamin B12.

Good sources (of vitamin C) in the diet include many fruits and vegetables and milk also makes a contribution.

A glass/200ml of semi-skimmed milk will provide a child with 14% of the daily requirement for vitamin C and an adult up to 10.3%.

Yes I do, Paul Bunyan land just got a foot of snow in May, didn't you?  Another one of those trade offs.

18 "  just 20 minutes West of me yesterday. I leave in 29 days. Wanna great deal on a snow thrower?

Yesterday, the U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Adam Namm, wrote the following quote from Thomas Jefferson on a mural celebrating World Press Freedom Day:

"The only security of all is in a free press"

During todayŽs televised "Enlace Ciudadano", President Correa made reference to that event by stating the following:

"Maravilloso que haya citado a Thomas Jefferson. Revisen la historia, era propietario de 200 esclavos y hablaba a los cuatro vientos de libertad. Esa es la libertad que quiere esa gente, libertad para ellos, para sus abusos, para la explotación laboral, para la tercerización, para chantajear a los gobiernos con el linchamiento mediático, para no pagar impuestos. Para el resto explotación y esclavitud".

It is marvelous that you have cited Thomas Jefferson. Review history, he was owner of 200 slaves, and Jefferson shouted from rooftops about liberty. That is the liberty you want: liberty for them, for their abuses, for exploitation of labor, for outsourcing, to blackmail governments through mediaitic lynching, to not pay taxes. For the rest, exploitation and slavery.

"Aquí libertad no es portar un arma para defender, ahí sí la libertad de los negocios que venden armas (...) Libertad en EE.UU. es que las transnacionales puedan financiar campañas políticas sin límites", puntualizó.

"Aquí no tenemos torturas como en Guantánamo, aquí no tenemos aviones no tripulados matando supuestos terroristas".

Here we donŽt torture like in Guantánamo, here there are no unmanned airplanes killing supposed terrorists.

"No nos venga a hablar de libertad, ubíquese señor embajador y no sea malcriadito, que aquí va a encontrar dignidad y soberanía"

DonŽt come here to talk to us about liberty, place yourself here Mr. Embassador and donŽt act spoiled, here you will find dignity and sovereignty.

"Embajador, pórtese bien en esta tierra que lo ha acogido con las debidas consideraciones, pero que no se meta en lo que no se tiene que meter. No sea metidito y malcriadito", reiteró Correa.

Embassador, behave yourself in this land that has welcomed you with due considerations, but donŽt butt-in.  DonŽt be a meddler.

Correa also stated that after seeing this group of clown journalists and the embassador, who in the end is financing all of this, he will allow the ecuadorian people to identify what powers we are dealing with.

Cuenca Highlife:

Scanlon says he's simply trying to be a good citizen. “Cuenca is my city now and I'm happy to do my part to keep it clean.” He adds: “I've been hearing a lot of gringos complaining lately about other gringos giving us a bad image

So he is asked to comment about his efforts in cleaning up graffiti and the first thing comes to his mind is relaying the fact he had heard from unknown sources that there are gringos in Cuenca complaining about who knows what?

My guess is Scanlon read some anectdote on Cuenca Highlife about a developer not selling to Gringos because they are complainers, and then re-read the same anecdote on Mr. SaidŽs blog who scolded these supposed complainers.

Maybe they need to start a task force to identify Gringo complainers in the community. They can put me number one on the list.

Nards Barley wrote:

So he is asked to comment about his efforts in cleaning up graffiti and the first thing comes to his mind is relaying the fact he had heard from unknown sources that there are gringos in Cuenca complaining about who knows what?

That's why I'm planning to live in Quito. I have reliable sources who tell me that nobody ever complains there.

Mr. o Ms. Nards Barley, I think you should get a life and relax. You take every comment to personal. Quit complaining about everything. Enjoy Ecuador ,Dude

ahome2buy wrote:

Mr. o Ms. Nards Barley, I think you should get a life and relax. You take every comment to personal. Quit complaining about everything. Enjoy Ecuador ,Dude

ahome2buy,

Thanks for the tip.  Feel free to unsubscribe to my website.  I am sure you have better things to do. Here is the link

https://www.expat.com/forum/profile.php … &id=454792

TodayŽs amusing headling: Bicentenario: pista no es parque... (Bicentario: The runway is no park)



Bicentanario is where the old airport was in Quito, which has been coverted into a park.

"Thanks for the tip.  Feel free to unsubscribe to my website.  I am sure you have better things to do. Here is the link"

Dear Ms. Barley,
I think you were most concise and to the point in your response.
I can also tell you are shattered, but, this too shall pass.

Indeed I was. I thought everyone but the bloggers loved me.