Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Fiestas, Correa, Ruben Blades, Carolina
Fiestas de Quito are in full swing, with Parque Carolina transformed into a concert venue, with massive stage and dozens of tents selling food and artisanal goods. Eric and I spent our evening listening to music and wandering through the stalls. Each of the several times we entered the concert area, surrounded by wire fencing, we were separated by gender and frisked for alcohol, drugs and weapons. Ruben Blades was the headliner, with a great salsa band before him and an awful whiny instrumental group in between. The park was packed, as was Shyris and all the streets around the park. It was impossible to drive around at all.
Maya had a half day at school, and visited her friend in Puembo, which is very far from our home, for the afternoon. We were to pick her up at 9 or so, but the traffic was too intense to even consider the trip, so we left her to sleep overnight, while we wandered around our neighbourhood til early in the morning.
I had a chance to go to the Plaza Grande to watch the show there. Amparo called me to tell me to join her and a colleague to watch the dancing. I arrived late because Maya's ride was an hour and a half late (so Ecuadorian, although her friend is American). The square was packed with people, full of police as well. It was clear that someone important would arrive; many were watching the governmental palace, anticipating the arrival of Correa. Finally, after bands competed for attention, and dancers entertained us from the palace, while three singers sang on stage, he walked along the crowds, kissing his fans and picking up babies. He was on stage a short time, urging his audience not to drink and drive. I was relieved not to have to listen to one of his three hour speeches, but was entertained to hear him sing a typical Quiteno song for us. He speaks without pronouncing his s's, I did not realize that he is from Guayaquil.
We wandered over to La Ronda, where we followed a large group of young guitarists 'serenading' the crowd. It was packed. 24 de Mayo was empty, as was San Francisco, so we found our way back to Plaza Grande and more Correa dancing and singing.
Amparo and Kenya wanted to go to their homes, an hour and a half by bus from the centro, so I accompanied them to my apartment to make the trip shorter, and Eric arrived from his evening meeting just in time to meet me. He had spent the afternoon in the visa office, initially receiving my visa with the wrong passport number, then both visas did not have a payment stamp and that had to be corrected. Eric described the ministerio to be more intense than usual today, with angry screaming customers voicing his feelings all afternoon. It looks as if we have visas, yahoo!
Eric came home Monday night, devastated after two of his birds died through the night. He spent a big chunk of the day yesterday at the visa office after I refused to go back (I spent much of Monday waiting at the ministerio, first for the lawyer and then for my turn (101) simply to be turned down again) and was told to return again today for the visas. I did not hold onto much hope that anything would happen, so I am pleasantly surprised today. I met with Amparo yesterday to work on subjunctive, then when Eric arrived from the visa office, we all had lunch together at El Espanol, and then Eric and I walked through the park to look for Christmas trees. We want to buy one now, to be sure we have one for Christmas, rather than wait until after we return from Brasil. We found a tree we liked, and plan to return with the car to bring it home, but today was pico y placa and Eric cannot drive on Wednesdays.
Eric and Maya and I went to Casa de la Cultura yesterday, to listen to classic Quito music, with the accompaniment of dancers from the ballet and salsa studio. It was delightful, with the national orchestra and a group of guitarists. We are feasting on Ecuadorian culture this week, and loving it.
Maya had a half day at school, and visited her friend in Puembo, which is very far from our home, for the afternoon. We were to pick her up at 9 or so, but the traffic was too intense to even consider the trip, so we left her to sleep overnight, while we wandered around our neighbourhood til early in the morning.
I had a chance to go to the Plaza Grande to watch the show there. Amparo called me to tell me to join her and a colleague to watch the dancing. I arrived late because Maya's ride was an hour and a half late (so Ecuadorian, although her friend is American). The square was packed with people, full of police as well. It was clear that someone important would arrive; many were watching the governmental palace, anticipating the arrival of Correa. Finally, after bands competed for attention, and dancers entertained us from the palace, while three singers sang on stage, he walked along the crowds, kissing his fans and picking up babies. He was on stage a short time, urging his audience not to drink and drive. I was relieved not to have to listen to one of his three hour speeches, but was entertained to hear him sing a typical Quiteno song for us. He speaks without pronouncing his s's, I did not realize that he is from Guayaquil.
We wandered over to La Ronda, where we followed a large group of young guitarists 'serenading' the crowd. It was packed. 24 de Mayo was empty, as was San Francisco, so we found our way back to Plaza Grande and more Correa dancing and singing.
Amparo and Kenya wanted to go to their homes, an hour and a half by bus from the centro, so I accompanied them to my apartment to make the trip shorter, and Eric arrived from his evening meeting just in time to meet me. He had spent the afternoon in the visa office, initially receiving my visa with the wrong passport number, then both visas did not have a payment stamp and that had to be corrected. Eric described the ministerio to be more intense than usual today, with angry screaming customers voicing his feelings all afternoon. It looks as if we have visas, yahoo!
Eric came home Monday night, devastated after two of his birds died through the night. He spent a big chunk of the day yesterday at the visa office after I refused to go back (I spent much of Monday waiting at the ministerio, first for the lawyer and then for my turn (101) simply to be turned down again) and was told to return again today for the visas. I did not hold onto much hope that anything would happen, so I am pleasantly surprised today. I met with Amparo yesterday to work on subjunctive, then when Eric arrived from the visa office, we all had lunch together at El Espanol, and then Eric and I walked through the park to look for Christmas trees. We want to buy one now, to be sure we have one for Christmas, rather than wait until after we return from Brasil. We found a tree we liked, and plan to return with the car to bring it home, but today was pico y placa and Eric cannot drive on Wednesdays.
Eric and Maya and I went to Casa de la Cultura yesterday, to listen to classic Quito music, with the accompaniment of dancers from the ballet and salsa studio. It was delightful, with the national orchestra and a group of guitarists. We are feasting on Ecuadorian culture this week, and loving it.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Fiestas de Quito
The chivas (party buses) drive by all evening, blasting their Quiteno music, celebrating the establishment of Quito as a Spanish city in the 1500s. The bullfights have been canceled for the first time in 500 years, due to concerns about cruelty towards animals. The bullfights were the signature event of the celebration, and I had planned to participate as often as I could. Last time we were here for the fiestas, I spent a couple of days fascinated and horrified by the experience. This year, I decided to pursue the cultural events.
The day started early and exactly on time at 9 AM. Maya and I just walked out of our apartment building, and within a few minutes, found seats along the parade route. We had to pay a dollar each for the seats, because we needed to sit after an hour or so. Every school in the city had a marching band and baton twirlers, and drums pounded for the six hours! I liked the traditional dancing best, and there were colourful costumes from indigenous groups all around Quito. The sky over Pinchincha was an ominous grey, and I expected it to rain any minute. One of the onlookers nearby kept predicting rain, but the sun kept finding its way through the clouds, and at times it was sweltering. Maya and I began to fade after three hours, and I could not believe that most of the people watching stayed for the entire show. The music was marching music most of the time, but Quiteno and Andean music appealed to me more than the incessant banging.
While watching the offical parade on one side of Shyris, groups of protesters marched on the other side, under the watchful eye of regular and riot outfitted policemen. The Mejia high school students have been in a struggle with the authorities for years now, and they were in full force with their flags and insignias. There were other groups, but I did not want to lose my place in the crowd, and just took note of the counter parade.
Maya and I wandered to Quicentro for quiche at Cyranos and ice cream for Maya at Corfu and coffee for me at El Espanol. We watched a little more of the parade from a different vantage point, but decided to take a break, and while Maya practiced her violin, I listened and watched the parade from our terrace. It did start to rain when we left the parade, but not for long, and the crowds just pulled our their umbrellas and kept watching.
I was not sure of our plan for the afternoon. We took the Ecovia with the crowds going home from the parade, so the buses were packed. We disembarked at Simon Bolivar, near Alameda park and walked to San Blas, where a dessert market was supposed to be. I looked up my orario and confirmed that we were in the right place, but of course there was no sign of a festival of 'dulces Ecutoriano'. We walked to Teatro Sucre, up to Plaza de Independencia, and then to Santo Domingo, where we did find the dulces market, and tried a few typical Ecuadorian desserts. There were empanadas de viento filled with cheese, galletas with choice of jams or chocolate of manjar inside, helados de paila, cotton candy, sugar cane candies, spuma, and lots of baked goods. I bought delicious honey and stayed away from all the sweets.
We checked out a busy La Ronda and visited the shops looking for Christmas gift ideas. When we returned to Santo Domingo, we visited the church, and when we came out, a band was playing, and groups of local dancers poured in. Dancers and musicians from communities in and around Quito each danced in and competed for our attention. One group would attract the crowd for a while, until another would redirect us. I liked those in masks, whom I had seen with Eric once time in the same square. Later a group fom Tabacundo danced on stage. The women wore colourful skirts that twirled around, with matching scarves and embroidered blouses. A group of Colorados from Santo Domingo danced shirtless in their striped skirts. A mimed theatre/dance group from Pomaski near Mitad del Mundo put on a theatre show for us. A Pujili group showed us costumes and dance for Corpus Cristi. The final group was an African group from the coast, with entirely different music. Maya and I had a great time listening to the music and following the dancers around.
We missed a show at the Casa de la Cultura, because we were enjoying ourselves so much at Santo Domingo. The Centro Historico was full of revelers, with chivas everywhere, and now at home, I can hear them drive by, music blasting, celebrating the biggest event of the year. We have started our celebrations early, and I have a list of activities to participate in all week.
The day started early and exactly on time at 9 AM. Maya and I just walked out of our apartment building, and within a few minutes, found seats along the parade route. We had to pay a dollar each for the seats, because we needed to sit after an hour or so. Every school in the city had a marching band and baton twirlers, and drums pounded for the six hours! I liked the traditional dancing best, and there were colourful costumes from indigenous groups all around Quito. The sky over Pinchincha was an ominous grey, and I expected it to rain any minute. One of the onlookers nearby kept predicting rain, but the sun kept finding its way through the clouds, and at times it was sweltering. Maya and I began to fade after three hours, and I could not believe that most of the people watching stayed for the entire show. The music was marching music most of the time, but Quiteno and Andean music appealed to me more than the incessant banging.
While watching the offical parade on one side of Shyris, groups of protesters marched on the other side, under the watchful eye of regular and riot outfitted policemen. The Mejia high school students have been in a struggle with the authorities for years now, and they were in full force with their flags and insignias. There were other groups, but I did not want to lose my place in the crowd, and just took note of the counter parade.
Maya and I wandered to Quicentro for quiche at Cyranos and ice cream for Maya at Corfu and coffee for me at El Espanol. We watched a little more of the parade from a different vantage point, but decided to take a break, and while Maya practiced her violin, I listened and watched the parade from our terrace. It did start to rain when we left the parade, but not for long, and the crowds just pulled our their umbrellas and kept watching.
I was not sure of our plan for the afternoon. We took the Ecovia with the crowds going home from the parade, so the buses were packed. We disembarked at Simon Bolivar, near Alameda park and walked to San Blas, where a dessert market was supposed to be. I looked up my orario and confirmed that we were in the right place, but of course there was no sign of a festival of 'dulces Ecutoriano'. We walked to Teatro Sucre, up to Plaza de Independencia, and then to Santo Domingo, where we did find the dulces market, and tried a few typical Ecuadorian desserts. There were empanadas de viento filled with cheese, galletas with choice of jams or chocolate of manjar inside, helados de paila, cotton candy, sugar cane candies, spuma, and lots of baked goods. I bought delicious honey and stayed away from all the sweets.
We checked out a busy La Ronda and visited the shops looking for Christmas gift ideas. When we returned to Santo Domingo, we visited the church, and when we came out, a band was playing, and groups of local dancers poured in. Dancers and musicians from communities in and around Quito each danced in and competed for our attention. One group would attract the crowd for a while, until another would redirect us. I liked those in masks, whom I had seen with Eric once time in the same square. Later a group fom Tabacundo danced on stage. The women wore colourful skirts that twirled around, with matching scarves and embroidered blouses. A group of Colorados from Santo Domingo danced shirtless in their striped skirts. A mimed theatre/dance group from Pomaski near Mitad del Mundo put on a theatre show for us. A Pujili group showed us costumes and dance for Corpus Cristi. The final group was an African group from the coast, with entirely different music. Maya and I had a great time listening to the music and following the dancers around.
We missed a show at the Casa de la Cultura, because we were enjoying ourselves so much at Santo Domingo. The Centro Historico was full of revelers, with chivas everywhere, and now at home, I can hear them drive by, music blasting, celebrating the biggest event of the year. We have started our celebrations early, and I have a list of activities to participate in all week.
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