Ecuador 7/1/2015 - 7/6/2015 |
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Saturday 7/4/2015 - Spending Quality Time with the Family on 4th of JulyWe woke up at 8 a.m. and went outside our casita at 8:30. Neither Antonio nor Aida were home. Aida was spending a second day painting the community's school building. Antonio's uncle Juan Pedro ate breakfast in Abuelita's outdoor kitchen. The kids were watching videos in bed.Breakfast was a potato omelette, bread with fresh peach marmalade that Rosa made yesterday, bologna, coffee, and pineapple juice. After breakfast, we did chores. I did the dishes and swept the floors. Sisa mopped the floors. Rosa, Yupanqui, and Shina brought the carpet outdoors and shampooed it. Craig swept and washed down the patio. Once the chores were done, Craig and I decided to do another yoga practice. Shina laid on my yoga mat for a while, but the kids couldn't practice with us because they had to deliver lunch to Aida at the school. Craig and I did an hour-long practice, and I got into my first unassisted wheel pose! Craig did good headstands but I was too tired after wheel to get much success. Antonio came home, and we had lunch: lentils, rice, veggies, and lemon oat juice. While we ate, we chatted with Antonio about the possibility of me working remotely from here now that they have high speed internet. Having had a couple days of internet access here, I could totally see myself being able to connect to work. That would mean that we could stay longer when we visit, because I wouldn't have to take time off from work. I could envision myself working remotely while the kids are in school, and having plenty of time on weekends and evenings to play with them. Antonio also talked about Craig's MS. He wants to get Craig natural treatments like Yupanqui and Sisa received when they had hepatitis. I did dishes while Rosa cleaned rooms for possible guests. Tourism students from Quito were interviewing Antonio. Aida came home from painting the school. We gave the kids small panda keychains that we had bought for them in China.They gave us nice sweaters. We gave the kids a Jenga game and taught them how to play. Yupanqui had a difficult time sharing and taking turns, but all three kids understood how to play and enjoyed it. A family from Holland arrived: a mom and dad with two young adult daughters. Antonio had to leave for music engagement so we spoke English with them and oriented them to the place. The family decided to go for a walk to see the countryside in the beautiful late afternoon sunlight. Rosa killed the rooster so that we would have fresh meat for dinner. Sisa didn't want to watch the process, and the other kids followed suit. All three of them hid behind me. I helped Rosa and Aida to pluck the rooster...it was my first time. They dunked him into boiling water and then the feathers came out surprisingly easily. I carried the naked carcass to the sink and Rosa butchered it. The Dutch family came back and we showed them around and explained a bit about the culture here. We learned that they lived in Malawi for three years doing hospital work. Craig and I walked to the store with the kids. Shina had me carry her both ways. In the store they were watching the latest "Jurassic Park" movie that just came out. Good old bootleggers. We came home and the kids were getting cranky and fighting. We gave them coloring books, and this distracted them. They colored nicely together. The Dutch family came in to the dining room and we helped serve dinner: chicken soup, chicken, red cabbage, rice, and potatoes, and spinach sauce. The rooster was delicious. We chatted with the family about life here, our recent travel to China, etc. We had a good time. The three kids were having fun and they were quite friendly with the Dutch family. Sisa and Yupanqui did the dishes standing on overturned plastic buckets so that they could reach the sink. We all said our good nights at 9:20. We went back to the room, where I was able to use the internet to do a Facebook post. I wrote in the journal and then went to bed. |
 Juan Pedro  Yoga: mermaid and wheel pose  The kids playing Jenga  Steph with the plucked chicken See all photos from this day |
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