Ecuador 1/11/2019 - 2/2/2019 |
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Sunday, January 13, 2018 - Sisa's ConfirmationWe had my favorite breakfast this morning: crepes with home-made mora (blackberry) jam filling, bread, ham, cheese, coffee, and juice.The family has several chickens, one of whom was particularly disheveled looking. It had rained overnight and we thought that, like the pavement and the grass, he might still be wet. But that turned out to be his usual look. He looks like he is permanently in a state of moulting. We nicknamed him "Uggo" because he was so ugly.  Uggo This morning Sisa had her Confirmation at San Francisco church in Cotacachi. Though there is a small church in Morochos, it doesn't have the attendance necessary to sustain a full-time priest. So sacraments are often held in Cotacachi. The church was still decorated for Christmas. The Nativity scene incorporated indigenous elements such as the mountains. It was a nice Mass with many local Children making their confirmation. There was a disabled elderly woman whom I helped out of a taxi when she arrived at church. After Mass, she was singing beautifully. It echoed throughout the church and I took a short video. Woman singing a hymn after Mass After church, we did some shopping in Cotacachi (we were able to buy some more of our beloved Intag coffee in a cafe next to the church, and Rosa bought some produce). The weather was overcast and comfortably cool...we prefer cloud cover when walking around the city carrying bags of coffee and vegetables! We enjoyed looking at the various colorful street art murals around the city. One urged resisting mineral mines in the Intag region, and another celebrated breastfeeding with a vivid depiction of nursing mothers whose hair morphed into mountaintops.  Cotacachi Street Art After my Mom's passing, my Dad suggested that I bring some of her jewelry to the family. We gave Sisa a necklace with a pendant shaped like a flower blossom (Sisa's name means "flower" in Kichwa). We gave Shina a chunky necklace shaped like a heart that was made from discarded zippers. We gave Rosa a pair of earrings, and we gave a crocheted choker necklace to Aida. Sisa gave me a big hug and said she was sorry that my mom passed away. Craig and I took a siesta after lunch and followed the NFL Playoff game on the computer. The Patriots beat the Chargers. On to the AFC Championship next Sunday, but we would be in the Galapagos. We went back outside and played with the kids. This time, the three of them were playing together quite nicely, pretending to run a store. They had created their own play money out of notebook paper, and they used various and sundry business cards as credit cards. They had all of their toys lined up on the two staircases, which created quite a hazard when Abuelita was trying to go up or downstairs. It reminded us of the fact that when the stairs had first been built, there was a banana peel right at the bottom of the stairs. This is stuff straight out of a cartoon! You have to be careful around here! The kids would pretend that we were their customers. They would ask what we want to buy, and then they would race to find the item and bring it to us. We would ask the cost and then pay with the play money. It was quite amusing. The kids are getting savvy, too. Craig asked Yupanqui how much a toy cost. Yupanqui replied "Dos dolares" (two dollars). Sisa immediately undercut him, saying in English "From me, one dollar." They are impressive, showing the business acumen common to Otavaleños even at this early age! When it got dark, we cleaned up and went into the dining room. Sisa taught English to Shina and Yupanqui on her white board. She wrote A B C D, wrote each letter phonetically, and started writing words which begin with each. "Apple, avocado..." We were impressed. Though Sisa needs to gain confidence in her spoken English, she writes well and knows many words. For dinner, we had soup and fried rice with chicken. Tomorrow was a school and work day, so we retired to our room at 8:30 p.m. |
 Sisa, Shina, and Yupanqui after Mass  Yupanqui, Shina, and Sisa after Mass  Shina, Sisa, and Yupanqui  Selfie in the back of a camioneta  Craig with El Señor Chipikins See all photos from this day |
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