By Jeff Van Pelt Critical thinking seems to be in short supply across the planet. One reason is that, too often, we teach children to memorize information (and disinformation) instead of teaching them to think critically. In other words, we teach them what to think, not how to think. This is my...
By Jeff Van Pelt Mark Twain said, “Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.” Some people must not have gotten that breeding. Trolling on Facebook, and in the comments section of various online publications, is a hobby for...
If you are learning either Spanish or English as a second language, you have probably had the experience of “I am reading and writing it pretty well now, and my speech is even coming along, but when an Ecuadorian – or North American – starts talking to me at their normal pace, using vernacular, I...
By Jeff Van Pelt I first wrote this article while confined to a hotel room in Quito 24/7, after being stranded in Argentina for 7 weeks. My emotions inevitably colored the message. It was titled “Exiled and Abandoned.” I decided not to publish it as it would have been controversial, and people are...
By Jeff Van Pelt Common sense is not so common, to borrow a quote from Voltaire. Critical thinking, to use a more technical term, seems to be on the wane in the world. From Donald Trump’s lack of concern about, and failed response to, the coronavirus, to other governments’ heavy-handed, knee-jerk...
By Jeff Van Pelt I knew about Mendoza. Argentine wine country. I love good wine and had long been intrigued by the thought of a visit to Mendoza. But I had never heard of Salta. It is an old colonial city in the far north of Argentina, about the size of Cuenca, and like Cuenca it is situated in a...
By Jeff Van Pelt I lost my German Shepherd, Klaus, at 11 years from a neurological disorder. Any dog owner knows that is like losing a child and a best friend at the same time. Klaus was my camping and cabin buddy in the mountains of Virginia (USA). The Blue Ridge Mountains are one of the jewels...
By Jeff Van Pelt People love to debate how much crime there is in their town, whether it is getting worse, and where it is the worst. A more profitable enterprise is to look at how to avoid being the target of crime wherever you are. The information in this article could save you from being the...
By Jeff Van Pelt “I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most – to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.” ― Audrey Hepburn “If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane.” ― Robert Frost “With mirth and laughter let...
By Jeff Van Pelt On February 24, my wife and I attended a very moving presentation at Fishbon del Sur, given by a panel of 3 Venezuelan refugees, one a spinal surgeon now practicing at Monte Sinai Hospital here in Cuenca. Eight or ten refugees, who have opened three Venezuelan restaurants, sold...
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