Posts:
By Jancee Dunn I recently visited my parents, and I was ransacking their kitchen for snacks when I noticed something: Their medications were in a cabinet near their oven. “Keeping your meds there isn’t ideal,” I told my dad. “You’re cooking all the time, and it’s...
By Sarah Gillespie The wine, a marriage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from Bodega Dos Hemisferios, sizzles on the palate: notes of black cherry, tobacco and pepper chronicle the 18 months of its maturation. I’m already woozy from the altitude and this threatens to...
By Stephen Vargha Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres said, “While every refugee's story is different and their anguish personal, they all share a common thread of uncommon courage -- the courage not only to survive, but to persevere and rebuild...
By Jeremiah Reardon, Photos by Andy Kim and Jeremiah Reardon On Tuesday evening at 8 P.M., August 13, I watched our hometown assemble in the streets to offer a well-deserved homage to its recent hero, Olympian Daniel Pintado. Young and old stood with me on the...
By Jim Smith When Expats move to or visit developing countries, they can significantly influence the local community in both positive and challenging ways. Although many Expats aim to contribute constructively and immerse themselves in their new environments, certain...
On the desktop of my computer is a picture of my son walking through the courtyard of a Cuenca apartment building. It was taken a week before his fifth birthday. Everything in the picture reminds me of our time in Cuenca — the plants, the architecture, the beautiful...
By Jim Smith Beyond the thrill of exploring new landscapes and traditions, you might find the prospect of opening a small business in your new home both enticing and rewarding. Whether driven by a passion, a lifelong dream, or the desire to integrate more deeply into...
By John Olson Azuay Community Theater will close its 2023-24 season of six plays with the award-winning Pulitzer Prize finalist dramatic comedy The Waverly Gallery, by the Academy award winning screenwriter and playwright Kenneth Lonergan. ACT’s Bob Fry is directing...
By Sarah Barrell Travel in August is all about being canny. It’s a prime time to be in Europe but you need to be nimble to avoid the crowds and escalating prices across the Med and beaches radiating beyond. It's worth thinking of alternatives if you want more than a...
By Tatyana Woodall For those looking to learn a new language, the process can feel daunting, especially as an adult. It’s long been thought that the earlier you learn new skills, the easier they are to pick up. The idea that age can play a huge role in a person’s...
By Jonathan Look One of the biggest goals of my career as an air traffic controller was having a worry-free retirement. I envisioned a comfortable place where I could lie back and watch the world pass by; where I could live not only without work, but without...
An English speaker has much to learn about the Spanish language when moving to Ecuador. But the foreign native Spanish speaker does, too. Case in point: I moved here from Argentina, and although I’m fluent, the local language still threw up a few trip hazards. For...
By Jim Smith Cuenca Circle of Friends is a Facebook group dedicated to creating a supportive and engaging community for expats living in Cuenca, Ecuador. With an impressive membership of 1,800 and a growth rate of 100 new members per month since its inception in...
By Danielle Friedman We’ve all encountered that person who comes back from the gym or a run seemingly high on life. In fact, scientists say that even a single bout of exercise can alter your neurochemistry in ways that create feelings of hope, calm, connection and a...
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series about Cuenca’s Mariscal La Mar Airport. By Stephen Vargha The runway. This may be the most talked about subject in the expat community. It certainly gets a lot of traffic on Facebook. “The airport’s budget was...
Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series about Cuenca's Mariscal La Mar Airport. By Stephen Vargha Cuenca has a long history of aviation that began on November 4, 1920, when Italian pilot Elia Liut landed his small twin-engine plane at the Jericó field,...
By John McWhorter English speakers know that their language is odd. So do people saddled with learning it non-natively. The oddity that we all perceive most readily is its spelling, which is indeed a nightmare. In countries where English isn’t spoken, there is no such...
By Jeff Van Pelt Why should you strive to give exceptional customer service? Why not just good? I will focus mainly on restaurants, but this advice applies to most kinds of businesses. And lest I be accused of being negative about Ecuador, I point out that I first...
By the Cleveland Clinic Let’s face it: Added sugar really isn’t great for your health. An occasional indulgence is understandable. Added sugars are pervasive in our food supply, and a life of over-restriction and denial isn’t sustainable or realistic for a lot of...
Editor’s note: The following is a sample of Cuencano opinions about English-speaking expats living in Cuenca. They were compiled by University of Cuenca graduate student Silvia Lara for a research project about immigration. The comments were translated into English by...
