Posts:
When V. S. Naipaul sat down to write The Enigma of Arrival, he was already some distance from where he began. Born in Trinidad, of Indian descent, he left his island and moved to England on the strength of a scholarship to Oxford University, and much later was awarded...
In a recent column, I wrote about the point where living in Cuenca stops being the question and becomes something more personal. If you stay with that idea a little longer, something else begins to come into view. Not all at once, and not in a way that calls attention...
There are restaurants in the city center where for $3.50, a man in a white apron will place before you a bowl of soup, a plate of rice with something on top of it, a small salad of red cabbage, grated carrot, and papaya with half an avocado pressed into a rough...
I was invited to speak at the monthly “Storyteller’s Night”, at IdiomArt (Mariscal Lamar 14-25 y Estevez de Toral the other night. It was a totally cool evening hosted by my new neighbor and soon-to-be good friend, Barry Callen, who mc’d this second-Thursday-of-the...
There are certain songs that do not so much belong to a period as continue living inside it, like a station clock that still keeps perfect time long after the timetable has ceased to matter, and Chattanooga Choo Choo is one of those, appearing simple on first hearing...
By David Morrill and Deke Castleman Despite the addition of new supermarkets, Cuenca's nine major mercados retain their prominence in the city's day-to-day commercial life. Lively, vibrant, and bountiful, they sell 250% more produce and meats than such upscale...
A curious thing happens when North Americans arrive in Cuenca. Within the first week someone will tell you that crossing the street here feels dangerous because there are no jaywalking laws. The assumption behind this remark is perfectly logical. If the United States...
At some point, living in Cuenca seems to stop being the main thing you think about. The routines settle in. The streets feel familiar. The small adjustments that once took effort begin to happen without much thought. And then, something shifts. It is not always easy...
There is a particular person for whom most travel writing is intended, and it is not, as far as I can tell, anyone I have ever met. This person is usually part of a couple, moderately energetic, comfortably funded, and in need of what is described as a break from a...
There was a time when Guyana rarely appeared in conversation unless someone had a personal reason to mention it. It was not a place that intruded itself into headlines or travel brochures, and if it did appear in the news, it was usually for reasons that did not...
Did you ever notice how no one on social media seems to have a bad day, an overflowing washing machine, or a disappointing experience? We live in an age of curated presentation that hides the messiness — but also the realness — of life. Azuay Community Theater’s (ACT)...
In conversations with some expats who have been in Cuenca for a while, a quiet pattern begins to show up. It does not arrive all at once, and it is not something everyone notices. But for those who do, it changes how the city feels in a way that is hard to reverse. At...
By Kamilia Lahrichi For expats in Argentina — and all over Latin America, for that matter — the idea of punctuality is one of the hardest things to understand. Argentines, in particular, have a very relaxed attitude towards time. In fact, punctuality can seem rude....
Charlie woke up late on Good Friday, which would not normally require explanation except that in Cuenca, Good Friday means Semana Santa is in full swing, the construction crew on the lot next door has taken the week off, and the particular form of alarm clock I have...
By Luisa Torres As we age, the risk of falling increases and becomes increasingly perilous. A fall can be a real health setback for a frail, elderly person. And, more older adults are dying from falls today than 20 years ago. A recent study showed that more than...
Ever since John Milton wrote his famous poem 'Paradise Lost', something about the word “paradise” that should make a normal person hesitate, because it nearly always comes attached to a brochure, a visa category, a casino in the Bahamas, and a silence about how things...
You don’t notice these rules at first. Most people don’t even realize they exist. Life feels easy enough. The cafés are welcoming. The routines settle in. The city seems open. Then something small happens. A reaction you didn’t expect. A distance you can’t quite...
Bored? (De El Mercurio del martes, 31/3) En muestra pictórica se resalta rostros y paisajes (Art exhibition highlights faces and landscapes) - The exhibit, "Rostros, Naturaleza, Rincones: Ecuador en acuarela" (Faces, Nature, Scenes: Ecuador in watercolor) by artist...
The first time I saw “Gringolandia” listed as a neighborhood in Cuenca, I assumed I had missed a municipal announcement. Perhaps the city council had quietly created a new parish, drawn a few boundaries along the river, and installed a sign somewhere official-looking....
Editor's note: Cuenca's Easter soup, fanesca, is considered by many to be the best in Latin America and it is a tradition among Cuencanos to have at least one bowl of it during Holy Week. It is being served in mercado food courts and in many restaurants around the...
