Expat Life

Who wears tight pants in Ecuador and other local fashion observations

January 28th, 2020

By Rob Bell If you’ve ever seen the comedy skit by comedian Jimmy Fallon (featuring Will Ferrell) you know how ridiculous wearing tight pants looks on the average male physique. Luckily, in Ecuador only women wear tight pants, usually, very tight! To misquote the old Life Cereal commercial “Mikey likes it”, Robbie (that’s me) likes...

There’s a lot to love about this dog, starting with saving his owner’s life!

January 27th, 2020

By Billy Cox An alert dog named Duffy gives Bradenton family peace of mind for Thanksgiving. For the first time in eight years, and just in time for the holidays, Sophia Helme is no longer on a short leash with Type 1 diabetes. Thanks to a remarkable dog named Duffy, the 20-year-old State College of...

Remembering that we are immigrants

January 25th, 2020

I hosted a meeting at my home several months ago. When it was over, a couple approached me and introduced themselves, the woman presenting me her business card as one would a precious jeweled box. It was embossed and featured multiple bullet points, front, and back. The first entry detailed her successful rush into the...

One calefon’s view of the Innocents parade

January 25th, 2020

By Jeremiah Reardon The covered grill across the street from Fishbon Del Sur’s parade float sizzled with steak strips on a stick. Attendees and costumed participants had several options to purchase snacks on Calle La Republica under a dazzling sunset. An evening with no rain would make us all very happy. Cuenca’s annual Day of...

Peeling the English onion: The best countries to find forbidden fruit are banana republics

January 25th, 2020

When the English language gives you lemons, you can make lemonade. I’ve written extensively about this here and here so trust me, there’s always a cherry on top. Deciphering mixed metaphors in English is like comparing apples and oranges except that the apple never falls far from the tree, even when a bad one ruins...

They serve Cuenca’s best almuerzo but El Mesón Español specializes in Spanish cuisine after dark

January 24th, 2020

By Robert Bradley Among my first memories of Cuenca, and one of the most satisfying, was my introduction to almuerzo, the traditional fixed-menu mid-day meal. Back in Portland, Oregon, I was accustomed to grabbing a sandwich, or worse, a mystery meat burger, and be done with it. Not so here. Almuerzo — which simply means...

Stress — Do you deal with it by overeating? What to do?

January 23rd, 2020

Psychologists say that stress is defined as anything that alters our homeostasis, be it good or bad — and that bad stress can even turn into good stress, and vice versa. As reported in Harvard Health, “The combination of reactions to stress is also known as the “fight-or-flight” response because it evolved as a survival...

It’s never too late! Exercise, especially aerobic, helps you live longer

January 20th, 2020

Exercise provides important and varied benefits for individuals with cardiometabolic disorders regardless of experience level, and certain exercise types may yield better outcomes for those with certain conditions, according to a speaker at the World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. “It’s never too late to start exercising to have a significant profit...

Capturing the Cuenca moment

January 19th, 2020

I will celebrate the beginning of my fifth year in Cuenca next month. While others are dazzled by the pyrotechnics of Carnival, I will pretend that a least a few of the candles are for me. I learned a long time ago to carry a camera with me everywhere; you just never know when love...

Is it a good idea to have your amalgam fillings removed?

January 16th, 2020

A popular online “gringo” bulletin board advertises “holistic dentistry” in Cuenca, and more than one advertisement promotes removal of all silver (colored) amalgam fillings [mistakenly called ‘mercury fillings’.] Some ads proclaim that amalgam fillings cause “energy interference” and risk for diseases such as Parkinson’s, cardiovascular disease, and even autism. What are the myths and facts...

Zuleyka

January 16th, 2020

Something can beat down on you hard enough until you’re faded, like the sun beats down on fresh paint eventually robbing it of hue and saturation. A life can beat down on you like the sun and rob you of time, satisfaction or happiness. No one is born with any guarantee of those elements. Webster’s...

Do you really want to eat fake meat?

January 13th, 2020

By Katie Jackson From grocery stores, to high-end restaurants and even fast-food menus, plant-based proteins are popping up everywhere these days. While many of these products were initially celebrated for providing alternative sources of protein to those who cannot, or choose not to, eat animals, these products are now facing increasing scrutiny from a variety...