Bridging the Cultural Divide

Just found this book and I love it. It is the type of book I wish I had thought to write. It is a great look at cultural aspects of Ecuadorian society, so you don't come off as the "Ugly American" or at least the arrogant outsider. Must reading if you plan to travel into Ecuador or the Galapagos, or anywhere in Latin America, for that matter.

Great Game

This last week I went and saw a local soccer team, River Plate play. Had a great time, the home team won, and I got a dazzling sunburn!

Only Two More Weeks

Wow, with this being Friday I have only two more weeks on my vacation before teachers are back to school. Then only four more weeks before classes start. Noooooooo!

Confidence in Air Safety - Kids Controlling the Skies

One activity I do here in Ecuador is train pilots and air traffic controllers English. because of that I have had the opportunity to be in control rooms. I have seen in true life what happens.

So it scares the bejeezers out of me when I hear about how an air traffic controller and a supervisor have been suspended, because the ATC had his little kid come into work, and was on the radio giving instructions to pilots.

See the details here.

Funny, yeah. Sometimes the stupidity of people gets to me.

Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos

If you are thinking of coming down here to Ecuador to look around, or travel to the Galapagos islands, here is a decent guidebook with lots of useful information.

Health Care Ain't So Easy

One thing to always worry about when living and working in a Third World Country is Health Care. It is not just quality, but so often the crazy rules other countries have are even worse then what we hear about the US system. Consider this situation I just dealt with here in Guayaquil, Ecuador:

My wife is bedridden due to pain from a herniated disk in her back. The Doctor prescribes a pain medication - 20 doses of 5mg each. I go to the one pharmacy in the area that carries that medicine. Can't help me. They have the medicine, but they only sell it in quantities of 30. Can't buy 30 because the prescription is for 20. They can'
t just call or fax the doctor to clarify or correct it, like a US pharmacist normally would do. Can't buy 20 because the minimum is 30. It takes a second roundtrip to the doctor and again to the pharmacy to get the medication.

Resurrection From the Dead

After much thought and urging from the wife, it seems to be time to resurrect the old blog and share our experiences. yes, we are still a couple of over weight, middle-aged teachers in Ecuador. Yes we still have legions of dogs and cats and geckos. No, we didn't feel the earthquake in Chile (long way away), but living as expatriates is still as fun, and challenging, as ever.