muerto de risa

Now I remember why I prefer to write about lighter topics...

Before moving on , I feel I must respond to comments from yesterday's entry:

Thank you for the comments in response to my revisited Menestras del Negro post. 

I'm sorry if I offended anyone.  That was not my intention.  My criticism of a specific logo used by a specific company is in no way meant to be a comment on Quito or Ecuador at large.  I agree that there is also racism in the United States.  I agree that as an outsider I may not understand all Ecuadorian cultures and customs.  We all react to things differently based on our ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, etc.  I stand by my right to question, analyze, and comment on events, people, places, and things that I observe.  I might not always be right, but I have the right to my opinion. 

And just for clarification, I no longer live in Ecuador. When I wrote the original post I had been living there for almost a year.  I am now back in the U.S.

I miss you Lisa Lou.

Menestras del Negro Revisited

                  

It's always interesting to see which posts I receive comments on months after I've written them.  Usually they are in response to my more political posts, especially those that involve race.  Many times the comments are huffy puffy messages about my ignorance and "unprofessionalism."  I looooove these fascinating comments and am always disappointed when I write the author and hear no response.  So much for engaging in intellectual debate!

This morning I received an email in response to my post on the Ecuadorian fast food chain, Menestras del Negro.  In my post

Whomever posted this message obviously does not understand (like many Americans) the simple meaning of the word "negro". I suggest you look it up in the dictionary and you will find that it actually means black (not an insult, right?). Furthermore, if you must know, the name of the restaurant "menestras" means "beans meal". "Del negro" is a nickname that was amusingly given to my dark toned brother by friends and family. He also happens to be a friendly, upstanding and respected person in Ecuador! He came out with a recipe of his own and named the restaurant after the main dish and himself. Hence, if he sees this posted he would laugh at it... Do you get it now??? I believe you said that you live in Ecuador, correct? Well, if you do, you must realize that we are a culture without complexes and hang ups, we have more important things to think about than to make a big deal about a nickname and a logo. Who cares?????? I just can believe that there are people in this world that are so concerned about the most ridiculous things! F.Y.I... this chain is nationwide and it has been since my brother was just 23 years old... (he is now 30) maybe you should consider this and perhaps concentrate more on accomplishing your goals. Forget about racist talk, and try to understand that giving this subject so much attention and commentary merely contributes to the problems. Instead, take my brothers example of a groundbreaking entrepreneur who generated and provides fair employment opportunity for hundreds of people, who happen to be in much need of it. He is the perfect example that success and ethics can coexist, and he is the most humble and lovable "negro" in Ecuador! If you ask anybody either black or white, green or blue, about him, they would all agree with me. Sincerely, "la nena" (also my nickname) and proud little sister of "el negro". Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador!!!!!

                     

Does anyone else ever get comments like this?  Do you bother responding or just ignore them? 

It was interesting for me to learn more about the history of this chain (Do you think it's true?) and I am very impressed with Nena's English skills.  I also understand why she might take offense to an American critiquing a large Ecuadorian establishment.  I did notice, however, that she didn't include an explanation for the logo which is what the original post is about.  Surely, it isn't a drawing of her brother?

tio ciro

so...we made it to new york with all of our heavy, heavy luggage.  i haven't started taking photos here yet, so i thoght i'd pop in and share a few more beach photos from ecuador.  one of the trends there that i always found fascinating is how promotions for political candidates are painted directly onto people's homes.  when in thailand a few years ago, i saw coca-cola and sprite ads hanging from homes and chalked it uo to big corporations taking advantage of poor families to promote their brands.  it was a little more surprising to see that loca politicians also pay families to turn their homes into billbboards.  above you can see an ad for the current president, correa.  correa who is against open trade, kicked out some of the big foreign oil companies but probably exchanged a bag of rice and a t-shirt for this huge painting of his name visible to all boats in the port.

the other thing i find interesting about these ads is that some of them are kind of beautiful.  i love the colors and big graphics and handpainted letters.  is it wrong to find the promotions pretty when i am not sure how i feel about the idea of turning apersonal space into an advertisement?  is there something wrong with it or is it just a cultural difference?  i will miss being challenged by such issues every day.

soon to come...new york and new york FOOD.  ahhh...new york food.

a blooming heart

hello friends!  i hope you enjoyed some guest blogging while i was away.  i'm hoping there will be a couple of more entries, maybe with recipes!!!

the beach was beautiful and thoroughly relaxing.  we had time to reflect on our time here in ecuador and also time to not think at all. :)  now we are back and the packing and organizing is in full effect.  we are feeling a little guilty here in casa risa & jordan, kind of like staring at the above picture makes me feel.

the photo is of two of my boys trying to pose for an in the air photo which didn't quite work.  F. on the left love los yankess de new york and J. on the right is a budding artist.

he drew me this little blooming heart.  i love, love, love the bow in her hair.  i squeel every time i see it.

i can't believe in five days we will be back in the US for good.

i will try and post as much as possible over the next couple of months.  i'll definitely be back to share more about the beach tomorrow or monday.

southside

now that my job in ecuador has ended i thought i would share the journey i took to the center's new site in the south of quito.  the hour long trip would begin with a ride on the ecovia, the bus that runs on the street directly in front of my apartment building.  then a short walk took me to the trolley, the other main busline in quito.  after the trolley, i would climb into a crowded van or car "taxi" that costs 25 cents to take me a block away from my final destination.  these vehicles were not yellow cabs, but extremely run down vehicles owned by non-professional cabbies.  a minimum of six people need to squeeze into the care before it would go.  in the photo above there are seven of us although only four are visible.

the south of quito looks more like what might imagine an ecuadorian city to look like.  it is poorer and more run down than the north which looks pretty much like any other modern city.

one thing i love about the south are the amazing views of the mountains bordering the city.  i will miss these views.  the photo above is my view while waiting for the first bus i took on my trip home.  below is a view from inside the walls of the center.

jordan and i are going to the beach tomorrow and will be there for a few days.  if my sister has time she will start her guest blogging about her experience cooking in italy.  and when i return more photos of the south.  i can't believe we leave in less than two weeks!

have a great week!

things here are getting really busy so i apologize if i don't respond to your comments as quickly or thoroughly as usual.

yummy faces...

cute and delicious!

also, interested in a mini-swap?  i have a bunch of ribbon (some long, some scraps) available for trade (of anything you want to send me) to the first person who leaves a comment that they are swapilicious.

   

do you know where ecuador is?

imagine living in a country for your whole life without being aware of where it is in relationship to the rest of the world.  maybe you have an idea of what continent you live on, but are not sure which countries border with yours.  you know that a number of your family members and friends have moved abroad to make more money but you have no idea where they have moved to, even if you do know the names of the countries where they now reside.

this is what it was like for the boys (ages 12-18) at the treatment center where i work.  after being asked if one can walk from new york to spain and if london is in new york, i knew that there were some holes in their knowledge of world geography.  i brought in some maps for them to look at and was surprised to learn that no one could locate ecuador on the global map.  when i pointed it out the them they were shocked to learn how small ecuador is compared to other countries.  they became jealous of large countries like brazil and russia.  they asked over and over about greenland.

the truth is, these boys do not need to be able to read a map or locate an african country in order to get through their daily lives in quito.  many of them have never left the city let alone the country, so does it really matter if they never learned the names of the oceans or which countries share borders with india?  is it important for them to know what a border is or how to read a compass?

they may not be necessary but i do think these skills are useful.  one of the things i have tried to give the boys during my two years here is a window into the world outside of quito.  many of them have family and friend in the united states and spain.  most of them will encounter foreign tourists through their work.  they all watch foreign movies and television programs.  they do not go to school.

i hope the next time one of them receives a call from their mother in spain or their cousin in new jersey they will be able to picture where the caller is living.  when a volunteer from denmark comes to work with them they will know she lives closer to belgians than canadians.  when they watch a movie about new york they will think of diversity, expensive hamburgers, and me.

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ps-thank  you for all of your encouragement with the knitting!  i think i will try and follow a pattern next and you know i'm going to run to all of you when i get lost! :)

at least it wasn't my wallet...

   

dear jerk who stole my favorite black jacket at the movies yesterday,

i understand that watching all of the new york city scenes in spiderman 3 may have led you to dream of an all black sophisticated new york-like ensemble, but did you have to take my favorite jacket?  i bought that jacket at a los angeles target several years ago while visiting a good friend.  wearing it brought back happy memories of that trip.  what will wearing it bring you?  memories of taking advantage of a woman who accidentally allowed her coat to fall to the ground?  flashbacks of the woman shivering on her way home? 

there are plenty of other black jackets out there that you could have bought.  all of the examples above are available on ebay and can be shipped worldwide.  you could have bought one of these coats and had it delivered to your front door in quito.

you better be careful where you wear my jacket.  if i see you, i will happily rip it off your back.

have a nice day,

risa

se vende

when passing a "for sale" sign (or here a "se vende" sign) i often pause and imagine what life would be like if we lived in that particular house in that particular city or town or village.

there are many beautiful houses in quito that while a little bit past their prime, have wonderful potential.  occasionally i see one like this for sale and briefly think, "what if...?"

i enjoy living in ecuador but wouldn't choose to stay here long term.  living far away from famliy and friends is hard.  the "what if" passes quickly, i snap a photo and keep walking.

please don't step on me :)

today i feel like a giant ant.

working hard to accomplish a long list of tasks.

carrying my leaves from point a to point b.

slowly finishing my chores, bite by bite.