Tag: Ecuador

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Just in case you have forgotten: Electricity – a good thing

I received the following message from one of my Spanish tutors who lives in a jungle town in Ecuador:

Hola David!! quería preguntarte si es posible que podamos tener la lección del lunes en la tarde? es posible que no tenga electricidad en la mañana!? avísame por favor gracias ?

Basically she is asking if we could have our scheduled lesson in the afternoon rather than the usual morning as they do not have electricity during that part of the day.

I talk with this young lady every two weeks for conversational practice, and have been doing so for years.  We almost always have interesting conversations, even with her frequently playing Devil’s Advocate Continue reading “Just in case you have forgotten: Electricity – a good thing”

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Cultural Differences, the US Dollar, Ecuador

I have been visiting with a young lady, Micaela Vallejo, from Ecuador every two weeks for over three years for conversational practice using Spanish. She is a little north of 30. How far I do not remember.  She is unmarried, a fact I find remarkable given all she has going for her, but she seems quite content with her status. Micaela lives in Coca, a small town of around 45,000 souls in the northeast corner of Ecuador, close to the border with Colombia.  It is located in the Amazonian rain forest at the confluence of two large rivers and a smaller third. According to the web and Micaela Continue reading “Cultural Differences, the US Dollar, Ecuador”

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #3,171

yeah I know you did not ask!

Here is something I thought I would never have to do.  I was speaking to a young woman via Skype to practice my Spanish.  She lives Coca, Ecuador, a city of 40,000 in Amazonian jungle whose primary business in oil.  We had a long, rambling conversation about politics and the upcoming election in the United States.  She apparently has another student who is younger than her (she is late 20s) and a big supporter of the Orange Monster.  He is absolutely convinced that Putin’s Bitch is a man of the people and will win the election. He had told her that all his young friends are of the same opinion.  I did my best to dissuade Micaela that this is not the common position.

At the end of the conversation I did something I never would have thought I would do… I asked a person living in a small South American country to pray for my country.

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Cultural Diversity – How Many Continents Are There?

I am working with several iTalki.com Spanish teachers/tutors from different countries to get a wide range of accents and styles. Every couple weeks I visit with a young woman, Micaela, from Coca, Ecuador.  Coca is in the northern part of the country at the confluence of 2 or 3 rivers in what looks to me to be Amazonian Jungle.  I do know the primary industry of this town is petroleum.

Micaela is very personable, very intelligent and a great conversationalist. She is trained as an accountant, which in this country would imply a 4 year college degree.   I’m not sure what her educational background is, Continue reading “Cultural Diversity – How Many Continents Are There?”