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| Long Island Memorial for Asho |
I’m
back in Cuenca, after having spent over 3 weeks on the east coast of the U.S.
in August. Highlights of the trip
included two lovely memorial services for my mother, Asho Craine, who passed away in
May. The first gathering, on Long
Island, was a wonderful reunion for the extended family. The second memorial took place in Northern Michigan at the
family cabin on Douglas Lake. This
memorial took the form of a campfire with neighbors, accompanied by a
spectacular sunset and finished off with s’mores. Our family has been spending summers at the cabin for the
past 50 years so it’s a place of
special meaning for all of us.
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| Family at Douglas Lake |
One
of my favorite parts of my trip was spending 5 days in NYC with Daniel, Elise and
Daniel’s girlfriend, Emily, who has a charming apartment in Greenwich
Village. Emily was a great tour
guide! I was treated to the
Broadway musical, “Once”, lots of great food and a visit to the
9-11 memorial. My first time in NYC in 20 years!
Daniel
and Emily had visited me in Cuenca earlier in the summer. I loved every minute of their visit! Here’s a photo I took of them at the
hot springs, just outside of town, after our mud bath.
To
top off my whirlwind trip to the U.S., my dear friend Sue MacDonell met me in
the Atlanta airport on the way back to Ecuador. Together we flew to Quito, where we spent 4 days, and then
on to Cuenca for almost 2 more weeks. What a treat it was to have her as a traveling companion! In addition to seeing some of the sites of the city, Sue helped me fix up my apartment to make it more livable.We also toured many of the marketplaces, stocking up on great produce. At one of the markets, Sue had a "limpia"--a psychic cleansing involving being whacked all over with herbs, rubbed with an egg and finally spit upon. All for $2.00!
Unfortunately, the week Sue was in town was the coldest on record. We didn't see the sun all week. Good thing we had our matching water bottles to take to bed with us.
This past Monday I started teaching again. I
have 3 classes of rank beginners, most of whom are teenagers. I
find this level the most challenging because the students’ vocabulary is so
limited. But it is also the most
rewarding because they make progress so quickly. I’m teaching at a different campus this term, about a 30-minute walk
from my house.
In
my spare time, I’m taking yoga and another fitness class along with my regular
Spanish classes. I continue to
appreciate this beautiful city and the relationships I’m building with some of
its residents!
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| Lunch with Patricia and Eulalia. Patricia was my "host mother" last fall when I attended language school here. |
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| Happy to be "home" in Cuenca! |
