Friday, May 6, 2016

I’ve spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon trying to organize my videos of Bahia post quake. I’m using our Realtor Daniel’s hot spot because our internet is not connected…still. With all my video uploading I must have burned through all his data because access to the internet has stopped. I hate being disconnected, and it means catching up on my blog posts have to wait.

We are all sick with colds. Heidi’s is the worse and it seems to be taking a long time to run its course. I think it’s interesting how more susceptible we are to getting sick when our bodies are experiencing stress. Leaving Bahia, trying to figure Cuenca out, looking for a place to live within a seven day window all takes its toll.

Our oven did finish getting installed today. Hurray…looks like homemade bread is in my future! We had a little problem with our propane gas today. It keeps our water hot and is needed for our gas stove top. The hot water stopped working during our showers today. It is an on-demand hot water system, which I am unfamiliar with. I thought that this might be life in Cuenca with this type of hot water device…no good hot showers.

Later the stove top wouldn’t light, so then I could figure out we had a delivery problem of propane into our apartment. I called Daniel our realtor and asked for his help. When he showed up, we went downstairs to the storage closet that holds the tanks…for us and the apartment beneath us. Our landlord had previously shown me and Daniel which propane tanks, and their connections into the house, were ours and which belonged to the other unit.

Our connected tank was full, at least by weight when compared with an empty one sitting there. We tried taking the regulator off our tank and messing around with it, getting a new tank of gas and installing it, and then changing out the regulator. Nothing worked. Then Daniel and I decided to hook a full tank to the other unit and see what happens. Surprise, surprise…we had propane being pumped to our place. Our landlord had told us wrong!

This is what is funny about this situation. It was obvious that the connected tank to what I thought was our unit was full. The tank connected to the other unit was empty. No one is living in the other unit, so an empty tank there didn’t seem like a big deal. It did cross my mind that maybe the landlord got it wrong since nothing was labeled, but I choose to trust his information, and start looking for a faulty tank, regulator, hose…something.

There must be a name for this ‘fixedness”…stuck in a mindset based on given data and the accompanying lack of scrutiny about that data. My premise was wrong…the landlord didn’t know what was up with his own building. It makes me realize how important it is in life to step back, pause, and question any given data that I am using as a premise or foundation for something else. I think this ability takes practice, but I believe it is vital in creating a truly healthy sense of well-being.

We took another trip to Kiwi and Supermaxi to get household items. I was starving when we got there, and wanted to eat before shopping. There is a KFC in the building so we took a minute to eat. KFC is different here than in the States. I ordered a two piece meal and it comes with rice and beans. It has kind of become a family joke among us. Every Ecuadorian meal has rice and beans…breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is a staple here and I have actually grown quite fond of it. Besides, it has to be a whole lot healthier than an order of French fries.

I am exhausted. We all are. I miss my routine in Bahia. I miss leisurely reading my book with coffee when I wake up, going to my workouts, learning in my Spanish classes, and taking my walks on the beach. Since we have been here it has been all about trying to find a place to live, and now to get settled into our place. I am looking forward to re-establishing a healthy routine for my mind, body, and soul.

Chau.