Saturday, June 11, 2016

It’s 6 pm and I have been waiting for the internet guys to show up all day. I talked to the rep on Thursday and he said they were coming Saturday. My realtor also called me this morning to ask what time I wanted the internet guys to come over, because she knows the rep and he called her to find out. I told my realtor now is fine, the sooner the better. That was at 8 am.

So at 10 am, and no service guys, I called the rep and got no answer. I called again at noon getting no answer. At 4 pm I text my realtor to see if she knew anything, and I received no response. This is pretty standard for service in Ecuador.

I’m not upset because life would be one continual upset over this kind of stuff if you let it. There is a balance that has to be found between how much of my day do I postpone waiting for a service person to show up, or doing what I want to do. I’ve heard story after story of people waiting for days to get something done, then they finally decide to go to a restaurant for dinner and just as they sit down they get a phone call the service person is at their door. So, they get up and go back home and hope he is still there.

Linsley is in town! She owned Fika’s coffee shop in Bahia and is visiting Cuenca before heading back to the states. Her business was no longer viable after the earthquake so she is going to regroup in the states and prepare for her next adventure.

Linsley and Annelise

Linsley and Annelise

We met up with her and her friend, Annelise, at a brewery in El Centro. It was so great to see Linsley before she heads home. Annelise is from France but has lived in Ecuador for 9 years and knows Cuenca, so she is giving Linsley the tour. Annelise speaks French, English, and Spanish.

I’m so impressed by people who can speak multiple languages. What strikes me most is what understanding another’s language allows in the exchange between people of different backgrounds and cultures. Without a shared language so much between people remains unknown, undiscovered, and unappreciated.

Linsley and Annelise were going to a jazz event around 11 pm and invited us, but after a couple beers my eye lids were getting heavy and sleep was calling my name. We called it a night and planned on meeting them tomorrow for coffee.

Oh…the internet guy never showed.

Chau.