It is hard to believe another year is coming to an end. On New Year's Eve last year when John gave me my kiss at midnight, he said "we are going to have a very exciting year". And was it ever. We seem to be writing our story as we go along. The adventures and experiences we have had were not always planned, but definitely welcome. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel any apprehension about moving to Ecuador. It was definitely outside our comfort zone, but I have to say we have no regrets.
Ecuador has a New Year's tradition of burning effigies. It symbolizes putting the year behind you, be it good or bad, and welcoming in the new year. We plan on participating in this ritual, as I think the meaning is very important.
This year we also started our own Christmas Eve tradition. The initial plan was to stay home with the puppies and just enjoy each other's company. But, we had this awesome Santa suit here and Christmas just wouldn't be the same without somehow using it. We had talked to our guardian family, Jimmy and Mirian, and asked them if their family would like a visit from Papa Noel (Ecuadorian Santa Claus). They said yes, and also that there were many children in the neighborhood where their family lives. So the idea just snowballed from there. John and I headed down by the mercado where there are many little shops and bought a load of candy and cute little Christmas bags to put it in. Our plan was to met Jimmy on a corner near their neighborhood and he would take us in from there. So we are standing out on the road in front of our house waiting for a taxi to take us. We weren't having any luck and getting to the point of running late. People were honking and waving at Papa Noel as they went by. One very nice couple pulled over and asked if we would take a picture for them with Papa Noel. We obliged. They knew we were waiting for a taxi and asked where we were going. When we told them, they said, we will take you there. They got such a big kick out of having Papa Noel ride in their vehicle. Thank you to Geovonni and Martha,they saved us from being late. We hope we meet them again one day.
Our 100 bags of candy did not last long, as Mirian and Jimmy did not exaggerate about there being a lot of kids in the neighborhood. Within 20 minutes we had given away all the candy and hopped in a taxi to head home. Next year we will plan on having much more. The experience was priceless to us and are happy to have started a Christmas Eve tradition here in Ecuador.
Our house rennovating is moving along. Our kitchen is about 80% done. The front gates were finished and installed this week. The tile is almost done except for our room, which we will be moving out of so that can be completed, hopefully soon. The bathrooms are coming along as well. the next big project is having all the doors and windows replaced. Everything we get put in new, makes everything old look... well, older (hence the continued additions to the rennovation).
The puppies are growing like crazy, adding so much fun and enjoyment to our lives. We can't imagine our lives without them, even though they are in their terrible twos right now. It is very fortunate that we have the time to devote to giving them lots of attention and training them. We will be building a nice gated area for them in the front side so they have a place to go if things get too hectic. They already like laying over in that area, so it should be a great place for them.
I was walking on the beach this morning and I met a lady. We exchanged greetings and she walked past me. A few seconds later, I heard her call to me and I turned around. She walked back to me and started speaking in Spanish something about my feet. It was obvious to her I wasn't quite getting what she was trying to tell me. She bent down and took off my flip flops and handed them to me. Then she said "mucho mejor" (much better). The moral of the story is (my moral anyway), is to take the time, feel what is around you, be it the sand squishing between your toes, or the water lapping over our feet. May you all have the opportunity in this next year to feel the sand under your feet (or whatever it is that makes you happy). Happy New Year, and may 2013 be the best year ever!
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