As the World Turns

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Regarding My Abuelito
We will not be throwing his ashes in the Rio Guayas anymore! My wonderful but old-fashioned great aunt and uncle protested. It was a controversial decision down here in very Catholic Ecuador for us to have decided to creamate my late grandfather, particularly with my older relatives. My great uncle suggested that we put my granfather's ashes in the Villavicencio Family mouseleum. There's relatives who are at least two generations older than that of my grandfather resting there. If I understand correctly, no one has been laid to rest there in several decades. My mother is fine with this decision. She hadn't been too keen on the idea of scattering grandfather's ashes to begin with. I am happy with this final decision as well. As long as my mom and my great aunt and uncle are happy, I am happy.

My Days in the Great City of Guayaquil
It takes me a day to get used to the humidity here. Yesterday was especially hot, 37 degrees celcius, which I think was over 90 farenheit, with high humidity! But it didn't bother me. I visited a couple of museums in Guayaquil yesterday. In Ecuador, the cities of Quito (the capital) and Cuenca are known for their woonderful art and museums. Guayaquil not so much... Two years a go a new museum opened here. It's called the MAAC (Museo Arceologico y de Arte Contemporaneo). I was impressed with the structure but was a left a bit disappointed with the rather small exhibits. But I am impresseed nonetheless that the museum exists. Gradually, I hope the museum becomes better organized. The other museum I visited is the Museo Nahim Isaias, which I visited before durng my stay in Guayaquil in 2000. I love this museum! It houses a wonderful coolection of colonial religious art. Some of the pieces here date back to the XVII century.
I have walked around the city on a couple of ocassions and the city is getting cleaner and safer each new thime I visit. The municipality here has been doing a lot to promote tourism in Guayaquil and to simply promote having a city its citizens can be proud of. In the last six years I have seen amazing changes. BUt there is still a lot of work to be done.

At Your Service
It is hard for me to get used to getting served by maids or servants. My host, Nancy (my mothers' cousin and my godmother) has two working for her. My cousin Ivonne has one in her household. My cousin Lorena has one who helps her with her kids and in the kitchen. My great aunt and uncle have one too. After eating breakfast, every morning, I like putting my own plates away in the kitchen sink. But Nancy always reminds me that I don't need to, and she goes and calls her maid. I am not allowed to make my own bed either. I hate this. I feel like such an imposter. However, this all reminds me that growing up in Guayaquil, my mother's parents, whom I grew up with up until I was nine, also had a "helper" around the house. This is also, to me, so third world! It is such a status thing to have a maid. If you have a maid, it means you are not poor. Class concerns here, and in most of Latin America, are so irritating to me. It makes me appreciate the U.S.A. a little better.