¡Feliz 2008!

We had a wonderful new year's day and a very interesting new year's eve. Our day involved lots of walking, and hanging out with Luis and his family in the guitar shop, which included an amazing jam session of Latin American music.

And now I will attempt to describe the evening activities (please see pictures for clarification and detail).
Traditionally, our New Years´ Eves involve family and friends, champagne and kisses at midnight. We typically reflect on the past year, and make resolutions to ensure a good new year. Similarly in Cuenca, people partake in rituals to guarantee a prosperous new year, from wearing new underwear, to eating 12 grapes for 12 wishes, to lighting different coloured candles that represent different good fortunes, to walking in and out of their homes with suitcases to ensure travel in the new year.

And the most interesting ritual, and the one that we most enjoyed, was the burning of the "años viejos"("old years"). These, are stuffed dummies constructed with paper, sawdust, wood and firecrackers that typically represent something significant that happened in the past year, which their creators wish to forget. These characters can be as simple as a small scarecrow with a mask and a name, to elaborate scenes with multiple characters, objects and messages. Some characters represented personal sorrow, while others were quite political in nature.. Around the old town, which is where we spent our night wondering around with some very attractive masks on, there were over 50 monuments. Throughout the night, mostly at midnight, they were set on fire, to music, dancing and drinking. We brought in the new year watching a scene that included the heads of Hugo Chavez (which Phil had the opportunity to wear, see picture), and the King and President of Spain explode to fireworks (which Phil helped to ignite). We then headed to another square that had turned their burning into a full on dance party of all ages, which we of course joined in on. We slowly made our way back to the apartment, knowing that the bar downstairs would be in full swing. The party lasted until 7 the next morning, but somehow we were able to catch a few zzz and had a very nice new year's day, which included Phil's famous egg's Benedict for brunch on the rooftop terrace. So far all of our rituals for a good new year have paid-off! We hope that your new year's eve celebrations were also a “blast”, and that the new year brings you peace and happiness.

Happy New Year (and happy birthday, mom)!!!

Guitar Fabrication - Day 4

So far, Luis and I have completed four days of guitar construction together and progress is occuring rapidly. By Friday, much of the neck was roughed-out including the insertion of the tension rod. The inlay for the rossette on the soundboard was completed, as well as the majority of the ribbon around its perimeter. And the back wood (teka) was glued together, with two stips of pine, and a strip of wood from a native nut tree to form a line down the centre. My time with Luis is very enjoyable; we talk about guitars all day in spanish and sit inside his shop with the all beautiful smells of wood, listening to classical music. Luis has told me that it will take about two more weeks to finish my guitar. My feeling is that two more weeks will come too soon.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Although we were away from our families for Christmas, we were very lucky to have run into several other people in the same situation. We managed to have three Christmas dinners in a row. The first was at a house in a residential area where a group of people we met the week before were living, the second took place at the Verde Limon hostal, and the third in our new apartment with a couple and their visiting great aunt. We had a quiet Christmas day. We opened stockings late in the morning, went for a walk to call our families, and made breakfast at 1:30 in the afternoon. We bought a small tree for $1 at the flower market at the Plaza San Francisco and decorated it with beads from a small arts and crafts store. It wasn't your typical Canadian Christmas tree, but it certainly made it feel like Christmas for us here in Ecuador. We are looking forward to the new year and wish everyone all the very best in 2008.

Guiter Fabrication - Day 2

This past Monday, the day before Christmas, I walked up the hill to Luis' house for my first day of guitar making. The shop is full of wood chips, work benches, half-finished classical guitars, and many visiting family members. During my first day we sharpened tools and bonded two pieces of pine together for the soundboard. We also cut a piece of cedar for the neck and attached a block of harder wood from Cuenca for the heel of the guitar (where the neck attaches to the body). We ended early and allowed the soundboard and neck to dry until the next work day. Today, (the next work day) the first thing on our agenda was to cut the shape of the guitar. I decided to build an acoustic guitar with large curves and big body. When the shape was cut-out, we located the circular sound hole and began the inlay for the rosette using small strips of chiseled wood, natural and black in colour. At noon, I was invited into the family home for almuerzo (lunch). We ate soup, fish, rice, beans, and salad. It was delicious. After eating, I played guitar and waited patiently for Luis to wake-up from his siesta. We finished the day around 4PM and I walked down the hillside with the warmth of the sun.

Navidad Party and Mailing Address

Friday was a big day for us. We finished up our second set of Spanish classes, we moved into our new apartment and enjoyed a very delicious Navidad Fiesta at the school. There were many yummy traditional dishes and vino. The meal ended with a festive gingerbread house cake that reminded us of Mum/Karen´s great birthday cakes! They really do a wonderful job making us feel welcome and at home. We, of course, ate too much - it is Christmas after all. The last of the three pics here is of us with Phil´s teacher, Julia.

Some people have asked about where they can reach us by mail, and since we will be in Cuenca for at least another month, the school would be a great place to send letters to – we love to hearing from you whether it is by post or email! The address is in a previous post, but to make it really easy, here it is again:

Amauta Fundacion Spanish School
Hermano Miguel 7-48 y Sucre
PO Box 01.01.166
Cuenca, Ecuador
Tel: (593-7) 2846 206 / 285 3671

Touring with Tourism Students

When Phil and I met after our Spanish classes on Wednesday, he informed me that there was an opportunity to spend the next three hours with a tourism class from the local university. They needed English speakers to take on a walking tour, so the students could practice their Spanish. Although we had little information about to expect, we agreed to go (I mean, how could a former recreation student say no to such a learning opportunity?!).
We were picked up by the professor, who took us to the school to met the students, and then we headed to the first of two tourist locations, all piled into the professors car.
There were 8 students and they each had a prepared talk to give, as we wondered from one spot to the next, in an area of town that we had not been to before. One site was a monument for the iron works in Cuenca, and a museum dedicated to this and other crafts. The next site was Simon Bolivar´s house while he lived in Cuenca during the time he liberation Ecuador from colonization. Simon Bolivar is credited for liberating 6 countries at that time; Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Columbia, Bolivia and Panama. The house is now a beautiful art gallery.
Although many of the students were nervous at first, they did a great job with their English and with entertaining us. The event ended with their professor taking us all out for huge fruit and yogurt salads (which are a popular treat here and are the size of vases. I try to have one as often as possible), so that they could help us with our Spanish. It was a great trade. We hope to help them out again, sometime over the next month!

Guitar Fabrication

On Wednesday afternoon I walked up the hillside to the house and guitar shop of Luis Uyaguari Quezada. I had organized the visit the day before through my teacher over the telephone and I was happily welcomed when I arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon. I explained to Luis that I wanted to work with him and that I very interested in learning how to make a guitar. Within a few minutes, we were looking at designs and discussing whether or not I wanted to build a classical or an acoustic guitar. I was surprised at how quickly and easily everything unfolded. My first day at work with Luis is at 8:00AM on Monday, December 24th and we will eat lunch together at his house. He has strongly encouraged me to document the complete process through photographs and notes for future reference. I will be working at the guitar shop everyday in spanish for approximately one month. I will be paying Luis about $500 for all materials and instruction during this period. I feel extremely fortunate to have been given this opportunity.