{"id":28,"date":"2010-08-24T15:04:32","date_gmt":"2010-08-24T15:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bbxmusic.wordpress.com\/?p=28"},"modified":"2010-08-24T15:04:32","modified_gmt":"2010-08-24T15:04:32","slug":"vilcabamba-ecuador-july-2010-journal-by-anita-evans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bbxmusic.com\/press\/2010\/08\/24\/vilcabamba-ecuador-july-2010-journal-by-anita-evans\/","title":{"rendered":"Vilcabamba Ecuador July 2010 Journal – by Anita Evans"},"content":{"rendered":"

July 2010 Journal<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>By Anita Evans<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vilcabamba Loja \u2013 Ecuador
\n<\/strong>Source: <\/strong>bbxmusic.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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The inspiration of Rain<\/strong><\/p>\n

Porches in Ecuador are a norm they are large with a roof that overhangs them completely. I suspect this is for several reasons.<\/p>\n

One, construction, traditionally houses here are made from rammed earth or adobe blocks both of which require wide eves to protect them from rain and the weather.<\/p>\n

Two, as a lot of peoples living occurs outdoors due to the climate a large covered porch acts as an outdoor living space as well as a work area for drying the coffee beans, maize and washing.<\/p>\n

The house we are living in has a porch all the way around it and it is covered completely by a roof \u2013 known to some as a veranda instead of porch.<\/p>\n

Our neighbours chickens and roosters use our porch as a freeway to get to the other side of our garden. As with cars on freeways, the chickens tend to leave a trail of pollution behind them in this case, chicken shit. Fortunately for them, the rooster is stunning and we love watching him so they get to use the porch. Unfortunately for us, someone has to clean up the pollution left behind.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019ve been looking at our porch that goes completely around the house (and the drops of chicken shit go completely round the house too) thinking it could really do with a clean but not been inspired to do it.<\/p>\n

Now for those of you that might be screwing up your nose up at this \u2013 chicken shit, thinking I would not allow chickens to run around my house! They\u2019d be in a chicken coup etc etc. Get over it \u2013 get real! Someone still has to clean up the chicken coup too you know! <\/em><\/p>\n

Today it poured (rained) and I mean poured down. We had thunder and lightning to boot. It rained so hard and horizontal that the rain came in under the porch right up to the walls and windows of the house (very unusual). The veranda was soaking wet.<\/p>\n

A good thing about it raining here in Vilca is it is warm. If you come from a colder countryplace similar to where I do when it rains and blows a storm you generally want to just burry yourself indoors and not venture out as it is freezing, cold, grey and gloomy.<\/p>\n

Here today the rain inspired me \u2013 to clean the veranda. Since it was already soaking wet and it was warm and still bright outside. So when the rain eased off and wasn\u2019t coming in horizontal anymore the eves gave me shelter from it. The rain also helped loosen up the chicken shit so it came off easier.<\/p>\n

So, the rain here is inspiring not something to cringe from and what till it passes. And we have a clean veranda again!<\/p>\n

What makes the esSence of a Society?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here (well at least in Vilca I cannot say for the larger cities of EC) when you buy a beer in a bottle if you return the bottle (clean) you get 25c back. The same goes for the Pony bottles (10c back). They recycle the bottles here.<\/p>\n

What this means is that you return them to the place you got them from so over time you and the store keeper get to know each other and the experience of just buying or returning your beer bottles develops a deeper meaning. You develop a rapport. This is one of the things that are missing from big cites and more obvious in the western world in general.<\/p>\n

I remember when I grew up in good old NZ (not what it is now) one of the jobs for us kids was to take the milk bottles out and put them at the top of the drive way around 5 pm. The milk man would come and collect the old bottles and give more bottles filled with milk. The money for the milk would be in coins in one of the empty bottles. The number of empties out (+ money) = the number of full milk bottles you got back. No one stole the money, no one broke the bottles.<\/p>\n

The same was for dad\u2019s beer bottles the empties would be cleaned and returned to the place of purchase and 10c paid for each bottle returned. Us kids would clean them, collect them and return them to the store and spend the money on lollies. J 10c bought a lot in those days.<\/p>\n

The bottles would be sterilised and reused by the beermilk companies.<\/p>\n

I distinctly remember when this all changed in New Zealand. Some politically correct dickhead decided it was not \u2018hygienic\u2019 to do this. Then the companies decided that the cost of collection and cleaning was too expensive and it was more \u2018cost effective\u2019 to keep producing new bottles. The collection of the empties ended. Now, New Zealand, like the rest of the \u2018modern world\u2019, has a huge glass bottle waste problem.<\/p>\n

So there were no more trips to the local store for us kids. The store keeper lost that rapport with his clients.<\/p>\n

The milk man fizzled out too. People started stealing the money from the bottles, breaking the bottles so then the milk man had to issue invoices so his \u2018paperwork\u2019 time went through the roof which ate into his profits and poof he was gone.<\/p>\n

Go to the supermarket to buy your milk and you\u2019ll be lucky if the check operator makes eye contact with you. We now have a problem of what to do with all the plastic milk bottles or the cardboard ones that add to our land fife piles.<\/p>\n

So what makes the essence of a society? One aspect is that connection you build up with the local people whom you get services from through regular contact over time. Your shopping becomes a social outing. The reputation of the business is based on the business owner and their service and reliability not on the cheapest, best deal you can get. You know you can rely on that person\u2019s knowledge. You have trust between you. They know they can rely on your business. You pass them in the street and say \u2018hi\u2019 and ask how their family is. More then likely your kids play together.<\/p>\n

This is what it is still like in the villages of Ecuador. There is a fibre of energy that makes the villages a nice place to live. Please don\u2019t change.<\/p>\n

an Article to Share with you<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following is some bulleted points from a brilliant article written by Martha Beck.. The full article is available on http:\/\/www.oprah.com\/spirit\/Martha-Becks-Problem-Solving-Strategies-Decision-Making-Advice<\/a> . Martha Beck is a life coach, columnist and author. Her website is:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.marthabeck.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

How to solve a thorny problem <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n