Tamera's Take: Cats...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

Questions? E-mail us!

Follow us on Twitter - @JOTOinEcuador
Like Us on Facebook!

Quick Links

©2016 TJ & Tamera Overman, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ReUse by permission only.

Tamera's Take is about being here.
Are you ready?  I am.

It has been two three four five six months since our last post. Let that sink in a minute.

Airport in Guayaquil Ecuador

Someone I know, posted on Facebook the lyrics to one of my favorite songs.  Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads.
She posted it for a specific reason having nothing to do with us, but it seemed appropriate for this segment of Tamera's Take.  And the feeling is...same as it ever was...same as it ever was.

And you may find yourself
Living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself
In another part of the world
And you my find yourself
Behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
With a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, well
How did I get here?

(Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads)

As I began writing this a few months ago, a Butterball turkey was thawing in my mom's refrigerator. Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray were on TV screeching to a studio audience about yams, cranberries and giblet gravy.

We are not in Ecuador.

Saying "chao" to our friend David last September

Still not in Ecuador.

We are not in Kansas either.

Waiting for our flight from Guayaquil to Miami

My husband and I were about 48 hours away from the traditional holiday, known in the United States as Thanksgiving. I had been to the grocery store three times in a few days to purchase food items for the feast. Trip number four was upcoming. 

It may sound like I am complaining, but I am not.  I am actually very happy to be with my family during this holiday season (and beyond).  That is what we say now, "The Holiday Season".  That time frame beginning around October 31st and ending January 2nd.  A blur of individual holidays that now resemble a box of melted crayons.  A big box of Crayolas.  All 64 of them.  No wait.  All 120 of them. Maybe it is 200 now.  They keep adding colors.  Anyway they are all melted. 

You may be asking yourself, well how did they get here?

Tornado? No.  Hurricane? No.  Earthquake?  Plausible, but no.

Very simply, Paperwork, and then more Paperwork.  The one paperwork item we got wrong prior to arriving in Ecuador.

Based on what we researched, FBI Background Checks did not, and could not, be apostilled.  That may have been the case a year ago. But government documents, processes and requirements change all the time, all over the world.

If you are trying to obtain a Resident Visa, your FBI Background Checks must be apostilled.  Let me repeat.  FBI Background Checks must be apostilled.

It takes approximately four months to receive FBI background checks, then add another month for the apostille process.

Chao Amiga!

Tourist Visas expire, temporary resident visas are just that - temporary.  So here we are back in Estados Unidos to get new FBI background checks.  Before you ask, No, you cannot use the old one. They are only valid for 90 days if you want them to be apostilled.  In addition, you must request an AUTHENTICATED FBI background check, in order for the U.S. Department of State to apostille it.

We move forward.

It was time to go to Super Target for (hopefully) my last shopping excursion prior to Thanksgiving.

And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And you may ask yourself
Where does that highway go?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right?...Am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
MY GOD!...WHAT HAVE I DONE?

Back again. Fast forward.

The Presidential Election in the United States is over - finally. The inauguration occurred on January 20th.  I do not get into political discussions, so I will say no more on the topic.

Christmas - Navidad - Noël - Weihnachten - Božić - Jul - Jól - Boże Narodzenie - Natal - рождество - Nollag  is now a month behind us.

Since we left Ecuador, the months have gone by fast. We have been very busy, but I have to admit, I miss Ecuador.  I am reminded of it every day the instant my laptop screensaver starts up. Thousands of photos we took during in our time in South America flow through the slideshow.  We have done our best to stay in touch with our Gringo Friends in Crucita as well as our Ecuadorian Friends - through WhatsApp or Facebook. But it is not the same as being there.  We practice speaking Spanish to each other and occasionally with other people when the opportunity arises.

To be honest, I was not sure what my feelings would be about our plan to return to Crucita in 2017.  I was afraid I would get sucked back into the things that make the United States so appealing to so many people - whether you are a citizen, a resident or a visitor.

Blondie - very happy to be out of the pet carrier

I will admit that back in September, within one hour of leaving the Miami International Airport in our National Rental Car (on our way to Jacksonville Florida), we stopped at a Starbucks, Burger King and Kangaroo Convenience Store. I even wore a Burger King crown.  It was better than going to Disney World. But that elated feeling wore off the first time we went to the grocery store.  One orange.  One dollar.  What??  Back to the land of overpriced GMO produce and even higher priced "organic" produce.

First cup of Starbucks!

We had to acclimate to our surroundings (again).

Everything is a trade-off. Public transportation was inexpensive and available everywhere in Ecuador. Unless you live in a major U.S. city, public transportation is expensive, complicated and inadequate. However, cars are easier to buy in the U.S. But the price of gas, insurance and repairs can make owning a car impossible for many people. Without going through a laundry list, suffice it to say there are pros and cons in both countries. It all depends on what you want.  What makes you happy.  What is important to your life and lifestyle. 

Every day I seemed to struggle with a strange balance of emotions.  In my thoughts are the people, places and things I love about the United States; and the people, places and things I love about Ecuador.

I missed my family and friends while in Ecuador. Now I miss the happiness and peace I found in Ecuador. I try to imagine how I can find that peace here in the United States so that I can be close to my family. I try to imagine how I can find a way to be close to my family while being in Ecuador.  I want my cake and eat it too. I know that what I want is not possible. Choices have to be made.

Something to keep in mind if you are considering moving to Ecuador. For those of you who have the financial resources to live in another country and travel as often as you want, these choices are probably not an issue. I am not one of those people. We will have to make choices.

Fast forward.

It is April 2017.  We chose our choices. For very happy reasons, we will be staying in the United States for a while.

The hiatus from blog writing is over.  Just because we are not currently in Ecuador does not mean we will not continue to blog about Ecuador.

It is sort of like starting an adventure (again).

Chao!

From Ecuador to the United States - Overmans Home for Christmas

Dear Readers of Our Blog.

After surviving a devastating earthquake in Ecuador, we desperately want to go to see our family and friends for Christmas back home in the United States.  We have set up a GoFundMe account to try to achieve that goal. 

Last year we decided to move to the coast of Ecuador. This decision was reached after a lot of research and soul searching about what and where our lives needed to be. We chose the small fishing village of Crucita Ecuador, in the Manabi province. There is no mail delivery in Crucita. No large stores.  No malls.  The electricity goes out a lot.  But the land and the people are beautiful.  It is a simple life.  We were very happy.  

On April 16th, at about 7:00 pm we were watching a movie when we heard a loud boom, as if someone had just dropped 20 ton boulder next to our house. Then the house began to violently shake back and forth, as the booming sound increased.  I did not even realize I had fallen to ground when I heard my husband Jason yell, we have to get out of here, it's an earthquake.  I know I was in shock.  I also know that in a split second I had to make the decision to leave my cats and run out of the house as quickly as possible.  

We were safe for the moment.  We found some of our friends/neighbors.  They were safe too.  We later found out that one of our neighbors who we did not know personally, had been struck fatally by falling debris. 

The next few days were a total blur.  More earthquakes occurred.  No water.  No electricity.  No phones. No place to buy food.  We had no way to contact our family back in the United States to let them know we were okay.  We have friends in Portoviejo. We had no way to know if they were okay. Portoviejo is where we go to shop for food and supplies.  As with many of the roads and highways, the road to Portoviejo was collapsed.  A car had fallen into it.  I do not even know if the people survived.  I hope that they are okay. 

El Centro Portoviejo - where we used to shop

We are basically cut off from the surrounding towns.  Even if we can get to them, the places where we shopped are gone.  There are plenty of tiendas (little stores) here in Crucita and they eventually began to open.  They run out of items quickly. Cat food is nearly impossible to find.  When we do, it is almost $3 for a 2 cup bag of food. We have four cats.  

We are getting by as best as we can.  It is costing us more to live here right now. The added expenses are making things difficult. I know things will get better, as things do after a natural disaster. I just do not know when.  

The road to Portoviejo from our village Crucita.

What I do know is that we are barely getting by right now.  There is no way we can afford to fly home to the United States in December.  The prices of airline tickets continue to rise.  The availability of tickets continue to decrease.  If we are not able to buy tickets in the next month or two, we will not be able to see our family and friends in December. This will be equally devastating for us and for our family.  We cannot express how much we miss them.  We know they are missing us and have been so worried about us since the earthquake occurred.  We are hoping to have a happy reunion in December. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our story.  If you or someone you know can help us make it possible to get back to the United States, by making a donation to GoFundMe, we will not only be grateful, but we promise to show our appreciation for your kindness by paying it forward.  When we are financially able, every penny you donate to us, we will donate to other families in need. 

We thank you for all your support.

A monument to the fisherman of Crucita

Tamera's Take: Gilligan's Island, Cats and Holidays

Tamera's Take is about being here.
Are you ready?  I am.

One day in a public speaking class at NYU, the professor had students compose an impromptu one-minute speech on this topic:  If you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you like to have?  Sherwood Schwartz was a student in that class, and the question so intrigued him that it remained lodged in the back of his mind for many years.

Who is Sherwood Schwartz?  Sherwood Schwartz was a famed television producer and Emmy Award winning screenwriter, best known for Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch.

Bamboo House

I grew up with both of those shows.  With the exception of the "Hawaii Bound" episode, The Brady Bunch has nothing to do with being in Ecuador - nothing that I can think of anyway.   On the other hand, Gilligan's Island seems pretty close to home.

Ecuador and Jacksonville are on the same Longitude

We are not stranded on a deserted island.  But at times it feels like we are on an island.

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, to the North, East and South of Crucita is a crescent of mountains.  The village of Crucita is directly on the Pacific coast, and the adjacent farms are located between the village and the mountains.

The entire area is very tropical, even the farm-land.  The coconut trees are endless.

Ecuadorians drink Agua de Coco (in the U.S. we call it coconut milk) directly from coconuts with a straw, then scoop out the coconut with a spoon. Restaurants simply cut off the top of a coconut with the husk on, then in goes the straw.  Cold agua de coco is sold by the bag.

Watch out for falling coconuts!

When I was a kid I remember bugging my mom over and over until she finally relented and bought me a coconut from the grocery store.

For those of you who were in Jacksonville during the 1970's, you may remember a store called Pantry Pride.

It had already been shelled from the husk.  I had no idea how to open it.  This was not going to deter me.  I took a hammer and screwdriver from my dad's work bench, and began the task of beating this poor coconut.

My goal was to puncture a hole so I could get the coconut milk first.

This did not go well, for me or the coconut.



Many varieties of Bamboo (Caña de Bambu) are grown here in abundance and used by almost every family, in one way or another.  Caña is used to make furniture, fishing rods, fences, and even houses. There are many uses for coconuts in addition to a source of food and beverage.  Coconut husk is a fiber that can be used to make rope, rugs and fabric.  Coconut shells are a source of charcoal and can be burned as fuel.  They can also be used to send messages.

JFK used this as a paperweight on his desk in the Oval Office. 

In a dugout canoe, Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana of the Solomon Islands, located the U.S. crew of PT-109 on August 5, 1943.  The crew had been stranded for three days on an inhabited island of the South Pacific after being hit by an enemy destroyer, and presumed dead.  In command of that crew was Lt. John F. Kennedy.

Kumana and Gasa worked with the Coastwatchers, a network of agents based across the Pacific islands during WWII, tasked with keeping an eye on the enemy and reporting back to Allied forces.
Kennedy knew he somehow needed to get a message back to base if a rescue was to be organised, so he wrote a message on a coconut and gave it to Kumana and Gasa to return to a Coastwatchers station 35 miles (55 km) away.

Paper Stars

Tonight is Christmas Eve.

This is our first Christmas in Ecuador.  This means we will not be able to spend the holidays with our family and friends back in the states.  I know this is not easy for them. It is not easy for us.

We did our Christmas shopping online for the family, made phone calls through Skype Phone, and plan to video call our family tonight through Skype on our laptop.

Most of our neighbors have decorated artificial Christmas trees.  Next to their trees, they set up very beautiful Nativity scenes.  We do not have a Christmas tree or a Nativity scene.  After two trips to the Hipermarket last week, we still could not find any Christmas lights.  I was resolved to have some type of decorations, knowing that I would plan better for next year.


We have paper stars all over the second floor of our house.  It looks more like Cinco de Mayo than Christmas, but decorations are decorations.

Two days ago, after I made all those paper stars, we found lights (luces) in the little tienda around the corner from our house. They had decorations too. But those colorful paper stars have started to grow on me.

At least now we know where to buy lights and decorations.

Fiesta de Navidad!

As I am writing this I can hear a lot of festive music, including music I recognize from the states. The children have a holiday from school - today and tomorrow.  There are little parties being held all throughout the neighborhood.

Christmas Eve is when Ecuadorians celebrate Christmas.  The families gather all day for festivities, then open their presents at midnight.

I am not sure what will happen on Christmas Day.  I will find out tomorrow.



Jason and I were lucky enough to be part of a Christmas party on December 21.  Our friend Tamy and her husband Jared have a Fiesta de Navidad at their home for the children of the farmers in her parish - just outside the town of Portoviejo.  Tamy raises money and organizes this event every year by herself, and on the day of the fiesta (party) family and friends volunteer to help.  There was a lot of work involved.

Feliz Navidad!

Many of these children will not receive any presents on Christmas, except for the ones they received at this party.

There were over 250 children attending the party, along with a very entertaining clown who also acted as the MC (master of ceremonies),  Santa Claus, and the very famous well-loved Peppa Pig & his brother George!

Volunteering at this party was probably the best Christmas present we could have received.

Well, it is time for me to bake some cookies.

To all of our friends, family, and to everyone else who reads our blog,

Merry Christmas & Feliz Navidad!


Good Kittie!

Kodak gets his Christmas bath!  

Questions? E-mail us!

Quick Links

Like what you see?  Please take a moment to easily share it with your friends using the toolbar below.  Thank you!