Bienvenido Italia! Esperamos que disfrute de nuestro blog .
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Welcome new readers from Italy! Bienvenidos los nuevos lectores de Italia !
Welcome Italy! We hope you enjoy our blog.
Welcome new readers from Guatemala! La bienvenida a nuevos lectores de Guatemala!
Welcome Guatemala! We hope you enjoy our blog.
Bienvenido Guatemala! Esperamos
que disfrute de nuestro blog.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Eight Months In - Of Rose Colored Glasses, Weather, and Freedom
Questions? E-mail us!
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| Well, here we are! |
That much is obvious. Also obvious? Our six month anniversary was marred by Mother Nature and as we all know, you don't mess with Mother Nature. Yes, I'm showing my age a bit with that one.
My point is, we are beyond comparing our initial six month's experience with anyone else's. Looking at it now I see I was being a bit obtuse in thinking we could anyway. Everyone has different experiences or alternate takes on said experiences which mold how they feel. Our experiences have left us somewhat conflicted. Should I stay or should I go? I will not speak for my wife though I know how she feels. This is all on me. One man's opinion as it were.
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| So many different fruits and plants. |
Now- In Jacksonville, I heard gunshots on a regular basis. Hell, we found a slug on our back patio though this is the exception, not the rule.
The year we left Jacksonville was in the process of surpassing their annual record of murders. I do not like having to say that but sometimes the truth hurts. As in every large city there are areas that are just bad. Jacksonville is no exception. They will figure it out.
I have not heard one gunshot here; have not seen one story where someone was killed by gun. There certainly haven't been any mass murders or school massacres as in other areas of the world (none in Jacksonville either). No policemen have been killed by gun. No bombings or mass killing by automobile. No acts of terrorism.
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| A view of our home, Crucita from the southern mountain. |
I have no statistical data to back this up but I feel like I have a greater chance of being shot in Jacksonville than I do being killed or seriously injured by an earthquake here. OK. Maybe not a very bright side but I feel that way.
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| The Pacific as seen from our rooftop. Good morning! |
Face to face, Whatsapp, Facebook. Some days I just want to bug out but that feeling is fleeting. Most days I wake up, head to the rooftop terrace, and drink in that Pacific ocean view. Then I smile. I smile because I know I am supposed to be here. I belong here. As my wife said, we are home.
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| Our landlords and amigos, Victor and Deysy (Daisy). |
Then they always want to know the "English" name for it. We get questions about where we are from, what is the weather like (both hotter and colder than here), do we have mosquitoes there (yes and way more than here!), do we have pets (yes. can you guess what kind?), do we like Crucita (yes we do thanks very much). Priorities are different. Yes, there is the need for money but most people seem to be content with life. Things move slowly. Stress levels are much lower than in the U.S. Well, non-earthquake related stress anyway. You get the point.
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| Can you say tranquilo (trang-kilo)? I knew you could! |
I mentioned weather. It does get hot here in the summer months. Not as hot as it does where I moved from but some days are close. It does not stay hot at night at least not most evenings. You can generally fall asleep with your windows and doors open to reap the benefits of the sea breeze and the sound of the Pacific.
No sound machine needed here.
The summer is also the wet season. To date I have heard thunder once, seen no lightning, and there has been one serious downpour. The butterflies are everywhere as they migrate. We had two stretches of week long (or close) rain. The rest of the time the rain mostly came at night. There are many sunny days, tasty waves, and extremely high tides. Many times the tides cover the Malecon when at their peak. The hottest time of year was March. Many locals told us it would be cold soon. Cold? This is the Equator. Frio they said. Winter is coming. Yeah right.
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| The summer months. Ceiba trees on Crucita farmland. |
There are a lot more overcast days but there is generally a few hours of sun even on these overcast days. There is no rain to speak of so things get a bit dusty. The mountains are brown again. The ocean temperature drops a degree or two but not enough to stop us swimming. The tides now get very low and the beach is huge. There are different birds around. The whales will be here soon. August is the coolest month or so I am told. The whales love it here in August. It is also the very best time of year to visit the Galapagos Islands. As the ocean currents turn cold they bring in migrating wildlife en mass. More on that in August I hope.
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| Grown on our rooftop. Mi gusto! |
I have lost so much weight from eating well and exercise I can fit into a concert tee-shirt I wore in the early 90's. I now wear mediums comfortably. I was an extra large just months ago. My blood pressure is down (never all that high to begin with), I no longer smoke, and drinking is now very minimal. All great things for my health.
So what is not to like? Well terramotos of course. My rose colored glasses are as I said, broken and most definitely off. Should I stay or should I go? I think we will stay unless something happens that makes it impossible. Will we stay in Crucita? Maybe. Maybe not. It is a perfect place to begin. Easy access to affordable transportation, food, English speaking friends, and a close proximity to a large city make it very attractive. As time goes on we may move around the country a bit. What is it like in the mountains, the true Amazon? What is it like south of here, closer to Peru? What is it like in Peru, Columbia, Chile, or Brasil? Could we end up in one of those places someday? Maybe. We are free to do as we will and just a few hours travel changes your environment greatly. We are free. What can be better than that? Is our compass slowing swinging northward again? I think so. Chao!
Note: As I added pictures to this blog (the last step before publishing) we experienced another tremor or tremblor . 4.2 in strength with the epicenter just off the cost of Manta about 12 kilometers away. No damage or injuries. Just nerve racking.
"I feel the earth, move, under my feet!"
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Sunday, July 17, 2016
Tamera's Take: P.T.S.D., CATS, and What the hell am I doing in Crucita Ecuador?
Questions? E-mail us!
Are you ready? I am.
...going to have to get back to you on that one.
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| The gully gave way behind the once beautiful house. |
It has been about two months since our last post. Well, my husband's last post. I started this one on June 17, and obviously was not able to finish it. Today is July 17. I do not know what to say except that since April 16, 2016, I have no idea what I am doing anymore.
On Pandora Radio listening to: "Under Pressure" by Queen (with a little help from David Bowie)
The song seems appropriate.
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| Too damaged to pass inspection. It will be torn down. |
We will just call it, IT. If you read Stephen King, you will know that IT is just as terrifying.
The first two weeks after it happened I felt a certain amount of shock was normal. Expected even. I did my best to keep the shock in check.
Try to be normal. Try to move forward. I said these things to myself every day. I told myself everything was going to be okay.
A month after it happened, I noticed my "shock", or whatever it was, was not subsiding. The day I started writing this post marked two months. Yup still there. Somewhere in the back of my mind I kept thinking ever so briefly, "PTSD". I associated PTSD with soldiers returning from battle; victims of violent crimes; children dealing with death in the family; etc. So that cannot be what it going on with me.
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| Remains of beautiful blue windows from nearby house. |
I am acquainted with a few counselors, therapists and psychiatrists, both socially and professionally. I used to work at a women's center, which is how I became acquainted socially with several counselors. But here is the thing about that line of work. Two words. "Absolute Confidentiality". They never discussed clients, and I never asked. So I do not know a lot about the various types of mental illness and how they are diagnosed.
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| A long time passed before we could walk the beach again. |
I finally contacted one of my counselor friends. P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Right on the mark. Damn.
She helped me as much as she could given my location. Actually she helped me a lot. She researched and sent me information on free online books about P.T.S.D, online support groups and therapists, etc. There are even support groups that you can Skype with.
Everyone knows at least one person who suffers from a mental illness. It is an illness that is hard to understand if you have never walked in those shoes. It is not something people like to talk about. If you have a broken leg, it is visual. The pain is something people can relate to. If you say, oh by the way I suffer from, (fill in the blank), people do not know how to respond or act towards you. Yet the person with the mental illness is in pain and suffering just as much as the person with the broken leg. Just think about it the next time you meet someone who has Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, P.T.S.D., or any other form of mental illness.
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| Looking down from the hillside to Crucita |
As an extremely introverted person, I analyze everything. Always have. Always will. I know I am getting slightly off topic but it seems important for you to know that I thought about the changes in my behavior for the past couple of months.
What were some of those changes?
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| Crucita fishing boat waiting to go back out to sea. |
Separately, they seemed insignificant at first. However, the more of them I recognized, the more they seemed to start sticking together and forming a black hole in my mind. It was like pieces of me were disappearing. I am sure I sound crazy at this point, so here are some specific examples.
I started to forget details and events completely. No recollection at all.
Following a major earthquake, aftershocks are normal for two to three months. I had to look this up. I have no prior experience with earthquakes so I did a lot of research. It was necessary in order to get through the days (and nights). But I was not able to look any of this up the first week after it happened. Yes, we had intermittent electricity starting around day 3, but we did not have WiFi for a week.
We live near the ocean. Every time the wind blows, the doors and windows rattle, and I jump out of my skin. Why? Because it sounds and feels like the beginning of an aftershock.
Those aftershocks came. I read the other day that Ecuador has had over 2,000 aftershocks since April 16. The aftershocks that I only vaguely remember learning about in school. The only reason I remember the first week of aftershocks we experienced, is because every time one happened, I wrote it down in one of my notebooks. I had no idea of the measured intensity, since I had no access to any outside communication. All I could do was write down the time and describe them. I am not even sure why I was doing this, except that I thought that if there was some pattern, I would see it and know if they were going away or getting worse.
Every day ready to flee.
Nightmares. I did not really dream about the earthquake. I dreamed about tsunamis. Almost every day. I still do occasionally. Thankfully the dreams are getting better.
How does that tsunami dream look? I am on the third or fourth floor of a building, standing in front of a large window that overlooks the ocean. I am sure this building represents my house but looks nothing like it. It is night as I stand in front of this window. But darkness does not stop me from seeing the wall of ocean water coming towards me. It is taller than the place I am standing. I do not move. I do not yell. I know it is coming and there is nothing I can do. That is my nightmare.
It is important to say that during this earthquake, we were never in danger of a tsunami. I do not know why that became my nightmare.
No desire to take walks anymore.
No desire to touch the ocean.
I stopped taking photos.
I forgot nearly every Spanish word I knew.
Every family member and friend wanted to ask me questions and talk about the earthquake. I did NOT want to talk about it. At all. Ever. But they wanted and needed information. So with my head spinning, I talked.
I wanted to do things to help other people here in my village or nearby, but I had absolutely no way to do so. I felt helpless. I felt even more guilty. I felt guilty that I was alive and my home survived.
My husband got an Earthquake App for his phone. It sends out an alert of earthquakes/aftershocks in real-time. So basically an alarm goes off as it happens. I hate that app. Every time the alarm went off I went numb. Every time there was a notification, my husband had to say it out loud. I finally asked him to stop telling me. I just could not take it any more.
Sleep is a thing of the past. Before the earthquake I was in bed and asleep early every night. I woke up between 5:30 - 6:30 am every day. Now sleep comes as the sun rises if I am lucky. Am I just afraid to sleep in the dark? I do not know. Am I ever going to feel happy again? I do not know that either. But I hope so.
It is amazing how things can change 180 degrees in the matter of 58 seconds. That is how long the earthquake lasted, 58 seconds.
Everyone back in the States asks us when are we coming home. Our response - we are home. But I would be lying if I did not admit that I miss those familiar people and places back in America.
Gertrude Stein, an American writer, poet, feminist, and playwright once wrote, "America is my country and Paris is my home town".
America is and always will be my country. I have called many places home in my life. Orange Park Florida, Newport Rhode Island, Elmira New York, Tallahassee Florida, Hollywood Florida, Gadsden Alabama, Atlanta Georgia, Jacksonville Florida.
Right now Crucita is my home. If I am lucky, I will have the chance to call other places home as well.
I have no idea of what the future will look like. I know what I want it to look like. But that is going to take some time and a lot of adjusting. Until then, I am just waiting for my compass to point north again.
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Welcome New Readers from South Korea! 한국 에서 새로운 독자 오신 것을 환영합니다!
Welcome South Korea! We hope you enjoy our blog.
오신 것을 환영합니다 한국 ! 우리는 당신이 우리 의 블로그를 즐기시기 바랍니다.
osin geos-eul hwan-yeonghabnida hangug ! ulineun dangsin-i uli ui beullogeuleul jeulgisigi balabnida.
오신 것을 환영합니다 한국 ! 우리는 당신이 우리 의 블로그를 즐기시기 바랍니다.
osin geos-eul hwan-yeonghabnida hangug ! ulineun dangsin-i uli ui beullogeuleul jeulgisigi balabnida.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
भारत में आपका स्वागत है ! हम निश्चित रूप से आप आनंद उम्मीद है।
Welcome India! We certainly hope you enjoy.
भारत में आपका स्वागत है ! हम निश्चित रूप से आप आनंद उम्मीद है।
भारत में आपका स्वागत है ! हम निश्चित रूप से आप आनंद उम्मीद है।
Healing - Yet Another Begining
Questions? E-mail us!
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| The stars represent app users who felt an aftershock |
In Florida we had the tropical systems just like most of the Eastern Seaboard. There is always stress during the season as this storm or that meanders through the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico. You have days to prepare.
As a matter of fact Florida is being warned about one now. It is not even a storm yet. That preparation causes stress too and generally, nothing ever comes of it. One year we had three storms affect Jacksonville back to back. This feels a little like that felt. It is magnified by the surprise of terramotos; the lack of warning. For us specifically it is magnified further because our family is so far away.
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| Rebuilding takes time |
We are in the winter months here which also means a lot of wind. This is fantastic weather time where we need no air conditioning.
The wind makes noise though. Sometimes when it rattles doors and windows I wake up thinking it is another aftershock. Sometimes a car starting or a truck/bus simply driving by will put me on edge. I do not know how many times I've looked at my wife or she at me asking, "Is it another one?".
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| A Crucita hotel has structural damage resulting in a red tag |
Of course that includes the healing.
So. It is time to get over the not writing thing. Hopefully it will be somewhat cathartic. I think it was just after the event. I hope it will be now too.
Crucita is also healing. The Government is here, inspecting buildings and designating them as unsafe to occupy, can be occupied but requiring work, or safe to occupy. Red, yellow, and green. As the buildings are inspected the corresponding sticker is placed on it with the official designation. It is very good to see them working on it but also sad. There are quite a few buildings here with red tags. That means businesses that can't function and families without homes.
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| A Crucita restaurant with a green tag |
The businesses that survived and there are many, are making money.
They are the only places to purchase everyday living necessities right now. There has been no price gouging at all. In fact when getting cash was so hard, prices were lowered by the vendors on the spot. The people who need help most are getting it. The people who can give help are giving it.
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| Workers gather for prayer on the Malecon prior to beginning inspections |
We make them their own special food and pepper it with the dry when we can get it.
We have bottled water again and that in and of itself is a morale booster. There are good days and bad when it comes to our morale. We are scared and I am glad my wife and I have each other. Being alone in this would be insufferable. Hopefully we will soon be at the point where there is more good than bad. I say that not just for my wife and I, but for everyone in Ecuador. For all of us it is another beginning. Chao!
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©2016 TJ & Tamera Overman, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ReUse by permission only.
Monday, May 30, 2016
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
We thank you for all your support.
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| A monument to the fisherman of Crucita |
Sunday, May 8, 2016
日本へようこそ！私たちは確かにあなたをお楽しみください！
Welcome Japan! We certainly hope you enjoy.
日本へようこそ！私たちは確かにあなたをお楽しみください！
日本へようこそ！私たちは確かにあなたをお楽しみください！
Welkom Nederland! We hopen u te genieten.
Welcome Netherlands! We hope you enjoy.
Welkom Nederland! We hopen u te genieten.
Welkom Nederland! We hopen u te genieten.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Tamera's Take: Where the Wild "Ancestors" Are, Cats, and Darwin's Finches
Questions? E-mail us!
Are you ready? I am.
"Seeing every height crowned with its crater, and the boundaries of most of the lava-streams still distinct, we are led to believe that within a period, geologically recent, the unbroken ocean was here spread out. Hence, in both space and time, we seem to be brought somewhat nearer to that great fact--that mystery of mysteries--the first appearance of new beings on this earth."
---Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle
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| Mangrove Finches fighting for survival. |
Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island
Galapagos, Ecuador
a Tel: (593) 5 2526-146/2527-013 Ext 101
In 1835, long before he began to formulate the theory of evolution, Charles Darwin sailed to the Galapagos Islands on the H.M.S. Beagle.
Much of the same flora and fauna that inspired Darwin's The Origin of Species still exists on the Galapagos today. Appropriately, ninety-seven percent of the island is national park. Two of his studies included the Mangrove Finch and the Wild Currant Tomato.
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| Very Tiny Wild Currant Tomatoes |
I pulled the squished little tomato from my pocket and grabbed our laptop.
Known to botanists as Solanum Pimpinellifolium, the plant is the wild ancestor of all the domestic tomatoes we eat today, and still grows wild in northern Peru and southern Ecuador.
The common name is Wild Currant Tomato.
Amazed at our discovery, I go back to the vacant lot to take pictures and bring back a few more tomates. My first thought as I pick 4 or 5 to bring back home is that they are probably bitter and/or poisonous.
According to SmithsonianMag they are not poisonous or bitter. We each try one. They are sweet and delicious. According to Smithsonian, Science Daily and a few other websites, they are also rare and vanishing from the wild. Unfortunately a fact with so many things in the world.
Except that I wanted to grow some myself.
Seeds.
If I have the tomatoes, then I have the seeds. One more trip to the vacant lot. As I look at the green and ripe tomatoes, I notice the hundreds of little yellow flowers that will soon be fruiting.
How did this plant get here? Maybe they are not wild. Maybe someone threw out some tomatoes or an old plant, and they managed to reproduce. As much as I read about these little tomatoes, I really do not have any practical information on how to grow them.
I shelve the blog (again) AND the idea of growing the tomatoes.
Do I have my phone with me so I can take pictures. No.
As we get to the end of the unpaved road I take a visual survey of our location so I can come back later to take pictures.
After more research I find that there have been a number of expeditions to Ecuador to locate, document and gather samples. Studies have determined that the Currant Tomato has natural genetic properties that make it drought and disease resistant. Apparently Solanum Pimpinellifolium has become an important species in the cross breeding of domestic tomatoes.
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| CATS cannot eat tomatoes! Really. |
I do not have any intention of creating a hybrid tomato, but I do intend to grow my own tiny tomatoes, albeit slightly less "wild".
I am drying out a batch of seeds now. I will let you know how it goes.
A shout out to You Grow Girl for some down to earth (pun intended) information on growing these wild plants in your garden!
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Sunday, May 1, 2016
Selamat datang Singapura! Kami amat berharap anda menikmati .
Welcome Singapore! We certainly hope you enjoy.
Selamat datang Singapura ! Kami amat berharap anda menikmati. Kamimatberharap anda menikmati !
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Cooking in Ecuador - What Can Not be Found?
Questions? E-mail us!
Living in Ecuador is a dream come true. If you have read our earlier posts you will know we did extensive research prior to moving here. One of our focuses was food. We love good food. We love to cook. Neither of us could wait to try our first real ceviche. We were excited about the fresh fish and vegetable markets and we have not been disappointed in any way. We also paid very close attention to the things we would not be able to get here. We thought we had a handle on it but there have been a few surprises. In some cases it is just the little differences.
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| I choose Jif. |
Don't get me wrong, it is very good but a lifetime of the sweet stuff every kid in the U.S.A. eats has jaded me. It is good, just not as good. It is very expensive.
The same is true of ketchup.
No Heinz or Hunts here. Salsa de Tomate. Also not as sweet. As a matter of fact I think it is better. It can be used with french fries sure but it can also be used to make red sauce. It can be used with a lot of things. Of course, when I make fries for my wife (she has to have fries!) I also "Americanize" the ketchup with a little vinegar and a hint of sugar. Unlike peanut butter, ketchup is very affordable.
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| Excellent for many things. |
Tacos. Another thing you can't buy here. I have not found a restaurant that sells tacos like I have had in the States or Mexico. There are no hard shells either. No corn chips outside of Doritos. The tacos here consist of a soft cornmeal cake with beans, tomato, rice, lettuce, and onion on top. This is topped with lime mayonnaise and salsa de tomate. They are very delicious but sometimes you just have to have that crunch man. You will not find tomato salsa or sour cream here either. Soft flour tortillas can be found though.
Living in Crucita means fresh seafood on a regular basis. Horrible, I know. I remember the first time I ordered fried seafood here. It was a mixta which means what it sounds like. A mix of seafood (you pick it) for the platter. Mahi and shrimp dusted in cornmeal. Simply delicious. The cocktail sauce wait, what? No cocktail sauce? No lemon? No malt vinegar? No, none. Instead there is ketchup, mayonnaise, and a spicy pepper relish. The relish will have to do and it does. It is amazing but it is not cocktail sauce. No worries. I can make my own.
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| Ahhh. Horseradish. |
There are a lot of things you can't buy ready made here. So what can you do? You can make them yourself of course. It is either that or go without. If you are a mess in the kitchen now is the time to learn! Remember, as long as you are learning you will make mistakes. Those who love to cook or aspire to learn will quickly find there may be no better place to practice the art. For all the things we can't get here there are many new things we've never seen, heard of, or tasted that we can get.
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| The best chips ever except for mine! |
Click on the links to see great recipes for some of these items. They are not my personal recipes but they are close. I don't measure anything unless I am baking. As such I have no recipes to write down. I may have to change that for future posts.
If you would like to share your cooking tips and recipes please do. If you have something to add you can either comment directly or e-mail us. We would love to hear from you.
If you come to visit us then pretty please with sugar on top, bring a treat!
Chao!
Cocktail Sauce (Substitute lime juice for lemon juice. Have someone bring you horseradish!)
Corn Chips (Doritos can be found but not regular chips)
Sour Cream (Prepare fresh sour cream 24 hours in advance)
Blue Cheese Dressing
Buffalo Wing Sauce (Not my recipe but close. Sorry, mine is a secret!)
HorseradishMalt Vinegar
Peanut Butter (U.S.A. Style)
Salted Peanuts (They grow here but we can't find them!)
Worcestershire Sauce (Hard to find)
Hard Taco Shells (Use corn chip recipe but brush on oil and bake!)
Philadelphia Cream Cheese (there is cream cheese here but-)
Cheddar Cheese (Pricey. Slices are easier to find but the flavor is not the same!)
Premium Liquors (Can be had for a price. No Seagrams products though)
Half and Half (Buy cream and milk to make your own!)
Candy Bars (Nestle and Mars are here for a price. I wants me Snickers!)
Grits
Orange and Black Pekoe Lipton Tea
Baking Soda (Can be found in small quantities in local tiendas. You might have to ask.)
Lemons
©2016 TJ & Tamera Overman, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ReUse by permission only.
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Friday, April 29, 2016
Tamera's Take: Terremoto, Did you know this could happen? And...The Truth.
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Tamera's Take is about being here.
Are you ready? I am.
I am?
This is a question that I have been asked, and I have asked myself, many times since our arrival in Crucita Ecuador.
Is it everything you thought it would be?
And most recently;
Did you know this could happen?
To these questions I always answer the truth, regardless of who is asking.
For the past 12 days I struggled with the truth. What is the struggle? The struggle is that I am caught between the need to tell the truth; the need to not terrify our family and friends any more than they have already been terrified; the need to be respectful of the people who are probably in the worst situation of their life; and my own belief of what is the truth.
So here are some truths:
If you have not read any of my previous entries, this would normally be the place where I talk about something that happened to me in my childhood. I try to tie it into whatever my point is for that blog, and then add a few pictures to keep it interesting. Props. That is what I do. I use props. It seems necessary because I am not a writer. My husband is the writer.
There will be no correlation between my youth and present day events. There will be no cute pictures of cats. Strangely, I struggle with that too.
I am writing as much for me, as I am for you.
Since the earthquake (terremoto) occurred, I felt every emotion humanly possible.
Each time that we were faced with something that we were not sure how to handle, I had to force myself to remain calm.
The phrase, "remember to be thankful for what you have, because someone else may have it worse than you", could not have been more true. Except that I did not feel thankful.
It is important to not just remember, but know that 600+ people lost their lives; 12,000+ people were injured; 26,000+ people are homeless and slept in the streets until shelters could be erected.
What I felt was guilty. Guilty that I reside in town that was left standing, while to north, east and south of me lies complete destruction and tragedy. Guilty that the only person from Crucita who died as a result of the earthquake, lived about 200 yards from me, and I never met her. Guilty that we are okay due to the help of a lot of Ecuadorians, yet we are unable to do anything to help others in need.
That kind of emotion is not any good to me or others. I know it.
I have to live with the fact that as much as I want to, I cannot help anyone. We do not have a vehicle to pick up or deliver donations. We do not speak or understand enough Spanish to communicate with people. A lot of aid has come into the country and the people of Ecuador are moving forward. Help is needed. Just not MY help. A tough reality to face.
I cannot say for others but it seems to be for me. Not that things are normal. They are not. But life is starting to feel normal again.
There is a tiny vacant lot in between our house and the tienda (Frema's) where we shop. We walked through the lot this morning and for the first time in two weeks I actually felt like taking pictures. I included a few in this post.
Did I know this could happen? Yes.
Did I think it would happen? Of course not.
That is the truth.
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©2016 TJ & Tamera Overman, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ReUse by permission only.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
New Beginnings - Life Goes On
I slept fourteen straight hours. My wife only managed four. Not a dream.
Our local tiki lounge/restaurant Rimini, has a generator and have a charging station set up. We can charge our phone. Our main tienda has opened it's doors and we buy supplies. There has been no price gouging. As a matter of fact, shop owners seem to be giving discounts for those in need. Local restaurants like Motumbo are cooking food before it spoils and serving free lunches. We buy food. The weather is almost perfect. We are in the beginnings of Ecuadorian winter. It is cool and clear.
Though the Manta airport lost its tower there are helicopters and planes flying in and out constantly. No commercial flights. These are all aid flights from Quito, Guayaquil, and other countries.
Ecuador President Rafael Correa, declares a period of mourning. It will last 8 days.
Trash pick up has been skipped twice now. It is piling up. Not a sanitary state. Some are burning their refuse in vacant lots. We may have to as well.
Yes, there are more quakes but none even close to the initial one. These are off the coast though and we have to stay vigilant. Tsunamis are a real possibility.
We are now seeing pictures of other cities including Portoviejo. It is worse than we ever imagined.
We still have no phone minutes to make international calls or cash, but Tamy is going to get us cash. There are a few working ATM's in Portoviejo. We give her our ATM card. She will get us cash. We are told not to go to Manta either.
Helicopters have landed less than 2 blocks from here with emergency supplies. Garbage is being picked up.
The next day WiFi is restored. We spend hours contacting family, posting to Facebook, letting everyone now we are OK. In truth we needed this to move forward, get over the quake. The inevitable question is asked. "When are you coming home?". We are home. If we have to go, we will decide where that might be then. We never ran from hurricanes, we won't run from this.
The next day our landlords arrive. Their family is OK as is their home. They fix the front gate and make other minor repairs. The house is fuego (strong) and we will not have to move.
Water is flowing into our cistern which never leaked. All our friends are OK and all our services are back. It is unbelievable.
Life is slowly returning to normal in the village of Crucita. The mourning period had passed. The music that infuses our life is returning. More and more shops are opening, More and more street vendors are around. Yesterday, we saw bottled water being delivered. Yes, life is returning to normal here but just a few miles away it is a very different story. We have only been here a short while but things will never be the same. Sometimes change is tough. Most times it is tough. The Government of Ecuador has done very well managing this event. The people of Ecuador are nothing short of amazing. We are in awe of them. Chao!
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