Deep Thoughts with Nards Barley (my Cuenca non-blog)

Moderator, can you re-classify this thread to the Cuenca forum. Thanks.

Nards Barley wrote:

Moderator, can you re-classify this thread to the Cuenca forum. Thanks.

Done!

Aurélie

Very nice.

I know you peeps like a good Expat story, even if it is about Perú.

Here is the English version.

Here is the Spanish translation.

Hi Nards Barley > why don't you post this on the Peru forum? Thank you.

$4K a month to live in Miraflores vs. about $1K a month to live in Cuenca. I much prefer Cuenca, even if it is not a large city on the ocean. It' much cleaner here, and much safer as well.

WoW. Anyone see the fireworks from fired the Stadium tonight? There must be an important soccer or concert going on.

Fireworks are pretty routine here, but I haven't seen any that spectacular.

Today's deep thought is a fashion tip:

Many a blogger will tell you to bring a lightweight jacket or sweater. While you definitely need one of those, my preferred year-round supplement is a lightweight, softshell vest weighing 8 ounces or less with a zippered chest pocket for your money clip (recommended model). It is good against wind, sheds water, and rarely needs to be taken off.

Here are two candidates for your wardrobe:

http://www.packinglight.net/woolrich-ve … kj/producthttp://www.rei.com/product/808883/rei-e … -vest-mens

Recognize this guy? He is a candidate for president. I have been seeing him recently in the news and talks shows.


He got robbed last night using a technique they call "secuestro exprés" or Express Kidnapping in English.

As he was exiting from the taxi, two armed guys forced him back in the taxi, sprayed his eyes with pepper spray, forced him to give up his passwords for his credit cards, took his possessions and then later dumped him on the side of the road.

Fortunately he is okay and is back campaigning.

http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/cand … 14311.html

The day after it happened, I had asked a taxi driver if he heard about it. He mentioned he had, but he brushed it off saying he is alive.

Recently two people got stabbed to death and 4 people injured when some guy when nuts at a political rally for the current president.

Here is a photo of the guy raising his knife.

Speaking of voting, now that I have my cedula, am I suppose to vote? I assumed I needed to be a citizen, but I read something recently that cast that in doubt. Maybe one of the peeps can let me know.

My American neighbor got his residency a few years ago and he says he has to vote.  It's obligatory assuming your between 18-65.  I think the fine is like $40 if you don't vote.

I guess I will show up to vote and see what happens.  Maybe I will take a photo of the ballot and share it with the peeps.  Sounds like Correo is going to win easily.

My understating is expats with a minimum of five years of residency can vote.

Someone needs to get to the bottom of things in Cuenca's expat community. Trying to make sense of all the different milk packaging and types has been on my todo list for a while.

Take a look at this photo from this company.



The packagaging for the container in the top left corner is made by a company called Flexiplast while the other two are made by a company called Tetrapak.

While the milk inside the product is the same product, and I get the box is more convient for sitting on the table and costs more, I am curious to know what distinguishes the other two. My guess is the Tetrapak package keeps longer and I am pretty sure it costs more, since I paid a $1.00 for it the other day at Coral. My recollection is I paid around 80 cents for the flexiplast version.

To that end, I sent the following email to the company that makes that brand of milk:

Saludos,
Tengo interés  en sus productos de leche. Favor de decirme cual son las ventajas y desvantajas de los differentes evanses. Y por que es mas común ver los envases de flexiplast ubidcadas en la sección con refrigeración.

Gracias

I will follow-up on this later.

I gave up being on a food critic. I don't eat out enough, plus I like going back to the same places if I find something I like.
So, Sumana is back in charge.

Based on her recent blog post, I decided to try Santorino today.



I had the "executive lunch". You get to pick which main item you want from the menu. I went with the grilled chicken. The food was good, there is nice spacing between tables, it wasn't too busy, I didn't hear any English in the background. So I will go back again. With tax it was $4.46.

That looks delicious!

I really appreciate your posts, Nards.

Like the pics and plentiful descriptions.

Always looking forward to your next post.

Thanks sharing your experiences, Nards.

I have a feeling this comment is going to be HUGE on Cuenca social media: Twitter, Facebook, gmail+ or whatever.  None of which I am on by the way.

Where Federico Malo and Tadeo Torreos intersect, just beyond Parque de la Madre, is the little market Canari.



They are the only store that I have found that consistently sells Fruit bowls in their refrigerated section.  They only cost around 80 cents.

Nards, you are an excellent addition to the expat community of Cuenca. Your willingness to accept the Ecuadorian culture and especially learn the language are to be admired. You are a model that we should all aspire to emulate.

Thanks fdmcg!

I was going to try to vote today, but I went to this website for the Consejo Nacional Electoral, entered my cedula number, and no record exists.

Then I went to the frequently asked question page and read this:

¿Quienes están habilitados para votar?

Todas las ecuatorianas y ecuatorianos comprendidos entre los 18 a los 65 años de edad tienen la obligación de votar.

Para los extranjeros residentes en el Ecuador por más de cinco años, los jóvenes entre 16 y 18 años, los presos sin sentencia condenatoria ejecutoriada y los ecuatorianos residentes en el exterior, su voto es opcional.

So, for resident foreigners, you can vote after 5 years of residence, but it is optional.

Continuing with my exposé on milk,

I was back at Coral the other day fondling the bags of milk.

Much to my delight, there was a new packaging material to caress.

Take a look at the package on the left:



As you can see, it has a metalic finish, and they call it metalPLUS. Just as with the packaging on the right, it is made by the company Flexiplast.

The metal bag of milk costs aboout 5 cents more than the plastic bag. So what do you get for that extra nickel? Let us take a look at the expiration dates on the back of the bags:



The metal bag has a shelf life (unopened) of 3 months:

Elaboration (E): January 17,2013
Expriation  (V): April 17, 2013

While the plastic bag has a shelf live of 2 months:

Elaboration (E): February 2nd, 2013
Expriation (V):  April 2nd, 2013

With respect to these two types of milk packaging, we are looking at a 6 month difference between the elaboration(E) date and the expiration(V) date.

So, you get 3 to 4 months more of unopened shelf life with these containers. You will pay around 20 to 25 cents more than the plastic alternatives.

Now that Correa has consolidated even more power in the congress, it should be an interesting 4 years.

I watched the TV coverage of the elections, and listened to the interviews Correa granted to friendly media.  One of his priorities is the passage of a communications bill that will clamp down on the media.

Did you see that article on Cuenca Highlife about quinoa?

I had never heard of it before coming to Ecuador. I have had it few times eating out, and noticed it being sold in dry form in the section with lentils.

Here is the relevant nutritional info from wikipedia:

Quinoa was of great importance in the diet of pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, quinoa has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (14% by mass), yet not as high as most beans and legumes. Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein.[21][not in citation given][22] Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant.[23][24] Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration human occupied spaceflights.[25]

As for its preparation per Wikipedia:

Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.

Most boxed/packaged quinoa has already been rinsed for convenience, and cooking instructions therefore suggest only a brief rinse before cooking, if at all.[31] If quinoa has not been rinsed, the first step is to remove the saponins, a process that requires rinsing the quinoa in ample running water for several minutes in either a fine strainer or a cheesecloth. Removal of the saponin helps with digestion; the soapy nature of the compound makes it act as a laxative.

One cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups (or less) of water to a boil with one cup of seed, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 10–15 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al dente pasta). As an alternative, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa, treating it just like white rice (for both cooking cycle and water amounts).

Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for water during cooking, adding flavor. It is also suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.

Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food when mixed with, for example, honey, almonds, or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes. Quinoa flour can be used in wheat-free and gluten-free baking.

Personally, I have it couple times a week when I have this mix of oatmeal, quinua and soy:

Today´s deep thought requires a lead-in by another deep thinker, Charles Darwin:

Having crossed the Peuquenes [Piuquenes], we descended into a mountainous country, intermediate between the two main ranges, and then took up our quarters for the night. We were now in the republic of Mendoza. The elevation was probably not under 11,000 feet [...]. At the place where we slept water necessarily boiled, from the diminished pressure of the atmosphere, at a lower temperature than it does in a less lofty country; the case being the converse of that of a Papin's digester. Hence the potatoes, after remaining for some hours in the boiling water, were nearly as hard as ever. The pot was left on the fire all night, and next morning it was boiled again, but yet the potatoes were not cooked.

According to Wikipedia, we are at an elevation of 8,400 feet.

I have noticed the longer cooking times living in Cuenca. Therefore, I decided to buy a pressure cooker.

They have a large selection at Corral, but I only saw aluminum models.  I found a stainless steel unit at SuperMaxi for $69. 

Continuing in my new role as restaurant food consumer,

Back in July of 2012, the food critic Sumana said the following:

Two more hamburger places worth checking out if you’re an aficionado: Tropiburger in Mall del Rio and Millenium Plaza offers burgers and other fast foods (open during Mall hours) and Carbòn y Leña, behind the Bicicross on Remigio Crespo. Go down the side of Bicicross to Julio Matovelle for charcoal-cooked burgers. Opens at 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. $3 and up for a burger and fries.

I like this place and it is in my neighborhood.  It is right where Padre Julio Matovelle and Antonio Tamariz intersect.

Those hours of operation above, however, should reflect a half an hour later.  I wouldn´t go right at opening because otherwise you get a gas-grilled burger instead of one with all the coal and firewood flavor.

The bacon burger combo below cost me $5.50.

My boycott of this website is over for now, until the next arbitrary commment deletion takes place by a moderator.

Did you read the latest post from Cuenca Highlife?

This post offended me for a variety of reasons including the fact

1.) It was a repost from a left wing blog that was dripping with bias.
2.) It was not original content from a Cuenca resident about Cuenca which is increasingly the case with that website.

Now, I sent an email to the editor politely objecting to the post.

Here is the response I received.

Unfortunately, truth tends to come from all parts of the political spectrum, much to the discomfort of ideologues everywhere. It's rewarding to know we hit a nerve.

Here was my reply accompanied with a big LOL!!!

The Truth? I am an ideologue?  LOL!

Look at the biography for this author.

Previously she worked in the Clinton Administration for Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo, at the Democratic National Committee under the late DNC Chair Ron Brown and for former U.S. Congressman and Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy of Mississippi. She serves as the U.S. spokesperson for the Ecuadorians suing Chevron for oil contamination and closely follows issues impacting low-income communities in the U.S. and abroad.

Welcome back,
your insite and contributions were missed. Plus, the action around here slowed considerably!
Stay Well,
Neil

Thanks ZenSpike.  I needed to vent after my exchange with that blogger.

I had considered CuencaHighlife to be a non-partisan, professional source of information for Cuenca expats. Apparently they went through some management change not too long ago, along with GringoTree.com. The current editor seems to be a complete amateur.

Hey!!!!
You know how your eyes are often tricked by your mind?
After all the posts I've read of yours, just today I realized it was Barley.... not Barkley.
It was odd, cuz I thought, oh, he misspelled it today, but realized it was actually your saved name on the forum.
Could you change it to Barkley so I don't continue to confuse myself? < BSEG >

Mug,
I agree. Can kinda picture it in my mind. Handsome devil he must be, eh?

You guys aren´t too far off.

I came up with my nickname while watching Charles Barkley and the singer Gnarls Barkley on a television program. Barley stems from "Barkley" and Nards from "Gnarls". True Story.

I actually thought it had to do with Gnarls. Just seemed so close in sound. And, truth be told, I wasn't sure exactly how Charles and Gnarls came together. Chas was obviously around before Gnarls. I always assumed he chose that moniker to gain recognition from Charles.
Okay, I'm even starting to confuse myself.
Cha Cha
KaNeil Abdul K-Nagle

Are you guys signed up for the mailing list of the Gringo Post?

They must have harvested my email address off a post I had made on the Gringo Tree.

While I like the fact Gringo Tree is able to store the responses to questions now, I sort of miss the old-style mailing list that Gringo Tree used to send out.  The Gringo Post is sort of filling that niche now. Their website is painfully slow to load, however.

No Sir...not untill now. I just followed your link and signed up.
Is this alligned with Gringo Tree? Looked like a different format to me. Anyway, I clicked to get notified.
It seemed to load pretty quickly for me.
Take Care

You frequently see people around town selling what appears to be potato chips in baskets. They announce their wares by shouting "Get your Papas Chifles", more or less.

Anyway, I got back to my buidling and asked the guard "What the hell is a chifle?¨

He said they are "plátanos verdes". So I confirmed that they are selling both potatot chips and fried platanos.

You can read more about the chifle here.

I got the potato chips last year. The gal in my hotel ( Ecuadorian) told me to pay no more than a dollar. So, as I was relaying that information to my wife, and passer by told us to pay 50 cents. I then relayed that to the gal from the hotel, who's family owns it, and she was upset she had been paying too much! Welcome to Gringo Land. So, it would seem that it's not only Gringo's they up charge, it's just basically people they think can afford to pay more.
What I do find kinda cool is that many folks will step in and try to lend a hand, like this passer by on the street. ( he was Ecuadorian also )

You know you Spanish is bad when a car stops to ask you for directions to the Mall del Rio, while you are walking to the Mall del Rio, and after giving directions to the older gentleman in the passenger, the young woman driving the car is laughing out-loud as the car pulls way from the curb.

I give myself an A for effort, however.