There are some very different ways that bringing in the new year is celebrated around the world; Ecuador is no different.
In the US, they watch the ball drop; in Scotland, a man walks in the new year with a lump of coal. What most of the celebrations have in common is that they show off with pyrotechnics.
In Ecuador, they use pyrotechnics and more. The use of rag dolls stuffed with pyrotechnics and in some cases rock salt (large chunks of it), as it adds to the noise when the effigy is stamped on and burned.
They start to make these effigies around Christmas; many families make them, but you can also buy one on the roadside.
In Ecuador, the use of pyrotechnics is in common use for just about any excuse for a party or a fiesta. There are a few things here that I have not seen or heard about before, like the wearing of different colored underwear, yellow for money, pink for love, for example. At the stroke of midnight, if you are wanting to travel, you would pick up a suitcase and walk around your house. The eating of 12 grapes at midnight is to give you 12 months of good luck. When they burn the rag dolls, I am told that they place inside the doll lumps of rock salt, so it will explode when on the fire. Walking down the malecon, I was interested to note that the crowd was a very jolly one and we did not see any rowdy or drunken behavior. There were families who had brought chairs and tables and set them down in the middle of the road, piles of rag dolls were waiting to be set on fire, vendors selling their wares, and music coming from every corner of the malecon. Enjoy the images I was able to take and some video, also.
This Month
January 4, 1790 - President George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address.
January 4, 1974 - President Richard Nixon rejected subpoenas from the Senate Watergate Committee seeking audio tapes and related documents.
Birthday - Louis Braille (1809-1852) was born in France. Blinded as a boy, he later invented a reading system for the blind using punch marks in paper.
Birthday - Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) was born in New York. She became the first American Catholic Saint in 1975.
It was a beautiful day to start out with. A group of expats and I all met at Hostal Aqui to help load the presents into the cars, vans, and trucks to take up to the Olon Orphanage and help make Christmas a little brighter for these special children. Unfortunately, Jodie could not make it since she caught a nasty cold and did not want to spread the germs to others.
So, after we finished loading the gifts, we left in caravan-style for the orphanage. When we arrived there, we helped unload the presents and placed them on a number of tables under a canopy. Some of the children were already seated under another canopy, waiting in anticipation. Others were greeting us with kisses and hugs. There was also another canopy under which were seats for the expats. Thank goodness for the canopies, because outside, that sun was hot!
The program started out with Isabelle, who runs the orphanage, introduce the children as a group to the expats, and explain what was about to take place. A group of 5 children came out, and did a dance with what looked like tambourines. Then there were more children dressed in costumes and reenacting the first Christmas with Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, shepherds, the 3 Wise Men, and an angel. Very well done!
Then came the time for the presents to be given out. Marcia, one of the group that came from Salinas, agreed to give out the presents since she is an Ecuadorean and knows Spanish better than the rest of us. She was excellent and very good with the children, as this was not an easy task because it took a while to make sure that all the children received a gift. She allowed them to say “thank you” and a few words after they received their presents. Some of these children had been abandoned and abused prior to their coming to the orphanage. I am sure they all had their individual stories of how they arrived at the orphanage, but I also know that they were all glad to be there and to be well-treated, fed and clothed. All of them were precious as they came up to Marcia to receive their gift and say ‘thank you’ and then run back to their seats to eagerly open their presents. Two of the little boys who both received toy trucks, were very happy pushing their trucks in between all the children coming up to receive their gifts. One of the young girls, about 9 or 10 years old, was so excited with her new T shirt that she took off her own shirt in public and put on the new tee shirt. They were all adorable! Many of the expats had cameras, so a lot of pictures were taken. I believe that the expats had as much fun watching the children opening their gifts as the children did finding out what gifts they got. When the gift giving was finished, some of the children offered the expats some beverages. Then it was time to say “goodbye” and the children hugged and kissed us in gratitude.
The expat community has integrated well into the local community and is providing worthwhile support to local organizations and this was one of the opportunities to promote social integration of the expat community. Hopefully 2013 will be an even better year for all !
When the Dalai Lama said that we were "a charitywhere deeds speak louder than words" doubtless he knew there are lots of ways to choose a particular charity (for example through which tosponsor a child). Some people choose charities based on the charity's presence giving opinions on the news, the charity's TV or newspaper adverts or the mail the charity sends. These people aren't wrong, but we are not that kind of charity; we build families not headlines. We get on with giving the least fortunate of children a chance of a proper family life. People find us and it is by our deeds that we think they should judge us.
Partly, our approach is needed dealing with orphans: orphans require longer term help and generally local government has at least legal responsibility for them. We have to co-operate, not condemn, and this method has allowed us to continue to do critical work in places like Zimbabwe where others have had to leave. There is no point being outspoken and thrown out when children depend on you being there. And of course the upside of not having a lot of "words" is that we do well when you compare charity costs. Most of our supporters come to us online or by word of mouth, and because donors tend to find us we do not have to pay a lot to find donors.
This Month
January 3, 1777 - During the American Revolution, General George Washington defeated the British at Princeton and drove them back toward New Brunswick. Washington then established winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey. During the long harsh winter, Washington's army shrank to about a thousand men as enlistments expired and deserters fled.
January 3, 1924 - British Egyptologist Howard Carter found the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor after several years of searching.
January 3, 1946 - An Englishman known during World War II as "Lord Haw Haw" (William Joyce) was hanged for treason in London. Joyce had broadcast Nazi propaganda via radio from Germany to Britain during the war.
January 3, 1959 - Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state with a land mass almost one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states together.
January 3, 1961 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba two years after Communist dictator Fidel Castro had seized power and just weeks before John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the next president.
January 3, 1990 - Manuel Noriega, the deposed leader of Panama, surrendered to American authorities on charges of drug trafficking after spending 10 days hiding in the Vatican embassy following the U.S. invasion of Panama.
January 3, 1993 - President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the Start-II (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) Treaty, eliminating about two-thirds of each country's long range nuclear weapons.
Over the last week, we have seen an increase in activity on the base, and the Navy, Army, and Air Force have been engaged in war games.
Fighter planes and helicopters overhead, ships and submarines off the coast.
The marines are practicing beach landings with fighter and helicopter support.
We were told that there was to be a beach landing in the morning around 10.00, so we got our stuff together and made our way to Chipipe beach where the exercise was to take place. When we arrived, we found that the beach had been cleared and the tide was out. The sky was clear, and in the distance we saw ships approaching the coast. As they got closer, we were able to make out that there were three ships.
They looked like they were heading straight for the coast line where we were standing, but about a mile out they turned to starboard and headed towards the base. At this point, we had a good clear view of the broadside of the ships; two of them had helicopters on the stern. Then their guns began to fire. We could see the smoke and what seemed like a minute later, we heard the noise of the guns. Smoke was rising from the area where the base is and we could hear small arms fire. At this point, we were being strafed by fighter jets at very low altitude. I was not able to make out what type of planes they were, but very low and very fast.
Helicopters were now approaching the base, hugging the coast line and flying below radar. From our right, we could see small crafts coming towards us at high speed. If they came from a ship, we could not tell as they just appeared. These small craft came right up to the water's edge and men in uniform jumped out, waded on to the beach and took up defensive positions. They were supported by helicopters; the small crafts left the area and the men on the beach moved to the malecon, where they halted and then returned to the beach where the small crafts had returned to pick them up. Then the beach went back to being a place of enjoyment. This whole scenario lasted about an hour. It was interesting to see and hear.
Bringing home the fish
The above video was taken while I was walking the dogs along the beach. I do not normally see this because the tides come back usually earlier.
This was the last boat to come back as all the other boats were parked up below the Malecon. So I was lucky to see this, and to further push my luck, I had my small camera with me.
By the time I had gotten my camera out, the boat had pulled aboard the remaining nets and was at the water's edge.
To see this was like looking at a page in a history book. Using basic mechanics and man power, the crew of three were joined by three members of the family, and among them, they began a well- rehearsed choreography of "let's get the boat out of the water, the nets emptied, and sell our bounty".
This is a process that goes on every day of the year. The video I have sped up because the process in real time would take too long. I do not think that people would sit and watch it in that form.
The New Year's Celebration here in Salinas
As we get closer to the new year, the streets are getting more crowded and the hostels and hotels are getting booked up.
On the eve of New Year's, the malecon is closed to vehicle traffic, as the number of people trying to get to the beach swells.
One of the traditions here is that they make paper mache figures, fill them with fireworks, and set them on fire on the beach. As you walk or drive around, you will see them on the side of the road for sale and you can see them in people's homes, which they have made themselves.
The whole of the malecon will become a place where, if you can find a place with a good vantage point and stay there, you will get a very good show. Last year, there were estimates of 40,000 people on the malecon. With the population of Salinas only being 35,000, you can see that it will be a bit crushed.
The video was taken while driving back from La Libertad. You can see these all over the place.
This Month
January 1
New Year's Day - The most celebrated holiday around the world.
January 1, 1502 - Portuguese explorers landed at Guanabara Bay on the coast of South America and named it Rio de Janeiro (River of January). Rio de Janeiro is currently Brazil's second largest city.
January 1, 1660 - Samuel Pepys began his famous diary in which he chronicled life in London including the Great Plague of 1664-65 and the Great Fire of 1666.
January 1, 1776 - During the American Revolution, George Washington unveiled the Grand Union Flag, the first national flag in America.
January 1, 1801 - Ireland was added to Great Britain by an Act of Union thus creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
January 1, 1863 - The Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in the states rebelling against the Union.
January 1, 1877 - Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.
January 1, 1892 - Ellis Island in New York Harbor opened. Over 20 million new arrivals to America were processed until its closing in 1954.
January 1, 1901 - The Commonwealth of Australia was founded as six former British colonies became six states with Edmund Barton as the first prime minister.
January 1, 1915 - During World War I, the British Battleship Formidable was hit by a torpedo in the English Channel, killing 547 crewmen.
January 1, 1942 - Twenty six countries signed the Declaration of the United Nations, in Washington, D.C., reaffirming their opposition to the Axis powers and confirming that no single nation would make a separate peace.
January 1, 1958 - The EEC (European Economic Community) known as the Common Market was formed by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and The Netherlands in order to remove trade barriers and coordinate trade policies.
January 1, 1959 - Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba after leading a revolution that drove out Dictator Fulgencio Batista. Castro then established a Communist dictatorship.
January 1, 1973 - Britain, Ireland and Denmark became members of the Common Market (EEC).
January 1, 1975 - During the Watergate scandal, former top aides to President Nixon including former Attorney General John Mitchell, Domestic Affairs Advisor John Ehrlichman and Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, were found guilty of obstruction of justice.
January 1, 1979 - China and the U.S. established diplomatic relations, 30 years after the foundation of the People's Republic.
January 1, 1993 - Czechoslovakia broke into separate Czech and Slovak republics.
January 1, 1999 - Eleven European nations began using a new single European currency, the Euro, for electronic financial and business transactions. Participating countries included; Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Birthday - American Patriot Paul Revere (1735-1818) was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Best known for his ride on the night of April 18, 1775, warning Americans of British plans to raid Lexington and Concord.
Birthday - Betsy Ross (1752-1836) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a seamstress credited with helping to originate and sew the Stars and Stripes flag of America in 1776.
When my brother and sister visited us in November, our friend Randy in Santa Elena graciously offered to drive us to Montanita. So, we left about 10:30a, and stopped at the small town that makes the Panama hats, Simon Bolivar. We took some pictures of a beautiful Church there from both the inside and the outside. My sister, Randy and I then found Panama hats to fit us, but my brother and Jodie did not find hats in their sizes. We then continued on to Montanita. Well, the last time Jodie and I had been to Montanita was last December, almost a year ago.
There has been a lot of new construction in Montanita, getting ready for the high season. Montanita has a bohemian character all its own, with its small shops, welcoming restaurants , and the very casual attitude and dress of the locals. It was fun to explore the shops to find unusual gifts and lunch at the Tiki Restaurante there was yummy! The weather was very pleasant, but cloudy, and the walk on the beach was invigorating.
On the way home, we stopped off at the small town of San Pablo, and went into the San Pablo Artist’s Cooperative, where they had many crafts done by local artists. We bought some of the small crafts, a hummingbird ornament, a butterfly, and a dolphin.
This month
December 28
December 28, 1832 - John C. Calhoun became the first American ever to resign the office of vice president. He served under Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson and resigned after a series of political disagreements with President Jackson. He went on to become a U.S. Senator from South Carolina.
December 28, 1947 - Victor Emmanuel III, the last King of Italy, died while in exile in Alexandria, Egypt. He had become king upon the assassination of his father in 1900. Following World War I, he named Benito Mussolini to form a cabinet and then failed to prevent Mussolini's Fascists from seizing power. In 1946, he abdicated and went into exile.
Birthday - Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) the 28th U.S. President was born in Staunton, Virginia (as Thomas Woodrow Wilson). He served two terms from 1912 through 1921. Best remembered for stating, "The world must be made safe for democracy," while asking Congress for a declaration of war against Germany in 1917. Following the death of his first, he married Edith Bolling Galt in 1915. He had suffered a paralytic stroke in 1919 and never regained his health, leading to speculation that his wife was actually running the White House during his illness.
December 29
December 29, 1170 - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by four knights acting on orders from England's King Henry II.
December 29, 1890 - Members of the U.S. 7th Cavalry massacred more than 200 Native American (Sioux) men, women and children at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota.
December 29-30, 1916 - In the waning days of the Romanov dynasty, Russian 'monk' Rasputin (Grigory Yefimovich Novykh) was assassinated. A group of conspirators had lured him to a private home then poisoned and shot him, although he did not die. They then tied him up and threw him into the Neva River, in which he drowned. Rasputin had gained enormous influence with Russian Emperor Nicholas II and the Empress Alexandra, claiming Divine inspiration and the ability to perform miracles, especially in helping young Nicky, the Czar's son who was a hemophiliac. He also urged severe measures in dealing with the peasant masses and for a time had virtually dictated government policy.
December 29, 1940 - During the Blitz, German aircraft dropped thousands of incendiary bombs on the center of London, causing the worst fire damage since the great fire of 1666. St. Paul's Cathedral survived but eight other Wren churches along with the Guildhall and Old Bailey were badly damaged.
December 29, 1965 - During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh rejected unconditional peace talks offered by the U.S.
December 29, 1989 - Playwright and human rights activist Vaclav Havel was sworn in as president of Czechoslovakia. He had formerly been denounced by Czech Communists as an enemy of the state and had spent five years in jail for his beliefs.
Birthday - Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) the 17th U.S. President was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was Abraham Lincoln's vice president and became President upon Lincoln's assassination in 1865. He went on to become the first President impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted in the Senate by a single vote. He later served briefly as a Senator from Tennessee until his death on July 31, 1875.
Birthday - Cellist Pablo Casals (1876-1973) was born in Venrdell, Spain. He was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th Century whose superb ability in playing the cello set new performance standards.
Last minute shopping for the Jones family. You know the Jones family; they are the ones that have the restaurant called Big Ralph's.
So they went out to Supermaxi for some items to get them through this busy time over the Christmas period. As Ralph entered the store, he found it oddly empty, but he went on to make his purchase and get back to the restaurant so he could get on with the preparations for the Christmas Lunch/Dinner on Christmas Day.
In the aisle in front of Ralph was a lone figure which he thought he recognized. As he got closer to the man, it turned out to be the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa.
With few, if any security guards around, Ralph was introduced to the President by Ralph's wife Andrea, in Spanish. The President shook Ralph's hand and they spoke for a short time. At the end of the conversation, the President concluded it by saying, " I thank you for investing in my country".
So it pays to shop late; you never know who you will meet.
December 25th - Christmas Day, commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Although the exact date of his birth is not known, it has been celebrated on December 25th by the Western (Roman Catholic) Church since 336 A.D.
December 25, 1066 - William the Conqueror was crowned King of England after he had invaded England from France, defeated and killed King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, then marched on London.
December 25, 1776 - During the American Revolution, George Washington took 2,400 of his men across the Delaware River. Washington then conducted a surprise raid on 1,500 British-Hessians (German mercenaries) at Trenton, New Jersey. The Hessians surrendered after an hour with nearly 1,000 taken prisoner by Washington who suffered only six wounded (including future president Lt. James Monroe). The victory provided a much needed boost to American morale.
December 25, 1868 - President Andrew Johnson granted general amnesty to all those involved in the Civil War.
December 25, 1926 - Hirohito became Emperor of Japan.
December 25, 1989 - In Romania, a television broadcast of a Christmas symphony was interrupted with the announcement that Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife had been executed following a popular uprising. A pro-democracy coalition then took control. Ceausescu, a hard-line Communist, had been ousted from power after ordering his black-shirted state police to suppress a disturbance in the town of Timisorara, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 4,500 persons.
Birthday - Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He was a mathematician, scientist and author, best known for his work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica on the theory of gravitation. He died in London and was the first scientist to be honored with burial in Westminster Abbey.
Birthday - American nurse and philanthropist Clara Barton (1821-1912) was born in Oxford, Massachusetts. She served as a nurse during the Civil War and in 1881 founded the American Red Cross.
Birthday - The founder of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1876-1948) was born in Karachi.
Birthday - Film actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) was born in New York City. Best known forThe African Queen, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and To Have and Have Not.
Salinas does not have its cultural arts base set in the performing arts, so when we were approached with an opportunity to not only see this production but support a worthy cause, we jumped at the chance.
The ticket price was set at $5.00 and it was to be shown at the SalinasYacht Club. Yet another bonus- until now we have not been to the yacht club, so we took this opportunity to take a look around.
Running late, we jumped into a taxi that let us off at the gate to the yacht club, where we were to meet another couple that had asked us to purchase tickets.
We made our way from the gate to the building where the musical was to be shown. This play was being performed by adults with disabilities such as Downs Syndrome, so the first thing I noticed was that the play was being shown on a floor of the building that can only be accessed by stairs. As some of our friends have physical difficulties, we thought that this was not the best idea.
A small stage was set up in an area that is used for dancing; the stage was raised, which helped the audience see better. They had speakers on both sides and lighting for the stage. The performance was produced by Fundacion Gabriel.
There was ample seating and the crowd was from all parts of the community, old and young.
The speeches and performance were in Spanish. I doubt that there are many from my generation that have not read or have not seen this production. The fact that it was in Spanish did not detract from the performance.
The opening performance was a two man skit called Rompi la Dieta. This piece to me followed the line of mime and turned out to be quite funny.
We then moved on to the main event, and with the aid of narration, the play began. With the exception of the narrator, the spoken word was recorded and the players were to mime the parts.
It worked well and took the risk of forgetting the lines out of the picture.
A lot of effort was put into the parts played by the individuals. Their costumes were bright and fun.
As the play unfolded and the characters entered the stage, their colorful attire and the sound track melded into a nice performance.
The crowd seemed quite taken with the performance and were making noises that indicated appreciation.
From this point, I have included a number of images that show the performers and their colorful costumes in various parts of the play. At the end, I have put together a slide show of most of the images I was able to take and set them to music. I hope that you enjoy the play as much as I did.
This month
December 15, 1791 - The Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution) became effective following ratification by Virginia.
December 15, 1840 - Napoleon was buried in Les Invalides in Paris. He had died in exile on the island of Saint Helena after his fall from power.
December 15, 1890 - Sioux leader Sitting Bull (native name Tatanka-yatanka) was killed in a skirmish with U.S. soldiers along the Grand River in South Dakota as his warriors tried to prevent his arrest.
December 15, 1939 - Gone With the Wind had its world premiere in Atlanta, introduced by producer David O. Selznick and featuring appearances by Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
December 15, 1943 - The Battle of San Pietro took place during World War II as a German panzer battalion devastated American forces trying to take the 700-year-old Italian village. Hollywood director John Huston, serving as an army lieutenant, filmed the battle and left behind a graphic account.
December 15, 1961 - Nazi SS-Colonel Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death in Jerusalem for his role in the Holocaust. Eichmann had organized the deportation of Jews from all over occupied Europe to Nazi death camps.
December 15, 1964 - Canada adopted a new national flag featuring a red maple leaf on a white background.
December 15, 1989 - The dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet ended in Chile. Pinochet had come to power in 1973 after a military overthrow of the democratically elected government.
December 15, 1993 - The GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) Treaty was approved by delegations from 117 countries. The treaty was designed to reduce international tariffs, eliminate trade quotas, and protect intellectual property.
December 15, 1995 - European Union leaders announced their new currency would be known as the Euro.
Birthday - French engineer Alexandre Eiffel (1832-1923) was born in Dijon, France. He designed the Eiffel Tower for the Paris International Exposition of 1889. He also helped design the Statue of Liberty.
Just a short bus ride away is a world which many of the visitors to Salinas never get to see. It is not considered the place to be or is it a place where expats would consider living.
More is the pity that it is not on the agenda for a visit because you are in the heart of the community that has served this area for a very long time, and will continue to do so.
This area is predominantly occupied by men in the morning, men bringing home their bounty to sell so they can get drunk, feed their families, and go out again the next day and do it all over again. As I walked down the narrow street, loud music filled the air as did the smell of diesel. Men sat on a low wall on one side, and men drinking and falling down drunk on the other side. The street was filled with small trucks and taxis slowly making their way down towards the shore where boats have landed their catch. The sand is littered with birds, people, and fish and is tinted red with the blood from the fish. The noise level is high as the men are shouting out what they have and want to sell. Small fish, big fish, and fish that I have never seen before are on the sand, in the boats, and held up by the men for sale.
In some of the boats the fish are still alive. It was strange; as I walked around, the attention was momentarily diverted from the fish and I became the focus. Once the novelty wore off and the need to sell their bounty was their goal, life went back to its daily routine.
As I got off the bus and walked, this was the view from the street.
Small trucks, loading fish
This one is waiting to be weighed
The scramble to sell their catch
Head off and on to the scale
Men and boats with their catch
Just arrived
Mind your head
Dinner tonight
They are looking for a quick meal
Everyone gets fed here.
While there, I was able to take well over 200 images, but I am not going to place all of them here. I have distilled it down to these few that I feel conveys what I saw and felt. It was breathtaking for me to feel that energy. This month If you have not read Thomas Carlyle, then you should. His acclaimed three volume publication named "The French Revolution", was a turning point in writing for its time. As he often wrote in the present tense, it was this style that attracted Charles Dickens to use this book as an influence in writing the novel, "The Tale of Two Cities". Thomas Carlyle, a great Scottish author, born this month in 1795.
