On one 15-minute bus ride last week, four different vendors got on the bus.
I like to divide these characters into two categories.
You have someone who comes on with a product and sells without explaining why they need you to buy the product. These ones typically sell fruit or biscuits.
The other class of vendors are the ones that get on the bus, get everyone's attention, and explain that this is how they try to make an honest living. These guys normally sell candy, DVDs, inspirational cards, or — most likely — fear that if you don't give them money they will turn to a life of petty crime.
On my bus ride last week, I had four of the latter variety.
The first guy got on the bus, was a little disheveled, and looked like he might not have been sober. He gave a shpiel about how he is just trying to make an honest living to get bread for his family. Then he walked up and down the aisle, giving out inspirational cards to all the passengers. After giving them us a moment to look at the cards, he walks up and the aisle again, asking people for their collaboration. Other passengers on the bus got a pictures of Jesus with some religious message. I got a picture of an adorable kitten. A bunch of other people on the bus paid 25 cents for their piece of paper. I don't normally support the vendors to begin with and didn't really see any utility in a pocket-sized picture of a kitten.
After this vendor completed his rounds and got off the bus, another one took over. This one was a loud guy with an obvious coastal accent. Instead of selling any specific product, he went with a sob story about how he was mugged and didn't have any money. He also said that at some point in the past he was shot four times in the stomach. He lifted up his shirt to "show" but then covered his stomach up before anyone could notice whether or not he was lying. He went up and down the aisle collecting contributions before getting off the bus.
Another vendor immediately got on. This one was talking about how by selling Christmas CDs to put bread on his family's table. He repeated the same routine as the previous two, except that most people had exhausted their loose change at this point and didn't have much to contribute.
Another guy got on the bus selling little candies, but I had to get off before he finished his routine.
Neither of these vendors were particularly extraordinary. The volume of vendors in such a short ride — it was only a mile and half make excrutiatingly long by Quito's rush hour traffic — and the contrast in sales pitches (cute kitten followed by bullet wounds) made this a blog-worthy experience.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Caption Contest
Insert your caption in the comments. You can also put your prize suggestions in the comments, as well.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Every bike ride is an adventure
As mentioned in previous posts, the city of Quito shuts down one of its main streets every Sunday morning, opening it to bikers, skaters, and walkers. The Ciclopaseo, as it is known, stretches the entire length of the city, nearly 20 miles long.
My parents like bike riding, so I figured they'd enjoy this innovative initiative. Last week, I rented a bike from a place right near my house. I showed up, paid for the two hours I planned on riding, dropped off my ID, and was on my way. The bike worked great. It was surprisingly hassle-free.
I don't know why I would have expected it to be so smooth two weeks in a row.
We showed up at the same booth where I rented bikes last week. They told us that you can't rent bikes there. The place to rent bikes is a mile and a half down the road. I tried to explain what happened last week, but my arguing this was futile.
My dad and I decided to jog to the other bike rental place while my mom waited for Sarah. (The city of Quito is situated about 2,800 meters above sea level, and my parents are not adjusted to the altitude. But I was very impressed with how my parents handled the thin air.) After a few walking breaks, we showed up to the other bike rental place.
Obviously, the employees were busy putting up a giant inflatable balloon and made us wait for 15 minutes before the could attend to us, at which point they told us there were no bikes to rent this week. I told them that they should do a much better job of customer service and communicating between their employees. Once again, it was pointless trying to explain this to them. At this point, my mom and Sarah showed up.
There was another place to rent bikes where we started our adventure that didn't open until 9:00. By then, it was open. Sarah and I ran to that bike store, rented the bikes, and met up with my parents. We were just about ready to go, right? Well, not quite.
I'm a bit taller than your average Ecuadorian, so I had to raise the seat. I borrowed a wrench and got the seat up. But when I tried to screw the bolt back on, it wouldn't tighten. The grooves on the screw had been stripped. We went to another bike store and bought a quick release screw so that whoever had to use this bike after me would have an easy time lowering the seat. (It cost about a dollar) My dad had little trouble adjusting his seat.
Finally, we were off. For the next hour, we had a lovely ride through the historic center of Quito.
Every time I ride my bike, I am amazed at this wall of laundry. I would really like to learn more about their system. I assume they use pullies, but I'd really like to know the details.
In honor of the festivals of Quito, they municipality hosted a "best facade in Quito" contest. I don't think this one won, but I thought it was pretty nice.
My parents normally ride a tandem bike and were quite impressed by this one.
As we headed back to my apartment, the back wheel on my dad's bike popped. We took it to a "mechanic" to check it out. After a ten-minute wait, we realized that the same tube had been patched at least eight times. We found the hole in the tube and realized there was no point in trying to patch this one up. Since there aren't too many bike shops in the colonial center of Quito, my dad decided to call it a day. We started thinking of ways to try and get the bike back to the bike shop.
The solution we arrived at was that my mom, dad, and Sarah would send my dad and bike in a taxi to the bike shop. I would ride ahead and meet him there.
So they walked down to pick up a cab and put the bike in the trunk, which meant it wouldn't close very well. The driver didn't have any rope to secure the bike with, so he took his shoelaces out of his shoes and tie the bike down.
Somehow, it worked. My dad and the bike showed up at the shop a few minutes after me. We dropped off the bike and didn't even have to pay for them to fix the tube. We figured they would just put another patch on it. It's probably something they do every week.
My mom and Sarah rolled in a few minutes later, which ended this week's bike ride. As my parents like to say "every bike ride is an adventure."
I can't wait to see what happens next week.
My parents like bike riding, so I figured they'd enjoy this innovative initiative. Last week, I rented a bike from a place right near my house. I showed up, paid for the two hours I planned on riding, dropped off my ID, and was on my way. The bike worked great. It was surprisingly hassle-free.
I don't know why I would have expected it to be so smooth two weeks in a row.
We showed up at the same booth where I rented bikes last week. They told us that you can't rent bikes there. The place to rent bikes is a mile and a half down the road. I tried to explain what happened last week, but my arguing this was futile.
My dad and I decided to jog to the other bike rental place while my mom waited for Sarah. (The city of Quito is situated about 2,800 meters above sea level, and my parents are not adjusted to the altitude. But I was very impressed with how my parents handled the thin air.) After a few walking breaks, we showed up to the other bike rental place.
Obviously, the employees were busy putting up a giant inflatable balloon and made us wait for 15 minutes before the could attend to us, at which point they told us there were no bikes to rent this week. I told them that they should do a much better job of customer service and communicating between their employees. Once again, it was pointless trying to explain this to them. At this point, my mom and Sarah showed up.
There was another place to rent bikes where we started our adventure that didn't open until 9:00. By then, it was open. Sarah and I ran to that bike store, rented the bikes, and met up with my parents. We were just about ready to go, right? Well, not quite.
I'm a bit taller than your average Ecuadorian, so I had to raise the seat. I borrowed a wrench and got the seat up. But when I tried to screw the bolt back on, it wouldn't tighten. The grooves on the screw had been stripped. We went to another bike store and bought a quick release screw so that whoever had to use this bike after me would have an easy time lowering the seat. (It cost about a dollar) My dad had little trouble adjusting his seat.
Finally, we were off. For the next hour, we had a lovely ride through the historic center of Quito.
Every time I ride my bike, I am amazed at this wall of laundry. I would really like to learn more about their system. I assume they use pullies, but I'd really like to know the details.
In honor of the festivals of Quito, they municipality hosted a "best facade in Quito" contest. I don't think this one won, but I thought it was pretty nice.
My parents normally ride a tandem bike and were quite impressed by this one.
As we headed back to my apartment, the back wheel on my dad's bike popped. We took it to a "mechanic" to check it out. After a ten-minute wait, we realized that the same tube had been patched at least eight times. We found the hole in the tube and realized there was no point in trying to patch this one up. Since there aren't too many bike shops in the colonial center of Quito, my dad decided to call it a day. We started thinking of ways to try and get the bike back to the bike shop.
The solution we arrived at was that my mom, dad, and Sarah would send my dad and bike in a taxi to the bike shop. I would ride ahead and meet him there.
So they walked down to pick up a cab and put the bike in the trunk, which meant it wouldn't close very well. The driver didn't have any rope to secure the bike with, so he took his shoelaces out of his shoes and tie the bike down.
Somehow, it worked. My dad and the bike showed up at the shop a few minutes after me. We dropped off the bike and didn't even have to pay for them to fix the tube. We figured they would just put another patch on it. It's probably something they do every week.
My mom and Sarah rolled in a few minutes later, which ended this week's bike ride. As my parents like to say "every bike ride is an adventure."
I can't wait to see what happens next week.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Has my dad met his match?
If you know my dad, you know how he can give a great, impromptu heart-felt speech to put the proper perspective on any occasion.
If you know Cesareo, you know how he can give a great, impromptu heart-felt speech to put the proper perspective on any occasion.
On Friday night, these two giants of on-the-spot oration squared off in what could only be described as an epic duel. Consider it Freestyle Friday at the Shabbat dinner table.
As soon as I finished recited motzi (the blessing over the bread), Ceseareo asked for the floor and delivered this speech about special it is to spend Shabbat with me and my family and how it is something new for him. It brought the house down. If you have ever seen the AND1 Mix Tape tour, this would be the equivalent of the crossover that causes the crowd to rush the floor and end the game.
Not to pass up the opportunity, my dad asked for the floor and talked about how great it is to spend Shabbat dinner with me and my friends. The crowd had already rush the court on the previous speech, so I guess they would have just stayed there and celebrated for a while after this one, relishing the special moment that these two giants of off-the-cuff inspirational commentaries just put in perspective.
Since we didn't have an actual floor to rush, we just decided to continue eating the massive quantities of food we prepared.
They went back and forth once more during the meal, but my food coma was too advanced at that point for me to get up and film anything.
A big thanks to my roommates did a great job of translating and making sure that everyone understood.
If you know Cesareo, you know how he can give a great, impromptu heart-felt speech to put the proper perspective on any occasion.
On Friday night, these two giants of on-the-spot oration squared off in what could only be described as an epic duel. Consider it Freestyle Friday at the Shabbat dinner table.
As soon as I finished recited motzi (the blessing over the bread), Ceseareo asked for the floor and delivered this speech about special it is to spend Shabbat with me and my family and how it is something new for him. It brought the house down. If you have ever seen the AND1 Mix Tape tour, this would be the equivalent of the crossover that causes the crowd to rush the floor and end the game.
Not to pass up the opportunity, my dad asked for the floor and talked about how great it is to spend Shabbat dinner with me and my friends. The crowd had already rush the court on the previous speech, so I guess they would have just stayed there and celebrated for a while after this one, relishing the special moment that these two giants of off-the-cuff inspirational commentaries just put in perspective.
Since we didn't have an actual floor to rush, we just decided to continue eating the massive quantities of food we prepared.
They went back and forth once more during the meal, but my food coma was too advanced at that point for me to get up and film anything.
A big thanks to my roommates did a great job of translating and making sure that everyone understood.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Shabbat dinner with my parents
Friday night we had a very special Shabbat dinner in Quito.
As many of you know, Shabbat dinner is my favorite time of the week. The work week is over, and you can gather with friends and family to enjoy great food and conversation, which is exactly what happened last Friday.
This is the speech I give every Friday night when there is a new guest at the Shabbat dinner table to explain the significance of the occasion. This week's guest was Mike's host dad from the jungle, Cesareo. I was really happy to be able to share a Shabbat dinner with Cesareo.
A rough translation of this speech is that Friday night is dinner has been very special for me my entire life. I have continued this tradition in Ecuador. Welcome. I'm going to say some blessings in Hebrew over the candles, wine, and bread. Then, we'll eat.
After dinner, there is typically a folk concert in the living room.
Stay tuned for videos of dueling speeches between my dad and Cesaero.
As many of you know, Shabbat dinner is my favorite time of the week. The work week is over, and you can gather with friends and family to enjoy great food and conversation, which is exactly what happened last Friday.
This is the speech I give every Friday night when there is a new guest at the Shabbat dinner table to explain the significance of the occasion. This week's guest was Mike's host dad from the jungle, Cesareo. I was really happy to be able to share a Shabbat dinner with Cesareo.
A rough translation of this speech is that Friday night is dinner has been very special for me my entire life. I have continued this tradition in Ecuador. Welcome. I'm going to say some blessings in Hebrew over the candles, wine, and bread. Then, we'll eat.
After dinner, there is typically a folk concert in the living room.
Stay tuned for videos of dueling speeches between my dad and Cesaero.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Parents in Quito
I haven't posted a blog in a while, and my parents got worried. So they decided they needed to come down and check things out themselves.
They got here on Thursday and have been checking out different aspects of my life in Quito.
On Friday morning, there was a work day in the garden at the Peace Corps office. My parents were happy to lend a helping hand (or four). Here my mom is hauling some dead zucchini plants to the worm composting bins.
After harvesting all the zucchini plants, we decided to plant new crops. My dad put compost in each hole so the young plants would get enough nutrients.
We went to the Pre-Colombian Art Museum in the historic center of Quito (highly recommended if you get a chance) and noticed that the Block M might have its roots in ancient Ecuadorian culture. (Maize is also an indigenous plant to the region. Coincidence?)
My parent's visit also coincides with the fiestas of Quito, where people celebrate the anniversary of the city's founding. One popular way to mark this occasion is to rent the Ecuadorian version of a party bus, or a chiva. To make a chiva, put a flatbed on a pre-1960 bus, paint it with bright colors, get rid of the windows, add some wooden benches, connect some massive speakers, and buy some booze.
Every Sunday morning, they shut down one of the main avenues in Quito to motorized traffic for bikers, rollerbladers, and runners. My parents have lots of experience with tandem bicycles, but they have not seen one like this before. My mom often worries that she is not pulling her weight on the back of the tandem, but I guarantee she does more than this woman.
They got here on Thursday and have been checking out different aspects of my life in Quito.
On Friday morning, there was a work day in the garden at the Peace Corps office. My parents were happy to lend a helping hand (or four). Here my mom is hauling some dead zucchini plants to the worm composting bins.
After harvesting all the zucchini plants, we decided to plant new crops. My dad put compost in each hole so the young plants would get enough nutrients.
We went to the Pre-Colombian Art Museum in the historic center of Quito (highly recommended if you get a chance) and noticed that the Block M might have its roots in ancient Ecuadorian culture. (Maize is also an indigenous plant to the region. Coincidence?)
My parent's visit also coincides with the fiestas of Quito, where people celebrate the anniversary of the city's founding. One popular way to mark this occasion is to rent the Ecuadorian version of a party bus, or a chiva. To make a chiva, put a flatbed on a pre-1960 bus, paint it with bright colors, get rid of the windows, add some wooden benches, connect some massive speakers, and buy some booze.
Every Sunday morning, they shut down one of the main avenues in Quito to motorized traffic for bikers, rollerbladers, and runners. My parents have lots of experience with tandem bicycles, but they have not seen one like this before. My mom often worries that she is not pulling her weight on the back of the tandem, but I guarantee she does more than this woman.
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