Saturday, January 12, 2013

Olón...Otra Vez

January 11, 2013

I recently met a darling young expat from Colombia at Johanita’s in Olón, and we shared a beer together.  He is currently working at a Montanita restaurant and living in Olón.  Like us, he's happy to be in Ecuador and, in particular, our little town.
We shared our experiences of assimilating into Ecuadorian society.  It’s a tight-knit culture, and we may always be considered “outsiders” to a degree. But we also agreed that the Ecuadorian people are warm, kind, generous and gracious, which is certainly true here in Olón.  Regarding the Olón locals, my new friend made an interesting remark: “you can see the peace in their eyes”, and I can vouch for that.


Yesterday, I was passing by Leila’s new Herbal Life shop, and she waved me in. Leila is probably better known for her Olón evening restaurant adjacent to our park, but she also opened up a new shop around the corner from us to sell Herbal Life. Of course, no one around here is going to spend $70 for a full bottle of that, so she serves it by the glass. Think of it as Olón’s version of Starbucks, if you will.

I was preoccupied and in a hurry when I arrived, and was going to do the gringo thing of saying "hi", getting something para llevar, and splitting, but Leila lured me into taking a moment to pause… And into the most expensive treatment-item ($3) on the menu…a three drink/step thing of warm concoctions.

The clientele was an older woman taking care of her young grandsons – one on her lap, the other tight by her side (there are the cutest kids in Ecuador!). There was a guy in company uniform filling out paperwork between stops, and another guy sipping and working on his computer. All were Ecuadorian and all clearly regulars at Leila’s “day place”.
I’ve often exchanged pleasant buenas dias and smiles with these folks as we’ve passed on the street, so it was fun chatting and getting to know them better.

When Leila brought me the second drink, I thought it curious that she pointedly handed me an extra napkin, and the locals leaned in closer to me, staring intently while we were conversing.

I didn’t see it coming. The second drink makes you sweat. I mean SWEAT A LOT. At first I didn’t connect the waterworks with the drink (thinking that it’s pretty hot indoors now, or I was having a rather embarrassing, haven’t-had-one-of-those-in-a-long-time hot flash moments, after wringing out my extra napkin for the third time while we were all talking).

That was, until I realized my compadres couldn’t contain their smiles and giggles, kindly assuring me that THAT was the purpose of drink #2.   Ecuadorians love to laugh, and love a good practical joke -- not that this incident was meant to be one.
I made a mental note-to-self to stop by there more often this year (though I am not a big advocate of New Year’s resolutions) and to learn to live more in the moment as my Ecuadorian friends do.  **

 
I took a video awhile back that I thought really captured the spirit of Olón. It was taken at one of the many local parties here, and I love the catchy tune. 

For whatever technical reasons, I can’t embed videos to this blog now, so please CLICK ON THIS THIS LINK TO SEE IT:

 
A recent article came out calling "Latin Americans the Happiest on the Planet".  Seven of the top 10 countries are in South America (Ecuador is #7 on the list).
And it’s easy to see why.

They’re not slaves to their emails (guilty). They’re not farting around all day on Facebook (guilty). They don’t have their heads buried in a Kindle all day (guilty).

They spend time with each other; they hang out and laugh; they nurture one another in person.

No matter how long we live here, we probably will always be considered as “outsiders” by Ecuadorians. It is their country and their culture, and they are rightfully proud and generally protective of it.
Still, it’s wonderful to be accepted by them, and we always feel honored when an Ecuadorian calls us a friend.
Because they truly are, and they truly mean it.

Happy New Year to All.

 “Grow old along with me.
The best is yet to be.
The last of life, for which the first was made”

Robert Browning




 ** I think my español still sucks, but I get by. Some people tell me I speak “good” Spanish, but those are usually visiting gringos who don’t know the difference.


7 comments:

  1. I am so happy that you are becoming more "embeded" into your community. It is so easy to not engage when you live in a larger town like Cuenca. I can just see those folks faces in the shop ... kind of like "wait for it, wait for it.. ahhh there she goes! hahahahah"

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    Replies
    1. Karen,
      Laughing my ass off at your comment...."wait for it, wait for it".
      I KNEW you would get it, and that is EXACTLY what they were doing!

      Delete
    2. Karen,
      Which also reminds me....
      When I worked for OC Budweiser distrib, I used to love it when folks came to me for an aspirin (especially new-hires).
      I would give them a niacin tablet instead.

      Delete
  2. I don't know if it will be in Olon, but one day in the not too distant future I will be walking about as you are, conversing with the locals and carrying treats for the kids. Always with my camera in my pocket and sometimes with my paints and easel in tow and my golden retriever by my side. I can't imagine a more wonderful existence.
    You and the expats before me are my models and mentors and I thank you all for opening pictures of your life so that I can envision my own. See you soon ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CheryLynn - See it, believe it, live it!
      Wishing you all the best, and looking forward to meeting you in person!

      Delete
  3. i to will be on the coast of ecuador soon,[puerto lopez march 9-14-2013].
    my husband and i will be looking to connect with the olon group
    to visit with and have a few brews with!!
    moving to the coast [maybe olon or montanita in mid-may 2013!!]
    butch and joyce will try to look you guys up!!
    meanwhile enjoy those noisy chickens!!

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  4. will be looking to meet up with the olon group
    in early march of this year,
    enjoy reading your site!
    hope to meet up soon!
    look for joyce and family soon!!

    ReplyDelete