My Dog Bastard

Maybe over my two years in Ecuador I’ve grown accustomed to the funny way people pronounce English words. Maybe I’ve just not noticed. But last week I was reminded of just how hilarious it can be when languages mix.
As you know, I own a dog named Buster. Leaving him to travel is sometimes a guilt-trip (no pun intended), though the last time I left Nono I didn’t feel so bad because the new volunteer had come for a visit. She immediately fell in love with my dogs, and I breathed a sigh of relief as Nono disappeared from view when the bus rounded the first mountain.
And I didn’t have anything to worry about. I returned two days later to find my dogs sprawled contentedly at her feet in the kitchen.
“ I sort of took over walking them while you were gone,” She said. “Susana took them out the first day, but I decided they needed more exercise. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not!” I replied. “ How’d they behave?”
“Great! I kept Samina on a leash, and Bastard followed me everywhere.” . . .
“Yeah, he...wait, BASTARD!?!?”
What did she just call him? And she had seemed like such a nice person! I was about to come to the defense of my unjustly wronged dog when I saw the horrified look on her face.
“Wait, his name isn’t Bastard? I couldn’t remember his name the first day and Susana told me it was Bastard!”
We had a good laugh (while “Bastard” slept blissfully unaware) over that little misunderstanding. And I listened carefully for the next time anyone said my dog’s name. Sure enough, the next day Susana came for a visit while I ate breakfast.
“Buenos días Bustard” she said as she stepped over his napping form.
So, no worries if you slip up and refer to him as an illegitimate pup or his actual name.
My dog answers to both.

I Laughed, I Cried

I Laughed, I Cried

The fact that I haven´t checked in for several months (I am sorry about that) doesn´t mean nothing of note has happened here south of the Equator. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights of the past five months.


I laughed when Seth experienced his first Ecuadorian fiesta.I knew he would be picked to participate from the moment the dancers sashayed past my house.


I nearly cried when after an evening of bad food and the following night spent in the bathroom,
Susanna made me spend the day soaking in the thermal baths in Pappallacta with her family.
I forgave her pretty quickly. I laughed at the hats we had to wear.



I felt like crying when Samina rolled in something nasty for the fourth time in a week. She decided to roll during our morning walk, which made me late for my first class. As punishment I gave her a cold bath and didn´t dry her with my hair dryer. The final result was a dog burrito.



I laughed when Carlos gave me a face full of cake as a Happy Birthday present.


I almost cried at the thought of losing a finger to an overly friendly parrot I met while visiting the family of my friend Margoth.



I cried when the electricity went out when I was cooking two chickens and had a roomful of people to feed for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks to my brother Will, and the fact that the electricity eventually came back, things did turn out ok.


I laughed when our three ¨ayudantes¨ turned the compost bins I built with a friend into a zoo, which brought me back to my younger days playing make-believe with my brothers.


I cried (literally) when my two cookie-baking helpers and neighborhood buddies emptied out their piggy bank to buy me a Christmas present. A week later they were gone, and I didn´t even get to say goodbye.

So, there you have it. The last five (or so) months of my life in a nutshell. Here´s to a new year as full and interesting as the last!