M.C. Miller's Blog, page 3

Early Evening in the ParkWhether young or old, when eveni...

Early Evening in the Park
Whether young or old, when evening falls in Lima, Peru, people enjoy the sea breeze, the music, are moved to dance or relax watching those who do. This spot is in Miraflores.

Noontime at Plaza Mayor de LimaCeremony at the Palacio de...

Noontime at Plaza Mayor de Lima
Ceremony at the Palacio de Gobierno del Perú in Plaza Mayor de Lima.

The Band is the Last to LeaveAfter the changing of the gu...

The Band is the Last to Leave
After the changing of the guard at noon at the Palacio de Gobierno del Perú in Plaza Mayor de Lima, the band is the last to leave - but you can be certain they leave in style.

View From The WindowWhile waiting for your ceviche at Lar...

View From The Window
While waiting for your ceviche at Larcomar
in the Miraflores District of Lima, Peru
you might have something glide by your window.

NEAR SALINASPeople don't like reading anymore, so I'll le...

NEAR SALINAS
People don't like reading anymore, so I'll let the photos tell the story...

THE WAY THEREWanna find the beach where only the locals g...

THE WAY THERE
Wanna find the beach where only the locals go, far away from the tourists? Simple. Grab a taxi and zoom ten minutes out of town, down to a small village. Cruise a side street, just off the one and only main intersection, until you spot three kids with one surfboard in hand, walking by a tienda. Have the taxi driver roll up next to them and ask where's the place they like to go. When they point down the street into the ocean breezes, wave them over to get in the taxi and watch the smiles erupt on their faces. Garrisimo! You've found the beach and they've got an unexpected ride to start their day on the sand!

DANGER IN THE SKIESSouth of Salinas, Ecuador, warm breeze...

DANGER IN THE SKIES
South of Salinas, Ecuador, warm breezes and golden sand are soft along wide stretches of la playa. If you are not hypnotized by the gentle waves or by scanning the distance to catch a glimpse of the occasional breach, fluke, or spout from passing whales, remember to look up. You just might find danger passing overhead in the form of Blancos Gigantes, also known as Albatros Ondeado. 

As the sign says at the visitor center at La Chocolatera -- "The waved albatross is the largest flying seabird in Ecuador, measuring 89 centimeters long, with a wingspan that can reach up to 240 centimeters...this species is in danger of extinction." If you do look up, it will be an experience you won't forget. I hope these majestic birds will always be with us on this remarkable place called Earth.

e-Postcard from Cuenca

e-Postcard from Cuenca

LABELS IN CUENCAFood packaging in Cuenca not only shows a...

LABELS IN CUENCA

Food packaging in Cuenca not only shows an ingredients list, it also warns you with a stop-light level of symbolism about what you are about to buy and consume. For example, one product that's high in fat, medium in sugar, and low in salt displays the following red/yellow/green notice:



Since we have labels that tell us what to expect in the food we buy, why not labels in other situations to inform our expectation? The prospect didn't occur to me until I was riding a bus today. Today was a beautiful day in Cuenca, and returning home on the bus I noticed the following sign near the driver. Obviously, he wanted to inform his riders' expectations about what the experience on his bus would contain...



And the bus driver was correct, all the way around.My journey on his bus was high in beauty, medium in laziness, and low in sadness.

Language evolves - and languages mix, as do cultures. Eng...

Language evolves - and languages mix, as do cultures. English is chocked full of words and expressions that come from other languages or simply are made up and catch on in popular usage. The same is true for Spanish. Although it may be common knowledge to many, I was surprised to find out that "iony" is a Spanish word. It's slang, but still a word used and recognized in many places. It is a knock off of the famous New York City marketing logo, which was introduced in 1977. Switch out the heart for an "o" and voilà, new slang is born. Quite interesting!



From what I hear, the word "iony" possibly originated but definitely was popularized in southern Ecuador. It describes the attitudes, fashions, and accents adopted by Ecuadorian immigrants who return home from the USA. This phenomenum is discussed in more detail in a book written by anthropologist Jason Pribilsky. As one blogger summarized:

"Jason Pribilsky, an anthropologist, discusses the term in his book 'La Chulla Vida,' about the immigration wave from Ecuador to Queens. 'Iony' refers not just to personal style, but to the deeper concept of modernity, and the profound changes caused by migration. His book explores the changes in farming, family dynamics, wealth and status, “a perceived rupture from the past” in the area of Deleg, Ecuador. He writes that, 'in addition to presenting powerful ideas of adventure and sophistication, iony modernity is viewed like so many Horatio Alger stories, promising modern rewards in exchange for hard work.' But it’s not that simple for an undocumented immigrant in Queens. 'Rather than unlimited choices, the iony life abroad offers few options, requiring instead that migrants perform a balancing act that is difficult to master,' Pribilsky writes. This is not exactly the New York experience that state marketing officials had in mind. But this logo seems to have a life of its own."

http://immigration.lohudblogs.com/2008/05/23/our-state-logo-a-modern-word-in-spanish/

With all this cross-fertilization of languages and cultures going on, I can't help but wonder what kind of new slang would result from US gringos returning to the States after living a while in Ecuador. 

Mashing up gringo sensibilities with the beautiful, garden of eden nature of the Ecuadorian countryside, plus throwing in a popular Ecuadorian motto, and let's see what we get.




..."Ama La Vida" becomes -- "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"