News from Quito

The Trole can be amazingly crowded, up very close and very personal, but all the same there is almost never a smell of BO. In the streets however there is regularly a waft of urine. The gentlemen of Ecuador have no qualms about peeing in public, The stray dogs have even fewer qualms about their functions, both digestive and amorous. Even the dogs are exploited-- you regularly see people holding cute little puppies for sale in the street "Mami buy me a puppy -- I want to cuddle him "
In the markets we are now going to some of the mothers talking about "la gripe" swine flu , with the help of the UBECI staff, and talking about disinfecting their hands with alcohol, which UBECI supplies , when they can´t get to a place where there is water and soap. It´s a delicate balance to avoid being patronising at the same time as getting a hygiene message across. Some of these ladies leave their house at 5.00am and dont´t get back till 10.00 pm. I have 4 particular ladies to talk to each Thursday in Sangoiqui (spelling?) market, all with the help of UBECI staff.

This afternoon I went with Danny, one of the UBECI staff, searching for particular chicos who sell candy or mandarins near one shopping centre. Didn´t find them so went to another Centro Commercial where we sat on the entrance steps and played Xs and Os , then Chinese sticks with three shoe shine boys. Gave them an hour of light relief f from their daily grind. This is a new programme started three weeks ago with these child labourers. Today was the first time they brought a gringo along. When I meet such kids in a park or plaza I recoil and dismiss instantly for fear I´ll be robbed , mugged, infected, etc But when I sat with them, Juan-Carlos, Luis and Javier they are ordinary kids who enjoy playing, yes their hands are black, yes their tracksuit and jumpers are stained and old and torn, but they are children between 8 and 12 . (Could only understand about every 100th word , but so what?)