The president of the group was sick and thus not in attendance. The meeting was attended by 8 women. They told me they basically attach themselves to events and help out with whatever they can. A crack staff of “go getters” they are not, but we had a blast hanging out and laughing at each other. They asked me point blank what I thought of the group and was this my first visit or my last. I told them they were fun and I’d be back.

      Then I bussed back to Santa Elena to pay my debt and reclaim my watch. I came straight back to El Tambo and bought a tank of purified water from Julio’s wife’s (Susanna’s) sister’s tienda. We only had bread for dinner, I’m not sure why.

      I retired to my room to write. As it is customary in this house to interrupt whatever I am working on every 5 minutes to engage me in pointless conversation, the 3 males soon came bursting into my room. Ivan had finally gotten Julio to understand that the rent money he had been refusing, was the peace corps’, not mine. Suddenly Julio wanted to deal. He said if I were paying rent, he could make the house more comfortable for me. I told him I didn’t need more comfort, just a little unbroken concentration. I told him gringo’s have a saying that says one shouldn’t mix work and play. I gave him as an example of mixed work and play, me writing on my bed with neighbor kids running around in my room and Julio sitting on the corner of my bed staring at me trying to start conversations.

      Then we finally got down to talk of money. I pulled out the rent contract that the peace corps makes all of us fill out and turn in. Julio asked if a contract was really necessary. Julio is a good guy. I could not have asked for more loyal assistance with social and other matters and all of that when he believed there was no money in it. I need no further proof that he is an honorable guy. I didn’t need a contract. What I needed was really suave español to make sure we were all on the same page as far as how all this should be handled.

      Julio wanted a copy of the rental contract to be able to shut down his local critics in the event they call into question his charging rent to the gringo, to prove it was all legit. The peace corps will give up to $35 for rent IF that’s the amount we agree on and sign the contract for. $35 bucks, as every local knows, is way too much rent for this room, but if the peace corps will give us that much, we should go for it. Meanwhile, Julio and I are totally on the level with each other. We don’t need no stinkin contracts. I needed to convey to Julio that A.) in reality, this contract means nothing to whatever he and I decide the room should rent for, B.) that if we photocopy the contract, we can put a ridiculously low figure on it to show local critics, and C.) on the Peace Corps’ contract, we can jack up the price to the fullest amount they will pay because we loose free money if we write a lesser amount. All this I had to angle for in Spanish while unsure if Julio was down for such a tactical gank move. He’s very proper after all.

      Slowly, I brought Julio and Ivan around to understanding the nature of my plan and I did it so smoothly that they thought the group had evolved the plan together. Ivan grabbed my dictionary and looked up a word. He extended the dictionary to me and said “this is us tonight”. He was pointing at the word “clever”.

      We then moved on to setting a price for food. 4 adults and a 3 year old then trickled into the room and took seats. They talked loudly amongst themselves as the 3 year old squawked and protested everything. Occasionally they would react to whatever point Julio, Ivan or I had just made. A scorpion skittered out from beneath my bed and Alex ran up and stomped on it. Finally, I rather obliquely said to Julio “remember what I said about not mixing…. uh, the two? It’s a circus.”

     After the meeting, Guido and I kicked around some ideas as to what bugs I should try planting in the ears of the town's youth group tomorrow at their meeting, but when Guido left, Ivan told me there isn't any youth group meeting tomorrow and Guido has his facts screwed up as usual. Guido came back later and he Julio, Ivan and I screwed around until late learning English.

      After breakfast, I went to an internet place from 9ish until 1:45 PM. Then I headed for mall food. I was running late, so as soon as I was done eating, I grabbed a bus to El Tambo. I showed up 1/2 hour late (which, in Ecuador, is right on time) for a meeting I was scheduled to attend. Julio and I then finally showed up another half-hour after my return, for a total of 1 hour late. It didn't matter to the EcuaMeeting, they stopped everything and introduced me. Then I puked out a quick speech and was given a chair among the presidents and vice presidents, etc... It was a community bank meeting. All the people present had originally thrown 40 bucks into a pot and began loaning out their collective stash with interest. Now their coffers hold more than 3000 bucks. I could not understand a word that was said- the acoustics were terrible, children were running around playing and screaming, dogs were actually inside the meeting and fighting with each other for mating rights. This went on for 3 hours. I was dying. I had feigned attentiveness for so long I could no longer feel my body. The meeting eventually broke down into bickering. I got up, walked over to Julio who was standing near the door and struck up a conversation. I was working up to "well we could probably just go now", when the group suddenly insisted I settle their argument. Julio, the Vice President and I stepped outside to discuss the debate in peace. Apparently, the majority of the people wanted to receive 100% of their due profits immediately, but not all the money was presently in the bank. The money was still partially loaned out. The bank leaders wanted to convince the investors that it was better to take less than 100% of their dividends right now so as to not disrupt the banks ability to lend. I told them that as far as the group was concerned, it was better not to strap the bank. They insisted I go back inside and explain this to the investors because they were not understanding this. I told them 'no' point blank. Julio reminded me that I was living in El Tambo for the purpose of disseminating ideas. I reminded Julio that my Spanish sucks and that if native speakers couldn't communicate such a point, I surely couldn't. Still Julio insisted. Still I told him no. Even if the audience had no idea what I was saying, they would be so intimidated by my taking the opposing viewpoint that they would back down uninformed. I'm no one's goon; settle it yourselves. After the meeting, I told Julio I didn't need to attend any more bank meetings. He agreed.

      At around 9:30pm, Guido called to tell me I was scheduled to teach English tomorrow at a college. Say what?

      When I got out of bed, I told Julio that Guido's chronic lack of information was a problem. Julio asked if I wanted him to come along to ensure I wasn't swamped in confusion. I told him I would prefer that, but I didn't know if it was necessary. Julio said that if he accompanied me, he could learn whatever English I was teaching. I told him that was a great idea and to bring his butt along to my class.

      At the college (actually it's "adult school" at the local elementary school building). I mentioned to Guido that this English teaching had come as a surprise last night. He hid an embarrassed smile and said that at least I had the pile of English lesson books he had brought. The books were total crap. So too had been the student's previous education in English. I taught English to 3 classes, all of which had 3 or less students- not including Julio. One class had been studying English 5 years and still knows less than I did in my first month of Spanish in college. In spite of all that, teaching was a total blast. The students are used to starchy, talking-head teacher-types pontificating lessons at them. They surely weren't expecting what went down in my English class. Neither was I for that matter. Formality went straight into the toilet. I told them we wouldn't be learning textbook English because that's not how people talk. I told the students, that contrary to what their books say, "bye bye" is not an appropriate way to bid anyone adieu, as you will look stupid and no one actually says bye bye unless they're clowning around or talking to dogs or babies. The students now use bye bye to insult each other.

      To illustrate the "z" sound, not present in Spanish, I drew a bee on the board. To illustrate the "th" sound, as in "this" also not present in Spanish, I drew a bee plus a tongue sticking out of a mouth. Try that. To remind students that "H" is pronounced in English, I drew a panting dog and set it equal to H. To remind them that "J" (and sometimes "G") are not H sounds, I drew the same dog crossed out.

      After class, I went on a mission to find out what's happening to the money the school is saving by not paying me to teach English. If the students are paying the normal rate to go to school and one of their 3 or 4 teachers isn't accepting money, where is the extra going? I don't want the money, but neither should my free work go towards padding someone else's pockets up the line. I want that money to go back to the students. And what about the people who can't afford classes in the first place? They're more the reason I'm here than those that can afford to pay for school and I plan to teach them just the same. What will we have when some have paid for the same instruction that others are getting for free? "You'll have to take that up with Guido", Julio said. Indeed.

      Later on, the neighbor kids and I were playing with my camera when Julio remembered he was supposed to be in a meeting with MIDUVI and took off. I went inside and began writing, but a nagging urge to check my e-mail succeeded in driving me out of the house. I found that the phone lines were out in Santa Elena, so I moved on to Libertad. I checked my mail and then got on the wrong bus with out paying a speck of attention to what I was doing. After a long tour of the rough neighborhoods in the outlying areas of Libertad, the bus returned to point of origin and I got out and took the correct bus home.