yes I understand,, please dont tell me it's different because of culture!!!!!

I want to say that anyone that tells you that they will be at your house on a certain day,, if they are Ecuadorian,  don't sit around waiting.  Better yet, tell them that you will not accept this kind of date on the weekends because we actually wait for you to show up.  The better idea is to give them a week day time and after that time, don't feel any guilt when you leave and go about your business.

I have found something to do to leave,, go have coffee, go look in store windows, take a long walk, anything to let go of the stress that still manages to creep into my day when they didn't show up.

The hardest part of this is people who do finally show up and then get angry that you are not there with your best clothes on to welcome them to your house... late.   Like they promise that they will be there in the morning and show up at dinner when you only cooked enough for two and now there are six people and your dinner is getting cold.

Ed and I have waited weekends for maestro's that are coming to repair the freezer full of fish that has been off for two days.. Ed and I have waited for an electric company representative to show up to discuss why our bill has risen from 180.00 to 980.00 when we were not the ones that called them only to have the electric company tell us that they wanted to only speak to the person who called.

You name it,, we have waited for it... well,, no more.  We now only wait for a period of time and then purposely leave.  Lock up and go... it relieves the pent up energy we get when we live waiting for something that now we know we have a slim chance of attaining.  Ed and I are dealing, but it has been a long and hard road to learn this.  Coming from America where you snooze you lose... it has been a hard lesson.  Here in Ecuador, they are just starting the technology phase of education,,, they have yet to learn that the phone that they carry is also being carried by the people who they promised to see,, take things to,, pay,, etc...that it is more than a face book update and electronic messaging board.  That the phone can be used to call the person to tell them that you are not coming, are stuck, have died en route... you get my drift,, right?  Well,, this is my Monday rant, if you make an appointment here with Ed or I,  casual or otherwise, expect us to show up as requested, we will be the only ones there on time, unless you invited other expats.. then we will all be there... waiting for the Ecuadorians to show up.