2. On Becoming Property Owners in Ecuador

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Introduction xi
4. Part One
5. 1. Planting a Tree for Plinio 3
6. 2. On Becoming Property Owners in Ecuador 12
7. 3. How Much Will All This Cost? 23
8. 4. Construction Begins, Poco a Poco 32
9. 5. “You’re Going to Live Here?” 40
10. 6. The Lives of the Workers 47
11. 7. Carnival: Sins and Repentance, Abundance and Reciprocity 55
12. 8. Sticks and Stones, Mud and Horse Manure 62
13. 9. We Become Padrinos . . . Again 69
14. 10. Strike! 75
15. 11. Putting Out Fires 82
16. 12. Personae non Gratae in Ecuador: (or) Why We Went to Peru Last Week 89
17. 13. On Becoming Residents of a Foreign Country: (or) “Just Go Get Married Again!” 97
18. 14. Leaving Cañar 104
19. Part Two
20. 15. The Return 113
21. 16. On This Day a Year Ago 120
22. 17. Reality Sets In 128
23. 18. The Devil Is in the Details 134
24. 19. A Short History of This Place 140
25. 20. Moving Day 148
26. 21. The Wasipichana 154
27. 22. The Mysteries of the New House and a Mother’s Visit 164
28. 23. Mama Michi, Curandera 171
29. 24. Coming Home to Cañar 178
30. 25. Neighbors and Fences 186
31. 26. La Uyanza: A Gift of Sustenance 194
32. 27. Life in Town 200
33. 28. Living in Two Worlds 208
34. 29. Epilogue: What on Earth Are We Doing Here? 216
35. Acknowledgments 223