GIANT..less

4 February 2008. The morning after the my team, the NY Football Giants, two touchdown underdogs, finished the greatest upset in Superbowl history, defeating the New England Patriots 17-14. And I'm not a biased spectator..obviously. I ought to be running the streets right now, chanting my pride for a team that never had a chance, for an unproven quarterback famous only for his blood. Back in the Cuse, all the talk would be of the catch..perhaps the greatest catch ever, or at least the most clutch, by SU's own David Tyree.

These are should a, could a, would a's. In reality, I missed everything: from the first snap to the final knee down, and am currently enjoying a view from the third floor of my host-sister's mansion on the outskirts of Cuenca, Ecudaor, a small, friendly city of about 400,000 people located more or less in the center of Ecuador in what is known as the Sierra region. The city has a colonial feel to it with it's cobblestone calles and large cathedrals. The cobblestone streets originate from the Inca's, who had quite an influence on the Ecuadorian region prior to the Spanish conquest. Two weeks ago, I visited Ingapirca, the largest Incan ruin in Ecuador. Though miniscule in comparison to Manch Picchu in Peru (or so I hear, I haven't actually been there yet), it was nonetheless impressive.."vale la pena." Pictures are forthcoming..when I get the chance. 


I'm now in my fourth and final week here and it took the Superbowl to finally get me to sit down and right something down. In fact, I've been writing in other places, just not here. I blame Cuenca's poor internet connections for this, along with my own lack of motivation. All of Ecuador is currently on Holiday. It's the Carnival, basically a four day fiesta where families get together, eat, dance, eat, drink, and eat. Carnival is something celebrated in many, though not all, Latin American countries; I've been told it varies from place to place. It never occurs at the same time, and thus it was only by chance that it fell on the U.S.'s national holiday, that is, the Superbowl.


Life in Cuenca shuts down during Carnival. Many of the businesses close, and I would guess the majority of people leave the city for the beach, campo, or other happenin' cities. A bunch of my friends traveled to Banos for the weekend, a city famous for its waterfalls and outdoor activities, or so my friends told me. I, on the other hand, felt obligated to accompany my host family to their house in the campo. As it turns out, I wouldn't regret it (except for missing the superbowl!). 


If I were to use one word to describe Ecuador it would be picturesque: un paisaje bellisimo. The city of Cuenca, which, by the way, is the city of four rivers, is surrounded by mountains. My host family's campo house is somewhere in these mountains, about 40 minutes outside of the city. A couple weeks ago I visited El Cajas, a gorgeous national park located right on these mountain inclines..that experience alone deserves it's own journal entry. But we digress. 


I arrived to the house with my host dad, Julio, and mom, Targelia, on Saturday morning. Truly lovely people, a cute elderly couple (67 and 64 I believe) with three grown children: kind, conservative, deeply religious. They love that I'm Catholic! I really couldn't have asked for a better host family. Julio's retired, and is constantly telling me stories that I still can't understand. His accent is impossible. Targelia, who is much easier to understand, is the typical housewife..does all the cooking, cleaning, etc. And while Ecuador is certainly a machismo society, I never get the sense that she is being disrespected. She is Julio's equal. 


Back to Carnival and the weekend. The house in the campo is a small one located right in the middle of the mountains, so high that often you're in the clouds. Small but bastante bueno. One bathroom, no heat (the weather here is temperate year round 70 degrees), 2 bedrooms. On Sunday, we celebrated the Carnival with the entire family, Julio and Targelia, their three children Julio Cesar, Veronica, and Maria Luna, and their husbands, Luna's two kids, Pedro y Eduarda, Julio Cesar's in-law's and nephew, and an indigenous couple who helped us prepare the food. In total, let me count, 16 people including myself. 


I told Julio, my host father, about the game before hand, seeing if there was any way I could get back to watch it. He told me not to worry. While there was no TV or cell service in the campo, there was plenty to do and I would never be bored. And I never was. 


One of the traditions of Carnival is that of the bombas: bombs in English, but here it just refers to water balloons. For the past three weeks, I and all of my friends, along with everyone in Cuenca who walks the streets without cover, has been a target of the bombas. I have friends who have been hit by upwards of 20 balloons! But it's all in good fun. On Sunday, we had a 2 hour water fight: bombas, guns, buckets, everything. It's refreshing to see adults run around and peg each other for a couple hours. Everyone was going to get wet and dirty. By the end I was soaked wet, had powder all over my face, and jelly in my hair. Even Julio and Targelia got in on the fun. 


I guess the whole point of the Carnival is to join the families together. For me, it was a great way to speak Spanish and take in some Ecuadorian culture. Not a bad weekend. And the chantzo (pork) was pretty good. I admit, I prefer lamb chops and found it a bit grotesque eating the skin of the pig like it was chocolate, but hey, when will I ever get to do this again? After a giant lunch, we relaxed a little, danced, and later on played some cards. 


I left the house on Sunday night, last night, around 9:30. My friend had told me the Superbowl started at 8. So I was hopeful that I'd catch the second half. Actually, it started at 6--the same time it starts everrry year. Once I got cell phone service I called my friend to get an update on the game: 14-10 Pats, Giants with the ball..time for a little 2-minute drill. I listened as my friend broadcasted the game for me as I sat in the back seat of a hummer. With 25 seconds to go, the Giants inside the 20, my phone disconnected. I missed the final play, the winning touchdown throw to Plaxico. Ten minutes later, I got a text message telling me the Giants had won. Any one's who's a Giant's fan or has seen their favorite team win knows how I felt. I felt a cold shiver down my entire body..a shiver of pride and astonishment. All I wanted was to see some video. 


It turns out Ecuador could careless about American Football. I watched a 30 second highlight on ESPN deportes, and then nada mas. That was the extent of their coverage. 


So I probably missed the greatest game ever played. Do I regret it? Perhaps...but I'm still smiling.