Beginning life in Ecuador

Beginning life in Ecuador

During one of my lower moments I lost patience and asked the official serving us, "Why does this process have to be so complicated and so disorganized?" He confidently replied, "Because that confusion gives us officials time to deal with all of the paperwork." That outrageous reply, in retrospect, seems sort of perfect to me. It brings up a few ethical questions. How does the country's citizens feel about being purposefully misguided in order for the government to organize itself? Blatant misdirection leads to disrespect and more lack of trust. Are the patient and enduring people of Guayaquil being taken advantage of here? I sort of wish the answer was more like "I'm sorry, we know it is confusing but we're trying to improve the system."

I decided to post some simple steps for those future guests that would like to avoid the confusion. Every American is allowed a tourist Visa which grants three months stay. These steps are for those that have already acquired a long term Visa and need to register it in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Step 1
Go to a building called "Dirreccion General de Extranjería" in downtown Guayaquil
-Ask for "la Autorización de Pago" (you will need this later)

Step 2
Leave the building and got to a Paper and Copy store
-Copy Passport pages (Information, Arrival Stamp, Temporary Visa)
-Copy Visa Certification sheet

Step 3
Get a friend to write a letter of recommendation with passport number, class, and type of visa included.

Step 4
Go to Banco Internacional
-Pay "la Autorización de Pago" ($10)
-Make sure you get the receipt

Step 5
Bring all paperwork back to the "Dirreccion General de Extranjería"
-Pick up passport the next day

After all this, you will then need to register for a Census, which to my understanding is a temporary ID which you can carry around instead of your passport. This process is a lot less painful.

Step 1
Copy Passport pages (Information, Arrival Stamp, Temporary Visa)
Copy an electric bill of where you are staying

Step 2
Go to a building called "Inmigración'
-Hand in paperwork

Naming a Blog

Naming a Blog

An hour or two spent researching which blog fits my preference between Wordpress and Blogger. A few hours more trying to figure out the navigation, templates, and configuration options. A few hours trying to make a picture for the title bar with the correct dimensions. I do feel like Majnun, searching through handfuls of sand with the panorama of the whole desert in front of me.

Briefly, the title "Majnun's Manifest" comes from an ancient Persian and Arabic lore about "true human love bordering on the divine". There are many versions of this tale. One of these is recounted in a book called The Seven Valleys where it explains "Majnun" was the title given to a man who fell in love with an Arabian princess called "Laylí" but then was denied the right to marry her. This drives him somewhat insane and he runs off into the desert. During his time in the desert a few travelers come across him sifting through the dust and an intriguing and mystical conversation takes place:

Travelers- "What doest thou?"
Majnun- "I seek for Laylí."
Travelers- "Alas for thee! Laylí is of pure spirit, and thou seekest her in the dust!"
Majnun- "I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her."

Although Majnun is probably hallucinating from sun poisoning and dehydration what he says is very profound and enlightening. Without the act of searching it is impossible to find anything. What seems crazy to these travelers is really a noble cause. The author of The Seven Valleys, Baha'u'llah, after re-telling this story states, "The true seeker hunteth naught but the object of his quest, and the lover hath no desire save union with his beloved." Not until we give up everything, tear down those things which veil our sight, can a true search begin.

The fact that Majnun means "insane" is another interesting aspect to this story. Why is he labeled as insane? The travelers mock his attempts at finding Laylí. Yet Majnun's confidence seems to spawn from the act of searching and not so much from the goal. This is quite a revolutionary thought even for this age where we are judged by what we have and don't have. If the act is more important than the goal, how would our lives be different?

Finally, Majnun and Laylí could be interpreted as many things. A romance story. An insane man's illusion. A search for meaning in life. For me, this story speaks about Truth and the sometimes difficult road one must undertake to find it. Truth is all around us but without patience and the act of searching, it will never be found. This is why I choose Majnun to be the gate keeper of my Blog; a perfect symbol for our quest to Truth.