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Interview with the author (English)

Page history last edited by GringoManaba 2 years, 9 months ago

 

An Expat who teaches English

 

Michael Feldman is a North American living in Manta who has various projects on his desk.

 

When Michael Feldman was 19 years old, he came as a backpacker to travel the “Gringo Trail” and visit various countries. He traveled through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia.

 

At that time Michael was a sophomore at Harvard University, majoring in Anthropology, and of all the places he visited the one that caught his attention was Otavalo (Ibarra), because of the clothing they still wove on the traditional wooden looms, the same way they worked during the pre-Columbian era, before the 15th century.

 

The Return. His life brought him back to South America, he lived in Peru where he married and taught English history and literature at the National University in Trujillo. Then he was divorced.

 

As life is full of surprises, he returned to his native country and at Harvard University and The Center of English Language at Boston University for 25 years. When he was offered the Chairmanship of the English Department in the Espiritu Santo University in Guayaquil, he didn’t think twice.

 

In Ecuador he met a woman who changed his life again: Norma Moreira, an Economist from Chone, Manabi, who worked at the same University and they fell in love. Michael and Norma later married and moved to Boston. They continued to visit Ecuador until in 2017 Michael decided to retire from teaching and live with his wife in Manta.  It was a decision studied and planned for. They liked the climate and natural beauty, the people and the food.

 

Michael says that when he semi-retired and moved to Manta he felt the need to contribute to the community.

 

The Publications. Michael won a 2018-2019 Fulbright teaching/research fellowship, preparing Ecuadorian researchers for research and publication of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals read worldwide.

 

A Lot to Do.  But there is much more that needs to be done, he says. For example, the biggest international organization fighting diabetes has no data from Ecuador, despite the obvious high levels of this deadly disease in our region. He is working on a project to publish an acceptable article in English in a recognized scientific journal so we can participate.

 

Articles. There is also a journalism project to explore the growing ex-pat community in Manabi, particularly around Manta and the beach towns. “These groups are recent arrivals who come from many places for many reasons.

 

They call these new manabitas “ex-pats” (abbreviated from ex-patriate).  Most of these ex-pats are adults and families, mostly from North America and Europe.  Michael says they are more and more visible in the local streets and beaches, eating at popular restaurants and buying food in the markets.

 

Who are these people, where did they come from and why are they here? Michael will try to answer some of these questions in his weekly columns appearing Wednesdays in El Diario, starting next week.

 


  

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