A note of gratitude from the sometimes nauseating optimist (Seattle: real estate, 2015)

[homesinseattle]

It's funny. I've been visiting this forum for a few years and became much more active in 2015. Somewhere along the way, I have actually come to enjoy it. You can't say we don't have variety: posts that are encouraging, informative, depressing, optimistic, outlandish, sometimes nearly scandalous. Above all, if you dig a bit, the information provided is often high quality and helpful. We are a family, for better or worse.

So, thanks for putting up with my nauseating optimism, crazy world travel stories and unusual love of ethnic food. I actually just noticed that I directly helped 7 clients and families I met on this forum with homes this year. For that, and the rest of you unique City Data clan, I am grateful.

[mortgageboss]

Positive attitudes are infectious, so keep on being the optimist...

[flyingsaucermom]

Yes, you can be a nauseating optimist (of course if being here led to 7 lucrative real estate transactions for me I'd probably be optimistic too.. but alas I've only gotten a handful of "f- you!" private messages and few irate or creepy stalkers.. some of us have all the luck ).

My mom was here recently from out of state and, oddly, she just out of the blue commented that we have an active board and her city (of similar size) doesn't. I was like "OH SWEET JESUS please don't tell me my mama follows me on C-D".. because I would be BUSTED for dishing out dirt on her in other forums here... some nasty dirt!


So I would still like to know the back story of those Ecuadorian musicians playing year round, rain and shine, in front of the Space Needle. Are they on city pay roll? Why indigenous South American music?

[homesinseattle]

Thanks saucer. Sorry to say, born optimistic, way before my chosen vocation

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

So I would still like to know the back story of those Ecuadorian musicians playing year round, rain and shine, in front of the Space Needle. Are they on city pay roll? Why indigenous South American music?

I strongly doubt they're on the city payroll, as they wouldn't have green cards. They play there probably, because it's lucrative, that's one place the tourists go. They sometimes play at Pike Place mkt, too.


I've studied the Ecuadoran musician situation, because I was involved in the Indian movement in Ecuador for awhile, and had friends down there who wanted to get in on the gig, so to speak, but didn't know how those groups got their visas. I have no answer; could not crack the case. They're very tight-lipped about it. My guess is that they get a 6-month tourist visa (maximum time allowed), but in order to qualify, they need to demonstrate that they have solid money in the bank, to prove that they won't overstay their visa. I don't know how they do that, unless they get wealthy Indian traders in their town to sponsor or back them, which is a distinct possibility. Most of them are from Otavalo, where there's a LOT of money.


Seattle Center does have an entertainment budget and does pay bands to play on weekends, but the Ecuadorans couldn't possibly be part of that. They seem to make decent money from tips. Some of those groups are quite good.

[thedonwind]

206 all day baby

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I strongly doubt they're on the city payroll, as they wouldn't have green cards. They play there probably, because it's lucrative, that's one place the tourists go. They sometimes play at Pike Place mkt, too.


I've studied the Ecuadoran musician situation, because I was involved in the Indian movement in Ecuador for awhile, and had friends down there who wanted to get in on the gig, so to speak, but didn't know how those groups got their visas. I have no answer; could not crack the case. They're very tight-lipped about it. My guess is that they get a 6-month tourist visa (maximum time allowed), but in order to qualify, they need to demonstrate that they have solid money in the bank, to prove that they won't overstay their visa. I don't know how they do that, unless they get wealthy Indian traders in their town to sponsor or back them, which is a distinct possibility. Most of them are from Otavalo, where there's a LOT of money.


Seattle Center does have an entertainment budget and does pay bands to play on weekends, but the Ecuadorans couldn't possibly be part of that. They seem to make decent money from tips. Some of those groups are quite good.

So when you say "Indian" you mean indigenous, right??? These days, when I hear the term "Indian" I first think "someone from the country of India or someone with heritage from the country of India" and not "native peoples of the Americas that Christopher Columbus mistook for people of India"

I just find it insanely remarkable that there is a cluster of them ALL the time. We have walked by on the ****ttiest of cold, dreary, winter days and they're still there! I'm like, "dude, man, someone has to be underwriting some of this".

... and the portly Storm trooper with his Darth Vader prop...

[homesinseattle]

Ruth, sounds like we have both been to Otavalo. That's quite a story about how first the Incas enslaved the Otavalenos for their weaving prowess, then the Spaniards found them and created some of the earliest "sweatshops" in history, shipping large amounts of the weaving back to Spain. Damn, those Spaniards were the worst of the worst, hacked up the indigenous Colombian Kogui tribe (where I was) pretty well too. Interestingly, as you mention, Otavalo has a lot of money, I guess that forced weaving labor helped the culture further their skills, which sure have served future generations well.

I still think of all the places I've been, Ecuador packs a pretty strong punch: Galapagos, Amazon Basin, snow capped Andes, cafe culture of Quito, Cuenca and the Valley of Longevity in Vilcabamba, love that country.