How Much Further (Qué tan lejos) (Qué tan lejos)

Esperanza del Carmen Sánchez Cruz

Registered as being born in Barcelona on May 11th 1979

Daughter of Candido and Gracia

Veterinary and telephone operator both of Andalusian descent.

Weight at birth: 4 kilos

Age of first period: 12 years

Most relevant family pathologies.

Maternal grandmother diabetic.

Father with chronic depressions.

A fatal heart attack at the age of 61.

Best known among her friends as Espe.

Her grandparents used to call her Baby.

And her father Carmensa.

Hi! – Hi!

WELCOME TO ECUADOR

These people are really something aren't they?

Well, yes.

How much do I owe you?

That would be fifteen.

Fifteen? But according to the meter it's eight, isn't it?

But you came out from the InternationaI Terminal.

Gosh ma'am, you wouldn't have a five-dollar bill?

It's that... I don't have any change.

But you won't fuss over five dollars, right?

You earn so much money over there anyway.

Over there where?

In Spain ma'am... I couId tell right away you were from there.

And who told you we earn so much in Spain?

Oh, my uncle, my cousin, my godmother.

I've got plenty of family in Murcia you know?

Well, that might be in Murcia...

But in Barcelona we earn our money just like you.

Working 40 hours a week.

Forty hours you say... That's nothing!

Well well... What a rip off man.

What do you say?... Rip off?

Rip off is what my brother gets paid for picking broccoli the whole year long.

My uncle was right, you can't be too careful with Spaniards.

They took away the Inca's treasures in the past,

And now they come thinking everything's cool!

See you there!

Marianita de Jesus is considered the author of the famous maxim

Which anticipates that «Ecuador will not disappear due to earthquakes

But due to bad governments.»

But that's absurd... because in those days

Ecuador didn't exist as a country yet.

What people did say about governments in those days was:

Long live the King of Spain! Down with corrupted governments!

More or less the same as we say nowadays:

Long live democracy! Down with the president!

María Teresa Hernández Larrea.

Registered as being born in Quito on November 5th 1982

Daughter of Augusto and Bertha.

Lawyer born in Ambato and music teacher with Lojan descent.

Weight at birth: 2 kilos

Age of first period: thirteen years old.

Important family pathologies:

Maternal grandmother died of breast cancer at seventy.

Paternal grandfather alcoholic.

Best known at school as Maríaté

Her parents call her Tita and her uncles Princess

Daniel: How are you? How's your life?

I'm finally free after two weeks of exams

I didn't mail you before cause I was tied up with work.

And you? Why haven't you mailed?

I handed my paper in today remember I told you about it?

The one about the women characters in contemporary Ecuadorian literature

Daniel: I miss you, I really do. I've been thinking about you.

I suppose you haven't written cause you've been busy with your job.

But I'd really like to see you and be with you.

Write back, call me or something remember our plan to travel together?

I've got vacations now and I could come to visit you in Cuenca.

Don't disappear on me.

Daniel, if you don't want to write or call any more, at least let me know why.

I don't understand these long silences and if

I do... I think I prefer not to.

Are you scramming?

You know I'm not the type to cut my veins open cause you leave

But I really hate this «cuencano» way of evading the subject.

Take responsibility man confront what's going on.

I'd prefer you told me: I don't want to see you any more.

Don't bother me, don't call, it's over

And not this running away like a sewer rat.

Hello... Daniel? How are you?

It's me... me...

Yes, how are you? Yes, I've finished today and...

I was looking forward to visiting you in Cuenca.

What?... But why didn't you tell me before?

You're such an idiot Daniel!

What?! No, man, you can't do that

No, man, no way you can't do that...

Look, I'm going to Cuenca tomorrow.

Wait till I get there and we'll talk this over.

Calm down man, I can understand it must be hard for her but...

The day after tomorrow? What are you talking about?!

No, wait up, don't be such an idiot! I'll go there tomorrow we'll talk.

And I'll help you work this out.

You don't want me to come? But of course I'm coming, don't doubt it.

If you don't want to see me that's your problem but I'm coming!

Shit!

Everyone deserves a name of their own but no one has one.

No one has had one and no one will have one.

Reality beyond names is uninhabitable...

And reality within names is an everlasting breakdown.

Meaning is not to be found within words but beyond them.

These words I'm writing are searching for a meaning.

And that search is their authentic meaning...

Meaning is not to be found within words but beyond them...

Buy some gum!

Don't be scared, I mean no harm that's for watching too much TV.

Come on, buy some...

I've got, lemon, mint which one does your boyfriend like?

Ok, give me the mint gum.

Mint...

Oh gosh... Hand that over!

Rascal! – What do you want?

Come here! – Don't wanna!

Do as I say!

What do you want?

Get me change for this. – I don't have any.

Come on! Or you'll play as goalkeeper on Sunday.

I'm telling you I don't have any I gave Chivo all my change.

So go look for change and comeback quickly speed up!

T-h-e ... M-o-n-k-e-y...

You interested in animals? – Non really... Or rather, yes...

That's great...

At what time does your bus leave? – At seven.

Hell... and what if the Rascal doesn't come back on time?

I'd have to give you ten dollars worth of gum...

And where are you going to? – To Cuenca

Ah... they say that's beautiful down there

I've got a cousin who lives in Cuenca.

And you're going all by yourself? – Yep.

My mother likes to say it's not good to hang out all by yourself

Because the demons come out to frighten You.

That's why I always hang out with my friends

OK little demon, give me my ten dollars worth of gum cause I'm leaving.

What are you doing now?

It's that... I just realized I do have change...

Well I don't want my change anymore now I want my gum.

You sure? – I'm sure.

I do this to sell my gum faster... selling it one

by one is endless...

And the Rascal?

He's got orders not to come back.

Well, well... Bye little demon.

Beware of the cuencanos!

I'm sorry but... you're in my seat.

Really? Let's see...

Fifteen "A"

Yeah, that's the aisle seat mine's sixteen "W", the window

Hell, you're right... The thing is...

how should I put it...

It's just that I'm on vacation you know?

And my guidebook says this road is beautiful

That you can see the volcanoes the towns...

And since I've got my handy cam...

Though if you prefer...

No, no, it's OK.

You sure travel light... I wish I could...

Are you traveling just for a few days?

Don't know.

Sure, some people prefer to travel like that.

I just can't...

I need to know exactly when l'm getting back

no matter what happens I like to have my tickets handy.

You want to read? I've got a spare book. – Thanks.

"Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz or the Traps of Faith"

"Grandpa's books unlocked the doors of a different world for her.

A world into which her mother and her sisters were not allowed.

A masculine world."

In this fierce and ever-changing reality.

There's only one safe place: the library.

Inside its walls Juana Ines finds not only shelter.

But also a world that replaces the conflictive

and ghostly world of her house.

"True reality, say the books.

Resides in our ideas and the words that make them up.

Words are our only reality.

Juana Ines lives in a world of words.

That world is not inhabited by men or women.

But by some timeless creatures that are more consistent and truthful

Than any other reality or any other creature of flesh and blood,

our ideas."

So let's get out of bed ‘cause it's already

seven fifteen in the morning!

Come on up those of you who are still stuck

to the sheets... Nonsense!

We've got the sun shining over the city today.

A great day to make new plans,

To give the best of our selve sand demonstrate we're winners!

Jefferson Perez already did it! We Ecuadorian's can reach all our goals.

We can be champions if we want to!

Come on everyone, get up brothers, sisters.

Nonsense and nonsense!

Tell yourselves this is going to be the best day of your lives.

Cause we can do it!

San Francisco de Quito.

Registered in the Book of Councils as founded on August 28th 1534

Granted by the statement written by Francisco Pizarro