The things I'm looking forward to:
Clean fingernails.
Not building a fire every day to cook, sometimes 3 times a day.
Hot water when I want it.
No dark brown/grey and black outs.
Unlimited internet and electricity.
Cheap beer.
Larger variety of food when wanted.
And really those things (except for the fingernails) aren't that bad. The lack of hot water is hard when you want to shower and night or in the am. So I shower mid day when the pipe is warmed by the sun and then quickly rinse the other times during the day! And honestly I have nothing really to complain about, just the little things i took for granted my entire life.
i have photos and other posts to post, but might have to wait until i return to get to them! oh well!
and now a little sunshine and warmish mid day shower!
I should also add, that I will be happy not to have various bugs crawling on me in the night, biting and waking me up! Or at least I hope I won't have that when I return! :)
Friday, June 15, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
The Final Countdown
10 days until my return to “reality”. But as I recently said in an email to some
friends, at this point I don’t know what reality is. I’ve mentioned before that I feel I’ve been
living someone else’s life. Not an Portland
life, that is for sure. The things that
are different here range from beliefs, customs, attitudes, food handling,
animal treatment, woman’s roles and rights, etc. etc. and even though many of the people I have met
speak English and have been exposed to America and Americans the underlying
differences surface quite quickly at times.
But that’s not what I’m writing about now.
I am filled with anxiety about my return. My friends and families lives have continued
on without me. And though I’ve only been
gone for about 4 months I haven’t had much news from home and I know that many
things can happen in 4 months. I’m also
filled with uncertainty about what I want to do from here. Work, money, houses, cars, pets and even
bicycle decisions feel very pressing.
However, there is part of me that thinks I’ll just enjoy
summer and worry about that other stuff later!
Pura Vida! Tomorrow is another
day. Even though that's what I've been doing for the last 1.5 years since my layoff. If I've leaned anything at all in my time here it's that sitting in an office will be very a difficult life for me to return to.
In farm news:
The cheese making continues
The pigs ate the male duck
2 hens are broody sitting on no eggs - cold baths for them
3 bun buns are doing well!
My chigger battle is futile, and I'm once again covered with them! They itch like EmEffers!
I hesitate to tell this one, but I encountered my first snake here in Costa Rica this week. The other night Coco and I walked to the neighbors to take them some food and visit. We both had flashlights and were looking for the Fer-de-Lance (Bothrops asper)Spanish Name: Terciopelo- Most people don't survive the bites of these. And the small ones are worse because they can't or don't control the amount of venom that comes out when they bite. However, since I've never seen one, I only know that they are hard to spot and blend in. They don't run like most snakes but will attack right away. In a Costa Rican snake miracle I step right on it's head! and didn't even know it until Coco was yelling and chopping it up with the machete! He was in shock and awe that I wasn't biten. He saw it right when I stepped on it, not enough time to warm me. It really did blend in to the dirt road. If I would have been biten, and actually made it to the hospital in San Jose or Golfito, I would have probably been hospitalized for a long time while they tried to stop the spread of the damage. Some people loose their legs or have to have many skin grafts from other parts of the body. Needless to say, my walking anywhere at night is probably not going to happen again. :)
To answer some much asked questions:
Yes Coco is my boyfriend. No, I don't know if we will ever see each other again. Yes this is breaking my heart. No, I am not painting. No, I am not an alcoholic, still a binge drinker with maybe more binges. :) But in the last 2.5 weeks we've only drank a couple of times. Yes, I'm excited to see people at home, but no, I'm not really looking forward to returning. No, I don't have any idea what I'll do when I get there!
That's it for now. The solar panel situation is still not good so my power supple on this computer is VERY limited!
Love and bunnies nose kisses,
Serena
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Crazy for Mangos!
Yesterday on my way back from buying a few things from the pulperia (small local store) I stopped and gathered a crap ton of mangos! The walk to the store takes about 30mins at a medium pace. And about a quarter way there are two huge mango trees and no one else seems to care about them. I made mango juice, beans, rice and pico de gallo yesterday, while Coco was clearing the property. Today we got up at 5:30. I fed the birds and Bunnies. I have 3 baby buns left and they are doing pretty well. They only drink a little milk for dinner and are eating grass, fruit and some rabbit pellet food. They keep escaping at night so I think
tonight I won't lock them in.
Today we are fixing the fence again. And I'm hoping
to do a bit of painting before dark!
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| This is my outfit more often then not. Tho I usually carry the smaller machete when I need to carry one. This skirt has been the most worn item I brought. I think I'll make some from this as a pattern when I get home! |
Architectural (In)diges(tion)
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| I can't believe I don't have a better before picture! |
The roof slanted all the way down to the sink counter area so it got really hot fast with the fire and the sun. There was also no way to see out from here! We had to finish in one day, which we did. It actually only took us about 5 hours including cutting all the wood we needed. It was a lot of fun and the farm owner showed up right when we finished. He was shocked and happy!
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| We cut boards out of these planks with the crazy little saw for cutting limbs off trees! |
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| During! |
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| After! |
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| After! |
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Backlogged
May 11th 2012
We decided to walk to the pulperia(small local store) but I
didn’t know how far away it was. My
tennis shoes were wet, coco told me I shouldn’t wear my flip flops, so I
decided to try my Keen water shoes. I
haven’t worn them for probably 3 years but assumed they’d be fine. I brought a blister thing just in case. We have to cross 3 streams to get on to the
main road. Arrived at the poperia no
problem, purchased the items we came for, including 2 ice cold real sugar coca-colas. We drank our cokes on the bench, then decided
to keep walking to the local bar for a beer.
Half way to the bar a blister erupted.
No prob, I put on my blister band aid thing. On the way t the bar Coco helped an old man
get his truck out of the ditch. Then later
as we were still walking he gave us a ride in the back of the truck. It was now pouring rain and we only had small
plastic bags to keep our phones dry. He
picked us up and dropped us at the closest bar but wanted us to join him for a
beer in La Palma, the closest town to us.
No, Coco said, because the walk back is too far. Had two beers but the bar tendress was terrible
so we left. We also had Poco Yo the dog
with us. But we decided to keep walking toward
La palma for a better bar. It’s pouring
rain, we are soaking wet trying to hitch hike with a wet dog! I also had on a white t-shirt that was not
hiding ANYTHING. Coco made me put his
t-tshirt on over my tank top. So now we
are trying to hitchhike and he looks like a crazy tattooed skinny thug. We finally got a ride by some creepy younger
guy. We walked in to the local La Palma
bar and the 4 permanently installed drunks instantly became my friends. Wanted to know if I was cold, should they
turn the fans off etc. it was
funny. We had some soup and a beer and
left. It was indeed a long wet painful
walk back, but did get a ride part way.
But all in all a fun stupid crazy day.
Though my feet were NOT happy.
May 12th 2012
Today I started waking up around 5am. I got up at 6 & came downstairs. I discovered Osa the puppy had gotten into
the house and into the bathroom toilet paper bin. Side note:
In Costa Rica you do not flush toilet paper, it goes in the trash
bin. This takes a while to get used
to. There was used toilet paper all over. I was instantly crabby! We are trying to keep all the animals out of
the house, dogs included. The baby
chickens are tough to keep out & the small puppy. Martina the duck comes in at will when the
door is open. This is difficult since the
house is pretty much open, or al least has openings large enough for birds and
the small puppy to come in. Anyway, I
fed the poultry & started the fire for cooking using diesel & a plastic
bag today. I find this practice extremely
gross. I’m highly adverse to burning
plastic but given everything is damp here the normal twigs, paper &
materials just don’t work, or it takes way to long. I made pancakes & the neighbor Nanu
arrived to help Coco with the milking. I
cleaned the bedroom floor, did the dishes, did the laundry & hung it to
dry. Coco made lunch around 1pm. Left over rice, beans and a can of tuna with
veggies.
May12th Later in the day - This is taken directly from my
hand written journal no editing
Today I found out that the owner of the farm shot his
girlfriend. It’s slightly more
complicated in that she had the gun and pointing it at him but wouldn’t shoot,
so he took it , shot it but didn’t hi her with a bullet but did hit her with the
butt og the gun. The worst part is, this
is not shocking here in CR. This is
somewhat steryotyping but everyone here is a cheater. And almost everyone here seems to be crazy
jealous. Well, as you know jealousy
comes from being insecure & since you know your bf or gf is most likely
cheating you get jealous. For the woman,
they don’t blame their man, the blame the other woman! It’s never their bf/husbands fault, the the “party”
or the other woman. But it doesn’t worth
that when when roles are reversed, it seems that the man & woman are to
blame when the woman is cheating.
(update
on this situation: Mario and the gf talk
daily and he is planning on going to live with her in another part of CR. I don’t think the gun was actually fired,
though she did have a bruise on her arm and a bump on her head. I don’t really know what happened. Probably only the two of them will ever know
the entire story)
5pm May 12th Direct from journal no proofing.
& then it hit me.
Maybe I’m home sick? But isn’t it
hard to be homesick with monkey howling & flock of small green parrots
flying overhead? Seems unlikely, but why
do I feel so crabby & irritable.
Frustrated with CR & the way things happen here. Frustrated at
things I allowed to happen here. More
likely that’s it. I’m feeling like I
should just go home. What’s really
keeping me here? Mostly Coco I’d
guess. & not so much by his doing
but mine. For the love of kitties I don’t
understand why I will have this romantic vision of love. Or of what my lover
should look like or be like. But in
reality is this the best choice? And why
did I get so lonely? And I can’t even
effen paint. What the hell. I came here to paint & learn Spanish. & what have I really done? A whole lot of drinking & wasting money I
should have not wasted.
May 13th
Went to PJ for the booze & some supplies w Mario(the
farm owner). He got a phone call &
had to go to his house. 4 cops and &
ex GF came to get her stuff. It was
stressful to be there. She was upset ect. Came home and had a few drinks, Mario stayed
over and he and Coco kept drinking.
May 14th
Got up & started drinking. Coco’s friend brought us more booze for a
large fee. Went swimming & had fun at the little fake bar area by the stream. Started raining & we came back to the
house. That’s when I blacked out. Vague recollection
of getting mad at Coco for something I’m sure was Dwayne related. Other terrible things occurred that shouldn’t
have. That made me realize how much more
therapy I need revolving around my 11 year disastrous marriage and that I
really should not drink so much.
May 15th
Day of sadness and reflection. Coco made me a really nice fish lunch.
May 16th
While feeding my 6 baby bunnies out in the bunny shed I glanced
behind me and to my shock and dismay a very small white bunny crawled out fo
the hole! Later four little tiny things
came out. The mom had been dead 3 days
& they much have smelled the milk. I
didn’t know they were the same mom’s so
I thought we’d blocked out the other bunny on the property. Later we caught it to see, but no
nipples. The mom rabbit did indeed have
2 litters. I was only able to feed the
smallest of the 4.
May 17th
We rescued all 4 baby bunnies. Coco had to break up
concrete to get all the way in the hole.
Fed them but they are so small. I
only have whole cow milk to feed them.
May 18th
The smallest baby bunny died in the night.
May 19th
Feeling sad & lonely. Coco is constantly using hi phone
for internet and texting. It gives m
even more anxiety about feel alone so I have retreated further away physically
and mentally which gives me even more anxiety about talking about things.
May 20th
Gill, who is staying with Nanu, made soup. Went to La Palma. Gray baby bunny stopped eating around
1pm. Rooster had to be killed. He couldn’t walk anymore. Had a bone disease.
May 21st
Coco was talking to his son and the Jamie the mom while I
was on the phone with Christine. When I
came downstairs Coco was crying and talking about Jamie being the love of his
life. He was drunk and sometimes I’m not
sure what is what when he drunk rambles.
He told me their entire love story and it was a good one! Made me wonder if I’ve ever been someones “love
of their life”. Maybe Jans but it’s hard
telling now.
May 22nd
Woke up to find Sunny, my favorite bunny had died. I couldn’t stop crying. I felt so sad & lonely. Nothing worse than feeling lonely when you supposedly
have a bf. But hugging is not common
here at all. People here are hard
towards death, it’s a farm animals die. (skipping
a bunch of rambling personal feeling crap here ) Coco and I decided to try really hard for the
next 3 weeks to treat each other better and to keep the crazy under
control. Neither of us wants to remember
our last bit together fighting and not understanding each other.
I let the big bunnies outside for a while. I felt sad sunny didn’t get to go out and eat
grass. She loved apples and spinach! The little baby white bunny had diarrhea. I gave them some grass in the box and they
ate it.
May 23rd
Got up at 6:15 fed birds, bnnies & dogs. Coco made
breaky around 9. Big bunnies are
outside. Taking little buns out for a
little bite of grass. Later- The little buns loved the outside, hoping and
eating. But then later the two white
ones got sick & died. It was like
they were poisoned. I can only imagine
that they ate something they shouldn’t have, or the cow milk didn’t provide the
proper enzymes to digest what they ate.
They were probably only a week or less old when the mom died. Not enough of her milk. The grey one is acting funny but ate his
dinner. The older bunnies were out most
of the day, but one b&w didn’t return.
I’m not cut out for all this death.
One of the small bunnies was still alive but ants were in her eyes and
she was only sort of breathing. I wanted
to stop her suffering but didn’t know how to kill her. I wrapped them both in their newspaper and
put them in the river. I feel really
horrible & feel like I did something wrong so they died. Grey bunny was dead by morning. He also had a river funeral in a newspaper
boat. I thought of the Vikings, though I think they
are sent to sea on fire.
May 24th
Woke up this morning to a dead bunny inside the bunny
house. I woke Coco up and he came out
right away when I told him what it looked like.
The bunny had a bite on it’s leg, bloated and eyes open and white. Sounds like a snake bite. Coco looked all around inside the bunny house
for a snake, but only found a nasty spider.
He was the last one to come in last night but was eating dinner when I
shut the door. It’s possible he had just
gotten bit before he came in. Or that
the snake somehow left the house. This
was the first bunny I held and fed. Made
me very sad. Another trip to the river,
another Viking funeral.
May 29th
I’m having a hard time knowing what to edit out. I might not be able to verbalize and discuss
my feelings but I’m not a very private person when it comes to other
things. But I wonder how much is too
much info here on the internets. I guess
I’ll save the real dirt for the book! :
I’ve been catching up
on this blog and coco is cleaning the property with a weed eater.
I have 3 bunnies left.
They come to me when I call them but don’t really like to be held unless
I’m giving them food.
I feel like the last 3 days I’ve been eating way too
much. Though I really doubt that is going
to help my flat ass any. Hahaha
Monday, May 28, 2012
Questions from Gram!
My gram has been writing me letters but I've only been able to call her twice. So here are the answers she asked in the letters. My mom will print them for her. :)
Questions from Gram –
Why don’t the pigs have names? The pigs now have names, Eudalia &
Anacleto. Coco named them
The baby cow’s names are Hairy, Terible, & Snow Flake(Copo de Nieve)
What did you do with the house painting you did? The one I paintined here is at Williams, I
gave it to him mom. The one I painted
from here but from photo is in my house in Portland.
Does anyone have their pets spade or neutered? Not here in Costa Rica that I have seen. In Boquete Panama there is a monthly clinic
where you can take your pet for free. It’s
funded by the American expat community there.
This wasn’t exactly her question – but sex education is not
taught. There are many wives tales
regarding pregnancy. Most of the men I’ve
met have at least 1 kid, more often 2 by different woman. It’s not uncommon for kids to start having
sex around 12 years old. Abortion is not
legal here and more than half the population is catholic. Most people, including the men, have very strong anti-abortion opinions. Vasectomy is also not common here. I have heard of one man having one, but
mostly the men think it will kill their manhood. Very much machismo on this topic.
Are tattoos here done by the hour or the piece? It depends on the place, most of Coco’s have
been by the piece, mostly because he knew the tattoo artist. It is cheaper that way.
Do they have yard sales there? No.
People here in general don’t have extra items. If they do and needed money they would sell
something. Or they use their things
until there are no longer useful.
Do they have old wives beliefs? Yes, too many to list. And I’m sure I haven’t even begun to hear
them!
How do the people who don’t work survive? Unemployment?
This is a good question. I know
many people who don’t have steady work.
They live with family members, borrow money from friends or family, hunt
illegally, get fruit from the trees around.
Family seems to be very supportive of each other. There isn’t unemployment. If you have a kid and no support from the
father she might be able to get something from the government. Old people can get something from the
government if they have paid into it, but many haven’t. Same with health insurance, they have public
insurance but you have to pay in, and it’s really slow and terrible. Theft and illegal business is not really
frowned upon. “Taking gold or wood” and
selling it will land you in jail or a huge fine, but there are buyers for
both. Things here are getting worse from
what I’ve heard and seen.
Why was Puerto Jimenez built? In the 1960’s logging and a gold rush
hit. PJ is the last stop to the last of
the wild Costa Rica. Even though it is
now illegal to cut wood or take gold it still happens. PJ is now the main stop for tourists going to
the National Park.
Is there wild fruit there?
Yes, coconuts, bananas, plantains, oranges, limes, avocados, water
apples, and many other fruits I don’t know.
They grow on the beach, in the forest and jungle. They might not be “wild” but they aren’t in
an orchard.
What do people do for entertainment at home? Reading, watching TV, etc. Things that don’t require money for
hobbies. Coco’s mom Crochets and
reads. She also watches Animal Planet a
lot! Williams mom watched TV a
little but mostly cleaned the house etc.
What do people do on the weekends? Party.
Drinking, dancing, the typical stuff.
No movie theater anywhere close by.
But booze and food are expensive here.
Cocaine and pot are very poplar and extremely cheap given the prices of
other things.
Do you see many veggie gardens or flowers in peoples yards? Mostly flowers, no too many veggie
gardens. I’m not sure why. Some of it is that the dirt here isn’t good
so it takes a lot of work or money to get the ground prepared.
Are there Laundromats? Yes, many.
The average person does not have a washer and dryer. They do their laundry by hand and hang to
dry. The Laundromats also mostly hang
the clothes out to dry. But their
machines have a super spin cycle that really gets the water out.
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