Saturday, June 16, 2012

Memories of June 14th 2012

Not for the faint at heart or vegans.   Note: I was not pleasantly surprised to find photos and video this morning of the following account.

So the thing about waking up drunk is that there is time to ward off the hang over by continuing to drink.  But then if you aren't careful you are looking at a 2 - three day bender.  Not pretty.  But that's not really what this post is about.  Thursday morning I woke up to the sound of the english rock station blaring due to Coco's bro Abraham turning it on and laughing.  Nothing like a little Kiss & their "rock & Roll all Night" to roll you out of bed to drunkenly feed the squawking birds.  I won a 500 colonies ($1) bet from abraham tho for feeding the birds, but didn't win his silver necklace since I wasn't up by 5:30 am.

Pre cutting
So all of us are up for some reason, Mario(the farm owner) is in his grey tighty underwear chasing the bull.  Next Coco joins him.  Apparently Mario while still drunk and with no sleep has decided that the bull is too much trouble with his balls.  Running away to the next heard all the time, and earlier this week he even brought them home!  4 cows, a baby and the bull from the next farm came home with him for what I can only guess would be a cow sex party.

As the morning proceeds, Abraham and I are on the deck watching the crazy ass Mario chase the bull in his undies with Coco's assistance.  The next thing we know, the bull is tied on the ground, the knife sharpener and knife in hand and Mario is removing the bulls balls.  Then I'm being beckoned to bring the coffee to stop the bleeding.  But since I didn't know anything about coffee and bull balls, I brought the pot of coffee.  I am running back and forth in the field with the coffee pot, then the dry coffee, then the purple stuff to stop infection, and the dog to help lick the wound to stop the bleeding.  The bull finally had enough and fought his way up, squishing Coco's hand in the rope, as Coco was sitting on top of the bulls side trying to hold him down while Mario literally sliced off the balls. 

Then I've been handed the balls to carry back to the house with the bloody dog.  I'm not sure why this happened or why I was able to do this.  Thank you rum that was still in my system.  The bull went off to think about his new ball-less life.  Appearing only to be a little sad and confused.  I'm sure there was pain involved but not enough for him to make much noise or passout or put up much of a fight really.

After bringing all the crazy things back to the house I took Osa the dog to the river to wash off the blood.  There I decided to attempt the cold water soaking out the booze therapy and sat in the river.  Mario shortly joined me blood covered and still in his ridiculous underwear.  We talked of farms and land.  Shortly joined by Coco.  The three of us fully clothed laying in the cold river.  Abraham walked down but apparently doesn't know about the cold water therapy.  Which may not actually work but does take away the booze hot red burning that sometimes happens the next day.  The we made it back to the house dripping wet. 

Mario makes the best pinto!  When he comes to stay he cooks for us and it's always REALLY good.  Sadly this morning the meat in the pinto (pinto is rice and beans from the day before fried up with veggies and meat) was fresh cow balls.  Of course being the token Gringa of the house and the only one visibly freaked out by the mornings situation, I was served breaky (back in bed) first.  The pinto was delicious but I only ate two bites of the balls.  The first bite to a. be polite and say that I tried it, and b.  the second bite to confirm I did not like it.  Tasted and had the texture of liver which makes me sick to think about. 

Then in typical next morning Coco form we went to the bar to have a couple beers at 11am to take off the rest of the hangover.  Hair of the dog really does work(especially when the beer is rimmed with salt and limon.  they don't have lemons here.  Limons and limes is all I have found)  , unless you continue to drink.  In this case you repeat the next morning, hence the 2 - 3 day binge. 

Ah, what a way to start my 23rd year of life!  ;)

The bull appears to be fine, though slightly embarrassed. 


Kiss - Rock and Roll All Nite

You show us everything you've got
You keep on dancin' and the room gets hot
You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
You say you wanna go for a spin
The party's just begun, we'll let you in
You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'

(Chorus)
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day

You keep on saying you'll be mine for a while
You're lookin' fancy and I like your style
You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
You show us everything you've got
Baby, baby that's quite a lot
And you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'

Friday, June 15, 2012

Friday on the Farm

Today I:
did laundry
cleaned and made beans(the beans we have come straight from the field so you have to pick out the bad ones and the rocks and sticks before cooking)
made left over pasta fritata for breaky
sat in the sun for a few mins
fed pigs, cows and birds
thought
talked
laughed


A Few of my Favorite Things

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!  :)

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! 

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)

I can't believe I don't have a better before picture! 
After mentioning how much better the kitchen could be if I could see out etc. etc. etc. Coco finally said, ok let's do it!  So we did!


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! 


We cut boards out of these planks with the crazy little saw for cutting limbs off trees!

During!
After!
































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